THE NEWS

Folarin Balogun did as he was told — played soccer, because he was allowed to.The day before the U.S. Men’s National Team’s Round of 16 game against Belgium, which Balogun was originally supposed to miss because of a red card in the prior game, FIFA ruled that he would be eligible.The ruling added on to what was already a huge controversy, as it was argued Balogun should not have been red-carded in the first place. Nonetheless, Balogun was active despite an appeal and strong reaction from Belgium.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMIt didn’t quite matter, as the U.S. was embarrassed in a 4-1 defeat to Belgium to end its World Cup hopes, but after the game, Balogun approached Belgium manager Rudi Garcia, an interaction Garcia said he greatly appreciated.”He came to talk to me. I really liked that. It is not his fault; he is not the one to blame, and that’s what I told him,” Garcia told reporters after the match. “I really appreciate the intention that he came to see me. I appreciate this player.”The Athletic, which first reported Balogun’s playing status on Sunday, noted that part of FIFA’s disciplinary code stated, “the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”BELGIUM EMBARRASSES TEAM USA BEFORE BREAKING OUT TRUMP’S SIGNATURE DANCE CELEBRATION AFTER FOURTH GOAL”If the person benefiting from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement,” the rule added.President Donald Trump admitted to calling FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask for a review of the red card.”All I did was, I asked for a review, because I didn’t think it was a foul,” Trump said. “And again, I’m good at this stuff. I didn’t think it was a foul. I thought it was two great athletes who crashed into each other and got entangled. That was not a guy punching somebody in the face or anything that would be different.”I think it’s a terrible… if they wouldn’t allow a top player, maybe the best, maybe among the best on the team, to play, I think it would have had a big stain. I relayed it. I didn’t tell him what to do. I don’t believe he made the decision. I think it was a committee that made the decision, and they made the right decision because, No. 1, it wasn’t a foul, and you want to see a game with your best players.”Despite Trump’s efforts, Belgium will face Spain on Friday, as the United States will be back in 2032.Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Day two of Tyler Robinson’s preliminary hearing in Utah in the Charlie Kirk assassination case was underway on Tuesday.
Prosecutors laid out the case against Tyler Robinson and released never-before-seen footage of Robinson at Utah Valley University on the day of Charlie Kirk’s murder.
New footage released on Tuesday shows Tyler Robinson walking up steps with a limp up on UVU campus shortly before he fatally shot Kirk.
It was suggested that Tyler Robinson concealed a gun part in his pants as he made his way up the stairs.
Previous surveillance video released showed Tyler Robinson walking toward Utah Valley University with a limp.
Last year, TMZ obtained video of Robinson dressed in all black walking through a neighborhood with a strange gait.
Robinson appeared to be walking with a limp. TMZ suggested that Robinson may have concealed the weapon in his clothing.
WATCH:

Robinson fatally shot TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025 during an event at Utah Valley University.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
Tyler Robinson allegedly used a Mauser 98 .30-06 rifle to kill Charlie Kirk.
Robinson was charged with:
– Count 1: Aggravated murder (capital offense)
– Count 2: Felony reckless discharge of a firearm causing bodily injury
– Count 3: Felony obstruction of justice for hiding the firearm
– Count 4: Felony obstruction of justice for discarding the clothing he wore during the shooting
– Count 5: Witness tampering for asking roommate to delete incriminating messages
– Count 6: Witness tampering for demanding trans roommate stay silent, and not speak to police
– Count 7: Commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child

The post Prosecutors Release New Footage of Tyler Robinson Walking with a Limp on UVU Campus Shortly Before Charlie Kirk Assassination (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Comments by Paraguayan Sen. Celeste Amarilla that targeted France soccer captain Kylian Mbappé have sparked an international controversy

British right-wing member of parliament Nigel Farage resigned his seat Tuesday to force a by-election after investigations into his finances.

