6 Big News Stories Overnight - Saturday, June 13, 2026

U.S. Defeats Paraguay in World Cup Opener

ESPN reports:

The United States men's national team had been waiting for the start of this FIFA World Cup for what seemed like an eternity. When the moment finally arrived, many wondered if they would meet it and give U.S. fans something worth celebrating.

They did indeed, earning a 4-1 victory over Paraguay in a World Cup opener that ticked nearly all of the boxes for the tournament co-hosts. Christian Pulisic was electric, having a hand in the first two U.S. goals before departing at halftime. The midfield trio of Tyler Adams, Malik Tillman and Weston McKennie was dominant for long stretches, full of slick combinations and touches going forward and providing relentless defensive pressure when asked to retreat. The much-maligned backline, which welcomed the return of center back Chris Richards, was solid for the most part, though it did concede Mauricio's 73rd-minute tally.

And then there was Folarin Balogun. The AS Monaco forward has long been viewed as the missing piece to this U.S. side since switching his allegiance from England in 2023. There have been moments, such as the 2023 Concacaf Nations League final win over Canada, when he has met those expectations. But the World Cup is a stage like no other, and Balogun delivered a spectacular performance with two impressive goals, the first showing total composure and the second the perfect combination of precision and power.

SpaceX Soars in Debut as Musk Becomes First Trillionaire

WSJ reports: 

SpaceX shares ended the day up 19% as investors worldwide finally began trading the largest-ever initial public offering after weeks of anticipation and speculation.

The rocket maker is now the sixth most valuable U.S.-listed company with a market cap of $2.1 trillion. Shares began trading at $150, 11% above the IPO price of $135. They ended up at $160.95.

Elon Musk officially became the world’s first trillionaire after SpaceX—trading under the ticker SPCX— went public. His stake in the rocket maker was valued at around $690 billion at the IPO price, while his Tesla stake makes up around $279 billion of his net worth.

Trump's Name Being Removed From Kennedy Center

CNN reports:

Workers began removing President Donald Trump’s name from an exterior wall of the Kennedy Center early Saturday morning, video from a CNN crew appeared to show.

It comes after the historic performing arts venue missed a deadline to comply with a federal judge’s ruling to remove Trump’s name from the building and asked for for additional time to carry out the directive.

Justice Department attorneys representing the center said late Friday that while work was ongoing, thunderstorms in the Washington area caused delays. They said crews expected to fully remove Trump’s name “in the early hours” of Saturday.

US District Judge Casey Cooper had set a deadline of 11:59 p.m. Friday for the center to certify compliance with his order. The judge hasn’t yet responded to the center’s request for additional time to say that it has carried out his demand.

PHOTO: Mike Stoll, Unsplash

Wages Are Falling. Wealth Is Surging. No Wonder Americans Are Unhappy.

New York Times reports:

Two events from the past week help crystallize this strange, contradictory moment for the U.S. economy.

On Wednesday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the surge in energy prices had wiped out a year and a half of wage gains for the average American worker. On Friday, the public-markets debut of SpaceX made Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire.

That stark juxtaposition helps explain why many Americans, in survey after survey, say they no longer believe the U.S. economy is working for them. A few people are getting fabulously, unimaginably wealthy at the same time that entire generations of families worry they will never be able to afford to buy a house, raise children or enjoy a comfortable retirement.

PHOTO: Arno Senoner, Unsplash

The Telegraph reports:

The Royal family has set off from Buckingham Palace for the annual Trooping the Colour parade.

The King and Queen have travelled down the Mall in a Ascot Landau carriage to mark Charles’s fourth birthday as monarch, as thousands of spectators watched and cheered.

The Princess of Wales also also travelled in an Ascot Landau with her three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – while the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, and the Duke of Edinburgh followed on horseback.

The Duchess of Edinburgh was in the No 1 Barouche carriage, accompanied by Sir Tim Laurence. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester followed in the No 2 Barouche.

At 80, Trump Is Everywhere and Showing Signs of Age

WSJ reports:

President Trump closed his eyes and appeared to nod off while seated in a suite this week at an NBA Finals game in New York City as cameras caught him snacking on french fries and pizza. He returned to the White House after 2 a.m.

By 10 a.m. the next day, he offered a lengthy critique of a recently published Wall Street Journal editorial to a reporter who called him on his cellphone, and said the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz “wasn’t a big deal.” Hours later, he ordered strikes on Iran in retaliation for the incident.

As Trump approaches his 80th birthday on Sunday, he and his advisers have made a strategic decision to turn the president into an omnipresent figure in American life, drawing a contrast with his octogenarian predecessor, Joe Biden. Trump makes regular marathon appearances in the Oval Office, he answers reporters’ cold calls and he tees off on social media at all hours of the day and night.

The result is that Americans are seeing more of both the good and the bad of an aging president.

PHOTO: White House