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A proud history and a cloudy future: Congressional Black Caucus hit by Supreme Court ruling WASHINGTON — The long, often agonizing struggle for Black political clout in Washington faces a new, uncertain and potentially troublesome chapter. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/07/repub/a-proud-history-and-a-cloudy-future-congressional-black-caucus-hit-by-supreme-court-ruling/?

Florida suit against college accreditation process dismissed again A federal appeals court affirmed Monday dismissal of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2023 challenge to the college accrediting process, which he believes enforces diversity and related interests he considers “woke.” https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/06/florida-suit-against-college-accreditation-process-dismissed-again/?

Why Trump’s Jaw-Dropping World Cup Fix Is Only the Corruption Iceberg’s Tip Trump’s World Cup intervention is just one layer of a system that rewards power, money, and self-interest. It is tempting to think that just because Donald Trump is by far the most corrupt public official in the history of the United States, and his administration is unquestionably the most corrupt ever, that somehow the corruption problem in Washington begins and ends with them. That would be a huge mistake. I have lived in Washington for 33 years. My first job in D.C. was even before I moved here, when, for a couple of years during the Carter administration, I was the press secretary for a congressman. I came to D.C. an idealist. My idealism was fostered by the wholesale swallowing of jingoistic propaganda from my school years and from my immigrant father. The idealism was then, in turn, wrapped in a protective coating of naivete and further buffered by a remarkable degree of ignorance. So much for the East Coast cynicism of which I’ve always been so proud. But here’s the deal: After decades in Washington, it is crystal clear to me that what distinguishes the city and defines its culture more than any other trait, and now does so to a greater and greater degree yearly, is its corruption. Washington is, at its core, a machine in which power is recycled into money. Power is made into money, money is then translated into more power, which in turn becomes more money. It is the formula that keeps the ecosystem of Washington alive, and ensures that it serves fewer and fewer of us at the expense of more and more of us. But the corruption is about more than money. It is about placing the self-interests of the powerful ahead of judgment, ethics, morality, decency, and all the other qualities that we ought to expect in public servants. It is about placing serving self-interests ahead of public service. Much of the corruption is, however, invisible. Indeed, it has been institutionalized to such a degree that it is not just normalized, it’s mechanized, routinized, baked into the cake. Appropriations processes, the way officials are recruited for jobs, and even how think tanks operate, rationalizing the unthinkable in exchange for donations, are all part of these corrupt processes. In fact, baked in the cake is not a bad metaphor, as corruption in Washington is, as it turns out, perhaps a 700-layer cake ranging from straight-on grift of the free airplane type to hard-to-see chicanery of the crypto kind, to respectable forms of thievery like the budget process, to lobbying to think tanks, to the various forms of self-interested hobnobbery going on at Georgetown cocktail parties. What’s more, the very fact that the corruption is endemic‚ embedded in the culture and the processes of Washington, means that it functions as a kind of defense system. Everything is normalized by actually being normal. People are numb to it because it is part of the air they breathe and their daily rituals: corruption in who you know and chat with in the car pool line at your kids’ private school, corruption playing golf, corruption as S.O.P. in every moneymaking business in town, corruption as the way our campaign finance system works, corruption as the rationale behind who secrets are shared with, and who are left out in the cold because they can’t be trusted. You may think I am exaggerating. If anything, I’m understating the scope, depth, pervasiveness, and perniciousness of the problem. It just takes a quick scan of the headlines to reveal that virtually every story about Washington today contains a corrupt subtext. That may be obvious when our felon president—convicted of fraud, a pathological liar—gets on the horn with the head of one of the world’s most corrupt organizations, FIFA, to fiddle the rules around a red card in the World Cup. It’s pretty transparent in that case; more so if you remember FIFA head Gianni Infantino gave Trump the ridiculous FIFA Peace Prize. Or if you know the history of corruption inquiries into FIFA, or you remember that FIFA is a tenant, for no apparent reason, at Trump Tower in New York. It’s also obvious when Trump touts, publicly—as he did on Monday—all that he has done for the crypto business, even as revelations swirl about the billions he has made off of crypto, and the billions investors in his crypto ventures have lost, and all the crypto-friendly regulations he has passed. Trump is really the godfather of the crypto boom in the U.S. and I use the term primarily in the Mario Puzo sense. It’s a huge con and our president is rigging the rules, firing crypto investigators, doing all he can to cash in on the highly suspect form of finance. And we probably don’t know the half of it. What international and domestic side deals has the president struck in crypto? We’ll probably never know.You see corruption when Trump flies around on Grift Force One. When entities his family owns benefit from a UFC fight night on the South Lawn or off the 250th birthday celebration of America or from Pentagon or foreign contracts (like the recent Kazakh tungsten mine revelations). Trump family members getting a sweet deal on land for a resort in Albania? So corrupt that people turn out in the streets to protest. The fact that other members of his administration are also cashing in is a further illustration of the problem. But so too are what we learn about who is giving gifts to Supreme Court members or about the pervasiveness of insider trading from Congress to Trump (trading millions in the hours before he changes trade policy, for example). But, again, there are more layers to the corrupt culture of D.C. Trump barely works and spends many millions golfing on the public’s dime. He allocates funds for his pet D.C. projects outside of legal channels. But what about how the GOP is protecting members of Congress who make up its slim margin of control when they are clearly guilty of ethics violations or even crimes? Or when they, like New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean, just don’t show up for work for half a year? Or when you have a prominent Republican like Mitch McConnell whose staff feels no compulsion to let his constituents know whether, say, he is even still alive. Democrats can be guilty, too. They’ve got plenty of insider trading stories on their records. But they also have contributed to the culture of corruption by trying to cover up or downplay obvious, egregious ethical problems with candidates like Graham Platner, the Maine Senate wannabe whose candidacy is now circling the drain. Good people lent him their reputations and then, when it became clear he was abusing their trust, were slow to call him out because of how it might have reflected on them. And I’ll tell you, for me, another level of the corruption was found in this fairly innocuous social media post by the staid and respected Center for Strategic and International Studies. They published a report and a long social media thread assessing U.S. defense spending. The social media post began by saying: “At about 4.6% of GDP, the budget request of $1.5 trillion for FY 2027 marks a notable increase in defense spending. But a state of wartime footing also demands an ecosystem of competitive, innovative firms that can quickly field & sustain military systems in large quantities.” Pretty bland stuff. It then goes through a variety of points about what is needed to put the United States industrial base on a “wartime footing.” It talks about what might ensure we can produce the weapons we “need.” It then concludes by saying: “Defense spending is rising, munitions production agreements are being signed at historic scale, and novel public-private investment structures are taking shape, but the U.S. industrial base has a long way to go to achieve resilience.” Measured tones. Formal analytical language. But nowhere does it point out that we have no reason to have an industrial base on a “wartime footing,” that no other country in the world takes this approach, and that even in the long history of obscene U.S. defense budgets, this $1.5 trillion budget request is egregiously over-the-top insanely wasteful and unjustifiable—many multiples of every other country, multiples of all major powers added together. It does not note that such spending is crazy as deficits skyrocket or cuts are being made in social spending to provide more benefits to billionaires. It does not mention that what this budget is proposing is obscene, reckless and a threat to every American. No. It normalizes it. It whitewashes the administration’s bats–t crazy defense request and validates it. It even suggests, ludicrously, that the administration’s plans may not go far enough. That is corruption, too. It will cost Americans more than the stealing of even master criminals like the Trump Crime Family. It looks like a fact-based academic assessment, but it is paid for by corporate and personal donations from entities that benefit from its recommendations. (As often happens with think tank reports.) That includes Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and General Atomics. The people who write the report are part of an information and career ecosystem in which they benefit from doing what has been done since Dwight Eisenhower first warned of the military industrial complex in 1961. Some of these forms of corruption are visible. Others come to light periodically, when there are scandals or people see laws are being rewritten to serve billionaires and corporations at the expense of the majority of Americans. We are inured to others and barely notice. Some are intentionally invisible but just as damaging to our national interests. Periodically, the corruption in D.C. grows so extreme that change is called for. Think of Teddy Roosevelt and the trustbusters at the end of the period of the robber barons. Or more recently, think of post-Watergate, post-Vietnam, when people were so eager for a big change they elected a president few had heard of before 1976. That was a Georgia farmer, Sunday school teacher, former naval officer, and governor who seemed like the perfect anti-Washingtonian, anti-Nixon. A man of faith and ethics. Jimmy Carter. My sense is that given the extremes of visible corruption today, we are reaching another such inflection point and that as a consequence, we will be seeking a next president who is seen as not part of the D.C.’s corrupted culture; someone who is rather distinguished by his or her character, ethics, and values in much the same way that Trump is known for his absence of all those things. We need someone to clean house. Not a charlatan fake “common man” who, upon examination, has all the sleazoid traits we despise about D.C. like Platner. But someone who appears capable of recognizing and calling out the problem, holding offenders accountable, and overseeing meaningful reforms. Whomever she or he is, the odds are that, like in 1976, we don’t know their name right now. But one thing is certain: it is ever more likely that they are another of the usual suspects, another creature inside the Beltway swamp that the slime monster who is our president has only made many quantum levels worse. https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-trumps-jaw-dropping-world-cup-fix-is-only-the-corruption-icebergs-tip/?

