S.C. budget talks hinge on debt payments, tax cuts

July 11, 2026

1–2 minutes

Summary

South Carolina budget negotiators remained divided over debt payments, tax cuts, and earmarks as talks continued.

Why this matters

The dispute will help determine whether South Carolina uses surplus capacity for tax cuts, earmarks, or preserving borrowing flexibility. It also affects how the state manages long-term fiscal options if future borrowing becomes necessary.

As South Carolina budget negotiators work to finalize a spending plan, one of the main disputes is how much money to keep in the state’s debt payment line.

The House proposed a $15.54 billion budget, while the Senate proposed $15.26 billion. A six-member conference committee has been working to resolve the $279 million gap and planned to meet July 14.

Other major differences include a $247.7 million property tax cut for seniors and lawmakers’ earmarks. The Senate proposed $130 million in senator-sponsored projects, compared with $315 million in House member-requested projects.

The Senate proposed cutting the debt service line by $117 million from last year’s $153.9 million level and moving that money into recurring revenue, which could help support other costs and tax cuts.

The House opposed that approach, arguing a larger debt service line preserves the state’s borrowing capacity if lawmakers later need to finance major projects or respond to emergencies.

Lawmakers have reduced the debt service line in recent years, though not always by as much as the Senate sought. In 2022, the Senate Finance Committee proposed a $100 million reduction to the $191 million debt line, but lawmakers did not adopt it. In 2023, the Senate sought a $110 million reduction; lawmakers approved a $37.7 million cut. In the 2024-25 budget, lawmakers reduced the line by $10 million after the Senate pushed for a $95 million cut. For 2025-26, the General Assembly increased the line by $10 million instead of adopting the Senate’s proposed $95 million cut.

According to the State Treasurer’s Office, only $21 million in general fund debt service payments are required in 2026-27 and an estimated $23 million in 2027-28.

Unused debt service money becomes one-time money that lawmakers can spend the following year on agency expenses, economic development deals, or community investment projects, often called earmarks.

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World

U.S., Saudi strikes in Iraq kill 10, officials say

Jordan’s army said Wednesday morning that it intercepted five Iranian missiles.

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U.S. and Saudi warplanes carried out strikes in Iraq on Tuesday, targeting Iran-backed militias that the U.S. military said had launched more than two dozen drone attacks in recent days.

Two sources in Iraq’s former paramilitary alliance told AFP that at least 10 members of the Hashed al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilisation Forces, were killed. One official said the strikes hit positions “across several provinces, with the deadliest attack in Nineveh province, where at least 10 members were killed,” and that the toll would likely rise. Injuries were reported in other provinces, the official said. A second official confirmed the initial toll.

The Popular Mobilisation Forces said preliminary reports showed several people were killed and others were wounded, with damage to a number of its buildings and facilities.

U.S. Central Command said the strikes targeted “Iran-aligned terrorists that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed to attack US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.” It added that “the IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further US military response.”

Saudi Arabia confirmed its involvement. Its Defense Ministry said it struck “targets belonging to those militias present on Iraqi territory that are linked to attacks on the kingdom’s oil facilities.”

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had rejected Oman’s proposal for regional joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, calling it unworkable. The official also said the U.S. and Saudi Arabia were pressing Oman to advance plans for the strategic waterway.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also said they struck and halted three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian media. Tasnim news agency quoted the Guards’ navy as saying “three violating oil tankers, which ignored our warnings and continued sailing an unsafe and illegal route, were struck and brought to a halt.”

Reuters also reported that Iran expected within weeks to receive a first shipment of up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air-defense missile launchers under a deal valued at $60 million to $70 million, citing three sources familiar with the agreement.
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Cyclospora cases top 11,000 as FDA says food safe

One outbreak linked it to iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico and served at some Taco Bell locations has sickened 1,947 people and hospitalized 98.

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U.S. food regulators said Monday that consumers could still trust the food supply as cyclospora cases reached record levels nationwide.

