The Bulletin

• Trump lawyer defends elector scheme: Donald Trump's lawyer has said an alleged fake elector scheme was an "official act" and should be immune from prosecution in Trump's federal election interference case. Read his full statement.
• Hungary's leader visits Ukraine: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has arrived in Kyiv on his first visit to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale war in February 2022.
• Kim's portrait badge: North Korean state media on Sunday published photos showing top officials wearing pins featuring a portrait of the country's supreme leader, Kim Jong Un, for the first time. See the implications of this symbolic move.
• China extends economic lifeline: Russia is poised to edge Turkmenistan as China's largest natural gas supplier, Russian state media agency TASS cited Gazprom as saying. Learn more.
• Crimea tourism hit by ATACMS strike: Tourism bookings to annexed Crimea have fallen sharply after Russia accused Ukrainian forces of using U.S.-made ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) to attack the peninsula. Find out its impact on local tourism.
• In the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia's Defense Ministry has claimed the "liberation" of four Ukrainian villages in the past two days of fighting as Ukraine continues its defense against Moscow's attritional multi-front offensive.

The rundown: President Joe Biden, on Monday, criticized the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity while avoiding a question from the press about whether he would step down after his rocky debate performance last week. Read his full remarks here.

Why it matters: Biden delivered prepared remarks from the White House regarding the High Court's ruling on Donald Trump's presidential immunity claims. He denounced the Supreme Court's decision during his address, arguing that American voters "deserve to have an answer in the courts" on Trump's actions related to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol before casting a vote in November.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Biden Has Suffered 'Cognitive Decline' in Past Six Months: Report

TL/DR: Biden and Trump participated in the first 2024 presidential debate on CNN on Thursday, which proved devastating for Biden.

What happens now? Trump’s case will now return to the lower courts to decide which of Trump's actions listed in his indictment qualify as official acts or personal activities. Meanwhile, some progressive members of the Democratic Party have called for leaders to select a new presidential candidate.

Deeper reading Joe Biden Avoids Question About His Future as He Blasts Supreme Court

The rundown: Hurricane Beryl has intensified to a Category 5 storm late on Monday as it lashed the southeast Caribbean, destroying buildings, uprooting trees and damaging electricity lines in Barbados. Find out which areas are next in its path.

Why it matters: As of early on Tuesday, the hurricane was still lashing the southeast Caribbean as it moved forward in its path towards the sea just south of Jamaica, with winds that had increased to nearly 160 mph. A storm of this strength, fueled by hot water in the Atlantic and Caribbean, comes uncommonly early for the season. Before becoming the earliest Category 5 storm on record, Beryl had broken a record as the first-every Category 4 storm in June, with winds of at least 130 mph.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Hurricane Beryl Seen From Space as 'Unprecedented' Storm Makes Landfall

TL/DR: It's only the second time on record that a Category 5 storm is recorded in July, after Hurricane Emily on July 17, 2005, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Florida.

What happens now? The hurricane is expected to reach Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula by late Thursday as a weaker Category 1 storm. Beryl has left destruction and devastation along its path as it ripped through the Caribbean, with at least one person dead in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said on Monday that there could be more fatalities.

Deeper reading Hurricane Beryl Tracker, Path Update as 'Monster' Storm Hits 160 MPH

The rundown: With just four months left until the 2024 presidential election, most national polls show Donald Trump slightly ahead of President Joe Biden. Here are the insights behind the numbers.

Why it matters: The pair have been polling neck-and-neck, typically around a point's difference between them or less. According to FiveThirtyEight's aggregator, since Biden's disastrous performance in the June 27 presidential debate, Trump has been pulling ahead in national polls. As of July 1, Trump's average lead is 1.4 percent. A poll by Morning Consult, surveying 10,679 registered voters between June 28 and 30, found Trump polling ahead of Biden, 44 percent to 43 percent, after the debate.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Biden Gets Bad News From America's Most Accurate Pollster

TL/DR: The pollster noted that Trump has doubled his lead since the last Patriot Poll of the race, which was conducted in February.

What happens now? Many Democrats panicked following the debate, sparking fevered calls to replace him on the ticket, which would be unprecedented in modern times. But Biden has expressed determination to carry on and fight.

Deeper reading How Donald Trump and Joe Biden Polls Look Four Months Before Election

The rundown: There is a "silver lining" for special counsel Jack Smith after the Supreme Court ruled that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, according to an attorney.

Why it matters: Legal analyst Tristan Snell, who helped lead the prosecution against Trump, predicts a challenging period ahead for Donald Trump despite the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity. It sent the case back to a lower court. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan will now evaluate whether Trump's actions were "official acts," potentially requiring detailed public testimonies from key figures like Mike Pence and Mark Meadows. This preliminary process could span months, functioning almost like a trial. Meanwhile, here's what Trump said about Smith following the ruling.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Clarence Thomas Goes After Jack Smith in Supreme Court Ruling

TL/DR: The Supreme Court's slow handling of the case has already helped Trump by making it all unlikely that a trial could happen before November's election.

What happens now? Snell emphasizes this as a chance for the government to present much of its case openly, impacting Trump's political, if not legal, standing. “There is no more time for caution or half-measures, the key witnesses and key exhibits must be revealed,” he said.

Deeper reading Jack Smith Gets 'Silver Lining' From Supreme Court Ruling

The rundown: Russian forces are digging tunnels to get behind enemy lines in Ukraine and launch attacks, the Russian Defense Ministry has said. Learn more about their strategy.

Why it matters: According to a Sunday statement from Russia's defense ministry, assault units deployed in Ukraine's occupied eastern Donetsk region captured a major stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the eastern outskirts of Pivnichne using an underground tunnel. This comes as Moscow's forces seek significant advances in the shelling-stricken Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The Kremlin has been pushing for the total capture of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions since Russia's initial invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014. It continues

Read more in-depth coverage:
Putin Sets 'No Limits' in Ukraine Land Grab

TL/DR: Ukrainian forces first reported last fall that Russian forces were deploying the tactic on the battlefield in the fight for the embattled fortress town of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine.

What happens now? "Through the tunnel, the servicemen established a supply of ammunition, weapons, and food for the assault troops,” the defense minister said.

Deeper reading Russia Claims It's Using Tunnels to Get Behind Enemy Lines in Ukraine