Trump’s agenda teeters after all-night voting session
Happy Tuesday morning.
“President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda is in a state of flux on Capitol Hill.
As of press time — roughly 19 hours into a vote-a-rama — Senate Majority Leader John Thune was struggling to round up enough GOP votes to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill. Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) are opposed to the package, while Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) haven’t yet been convinced to vote for the sprawling legislation. Republicans can’t afford to lose more than three votes.
Senate GOP leaders were dealt a major blow by the parliamentarian in the early morning hours that moved Murkowski into the “no” column, causing a mad scramble on the Senate floor overnight.
Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough — already a controversial figure in Trump’s orbit — ruled that a revised provision aimed at shielding Murkowski’s home state of Alaska from the reconciliation bill’s Medicaid cuts does not comply with the Byrd Rule. Separately, MacDonough upheld a provision intended to assuage Murkowski’s concerns about cuts to the SNAP program.
Thune and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso huddled with Murkowski on the Senate floor as they tried to win her over. Murkowski could be seen repeatedly shaking her head. Off to the side, Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) appeared to be livid. Murkowski and Thune left the floor just before 4 a.m. to meet briefly in Thune’s office.
After a 15-minute meeting in the GOP leadership suite, Thune said he and Murkowski were just ‘chatting’ and declined to say whether they had a deal to move forward. Just before 5 a.m., Thune said, ‘We’re getting to the end here.’ It’s unclear if Thune has the votes necessary for passage, or if he’s prepared to plow ahead with a final vote anyway.
Murkowski then huddled with Thune and members of the Senate Finance Committee on the floor just after 5 a.m.
This is how bad things appear to be at the moment – not only is the Senate still voting on amendments with no end, but Collins floated reverting to a two-bill approach the Senate initially preferred. This was an issue hashed out months ago in favor of the ‘one-bill’ process.
At one point, Paul was summoned to Thune’s office where he met with the majority leader, Graham and Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). When asked if he would accept an offer to switch his vote, Paul responded: ‘I don’t want anything.’ Paul opposes the bill because of the $5 trillion debt-limit increase and has separately proposed lowering that number to just $500 billion.
A $500-billion debt-limit hike would play into Speaker Mike Johnson’s hand, although world financial markets wouldn’t like it and could potentially align a debt fight with a government-spending showdown. Johnson has said he wants to pass another reconciliation bill in the fall to deal with entitlements and the deficit., although this is seen as a longshot.
But Thune and Barrasso are prioritizing flipping Murkowski. And Republican senators think Paul’s proposal is a bad idea. Not only will Trump hate it, but it would give Democrats leverage because of the filibuster.
Collins’ proposal and the meeting with Paul shows you the logjam Thune faces is in. Thune could get onto the OBBB, yet he’s unable as of now to bring it to a close. He’s still more likely than not to get there, but the landing is very ugly.
Separately, the Senate passed a bipartisan amendment by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) to strip out a controversial provision to restrict state-level regulation of AI for a decade from the bill.
Blackburn and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who supported the moratorium, had a deal for a shorter moratorium, but Blackburn pulled out from that agreement because she said it lacked protections for children and consumers. The Senate then approved the Blackburn-Cantwell amendment by a 99-1 margin. This is a big setback for Cruz.
OBBB and the House. The Senate was supposed to be the easy part. This GOP reconciliation bill is going to hit even choppier waters in the House.
Speaker Mike Johnson is dealing with simmering frustration across the House Republican Conference.
Why? Because this bill does not fulfill the promises that the speaker made to the House Republican Conference. It cuts $1.5 trillion in exchange for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts – $500 billion short of the savings Johnson vowed to achieve in this scenario.
There are more problems than this. The Senate’s Medicaid cuts total close to $1 trillion, irking GOP moderates.
This is why Johnson’s leadership team spent the last few days trying to convince Thune to use the ‘wraparound’ amendment at the end of the vote-a-rama to restore the House’s version of the provider tax, change SNAP language and even add more spending cuts.
