THE NEWS

A surfacing whale struck a New Jersey fire department boat Friday, forcing firefighters to abandon the vessel as it returned from a July 4 marine security assignment in New York Harbor, officials said.The Carteret Fire Department said Marine Unit 2 was returning to Carteret waters around 4:30 p.m. Friday after assisting with a regional special operations marine security detail in the New York/New Jersey Port area when a whale breached beneath the vessel’s stern near the mouth of Raritan Bay.The department said the whale strike caused catastrophic damage to the boat, which immediately began taking on water, giving firefighters only seconds to abandon the vessel.PILOT DECLARES MAYDAY BEFORE SEAPLANE COMES DOWN IN NEW YORK CITY’S EAST RIVERAll firefighters aboard escaped without injury, according to the department.Officials said a nearby recreational jet ski operator and another boater immediately came to the firefighters’ aid before members of the Perth Amboy Fire Department’s marine unit arrived and helped rescue the crew from the water.A nearby recreational vessel reported seeing multiple whales breaching before and after the collision, the Carteret Fire Department said.THREE DEAD, 7 RESCUED IN BOATING TRAGEDY AS SEVERE HOLIDAY WEEKEND STORM RAVAGES WISCONSIN TOURIST HOT SPOTThe circumstances surrounding the incident remain under review, and officials said additional information will be released as it becomes available.Mayor Dan Reiman described the incident as a “harrowing experience” in a public statement, saying the surfacing whale struck the vessel beneath its stern and caused catastrophic damage.”While the Carteret Fire Department Marine Unit regularly trains to rescue civilians from the water and respond to marine emergencies, fires, and vehicle incidents, an event of this nature is something no one anticipates,” the fire department said. “Understandably, it has left those involved shaken, but we are incredibly thankful that everyone returned home safely to their families.”The department used the incident to remind boaters, jet ski operators and kayakers to wear properly fitted life jackets, noting that every firefighter aboard was wearing one when the boat was damaged.Officials have not identified the species of whale involved. It was not clear whether the animal was injured.

Trump Shares Image Of $100 Bill Featuring His Signature

President Donald Trump posted a photo of a $100 bill bearing his signature on Truth Social on July 3, presenting the first paper currency to be signed by a living president.

Trump didn’t add a comment to the post, but the Treasury Department chimed in.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are on a path toward unprecedented economic growth, lasting dollar dominance, and fiscal strength and stability,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posted on X on July 4.

“There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S dollar bills bearing his signature, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the Semiquincentennial.”

Under President Trump’s leadership, we are on a path toward unprecedented economic growth, lasting dollar dominance, and fiscal strength and stability. There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J. Trump than U.S… pic.twitter.com/4dvhML2f7h
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) July 4, 2026
As Tom Gantert reports for The Epoch Times, the Treasury announced in March that Trump’s signature would appear on future U.S. paper currency alongside that of the secretary of the Treasury in recognition of the nation’s 250th anniversary, marking the first time a sitting president’s signature has appeared on U.S. banknotes.

U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach said in March the updated currency will commemorate both the nation’s 250th anniversary and Trump’s economic legacy.

“As the 250th anniversary of our great nation approaches, American currency will continue to stand as a symbol of prosperity, strength, and the unshakable spirit of the American people under President Trump’s leadership,” Beach said in March.

“The President’s mark on history as the architect of America’s Golden Age economic revival is undeniable. Printing his signature on the American currency is not only appropriate, but also well deserved.”

In April, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) questioned the Treasury Department’s decision to put Trump’s signature on U.S. paper currency, calling it a political gesture that does nothing to address the nation’s economic challenges.

In a letter to Bessent, the senators questioned the rationale for the change, asked whether Trump personally directed the decision and requested details about the cost to taxpayers.

They argued Treasury should instead focus on issues such as inflation, housing costs, and other financial pressures facing Americans.

Meanwhile, the Commission of Fine Arts approved designs for a 24-karat commemorative gold coin featuring Trump as part of its March meeting, according to commission materials.

An image of that proposed coin depicts Trump in a suit leaning forward over a table with both hands resting on its edge, his expression unsmiling.