“The U. S. food supply is safe,” Donald Prater, acting deputy commissioner for food at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, told attendees at the annual meeting of the International Association for Food Protection. “However, there’s a couple of challenges,” he said of the cyclosporiasis outbreaks that have sickened more than 11,000 people. “It will take a little time. But we do believe we’re taking action and we’re protecting public health.”

The cyclospora outbreaks were a focus for food-safety experts gathered in New Orleans amid a summer of foodborne illness. Nearly 100 people were reported sick with salmonella in an outbreak tied in part to eggs, prompting a recall last week of 19 million eggs. An E. coli infection was traced to some organic blueberries, and a listeria outbreak earlier this summer led to recalls of soft cheeses.

Conference participants said identifying the source of cyclospora contamination remained difficult, and some expressed concern that the causes of multiple outbreaks might not be determined.

The Food and Drug Administration also identified a new outbreak that has sickened at least 72 people, according to an update posted to the agency’s website last week. In North Carolina, health officials said they were investigating a separate outbreak of more than 300 cases that they did not believe was related to the Taco Bell-linked lettuce. They were examining parsley, cilantro, and lettuce as possible sources.

Prater said that even after regulators identified and recalled the Mexican iceberg lettuce tied to one outbreak, overall cyclospora cases and unrelated outbreaks continued to rise. “Once we’ve identified the contaminated product, we will, of course, work to initiate and effectuate recalls, removing the contaminated product on the market, alert consumers and conduct root-cause investigations,” he said. “We’re right in the middle of all of that.”

German Rios of Fresh Express said the company increased worker training, sanitation, glove disposal, and hand-washing measures after separate cyclospora outbreaks in 2018 and 2020 were traced to its leafy greens grown in Mexico.
Africa

Uganda ends Ebola outbreak as Congo cases rise

Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases. Eighteen patients were discharged, and two died.

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Uganda declared its Ebola outbreak over on Tuesday after completing a 42-day monitoring period with no new cases, even as infections continued to rise in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi said the country had reached the end of the required monitoring period, which began after the last Ugandan patient with locally transmitted Ebola was discharged on June 16, 2026.

“Throughout this ⁠period the Ministry of Health maintained intensive surveillance nationwide, and no new Ebola cases have been detected,” Baryomunsi said.

In a later social media statement, Baryomunsi urged Ugandans “to remain alert” and to continue following public health measures.

Uganda recorded 20 confirmed cases. Eighteen patients were discharged, and two died. Both people who died were from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where a larger outbreak has been underway since mid-May.

According to Congo’s Health Ministry, the country had recorded at least 3,262 infections and 1,437 deaths. The outbreak is nearing the scale of the 2018-2020 epidemic, the largest ever recorded in the country.

The World Health Organization said the current Ebola outbreak was the fastest-spreading on record and that the true number of cases could be two to four times higher than reported.

The strain circulating in Congo is Bundibugyo, the rarest of the four Ebola variants known to affect humans. There are no approved vaccines or treatments for it.

Ebola is a viral hemorrhagic disease that can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and internal bleeding. It spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or those who have died from the virus.
World Politics

Zelenskyy says Trump meeting focused on air defense

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also met with Trump at the White House the same day.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a “good meeting” with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, as Kyiv and Washington continued discussions on air defense and efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Good meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office. Thank you for all that we are doing together to protect the lives of Ukrainians and achieve peace,” Zelenskyy said.

In a post on Telegram, Zelenskyy said the two discussed licenses to produce Patriot interceptor missiles in Ukraine. Earlier this month, Trump agreed to allow Ukraine to jointly produce Patriot air defense interceptors, a key part of Ukraine’s defense against Russian aerial attacks.

Zelenskyy said the talks also focused on renewing diplomatic efforts to end the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The meeting was closed to the press and lasted just over an hour, according to U.S. media reports.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X that both meetings were “positive and productive.”

Zelenskyy arrived in the United States to attend Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral service. He was also scheduled to meet separately with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and a bipartisan group of senators, as the Senate prepared for its first vote on the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctions Act on Russia and Iran.

“Our number-one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer,” Zelenskyy said on arrival in the U.S.