White House Lays Out Bonkers Examples for New Battle Trump goons turned to Mickey Mouse to make a point about “restoring truth and sanity.” The White House escalated its attacks against one of the country’s most storied museums in a bizarre series of posts about cartoon characters, musical instruments, and the Dixie Chicks. The White House Rapid Response account posted a thread accusing the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History of filling a family institution with what it called “sick, explicit content.” The thread was produced alongside a 162-page White House report, compiled by the Domestic Policy Council under former Trump speechwriter Vince Haley, accusing the museum of abandoning objective scholarship in favor of “extreme political activism.” It also objected to video clips of drag queens, images of nude women, the iconic 2003 Entertainment Weekly “Dixie Chicks Come Clean” cover, and a copy of Girl Germs, a feminist zine created by University of Oregon students in 1990. “A magazine promoting ‘female masturbation,’” the White House complained, referring to the cover, which features two females in a romantic tangle. The administration also took issue with the museum’s contextualization of American cultural icons. It objected to descriptions of Mickey Mouse as having ties to the “vestiges of longstanding traditions of blackface minstrelsy,” the ukulele as “a product of U.S. imperialism,” and Wild West shows as turning the “subjugation of Indigenous people into theater.” Cultural historians have long made similar arguments about all three. The founding of America also came in for complaint. The White House objected to Christopher Columbus being described as a “murderer,” “slaver,” and “thief,” the Pilgrims being called “colonizers,” and Thanksgiving being linked to a “National Day of Mourning.” Historians widely agree that Columbus participated in the enslavement of Indigenous people, the Pilgrims did establish an English colony, and many Indigenous activists have observed a National Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving since 1970. The White House also took aim at the Benjamin Franklin exhibit, complaining that 20 percent of the space was devoted to enslaved people and that visitors were asked whether Franklin conducted electric shock experiments on enslaved people, which it said was done “with zero evidence.” Franklin did own enslaved people earlier in his life before freeing them and becoming an abolitionist and president of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. There is no credible historical evidence that he used enslaved people in his electrical experiments, though it is known that he experimented on people generally. The administration also objected to the museum celebrating Angela Davis, whom it described as “a Marxist who ran for VP as a Communist in 1980” and who “called for abolishing police and jails.” Davis was acquitted on all charges following a highly publicized 1972 trial connected to a 1970 courthouse attack. Supporters regard her as a major figure in the civil rights, Black liberation, and feminist movements. The White House also flagged other exhibits as objectionable: a “crotch harness,” a “trans nonbinary” person’s “chest binder,” and pages from a 6-year-old girl’s diary in which she prays “every night for my penis to grow.” “This sick material is sexualizing kids,” the White House wrote. The Smithsonian rejected the White House’s characterization, saying it has served the public through independent, nonpartisan scholarship for more than 180 years. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch defended the museum’s role in helping Americans understand the “complexity and nuance” of the nation’s history. The report follows Trump’s executive order seeking to eliminate federal support for what he calls “divisive narratives” at the Smithsonian. The White House thread concluded by declaring the findings proof of “Radical Left ideological capture of the Smithsonian—which the Trump Administration is rightfully correcting.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-lays-out-bonkers-examples-for-new-battle/? ps:How pathetic this administration is, to think they can change history!!!!!

