U.S. Exits World Cup, NATO's 'Big Reveal' & AI Lands Lead Role - Tuesday, July 7, 2026

**Erica Mandy** (0:00)
Today is Tuesday, July 7th. We'll tell you about the end of the road for Team USA at the World Cup and how the decision over one American player is still causing global backlash. Also, what to expect from a highly anticipated NATO summit beginning today and the extreme weather impacting different parts of the US this morning. Plus, another construction project underway at the White House, a high court decision over exactly who should police kids' activities online, and a new movie starring an AI creation. Those stories and even more news to know coming up.
Welcome to The NewsWorthy, all the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this.
The Americans World Cup dreams came to an end last night. The US men's national team was eliminated in the round of 16
The US lost to Belgium 4-1. And remember, the US entered the game under a cloud of controversy because of FIFA's decision to allow American soccer star, Falaaren Baligan, to play. Baligan was originally supposed to be suspended last night because of a red card he received in the team's previous match against Bosnia. But FIFA took the highly unusual step of delaying his suspension by a year, letting him play against Belgium. Then news broke that President Trump had personally called FIFA's president, encouraging him to review the red card before the suspension was lifted. And Trump confirmed that call yesterday.
Well, several organizations, world leaders, soccer players, and coaches were upset about it. For example, the European Soccer Governing Body called the reversal incomprehensible and unjustifiable. Yesterday, FIFA's disciplinary committee defended its decision and insisted it remained independent. It also clarified that it does still stand by the penalty against Balligan. It just changed exactly how it would be enforced. So instead of missing last night's match, Balligan will serve a one-year probationary period and pay a $40,000 fine. In the end, none of it changed the outcome. Even with Balligan and the rest of its stars available, the US was outmatched. Now Belgium advances to the quarterfinals, where the Belgians will face Spain on Friday.
Today, many of the world's top leaders, including President Trump, are expected to be in Turkey for the NATO Summit. And it could be pretty significant. Of course, President Trump has criticized NATO for a while, accusing other members of the alliance of free-loading off American security guarantees. Plus, the US has announced troop withdrawals from Europe and is still reviewing the American military presence on the continent. So there are tensions. But today, at an event dubbed The Big Reveal, NATO is expected to showcase a series of new military projects worth billions of dollars as part of an effort to convince Trump that allies are stepping up their defense spending. NATO members are also expected to pledge more assistance for Ukraine. And that's seen as crucial right now, as both Ukraine and Russia have been stepping up their attacks. Again, yesterday, Russia launched another major deadly assault on the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, continuing the violence from the spring that was the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since the opening months of Russia's invasion four years ago. And on the other side, Ukraine has launched almost daily long-range attacks on Russian oil facilities. But President Trump is optimistic, saying a peace agreement is getting much closer than people realize and that talks will move forward at the NATO summit.
The Trump administration is once again questioning who gets to tell America's story and how it should be told, this time at one of the country's most prominent museums. The White House released a 162-page report accusing the Smithsonian of what it calls extreme political activism, especially at the National Museum of American History. The report claims the museum promotes a divisive ideological view of America. And it says the museum's leadership can't be trusted to present the nation's history fairly in a way that's quote, inspiring, unifying and worthy of our great republic. Well, the Smithsonian is pushing back, saying the institution is committed to being independent and nonpartisan. The Smithsonian's current secretary has previously said museums should present the full complexity of American history, including both its achievements and its struggles. To be clear, the report does not carry the force of law, but it signals the administration plans to keep pushing for changes.
For the first time since conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed 10 months ago, Kirk's family came face to face with the man accused of killing him. The suspect is in court this week while prosecutors lay out their evidence for a murder case. On the first day of the hearing, prosecutors presented detailed police accounts and played several videos taken on the day of the shooting, including some that have never been shown publicly.