Plus: Trump Says U.S. Strikes Trade Deal With China

Good afternoon,

In college I worked as a barista (shoutout Argus Farm Stop in Ann Arbor, MI) and I always appreciated it when customers tipped. But too bad I didn’t go to college in Delaware, West Virginia, or New Hampshire — my tips would’ve been even higher, according to new Toast data compiled by Axios.

On average, diners in those states tipped over 21%, while California and Washington rank lowest with tips under 18%.
- Nationwide, tips at full-service restaurants rose slightly to 19.4% in the first quarter of 2025, while quick-service tips held steady at 15.8%.

It comes as the “No Tax on Tips” legislation makes its way through Congress — a campaign promise from President Trump. But tipping culture is a topic that sparks strong opinions, and two-thirds of Americans report being confused about when and how much to tip, according to a 2023 Pew study.

Tipping in Washington, D.C., where I live now, seems extra challenging as many restaurants add a percentage on your bill for a tip, but it varies widely (I’ve been below 10% to 20%).

Lauren
Producer

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Immigration Raids Spark Unrest As Trump Administration Steps Up Deportation Efforts

Protests in response to recent immigration enforcement actions have expanded beyond Los Angeles and are now taking place in cities across the country, including in New York, Illinois, and Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced the deployment of the Texas National Guard across the state to “ensure peace and order.”

It comes as some workers across key sectors — including agriculture, construction, child care, and food service — are not showing up to work, citing fears of detention and deportation. An estimated 14 million unauthorized immigrants live in the U.S.

TRUMP’S PLAN
On the campaign trail, Trump promised mass deportations. Border crossings plummeted in the first few months of his term, but deportations remained steady. Now, the administration is taking a more aggressive posture. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller — the architect of many of Trump’s immigration policies — has set a goal of 3,000 deportations per day, nearly five times the average of 660 arrests per day during Trump’s first 100 days in office.

What people think: A CBS News/YouGov poll conducted June 4–6 found that 54% of Americans approve of Trump's deportation policy. The poll was completed just days before the president deployed troops to Los Angeles.
Trump's strongest support on immigration comes from within his party, with 93% of Republicans backing his deportation policy, compared with only 18% of Democrats. Independents are more split, with 49% in favor.

But some Republicans are expressing frustration with the crackdowns, which have arrested both criminals and undocumented immigrants who have been in the U.S. for decades. Latinas for Trump co-founder, Florida state Sen. Ileana Garcia, criticized the administration’s deportation efforts as “unacceptable and inhumane.”

DEMS TAKING THE MIC
Democrats are recalibrating their messaging and as the Wall Street Journal puts it, California Governor Gavin Newsom has, “leaned into the conflict to position himself as the leader of the opposition.”

Newsom is striking a tough-on-crime tone — calling for “zero tolerance” for “agitators” who attack law enforcement, but he is still blaming Trump for escalating the situation, saying: “Democracy is under assault before our eyes. This moment we have feared has arrived… There are no longer any checks and balances.”

Have more questions on the state of immigration in America? We dove into the topic with Syracuse University’s Dr. Austin Kocher on our Mo News Premium members workshop.

He helped us break down and explain the legal impacts of Trump’s immigration agenda and broader immigration trends.

Become a member of Mo News Premium today to hear the conversation!

🚨 ONE THING WE’RE FOLLOWING

Trump Says U.S. Strikes Trade Deal With China

President Trump said Wednesday the U.S. and China had reached a trade agreement after two days of negotiations in London. Tariffs between the world’s two biggest economies will remain at levels set during last month’s talks in Switzerland.

Asked by CNBC anchor Carl Quintanilla if the tariff levels would not change, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said, “you can definitely say that.”

It comes as the U.S. continues to negotiate trade deals with 18 trading partners.

INSIDE U.S.-CHINA NEGOCIATIONS
“We were at mutual assured annoyance,” Lutnick said. “Then Donald Trump got on the phone with President Xi and he changed everything.” Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke last week, the first call since the start of Trump’s second term.

Rewind: The U.S. will apply a total of 55% tariffs on most Chinese goods — which it agreed to in Switzerland in mid-May.
- That 55% figure represents the 10% global baseline tariffs Trump implemented in April, plus the extra 20% tariff he put on China earlier this year over fentanyl exports, plus the long-standing 25% tariffs on the country under Section 301 trade rules.
Chinese tariffs on U.S. goods will hold at 10% — a 115% cut from previous levels for both countries.

While it’s what the two nations agreed on, in the weeks following the talks, U.S. officials accused China of “slow-rolling” the shipment of rare earth minerals and magnets. In response, the U.S. began implementing “countermeasures,” including Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s announcement that the U.S. would “aggressively” revoke Chinese student visas. Now, Lutnick says, China will export critical rare earth minerals and magnets ASAP.

Up next: July 9 is the deadline for finalizing trade agreements between the U.S. and the European Union to avoid triggering a 50% tariff on European imports.

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

D.C. prepares for military parade to celebrate the army and Trump’s birthday (MO NEWS)
Trump says “no hard feelings” after feud with Elon Musk (MO NEWS)
Southern Baptists call for overturning the Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage (FOX)
World’s most popular TikTok star Khaby Lame leaves the US after being detained by ICE (AP)
NYC law ending broker fees for renters takes effect today (CBS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

Ukraine collects 1,212 bodies in latest swap with Russia (BBC)
Jordan evacuates sick and injured Palestinian children from Gaza (FOX)
Officials say at least 49 dead in flooding in South Africa (AP)
UK and Spain strike ‘historic’ deal over Gibraltar’s future and borders (GUARDIAN)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

U.S. inflation rises 0.1% in May from prior month, less than expected (CNBC)
Study finds dramatic upsurge in appendix cancer among millennials, Gen X (FOX)
EU scientists say May was the second-hottest month on Earth’s record (POLITICO)
U.S. online stores put ‘out of stock’ signs as Nintendo Switch 2 sales hit record highs (MSNBC)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson dies at age 82 (GUARDIAN)
Harvey Weinstein found guilty of sexual assault, acquitted on another charge in MeToo retrial (FOX)
Fans greet K-pop stars Jimin and Jung Kook of BTS after they were discharged from military service (AP)
Trump to attend 'Les Mis' at the Kennedy Center, (NPR), some members of the original cast boycotting the performance (THE HILL)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… or don’t have a high-power telescope, here’s last night’s Full Strawberry Moon 🍓🌕, which peaked at 3:44 a.m. early Wednesday. It was the lowest one visible from the Northern Hemisphere in decades, and won’t dip that low again until 2043.

The strawberry moon got its moniker from the Algonquin Native American tribes, which considered June the perfect time to pick wild strawberries. In Europe, it’s been called the “Honey Moon” or “Mead Month,” reflecting June’s long-standing association with weddings and celebration.