LONDON — Men’s second seed Alexander Zverev has punched his ticket to the Wimbledon round of 16 for the fourth time in his career, and there’s growing confidence that the German star may be ready to make a real statement on grass courts this year.
Zverev, still riding high after capturing his first-ever Grand Slam title at the French Open, made quick work of Marcos Giron on Saturday, winning 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-4 on Court One.
The 29-year-old has never advanced beyond the fourth round at the All England Club and has openly acknowledged that grass is the weakest surface in his game — though he has spoken with growing confidence throughout this week’s competition.
After dropping a set in his opening-round match against Alexander Blockx, Zverev has cruised through his subsequent matches, clearly benefiting from the dry, firm court conditions that suit his powerful serve.
His path gets considerably more difficult in the next round, however, as he is set to face hard-hitting Czech 13th seed Jiri Lehecka.
LONDON — Saturday at Wimbledon turned into a day of stunning upsets as the women’s draw lost two of its biggest stars in back-to-back shockers.
Defending champion Iga Swiatek, the Polish third seed, was dominated by 29th-seeded Alexandra Eala of the Philippines, falling 7-6(9) 6-2 in a match that began with a grueling first set stretching nearly 90 minutes. Shortly after, second seed Elena Rybakina — the 2022 Wimbledon champion who added the Australian Open title to her resume earlier this year — was knocked out by Belgium’s Elise Mertens, 7-6(4) 6-1.
Eala made history in the process, becoming the first player from the Philippines ever to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam. A message written in Tagalog on her Nike cap sums up her attitude: “once it grows, it cannot be stopped.”
Speaking to an emotional Centre Court crowd, Eala reflected on her journey. “For someone who grew up in the Philippines … I went to training with my brother and my grandfather every day after school with my ruffled socks and my light-up shoes and chubby cheeks, so … to her, this is everything,” she said. She quickly added: “But because I’m emotional does not mean I’m satisfied, so yeah, okay, next round. Let’s go.”
The first set was a tense affair, with Eala saving a set point in the tiebreak after Swiatek netted a forehand — a moment that visibly frustrated the defending champion, who laughed sarcastically and shouted toward her team in the stands. Eala stayed composed and pulled away decisively in the second set.
A clearly dejected Swiatek later told reporters she is trying to shift her mindset. “Honestly, I don’t care anymore about the results. I’ve been so focused on them that it’s hard to continue like that,” she said. “So I’m really trying to let it go.”
Rybakina, who had a chance to reach world number one with a deep run in the tournament, also crumbled after a competitive opening set. “Definitely I need to analyse and change something, because it’s not working,” she said following the loss. Mertens, meanwhile, advanced to the last 16 for the fourth time in her career.
Eala’s next challenge will be 13th seed Jasmine Paolini, the 2024 Wimbledon runner-up, who rolled past Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-1 6-2.
The day carried added emotion for American tennis fans, as Saturday marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Serena Williams, one of the greatest athletes in U.S. history, announced via Instagram that she was withdrawing from her long-awaited doubles partnership with sister Venus due to injury. Williams had already exited the singles draw after a loss to Maya Joint following a four-year absence from the tournament. She described herself as “heartbroken to have to withdraw.”
There was some American success on the day, as qualifier Ashlyn Krueger cruised past Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-3 6-2. However, 23rd seed Emma Navarro was eliminated by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in three sets.
On the men’s side, there were no major surprises. Second seed Alexander Zverev, the newly crowned French Open champion, kept his strong run going with a 6-2 7-6(4) 6-4 win over American Marcos Giron. Italy’s Flavio Cobolli, the French Open runner-up, dropped the opening set 6-0 to Russia’s Karen Khachanov but battled back to win in five sets, 0-6 7-6(4) 6-7(5) 6-2 6-2.
Italy could make history in the men’s draw, with the possibility of placing four players in the round of 16 for the first time since the 1947 French Open. Defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner has already advanced, while Matteo Berrettini and Lorenzo Sonego were set to play later. Cobolli, the ninth seed, will next face Australian Alex de Minaur, who defeated American Zachary Svajda 6-2 5-7 6-2 6-4.
Jonas Vingegaard is off to a strong start in his pursuit of a third Tour de France championship, claiming the coveted yellow jersey after his Visma-Lease a Bike squad turned in the best performance during Saturday’s opening stage — a 19.6-kilometer team time trial held in Barcelona.
The Danish cyclist’s team crossed the finish line in 21 minutes and 47 seconds, edging out the competition from the start of this year’s race.
Italian rider Filippo Ganna, competing for Netcompany-Ineos, came in eight seconds behind Vingegaard’s squad to take second place. Defending champion Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG rounded out the top three, finishing 12 seconds back.
For Vingegaard, it marks the first time he has worn the yellow jersey since 2023, as he looks to add a third Tour title to his resume.
LONDON — Wimbledon’s fourth round is set for Sunday, featuring a highly anticipated women’s showdown between world number one Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka, along with a men’s clash between top seed Jannik Sinner and Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki.
WOMEN’S FEATURED MATCH: NAOMI OSAKA vs. ARYNA SABALENKA
Osaka, ranked 14th in the world, is hoping the fourth time will be the charm against Sabalenka. The Japanese star has fallen to the Belarusian in all three of their encounters so far in 2026 — at Indian Wells, Madrid, and the French Open.
Before this year, the two hadn’t faced each other in more than seven years. Their only prior meeting came back in 2018, when Osaka defeated Sabalenka on her way to winning her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open.
Osaka addressed the losing streak directly, telling reporters: “She’s the number one player in the world. If there is someone I had to lose to, I would pick that ranking position.”
She added: “If anything, I would say I learned from all of those matches, so hopefully I can apply (that).”
Osaka also pointed to the grass surface as a potential advantage for her heading into Sunday’s contest.
“My confidence is pretty high. For me, I know what my grass court tennis looks like. It gives me a pretty stable mindset going into the match no matter who I play,” she said following her victory over Daria Kasatkina.
“I also don’t really have as many doubts as I did on clay. Maybe it would be a little bit better for me on grass,” Osaka added.
Despite her recent dominance over Osaka, Sabalenka isn’t taking the match lightly.
“Always been a tricky match. She’s very aggressive player… every time she plays me, she’s more focused,” Sabalenka said. “Every time it’s a battle. Every time it’s high-level matches. Super excited to play her.”
MEN’S FEATURED MATCH: JANNIK SINNER vs. SHINTARO MOCHIZUKI
Mochizuki entered Wimbledon ranked 151st in the world and had been struggling with losses on the professional tour. But something clicked once he arrived at the All England Club, where he previously won the junior Wimbledon title back in 2019.
The 23-year-old has turned in the best Grand Slam performance of his career, reaching the round of 16. In the third round, he rallied from a set down to defeat 23rd seed Rafael Jodar, using aggressive net rushes and flat groundstrokes to unsettle the Spaniard.
World number one Sinner has taken notice of his upcoming opponent’s impressive run.
“He’s a very good player, especially on grass. His ball is very low, so it helps a lot. Seems like a very, very aggressive player,” Sinner said. “Very dangerous player. I try to be as prepared as I can.”
Mochizuki himself seems almost puzzled by his own success at this year’s tournament.
“It’s a strange feeling to play Jannik at Wimbledon, especially now this year. I was not winning much before coming here, and I don’t know how I have been winning matches here,” he said.
GAUFF CHANGES HER APPROACH ON SERVE
Coco Gauff has been well known for her struggles with her serve, but heading into her fourth-round match against Belinda Bencic, the American says she’s shifting her mindset — going for power rather than simply trying to land the ball in play.
“I feel like most of the time when my first serve does go in, I’m getting a weaker reply,” said Gauff, who has won her last three meetings with the Swiss player and is chasing her first-ever Wimbledon quarter-final appearance.
“I think it’s much easier to start the points off when you’re on the offensive than if you just get it in and you’re hoping the girl misses. At this level, it’s not going to happen, especially now in the second week,” she added.
SUNDAY ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court (Play begins at 12:30 p.m. GMT): Roman Safiullin (Russia) vs. 7-Novak Djokovic (Serbia); 1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) vs. 14-Naomi Osaka (Japan); 1-Jannik Sinner (Italy) vs. Shintaro Mochizuki (Japan).
Court Number One (Play begins at 12:00 p.m. GMT): 4-Jessica Pegula (U.S.) vs. 16-Iva Jovic (U.S.); 3-Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada) vs. 22-Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Spain); 11-Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) vs. 7-Coco Gauff (U.S.).
Court Number Two (Play begins at 10:00 a.m. GMT): Doubles matches to be announced; 10-Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic) vs. Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic); Hubert Hurkacz (Poland) vs. Jan-Lennard Struff (Germany).
SILVERSTONE, England — Formula One championship leader Kimi Antonelli had a day to remember at a blustery Silverstone circuit, first taking victory in the sprint race and then claiming pole position for Sunday’s British Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old Italian set a best lap time of one minute 28.111 seconds on his opening run in the final qualifying segment, proving too quick for the rest of the field. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc slotted into second on the grid, 0.175 seconds back, while seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton secured third.
Antonelli’s closest rival in the title race, Mercedes teammate George Russell, could only manage fourth place — a significant blow at his home circuit. The pole was Antonelli’s fifth of the season and continued Mercedes’ remarkable run of starting from the top spot at all nine grands prix held so far this year.
“It was a very tidy lap, a lap where I put everything together,” Antonelli said. “It was very tricky with the wind because it was very gusty and unpredictable.”
Earlier in the day, Antonelli won the sprint race ahead of Hamilton, pushing his championship advantage over Russell out to 43 points. The young Italian had reeled off five consecutive race wins before Hamilton snapped that streak in Spain last month.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, Antonelli acknowledged the challenge posed by the two Ferraris directly behind him on the grid. “It’s not going to be easy because I have two Ferraris behind me and, for sure, they will work together,” he said. “Their pace is good but ours was strong in the Sprint. Hopefully we can keep that for tomorrow and do a good race.”
Isack Hadjar qualified fifth for Red Bull, with McLaren’s reigning world champion and defending British GP winner Lando Norris in sixth. Four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull will start seventh, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri eighth, and the Racing Bulls duo of rookie Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson rounded out the top ten.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have landed reliever Evan Sisk on the 15-day injured list after he developed inflammation in his left elbow, the team announced Saturday.
The 29-year-old southpaw had been a steady presence in Pittsburgh’s bullpen, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.23 ERA across 32 appearances this season. His most recent outing came on Monday, and the injured list placement was backdated to Wednesday.
Sisk came to Pittsburgh via a trade with Kansas City at the 2025 trade deadline. Over his career spanning 51 games — all relief appearances — with both the Royals and the Pirates, he carries a combined 2-1 record and a 2.67 ERA.
To fill the vacancy on the roster, Pittsburgh recalled right-hander Hunter Stratton from Triple-A Indianapolis. Stratton had not yet taken the mound for the Pirates since rejoining the club in the June 18 trade that sent catcher Joey Bart to the Atlanta Braves.
The 29-year-old Stratton has put together a career line of 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA and two saves over 60 relief appearances with the Pirates (2023-25) and Braves (2025-26). His lone outing for Atlanta this season came on May 2, when he tossed a scoreless inning, surrendering just one hit in a 9-1 victory over Colorado.
Colorado Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano will not take the mound Saturday against the visiting San Francisco Giants after being scratched from his scheduled start because of back spasms.
Stepping in to fill the role will be rookie left-hander Sean Sullivan, who carries a 0-2 record and an 8.64 ERA into the Denver contest.
Sugano, who is 36 years old and holds an 8-4 record with a 4.80 ERA this season, had been pitching well throughout June. He went 4-0 across five starts that month, though his ERA during that stretch was 6.58. His teammates provided him with a combined 40 runs of offensive support across those four victories.
Sullivan, 23, most recently pitched Monday against the Miami Marlins, where he gave up five runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings and walked away with a no-decision. Saturday’s matchup will mark his first career appearance against San Francisco.
KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Argentina’s reign as World Cup champions continues, but not without a significant scare. The South American side needed extra time to defeat first-time World Cup participants Cape Verde 3-2 on Friday, escaping what could have been a stunning upset in Kansas City.
Cape Verde refused to be intimidated, coming from behind twice to level the score and expose defensive weaknesses in the Argentine lineup. The match was ultimately settled when defender Cristian Romero’s header was redirected into the net off Cape Verde’s Diney Borges, finally putting the contest to rest.
Coach Lionel Scaloni had cautioned before the match that Cape Verde posed a real threat, pointing to their group stage draws against Spain and Uruguay. Still, few expected the tournament newcomers to push Argentina this close to elimination.
The result throws a spotlight on Argentina heading into their round-of-16 showdown with Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday. The team had cruised through the group stage with wins over Algeria (3-0), Austria (2-0), and Jordan (3-1), but questions had already been swirling about the quality of opposition they had faced. Their defense had not been seriously tested until Friday night.
Former River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo, who represented Argentina at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, suggested the close call might be exactly what the team needed. “It was good that this happened. There will be a reaction, there has to be a reaction,” he said on ESPN Argentina.
Lionel Messi scored in the first half, extending his own World Cup record to 20 career goals, but the 39-year-old captain acknowledged the physical demands of the match took a toll. “They had the ball and made us run because we couldn’t press,” he said. “We couldn’t press them properly, the lines were too far apart.”
Scaloni acknowledged room for improvement while crediting his team’s ability to respond under pressure. “There is always room for improvement, but it is important that the team stepped up during difficult moments,” the manager said. “We can debate whether we played well or poorly, but this team doesn’t shy away from taking charge of the match.”
Two defenders who battled back from serious injuries provided key contributions and gave the victory an added emotional dimension. Lisandro Martinez, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in early 2025, scored Argentina’s second goal. Romero, who had missed earlier tournament games due to knee problems, helped set up the winning goal.
“Everything I went through was very hard, but thanks to my club and the national team today I’m very happy,” Martinez said. “I’m grateful to the doctors and coaching staff for allowing me to be here. I’m on cloud nine.”
Argentina will head to Miami on Saturday to resume training as they prepare to face Egypt in the knockout round.
If you were planning to watch the Independence Day Parade in Washington this year, you’ll need to make other plans. Organizers announced late Friday that the parade has been called off due to an extreme heat warning, with temperatures forecast to climb as high as 115 degrees.
While the parade won’t be taking place, those hoping to still mark the holiday with a show in the sky are in luck — the evening fireworks display is still scheduled to go ahead as planned.
PARIS (AP) — Swimming in the Seine River has become a new summertime tradition in Paris, as the city opened three supervised bathing locations for the second year running this past Saturday.
The three free swimming zones — situated near City Hall, the Eiffel Tower, and in the eastern part of the city — will stay open throughout the summer, weather and water quality permitting. Lifeguards are stationed at each site, and officials test the water every day to ensure it meets safety standards.
Those who took the plunge described the experience as something they won’t soon forget.
“It’s amazing to be swimming in the Seine while looking at the Eiffel Tower,” said Stewart Talbot, a tourist from Melbourne, Australia, who was spending a week in Paris. “Maybe it’s not as good as the sea in Australia, but it’s better than our rivers.”
Locals are also eager to check the activity off their bucket lists.
“It’s great because it’s such a mix of people,” said Hermine Jegou, 19. “I love that everyone can get into the water — grandmothers, children — it’s just really nice.”
Her sister, Joanne Jegou, 21, said she would gladly return. “It’s such a cool experience, especially being out in the sun and cooling off.”
The Seine served as a competition venue for swimming and triathlon events during the Paris 2024 Olympics. Those games helped speed up a massive, multibillion-euro river cleanup effort that included major sewer upgrades, new rainwater storage systems, and other pollution-reduction projects.
Despite the progress, last summer saw multiple swimming days scrapped after heavy rainfall pushed pollution levels higher upstream.
At the Grenelle site near the Eiffel Tower, staff were already preparing for large crowds expected to seek relief from upcoming hot temperatures.
“The maximum capacity here is 200 people,” said Clémence Donazzan, deputy manager of the Grenelle site. A queuing system will be in place at the entrance, and staff will track swimmer numbers in real time, she added, “so everyone will eventually have access, even if there’s a short wait.”
Swimming in the Seine had been off-limits for roughly a century before 2024 due to longstanding water quality concerns. A canal in northeastern Paris has offered public swimming during the summer months for several years.
A photograph circulating online shows a blindfolded Palestinian man from Gaza stripped down to his underwear, lying face down on a cot while in Israeli military custody. His hands are tied behind his back, his right foot is bound to the corner of the cot, and a wooden rod is fastened along the back of his body from his foot up to his neck. His face is largely hidden from view.
Israel has confirmed the image is authentic and stated that what it shows does not reflect the values of its military. However, authorities have not disclosed the identity of the man or where he is being held. An inquiry has been launched, and the military said those found responsible “will be dealt with in accordance with the findings.”
The photo — originally posted to Instagram by an account that has since been deleted — had the words “good morning” written in Hebrew across the image.
The uncertainty surrounding the man’s identity has intensified the suffering of two Palestinian mothers, Rana Abu Nassar and Joudeh Al-Ghoul, each of whom is certain the man in the photo is her own son.
Abu Nassar said she recognized the man immediately when she first saw the image two days ago. “I know the details of his body. He has swelling in his foot and scars on his leg — the same swelling on his left leg I saw in the picture,” she said. She believes the man is her son Osama, whom she has not seen or heard from since his arrest in March near Israel’s armistice line with Hamas militants.
Osama’s detention on March 19 drew international attention because his 1-year-old child was taken into custody alongside him. The baby was released the same day, and his family reported the child had cigarette burn marks on his legs. Israel’s military denied those allegations, saying the marks came from warning shots troops fired to stop Osama from approaching what is known as the “Yellow Line” — an area where Israeli forces regularly open fire on Palestinians approaching. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the details of his arrest.
Abu Nassar also noted that her son has mental health issues and said a “normal person would not take his son to that area.”
Al-Ghoul, the second mother, said her son Amin was detained in November 2023 while attempting to travel from southern Gaza to the northern part of the territory. She, too, said she knew the moment she saw the image that it was her child.
“It’s him — his hair and chin. He is my son. A mother’s heart can recognise her son. I hugged the mobile phone and started crying,” she said from a displaced persons camp in Gaza City. “He is my son, my soul, my life.”
Approximately 1,200 Palestinians from Gaza are currently held in Israel under the Internment of Unlawful Combatants Law, a measure that permits indefinite detention of individuals believed to have taken part directly or indirectly in hostile acts.
Amani Sarahneh of the Palestinian Prisoners Society said her organization has submitted both men’s names to the Israeli military since the photo emerged, in an effort to arrange legal visits. “Visits do take place, but with great difficulty. The coordination process takes a very long time,” Sarahneh said.
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a move Sunday morning, inking restricted free agent defenseman Emil Andrae to a two-year contract extension.
While the team did not release the financial details of the agreement, TSN reported the total value of the deal at $3.1 million.
Andrae came to Toronto as part of a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on June 16. In that deal, the Maple Leafs also received goaltender Samuel Ersson and a third-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft. In return, Philadelphia received defenseman Simon Benoit and goaltender Joseph Woll.
The 24-year-old Andrae wrapped up his three-year entry-level contract after putting up 13 points — two goals and 11 assists — across 61 games during the most recent season.
Originally selected by Philadelphia in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Andrae has accumulated 20 points in 107 career games since making his NHL debut with the Flyers in October 2023, tallying three goals and 17 assists over that stretch.
Iga Swiatek’s bid to defend her Wimbledon crown came to a stunning end Saturday when the Polish third seed was defeated by Filipino sensation Alexandra Eala in a gripping third-round contest at the All England Club in London. Eala claimed the victory 7-6(9) 6-2, sending shockwaves through the tournament.
Swiatek captured last year’s Wimbledon title, finally silencing doubters who had long questioned whether she could conquer the sport’s fastest playing surface. However, the 25-year-old arrived at this year’s tournament carrying some uncertainty, having suffered an early exit at the Bad Homburg warm-up event and still working to find her best form.
