ATHENS, Greece: A fast-moving wildfire whipped by gale-force winds burned through the night and into Thursday on Greece’s southern island of Crete, prompting the evacuation of more than 1,500 people from hotels and homes.

The fire department said 230 firefighters backed up by 10 water-dropping aircraft were battling the flames, which have burned through forest and farmland in Crete’s Ierapetra area on the island’s southern coast. Two people were evacuated by boat overnight, while six private boats were on standby in case further evacuations by sea became necessary, the coast guard said.

Homes were reported damaged as flames swept through hillside forests, fanned by strong winds.

“It’s a very difficult situation. The fire is very hard to contain. Right now, they cannot contain it,” Nektarios Papadakis, a civil protection official at the regional authority, told The Associated Press overnight.

“The tourists who were moved out are all okay. They have been taken to an indoor basketball arena and hotels in other regions of the island,” he said.

The Fire Service and a civil protection agency issued mobile phone alerts for the evacuations and appealed to residents not to return to try to save their property.

As fires crested ridgelines and edged toward residential areas, the blaze sent clouds of ash into the night sky, illuminated by the headlights of emergency vehicles and water trucks that lined the coastal road near the resorts of Ferma and Achlia on the southeast of Crete.

Several residents were treated for breathing difficulties, officials said, but there were no immediate reports of serious injuries.

Crete is one of Greece’s most popular destinations for both foreign and domestic tourists.

The risk of wildfires remained very high across Crete and parts of southern Greece Thursday, according to a daily bulletin issued by the Fire Service.

Wildfires are frequent in the country during its hot, dry summers, and the fire department has already tackled dozens across Greece so far this year.

In 2018, a massive fire swept through the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens, trapping people in their homes and on roads as they tried to flee. More than 100 died, including some who drowned while trying to swim away from the flames.

A wildfire on Crete has led to evacuations of over 1,500 people as flames threaten homes and hotels, with firefighting efforts ongoing.

apnews.com

A rapidly spreading wildfire on the Greek island of Crete has prompted urgent evacuations, affecting both tourists and residents alike. As of early Thursday, July 3, 2025, authorities have ordered evacuations in coastal areas near Ierapetra, where flames have damaged homes and threatened popular resorts.

6 Key Takeaways Wildfire spreading rapidly on Crete island.

Evacuations ordered for hotels and homes.

Over 1,500 people relocated for safety.

Firefighters facing challenges in containment.

High wildfire risk remains across southern Greece.

Several residents treated for breathing issues.

With over 1,500 people evacuated, including tourists relocated to safer locations, the situation remains critical. Firefighters are battling the blaze, which is being fueled by strong winds, making containment efforts extremely challenging.

Fast Answer: A wildfire on Crete has led to mass evacuations, threatening homes and tourist areas, highlighting the increasing risks of natural disasters globally.

This alarming incident raises questions about the preparedness of tourist destinations facing climate-related disasters. How can regions like Crete enhance their emergency response? Consider these points:

Increased investment in firefighting resources.

Enhanced communication systems for timely alerts.

Community education on disaster preparedness.

The wildfire in Crete underscores the urgent need for global awareness regarding climate change and its impact on natural disasters.

As the situation develops, it is crucial for travelers and residents to stay informed and prepared for emergencies. Will this incident prompt stronger safety measures in popular tourist destinations?

Athens: A fast-moving wildfire, driven by gale-force winds, continued to rage uncontrollably through the night and into Thursday on Greece’s southern island of Crete, prompting the evacuation of over 1,500 people from homes and hotels.

The blaze, which has scorched large stretches of forest and farmland in the Ierapetra area on Crete’s southern coast, forced emergency services into a major response. The Greek fire department said 230 firefighters, assisted by 10 water-dropping aircraft, were actively battling the flames. The Coast Guard reported that two people had to be evacuated by boat overnight, while six private vessels were placed on standby for further evacuations if required.

Several homes were damaged as the fire swept through hillside forests, fuelled by strong winds. Clouds of ash filled the air as flames crested ridgelines and approached residential areas, while emergency vehicles and water trucks lined the coastal road near the resorts of Ferma and Achlia in southeastern Crete.