The coin is not listed on the U.S. Mint’s product schedule release for 2026.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 07/06/2026 – 07:45

Mainstream media and media pundits accused President Donald Trump of ruining America 250 and July 4 celebrations over the last week, even prior to nationwide celebrations.A direct example came on Friday when The New York Times opinion writer Robin Givhan wrote her op-ed titled “Trump Ruined the Fourth of July for Me.””But this year, I can barely tolerate the sight of red, white and blue,” Givhan wrote. “When combined into a maximalist display of nationalist cheerleading, the colors make my heart ache. The flags on federal buildings are grand, but they hang alongside banners featuring President Trump’s scowling face.” BILL MAHER TELLS LIBERALS TO STOP ‘PARTISAN SULKING’ AND JOIN AMERICA 250 PARTYThe negative sentiment against Trump was also present in an article from The Atlantic on Wednesday. Staff writer Anne Applebaum described how Trump “inevitably” had “destroyed the nation’s 250th-anniversary celebrations” based on his partisan stance.”This year is different, because the White House is inhabited by people who don’t believe in the ‘abstractions’ that we usually celebrate on the Fourth of July,” Applebaum wrote. “And this affects the rest of us, whether we want it to or not. Congress’s celebration, planned for a decade, has been usurped by the president’s celebration, funded by private donors and featuring a political speech by himself. Other institutions in and around Washington postponed or reduced their 250th celebrations, so as not to get in the way of the president. Many people who might have participated will not attend, pay attention, or care.”Though less critical, The Washington Post reporters Natalie Allison and Cleve R. Wootson Jr. made similar comments in their piece on Saturday, claiming that Trump had made himself “central” to the America 250 celebration.HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITIES CRASH AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY WITH A GRIM HOLIDAY WARNING ABOUT TRUMP”As he has throughout the anniversary celebration, Trump cast himself as central to the story he wants the country to tell about itself: that America was diminished before him, revived by him and is now celebrating its founding through his restoration — a promised ‘Golden Age.’ At Mount Rushmore on Friday night, he told the crowd that he ‘saved, almost single-handedly,’ the Second Amendment and that he was going to ‘give our country its identity back,'” they wrote.Former NBC host Chuck Todd was more livid at Trump’s role in the America 250 celebrations during his show on Saturday. Todd went as far as to claim that Trump not only ruined July 4 celebrations but the image of America itself.”Trump’s doing all of us a favor by selfishly trying to steal this anniversary from us. We now see who he really is. So no, it’s not the celebration we deserve. It’s not the one we could have had. But we get a mirror, and the mirror is telling us something. The country is a lot bigger than Donald Trump. It is bigger than any president, and it’s obviously bigger than any political party. And there’s no one definition of patriotism,” Todd said.MS NOW GUEST ADMITS ‘GREAT TREPIDATION’ ABOUT CELEBRATING AMERICA’S 250TH, CLAIMS COUNTRY IS BEING DESTROYEDHe continued, “But it still needs leaders who understand that it still needs citizens who insist on it. And it still needs people willing to say that the national story belongs to all of us, not just whoever happens to hold power at any one moment. America at 250 may be a lost opportunity. Donald Trump has absolutely sullied the brand of America. But America 275 does not have to be.”Todd also said he felt angry and “betrayed as an American,” and that Trump “cheapened” the country.”This is why I’m so p—– off. Not because I love the country less, but because I love the idea of America enough to resent seeing it cheapened by this man. America deserved better at 250. Some day, I believe it will get better. But it’s in your hands,” Todd said.Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.Trump celebrated America’s 250th birthday with a 28-minute speech at Mount Rushmore followed by a 23-minute fireworks display.”The American dream still lives, and the American flag still flies more proudly than ever before over the people who will not quit,” Trump said. “The nation that will not fail, the country that will not fall no matter how hard the enemy tries, we cannot be beaten.”

Russia targeted Kyiv with hundreds of drones and missile for the second night in under a week killing more than a dozen people and injuring at least 46.

“I Can Negotiate”: Castro’s Grandson Says He’s Ready To Discuss Cuba’s Future With President Trump

Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, former Cuban president Castro’s grandson and one of the more important shadow figures inside Cuba’s communist ruling circle, told USA Today in an exclusive interview that he is prepared to speak directly with President Trump, signaling publicly a potential back-channel opening as the Trump administration intensifies economic pressure on Havana.

“I’ve never been interested in politics. It’s never been a calling of mine,” Rodríguez Castro told the outlet over the course of several days in June in Havana. “But if at some point the revolution needs me to step up, I will do it.” He said that he would never abandon the principles of Cuba’s 1959 revolution or the nation’s sovereignty.

