5 Big News Stories Overnight - Monday, July 6, 2026

Masked white nationalists descend on Washington DC

The Telegraph reports:

Hundreds of masked white supremacists descended on Washington DC ahead of Saturday’s July 4th celebrations, marching through the city centre and travelling on the subway.

An estimated 400 members of a group called the Patriot Front met for a march in the US capital on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Dressed in khaki trousers and navy blue shirts, the marchers hid their faces behind white balaclavas, baseball caps and sunglasses.

One picture, shared prominently on social media, shows a black woman sitting on a metro train surrounded by masked white men.

The group carried US and Confederate flags as it marched to a drum beat near the Capitol. In a video posted on social media, two young men apparently associated with it declared that the march was proof of the “total Aryan victory”.

A Zombie Congress Is Threatening Trump’s Agenda

The WSJ reports:

A growing number of GOP lawmakers have little incentive to come to work or toe the party line, putting critical legislation in danger as Republicans lurch toward the midterms.

Some are privately calling it the zombie Congress. 

GOP leaders are increasingly concerned that members will lose motivation to show up, or may break with the party if they do, potentially stalling or killing some bills, according to lawmakers and aides. While the Senate has been the main focus of GOP cracks, the House is also facing an uncertain summer and fall, with attendance issues and a renewed sense of independence among retiring, defeated or angry members threatening to upend the Republican agenda.

“If you’re not at least a little bit frustrated right now, then I question your, maybe your sanity. Nobody signed up for this,” said Rep. Steve Womack (R., Ark.), who worried problems passing bills could hurt GOP chances in the fall. “Right now it’s almost like shooting ourselves in the foot,” he said. 

Just this past week, a renewed rebellion over the stalled Save America Act voter-ID bill stopped action on the House floor and prompted House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) to throw in the towel and send members home early for the Fourth of July holiday.

PHOTO: Faraz, Unsplash

Russia Attacked Ukraine with 2,200 Drones and 1,730 Guided Bombs in a Single Week

Kyiv Post reports:

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that over the course of the week, Russia launched approximately 2,200 attack drones, more than 1,730 guided aerial bombs, and 106 missiles of various types at Ukraine.

In a statement on Telegram on Sunday, July 5, Zelensky highlighted the relentless nature of the campaign targeting civilian infrastructure and front-line communities across the country.

Outlining the volume of weaponry deployed by Russian forces over the past seven days, the president reported the following figures:

Approximately 2,200 attack drones

More than 1,730 guided aerial bombs (KABs)

106 missiles of various types, with nearly half classified as ballistic.

PHOTO: Ukraine Defense Ministry

Inside Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Wedding: Everything We Learned About the Star-Studded Ceremony at Madison Square Garden

Variety reports:

In case you’ve had a hard time keeping pace, let this be your guide to all the most important details of the star-studded ceremony at Madison Square Garden.

First, the guest list, which some reports say exceeded 1,000 names. Variety reported that those who scored a ticket were sent watermarked, digital invites that came with NDAs. Those who were spotted entering MSG for the bash included Ed Sheeran, Bradley Cooper, Zoë Kravitz, Jack Antonoff, Gigi Hadid, Dakota Johnson, Ethan Hawke, MGK, Jason Sudeikis, Hugh Grant and Camila Cabello. Other stars who made more subtle entrances include Anya Taylor-Joy, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Paul McCartney, Sacha Baron Cohen, AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron and former Disney CEO Bob Iger. Harry Styles was invited but is currently on tour and could not make it. Sources tell Variety that Jennifer Aniston was also invited, but did not attend.

More recently confirmed attendees (via People) include Emma Stone, Stephen Colbert, Conan O’Brien, Millie Bobby Brown, Ice Spice, Brad Pitt, Gracie Abrams, Ronan Farrow, St. Vincent, Adam Scott, Jennifer Lopez, Paul Rudd and Seth Meyers.

Nobody benefits from FIFA letting Balogun off the hook -- not even the USMNT

ESPN reports:

The United States men's national team has had a big win without even kicking a ball. But Folarin Balogun's suspension reprieve, which allows him to play in Monday's round-of-16 clash against Belgium is bad for the World Cup and, in the end, might also be bad for Mauricio Pochettino's team. Who wants to win if victory becomes tainted by murky interventions that take place without any kind of explanation or transparency?

Four days ago, FIFA made it clear that there was no appeals process for Balogun and that he would serve a one-match suspension -- case closed, move on. The optics undermine the integrity of the competition: If you are a big player or play for a major nation -- and as co-hosts, the U.S. are certainly the latter -- the usual rules can be bent into whatever shape is required to achieve a desired outcome.

FIFA's unexpected announcement on Sunday, issued without fanfare on its official website and not posted on its X or Instagram accounts, said Balogun's one-match ban for his red card in the round-of 32-win against Bosnia-Herzegovina would now be suspended for one year. In other words, the USA's three-goal top scorer at the World Cup is free to play in the team's biggest game in a generation on Monday night in Seattle.