This was highly unrealistic. Johnson’s leadership team — and, in fact, Johnson himself — left open the possibility all Monday that the Senate package would revert closer to the House’s language. House Republicans spent all day telling us that they were holding out hope that Thune would change the bill to mollify conservatives.
Johnson even said this to us on Monday evening.
‘I have prevailed upon my Senate colleagues to please, please, please, put it as close to the House product as possible,’ Johnson said.
Johnson has been saying for weeks that he was confident the Senate’s bill would closely mirror the House’s legislation. Of course, that was never realistic. Most people realized that. That was poor expectation-setting on behalf of Johnson and the GOP leadership.
The House Rules Committee is slated to come at noon to begin to prepare the bill for floor consideration. The full House is expected back Wednesday.” [Punchbowl]
— Andrew Desiderio, Jake Sherman, John Bresnahan and Diego Munhoz
Supreme Court agrees to hear Republican-backed effort to lift caps on campaign spending
“The Supreme Court agreed Monday to take up a case initially filed by then-Senate candidate JD Vance and other Republicans seeking to lift the cap on how much political parties may spend in coordination with candidates.
The case will likely be heard in the fall or early 2026.
Campaign finance experts and the Democratic Party have argued that lifting the caps would effectively open a loophole around limits on how much donors may give to federal candidates. Deep pocket donors could instead give tens of thousands of dollars each year to party committees with the understanding that the money be spent on a given candidate.”
Read more at CNN
The U.S. government sued L.A. over its sanctuary-city policies
“The Trump administration said a city ordinance severely limiting cooperation with federal immigration officials violates the Constitution’s supremacy clause and makes enforcement efforts challenging. Mayor Karen Bass’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The administration blamed the municipality for the dayslong protests earlier this month. Trump is trying to crack down on cities and states impeding the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history; he also has threatened to withhold federal funding.” [Wall Street Journal]
Idaho Murder Suspect Bryan Kohberger to Plead Guilty in College Slayings
“Bryan Kohberger, the former Ph.D student accused of murdering four University of Idaho students in 2022, has reportedly agreed to a plea deal that will hand him four consecutive life sentences. According to a letter sent to the family members of the four victims—Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin—Kohberger will not face the threat of the death penalty in exchange for his guilty plea, according to ABC News. The plea covers all four counts of first-degree murder, as well as a burglary charge which will add 10 years to his sentence. A source also confirmed the deal to CNN, as well as Shannon Gray, attorney for family of victim Kaylee Goncalves. Kohberger had been set to face a jury within the next two months, with jury selection originally slated to begin on August 4th. Earlier Monday, Kohberger’s attorneys entered a motion to Judge Steven Hippler objecting to certain details of the jury questionnaire. Now, sentencing could take place as early as July. A Facebook page run by the family of Kaylee Goncalves responded immediately to the news with the following message: ‘We are beyond furious at the State of Idaho. They have failed us.’ Kohberger is expected to formally enter his guilty plea at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. The Daily Beast has contacted Kohberger’s attorneys for comment.” [Daily Beast]
Read it at ABC News
Authorities identify suspect in Idaho firefighter ambush
Firefighters arrive at the scene today, the day after a shooter ambushed and killed multiple firefighters responding to a wildfire in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. Photo: Lindsey Wasson/AP
“Authorities have confirmed the identity of the suspect in the Idaho firefighter ambush as 20-year-old Wess Roley, according to a law enforcement official.
Investigators believe the suspect intentionally set a brush fire on Canfield Mountain on Sunday before opening fire on responding firefighters, killing two and injuring a third.”
Follow live updates at CNN
An 82-year-old woman who was injured in a firebomb attack in Boulder, Colorado, has died
“A Colorado woman who was injured in a Molotov cocktail attack on demonstrators in support of Israeli hostages in Gaza has died. The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement Monday that Karen Diamond died as a result of the injuries she suffered in the June 1 attack.” Read More at AP News
National pride is declining in America. And it's splitting by party lines, new Gallup polling shows
“Only 36% of Democrats say they’re ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ proud to be American, according to a new Gallup poll, reflecting a dramatic decline in national pride that’s also clear among young people.” Read More at AP News
Bipartisan rebuke
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
“Former Presidents Obama and George W. Bush criticized Trump's dismantling of USAID in videotaped statements as the agency shuts down, AP reports.