She had shown encouraging signs in her previous two matches, getting past Taylor Townsend and then handling Karolina Pliskova with confidence. But on a sun-drenched Centre Court afternoon, she ran into a red-hot Eala and could not find a way through.
The two players had crossed paths before. Eala stunned Swiatek in Miami last year, only for the Pole to return the favor on the clay courts of Madrid. Saturday’s rematch, however, belonged to the left-handed Eala, whose aggressive baseline hitting put Swiatek on the back foot from the very start.
The opening set was a fiercely competitive affair, with neither player willing to give an inch. When Eala eventually claimed it in a tiebreak, Swiatek’s frustration boiled over — she was seen shouting toward her team in the stands before slamming her racket against a chair. Meanwhile, Eala soaked in the crowd’s enthusiastic applause.
Eala kept the momentum rolling into the second set, breaking Swiatek’s serve twice in quick succession to race out to a 3-0 lead. Swiatek managed to claw back one of those breaks, but Eala held firm, ultimately sealing the match with a forehand winner that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
With the victory, Eala advances to the fourth round where she will face 2024 Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini in what promises to be another exciting matchup.
Armenia’s constitutional court has turned down a bid by the country’s pro-Russian opposition to nullify the results of a June parliamentary election, according to the state news agency Armenpress.
The court’s ruling on Saturday upheld the election outcome, dismissing a challenge brought by the Strong Armenia opposition bloc. That bloc captured 23.3% of the vote and had alleged that the election was marred by irregularities.
The governing Civil Contract party, led by pro-Western Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, claimed nearly 50% of the vote, securing its continued hold on power.
Prior to the election, opposition groups raised concerns about a wave of arrests that they said targeted their parliamentary candidates and supporters.
A team of international election observers acknowledged the allegations of vote-buying and other potential violations, but noted that voting proceeded without major incident at the vast majority of polling locations.
Serena Williams will not be taking the court at Wimbledon for doubles play after a knee injury forced her to step away from the tournament, ending what was meant to be a memorable reunion with sister Venus on the grass courts of the All England Club.
In a heartfelt post shared on Instagram, the 44-year-old expressed her disappointment. “I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside @venuswilliams once more meant the world to me,” she wrote. “I did everything I could but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete.”
The withdrawal comes just days after Serena’s highly anticipated return to Grand Slam tennis — her first in four years — came to a disappointing end. She fell to Australian up-and-comer Maya Joint on Tuesday by a score of 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 in the first round of singles play.
Following that loss, Serena revealed she had “tweaked” her right knee toward the end of the opening set but had hoped to push through and compete in doubles.
The Williams sisters had received a wildcard entry into the doubles draw and were scheduled to face Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio in their opening match. The pair have a storied history at Wimbledon, having claimed six doubles titles together at the prestigious tournament.
Serena also took a moment to thank tournament director Jamie Baker and the rest of the staff. “I’m especially grateful to tournament director, Jamie Baker, and the entire tournament team for giving me every opportunity to recover,” she said.
She closed her message with a tease for her supporters: “Thank you to the fans for your incredible support and for making this comeback so meaningful…All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you…”
This is not the first time injury has disrupted Serena’s recent comeback efforts. Last month, she teamed up with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko at a WTA event at Queen’s Club, but that partnership was cut short when Mboko suffered a knee injury of her own during singles play. Serena then joined forces with Czech player Karolina Muchova at the Berlin Open, though the two were eliminated in their very first match.
Shohei Ohtani, the two-way sensation for the Los Angeles Dodgers, will not take the field Saturday night when his team faces the San Diego Padres. The reason: tightness in his right biceps.
The Dodgers, who hold the best record in Major League Baseball and a commanding 14-game lead in the National League West, are in a position to allow their designated hitter and pitcher some time to rest and heal.
Ohtani exited Friday’s 4-3 Los Angeles victory in the seventh inning after noticing the biceps tighten up following a swing he took in the previous inning.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Ohtani noted that he had dealt with a similar problem earlier this season and recovered from it “relatively quickly.”
Manager Dave Roberts echoed that optimism, saying, “He’s dealt with it before. He’s a quick healer and finds a way to get back. But I do think that for us to read and react and hear what his body is telling him is really important, given the toll it takes on his body to be a two-way player.”
Friday’s appearance against the Padres had Ohtani on the mound as the starting pitcher, working on nine days of rest. He threw a season-high 110 pitches, surrendering three runs on seven hits and two walks across six innings while striking out nine batters. At the plate, he went 0-for-3.
On the season, Ohtani is hitting .288 with 18 home runs and 50 RBIs. On the pitching side, he carries an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA, having tossed 85 and two-thirds innings over 14 starts.
LONDON — Ashlyn Krueger found the perfect way to ring in the Fourth of July, rolling through Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday to advance to the third round at Wimbledon — all on America’s 250th birthday.
Krueger, who entered the tournament as a qualifier and sits at No. 102 in the world rankings, was among eight American singles players competing in southwest London while their fellow Americans back home enjoyed holiday festivities and fireworks.
Not every American had reason to celebrate, though. The 23rd-seeded Emma Navarro struggled against her Ukrainian opponent, falling 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 to 12th seed Marta Kostyuk.
On the men’s side, 23-year-old Zachary Svajda made his Wimbledon debut and gave fifth-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur a scare, capturing a set before ultimately bowing out 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Fans at the All England Club were also eagerly awaiting a much-anticipated doubles appearance by Venus and Serena Williams, who were scheduled to take the court Saturday against Colombia’s Camila Osorio and Argentina’s Solana Sierra.
The iconic sisters, now 46 and 44 years old, last played doubles together at the 2022 U.S. Open. Between them, they captured six Wimbledon doubles titles from 2000 to 2016, part of a combined haul of 22 doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals.
The economy and inflation have dominated the conversation over the past week, touching nearly every corner of American life. From trips to the grocery store to filling up at the gas pump, rising costs continue to weigh on families and shape decisions being made by both households and businesses alike.
Here is a look at the most significant economic data released over the past week and what it could mean for your wallet.
Americans are feeling marginally more optimistic about the economy this month, largely driven by a dip in gas prices — but the overall mood is still quite downbeat compared to historical norms.
The Conference Board announced Tuesday that its consumer confidence index ticked up 0.6 point to 91.2 in June. That number still trails the year-ago reading of 95.2. Consumer attitudes took a hit after the Iran war triggered a spike in oil and gas prices, accelerating inflation and shrinking Americans’ inflation-adjusted incomes. Before the pandemic, the same index routinely climbed above 120.
The data indicates that consumer confidence is bouncing back only gradually from the blow dealt by the Iran war.
American employers significantly slowed their hiring pace last month, adding just 57,000 jobs — fewer than half the number added the month before — signaling that many companies remain cautious about the economic road ahead.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that the unemployment rate edged down to 4.2% from 4.3% in May. However, much of that decline happened because a large number of out-of-work Americans stopped searching for jobs and were therefore no longer counted as unemployed.
The numbers paint a picture of businesses still wary of the economy’s direction, with inflation sitting at a three-year high and consumer confidence hovering near post-pandemic lows. Job gains that had initially been reported for April and May were also revised downward.
On a brighter note, the number of Americans filing new unemployment claims declined slightly last week, with layoffs still at historically manageable levels.
For the week ending June 27, new unemployment benefit applications dropped by 1,000 to 215,000, according to the Labor Department’s Thursday report. That came in below the 225,000 new filings that analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet had predicted.
Weekly unemployment filings are closely watched as a near real-time measure of layoff activity and overall job market health.
The four-week moving average of jobless claims, which smooths out week-to-week swings, fell by 2,500 to 222,000.
Prospective homebuyers got a bit of relief this week as the average long-term mortgage rate dropped to its lowest point since mid-May.
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage rate slipped to 6.43% from 6.49% the previous week. That same rate stood at 6.67% one year ago.
Since the conflict between the U.S. and Iran erupted in late February, mortgage rates have largely hovered around 6.5%. The war disrupted the flow of crude oil out of the Persian Gulf, pushing oil prices sharply higher and helping fuel inflation, bond yields, and borrowing costs for homebuyers.
Despite the economic headwinds, U.S. job openings held at a surprisingly resilient 7.6 million in May, topping forecasts that had called for just 7 million openings.
Still, the job market’s strength has its limits. Layoffs increased in May, and the number of workers voluntarily leaving their jobs — often seen as a sign of confidence in finding something better — rose only slightly, according to data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Employers are posting openings but not doing much actual hiring. Total gross hiring fell to 5.17 million in May from 5.26 million in April. During the post-pandemic hiring boom that ran from mid-2021 to mid-2023, gross monthly hiring routinely exceeded 6 million.
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt has announced two major archaeological discoveries, including the uncovering of a remarkably well-preserved residential city from the Byzantine era buried in the country’s western desert.
The Egyptian government revealed the findings at two separate sites — the Dakhla Oasis and the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site near Alexandria — hoping the discoveries will give a boost to the nation’s critical tourism industry, which depends significantly on visitors drawn to ancient sites.
Tourism, along with the Suez Canal, is one of Egypt’s primary sources of foreign currency, making such discoveries economically significant for the financially strained country.
According to the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry, the Dakhla Oasis discovery sheds light on everyday life, city planning, and commerce during the fourth century, when Egypt was under Byzantine rule.
Hisham el-Leithy, secretary general of the supreme council of antiquities, described the excavated city layout as featuring north-south main roads crossed by east-west streets, creating open plazas and communal spaces throughout the settlement.
Mahmoud Massoud, who leads the archaeological mission, said a basilica church dating to the middle of the fourth century sits at the top of the settlement, looking out over the main roads below. The remains of two watchtowers, built to protect the edges of the city, were also found.
The Dakhla Oasis is located in Egypt’s western province of New Valley and is currently on UNESCO’s Tentative List, placing it one step away from being designated a World Heritage Site.
Massoud also noted the discovery of a heavily fortified structure with thick walls, as well as numerous homes featuring reception areas and arched ceilings.
Among the most notable residential finds was the house of Tisous, identified as a church deacon. The structure dates to the second half of the fourth century and is believed by archaeologists to have functioned as a house of worship before the city’s main basilica was built.
Excavators also uncovered bread ovens, cooking areas, and stone tools used for grinding food. Well-preserved bronze coins were found bearing images of Byzantine emperors, Latin text, and Christian symbols. A collection of gold coins from the reign of Roman Emperor Constantius II — who ruled from 337 to 361 — was also recovered, according to the ministry.
Diaa Zahran, head of the Islamic, Coptic and Jewish Antiquities department, said archaeologists discovered roughly 200 pottery fragments that were once used as writing surfaces. These fragments, known as ostraca, contain inscriptions recording business dealings, personal correspondence, and glimpses of daily life.
In a separate announcement, archaeologists reported uncovering 18 ancient tombs at the Marina el-Alamein site, located approximately 100 kilometers — or about 62 miles — west of the Mediterranean city of Alexandria.
The newly found tombs include 11 carved directly into rock at an average depth of 8 meters, and seven others constructed above ground using limestone. With these additions, the total number of tombs discovered at the site now stands at 48, the ministry said.
Items found within the tombs included pottery vessels, amphorae, oil lamps, plates, altars, and limestone basins.
Mission chief Eman Abdel-Khaliq reported finding a granite sarcophagus measuring 2.5 meters in length containing skeletal remains that are currently being analyzed. Near the sarcophagus, researchers also found the remnants of a plaster sphinx statue.
Abdel-Khaliq added that four gold pieces were discovered placed inside the mouths of some of the deceased — a practice known as “the golden tongue,” which was tied to the funerary traditions of that period.
Marina el-Alamein, situated near the city of Alamein along Egypt’s Northern Coast, was first uncovered in 1986. Researchers believe it was once the ancient Greco-Roman port city of Leukaspis, a Mediterranean settlement built in the second century that flourished through the fourth century.
Egypt’s tourism sector has been on a steady path to recovery following years of political instability and unrest after the 2011 uprising, as well as the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Official figures show that a record 19 million tourists visited Egypt last year, marking a 21% jump compared to 2024. The first four months of 2026 welcomed 6.1 million visitors, up from 5.7 million during the same stretch in 2025.
Dover police are investigating a shooting that left a 33-year-old man seriously wounded on Friday night at a local hair salon.
Officers were called to J Stylz Unisex Salon, located at 1101 S. DuPont Highway, around 8:17 p.m. on July 3rd, 2026 after reports of a shooting. When they arrived, they found the victim had been struck by gunfire multiple times in his lower legs and once in the abdomen.
Emergency medical crews transported the man to a nearby hospital, where he remains in serious but stable condition.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone who has information about this incident is encouraged to reach out to the Dover Police Department at (302) 736-7145. Those who wish to remain anonymous can submit tips through Delaware Crime Stoppers by calling 800-TIP-3333 or by visiting www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com online. A cash reward may be offered for any information that leads to an arrest.
LONDON — A stunning upset unfolded at Wimbledon on Saturday when 25th-seeded Belgian Elise Mertens knocked out second seed Elena Rybakina, handing the Kazakh star a 7-6(4) 6-1 defeat in the third round of the prestigious grass-court tournament.
The loss crushed Rybakina’s dual ambitions of capturing a second Grand Slam title this year and climbing to the top spot in the WTA world rankings. To have any shot at overtaking Aryna Sabalenka at number one, Rybakina needed to advance at least to the quarterfinals.
Rybakina, who had won this year’s Australian Open to go along with her 2022 Wimbledon championship, never found her footing after dropping the opening set in a tiebreak. Mertens, the savvy 30-year-old, used a wide range of shot-making to keep her opponent off balance throughout the match — a contrast to what was described as a flat showing from Rybakina on Court One.
Mertens, who currently holds a Wimbledon doubles title, was dominant during one stretch of the second set, reeling off nine consecutive points. Though she showed some nerves while serving out the match, she closed things out emphatically with an ace. It marked just her second victory over Rybakina in nine career meetings between the two.
With Czech player Marie Bouzkova standing between her and the quarterfinals, Mertens has a real opportunity to post the deepest Wimbledon singles run of her career.
Southbound travelers on Coastal Highway should expect some extra time behind the wheel as congestion is causing delays between the DE 1A Rehoboth Beach interchange and Collins Avenue.
According to traffic reports, the backup is resulting in approximately 5 to 10 minutes of additional travel time through that corridor.
Drivers in the area are encouraged to allow extra time or look for alternate routes to avoid the slowdown.
Motorists traveling eastbound on Route 54 should expect some added time behind the wheel as congestion is causing delays between Mallard Lakes and Coastal Highway.
According to traffic officials, the backup is resulting in wait times of roughly 5 to 10 minutes along that corridor.
Drivers are encouraged to plan accordingly and allow extra travel time until the congestion clears.
Travelers on Route 26 westbound should expect some added time behind the wheel as congestion is causing noticeable slowdowns in the area.
According to traffic reports, the delay is affecting the stretch of roadway running from Coastal Highway to Central Avenue, with backups adding roughly five to ten minutes to travel times.
Drivers in the area may want to allow extra time or look for alternate routes to avoid the congestion.
Southbound Limestone Road, also known as Delaware Route 7, is closed at Village Drive as crews respond to a fire in the area.
Motorists traveling southbound on DE 7 should avoid the area and plan for alternate routes until the road is reopened. No estimated time for reopening has been provided.
Drivers are urged to use caution near the scene and follow any detour signs posted by traffic authorities. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
Medical experts are raising serious concerns about a troubling rise in child drowning deaths across the United States, warning that every second counts when a child ends up in the water.
“When drowning occurs, seconds matter,” said Dr. Rohit Shenoi, the lead author of a recent American Academy of Pediatrics alert. “Quick rescue and resuscitation can mean the difference between life, death and lifelong disability.”
Each year, between 4,000 and 5,000 Americans drown. The majority are adults who lose their lives in natural bodies of water like lakes, ponds, or the ocean. But for children, the risk is disproportionately severe — drowning is the number one cause of death among kids ages 1 to 4, and ranks among the top killers of children ages 5 to 14. The drowning rate is higher for white children in the younger age group, while Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native children face significantly higher rates in the older group.
Very young children sometimes drown in bathtubs, but swimming pools are the most common setting for these tragedies.
One grocery chain has made drowning prevention part of its identity. Inside several locations of the Stew Leonard’s grocery stores — known for a lively, theme-park-like atmosphere complete with animatronic characters like a dancing banana and singing avocados — shoppers will find an unexpected figure: a life-jacketed duck named Stewie who sings about water safety.
The duck honors the memory of the son of the chain’s chief executive. The boy was just 21 months old when he drowned during a family vacation on the island of St. Martin in 1989.
More than a dozen family members and friends had gathered for a birthday party celebrating Stewie’s older sister, who was turning 3. His father was outside hanging balloons while his mother was inside baking a cake.
“I saw Stewie outside and I assumed that he was watching him,” said his mother, Kim, explaining that other relatives were also nearby at the pool.
“We never communicated with each other; ‘You’ve got him?’” said Kim Leonard, now 65. “When everyone’s watching, nobody’s watching.”
“There were a couple of balloons floating in the water,” recalled Stew Leonard, now 71. “And you know after a few minutes, sort of everybody was like, ‘Where’s Stewie?’ Unfortunately I was the one who found him. He was face down in the pool.”
The couple responded to their son’s death by creating a foundation dedicated to funding children’s swimming lessons and raising awareness about drowning prevention.
For decades, the numbers were moving in the right direction. Unintentional child drowning deaths dropped from roughly 2,000 per year in the 1980s to fewer than 1,000 annually by the early 2000s, driven by public awareness efforts, greater access to swimming lessons, and new pool fencing laws. Between 2000 and 2019, health officials recorded a 38% decline.
Then the trend reversed. Child drowning deaths rose from 756 in 2019 to 865 in 2024 — the most recent year with complete data available. The majority of those deaths involved children under the age of 5. The child drowning death rate also ticked upward, from 1.1 to 1.2 per 100,000 children.
Experts point to several causes for the reversal. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted swimming lessons and lifeguard training programs, contributing to a national shortage of lifeguards. At the same time, some data indicates an increase in swimming pool construction and a rise in unsupervised swimming, according to Tessa Clemens, the CDC Foundation’s senior director for drowning prevention initiatives.
Kym Roberts, who studies drowning trends in Australia — where child drowning deaths have remained level or declined in recent years — noted that “drowning in young children is often associated with falls into water and lapses in direct supervision.”
There may be some encouraging news on the horizon: early data suggests child drowning deaths dropped last year. However, Clemens cautioned that it remains unclear whether this signals a lasting trend, and the numbers are still higher than they were before the pandemic.
New technology has also entered the picture, with immersion alarms now available that sound an alert when a child’s wristband goes underwater. Manufacturers stress, however, that these devices are meant to serve as a backup warning system — not a primary safety measure.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laid off Clemens and the rest of its drowning prevention team last year. Despite that setback, organizations including the CDC Foundation and the American Academy of Pediatrics continue to issue guidance and support prevention efforts.
A CDC Foundation program has provided basic swimming and water safety training to more than 35,000 students since 2024. The initiative operates in 11 states with elevated drowning rates: Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas.
The American Academy of Pediatrics points to research showing that policies save lives — including lifeguard standards, life jacket regulations, and requirements that pools be fully enclosed by fences with self-closing, self-latching gates.
Stew Leonard stresses two priorities above all: swimming lessons for young children, and complete, undivided attention from caregivers whenever kids are near water.
“I mean, I love ballet. I love karate. I love tennis lessons. You know, all the activities that kids can do,” he said. “But the only thing you can do to save their life is put them in swimming lessons.”
His foundation has funded more than 250,000 swimming lessons for children and opened two swimming schools, including one directly across the street from the company’s headquarters in Norwalk, Connecticut.
He also had a pointed message for caregivers: “Shut your cellphones off when you’re around the pool, watching the kids. Don’t sit there reading a book. Don’t sit there talking to your friends, neglecting your child that’s near the water.”
