PBS News Hour full episode, June 29, 2026

In a 5-4 ruling, Chief Justice John Roberts authored an opinion granting the President broader power to fire the heads of independent agencies, specifically overturning a nearly century-old precedent in a case involving the removal of Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter. The Court reasoned that 'subordinates who exercise the president's power are subject to removal by him,' significantly expanding executive control over dozens of agencies previously intended to be independent from presidential influence.

Chief Justice John Roberts' majority opinion in the Rebecca Slaughter case, stating 'Subordinates who exercise the president's power are subject to removal by him.' Justice Sonia Sotomayor's dissent noted this applies to 'potentially dozens' of independent agencies.

In a separate but concurrent 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court blocked President Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook. The majority, again led by Chief Justice Roberts, emphasized the critical importance of the Fed's independence from political interference, citing historical precedents and the need for monetary policy to be guided by evidence. The ruling established that a Fed governor is entitled to 'notice and an opportunity to be heard' before being fired, making it significantly harder for a president to remove them without cause.

Chief Justice John Roberts' opinion: 'To accept any one of the administration's arguments would in effect transform the Federal Reserve's for-cause protection into at-will employment, an interpretive leap out of step with the statute Congress enacted and our nation's tradition of Central Banking protected from political interference.' Amy Howe and Abbe Lowell both stressed the Fed's unique, 'super-independent' status.

A new report from TheDream.US reveals that the American dream is 'slipping out of reach' for many DACA recipients due to the Trump administration's actions. These actions include delayed renewals, blocking renewals for recipients from certain countries, and pausing initial DACA applications for over 100,000 individuals. This systematic dismantling has resulted in one in five college-educated DACA graduates becoming fully undocumented, severely limiting their career prospects and financial stability compared to those with work authorization.

Gaby Pacheco, President and CEO of TheDream.US, stated: 'They have been, in essence, dismantling the program by ensuring that certain DACA recipients from certain countries cannot get status or get their DACA renewed.' She noted that 100,000 initial DACA applications are paused and that those without work authorization have 'a lot harder time finding work, and they have lower-paying jobs, they struggle.'

The Texas State Board of Education approved new guidelines making passages from the Bible mandatory reading for all 5.5 million public school students from first grade through high school, a first-of-its-kind requirement in the U.S. Concurrently, a controversial overhaul of the social studies curriculum emphasizes Christian concepts and figures, while downplaying the significance of race in American history and reducing focus on world events. Critics argue these changes violate the separation of church and state and promote historical disinformation.

Jaden Edison, Public Education Reporter at The Texas Tribune, explained that 'children as young as 6 years old, all the way up to preparing to receive your high school diploma, will be required to engage with or read Bible passages.' He also noted the 'very Texas-centric, American-centric, American exceptionalism-centric lesson approach' and the elimination of the world cultures class for sixth graders.