The Saturday, July 4, 2026 Edition

›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

›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

›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

›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