The UFC fights scheduled to take place at the White House on Sunday evening had to be pushed back an hour due to approaching thunderstorms. The seven scheduled fights are expected to go on for approximately four hours, and the UFC is prepared to enforce 30 minute delays for lightning — but the likelihood of thunderstorms in the area was high enough that the organization opted to push everything back one hour. Live coverage was still set to begin at 8p.m. ET, but the first fight was delayed until 9p.m. UFC calls for Freedom 250 delay due to looming thunderstorms https://t.co/sEFx6Mz3aH pic.twitter.com/b3s1JMupZg — New York Post (@nypost) June 14, 2026 As The New York Post reported, “Weather Channel projections called for a 57 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms in the 8 p.m. hour and a 100 percent certainty of thunderstorms in the 9 p.m. hour.” Dana White addressed the possibility of weather-related delays earlier in the week, saying, “I don’t care if it snows, rains, whatever; we’re going. And even lightning. You guys all played sports when you were growing up — whenever there was lightning, you’d sit the lightning out, and then when it was over, you played. That’s what we’ll do.” The Weather Channel posted the forecast earlier on Sunday, prompting a defiant response from the White House: “Rain or shine, we’re celebrating our great country no matter what. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” Eric Trump gave fans a sneak peek of the UFC set-up from the roof of the White House just hours ahead of the event: “All right, guys, UFC starts in a couple hours. Here’s what it looks like from the top of the White House.” pic.twitter.com/NNvczB02Nr — Eric Trump (@EricTrump) June 14, 2026 pic.twitter.com/NNvczB02Nr — Eric Trump (@EricTrump) June 14, 2026 Once the fights get started, any lightning strikes within an eight-mile radius of the White House will trigger an automatic 30-minute delay.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp stood up for his Christian faith by inscribing a Bible verse in silver next to the rainbow logo on his cap. On Friday, the baseball team held “Pride Night,” dedicating the game to a “celebration of Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community” that included “pregame festivities, in-game celebrations, and appearances.” The event featured same-sex couples renewing their marriage vows on the field in the presence of a drag queen, and the team celebrated the LGBTQ community through rainbow-colored hats, according to FOX.  A few players, however, took a stand — including Landen Roupp, who was raised in rural North Carolina and attended a private Christian school. Before heading to the mound, he inscribed the Bible passage from Genesis 9 on his cap. The verses describe God’s promise to Noah and all future generations that he would never again destroy the earth with a flood, with the rainbow serving as the sign of that covenant. “And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.'” Genesis 9:12-16 An article from The Athletic expressed outrage over their decision, saying the Bible verses “missed the point”  during a night that was “supposed to be dedicated to support and belonging.”  After the game, Roupp said his Biblical gesture reflected his moral convictions.  Why was it important to write that verse tonight? ROUPP: “The rainbow is a symbol of God’s covenant to us, and us as believers stand firm in that… There’s no hate at all.” What would say if somebody considered that derogatory toward them as a community? ROUPP: “As a… https://t.co/jaEs3ikn4U pic.twitter.com/yYOaJ0UvE7 — KNBR (@KNBR) June 13, 2026 “The rainbow is a symbol of God’s covenant with us, and we as believers stand firm in that … There’s no hate at all,” he told reporters. “It’s just what I stand for and what I stand in, I believe in God.” “What would you say if somebody considered that derogatory toward them as a community?” a reporter asked him. “As a believer, I would push them to read the Bible. God has blessed me in so many ways, and I don’t think I’d be here right now if it wasn’t for Him.”  Roupp was not alone. His pitch reliever, Sam Hentges, refused to wear the hat at all, for a very similar reason.  “I don’t morally support it,” he said.  A recent Gallup poll showed that Roupp and Hentges are not alone, revealing declining support for LGBTQ+ issues across the board.  The poll said same-sex marriage support dropped to 65%, which is down 6 points, and moral acceptance of gay/lesbian relations stood at 62% — the lowest since 2016.  The decline in support was driven largely by Republicans, with only 35% approving of same-sex marriage, the lowest level since 2011. The percentage of Americans who view gender transitions as morally acceptable also fell to 38%.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was hospitalized Sunday following an unknown medical incident, according to a spokesman. “Senator McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning. He is receiving excellent care,” David Popp, spokesperson for the senator, said in a statement, according to Politico.  The 84-year-old senator is a polio survivor and has, at times, had balance issues and sometimes needs to use rails to assist him in walking. In February 2025, the longtime Senate Majority Leader announced he would not seek reelection after a series of concerning medical setbacks.   In 2023, he was rushed to the hospital after he tripped and fell during dinner. A couple of months later, the Kentucky Republican went viral for all the wrong reasons, freezing up in a concerning medical episode while speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill.  