Ezra Jin
Ezra Jin, a pastor of an underground Christian church that is taking China by storm, has been freed in what his family has described as a “miracle.”
The release of Jin, whose Zion Church gained 10,000 members without being registered with the government and moved meetings to more than 100 locations across 40 cities after becoming a target of the Chinese Communist Party, happened on July 3.
A Free Press report said he had been arrested and jailed last fall as part of a CCP crackdown on Christians in China.
Some two dozen pastors and workers from Zion Church were arrested, although some later were released.
A Washington Stand report said Jin spent 266 days in prison for his faith.
He was reunited just days ago in Los Angeles with his wife, Anna Liu, and daughter and son-in-law, Grace and Bill Drexel.
“We are feeling so overwhelmed with joy. We thank God for this tremendous miracle,” the Drexels wrote to the Free Press in a statement.
It was President Donald Trump who personally raised the problem of jailed Christians with Chinese chief Xi Jinping during a summit last May, and confirmed Xi was giving Jin’s case serious consideration.
The arrests had triggered increased criticism from around the world for China’s penchant for arresting and jailing Christians.
The Washington Stand reported, “It appears that the Trump administration’s efforts to advocate for the imprisoned pastor were not in vain, as ChinaAid reported that ‘Chinese officials reportedly informed [Jin] that his release resulted from discussions between U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and was presented as a goodwill gesture coinciding with America’s Independence Day.’”
“We rejoice with Pastor Ezra Jin, his family, and the global Body of Christ on this remarkable Independence Day miracle,” Bob Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid and senior fellow for International Religious Freedom at Family Research Council, stated. “We thank Almighty God for hearing the prayers of His people. We are deeply grateful to President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and all U.S. officials who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to secure Pastor Jin’s freedom. Their unwavering commitment demonstrates that principled leadership and persistent diplomacy can make a life-saving difference.”

Zion Church founder Ezra Jin Mingri spent months in Chinese detention after a raid on his home swept up 17 other leaders from his underground congregation, which once drew an estimated 10,000 weekly worshipers. Then, in what ChinaAid calls an extraordinary diplomatic arrangement,… pic.twitter.com/f2of4qoJQe
— ChurchLeaders.com (@ChurchLead) July 6, 2026

GREAT NEWS: Pastor Ezra Jin was freed from prison in China due to pressure from President Trump and Congress. The United States will always stand up for those persecuted by the CCP for their religion.
Watch his daughter’s testimony before Congress from earlier this year: https://t.co/azNUcwEMwM pic.twitter.com/GilyWbskvT
— House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority (@HouseForeignGOP) July 5, 2026

Graham Platner
The conditions for Graham Platner exiting the race have now come into play, and they may be hard for the Democratic Party to meet.
As The Gateway Pundit reported yesterday, another Platner sex scandal erupted as rumors swirl that the Maine Democrat Senate candidate is going to drop out of the race.
A woman, who may or may not have been unleashed by Democrat operatives desperate to defeat moderate GOP senator Susan Collins, told Politico that he r*ped her while they were dating.
“I remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful with me,” 41-year-old Jenny Racicot told Politico. “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, ‘This is no longer my choice.’”
Jenny Racicot previously told the New York Times that Platner’s behavior was “unsettling” and “reckless,” however, she detailed more serious allegations of rape during a series of interviews with Politico.
Platner denied the charge in a video posted on X but left the door open to dropping out of the race. National Democrats later pounced and piled on the pressure.
Later Monday night, an aide to Platner revealed exactly what it would take for the scandal-tarred candidate to exit the race. What he said will not be comforting to the ears of Democratic mafia bosses.
“If he were to step down, it would only be with a guarantee of being replaced by a candidate who he believes is true to the values, vision, and policy agenda of the campaign that Maine voted for,” the aide told the New York Times.
In other words, play ball with me. Otherwise, you will have to vote for a credibly accused r*pist to defeat Collins.
Under Maine law, Platner has until July 13 at 5 p.m to drop out of the race so party officials can pick a new candidate.
The New York Post notes that the deadline to choose the replacement candidate is 5 p.m. on July 27. This gives Democrats two weeks to decide on their chosen candidate to run in the general election campaign.
It’s time to see how badly the party wants Platner gone and how badly the candidate wants Collins defeated.

