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NYC closes migrant arrival center at Roosevelt Hotel

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New York City officially closed migrant operations at the Roosevelt Hotel on Monday, shuttering a two-year service site for individuals and families that recently arrived in the United States. 

City officials reportedly welcomed more than 173,000 immigrants seeking asylum to the hotel where they were registered with national immigration services, according to the Associated Press

In February, Mayor Eric Adams (D) announced the century-old building would soon close its doors and limited the duration immigrants could reside at the property three months later. 

Adams’s move follows the Trump administration’s recent crackdown on illegal immigration and attempts to remove unlawful residents. 

Earlier this year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) revoked New York City’s $80 million grant to house migrants as the White House alleged they were possibly funding “illegal activity” after suggesting humans were being smuggled at temporary housing sites throughout the city.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will now use funds from FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program to build out “Alligator Alcatraz,” a Miami-area detention site for immigrants lacking permanent legal status and awaiting deportation.

New York City currently houses upwards of 37,000 migrants across 170 sites, as reported by AP. 

The number decreased by 33,000 compared to last January, officials told the outlet.

Mayor Adams’s office and The Roosevelt Hotel could not immediately be reached for comment regarding the site’s closure. 

However, services provided at the hotel will be offered at different migrant shelter locations across the city, AP reported. 

Technical Assessment: Bullish in the Intermediate-Term

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Technical Assessment: Bullish in the Intermediate-Term

Apple sent out a thirsty Wallet notification promoting its new F1 movie

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Apple poured some good money into making F1 – a Formula 1 racing movie starring Brad Pitt – and it wants its customers to know that. To that end, many people, including some Verge staffers, noticed an unusual Apple Wallet notification this morning that’s both an advertisement and promotion for the film.

The notification prompts users to save on movie tickets via Fandango with a promotional code, reading “Save on 2+ tickets to F1 The Movie with APPLEPAYTEN. Ends 6/29. While supplies last. Terms apply.” It looks like Apple’s trying to juice the film’s opening weekend by tempting users into a deal.

This notification was considered an affront to many recipients, as both TechCrunch and 9to5Mac previously noted. Folks are likening it to Apple’s infamous U2 debacle in 2014 when it gifted the band’s then-new album to over 500 million iTunes accounts without a way to delete it, a promotional whoopsie that reportedly cost Apple more than $100 million. Shortly after, it released a tool that let people delete the album from their libraries. More recently, Apple sent unwanted push notifications to promote Carpool Karaoke, one of the company’s first Apple TV Plus hits.

Regardless of the film’s quality, or your feelings about notifications that straddle the line of a useful deal and an ad, this is aggressively thirsty. Ads continue to not be Apple’s strongest suit in 2025. The Verge has reached out to Apple to find out more about this notification, and we’ll update this post if we hear back.

Islanders GM ‘not trading’ No. 1 pick, but ‘you look at everything’

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Mathieu Darche’s phone keeps ringing as he prepares for his first NHL draft as general manager of the New York Islanders, and he’s sure of only one thing: They are not trading the No. 1 pick, which is expected to be defenseman Matthew Schaefer on Friday.

“I’m not trading the 1, but you look at everything, right?” Darche said on a video call with reporters Tuesday. “Teams are calling you about various options. Every time you hear something might be going on, you call a team, and my job is to do my due diligence and see what’s out there. Every single day, I’m trying to improve the New York Islanders.

“I can’t tell you all my secrets,” Darche said. “… We all know the talent at this point. You’re researching more the character and personalities. You are just trying to get as much information. There’s a few guys we like, and I do have an idea at this point, because it’s in four days. But we’re going to keep doing our due diligence all the way through Friday.”

Schaefer and a couple of centers — Canadian Michael Misa and Swede Anton Frondell — are expected to be the top three off the board. San Jose, which took Macklin Celebrini at No. 1 overall last year, and Chicago, which got Connor Bedard at No. 1 in 2023, have the second and third picks after New York.

“He’s an impressive young man,” Darche said of Schaefer. “He’s a hell of a player. He’s a great person. But having said that, there’s a lot of other kids at the draft that we met that are very impressive. That’s why I say, regardless of who we pick on Friday, we’ll get a special player that’s going to help the New York Islanders fairly quickly.”

With Long Island native James Hagens also in the mix as a likely top-10 pick, there has been plenty of speculation about the Islanders making a trade to get back into the first half of the first round to get both players.

“I’m looking at everything,” Darche said. “If I feel the opportunity warrants that trade, I’ll try it. … Whether it’s moving up in the draft with another pick, whether it’s acquiring another pick, whether it’s trading another pick to get a player, I’m looking at all options to improve our team.”

Hagens grew up in Hauppauge and went to Nassau Coliseum as a kid. He still has the towel from his first playoff game, and his buddies who are Islanders fans were pumped to see them win the draft lottery to get the first pick.

