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Trump's wealth President Donald Trump on Wednesday took his first flight aboard the new Air Force One, a luxury Boeing jet donated by the government of Qatar. The aircraft, an unconditional gift estimated to be worth about $400 million, has raised legal, ethical and national security concerns. It comes as Trump faces renewed scrutiny over claims that he is profiting from the presidency after new financial disclosures showed his wealth has soared since retaking office and his Florida resorts have posted record-breaking revenue gains. Read more. ANALYSIS: Will Trump pay a political price for his rising wealth?

📊 Wide support for youth social media bans Data: Pew Research Center. Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios Americans' support for youth social media bans stretches across age groups and partisan lines, a new Pew survey finds. 56% of U.S. adults support social media bans for kids under 16, compared to 21% opposed. 👨🏻 Slicing by age, people 30-49 show the strongest support (63%). That's also the group most likely to have kids covered by such a ban. 🧒 More adults with children under 18 support a ban (65%) than those without kids (52%) — suggesting parents may see more harms than non-parents. Pew surveyed 9,750 U.S. adults from May 26 to June 1. Explore the data.

Under the heat dome Data: Global Forecast System; Map: Erin Davis/Axios Over 142 million Americans are under extreme heat warnings as the eastern half of the country keeps roasting under a "heat dome." ☀️ The National Weather Service's latest forecast calls for peak heat indices of 100-115 degrees "across portions of lower Mississippi Valley into the Northeast." "The combination of daytime heat and little overnight relief ... will lead to widespread areas of major to extreme HeatRisk from the Midwest to the East Coast." ⚠️ Threat level: The elderly, outdoor workers, people with preexisting health conditions and those without adequate cooling are all at risk of heat-related illness. "Heat dome," explained.

⚽️ U.S. survives a man down U.S. midfielder Malik Tillman celebrates the Americans' second goal against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara last night. Photo: Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images The U.S. beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 last night for its first World Cup knockout-round win in 24 years, Axios' Bob Gee writes. The U.S. showed grit and resilience playing a man down after losing striker Folarin Balogun, the team's leading scorer. Balogun was issued a red card in the second half after he inadvertently landed on a Bosnia defender's heel, meaning he must sit out the next game. Midfielder Malik Tillman sealed the win in the 82nd minute with a free kick that curled over the Bosnian wall and past goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj. Next up, the Americans face Belgium in Seattle on Monday. Read on.

🤖 Fable's story continues Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images 📱 "Oh how I have missed you fable!" Axios' Andrew Kay typed in. "We have so much to catch up on … " Anthropic's Fable 5 AI model is back online after the Trump administration lifted an export control, Axios' Madison Mills and Ina Fried report. 👩‍💻 It's the most powerful publicly available AI tool — so capable that the U.S. government decided that Anthropic had to add further safety measures before making it broadly available. Queries that it deems to pose security or safety risks may be routed to less powerful models. The block raised big questions over how and when the Trump administration will step in to regulate AI rollouts. Go deeper.

OpenAI floats 5% stake for public Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios As OpenAI prepares to go public, the AI giant wants to give the American public an ownership slice of up to 5% to help democratize the benefits and riches of the humanity-rattling technology. Under an idea CEO Sam Altman has floated to the Trump administration, Americans would directly hold equity (stock) in the top AI companies. We're told this wouldn't be a sovereign wealth fund, where the government owns the equity and decides what to do with it. The Financial Times reports today that Altman has suggested a 5% stake in early conversations with the administration. President Trump has embraced public stakes in U.S. companies. Last month, after Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) proposed a one-time 50% tax on the stock of the largest AI companies, Trump said a public partnership with AI companies could be "a beautiful thing." The proposed arrangement would include America's other leading AI labs handing over a similar stake, but it's not clear they would. As a mechanism, OpenAI has floated an arrangement similar to the Alaska Permanent Fund, which provides residents with a dividend from the state's oil and mineral wealth.