Rodríguez Castro is a lesser-known figure outside Havana’s communist circles. He holds no formal government position, rarely appears on state television and has never spoken to a US news outlet before.

But the Castro family name gives him unique status inside Havana’s opaque power structure and the ability to act as a back-channel liaison with access to the island’s communist elite.

Now, the younger Castro is signaling he is ready to negotiate Cuba’s future, saying he wants to deal directly with President Trump.

“I can negotiate with anyone designated by the U.S.,” Rodríguez Castro said. “If given the opportunity, claro que con Trump.” Of course, with Trump.

Why would Rodríguez Castro want to negotiate now and not earlier this year? Well, that’s because Trump’s gunboat diplomacy has unleashed an economic stranglehold on the communist-run island, and it continues to work, with pressure now crushing the already poorly managed economy and collapsing its tourism sector.

The island drew just 360,000 tourists in the first five months of 2026, down 58% from a year earlier, according to Cuban government data. The neighboring Dominican Republic attracted more than 10 times that number over the same period.

The Trump administration says the pressure campaign is aimed at forcing the communist government to open its political system after generations of economic misery under failed communism.

Havana can’t turn to help from the socialists in Venezuela because the Maduro regime was taken out by US Delta Force operators. The Chinese and Russians won’t dare send their militaries to the island en masse because of the US naval presence in the region.

For Havana, the regime’s external lifelines have been disappearing one by one over the last six months.

Recall that CIA Director John Ratcliffe was recently in Havana meeting with communist officials. Now, Rodríguez Castro speaking with a US media outlet is another promising signal, suggesting that back-channel talks are likely already underway as pressure builds on the island’s ruling elite.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 07/06/2026 – 07:20

1.  Accused Charlie Kirk assassin fights back as prosecutors’ sprawling case comes into focus 2. Belgium reportedly granted right to appeal FIFA’s decision on USA World Cup star3. NYC health officials sound the alarm as disease outbreak grows near Central ParkFOR CLICKS — Man accused of mowing down two girls in alleged double murder exposes twisted reason he kept streaming. Continue reading …SIGNS OF LIFE — Toddler’s morgue miracle after pool scare leads to possible felony charges. Continue reading …AIR SCARE — Fireworks mortar strikes Delta jet during holiday descent into major airport. Continue reading …LEGAL RECKONING — Ex-NFL Pro Bowler, ‘Real Housewives’ husband charged with domestic battery. Continue reading …NO JOKE — Rob Reiner cameo meant to needle Trump instead sets off online uproar. Continue reading …–CALLING IT QUITS — Major twist shakes up Michigan Senate race just weeks before primary. Continue reading …SPARKS FLY — Clinton rips Trump in America 250 speech, warns of ‘serious threats’ to democracy. Continue reading …MIND THE GAP — Gavin Newsom’s ‘fishing expedition’ claim has a serious timeline problem. Continue reading …AMERICAN DREAM LOST — Refugee from communism reveals ‘vicious cycle’ playing out in US socialist rise. Continue reading …Click here for more cartoons… HOME PRIDE — New survey reveals America’s most and least patriotic states. Continue reading …FREE SPEECH PAYOUT — Teacher receives almost $300k settlement over Charlie Kirk assassination post. Continue reading …CITY HALL PASS — Mamdani told New Yorkers to cut AC while his wife flew off to Mallorca. Continue reading …MALL RENOVATION — Burgum unloads on Dana Bash, says Trump ‘finally’ fixed the iconic pool. Continue reading …STEVE MOORE — Politicians are blaming the wrong villain for America’s rising food prices. Continue reading … STEVE FORBES — Working families would foot the bill if the senator’s grocer act passes. Continue reading …–‘UNJUSTIFIABLE’ — UEFA says FIFA ‘crossed a red line’ with unprecedented move to let Balogun play. Continue reading …STEERING CLEAR — King Charles hopes to reunite with Prince Harry, but Queen Camilla is drawing one firm line. Continue reading …PERSONAL MILESTONE — Country star’s dramatic transformation has him eyeing a bold new target weight. Continue reading …AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ — Test yourself on Founding Fathers and vaccine victories. Take the quiz here …Tune in to hear why more young adults are living with their parents and what today’s housing market could mean for the future of homeownership. Check it out …What’s it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading… FacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitterLinkedIn   Fox News FirstFox News OpinionFox News LifestyleFox News Entertainment (FOX411)Fox BusinessFox WeatherFox SportsTubiFox News GoThank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We’ll see you in your inbox first thing Tuesday.

