The court certified a nationwide class of all children born in the United States

In brief:

• New Hampshire federal court halts Trump executive order targeting birthright citizenship

• Nationwide class certified to protect all children born on U.S. soil

• Civil rights groups hail ruling as crucial defense of the 14th Amendment

A federal court in New Hampshire Fridayblocked President Trumps controversial executive order aimed at restricting birthright citizenship, delivering a significant victory to civil rights groups who argued the policy violates the U.S. Constitution.

The ruling, issued from the bench, also certified a nationwide class protecting the citizenship rights of all children born in the United States. Trump administrationattorneys called the action an attempted "end run" around the Supreme Court, although Justice Amy Coney Barrett suggested the action a few weeks ago.

The case, Barbara v. Donald J. Trump, emerged amid legal battles following the Supreme Courts recent decision in Trump v. CASA, which opened the door for potential partial enforcement of the executive order.

The lawsuit, filed on June 27, was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and several allied organizations. The groups represent a proposed class of babies who would have been subject to the executive orders restrictions.

This ruling is a huge victory and will help protect the citizenship of all children born in the United States, as the Constitution intended, said Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the ACLUs Immigrants Rights Project, who argued the case in court.

Devon Chaffee, executive director of the ACLU of New Hampshire, praised the decision as once again affirming that President Trumps executive order to restrict birthright citizenship is a blatant violation of the U.S. Constitution. Chaffee underscored that the Constitution ensures no politician can decide who is worthy of citizenship among those born in the country.

Seven-day delay granted

The ruling includes a seven-day delay to allow the federal government time to seek emergency relief from the First Circuit Court of Appeals. However, even if an appeal is pursued, the injunction is set to go into effect well before July 27 the date on which partial implementation of the executive order might otherwise have begun.

Morenike Fajana, senior counsel at the Legal Defense Fund, called the decision a powerful affirmation of the 14th Amendment and the enduring principle that citizenship in the United States is a right by birth, not a privilege granted by politics.

Civil rights advocates hailed the ruling as a critical safeguard against what they describe as an unprecedented attack on constitutional principles. Parents have lived in fear and uncertainty, said Aarti Kohli, executive director of the Asian Law Caucus. This courts injunction protecting birthright citizenship for all affected children is a major victory for families across this country.

A growing judicial consensus

The decision underscores a growing judicial consensus rejecting attempts to narrow the Constitutions promise of birthright citizenship, with Molly Curren Rowles of the ACLU of Maine emphasizing that the United States has always been a nation of immigrants.

Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, concluded that birthright citizenship makes our country strong and vibrant, describing the executive order as simply un-American.

Class actions ride again

Class actions have come to be associated with consumer issues defective products, stock manipulation, etc. but they were initially designed as a way for citizens to collectively contest government actions.

The Supreme Court itself explicitly opened the way to class actions against the federal government when Justice Coney Barrett suggested that litigants in Trump vs. CASAcould use the class action as a way around the Trump administration's blocking of nationwide injunctions.

Its among several exceptions or workarounds that Trump adversaries are poised to seize on after the justices sharply limited judges ability to issue nationwide injunctions.

Over 70 items will be priced $1 or less

• Dollar Generals back-to-school sale is running through September 6.

• There are opportunities for parents and teachers to save on all back-to-school essentials.

• Both Dollar General and national brands will be part of the ongoing sale.

Dollar General is sharing the details of its back-to-school sale.

One of the biggest headlines out of the sale: over 70 back-to-school items will be priced at $1 or less.

"Dollar General stands ready to deliver on our commitment of everyday value to help families as they shop for back-to-school items, Steve OBrien, Dollar Generals vice president, division merchandise manager, said in a news release.

Whether youre a parent stocking up on supplies, a teacher preparing their classroom or a student getting ready for dorm living, we offer the essentials you need at prices that will help support a confident start to the school year.

Details of the sale

The back-to-school sale is running now through September 6, at Dollar Generals over 20,000 locations.