The court reigns supreme The Supreme Court spent its latest term sidelining Congress and amassing power for itself and the presidency, Axios' Andrew Pantazi writes. After the term that ended this week, Congress can no longer insulate regulators from the president, limit political parties' spending, or require race-conscious voting districts. The justices overturned precedents, second-guessed Congress and brushed aside facts found by lower courts. Georgetown Law professor Steve Vladeck tells Axios: "The real headline of the current term is, 'Supreme Court rules for itself, 6–3.'" ⚖️ Some of the court's most notable recent decisions: Choosing which parts of the FTC to keep (the powers Congress gave it) and which to shed (the independence Congress designed). Making it nearly impossible to use the Voting Rights Act to challenge maps diluting Black and Latino voting power. Striking down limits on coordinated political party spending (which it had upheld in 2001). Curbing Congress' power to make state officials pay damages for violating federal funding laws. Letting President Trump keep withholding $4 billion in congressionally appropriated foreign aid, at least for now. Reality check: The president didn't win everything this term. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote all three major rulings against Trump: blocking emergency tariffs, sparing Fed governor Lisa Cook (for now), and rejecting the executive order ending birthright citizenship. What's next: Trump's biggest defeat doubled as the term's loudest warning. Four justices were willing to say that Trump's birthright citizenship order didn't violate the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to all those born in the country. Georgetown's Vladeck says the fact that a position deemed "outlandish as recently as a decade ago" got four votes will "embolden" the next wave of once-fringe constitutional arguments. Go deeper.

We have that happen all the time (think tithe, woman's ordination, authority of SOP), especially when it comes to the belief of the GodHead. I tend to stay away even from the word 'Trinity' as that is tainted with the Church of Rome serpentine words, which they can define to their own liking, so leaves me uncomfortable to say the least..

THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 2 1964 President Johnson signs Civil Rights Act U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs into law the historic Civil Rights Act in a nationally televised ceremony at the White House. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1865 Salvation Army founded 21st Century 2021 U.S. withdraws from Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan American Revolution 1776 Continental Congress votes for independence from Britain Arts & Entertainment 1997 “Men in Black” premieres in theaters 1977 “Gonna Fly Now (Theme From ‘Rocky’)” is the #1 song on the U.S. pop charts 1992 Stephen Hawking breaks British bestseller records Civil War 1863 Fighting continues at the Battle of Gettysburg Cold War 1947 Soviet Union rejects Marshall Plan assistance Crime 1881 President James A. Garfield shot Exploration 1937 Amelia Earhart disappears Middle Eastern History 1990 Pilgrim stampede kills 1,400 Slavery 1839 Mutiny on the Amistad

Vatican excommunicates schismatic bishops and priests, and warns their followers VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican responded aggressively Thursday to a traditionalist group that consecrated bishops without the pope’s consent, declaring the Society of St. Pius X had formally broken with the Catholic Church. It excommunicated its bishops and priests, and warned its faithful that they too face the harshest sanctions in the church. https://apnews.com/article/vatican-traditionalist-pope-latin-st-pius-6570c6bcc0784f4b9229e20bdec4e5aa?

U.S. beats Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 to advance to round of 16 and keep its World Cup dreams alive SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Malik Tillman stepped up for a free kick with a bloody sock and a new right boot after being stepped on by an opponent as the United States scrambled to protect a one-goal lead, down a man in a World Cup knockout round. https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-usmnt-bosnia-score-b78bdf42bf14d604d7b466aa58d33324?

If an acquaintance at your church asked you to accompany them to share the gospel with a coworker who’d expressed deep guilt for his sins, would you go? All Christians should jump at that chance. Let’s say you go. Russ, your acquaintance, shares the gospel. The coworker expresses a desire to believe in Jesus but throughout the conversation voices skepticism about some Christian beliefs. What are your thoughts as Russ addresses these concerns? https://www.icr.org/article/15965

Sorry for your loss! I'm guessing that's your husband? If not I apologize! Will put your family in my prayers!

