July 3 (UPI) — The Great American State Fair was temporarily shut down Friday due to extreme heat as temperatures in Washington, D.C., reached 100 degrees.
Freedom 250 announced Friday afternoon that the event on the National Mall was suspended until 5 p.m. Friday due to the heat, which reached 100 degrees at 2 p.m. Friday with a heat index of 111.
“The safety and well-being of our guests, volunteers, performers, vendors, and staff is our highest priority. Conditions are expected to improve later this afternoon, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back at 5:00 p.m. as preparations continue for this evening’s festivities,” Freedom 250 said on social media just before 1:30 p.m.
A follow-up post confirmed the gates would reopen at 5 p.m.
Friday evening’s events at the fair include performances by Hugo Castillo, Mickey Smith Jr. and Grace Moody Miller.
“Complimentary water distribution stations will be available throughout the fair site, with food and beverages available for purchase,” organizers wrote.
July 3 (UPI) — The Justice Department on Friday called on states to investigate whether businesses and individuals are artificially inflating gas prices amid complaints from President Donald Trump that costs are too high.
Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. along with Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson sent a letter to state attorneys general asking them to join federal investigators in probing potentially illegal practices.
“Recent volatility in crude oil prices does not suspend either the antitrust laws or state consumer protection laws, and it does not authorize companies to manipulate retail prices or collude with their competitors,” the letter read.
“We also encourage State Attorneys General to use all tools available under your state laws to investigate and prosecute any misconduct causing unjustified prices increases — particularly conduct that violates state antitrust and consumer protection statutes.”
Gas prices have been on the rise since late February when the United States and Israel began attacks on Iran. Tehran, in return, largely shut down the Strait of Hormuz to traffic, crippling the the transport of oil through the waterway. About one-fifth of the world’s gas supplies pass through the strait.
An agreement between the United States and Iran reopened the strait, but Trump took to Truth Social on June 23 to complain that gas prices had not dropped fast enough.
“The big Oil Companies are not dropping their price at the pump commensurate with the sharply lower prices they are paying for Oil,” he wrote. “Those prices are dropping like a rock! In other words, customers are being ‘gouged.’
“I have instructed the DOJ to immediately start looking into this. Gasoline prices better start going down a lot faster than what I’m seeing!”
AAA reported Friday that the current national average gas price was $3.82 per gallon for regular gasoline, down from $4.26 a month prior. One year ago, it was $3.16 per gallon.
July 3 (UPI) — The 2026 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest introduced this year’s slate of competitors, including 17-time champion Joey Chestnut, at a weigh-in ceremony Friday.
The Friday ceremony at the flagship Nathan’s Famous location in Coney Island, Brooklyn, introduced the 14 men and 10 women who will compete to see who can eat the most hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes at Saturday’s annual Fourth of July contest.
Chestnut, a 17-time champion and the current holder of the coveted Mustard Belt, predicted he will emerge victorious again this year.
“I’m hungry, and I’m going to dominate,” Chestnut, who downed 70.5 hot dogs in last year’s contest, said at the weigh-in.
Miki Sudo, the reigning women’s champion with 11 titles to her name, also predicted a repeat of her 2025 performance, where she finished 33 hot dogs and buns.
“It’s hot, but I’m bringing the heat,” she said. “I was born for this.”
The field of competitors this year features eaters from across the United States, as well as eaters from Britain, Australia and the Czech Republic.
July 3 (UPI) — Authorities in Pennsylvania’s Berks County declared a mass casualty incident when more than 100 people waiting to see a train were treated for heat-related symptoms.
A crowd of thousands gathered Thursday afternoon at the Reading & Blue Mountain Railroad Outer Station in Muhlenberg Township to glimpse Big Boy, the world’s largest steam-powered locomotive, which is currently on tour for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
The train’s arrival was delayed for more than an hour as local temperatures climbed to 106 degrees.
Berks County 911 started to receive 911 calls about 1:30 p.m., and ambulances and firefighters from surrounding counties were summoned to assist.
More than 100 people were treated for heat-related maladies, and 45 of those were transported to local hospitals. One patient went into cardiac arrest, but was resuscitated before being transported to hospital.
Officials said children and the elderly made up the majority of those affected.
Big Boy rolled through the station around 2:30 p.m., before continuing on toward Philadelphia.
WASHINGTON — Festivities commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence from Great Britain kick into higher gear across the United States on Friday as celebrations are balanced with efforts to stay safe as much of the country bakes under extreme heat.
President Trump will travel to South Dakota to deliver a speech and watch fireworks at Mt. Rushmore. And in a novel twist, there will be a ball drop in New York City’s Times Square at midnight to usher in the July Fourth holiday with much the same revelry that is typically reserved for New Year’s Eve.
The activity culminates in the main event Saturday, when fireworks will erupt in communities across the U.S., along with backyard cookouts and block parties. Trump will deliver another speech at the National Mall in Washington before what is being billed as a historically massive fireworks show.
But for all the celebrations, there are also serious safety considerations as potentially record heat grips much of the Midwest and East Coast. Officials have warned those celebrating the holiday to stay hydrated and take air-conditioned breaks as needed.
The heat has already affected some of the programming surrounding the holiday. In Washington, organizers of the Capitol Fourth concert banned the public from attending a Thursday rehearsal because of the heat.
The concert Friday, a staple of Washington’s Independence Day traditions, is on, but the gates will open to the public later than usual, at 7 p.m. EDT, an hour before the show. Organizers of celebrations in Washington on Saturday said they were adding water stations along with cooling resources and medical support.
From Boston to Norristown, Penn., and Gettysburg National Military Park, plans were shifting to accommodate the soaring temperatures. Amtrak canceled some trains in the Northeast due to excessive heat that could affect the tracks.
The holiday is unfolding at a unique time in the U.S. The anniversary has served as an opportunity for the country to reflect on its history while also reminding it of the political polarization of the moment.
Even the celebrations themselves have not quite escaped the divide.
Freedom 250, an organization aligned with the White House, has come to rival America250, a bipartisan group founded by Congress a decade ago. Freedom 250 has organized much of the activity in Washington, including the Great American State Fair, which has gained attention for the relatively small crowds it has attracted. America250 is behind the ball drops unfolding in many cities, including New York, and will host a concert in Los Angeles on Saturday.
About 4 in 10 U.S. adults feel “proud” about the country’s 250th anniversary, according to an April survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Roughly 3 in 10 said “excited” describes their emotions.
Sloan writes for the Associated Press. Associated Press writers John Hanna in Topeka, Kan., Michael Casey in Cambridge, Mass., and Calvin Woodward in Washington contributed to this report.
July 3 (UPI) — The Louisiana Supreme Court granted a stay on state Attorney General Liz Murrill’s indictment, less than 24 hours after a grand jury approved charges.
The New Orleans grand jury charged Murrill, a Republican, with 16 felony counts of malfeasance in office and public intimidation related to alleged threats contained in a letter she sent to Orleans Parish leaders in May.
The letter allegedly threatened recipients, including Democratic Mayor Helena Moreno and District Attorney Jason Williams, that they could lose their positions if they opposed a new law to combine New Orleans’ criminal and district clerks of court. The eliminates the position of newly-elected Clerk of Court Calvin Duncan, a Democrat.
The Louisiana Supreme Court halted the criminal proceedings Friday morning, citing potential conflicts of interest tied to special prosecutor Laurie White’s past actions representing Duncan.
The court’s ruling also questioned reports of incidents during the grand jury proceedings, including allegations that journalists were forcibly removed from the proceedings in handcuffs.
“While the record before this Court is undeveloped, there is considerable support for the view that the Attorney General is likely to succeed on the merits of a motion to quash this indictment on either a legal basis or due to apparent procedural irregularities,” The Hill quoted the ruling as stating.
