These are today’s top stories.
Headlines
President Trump traveled to Medora, North Dakota, aboard the newly retrofitted Boeing 747-8i— marking Air Force One’s inaugural flight under his administration. Trump presided over the grand opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, where he signed the Great American Outdoors Act Reauthorization and interacted with an AI hologram of Roosevelt. Source
A life-threatening heat dome has pushed heat indices above 100°F across the Midwest and East Coast, with some interior areas expected to feel as hot as 110–115°F through Thursday and Friday. Amtrak warned of possible train slowdowns, cities opened cooling centers, and the U.S. Department of Energy declared an energy emergency to prevent grid blackouts. Source
The Trump administration announced Wednesday it will not renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement in its current form, ending a six-year review process and opening a decade of renegotiation that could expire the pact by 2036. The move is a sharp reversal for Trump, who signed and once called the deal “the greatest trade agreement ever made.” Read More
Politics
Two Biden-appointed federal judges blocked the Trump Education Department from implementing new restrictions on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that would have barred workers at groups deemed to have an “illegal purpose” from receiving debt relief. The rulings came just one day before the new eligibility rules were set to take effect, following lawsuits from more than 20 states and nonprofit coalitions. Find out More
Following the Supreme Court’s defeat on birthright citizenship, the Trump administration is considering new immigration moves, including restricting visas for pregnant foreign nationals and pursuing congressional legislation, according to Politico. Trump vowed on Truth Social to work with Republicans in Congress to “end expensive and unfair Birthright Citizenship” through legislation. Read More
Democratic Senator Michael Bennett of Colorado became the latest high-profile establishment figure to lose a primary to a progressive opponent when he lost a gubernatorial primary to state Attorney General Phil Weiser. Source
A 45-minute Trump speech scheduled for the National Mall on July 4, combined with the Freedom 250 group’s plan for an unprecedented 40-minute fireworks display with 850,000 shells, has thrown the evening’s timeline into serious flux — with a midnight or later start for fireworks not out of the question. With temperatures expected to top 102°F and inauguration-level security in place, organizers are warning of cascading delays throughout the night. Find out More
U.S. News
A decomposing body was found by an exterminator in the chimney of P.S./I.S. 113 Anthony J. Pranzo in Glendale, Queens, after a school custodian reported a foul odor just days after summer break began. Police found the adult male’s remains and are investigating whether the victim may have been a construction worker, as the building has been under renovation. Read More
The FBI says some Nancy Guthrie ransom notes may be legitimate as the search for her whereabouts continues. Source
The Trump Justice Department is threatening to take states to court to overturn gun control laws. Read More
Business
U.S. stock futures edged lower Thursday morning as markets braced for the June nonfarm payrolls report, the week’s most anticipated economic data point. The move followed Wednesday’s mixed session, in which the Nasdaq dropped 0.66%, led by a sharp selloff in semiconductor stocks — with Micron, AMD, and Intel each falling more than 6–10% — while Meta surged 8.8% after announcing plans to launch a cloud business. Source
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh told reporters Wednesday that inflation expectations have eased but reaffirmed the central bank’s commitment to price stability, effectively cooling Wall Street’s hopes for near-term rate cuts. The remarks came alongside private-sector hiring data showing ADP payrolls grew by only 98,000 in June, below consensus expectations. Find out More
Bending Spoons, the Italian software company behind AOL and Vimeo, surged 42% in its first trading session on the Nasdaq on Wednesday after opening at $31 per share, well above its $29 IPO price. The Milan-based firm’s strong debut signals renewed investor appetite for European tech amid a volatile market environment. Read More
Market Report
| Symbol | Last Close | % Change | |
| Dow Jones | DJIA | $36,000.00 | 0.00% |
| S&P 500 | SPX | $4,500.00 | -0.20% |
| Nasdaq Composite | IXIC | $14,000.00 | 0.00% |
| Alphabet Inc. | GOOG | $357.89 | 1.29% |
| Tesla, Inc. | TSLA | $425.30 | 1.12% |
| Apple Inc. | AAPL | $294.38 | 1.73% |
| Microsoft Corp. | MSFT | $384.28 | 3.02% |
World News
Former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, the only declared candidate to replace resigned Prime Minister Keir Starmer, laid out plans to decentralize power from Westminster in his first major policy speech — including establishing a “No. 10 North” hub in Manchester. Burnham is expected to formally take office around July 20 if his leadership bid goes unchallenged. Source
Venezuela’s death toll from the June 24 twin earthquakes has climbed to at least 2,295, with more than 11,200 injured and tens of thousands still unaccounted for, according to the National Assembly. The U.N. has procured 10,000 body bags and warned of a deepening humanitarian catastrophe as hope fades of finding survivors in the rubble. Read More
South Africa deployed thousands of police officers after anti-immigration demonstrations erupted in multiple cities, leading to violent clashes and property destruction. The protests, which have been building for weeks amid economic discontent and resentment toward migrant communities, have now spread from Johannesburg to other major urban centers. Source
Entertainment
Victor Willis, co-founder and original frontman of the Village People, died June 30 after a short but aggressive illness, his wife confirmed on social media. Willis co-wrote the group’s biggest hits, including “Y.M.C.A.,” “Macho Man,” and “In the Navy,” and had performed at Trump’s pre-inauguration rally just last year; President Trump paid tribute, calling Willis “a great and happy guy.” See Details
King Charles calls for a rare family dinner ahead of Harry’s visit to the UK. Find out More
Sources have informed TMZ that Taylor Swift’s wedding celebration is being split into two events on July 3 — the formal ceremony and a separate mega-reception — and they will not both take place at Madison Square Garden. The evening’s festivities kick off Thursday with a rehearsal dinner for roughly 100 guests, with the full 1,000-plus guest celebration at MSG to follow Friday. Source
Sports
The U.S. men’s national team delivered a historic 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the World Cup round of 32 in Santa Clara, with goals from Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman, earning the program’s first World Cup knockout round victory in 24 years. Balogun’s dramatic first-half goal was followed by a controversial red card in the 64th minute, but 10-man Team USA held firm as Tillman sealed it with a stunning free kick in the 82nd minute. Find out More
Three of the tournament’s most storied nations take the field Thursday, with Spain facing Austria in Los Angeles, Portugal meeting Croatia in Toronto, and Switzerland taking on Algeria in Vancouver. The day features a marquee clash between Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric in what could be a final chapter for two of soccer’s all-time greats on the World Cup stage. Source
The Boston Celtics traded star Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and multiple draft picks in a move that stunned the basketball world. Read More
Off the Wall
A British running club’s 10 members squeezed into a single multi-person caterpillar costume and attempted to break a Guinness World Record by completing a half-marathon together. The synchronized team effort drew cheers from spectators along the route in what officials described as an impressively coordinated — if incredibly uncomfortable — athletic achievement. Source
