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The average U.S. 30-year mortgage rate dropped to 6.43%, the lowest since mid-May, making home loans slightly cheaper. Rates have been around 6.5% for months due to global events affecting oil prices and inflation, but recent hopes for peace between the U.S. and Iran helped lower rates a bit.
Key Facts
The 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell from 6.49% last week to 6.43%.
One year ago, the average 30-year rate was 6.67%.
The 15-year fixed mortgage rate also dropped to 5.79% from 5.84%.
Mortgage rates are linked to the 10-year Treasury yield, which was 4.46% this week.
Tensions and conflict between the U.S. and Iran have influenced oil prices, inflation, and mortgage rates.
Sales of previously owned U.S. homes declined in early 2026 compared to last year but saw some improvement by May.
Current home sales are around 4 million annually, below the usual 5.2 million sales level.
The housing market has been slow since mortgage rates rose from low pandemic levels in 2022.
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Rescue teams in Venezuela continue searching for survivors eight days after deadly twin earthquakes struck the area. Despite many casualties and destruction, a man trapped under rubble was rescued alive, while the U.S. government rejected criticism of Venezuela’s earthquake response.
Key Facts
Twin earthquakes hit Catia La Mar, Venezuela, causing severe damage and many deaths.
At least 2,295 people died and over 11,000 were injured, according to Venezuela’s government.
Rescue workers have been digging through rubble for more than a week to find survivors.
A 43-year-old man survived being trapped nearly eight days under a collapsed shopping mall.
A toddler was also rescued after being trapped six days in the disaster zone.
Many people are living in shelters or outside due to destroyed homes.
Medical experts worry that untreated injuries and diseases could worsen health problems.
The U.S. rejected criticism aimed at Venezuela’s handling of the earthquake response.
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Experts say the best way to save energy and money on air conditioning is to raise the thermostat a few degrees while you are away. Turning off the AC completely for long periods can save energy but may cause problems like mold in humid areas and more wear on the system.
Key Facts
Setting your thermostat 7-10 degrees higher for about 8 hours a day can save up to 10% annually on cooling costs.
Turning off the AC for short trips (like 15 minutes) does not save energy.
For workdays around 8 hours long, turning off the AC or raising the thermostat saves energy and money.
In dry climates, letting the house warm up more by increasing the thermostat is effective.
In humid climates, turning off the AC can cause moisture buildup and mold problems.
Raising the thermostat by 1 degree Fahrenheit can reduce cooling costs by about 3%.
Frequently turning the AC off and on may cause wear and require more repairs.
Comfort level, AC type, building insulation, and local climate affect the best AC use strategy.
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King Charles took part in a traditional hand ba' game in Jedburgh, Scotland, during his visit to the town. The event, part of the Jethart Callant's Festival, involved local teams playing a historic and energetic street sport that has been played in the area for centuries.
Key Facts
King Charles officially started an exhibition hand ba' game in Jedburgh.
Hand ba' is a traditional street sport in the Scottish Borders, played for about 500 years.
The game involves two teams: the Uppies and the Doonies, trying to carry the ball to different points in the town.
The sport is known for being energetic and sometimes rough, causing the King’s security to stay alert.
There are only about 14 traditional hand ba' games still played regularly in Britain.
King Charles has also started a similar ancient game before, in Derbyshire.
The visit coincided with the start of the Jethart Callant’s Festival, featuring horseback rides and traditional dances.
The King spent over three hours in Jedburgh, meeting locals and visiting a company that makes insulation from hemp.
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Researchers at the University of Minnesota created an artificial cell called "SpudCell" that can enclose genetic material, import new materials from outside, and divide a few times to create offspring. The system uses parts from viruses and purified proteins to copy DNA and make proteins inside the cell-like membranes.
Key Facts
SpudCells are simple artificial cells enclosed by membranes that can take in new materials.
The cells contain genetic material spread across seven circular DNA molecules.
DNA replication is powered by a system from the Phi29 virus, which infects bacteria.