“The Attorney General makes a compelling argument concerning the disturbing defects in the grand jury proceedings and in the trial court’s handlings of those proceedings. This indictment appears to turn the law on its head and flows from what appear to be extraordinary procedural defects and improprieties.”
Murrill praised the development in a statement posted to social media.
“I’m grateful to the Louisiana Supreme Court for swiftly issuing a stay in this matter. The constitution and laws of Louisiana impose a wide swath of duties on the Attorney General. I will continue to carry out those duties to the best of my ability,” she wrote. “This matter is not over. I will still need to file the necessary motions to seek a dismissal, which will be forthcoming.”
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, R, had earlier pledged to pardon Murrill.
“I would like to inform the great citizens of Louisiana who care about the rule of law, that our fabulous Office of the Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill will not have to worry about having her reputation tarnished by this kangaroo grand jury or the Orleans Kangaroo court as I will pardon her as fast as the law allows. The criminal justice system is a circus at its finest in Orleans and we will not have any of that,” he wrote on social media.
Federal and local authorities have been investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who was last seen at her Arizona home on Jan. 31, 2026, around 9:45 p.m. Photo courtesy Pima County Sheriff’s Department/UPI
July 3 (UPI) — A California man has pleaded guilty to sending phony ransom requests to the family of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie, who has been missing for five months, federal prosecutors said.
Authorities have been investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie as a kidnapping and ransom scheme since she was reported missing from her Arizona home on Feb. 1.
In his plea deal, announced Thursday, 42-year-old Derrick Callella of Hawthorne, Calif., admitted to calling and texting a demand for a bitcoin transfer to a member of Nancy Guthrie’s family on Feb. 4, while acknowledging that he knew there had been an earlier ransom demand.
He also admitted that he meant to harass the family by seeking information about the 84-year-old woman and the investigation into her disappearance.
Authorities have said that Callella is not connected to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
After Nancy Guthrie went missing, her adult children, including Savannah Guthrie, posted a video to social media urging the kidnappers to contact them.
According to the complaint, not long after the video was published, two people identified in the document as A.C. and A.C.’s husband, T.C., who are believed to be Annie Guthrie, one of Nancy Guthrie’s daughters, and Tommaso Cioni, separately received text messages, stating: “Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction.”
Authorities said the messages were sent with the use of voice-over-Internet-protocol and a smartphone application that allows users to obtain a separate phone number for the device other than the one they were assigned.
Despite the efforts to obfuscate the origin of the text messages, authorities were able to trace the messages back to Callella in California, the complaint states.
The FBI arrested Callella a day after the text messages were sent.
When sentenced, Callella faces up to a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 for each of the two counts of harassment using a telecommunications devices he pleaded guilty to.
Callella pleaded guilty amid renewed interest into the case following reports stating authorities believe notes from the purported kidnappers claiming Nancy Guthrie had died were legitimate.
On Wednesday, the FBI’s Phoenix field office appeared to be undercutting those reports, issuing a statement stating that some of the ransom notes they have received over the course of their investigation have not been legitimate.
July 3 (UPI) — A man, identified by Tibetan exile media as a Tibetan activist, died Thursday evening after setting himself on fire outside the United Nations’ headquarters in Manhattan, authorities said.
Video of the incident posted online shows the man dressed in robes and holding a Tibetan flag, which he places on a pole that keeps it erect, before he is seen flicking an apparent fire starter and becoming engulfed in flames.
Responders arrived with extinguishers more than a minute later and putting out the fire. The man had crumpled to the ground.
Voice of Tibet, a Tibetan exile media outlet, identified the man as Tibetan activist Lobga Rangzen who self-immolated after “a live appeal for Tibetan independence and unity.”
Gonpo Dhundup, a Tibetan exile parliamentarian, said in an online statement that the man made “the ultimate sacrifice through self-immolation to protest China’s occupation of Tibet and its repression of the Tibetan people.”
Rangzen was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police, the New York Post reported.
UPI has contacted the New York Police Department for comment.
China has controlled Tibet since 1951 and views the region as having been an integral part of Chinese territory since ancient times. The Chinese Communist Party considers the Tibetan independence movement to be one of the so-called Five Poisons that threaten its territorial claims, along with Taiwanese independence and Chinese democracy movement.
The International Campaign for Tibet, a Washington, D.C.-based human rights group, called Rangzen “a tireless advocate for Tibet who devoted himself to peacefully raising awareness of the human crisis in Tibet.”
The organization said in a statement that Rangzen had in his final statement warned that “China’s policies threaten the very survival of Tibetan identity, language and culture, and called on all Tibetans to be united in their fight for the cause of the Tibetan struggle.”
Self-immolation is not an unprecedented form of Tibetan protest.
According to the International Campaign for Tibet, a Washington, D.C.-based human rights group, 159 Tibetans have self-immolated in Tibet, China and in exile since 2009.
This is a developing story.
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Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Back in November 2024, TWZ broke a story about a series of incursions over U.S. bases in England by drones of mysterious origin. While the source of these uncrewed aerial vehicles does not appear to have been officially determined, a new report suggests they were launched by Russian ships.
Produced by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the report investigated a spate of drone incursions across Europe that began in August 2024 and found that “it is highly likely that the Kremlin conducted a UAV campaign over Europe.”
“We assess it is likely that Russian-linked vessels and the ‘shadow fleet’ were used as launch/recovery platforms for UAVs as part of the Kremlin’s wider unconventional war on Europe,” the report added.
This report assesses that it is highly likely the Kremlin conducted a coordinated Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) campaign over Europe between August 2024 and February 2026, spanning a dozen NATO states and Ireland.
It is also likely that Russian-linked vessels and the shadow… pic.twitter.com/pGRtWRHPtE
— IISS News (@IISS_org) July 2, 2026
Investigators rely heavily on circumstantial evidence and open-source information. TWZ cannot independently confirm these findings, which offer new insights, if not concrete answers, about who could have been behind the flights.
The drone incursions over the bases we were the first to write about were among the earliest in the wave over Europe investigated by IISS. Around this same time, there were also flights over Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the report notes. We covered those incidents as well.
As we reported at the time, drones of an unknown origin were first spotted over RAF Lakenheath and then over RAF Fairford, RAF Feltwell, and RAF Mildenhall.
The report makes particular note of the importance of RAF Lakenheath, which is being readied to host nuclear weapons, a topic we previously covered.
“A public appeal for information drew roughly 170 reported sightings, about half of which were deemed credible, either corroborated by multiple witnesses or backed by imagery that couldn’t be explained away as ordinary air traffic.”
“Operational security appeared sophisticated,” IISS posited. “The UAVs entered the airspace around the RAF bases at low altitude with their lights visible and departed at higher altitudes. Arrival and departure directions varied across the incident period.”
Witness reports “indicate more than one platform type may have been involved,” the report proffers. “Some observations were consistent with multirotor UAVs; others with fixed-wing platforms. The propulsion noise of the UAVs was inconsistent across accounts, with some observers describing sounds more typical of petrol engines than electric motors.”
“Notably, the Hav Dolphin, a vessel later linked to a 2025 drone incident in Germany, happened to be docked in the UK at the time,” the investigators found.
That vessel was one of many either operated by Russia as part of its so-called “dark fleet” of sanctioned ships, or those connected to Russia, that the report goes into great detail to link to drone incursions throughout Europe after the incidents at U.S. bases there. The report describes these vessels as “Russian-linked commercial vessels, including shadow-fleet tankers, coastal freighters, and smaller craft.”
IISS suggested that the Russian Orlan-10 drone could have been one of the platforms used during the incursions.
“Orlan-10, a compact, multi-purpose UAV in service with Russian Armed Forces since 2010, has a range and payload profile consistent with stand-off collection against coastal and inland targets and fits the deck space of a mid-sized commercial vessel,” IISS stated.
