⚡ Today in History

On July 11, 1798, Congress re-established the United States Marine Corps, which had been disbanded after the Revolutionary War. In 1979, the abandoned Skylab space station fell back to Earth over Australia and the Indian Ocean. Today? US and Iranian forces are trading strikes across the Persian Gulf on the 132nd day of the 2026 war.

Top News

US and Iran pause fire after two days of strikes 14 KILLED

After Iran attacked three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz on July 6–7, breaking a June 17 deal meant to end the war, US forces struck about 80 Iranian targets, including more than 60 Revolutionary Guard boats. Iran says 14 people were killed, and by Friday the fighting had quieted as Qatar, Oman and Pakistan pushed to restart talks on the 132nd day of the conflict that began February 28.

Israel warns Washington of Iranian plot to kill Trump

Israeli intelligence recently shared information with the United States about an Iranian plan to assassinate President Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Trump, speaking to reporters at a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, said he had seen the warning and was “on every single one of their lists.”

Charlie Kirk’s accused killer confessed in texts, agent says

At a preliminary hearing in a Utah court this week, a federal agent testified that Tyler Robinson admitted in text messages to his roommate that he had assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Robinson also apologized and laid out a motive in the messages, according to the testimony.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz grinds to a halt

As US and Iranian forces resumed fire this week, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway that carries about a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil — collapsed. No large vessel has crossed the main US-coordinated lane with its tracking signal on since July 7, Lloyd’s List Intelligence said, down from roughly 130 ships a day before the war.

Parasite outbreak sickens more than 1,400 across the US

US health officials are tracking an outbreak of cyclospora, a parasite spread through contaminated food and water that causes prolonged diarrhea. The outbreak has infected at least 1,400 people nationwide, according to figures reported this week.

World

Iran buries Khamenei in Mashhad shrine

Iran laid its former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to rest early Friday at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, in the country’s northeast, after several days of funeral processions through Iraq and Iran. Khamenei, killed in a US-Israeli strike on February 28, was buried without a public appearance by his son and expected successor, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Iran fires 10 missiles at US-used base in Jordan 8 INTERCEPTED

In retaliation for the renewed US strikes, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it launched 10 ballistic missiles at the Azraq air base in eastern Jordan, which hosts US, German, Belgian and French forces. Jordan’s military said it intercepted eight of the missiles fired July 9.

Earthquakes deepen turmoil in post-Maduro Venezuela

A series of deadly earthquakes has struck Venezuela as the country works through a fragile political transition after the fall of former President Nicolás Maduro. The tremors have added to uncertainty over who will govern and whether the transition will hold.

EU says Meta’s apps break its digital rulebook

The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, said Friday that preliminary findings show Facebook and Instagram breach the bloc’s digital law through features like infinite scroll and autoplay that keep users engaged. Meta could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual revenue if regulators confirm the findings.

French court lets Le Pen run for president — with an ankle tag

A French court ruled that far-right leader Marine Le Pen may stand in the next presidential election but must wear an electronic monitoring tag, following her earlier conviction in an embezzlement case. The decision keeps Le Pen in the race while restricting her movements.

Politics

Trump withholds housing bill over immigration demand

President Donald Trump canceled a June 24 ceremony to sign a major housing affordability bill and has said he will not make it law until Congress passes the SAVE America Act, a separate immigration measure. The standoff leaves the housing legislation in limbo as the midterm elections approach.

Pelosi accuses Trump of an illegal war with Iran

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that President Donald Trump had “once again” pulled the United States into an illegal war with Iran after US forces resumed strikes. Pelosi, writing on X, argued that Trump ignored a bipartisan congressional vote last month ordering an end to unapproved military operations.

Grassley probes FBI director’s travel and spending

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa has opened an inquiry into the travel and spending of FBI Director Kash Patel. The probe brings scrutiny of Patel from within his own party months before the midterm elections.

New Mexico says DOJ is hiding Epstein ranch files

New Mexico’s attorney general said the US Justice Department is withholding “critical” information tied to Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch, the late financier’s property south of Santa Fe. The state is pressing for the records as it investigates activity at the site.

Palm Beach airport renamed for Trump

Palm Beach International Airport in Florida reopened Thursday as President Donald J. Trump International Airport, with Eric Trump landing the first flight under the new name. The rebrand makes the airport in the president’s home county the latest site to carry his name.

Markets

Stocks rally as chipmakers rebound S&P +0.8%

US stocks closed higher in Thursday’s session, the last full day of trading before the weekend, as semiconductor shares recovered and oil prices eased. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% to 7,543.64, the Nasdaq gained 1.3% to 26,206.89, and the Dow added 139 points to 52,478.41.

Oil eases even as US-Iran fighting flares

Despite the renewed strikes between the United States and Iran, crude prices slipped as some tankers kept moving through the Persian Gulf. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, traded near $72 a barrel Friday, with global benchmark Brent around $76.

SK Hynix debuts on Nasdaq, seven times oversubscribed

SK Hynix, the South Korean company that is the world’s largest maker of the high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI systems, began trading in New York on Friday. The firm priced its US shares at $149 each, and demand ran more than seven times the supply on offer.

Delta beats forecasts, but fuel costs bite

Delta Air Lines reported quarterly adjusted earnings of $1.56 a share Friday, above the $1.48 that analysts expected. Delta shares fell about 3% as investors focused on rising jet-fuel costs tied to the Middle East conflict.

Meta aims to build its own AI chip by September

Meta Platforms, the parent of Facebook and Instagram, said it plans to produce its own artificial-intelligence chip by September to cut its reliance on outside suppliers. Meta shares rose about 4% on the news Thursday.

Entertainment

Emmy nominations land, ‘The Pitt’ leads the field 25 NODS

The 2026 Emmy nominations were announced this week, with the hospital drama “The Pitt” leading at 25 nominations. The comedy “Hacks” followed with 24, a record for a single comedy series in one year.

Bonnie Tyler, ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ singer, dies at 75

Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, whose raspy-voiced 1980s power ballads “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out for a Hero” topped charts worldwide, has died at 75. Her family said Thursday that Tyler died in a hospital in Portugal after months of treatment following intestinal surgery.

Disney’s live-action ‘Moana’ hits theaters

Disney released its live-action remake of “Moana” in cinemas Friday, with Catherine Laga‘aia in the title role alongside Dwayne Johnson as the demigod Maui. The film arrives as one of the studio’s major summer releases.

France cruises into World Cup semifinals

France beat Morocco 2-0 on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts, to reach the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup, hosted across North America. Captain Kylian Mbappé scored his eighth goal of the tournament to lead the Golden Boot race and set up a semifinal on July 14, Bastille Day.

Haaland and Kane collide as England meets Norway

Norway and England meet Saturday in Miami in a World Cup quarterfinal that pits two of the tournament’s top scorers, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, against each other. England will be without defender Jarell Quansah, suspended after a red card in the round of 16.