Nektarios Papadakis, a civil protection official with the regional authority, described the situation as extremely challenging. “It’s a very difficult situation. The fire is very hard to contain. Right now, they cannot contain it,” he told The Associated Press overnight.

He confirmed that the tourists evacuated from the area were safe. “The tourists who were moved out are all okay. They have been taken to an indoor basketball arena and hotels in other regions of the island,” Papadakis said.

The Fire Service, along with Greece’s civil protection agency, issued emergency mobile phone alerts urging people to evacuate and warning residents not to return to their homes in attempts to protect their property.

Officials stated that several individuals were treated for breathing difficulties due to smoke inhalation, but no serious injuries have been reported.

Crete, a major destination for both foreign and domestic tourists, remained under high wildfire risk on Thursday, according to a daily bulletin from the Fire Service. Several parts of southern Greece were also under similar alerts.

Wildfires are a common threat in Greece during the hot, dry summer months. Firefighters have already tackled dozens of fires across the country this year. In a grim reminder of past tragedies, the nation still remembers the 2018 wildfire that tore through the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens, where more than 100 people lost their lives — many trapped in their homes or vehicles, while others drowned trying to flee the flames by sea.

With PTI inputs

A rapidly spreading wildfire on the Greek island of Crete has triggered widespread evacuations of tourists, hotels and homes.

The blaze, which sparked in the mountains between the villages of Ferma, Achila and Agia Fota late Tuesday, was whipped up by powerful winds and tore through Crete’s coastal areas yesterday.

Authorities said evacuations were ordered at three sites outside the port of Ierapetra on the island’s south coast as the inferno raged out of control overnight Wednesday into this morning.

Around 230 firefighters were operating in the area overnight to try and contain the blaze. This morning, 10 water-dropping aircraft were dispatched to fly regular sorties over Crete, with reinforcements sent from Athens.

Reports of the number of people evacuated vary, but the president of a hotelier’s association this morning told Protothema that 5,000 people – mostly foreign tourists – were moved out of homes and hotels in what is one of Greece’s most popular holiday hotspots.

Fire brigade spokesmen and civil protection officials have so far confirmed around 1,500 evacuees were forced to leave their accommodation. Others stranded on the beach were whisked away by boats and rescue vessels.

Homes were reported damaged as flames swept through hillside forests, fanned by strong winds, and emergency services reported that several people were transported to hospital with respiratory issues.

‘It’s a very difficult situation. The fire is very hard to contain. Right now, they cannot contain it,’ Nektarios Papadakis, a civil protection official at the regional authority, said.

Firefighters and rescue workers told Greek outlet Protothema that powerful and unpredictable winds were to blame for the blaze. ‘It’s constantly swirling, constantly changing direction, and unfortunately, the fire is shifting. It’s tragic!’ one said.

The punishing wildfires come amid a heatwave that has left most of continental Europe sweltering, with at least eight people said to have died.

In Spain, temperatures climbed well above 40 degrees C, triggering another fire in a farming area in Catalonia on Tuesday afternoon, which claimed the lives of two people.

A forest fire fanned by gale-force winds in the Greek holiday island of Crete led to the evacuation of locals and tourists, officials said on July 3, 2025

Firemen battle with a wildfire that broke out in Ierapetra at the southern Greek island of Crete, on July 3, 2025

Authorities said evacuations were ordered at three sites outside the port of Ierapetra on the island’s south coast as the inferno raged out of control overnight Wednesday into this morning

Firefighters try to extinguish a wildfire near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 3, 2025

Greece, situated at Europe’s southernmost tip, is often hit by wildfires during its hot and dry summers.

But authorities have blamed a fast-changing climate for fuelling more destructive blazes in recent years.

Papadakis said that the displaced tourists and residents have been offered temporary shelter while the firefighters continue to tackle the inferno.

‘The tourists who were moved out are all okay. They have been taken to an indoor basketball arena and hotels in other regions of the island,’ he said.

‘Winds are still very strong and the fire is intense,’ the deputy governor of Lasithi, Yiannis Androulakis, told broadcaster ERT on Thursday morning.

‘Overnight, with aerial support grounded, all our efforts were focused on saving as many homes as possible.’

He added that firefighting and rescue efforts were complicated by power outages amid the fire.

