• Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan left the Republican Party to become an independent, describing the current state of the country’s politics as “trapped in a partisan death spiral.” President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Amash since the former House Freedom Caucus member called for his impeachment, said on Twitter that the switch by Amash — “one of the dumbest & most disloyal men in Congress” — was “great news for the Republican Party.” (USA Today)

• An appeals court upheld a block on Trump’s rerouting of $2.5 billion in Defense Department funding in a bid to fund part of the construction of his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall. The administration has appealed the decision. (The New York Times)

• An appeals court froze the implementation of the Trump administration’s overhaul of the Title X family planning program, which seeks to divert federal dollars away from abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood. The court will hear arguments on a range of challenges to the rule, although it’s unclear whether those challenges will be heard together or separately. (Politico)

U.S. Jobs Rise Above-Forecast 224,000, Diluting Fed-Cut Case
Reade Pickert and Jeff Kearns, Bloomberg

U.S. hiring rebounded in June and topped all estimates of economists, a sign of labor-market strength that may ease calls for a Federal Reserve interest-rate cut. Stock futures fell while Treasury yields and the dollar advanced.

U.S. Hits Back at Huawei Lawsuit
Dan Strumpf, The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. government issued its first public defense of a law that restricts federal agencies from doing business with Huawei Technologies Co., saying it had ample national-security reasons for enacting it. The law, signed last year by President Trump, put new limits on federal dollars going to Huawei and its Chinese rival, ZTE Corp., and barred federal agencies from buying equipment that uses gear from the companies.

China Reiterates Demand That U.S. Must Lift All Tariffs
Bloomberg

China continues to stress that the U.S. must remove all the tariffs placed on Chinese goods as a condition for reaching a trade deal. On Friday, an influential blog connected to state media said the talks will “go backward again” without that step, echoing the line from Ministry of Commerce’s weekly briefing on Thursday.

Putin calls on von der Leyen to help improve EU-Russia links
Silvia Sciorilli Borrelli, Politico

Vladimir Putin called for the strengthening of ties between Moscow and the EU during an official visit to Italy on Thursday — and called on the prospective new European Commission chief to help make that happen. “Ursula von der Leyen’s role will be key to determine the shape of future relations between us and the EU,” the Russian president said during a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

6.4-Magnitude Earthquake and Swarm of Aftershocks Rattle Southern California
Tim Arango et al., The New York Times

A rolling 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit a remote area of Southern California between Los Angeles and Las Vegas on Thursday, the most powerful tremor to shake that region in two decades, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake, which struck shortly after 1 p.m. Eastern, caused dozens of aftershocks, about two dozen fire and medical incidents and the evacuation of several apartment buildings.

Flag burning in front of White House leads to scuffle amid 4th of July celebrations
Nicholas Wu and Jason Lalljee, USA Today

The burning of a flag in front of the White House led to a scuffle between protesters and President Donald Trump supporters during Independence Day celebrations in the nation’s capital. Gregory Lee Johnson, who had been the lead plaintiff in the 1984 Supreme Court protecting flag-burning as a First Amendment expression of speech, had burned a flag as part of a demonstration.

With Flyovers and Flags, Trump Plays M.C. for the Fourth
Michael D. Shear, The New York Times

In a made-for-television Independence Day production starring America’s military weaponry, President Trump on Thursday used the Lincoln Memorial as the backdrop for a tribute to the country’s armed forces and a call for unity that has been largely absent during his divisive presidency. Flanked by Bradley armored vehicles and M1A2 tanks in front of the statue of Abraham Lincoln, Mr. Trump paid homage to the five branches of the military as a chorus sang each service hymn and he cued the arrival of fighter jets, helicopters and other military aircraft as they roared overhead.

Homeland Security Chief Takes Border Focus Farther South
Louise Radnofsky, The Wall Street Journal

As the U.S. seeks to stem migrant flows, it is looking well beyond its own southern border to the southern borders of two other countries: Mexico and Guatemala. That expanded focus is why, with immigration controversies roiling Washington, acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan ended up in El Salvador and Honduras for 36 hours.

Trump tweet puts him at odds with his Fed nominee
Victoria Guida, Politico

President Donald Trump’s call on Wednesday for the U.S. to manipulate its currency to boost exports is in direct conflict with the long-held view of at least one key scholar: his newest pick for the Federal Reserve board, Judy Shelton. Shelton, who advised Trump’s presidential campaign and is now U.S. executive director for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, has spent decades calling for a more stable, predictable dollar value.

Schumer calls for firing of Border Patrol leadership over ‘toxic’ culture
Marianne Levine, Politico

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday called for the firing of top leadership at Customs and Border Protection, saying the conditions at detention facilities and a secret Facebook group featuring lewd posts from border agents highlight the agency’s “toxic” culture. “Internal investigations aren’t enough because the leadership at CBP, particularly Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan, are too callous about the way in which children and their families are treated, which is why we need untainted professionals to be brought in from outside the CBP structure immediately,” Schumer said.