A powerful and historic heat wave sweeping across the United States is putting a damper on Fourth of July celebrations, pushing event organizers in communities nationwide to cancel parades and postpone other Independence Day activities.
The dangerous temperatures are making it difficult — and in some cases impossible — to safely hold outdoor events that millions of Americans look forward to each year. As a result, organizers have been left with little choice but to alter or completely call off their planned festivities.
Kimi Antonelli delivered a dominant performance at Silverstone on Saturday, taking the British Grand Prix sprint race victory for Mercedes while denying Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton a win in front of his home crowd.
Hamilton had secured pole position heading into the 17-lap sprint but found himself overtaken on lap eight, ultimately crossing the finish line 2.7 seconds behind Antonelli in second place. McLaren’s Lando Norris came in third.
Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate George Russell, who sits as his closest rival in the championship race, finished fourth on a windy day at Silverstone.
The sprint victory earns a maximum of eight points, pushing the 19-year-old Italian to 179 total points in the Formula One standings. Russell sits 43 points back with 136, while seven-time world champion Hamilton holds 132 points.
KYIV — Russia has been deliberately targeting Ukraine’s railway system, destroying or damaging more than 200 locomotives since the start of 2026, according to Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration Oleksiy Kuleba.
Kuleba reported that Russian forces have struck Ukrainian railway infrastructure more than 1,000 times so far this year. Among the most recent incidents, two locomotives were damaged during a Friday evening attack in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region.
The deputy prime minister noted that the scale of repair work needed is growing steadily and is demanding substantial financial resources to keep up with the ongoing destruction.
The attacks are particularly significant given the critical role Ukraine’s rail network plays in its economy. The state-owned railways operator Ukrzaliznytsia is responsible for handling more than 90% of all Ukrainian export shipments, making it a vital lifeline for the country’s trade and supply chains.
Atlanta is home to one of the largest Venezuelan communities in the entire United States, and those residents are now stepping up to help earthquake victims in need.
Members of that community have been gathering aid and supplies in response to the destruction caused by recent devastating earthquakes, organizing efforts to get relief to those who have been impacted.
The United States rang in its 250th birthday on Friday, and President Trump was on hand at Mount Rushmore to mark the milestone with a speech before making his way back to Washington, D.C.
After his appearance at the iconic South Dakota landmark, the President returned to the nation’s capital to take part in additional Independence Day celebrations there.
Summer is here, and that means millions of families are making their way to the beach. But if you’ve ever watched your carefully built sandcastle crumble before you could finish it, you’re not alone — and a professional sand sculptor has some advice that might help.
Dean Arscott, a professional sand sculptor, recently spoke with NPR’s Scott Simon to offer guidance on how everyday beachgoers can construct a truly impressive sandcastle. From technique to materials, Arscott brings years of hands-on experience to the conversation.
Whether you’re packing up the buckets and shovels for a family outing this holiday weekend or just looking to up your beach-building skills, Arscott’s tips are aimed at helping anyone create something worth showing off before the tide rolls in.
One year has passed since devastating floods tore through parts of the Texas Hill Country, and two neighboring communities are now telling very different stories about what recovery looks like.
Though the disaster struck the same general region, the two communities have each chosen a separate course in their efforts to rebuild and move forward from the destruction left behind.
The contrast between the two towns offers a striking look at how communities can respond in fundamentally different ways when faced with the same catastrophic event.
Tucked within the city of New Orleans lies a place that historians consider one of the true birthplaces of American music — Congo Square.
It was at this landmark location that enslaved people were able to come together and express themselves through song, dance, and drumming, holding onto the cultural traditions that connected them to their roots.
The gatherings that took place at Congo Square were far more than simple recreation. They represented an act of cultural preservation under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, and the sounds that emerged from that space would go on to influence not just American music, but musical traditions heard across the globe.
LONDON — Saturday brought another full day of action at Wimbledon, with play beginning under clear skies and temperatures hovering around 23 degrees Celsius at the All England Club.
Matches got underway at 10:07 a.m. GMT, with players competing across multiple courts throughout the day.
On Centre Court, where play began at 12:30 p.m. GMT, 29th-seeded Alexandra Eala of the Philippines faced third-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland in a highly anticipated matchup. Also on Centre Court, sixth-seeded Amanda Anisimova of the United States squared off against 26th-seeded Madison Keys, also of the U.S. Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria rounded out the Centre Court schedule against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.
Court Number One opened at noon GMT with 25th-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium taking on second-seeded Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan. American Marcos Giron then faced second-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany, followed by a matchup between 17th-seeded Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. and 10th-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.
Court Number Two kicked off the day’s schedule at 10:00 a.m. GMT, featuring 23rd-seeded Emma Navarro of the U.S. against 12th-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine. That was followed by 19th-seeded Karen Khachanov of Russia taking on ninth-seeded Flavio Cobolli of Italy, and sixth-seeded Taylor Fritz of the U.S. meeting Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.
A grain market report for June 2026 has been published, providing agricultural producers with an overview of market conditions and price trends during the month.
The report, which covers key grain commodities, is intended to help farmers and others in the agricultural industry better understand the current marketing environment and make informed decisions about their crops.
No additional details from the report were available in the source material provided.
Farmers and growers are being advised to keep a close watch on their fields for signs of fall armyworm, a damaging insect pest that can devastate crops if left unchecked.
Agricultural experts are raising the alarm about the potential for fall armyworm activity, urging producers to regularly inspect their crops for early signs of infestation. Catching the pest early is considered critical to limiting crop losses.
Fall armyworm is known for its ability to spread rapidly and cause significant damage to a wide range of crops. Growers who spot signs of the pest are encouraged to take action promptly and consult with their local agricultural extension office for guidance on management options.
When it comes to growing soybeans, timing matters — but not equally for every type of crop. New agronomic research indicates that the date a farmer puts seeds in the ground has a much more noticeable effect on double crop soybeans than it does on full season soybeans.
Double crop soybeans are typically planted after a winter grain, such as wheat, is harvested. Because the growing season is already shortened by the time those seeds go in, any delay in planting can have a significant impact on how much the crop ultimately produces.
Full season soybeans, by contrast, appear to be less dramatically affected by shifts in planting date, according to the research. While timing still plays a role, the yield differences seen in full season varieties are not as pronounced as those observed in double crop production.
The findings serve as a practical reminder for growers to prioritize getting double crop soybeans in the ground as quickly as possible after the preceding crop is harvested. Every day of delay during that critical window can translate into measurable losses at harvest time.
Agronomists say understanding these differences can help farmers make better decisions about how they manage their fields and plan their growing seasons, particularly in years when wheat harvest runs later than expected.
As the United States kicks off celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Trump administration is officially launching one of its signature financial initiatives — Trump Accounts — on Saturday, July 4th.
The program, which has been months in the making, is designed to encourage investing and financial education starting at birth. U.S. citizens born between 2025 and 2028 will automatically receive a government-funded investment account seeded with $1,000, giving families a starting point to build long-term savings.
Andy Blocker, head of policy, regulatory and government relations at financial services firm Edward Jones, called the initial contribution a meaningful step. “The $1,000 federal contribution at birth helps remove the barrier of having nothing to start with, which has historically been one of the biggest obstacles to saving,” he said. “If by year-end more families have a clear onramp to begin saving and investing for their children’s financial futures, that’s success.”
A number of major U.S. corporations have thrown their support behind the program, pledging employer matches or additional seed funding. Among the participating companies are payment giant Visa, technology firm Dell, and media and telecom company Comcast. Earlier this week, chipmaker Micron announced a $250 million commitment to support the accounts.
The program’s debut comes as the rising cost of living continues to weigh heavily on American families ahead of the November midterm elections. Across the political spectrum, policymakers have been pushing proposals aimed at helping households build wealth and strengthen their financial futures.
According to provisional data from the U.S. CDC, approximately 3.6 million children were born in the United States in 2025. While the $1,000 government contribution is reserved for U.S. citizens born during the current administration, parents can open a Trump Account for any child under 18 who has a valid Social Security number.
The Treasury Department is overseeing the program. Brokerage firm Robinhood and custodian bank BNY are serving as administrators. Treasury officials have urged families to stay alert to potential scams and fraudsters, and have published guidance on warning signs to watch for.
The accounts cost nothing to open. Parents, relatives, employers, and charitable organizations can contribute up to $5,000 per year on a pre-tax basis. All contributions are automatically placed into a low-cost index fund built for long-term growth. When account holders turn 18, they gain full control and can either withdraw the money or keep investing — though gains will be taxed at the time of withdrawal.
According to estimates on the Trump Accounts website, a child who receives the maximum $5,000 in annual contributions could accumulate roughly $271,000 by age 18, based on the historical average returns of the S&P 500. If those contributions continue, the account could potentially grow to around $13 million by age 55 — though actual results will vary based on market conditions.
At launch, all contributions will be directed into the State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF, a low-cost fund that tracks the U.S. stock market benchmark. The program’s broader investment lineup also includes ETFs from BlackRock and Vanguard, both of which offer wide exposure to U.S. equities.
Steve Quirk, chief brokerage officer at Robinhood, described the program’s underlying goal this way: “The thesis behind Trump Accounts is to have more people participate in the greatest wealth creation vehicle on the planet, which is the U.S. market.”
Not everyone is convinced the program will deliver on its promises. While supporters view Trump Accounts as a powerful tool for early investing, some policy experts are skeptical about whether it will meaningfully close wealth gaps. They argue that real-world results will depend heavily on families’ ability to make consistent contributions over many years, as well as sustained market performance over decades.
Adam Michel, director of tax policy studies at the Washington-based Cato Institute, was blunt in his assessment. “Government handouts have a long track record of failing to lift people out of poverty, and there’s little reason to think this one will be different,” he said. Michel also noted that employer matching contributions are likely to be concentrated among larger companies, adding, “The real benefit lands on families who already have steady jobs and the capacity to save.”
BAMAKO, Mali — Mali’s military announced Saturday that a number of towns in the country’s north had come under attack from rebel forces, with Gao and Sévaré among the locations targeted.
The announcement coincided with a declaration from a separatist organization of a fresh offensive aimed at seizing a northern town. Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), posted on Facebook that separatist fighters were moving against the town of Anefis.
As of Saturday, no reports of casualties had emerged from the attacks.
Mali has long struggled with armed insurgencies, including from groups tied to al-Qaida and the Islamic State, as well as a long-running separatist movement in the north. The separatists have spent years fighting to carve out an independent state in that region.
The conflict extends beyond Mali’s borders — neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso are also engaged in ongoing battles against al-Qaida and Islamic State-linked factions.
After military coups toppled governments in all three countries, the new ruling juntas abandoned their Western partnerships and turned to Russia for assistance in fighting Islamic militants. Despite that shift, the security situation has continued to deteriorate, with militant attacks reaching record levels. Government forces in the region have also faced accusations of killing civilians believed to be working with militant groups.
The violence has been escalating in recent months. In late April, the FLA joined forces with JNIM, the regional al-Qaida affiliate, in a coordinated assault that killed the defense minister in his home and allowed the attackers to seize control of several key towns in northern Mali.
Ukrainian drones struck an oil terminal in Russia’s city of St. Petersburg on Saturday, according to Russian officials, as Ukraine continues its sustained campaign against Russia’s energy infrastructure.
Near-daily long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities have triggered a fuel crisis and increased political pressure on the Kremlin, as the full-scale invasion of Ukraine now enters its fifth year.
Gov. Alexander Beglov confirmed that the city’s Kirovsky district, located along the Baltic Sea, was struck. He also reported that air defense systems managed to intercept 72 Ukrainian drones over Russia’s second-largest city and the surrounding area.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized the assault as part of what he called Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions” against Russia, adding that Ukrainian forces also targeted a military site on Kronstadt island, just off the St. Petersburg coastline.
“The Ukrainian defense forces hit the port oil infrastructure, which earns money for the Russian war, and there were also hits on Kronstadt — an important military target,” Zelenskyy wrote in a Telegram post.
This is not the first time the Kirovsky district has been targeted — it was previously struck in June, just before Russia’s prominent St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, has also been hit hard by Ukrainian strikes, prompting local officials to halt gasoline sales to civilians. A separate Ukrainian attack on Saturday in Crimea left one person dead and two others injured, including a 10-year-old child, according to the Moscow-appointed Gov. Sergei Aksyonov.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has downplayed the strikes on Russia’s energy facilities, calling them “not critical,” and has insisted the war will press forward until his objectives are achieved.
Putin has framed Ukraine’s attacks on Russian energy as an attempt to divert attention from battlefield setbacks, though analysts note that Russian forces have seen their advances slow considerably in recent months.
On Friday, Putin visited the Russian military command center overseeing the war in Ukraine, where he received a briefing on the fall of the city of Kostyantynivka following weeks of intense urban combat. He called the capture a critical step toward seizing the nearby cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk — the last major strongholds in the heavily fortified “forest belt” of cities in the Donetsk region still held by Ukraine.
Dressed in military fatigues, Putin stated in televised remarks that taking Kostyantynivka, a significant transportation and industrial hub, carries “major strategic importance.”
Ukrainian officials are pushing back on that claim. General Staff spokesperson Maj. Andriy Kovalev, speaking to the Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda, called Moscow’s assertions “outright disinformation” and said Russian forces had not succeeded in seizing the city.
Despite the fuel crisis, Putin appears confident his government can prevent it from undermining public support for the war he launched more than four years ago. At minimum, the ongoing strikes have made the conflict increasingly real for millions of Russians, chipping away at Putin’s portrayal of the war as something that doesn’t touch everyday life inside Russia.
The border city of Belgorod, which has also been a repeated target of Ukrainian drone strikes, was left nearly without electricity on Saturday following overnight attacks, according to local media reports.
Separately, eight people were wounded — including two children — when a Russian strike hit residential buildings in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, local officials confirmed Saturday.
BEIJING (AP) — China’s military has elevated two officers to the rank of general, a move that analysts believe may signal an upcoming reshuffling at the highest levels of military command following a sweeping anti-corruption campaign.
The ongoing crackdown is widely viewed as part of an effort to strengthen the military’s allegiance to China’s ruling Communist Party and its leader, Xi Jinping, who also serves as the head of the military.
At a ceremony held Friday, Xi personally presented promotion orders to Zhang Shuguang and air force commander Wang Gang, both of whom were elevated to the rank of general. In addition to his promotion, Zhang was appointed to lead the corruption investigation unit within the Central Military Commission — the military’s highest governing body.
The two newly promoted generals are now considered potential candidates to fill open seats on the seven-member Central Military Commission, which has been whittled down to just two active members as a result of the corruption investigations.
Xi chairs the commission, and Vice Chair Zhang Shengmin is currently its only other functioning member. Two former vice chairs — including the military’s highest-ranking general — have been removed or effectively pushed out amid the probe.
The commission’s current five-year term is set to conclude in the fall of next year, at which point a new commission is expected to be formally announced.
WASHINGTON — The just-completed U.S. Supreme Court term made one thing abundantly clear: when President Donald Trump and Chief Justice John Roberts want the same outcome, they tend to get it. But when their priorities diverge, Trump loses — and Roberts is often the one writing the ruling against him.
Despite their starkly different personalities — Roberts is known as a reserved Midwestern institutionalist while Trump is an outspoken billionaire real estate developer from New York — the two found common ground in several landmark cases during the court’s nine-month term, which wrapped up Tuesday.
One of the most significant victories for Trump came in a ruling written by Roberts that granted the president sweeping authority to dismiss the heads of federal regulatory agencies. The decision fulfilled a long-standing conservative goal of giving the executive branch greater control over key government functions.
Throughout his second term, Trump has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of presidential authority in both domestic policy and foreign affairs, generating a wave of legal challenges. On the whole, the court has ruled in his favor more often than not.
However, three major cases exposed the fault lines between Roberts and Trump. In each instance, Roberts authored the majority opinion ruling against the president — on the legality of sweeping global tariffs, on birthright citizenship, and on Trump’s attempt to remove a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Those rulings drew support from a varying lineup of justices but were backed in every case by the court’s three liberal members.
John Yoo, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, said the defeats should silence critics who claim the high court functions as a rubber stamp for the Trump administration. “This term shows that Trump wins at the court only when his agenda coincides with Roberts’ agenda,” said Yoo, who previously served as a Justice Department attorney under Republican President George W. Bush.
SHIFTING TO THE RIGHT
Roberts has led the Supreme Court for two decades, serving under four presidents — two from each party. For much of that period, the court held a narrow 5-4 conservative majority, with former Justice Anthony Kennedy frequently serving as the deciding vote.
That balance shifted significantly when Trump, during his first term, appointed three justices: Neil Gorsuch in 2017, Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, and Amy Coney Barrett in 2020. The resulting 6-3 conservative supermajority has moved American law sharply rightward, producing decisions that rolled back abortion rights and affirmative action, expanded gun and religious freedoms, and curtailed the power of federal regulatory agencies.
That trajectory continued in the most recent term. In April, the court struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, and on Tuesday it invalidated a campaign finance restriction — both outcomes consistent with the court’s conservative direction.
Syracuse University College of Law professor Jenny Breen described the continued weakening of the Voting Rights Act as “a decades-long project for Chief Justice Roberts.”
The 6-3 Voting Rights Act ruling, written by Justice Samuel Alito, made it more difficult for minority voters to challenge electoral district maps as racially discriminatory under the landmark 1965 civil rights law. The decision could allow Republican-led Southern states to redraw majority-Black and majority-Latino congressional districts ahead of November’s midterm elections. Black and Latino voters have historically leaned toward Democratic candidates, and Trump’s Republican Party is working to hold onto its congressional majority in November.
On the same final day of the term, the court also struck down federal limits on coordinated campaign spending between political parties and their candidates, citing free speech protections — a ruling that benefits Republicans heading into the midterms with a significant financial edge over Democrats.
PRESIDENTIAL POWER
Among the rulings drawing the most praise from conservative legal scholars and Trump supporters was a 6-3 decision in a case called Trump v. Slaughter. Written by Roberts, the Monday ruling overturned a 1935 precedent that had allowed Congress to shield leaders of independent regulatory agencies from being fired by the president without cause.
The case arose from Trump’s removal of Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter. By siding with the president, the court dramatically expanded executive authority over the federal bureaucracy.
“His best work has come when the limits of the executive branch have been tested by Trump’s adversaries,” said Robert Luther III, a George Mason University law professor who worked in the White House Counsel’s Office during Trump’s first term, referring to Roberts.
The Slaughter ruling is widely viewed as the strongest affirmation yet of the “unitary executive” theory — a conservative legal doctrine that gained prominence during Republican President Ronald Reagan’s administration in the 1980s. The theory holds that the president has complete authority over the executive branch, including the unrestricted power to hire and fire agency heads.
American University Washington College of Law professor Elizabeth Beske called the ruling’s outcome “part of a decades-long John Roberts project.” She noted that “Roberts has always been a unitary executive guy, since his days in the White House Counsel’s office” during the Reagan years. “There have been a lot of scholarly headwinds in the past few years against the moves taken in Slaughter,” Beske added, “but I think he set out to do it long ago and could not be stopped.”
ECONOMIC SETBACKS
Two of Trump’s most painful defeats this term struck directly at his economic agenda.
In February, Roberts authored a 6-3 ruling throwing out Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, which the president had imposed under a law designed for national emergencies. Then on Monday, Roberts wrote another opinion blocking Trump’s effort to remove Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook — a decision aimed at preserving the independence of the central bank.
“Both of those decisions reflect the Supreme Court’s discomfort with changes that they fear might disrupt the market or economy more broadly,” said Breen. “Those decisions, in other words, are entirely consistent with the conservative economic orientation of the court.”
On the final day of the term, Roberts also wrote the majority opinion finding that Trump’s executive order seeking to deny birthright citizenship to children of certain immigrants violated the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which grants citizenship to anyone born on American soil who is “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.”
Yoo pointed out that Trump’s push to end birthright citizenship conflicted with “an uninterrupted history of following that rule,” as well as a Supreme Court precedent set in an 1898 case known as United States v. Wong Kim Ark.