Trump Trolled With Brutal Two-Word Message After World Cup Defeat The president’s explosive intervention in the tournament blew up in his face. Belgium hit Donald Trump with a brutal two-word jab after blasting Team USA out of the FIFA World Cup despite the president’s interference. “Overturn this,” the Belgian national team, known as the Red Devils, posted on their official X account after their 4-1 triumph Monday night knocked the U.S. out of the tournament. Trump had called FIFA President Gianni Infantino only days earlier to ask the soccer suck-up to review the red card from a match last week that had seen Team USA star striker Folarin Balogun slapped with a one-game ban. The presidents are close. Infantino awarded Trump FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize last December—having invented it to curry favor with the president after his Nobel Peace Prize snub. Balogun received the red card during the tie against Bosnia and Herzegovina last Wednesday. He was sent off in the 64th minute after trampling Bosnian player Tarik Muharemovic’s ankle as the two chased a loose ball. The U.S. won 2-0. The White House spent the following day frantically speaking with lawyers, digging into the rules, and consulting the men’s national team before Trump placed the call. FIFA announced on Sunday that, for the first time since 1962, the red card would not result in a suspension, clearing Balogun to face Belgium. The president confirmed on Monday before the evening match that he’d intervened with Infantino, taking credit for the reversal while insisting he hadn’t dictated the outcome. “All I did was ask for a review—I didn’t say, ‘You have to do this,’” he told reporters. He admitted that prior to Balogun’s suspension, “I didn’t know what the hell a red card was.” That admission did not keep him from declaring the referee who made the decision was “a little bit suspect” and urging journalists, without elaborating, to “check his past.” He also thanked FIFA on Truth Social for “reversing a great injustice.” The backlash has proven fierce. UEFA, Europe’s governing soccer association, said FIFA had “crossed a red line” and called the decision “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.” The Royal Belgian Football Association sought an explanation for the “incomprehensible and unjustifiable” decision ahead of kick-off on Monday. FIFA decided to treat that request as a formal appeal, then declared it inadmissible because Belgium wasn’t the team playing the U.S. at the match in question. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment on this story. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-trolled-with-brutal-two-word-message-from-belgium-after-us-world-cup-defeat/?

Trump, 80, Unravels Over New Obsession in 1AM Meltdown The president laid out what he believes is the “Number One Priority” for Congress in a social media tirade. Donald Trump went on a late-night rant demanding that Congress push through a third mammoth reconciliation bill alongside his stalled SAVE America Act. In a Truth Social post just before 1 a.m. ET, the 80-year-old president pushed for a so-called “Reconciliation 3.0” to provide a $350 billion cash injection for defense spending. Trump, who is traveling to Ankara, Turkey, for a NATO summit, also renewed his calls for lawmakers to pass his endorsed legislation requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration and largely banning mail-in ballots in elections, which does not have enough support in Congress. “The United States Military has never been stronger, or more powerful. No other Nation can do what we do (It’s not even close!). This year we set even more Historic Recruiting Records, months ahead of schedule. Morale has never been higher. Our Military’s unmatched POWER was on full display during our Celebration of 250 Years of American Independence and, like our Country, the WAR DEPARTMENT has never been ‘HOTTER,’” Trump wrote. Trump added that the country needs to “keep it that way” and urged the House and Senate to make passing Reconciliation 3.0 and the SAVE America Act the “Number One Priority” when Congress returns to session. “The SAVE AMERICA ACT, which everyone is asking for, paired with the full funding of our Great Department of War, can be passed very quickly, ensuring that the United States of America stays FREE for Generations to come,” Trump added. The proposed “Reconciliation 3.0,” which seeks $350 billion in new defense spending, is the third major funding package Trump has pursued during his second term. The first was his One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by Trump in June 2025, followed by a $70 billion immigration and border security package. The president was only able to get the second funding package through Congress after Senate Republicans stripped plans to add an additional $1 billion for security related to the president’s White House ballroom vanity project. Leading Senate Republicans have previously expressed doubt that Congress will pass another major spending bill this term. During a June 9 hearing, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins said it would be a “terrible risk” to pursue a third spending package. At the same hearing, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, also said it was “safe to conclude there will not be another reconciliation bill.” Those remarks came just days before McConnell was hospitalized after being found unconscious and requiring CPR at his Washington, D.C., home. Trump’s obsession with a third reconciliation bill comes as the president’s repeated attempts to get his SAVE America Act through Congress continue to fail. The bill, which aims to overhaul the election process, has raised concerns among critics that the president hopes to use the legislation as a pretext to meddle in November’s midterm elections, where Republicans are widely expected to suffer heavy defeats. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-80-unravels-over-new-obsession-in-1am-meltdown/?