Democratic Senate hopes hinge on Trump tide
Alexander Bolton, The Hill

Democratic and Republican lawmakers believe next year’s battle for the Senate majority largely will hinge on the presidential race — and who wins the Democratic Party’s nomination. Democrats think they have a shot at winning back the Senate and unified control of Congress, but only if their voters show up in mass to sweep Trump from office.

Ocasio-Cortez: Amash is ‘right’ to warn of ‘partisan death spiral’
Maggie Miller, The Hill

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Thursday tweeted that Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.) is “right” in criticizing Congress for becoming increasingly partisan, retweeting an op-ed penned by Amash in which he stated that “our politics is in a partisan death spiral.” Ocasio-Cortez retweeted an opinion piece written by Amash for The Washington Post, in which he announced that he is leaving the Republican Party. Amash is the only sitting GOP member of Congress who has called for President Trump to be impeached.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Bring Their Debate-Stage Fight to Iowa
Jonathan Martin and Katie Glueck, The New York Times

Joseph R. Biden Jr. expressed frustration Thursday at Senator Kamala Harris’s pointed criticism about his 1970s-era opposition to busing, arguing that Democrats should “be talking about the future.” But he resisted the opportunity to return fire at Ms. Harris for voicing a position similar to his on school integration.

Warren pitches executive orders on race, gender pay gap
Errin Haines Whack, The Associated Press

Democratic 2020 hopeful Elizabeth Warren says that if elected president she would sign executive orders aimed at addressing the wage and employment leadership gap for women of color, punishing companies and contractors with historically poor records on diversity and equality by denying them contracts with the federal government. The Massachusetts senator detailed her latest plan in a post on Medium on Friday, positioning her ideas as moral and economic imperatives.

Dem front-runner Biden trails Buttigieg in fundraising total
Brian Slodysko, The Associated Press

Former Vice President Joe Biden has raised $21.5 million since launching his White House bid in late April, his campaign said Wednesday. While Biden’s haul will put him in the top tier of Democratic fundraisers, he lags behind Pete Buttigieg, a 37-year-old Indiana mayor who was virtually unknown a few months ago.

Kamala Harris on Trump: ‘We have a predator living in the White House’
Joseph A. Wulfsohn, Fox News

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif, is ratcheting up her attacks against President Trump, referring to him on Wednesday as a “predator” during a campaign event in Iowa. “I took on successfully, and I prosecuted the big banks, when they preyed on homeowners,” Harris said, touting her record as attorney general of California.

Joaquin Castro calls Laura Ingraham ‘a white supremacist’
Quint Forgey, Politico

A Twitter spat between Rep. Joaquin Castro and Fox News’ Laura Ingraham escalated quickly on Wednesday — with the Texas congressman branding the conservative talking head “a white supremacist” during an exchange over conditions at migrant detention centers. Castro, the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and several other lawmakers on Monday toured facilities operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to hold Central American migrants, including the controversial Border Patrol station in Clint, Texas, that has come under intense scrutiny for the treatment of children confined there.

California becomes first US state to ban discrimination over natural hairstyles
Kari Paul, The Guardian

California became the first state in the US to ban discrimination over natural hair on Wednesday. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace (Crown) Act into law, prohibiting employers and schools from enforcing rules against hairstyles including afros, braids, twists, and locks. Workplace policies that prohibit such styles have serious economic and health consequences, especially for black individuals, the bill said.

Ackerman McQueen accuses NRA of threatening employees
Steve Lackmeyer, The Oklahoman

Ackerman McQueen, Oklahoma City’s largest and oldest advertising agency, alleged Wednesday its former client, the National Rifle Assoction, is threatening the company’s employees with a loss of jobs and benefits. The firm and the NRA are suing each other for more than $100 million following the collapse of 38 years of services for the nonprofit that include operating NRATV and paying million-dollar annual salaries to the online network’s leading personalities, Dana Loesch and Oliver North.

Rep. Justin Amash sounds like a guy who might just run for president
Aaron Blake, The Washington Post

Rep. Justin Amash isn’t just leaving the Republican Party; he’s making a statement about it. In a Washington Post op-ed — published appropriately on Independence Day — the Michigan congressman says the two-party system is in a “partisan death spiral” and encouraged independent Americans to do something about it. The question now is whether he will do something about it — or more specifically, whether he will do something that actually has an impact.

The Declaration of Independence Unites and Divides Us
Jeffrey Rosen, The New York Times

“I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence,” President-elect Abraham Lincoln declared in Philadelphia in February 1861, standing in front of Independence Hall. The previous month, Lincoln had adapted language from the Book of Proverbs to emphasize to a Southern correspondent the place of the Declaration in his own thought.

American Pride Hits New Low; Few Proud of Political System
Megan Brenan, Gallup

As Americans prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday, their pride in the U.S. has hit its lowest point since Gallup’s first measurement in 2001. While 70% of U.S. adults overall say they are proud to be Americans, this includes fewer than half (45%) who are “extremely” proud, marking the second consecutive year that this reading is below the majority level. Democrats continue to lag far behind Republicans in expressing extreme pride in the U.S.