“Where Trump seeks outcomes because of their political salience, but he comes into conflict with these long-held Roberts Court principles, he has lost,” Yoo said.
As Americans across the country celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday with fireworks and parades, President Donald Trump is placing himself front and center at the festivities in Washington with a campaign-style rally on the National Mall.
Trump has described his evening appearance among the capital’s famous monuments as “the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all,” promising military aircraft flyovers and an extra-large fireworks display to mark the occasion.
Cities around the country are hosting their own celebrations. Philadelphia — where the Declaration of Independence was signed 250 years ago on July 4, 1776 — is offering free cupcakes and a six-hour pop music concert. New York is welcoming tall ships from nations around the globe.
In Washington, the National Mall’s annual July 4 gathering typically attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. This year, attendees must navigate heightened security measures, the potential for thunderstorms, and temperatures that could climb above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
While past presidents have traditionally stayed out of the July 4 spotlight, Trump has blended official national commemoration with the feel of a political campaign event. A nonpartisan organization created in 2016 specifically to oversee the 250th anniversary has largely been pushed aside by the Trump administration’s Freedom 250 group.
That group has fenced off much of the 1.5-mile National Mall for what it calls a “Great American State Fair,” which includes attractions like a Ferris wheel alongside exhibits from conservative organizations and defense contractors. Several states led by Democratic governors declined to send delegations, and a number of performers who had been booked for the events withdrew, citing worries about the partisan direction of the celebration.
The events have sometimes struggled to draw large crowds, though thousands did attend Trump’s kickoff rally on June 24.
Other Freedom 250-branded activities include a faith rally featuring predominantly conservative Christian speakers, a mixed martial arts fight card held on the White House grounds tied to Trump’s 80th birthday, and an IndyCar race scheduled for Washington in August.
The Freedom 250 organization also sponsored what it called “Freedom Trucks,” which critics argue present an overly religious portrayal of American history while glossing over topics such as slavery and racial injustice.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that a majority of Americans think the 250th anniversary events have become too political — a view shared by three-quarters of Democrats and half of Republicans.
Trump also pushed for a broad makeover of Washington ahead of the anniversary, with uneven outcomes. While many fountains and statues have been restored, a heavily promoted $15 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool has run into trouble, with security cameras and soldiers now standing guard over peeling paint and algae-covered water.
Here Now Health is not an artificial intelligence company — but without AI, it might never have gotten off the ground.
Michelle Turner, a first-time founder working out of her Virginia Beach home, used AI tools to teach herself about startup culture, draft a business plan, and sharpen her pitch for potential investors. The company officially launched in January 2025, and today it has 16 employees and is certified in three states to offer Medicaid-funded mental health counseling to children entering the foster care system — a gap Turner recognized through her own experience as a foster parent.
“A mom of six kids who’s a first-time founder, who’s a sole female founder, should not be able to raise (venture capital). I don’t have an MBA. I don’t have these things to back me up,” Turner said. She described using AI to develop her investor pitch as “like going to a master’s level class every day from the robot. It was my startup advisor.”
Turner’s rapid rise from nonprofit manager to company chief executive is drawing attention as AI continues to reshape the broader U.S. economy. Federal Reserve officials are closely watching the technology’s potential effects on productivity, economic growth, inflation, and employment. As part of a wide-ranging review launched by new Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh, one working group is focused specifically on AI and what it could mean for productivity — a force that can allow the economy to expand more quickly with less inflation, but that can also mean fewer workers are needed to produce the same results.
Some Fed officials have already raised the prospect of an AI-driven economy with persistently higher unemployment. Other analysts have pointed to a declining share of national income going to workers and questioned whether rising returns to capital could become a defining feature of the AI era — a question with serious social and political consequences.
The competition among AI models today draws comparisons to the early days of the internet, when brands like Yahoo! and America Online raced to connect users to the web. But today’s AI tools go far beyond browsing and shopping — they can perform complex tasks, write computer code, and solve problems that once required significant human effort.
Heavy investment in data centers is fueling economic growth while also pushing up energy and labor costs in some areas. Projections for where AI leads range from widespread prosperity to mass unemployment, with banks, government agencies, and the military all working to harness — and guard against — the new technology.
“Markets are confronted with dramatically different competing narratives,” said Jean Boivin, head of the BlackRock Investment Institute, speaking at a journalist seminar on Tuesday. “We are framing this as scarcity versus abundance… Scarcity is the story of the moment” — with the AI investment surge driving up certain costs and demand for capital — but, he added, “we are also talking about abundance… We are talking about AI that can lead to significant breakthroughs… Growth that might be breaking out of a 2% world.”
John Bailey, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and an adviser to one of the firms that invested in Here Now Health, says Turner’s story is becoming more common. He helped Turner from the beginning develop the AI tools she depended on.
For small business owners, Bailey said, “things that used to take too much time or cost too much — the price to access has fallen close to zero.” He added, “It is empowering entrepreneurs to scale faster and hire people. These are not AI companies. They are traditional companies trying to deliver services but do it faster, cheaper.”
Public discussion has largely centered on AI’s capacity to eliminate jobs, with waves of tech industry layoffs linked to the technology and evidence that companies are using it to shrink back-office and clerical workforces. But Bailey said he has grown more confident that AI will change and redistribute jobs rather than simply destroy them — much as earlier waves of technological change did.
Torsten Slok, chief economist at investment firm Apollo Global Management, credits AI with a recent uptick in new business formations, saying the technology is “dramatically reducing the cost and complexity of launching a company. As these firms scale, they will create jobs.”
How it all nets out may not be clear for years.
A recent surge in job creation has eased some concern that the U.S. was already entering a period when technology would replace workers fast enough to push unemployment higher — which would mark the first time a major new general-purpose technology proved, on balance, to be a net destroyer of jobs.
Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin said in an earlier interview this year that he is grappling with the employment risks AI may bring, but he is also struck by reports from businesses that the technology is helping ease labor shortages in certain skilled fields.
“We are all quick to see the disasters, which is about jobs getting replaced,” Barkin said. But he noted that businesses in sectors like auto repair and manufacturing “are still in a world of saying they cannot get enough workers” and are turning to AI to make their existing staff more productive.
“It is still going to be a challenge. It is a ‘rust-belt risk’” for some white-collar occupations in particular, Barkin said. But “we are not an economy that has no shortages.”
The transition, though, could be painful for many workers. The spread of global trade in the 1990s wiped out long-established U.S. manufacturing communities, and programs designed to help displaced workers find new jobs largely failed. Over time, shrinking opportunity in parts of the Midwest and South is widely seen as having contributed to a rightward political shift and a rise in so-called “deaths of despair” tied to substance abuse.
Researchers warn a similar disruption may now be building for workers in clerical, administrative, and related roles — particularly those without college degrees who depend on work experience to advance. A study by the Brookings Institution and Opportunity@Work found roughly 23 million people whose most logical career step would take them into jobs highly exposed to AI replacement, effectively putting them at risk of being stuck in lower-paying positions.
“Disruptions in these roles can have outsized effects on workers’ ability to move into higher-wage work,” the researchers wrote, with the heaviest regional impacts expected in Florida, the Northeast, Texas, and California — a different geographic footprint than the manufacturing disruption of earlier decades.
For the Federal Reserve, both the ultimate outcome and the speed of the AI transition will matter, as near-term effects could look very different from long-run results — especially if a major productivity boom eventually materializes.
At his first press conference, Fed Chairman Warsh called AI the most significant economic shift “that we’ve had in my adult lifetime” and said the U.S. “is ultimately going to be better off” as a result.
But, he cautioned, “that certainly doesn’t mean it’s not going to be disruptive.”
Continental, the German automotive parts manufacturer, announced Saturday that it has reached an agreement to sell its ContiTech division — which produces rubber and plastic products — to private equity firm Lone Star Funds for €4 billion, or approximately $4.57 billion. The deal also includes the possibility of additional performance-based payments of up to €250 million in future years.
After standard financial adjustments, Continental anticipates receiving roughly €3.1 billion in cash from the transaction. Of that amount, the company plans to distribute approximately €2.5 billion back to its shareholders once the deal is finalized.
Company officials said the divestiture will allow Continental to sharpen its focus on its core tires business, which the company confirmed will not be affected by the sale.
Continental is still evaluating what impact the transaction may have on its financial outlook for the current fiscal year.
The ContiTech division has faced significant headwinds in recent months. In May, the unit eliminated 3,000 positions — including 1,600 jobs in Germany — as part of broader cost-cutting efforts. Continental had previously set a goal of saving €150 million per year by 2028 through reductions at ContiTech.
Reuters had reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the two companies were close to finalizing a deal for ContiTech, which manufactures rubber and plastic components primarily for industrial customers. The sale is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
British clothing retailer Next is reportedly gearing up to make a takeover offer for the upscale department store chain Harvey Nichols, according to a report from Sky News published Saturday.
Reuters was unable to independently confirm the report, and neither Next nor Harvey Nichols responded to requests for comment.
According to Sky News, the potential acquisition is still in its early stages.
Harvey Nichols, which was established in 1831, carries a wide range of high-end products including cosmetics, fashion, food, and wine, as listed on its website.
The news comes on the heels of Next’s recent acquisition of footwear brand Russell & Bromley through an insolvency process, a deal that cost the retailer 2.5 million pounds, equivalent to approximately $3.34 million.
Happy Fourth of July, Delmarva! It’s going to be a scorcher out there today, so make sure you’re staying hydrated and cool. We’re looking at a high near 100°F with heat index values climbing as high as 105°F — that’s dangerous heat, folks. The morning and early afternoon will be sunny, but keep an eye on the sky after 5 PM. A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms will develop ahead of tonight’s fireworks, and some of those storms could produce heavy rainfall. Light northwest winds around 5 mph won’t offer much relief from the heat.
Tonight, that storm chance continues as temperatures drop to a more comfortable 74°F. If your fireworks show is weather-delayed, stay patient and stay safe!
Looking ahead to Sunday, expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 90°F — still warm, but a noticeable step down from today. Another round of storms is possible Sunday evening and overnight.
Stay cool, stay safe, and enjoy your Independence Day, Delmarva! 🎆
KYIV — Ukraine’s general staff issued a firm denial on Saturday, dismissing Russian claims that Moscow’s military had taken control of the key eastern city of Kostiantynivka.
“We deny this. These are more fake claims,” a general staff official stated.
According to the General Staff, Kostiantynivka has not fallen and remains firmly in Ukrainian hands.
“Military units and subunits of the 19th Army Corps of the Eastern Grouping continue to conduct defensive operations on designated lines within the town and on its approaches,” the statement read.
The dispute arose after Russia’s military informed President Vladimir Putin on Friday that its forces had successfully captured Kostiantynivka — a strategic objective Moscow has been pursuing as part of its broader push through the Donetsk region.
Kostiantynivka holds significant military importance as the southernmost of four key towns that together form a defensive line central to Ukraine’s effort to hold onto the heavily industrialized Donetsk region.
Military analysts note that if Russian forces were to take Kostiantynivka, it would provide them a launching point to drive northward along the defensive corridor, which has become the primary focus of their current campaign.
Russian forces have previously claimed to control portions of Kostiantynivka, one of several heavily fortified urban centers that make up what is known as Ukraine’s “fortress belt” in Donetsk.
LONDON — Departing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is making clear that whoever takes his place will need to invest just as much energy in global diplomacy as he did — dismissing the notion that Britain’s next leader could shift focus primarily to issues at home.
Starmer, who announced last month that he will leave office after two years as prime minister, told the BBC on Friday that foreign and domestic policy are too intertwined to treat separately, especially as the world grows more unstable.
“There’s often this discussion — what’s the right balance between dealing with international affairs and dealing with domestic affairs? They’re one and the same thing,” he said.
When asked directly whether a future prime minister could scale back time spent on diplomacy, Starmer was blunt: “No, I don’t think it is possible.”
The outgoing prime minister has drawn criticism from some corners over how heavily his tenure leaned into foreign policy matters. Lawmaker Andy Burnham, who is widely expected to be his successor, has signaled a different set of priorities — promising to concentrate on living standards, housing, infrastructure, and shifting more governing authority to Britain’s regions.
On Saturday, Starmer posted a video on X titled “With Keir,” in which he defended his administration’s international emphasis, arguing that Britain had reclaimed its standing on the world stage. He highlighted his government’s backing of Ukraine and its involvement in international coalitions as standout accomplishments.
“The fact that now other countries look to us for that leadership is something I’m really proud of having delivered in the two years we’ve had in government,” he said.
Beyond foreign policy, Starmer also pointed to stabilizing the economy, cutting child poverty, and making improvements to the National Health Service as achievements he is proud of from his time in office.
BAMAKO — A Tuareg-led insurgent group claimed responsibility Saturday for attacking a northern Mali town where both government soldiers and Russian paramilitary forces are stationed, while residents in two additional locations across northern and central Mali reported hearing gunfire and explosions.
The violence represents the most recent challenge to Mali’s military-led government in the landlocked West African nation. Rebels had already carried out high-profile strikes in April, targeting the airport in the capital city of Bamako, killing the country’s defense minister, and seizing a series of army outposts in the north.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front, known as the FLA, told Reuters that fighters from the organization attacked the town of Anefis in the northeastern Kidal region during the early morning hours Saturday. Government forces and Russian troops had moved into Anefis following the April offensive, during which the FLA and a regional al Qaeda-linked group took control of Kidal town.
Meanwhile, in the central city of Gao, a local official reported that gunfire and rockets had been directed at a military camp starting before sunrise Saturday. Authorities had not yet determined which armed group was behind that attack.
A government spokesperson had not responded to a request for comment as of the time of reporting.
TEHRAN, Iran — A multi-day funeral for Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, kicked off Saturday as the country paused to honor the man who ruled with an iron fist for decades while consistently standing in opposition to Western nations.
In the capital city of Tehran, authorities closed off streets, halted air travel, and brought everyday life to a standstill as mourners gathered to pay their respects.
Following ceremonies in Tehran, Khamenei’s body is scheduled to be transported to additional cities throughout Iran, as well as to neighboring Iraq.
This report is accompanied by a photo gallery assembled by Associated Press photo editors.
Thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Erfurt, Germany on Saturday in an effort to disrupt the national gathering of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, known as AfD. Tensions escalated outside the venue as some protesters came into direct conflict with police officers in riot gear.
The AfD convened in the eastern German city to hold its leadership elections, a process German political parties carry out every two years. The party is working to project a unified image as it moves to extend the leadership terms of Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, who have jointly led the organization for the past four years.
The protests surrounding the convention highlight how deeply the AfD has polarized German society, even as the party holds the distinction of being the country’s largest opposition force at the national level.
The weekend event has stirred additional controversy because it falls near the 100th anniversary of a Nazi Party meeting held in the same area — a gathering that helped solidify Adolf Hitler’s control over the fascist movement. Historians and political rivals argue the timing carries significant symbolic weight, a charge the AfD flatly denies.
Weidel recently declared that “2026 is a year of destiny for AfD.” Established mainstream parties have maintained they will not partner with the AfD in governing coalitions, a position commonly referred to as a “firewall.”
Despite that opposition, the AfD has been capitalizing on widespread frustration with the current government’s efforts to revive a sluggish economy. The party has broadened its appeal well beyond its original focus on restricting immigration, which fueled its initial surge in the mid-2010s.
Looking ahead, the AfD is targeting 40% or more of the vote in a September 6 state election in the eastern region of Saxony-Anhalt. A result at that level could position the party for an outright majority or give it leverage to lure defectors from rival parties — potentially opening the door to its first-ever state governor.
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Citizens across Slovakia cast their ballots Saturday in a national referendum addressing two major questions: whether to eliminate lifelong monthly payments granted to Prime Minister Robert Fico and other senior officials after they leave their posts, and whether to bring back a special anti-corruption prosecutor’s office and related police unit that were shut down.
Under current law, Slovak prime ministers and parliament speakers who have served at least two terms are entitled to receive a monthly payment for life — equivalent to a lawmaker’s salary — once they leave office. The benefit was created as a security measure following a 2024 assassination attempt on Fico, in which he was shot and seriously wounded after a government meeting. The attack sent shockwaves through the small nation and drew widespread attention across Europe. Prior to 2024, only former presidents received such a benefit.
The referendum was triggered by a petition organized by the Democrats, a pro-Western opposition party that does not hold seats in parliament. More than 350,000 Slovaks signed the petition — the number required by law to force a national vote — in a country of 5.4 million people.
Despite the large number of signatures, polls ahead of Saturday’s vote indicated that turnout was unlikely to reach the 50% participation rate required for the referendum results to be binding. Slovakia has a difficult history with referendums — only one has ever succeeded, the 2003 vote on joining the European Union. All others failed because not enough voters showed up.
Earlier in 2024, Fico’s coalition government pushed through legislation dissolving the special prosecutor’s office, which had been responsible for investigating serious offenses including corruption, organized crime, and extremism. The government also disbanded the police unit that handled similar cases. The move drew fierce backlash both within Slovakia and internationally, with thousands of citizens taking to the streets in repeated protests. Several individuals connected to Fico’s political party had faced prosecution in corruption-related cases.
Fico has been a polarizing political figure since returning to power in 2023, with his pro-Russian stance and other policy positions sparking ongoing demonstrations. On the day of the referendum, Fico announced he would not be casting a vote.
LAMPEDUSA, Sicily — While Americans celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with parties and fireworks back home, Pope Leo XIV chose the Fourth of July to make a deeply symbolic journey to one of Europe’s most contested migration flashpoints.
The first pope born in the United States — who has clashed with the Trump administration over its immigration enforcement policies — flew to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa on Saturday to honor the tens of thousands of migrants who have lost their lives trying to reach Europe in search of freedom and a better life.
On the occasion of the July 4th anniversary, Leo sent a letter to Americans arguing that protecting human life — including the unborn — also means “welcoming protecting and assisting immigrants, whose hopes, sacrifices and contribution have formed part of the history of this country from its very beginning.”
“To receive them with compassion and generosity is not only an act of charity, but also a recognition of the dignity that belongs to every human person,” Leo wrote.
Lampedusa is a small, treeless strip of rock measuring about 9 kilometers — roughly 5.6 miles — long. Sitting closer to the African coast than to the Italian mainland, it serves as the primary entry point into Europe for hundreds of thousands of migrants smuggled by boat from Libya and Tunisia.
The island has become the symbolic center of Europe’s heated migration debate, as the continent wrestles with enforcing its borders while meeting its legal obligations to shelter refugees escaping conflict, poverty, and climate change.
The International Organization of Migration has documented more than 35,000 migrants who have gone missing in the Mediterranean Sea since 2014. Experts believe the true death toll is considerably higher, as countless shipwrecks go unrecorded.
After landing on the island, Leo visited the local migrant cemetery to pay tribute to those who died and unveiled a plaque dedicated to Pope Francis at the main dock. He then celebrated Mass in the main town square.
Tareke Brhane, a migrant from Eritrea who serves as president of the October 3rd Committee — a nonprofit created by relatives of victims of a deadly 2013 shipwreck off Lampedusa that killed 368 people — called the pope’s gestures a “strong message” of solidarity.
“It is a strong sign for our battle with Italy and with Europe in order to register the deaths, because as of today we still do not have a registry (of those deceased),” Brhane told The Associated Press.
He added that Leo’s visit honors the dead and “gives a message to the relatives, so many of them still waiting and suffering.”
Leo’s trip echoes the legacy of Pope Francis, who made the welfare of migrants and refugees a central theme of his papacy. Francis himself visited Lampedusa in July 2013 — his first trip outside Rome after becoming pope — where he threw a wreath into the sea in memory of those who had drowned and condemned what he called the “globalization of indifference” toward migrants.
Leo has also recently visited another European migration hotspot in Spain’s Canary Islands, where he criticized leaders who turn migrants away without compassion and warned people smugglers of divine consequences for exploiting desperate individuals.