Trump, 80, Humiliated With His Own Dance After U.S. World Cup Loss Players were spotted after winning the game with an eyebrow-raising move. Donald Trump has been personally trolled on U.S. soil by the team that ended America’s World Cup assault. The 80-year-old president personally intervened after Team USA superstar Folarin Balogun was handed a red card that ruled him out of Monday’s knockout game against Belgium, played in Seattle. After Trump contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who invented a Peace Prize for Trump last year after he was snubbed by the Nobel committee, the suspension was dramatically overturned. It is the first time since 1962 that FIFA had overturned a suspension in the World Cup and led to accusations of political interference and corruption. However, despite Balogun being controversially cleared to play, the American team was soundly beaten, 4-1. Footage widely posted on X shows Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku leading his team to imitate Trump’s awkward dance style after he scored the final goal in the match. The players formed a circle on the sideline and pumped their fists in and out, while keeping their feet planted on the ground, in a brief victory dance to reference the U.S. president. Trump’s dance routine involves keeping the feet stationary while clenching the fist and swaying the hips side to side. He most frequently busts the move to the Village People’s “YMCA.”The Belgian soccer federation had expressed its fury at the “incomprehensible and unjustifiable” decision and the Red Devils’ social media team joined in the trolling with a post on X showing Lukaku celebrating his goal and the caption: “Overturn this.”# The president was also mocked by his estranged niece Mary after the World Cup loss, as the term “Trump curse” began trending on X. “The best US men’s team ever loses to Belgium,” Mary posted on X. “If they’d advanced, there would have been an asterisk next to their victory because of Donald’s interference.” She added, “He casts a shadow over everything. He can only win if he cheats, and he thinks that applies to everybody else.” She ended her post by imitating her uncle’s regular sign-off: “Sad.” Morning Joe co-host Jonathan Lemire wrote after the loss, “It’s as if Belgium had motivation to humiliate the U.S. tonight.” Progressive news outlet Meidas Touch also highlighted the “Trump curse.” “Sports fans are calling it the Trump curse,” the outlet claimed, before listing the connection between sporting events Trump attended where a team he either supported or predicted would win actually lost, from the Super Bowl to the NBA finals. Trump did not attend Monday’s game in Seattle, and was headed for a NATO summit in Turkey. Speaking after the game, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said the team did not approach the match as they had other games in the World Cup. He also admitted, “We were never in the game.” “Everyone saw from the beginning that we did not connect with the game. We were never in the game,” he said. “It was really tough from the beginning,” said Pochettino. “I congratulate Belgium. They were better than us. It wasn’t our day.” Trump is yet to comment on the U.S. loss. The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-80-humiliated-with-his-own-dance-after-us-world-cup-loss/?

US loses and integrity of World Cup questioned as Trump, FIFA defend actions surrounding star US player’s suspension Folarin Balogun’s presence on the field for the United States against Belgium had a seismic impact on the world of soccer, but he ultimately played a forgettable role in the Americans’ 4-1 loss in the World Cup round of 16 on Monday. Read more. Why this matters: The striker was shown a red card during the U.S. victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina, but FIFA lifted his suspension for Monday’s match after President Donald Trump intervened on Balogun's behalf. FIFA’s decision prompted soccer leaders to question the integrity of the World Cup, with European soccer body UEFA saying FIFA “crossed a red line” and Belgium’s soccer federation contesting Balogun's eligibility. FIFA’s disciplinary committee defended its decision Monday. Trump on Monday called the referee’s decision a “horrible” call while admitting he was confused about the rules and punishment surrounding red cards. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ US eliminated in 4-1 loss to Belgium Trump says World Cup referee’s red card call was ‘horrible’ but insists he left outcome to FIFA WATCH: Emotional rollercoaster for US fans Photos of the US match

Hamas dissolves its government in Gaza to transfer power to a UN-backed committee DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Hamas militant group said Monday it had dissolved its government in Gaza and is preparing to transfer power to a technical committee backed by the United Nations as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal. https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestinians-hamas-war-government-146f9a609580d4c8c42ab35fbe60d5b3?