Coordination Rules Everything Around Me (Dan Brandenburg / Getty)   View in browser No sooner had the Supreme Court issued its opinion in a big campaign-finance case yesterday than my inbox began filling up with nongovernmental organizations and Democratic leaders decrying the ruling. In the case, National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission, the justices struck down a law limiting the amount of money that political parties can use for coordinated spending on candidates. On first glance, the ruling is yet another in a string of cases in which the Court’s conservative majority has overturned laws that try to regulate the flow of money in politics, citing the right to free speech. “Today’s ruling is a win for billionaire donors and special interests who want more influence over the GOP agenda and an invitation for corruption,” the leaders of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee thundered in a statement. Michael Waldman, head of the left-leaning Brennan Center for Justice, took a similar line: “Today’s campaign finance ruling is part of the Roberts Court’s 16-year drive to destroy anti-corruption laws.” The Elias Law Group, a top Democratic law firm, said that the decision “needlessly overturns its own precedent to destroy a long-standing pillar of federal campaign finance law.” The bleakest predictions about the decision may yet come true—contemporary American politics seldom disappoints pessimists—but I think another interpretation is more likely. NRSC will help empower the political parties, reduce the appeal of super PACs, and potentially even improve transparency, all of which are positive changes. The conservative majority may have unintentionally stumbled into a good result for election law, at least within the bounds of the deeply broken status quo. The law in question is, like all campaign-finance rules, arcane. Individuals are permitted to give only a set amount to candidates, and the statute was designed to keep donors from funneling greater sums by passing them through the parties. It set a limit on how much parties can spend in coordination with candidates—$65,300 in most House races in 2026. Meanwhile, the Court has issued many decisions demolishing existing campaign-finance laws over the past couple of decades, including Citizens United v. FEC, which struck down limits on outside spending, as did a lower court with its decision in SpeechNOW.Org v. FEC, which paved the way for super PACs, both in 2010. That shift means that far more money is sloshing around, but instead of going to parties, it’s going into independent groups such as super PACs, which have comparatively little regulation or disclosure rules. The idea that political parties should be stronger may be counterintuitive to most Americans, who hold both the Democratic and Republican Parties in low esteem. But many political scientists have argued that one reason American politics is such a mess is that the party organizations have been weakened for decades, through steps that include the deregulation of campaign-finance and also “good governance” reforms such as choosing candidates via transparent primaries rather than in smoke-filled rooms. Weak parties are less able to squash candidates whose positions come from the fringes of their coalitions, or massively wealthy candidates—or both, in the case of Donald Trump, whom the GOP establishment disdained but proved powerless to stop in 2016. “Unlike Superpacs, the political parties are accountable to the voters,” Rick Pildes, a professor at the New York University School of Law, told me in an email. “They aggregate a broad array of interests, unlike ideological Superpacs; the money to parties is fully transparent, unlike Superpacs; and political parties are the major vehicle through which voters get messages about a governing agenda.” He added, “Even if you believe there’s too much money in politics, it’s better to have that money flow through the political parties than these unaccountable, outside groups that are often narrowly focused.” Lifting the ban on coordination won’t eliminate super PACs, which raised $5 billion in the 2024 election, but it will make them less alluring to donors. Money can be used more efficiently if it’s going directly to a party and candidate, rather than to a super PAC that is legally barred from coordinating with a candidate. One reason Democrats reacted angrily to the ruling is that, in the immediate term, the GOP will likely benefit. (This is also the reason Republicans brought the suit.) Bloomberg notes that Republican committees have more money in their coffers than their Democratic counterparts do, even as many Democratic candidates are out-raising their opponents. In the long run, though, both parties will benefit. Like a huge majority of Americans, I would prefer a far more restrictive campaign-finance regime, one that made money less important, thus freeing elected officials of the need to spend astonishing amounts of time fundraising, and reduced the political sway of billionaires and wealthy special interests alike. This spring, The New York Times reported that one-fifth of federal-campaign donations in 2024 came from billionaires and their immediate family members—a total of more than $3 billion. But the current Supreme Court has demonstrated that it will strike down almost any law that attempts to restrict this type of spending as an infringement on the First Amendment—as it did in this case. Bruce Cain, a political scientist at Stanford, wrote in an email that he agreed with the “core argument” of the NRSC ruling, but added, “The problem of mega-donors and independent spending will not go away because of this decision.” In its other recent jurisprudence, he said, “the Court has ruled that independent spending cannot corrupt the way a direct contribution can. This is a ludicrous legal assumption, but it will not be changed soon.” NRSC v. FEC does nothing to fix these broader systemic problems with money in elections, but it’s a baby step toward a more functional politics. Related: Trump exposes the holes in campaign-finance laws. (From 2018) Small donors still aren’t as important as wealthy ones. (From 2016)

1 for the road: Death of the disc Photo: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images PlayStation physical game discs will be a thing of the past by 2028, the gaming giant announced today. 💿 Physical media, like cartridges and discs, ruled gaming for generations until digital stores allowed people to download games, Axios' Herb Scribner reports. 🥊 Eliminating physical discs will lower production costs — a small reprieve for an industry rife with layoffs and developmental challenges. Today's announcement states that all "new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only." This won't affect games that are already released or will be releasing prior to January 2028. 🎮 Farewell to scratched disc frustration! Go deeper.

⚡ It's "alive"?? University of Minnesota researchers have achieved a breakthrough in biological engineering: the first synthetic cell that replicates a biological cell's life cycle, built entirely from non-living chemical components. Gift link.