Salvatore Sortino, the head of mission for Italy and Malta with the International Organization of Migration, noted that while the number of migrants crossing the central Mediterranean has dropped this year, the proportion of deaths has actually risen.
“That speaks about the vulnerability that remains,” Sortino said. “So the visit of the pope here, where all this happens, I think is a very important reminder of that element.”
The International Rescue Committee estimates that 118 million people worldwide have been forcibly displaced in 2025 alone.
The papal visit comes roughly two weeks after the European Union began enforcing a new framework determining how each of its 27 member states handles irregular migration and asylum requests. Under the updated rules, migrants will be screened at EU borders for up to seven days before being admitted. Those considered a security risk or from designated “safe” countries will face an expedited review process, and rejected asylum seekers will automatically receive return orders.
Human rights organizations have pushed back against the new regulations, arguing they compromise the fundamental right to seek asylum by rushing the evaluation process. Critics say the accelerated procedures risk racial profiling and could deny protection to people with legitimate claims, while also warning of a likely surge in extended border detentions.
Italy’s Interior Ministry reported 14,464 migrant arrivals as of Friday this year — a sharp decline compared to 30,598 during the same period last year and 26,202 in 2024. Meanwhile, the number of both voluntary and forced deportations has increased under the current Italian government’s push to crack down on migration and the criminal networks behind it.
Tens of thousands of mourners packed a sprawling prayer complex in Tehran on Saturday as Iran launched a week of funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The proceedings opened with the national anthem, religious eulogies, and readings from the Koran.
The Iranian government is organizing large-scale funeral processions for Khamenei, whose 37-year leadership came to an end in February when he was killed in the first airstrike of the war initiated by the United States and Israel. The elaborate ceremonies are seen as a demonstration of loyalty to the Islamic Republic’s theocratic government and its revolutionary principles.
Video broadcast on television showed Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin, topped with his signature black turban, placed on a large black platform designed to resemble the Kaaba — the cube-shaped structure at the heart of Islam’s most sacred site in Mecca. Alongside his coffin were four additional coffins belonging to family members who also died in the strike.
The enormous courtyard of the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla was filled with mourners waving Iranian flags and holding up photographs of the slain leader. Iran’s state broadcaster, Seda va Sima, reported that chants of “Death to America” rang through the complex, describing the occasion as a farewell to what it called “Mr. Martyr.”
Other state media outlets shared video in which mourners could be heard chanting: “Our slogan is one word: Revenge, revenge,” and “We will kill, we will kill he who killed our Imam.”
With summer temperatures running high, water was sprayed from rooftops to help keep the crowds cool. Khamenei’s coffin is set to remain at the Mosalla through Sunday evening.
Following that, his remains are expected to be transported to Qom, then to Najaf and Kerbala — major centers of Shi’ite Islam in Iran and Iraq — before the final burial on Thursday in Mashhad, the location of Iran’s most revered pilgrimage shrine.
The coffin had been publicly unveiled late Thursday to a crowd of grieving supporters who swayed and struck their heads in mourning as flowers were tossed from the bier into the crowd. On Friday, the coffin was placed on display in the grand prayer hall built to honor Khamenei’s predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Iranian authorities are working to mobilize millions of participants for the processions in the days ahead, offering transportation, meals, and accommodations to encourage attendance.
Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei, who has been named as the new supreme leader, has not appeared in any newly released images since he was wounded in the same strike that killed his father.
ERFURT, Germany — Tens of thousands of people marched through the eastern German city of Erfurt on Saturday, working to block access to the venue hosting the far-right Alternative for Germany party’s annual conference, as the group prepares for regional elections that could hand it control of a state government for the very first time.
Demonstrators representing labor unions, civil society organizations, and left-leaning political parties joined the protest, while police — including officers brought in from other parts of the country — were deployed in large numbers to manage the crowds. Authorities estimated approximately 15,000 people participated in demonstrations in and around Erfurt.
Protesters sat down in rows across roads and highways leading to the convention center, with officers in riot gear watching on. Georg Becker, a spokesperson for the anti-AfD coalition group Widersetzen — which translates to “Resist” — explained the motivation behind the demonstrations. “We want to make it clear that we simply won’t tolerate this, that fascism is on the rise here in Germany,” he said.
The conference is expected to see the party’s co-leaders, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, re-elected to their positions. It comes just before elections in the eastern German states of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, contests the AfD hopes will help build momentum toward success at the national level.
The AfD, which was established more than ten years ago, has surged ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc in national opinion polls. The party has built its following through nationalist messaging, calls for stricter immigration controls, and by appealing to voters who feel let down by years of economic stagnation and a string of governments that failed to address their concerns.
Critics of the AfD charge that the party promotes racist policies and holds views that are at odds with Germany’s democratic principles, arguing it poses a danger to the country’s constitutional framework. Established political parties have agreed not to work with the AfD under what is known as a “firewall” policy — a coordinated effort to keep the party isolated and out of governing coalitions.
AfD officials reject the claim that they stand against Germany’s democratic foundations. Earlier this year, the party won a court ruling requiring the country’s domestic intelligence agency to pause its classification of the AfD as an “extremist” organization.
The latest polling shows AfD support at roughly 29%, compared to around 22% for Merz’s CDU/CSU conservative alliance. The party also posted strong results in two regional elections held in western Germany earlier this year.
The AfD’s most significant base of support lies in the former communist eastern regions of Germany, where voter frustration with the established party system runs highest. In Saxony-Anhalt, recent polling places the AfD at 41%, far ahead of the Christian Democrats at 23%, as the party pursues an outright victory. It is also hoping to emerge as the top party in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey has issued an Extreme Heat Warning covering the July 4th holiday, beginning at 3:57 AM EDT and lasting until 8:00 PM EDT on July 4th.
An Extreme Heat Warning is the highest level of heat alert issued by the National Weather Service, indicating that dangerously hot conditions are expected that could pose a serious risk to public health.
Residents are strongly encouraged to stay indoors in air-conditioned spaces as much as possible during the warning period. If you must be outside, drink plenty of water, wear lightweight and light-colored clothing, and take frequent breaks in the shade or cool environments.
Health officials typically remind the public during extreme heat events to check on elderly neighbors, young children, and pets, as these groups are especially vulnerable to heat-related illness. Never leave children or animals in parked vehicles.
Cooling centers may be available in your area. Contact your local government or emergency management office for more information on nearby resources.
The National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey has issued an Extreme Heat Warning effective July 4th, beginning at 3:57 AM EDT and lasting through 8:00 PM EDT that same evening.
Residents are advised to take the warning seriously, as extreme heat can pose significant health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations including the elderly, young children, and those with underlying health conditions.
Officials recommend staying indoors in air-conditioned spaces during peak heat hours, drinking plenty of water, and checking on neighbors and family members who may be at risk.
The warning remains in effect through the evening hours of the Fourth of July holiday.
Russian officials announced Saturday that a significant overnight Ukrainian drone assault targeted Russia’s second-largest city, St. Petersburg, and the surrounding Leningrad region, with reports of a strike on a Baltic Sea oil export port.
St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov described the attack on the city of 6 million residents as “large-scale,” though he did not identify specific targets. Local media outlet Bumaga reported that a fire broke out at the city’s oil terminal following the attack.
Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed that drones struck the port of Vysotsk, located approximately 170 kilometers — about 105 miles — northwest of St. Petersburg along the Gulf of Finland. That port handles a variety of commodities, including oil, grain, coal, and liquefied natural gas. Drozdenko added that 72 drones were intercepted and shot down over the Leningrad region.
Ukraine has been stepping up attacks on Russian energy facilities throughout this year, a campaign that has led to fuel shortages in various parts of Russia.
St. Petersburg sits roughly 900 kilometers, or 560 miles, from Ukrainian-controlled territory, yet it has faced periodic drone strikes from Kyiv. Previous targets have included the city’s oil terminal and a docked warship, the latter struck during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum held in June.
Jake McCarthy wasted no time making his mark Friday night, sending the very first pitch of the game over the fence for a leadoff home run, then adding a grand slam later in the contest as the Colorado Rockies rolled over the San Francisco Giants 15-3 in the opener of a three-game series in Denver.
McCarthy wrapped up the night with four hits and a career-best six runs batted in, cementing his place in the record books as just the seventh player in major league history to hit both a leadoff homer and a grand slam in the same game, according to MLB.com.
Cole Carrigg chipped in three RBIs and hit two triples for Colorado, while starting pitcher Ryan Feltner turned in six solid innings to earn the win, improving to 3-2. Gabriel Hughes closed things out with a three-inning save — all in his major league debut.
Giants starter Logan Webb, who had just been named National League Pitcher of the Month for June, had a rough outing, giving up seven runs on 11 hits across three innings. His record fell to 5-6. Rafael Devers contributed a home run and a second hit for San Francisco.
Cardinals 17, Cubs 1
Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson each drove in four runs as visiting St. Louis set new season highs in both runs scored and hits — 17 of each — in a blowout win over Chicago. The Cardinals piled on multiple runs in each inning from the second through the sixth, building a staggering 16-0 cushion. Winn contributed an RBI single and a three-run home run, with Nathan Church also going deep for three runs. Andre Pallante earned the win, improving to 10-5, scattering five hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Alex Bregman had an RBI double in the seventh for Chicago, whose five-game winning streak came to an end. David Peterson dropped to 4-7 after surrendering 10 runs on nine hits in just 3 2/3 innings.
Nationals 9, Pirates 5
Luis Garcia Jr. and Daylen Lile each went deep twice to power Washington to a home victory over Pittsburgh. Lile also doubled and finished with four RBIs, while Garcia drove in three. Jose Tena added a two-run homer and James Wood contributed a double, a triple and a run scored. Foster Griffin improved to 9-2, allowing just one run on four hits over five innings. Bryan Reynolds homered and doubled with two RBIs for Pittsburgh, and Esmerlyn Valdez went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Mitch Keller fell to 6-6 after giving up five runs on eight hits in six innings.
Blue Jays 2, Mariners 0
Dylan Cease delivered seven sharp innings as Toronto blanked host Seattle in the first game of a three-game series between teams that faced off in the 2025 American League Championship Series. Cease improved to 5-4, surrendering only three hits, issuing one walk and striking out nine. It marked the third win in the last four games for Toronto following a six-game losing skid. The loss snapped Seattle’s three-game winning streak and dropped the Mariners out of a first-place tie with the idle Texas Rangers in the AL West. Luis Castillo allowed two runs on five hits over six innings, falling to 3-7.
Dodgers 4, Padres 3
Teoscar Hernandez delivered a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning to lift Los Angeles past visiting San Diego, handing the Padres their seventh straight defeat — a new season high for consecutive losses. Shohei Ohtani started for the Dodgers, striking out nine over six innings while allowing three runs. Kyle Hurt, now 3-1, tossed a scoreless frame, and Tanner Scott closed it out in the ninth for his 12th save. Los Angeles has now won nine of its last 11 games. Jackson Merrill homered for San Diego, which had led 3-0 before the Dodgers rallied. Michael King carried a shutout into the seventh but was charged with two runs on three hits over six-plus innings. Adrian Morejon, who dropped to 6-2, gave up Hernandez’s decisive slam.
Red Sox 5, Angels 2
Romy Gonzalez went 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs, and closer Aroldis Chapman set a new all-time record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher while picking up his 17th save as Boston beat Los Angeles in Anaheim. Caleb Durbin homered and scored twice, Jarren Duran drove in two runs, and Ceddanne Rafaela had two hits for the Red Sox. Jake Bennett earned the win at 3-3, allowing two runs on five hits over 7 2/3 innings. Chapman struck out Denzer Guzman for his 1,364th career strikeout as a reliever, surpassing the previous record held by Hoyt Wilhelm. Jose Siri homered for the Angels, and Zach Neto had two hits and an RBI. Reid Detmers fell to 3-6 after yielding five runs on seven hits over five innings. Los Angeles has now dropped four straight.
Marlins 12, Athletics 5
Heriberto Hernandez launched a three-run homer and Jakob Marsee added a solo shot during a six-run first inning as Miami posted a win over the Athletics in West Sacramento. Kyle Stowers had a huge night, going 4-for-5 with two homers, three RBIs and three runs scored as the Marlins snapped a two-game skid. Owen Caissie also went deep, giving Miami five home runs on the night — matching a season high. Nick Kurtz hit a two-run homer and Jeff McNeil drove in three with a double for the Athletics, who have now lost nine of their last 12 games.
Guardians 4, White Sox 3 (10 innings)
Kahlil Watson delivered a walk-off single up the middle in the 10th inning, scoring the winning run as Cleveland edged visiting Chicago to take a one-game lead over the White Sox atop the American League Central. Travis Bazzana opened the 10th with a single off Sean Newcomb, who fell to 0-2, moving automatic runner Steven Kwan to third base. Watson then came through with Cleveland’s second straight walk-off hit to open the four-game series. Erik Sabrowski improved to 3-1 with a perfect top of the 10th. White Sox starter Anthony Kay departed after a two-hour rain delay, having allowed one run and one hit in four innings. Miguel Vargas hit a three-run homer for Chicago.
Orioles 3, Reds 0
Trevor Rogers tossed five shutout innings and Samuel Basallo delivered a two-run home run as Baltimore shut out host Cincinnati. Rogers, now 6-7, held the Reds to just two hits and five walks while striking out four, earning his third win in three consecutive starts. Tyler Wells retired Cincinnati in order in the ninth to record his first save since 2023. Baltimore’s first run came in the opening inning on a throwing error by catcher Tyler Stephenson. Reds starter Brady Singer fell to 3-8 after going five innings and allowing three hits and five walks. Cincinnati left 10 runners on base, went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and managed just four hits — all singles.
Braves 5, Mets 3
Matt Olson dramatically ended a 16-game drought without a home run by hitting two solo shots, leading Atlanta past visiting New York in the opener of a four-game series. It was the second multi-homer game of the season for Olson and the 27th of his career, pushing his season total to a team-leading 22. Atlanta managed only five hits, but four of them cleared the fences, as Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies also went deep. Christian Scott fell to 2-1 after allowing three runs on two hits over four innings as New York dropped to a season-worst 16 games below .500.
Rays 3, Astros 1
Junior Caminero launched his 10th home run over his last 10 games and Nick Fortes contributed two run-scoring extra-base hits as Tampa Bay stretched its winning streak to nine games with a road victory at Houston. Caminero, the American League Player of the Month for June, broke a 1-1 tie with his 25th homer of the season — a solo shot off Astros reliever Steven Okert in the seventh inning. Okert fell to 1-1. Fortes homered in the sixth and added an RBI double with two outs in the eighth. Bryan Baker closed out the ninth for his 23rd save. Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti bounced back from a difficult June, going six innings and allowing just one run on two hits.
Yankees 5, Twins 2
Ben Rice slugged a go-ahead two-run homer in the third inning to help New York snap a seven-game losing streak — the franchise’s longest in three years — with a win over visiting Minnesota. Rice connected on a full-count fastball from Twins rookie starter Mike Paredes, sending it into the right field seats for his 24th homer of the season. Paredes fell to 0-2. Trent Grisham, returning from the injured list, accounted for two runs and two RBIs. Gerrit Cole improved to 3-3, allowing two runs on five hits over five innings, and David Bednar struck out the side in the ninth for his 17th save. Kody Clemens homered in the first inning and Victor Caratini added an RBI single in the fourth for Minnesota. Paredes gave up three runs on four hits in four innings of work.
Brewers 7, Diamondbacks 4 (11 innings)
Brice Turang delivered a two-run single during a four-run 11th inning to lift Milwaukee past Arizona in the opener of a three-game series in Phoenix. Turang finished with three hits and also scored a run, Jake Bauers had three hits with an RBI and a run scored, and Garrett Mitchell hit a two-run homer for the Brewers, who have now won four of their last five games. Kyle Harrison has won seven consecutive decisions but picked up a third straight no-decision after allowing a 3-0 lead to slip away, giving up three runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings. Ildemaro Vargas had three hits and an RBI for Arizona, Gabriel Moreno added two hits, an RBI and a run, and Nolan Arenado contributed a two-run double. Diamondbacks rookie Jose Cabrera went 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits, as Arizona dropped its second straight game.
Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers left Friday’s game against the Miami Marlins with a left thumb contusion during a 12-5 defeat in West Sacramento, California.
The injury happened in the first inning when Langeliers went to catch a pitch thrown by Jack Perkins. The ball struck the thumb area of his glove and bounced away, allowing Miami to score a run on the play.
Despite the injury, Langeliers stayed in the lineup initially. However, he was pulled from the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, replaced by pinch hitter Jonah Heim. He had struck out in each of his two at-bats before being removed.
A’s manager Mark Kotsay confirmed after the game that Langeliers had X-rays taken and said, “We’ll evaluate him again tomorrow.”
The timing of the injury is particularly significant for Langeliers, who is set to find out Saturday whether he will serve as the starting catcher for the American League in the July 14 All-Star Game in Philadelphia. He and Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk are the two finalists for the AL spot.
Through 80 games this season, Langeliers is hitting .264 with 20 home runs and 44 RBIs. Among AL catchers, he leads the pack in both home runs and hits, with 87 hits on the year.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Baseball history was made Friday night when Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox claimed the all-time record for strikeouts by a relief pitcher, shattering a mark that had gone unchallenged for over half a century.
The 38-year-old left-hander did not accomplish the feat with one of the blazing triple-digit heaters that have defined his career. Instead, his record-breaking pitch to the Angels’ Denzer Guzman registered at 98.6 mph — and Guzman still couldn’t get his bat around in time to make contact.
“I feel very happy, very proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “I just feel very satisfied right now.”
The strikeout was the 1,364th of Chapman’s 17-year career, all of which has been spent coming out of the bullpen. It eclipsed the long-standing record of Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm, whose 21-year career wrapped up in 1972 — just five days before what would have been his 50th birthday.
After fanning Guzman, Chapman took only a brief moment to acknowledge the achievement before refocusing on the task at hand. He gave up a pair of hits but worked out of the jam by inducing a double-play grounder, helping Boston secure a 5-2 victory and earning his 383rd career save.
The Red Sox marked the occasion in their Angel Stadium clubhouse, playing a video highlighting Chapman’s career journey — from his debut with Cincinnati in 2010 through his two World Series titles with the Cubs and Rangers.
“It’s cool. We’ve been waiting for that one,” said Boston interim manager Chad Tracy. “What a career he’s had. The cool thing is watching the video, and you’re seeing him at a young age throwing 102, and he’s still doing it. It’s just incredible.”
The record-setting strikeout came in Chapman’s 889th major league appearance — every single one of them in relief. He earned the win for Red Sox rookie Jake Bennett, who was making his seventh appearance before tiring in the eighth inning.
“It’s incredible,” Bennett said. “It’s incredible to even just be a part of a team that it happens on.”
Chapman had not taken the mound since tying the record last Sunday, when he blew a save against the Yankees — a franchise with which he spent parts of seven seasons before a contentious parting four years ago. Since defecting from Cuba in 2009, Chapman has pitched for seven different teams, earned eight All-Star selections, and climbed to 10th on the all-time saves list.
The record spans more than 50 years of baseball and reflects a dramatic shift in how pitchers are deployed. Of the 14 pitchers in major league history to reach 1,000 strikeouts as a reliever, only Lindy McDaniel played in the same era as Wilhelm. The crafty knuckleballer was a World War II veteran and a trailblazer in relief pitching, among the first to be used in what is now called high-leverage situations — entering close games regardless of whether the starting pitcher was worn out.
Chapman has spent his entire career in those high-pressure moments, frequently overpowering hitters with a fastball that has reached as high as 105 mph.
His career has seen a resurgence since joining the Red Sox ahead of last season. After taking home AL Reliever of the Year honors in 2025 with a 1.17 ERA, he has converted 17 of 19 save opportunities this season while continuing to handle the toughest assignments.
“I was just focused on doing the job, day in and day out over the course of the last few weeks, getting to this point where I had the opportunity to break the record,” Chapman said. “I had some highs and some lows, but I’ve just tried to stay positive throughout.”