US support for Israel slips as Democrats grow more critical, AP-NORC poll finds After decades of reliable bipartisan backing for Israel, a new AP-NORC poll reveals a dramatic erosion of support for the longtime U.S. ally, with rising opposition from Democrats and signs of division among Republicans. About one in three U.S. adults — including roughly half of Democrats — believe that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians during the war in Gaza. It’s an accusation that’s been leveled by some human rights organizations and vehemently denied by Israel and the United States government. Read more. Why this matters: About 58% of Democrats now say the U.S. is “too supportive” of the Israelis, up from 45% in an AP-NORC poll from January 2024 when former President Joe Biden was in office. That includes 51% of Jewish Democrats in the new poll. Only about 2 in 10 Republicans say that the United States is “too supportive” of the Israelis, although Republicans under 45 are more likely to say this. The poll’s findings arrive at a moment when a once-consensus foreign policy issue is increasingly polarizing Americans along partisan and generational lines, driven by criticism for Israel’s conduct nearly three years after the outbreak of its latest war with Hamas in Gaza.

Democrats begin pulling Graham Platner endorsements after sexual assault allegation A woman who previously dated Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner said he drunkenly forced her to have sex after she told him to stop, according to a Politico report released Monday. Read more. What to know: Platner denied the allegation, but said he would be considering next steps for his campaign. “Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we’re taking the time to reflect on the best path forward,” he said in a video released on social media. Platner won the Democratic nomination last month, setting himself up to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who has beaten back previous attempts to dislodge her from the seat that she’s held for nearly three decades. Although Platner has long been controversial, the sexual allegation sparked a flight away from the candidate, including prominent supporters, throwing a must-win race for Democrats into turmoil.

Microsoft cuts Microsoft says it is eliminating about 4,800 jobs — or about 2.1% of the company’s global workforce — with its Xbox gaming unit among the hardest hit. The job cuts come as Microsoft faces pressure to establish itself as a major player in artificial intelligence, while companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are increasingly tailoring their AI tools for business use and productivity. Read more.