🌐 A new UN-backed commission will gather top tech executives and heads of state to forge global AI solutions. The AI for Good Global Commission will hold its first meeting on July 8 in Geneva, Axios' Ashley Gold first reported.

1 big thing: AI layoff leap Data: Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Chart: Ben Berkowitz/Axios Layoffs are falling. But where companies are cutting, AI is driving a greater share of the downsizing, Axios' Ben Berkowitz and Avery Lotz write from a Challenger, Gray & Christmas report out today. 🤖 Stunning stat: Just this year, AI has been blamed for nearly 102,000 job cuts. Since 2023, when AI was first tracked as a distinct reason, it's been cited in more than 173,000 job cut announcements, per the report. "AI is the dominant force as companies are restructuring around it, automating roles, and reallocating budgets toward new capabilities," the firm's Andy Challenger wrote. By the numbers: U.S.-based employers announced 45,849 job cuts in June, down 53% from the 97,006 cuts announced in May. Through June, employers have announced 443,604 job cuts, down 40% from the 744,308 announced in the first half of 2025, when the Trump administration oversaw a massive federal firing spree. 🔎 Tech again led all sectors, now accounting for nearly a third of all job cuts announced this year. 💡 "The sector is being reshaped in real time," Challenger said. Read the report.

Climber couple arrested after scaling Empire State Building antenna for apparent marriage proposal NEW YORK (AP) — A daredevil couple scaled the Empire State Building’s antenna Wednesday and unfurled a banner about “the power of love” and peace, apparently as part of an audacious, high-altitude marriage proposal — soon followed by their arrest. https://apnews.com/article/empire-state-building-antenna-stunt-banner-68f02bde462ee033662f3e5939142559?

Ex-CIA Director John Brennan seeks court order requiring records from investigations be preserved WASHINGTON (AP) — Former CIA Director John Brennan sued the Trump administration Wednesday, demanding a court order that would require officials to preserve records from investigations that he says are targeting him for “what amounts to phantom criminal conduct.” https://apnews.com/article/brennan-cia-russia-justice-department-investigation-0953e358307a391d6f1c0da14b18bf4e? ✈️ President Trump took flight today on his new Air Force One: a Boeing 747-8 given to the U.S. by the Qatari government. He told reporters ahead of takeoff: "This was a gift from a country that's treated us very well." How Trump got a "palace in the sky." 🇺🇸 The White House will not renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The administration is setting up years of annual reviews that bring fresh uncertainty for businesses that depend on trade with two of America's largest trading partners. Go deeper.

Microsoft Won't Let Windows 10 Die Just Yet Microsoft quietly extended free security updates for Windows 10 through 2027, giving millions of aging PCs another lease on life—and possibly setting the stage for an even longer reprieve. https://www.pcmag.com/news/microsoft-wont-let-windows-10-die-just-yet?

First-Term Trump Lawyer Torches President’s ‘Onslaught of Corruption’ The president’s staggering fortune was revealed in financial disclosures. Donald Trump’s former White House lawyer Ty Cobb accused the president of squeezing an historic amount of “corruption” into just 18 months. Trump’s staggering personal fortune got a public airing this week when the U.S. Office of Government Ethics released a 927-page financial disclosure revealing just how lucrative his second presidency has proved. The document shows Trump raked in at least $2.2 billion in 2025 alone—from cryptocurrency, real estate, legal settlements, and an array of other income streams. More than $1 billion of that came from crypto, including profits from World Liberty Financial, the venture he founded with his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, that sells “governance tokens,” and the $TRUMP meme coin he launched three days before his inauguration. This, Cobb surmised, amounts to an “onslaught of corruption.” “I don’t think it was contemplated by the founders when they created the Emoluments Clauses,” he said on CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront on Monday, referencing the provisions in the Constitution designed to prevent corruption. He said crypto is a “slimy industry,” and added that the way Trump is “going around it, where he creates policies that can only enrich himself and his family, is something that I think the average American should be staggered by.” Getting straight to the point, Cobb, who served as a White House lawyer during Trump’s first term, said, “There’s no question. I mean, we are seeing the greatest onslaught of corruption in the history of mankind in the last 18 months.” He said Trump, whose fortune Forbes estimates at $6 billion, has a daily “devotion” to accumulating wealth and power and added that the “grift” is at a “stunning” scale. Cobb left the first Trump administration in 2018 after managing the White House’s internal legal team on matters related to Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation into Russian election interference in 2016. In response to Cobb’s comments, White House Spokesperson Anna Kelly told the Daily Beast: “This is the same, tired narrative that Democrats have pushed against President Trump, his family, and his administration for a decade. “President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public—which is why they overwhelmingly re-elected him to this office, despite years of lies and false accusations against him and his businesses from the fake news media. There are no conflicts of interest.” In a previous statement, shared on Tuesday, Kelly said: “Neither the president nor his family has ever engaged—or will ever engage—in conflicts of interest. “President Trump proudly made the United States the crypto capital of the world through executive actions, supporting legislation like the GENIUS Act, and other commonsense policies to drive innovation and economic opportunity for all Americans. All actions by President Trump and his administration are taken in the best interest of the American people—and any so-called ‘reporters’ pushing otherwise are recycling the same, tired, false narrative that Democrats and the legacy media have been pushing for a decade.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/first-term-trump-lawyer-torches-presidents-onslaught-of-corruption/?

