Russia Launches Large Drone and Missile Attack on Kyiv, Killing at Least 20
A Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv killed at least 20 people and injured dozens, striking residential buildings across the Ukrainian capital. Kyiv's mayor declared a day of mourning.Russia launched one of its largest combined drone and missile attacks on Kyiv overnight, killing at least 20 people and injuring dozens more, according to local authorities. The death toll rose through the day as rescue crews worked through the rubble of destroyed buildings, including a nine-story residential apartment block that was completely leveled. Fires burned at multiple sites across the city as dawn broke. Russia's military chief, General Valery Gerasimov, reported the results of what state media described as a 'massive retaliatory strike' to President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that briefing, citing state-run Tass news agency. Putin himself had not publicly commented as of Thursday. Kyiv's mayor declared an official day of mourning. Ukraine's president had warned in the days before the attack that Moscow was preparing a large strike, as Ukrainian forces had simultaneously been conducting strikes deeper into Russian territory. The attack comes amid ongoing international diplomatic efforts, with UK Prime Minister among Western leaders responding to the latest escalation. The assault underscores the continued intensity of the conflict as it enters its fifth year, and will increase pressure on European governments and the United States to address ongoing military aid commitments to Ukraine.
Venezuela Earthquake Death Toll Reaches Nearly 2,300 as Survivors Pulled from Rubble
Nearly 2,300 people are confirmed dead following last week's double earthquake in Venezuela, with tens of thousands still missing. A two-year-old boy was rescued after six days trapped in rubble, and rescue teams including a Virginia unit continued searching for additional survivors.Rescue operations in Venezuela entered their second week following a pair of earthquakes that struck the country, with authorities confirming nearly 2,300 deaths and tens of thousands of people still unaccounted for. A two-year-old boy named Klieber Moran was pulled alive from rubble in the La Guaira region six days after the earthquakes, drawing international attention. Separately, rescue workers were closing in on another survivor, Hernán Gil, who had been trapped for more than 100 hours and was receiving intravenous fluids while workers inched toward him. A Fairfax County, Virginia search and rescue team was among the international groups operating on the ground, with team members describing continued efforts despite dwindling odds of finding additional survivors. Officials have noted that the window for locating living survivors narrows significantly beyond the first week. The scale of the disaster — two sequential earthquakes affecting a densely populated coastal region — has overwhelmed local emergency services. The United States has direct involvement through deployed rescue personnel, and the disaster has implications for U.S.-Venezuela relations, which have been strained in recent years. Aid organizations are also monitoring access challenges given the country's ongoing political and economic situation.
Iran Prepares Funeral Ceremonies for Supreme Leader Khamenei, Killed in U.S.-Israeli Strikes
Iran is preparing multi-day funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed during U.S.-Israeli strikes. Burial is scheduled for July 9, with large security deployments planned including mobilization of the Basij militia and the IRGC.Iran is organizing what are expected to be large-scale state funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who died during U.S.-Israeli military strikes earlier in the conflict. Ceremonies are scheduled to span six days across two countries before a burial set for July 9. Iranian authorities are deploying significant security forces for the event, including the Basij militia and units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in anticipation of a historically large public turnout. Khamenei's body has been kept in cold storage ahead of the proceedings. For the Iranian government, the funeral represents a critical moment to project institutional continuity and resilience following the loss of its supreme leader — the second person to hold that position since the founding of the Islamic Republic. The circumstances of Khamenei's death during U.S.-Israeli strikes mark a significant and unprecedented moment in the history of the Islamic Republic, and the funeral's scale and symbolism are being closely watched by regional governments and Western intelligence services. Separately, U.S. and Iranian negotiators held indirect talks in Qatar this week through Qatari and Pakistani mediators, with Qatar describing 'positive progress' and both sides agreeing to continue discussions — signaling that diplomatic channels remain open despite the military backdrop.