FRIA, Guinea — When Kazaliou Balde was a small child, his parents grew concerned after noticing he avoided making eye contact and struggled to communicate with those around him.
The family, living in the West African nation of Guinea, first sought help from a traditional healer who recommended protective amulets. But as the boy began dragging himself along the ground rather than walking, his family took him to a hospital in the capital city of Conakry, where doctors diagnosed him with autism — a condition the family had never encountered before.
Their neighbors hadn’t heard of it either. Some responded with cruelty toward the child.
“Some suggested that I take him to the bush and throw him away,” said his mother, Kadiatou Diallo, a 55-year-old trader.
Misunderstandings about autism are widespread in parts of Africa where reliable data, public awareness, and government support are largely absent. Some people incorrectly link autism to evil spirits. Experts warn that these misconceptions frequently delay diagnosis and heap stigma onto affected children and their families.
Autism — now formally referred to as autism spectrum disorder — is a complex developmental condition that affects individuals in a variety of ways. It can involve delays in language, learning, or social and emotional development. While some people experience profound autism, which may mean being nonverbal and having intellectual disabilities, the majority of those on the spectrum experience milder effects.
Guinea’s government does not track autism data. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately one in 127 people worldwide had autism in 2021, though it acknowledges that prevalence rates in many lower- and middle-income countries are still unknown.
Rather than give in to community pressure, Diallo chose to advocate for her son. She said that while she has four children, she has a special love for him “because I’ve suffered so much with him.”
In Guinea, a country of roughly 15 million people, only a handful of schools serve children with autism, and tuition can reach as much as $300 per month. That price tag is far beyond the reach of most families in a country where the minimum monthly wage is 550,000 Guinea francs — the equivalent of about $63 — and where 43.7% of the population lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.
“In Guinea, the care for autism is very poor,” said Dr. Alhassane Cherif, a psychologist and clinician based in Conakry. “Private organizations and nonprofits are the only ones addressing this disorder and training staff to try to identify children.”
Balde attended both private and public schools early on, but none were equipped to meet his needs. His teachers never taught him to read or write, according to his mother, who recalled being told that her son “has no provision for school.”
“I refused to consider these negative judgments. I refused to take him out of school,” Diallo said.
She also shared that her late husband had “gone to every corner of the country” in search of help for their son before losing his life in a road accident.
Help eventually came from within their own community.
In 2023, Balde enrolled in the newly established Salim Foundation for Children with Autism, an uncommon free school serving children with autism. School staff discovered Balde while conducting an outreach program and reached out to his family directly.
The school serves Balde and 14 other students in a large house staffed by three teachers. Colorful toys fill the rooms, and pictures of animals decorate the walls.
Although the school is registered with Guinea’s educational authorities, it receives no government funding. It was founded by Mariam Aisha Barry, a social worker and philanthropist who said her own daughter with autism inspired her to create it.
Students at the school learn foundational skills such as identifying objects and assembling toys, along with everyday tasks like using a TV remote control.
Last year, the school organized what it described as the country’s first international seminar focused on autism.
“Our mission is to break the stigma surrounding autism through awareness-raising, family training and advocacy for better care. These children deserve acceptance, understanding, education and unconditional love,” Barry said.
Despite his progress, Balde — now 15 years old — still faces exclusion outside of school. Many in the community continue to believe his condition is tied to some unknown evil force and push for him to be shunned.
“I categorically refused,” his mother said.
Research on autism has historically focused on high-income countries, leaving places like Guinea with little scientific attention. That imbalance makes it harder to pinpoint risk factors or develop effective treatment approaches, according to experts.
A 2023 study published in the Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders described sub-Saharan Africa as “critically understudied” in autism research, noting that the region’s “rich genetic diversity” could contribute meaningfully to global understanding of the condition.
That research gap has discouraged many parents from seeking help for their children.
“We have 15 autistic children here, but there are several hundred in this city. Some parents hide them in their homes to avoid mockery and stigmatization,” said Hassanatou Diallo, advocacy officer at the Salim school.
Despite the enormous obstacles she has faced, Balde’s mother says she has no intention of giving up on her son’s future.
“My most ardent wish is that he knows how to read and write,” she said.
WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s 250th birthday is arriving Saturday with all the fanfare of fireworks and festivities, but also the weight of a politically divided nation and a punishing heat wave affecting millions across the East Coast.
The occasion marks a quarter-millennium since the signing of the Declaration of Independence — one of history’s most iconic statements of democratic ideals. President Donald Trump is playing a prominent role in the day’s events, with plans to address the crowd on the National Mall in Washington before what organizers are calling a historically spectacular fireworks display over the capital.
On Friday, Trump traveled to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, where he delivered a speech warning about what he described as the danger of communism in the United States, with the carved faces of four former presidents visible behind him. “It is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor or even 9/11,” he said, calling communism “a mortal threat to American liberty.”
Without mentioning Trump by name, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — a Democrat and democratic socialist who recently supported several winning congressional candidates in their primaries — appeared to take aim at the president during a Friday speech of his own. “Those ideals upon which our nation was built — they are strong enough to endure any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them,” he said.
Celebrations are taking place from coast to coast. Fireworks are set to light up the sky over Navy Pier in Chicago and above the New York City skyline Saturday. New York City also hosted a midnight ball drop to kick off the holiday with New Year’s Eve-style excitement. Bristol, Rhode Island, which claims to be home to the country’s oldest Independence Day celebration dating back to 1785, is also marking the day. Out in Los Angeles, Queen Latifah is hosting a concert featuring The Smashing Pumpkins and Chris Stapleton, with Chaka Khan listed as a special guest.
But the celebrations have not been without complications. Dangerous heat forced organizers across the East Coast to scale back or cancel planned events. In Washington, the Great American State Fair had to shut down for several hours Friday afternoon at the height of the heat. The city’s Independence Day parade, originally scheduled for Saturday, was called off entirely.
Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest was enjoying a completely different kind of Fourth of July. Temperatures in the Seattle area hovered in the 60s Friday, with light rain showers — a stark contrast to the sweltering conditions on the other side of the country.
In the Seattle suburb of Issaquah, resident Megan Kurowski, 31, took her two dogs to the dog park Friday before heading to work. She said the anniversary had people in good spirits. “Everyone’s just, from what it seems, been pretty excited about celebrating 250 years,” she said, adding that she was considering going paddleboarding to watch the fireworks.
The holiday is also overlapping with several other major events. More than a dozen Major League Baseball games are on tap for Saturday. The World Cup — being held in the United States for the first time in 32 years — has matches scheduled in Houston and Philadelphia on Saturday, following Argentina’s dramatic overtime victory over Cape Verde on Friday near Miami. Pop culture fans are buzzing over Taylor Swift’s Friday wedding to football player Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden in New York City. And Madonna dropped her 15th studio album, a collection of dance tracks.
The festive backdrop, however, cannot fully mask the deep divisions running through American society. Issues of race, class, immigration, and political identity continue to drive a wedge between communities across the country.
In Topeka, Kansas, auto technician Joe Fuqua-Bejarano was selling fireworks as a side business and offered his take on what makes America worth celebrating. For him, it comes down to resilience rather than politics. “We’ve just all got to find unity somewhere, whether that’s in laughter or perseverance, and keep everybody cool,” he said.
Not everyone was caught up in the anniversary excitement. Jerry Chin of Newcastle, Washington, said he hadn’t even realized the country was marking its 250th birthday and planned to spend the holiday quietly at home with his wife and their dogs, who get frightened by fireworks. “America’s a great place,” he said, “but there are some concerns.”
A horrific road accident in Pakistan left at least 40 people dead on Friday after an overcrowded passenger bus veered off a mountain road and plunged into a deep ravine in the southwestern Balochistan province — one of the deadliest crashes the country has seen in recent months.
The accident took place in Dhana Sar, a border area between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, located within Sherani district.
Rescue official Usman Sadozai told The Media Line that the bus had been making its way from Quetta to Peshawar when it left the road and dropped into the ravine below. He added that at least eight passengers survived but sustained injuries, with several of them reported to be in critical condition.
Getting to the crash site proved to be a major obstacle for emergency responders, as the bus had fallen into a deep ravine surrounded by steep, rugged mountain terrain that made access extremely difficult.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind told The Media Line that once authorities were notified of the crash, rescue teams were immediately sent out from Sherani, Zhob, and Dera Ismail Khan.
Rind noted that district administrations, rescue agencies, and other relevant departments across both provinces were coordinating efforts to help those affected and get medical care to the injured as quickly as possible. In response to the disaster, hospitals in Sherani and Zhob declared a state of emergency to prepare for incoming patients.
According to early information shared by Rind, the bus was carrying more passengers than it was meant to hold. Preliminary reports indicated the vehicle had picked up riders from a separate passenger coach that had broken down along the route, leaving the bus dangerously overcrowded at the time of the crash.
Dhana Sar sits within Balochistan’s Sherani district, roughly 250 miles northeast of Quetta. The route through Dhana Sar serves as part of the most direct highway connecting Quetta with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and onward to Islamabad. The road winds through difficult mountain terrain, with steep ravines running alongside much of the highway, making it one of the most treacherous stretches for drivers in the entire region.
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of Operation Entebbe, Israel’s State Archives has unsealed thousands of pages of government documents chronicling the country’s handling of the 1976 Air France hijacking crisis.
The release, made through the Israel State Archives within the Prime Minister’s Office, includes complete transcripts of Cabinet and Security Cabinet meetings, records from a special security team formed under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, and files being made available to the public for the very first time. Officials described the collection as a comprehensive record of how the government managed the crisis from start to finish.
The documents follow the government’s decision-making process from the moment contact was first lost with the Air France flight following its layover in Athens, all the way through the rescue operation carried out one week later.
Cabinet records reveal that Rabin interrupted an ongoing government meeting to inform ministers that the aircraft appeared to have been hijacked. At that point, officials had learned the plane had touched down in Benghazi, Libya, but still had no information about who the hijackers were, what they wanted, or where the plane was ultimately headed.
When Eli Mizrahi, Rabin’s chief of staff, suggested that ministers stay on call for further updates that day, Rabin pushed back. “There is no need whatsoever for that,” Rabin said. “My intention is to hold the government of France responsible for the fate of the Israelis flying on the Air France plane and not to absolve the government of France from this responsibility.”
The newly released materials also include, for the first time, audio recordings of 26 phone conversations between Mizrahi and Rabin, the Foreign Ministry director general, and other senior officials during the hostage standoff. Also included are transcripts of five conversations between Col. Baruch Bar-Lev and Ugandan ruler Idi Amin.
Other documents in the release cover diplomatic exchanges with France and other nations whose citizens were on the hijacked plane, records tied to United Nations Security Council discussions following the operation, hundreds of letters written to Rabin after the rescue, expired-copyright photographs, files related to films made about Operation Entebbe, and materials honoring Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, commander of the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit, who lost his life during the raid.
One particularly striking document among the newly public files is an interview with hostage Yitzhak David, who was injured during the rescue. David recalled that being separated from the non-Israeli hostages brought back painful memories from his time as a Holocaust survivor.
President Donald Trump stated in a wide-ranging CNBC interview that Iran has come around to accepting nearly all of what the United States has demanded in peace negotiations, while characterizing Tehran as a dramatically weakened power.
Despite the optimistic tone, Trump offered no specifics about what concessions Iran had actually made. The talks are still in their early stages, with both sides still at odds over the Strait of Hormuz — the critical shipping lane that Iran shut down at the outset of the conflict, sending shockwaves through the global economy.
“We’re negotiating, and we’ll see,” Trump said during the interview.
Trump pushed back on characterizing the ongoing conflict as a traditional war, stating, “This is not a war per se. This is the denuking of Iran.”
He argued firmly that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, calling the country “a spoiled child” and labeling it “the bully of the Middle East.”
“You’ve had your way for many years with your parents, and all of a sudden they come down hard on you, it takes you a little while to get used to it,” Trump said. “They’ve had their way for 47 years.”
Throughout the interview, Trump painted a picture of Iran’s military as having been gutted. “They have no navy, they have no air force, they have no radar, their leaders are all dead,” he said. “Their strength is gone, their bravado is gone.”
He also pointed to a U.S. naval blockade as a driver of severe economic pain inside Iran, saying, “They have 300% inflation, they’re making no money.”
Trump defended the targeted killings of Iranian leadership figures, arguing the strikes had brought more level-headed individuals to power and amounted to a form of regime change.
“We’re on the third set of leaders, and we actually get along with them,” he said, referring to those who came to power following the strikes. “I think they’re much more rational. By the way, I think that’s regime change, but I’m not looking for regime change. I’m looking for something very simple. They cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
The president also repeated a claim he has made before — that under any future peace deal, Iran would buy agricultural goods from the United States.
“They’re making no money, so we’re going to take some of the money, and we’re going to buy them. They need food. They need corn and wheat and soybeans, and we’re going to have exclusively our American farmers provide,” Trump said.
However, Iran’s central bank governor, Abdolnaser Hemmati, told the Iranian news outlet Tasnim last month that “there is no obligation to buy agricultural inputs from the US,” pushing back on that assertion.
A bomb explosion at a cafe near the Palace of Justice in central Damascus claimed at least six lives and left 22 people injured on Thursday, according to Syrian authorities. The Interior Ministry said early findings point to an improvised explosive device that had been placed at the location, and no group has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the attack.
The blast struck close to one of the Syrian capital’s primary judicial buildings, a site that has drawn significant public attention in recent months due to landmark cases connected to Syria’s transition following the fall of the Assad regime. Authorities have not announced any evidence directly linking the bombing to those court proceedings, and the investigation remains active.
A source within the Ministry of Justice told The Media Line that all six people killed were lawyers. They were identified as Mohannad Khalaf, Mahmoud Shehab, Eid Mohammad, Fathi Al-Qabbani, Mohammad Shamali, and Hossam Al-Safadi. The source also noted that several of the injured were lawyers who had been working in the surrounding area.
The explosion is considered one of the most deadly security incidents to strike Damascus in recent months.
Damascus Governor Maher Marwan Edlbi told The Media Line that an investigation was launched immediately following the blast. He vowed that those responsible would be identified and held accountable in court, and made clear that such attacks would not succeed in destabilizing the capital or disrupting the functions of state institutions.
The Interior Ministry added that initial evidence does not point to a suicide bomber, and said security personnel are continuing to gather evidence and examine the scene in order to identify who carried out the attack.
Those who were wounded were transported to hospitals throughout Damascus. Nurse Amna Madour, working at Al-Mouwasat Hospital, told The Media Line that the majority of patients admitted to her facility had suffered shrapnel injuries. She said the nature of those wounds strongly indicated they were caused by an explosive device.
The Palace of Justice has recently served as the venue for criminal proceedings against Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of former President Bashar Assad. The court has also begun judicial proceedings against former Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun on allegations related to incitement and his conduct during the Syrian conflict.
Additionally, prosecutors have opened cases against former security official Atef Najib, who is alleged to have been involved in the arrest and torture of schoolchildren in Daraa in 2011 — an event widely considered to have been the catalyst for the Syrian uprising.
Political activist Wael Al-Khalidi told The Media Line that the location of the bombing could not be viewed as coincidental, given the symbolic weight the Palace of Justice has taken on in recent months. While acknowledging that the investigation is still underway, he suggested it was possible the attackers were remnants of the former regime.
Al-Khalidi described the courthouse as a symbol of hope for many Syrians who are seeking accountability for individuals accused of serious human rights violations. He argued the bombing may have been intended to frighten the public and erode trust in Syria’s transitional justice process, while also sending a message that forces opposed to accountability are still capable of carrying out violent acts.
He went on to say that any effort to intimidate judges, lawyers, or ordinary citizens would ultimately fall short, noting that Syria has entered a new political and judicial era in which accountability and the rule of law are fundamental to the country’s path forward. He said this moment calls for reinforcing judicial institutions rather than allowing violence to undermine them.
For many Syrians, the deeper meaning of the attack goes beyond the lives lost — it struck at a place that has come to represent the nation’s pursuit of justice in the aftermath of the Assad regime’s collapse.
Argentina edges Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time, advances to Round of 16
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Lionel Messi and Argentina survived a dramatic scare Friday, defeating Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time to advance to the World Cup Round of 16. The small island nation pushed the defending champions to the brink before Argentina pulled ahead in the 111th minute on an own-goal — a header by Cristian Romero that deflected off Cape Verde’s Diney Borges. Messi had opened the scoring earlier in regulation with his record-extending 20th career World Cup goal. Argentina will now face Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Messi extends record with 20th World Cup goal, leads Golden Boot race
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Friday’s match against Cape Verde marked the eighth straight World Cup game in which Lionel Messi has scored at least once, a new record for the Argentine captain. His 29th-minute strike was the 20th goal of his World Cup career, putting him two ahead of France’s Kylian Mbappé on the all-time list. Messi now has seven goals in this year’s tournament — one more than Mbappé — in the race for the Golden Boot. He has found the net 12 times across his last eight World Cup appearances. Argentina held on for a 3-2 extra time victory.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce marry at Madison Square Garden
NEW YORK — Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are officially husband and wife after exchanging vows at Madison Square Garden. Actor Adam Sandler officiated the ceremony, which drew a celebrity-packed crowd including Camila Cabello, Hugh Grant, and Gigi Hadid. The announcement came Friday evening, though many details — including photos of the couple’s outfits — have been kept private. Swift wore Cartier jewelry, and both she and Kelce dressed in Christian Dior Haute Couture. Dolly Parton was among those celebrating the newlyweds, even joking about their future children.
NFL stars show up for Kelce-Swift nuptials
NEW YORK — The guest list at Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s wedding included a who’s-who of the sports world. Among those spotted in New York were NFL players JuJu Smith-Schuster, Cooper Kupp, and Kareem Hunt — a current or former Kansas City Chiefs teammate of Kelce. Retired Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl champion Jason Kelce, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, and figures from golf and other sports were also expected to attend.
Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha leaves lasting World Cup impression
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Cape Verde’s debut World Cup run came to an end Friday with a 3-2 extra time loss to Argentina, but goalkeeper Vozinha and his teammates made a lasting mark on the tournament. The 40-year-old netminder had dreamed of his mother watching him play on the world’s biggest stage — and that dream came true. Vozinha made four elite saves against Messi during the run, and Cape Verde’s earlier scoreless draw against Spain turned heads worldwide. Despite not winning a match, the Blue Sharks earned $11 million from FIFA and won over fans with their heart and determination.
LeBron James weighing options as NBA free agency heats up
MIAMI — All eyes in the NBA remain on LeBron James as he considers his next move in free agency. While players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown have already changed teams, James has yet to make a decision. His agent, Rich Paul, appeared on the “Game Over” podcast and hinted at possible destinations including Philadelphia and New York, while emphasizing that James remains the face of the league. James, who turns 42 in December, is set to play his 24th NBA season — but it won’t be with the Lakers. Money is reportedly not his primary concern; he’s focused on finding a title-contending team that fits his lifestyle.
Caitlin Clark speaks out as WNBA players face rising online threats
NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark is among the WNBA players speaking out against a surge of social media harassment directed at players and teams across the league. The rise in attention brought by Clark, Angel Reese, and others has come with both positives — including a multi-billion dollar media rights deal, million-dollar salaries, and bigger crowds — and a troubling increase in online threats. While online hatred toward WNBA players is not new and has persisted for more than a decade, players and coaches say the threats tied to on-court incidents have recently grown worse.
Colombia beats Ghana 1-0, punches ticket to Round of 16
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jhon Arias scored early for Colombia on Friday night, and Los Cafeteros held on for a 1-0 victory over Ghana to advance to the World Cup Round of 16. Arias converted off a cross from Luis Suárez, who had just entered the match as an injury substitute. Colombia controlled possession throughout, while Ghana had little success generating offense. The win sets up a Tuesday matchup with Switzerland in Vancouver, British Columbia. Conditions at Arrowhead Stadium were brutal — 88 degrees Fahrenheit with a heat index of 96 at the 8:30 p.m. local kickoff.