How Secrets of Trump’s First Rally Show He Was Always Fake Donald Trump held his first rally in 1990. This is the true story of its brazen fakery. On Saturday night, Donald Trump will take over the National Mall to turn the nation’s 250th birthday party into a celebration of himself. “We are going to host the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all, a ‘TRIBUTE TO AMERICA,’” he announced on Truth Social. The event—which is to end with what Trump is hyping as the “largest fireworks show in history”—will be the most grandiose of the 80-year-old’s self-celebrating rallies, whose history now stretches back nearly four decades. But its tacky, tawdry essence will be the same as the very first Trump rally. It will be all about one man. It is certain to include attacks on the press. It may even be just as fake as that very first one. That event was a public-relations stunt touted as “a grassroots show of support” by employees at his four Atlantic City, New Jersey, casinos, two days after his 44th birthday on June 16, 1990. That was also one day after he missed $42.65 million in payments on $1.3 billion in debt. The need for counter-publicity was made clear by newspaper headlines such as “Donald Duck$” and “Uh-Owe.” The $1 billion-plus Taj Mahal casino that towered 44 stories above the boardwalk where the rally was held had been hyped by Trump at its opening as “the eighth wonder of the world.” It was now being called “the eighth blunder.” What was supposedly a spontaneous show of support had been orchestrated by a Trump advertising executive. Trump management estimated to journalists that 3,000 employees attended the rally. The Associated Press counted around 800—a pattern of numerical inflation that has become very familiar. More importantly, New York Newsday reported that one of the employees said supervisors had ordered them the day before to attend the rally. A reporter who was at the scene, but who has since left the news business and asked not to be identified, told the Daily Beast that the rally “was definitely organized” and that he got the impression “from the few people I talked to… it was a company-mandated activity they had to attend.” As Trump arrived, moving through the crowds and shaking hands, mid-level management called out, “Happy Birthday, Donald!… We Love You, Donald!” A five-piece band, booked by the ad executive, played Happy Birthday as Trump mounted a stage that had been erected for what his people called a grassroots expression of solidarity. A banner hung overhead: “We’re behind you 400 percent… P.S. Happy Birthday.” The show continued, and Trump was presented with an outsized birthday card signed by hundreds of well-wishers. He was also given a 6-by-4 rug with a woven portrait of his favorite person, himself. “Trump’s portrait on a rug,” the former reporter recalled. “I thought it was kind of tacky… like a portrait of Elvis in a motel room or something.” Trump seemed delighted by the portrait and by the rest of the rally, dedicated entirely to his favorite person. “This is unbelievable,” he told the crowd. “Nobody’s going to believe that this had nothing to do with me.” All the themes of a Trump rally were there to see. There was defiance of authorities, in this case, the banks, and attacks on the press, who had been invited to the event. Trump was reported to have been given 10 days to work out an arrangement with the banks for a bailout loan or face bankruptcy, but he dismissed reports of his financial difficulties and insisted the Taj Mahal was “setting records.” He launched into an attack against what was even then his favorite target. “I know there are reporters here, but you don’t see them writing this story,” he said. “Nobody wants to write the positives.” He then said, “Well, over the years, I’ve surprised a lot of people. And the biggest surprise is yet to come.” He repeated his remarks at the rally almost verbatim at a birthday party that night in the ballroom of the Trump Castle casino. “Just remember one thing…” he said, then repeating, “I’ve surprised you before, and the biggest is yet to come.” Among the B-list celebrities and entertainers in attendance was comedian Fred Travalena, who had been flown in to deliver an impersonation of President George H.W. Bush. “I keep hearing Donald Trump would make a great president,” Travalena’s President Bush joked. Exactly a quarter century later and two days after his 69th birthday, Trump descended the escalator at Trump Tower with his latest wife, Melania, to announce what had seemed just a jest in 1990. He had survived a prolonged financial crisis involving more than $2 billion in debt by giving up actual building and simply licensing his name. The power of the Trump brand had grown exponentially as The Apprentice demonstrated reality TV’s ability to create an illusion. He announced he was running for president, and many rallies followed, some with almost as many supporters in attendance as he claimed. But even Trump was surprised by the outcome. “Do you believe this s---?” he told a longtime New York politician who called him the morning after he was elected. As we came to his 80th birthday on June 14, Trump was in his second term. He has been doing all he can to conflate his birthday with America’s 250th anniversary. (The White House did not respond to a request for comment.) Thirty-six years after the publicity stunt outside the Eighth Blunder of the World, Trump and the equivalents of his ad executive have been weaving another show—Freedom 250—that is often proving as tacky as a portrait on a motel-room rug. He acts as if it were an expression of support for him, as if all of America were out on a continent-sized boardwalk, chanting, “We Love Donald” along with, “USA! USA!” On the Fourth of July, Trump will hold another rally. This one will be on a much grander scale, but it is sure to be much like his first in all its damning pretense and denial. We can only hope that we are not in for an even bigger surprise in the days ahead. https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-trumps-very-first-rally-eerily-foreshadowed-his-july-4-takeover/?