U.S. and Iran Hold Indirect Talks in Qatar, Agree to Continue Discussions
U.S. and Iranian negotiators met separately with Qatari and Pakistani mediators in Qatar, with host Qatar describing positive progress and both sides agreeing to continue talks.U.S. and Iranian negotiators conducted separate indirect meetings in Qatar on Wednesday, engaging with Qatari and Pakistani mediators rather than meeting face to face. Qatar, which hosted the talks, said there was 'positive progress made' and that both sides agreed to continue discussions. The indirect format reflects the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran, which have relied on third-party intermediaries for sensitive communications. The talks come against a tense backdrop: Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in earlier U.S.-Israeli military strikes, and Iran is currently preparing his state funeral. Despite that, the continuation of negotiations signals that both governments are maintaining diplomatic channels. The substance of the discussions was not disclosed publicly. Senior U.S. officials have indicated that Iran could receive significant economic benefits in exchange for changes to its posture toward the United States, though Iranian leaders have historically rejected such frameworks.
Vatican Excommunicates Society of St. Pius X, Declares It in Schism
The Vatican excommunicated all bishops and priests of the Society of St. Pius X and declared the traditionalist group in schism after it consecrated new bishops without Pope Leo XIV's consent.The Vatican declared the Society of St. Pius X in formal schism on Thursday and excommunicated its bishops and priests, following the group's decision to consecrate new bishops without the authorization of Pope Leo XIV. The announcement was issued by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who leads the Holy See's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Society of St. Pius X, known as the SSPX, is a traditionalist Catholic organization that has operated in tension with mainstream Church authority for decades. It was originally founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who was himself excommunicated in 1988 after similarly unauthorized episcopal consecrations — a penalty that was later lifted in 2009 as part of reconciliation efforts under Pope Benedict XVI. The new consecrations represent a fresh rupture, and the Vatican's response — full excommunication and a declaration of schism — is its most serious ecclesiastical penalty. The SSPX has an estimated membership running into the tens of thousands globally, including a presence in the United States. A schism means the group is formally separated from communion with Rome. The move is described as the first major ecclesiastical crisis of Pope Leo XIV's papacy.
Supreme Court Issues Rulings on Birthright Citizenship, Transgender Athletes, and Campaign Finance
The Supreme Court closed its 2025-26 term with decisions on birthright citizenship, transgender athletes in sports, and campaign finance. The court described its birthright citizenship ruling as breaking no new constitutional ground.The Supreme Court concluded its 2025-26 term with rulings on three significant issues: birthright citizenship, transgender athletes in competitive sports, and campaign finance. In its birthright citizenship decision, the court stated it was breaking no new constitutional ground — a phrase that signals the ruling addressed a specific application of existing doctrine rather than fundamentally reinterpreting the Fourteenth Amendment's citizenship clause. The exact scope and practical effect of the ruling were being analyzed by legal scholars following the decision. The term's close follows a series of high-profile cases that have expanded or affirmed executive authority in several areas, while the birthright citizenship case arose directly from the Trump administration's attempt to limit automatic citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents without legal status — a policy that had been challenged in lower courts. The court also separately agreed to hear a new case in its next term on whether the Second Amendment protects the possession of semiautomatic rifles, a question that will draw broad public attention when it is argued. The full statistical breakdown of the term's decisions, voting alignments, and case outcomes was compiled by legal analysts reviewing the complete docket.
Federal Judge Blocks Postal Service from Implementing Trump Mail-in Ballot Order
A federal judge issued a nationwide block preventing the U.S. Postal Service from carrying out President Trump's executive order on mail-in ballots, citing a 2020 legal agreement.A federal judge has blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing President Trump's executive order related to mail-in ballots, applying the injunction nationwide. The ruling cited a 2020 legal agreement as the basis for the block. Mail-in voting has been a persistent political flashpoint, with the Trump administration and Republican allies arguing the practice is susceptible to fraud, while voting rights advocates and election officials from both parties have said it is a secure and widely used method. The order's specific provisions were not described in detail in the source material, but the judicial block prevents those provisions from taking effect while legal proceedings continue. The ruling adds to a growing list of Trump administration executive actions that have been paused or blocked by federal courts during the current term.