Team USA is hours away from its biggest home-soil match in a generation. ESPN has somehow decided it’s the villain.Instead of building excitement for Monday night’s World Cup Round of 16 showdown against Belgium in Seattle, ESPN senior writer Mark Ogden spent the eve of the match explaining why Team USA shouldn’t feel too good about getting Folarin Balogun back.His headline says it all: “Nobody benefits from FIFA letting Balogun off the hook — not even the USMNT.”FIFA MAKES FINAL RULING ON US SOCCER STAR FOLARIN BALOGUN’S CONTROVERSIAL RED CARD SUSPENSIONRather than seeing a controversial decision corrected, Ogden argues the reversal hurts the tournament, hurts FIFA and, somehow, even hurts Team USA.A VAR review turned what many viewed as an accidental step on an opponent’s ankle into a straight red card for Balogun during Team USA’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.The decision was immediately criticized as excessive, with Mauricio Pochettino among those arguing it never warranted a straight red.FIFA’s disciplinary committee ultimately suspended the automatic one-match ban under Article 27, clearing Balogun to play Monday.President Donald Trump spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, arguing the punishment was unjust before FIFA reversed course, a source told Fox News.Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik and White House task force leader Andrew Giuliani put together a team of lawyers outside the White House to challenge the use of slow-motion replay to give Balogun the red card, according to OutKick founder and Fox News contributor Clay Travis.That should have settled the matter.Instead, Ogden argued that correcting the decision is what hurts the integrity of the World Cup.He writes:”If the U.S. defeats Belgium on Monday, the global soccer community will not view it as a hard-fought, tactical triumph… Instead, it will forever carry an asterisk, tainted by the perception that the host nation used corrupt, backroom political maneuvers to alter the tournament’s rules.”That’s quite the way to preview the biggest American soccer match in decades.Rather than seeing an overly harsh punishment reversed, Ogden is warning fans that any victory should come with an apology attached.He doubles down from there, arguing FIFA has “damaged the credibility of its own tournament,” warning the decision creates “a dangerous precedent,” and concluding that “nobody benefits” from Balogun being allowed to play, not Belgium, not FIFA and “not even the USMNT.”CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMRather than celebrating the overturning of a controversial suspension, Ogden is telling Team USA fans they should feel bad if their team wins.The column also argueed FIFA would never have made the same decision for a smaller nation, treating American influence as a moral failing instead of acknowledging a reality that has existed for decades: host nations enjoy advantages. Home crowds matter. Host nations have advantages. That’s international sports.If FIFA ultimately concluded an obviously controversial call deserved another look, that’s an indictment of the original officiating, not the United States.So Monday night, Team USA will field its best eleven players, exactly as it should.ESPN can keep clutching its pearls.USA by a million.Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressuring the U.S. and Europe to provide more missiles to help Ukraine defend against Russian attacks.”Last night, Kyiv came under a massive Russian attack. Russia launched 68 missiles and 351 attack drones,” Zelenskyy noted in part of a Monday post on X.President Donald Trump is slated to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, Turkey, this week.Zelenskyy is calling for the U.S. and European allies to emerge from the meeting “with strong decisions in support of” Ukraine’s “air defense.”TRUMP CALLS OUT NATO AHEAD OF SUMMIT, CALLING IT ‘RIDICULOUS’ FOR US TO PERSIST ON ‘ONE SIDED PATH'”Our warriors performed well today in intercepting drones and cruise missiles, but unfortunately not Russian ballistic missiles. And the reason lies in the insufficient supply of interceptor missiles. It is critically important that the world – first and foremost the United States and our European partners – come out of the NATO Summit in Ankara with strong decisions in support of our air defense, and thus the protection of ordinary people’s lives,” he noted in the post.WORLD LEADERS, DIGNITARIES PAY TRIBUTE TO AMERICA ON HISTORIC 250TH BIRTHDAY”As long as Patriot missiles remain in our allies’ stockpiles, Russia is only encouraged to keep ‘vanquishing’ residential buildings. The United States and Europe have enough strength to stop this terror,” he asserted.Zelenskyy’s comments come amid the ongoing, years-long war between Russia and Ukraine.RUSSIAN GENERALS’ ASSASSINATIONS EXPOSE GROWING RIFT INSIDE PUTIN’S SECURITY APPARATUSReuters reported that Zelenskyy, new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, European Council President Antonio Costa ​and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to have dinner with NATO leaders on Tuesday.

