Soccer suspension overturned and supreme leader’s funeral procession: Morning Rundown

U.S. star striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension is overturned — after Trump calls FIFA. The casket of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is carried through Tehran’s streets. And what doctors say after the federal government proposes looser restrictions on testosterone.

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Trump called FIFA before it reversed U.S. star Folarin Balogun’s suspension, source says

United States striker Folarin Balogun has been reinstated for the team’s round-of-16 match against Belgium today after earning a red card in the previous round, FIFA announced.

The card came after replay review showed him inadvertently stepping on the leg of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemović during the Americans’ 2-0 win.

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According to a source familiar with the matter, President Donald Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Wednesday and asked him to review Balogun’s suspension. FIFA has not said whether the call played any role in the decision.

Trump thanked soccer’s governing body for “doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice.”

Belgium’s soccer federation blasted the ruling, saying it was “astonished” by the decision and arguing that it contradicts both FIFA’s disciplinary code and the tournament’s competition regulations, which state that a red card “automatically results in a suspension for the team’s next match.”

💥 What you missed: In the wildest match of the tournament thus far, England handed Mexico its first-ever World Cup loss at Azteca Stadium, advancing to the next round despite losing makeshift right-back Jarell Quansah to a red card early in the second half. Plus, Brazilian fans and players were left distraught and searching for answers after an elimination by Norway, whose striker Erling Haaland solidified his superstar status with another brace.

🗓 What to watch today: Portugal faces Spain in the Iberian Clásico at 3 p.m. ET before the U.S. takes on Belgium at 8 p.m. See the full schedule.

📩 Join the excitement: Sign up for The Sports Desk newsletter for more in-depth World Cup coverage.

Iranian mourners demand vengeance on Trump

Iran began a procession through Tehran today for the funeral of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His flag-draped coffin, and those of his family killed in the start of the war, were driven through massive crowds as part of the third day of public mourning.

Mourners have called for revenge against the U.S. and Israel during the funeral, a message seen along the procession route, where there was an effigy of Trump being hanged.

Yesterday, tens of thousands of men and women gathered at the Grand Mosalla, a vast mosque and prayer complex in Tehran. Three of Khamenei’s sons were seen crying in the front row, though current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was not in attendance.

Authorities have shut down daily life for the ceremonies, which continue tomorrow with events in Qom, the seat of Iranian religious scholarship.

Follow the latest as Iran mourns its supreme leader for a third day.

For subscribers: NBC News’ Richard Engel is in Tehran reporting on all the details.

Is testosterone therapy a fix for men’s chronic health problems?

The Department of Health and Human Services recently proposed loosening restrictions for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), based on growing evidence that the male steroid hormone doesn’t raise risk of heart disease or localized prostate cancer.

The proposal is the next step in the Trump administration’s efforts to encourage testosterone as a fix for men’s chronic health problems. In December, an FDA panel endorsed TRT for men with low levels and related symptoms.

Currently, the steroid hormone is recommended only for certain medical conditions, “not simply because testosterone declines with age,” said Dr. Helen L. Bernie, director of male sexual and reproductive medicine and associate professor of urology at Indiana University. Even with the new FDA proposal, not every older man would be a candidate for it.

Guests reveal details from inside Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding

Guests are opening up about the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding, a star-studded event that long remained hidden behind a veil of mystery.

Two people who were in attendance exclusively shared with NBC News details about the night at Madison Square Garden — what they described as a “pinch me moment.”

According to the individuals, guests first entered the venue and walked through a tunnel that featured photos of Swift and Kelce throughout the years, from childhood through their relationship together. The couple wrote their own vows, the guests said, adding that the football player was “more emotional” during the ceremony.

The reception featured performances from Paul McCartney and Stevie Nicks, and a raffle for a car, the two people said.

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Staff Pick: Another crash and more grief as questions swirl around Tesla’s self-driving tech

When a Tesla Model 3 allegedly barreled through a Texas home at 73 mph, killing an elderly woman last month, I asked myself how something like that could happen — especially in a residential area.

But a quick Google search led me to a number of former crashes, all similar in nature to this one, some fatal, some not. In light of this most recent fatal crash, I wanted to know how families of those victims were faring, and what they think about Tesla’s technological advancements in an era of increasingly autonomous tech.

What I found was lasting heartbreak and frustration with Tesla’s technology, and calls for the company to amend its systems to be safer. In Washington, at least two senators have been calling on Tesla CEO Elon Musk to be more transparent about the company’s driver assistance technology.

Ultimately, after speaking with experts and lawyers, reporting this story led me to understand that while Tesla is making major advancements in the field, the company’s marketing tactics can mislead consumers about what its cars can actually do .

— Rebecca Cohen , breaking news reporter

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