The post Graham Platner Aide Reveals Ultimatum for Democrats Should the Candidate Drop Out of the Race as R*pe Scandal Continues to Explode appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Cuba is slowly restoring electricity after the country’s third nationwide power grid collapse of 2026 on Monday, but fuel shortages hamper the effort.

1 Year Inflation Expectations Jump To 3 Year High In Latest NY Fed Consumer Survey

Inflation as measured by the CPI may have peaked, but Americans’ expectations for inflation over the near and medium term rose notably in June according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey released Tuesday, with strong increases anticipated for medical care costs and rent,

Consumers now see inflation at 3.7% over the next year, up from 3.5% in May, the highest since September 2023. Expectations for inflation in three years increased to 3.3%, the highest since June 2022, up from 3.1%, while estimates for inflation in five years remained steady at 3%. 

After months of facing higher energy costs, consumers said they see gas prices rising at the lowest rate since mid-2022. Their outlook for food prices also improved slightly in June, though households expect higher bills for medical care and rent. As shown below, median year-ahead commodity price change expectations increased by 0.5% point for the cost of medical care to 9.4%, and by 0.9 percentage point for rent to 8.3%. Median year-ahead price change expectations decreased by 0.8 percentage point for food to 5.0%, by 2.3 percentage points for the cost of college education to 5.7%, and by 3.5 percentage points for gas to 1.5%. The June reading for gas is the lowest since August 2022.

Energy prices have declined in recent weeks, following an interim peace deal between the US and Iran. Earlier on Tuesday, New York Fed President John Williams said he now sees a positive near-term outlook for inflation, which rose 4.2% in May from a year earlier.  

Despite the jump in near-term inflation expectations, sentiment improved when it comes to jobs: the mean perceived probability of losing one’s job in the next twelve months decreased by 1.0% to 14.1%, and the mean perceived probability of finding a job if one’s current job was lost increased by 1.2% to 44.9%.

The data also pointed to an improvement in consumers’ finances. The share of households saying their financial situation was better than last year increased in June, a smaller share of households reporting a worse financial situation and a larger share reporting a better financial situation, and expectations for future finances also improved.

…. however, expectations for future credit availability deteriorated slightly, with a larger share of respondents expecting that it will be harder to obtain credit in the year ahead.

The mean perceived probability that U.S. stock prices will be higher 12 months from now increased by 2.9 percentage points to 40.9%, the highest level of the series since April 2021.

Some more details from the report:

Labor Market

Median one-year-ahead earnings growth expectations increased by 0.1 percentage point to 2.8% in June. This is the highest reading since March 2025.
Mean unemployment expectations—or the mean probability that the U.S. unemployment rate will be higher one year from now—decreased by 1.5 percentage points to 41.7%, remaining above the 12-month trailing average of 41.3%.
The mean perceived probability of losing one’s job in the next 12 months decreased by 1.0 percentage point to 14.1%, falling below the 12-month trailing average of 14.5%. The mean probability of leaving one’s job voluntarily in the next 12 months (or the expected quit rate), declined by 3.5 percentage points to 17.3%, falling below the 12-month trailing average of 18.6%.
The mean perceived probability of finding a job if one’s current job was lost increased by 1.2 percentage points to 44.9%, though it remains below the 12-month trailing average of 46.3%. The increase was driven by respondents with household incomes under $50,000.
Household Finance