July 7, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. The United States is out of the World Cup, routed by Belgium 4-1. The NATO summit is getting underway in Turkey. And calls are mounting for Graham Platner, a Democrat from Maine, to end his Senate campaign after a sexual assault allegation. But before we get to those stories, and other news, let’s check in on Venezuela, which is still recovering from last month’s terrible earthquakes. In Venezuela. Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York Times Caribbean disparity The United States funneled more than $3 billion in aid to Haiti in 2010, after a devastating earthquake left the country in shambles. It sent in 7,000 military troops to help and stopped deportations of Haitians. That’s not what has happened in Venezuela, which was shattered by two earthquakes late last month. The Trump administration has taken an estimated $8 billion in revenues from the country’s oil exports since removing its leader, Nicolás Maduro, in January. Yet the United States has thus far put up just $300 million in earthquake aid and sent a more modest military deployment, about 900 troops. And it hasn’t announced a halt to deportations. My colleague Simon Romero has covered both countries for years. He was one of the first reporters on the ground in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, in 2010. Yesterday, he wrote a fascinating story comparing the U.S. response to the earthquakes in both countries while exploring the haunting parallels between the two events: “Pancaked multistory concrete buildings, bodies flooding into overwhelmed morgues, survivors disparaging government responses, and civilians leading desperate rescues of people trapped in the rubble.” I turned to him to help us understand what’s happening in Venezuela now, and what happened in Haiti in 2010. Sam: What explains the discrepancy between the U.S. responses to these two natural disasters? Simon: At first glance, there are major differences between the two tragedies. Venezuela, despite its severe economic crash a decade ago, is still not as poor as Haiti. The death toll in Venezuela also appears to be lower — though that could change as more bodies are recovered. Venezuela also has oil — something Haiti does not have. But the U.S. approach to foreign aid has also changed immensely under the Trump administration. Aid to many poor countries, some in humanitarian crises, has been slashed. U.S.A.I.D. has been gutted. Still, the Haiti relief effort led many people to conclude that bigger isn’t always better. Giant though it was — and it did save lives immediately after the 2010 earthquake — it did not ultimately place Haiti on a stronger footing. Haiti’s government was able to limp by without doing the reforms needed to actually make it accountable to Haiti’s people. A U.S. Navy helicopter landing in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 2010. Michael Appleton for The New York Times I always read the comments on stories. One question readers have on this one is about what’s happened to the billions in Venezuelan oil revenue that the United States says it oversees. Like, where is it? There is very little transparency regarding Venezuela’s oil revenues. At first, some funds flowed into an account in Qatar. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified in January that about $300 million from that account was disbursed to Venezuela; in February, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said $500 million was sent to Venezuela. Then the United States began depositing money from Venezuela’s oil exports into U.S. Treasury accounts. In April, a State Department official told Congress that the department had authorized $3 billion from these accounts to go to Venezuela — but the official said he did not know how much money remained in the Treasury accounts. It is also unclear who in the U.S. government exercises control over these accounts. The expectation is that the oil revenue will be used to rebuild, though we don’t know for sure. The government already faced huge challenges just to stabilize and grow the economy before the earthquakes. You were one of the first reporters to see, up close, the effects of the earthquake in Haiti. And you’ve reported from Venezuela for years. Can you give us a sense of what may lie ahead for Venezuela? The recovery and rebuilding efforts in Venezuela will take years. It will be extremely challenging. There are the issues of funding, but there’s also the issue of whether Venezuela’s government is up to the task. Venezuela still has authoritarian rule, and those in power do not face the same scrutiny from public institutions, the news media or nongovernmental organizations that public officials in democratic systems do. Alarmingly, after the quakes, images circulated on social media of Venezuelan security forces taking cash from collapsed buildings. This speaks to the fears that any aid could be siphoned off by corrupt officials. There just isn’t a great deal of trust in a government that has imprisoned political opponents and refused to accept election results. Read Simon’s story here. (We’ve made it free for you to read, along with some other stories in today’s newsletter.) For more: Several factors — the direction, the depth, the softness of the soil — combined to make the Venezuela quakes especially dangerous, as these maps show. THE LATEST NEWS Graham Platner Graham Platner Sophie Park for The New York Times A former girlfriend told Politico that Platner, the Democratic Senate candidate in Maine, entered her house while drunk and sexually assaulted her in 2021. Platner said the accusation was false. But he postponed several campaign events and said he was taking time to “reflect” on his path forward. Democratic leaders and key supporters have called on him to leave the race. The woman who accused Platner previously spoke to The Times about troubling behavior during their two-year relationship. Democrats can replace Platner on the ballot if he withdraws by Monday. The party would have until July 27 to name his replacement. NATO The New York Times NATO’s annual summit begins today in Turkey, and the alliance’s relationship with the United States is expected to dominate the talks. In the video above, Tyler Pager, a White House correspondent, explains the stakes of the meeting. Click to play. Canada said it chose two European allies to build a new fleet of navy submarines, a major step to reduce its military dependence on the United States. Other Big Stories American A.I. companies complain that Chinese competitors are unfairly copying their systems — and they’re begging U.S. officials to do something about it. Chickens can’t sweat. The recent heat wave in France killed millions of them. Microsoft is sharply reducing its video game business, laying off nearly 3,000 Xbox employees and dropping several game studios. CAN ICE DO THAT? Federal agents visiting David Streever’s home in June. David Streever, via Associated Press In January, a man named David Streever sent a scathing email to the acting director of ICE after two demonstrators were shot to death in Minneapolis. He called the director a “monstrous human being” and compared him to a Nazi. In June, federal agents showed up at his door in Rochester, N.Y., serving his wife a written warning that his email might have constituted an illegal threat. Two days later, another agent tried to intercept him at a New York City hotel where he and his daughter were staying, according to a lawsuit. Yesterday, a free-speech watchdog sued the Trump administration, arguing that the agents’ actions amounted to intimidation and unconstitutional retaliation for protected speech. “When you have federal agents showing up at your home, confronting your wife, tracking you to a hotel with your daughter, that’s more than enough to send the message that you should shut up,” one of the lawyers said. Read the full story here. (This link is free.) OPINIONS Want fairer college admissions? Bring back standardized testing, the editorial board writes. (This link is free.) NATO’s survival might depend less on the United States being a good ally to Europe and more on Europeans being good allies for themselves, Massimo Calabresi writes. Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. MORNING READS In Santiago de Cuba. Lisette Poole González for The New York Times Getting by: In Cuba, the U.S. oil blockade has deepened a humanitarian crisis. The Times followed a family of seven that survives on less than $60 a month. Billion-dollar scent: Bath & Body Works made a fortune on its Japanese Cherry Blossom fragrance. Can it come up with its next big thing? (This link is free.) Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about a swim party for Muslim families in Texas. TODAY’S NUMBER 7 — That’s how many cans of Red Bull a passionate England supporter drank while staying up all night in a London pub to see his team defeat Mexico in a game that started at 7 p.m. on Sunday in Mexico City, or 2 a.m. Monday in London. “I’ve got heart palpitations right now,” he told The Times. WORLD CUP Ruth Fremson/The New York Times Before the game between Belgium and the United States, Trump called the head of FIFA and asked him to overturn a red-card suspension of a top American player. “I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said yesterday. People around the world, including some Americans, condemned the call. After Belgium won, the team mocked Trump. “Overturn this,” it posted on social media. American fans will likely be dissecting what went wrong until the 2030 Cup rolls around. It was that bad. See how a series of mistakes led to Belgium’s third goal. Spain took down Portugal, 1-0, ending Cristiano Ronaldo’s dream to win a World Cup. He’s not expected to play in another tournament. RECIPE OF THE DAY David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Here’s a lovely weeknight repast from Yewande Komolafe, crispy tofu with cashews and blistered snap peas. For the tofu, there’s a fantastic, salty-sweet coconut-milk sauce that zings with ginger. The real star of the show, though, is Ms. Snap Peas, dressed in rice vinegar with spangles of sliced scallion and a nice bit of mint. Enjoy. IN VOGUE Kareem Rahma Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images My colleagues on the Styles desk have determined the most stylish people of 2026 so far. Nice to see Kareem Rahma make the cut. That’s a good take. Time to debate! See the list. (The link is free.) More on culture It’d be tough to stare at the ceiling of Grand Central Terminal in New York for 10 minutes straight, at least if you did it standing up. The neck strain! But with The Times’s 10-minute challenge, you can look straight at your computer — and learn a lot about the art up there. Come join us. (This link is free.) There’s a new Madonna album out, “Confessions II,” her first full-length release in seven years. Is it any good? “The continuous mix of the album — songs melt into the next — effects a D.J. set as Madonna explains club-land liberation theology through various dance subgenres,” Evelyn McDonnell writes. Read on. Late night hosts roasted Trump’s Fourth of July party. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Michael Murtaugh/NYT Wirecutter Blitz yourself some smoothies this summer with the best blender tested by the fruit-obsessed whiz kids at Wirecutter. Pro tip: You can find used and reconditioned models all over the internet. Stop ignoring your pelvic floor, fellas. You have one, and it may need help. Read “The Little Drummer Girl,” John le Carré’s flamboyant, theatrical 1983 thriller about Israeli intelligence agents infiltrating a cell of Palestinian terrorists. If there is a villain in the novel, Anatole Broyard wrote in his review for The Times, “it is only history.” GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was avalanche. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

🎂 1 Dubya thing: 43 turns 8-0 Former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush arrive for the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago last month. Photo: Mustafa Hussain/Bloomberg via Getty Images Former President George W. Bush turned 8-0 yesterday in Maine. His daughter Jenna Bush Hager said her father — a big mountain biker — celebrated with a spin class and a family dinner. 🎈 Big birthday summer: President Trump turned 80 last month. Former President Clinton turns 80 on Aug. 19.