‘We had no electricity throughout the night,’ Androulakis said. ‘In most areas, we didn’t even have a mobile signal.’

The risk of wildfires continuing to spread in Crete and elsewhere is heightened as weather forecasters warned Greece is set for hot, dry and windy conditions through the weekend into next week.

Inland temperatures will reach 38 degrees C and will settle at 30 degrees C along the coast amid strong winds.

Fire burns in the Ahlia area near the port town of Ierapetra on the south coast of Crete island, Greece, late Wednesday, July 2, 2025

More than 150 firefighters were operating in the area, while water-dropping planes and helicopters remained grounded overnight

Flames rise as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete

Greece’s fire service shared an aerial clip of the fire raging out of control

Greece’s fire service shared an aerial clip of the fire raging out of control

Forest is engulfed in fire and smoke as water dropping planes sought to extinguish the blaze this morning

Despite the scale of the blaze, there were no immediate reports of serious injuries, though several residents and tourists are being treated for respiratory issues.

The Fire Service and a civil protection agency issued localised mobile phone alerts for the evacuations.

Residents have also been told not to return to their properties to try and save their homes as the fire began cresting ridgelines and edging toward residential areas overnight.

The blaze sent clouds of ash into the night sky, illuminated by the headlights of emergency vehicles and water trucks that lined the coastal road near the resorts of Ferma and Achlia on the southeast of Crete.

Members of specialised units – often only working with hand tools – were creating hillside fire breaks to try and slow the advance of the blaze.

Other firefighters are also trying to tame a wildfire on the island of Kythira and another blaze in the northern region of Chalkidiki, which rage uncontrolled.

The fire department has already been forced to tackle dozens of wildfires across Greece so far this year.

In 2018, a huge inferno swept through the seaside town of Mati, east of Athens, trapping people in their homes and on roads as they tried to flee.

More than 100 died, including some who drowned while trying to swim away from the flames.

Authorities said evacuations were ordered at three sites outside the port of Ierapetra on the island´s south coast

Firefighters work on the scene where a large wildfire broke out in Ierapetra on the Greek island of Crete

Tourists evacuate a hotel following the the large wildfire that erupted yesterday afternoon

Homes were reported damaged as flames swept through hillside forests, fanned by strong winds

The fires lit up the night sky, cresting ridgelines and edging toward residential areas

People stand with their luggage as smoke billows from a wildfire, in Ferma, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 2, 2025

The risk of wildfires remained very high across Crete and parts of southern Greece on Thursday, according to a daily bulletin issued by the Fire Service.

It comes days after wildfires tore through a Turkish holiday destination, causing chaos for tourists as hundreds of passengers were left stranded.

A huge fire ripped through the popular resort of Foça, İzmir, before strong winds fanned the flames and sent them towards neighbourhoods and residential areas.

One suspect has been accused of starting the fire when they allegedly set fire to their own house, and tinder-dry conditions saw the blaze spread at pace.

In the wake of the fire in Turkey, flights at İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport had closed temporarily as of 4pm local time on Sunday, with hundreds of passengers left stranded as a result.

Residents watched in horror as their homes went up in flames while firefighters spent more than 22 hours tackling the huge blaze across İzmir.

The major emergency response involved 625 personnel, including six helicopters, 46 fire engines, nine bulldozers and 13 water supply vehicles.

Around 550 residents were evacuated from some 175 homes in Ilıpınar, Foça.

A wildfire at Ierapetra, on Crete island, Greece, 02 July 2025

SPAIN: Catalonia continued to grapple with wildfires after a blaze erupted on Tuesday

SPAIN: Uncontrolled fire rages across the grasslands in the Segarra region, in the rural province of Lleida, Spain, Tuesday, July 1, 2025

FRANCE: People cool off with misters in a park in the Halles district of Paris on July 1, 2025

FRANCE: A labourer drinks water to cool down as he works on a construction site of tramway lines along the Garonne river during a heatwave in Bordeaux, July 1

Several heat-related deaths have been recorded across Europe since the heatwave began. Authorities continue to investigate possible heat-related complications.

A 10-year-old girl died after suffering a heart attack in northern France on Tuesday as the heat forced some 2,200 schools to shut nationwide.