“Commercial specifications for the platform, including those published by Russian geospatial firms using the Orlan-10 for civilian aerial survey operations, document an operational range of 500 kilometers, endurance of up to 12 hours, and speeds of 90–130 km/h, performance parameters consistent with maritime launch from a vessel operating well beyond visual detection range of the European coastlines in question.”
Moreover, “the Orlan-10’s power is an internal combustion engine, a detail that may be relevant in light of witness accounts from November 2024 incidents at RAF Lakenheath, where propulsion noise was described by some observers as more characteristic of petrol engines than the electric motors typical of consumer and first-person view (FPV) drones.”
In addition, the Orlan-10’s available payloads “include a satellite navigation spoofing module and a Global System for Mobile Communications network monitoring module alongside optical and thermal sensors, indicating the Orlan-10 family has active electronic warfare capability as well as passive ISR.”
The Orlan-10 has been widely used as an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance drone by Russia in its ongoing war on Ukraine. Given that, however, using it for a clandestine operation like this seems very strange. The report critically recognizes this, stating “the use of identifiable Russian UAV platforms carries inherent attribution risk.”
“An alternative, and operationally credible, hypothesis is that commercially available or modified platforms were used precisely to preserve deniability, including long-range [first-person view] FPV systems, home-built fixed-wing aircraft or commercial UAVs modified to use cellular rather than radio frequency (RF) communications,” IISS added.
Russia uses ‘Orlan-10’ drones to help detect and attack Ukrainian military positions
The think tank acknowledges that its maritime-launch hypothesis “rests on a convergence of opportunity, demonstrated capability and a consistent geographic pattern — but no European government has yet publicly tied a specific shadow-fleet vessel to a specific incident, despite officials suggesting privately that they could. The rest of this report treats the maritime-UAV link as the most plausible explanation for where and when the incidents occurred, while acknowledging that confirming it will require evidence that isn’t yet public.”
This is not the first time Russia was accused of being behind the drone incursions.
In February 2025, the U.K.-based The i Paper made similar allegations in its investigation, however, they suggested the flight could have been carried out by Russian operatives on the ground.
That investigation spurred some politicians to call for further investigation.
“Julian Lewis, the former Tory Chair of the Defense Select Committee said: ‘When the US and British authorities detected the drone intrusions at both airbases last November, they stated that investigations were underway,’” the outlet reported. “‘Meanwhile, there is credible evidence here of the possible presence of GRU-linked operatives near Lakenheath and Mildenhall. I shall be asking Ministers to consolidate the findings of all these investigations and to make a Statement in the Commons as soon as possible.’”
Tom Tugendhat, the former Security Minister, told The i Paper that the findings “demand urgent investigation by the MOD and UK intelligence services.”
Still, the MoD investigation into the RAF Lakenheath incidents concluded with no suspects identified, according to the Bury Mercury newspaper.
Less clear are results from investigations into the other three bases involved.
“The UK takes the security of military bases seriously and works closely with allies, law enforcement partners and other authorities to protect Defense people, sites and capabilities,” the U.K. MoD told us Thursday morning when we asked about the allegations made by IISS that the Russians were likely behind the drone incursions and for their assessment of who was operating them.
“Through the Armed Forces Bill, we’re giving our defense personnel greater powers to defeat drones threatening our bases and we have invested significantly in counter-drone capabilities. We continue to strengthen our ability to detect, deter and respond to potential threats,” MoD added.
MoD declined to provide further details, saying it “does not comment on intelligence matters or on the specific security arrangements at Defense sites.”
We also asked U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa (USAFE) whether the IISS allegations about Russian involvement in these events were accurate.
“We can confirm small Unmanned Aerial Systems activity took place over several of our UK installations in 2024,” a spokesperson told us. “These events were monitored, and it was determined there was no impact on personnel or operations.”
“Due to operational security, we cannot speak to intelligence matters,” the spokesperson added. “We continue to work closely with our UK partners to ensure the safety and security of our installations.”
The command said it is working on a response to our question about who was behind these incursions, but that it would not be ready before the July 4 holiday.
The issue of drone incursions is not unique to Europe, as we have frequently reported. There have been numerous incursions at military installations across the U.S., including some near the water, like Langley Air Force Base in December 2023 that The War Zone was the first to report. More recently, Barksdale AFB in Louisiana, home of B-52 strategic bombers and nuclear weapons, experienced a similar series of very troubling incursions. Off the cost of California, American warships were swarmed sporadically for days in the summer of 2019. There are many other examples, as well, and as is case in Europe, it remains publicly unknown who operated those drones in all those instances.
The IISS report does not go into any of the cases outside of Europe. It does, however, clearly point the finger at Russia as the culprit behind the drone overflights that have bedeviled Europe, including U.S. bases in England and Germany.
Contact the author: howard@twz.com
1st Lt. Franklin H. McKinney is shown in a photo provided by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. McKinney’s remains were identified May 15, nearly 82 years after his plane vanished on a mission. Photo courtesy of the DPAA
July 2 (UPI) — A young World War II pilot who disappeared during a flight in1944 has been accounted for, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced Thursday.
The remains of 1st Lt. Franklin H. McKinney, 21, of the U.S. Army Air Forces were identified May 15, nearly 82 years after his plane vanished on a mission, the agency said.
McKinney was a pilot with the 35th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron, 14th Air Force, the announcement said. On Nov. 5, 1944, he left a U.S. base on a reconnaissance mission from Yunnanyi, China, over Burma and Thailand.
“Photo reconnaissance work by the 35th and the intelligence derived from it helped turn the tide of the war in China,” an Air Force article on the squadron noted.
McKinney, who was flying an F-5 Lightning aircraft, failed to return from the mission. Personnel from the American Graves Registration Service searched along his planned flight path to the Chinese/Thailand border, but found no sign of a crash, the DPAA report said.
His remains were not recovered immediately after the war, and his name was engraved on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
McKinney’s personnel profile on the DPAA website says that a wartime report from the Royal Thai Air Force Museum later led researchers to new information. The report said that a plane was hit by lightning, exploded and crashed in a wooded area in Lampang Province, Thailand, near the time McKinney’s aircraft vanished.
In 2018, the profile said, third-party researchers found a crash site in the region that they matched with McKinney’s plane. In 2022, a recovery team excavated the site and found human remains. Modern forensic techniques eventually identified them as McKinney’s.
The pilot’s family will be briefed by the DPAA, CBS News reported. A rosette will be added next to his name on the Tablets of the Missing. McKinney will be laid to rest with full military honors.
McKinney’s home of record is listed as Rhode Island. This does not necessarily mean he from the state, but that he joined the service there, the DPAA said.
The agency is a department within the U.S. Department of Defense. It identifies its mission as providing “the fullest possible accounting for our missing personnel to their families and the nation.”
monsitj/iStock via Getty Images
Gold futures gained Thursday after a weaker-than-expected June employment report pressured the U.S. dollar and cooled near-term expectations for rate-tightening from the Federal Reserve.
Only 57K non-farm jobs were added in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, well below analyst forecasts
July 2 (UPI) — The couple who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building’s spire to hang a flag and get engaged was arraigned and released Thursday morning.
Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov were charged with burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief and criminal tampering for trespassing in a nonpublic area of the building and scaling the spire, ABC News and the New York Daily News reported.
The couple has made a name for themselves with a series of dangerous climbs around the world, but making it to the top of the Empire State Building gained national attention — and they were arrested when they climbed down.
“These activities continually create a risk to their own lives, as well as the lives of New Yorkers and first responders,” Assistant District Attorney Anthony Giliberti told reporters.
Prosecutors told the court that they believe the duo observed a security door to the building’s 104th floor with a broken lock, accessed it and climbed to the top of the spire.
Although Kuznetsov’s father said that they had already been officially married — and that the proposal at the top of the building was just a stunt — after hanging a flag at the top of the spire, Ivan got down on one knee and asked Nikolau to marry him.
