U.S. men secure their biggest World Cup win in a generation. Trump’s SAVE Act push instills fear in some Republicans. And what to know about the couple who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building.
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Here’s what to know today.
How the U.S. advanced to the round of 16 despite World Cup adversity
The U.S. men’s soccer team earned its most important victory in a generation in a 2-0 win yesterday against Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite being down to 10 men for the last 35 minutes. It’s the Americans’ first win in a World Cup knockout game since 2002, allowing them to advance to the round of 16. The U.S. faces Belgium on Monday in Seattle.
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Folarin Balogun scored his third goal of this tournament in the 45th minute to break the deadlock after the U.S. had repeatedly spurned chances to break the deadlock. But in the second half, Balogun was shown a contentious red card after he stepped on the ankle of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemović.
Despite that blow, the impressive U.S. added to its lead, Malik Tillman giving the co-hosts the breathing room it needed in the 82nd minute with a free kick that curved over the heads of Bosnian wall and inside the near post.
To keep its run alive in this tournament, the U.S. will have to reach even greater heights against a Belgium side ranked ninth in the world — this time without their talismanic top scorer, who must serve a one-match suspension.
Even before Wednesday, the U.S. has shown it’s capable of winning without key players, namely Christian Pulisic in the group stage.
Beat Belgium and it would be only the second time in the modern era that the U.S. has reached the World Cup quarter-finals.
???? What else you missed: Belgium staged a dramatic comeback in a 3-2 win over Senegal. At 124 minutes and 44 seconds, Youri Tielemans’ winner was the latest goal scored in World Cup history. England also came from behind to defeat the Democratic Republic of the Congo, captain Harry Kane scoring a brace in a 2-1 win.
???? What to watch today: Spain and Austria play at 3 p.m. ET, followed by Portugal vs. Croatia at 7 p.m., and Switzerland vs. Algeria at 11 p.m. See the full schedule.
???? Join the excitement: Sign up for The Sports Desk newsletter for more in-depth World Cup coverage.
GOP fears Trump will blame election losses on SAVE Act
President Donald Trump is so fixated on the SAVE America Act — which would rewrite the nation’s election laws — that he has refused to sign a bipartisan bill meant to lower the cost of housing. He also lashed out at Senate Republicans during a contentious lunch meeting last week. His focus on the voting bill, instead of signing one that tackles a top issue for voters, has left some GOP strategists baffled. And some fear the president will use the SAVE America Act against them should the bill not pass, and the party loses control of the Senate in November.
The SAVE America Act calls for proof of citizenship to register to vote and ID to cast a ballot. Trump also wants the bill to include stricter mail-in voting laws. Though the bill cleared the House, it is considered doomed in the Senate, especially as two outgoing Republicans, who Trump helped push out of office, have voted against his priorities.
A GOP operative suggested a savvier approach for Trump.
More politics news:
- The Trump administration announced that it plans to pull the plug on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which Trump once called “the best and most important trade deal ever made by the USA.”
- Paramedics responded to a report of a “cardiac arrest” at Sen. Mitch McConnell’s home on the day his office said he was hospitalized for an undisclosed reason last month.
- For subscribers: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani will deliver a “major address” tomorrow to mark America’s 250th birthday, hours before Trump is set to give his own speech.
- For subscribers: Democratic socialist Melat Kiros’ victory over Rep. Diana DeGette in this week’s Colorado House primary highlights the dangerous political environment for the party’s incumbents.
- For subscribers: A review of the Supreme Court’s decisions this term show how the conservative majority is plotting its own course in moving the law rightward.
A sky-high stunt in NYC
Two people taken into custody after climbing to the top of the Empire State Building were identified as 33-year-old Angelina Nikolau and 32-year-old Ivan Kuznetsov, rooftopping social media stars. A New York Police Department spokesperson confirmed they were both charged with felony burglary, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, among other charges.
The couple, who were the subject of the 2024 Netflix documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story” and have traveled across the world to vertigo-inducing heights, were seen yesterday atop the New York City landmark, where they unfurled a banner that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” In one especially surreal moment, Kuznetsov got down on one knee and appeared to propose to Nikolau.
It was not immediately clear how the couple scaled a 200-foot spire atop the sixth-tallest building in the country. A spokesperson for the Empire State Building said there was no danger to tenants, visitors or guests of the observation deck.
What else we know about the couple.
Russia hammers Kyiv with massive drone and missile strikes, killing 17
Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine’s capital overnight into this morning that killed at least 17 people and injured scores as loud explosions shook Kyiv for hours.
The attack, with ballistic and cruise missiles and drones, damaged buildings and civilian infrastructure across the city. Many residents took shelter at metro stations after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other authorities issued the first warnings of the attack.
The attack killed 17 people in Kyiv, the country’s Emergency Service said. At least 90 others were injured, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Russia has intesified its attacks on Kyiv in recent weeks, even as Ukraine’s own long-range drone campaign against Russian military sites and energy facilities has caused fuel shortages and disrupted supply lines inside Russia
More Russia news:
- For subscribers: A newcomer to the Polymarket prediction market is betting big on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s downfall.
Read All About It
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ June job report, to be released today, is expected to show a gain of 115,000 jobs.
- A preliminary autopsy for the 1-year-old who was fatally shot by police outside a Mississippi Walmart raises new questions about whether the shooting was justified, the family’s legal team said.
- A new food labeling law in California bans the use of “sell by” labels on food packaging.
- For subscribers: It seems that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are getting married this weekend. Here’s what we know about the nuptials.
- For subscribers: A newcomer to the Polymarket prediction market is betting big on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s downfall.
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
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