States File Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over Medicaid Work Requirements
A coalition of states sued the Trump administration over new federal Medicaid work requirements, arguing the rules exceed congressional authority and deviate from guidance previously provided to states.A coalition of states filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's new Medicaid work requirements, which condition health coverage eligibility on recipients meeting certain employment or activity criteria. The lawsuit argues that the new federal rules go beyond what Congress authorized when it created Medicaid and that they break from guidance the federal government had previously communicated to states as they planned their programs. Work requirements in Medicaid have been a recurring policy debate, with proponents arguing they encourage employment and reduce program costs, and opponents contending they primarily result in eligible people losing coverage due to administrative complexity rather than actually entering the workforce. Earlier attempts to implement work requirements in the Obama and first Trump administration eras were also blocked in courts. The outcome of this litigation could affect Medicaid coverage for millions of low-income Americans across the states involved.
Supreme Court Will Hear Case on Whether Second Amendment Covers Semiautomatic Rifles
The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case in its next term on whether the Second Amendment protects the possession of semiautomatic rifles, a significant new gun rights question for the court.The Supreme Court has granted certiorari in a case that will directly address whether the Second Amendment's protections extend to the possession of semiautomatic rifles. The court accepted the case as part of a broader set of newly granted cases announced at the end of its current term. The question is significant because semiautomatic rifles are among the most common firearms in American civilian ownership and have also been the weapon used in several of the country's most lethal mass shooting events, making their legal status under the Second Amendment a high-stakes question for both gun rights advocates and those seeking stricter regulation. The Supreme Court's recent Second Amendment jurisprudence, particularly its 2022 Bruen decision, established a historical-tradition framework for evaluating gun regulations, and lower courts have been divided on how that standard applies to restrictions on particular weapon types. The case will be argued during the court's next term, which begins in October.
Markets have trended gradually higher over the past week.
U.S. Added 57,000 Jobs in June, About Half of Economists' Forecasts
The U.S. economy added 57,000 jobs in June, roughly half the number economists had predicted, while figures for the prior two months were revised down by a combined 74,000. The unemployment rate edged down to 4.2 percent.The U.S. labor market showed slower growth in June than anticipated, with employers adding 57,000 jobs according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics — approximately half of what economists had forecast. The Bureau also revised its employment figures for the two preceding months downward by a combined 74,000 jobs, painting a softer picture of recent hiring trends. The unemployment rate declined slightly to 4.2 percent. A notable drop in employment at accommodation and food services businesses contributed to the weaker headline number, with analysts noting that companies in those sectors did not significantly expand headcounts ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend or the ongoing FIFA World Cup. The softer report increases uncertainty about the Federal Reserve's next move. The Fed's new chair, Kevin Warsh, has emphasized price stability as his primary focus since taking office, and a slower labor market could reduce pressure on wages and inflation — but may also renew concerns about economic momentum. Markets had been anticipating the report closely, with the data potentially influencing expectations for interest rate decisions at the Fed's late July meeting. The report also arrives as the Trump administration faces scrutiny over the economic effects of its trade and immigration policies.
Trump Financial Disclosure Shows Over $2 Billion in Income in 2025, Led by Cryptocurrency
President Trump's financial disclosure for 2025 shows his businesses generated more than $2 billion in income, more than triple the prior year, with the largest gains coming from cryptocurrency ventures.President Trump's latest financial disclosure document shows that his various business interests generated more than $2 billion in income during 2025, his first full year back in the White House. That figure is more than three times his reported income from the year before. The largest gains came from the Trump family's cryptocurrency ventures. The disclosure has renewed scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest, given that the president retains financial stakes in businesses that may be affected by federal policy decisions, including regulatory treatment of digital assets. Trump has publicly denied any conflict of interest. The disclosure does not by itself establish legal wrongdoing, but watchdog groups and some members of Congress have raised concerns about the scale of income flowing to a sitting president from ventures that can be influenced by executive branch decisions. Cryptocurrency markets and related businesses have expanded significantly during the Trump administration's tenure, which has taken a generally supportive regulatory posture toward digital assets.
FDA Elevates Recall of Zapp's and Dirty Potato Chips to Most Serious Level Over Salmonella Risk
The FDA upgraded its recall of Zapp's and Dirty potato chips, made by manufacturer Utz, to its most serious classification due to salmonella contamination risk. The voluntary recall was originally issued in May.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has upgraded a recall of potato chip products to its most serious level, Class I, indicating a reasonable probability that consuming the affected products could cause serious harm. The recall covers varieties of Zapp's and Dirty brand potato chips, both manufactured by Utz. The company originally issued a voluntary recall in May citing potential salmonella contamination. The FDA's escalation to Class I status signals increased urgency for consumers to check their products and stop consuming any affected varieties. Salmonella infection can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, and can be severe or fatal in young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. Consumers who have purchased Zapp's or Dirty brand potato chips should check the FDA's recall database for specific product varieties, lot numbers, and best-by dates covered by the recall.