US forward Balogun says red card was too harsh in World Cup win
SEATTLE — United States forward Folarin Balogun is respectfully pushing back on the red card he received during the Americans’ 2-0 World Cup victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Balogun was ejected Wednesday after stepping on the ankle of Tarik Muharemovic, but he said before Friday’s practice at Husky Soccer Stadium that a yellow card would have been the fairer call. The suspension means he will miss Monday’s Round of 16 clash against Belgium automatically, though he would be eligible to return for the quarterfinals if the U.S. advances. Balogun described the past several days as an emotional roller coaster.
Shohei Ohtani unlikely to pitch in MLB All-Star Game
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani is not expected to take the mound at the All-Star Game after the Los Angeles Dodgers shifted his pitching schedule. Ohtani had been working on a weekly Wednesday rotation, but the team moved his start to Friday to better manage his workload. Manager Dave Roberts said it would be difficult to envision Ohtani pitching on July 14 in Philadelphia, given that he is now slated to start July 10 against Arizona. Ohtani will still participate in the All-Star Game as the National League’s designated hitter starter, having led all players in the first round of fan voting.
Celebrations marking 250 years of American independence are in full swing across the nation. President Donald Trump took the stage at Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota on Friday, July 3, 2026, describing the Fourth of July as “one of the most extraordinary days in the history of the world.”
The holiday got an early start in New York City, where a ball drop in Times Square at midnight launched the July Fourth celebrations.
While Americans gathered to celebrate, dangerous heat became a major concern in many parts of the country. In Philadelphia, officials made the decision to cancel the Salute to Independence parade due to the sweltering conditions. Even on the National Mall in Washington, the Great American State Fair was forced to temporarily shut down for several hours during the early afternoon — despite more than 200 people already waiting in line for the Ferris wheel at the time.
NEW YORK (AP) — This Saturday, the Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest returns to mark the United States’ 250th birthday with a fittingly competitive celebration, following a turbulent year for the iconic eating competition and one of its biggest names.
The contest’s longtime sponsor, Nathan’s Famous, was purchased in January by packaged meat giant Smithfield Foods. Then, just a few months later, reigning men’s champion and record-holder Joey Chestnut found himself in legal trouble after being accused of slapping a man at an Indiana bar. He pleaded guilty in April to a misdemeanor battery charge.
Despite the offseason drama, the competition presses forward. Both Chestnut and Miki Sudo are expected to return Saturday to defend the titles they each claimed last year in the men’s and women’s divisions.
The rules are straightforward: competitors have 10 minutes to eat as many hot dogs and buns as they possibly can. Most contestants dunk the hot dogs in water beforehand to make them easier to get down.
Sudo is no stranger to the winner’s circle — she has claimed the women’s title 11 times and holds the women’s record with 51 hot dogs consumed. Chestnut has been even more dominant, winning the men’s title 17 times and setting the men’s record at 76 frankfurters.
Chestnut remains on probation stemming from the battery case but is permitted to travel outside of Indiana. His attorney has maintained that the bar incident was a misunderstanding and that Chestnut took responsibility for what occurred.
Major League Eating, the organization that runs the Nathan’s Famous contest, stated that the criminal case had no bearing on Chestnut’s ability to compete.
The contest has been a Coney Island tradition since 1972 and is held outside the original Nathan’s Famous restaurant in New York.
Small business owners at popular U.S. vacation spots are reporting a noticeable uptick in visitors this summer, as more Americans choose to stay closer to home rather than board a plane for an overseas adventure. Rising travel costs appear to be driving the shift, with families swapping international vacations for road trips, shorter stays, and home-cooked meals to stretch their budgets.
While the reports from business owners are largely anecdotal, the trend aligns with broader economic pressures. Higher airfares and gasoline prices have made getting away more expensive, and events like the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament and the United States’ 250th birthday celebrations are giving Americans extra reasons to explore their own backyard this season.
Motor club federation AAA projected that 72.2 million Americans would travel at least 50 miles from home between June 27 and this Sunday — a 0.5% increase over last year’s July Fourth travel window. However, nearly all of that growth is attributed to people choosing cruises, buses, and trains, with AAA forecasting essentially no change in the number of people driving or flying.
Tarik Dogru, an associate professor at Florida State University’s Dedman College of Hospitality, said a meaningful drop in overseas travel could actually benefit locally rooted businesses. When fewer Americans fly abroad or across the country, more of their vacation dollars stay in their own region, he explained.
“The current economic and tourism dynamics are likely to redirect spending toward small businesses, such as regional restaurants, local attractions, Airbnb hosts, and roadside businesses along drive routes that serve budget-conscious and close-to-home travel,” Dogru said.
If this pattern continues through the rest of the year, it could help narrow a travel and tourism trade deficit the U.S. has carried since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the National Travel and Tourism Office, Americans have spent more on foreign travel than international visitors have spent on U.S. travel-related goods and services every year since 2020.
Morgan Kain, a teacher from Baltimore, said her family is feeling the financial pinch firsthand. She, her husband, and their three children typically take several trips each summer, including a week at a Virginia lake house. Last year, the family spent six weeks traveling through Italy. This year, the plans are much more modest.
“This summer, we’re still doing a couple overnights and the lake house, but nothing else,” Kain said. “Things are crazy expensive, from travel costs to food costs to gas.”
Despite fuel prices running higher than a year ago, AAA noted that 85% of Independence Day week travelers were still expected to drive to their destinations, since road trips generally remain cheaper than flying.
Near Lake Tahoe, which sits along the California-Nevada border, multiple businesses said they’ve been seeing more visitors arriving by car from West Coast cities.
Ron Williams, owner of Tahoe Sports, admitted he was nervous heading into the season that economic worries might keep customers away from renting boats and Jet Skis. The price of boat fuel climbed during the Iran war, adding to his concerns. But so far, Williams said he is “pleasantly surprised with how well the business is doing across the board,” with future bookings running 10% ahead of where they stood at this time last year.
“I think people are probably sticking close to home, and being in Lake Tahoe, we have such a huge drive-up market,” Williams said.
Jerry Bindel, who manages three Lake Tahoe area rental properties for Pyramid Global Hospitality, said the summer rebound came as a relief after a slow ski season caused by an unusually warm winter with little snowfall. He also noticed a sign that visitors are watching their wallets — more guests are bypassing restaurants and instead cooking their own meals using the kitchens in their rental units or firing up the outdoor barbecue grills.
“We’re seeing a lot of additional use on those items this summer,” Bindel said.
In Asheville, North Carolina, small business owners have been working to rebuild tourism since Hurricane Helene and severe flooding devastated the city’s landscape, buildings, and infrastructure in September 2024.
Aubrey Anderson, who owns a river tubing business in Asheville, cut her summer staff from 100 employees down to 25 in the aftermath of Helene. But after reservations began picking up earlier this year and she started seeing “a lot of new people coming into town,” she felt confident enough to bring her workforce back up to 50 for Zen Tubing’s current season.
Many of those new faces are day-trippers driving in from South Carolina, Tennessee, and other parts of North Carolina to spend a few hours floating down the French Broad River for around $30 per person, Anderson said. After tubing, many visitors from across the region stop for a meal, visit a brewery, shop locally, or check out other attractions before heading home — which Anderson called “a win for Asheville as a whole.”
“We’re definitely seeing a lot of locals, so to speak,” Anderson said. “People are maybe skipping the long drive to the beach this year, and they’re kind of doing just something close by so that they can save a little money and still enjoy a family outing.”
In Asheville, factory tours at French Broad Chocolate have seen a surge this summer, according to Jael Skeffington, the chocolate maker’s CEO and co-founder. Visitors frequently stop in the on-site cafe for ice cream or coffee and pick up chocolates before leaving.
“So it’s good for business, but it also seems to be what people are looking for is something to do, not just something to eat — something to experience,” Skeffington said.
Meanwhile, soccer fans have been flocking to Kansas City, Missouri, along with other North American cities hosting FIFA World Cup matches.
Made in KC, a chain of four cafes and 11 shops selling locally made sauces, Kansas City-themed gifts, and sports fan merchandise, has experienced “really noticeable spikes of traffic” at all its locations during the tournament, according to co-owner Keith Bradley. World Cup-related items, including $40 hats featuring the colors of competing teams, have been especially popular. Bradley also noted that American tourists from nearby Midwestern cities — Des Moines and Omaha are each within a three-hour drive — appear to outnumber visitors coming from farther away.
“We have a couple locations that are in tourist parts of Kansas City. … But then we also have little shops that are just in suburban neighborhoods in Kansas City, and those have also seen World Cup traffic of people going to watch parties, people coming in town to go to the games, and then tourists just exploring Kansas City on their own,” Bradley said.
Mollie Lothman, co-owner of McLain’s Bakery, a family-owned cafe with five locations, said she believes Kansas City’s relatively affordable food and lodging costs compared to larger or more well-known host cities have worked in the city’s favor.
“We’re one of the smaller markets who got the World Cup in Kansas City, but we’re also probably one of the least expensive markets, in terms of family budgeting, to try to come and experience the World Cup,” Lothman said. “So I think that’s been a huge draw for people.”
TEHRAN, Iran — A multi-day funeral got underway Saturday in Iran for the country’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died at the age of 86 when an airstrike took his life at the outset of the war.
Officials placed Khamenei’s body in a glass-encased casket, which was put on display at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran, the nation’s capital. The sight drew tears from the large crowd of mourners who gathered to pay their respects.
Attendees carried banners and flags throughout the ceremony, while images of Khamenei appeared on billboards throughout the city. Groups of men performed the traditional Shiite mourning ritual of rhythmically striking their chests in grief.
“I am here to say goodbye to my beloved leader Ali Khamenei,” said Hananeh Mousavi, a 27-year-old who came to the funeral with her mother, tears streaming down her face. “I never expected to see such a day. I wish I had died before this tragedy.”
The outdoor stage constructed at the Grand Mosalla was designed to echo the stage where Khamenei once delivered speeches at a husseiniyah located at his compound in central Tehran — a site that was leveled in the Israeli airstrike that also claimed the lives of some of his family members on February 28, the day the Iran war began.
Iranian authorities are anticipating that millions of people will fill the capital’s streets, drawing comparisons to the massive crowds that turned out for the burial of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini back in 1989.
“We attended the funeral to show that we are all committed to defend our country and religion,” said Ali Kazemi, who traveled from the northwestern city of Tabriz — roughly 530 kilometers, or about 330 miles, from Tehran — to be present.
A massive public turnout could strengthen the Iranian government’s hand as it navigates ceasefire negotiations with the United States, with Iran seeking to use its grip on the Strait of Hormuz as leverage. Concerns also remain that Israel could launch additional strikes.
Iran’s government chose July 4th — the 250th anniversary of American independence — to begin the funeral proceedings. While officials made no public acknowledgment of the date’s significance, crowds at the Tehran ceremony chanted “Death to America!” — a slogan that has echoed through Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the subsequent U.S. Embassy hostage crisis.
Speaking at the same time before Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the situation directly. “We knocked the hell out of Iran,” Trump said. “They want to settle so badly. We gave them a week off for a funeral.”
Khamenei’s remains are set to be transported to multiple cities in both Iran and neighboring Iraq. Iranian authorities have closed streets, restricted airspace, and suspended normal daily activities in Tehran during the mourning period.
It is still unknown whether Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei — son of the late leader — will make a public appearance at the funeral. The elder Khamenei himself was seen weeping at Khomeini’s 1989 funeral, an event that marked the beginning of his decades-long iron-fisted rule over the country.
Israel has repeatedly threatened to kill Mojtaba Khamenei, prompting Iran’s joint military command to issue a warning Thursday urging both Israel and the United States “to avoid any miscalculation” in the days ahead.
As the United States turns 250 years old, Americans everywhere are taking a moment to think about what their country means to them on this historic semiquincentennial.
NPR member station reporters spread across the country reached out to people to hear how they are marking — and thinking about — this major national milestone.
While the nation’s capital is expected to serve as a central hub for Independence Day festivities, Americans in communities large and small are finding their own ways to observe the occasion, whether through lively public parades or quiet personal moments of reflection on the country’s long history.
Three people lost their lives and seven more were rescued Friday after a boat overturned on Geneva Lake during a powerful storm that tore through southern Wisconsin, according to a county official.
Tom Hausner, undersheriff for the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department, said the storm caused widespread damage across Walworth County — toppling trees, bringing down power lines, and damaging buildings. He added that many injuries were reported throughout the area.
Hausner said he did not have further details about those who died or the people who were rescued from the water.
Law enforcement in the city of Lake Geneva has taken over the investigation, Hausner said. Officials there did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Lake Geneva Mayor Todd Krause declared a local emergency following the storm. In a statement, he noted that one person suffered minor injuries after being struck by a falling tree, and that several parts of the city were dealing with power outages.
Hausner said the county’s 911 center was flooded with calls from residents reporting storm damage, people trapped inside buildings, and requests for assistance. He said deputies moved quickly to respond, but were slowed down by downed power lines and trees blocking roads throughout the area.
“Power lines are all over the place. We are urging people to stay away,” Hausner said.
He said his department reached out to neighboring counties and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for additional support.
Geneva Lake is a popular summer destination in southern Wisconsin, drawing visitors from the Chicago area and beyond. According to Hausner, the population of Walworth County — where the lake sits — nearly doubles on holiday weekends.
The storms, which moved through the Midwest on Friday afternoon and evening, forced multiple cities to cancel Fourth of July festivals and push back scheduled fireworks displays.
The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the Lake Geneva area, forecasting heavy rain Friday with showers expected to linger into Independence Day and a continued chance of storms throughout the weekend.
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is not expected to take the mound when the MLB All-Star Game kicks off July 14 in Philadelphia, thanks to a recent adjustment to his pitching schedule.
The four-time MVP has generally been taking the mound every Wednesday this season, but that routine was shifted this week. Ohtani instead started Friday’s contest against the San Diego Padres, giving him additional rest during a stretch of 13 consecutive games.
If he remains on his regular week of rest and makes his next start the following Friday, he would arrive at the All-Star break with only three days of rest — making his use as a pitcher highly unlikely.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who will be leading the National League squad at the All-Star Game, addressed the situation Friday. “I haven’t formally said it, but if you just kind of do the math, it would be hard to imagine,” he said. “But I don’t have to make that decision quite yet.”
Despite barely falling short of the innings threshold that would have made him fully ineligible, Ohtani, 31, ranked second in all of Major League Baseball in ERA heading into Friday at 1.58. Only Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski holds a better mark at 1.47, though Misiorowski is also unavailable to pitch at the All-Star Game since he is scheduled to start two days before it.
That opens the door for Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez, who carries a 10-3 record and a 2.00 ERA, to start the game in his home ballpark as the likely NL representative.
Even without a pitching role, Ohtani will still be a major presence at the All-Star Game. He led all players in the first round of fan voting and is slated to serve as the NL’s starting designated hitter. At the plate this season, he has posted a .291 batting average with 18 home runs and 50 RBIs across 80 games.
The National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey has issued an Extreme Heat Warning effective from 10:53 PM on July 3rd through 8:00 PM on the evening of July 4th.
The warning covers the region during what is typically one of the busiest outdoor holidays of the year. Residents planning to attend Fourth of July celebrations, cookouts, or fireworks events should be aware of the dangerous heat conditions expected throughout the day.
Health officials generally advise that during extreme heat events, people should drink plenty of water, wear lightweight and light-colored clothing, and limit strenuous outdoor activity — especially during the hottest parts of the afternoon. Those without air conditioning are encouraged to seek out cooling centers.
Extra attention should be given to elderly residents, young children, and pets, who are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness. Never leave children or animals in parked vehicles.
Residents should monitor updated forecasts from the National Weather Service as the holiday approaches.
An Extreme Heat Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service out of Mount Holly, New Jersey, covering the area through much of the Fourth of July holiday.
The warning took effect late Thursday night at 10:53 PM EDT on July 3rd and is set to expire at 8:00 PM EDT on Friday, July 4th.
Residents are encouraged to stay hydrated, limit time outdoors during peak heat hours, and check on elderly neighbors, young children, and pets during the dangerous heat event. If you do not have air conditioning, consider visiting a cooling center in your area.
Officials typically remind the public that extreme heat is one of the leading weather-related causes of death in the United States. Taking simple precautions can be life-saving during conditions like these.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani’s chances of taking the mound at this year’s All-Star Game on July 14 appear slim, following a schedule change made by the Los Angeles Dodgers to protect his arm.
Ohtani, who excels both as a pitcher and a hitter, had been making his starts primarily on Wednesdays. However, the Dodgers pushed his outing back to Friday this week as part of an effort to manage his workload during a demanding stretch of 13 games in 13 days.
When asked whether that change effectively ruled out an All-Star pitching appearance, manager Dave Roberts offered a candid assessment on Friday: “I haven’t formally said it, but if you just kind of do the math, it would be hard to imagine. But I don’t have to make that decision quite yet.”
Roberts is set to lead the National League squad at the All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
Ohtani is already locked into the starting lineup as the designated hitter. He topped all vote-getters in the first round of fan balloting, drawing 3,341,257 votes overall.
While the right-hander is also a strong contender for a spot on the NL pitching staff, Philadelphia left-hander Cristopher Sánchez appears to be the most likely starting pitcher given the home-field setting. Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski leads all of baseball with a 1.45 ERA, but his turn in the Brewers’ rotation falls two days before the All-Star Game, which would leave him unavailable for the contest.
Heading into Friday night’s start against San Diego, Ohtani ranked second in the majors with a 1.58 ERA.
After Friday’s outing, Ohtani is slated for one more regular-season start before the break — on July 10 at home against Arizona. That would leave his arm with just three days of rest before the All-Star Game, a timeline the Dodgers appear unwilling to risk.
Roberts also acknowledged that Ohtani hasn’t been at his sharpest lately. “Shohei hasn’t had his best stuff recently and that’s the truth,” the manager said. “The fastball command hasn’t been what it was earlier in the season, the sweeper hasn’t been the same.”
Ohtani has been dealing with soreness in his left knee as well as a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Still, Roberts offered some encouragement before Friday’s game: “He feels good, the body feels good. The knee feels as good as it’s felt in quite some time, so that’s encouraging.”
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene is ready to return to the mound, with the right-hander scheduled to make his first appearance of the season Saturday evening against the Baltimore Orioles.
Greene has been on the shelf since March, when he underwent a procedure to remove bone chips from his throwing elbow. The recovery kept him out of action for several months before he began working his way back through the minor leagues.
During his rehabilitation, Greene made three starts across two minor league levels, covering 14 1/3 innings without allowing a single run. He struck out 13 batters, gave up just five hits, and issued only two walks during that stretch.
His most recent outing came Sunday for Triple-A Louisville, where he tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings, surrendering just one hit while striking out four and walking nobody. He threw 82 pitches in that start.
Reds skipper Terry Francona indicated the team has no plans to hold Greene back when he takes the hill Saturday. “I think he’s strong enough (and) stretched out enough, healthy enough, where we’re going to get him back, not just in name only, but in production also,” Francona said.
Greene, 26, was selected second overall by Cincinnati in the 2017 draft. Over four major league seasons, he has shown glimpses of elite talent, compiling a 25-29 record with a 3.65 ERA across 91 career starts, while racking up 617 strikeouts in 495 2/3 innings pitched.
Last season, Greene went 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts, though he was slowed by groin injuries. The year before that, he posted a 9-5 record with a 2.75 ERA over 26 starts and earned a spot in the National League All-Star Game.
The Reds are hoping Greene can remain healthy and team up with fellow right-hander Chase Burns to form a formidable one-two punch at the top of their rotation. Burns, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft, has been one of the best pitchers in the National League this year, going 10-1 with a 2.40 ERA in 17 starts. The 23-year-old has struck out 116 batters in 97 2/3 innings.
Seattle Mariners All-Star center fielder Julio Rodriguez is heading to the injured list after taking a throw directly to the back of his helmet during Thursday’s game, the team announced Friday.