It has started to look increasingly unlikely that Hagens is the top prospect in this draft, but that has not stopped folks in the New York area from rooting for Darche to select him. Hagens has had people approach him on the golf course and recently saw a bumper sticker reading, “Bring Hagens Home.”

“It was cool,” said Hagans, a 5-foot-11 center who was a point-a-game player during his freshman season at Boston College. “Moments like that, it puts a smile on your face.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sean “Diddy” Combs Sex Trafficking Trial: Rapper Won’t Testify

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Sean “Diddy ” Combs’ Trial: Why R. Kelly Was Name-Dropped in Court

Sean “Diddy” Combs is choosing not to testify in court. 

During week seven of his sex trafficking trial, the rapper made a rare statement in court, telling Judge Arun Subramanian that he has chosen not to testify.

After the judge asked Combs to confirm that he would not be testifying, saying if he chose not to, “there will be no interference made.”

And Combs verified that he would not be formally addressing the courtroom. 

“We have discussed it thoroughly, that is my decision,” Combs said of not testifying. “That is totally my decision, I am making it.”

Prior to confirming he would not be testifying, Combs—who has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, prostitution, racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, as well as transportation to engage in prostitution, also addressed another question from the judge: how he was feeling. 

“I’m doing great, your honor,” he told Subramanian. “I wanted to tell you thank you, you’re doing an excellent job.”

While Combs will not be taking the stand, several figures have testified against the “I’ll Be Missing You” artist, including ex Cassie VenturaDanity Kane alum Dawn Richard and rapper Kid Cudi, as well as many personal employees since the trial began in mid-May.

UN condemns Gaza aid 'death trap' as dozens reported killed by Israeli fire

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At least 46 people waiting for aid have been killed by Israeli fire in two incidents, rescuers and hospitals say.

House GOP moderates tell leadership they won't back Senate tax bill over Medicaid cuts

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A group of House Republicans is warning that they won’t support the Senate’s version of the tax and spending bill because the proposed Medicaid cuts are too steep. 

Led by Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.), 15 other vulnerable Republicans sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) saying they support the Medicaid reforms in the House version of the legislation, but the Senate Finance Committee proposal went too far. 

“Protecting Medicaid is essential for the vulnerable constituents we were elected to represent. Therefore, we cannot support a final bill that threatens access to coverage or jeopardizes the stability of our hospitals and providers,” the lawmakers wrote. “The House’s approach reflects a more pragmatic and compassionate standard, and we urge that it be retained in the final bill.”  

The Senate Finance Committee draft seeks to clamp down on two tactics states use to boost Medicaid funding to hospitals: state-directed payments and Medicaid provider taxes. The restrictions are a major concern for rural hospitals, a key constituency for senators.  

Republicans have set an ambitious July 4 deadline to pass the bill and send it to President Trump to be signed into law.  

The letter from the lawmakers, who all voted for the bill that included $700 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade, is a sign that significant issues still need to be straightened out for the bill to move forward.  

Unlike the House bill, the Senate Finance Committee draft includes a significant cut to the taxes states can levy on medical providers. States impose taxes on providers to boost their federal Medicaid contributions, which they then direct back to hospitals in the form of higher reimbursements.  

The legislation would effectively cap provider taxes at 3.5 percent by 2031, down from the current 6 percent, but only for the states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The cap would be phased in by lowering it 0.5 percent annually, starting in 2027.   

Non-expansion states would be prohibited from imposing new taxes, but as was true in the House-passed version, their rates would be frozen at current levels. The lower cap would not apply to nursing homes or intermediate care facilities.   

“Throughout the budget process, we have consistently affirmed our commitment to ensuring that reductions in federal spending do not come at the expense of our most vulnerable constituents. We write to reiterate that commitment to those we represent here in Washington,” the members wrote. 

They also expressed concern about “rushed implementation timelines” as well as changes to the work requirements for adults with dependents. The House bill imposes work requirements on Medicaid expansion enrollees aged 19 to 64 but exempts people with dependent children. The requirements will begin in 2027. 

Seeking additional cuts, the Senate version would put those requirements on parents with children over the age of 14.  

In a statement to The Hill, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Justin Chermol said the letter rings hollow. 

“Spare us the performative bulls[—]. These so-called moderates already voted for the largest cut to Medicaid in American history – and when the time comes, they’ll cave to their D.C. party bosses once again to give their billionaire donors a massive tax break,” he said. 

Analyst Report: Public Serv Enterprise Grp Inc

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Analyst Report: Public Serv Enterprise Grp Inc

Get a $50 credit by preordering the new Samsung Galaxy foldable

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Samsung has announced an Unpacked event that’s happening on Wednesday, July 9th at 10AM ET. Details are sparse, but it shared the tagline “Ultra Unfolds,” which suggests we’re about to learn a whole lot more about a premium foldable phone, and perhaps some other foldables. However, you don’t have to wait for the keynote to unfold to mark yourself as interested, and Samsung is offering a free incentive if you follow through with buying it.