Kyiv and Washington were also moving closer to an agreement on joint drone production. Ukraine was on track to produce 6 million to 7 million short-range attack drones this year, while the Pentagon’s $1.1 billion production program was expected to have ordered nearly 200,000 drones by February 2027.

The Trump administration has reduced new military aid to Ukraine, while Europe has become Kyiv’s main source of financial and military support. The U.S. has continued to act as a mediator in the war, though diplomatic efforts have slowed in recent weeks.
Health

Preteen suicide rise prompts calls for earlier screening

Experts pointed to factors including disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, bullying, lack of sleep, social media use, and exposure to distressing news.

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Preliminary Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showed 194 children ages 8 to 12 died by suicide in 2025, the highest total since at least 2001.

A 2024 National Institutes of Health analysis found the preteen suicide rate rose by an average of 8.2% a year from 2008. Black preteens had the highest overall rate, while girls and Hispanic preteens had the largest percentage increases. Native American preteens also had some of the sharpest increases.

Mental health experts said suicide is complex and often reflects multiple factors. They called for earlier screening, more frequent mental health check-ins, and interventions tailored for Native, Black, and LGBTQ+ children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening all patients beginning at age 12 for suicidal thoughts. For children ages 8 to 11, it recommends screening when they present with behavioral health concerns or a history of suicidal thoughts. Striker said screening as early as age 8 could help identify children sooner.

Experts pointed to factors including disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, bullying, lack of sleep, social media use, exposure to distressing news, and fears among some LGBTQ+ youth related to restrictions on gender-affirming care. They said talking directly with children about changes in mood, stress, and suicidal thoughts could help connect them to care earlier.

If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org.
Health

Testosterone trial found no added major heart risk

“This study should not be used as a justification for the widespread prescription of testosterone to aging men,” one of the researchers said.

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A large randomized trial published in 2023 found that testosterone replacement therapy did not increase the risk of major cardiovascular events in men with confirmed hypogonadism who had cardiovascular disease or were at high risk for it.

The TRAVERSE trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, enrolled 5,246 men ages 45 to 80. All had symptoms of low testosterone and two fasting testosterone readings below 300 ng per deciliter. Participants received daily transdermal 1.62% testosterone gel or placebo for a mean of 21.7 months, with mean follow-up of 33 months. The study was required after a 2015 U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandate that testosterone product makers investigate cardiovascular risk.

The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal heart attack, and nonfatal stroke. A primary event occurred in 182 patients, or 7.0%, in the testosterone group and 190 patients, or 7.3%, in the placebo group, with a hazard ratio of 0.96 and a 95% confidence interval of 0.78 to 1.17.

“These findings provide reassurance about the cardiovascular safety of testosterone therapy over the typical duration of treatment in men in whom it is indicated,” coprincipal investigator A. Michael Lincoff, MD, said.

Researchers said the findings applied only to men who met medical criteria for testosterone therapy, not to men receiving prescriptions without a clear clinical indication. “This study should not be used as a justification for the widespread prescription of testosterone to aging men,” said Steven Nissen, MD, chief academic officer of Cleveland Clinic’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute.

The trial also found higher rates of atrial fibrillation, acute kidney injury, and pulmonary embolism in the testosterone group. Pulmonary embolism occurred in 0.9% of testosterone patients and 0.5% of placebo patients.

Researchers and outside physicians said the results supported individualized risk-benefit assessments and monitoring for clot history and arrhythmia during treatment.
US

Florida executes 2 inmates in 1 day for first time since 1964

Florida has accounted for 31 of the 66 executions, or 47%, carried out in the United States since January 2025.

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Florida executed two inmates on July 28, the state’s first same-day executions since 1964, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.

James Duckett, 68, was executed by lethal injection at 1:19 p.m. ET for the 1987 killing of 11-year-old Teresa Mae McAbee in Mascotte, west of Orlando. About five hours later, Dominick Occhicone, 80, was executed at 6:13 p.m. ET for the 1986 killings of his ex-fiancee’s parents in Holiday, northwest of Tampa.