Heres what shoppers can expect from the ongoing sale:

• 70+ back-to-school and stationery items priced at $1 or less, including essentials like folders, notebooks, and composition books

• A selection of Crayola variety coloring packs for $2 and under

• Fashionable and functional backpacks for just $5 each, available in several colors, patterns, and designs

• Crayola crayons, Elmers glue sticks, notebooks, binders, and $1 deals on folders, pencils, and more

• Dollar General is offering $5 off $25 every Saturday, with extra opportunities for $5 off $25 on planned weekdays in July.

• Deals on lunchbox favorites:

  • Sales promotions on fruity snacks including Gushers, Fruit by the Foot, and Fruit Rollups two for $5 and select Dole products three for $6.

  • Special offers on family-favorite PB&J fixings, like Welchs Jelly & Peter Pan Peanut Butter, two for $5.

  • Crunchy treats including Cheez-Its three for $6 and Keebler items two for $6.

Savings for teachers

In addition to parents saving on supplies and back-to-school essentials, Dollar General is also offering deals for teachers.

Heres a look at how teachers can save ahead of the new school year:

• The Dollar General Teacher Social Media Sweepstakes will award 20 educators with a $250 Dollar General gift card. The sweepstakes runs July 15 August 30 on Dollar Generals Instagram.

• Verified teachers can receive 30% off select stationary through September 6.

To save even more, consumers can sign up for the Dollar General rewards program to get exclusive coupons and more opportunities to save.

The move is denounced as "political theater"

• FCC removes Net Neutrality rules from its books, even though they were not in effect.
• A federal appeals court, in a suit brought by telecom companies, had held the rules were improper.
• The argument has gone back and forth since the Obama administration.

Net Neutrality is not a topic that brings crowds of demonstrators surging into the streets but it has important implications in a world that is driven largely by online communications.

The Obamaadministration's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) constructed a framework of rules and regulations intended to ensure that everyone had equal access to broadband. That made telecommunications companies responsible for providing service on just, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms to users across the nation.

Those rules were repealed during Donald Trump's first term in office earlier this year and reinstated during President Biden's term. But earlier this year, a U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in a suit brought by major telecom companies that the ruleshad been wrongfully adopted and that broadband providers cannot be treated as utilities.

Telecoms aren't utilities?

The court determined thatbroadband is an "information service" not a "telecommunications service," meaning the FCC lacks the authority to impose net neutrality regulations under the Communications Act.

Today, theFederal Communications Commission issued an order announcing its decision to remove the agencys Net Neutrality rules. The agency neglected to provide advance notice or give the public an opportunity to comment.

The consumer group Free Press called the FCC's action "little more than political grandstanding."

"Its true that the rules in question were first stayed by the 6th Circuit and then struck down by that appellate court in a poorly reasoned opinion. So todays bookkeeping maneuver changes very little in reality," said Matt Wood, the group's vice president of policy and general counsel.

Rules protecting Net Neutrality have broad bipartisan public support; the issue generated record numbers of public comments during prior agency proceedings on these essential open-internet safeguards, Wood said.


"Theres no need to delete currently inoperative rules, much less to announce it in a summer Friday order. The only reason to do that is to score points with broadband monopolies and their lobbyists, whove fought against essential and popular safeguards for the past two decades straight," Wood said. "It also shows subservience to Elon Musks incredibly destructive government-by-chainsaw attitude which seems to have outlived Musk himself in some corners of the Trump administration."

Just 1,000 extra steps per day is linked to a lower risk of depression

• Findings from a recent study found that walking moreespecially aiming for around 7,000 steps per daywas linked to fewer depressive symptoms in adults.

• Every extra 1,000 steps per day correlated with about a 9% lower risk of depression.

• The effect was consistent across ages, sexes, and step-tracking methods, suggesting walking is a universally accessible mentalhealth tool.
  

Researchers from the University of CastillaLa Mancha (UCLM) teamed up with international colleagues to examine how daily walking relates to depression in adults.

The team pooled data from 33 observational studies involving around 96,000 participants, all tracked using wearable devices such as pedometers and accelerometers.