Nikolau and Kuznetsov have been released on supervised bail ahead of their trial.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Mauricio Pochettino’s team continues to do things in this summer’s World Cup that no U.S. team has ever done before.
Its three wins are the most in a single tournament. So are the 10 goals in four games. It has the best goal differential ever and its two shutouts ties a record.
Yet all that means absolutely nothing to the players.
“They’re great milestones,” captain Tim Ream said. “But I don’t think anybody’s even once mentioned the different things that we’re doing. We’re focused on what we’re doing daily on the training ground, because that puts us in the best possible position to to put these performances.
“So yeah, not aware or even worried about records that we’re breaking.”
Well, except for maybe one.
With Wednesday’s gritty 2-0 over Bosnia and Herzegovina, a game the U.S. finished with just 10 men, the Americans won a game in the World Cup knockout stage for just the second time. That sends them on to a round-of-16 meeting with Belgium on Monday in Seattle where a win would be — you guessed it — historic.
“It’s cool and it’s great and it’s an accomplishment,” midfielder Weston McKennie said of the records. “But at the same time, we have high expectations for ourselves. That’s what we expect of ourselves, what we expect of our team.
“We just want to focus on Belgium now and continue to try to make history.”
That chore got a good deal more difficult because of an unwanted team record that was also set Wednesday. When Folarin Balogun scored a goal late in the first half then drew a red card early in the second, he became the first American — and third player ever — to get one of each in the same World Cup knockout game.
“Cool record,” defender Chris Richards said.
But while the goal, Balogun’s third of the tournament, proved to be all the U.S. needed to beat Bosnia, the red card — which cannot be appealed according to U.S. Soccer — means he’s suspended for the game with Belgium.
“It’s just so unfortunate, honestly,” Christian Pulisic said. “Looking back at it, it seems so harsh. I just told him he’s done so much for us, and now we’ve got his back.”
The red card came in the 64th minute with the U.S. protecting a 1-0 lead built on Balogun’s goal just before the intermission. The American striker was battling hulking Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic for a loose ball when he inadvertently raked Muharemovic’s right calf with his studs up, then landed on his ankle, twisting it awkwardly.
Brazilian referee Raphael Claus did not flash either card before stopping play at the behest of the video assistant referee. But after consulting a slow-motion reply, Claus gave Balogun a red card for a dangerous challenge.
“For me, never is this a red card,” said Pochettino, now the winningest U.S. coach in World Cup history. “Watching after on TV, never was [it his] intention to step up on the player. That was a normal action in football.”
Maybe. But Claus sent Balogun off just the same, leaving the U.S. to protect a one-goal advantage for the final 30 minutes while playing a man down. It was probably the sternest test the Americans have faced in the tournament.
“It would be easy to have an excuse if they did score,” McKennie said. “But that’s not the type of team we are.”
For Ream, the challenge was actually no challenge at all.
“Would it be weird if I downplayed this and said [I] wasn’t even fazed by it?” he said. “It didn’t feel like we were down a man. We were still able to carve out chances and we were still able to keep hold of the ball. Everybody knew their roles.
“It felt really calm and felt really, really easy and simple for us in that moment.”
And that allowed another hero to shrug off the pain of his own wounds and step up big.
Early in the second half a Bosnian player stomped on Malik Tillman, shredding his boot and cutting his right foot (but not drawing a red card). During the hydration break, Tillman was able to change shoes and in the 82nd minute, his white sock turning red with blood, he found himself standing over a free kick just outside the Bosnian penalty area.
“I’ve been dreaming about this game. I’ve been dreaming about, yeah, maybe taking a free kick and scoring,” said Tillman, who bent the ball off the gloved right hand of Bosnian keeper Nikola Vasilj and into the net for his first World Cup goal. “I trained for this in our practices and then it actually came true.”
So did the team’s dreams of reaching the round of 16, only now they’re arriving without their leading scorer, who will have to watch the Belgium game from the stands. Balogun’s absence, however, creates opportunity for others, with Haji Wright and Ricardo Pepi the most likely candidates to take his place.
And if this U.S. team has proven anything, it’s proven that it loves nothing more than embracing opportunities to prove people wrong.
“We’re going to miss him for the next game but we know that if it’s Pepi or Haji, whoever, is going to step up next and they’re going to do the job just as well as he did,” Richards said of Balogun. “One thing about this team is we’re really a big family and we’re shown it this whole tournament.
“Coming in, there was a lot of question marks about our whole team in general. Game by game we started to put ourselves right. Because we knew we had it the whole time.”
July 2 (UPI) — As the United States heads into a milestone July 4 holiday this weekend, parts of the Northeast are preparing for hazardous levels of heat and humidity, with a heat index of more than 110 possible in some places.
“‘It’s summer, it’s hot,’ ” the National Weather Service posted on social media this week. “We hear ya, but this is no ordinary heat.”
The NWS said the weekend could include “widespread highs within the mid-90s to low-to-mid-100s.”
“Numerous daily temperature records are possible, while warm overnight lows in the 70s and 80s will provide little relief,” the NWS said.
Major to extreme heat risk conditions will prevail across the Midwest — where temperatures soared mid-week — into the East Coast, with the “extreme” zone centered around portions of the Northeast including New York City, Washington and Philadelphia. About 160 million people are in this zone.
Roughly 180 million Americans are in the grip of a life-threatening heat wave impacting almost the entire eastern half of the country.
ABC News’ Rhiannon Ally and Sam Champion have the latest on the heat dangers. pic.twitter.com/SRQPMOppPZ— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 2, 2026
“Extreme” heat conditions are defined by the weather service as “rare and/or long-duration heat with little to no overnight relief.”
The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity readings to show how hot it feels out, could reach 110 to 115. High humidity compounds the health risks from high temperatures, as it prevents sweat from evaporating efficiently, CNN reported.
This comes as the United States prepares for milestone 250th anniversary Independence Day celebrations Saturday. The weekend marks one of the busiest travel and outdoor-activity times of the year, but many local officials have urged people to stay inside in air-conditioning and to check on neighbors, The New York Times reported.
Many cities and smaller municipalities are opening cooling centers and adapting holiday plans. The federal Department of Energy declared an emergency and directed the PJM Interconnections electrical grid in the Mid-Atlantic region to “take action” to avoid power outages, ABC News reported.
“It’s really going to strain the grid,” Ramanan Krishnamoorti, vice president of energy and innovation at the University of Houston, said to ABC News. “I think we’re going to see peak demand that is going to be a record across different geographical areas.”
The heat wave originates from a heat dome, an area of high pressure that holds hot air in place. Europe has also been dealing with a record heat wave recently.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — What do you mean U.S. forward Folarin Balogun got red-carded? For that?
As a nation, we’re pretty new to all this. And this VAR abomination we’ve all now been introduced to? Thanks, we hate it.
Soccer’s video assistant referee system is worse than the NBA’s tedious in-game reviews. Worse than the existential NFL question of whether it is or is not a catch. Dumber than not being able to argue obvious balls and strikes in a pre-ABS baseball world.
Worse than all those things put together.
And now that we witnessed it burn the U.S. men’s soccer team in its rousing 2-0 round of 32 World Cup victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, all of us newly accredited soccer experts in America are ready to declare war on VAR.
In a physical fixture filled with shoving and shouldering, pushing and pummeling, blood and guts, after 60-plus minutes of letting ’em play, Balogun’s off-balance misstep got him kicked off the pitch.
A match of no-calls — including, initially, this gnarly moment of incidental contact between Balogun and Tarik Muharemovic — and the United States found itself down a man for most of the second half at Levi’s Stadium.
The unfortunate accident will rob Americans — both those on the pitch and those glued to screens at home or at a watch party — of their top scorer (Balogun has three goals in three matches) in a round of 16 showdown with Belgium on Monday in Seattle.
