0:08
Trump Folds as Pressure Mounts on Administration
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Even as the Supreme Court has been an unreliable check on Donald Trump’s extreme immigration agenda, We the People has been a formidable restraint on his power. That’s what Project Salt Box co-founder Michael Wriston discovered last month when news broke that the Trump administration plans to get rid of seven immigration warehouses that cost taxpayers $700 million. The development follows nationwide opposition to the warehouse scheme generated in no small part to information that Project Salt Box disseminated. Wriston joins All Rise News to reflect on the major win for civic engagement as America’s 250th anniversary approaches.
0:58
NASA says it will isolate volunteers from the outside world for a year
For those growing sick of Earth's geopolitics, NASA is looking for volunteers to spend a year living and working in isolated conditions in preparation for a journey to some other celestial orb. The US space agency is set to carry out a simulated deep space mission from no earlier than August 2027 to understand what might happen to its human lab rats during planned crewed missions to the Moon or Mars. Johnson Space Center in Houston will be home to the willing participants who are set for a yearlong Moon and Mars Exploration Analog experience designed to help keep potential space travelers safe and mission-ready during future stays on the Red Planet or Earth's natural satellite. The simulation could also inform plans for a sustained lunar presence through the agency's Moon Base and future Artemis missions. The "experience" will take place in two confined habitats. The NASA notice does not say whether there will be outside comms, but specifies physical and educational requirements, as well as a willingness to take part in a multi-day selection process and pass a psychological assessment. "Candidates also should have a strong desire for unique, rewarding experiences, and interest in contributing to NASA's work to prepare for extended stays on the lunar surface and the first crewed mission to Mars," the notice says. Given the state of affairs, there may well be a flood of applicants who feel skipping a year would be well worth the inevitable curbs on their freedoms. Nonetheless, they may wonder about the world they will emerge to find when the experiment ends. Will WWE star Cody Rhodes be running for president, given the recent showcase on the White House lawn? Anything is possible in a world that shows an unnerving resemblance to Mike Judge's 2006 Idiocracy. Then again, given the perilous state of NASA's funding under the Trump regime, it is always possible volunteers could fall victim to cuts while they were in isolation, leaving no one to tell them the experiment had reached its end. ®
2:53
Shootout heartbreak leaves Socceroos still searching for elusive World Cup knockout win | Jack Snape
Following their painful defeat on penalties to Egypt, there is a nagging suspicion Australia may not get a better chance to break their duck
Lucas Herrington did not deserve to be the face of this painful defeat. The 18-year-old was already the youngest starter the Socceroos have ever fielded at a World Cup. Now he will be forever connected with one of Australian football’s great tragedies.
Once he missed his penalty kick – his side-footed effort placed too high and into the crossbar – first Awer Mabil ran to him, the gesture acknowledging the pain that will never leave him. When Egypt finished the shootout moments later, Herrington quickly turned his back to the crossbar that did him wrong, and put one arm to his mop of curly hair.
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3:42
Iran mourns Khamenei, calls for vengeance amid 2026 war tensions
Iran’s Supreme Leader passed away, and the nation’s mourning rituals have quickly turned into a rallying cry for retaliation. Behind the public grief, senior officials are already mapping how the succession will reshape power balances, especially as rival factions vie for influence over the next few months.
What’s shifting under the hood is the way the new leadership is being framed: not just as a continuation of the old guard, but as a catalyst for a more assertive foreign posture. That narrative is already feeding into military planning, with commanders hinting at a readiness to respond to any perceived threats before 2026.
The ripple effect is already showing up in markets. Investors are watching regional risk premiums inch higher, and the uncertainty is nudging oil prices upward as traders hedge against potential supply disruptions. It’s a reminder that a single leadership change can send shockwaves through both geopolitics and the global economy.
4:40
AMMA crisis: Women actors accuse Shwetha Menon of communal polarisation, political and corporate nexus
Actors Ansiba Hassan, Maala Parvathy, and Usha Haseena address the media hours after Shwetha Menon secured a stay from a munsif court against functioning of AMMA ad-hoc committee that followed her resignation announcement
5:00
Pull an all-nighter? How parents, schools, fans and police plan to cope with England’s 1am kick-off
Popular national pastimes of drinking and football will make post-Mexico Monday a day of sore heads and sleepy children
England are through to the round of 16 in the World Cup and, as is customary in the run-up to a major international footballing fixture, the country may be losing its mind.
Because piled on top of the 60 years of hurt for the men’s team, England fans have another obstacle to overcome with the forthcoming fixture: a gruelling kick-off time of 1am BST.
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5:34
America turns 250. How much does it owe Russia?
The forgotten story of how the Russian Empire helped the US survive two defining crises
On July 4, the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence. Americans will honor the Founding Fathers, the Continental Army, and France’s decisive contribution to victory over Britain. But one foreign power that also helped shape the fate of the young republic has largely disappeared from popular memory.
Twice in American history, first during the War of Independence and later during the Civil War, the Russian Empire took diplomatic and naval steps that helped the United States survive moments when its future was far from certain. Both times, St. Andrew’s flag flew on the side of the American republic.
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When people think of the American Revolution, they usually picture battles at Lexington, Saratoga, or Yorktown. Far less attention is paid to the struggle at sea. Yet Britain’s greatest advantage over the rebellious colonies was not simply the Royal Navy itself, but its ability to wage economic warfare across the world’s oceans.
In the eighteenth century, a maritime empire lived or died by commerce. Merchant fleets carried not only wealth but also food, weapons, military supplies, and the resources needed to sustain both armies and colonies. Disrupting those shipping lanes could cripple an opponent without winning a single decisive naval battle.
One of the most effective tools for doing so was privateering.