When Folarin Balogun received a red card in the U.S. men’s national team match against Bosnia and Herzegovina after VAR review, it was immediately controversial.The contact between Balogun and the Bosnian player was clearly incidental, with both going for the ball, leading to the awkward foot placement. Players, coaches, and analysts all agreed that the red card was harsh at best, and inaccurately given at worst.Mauricio Pochettino said it was unjust.Weston McKennie said something similar.”Obviously the referee made a decision that he made, but I think it’s questionable,” McKennie explained. “I think there’s been many other plays like that throughout the tournament on other players that a card wasn’t given at all. It’s disappointing.”YES, THE UNITED STATES WAS TREATED UNFAIRLY BY THE CONTROVERSIAL FOLARIN BALOGUN RED CARD DECISIONAnd a former top-level referee wrote that the entire process was against FIFA’s own rules.”VAR made their recommendation to the referee based on slow-motion and still replays, which is not aligned with VAR protocols, as these should be used for only point-of-contact purposes in a red card tackle situation,” said Andy Davies, a referee who worked in the Premier League and Championship and was a Select Group referee for over 12 seasons.On Sunday, FIFA apparently agreed.News broke that FIFA had overturned Balogun’s red card suspension, allowing him to play against Belgium in Seattle on Monday night, despite there being no process allowing the USMNT or US Soccer to appeal the card. So how did this happen?An arcane rule, known as Article 27, the “Suspension of Implementation of Disciplinary Measures,” allowed for FIFA to review the automatic red card suspension, and essentially delay it for a year.”By operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one [1] year,” the soccer governing body said in a statement. Article 27 says that “1. The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure. 2. By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years.”TRUMP CALLED FIFA PRESIDENT TO REVIEW FOLARIN BALOGUN’S RED CARD AHEAD OF USA-BELGIUM MATCH, SOURCE SAYSShould Balogun receive another red card however, that “suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”Presumably, FIFA, encouraged by President Donald Trump and the White House team, used Article 27 in part because of the apparently improper process used by the VAR referee to recommend a review by the on-field ref.Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik and White House task force leader Andrew Giuliani put together a team of lawyers outside the White House to challenge the use of slow-motion replay to give Balogun the red card, according to OutKick founder and Fox News contributor Clay Travis.And while European fans, and the Belgian soccer federation, are furious about the overturn, FIFA used this same protocol to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to play for Portugal.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMRonaldo received a red card against Ireland in a World Cup qualifier in 2025, leading to a three-game suspension. But FIFA used Article 27 to delay his punishment for up to a year. He sat out one pre-tournament match, then chose to defer the final two until after the World Cup.Regardless, the wrong of Balogun’s red card has been righted. And he’ll make the USMNT that much more dangerous on Monday night against Belgium.

England was jubilant after taking down Mexico in their Round of 16 World Cup match on Sunday night but a small slip-up amid a celebration after the 3-2 win may have cost them a player.English midfielder Jordan Henderson was taken to the hospital after he injured his wrist, coach Thomas Tuchel said. Henderson suffered the injury when he tumbled over an advertising board during the post-match celebration.ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!”I have mixed feelings; I am sad because Jordan injured his wrist and it is quite serious. It just does not fit with the evening that Jordan is not with us,” Tuchel said. “I do not know the procedure; the doctor told me that he is in the hospital.”Henderson slipped as he put his hand on the board to hop over it. Henderson’s teammates immediately called over for medical trainers to tend to him. He was stretchered off the field.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMIt was Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane lifted England over Mexico. Bellingham scored two goals 98 seconds apart in the first half. Then, Kane converted a penalty to give England a two-goal lead.”It was a crazy game. We had to fight,” Kane said. “I can’t really talk, but the occasion, the team, everything against us, we found a way.”The defeat handed Mexico’s first World Cup loss at Estadio Azteca.”We’ve done something incredible tonight, no doubt about it, and we’ll enjoy it. And we’ll sing songs until we lose our voices on the plane and whatnot, but we’ll have a couple of days recovering, then it’s straight back to business in terms of facing Norway,” Bellingham said.England will play Norway in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida.The Associated Press contributed to this report.