The White House has never seen anything like the UFC show President Donald Trump is hosting to celebrate his 80th birthday and the nation’s 250th anniversary. UFC Freedom 250 is bringing seven fights within an eight-sided, wire-mesh cage to the White House South Lawn on Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern. The event is taking place against the backdrop of the United States’ unpopular and costly war against Iran. An agreement to end the conflict could be close, but the crucial details are still to be negotiated.

Mother Nature wrecked havoc on Travis Kelce’s scheduled first pitch before Sunday’s game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians. The final game of the weekend series was postponed because of the threat of inclement weather, 40 minutes before the scheduled first pitch. The game will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on Sept. 4. Kelce was scheduled to throw out the first pitch after it was announced on May 27 that he had purchased a minority stake in the Guardians. The Cleveland native — a three-time Super Bowl champion, four-time All-Pro and fiancé of music superstar Taylor Swift — bought a small share of David Blitzer’s 35% stake.

Residents in tornado-ravaged areas in Illinois and Indiana are grappling with damage to their homes and neighborhoods after a strong line of storms barreled through communities south of Chicago. Cleanup efforts were underway Friday and officials were assessing the damage. Dozens of buildings were damaged and scores of trees and power lines were downed. Several hundred thousand customers are without power and dozens of flights at Chicago airports have been canceled or delayed. There were no reports of any deaths from Thursday's storms, although several people were treated for minor injuries. Tornado damage was reported in Merrillville and Hebron, Indiana, as well as in Streator, Illinois.

At least three tornadoes have battered communities outside Chicago, leveling homes and ripping down trees and power poles. Storms have also grounded flights and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands across the Midwest and Northeast on Thursday. The large column of air swept through Merrillville, Indiana, a town about 33 miles southeast of Chicago. Meanwhile, the nearby manufacturing and farm city of Streator, Illinois, has set up a family reunification center for displaced residents in its city hall as officials took stock of the major damage. The National Weather Service says tornado warnings were also in place in Chicago and in parts of Indiana and Michigan.

U.S. meteorologists say an El Nino has formed. That's the natural warming of parts of the Pacific that changes weather around the globe. It is likely to a major factor in extreme and deadly weather across the planet for the next year or so. The one announced Thursday is expected to rival the record and costly 1997-1998 El Nino. It is usually strongest in the wintertime, and it makes it incredibly likely that 2027 will set a record for the hottest year globally. The United Nations secretary-general says El Niño conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world.