Privateers occupied a legal middle ground between naval officers and pirates. Governments issued them letters of marque authorizing privately owned vessels to capture enemy merchant ships. Unlike pirates, privateers operated under state authority, bringing captured cargoes back to friendly ports, where the proceeds were divided between the state and the shipowners.
The system allowed maritime powers to wage commercial warfare on an enormous scale without maintaining prohibitively expensive fleets. Privateers could also stop neutral merchant ships if they were suspected of carrying goods destined for the enemy, particularly military supplies. As the American War of Independence expanded into a broader European conflict following the intervention of France and Spain, this increasingly drew neutral shipping into the fighting.
Russia, despite remaining outside the war itself, found its merchant vessels among those affected. Russian ships carrying grain and other cargoes to Mediterranean ports were increasingly intercepted by both regular warships and privateers. What had begun as Britain’s campaign against its enemies was gradually becoming a threat to neutral commerce across Europe.
By the late 1770s, Catherine the Great concluded that neutrality meant little unless it could be defended. The stage was set for one of the most consequential diplomatic interventions of the American Revolution.
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By 1778, Russia had already begun looking for ways to protect its merchant shipping. St. Petersburg proposed that Denmark jointly escort commercial vessels sailing to Russian ports, hoping to shield neutral trade from the growing conflict. The following spring, Russia, Denmark, and Sweden each dispatched naval squadrons to patrol northern waters while issuing declarations defending the rights of neutral commerce.
The effort, however, failed to stop the seizures. Spain, despite being aligned with revolutionary France against Britain, continued intercepting Russian and Dutch merchant ships carrying grain to Mediterranean ports.
On February 28, 1780, the Russian empress responded with one of the most important diplomatic initiatives of the eighteenth century: the Declaration of Armed Neutrality.
Its message was simple. Russia had respected the rights of neutral commerce throughout its own wars and expected the same treatment in return. If Russian merchant ships continued to be stopped or their cargoes confiscated, the empire would defend its maritime rights by force. Any attempt to seize Russian vessels now carried the risk of war with one of Europe’s great powers.
The declaration established several principles that would reshape maritime law. Neutral ships were to enjoy free navigation between the ports of belligerent states. Enemy goods carried aboard neutral vessels were to remain protected unless they constituted military contraband. Blockades would be recognized only when they were physically enforced by naval forces rather than proclaimed on paper. Most importantly, Russia pledged to back these principles with armed squadrons rather than diplomatic protests alone.
Catherine’s initiative quickly evolved into something far larger than a Russian policy. Denmark and Sweden joined almost immediately, effectively closing the Baltic to unrestricted operations by the warring powers. Over the following years, the Netherlands, Prussia, Austria, Portugal, and the Kingdom of Naples also adhered to the convention.
10:03
Trump, 80, Hijacks Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Wedding News
Donald Trump seemed to be getting slightly antsy on Friday night, amid the way too much attention being paid to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s massive wedding bash in Manhattan. So the White House took decisive action.
Just 10 minutes after several digital pink signs lit up outside Madison Square Garden to declare Swift and Kelce as “JUST&T MARRIED‚” the White House took a moment to co-opt the newlyweds’ announcement.
At 8:04 p.m., the official White House account on X shared a post in which they boldly replaced the couple’s happy announcement with an altered AI declaration: “DONALD TRUMP IS YOUR PRESIDENT.” The post was captioned: “IT’S HAPPENED!!,” which most of the public is acutely aware of.
That’s all Trump critics needed. One quickly responded with the same scene with a different announcement: “Trump is in the Epstein files!” (“Why would MSG do this??” quipped the poster.)
Another pointed out: “Trump is a felon,” and still another noted: “Trump raised your prices!”
Trump already tried to horn in on the Taylor/Travis action on Thursday when a White House post, in a particularly cringey effort, tried to make the president appear like a rock star in a long-awaited “Eras Tour.”
To elevate himself even higher, Trump headed Friday to Mount Rushmore, where he has long talked about wanting to see a giant stone carving of his own face joining those of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. He recently posted an image of himself atop Mount Rushmore on Truth Social.
During his first term, Trump told then-Rep. Kristi Noem of South Dakota that his “dream” was to join the other presidents atop Mount Rushmore. Some supporters and MAGA suck-ups have introduced legislation to make that happen, though those efforts have reportedly stalled.
Trump traveled to the monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota Friday evening, where his planned speech at the site was temporarily delayed by a hailstorm.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s remarks at the monument, which he buzzed with the new Air Force One gifted to him by Qatar, would be “inspiring” and “optimistic.”
In the 30-minute speech, Trump touched on a number of topics, including the current state of his deal with Iran. “They’re dying to settle,” the president said. “They want to settle so badly.” He also bashed the “communist menace” in the U.S., which he has used to attack Democrats, and lamented his lack of Nobel Prize—despite ending “eight wars.”
12:24
UK and Ireland leaders fear for union’s future under Farage-led government
Politicians across Celtic nations braced for constitutional turmoil if Reform continues to rise
The rise of Nigel Farage has prompted political leaders across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to game the unthinkable: the break-up of the United Kingdom.
Unionists who wish to save the union and nationalists who wish to end it are bracing for constitutional turmoil if Reform UK emerges triumphant – with Farage as prime minister or official leader of the opposition – after the next election.
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12:59
Trump launches America’s 250th birthday celebrations with partisan attack
Trump opened the nation’s 250th‑birthday weekend with a speech at Mount Rushmore on Friday night. He spent roughly half an hour on the granite stage, tying the historic site to the holiday’s theme of independence. In the address he warned that a growing “communist menace” threatens America, casting its supporters as enemies of the ideals born on July 4, 1776. The remarks framed the celebration as a political moment, positioning his critique alongside a tour of iconic American landmarks.