The young man was doing LeBron James’ silencer celebration after scoring a goal one moment and being tagged with soccer’s equivalent of a Flagrant 2 the next — because of how one moment was assessed on tape delay.
Delay being the operative phrase. No one loves late calls, but soccer has some late calls. Examined in super-slow motion. And, as the United States’ Tyler Adams pointed out: “When you slow everything down, it’s only going to look worse.”
And Balogun didn’t mean it! That’s a better defense in some situations than others — including this one. Per letter of the law.
ESPN’s resident refereeing expert, Andy Davies, a former Select Group referee with more 12 seasons on the elite list provided this summary judgment: “With both players challenging for ball, the contact from Balogun on Muharemovic, while it looked bad in slow motion, was purely accidental and an unfortunate result from two players challenging for possession of the ball in a normal football movement.”
Also, Davies: “VAR made their recommendation to the referee based on slow-motion and still replays, which is not aligned with VAR protocols, as these should be used for only point-of-contact purposes in a red card tackle situation.”
Let me tell you something you already knew: FIFA is inconsistent.
Malik Tillman’s exquisitely placed, curving free kick for a goal in the 82nd minute might have been Messi-esque, but the call on Balogun? Not Messi-esque.
In a group play match against Algeria, Lionel Messi, the Argentine superstar, seemed to rake his studs along Aïssa Mandi’s right calf and ankle. That time, a foul was called. VAR had a look. And despite the rules stating that a challenge from behind with studs-on-calf contact and a level of force should be a red card — no card was administered. Can’t have Messi missing games.
The armchair referee system, so far from unassailable, is also unappealable — to U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino’s dismay.
“For me, never is this red card,” Pochettino said. “Watching after on TV, never was [it] intention[al] to step up on the player. That was a normal action in football that happened by accident.
“That is why for me it’s never a red card.”
But you don’t have to take his word for it.
On Fox, former French footballing legend Thierry Henry said: “You need to adopt some type of common sense. He never went to hurt nobody. He went to get the ball, and where do you land after? You have to land somewhere.”
Commentator Ian Darke weighed in with a post on X: “Reckless and yellow would have covered it.”
Trust your own eyes.
In an attempt to eliminate human error, this great sport has introduced human error. But it feels more egregious than a bad call in the run of play because it’s justice — or injustice — meted out arbitrarily, unevenly and after the fact.
Look, I’m sure the world doesn’t want to hear any of our star-spangled opinions about how to improve the beautiful game — but in this, we’re united.
There’s a universal sentiment: Give VAR the red card.
From Kevin Baxter: Folarin Balogun was still learning to walk the last time the U.S. won a knockout round game in a World Cup. On Wednesday, he helped lead the Americans to another with his goal in the waning seconds of the first half, sparking a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina that sends the team on to the round of 16 of this summer’s tournament.
The other goal came from Malik Tillman in the 82nd minute. The Americans have scored multiple goals in every game of the tournament for the first time ever, also setting a national record with 10 goals overall in the tournament.
The U.S. will face Belgium in the next round Monday in Seattle. Belgium advanced with a 3-2 win over Senegal in extra time.
Balogun wasn’t around to see the finish though, drawing a straight red card for stomping on the right ankle of Bosnian center back Tarik Muharemovic in the 61st minute, a foul Brazilian referee Raphael Claus confirmed via a video review. That forced the Americans to see Wednesday’s game out with just 10 players.
“For me, never is this red card,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “Watching after on TV, never was [it] intention[al] to step up on the player. That was a normal action in football that happened by accident.
“That is why for me it’s never a red card.”
U.S. Soccer cannot appeal Folarin Balogun’s World Cup red card suspension
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Round of 32
England 2, DR Congo 1
Belgium 3, Senegal 2
U.S. 2, Bosnia-Herzegovina 0
All times Pacific
Spain vs. Austria, noon, Fox, Telemundo
Portugal vs. Croatia, 4 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
Switzerland vs. Algeria, 8 p.m., FS1, Telemundo
Round of 32 results
Canada 1, South Africa 0
Brazil 2, Japan 1
Paraguay 1, Germany 1 (Paraguay wins on PK’s, 4-3)
Morocco 1, Netherlands 1 (Morocco wins on PK’s, 3-2)
Norway 2, Ivory Coast 1
France 3, Sweden 0
Mexico 2, Ecuador 0
England 2, DR Congo 1
Belgium 3, Senegal 2
U.S. 2, Bosnia-Herzegovina 0
All times Pacific
Thursday
Spain vs. Austria, noon, Fox, Telemundo
Portugal vs. Croatia, 4 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
Switzerland vs. Algeria, 8 p.m., FS1, Telemundo
Friday
Australia vs. Egypt, 11 a.m., Fox, Telemundo
Argentina vs. Cape Verde, 3 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
Colombia vs. Ghana, 6:30 p.m., Fox, Telemundo
All times Pacific
All games on Fox and Telemundo
Saturday
Canada vs. Morocco, 10 a.m.
Paraguay vs. France, 2 p.m.
Sunday
Brazil vs. Norway, 1 p.m.,
Mexico vs. England, 5 p.m.
Monday
Portugal or Croatia vs. Spain or Austria, noon
U.S. vs. Belgium, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, July 7
Argentina or Cape Verde vs. Australia or Egypt, 9 a.m.
Switzerland or Algeria vs. Colombia or Ghana, 1 p.m.
From Bill Shaikin: The Dodgers welcome their bitter rivals to Dodger Stadium on Thursday for what should be a big four-game series, but the San Diego Padres are a mess. They trail the Dodgers by 12 games in the National League West. Their best batter by WAR, according to Baseball Reference, is journeyman infielder Ty France.
The Dodgers lost a game Wednesday by six runs, 7-1 to the Athletics. The Padres lost a game by 20 runs.
However, standings and statistics be damned, the Dodgers are coming for the Padres, their closest pursers in the division even if “close” is relative. The Dodgers didn’t have to say anything out loud, but you could see it on the field Wednesday.
Shohei Ohtani was the scheduled starting pitcher, but the Dodgers pushed him back so he could face the Padres this weekend. The Padres will face Roki Sasaki on Thursday, Ohtani on Friday and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Sunday.
“They’re all big for us,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We try to take every series with the same importance, but obviously winning that series is the goal.”
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen and Broderick Turner: A day after LeBron James told the Lakers he would take his talents elsewhere for an unprecedented 24th NBA season, the team started rebuilding its roster around Luka Doncic by delivering Doncic’s biggest wish: a new center.
The Lakers will pair Doncic with 24-year-old Walker Kessler after the team agreed to send two first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two pick swaps (2028 and 2030) to the Utah Jazz, people with knowledge of the situation who are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter confirmed to The Times on Wednesday.
Kessler, who was limited to five games last season because of a shoulder injury, is expected to sign a four-year, $130-million contract with the Lakers, people with knowledge of the situation said.
After addressing their No. 1 position of concern with Kessler, the Lakers worked to fill in the margins with three free agents — center Sandro Mamukelashvili, guard Quentin Grimes and guard Collin Sexton.
Lakers announce summer league schedule, roster
Celtics trade Jaylen Brown to the 76ers for Paul George, four draft picks
Fan loudly expresses unbridled enthusiasm for Mexico’s World Cup goal … at Dodgers-A’s game
1921 — The Jack Dempsey-Georges Carpentier heavyweight match at Rickard’s Orchard in Jersey City, N.J., becomes the first million-dollar gate in boxing history. The receipts total $1,789,238 with $50 ringside seats. In front of 80,183, Dempsey knocks out Carpentier at 1:16 of the fourth round.
1927 — Helen Wills becomes the first American to win at Wimbledon since May Sutton in 1907, beating Lili de Alvar 6-2, 6-4 for the title.