👋 Good morning! How is it already July? Wheeling and dealing: There was a flurry of moves on Tuesday as NBA free agency officially got underway. Follow along with all the action on our live tracker. In today's edition: LeBron's leaving L.A., Kawhi's returning to Toronto, the USMNT's knockout round journey begins, Mbappé and Haaland strike again, Serena's comeback falls short, the Liberty win the Cup, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Kawhi returns to Canada: The Raptors are bringing Kawhi Leonard back for a second stint in Toronto, sending Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, four draft picks and a pick-swap to the Clippers for the player who led them to their first and only title back in 2019. 🎾 Shelton stunned: No. 4 Ben Shelton, the top-ranked American man at Wimbledon, is out after his first match, losing Tuesday's five-set marathon to Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen. ⚾️ Caminero joins Derby: Rays 3B Junior Caminero is the first player to confirm his participation in the eight-player Home Run Derby, coming July 13 in Philadelphia. The young star is historically hot right now, hitting eight homers in his last seven games. ⚖️ Trans ban upheld: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state laws in West Virginia and Idaho that ban transgender individuals from competing in women's sports. SCOTUS also unanimously ruled that transgender bans in sports are not a violation of Title IX. ⚾️ Benches clear in Boston: The Red Sox and Nationals brawled on Tuesday at Fenway Park after some post-strikeout chirping in the fourth inning between Sox 1B Willson Contreras and Nats pitcher Cade Cavalli led to the benches clearing. Contreras was ejected, while Cavalli remained in the game and had the last laugh with a career-high 13 Ks in an 8-1 win.   🏀 KING JAMES THE END OF AN ERA (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) LeBron James will indeed return for a 24th NBA season. But for the first time since 2018 he won't be playing for the Lakers, informing the team on Tuesday that his next — and, let's be honest, final — chapter will not be with the Purple and Gold. Thanks, but no thanks: The Lakers, who already have Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves signed to max deals, reportedly told James they wanted him back. Instead, the 41-year-old has opted for unrestricted free agency, where he'll be making a "happiness-led decision," according to ESPN's Shams Charania. "Wherever he lands … it will not be driven by money." Closing the book on Hollywood: The King had already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest to ever play the game even before joining the Lakers in 2018. Then he put together an eight-year run in L.A. — from his age-34 to age-41 seasons — that would have been Hall of Fame worthy on its own merits. He averaged 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.9 assists before closing out his time in Los Angeles with a 23-7-7 across 10 postseason games as the best player and first option on a team that won a playoff series. And again, he did that at 41. He won the 2020 NBA Championship and Finals MVP, broke the league's all-time scoring record, made seven All-NBA teams and had three top-10 MVP finishes. He had more triple-doubles as a Laker (52) than all but 11 other players in NBA history have had, period. Oh yea, and he stuck around long enough to play alongside his son Bronny, making them the first father-son duo ever to play in the NBA together. What a treat it's been watching him these last eight years; what a treat it will be to keep watching him at least one more. Where will he land? Not since 2010's "Decision" has LeBron's future been so uncertain. We had an inkling in 2014 that he'd return to Cleveland, and all signs pointed to the Lakers in 2018. How about now? The Warriors appear to be the favorites to land his services (-500 at DraftKings), and though their combined age might limit their success, I can think of worse things than watching a reunion of Steph and LeBron's romp through the 2024 Olympics. The Cavaliers, of course, would make a ton of sense, and trail only Golden State among his most likely landing spots (+300). A retirement tour back where it all began on a team that's already a serious title contender? Why not. A return to Miami (+1000) alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo? A trip to San Antonio (+2000) alongside Victor Wembanyama? A box-office-breaking journey to join the defending champions (+3000) in the Big Apple? All plausible enough. We'll just have to wait and see. Go deeper: The LeBron James era is over for the Lakers — and it'll be a tough act to follow (Ben Rohrbach, Yahoo Sports)   ⚽️ ROUND OF 32 CHARTING THE USMNT'S WORLD CUP PATH (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) The USMNT's knockout round journey begins tonight against Bosnia and Herzegovina (8pm ET, Fox). And though the Stars and Stripes have rarely succeeded in World Cup elimination games, American soccer has evolved beyond treating a group stage escape as a moral victory. So how far could they go? And what, exactly, might their path to the promised land look like? Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports: The United States has won exactly one (1) knockout match in all of World Cup history. Think about that for a second. While Brazil and Argentina and Germany and France are stacking up titles, America spends every fourth year getting spanked the moment it ventures out of the warm confines of the group stage. Every World Cup, we tell ourselves it's going to be different, and every World Cup, we're sent off to bed hours before the big kids. This year, though, it's really going to be different. The USMNT is coming into the knockout stage riding two victories and a loss with a built-in excuse (we were resting our best, of course). With the apparently elusive combination of talented players and a manager who knows how to get the best out of them , the United States is as well-positioned as any in World Cup history to make a deep run. How deep? Well, now that's the real question, isn't it? Mbappé is unstoppable right now. (Al Bello/Getty Images) Tuesday scoreboard: France, Norway and Mexico advanced on Tuesday, joining Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, and Morocco in the Round of 16. France 3, Sweden 0: Kylian Mbappé lengthened his prolific goalscoring résumé, adding a brace in a decisive win over Sweden. He now owns the record for most knockout-round goals in World Cup history (nine), and though his six goals this tournament are level with Lionel Messi, Mbappé's two assists give him the Golden Boot advantage... for now. Norway 2, Ivory Coast 1: Erling Haaland (who else?) scored an 86th-minute winner — his fifth goal of the tournament — to send Norway through, while team captain Martin Ødegaard became the first player since 2010 to record an assist in three straight World Cup matches. Mexico 2, Ecuador 0: El Tri remained perfect, rattling off their fourth consecutive shutout win — and first knockout stage victory in 40 years — thanks to first-half goals from Julián Quiñones and Raul Jiménez. Next up is a date with the winner of today's England-DR Congo match at Estadio Azteca, which carries one of the best home-field advantages in the sport.   🎾 WIMBLEDON SERENA'S COMEBACK WAS BEAUTIFUL, AND PROBABLY IMPOSSIBLE (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images) It isn't terribly surprising that Serena Williams' first singles match in four years ended in defeat, falling in three sets on Tuesday to 20-year-old Maya Joint. But it was thrilling to watch as she tried to beat the impossible; and because she's Serena, she nearly pulled it off. Dan Wolken, Yahoo Sports: After 2 hours, 22 minutes of tennis that both breathed life into Williams' comeback and exposed how much more limited she is four years after we last saw her on a singles court, it was hard to tell whether this was the beginning of a new chapter or an attempt to author a different end. Maya Joint, who is so young at age 20 that she wasn't even born for Williams' first two Wimbledon titles, seemed slightly shocked and significantly relieved when Williams' final groundstroke landed long of the baseline to finally give her a 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 victory. But the reality of what unfolded Tuesday wasn't surprising at all. Williams, as expected, can still hit aces and can still trade shots from the middle of the court. What she can't do, at least not with the effectiveness necessary to compete consistently against the best players in the world, is make multiple direction changes within a point. She can't go for winners to shorten points without making a multitude of errors. She can't hold up physically deep into a third set against an opponent with younger legs. Such is Williams' aura on a tennis court, however, that the mind wonders: Would she have been able to do those things if she had a series of matches under her belt rather than jumping back into singles competition at Wimbledon? Is she really that far away from being able to win matches at the highest level? With a little more fitness, a little more competition, would she round back into the kind of form that carried her to Grand Slam semifinals in 2020 and 2021? It might be best for Serena to let the mystery be.   