The median expected growth in household income increased by 0.2 percentage point to 3.0% in June. The series has been moving in a narrow range between 2.8% and 3.0% since June 2025.
Median one-year-ahead nominal household spending growth expectations remained unchanged at 5.0%.
Perceptions of credit access compared to a year ago improved, with the net share of households reporting it is harder to get credit decreasing. Expectations for future credit availability deteriorated slightly, with a larger share of respondents expecting it will be harder to obtain credit and a smaller share expecting it will be easier to obtain credit in the year ahead.
The average perceived probability of missing a minimum debt payment over the next three months decreased by 1.8 percentage points to 10.8%, the lowest reading since April 2023. The decline was broad-based across age and education groups.
The median expectation regarding a year-ahead change in taxes at current income level remained unchanged at 3.1%.
Median year-ahead expected growth in government debt decreased by 0.4 percentage point to 9.5%, remaining above the 12-month trailing average of 8.7%.
The mean perceived probability that the average interest rate on saving accounts will be higher in 12 months increased by 2.0 percentage points to 26.6%.
Perceptions about households’ current financial situations compared to a year ago improved, with a smaller share of households reporting a worse financial situation and a larger share of households reporting a better financial situation. Year-ahead expectations about households’ financial situation also improved, with a smaller share of households expecting a worse financial situation and a larger share of households expecting a better financial situation in one year from now.
The report comes as some investors see the Fed raising rates later this year to address elevated inflation, although others such as Morgan Stanley are pretty steadfast the Fed will not hike. Fed officials have kept interest rates steady in 2026, though economic projections released last month showed nine officials see the need for at least one rate increase by year end.

Tyler Durden
Tue, 07/07/2026 – 12:40

Hamas announced Monday that it was dissolving the emergency committee overseeing Gaza’s civilian government, a move that could clear the way for a new U.S.-backed administration to take over civilian affairs.The proposed body, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), is a U.S.-backed committee intended to oversee civilian affairs in Gaza after the war. Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a foreign terrorist organization, has ruled Gaza since seizing control of the territory in 2007. The group led the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel has insisted Hamas can have no governing or military role in post-war Gaza.The announcement could therefore become a key test of President Donald Trump’s Gaza framework and broader regional diplomacy. A genuine transfer of power could help advance the establishment of a post-war administration. But Israel and Hamas’ critics say the group is offering to relinquish the burdens of civilian government while retaining its weapons, security apparatus and real influence on the ground.HILLARY CLINTON BREAKS WITH DEMOCRATIC CRITICS BY BACKING TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN AS THE ‘ONLY GAME IN TOWN’The Trump-led Board of Peace responded cautiously, saying its assessment would be “guided by actions, not promises.” The technocratic committee, which is currently based outside Gaza, has said it is prepared to begin operating once conditions allow.But the announcement did not include a commitment by Hamas to disarm, the central demand from Israel and a core element of Trump’s post-war framework.Alaa Abo Naddi, a Gazan teacher and political activist, said that the committee Hamas is dissolving was never the source of its real authority.”I believe this is simply an attempt by Hamas to buy time,” Abo Naddi said. “The real question has always been whether Hamas is willing to give up its weapons and dismantle the armed groups and militias under its control.” AJS: I’d move this up to maybe fourth graph. He said Gaza’s civilian officials have long operated without independent authority and remain subordinate to Hamas’ security apparatus.”In reality, even a low-ranking Hamas security officer can overrule them or have them arrested,” he said. “As long as Hamas retains its arms, this looks like an attempt to preserve its control and gain more time.”NETANYAHU REJECTS REPORTS OF A RIFT WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAYS THE TWO REMAIN ALIGNED ON IRANHadeel Oueis, editor-in-chief of the pan-Arab media outlet Jusoor News, similarly described the announcement as a “performative step” likely encouraged by one of Hamas’ regional backers.Oueis said the move appeared intended to send Trump a message that Hamas had fulfilled its obligations and that Israel was now responsible for blocking the next phase of his plan.”This is just a show and doesn’t change anything on the ground in reality,” Oueis told Fox News Digital. She noted that technical employees are expected to remain in place during the transition, arguing that Hamas would therefore remain the de facto authority unless its security and military structures were removed.Michael Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Center, also characterized the dissolution as largely symbolic but said its timing could signal a broader diplomatic effort.Milshtein said Egypt, Qatar and Turkey have been working with Hamas to develop a compromise that could move the stalled post-war arrangement forward, particularly on the issue of disarmament.Rather than demanding the immediate and complete surrender of Hamas’ weapons, he said the mediators may be pushing for a gradual and partial process that Hamas could accept.”I assess that the step Hamas took today is part of a move coordinated with Turkey, Qatar and Egypt, intended to begin advancing the broader arrangement,” Milshtein told Fox News Digital.He said Hamas had effectively thrown the ball into Israel’s court and could now argue that it had agreed to relinquish formal government control.HAMAS INFLUENCE LOOMS OVER GAZA ELECTIONS AS EXPERTS WARN VOTE COULD BACKFIREIsraeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rejected that distinction Tuesday, accusing Hamas of trying to reproduce the model used by Hezbollah in Lebanon, where an armed organization maintains military dominance while civilian institutions handle government services.”They don’t care if others collect the garbage, provide municipal services and administer civilian affairs, if Hamas will remain the dominant military force,” Sa’ar said during a meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.Sa’ar said Israel would continue to insist on the “disarmament of Hamas and all other terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, and its full demilitarization.”Wadephul backed that position, saying Hamas must relinquish both its weapons and its de facto control of Gaza.The United Nations also offered a cautiously positive response. U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the organization had taken note of Hamas’ announcement concerning the dissolution of the Government Emergency Committee and the proposed transfer of administrative responsibilities to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.”We welcome any step that contributes to the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and advances the objectives reflected in relevant Security Council resolutions, including the full implementation of the ceasefire, the protection of civilians, and the unhindered provision of humanitarian aid,” Dujarric said.He added that the U.N. continued to support “efforts toward unified Palestinian governance under the Palestinian Authority.”Milshtein said the real test would be whether the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza is allowed to enter Gaza, operate independently and exercise genuine authority, while Hamas gives up not only its civilian role but also its security and military control.

Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz (screenshot via Fox)
Iran targeted more ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, jeopardizing peace negotiations with the US. 
Per CBS, at least three ships in the Strait appeared to come under attack. One of the ships was a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker that caught fire, risking an explosion. A second Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker was also targeted by a missile, and a third unidentified ship was hit by a drone.
Audio obtained by Fox earlier shows the Iranian Navy threatening one of the ships.
“This is the last warning, this is last warning, this is last warning. You are all in danger. Don’t put your life in danger. You are ordered to alter course. Do so immediately, alter course, do so immediately, and use the south of Larak Island. If you disobey, you will be targeted. Navy out,” the Iranians said before reportedly attacking.
Via Fox:

This comes after fighting temporarily resumed late last month, with the US responding to Iranian strikes on ships in the Strait by targeting Iran’s military in and near the Strait of Hormuz.
The US and Iran agreed to halt strikes and meet in Doha last weekend after the US launched multiple strikes against Iran in response to Iran targeting commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump told reporters last week, “We hit them very hard for three nights, as you know, but we’re getting along very well, so I call it the denuclearization, and it’s all taking place. It’s all going well.”
Still, Trump told reporters on Monday that he may “finish the job” in Iran if no deal is made.
“And it won’t be tough to finish the job. I’d rather make a deal because I don’t want to affect 91 million people,” the President said.
“We can knock down their bridges in one hour. We can knock out their energy supply. All of those big plants that they built, big, beautiful, modern plants. They had a lot of money. They don’t have any money now. We haven’t given them any money. But we can knock out their electricity and power-generating plants in, I would say, a small part of an afternoon. Every plant will be gone, and they know that.”
WATCH:

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded on Tuesday, saying Iran’s military will not be “moved by any threats” and threatening that “negotiations on final Deal will not commence if threats continue Honor your signature”

Millions of proud Iranians rallied in unity to honor Grand Ayatollah Khamenei and his legacy. Neither them nor our Brave Armed Forces are moved by any threats.
Para 13 of the MoU is clear: Negotiations on final Deal will not commence if threats continue Honor your signature. pic.twitter.com/uQ7OoFyp8U
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) July 7, 2026

This is a developing story.

The post JUST IN: Iran Hits Another Ship in the Strait of Hormuz – Audio Shows Iranian Navy Threatening Ships: “This is Last Warning. You Are All in Danger” (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.