⚡ Today in History

On June 30, 1908, an asteroid or comet exploded over Tunguska in remote Siberia, flattening roughly 2,000 square kilometers of forest — the largest impact event in recorded history. In 1905, Albert Einstein submitted the paper introducing his theory of special relativity. Today, the U.S. and Iran head to Doha, Qatar for emergency talks after trading strikes that shook a fragile Middle East ceasefire and rattled global oil markets.

Top News

U.S. and Iran meet in Doha after weekend strikes test ceasefire TALKS TODAY

After Iran struck a cargo vessel near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, triggering a weekend of U.S. retaliatory strikes and Iranian counterattacks against U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, President Trump announced on Truth Social that American envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner would fly to Doha on Tuesday for high-level talks. Iran's chief negotiator, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, said separately that no technical working group meetings are currently scheduled, creating uncertainty over whether the session will take place as stated.

Supreme Court blocks Trump's firing of Fed governor Lisa Cook 5-4

In a 5-4 ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court rejected Trump's attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, allowing her to keep her seat while her legal challenge proceeds. Trump fired Cook in August 2025 — the first firing of a Fed board member in the central bank's 112-year history — citing allegations of mortgage fraud, a claim Cook denies. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said Cook was not given proper notice or the opportunity to respond before being dismissed.

Venezuela earthquake death toll rises to 1,450 with 46,000 still missing

Six days after two powerful earthquakes — a magnitude 7.2 followed seconds later by a 7.5 — struck Venezuela on June 24, the confirmed death toll reached 1,450, with over 46,000 people listed as unaccounted for on a national missing persons registry. The critical 72-hour window for finding survivors beneath collapsed buildings has now passed, and search operations in the hardest-hit coastal state of La Guaira are shifting from rescue to recovery.

Europe's heat wave kills over 1,300 — France alone records 1,000 excess deaths

A severe heat wave that began sweeping Europe on June 20 has killed more than 1,300 people across the continent, according to the World Health Organization, with France's public health agency reporting roughly 1,000 of those deaths occurred within its borders since June 24. Germany recorded its hottest temperature ever — 41.7°C (107°F) — in the town of Neißemünde near the Polish border on June 28, while the Czech Republic also set a national record the same day at 41.1°C (106°F).

Supreme Court expands presidential power over independent agencies — except the Fed

In a separate ruling issued the same day as the Lisa Cook decision, the Supreme Court gave Trump broader authority to remove leaders of federal independent agencies, allowing the firing of FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter to stand. The court carved out an explicit exception for the Federal Reserve, drawing a legal distinction between the central bank and other regulatory bodies such as the FTC, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

World

Iran claims sole control of Strait of Hormuz — Oman and U.S. push back 20% OF GLOBAL OIL

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said over the weekend that the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which roughly 20% of the world's oil supply passes — is under Iran's sole management, and warned against any separate arrangements by other parties. Oman, which earlier suggested a joint corridor plan, then reversed itself and said no passage fees were planned, while hundreds of ships remain stranded in the Persian Gulf as owners wait for clearer security guarantees before transiting the waterway.

Hezbollah refuses to disarm, rejects Israeli security zone in southern Lebanon

Following a trilateral framework agreement signed in Washington on June 26 by the U.S., Israel, and Lebanon, Hezbollah's leadership said Monday the Iranian-backed group — which was excluded from the negotiations — would not disarm and demanded a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said the same day that Israeli forces will remain in their security zone along the border until Hezbollah is disarmed throughout Lebanon, a condition Hezbollah directly rejects.

Iraq orders Iran-backed militias to disarm by September 30

Iraq's government announced Monday that pro-Iran armed factions operating inside the country must disarm by September 30, 2026, ahead of a planned visit by new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to Washington. The announcement reflects sustained U.S. pressure on Baghdad to rein in the militias, several of which targeted American military facilities in Iraq during the broader Middle East conflict that began when the U.S. and Israel struck Iran in late February.

Israel continues strikes on Gaza and Lebanon despite active ceasefire deals

Israeli forces struck targets in southern Lebanon on Monday, destroying what the Israeli military described as more than 200 meters of Hezbollah tunnel infrastructure reaching 25 meters underground, even as the U.S.-brokered trilateral framework remains formally in effect. In Gaza, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported at least 1,045 people killed since Israel agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last October, including two siblings — 15-year-old Islam Moussa and her 30-year-old brother Abdullah — killed in strikes on the designated safe zone of al-Mawasi on Saturday.

Saudi Aramco helicopter crash kills 14 near Red Sea coast

A helicopter operated by Saudi Aramco, the Saudi state oil company and the world's largest crude oil producer by output, crashed on June 28, killing all 14 Saudi nationals on board. The incident occurred near Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. Saudi Aramco has not yet released the cause of the crash, and an investigation is underway.

Politics

Supreme Court rules mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day may be counted if received late 5-4

In a 5-4 ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court held that states may count mail-in ballots received after Election Day provided they were postmarked by the deadline, preserving existing rules in Mississippi and other states ahead of November's midterm elections. The decision hands Democrats a win on voting rights and arrives on the same day the court sided with Lisa Cook's job protection at the Federal Reserve, marking a rare day of split outcomes for the Trump administration at the high court.

Rubio briefs House members on Iran deal — first full congressional update since the war began

Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed members of the House of Representatives from both parties Monday afternoon on the administration's interim memorandum of understanding with Iran, the first time most lawmakers had received a direct briefing since the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran began on February 28. The virtual session came amid ongoing uncertainty about whether the fragile peace framework — signed by Trump and Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian in early June — can survive a weekend of mutual strikes.

