Firefighters responded to a wildfire in the woods and were ambushed by sniper fire, which caused two deaths. Authorities discovered the suspect dead in the trees after an hours-long manhunt.
Plus, all-nighters in Washington lead up to this: President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill could receive a Senate vote this week if Republicans manage to maintain their unity.
Also, Trump and Canada’s prime minister paused the tech tax dispute and resumed trade talks.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, June 30, 2025.
2 firefighters killed, 1 wounded in ‘ambush’ while responding to Idaho wildfire
Crews in northern Idaho continued battling a wildfire Monday morning, June 30, that authorities claimed was deliberately set, leading to a deadly series of events. Investigators reported that a man started the fire before shooting and killing two responding firefighters and injuring a third.
After an hours-long manhunt, authorities discovered the suspect dead in the woods near Coeur d’Alene with a rifle next to him. The Kootenai County sheriff said a tactical team used cell phone data to track him to Canfield Mountain, acting quickly as flames approached.
It remains unclear whether the gunman took his own life or was shot during a gunfight with officers.
“We believe that there’s a likelihood that when we are able to enter the scene again tomorrow without the threat of fire that we’ll find other weapons that were placed. This was a total ambush; these firefighters did not have a chance,” Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said.
Police have not yet identified the suspect to the public, and investigators haven’t shared what motivated the attack. However, authorities believe the suspect acted alone. Spokane and the FBI teamsAbout 300 law enforcement officers responded, including teams from Spokane and the FBI.
The fire remains active, and as of Monday morning, it has burned roughly 20 acres.
Senate races toward final vote on Trump’s sweeping spending bill
The Senate races toward a vote on what could be the defining legislation of President Donald Trump’s second term. After a weekend marathon of backroom deals and floor speeches — including nearly 16 hours spent reading the bill aloud on the Senate floor — debate continues on the president’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” The House has already passed its version.
Senators have worked to revise key sections of the bill. If they pass it on Monday, the House will need to approve it again before it can be sent to Trump’s desk. Both chambers have felt the strain, with some Republicans concerned about the nearly $3.3 trillion deficit increase, as the Congressional Budget Office estimated. Others remain uneasy about the significant reductions to Medicaid and food assistance programs.
Plus, Democrats warn it could leave nearly 12 million Americans uninsured. Sen. Thom Tillis, one of just two Republicans to oppose the bill so far, announced on Sunday, June 29, that he won’t seek reelection in 2026, hours after publicly blasting the bill, Trump and a lack of bipartisanship in Washington.
Still, momentum continues to grow. On Monday morning, the president shared on Truth Social: “One great big beautiful bill is moving along nicely … Make America Great Again!”
Canada rescinds digital service tax to restart US trade talks
Trade talks between the U.S. and Canada are back on track Monday morning after a last-minute move from Ottawa. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he’s pausing plans to impose a digital service tax on U.S. tech giants, and trade negotiations with the U.S. have officially resumed
It follows a Friday warning from Trump, who suspended all talks, calling the tax a direct and blatant attack on our country. Trump and Carney spoke Sunday, June 30, and now, Canada claims it will rescind the tax in anticipation of a trade deal.
The reversal comes weeks after Canadian officials said they wouldn’t yield, even when faced with U.S. pressure. The tax, introduced last year, was supposed to start Monday, June 30, applying retroactively to tech companies with a 3% fee on 2022 revenue.
Ukraine says Russia launched its biggest aerial attack yet over the weekend
Ukrainian officials claim Russia launched its largest aerial assault of the war over the weekend, unleashing hundreds of drones and missiles across the country. Ukraine’s air force reports that Russia fired 537 aerial weapons, including 477 drones and decoys, and 60 missiles. Of these, 249 were shot down, while 226 others failed — likely jammed by electronic defenses.
Despite this, the damage was still severe: at least six people were killed in drone strikes, airstrikes, and shelling across Kharkiv, Kherson, and eastern Ukraine. Ukraine also confirmed that one of its F-16 pilots died after his U.S.-made warplane crashed while defending against the attack.
Trump says TikTok buyer ready, announcement in 2 weeks
Also on Monday morning, Trump said a deal to save TikTok is in progress, and he’ll reveal the buyers in about two weeks. In an interview on Fox News, Trump mentioned that a group of “very wealthy people” is ready to buy the app, but the deal will probably need China’s approval.
The future of TikTok in the U.S. has been uncertain since last year, when a law was passed requiring its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell or face a ban. Trump postponed enforcement three times, extending the deadline to Sept. 17, as negotiations continue behind the scenes.
The biggest obstacle is Beijing’s reluctance to approve a sale, especially one involving TikTok’s highly protected algorithm. Trump has said he wants the app to stay under new ownership after crediting it with boosting his youth support in 2024.
China’s humanoid robots face off on the soccer field
First, they ran marathons, and now they’re hitting the soccer field.
In China this weekend, humanoid robots competed in what’s being called the first fully autonomous soccer matches — no human control, no remote guidance. Four teams of AI-powered robots played three-on-three using advanced visual sensors to “see” the ball and make real-time decisions.
The bots were even programmed to stand up after falling, though a few had to be carried off the field on stretchers, just like the pros. The matches served as a warm-up for the upcoming World Humanoid Robot Games, scheduled for August in Beijing.
