Here are today’s top headlines.
Headlines
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are exchanging vows today at Madison Square Garden in New York City before a reported 1,000 guests in what has been described as “America’s royal wedding.” The couple held a 100-person rehearsal dinner at MSG’s Infosys Theater Thursday evening; security locked down surrounding blocks and the New York National Guard was deployed outside the venue. Source
Active-duty Air Force Maj. Jason Watson was arrested Wednesday on the Capitol steps after publicly calling for President Trump and Vice President Vance’s impeachment and removal, the first known active-duty officer to do so. Capitol Police said Watson refused lawful orders to stop demonstrating in an area that prohibits public protest without a sitting member of Congress; he was escorted to the steps by Rep. Al Green before the lawmaker departed, triggering the arrest. The Air Force secretary said an investigation would proceed. Source
A powerful heat dome has placed more than 160 million Americans under heat alerts, with heat index values forecast to reach 112°F in Washington and 108°F in New York by Friday — conditions that have forced the delay of the National Mall’s America 250 celebration gates and prompted Energy Secretary Chris Wright to declare an emergency for the PJM electrical grid. Amtrak canceled more than a dozen Northeast trains Thursday due to track heat restrictions. Find out More
Politics
Freedom 250 organizers announced Thursday that gates to the Washington Monument grounds would not open until 5 p.m. Saturday due to extreme heat, with Trump’s scheduled remarks pushed to 9:45 p.m. White House officials have privately expressed concern about turnout after his appearance at a National Mall event last week drew a smaller crowd than expected, CNN reported. Find out More
A Roll Call analysis finds that most constitutional and immigration law experts believe the Supreme Court’s majority opinion in Tuesday’s birthright ruling requires a constitutional amendment — not mere legislation — to limit citizenship for U.S.-born children of undocumented or temporary-visa-holding parents. While Justice Kavanaugh’s concurrence left a narrow legislative door open, analysts said no other justice endorsed that view in writing. Link
Growing frustration among House Republicans over internal party divisions has derailed progress on a third reconciliation bill that was supposed to include Pentagon funding and voting-reform incentives, with Speaker Johnson sending lawmakers home early and the August recess approaching, making passage by month’s end extremely unlikely. Trump has expressed private anger at the impasse, The Hill reported. Read More
U.S. News
Parades, concerts, and fireworks displays have been canceled or postponed in communities from New Jersey to Pennsylvania as heat index values approach 110°F, with officials citing public safety. The U.S. Army Field Band concert at Philadelphia’s Independence Mall was scrapped Thursday, as were parade routes in Norristown, Haddon Township, and multiple other municipalities, though Trump’s Salute to America 250 fireworks show on the National Mall remains scheduled. Find out More
U.S. Olympic canoeist David “Davey” Hearn was indicted Thursday by a Washington grand jury on a destruction of property charge related to alleged damage to the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool liner. Several others have also been charged in connection with the incident, which Trump had cited without evidence as intentional vandalism in remarks that drew criticism from legal observers. Link
The Food and Drug Administration has elevated a recall of Zapp’s and Dirty brand potato chips to its Class I designation — the most serious category — due to possible salmonella contamination. Consumers who have purchased affected bags are urged to discard them immediately and not consume them, the FDA said. Link
Business
Global stock markets traded mixed Friday as U.S. markets remained closed for the Independence Day holiday, with Asia’s chip stocks attempting a recovery after a sharp two-day selloff; the Dow closed at a record 52,900 Thursday after a weaker-than-expected June jobs report drove traders to dial back bets on September rate hikes. South Korea’s Kospi surged more than 4%, with SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics rebounding sharply. See Details
The June nonfarm payrolls report showed employers added only 57,000 jobs — less than half the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 115,000 and the second straight month of slowing growth — though the unemployment rate dipped slightly to 4.2% as more workers left the labor force. Economists cited tighter immigration controls and accelerating baby boomer retirements as structural headwinds compressing the workforce. Find out More
The average regular gasoline price reached $3.85 as of Thursday morning, the highest level heading into a July 4 weekend since 2022, when the national average was $4.80, per AAA data cited by Axios. Elevated energy prices have been linked, in part, to disruptions in Middle East oil flows tied to the war in Iran and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. See Details
Market Report
| Symbol | Last Close | % Change | |
| Dow Jones | DJIA | $46,341.51 | 2.49% |
| S&P 500 | SPX | $7,483.24 | 0.00% |
| Nasdaq Composite | IXIC | $25,832.67 | -0.80% |
| Alphabet Inc. | GOOG | $356.18 | -0.48% |
| Tesla, Inc. | TSLA | $393.45 | -7.49% |
| Apple Inc. | AAPL | $308.63 | 4.84% |
| Microsoft Corp. | MSFT | $390.49 | 1.62% |
World News
Iran began seven days of funeral ceremonies today for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, with his coffin displayed at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla ahead of processions across Iran and Iraq through July 9. Authorities expect 15 to 20 million mourners to attend, while the IRGC’s top general made his first public appearance in months, and U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations paused for the week. See Details
Russian forces launched a large-scale overnight attack on Kyiv with drones and missiles Thursday, striking residential buildings and causing multiple casualties, Ukrainian authorities reported. The assault came during a period of intensified Russian aerial operations across the country and drew condemnation from European allies. Link
Iran and Oman have proposed a formal fee-collection arrangement for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, NBC News reported Thursday, citing sources — a dramatic shift from the pre-war era when ships transited without charge. The proposal surfaces as U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations paused in Doha for the weeklong Khamenei funeral; Qatar said discussions would resume “at the earliest possible time” after ceremonies conclude. Find out More
Entertainment
Angel Studios released “Young Washington” today, a PG-13 historical drama directed by Jon Erwin depicting George Washington’s early military career during the French and Indian War, with Kelsey Grammer as Lord Fairfax and Ben Kingsley as Lieutenant Governor Dinwiddle. The Hollywood Reporter’s review found the film “stodgy” but noted its timing ahead of America’s 250th anniversary as its clear marketing hook. See Details
The Television Academy announced its 2026 Hall of Fame class: Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, actress Jean Smart, actor Ted Danson, documentary producer Sheila Nevins, “South Park” co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and late journalist Ed Bradley (posthumous). The inductees will be enshrined August 13 at Televerse 26, the TV Academy’s flagship festival. Read More
Apple TV+’s dystopian thriller “Silo” returns for its third season today, one of the week’s headline streaming arrivals. Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” continues to dominate theaters, holding No. 1 domestically with $70 million in its second weekend for a $297 million domestic total, while Warner Bros.’ “Supergirl” opened to a softer-than-expected $38 million, per The Hollywood Reporter’s box office report. Find out More
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, scored his first World Cup knockout-stage goal Thursday as Portugal rallied to beat Croatia 2-1 in a match that will be remembered for a controversial late offside call that wiped out a potential Croatia winner. Separately, Spain delivered a dominant 3-0 win over Austria — their most complete performance of the tournament — with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring twice and Pedro Porro adding a goal to punch their ticket to the Round of 16. Source
Following the trade for Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, the Philadelphia 76ers are making a push to sign free agent LeBron James. Source
Off the Wall
An English National Soccer Team fan who vanished while on his way to watch the World Cup was found two weeks later in a pub in Barcelona. Read More