🌐 Europe plans for post-Trump world Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Terrified by President Trump's tariffs and threats against Greenland, Europe's leaders held a secret January crisis meeting to plot how to survive a rupture with America, according to a deeply reported Wall Street Journal story (gift link). Why it matters: European allies are quietly stripping U.S. tech from government systems and pouring billions into homegrown space, AI and data-center firms in what the Journal calls an "unprecedented experiment in de-Americanization." Nearly 30 leaders gathered for a tense Brussels summit dubbed "therapy night," where French President Emmanuel Macron declared "there is no going back," warning Europe's overreliance on America was a security risk. Italy's Giorgia Meloni initially pushed back on the room's mood, arguing Trump could still be reasoned with even if other leaders didn't like him. Months later, after Trump's airstrikes on Iran spiked fuel prices across Europe, even Meloni had changed her tune and declared that Trump "is not reasonable." Worthy of your time.

💥 Trump's Iran grudge hangs over NATO summit Photo illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios. Photos via Getty Images President Trump arrives at the NATO summit in Ankara today still furious at the allies who refused to help him fight Iran — and determined to make sure they know it, Axios' Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo write. Why it matters: For years, Trump has openly questioned whether America's closest allies are strong enough, loyal enough or useful enough to deserve the protection they've relied on since World War II. Some allies' refusal to open air bases for U.S. strikes on Iran — or to send forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz — has hardened his NATO skepticism into open contempt. Zoom in: Trump has spent the weeks since the Iran war publicly humiliating Europe's leaders. He has mocked Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, claiming she "begged" him for a photo at the G7. Yesterday, Trump posted a meme of Meloni with the caption: "Restraining order needed." He called outgoing U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer weak and suggested his hesitation over Iran showed he was "no Winston Churchill." Even NATO chief Mark Rutte — Europe's preeminent "Trump whisperer" — struck out last month when he tried to flatter the president with a gold-lettered chart touting "The Trump Trillion" in allied defense spending. 👀 What to watch: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month review of U.S. forces in Europe last month. One U.S. official told Axios the review could lead to adjustments in Europe. A second U.S. official said a "NATO drawdown isn't really on the table" for the summit, but added: "The president isn't happy with the Europeans. It's the same old story." U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker told reporters that Trump will push allies to move faster toward spending 5% of GDP on defense. 🇺🇦 Between the lines: Trump's meeting with Zelensky could become the summit's most consequential side drama. Ukrainian officials hope the meeting — their second in three weeks — will produce movement on two urgent priorities: Patriot air defense systems and a new U.S. push for a deal to end the war.

🤖 Claude's hidden thinking space Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Anthropic said yesterday that it has identified an internal workspace Claude uses to hold and manipulate ideas without putting them into words — a structure it says resembles how humans consciously access thoughts, Axios' Ina Fried and Madison Mills write. Why it matters: Anthropic hasn't shown that Claude feels or experiences anything. But the discovery gives fresh ammunition to the debate over what would count as machine consciousness. In a video, the company says Claude uses this "J-space" to plan strategies that can be unrelated to its immediate task and are separate from the "chain of thought" reasoning it shares with users. "We can see Claude silently perform reasoning steps in its head—noticing bugs in code, identifying images, and more," Anthropic said in a post on X accompanying its video. 🧠 The intrigue: Anthropic's research paper uses the word "conscious" over 200 times, though the company doesn't go so far as to say its models are conscious. Watch the video ... Anthropic's paper ...

THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 7 1930 Preliminary work begins on the Hoover Dam Construction of the Hoover Dam begins. Over the next five years, a total of 21,000 men would work ceaselessly to produce what would be the largest dam of its time, as well as one of the largest manmade structures in the world. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT Cold War 1983 11-year-old Samantha Smith leaves for visit to the USSR Crime 1865 Mary Surratt is first woman executed by U.S. federal government Early U.S. 1798 U.S. launches the Quasi-War with France, the first conflict since the Revolution European History 2005 Terrorists attack London transit system at rush hour Native American History 1863 Kit Carson begins his campaign against Native Americans Sports 2019 U.S. women’s soccer team wins record 4th World Cup title 1912 Jim Thorpe begins Olympic pentathlon U.S. Government and Politics 1797 First impeachment of a U.S. Senator U.S. Presidents 1946 Future President Jimmy Carter marries 1986 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter spend wedding anniversary building Habitat for Humanity home Women’s History 1976 Female cadets enrolled at West Point 1981 Reagan announces Sandra Day O’Connor as pick for the Supreme Court World War I 1917 British Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps is officially established World War II 1942 Himmler decides to begin medical experiments on Auschwitz prisoners

Bull Run Begins The annual nine-day San Fermín festival—known as the Running of the Bulls—kicked off yesterday in Pamplona, Spain. Watch the traditional rocket launch, overlooking 12,000 crowdgoers wearing white and waving red handkerchiefs, here (via YouTube). Beginning today, thousands of people will sprint ahead of six fighting bulls and six steers each morning at 8 am local time, followed by an afternoon bullfight. The medieval-era festival honors Saint Fermín, remembered as the son of a Roman senator and Pamplona's first bishop. In the 16th century, festivities were moved from the saint's feast day in the fall to July, presumably to coincide with the peak season for cattle markets. This year, celebrations coincide with the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ernest Hemingway's “The Sun Also Rises,” which popularized the festival. Read about the novel’s enduring legacy here. At least 16 people are believed to have died in the festivities over the past century; see photos from 1947 here.