Occhicone became the oldest inmate ever executed in Florida and the second-oldest executed in the United States. The last time any state carried out two executions in one day was in Arkansas in 2017, the nonprofit said.
Finance & Markets

Oil sinks 5% as U.S.-Iran strikes remain paused

After falling about 16% over three days, Brent closed at its lowest since July 13, and WTI at its lowest since July 16.

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Oil prices fell about 5% on Tuesday to a two-week low as traders weighed several days without U.S.-Iran strikes against continued disruption to shipping in the Middle East.

Brent crude futures fell $4.27, or 4.8%, to settle at $84.09 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell $3.35, or 4.1%, to settle at $79.26.

Fighting between the United States and Iran had paused, but the dispute that led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz remained unresolved. Before the war, about one-fifth of global oil supplies transited the strait. Iran denied seeking to resume talks with the United States, contradicting statements from President Donald Trump, who said “good talks” were underway.
Health

USDA recalls 12,000 pounds of imported bacon

Consumers who have these products in their refrigerator or freezer should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase, health officials said.

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More than 12,000 pounds of imported smoked bacon were recalled, according to a July 24 alert from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The not-ready-to-eat bacon was produced by Maple Leaf Foods Inc. in Lisle, Illinois, and distributed to grocery distributors and retailers in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

The bacon was recalled because it was imported from Canada without undergoing a required U.S. import inspection, the USDA said. The issue was identified during routine inspection activities.

The USDA classified the action as a Class I recall, which the Food Safety and Inspection Service defines as a “health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

The agency said the designation reflected the potential risk tied to the inspection failure and did not indicate any confirmed illnesses linked to the bacon.

The recalled products were produced on June 9, June 10, June 12, June 13, and June 15, 2026. They include:

• A 12-ounce vacuum package of “Royale Natural Applewood Smoked ALL NATURAL Uncured Bacon Product of Canada” with sell-by dates of “SEP 01 2026” and “SEP 07 2026” printed on the side of the package.

• A 12-ounce vacuum package of “TOP VALU Uncured Hardwood Smoked Bacon PRODUCT OF CANADA” with sell-by dates of “SEP 01 2026,” “SEP 02 2026,” “SEP 04 2026,” “SEP 05 2026,” and “SEP 07 2026” printed on the side of the package.

The recalled products have the Canadian establishment number “EST. 1” printed on the side of the package and the health certificate “2026-S732971612” on master case boxes, the USDA said.

Consumers with food safety questions can email MPHotline@usda.gov.
US Politics

Senate confirms Jay Clayton as intelligence chief

Senators in both parties raised concerns about Pulte, a former housing regulator with no intelligence background.

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The Senate on Thursday confirmed Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence, giving the nation’s intelligence agencies a permanent leader weeks after President Donald Trump delayed his nomination.

Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, was confirmed 51-47 on a party-line vote.

Republicans had hoped to confirm Clayton in June, but Trump postponed his hearing to allow his temporary pick, Bill Pulte, to serve for several weeks after former director Tulsi Gabbard resigned.

Pulte was in charge when Trump spoke from the White House earlier this month about the 2020 election, which he lost, and released classified documents that he said supported his arguments.

Democrats also raised concerns about Clayton after a hearing two weeks ago in which he repeatedly declined to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Clayton said the election was “certified” for Biden.

Hours before the vote, Pulte released intelligence community documents from 2020 describing China’s capacity to interfere in U.S. politics and vulnerabilities in the election system. The material was largely already known, but the disclosure came as the Trump administration continued to scrutinize U.S. elections.

Pulte also said he oversaw staff cuts at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, writing on social media that the office was carrying out about a 30% reduction from weeks earlier. He did not provide details, and the scale of the cuts could not immediately be verified.

At his confirmation hearing, Clayton did not mention Pulte. He instead pointed to his own government and national security experience.

“I saw firsthand how a strong national security apparatus depends on decisive judgment, discipline, integrity, and effective communication and cooperation across different branches of the government,” Clayton said. “If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, I will commit to upholding these principles every day.”

Clayton also told senators that he had no involvement in Trump’s speech about the 2020 election.

Trump praised Clayton after the vote, writing on social media: “Jay is outstanding in every way, and will do a spectacular job as Director!”