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Washington politics and the Main Line bridge
In Washington
Senior U.S. officials now say a nuclear deal with Iran looks increasingly unlikely, a notable sign that talks may not deliver the limits on Tehran’s program the Trump administration wants. Officials are also pressing Iran to declare the Strait of Hormuz open and stop attacks on shipping, while warning of serious consequences if that does not happen by Saturday. Trump separately said he has left instructions for retaliation if Iran kills him, after a report of a possible Iranian plot against him that U.S. officials said has not been fully vetted. Treasury also announced new sanctions tied to an Iranian financial facilitator.
At the same time, the Homeland Security Department has told employers to begin letting go workers whose Temporary Protected Status work permits are expiring in the coming weeks, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Permits for Haitians expire July 24, while permits for workers from Ethiopia, Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen expire July 17. A neat little demonstration of how fast immigration policy can turn payroll into paperwork.
In U.S. politics
Democrats are still having trouble raising money under DNC chair Ken Martin, more than a year after he took over promising a grassroots rebuild. Republicans now hold about a 2-to-1 cash advantage, and some Democratic operatives say Martin never really built the donor and party ties he would need to become the center of the party’s internal argument over direction.
On the Main Line
Police in Lower Merion Township are warning residents after a series of burglaries that investigators say follow a similar pattern. Detectives believe an organized theft crew may be targeting wealthy neighborhoods, watching for empty homes, getting in through second-floor windows or doors, and taking small, high-value items. Police say the crimes may be tied to crews that travel using rental cars and fake identities, and they are urging homeowners to use lights, alarms, and delivery pauses when they travel.
Investigators are also looking at whether burglaries in Bryn Mawr, Wynnewood, and Penn Valley are linked to the South American Theft Group. In one case, police say they found a hidden camera outside a home in Gladwyne that may have been used to track the homeowner’s movements.
At the bridge
Canada and Michigan say the Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting Ontario and Detroit, is set to open at the end of July, 14 years after construction began. That is either a long-delayed infrastructure project or a monument to the concept of patience.
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