The Saturday, July 4, 2026 Edition
Iran Begins Khamenei Funeral, America Turns 250, and Swift-Kelce Wed at MSG
4 min read
Sports, Entertainment & Culture
World Cup Round of 32 wraps. Argentina barely survived Cape Verde in extra time, France advanced in dominant form, and Messi and Mbappé lead the Golden Boot race as the Round of 16 begins.
Al Jazeera
LeBron weighs his next move. Agent Rich Paul said James is considering a host of teams in free agency, including the Heat, Cavaliers and 76ers.
ESPN
Margo Price drops surprise protest album. The country artist released 'Days of Unrest,' a July 4 mixtape of rallying covers featuring a guest appearance from Joan Baez.
Pitchfork
Science & Technology
OpenAI floats 5% government stake. Sam Altman is in active talks with the Trump administration about giving the U.S. government a 5% stake in OpenAI, less than some lawmakers sought, insiders say.
Ars Technica
NASA launches telescope rescue mission. A NASA-funded robot blasted off to catch a falling telescope in mid-orbit and boost it back to safety before it burns up.
BBC World
Tesla deliveries jump 25% in Q2. Tesla reported a 25% year-over-year jump in second-quarter deliveries, outstripping production. That suggests the company has cleared inventory and is gaining traction in Europe.
Ars Technica
Three nuclear startups bring reactors online. Three nuclear energy startups celebrated new reactor designs coming online. But experts caution the technology remains far from delivering energy at meaningful scale.
Wired
Business & Markets
Beef prices stay high despite record imports. Record U.S. beef imports have not lowered prices. Tariffs and supply chain issues make this year's Fourth of July cookout more expensive than ever.
MarketWatch
Lawmakers disclose first SpaceX stock purchases. Members of Congress disclosed the first known purchases of SpaceX shares following the company's record IPO. Elon Musk's firm keeps deepening its role in federal contracting.
CNBC Top News
Democrats plan subpoenas over Trump finances. Democrats are preparing subpoenas targeting President Trump's roughly $2 billion in presidency-era business gains, including more than $1 billion in cryptocurrency profits, per Axios.
Axios
June jobs report misses expectations. The June employment report fell short of expectations, a warning sign that the labor market entered summer with less momentum than data suggested a month earlier.
Axios
Trump Accounts launch with $1,000 for newborns. The Treasury Department launched Trump Accounts Saturday, giving eligible newborns $1,000 invested in a U.S. equity ETF. Critics note the program bans bonds and international diversification.
Washington Examiner
Politics & World
Europe backfills NATO gaps. NATO's top commander said European allies have mostly filled gaps left by reduced U.S. military contributions to the alliance's crisis plans.
AP News
Venezuela quake toll reaches 2,645. The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes rose to 2,645. Rescue teams from more than 90 countries continue searching the rubble.
Reuters
China patrols east of Taiwan. Beijing said it launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, replacing a naval task force whose presence had drawn objections from Taipei and Western capitals.
Reuters
Moore explains democratic socialist gains. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said democratic socialist candidates are gaining because voters want someone who will fight for them -- not because of ideology.
The Hill
Russia claims Kostiantynivka capture. Moscow said its forces captured the strategic Ukrainian city Saturday. Ukraine launched a major overnight drone attack on St. Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad region, Russian officials said.
Al Jazeera
1 billion
The number of guests Disneyland has welcomed since Walt Disney opened the Anaheim park just under 71 years ago — an average of roughly 14 million visitors a year. The milestone arrives just ahead of the park's 71st birthday.
Source: Deadline
Round of 16 play gets underway at the 2026 World Cup, with Messi and Mbappé leading a heated Golden Boot race.
This weekend
The Museum of American Finance reopens in Boston this weekend, featuring an AI Alexander Hamilton avatar visitors can chat with about economics.
This weekend
NBA free agency continues, with LeBron James considering the Heat, Cavaliers, 76ers and other teams for his next destination.
Coming days
'I Can Only Describe It as a War Zone': The Rescuers Navigating Venezuela's Post-Quake Hellscape
How international rescue teams are navigating the devastation left behind by Venezuela's earthquake, in what one rescuer calls a war zone. (Read)
The Guardian · Tom Phillips
A Short Economic History of the United States
A short economic history of the United States, from slavery and empire to immigration and socialism. (Read)
Foreign Policy · Cameron Abadi and Adam Tooze
A Device That Revives Eyeballs From Dead Donors Could Make Eye Transplants Possible
How a device that revives eyeballs from dead donors could make eye transplants possible. (Read)
MIT Technology Review · Jessica Hamzelou
“I have noticed that nothing I have never said ever did me any harm.”
— Calvin Coolidge, 30th US president
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