5 things to know for July 7: Boris Johnson, Parade shooting, Ukraine, Monkeypox, Debt

The gunman in Monday’s massacre at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, admitted he carried out the attack, killing seven and wounding dozens of others, prosecutors said in court Wednesday. Authorities said the shooter also “seriously contemplated” committing a second shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, where he drove to after fleeing the parade shooting. Officials revealed the gunman dressed in women’s clothing to conceal his identity and used makeup to cover his tattoos, investigators believe. Separately, a tip from a “hero citizen” thwarted a potential mass shooting planned for a July 4 celebration in Richmond, Virginia, police say. The tipster overheard a conversation that a mass shooting was set to occur at an amphitheater and called that information into police on July 1.

Russian forces are inching closer to the eastern Ukrainian territories and are likely to mount an offensive on the key city of Sloviansk, a regional military official said, urging civilians to evacuate. Thousands of people still in the eastern city of Severodonetsk will soon face “awful conditions” with no water, gas or power, according to a local military official. Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Western artillery his country has received has “started working very powerfully.” In his nightly address Wednesday, Zelensky confirmed his military was able to strike “depots and other spots that are important for the logistics of the occupiers,” and the efforts are “significantly reducing” the offensive potential of the Russian army.

As monkeypox cases continue to rise globally, the World Health Organization is considering again whether to declare the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. In late June, WHO’s Emergency Committee determined that the outbreak did not meet the criteria for such a declaration. But as the virus continues to spread, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wants the committee to take up the issue again, based on the latest data around the evolution of the outbreak. Across the world, there have been more than 6,000 cases recorded in 58 countries, Tedros said. Monkeypox is a viral disease similar to smallpox that most commonly spreads from person to person through direct contact with infectious body fluids.

Rising prices in the US have some cash-strapped shoppers reaching for alternative payment methods for everyday purchases such as gas station fill-ups or grocery runs. Increasingly, many people are turning to Buy Now, Pay Later installment plans, which have become popular among shoppers seeking to spread out the cost of big-ticket purchases. This trend has become a concern for economists and consumer advocates, who say the surge in the use of these services, coupled with a lack of transparency and little regulatory oversight, leaves them wondering just how much debt Americans are actually getting into. Experts say these transactions are common among young consumers — primarily Gen Z ers and Millennials — and are estimated to be at least $100 billion annually. The rise of these services comes just months after a key inflation index showed prices in the US hit a new 40-year high.

A woman screaming her head off over a chipmunk is cracking up the internet. Watch the funny moment here. 

This makes nine kids for the world’s richest man. 

Those on board saw a massive puncture in the side of the Airbus A380 as they exited the plane. Terrifying much?

Well, we’d be upset too… Check out these photos of the picky eaters refusing their new cheaper meal option. 

The Balenciaga catwalk in Paris was star-studded with a bunch of A-listers, including Nicole Kidman, Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid and Naomi Campbell.

That’s how long “Cheer” star Jeremiah “Jerry” Harris has been sentenced to serve in federal prison stemming from a child pornography case, according to Assistant US Attorney Joseph Fitzpatrick. Harris was one of several students whose stories were spotlighted in the popular Netflix reality series “Cheer,” which follows the cheer team from Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas. Harris, 22, pleaded guilty in February to one count each of receiving child pornography and engaging in sexual acts with a minor. 

— Mick Mulvaney, former chief of staff to ex-President Donald Trump, describing the late days of the Trump White House. In an interview with CNN, Mulvaney also shared his reaction to Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony before the January 6 committee, saying he was “really frightened” by the West Wing’s strategy at the time, or lack thereof.

This mesmerizing woodworking video will have your eyes glued to the screen for the next minute or so. Enjoy! (Click here to view)