Bush — the only other Republican president of the past 25 years — homed in on Trump's cuts to PEPFAR, his signature program for HIV and AIDS.
‘Is it in our national interests that 25 million people who would have died now live? I think it is,’ Bush said.
Obama called the end of USAID ‘inexplicable’ and ‘a colossal mistake.’” [Axios]
INTERNATIONAL
Russia says Moscow now occupies all of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, illegally annexed in 2022
“A Russia-appointed official in Ukraine’s occupied Luhansk region said Monday that Moscow’s forces have overrun all of it — one of four regions Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in September 2022 despite not fully controlling a single one. Read more.
Why this matters:
If confirmed, that would make Luhansk the first Ukrainian region fully occupied by Russia after more than three years of war and as recent U.S.-led international peace efforts have failed to make progress on halting the fighting. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv on the claim.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has effectively rejected a ceasefire and hasn’t budged from his demands, which include Moscow’s control over the four illegally annexed regions.” [AP News]
74 killed in Gaza as Israeli forces strike a cafe and fire on people seeking food
“Israeli forces killed at least 74 people in Gaza on Monday with airstrikes that killed 30 at a seaside cafe and gunfire that killed 23 as Palestinians tried to get desperately needed food aid, witnesses and health officials said. Read more.
What to know:
The cafe, one of the few businesses to continue operating during the 20-month war, was a gathering spot for residents seeking internet access and a place to charge their phones. Videos circulating on social media showed bloodied and disfigured bodies on the ground and the wounded being carried away in blankets.
Israeli forces also killed 11 people who had been seeking food in southern Gaza, according to witnesses, hospitals, and Gaza’s Health Ministry. Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis said it received the bodies of people shot while returning from an aid site associated with the Israeli and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund. It was part of a deadly pattern that has killed more than 500 Palestinians around the chaotic and controversial aid distribution program over the past month.
The Israeli military said it was reviewing information about the attacks. In the past, the military has said it fires warning shots at people who move suspiciously or get too close to troops, including while collecting aid.” [AP News]
“Viktor Orban’s aura of invincibility is cracking.
Hundreds of thousands joined a Pride parade through the streets of Budapest on Saturday, one of the biggest displays of public defiance of the prime minister’s 15-year rule.
Then today, a poll showed the party of the former administration insider turned Orban nemesis, Peter Magyar, extended its double-digit lead over the premier’s Fidesz ahead of general elections next year.
Viktor Orban at a European Council meeting in Brussels on June 26. Photographer: Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg
The bête noire of the European Union mainstream, Orban has long positioned himself as Donald Trump’s go-to leader on the continent, saying that he was ‘Trump before Trump was.’ His model of illiberal democracy became a case study for MAGA Republicans as they sought to remake the US.
Yet things haven’t gone to plan. Orban got a rap on his knuckles from the US envoy to Budapest for being too reliant on Chinese investments. And regardless of personal ties, Hungary, especially its auto industry, will be at the receiving end of Trump’s tariffs if no deal with the EU is reached by July 9.
It’s all a breeding ground for domestic discontent. The weekend’s march went ahead despite a government ban and the threat of steep fines for participants. Orban’s targeting of the LGBTQ+ community is part of a plan to mobilize supporters before the election.
Zoltán Kovács, Hungary’s international spokesman, blamed outside influence, saying the opposition was working ‘at Brussels’ command’ to organize the parade.
Orban has recovered from adversity before. But there’s no escaping the fact that the show of force on the streets of Budapest was a symbol of the discontent at large.
Hungary’s economy is in the doldrums amid endemic corruption that has cost it EU aid. Magyar, who was notable by his absence from the march, has focused his campaign on the cost-of-living crisis.