By filling out a reservation form for the upcoming device, including your full name and e-mail address, you’ll get a $50 credit to the Samsung store following your preorder and purchase of said device. Creating a reservation will set up an alert to ping you when preorders are ready, so you won’t miss out. You can’t apply this credit toward the smartphone you’re purchasing, but can use it on anything else on Samsung’s site in the future. Registering will also enter you into a sweepstakes to win a $5,000 Samsung gift card.

As for what we expect to see at this Unpacked event, the announcement’s graphic and tagline suggest there may be a thin foldable smartphone with the Ultra branding, a title that was previously reserved for its flagship S-series phones. A Samsung press release from earlier this month teased a foldable with a “powerful camera,” which would address a complaint that Verge reviewer Allison Johnson had about the Galaxy Z Fold 6. That same press release featured an image titled “Galaxy Z Fold 7 Z Flip 7 Pre tease,” which corroborates rumors from earlier this year that Samsung plans to launch multiple foldables.

QB Ryder Lyons, No. 49 recruit in 2026 ESPN 300, picks BYU

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BYU secured its highest-ranked quarterback pledge since 2002 when four-star recruit Ryder Lyons, No. 49 in the 2026 ESPN 300, announced his commitment to the Cougars over Oregon on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday.

Lyons, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound prospect from Folsom, California, is ESPN’s No. 5 pocket passer in the 2026 class and entered Tuesday as the nation’s top-ranked uncommitted quarterback. While Lyons will sign as part of BYU’s 2026 class later this year, he intends to serve a Latter-day Saints mission after graduation next year and will not formally join the Cougars until the spring of 2027.

Following a string of unofficial visits this spring that included stops at Michigan, Ohio State and Ole Miss, Lyons trimmed his finalists to BYU, Oregon and USC in May and scheduled official visits with each program for June.

Lyons later canceled his trip to USC, ultimately closing his recruitment with visits to the Ducks and Cougars on consecutive weekends from June 13-22.

With BYU, Lyons lands as a potential quarterback of the future with the program that offered him his very first scholarship offer in December 2021. He is the second-ranked of three ESPN 300 commits in coach Kalani Sitake’s 2026 class.

“They’ve poured a lot into me and made me feel very needed,” Lyons told ESPN. “The love they’ve shown — not just the coaching staff, but everyone there — they’ve shown me just how much they want me more than any other program.”

Lyons, the 2024 California Gatorade Football Player of the Year, would also arrive on campus in 2027 as BYU’s highest-rated quarterback signee since Ben Olson joined the program in the 2002 class.

A skilled improviser who can extend plays with his feet, Lyons exploded in his sophomore season at Folsom High School. He completed 67.9% of his throws for 3,578 yards with 38 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions as a first-year starter in 2023, then followed with another 3,011 yards and 46 touchdowns through the air as a junior last fall. Lyons has also proved dangerous on the ground in the high school ranks, combining for 1,514 rushing yards and 37 rushing scores across two seasons as a starter.

The Cougars have significantly stepped up their NIL efforts across the athletic department in the past year, sources told ESPN. In December, BYU’s men’s basketball program secured the addition of No. 1 overall prospect A.J. Dybantsa, a coveted 6-foot-9 wing who reportedly commanded a high seven-figure NIL deal.

The football program now has its latest cornerstone in a potentially historic 2026 class that includes in-state tight end Brock Harris (No. 32), the program’s highest-ranked pledge since at least 2006, and in-state defensive tackle pledge Bott Mulitalo (No. 105), who flipped from Oregon.

With signatures from Harris, Mulitalo and Lyons later this year, the Cougars would have their first-ever recruiting class with at least three top 300 prospects in the ESPN recruiting era (since 2006).

For coach Dan Lanning and Oregon, Lyons’ pledge to BYU marks the program’s latest high-profile miss in the 2026 cycle. The Ducks were finalists for five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell (Miami) and No. 1 overall quarterback Jared Curtis (Georgia) last month. On June 19, Oregon lost out to Texas A&M in the recruitment of five-star athlete Brandon Arrington (No. 14).

The Ducks are now expected to turn their attention to three-star passer Matt Ponatoski, a two-sport star who visited the program this past weekend, sources told ESPN. Boise State decommit Bryson Beaver is another recent visitor on Oregon’s radar, with Alabama, Auburn and LSU also among those registering significant interest in the late-rising three-star quarterback from Murrieta, California.

Upon Lyons’ pledge, only two of the 18 quarterbacks within the 2026 ESPN 300 remain uncommitted. No. 1 dual-threat passer Landon Duckworth (No. 104) is expected to commit in the coming weeks following official visits to South Carolina and Auburn. Four-star quarterback Oscar Rios (No. 192) is set to choose between Arizona and UCLA on Friday.