The American tourist, who was travelling with her family, collapsed in the courtyard of the Palace of Versailles yesterday evening.

Firefighters arrived promptly on the scene as the child, understood to have been undergoing treatment for underlying health issues, suffered a heart attack.

Within an hour of her collapsing, she was declared dead. An investigation is expected to be opened to determine the cause of death, local media reports.

Initial reports suggest that the extreme heat may have played a role in aggravating her illness.

Spain, facing temperatures in the low 40s on Wednesday, continued to grapple with wildfires in Catalonia as Barcelona recorded its hottest June in more than 100 years.

Some 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) burned on Tuesday before firefighters got some help from a rainstorm and established a perimeter. Two people were killed in the blaze.

Meanwhile, police in Tarragona reported the tragic death of a two-year-old on Tuesday, who they said had been left in a car in the sun for several hours.

The punishing heatwave loosened its grip on western Europe somewhat on Wednesday and started to roll eastwards, with Germany expected to record some of its hottest temperatures of the year so far.

Germany’s national weather service (DWD) issued blanket weather warnings for heat and extreme heat covering the entire country.

The agency said it expected ‘maximum temperatures with exceptionally high peaks of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit)’.

The unusually hot weather was causing disruptions to transport, with the national rail operator Deutsche Bahn saying it expected services to be affected in the west of the country where temperatures were rising most.

Forest fires also broke out in the Harz Mountains.

Fire burns in the Ahlia area near the port town of Ierapetra on the south coast of Crete island, Greece, late Wednesday, July 2, 2025, prompting the evacuation of villages and hotels in the region, authorities said. (InTime News via AP)

Crete is one of Greece’s most popular tourist destinations. The risk of wildfires remained very high across Crete and parts of southern Greece Thursday, according to a daily bulletin issued by the Fire Service.

More than 150 firefighters were operating in the area, while water-dropping planes and helicopters remained grounded overnight. Members of specialized units – often only working with hand tools – were creating hillside fire breaks to try and slow the advance of the blaze.

“It’s a very difficult situation. The fire is very hard to contain. Right now, they cannot contain it,” Nektarios Papadakis, a civil protection official at the regional authority, told the Associated Press. “The tourists who were moved out are all okay. They have been taken to an indoor basketball arena and hotels in other regions of the island,” he said. Authorities said more than 1,500 people so far had been moved out of homes and hotels, with the number expected to increase overnight. The Fire Service and a civil protection agency issued localized mobile phone alerts for the evacuations and appealed to residents not to return to try and save their property. The fires lit up the night sky, cresting ridgelines and edging toward residential areas. Several residents were treated for breathing difficulties, officials said, but there were no immediate reports of serious injuries. The blaze sent clouds of ash into the night sky, illuminated by the headlights of emergency vehicles and water trucks that lined the coastal road near the resorts of Ferma and Achlia on the southeast of Crete.

Authorities said evacuations were ordered at three sites outside the port of Ierapetra on the island’s south coast. Homes were reported damaged as flames swept through hillside forests, fanned by strong winds.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A rapidly spreading wildfire on the Greek island of Crete triggered early Thursday evacuations of hotels and homes as it bore down on coastal areas.

Republican leaders in the House are sprinting toward a Wednesday vote on President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cuts package, determined to seize momentum from a hard-fought vote in the Senate while essentially daring members to defy their party’s leader and vote against it. It’s a risky gambit designed to meet Trump’s demand for a July 4 finish.

Here’s the latest:

Burchett said Trump was “very forthright” with him and Freedom Caucus members at a meeting at the White House on Wednesday.

The meeting lasted nearly two hours with the president, and others in the room, including Vice President JD Vance, answering questions, Burchett said.

He said assurances were made to the members, including involving Medicaid.

“He answered a lot of my questions,” Burchett said, adding that he’s since talked to the president on the phone. “I still am not sure. I’m leaning in favor of the course.”

The Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine chief, Dr. Vinay Prasad, intervened to restrict approval of two new COVID-19 shots from vaccine makers Novavax and Moderna, newly released documents show.

FDA staff reviewers recommended the shots be approved for anyone 12 and older. But the FDA memos show Prasad limited the use to seniors and certain higher-risk Americans.