Their goal? To find out whether walking more each daymeasured objectivelycould be tied to lower rates of depressive symptoms and risk.

The study

The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis:

1. They searched multiple literature databases up to May 2024 and identified 33 studies (27 cross-sectional, 6 longitudinal) involving over 96,000 diverse adults.

2. These studies tracked daily steps using reliable wearables and measured depression using clinical diagnoses or symptom questionnaires.

3. Participants were grouped by step ranges (e.g.,

4. They adjusted for variables like age and sex and checked the robustness of results.
   

The results

Ultimately, the results were promising. The study found that adults walking 5,0007,499 steps/day had significantly fewer depressive symptoms than those walking under 5,000 steps per day.

The more participants walked, the better their mental health. The study showed that walking 7,5009,999, and especially 10,000+ steps/day, showed even stronger links to lower depression-related symptoms.

Notably, hitting around 7,000 steps/day stood out, as it was linked to a marked reduction in future depression risk compared to fewer steps.

Its also important to note that with each additional 1,000 steps/day, depression risk dropped by roughly 9%.

What does it mean for you?

Walking is free, simple, and easy to integrate into daily life. This analysis suggests even light, regular stepsespecially around 7,000+ per daycan add up to real mentalhealth benefits.

It doesnt require gym time or intense workoutsjust consistent movement. Boosting your daily step count, even in shorter bursts, may help protect against depression.

Daily step counting could be an important strategy in the general population to promote physical activity and contribute to the prevention of depression, researcher Bruno Bizzozero Peroni wrote.

Based on the available evidence, we emphasize the need for further longitudinal studies to clarify the protective role of daily steps in preventing depression during adulthood. In the meantime, if you've read this far, stop reading and go for a brisk walk.

Owners of certain models could get payments of up to $500

By Truman Lewis of ConsumerAffairs

• Owners of certain GM trucks and SUVs in Oklahoma could get $500 checks as part of a nearly $25 million class-action settlement.

• The lawsuit claims some GM vehicles burn excessive oil, risking engine damage.

• Eligible owners must act before the July 28 deadline to join the settlement.

Owners of specific General Motors vehicles in Oklahoma may soon receive hundreds of dollars as part of a class-action lawsuit settlement addressing excessive oil consumption in certain trucks and SUVs. Similar suits are pending in several other states.

The named plaintiff in the case isDurwin Hampton, a Poteau, Oklahoma resident who noticed troubling issues with his truck shortly after purchase.

At about 35,000 miles, I noticed that it was burning more oil than usual, Hampton said. It just kept getting worse as it got more miles on it.

The lawsuit alleged that GM marketed and sold the affected vehicles as safe and reliable without disclosing that they could consume an abnormally high amount of oil. Such issues, plaintiffs argue, result in low oil levels, poor engine lubrication, and potential engine damage.

Nearly $25 million settlement fund

As part of the settlement, General Motors has agreed to contribute nearly $25 million to a fund. Clay Barnett, one of the attorneys representing vehicle owners, said eligible individuals who join the lawsuit could each receive about $500.

Vehicles included in the settlement

Vehicles covered under the settlement include:

• 2011-2014 Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, and Tahoe

• 2011-2014 GMC Sierra, Yukon, Yukon XL SUVs, and trucks equipped with Generation IV Vortec 5300 LC9 engines manufactured on or after February 10, 2011

Barnett estimates around 30,000 vehicles in Oklahoma could qualify. Half of these owners bought their vehicles from authorized GM dealers and should have received notice by mail. However, Barnett notes that approximately 15,000 owners who purchased their vehicles elsewhere may need to submit additional information to join the lawsuit.

How to check eligibility

Oklahoma residents who bought affected vehicles can visit oklahomagmenginelitigation.com to check eligibility and file claims. The deadline to join the settlement is July 28.

Despite agreeing to the settlement, General Motors denies any wrongdoing or liability related to the allegations. The company has not publicly commented on the lawsuits outcome.