It’s something that Orban seems unable to address, with or without Trump’s help.” — Piotr Skolimowski and Andras Gergely [Bloomberg]
A rainbow flag on the facade of City Hall in Budapest on Friday. Photographer: Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images
Trump removed economic sanctions on Syria.
“The executive order is an attempt to bolster the fledgling government in Damascus as it considers an end to hostilities with Israel. That country is looking to expand regional peace treaties to include Syria and Lebanon, its foreign minister said. Separately, WSJ explores how Israel killed Iran’s top nuclear scientists.” [Wall Street Journal]
Truce Talks for Gaza
A Palestinian woman reacts as she sits amid the rubble of Yaffa School in a neighborhood of Gaza City following overnight Israeli strikes on June 30.Omar al-Qattaa/AFP via Getty Images
“Top Israeli officials, including Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, flew to Washington on Monday to reignite Gaza cease-fire and hostage release talks. But as Israel launches some of its heaviest attacks on the territory in weeks, experts are concerned that negotiations to end the more than 20-month war will remain largely stagnant.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that a truce agreement could be reached within the next week. He doubled down on this assertion over the weekend, first posting on Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ‘right now in the process of negotiating a Deal with Hamas, which will include getting the Hostages back’ and then calling on both sides on Sunday to ‘MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!’
Netanyahu has expressed similar optimism. ‘As you probably know, many opportunities have opened up now following this victory,’ the Israeli leader said on Sunday, referring to the end of the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict, which Israel, Iran, and the United States have all claimed success over. ‘Firstly, to rescue the hostages,’ Netanyahu added. ‘Of course, we will also need to solve the Gaza issue, defeat Hamas, but I believe we will accomplish both missions.’
Netanyahu’s comments mark a potential shift in how he views Israel’s goals in the war, as he has previously prioritized defeating Hamas over rescuing the hostages, of whom 50 are believed to still be in Gaza (and of whom 27 are believed by Israel to be dead).
Israel has argued that it will not end the war until Hamas disarms and disbands, which the militant group refuses to do. And Hamas maintains that it will not agree to a truce deal unless the terms include a permanent end to the war and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza, which Israel has been reluctant to promise.
Yet heavy Israeli strikes across Gaza could further undermine negotiation efforts. Israeli forces killed at least 60 Palestinians on Monday, with tanks reportedly pushing into eastern areas of Gaza City and bombs hitting several schools in Gaza’s north after displaced families sheltering inside were told to evacuate. Israel claims that it struck militant targets, including command-and-control centers, only after taking steps to mitigate the risk to civilians.
More than 80 percent of the Gaza Strip is now under displacement orders or is part of Israel’s militarized zone, according to the United Nations, with the new evacuation orders on Monday displacing large portions of northern Gaza. Israeli forces have killed more than 56,000 Palestinians since the war began in October 2023, and they have displaced almost all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also acknowledged that Palestinian civilians have been harmed at aid distribution sites in Gaza, adding that Israeli troops have received new instructions following ‘lessons learned.’ Hundreds of people have been killed or injured while trying to access food from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.- and Israeli-backed aid group—a system that United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has accused of being ‘inherently unsafe’ and ‘killing people.’
Israel maintains that it does not target civilians. However, Israeli soldiers and commanders in Gaza told Israeli newspaper Haaretz last week that the military has ordered troops to deliberately shoot at crowds near aid centers to disperse them, even when it is clear that they pose no threat. Israel denies these allegations, with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz describing them as ‘blood libels.’ Haaretz also reported that Israel’s Military Advocate General has instructed the IDF’s fact-finding body to investigate possible war crimes committed by Israeli forces at the aid distribution sites.” [Foreign Policy]
“Back to the negotiating table. U.S. economic advisor Kevin Hassett confirmed on Monday that U.S. trade talks have resumed with Canada after Ottawa agreed on Sunday to scrap its 3 percent digital services tax on U.S. companies. Although the tax had been in place since last year, Monday was the first day that payments were due.