1937 — Don Budge beats Gottfried von Cramm, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to win the men’s singles title at Wimbledon. Budge sweeps the championships winning the singles, the men’s doubles title with Gene Mako and the mixed doubles crown with Alice Marble.
1938 — Helen Wills Moody wins her eighth and final singles title at Wimbledon, defeating Helen Jacobs 6-4, 6-0.
1966 — Billie Jean King wins the first of her six singles titles at Wimbledon, beating Maria Bueno of Brazil 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
1967 — Catherine Lacoste of France becomes the first foreigner and first amateur to win the U.S. Women’s Open golf championship. At age 22, she is also the youngest champion.
1976 — Chris Evert beats Evonne Goolagong, 6-3, 4-6, 8-6, to win the women’s singles title at Wimbledon.
1988 — Steffi Graf ends Martina Navratilova’s six-year reign as Wimbledon champion with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 victory. It is the first time in nine finals that Navratilova loses a Wimbledon singles match.
1989 — Jockey Steve Cauthen becomes the first rider in history to sweep the world’s four major derbies after winning the Irish Derby with Old Vic. He had previously won the Kentucky Derby with Affirmed (1978), the Epsom Derby with Slip Anchor (1985) and Reference Point (1987) and the French Derby with Old Vic (1989).
1994 — Colombian defender Andres Escobar, 27, is killed outside a bar in Colombia in retaliation for deflecting a ball into his own goal in a 2-1 loss to the United States in the World Cup.
1995 — Tom Weiskopf withstands a charge by Jack Nicklaus to win the U.S. Senior Open by four strokes.
1999 — Alexandra Stevenson becomes first qualifier in Wimbledon history to reach the women’s semis. She beats another qualifier, 16-year-old Jelena Dokic, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.
2000 — UEFA European Championship Final, Feijenoord Stadion, Rotterdam, Netherlands: David Trezeguet scores in extra time to give France a 2-1 win over Italy.
2005 — Venus Williams overcomes an early deficit and a championship point to beat top-ranked Lindsay Davenport 4-6, 7-6 (4), 9-7 for her fifth major title and her first in nearly four years.
2010 — The United States beats Japan 7-2 to win its seventh consecutive world softball championship.
2010 — FIFA World Cup: Ghana, only African team remaining in last 8, are beaten 4-2 on penalties by Uruguay; Netherlands upset Brazil 2-1.
2011 — Wladimir Klitschko wins a lopsided unanimous decision over David Haye, adding the WBA title to his heavyweight haul. Klitschko and his older brother, Vitali, hold all three major heavyweight titles. Wladimir already had the IBF title (and minor WBO, IBO belts), while Vitali is the WBC champion.
2016 — Sam Querrey ends Novak Djokovic’s quest for a true Grand Slam in the third round at Wimbledon. In a match interrupted by three rain delays after being suspended in progress because of showers a night earlier, Querrey ousts Djokovic 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (5) at the All England Club.
2017 — Home town underdog Jeff Horn upsets Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines on points in a highly controversial WBO welterweight title fight in Brisbane, Australia.
2018 — A wild brawl breaks out between Australia and the Philippines during the Basketball World Cup qualifying game in Manila. Thirteen players, including four Australians, are ejected for their part in the brawl. The game is won 79-48 by Australia.
Compiled by the Associated Press
1903 — Washington outfielder Ed Delahanty went over a railroad bridge at Niagara Falls and drowned. The exact circumstances of his death never were determined.
1909 — The Chicago White Sox stole 12 bases, including home plate three times, in a 15-3 rout of the St. Louis Browns.
1930 — Chicago outfielder Carl Reynolds homered in the first, second and third innings, leading the White Sox to a 15-4 win over the New York Yankees. Reynolds, the second player in history to hit home runs in three consecutive innings, had two inside-the-park homers.
1933 — Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0 in an 18-inning game. He gave up six hits and no walks. In the second game of the doubleheader, the Cardinals were blanked 1-0, with Roy Parmelee outdueling Dizzy Dean.
1933 — Jimmie Foxx of the Philadelphia Athletics set and American League record with 21 total bases in a doubleheader. Foxx hit two solo homers in the opener, a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Browns. In the nightcap, an 11-6 loss, Foxx had two homers, a double and a triple.
1941 — Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees hit a home run to extend his consecutive game hitting streak to 45 games, surpassing Willie Keeler’s record of 44 straight games for the Orioles in 1897.
1963 — Juan Marichal of San Francisco beat Warren Spahn and the Milwaukee Braves 1-0 in 16 innings on Willie Mays’ homer.
1986 — Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox fell short of a record-tying 15th consecutive winning decision when the Toronto Blue Jays scored three runs in the eighth inning for a 4-2 victory.
1995 — Hideo Nomo of the Dodgers became the first Japanese player picked for baseball’s All-Star game. Nomo was the NL’s leader in strikeouts and second in ERA.
2007 — Roger Clemens reached a rare milestone, pitching eight innings of two-hit ball to earn his 350th win and lead the New York Yankees past Minnesota 5-1. Clemens became the first major leaguer to win 350 games since Hall of Famer Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves accomplished the feat in 1963.
2009 — Houston Astros beat the Padres 7-2, but only after waiting out a 52-minute delay in the top of the ninth inning caused when a swarm of bees took over part of left field at San Diego’s Petco Park.
2013 — Homer Bailey pitched his second no-hitter in 10 months and the first in the majors this season, pitching the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-0 victory over the slumping San Francisco Giants. Bailey beat the Pirates 1-0 in Pittsburgh last Sept. 28.
2014 — Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz became the 36th player in major league history to collect 1,000 extra-base hits with a ground-rule double during a 16-9 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
2016 — Cleveland’s franchise-record 14-game winning streak was snapped by a 9-6 loss to Toronto, with the Blue Jays scoring three runs in the eighth to overcome a cycle by Rajai Davis.
2016 — C.J. Cron went 6 for 6 with two homers and five RBIs, Carlos Perez had five hits and drove in six and the Angels ended a four-game losing streak with 21-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox.
2019 — The New York Yankees record streak of consecutive games with at least one home run comes to an end at 31.
2022 — The Cardinals become the first team to hit four consecutive homers in the 1st inning when Nolan Arenado, Nolan Gorman, Juan Yepez and Dylan Carlson all go deep against Kyle Gibson of the Phillies. Gibson retires the first two batters before giving up a single to Paul Goldschmidt, followed by the homer barrage. Lars Nootbaar then hits a ball that is caught at the warning track to end the inning. It is the 11th time time this has been done in any inning, but the Cards need another homer by Arenado, this one in the 9th, to end up as 7-6 winners.
Compiled by the Associated Press
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Folarin Balogun was still learning to walk the last time the U.S. won a knockout round game in a World Cup. On Wednesday, he helped lead the Americans to another with his goal in the waning seconds of the first half, sparking a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina that sends the team on to the round of 16 of this summer’s tournament.
The other goal came from Malik Tillman in the 82nd minute. The Americans have scored multiple goals in every game of the tournament for the first time ever, also setting a national record with 10 goals overall in the tournament.
The U.S. will face Belgium in the next round Monday in Seattle. Belgium advanced with a 3-2 win over Senegal in extra time.
Balogun wasn’t around to see the finish though, drawing a straight red card for stomping on the right ankle of Bosnian center back Tarik Muharemovic in the 61st minute, a foul Brazilian referee Raphael Claus confirmed via a video review. That forced the Americans to see Wednesday’s game out with just 10 players.
“For me, never is this red card,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “Watching after on TV, never was [it] intention[al] to step up on the player. That was a normal action in football that happened by accident.
“That is why for me it’s never a red card.”
Claus disagreed, which could prove costly against Belgium because the card comes with a one-game suspension the U.S. cannot appeal.
“It’s just so unfortunate, honestly,” teammate Christian Pulisic said. “Looking back at it, it just seems, it seems so harsh. I just told him he’s done so much for us, and now we got his back. So that’s it.”