Kirk Murder Hearing Prosecutors this week are publicly unveiling their evidence in the murder case of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University last September. The preliminary hearing that began yesterday will determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to send the case to trial. Watch the first day's livestream here. The defendant, 23-year-old Tyler Robinson, is charged with aggravated murder; he has not entered a plea as of this writing. Day 1 of the hearing included testimony from former campus police officer Chris Bagley, who said authorities found what appeared to be a "sniper pad" on a campus rooftop overlooking the event. (Read more highlights.) Prosecutors also outlined evidence they plan to present over the coming days, including DNA evidence, autopsy findings, an alleged confession, and a video interview with Robinson's former roommate and romantic partner. Read the alleged confession texts and charging documents here. See a timeline of the investigation, including aerial mapping of the shooting, here (scroll down for map).

NATO Defense Push World leaders are gathering in Ankara, Turkey, today for the 36th annual NATO summit. The 32-member alliance is expected to showcase new military equipment funded by increased defense spending. NATO is estimated to spend about $258B more on defense across 2025 and 2026 as members work to increase defense budgets from 2% to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035. President Donald Trump pushed for the higher target last year, arguing that member states rely too heavily on the US. He threatened to reduce backing for allies that fail to meet the metric. Countries near Russia—such as Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia—are nearing the 5% goal, while Spain and Belgium previously struggled to meet the 2% benchmark. See how much NATO allies spend on defense here. Separately, Ukraine renewed calls for NATO support yesterday after reporting that Russia launched 68 missiles and 351 drones at and around Kyiv. NATO allies have reportedly provided 99% of all military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022. Learn how NATO works in one minute. (w/video)

Explosions rock Syria’s capital as French President Macron visits DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Explosions rocked Syria’s capital on Tuesday and injured at least 18 people as France’s president met with his counterpart in a landmark visit to the country rebuilding from years of civil war, Syria’s Interior Ministry said. https://apnews.com/article/syria-france-macron-damascus-explosions-4bbe664b13bc1fb18042e9689f4ceab7?

Belgium beats US 4-1 to reach World Cup quarterfinals, taking advantage of defensive lapses SEATTLE (AP) — Images told the story of the United States’ World Cup downfall. https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-united-states-belgium-score-0325e8102be7a88e852079deffd70ca0? ps:Good for them! The US didn't need any help from the man that has no knowledgeable of soccer!! They could've won on there own, they didn't need someone to try and fix the game for them!!!!!!!!!! ⚽ World Cup bummer View from behind the goal as U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese unable to stop Belgium's fourth score during a 4-1 World Cup Round of 16 loss in Seattle. Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images The U.S. crashed out of its home World Cup last night, losing 4–1 to Belgium in Seattle, just after President Trump leaned on FIFA to get striker Folarin Balogun cleared to play. The Americans got their best crack at a deep run in a generation with home turf, a soft bracket and a mostly healthy roster, but squandered it in a lopsided and embarrassing exit. Belgium rested two of its biggest stars and still won comfortably — a measure of how far the Americans remain from soccer's elite. The match was nearly over before it started. A Belgium forward scored in the ninth minute, and though the U.S. bounced back on a deflected free kick, the same Belgian struck again two minutes later to take back the lead. U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese's blunder, mishandling a ball far outside his net, gave Belgium a third goal, and then the Belgians scored a fourth in the final minute. For a month, America charmed the soccer world as co-host and won over visiting fans. That goodwill came crashing down after FIFA reversed the suspension of Balogun, the U.S.'s leading scorer. The reversal came after Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Balogun had been red-carded a match earlier. The reversal drew a rare public rebuke from Europe's soccer establishment. Photo: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images Cristiano Ronaldo, one of soccer's biggest superstars, teared up on the pitch in Arlington, Texas, after playing in his last World Cup match yesterday. Portugal, where he made his international debut 23 years ago, was eliminated by Spain. That ended the World Cup career for the all-time leader in international goals (146) and appearances (233). He's the only player to score goals in six consecutive World Cups. "I go with a clear conscience," Ronaldo, 41, said after the match. Photo gallery: Ronaldo in six World Cups.

We'll see! They've said many times one thing or another and always did something else!! Jesus tells us that you'll hear peace here and there, but there won't be any!!!

Semiquincentennial snapshot: the US at 250 years Insights about the nation's population, households, education, employment, and income. https://usafacts.org/articles/semiquincentennial-snapshot-the-us-at-250-years/? One last fact The Constitution gives Congress the sole authority to admit new states to the union. Most states form by drafting a state constitution and submitting it for Congressional approval. Once approved, it passes an Act of Admission, which the president signs, officially granting statehood. Sixteen states formed in the 18th century, 29 in the 19th century, and five in the 20th century. When was your state founded?