‘Thank you Canada for removing your Digital Services Tax which was intended to stifle American innovation and would have been a deal breaker for any trade deal with America,’ U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick wrote on X. Under the now-suspended policy, U.S. companies would have had to turn over around $2.7 billion to the Canadian government.
Trump first condemned the Canadian tax in a Truth Social post last Friday, calling it a ‘direct and blatant attack’ on the United States and vowing to terminate all trade negotiations over the policy. Within 48 hours, Canada changed course, saying Ottawa had decided to ‘rescind the Digital Services Tax … in anticipation of a mutually beneficial comprehensive trade arrangement with the United States.’ Canada’s parliament still needs to approve the cancellation.” [Foreign Policy]
Residents at the Ter Biest house for elderly people as a heatwave hits Europe, Grimbergen, Belgium June 30, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman
“Extreme heat risks. A dangerous heat wave continued to grip much of Southern Europe on Monday, with temperatures breaking into triple digits and forecasters warning that relief is still days away. Meteorologists say that climate change is causing more frequent and more extreme heat waves.
‘Extreme heat is no longer a rare event—it has become the new normal,’ Guterres wrote on X on Monday while staying in Seville, Spain, where temperatures hit 108 degrees Fahrenheit. ‘The planet is getting hotter & more dangerous—no country is immune.’
France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain are among the nations facing the worst conditions. On Saturday, the Spanish town of El Granado recorded temperatures of nearly 115 degrees Fahrenheit—surpassing the country’s previous high of 113 degrees recorded in Seville 60 years ago. The town of Mora in central Portugal reached a whopping 116 degrees on Sunday. And in Greece, a wildfire broke out south of Athens last Thursday, forcing authorities to issue evacuation orders for several communities.
On Monday, Spain’s Health Ministry issued red, ‘high risk’ alerts for its northeast, west, and southwest regions. It joins several other governments in raising their threat warnings, including Rome—which placed 21 out of 27 monitored cities under its highest heat alert—and Paris, where portions of the capital city’s region are now under a Level 4 alert, its highest level.” [Foreign Policy]
“Surprise electoral success. Chilean Communist Party candidate Jeannette Jara secured a surprise victory in Sunday’s primary presidential election for the incumbent coalition, beating her more moderate rival with more than 60 percent of the vote. The strong showing puts the former labor minister on track to face off against right-wing opponents in November’s election.
‘Today begins a new path that we will walk together, with the conviction to build a fairer and more democratic Chile,’ Jara wrote on X. ‘In the face of the threat from the far right, we respond with unity, dialogue, and hope.’ Jara gained popularity for reducing the work week to 40 hours and raising the country’s minimum wage while serving as labor minister from March 2022 to April 2025.
Still, Jara faces an uphill battle, starting with voter turnout; just 1.4 million people out of around 15.4 million eligible voters cast ballots in Sunday’s primary. And recent opinion polls show that support for the current left-wing government under President Gabriel Boric is falling as economic growth slows and organized crime numbers rise. These issues have mobilized support for ultraconservative lawyer José Antonio Kast and business-friendly former Labor Minister Evelyn Matthei, who are also running for president.” [Foreign Policy]
Jeannette Jara casts her ballot at a polling station in Santiago. Photographer: Cristobal Olivares/Bloomberg
“President Vladimir Putin expanded the range of information covered by Russia’s state secrecy law, further tightening his grip on society as his war in Ukraine continues. Ukraine said Russia fired a record 537 missiles and drones in ‘massive”’attacks across seven regions yesterday, with air defenses repelling 475 of the strikes.” [Bloomberg]
Debris outside a residential building in Odesa after a Russian drone attack Saturday. Photographer: Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP/Getty Images
“Serbian police clashed with anti-government protesters after tens of thousands marched in Belgrade demanding an early election to remove President Aleksandar Vučić. The rally in the capital was the latest in months of almost daily demonstrations, triggered by a canopy collapse at a railway station in November that left 16 dead and stoked outrage over corruption and negligence in public infrastructure.” [Bloomberg]
“A farm in southwest England became the go-to spot for music lovers this weekend as the United Kingdom held its five-day Glastonbury music festival. With hundreds of thousands of attendees, nearly 4,000 performers, and 1.2 million pints of beer (enough to fill two standard-sized swimming pools), this year’s festival quickly became one for the record books.