RNA production comes from a viral gene called T7 RNA polymerase, which the SpudCells can make themselves.
Proteins needed to translate RNA into other proteins were purified and added to the system by researchers.
A gene in SpudCells produces pore proteins to allow small molecules and ions to pass through the membrane.
SpudCells can divide and create a few generations of offspring but lose some DNA molecules after several divisions.
This work may help understand how life first formed and what minimal living cells could look like.
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Stew Leonard Jr., CEO of Stew Leonard's grocery store, spoke about the prices of food for the upcoming July 4th holiday. He also discussed safety tips for swimming during the holiday weekend.
Key Facts
Stew Leonard Jr. is the CEO of Stew Leonard's grocery store chain.
He talked about how much holiday food will cost for the 4th of July.
The interview took place on "CBS News 24/7 Mornings."
He provided advice on how to stay safe while swimming during the holiday.
The focus was on preparing for the July 4th weekend.
The interview is available on the CBS News app and website.
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A federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration was wrong to fire 19 career intelligence officers who worked on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) issues. The court upheld a previous ruling that blocked the firings.
Key Facts
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals made the decision in a 2-1 vote.
The court agreed with an earlier lower court ruling.
The ruling prevents the Trump administration from firing 19 intelligence officers.
These officers were assigned to roles focused on DEIA.
DEIA stands for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
The officers had career positions, meaning they were permanent government employees.
The Trump administration had attempted to remove these officers from their roles.
The court found that the firings were not justified under the law.
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The Vatican declared that the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), a traditionalist Catholic group, has formally broken away from the Catholic Church. It excommunicated the group's bishops and priests after they consecrated new bishops without the pope’s approval and warned their followers of penalties.
Key Facts
The Vatican said the SSPX officially separated from the Catholic Church, calling it a schism.
The Society of St. Pius X consecrated four new bishops without permission from the pope.
The Vatican’s doctrine office issued the excommunications, which are severe church penalties.
The Vatican warned followers of the SSPX that they could also face serious sanctions.
SSPX opposes modern reforms in the Catholic Church and prefers the old Latin Mass.
The group has challenged the Vatican for about 50 years by claiming to be more faithful to Catholic tradition.
This response by the Vatican is stronger than usual and goes beyond normal church rules.
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Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, is being investigated for potentially lobbying the Bank of England to drop a digital currency plan that could help a major donor to his party. A Labour MP has asked a standards watchdog to look into whether Farage broke parliamentary rules by pressing the Bank’s governor on this issue after receiving large donations.
Key Facts
Nigel Farage met with Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, to oppose a state-run digital currency plan.
Farage’s major donor, Christopher Harborne, gave £15 million to Reform UK and an undisclosed £5 million to Farage personally.
Harborne is a wealthy investor interested in cryptocurrencies and could benefit from stopping the digital currency plan.
Labour MP Phil Brickell reported Farage to the parliamentary standards commissioner over possible lobbying rule breaches.
Brickell said MPs should not lobby public officials for policies that benefit people who pay them.
The Bank of England has refused so far to release details of Farage’s meeting with its governor.
Farage and Harborne have denied any conditions linked to the donations.
Another Labour MP has also asked for details of the meeting between Farage and Andrew Bailey.
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Two boys in Hampshire were originally given sentences without jail time for raping two teenage girls. The Court of Appeal changed these to four years in detention after deciding the first judge underestimated the seriousness of the crimes.
Key Facts
The two boys raped two teenage girls on separate occasions.
The boys were originally given non-custodial sentences but these were overturned by the Court of Appeal.
The Court said that if they were adults, longer sentences of over 10 years would apply.
The boys had already served 231 days under curfew, which counts toward their prison time.
They also received lifelong restraining orders to keep away from the victims.
A third boy involved, who filmed one of the attacks, did not have his sentence changed.
The Attorney General called the original sentences too lenient and referred them to the appeal court.
Victims’ families said the updated sentences better reflect the harm caused, and one family started a charity to support survivors of sexual violence.