Trump taps former Oklahoma state trooper Lance Schroyer as next ICE director

President Trump announced Monday that former Oklahoma state trooper Lance Schroyer will be his nominee to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The nomination comes as the administration continues a sweeping immigration enforcement campaign that has resulted in the deaths of 20 people in for-profit ICE detention facilities in 2026, according to advocacy groups tracking detainee deaths.

Sen. Chris Coons injured in multi-vehicle crash in Delaware

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware announced Sunday on social media that he was injured in a multi-vehicle crash in Sussex County, Delaware. Coons did not disclose the nature or severity of his injuries. The senator is currently serving his third term and is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Appeals court blocks Trump's rollback of coal plant pollution limits

A federal appeals court on Monday blocked the Trump administration's effort to roll back Environmental Protection Agency rules limiting air pollution from coal-fired power plants, leaving the Biden-era emissions standards in place while legal challenges proceed. The ruling is the latest in a series of court setbacks for the administration's energy deregulation agenda.

Markets

Stocks rebound as Supreme Court protects Fed independence — Dow tests 52,000 NASDAQ +1.2%

U.S. stocks climbed Monday after the Supreme Court blocked Trump's firing of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, reassuring markets about central bank independence, and after both Washington and Tehran agreed to pause mutual strikes ahead of Tuesday's talks in Doha. The Nasdaq Composite rose 1.2%, the S&P 500 added 0.7%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained roughly 0.4%, testing the 52,000 level it briefly touched last week.

Comcast surges 20%+ after announcing NBCUniversal spinoff

Comcast announced Monday morning that it will spin off NBCUniversal and its European broadcast arm Sky into a separate publicly traded company — a tax-free transaction expected to complete within about one year — leaving Comcast focused on broadband and wireless through its Xfinity brand. The move sent Comcast shares up more than 20% in premarket trading, with Comcast co-CEO Mike Cavanagh set to lead the new standalone NBCUniversal, which will include NBC, Telemundo, Peacock, Bravo, Universal film studios, and the Universal theme parks.

Oil holds near $70 — down more than 23% in a month as Hormuz flows resume

West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose modestly Monday to about $70 per barrel, recovering from a four-month low, after the U.S. and Iran agreed to halt tit-for-tat strikes over the weekend. Despite the brief spike in tensions, WTI has fallen roughly 23% over the past month, a decline driven by the resumption of Persian Gulf shipping after the U.S.-Iran interim peace deal was signed in early June and Saudi Arabia resumed loading tankers at its Ras Tanura terminal.

Gold at $4,052 and Bitcoin near $59,000 — both under pressure as risk appetite returns

Gold futures fell roughly 1% Monday to about $4,052 per ounce, pulling back from last week's gains as equities rallied and Middle East tensions eased slightly. Bitcoin traded near $59,000, down from a monthly open above $73,000 and down about 18% for June, extending a pullback that has brought the cryptocurrency back below key technical support levels.

SpaceX joins Nasdaq-100 on July 7 — added just 25 days after record-breaking IPO

SpaceX (Nasdaq: SPCX) will be added to the Nasdaq-100 index before the market opens on July 7, Nasdaq confirmed, just 25 days after the company's June 12 IPO — the largest initial public offering in history, which priced shares at $135 and valued the company at roughly $1.77 trillion on debut. Nasdaq changed its index inclusion rules in May 2026 to allow companies ranked among the top 40 by market cap to qualify for inclusion just 15 days after going public, a rule change that accelerated SpaceX's eligibility.

Entertainment

Serena Williams returns to Wimbledon singles after four-year absence DAY 2

Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, takes to Centre Court on Tuesday at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, for her first singles match in four years, facing Australia's Maya Joint in the first round of the 139th edition of the Championships. The opening day Monday featured defending women's champion Iga Swiatek against Taylor Townsend of the United States, with Wimbledon also debuting video review technology for the first time in the tournament's history.

2026 BET Awards honors Lauryn Hill with Living Legend Award — Teyana Taylor wins inaugural Icon of the Year

The 2026 BET Awards aired Sunday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with Lauryn Hill receiving the Living Legend Icon Award presented by three of her children, alongside tributes from Ice Cube, Queen Latifah, Doechii, Doja Cat, and Lizzo. Janet Jackson made a surprise appearance to present Teyana Taylor with the ceremony's inaugural Icon of the Year award, reducing Taylor to tears on stage.

Comcast breakup reshapes streaming: Peacock and Universal become standalone entertainment giants

Comcast's planned spinoff of NBCUniversal creates a standalone entertainment company that will combine Peacock, the Universal film and television studios, the Universal theme parks, and the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks under a single publicly traded entity separate from Comcast's broadband business. The move is expected to give the new NBCUniversal greater flexibility to pursue mergers in a media sector that has seen consolidation accelerate since Paramount's pending acquisition of Warner Bros.

Obama Presidential Center opens in Chicago with star-studded ceremony

The Obama Presidential Center, museum, and library opened on the South Side of Chicago with a grand opening ceremony and a public watch party on the Midway Plaisance. The center, located in Jackson Park, is the official museum and library for the 44th president's administration and serves as a community hub in the Woodlawn neighborhood, one of Chicago's historically underinvested areas.

Chris Evert announces ovarian cancer has returned

Tennis legend Chris Evert, an 18-time Grand Slam singles champion who first disclosed an ovarian cancer diagnosis in December 2022, announced Thursday in a social media post that the cancer has returned. Evert, 71, previously completed chemotherapy and said in 2023 that she was cancer-free. She did not provide details about her current treatment plan.