But the event also became one of controversy after the BBC said on Monday that it regrets livestreaming English punk duo Bob Vylan’s performance, during which the band members led the crowd in chanting for ‘death’ to the Israeli military for its actions in Gaza. The BBC called the comments antisemitic, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was no excuse for such ‘appalling hate speech,’ and the U.S. State Department said it had revoked the performers’ visas over their actions.” [Foreign Policy]
Against the backdrop of a Palestinian flag, Bobby Vylan of British duo Bob Vylan performs at the Glastonbury festival in southwest England on June 28, 2025.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
DOGE secured the power to view records that could benefit Elon Musk’s businesses for years, a Post examination found
“Musk said the U.S. DOGE Service was scouring government data for federal waste. Now some of that data could be valuable by giving the world’s richest man a competitive advantage in the private sector, experts say.”
Read more at Washington Post
TECH
Senator Blackburn Pulls Support for AI Moratorium in Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Amid Backlash
BY KATE KNIBBS | 3-MINUTE READ
“After critics called the bill a ‘get-out-of-jail-free card’ for Big Tech that could make it nearly impossible to rein in social media platforms, Senator Marsha Blackburn killed her own compromise.” [Wired]
HEALTH AND MEDICINE
Microsoft Says Its New AI System Diagnosed Patients 4 Times More Accurately Than Human Doctors
BY WILL KNIGHT | 3-MINUTE READ
“The tech giant poached several top Google researchers to help build a powerful AI tool that can diagnose patients and potentially cut health care costs.” [Wired]
HIGHER EDUCATION
Harvard Violated Students’ Civil Rights, Trump Administration Finds
Sophie Park for The New York Times
“The Trump administration informed Harvard University that its investigation found that it violated federal civil-rights law over its treatment of Jewish and Israeli students, putting the federal funding of the nation’s oldest university further at risk.
In a letter sent to Harvard President Alan Garber and viewed by The Wall Street Journal, attorneys for the administration said the investigation found that Harvard knew Jewish and Israeli students felt threatened on its campus and acted with deliberate indifference.”
Read More at Wall Street Journal
SPORTS
SGA, Thunder agree to record contract extension
READ FULL STORY→ USA Today
WNBA announces record expansion
“NEW YORK — The WNBA has granted expansion teams to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia, growing to a league-record 18 franchises, the league announced Monday. Cleveland will begin play in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030.”
Read Full Story at Washington Post
“The league inked an 11-year media rights deal with Disney, Amazon Prime and NBC in July 2024, valuing the live rights at $200 million per year. That's about four times more valuable than its previous deal.” [Axios]
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Jury deliberations have begun in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s explosive trial. Here are our takeaways on the biggest revelations.
“From the cult of celebrity to the complexities of coercion, several themes emerged during seven weeks of testimony in Combs’s sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy case.”
Read more at Washington Post
ANIMALS
Rejected by his mother, a rare wild Asian horse foal finds a new mom in a grieving domestic mare
“A rare Przewalski’s horse foal named Marat is thriving at the Minnesota Zoo, thanks to an unusual surrogate. After falling critically ill shortly after birth, Marat recovered but was rejected by his mother. Zoo staff turned to Alice, a domestic pony who had recently lost her own foal.” Read More at AP News
TRANSITIONS
Jimmy Swaggart dies at 90. The televangelist was felled by a sex scandal, etched in public memory by his tear-streaked confession.
“At his peak in the late 1980s, Swaggart reached millions of viewers. His broadcasts generated revenue of $140 million a year with a signature combination of fire and brimstone, music, and the relentless marketing of Swaggart-branded items, including Bible study manuals, T-shirts and copies of Jesus’ crown of thorns.”
Read more at Washington Post