The vaccine restriction is the latest in a series imposed by officials working under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

▶ Read more about the restricted vaccine approvals

Rep. Warren Davidson, of Ohio, had voted against Trump’s tax and spending bill back in late May. He announced Wednesday he’s now voting “yes.”

That’s a big pivot as Republican leadership looks to get the bill over the finish line. They can afford few defections.

Davidson posted on the social platform X: “This bill isn’t perfect, but it’s the best we’ll get & includes major wins.”

He then listed examples such as new Medicaid work requirements and enhanced food stamp work requirements. He also said it secures the border.

“For these reasons, I’m voting yes on both the rule and the One Big Beautiful Bill,” he said.

The president is escalating his attacks against New York City’s Democratic nominee for mayor, 33-year-old self-described democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani.

In recent days, Trump has threatened to arrest him, deport him and even take over if he wins the general election in November.

Mamdani’s stunning, surprise victory over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has given Republicans a new target as they seek to paint the entire Democratic Party as extreme and out of touch with voters heading into elections this fall.

▶ Read more about Trump’s attacks against the GOP’s new foe

He continued his rising critiques of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell with a post on social media Wednesday once again calling for him to resign.

Trump shared an article on Truth Social about calls for Powell to be investigated over testimony he gave before Congress last week, but Trump said: “’Too Late’ should resign immediately!!!”

Trump has been hammering Powell for not cutting the Fed’s key short-term interest rate.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump will meet at the White House on Thursday with Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage in Gaza, who was released in May.

“The President and First Lady have met with many released hostages from Gaza, and they greatly look forward to meeting Edan Alexander and his family in the Oval Office tomorrow,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

Alexander, now 21, is an American Israeli from New Jersey. The soldier was 19 when militants stormed his base in Israel and dragged him into the Gaza Strip.

▶ Read more about the meeting

The Pentagon’s chief spokesperson says the pause of weapons shipments to Ukraine is part of a review of military assistance to ensure it aligns with U.S. defense priorities.

Sean Parnell declined to specify the types or amounts of weaponry that will be withheld under the halt.

He says the pause does not reflect any concerns about the military’s ability to defend U.S. interests.

“We’re always assessing, you know, our munitions and where we’re sending them,” he told reporters. “We can’t give weapons to everybody all around the world.”

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell says the strikes in June set back Tehran’s nuclear program by more than a year.

“We’re thinking probably closer to two years,” Parnell told reporters at his second briefing since Trump’s latest term began.

“We destroyed the components they would need to build a bomb,” Parnell said. “We believe Iran’s nuclear capability has been severely degraded.”

The bill now in the House takes an ax to clean energy incentives, including killing a 30% tax credit for rooftop residential solar by the end of the year that the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act extended into the next decade.

Trump has called the clean energy tax credits in the climate law part of a “green new scam” that improperly shifts taxpayer subsidies to help the “globalist climate agenda” and energy sources like wind and solar.

Businesses and analysts say the GOP-backed bill will likely reverse the sector’s growth and eliminate jobs.

Karl Stupka, president of Raleigh-based NC Solar Now, says if the bill becomes law, companies will rush to finish as many solar jobs as they can before the credit ends. He believes he will have to lay off half of his 100 employees.

The judge’s order throws into doubt one of the key pillars of Trump’s plan to crack down on migration at the southern border.

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss says his order will take effect July 16, giving the Trump administration two weeks to appeal.

In an order signed Jan. 20, Trump declared the situation at the southern border constitutes an invasion of America and that he was “suspending the physical entry” of migrants and their ability to seek asylum until he decides it’s over.

Moss wrote that neither the Constitution nor immigration law gives the president “an extra-statutory, extra-regulatory regime for repatriating or removing individuals from the United States, without an opportunity to apply for asylum” or other humanitarian protections.

The White House posted the nomination of the president’s former counselor and defense lawyer to its website on Tuesday.

Habba is already serving in that role on an interim basis.

A spokesperson for the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmed that the panel has received the nomination.

The state’s two Democratic senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, said in a joint statement that Habba has already “degraded the office and pursued frivolous and politically motivated prosecutions” as interim prosecutor.

“It’s clear that Alina Habba does not meet the standard to serve the people of New Jersey,” they said.