💯 DOLLARS AND CENTS BIG NUMBERS (Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images) Today's edition of Big Numbers features exclusively monetary values. What can I say, Yahoo Sports Biz has rubbed off on me. 🏀 $500,000 The Liberty won their second Commissioner's Cup on Tuesday, beating the Aces, 93-85, to claim the lion's share of the $500,000 prize pool awarded for the WNBA's sixth annual in-season tournament. New York is now the first two-time Cup winner, and they also get a small measure of revenge for Vegas' victory over them in the 2023 WNBA Finals. Payouts: Each member of the Liberty takes home $30,000 and each member of the Aces gets $10,000. New York's Breanna Stewart earned an additional $10,000 for winning MVP after dropping 25 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, and the remaining $10,000 will be donated to a charity of the Liberty's choosing. ⚾️ $1.19M Happy Bobby Bonilla Day! Today, as with every July 1 from 2011 through 2035, former 16-year MLB veteran Bobby Bonilla will receive a check from the Mets for $1,193,248.20. It's part of a deferred payment plan the two sides agreed upon in 1999, transforming the $5.9 million left on his contract into a ~$30 million payout broken into 25 annual installments. And get this: It's not his only such payment! He also receives $500,000 annually (2004-28) from the Orioles. All jokes aside: It's easy to consider Bonilla as little more than a meme, but he was once a legitimately good player, making six All-Star teams while smacking 287 career home runs with an .829 lifetime OPS. His peak came with the Pirates from 1988-91, when he averaged 4.5 WAR per season, won three Silver Sluggers and twice finished in the top three for NL MVP. 🥍 $100M The Premier Lacrosse League announced on Tuesday that it has closed a $100 million Series E funding round led by Ares Management and Joe Tsai, owner of the Nets and Liberty. It's the largest capital raise in the history of professional lacrosse, and will help the sport prepare for what should be a major inflection point at the 2028 Summer Games, when it returns as an official Olympic event for the first time since 1908. What they're saying: "This is a critical window of opportunity for our company, and lacrosse," PLL co-founder and president Paul Rabil told Yahoo Sports. "This capital will help accelerate that run." Specifically, these funds will be used to expand media distribution and original storytelling while also growing sponsorship and commercial partnerships, with the goal of eventually cracking $100 million in annual revenue.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JULY 1 (Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ World Cup, Round of 32 The USMNT begins its knockout-round journey tonight in Santa Clara (8pm ET, Fox), where the Americans face Bosnia and Herzegovina with the daunting task of winning their first match against a European opponent in five years — a streak of 10 consecutive losses. Elsewhere: England take on DR Congo in Atlanta (12pm, Fox) hoping to avoid another devastating exit. Then it's Belgium vs. Senegal in Seattle (4pm, FS1), whose winner will advance to face the winner of USA-Bosnia. More to watch: 🎾 Wimbledon: Day 3 (6am, ESPN/ESPN+) … The second round gets underway with matches for No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (8am), No. 1 Jannik Sinner (8:30am), No. 7 Coco Gauff (9:10am), No. 7 Novak Djokovic (11:20am), and more. ⚾️ MLB: Reds at Brewers (8pm, ESPN) … The first-place Brewers (52-31) host the last-place Reds (39-45). Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.   🏆 FILL IN THE BLANKS WORLD CUP TRIVIA (Yahoo Sports) Just eight nations have won the World Cup, including two who've one exactly once. Question: Can you name those two one-time winners missing from the graphic above? Hint: One this century, one last. Answer at the bottom.   🏟️ WORLD CUP VENUES HASTA LUEGO, MONTERREY (Hector Vivas/Getty Images) Monterrey Stadium hosted its fourth and final match of the World Cup on Monday, as fans bade farewell to the iconically picturesque venue in northeastern Mexico. The Steel Giant: Nicknamed El Gigante de Acero ("The Steel Giant"), the 11-year-old venue is famous for its stunning views of the Cerro de la Silla, a natural monument that is part of the foothills system of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. Looking ahead: With Monterrey's slate now complete, and Guadalajara's ending last week, just three non-U.S. venues have any matches left in this World Cup. Toronto's BMO Field hosts one more (July 2), Vancouver's BC Place hosts two more (July 2, July 7), and Mexico City's Estadio Azteca hosts one more (July 5).   Trivia answer: England (1966) and Spain (2010)

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