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Russian mercenaries from the Africa Corps are using combat drones in Mali that were previously mainly seen in the war in Ukraine. These drones, called Lancet loitering munitions, are small missile-like devices with cameras, used to target vehicles and armed groups in the Sahel region of Africa.
Key Facts
The Africa Corps, a Russian mercenary group, now supports the Malian army after replacing the Wagner Group.
They have deployed the Lancet drone, a loitering munition used since 2020 by Russia in Ukraine.
The Lancet drone can fly for a long time and is remotely piloted via a camera.
Images of drone debris found in Mali match parts sold on a Ukrainian resale website featuring captured Russian equipment.
The drone was found near Timbuktu after Russian mercenary drone strikes targeting rebel separatists and jihadist groups.
The Lancet drone was designed to hit armored vehicles and artillery, not for use in African environments or against insurgent forces.
The drones are used alongside reconnaissance drones to seek out and attack targets like pickup trucks in conflict zones.
The drone debris evidence came from an anonymous source linked to the Azawad Liberation Front, a separatist group active in northern Mali.
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Even though the U.S. hosted the World Cup, June job numbers do not show an increase in hiring for tourism-related businesses. Leisure and hospitality jobs, which include restaurants and hotels, actually fell by 61,000 in June, and data was revised down for May.
Key Facts
The U.S. hosted the World Cup in 2024.
Leisure and hospitality jobs dropped by 61,000 in June.
May's reported gain of 70,000 jobs was revised down to 40,000.
The leisure and hospitality sector lost an average of 9,000 jobs per month over the last three months.
In the 12 months before that, the sector had been adding an average of 13,000 jobs per month.
Monthly job numbers can change due to seasonal adjustments and sampling errors.
Other economic signs of the World Cup effect, like retail sales and tax collections, will be watched.
Local employment data for the cities hosting the World Cup will be released later.
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The Court of Justice of the European Union has confirmed a $4.7 billion fine against Google for abusing its dominant position in the Android phone market. The fine is related to Google making its search engine and Chrome browser the default options on many Android devices, which the EU says limits competition.
Key Facts
In 2018, Google was fined 4.34 billion euros (about $4.9 billion) by the EU for abusing its Android market monopoly.
A lower court later reduced the fine to 4.1 billion euros ($4.7 billion), which Google must now pay.
The EU's complaint focuses on Google bundling its search engine and Chrome browser as default apps on Android phones.
This affects devices from companies like Samsung and Xiaomi, making Google's apps automatically used.
Google argues there is plenty of competition because users can install alternative apps and search services.
Europe has a history of similar cases, like forcing Microsoft to offer browser choices in Windows.
Google has made some changes, like adding ballot screens and supporting third-party app stores, largely due to legal pressure.
The EU is using new laws, such as the Digital Markets Act, to increase oversight of big tech companies including Google.
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Prada appointed Palestinian singer Saint Levant as a brand ambassador. Some pro-Israel social media users are upset because Saint Levant wore a necklace showing the map of historic Palestine in a campaign video. This has led to calls for boycotting Prada.
Key Facts
Prada chose Palestinian singer Saint Levant to represent their brand.
Saint Levant wore a necklace with a map of historic Palestine in an ad video.
The necklace's image sparked anger among pro-Israel groups online.
Social media users have called for a boycott of Prada because of this.
The controversy connects to ongoing tensions between supporters of Israel and Palestine.
Prada’s decision highlights the sensitivity around symbols tied to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This backlash shows how brands can become involved in political and cultural disputes.
The issue gained attention through coverage by news outlets like Al Jazeera.
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A weather event called a heat dome will bring very hot temperatures to many parts of the United States during the Fourth of July weekend. This heat dome will cover much of the East Coast, the South, and other regions, leading to dangerous heat conditions.
Key Facts
Millions of Americans will experience the heat dome during Independence Day celebrations.
The heat dome causes a large area of high pressure that traps warm air.
This results in extremely hot temperatures over several days.