Rep. Eric Burlison, a Freedom caucus member, says the changes the Senate made to the bill are simply unacceptable.

Burlison says Republican leaders promised “when we passed it to allow it to go to the Senate, that they would live up to the framework and any kind of tax cuts would be reciprocated with spending cuts.”

“And it doesn’t meet that framework. We were promised. And so it’s really about making people live up to the promises,” Burlison says.

GOP Rep. Andy Harris has predicted that a key procedural vote will fail, putting Trump’s tax and spending cuts bill in jeopardy of missing the president’s 4th of July deadline.

“The rules vote as is will fail,” said Harris, before walking into House Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s office.

Harris says he has not spoken to the president today. He says if Trump wants a bill “as soon as possible, he has to get the Senate back in town as soon as possible.

“Otherwise this is going to drag on until the end of next week,” said Harris.

The declassified report released Wednesday challenges the work intelligence agencies did to conclude that Russia interfered in the election because it wanted Trump to win.

The memo was written on the orders of CIA Director John Ratcliffe, a Trump loyalist who spoke out against the Russia investigation as a member of Congress. It does not address that multiple investigations, including by the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee in 2020, that reached the same conclusion about Russia’s influence and motives.

The report cites several “anomalies” that the authors say could have impacted conclusions that Russian President Vladimir Putin “aspired” to help Trump win. They include a rushed timeline and a reliance on unconfirmed information, including opposition research about Trump’s ties to Russia that was compiled by a former British spy, Christopher Steele, whose work was financed by Democrats.

With limited time for debate, scores of Democrats are weighing in on the House floor with their opposition to Trump’s tax and spending cut bill.

One by one, the lawmakers are lining up and making a simple request: Amend a resolution before the House to protect against any cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., who is presiding over the chamber, is forced to explain to each speaker that he cannot entertain the request because of an objection from Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., who is leading the debate for Republicans.

Under House rules, the requests being made by Democrats must be cleared by majority and minority leadership before the chair will recognize them.

Democratic members know their effort is doomed, but the tactic gives them a chance to show their unity before the cameras and get their request defending Medicaid and SNAP into the Congressional Record.

Rep. Stephanie Bice posted a video of her and Rep. Dusty Johnson leaving the White House after conversations with Trump.

“I think we’re going to get it done, although it’s going to take a little bit of time today,” Johnson said.

Bice added, “Hopefully we can get this wrapped up by the end of the day.”

The administration this week withheld more than $6 billion for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more, saying it would review the grants to ensure they align with Trump’s priorities.

The Office of Management and Budget said in a statement Wednesday that “many of these grant programs have been grossly misused.”

It says New York schools have used money for English language instruction to promote organizations that advocate for immigrants in the country illegally, and that Washington state used the money to direct immigrants without legal status toward scholarships that were “intended for American students.”

The agency says grant funds have also been used for a seminar on “queer resistance in the arts.”

Trump on Wednesday shared on social media a text he received from Smith, in which the Missouri Republican thanked Trump for his “vision, leadership and determination.”

Smith tells The Associated Press he has heard Trump shared his text, and that he communicates with the president “quite often.”

“My text message to him this morning was to encourage,” Smith said, adding that he’s “never worked with someone in the executive that is engaging as much as President Trump.”

The Trump administration will hold back delivering some air defense missiles, precision-guided artillery and other weapons to Ukraine as part of its announced pause to some arms shipments. This comes amid U.S. concerns that its own stockpiles have declined too much, officials said.

The details on the weapons in some of the paused deliveries were confirmed by a U.S. official and former national security official familiar with the matter. They both requested anonymity to discuss what is being held up as the Pentagon has yet to provide details.

The pause includes some shipments of Patriot missiles, precision-guided GMLRS, Hellfire missiles and howitzer rounds. One official said other weaponry being held up includes the AIM-7 Sparrow, Stinger missiles and AT-4 grenade launchers.

Defense Department official Elbridge Colby says Pentagon officials have aimed to provide Trump “with robust options to continue military aid to Ukraine, consistent with his goal of bringing this tragic war to an end.”

By Associated Press reporters Aamer Mahdani and Lisa Mascaro.

