Digest for 05 July, 2025
Trump Signs Sweeping Tax Cut and Spending Bill into Law
US President Donald Trump signed a massive legislative package into law, fulfilling a key campaign promise. The "One Big Beautiful Bill" enacts some $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, extends his first-term policies, and provides $350 billion for national security and border measures, including funding for a border wall and mass deportations. Critics argue the bill benefits the wealthy while making deep cuts to social programs like Medicaid and food assistance, potentially leaving millions uninsured.
Catastrophic Flash Floods in Texas Kill at Least 24, Over 20 Children Missing
Severe flash floods have devastated Texas Hill Country after months' worth of rain fell in a few hours, leaving at least 24 people dead. Rescue operations are underway, with hundreds rescued by boat and helicopter. More than 20 girls attending Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp on the Guadalupe River, are among the missing. The river rose an astonishing 22 feet in two hours, catching residents and campers by surprise in what is being called a "pitch black wall of death."
Supreme Court Petitioned to Halt Bihar Electoral Roll Revision
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO, has challenged the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar before the Supreme Court. The petition argues the process imposes unreasonable documentation requirements and has a short timeline that could disenfranchise lakhs of genuine voters, especially from marginalized communities, ahead of state elections. It claims the move could exclude over three crore voters, disrupting the principle of free and fair elections.
Think Tank Warns Against Allowing GM Farm Imports from US
The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) has cautioned the Indian government against allowing imports of genetically modified (GM) farm products from the U.S. under a proposed trade deal. The think tank warns that importing items like GM soybean meal for animal feed could lead to cross-contamination within India's supply chains. This could jeopardize India's GMO-free image and harm agricultural exports, particularly to the European Union, which has stringent regulations and strong consumer resistance to GM-linked products.
NIA Arrests Two Key Operatives in 'Dunki' Human Trafficking Ring
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two key members of a human trafficking syndicate that illegally smuggled people to the United States via the infamous "dunki" route. The accused, arrested in Delhi and Himachal Pradesh, were associates of a previously arrested ringleader. The gang allegedly charged around Rs 45 lakh per person, promising legal visas but instead sending them on a perilous journey through multiple Latin American countries, where they faced harassment from local agents.