July Fourth celebrations commence and Folarin Balogun’s red card sparks debate: Morning Rundown

Morning RundownJuly Fourth celebrations commence and Folarin Balogun’s red card sparks debate: Morning RundownPlus, President Trump’s financial disclosure reveals previously unreported stock purchases made a day before he paused tariffs.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 3, 2026, 7:01 AM EDTBy Elizabeth Robinson and Delia Sara RangelThe U.S. begins a weekend of 250th birthday celebrations amid heat alerts across much of the country. Trump’s financial disclosure reveals previously unreported stock purchases made a day before he paused tariffs. And a red card against an American soccer star sparks debate.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.Here’s what to know today.Celebrations for America’s 250th birthday get underway amid heat alertsDonald Trump at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, South Dakota, in 2020.Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images fileFourth of July celebrations will take place across the country today to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday. President Donald Trump will headline an event tonight at Mount Rushmore to “honor how far we’ve come, and to look ahead with optimism to the next chapter of the American story,” Freedom 250 chairman Keith Krach said. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.Also on the schedule today is a “major address” by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani that will reflect on the city’s “role in our national history and its position as the nation’s symbolic gateway.” The Times Square Ball will drop eight times, marking midnight in every American time zone. And in Washington, D.C., “A Capitol Fourth” concert is scheduled to take place at the National Mall.Add NBC News to GoogleLife-threatening heat emergency01:57The holiday weekend arrives as much of the country is under heat alerts. Multiple major metro areas, especially across the Northeast, face...