Balogun put the U.S. in front to stay just before the intermission. The sequence started with Bosnian defender Stjepan Radeljic sliding in front of a Tillman pass, deflecting it forward toward Muharemovic. But Muharemovic got his feet crossed, allowing the ball to carom to Balogun who did the rest, sweeping the ball into the net with his left boot from about 15 feet.
The goal was Balogun’s third of the tournament, tying him with Landon Donovan (2010) for most by an American in a single World Cup since 1930. The lead was the Americans’ first at halftime in a World Cup knockout game since 2002, when they beat Mexico in the round of 16.
Folarin Balogun and Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Amar Dedic in action during the first half.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
It looked to be a precarious lead when Muharemovic crumpled to the ground with about 30 minutes in regulation time. Claus did not show a card but after the VAR official suggested he take a look at a slow-motion replay, he came away from the monitor and reached for the red, making Balogun the first American to get a red card and score a goal in the same World Cup game.
“I think it’s a yellow card,” midfielder Tyler Adams said. “I think when you slow everything down, it’s only going to look worse.”
A few minutes after Balogun left, the game paused for the second-half hydration break, which proved to be a lucky break for the U.S. Tillman had his right foot stomped on early in the half, ripping his boot and leaving his foot bloodied. The break came him a chance to change shoes.
In the 82nd minute, he swung that new right shoe at a free kick from the top of the box, bending it off the gloved right hand of Bosnian keeper Nikola Vasilj and in the net. That brought another first, according to OptaJack, which said Tillman was the first U.S. player to score on a direct free kick in a competitive match since Jozy Altidore in 2017 Gold Cup final.
“I’ve been dreaming about this game. I’ve been dreaming about maybe taking a free kick and scoring a free kick,” said Tillman, who practices set pieces endlessly after training sessions. “And then it actually came true.”
Until Wednesday, the U.S. hadn’t beaten a European team in 13 tries, a slump that included draws with Wales and England in the 2022 World Cup and six losses in as many games under Pochettino.
The last UEFA country it did beat? Bosnia and Herzegovina, in December 2021.
“Details decided the game,” Vasilj said.
After the red card “we started controlling the game,” he continued “and they canceled that with the second goal. We had our moments and you could feel something was coming. The only thing missing was the goal.”
Staff writer Mirjam Swanson contributed to this report.
The TWZ Newsletter
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
A search is underway for a missing aircrewmember after a U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) “conducted an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea,” the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet stated in a post on X. “There is no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action.”
“Three of the helicopter’s four crew members have been recovered and are in stable condition aboard George H. W. Bush,” 5th Fleet added. “U.S. Navy assets in the region are currently searching for other aircrewmen still missing. The cause of the incident is under investigation.”
The incident took place at 3:30 a.m. EDT, 5th Fleet stated.
On July 1 at 3:30 a.m. ET, the aircrew of an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) conducted an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea. There is no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action. Three of the helicopter’s four crew…
— U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) July 1, 2026
The mishap occurred amid tense ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to end the war. This marks the second time in the past few weeks that a U.S. military helicopter aircrew had to be rescued after a crash in the region.
The crew of a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued from the Gulf of Oman overnight June 9 by a Corsair drone boat. President Donald Trump said Iranian forces downed the attack helicopter.
This is a developing story.
Contact the author: howard@twz.com
SANTA CLARA — The U.S. cannot appeal Folarin Balogun’s red card and ensuing suspension for the Americans’ round of 16 match against Belgium, U.S. soccer officials confirmed.
FIFA rules governing the 2026 World Cup, first cited by the Athletic, state that “a sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match. The FIFA judicial bodies may impose additional match suspensions and other disciplinary measures.”
The only instance in which the U.S. could appeal is if FIFA’s disciplinary committee decides to suspend Balogun for more than one game after reviewing the incident.
Broadcast commentators and fans immediately questioned the decision after Balogun was shown a red card during the U.S.‘s win over Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday at Levi’s Stadium.
Balogun crashed into Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemović, landing his foot on top of Muharemović’s during the physical match. Muharemović hit the pitch, howling in pain, and was treated on the field. The referee used the video assistant referee to review the play and determined it merited a red card.
U.S. fans accustomed to appeals in the NBA and NFL suggested that an appeal include video of Lionel Messi receiving no discipline for stepping on an opponent’s calf earlier in the tournament.
The red card on the field, however, remains the final word barring any extra games added to Balogun’s suspension.
“The World Cup is ruining my life,” a neighbor recently said with a laugh. “I’m supposed to be working; instead I’m watching World Cup. I’m supposed to be doing chores; instead I am watching World Cup.”
I laughed in guilty recognition. We had met on the street by chance while I was walking the dog. Having just spent the last two hours watching, then celebrating Lionel Messi’s hat trick during Argentina’s first-game victory over Algeria, I had less than an hour to get back in time to watch Austria play Jordan.
That was on Day 6, and it’s only gotten worse. If I had to calculate my own ratio of work done to soccer watched … well, as I am not a sports reporter, I don’t think my editor would be thrilled. (Though I’m sure she appreciated the England/Congo updates I provided as I finished this piece.)
Like millions worldwide, my family and I have been deeply, and in our case, weirdly, engrossed in this year’s games. “Weirdly” because we do not follow men’s soccer. The World Cup is different, of course — going in, I figured I would check out the U.S., keep an eye on Messi, then tune into the final few games. Perhaps my husband would join (but only if he at least pretended to understand the offside rule), but with our two oldest children out of the house, it is, with the exception of the Super Bowl, unheard of for our family to concurrently view any sporting event in real time.
Until this World Cup. I’m not quite sure how it happened, but suddenly we’ve got game times written onto our calendar. Entire days have been spent in front of the TV with at least one child and the others watching from their homes, our family texts studded with “are you watching…?,” “did you just see that?” and, of course, “OMG MESSI!”
(I would attempt to calculate my recent ratio of chores done to Messi videos watched if I weren’t legitimately concerned that my family would have me committed.)
The fact that my son and his girlfriend live in Kansas City certainly helped spark our newfound fascination. Yes, Los Angeles is also a host city, but L.A. hosts so many things; inevitably we were mostly concerned about what it would do to the traffic. KC, on the other hand, is the smallest and most unlikely of the host cities, and over the last few years we have seen — on visits and through my son’s accounts — all the construction, effort and can-do spirit that has gone into preparing for the event.
We were thrilled when it was announced that Argentina, England, the Netherlands and Algeria would be based in or near KC. We wanted the city to shine, and it has — from nearby Lawrence’s enthusiastic adoption of Algeria to Messi’s historic hat trick at Kansas City Stadium.
Team USA defender Mark McKenzie, left, and Turkey midfielder Baris Alper Yilmaz in the World Cup match at Los Angeles Stadium on June 25.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
But it’s more than vicarious Midwestern pride. When our older daughter began texting out missives from the earliest games and our son sent pictures of fans streaming into Kansas City Stadium, we started watching as a way to stay connected.
First, as a family, and then to our country and the rest of world.
The games have been inevitably exciting, especially as now that they’re in the knockout round, but the overall sensation was unexpected relief, a soul-soothing balm.
At a time when the news cycle seems to serve up nothing but conflict, crisis and woe, the World Cup offers shelter, a truly international event in which conflict is defined by long-term sports rivalries and questionable referee decisions.
We want our national or preferred teams to win, of course, but no matter the outcome, it’s impossible not to be thrilled by the sight of phenomenal play, underdog tenacity and so many adoring and enthusiastic fans.
Soccer is called the beautiful game for many reasons, and hours/days/weeks of sustained beauty is impossible to resist. Even social media has surrendered to spectacular highlights along with tales of Japan supporters cleaning up stadiums, fans of the victorious consoling fans of the defeated and Europeans discovering the glories of free refills and ranch dressing.