Rodriguez, 25, was struck by a throw from Nolan Schanuel during the first inning of Seattle’s 1-0 home victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Despite the blow, Rodriguez remained in the game and even advanced to third base on the play. Manager Dan Wilson and head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson came out to check on him, and Rodriguez continued playing center field through the top of the second inning before eventually making his way to the clubhouse. He was removed from the game in the third inning.
On Friday, the Mariners officially placed Rodriguez on the seven-day concussion injured list. As part of the corresponding roster moves, Seattle called up utility player Miles Mastrobuoni from Triple-A Tacoma and shifted right-handed pitcher Cooper Criswell, who is dealing with a right shoulder strain, to the 60-day injured list.
Rodriguez, a three-time All-Star selected in 2022, 2023, and 2025, is batting .259 this season with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs across 87 games. The 2022 American League Rookie of the Year has put together a career batting average of .272, with 126 home runs and 381 RBIs over 677 games.
Mastrobuoni, 30, has appeared in eight games with Seattle this season, going 5-for-23 at the plate with one RBI for a .217 average. Over 202 games spread across parts of five seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, and Mariners, he holds a career batting average of .230 with two home runs and 22 RBIs.
Argentina’s path to the World Cup Round of 16 was anything but smooth Friday evening in Miami, as the reigning world champions required an extra-time own goal to outlast a gutsy Cape Verde squad 3-2 in front of 64,478 fans at a steamy Miami Stadium.
Cape Verde, competing in their very first World Cup, made history just by reaching the Round of 32 — and nearly made more of it by pushing the three-time world champions to the absolute limit. The African nation came back from a goal down not once, but twice, stunning the overwhelming majority of the packed crowd into silence.
The decisive moment came six minutes into the second period of extra time, when Lionel Messi whipped a corner kick into the box. Cristian Romero rose to meet it and headed the ball home off the arm of Cape Verde’s Diney Borges, sending Argentina through to face Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Messi had opened the scoring in the 29th minute — his seventh goal of the tournament — when Lisandro Martinez lifted a long ball over the Cape Verde defense and into the feet of the 39-year-old star. Messi controlled it with the outside of his left boot and finished it into the roof of the net for his 20th career World Cup goal across six tournaments.
Cape Verde refused to fold. Deroy Duarte drew the sides level just before the hour mark, finishing off a pass from captain Ryan Mendes with a composed strike — controlling with his left foot and drilling past the goalkeeper with his right.
Argentina appeared to have settled it early in the first period of extra time when Lisandro Martinez unleashed a stunning shot into the top of the net to make it 2-1. But Cape Verde left back Sidny Lopes Cabral answered with a curling effort into the top corner to level things at 2-2 and keep his nation’s dream alive.
Even after the decisive own goal, Lopes Cabral had a chance to equalize again from a free kick, but Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez produced a sharp save to preserve the win in the closing moments.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who was overseeing his 100th match leading the national team, acknowledged the difficulty of the contest. “The match was incredibly tough. You always have to take the positive, and it’s that this team never gives up,” he said. “I want to congratulate our opponents, today they showed they are a great team. When it is said there are no easy matches in the World Cup, it’s true.”
For much of the game, Cape Verde libero Kevin Pina was arguably the standout player on the field, and Argentina — Messi aside — struggled to break down a disciplined and organized Cape Verde defense. The island nation had frustrated Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia with draws during the group stage, and they brought that same never-say-die mentality into this match.
Cape Verde coach Bubista was emotional but proud following the defeat. “I’m proud of my team, the work they’ve put in,” he said. “We must take pride in what we’ve done for our country. To be able to play the way we did against the world champions, and to draw level twice, is something incredible.”
Ranked 67th in the world heading into the tournament and the only World Cup debutant to advance past the group stage, Cape Verde returns home having left a lasting impression on the global soccer stage. “More than anything, we must be proud of what we’ve achieved,” Bubista added. “This World Cup has done justice to our efforts. It has shown our character. It’s a shame to lose, but it was incredible.”
Mike Trout is closing in on a comeback from a hamstring injury, and the Los Angeles Angels star is hoping to be back on the field in time for the upcoming All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
Trout has been on the injured list since June 17, when he strained his right hamstring while running the bases in a game against Arizona. On Friday, he went through his regular pregame workout routine before the Angels kicked off a series against the Boston Red Sox, and he expects to take some swings on the field this weekend.
The 34-year-old said he is confident he could return to game action early next week — a timeline his manager Kurt Suzuki did not push back on.
“He looks good,” Suzuki said. “I saw him today when I first came in. He was working out. He was obviously on the road trip, doing his thing. He’s getting really close. Really, really close.”
Trout has not yet been officially named to the All-Star roster for the game at Citizens Bank Park, but the two-time All-Star Game MVP is widely anticipated to earn a spot in the AL starting outfield — what would be his 12th All-Star selection.
The honor carries extra weight this summer. Trout was raised in Millville, New Jersey, just 40 miles outside of Philadelphia, making the home crowd feel like a homecoming of sorts.
The three-time AL MVP last participated in All-Star festivities back in 2019. Injuries prevented him from playing in the game despite being selected from 2021 through 2023, and a knee injury cut his 2024 season short before he was not chosen at all last year.
This season, Trout has largely stayed healthy for the last-place Angels, putting together a team-best .866 OPS along with 17 home runs and 36 RBIs across 74 games.
He indicated last week that he plans to skip the Home Run Derby in an effort to protect his health heading into the second half of the season.
The international governing body for chess handed down a suspension of at least one year to former world champion Vladimir Kramnik on Friday, following his unproven public accusations of cheating against other players — including Daniel Naroditsky, who passed away last year at the age of 29.
Kramnik had targeted Naroditsky with cheating allegations last year and continued to voice those suspicions on social media. Naroditsky, a gifted American grandmaster who played a major role in bringing chess to a wider online audience through educational YouTube videos and livestreams, rejected the claims before his death.
In an email to The Associated Press, Kramnik confirmed he intends to challenge the suspension through an appeal.
“I am absolutely confident that this unlawful verdict will ultimately be overturned, and I intend to pursue all necessary instances to the very end in order to restore justice and, in particular, my reputation,” Kramnik wrote in a social media post.
According to the chess federation, Kramnik publicly made cheating accusations without “adequate evidentiary support,” which it said violated its rules prohibiting cyber bullying.
The federation acknowledged that fighting cheating is among its top priorities, but stressed that any such accusations must go through proper procedures and be backed by solid evidence.
“He exposed identifiable players to unjustified reputational harm and undermined the safeguards established by the disciplinary framework,” federation representatives stated in their ruling.
Naroditsky was discovered dead at his North Carolina home in October. A toxicology report determined he died from an abnormal heartbeat brought on by an accidental overdose.
Before his death, Naroditsky had spoken openly about the impact Kramnik’s accusations had on him. “Ever since the Kramnik stuff, I feel like if I start doing well, people assume the worst of intentions. The issue is just the lingering effect of it,” he said during his final livestream.
Kramnik described Naroditsky’s death as a tragedy, while also claiming that a cynical effort had been made to connect him to Naroditsky’s passing without any factual basis.
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday granted pardons to 11 people, among them nine individuals who faced federal charges for tampering with vehicle emissions systems, a former associate of convicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and a ranch owner with a post-conviction record the White House described as exemplary.
Earlier in the day, Trump previewed some of the pardons on his Truth Social platform, though he did not name any of the individuals at that time.
“It is my Great Honor to have just signed Pardons for six people who were persecuted by the Biden Administration, and were in, or being sent to, prison, for ‘fixing their car,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!” he added.
When the White House released the full list Friday evening, it confirmed pardons for nine people tied to violations of the Clean Air Act — specifically for disabling emissions monitoring equipment on vehicles or selling devices that allow emissions systems to be circumvented.
The pardons follow an action Trump took earlier in the week, signing a memo directing the Environmental Protection Agency to allow Americans to modify their own vehicles as they choose. During that signing, Trump referenced a diesel mechanic he had pardoned the previous year for disabling emissions monitoring systems. The memo also dealt with aftermarket auto parts and would override the authority of the California Air Resources Board to assess parts that impact vehicle emissions.
The White House said Trump had “relieved consumers from these regulatory burdens” through the pardons.
Also among those pardoned Friday was Adam Kidan, who had been a business partner of lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Kidan entered a guilty plea in 2005 on charges of fraud and conspiracy connected to the acquisition of a fleet of gambling boats. He was sentenced the following year to nearly six years behind bars.
That case was part of a sweeping investigation into a lobbying scandal from the early 2000s that touched Abramoff, Capitol Hill, the Interior Department, and officials within President George W. Bush’s administration.
After his release from prison in 2009, Kidan moved into the staffing industry, eventually founding a company called Chartwell Staffing Solutions. He currently serves as president of Empire Workforce Solutions, according to the White House.
Newsday reported in March that Kidan was one of the organizers of a fundraiser held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on behalf of a Long Island Republican running for Congress.
A request for comment sent to Kidan’s business had not received a response by Friday evening.
Trump also pardoned a ranch owner named Jack Harvard, pointing to his strong record since his conviction and noting that Harvard allows U.S. military and NATO troops to conduct training exercises on his property at no cost. The White House did not provide further details about Harvard’s original conviction.
Friday’s pardons are consistent with a broader trend during Trump’s second term of using the executive power of clemency to benefit political allies, public figures, and others seen as ideologically aligned with his administration.
Argentina escaped with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Cape Verde in their World Cup last-32 showdown on Friday in Miami, with the decisive moment coming in the 111th minute when an own goal sealed the win for the reigning champions.
Lionel Messi got Argentina on the board first, finishing off a long ball played in behind the defense by Lisandro Martinez to open the scoring.
Cape Verde fought back and drew level in the 59th minute when Deroy Duarte fired a low shot to equalize, pushing the match into extra time.
Martinez then put Argentina back in front at 2-1, heading home from a corner kick during the first half of extra time.
Cape Verde refused to quit, however, as Sidny Cabral produced a stunning curling strike from outside the penalty area in the 103rd minute to level the score once again at 2-2.
The winner finally came in the 111th minute when Cristian Romero met a Messi corner with a header that deflected off Diney Borges and into the net, going down as an own goal and sending Argentina through to the next round.
President Donald Trump signed pardons for 11 people on Friday, according to a White House official. Nine of those pardoned had been convicted of violating the Clean Air Act by altering or disabling the emissions control systems on trucks.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to highlight six of the men, characterizing their prosecutions — which took place during President Joe Biden’s administration — as punishment for simply “fixing their car.”
The move comes as Trump’s administration has already taken significant steps to roll back environmental regulations. Earlier this year, in February, the administration reversed a scientific determination that greenhouse gas emissions pose a danger to human health, and it also did away with federal emissions standards governing tailpipe pollution from cars and trucks.
Among the others receiving pardons on Friday was Adam Kinan, who serves as vice chairman of the Staffing Advisory Group. Kinan had been sentenced to prison back in 2006 alongside his business partner, Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, after both were convicted of wire fraud.
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark stepped forward Friday to condemn the rising tide of hostility being directed at players throughout the WNBA, calling out harassment aimed at herself, her teammates, her coaches, and even opposing players.
Clark’s remarks came after nearly a week of fallout following Indiana’s June 24 matchup with the Phoenix Mercury, during which Alyssa Thomas made contact with Clark’s throat. Thomas was later handed a one-game suspension. In the aftermath, Thomas revealed she had been subjected to death threats and racist abuse — a disclosure that sparked a broader conversation about player safety and the state of online behavior surrounding the league.
“The harassment, the hate. None of that is OK,” Clark stated. “That goes for the opposing teams we play, that goes for my teammates, that goes for my coaches.”
Clark acknowledged that scrutiny of on-court performance is a natural part of professional athletics, but she drew a firm line at attacks targeting a player’s character or personal identity.
“There should never be question of character,” Clark said. “That’s truly what I believe, that’s how I was raised. So, none of that is OK and I don’t want anyone to experience that.”
Fever head coach Stephanie White also spoke out against the atmosphere surrounding the situation, pointing to a troubling rise in what she described as “toxicity, racism, homophobia” and other forms of hateful commentary, especially across social media platforms.
Clark also expressed frustration that the incident continued to dominate sports coverage days after the game took place, saying it was doing a disservice to the rest of the league.
“When I turned the TV on Sunday, and that game was on Wednesday and that’s all people were talking about,” Clark said. “I feel like that’s such a disservice to the rest of our league.”
The WNBA has been expanding its player safety efforts in recent seasons, introducing tools designed to track and respond to online threats, along with increased mental health support resources for players.
As for Clark’s playing status, she remains out due to a back injury. She did practice on Friday and expressed optimism about returning soon, though she will not be available when the Fever travel to face the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. Through 17 games this season, Clark is averaging 21.2 points, 8.2 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game.
Veteran NBA center Andre Drummond is heading to the New York Knicks, agreeing to a one-year contract worth $3.9 million, according to reports that surfaced Friday.
The 32-year-old Drummond, who will turn 33 next month, is set to take over for Mitchell Robinson, a dependable defender who spent eight years in New York and was a key contributor to the squad that claimed the 2026 NBA Finals title.
Drummond brings considerable experience to the Knicks, having suited up for six different franchises across 14 NBA seasons. He spent the first seven and a half years of his career with the Detroit Pistons before moving on to five other teams throughout the league.
Most recently, Drummond played for the Philadelphia 76ers, where he averaged 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds over 63 games last season, including 25 starts.
For his career, the two-time All-Star has posted averages of 12.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocked shots across 967 games, with 688 starts. His 1,197 career blocked shots place him eighth among currently active NBA players.
Travelers along Elderon Drive at the Loop should be prepared for intermittent lane closures as construction work continues in the area.
According to traffic officials, the lane restrictions are expected to remain in place until 12 p.m. Drivers are encouraged to use caution when passing through the construction zone.
No detour information was immediately available, but motorists are advised to allow extra time for their commute and remain alert for construction crews and equipment in the roadway.
Taylor Swift and NFL tight end Travis Kelce have officially wed, a spokesperson confirmed on Friday, July 3.
Rather than a traditional wedding party, the couple chose to keep things in the family. According to the spokesperson, “Taylor & Travis did not have bridesmaids or groomsmen. Instead, her brother Austin Swift served as Taylor’s Man of Honor and Jason Kelce was Travis’ Best Man.”
The spokesperson also revealed that the couple had a familiar face lead the ceremony, stating, “The ceremony joined both families together and was officiated by friend Adam Sandler.”
The Toronto Maple Leafs wasted no time getting their newest star under contract, signing first overall draft pick Gavin McKenna to a three-year entry-level deal on Friday — just seven days after selecting him at the top of the NHL draft.
The team gave McKenna the highest salary permitted under the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Under the current structure, entry-level contracts max out at $1.025 million in the first year, $1.075 million in the second, and $1.125 million in the third.
According to The Athletic, McKenna is also eligible to earn as much as $1 million in Schedule A bonuses and up to $2.5 million in Schedule B bonuses each season. Those bonuses are tied to on-ice performance goals and individual honors such as All-Star Game selections and postseason award recognition.
The 18-year-old McKenna had been widely viewed as the clear-cut top prospect heading into the draft following a dominant debut season at Penn State. Playing left wing, he racked up 51 points — 15 goals and 36 assists — across just 35 games as a freshman.
McKenna also suited up for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships, contributing 14 points (four goals and 10 assists) in seven games as Canada claimed the bronze medal.
Originally from Whitehorse, Yukon, McKenna joins a short list of players taken first overall by Toronto. The only other Maple Leafs players to hold that distinction are Wendel Clark, selected in 1985, and Auston Matthews, chosen in 2016.
A swimmer was bitten on the foot in what authorities believe was a shark attack Friday at a New York City beach, leading officials to temporarily shut down swimming at the location.
The incident took place at Jones Beach State Park Field 6, where the victim sustained lacerations to their foot. Lifeguards responded right away, and the injured swimmer was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Officials say the injuries were not life-threatening.
The attack at Jones Beach came just one day after multiple shark sightings were reported at other beaches in New York City and on Long Island.
After the bite was reported, swimming was halted so that officials could conduct a search of the water for sharks and other potentially dangerous marine life. After approximately one hour of searching with no sharks found, swimming was permitted to resume — though it was limited to wading no deeper than waist height, according to the New York City Parks Department.
On Thursday, New York City officials reported several shark sightings at Rockaway Beach in Queens, which triggered a series of temporary beach closures. The city’s Emergency Management office issued a public warning about the closures and encouraged beachgoers to follow instructions from lifeguards.
Further east, lifeguards at a Long Island beach spotted a shark Thursday in the waters off Point Lookout and immediately cleared people from the ocean. Both Point Lookout and the neighboring Hempstead beaches were also temporarily closed to swimmers following that sighting.
The surge of beach activity — and the heightened attention to shark sightings — comes as record-breaking heat continues to blanket the eastern United States, pushing large numbers of people toward coastal waters.
Authorities have increasingly turned to drones to scan the water for sharks, which experts say has made sightings more frequent. However, while sharks are a common presence in waters off the U.S. coastline, actual bites remain quite rare.
Gavin Naylor, who leads the shark research program at the Florida Museum of Natural History, told The Associated Press that globally there are between 60 and 80 confirmed unprovoked shark bites each year. He noted that it is extremely unusual for two or more people to be bitten in close proximity to one another.
PORTLAND, Maine — The co-owner of a Maine lumber mill has succumbed to injuries he received during a catastrophic fire and explosion at his family’s facility, pushing the total number of deaths connected to the disaster to three.
Alden J. Robbins passed away Thursday from injuries he sustained in the May 15 fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, according to statements released Friday by Maine Gov. Janet Mills and the Robbins family. The fire sent massive columns of black smoke rising into the sky and required a response from hundreds of firefighters dispatched to a rural area of the state.
Two firefighters had previously died from injuries sustained while battling the blaze — Searsmont Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Woodbury, 76, and Andrew Cross, 27, of the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department. Ten people were injured in total, including Robbins’ daughter Lily.
The Robbins family released a heartfelt statement about their loss. “Alden was the heart of our family in so many ways, and nothing mattered more to him than the people he loved,” the family said. “Throughout his battle, he fought with extraordinary courage and determination, holding on so that his family could have precious time with him. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by those who loved him.”
Investigators are still working to determine the full circumstances of the fire, though authorities have confirmed it was accidental and started at the base of a silo. The Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office reported that a rapid ignition of particulate material triggered an explosion inside the silo, causing it to lift off its concrete base and release large quantities of sawdust and other materials. The silo then fell over, and the surrounding area was quickly consumed by flames.
Gov. Mills described Robbins as a longtime leader in Maine’s lumber industry, calling him “a devoted steward of one of our state’s most storied businesses.” She also expressed her condolences to his family. “My heart is with his family, including his father and former company President James Robbins, Alden’s wife, Amy, and their six children,” Mills said. “I ask Maine people to join me in keeping the Robbins family and all impacted by this tragedy in their hearts and in their prayers during this difficult time.”
Delaware State Police have arrested a 46-year-old Hockessin woman, Neha Gour, following a child abuse investigation tied to a Newark childcare facility.
The investigation was launched in late April 2026 by the Delaware State Police Criminal Investigations Unit after a child abuse allegation surfaced at the Delaware Technical Community College Stanton Childhood Development Center, located at 400 Stanton-Christiana Road in Newark.
The case came to light when a mother brought her young son in for medical care after noticing bruising on his wrist. As detectives reviewed the evidence, they determined that Gour — who was working as a teacher at the facility at the time — picked the 3-year-old up by the neck and placed him in a chair, causing the child to cry and reach for his neck. Investigators further found that Gour then grabbed the child forcefully by the wrist and pulled him to a different part of the classroom. Based on their findings, detectives secured an arrest warrant for Gour.
On June 30, 2026, Gour voluntarily surrendered at Troop 6. She was charged with Child Abuse Third Degree, a felony offense, and was subsequently arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court before being released on her own recognizance.