The Border Patrol made 6,070 arrests in June, down from 8,725 in May, setting a pace for the lowest annual clip since 1966.

On June 28, the Border Patrol made only 137 arrests, a sharp contrast to late 2023, when arrests topped 10,000 on the busiest days.

Arrests dropped sharply when Mexican officials increased enforcement within their own borders in December 2023 and again when then-President Joe Biden introduced severe asylum restrictions in June 2024.

They plunged even more after Trump became president in January, deploying thousands of troops to the border under declaration of a national emergency.

Liberal leader Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Trump often mocks her intelligence, but you don’t have to be smart to assess the deal they’re getting under the bill, she said.

For example, the bill offers no taxes on tipped income up to $25,000. Compare that to losing health care and food stamp cuts, she said.

“Is that worth it you?” she asked. “Losing all your health care? Not being able to feed your baby?”

The president is holding the meetings with Republican lawmakers as he works to push his legislative agenda over the finish line, according to two White House officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss private conversations.

Trump was meeting with moderate representatives in the Cabinet Room and is also expected to talk with members of the conservative Freedom Caucus.

A final vote in the House could come today, which would be the final step before Trump signs the legislation.

— Collin Binkley and Chris Megerian

Rep. Mike Haridopolos, a Florida Republican, said voters wanted change for one simple reason: It’s too expensive to live in America.

He said the bill was designed to help those very people hurt in the last four years.

“People who earned tips, who earned overtime, people who earned Social Security get a big tax cut,” he said.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat and former speaker, took aim at what Republicans are calling the “one, big beautiful bill.”

“If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then GOP, you have a very blurred vision of what America is about,” Pelosi said. “Is it beautiful to cut off food from seniors and children?”

She also invoked her own personal path about coming to Congress to stand up for children.

Debate has begun on the bill — actually, the procedural debate for considering the bill — and lawmakers aren’t holding back.

“This is robbery,” said Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the Rules Committee.

He said it’s taking from the nation’s most vulnerable to provide tax breaks for the rich.

“It is cowardly, it is a betrayal of everything this country is supposed to stand for,” he said.

Republican Rep. Nick Langworthy of Pennsylvania said the package will ensure Trump’s 2017 tax breaks don’t expire at the end of the year.

“This isn’t extreme, it’s not partisan it’s proven policy,” he said.

He highlighted the bill’s higher child tax credit and other expanded tax breaks.

“Let’s get this country back on track,” he said.

Democrats have struggled to find a unified message since their key defeats in the 2024 election. But on Wednesday morning, nearly every member of the caucus stood shoulder to shoulder on the Capitol steps, rallying behind Leader Jeffries.

“Every single House Democrat will vote hell no against this one big ugly bill,” Jeffries said to a roaring applause from behind him. “And all we need are for House Republicans to join us.”

Some of the more conservative members of the House Republican conference say they’re heading to the White House to talk about their concerns with the president’s tax and spending cut bill and its impact on future deficits.

Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina says he’ll be a no “unless something changes” on a procedural vote that Republicans will need to pass to get to a vote on the bill. He says he won’t be assured by promises of spending cuts on subsequent bills.

Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee said once again lawmakers were hearing “a line ‘let’s pass this and we’ll fix it later.’”

“We never fix it later, and America knows that,” Burchett said. “It’s the same game.”

He also said he’s unconcerned about meeting Trump’s self-imposed deadline of signing the bill on July 4, this Friday.

“I don’t care if it’s July 40th, honestly,” Burchett said.

In a follow-up social media post, Trump said Vietnam will pay the United States a 20% tariff on all goods sent “into our Territory” and a 40% tariff on any transshipping.

Transshipping usually means exports that come from China but pass through Vietnam to dodge tariffs on Chinese goods.

In return, Vietnam will grant the U.S. “TOTAL ACCESS” to its market for trade, Trump said, meaning “we will be able to sell our product into Vietnam at ZERO Tariff.”

He added that he thinks SUVs “will be a wonderful addition to the various product lines within Vietnam.”

Trump said he reached the agreement after speaking with Vietnamese General Secretary To Lam, which he said was an “absolute pleasure.”

He made the announcement on his Truth Social media platform.

“I just made a Trade Deal with Vietnam. Details to follow!” the president said.