Odd moment: McConnell freezes at start of Senate GOP leadership press conference and is escorted to the side by his colleagues pic.twitter.com/hT5bLnstOS — Raquel Martin (@RaquelMartinTV) July 26, 2023 “Good afternoon, everyone. We’re on a path to finishing the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) this week, there’s been good bipartisan cooperation and a string of …” McConnell said, before going silent for about 20 seconds before some of his colleagues intervened to check on him. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), who is a physician, grabbed onto McConnell’s arm and asked, “You okay, Mitch?” “Is there anything else you want to say or should we just go back to your office?” Barrasso asked. “Do you want to say anything else to the press?” Barrasso and McConnell then stepped away for a brief period of time before returning.  Sen. John Thune (R-SD) took over the press conference and addressed the media. An aide for McConnell at the time said that the senator “felt light-headed and stepped away for a moment. He came back to handle Q and A, which, as everyone observed, was sharp.” Back in 2019, McConnell also suffered a fractured shoulder after he tripped and fell at his home in Kentucky. With few details available about the cause of his hospitalization or his condition, colleagues on Capitol Hill offered their well-wishes. “Join me in lifting Senator McConnell in prayer for a swift recovery. Grateful to hear he is receiving excellent care from his medical team, and we look forward to seeing him in the Senate halls soon,” Senator Tim Scott said.

Fewer than 30% of Democrats say they are extremely or very proud to be an American ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary and trust colleges and universities over the U.S. military, according to a new poll.  An NBC News survey released Sunday morning shows that America’s deep political polarization is increasingly spilling over into national identity and expressions of national pride. Overall, about 56% say they are “extremely” or “very” proud to be American, while 29% report having little or no national pride at all. The divide deepens among party partisanship and age.  “This number is in decline,” polling guru Steve Kornacki said. About 90% of Republicans say they are proud to be American, compared with just 29% of Democrats who say the same. The gap also widens by age: roughly three-quarters of adults aged 65 and older report feeling proud of their country, while that figure drops sharply among younger Americans, with only 36% of those ages 18–34 saying the same. NBC News poll: How proud are you to be an American? Overall Extremely/very 56% Not very/none 21% Extremely/very by party: GOP 90% Dem 29% By age: 65+ 75% 18-34 36% — Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) June 14, 2026 A majority (58%) also says the nation’s best days are in the past, not the future, according to the poll. The results closely mirror another survey recently obtained by The Daily Wire, which points to a notable decline in expressions of patriotism. According to Cygnal, a political polling and analytics firm, just 58% of respondents said they are “extremely” or “very” proud to be American, including only 28% of voters under 30. Meanwhile, 30% of Democrats said they are “not at all” proud of the nation. “This youth pride collapse is broader than the midterm and worth flagging as a standalone trend; it cuts across the usual partisan framing and will outlast this cycle,” the poll’s analysis said.  In that survey, voters overall said Democrats are too focused on opposing Trump by a 6-point margin; however, this sentiment was significantly stronger among swing voters, where the margin widened to 23 points. “It’s striking that when you look at age and gender breaks, women under the age of 55 are the only group who think Democrats actually offer a more compelling alternative — every single other group thinks the left is just focused on Trump,” John Rogers, Cygnal senior partner and pollster, said in a statement to The Daily Wire.  Swing voters trust Republicans over Democrats on immigration by a 53% to 23% margin, on crime by 47% to 22%, and on government spending by 39% to 23%, while independents also lean Republican on all three issues, according to the pollster’s analysis. The data points offer a bright spot for Republicans facing national headwinds fueled by high gas prices and rising inflation, which voters rank as their top priorities, according to the Cygnal poll. 

A plane crashed in rural Missouri on Sunday morning, killing 11 skydivers and a pilot, according to police. Before 11:30 a.m., a private plane departing Butler Memorial Airport reportedly turned around for unknown reasons before crashing near Business 49 Highway, according to FOX4 Kansas City. Butler is about 65 miles south of Kansas City, Missouri. FOX4 reported that 11 of the 12 victims were skydivers. The other victim was the pilot of the plane. All people on board have died. “Troopers are on scene assisting the Butler Police Department & Bates County Sheriff’s Office of a Fatal Plane Crash near the Butler Memorial Airport. At this time reports indicate all occupants (12 total) have perished. Updates to follow,” The Missouri State Highway Police confirmed on social media. Video circulating on social media appears to show the aftermath of the crash.  It remains unclear what type of aircraft was involved or what caused the crash.