None of this changes the realities we face in America and the rest of the world. Grocery and gas prices remain catastrophically high; Iran continues to contradict U.S. claims of diplomatic resolution to an unpopular war. The unnecessarily revamped reflecting pool in Washington remains a swamp of algae and tourist arrests, as the semiquincentennial struggles under the weight of our president’s self-centered hubris.
But for a few blessed weeks, the World Cup offers inspiration, escape and cultural healing.
It has also, thus far, escaped President Trump’s so often internationally insulting social-media notice and more importantly, his presence. Historically, the leaders of host countries attend the opening match; Trump has, apparently, been too busy (including planning and attending the UFC Freedom 250 cage match recently held on the South Lawn.)
Given his tendency to suck the oxygen out of any room (like his recent reception at Game 3 of the NBA Finals in New York), it’s definitely for the best. If nothing else, the World Cup has given us a chance to take a break from politics and talk instead about Messi, France’s Kylian Mbappé, England’s Harry Kane and all the amazing goalkeepers, including Cape Verde’s now-iconic Vozinha.
Never before have I so understood the therapeutic power of sport.
Who wouldn’t want to at least take a break from rising measles cases, the latest federal or Supreme Court decisions and primary tea-leaf readings to lose themselves in a game where exquisitely patient passing suddenly bursts into spectacular feats of speed and footwork? Where a well-defended ball can suddenly become a goal with a nearly undetectable flick of a foot, or a perfectly placed shot blocked by a goalie’s incredible ability to launch into space? Where an outcome that seems assured can be overturned in the final minutes to the collective roar of an international cast of thousands?
Vozinha of Cape Verde makes a save during the World Cup match between Spain and Cape Verde at Atlanta Stadium on June 15.
(Justin Setterfield / Getty Images)
Like many Americans, I have been occasionally embarrassed by the World Cup’s exposure of my world-geography ignorance — I know where Bosnia and Herzegovina lies on a map, but until recently, I couldn’t place Cape Verde, Curacao or, if I’m being completely honest, Cote d’Ivoire.
Isn’t it wonderful, though, to have a reason to reacquaint yourself with a world map that isn’t related to war, natural or man-made disaster or economic and political tension? The current U.S. administration may seem to be at odds with just about everyone, but visiting World Cup fans are here to remind us of all we share, beneath our crazy wigs and face paint, our cheers, groans and chants.
And we, as hosts, have shown them that America is so much more than the sum of our current government’s policies and posturing.
Watching all this happen, in real time, has been magical, miraculous and magnetic.
Not every moment, of course. Various visa issues created unnecessary and embarrassing drama; high ticket prices and transportation issues were blamed for empty seats at some of the early games. Members of the Iranian team and its coaching staff criticized the way they were treated (though the team left a handwritten note in the dressing room of Los Angeles Stadium, thanking L.A. for its hospitality). The controversial hydration breaks, and the extra commercials they accommodate, can be irritating (though when it’s close to 100 degrees in many stadiums, quite necessary). And though it didn’t matter in terms of standing, watching the U.S. lose to Turkey wasn’t much fun for American fans (though the Turkish exuberance was pretty infectious).
Overall, the 2026 World Cup has done exactly what it was supposed to do: create, in this country, a stage for the finest teams and players in the world’s most popular sport and, more important, carve out five weeks in which we can all spend a few hours removed from the political and cultural divisiveness that threatens to define us.
It’s space in which we can cheer, gasp and leap out of seats along with our families, friends and all the millions we will never meet but to whom we are connected all the same.
Now if you’ll excuse me, the next game is about to start.
Authorities have been investigating the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who was reported missing Feb. 1, as a kidnapping and ransom case. File Photo courtesy Pima County Sheriff’s Department/UPI
July 2 (UPI) — Federal authorities said that some of the ransom notes they have received over the course of their investigation into the kidnapping of Today host Savannah Guthrie‘s mother were not legitimate.
The FBI has received several purported ransom notes during its five-month investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, who was reported missing from her Arizona home on Feb. 1.
In a statement Wednesday, the FBI’s Phoenix field office revealed that some of those notes “have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy” while others “may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such.”
The statement seemed to be in response to recent reporting stating authorities believe notes from the purported kidnappers in February that claimed Nancy Guthrie had died and that they didn’t mean to kill her were authentic.
The reports referenced a note sent to local media on Feb. 2 demanding millions in ransom, and a second note from Feb. 6 that stated Nancy Guthrie had died.
On Feb. 7, Savannah Guthrie, appearing alongside her siblings in a video posted to Instagram, said to the kidnappers that “We received your message, and we understand.”
The FBI did not mention any specific notes.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the lead investigating agency in the case, also issued a statement Wednesday, confirming that it has also received information regarding potential ransom notes without commenting further.
“Every tip and lead is taken seriously and is forwarded directly to our detectives, who continue to work in coordination with the FBI,” it said, directing further questions about ransom notes to the federal law enforcement agency.
The FBI said the investigation is ongoing.
“This case continues to be investigated as a kidnapping for ransom case,” it said.
July 1 (UPI) — A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Defense Department from enforcing its escort policy, at least for reporters with The New York Times, dealing another blow to the Trump administration’s attempt to restrict media access at the Pentagon.
It was not entirely clear whether the order applied to all credentialed reporters or just those associated with The New York Times.
U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman in D.C. issued his preliminary injunction Tuesday, finding the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their claims that the escort policy was retaliatory and infringed on their First Amendment rights.
“This Court has spoken at several points about the critical importance of protecting the freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment, and that evergreen principle bears repeating: ‘Those who drafted the First Amendment believed that the nation’s security requires a free press and an informed people and that such security is endangered by government suppression of political speech,'” Friedman said in his Tuesday opinion, quoting from one of his previous opinions in the case.
“‘That principle has preserved the nation’s security for almost 250 years.'”
The ruling comes in a protracted case that began when the Defense Department announced a new policy in October permitting the revocation of Pentagon credentials for collecting and reporting information it deemed unauthorized.
After Friedman ruled in March that the policy was unconstitutional, the Department of Defense came back with a new policy that, among other restrictions, mandated reporters be escorted by Defense Department personnel at all times within the Pentagon.
The Trump administration has argued that the new requirements are for national security purposes. By limiting access and requiring escorts, the Department of Defense said it could prevent the gathering and public disclosure of what it calls classified national security information and controlled unclassified information.
The Times then challenged the revised policy, with the court again siding against the Defense Department, which appealed, seeking only a limited stay pending appeal to allow the implementation of only the escort requirement.
In late April, a divided three-judge appeals panel granted the Trump administration’s emergency request, finding that it was likely to succeed in showing that the escort requirement was not within the scope of the lower court’s original order, without weighing the merits of the case. The Times then filed a new, second lawsuit challenging the Pentagon’s escort policy.
The Pentagon on Wednesday said it “strongly disagrees” with the court and will appeal the decision.
In a statement, Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesperson, argued that the removal of the escort policy will make it easier for “sensitive and classified information to reach our adversaries.”
“Unescorted access to the Pentagon allowed journalists to observe activity patterns and develop relationships that contributed to repeated unauthorized disclosures of operational plans and intelligence,” Parnell said.
“The court’s order effectively restores that risky environment at a time when protecting our military’s secrets is more critical than ever.”
The Times argued that the policy was not only a restriction on its reporters’ First Amendment rights, but also retaliatory, an argument that Friedman said would likely succeed in court, pointing to numerous instances of Trump administration officials, including President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, insulting the newspaper and other news organizations.
UPI has contacted The Times for comment.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation celebrated the ruling online, while calling for punishment if the Trump administration tries to find another workaround to enforce its media-restriction policies.
“The DoD can’t be allowed to punish journalism or evade court orders without consequences,” it said in an online statement.
“If the Pentagon keeps trying to avoid this ruling, the court should respond with sanctions or contempt.”