The affected areas include most of the East Coast and the southern United States.
Meteorologists warn that the heat could create dangerous health conditions.
The heat dome will last through the holiday weekend.
People are advised to take steps to stay cool and hydrated.
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A 43-year-old security guard, Hernán Alberto Gil Flores, was rescued alive after being trapped for eight days under a collapsed shopping mall in La Guaira, Venezuela, following two strong earthquakes. International rescue teams worked under difficult conditions to save him, while many others remain missing or injured.
Key Facts
Two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 hit Venezuela, killing nearly 2,200 people and injuring over 11,000.
Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was trapped in his security cabin in the basement of Galerías Playa Grande mall for eight days.
A pocket of air in his cabin helped him survive the collapse.
Rescue teams from Costa Rica, Chile, the US, Portugal, and Mexico worked together to find and extract him.
Rescuers used a telescopic camera and a narrow shaft to keep contact and provide water and nutrients.
The rescue was complicated by unstable buildings, heavy rain, and aftershocks.
Most collapsed buildings in La Guaira have been searched with no survivors found.
The community faces shortages of food and water, and there have been reports of theft and arrests of police officers involved.
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The French TV show Paris des Arts featured a special edition in Fez, Morocco, focusing on the 29th Festival of World Sacred Music. The program highlighted Moroccan singer Nabyla Maan and pianist Rami Khalifé, who shared their personal connections to music and its cultural importance. A local guide also explored the historic medina of Fez.
Key Facts
Paris des Arts is a French cultural TV show.
The special edition was filmed in Fez, Morocco.
It covered the 29th Festival of World Sacred Music.
Singer Nabyla Maan performs traditional Moroccan and Arab-Andalusian music.
Pianist Rami Khalifé views music as a form of political expression.
The medina of Fez is an ancient, large old city within Fez.
The episode aimed to show the dialogue between different cultures and spiritual traditions.
The show was produced by Valérie Fayolle, Stéphanie Cheval, and Pauline Heilmann.
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Research in the UK shows that women from Black and Asian backgrounds are less likely than white women to receive epidural pain relief during childbirth. Experts say this highlights racial inequalities in healthcare, where people of color often get less pain treatment.
Key Facts
The study looked at data from over 2.7 million births in the UK up to 2021.
Women from Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Black Caribbean backgrounds were 24%, 15%, and 8% less likely than white women to get epidurals during vaginal births.
Black Caribbean-British women were 58% more likely to receive general anesthesia rather than regional anesthesia during planned C-sections compared to white women.
General anesthesia puts the mother fully to sleep and is mostly used in emergencies, while regional anesthesia (like epidurals) allows the mother to stay awake and recover faster.
The findings reflect wider racial inequalities in pain treatment in UK healthcare, from emergency care to cancer pain relief.
Medical professionals call for better data to understand and fix how pain is treated for ethnic minority patients.
The report links these inequalities to deeper problems, including institutional racism and harmful stereotypes about Black and Asian women.
Similar racial disparities in maternity care have also been reported in other countries like the US and Australia.
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The U.S. job market showed slower growth in June than expected, with fewer new jobs added and fewer people working or looking for work. While wages increased slightly, overall hiring has slowed, and fewer industries are creating jobs, raising questions about the job market’s strength.
Key Facts
The U.S. added 57,000 jobs in June, about half the number economists predicted.
Hiring numbers for April and May were revised down by a total of 74,000 jobs.
Job gains averaged 111,000 per month over the last three months, lower than the 164,000 in May but higher than last year’s pace.
The unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.2%, mainly because fewer people were working or looking for work.
The labor force participation rate dropped 0.3 percentage points to 61.5%, with a notable decline among prime-age workers (25 to 54 years old).
Wages grew by 0.3% in June and are 3.5% higher than a year ago.
Fewer industries are offering new jobs, limiting opportunities for workers to change jobs or reenter the workforce.
Financial markets still expect the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates later this year to control inflation despite weaker job growth.
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