Africa CDC Warns Congo Ebola Outbreak Could Become Largest on Record
Africa's CDC has warned that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could become the largest ever recorded, with most new cases not on health workers' existing contact-tracing lists — indicating the outbreak is spreading beyond monitored networks.Africa's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that the Ebola outbreak currently underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo has the potential to become the largest in recorded history. The most alarming indicator is that the majority of people testing positive for Ebola are not appearing on health workers' contact-tracing lists — meaning they have no known connection to previously identified cases. This pattern suggests the virus is circulating in communities where outbreak response teams have no established presence, and that containment efforts are falling significantly behind the pace of transmission. Ebola is a severe hemorrhagic fever with historically high case fatality rates, though outcomes improve significantly with early medical intervention. The Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced multiple Ebola outbreaks over the past decade. For American readers, the warning has relevance both for global health systems and for U.S. public health agencies, which have historically played a significant role in international Ebola response efforts. Travel advisories and U.S. government health agency positions on this outbreak had not been updated in the source material available.
U.S. Lifts Export Controls on Anthropic's Most Powerful AI Models
The U.S. government lifted export controls on Anthropic's most advanced AI models, Fable and Mythos, restoring customer access after a more than two-week suspension prompted by government concerns about potential cybersecurity misuse.The U.S. government has lifted export controls on Anthropic's two most powerful AI models, Fable and Mythos, ending a blackout period of more than two weeks during which customer access had been suspended. Anthropic, the San Francisco-based AI company, said it learned of the controls being lifted through a social media post and subsequently restored customer access. The controls had originally been imposed by the federal government due to concerns that the models could be used to enable serious cyberattacks. The lifting of the restrictions de-escalates what had become a public dispute between Anthropic and the Trump administration. Anthropic is among the leading American AI developers and has received significant investment in recent years. The episode highlights the growing tension between rapid AI capability development and federal oversight of what technologies can be made available, particularly to international users. Export controls on AI models represent a relatively new and evolving area of national security policy.
OpenAI Reportedly in Early Talks to Offer U.S. Government a 5 Percent Equity Stake
OpenAI is reportedly in early discussions to give the U.S. government a 5 percent ownership stake in the company, part of a broader effort by major AI developers to build a closer relationship with the Trump administration.OpenAI is in early-stage discussions about offering a 5 percent equity stake in the company to the U.S. government, according to reports. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly argued that giving the American public a financial stake in AI development would align government interests with the company's success. The reported talks are part of a broader pattern of major technology companies seeking to improve their relationships with the Trump administration, which has significant influence over AI regulation, export controls, and federal contracting. OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, is in the process of converting from a nonprofit-controlled structure to a for-profit entity, a transition that has involved complex legal and financial negotiations. A government equity stake would be an unusual arrangement with significant implications for questions of regulatory independence and conflicts of interest. The discussions are described as preliminary, and no agreement has been announced.
Heat Wave to Bring Dangerous Temperatures to More Than 175 Million Americans Through July 4th
A heat wave is forecast to bring dangerous temperatures to more than 175 million Americans by Friday, with hundreds of cities potentially hitting record highs through the July 4th holiday weekend.A significant heat wave is forecast to affect a large portion of the United States through the July 4th holiday period, with the National Weather Service projecting that more than 175 million Americans will face either major or extreme heat risk by Friday. Hundreds of cities across the East Coast and Midwest are forecast to potentially set record high temperatures. The heat event arrives alongside what meteorologists are describing as one of the hottest first halves of a year on record for the United States, compounded by an active El Niño pattern that forecasters say may extend intense heat and elevated wildfire and drought risk through the summer. Public health officials advise staying hydrated, limiting outdoor activity during peak afternoon hours, and checking on elderly neighbors and others who may be vulnerable to heat-related illness. Many municipalities are opening cooling centers for residents without access to air conditioning.