It comes just before a July 9 deadline by Trump to formally set the tariff rates on goods from dozens of countries.

Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The U.S. leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire, and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war.

Hamas said in a brief statement Wednesday that it had received a proposal from the mediators and is holding talks with them to “bridge gaps” to return to the negotiating table to try to reach a ceasefire agreement.

▶ Read more about the war in Gaza

House Democrats are calling out Republicans from competitive districts as they try to drum up opposition to Trump’s big bill.

“All we need are four,” Jeffries said, referring to the number of GOP defections that would likely defeat the bill.

Jeffries mentioned several Republicans from closely divided districts, including two from Pennsylvania.

“Why would Rob Bresnahan vote for this bill? Why would Scott Perry vote for this bill?” he said.

“Shame on Republicans for even bringing this bill to the House floor,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said. “We’re going to do everything in our power to stop it.”

With treacherous weather hampering flights into Washington, a handful of House members hit the road overnight to make it in time for Wednesday’s votes.

Two GOP members from South Carolina, Reps. Russell Fry and Nancy Mace, chronicled their journey on social media.

Democrats also racked up the miles. Illinois Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi drove, hosting a Zoom town hall during his 14-hour drive. Reps. Chris DeLuzio of Pennsylvania and Derek Tran of California drove together after being stranded in Pittsburgh.

Sales of Tesla electric cars fell as boycotts over Elon Musk’s political views continue to keep buyers away, a significant development given expectations that anger with the company’s billionaire CEO would have faded by now.

The plunging sales add to growing signs that Musk’s embrace of Trump and far-right politicians in Europe has had a deep and enduring hit to the Tesla’s brand appeal. The new figures also are a possible sign that Tesla could disappoint when it announces second quarter earnings later this month. In the first three months this year, net income fell 71%.

Sales fell to 384,122 in April through June, down from 443,956 in the same period last year. During this period, Musk formally left the Trump administration as a cost-cutting czar and hopes rose that sales would recover.

▶ Read more about Tesla’s falling sales

Trump is hosting a Fourth of July celebration at the White House on Friday and the pilots have been invited.

The Air Force will conduct a flyover of F-22s, B-2s and F-35s, the same aircraft that were used in the strikes in Iran.

Trump has said the pilots are “incredible.”

That sum could be potentially managed through price hikes, layoffs, hiring freezes or lower profit margins.

The analysis by the JPMorganChase Institute is among the first to measure the direct costs created by the import taxes on businesses with $10 million to $1 billion in annual revenue, a category that includes roughly a third of private-sector U.S. workers.

These companies are more dependent than other businesses on imports from China, India and Thailand — and the retail and wholesale sectors would be especially vulnerable to the import taxes being levied by the Republican president.

The findings show clear trade-offs from Trump’s import taxes, contradicting his claims that foreign manufacturers would absorb the costs of the tariffs instead of U.S. companies that rely on imports.

▶ Read more about the analysis on Trump’s tariffs

In a case seen as a challenge to free speech, Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump over the editing of CBS’ “ 60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October.

Paramount told media outlets the money will go to Trump’s future presidential library, not to the president himself. It said the settlement did not involve an apology.

Trump’s lawyer said the president had suffered “mental anguish” over the editing of the interview by CBS News, while Paramount and CBS rejected his contention that it was edited to enhance how Harris sounded. They had sought to get Trump’s lawsuit dismissed.

There was no immediate word from the White House about the settlement of the case.

▶ Read more about Trump’s lawsuit over the “60 Minutes” interview

The encouragement comes as the Republican-controlled House sprints toward a vote Wednesday on the bill after it cleared the Senate by the narrowest of margins a day earlier.

Vice President JD Vance, in his role as Senate president, cast the tiebreaking vote on the measure.

Some House GOP members have voiced reservations about the bill. House Democrats are united in their opposition to the legislation.

“Republicans, don’t let the Radical Left Democrats push you around. We’ve got all the cards, and we are going to use them,” Trump said in a post on his social media site.

President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem walk off after speaking with reporters at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Ochopee, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump waves as he arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Md., after visiting a migrant detention center in Ochopee, Fla., Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable at “Alligator Alcatraz,” a new migrant detention facility at Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Ochopee, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)