All Activity

"Like cows looking at a new gate". LOL! I realize we don't see eye to eye on many things, but I do definitely enjoy your choice of words in some cases!

June 14, 2026 Good morning. The New York Knicks are N.B.A. champions for the first time in 53 years, after defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 94-90, in yet another come-from-behind win. Jalen Brunson, who scored 45 points last night, was named finals M.V.P. The series energized New York in a way few other events have, with celebrations in the streets after every victory. (See photos from last night’s party.) And it resonated far beyond the city, with higher TV ratings than any other N.B.A. finals this century. The games also attracted more than $700 million in bets on the prediction sites Kalshi and Polymarket. At the start of the series, the Spurs were the favorites. Bettors on those sites put San Antonio’s championship odds at over 60 percent. The Knicks proved them wrong. Betting is fundamentally about risk: You might win, or you might lose. But what if you could game the odds so that you’d always come out on top? A watch party outside Madison Square Garden last night. Dave Sanders for The New York Times Net gain By Evan Gorelick I’m a lifelong Knicks fan (but have never gambled on them). For the first game of the N.B.A. finals, my friends and I went to a bar offering a deal that seemed too good to be true: If the Knicks won, the bar would cover every customer’s tab, up to $100. As tipoff approached, young people variously clad in starched button-downs and Brunson jerseys galloped from nearby Midtown offices for a chance at free booze. The line snaked around the block, and the bouncer made a show of blocking the front entrance. People screeched at one another. My buddy, already inside, shooed me in through a side door. (I heard someone whine, “Why does he get to go in?”) Three hours later, when the Knicks overcame a 14-point deficit to take down the Spurs, strangers in the crowd were hugging and high-fiving. Outside, a passing garbage truck honked its horn in celebration. The entire city seemed to be shouting with joy. And at the Jeffrey, which bills itself as a neighborhood spot for “craft beer, cocktails and bites,” 726 beers, 385 cocktails and 175 smash burgers were on the house. Over the hedge When someone hands you a freebie, by all means: Take it. But you and I both know there ain’t no such thing as a truly free lunch. So while downing drinks, I kept asking myself whose money I was taking. Turns out, it belonged to Kalshi users who’d bet on San Antonio — in other words, deadbeats and turncoats who had it coming. (Kidding! Kind of.) Before the game, the bar’s owner, a 50-year-old corporate lawyer, had used the prediction market to bet $5,000 on the Knicks. Since the Spurs were the favorites, that position netted him around $8,000 when New York prevailed — enough to cover nearly everything the crowd had consumed. If the Knicks had lost, the bar would’ve been out the $5,000, but it could have covered its losses with all those drinks and smashburgers. (Plus the free publicity — you’re welcome.) The New York Times As I nursed my first beer, overhearing a guy behind me flirt with two women who work in finance, I flirted with my own idea for a hedge: What if I placed a small bet — $25, say — on the Spurs, so I, like the bar’s owner, could make winning a sure thing? Let me walk you through it. If the Knicks won, I’d be out my $25 bet. But the bar would cover my tab. For $50 worth of food and drinks, I’d be balling out at half price. If the Spurs won, my $25 hedge would turn into about $40. So I’d have to pay my own tab, but I’d be getting a discount — $50 of food and drinks for just $35. I told my friends about my brilliant plan, and they were mortified. It promised a financial coup, sure, but it was also a betrayal: Didn’t I believe in the Knicks? I closed Kalshi and ordered another round. Risk-free throw If you’re willing to take both sides of the same bet (and, let’s be honest, are not a true fan) then there’s a world of sure things waiting for you on prediction sites like Kalshi and Polymarket. And there’s a world of bettors profiting from them. I’ve spent the last few weeks digging into this phenomenon with Katherine Chui, a graphics reporter. This weekend, we published a new story about a popular betting strategy, called arbitrage, that takes it to the extreme. Folks in finance have used it for decades to game all manner of markets — stocks, derivatives, crypto. When President Trump’s tariff threats sent U.S. gold prices soaring last year, some traders made money by buying gold cheaply in London and selling it for a higher price in New York. Now savvy bettors use the same underlying strategy to make a killing on prediction sites. Ryan Noel makes a sport out of math. KC McGinnis for The New York Times Take Ryan Noel. He worked as an actuary after college but quit last year to arbitrage-bet (or “arb,” as he calls it) full time. He has made more than $1 million since late 2023, almost entirely on live sporting events. “I don’t care about sports at all,” said Noel, 25. “I think watching sports is the most boring thing you can do with your time. I’m a mathematician.” The math is pretty basic. It involves finding two sites with different odds for the same bet. Then you buy one position on one site, and the opposite position on the other site. Because of the disparity, you’ll turn a profit when the bets resolve — regardless of the game’s outcome. When done correctly, and fast enough, there’s almost no way to lose; it’s that elusive free lunch. But more and more Wall Street institutions are pouncing on the opportunity, deploying armies of bots to arb for them in fractions of a second. That speed and volume makes the disparities on prediction sites disappear almost instantly, which in turn makes it harder for human bettors like Noel. Read our story on prediction-market arbitrage here. We made diagrams to show how it works. More on the Knicks “So this is how it feels,” Matt Flegenheimer wrote of New Yorkers’ rapture last night. “It is giggling, weeping, spinning, convulsing, mosh-pitting, truck-honking, law-skirting, trumpet-playing, cowbell-ringing, off-key-singing, cigar-lighting, all-night-ing.” Read his whole story. The Athletic’s Ian O’Connor wrote on why these Knicks are the greatest team in New York sports history. A celebration parade is set for Thursday. ALL-AMERICAN BRAWL The U.F.C. ring outside the White House. Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times It’s Trump’s 80th birthday — and America’s 250th — and he’s celebrating the milestones with an Ultimate Fighting Championship cage match in his backyard. A towering, 600-ton steel claw has been built on the White House’s South Lawn, along with seating for 4,300 people, swiveling lights and video screens. Seven pairs of U.F.C. fighters will face off in the octagon at the center tonight, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern. Off in the corner, members of the U.S. Marine Band have set up amplifiers and drum sets. “We’re expecting Super Bowl-type numbers for this fight,” said Dana White, the chief executive of U.F.C., which expects to spend some $60 million on the event. Will that many people really tune in? We’ll have to wait and see. According to a new poll by Reuters and Ipsos, just 16 percent of Americans said it was “appropriate” for Trump to hold the fights at the White House. “It seems a provocative, P.T. Barnum-esque gambit for the president to be pulling at a time of high gas prices, low poll numbers and open war,” Shawn McCreesh writes. THE LATEST NEWS Around the World Tehran last week. Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times Iran: Trump said a peace deal would be signed today. But Iran’s Foreign Ministry cautioned that it could take longer than that. Ukraine: Russia’s ballistic-missile attacks have grown more fierce in recent weeks because Ukraine does not have enough Patriot missile interceptors to defend itself. Venezuela: A joint strike by U.S. and Venezuelan forces killed a leader of the Tren de Aragua transnational gang, officials in both countries said. Economy In poll after poll, working-class white voters without a college degree — the core of Trump’s base — say they disapprove of his handling of the economy. Wealth is exploding for the few at the very top, while workers’ wages continue to slip. It’s no wonder Americans are so unhappy with the economy, writes Ben Casselman, our chief economics correspondent. Trump Administration The Trump administration ordered Anthropic to block foreign access to its newest artificial intelligence models, citing national security concerns. Trump plans to nominate a member of his personal legal team, James McDonald, to serve as the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan. FROM OPINION Anna Malina Popular culture assumes that middle-aged women are invisible in their lives. Mireille Silcoff asks: Why? Trump turns 80 today. Six notable older Americans, including Bob Dylan and Liza Minnelli, shared words of wisdom and advice. Human made. Human played. 75% off. Subscribe to New York Times Games for 75% off your first year. Our best offer is only available for a limited time. Relax and recharge with our full portfolio of games, including Wordle, Spelling Bee, Connections, the Crossword and more — all mindfully made by humans. MORNING READS “Skylanding,” an installation by Yoko Ono in Chicago. Akilah Townsend for The New York Times Beyond the ‘Obamalisk’: Here’s what to do on Chicago’s South Side. Stage 4 cancer: It’s not the immediate death sentence it once was. Even if there’s no cure, some patients now can live for years. Polarizing force: Not long ago, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee was untouchable. Then Democrats turned on it. BOOK OF THE WEEK By Elisabeth Egan “Land” by Maggie O’Farrell: Set in Ireland in the 1860s, O’Farrell’s elegiac new novel places readers in the aftermath of the Great Hunger, which killed over a million people and forced even more into exile. Our guides are Tomás, an Irish cartographer working for the British, and his young son, Liam, who are mapping a remote peninsula on the country’s west coast when Tomás has a revelatory experience that inspires him to chart a new path. “Like much of the Irish-British author’s previous work,” our reviewer wrote, “including her most famous, the 2020 book ‘Hamnet’ — adapted into a 2025 film by Chloé Zhao — ‘Land’ is a historical novel imbued with O’Farrell’s signature interest in absorbing family relationships.” (Read the full review here.) Want more books? Here are five new ones we love. THE INTERVIEW Devin Oktar Yalkin for The New York Times By Lulu Garcia-Navarro This week’s subject for The Interview is Seth Rogen, who stars in the upcoming film “The Invite” and is working on Season 2 of “The Studio,” a show he writes, directs and stars in. We talked about those projects, this strange moment in Hollywood and the ways his movies serve as a model for male friendship. Why do you think that version of male friendship translated so well onscreen? Me and Evan marvel that “Superbad” is a thing kids still really watch. Part of it is because it’s about exploring being vulnerable with your friends, and that’s a coming-of-age thing in its own right. I remember when I was moving to L.A., I did a bunch of shrooms with my friends. I was 16 years old and we were at my friend’s house, and the sun was coming up and I was laying on the couch, and my friend Fogell, who McLovin [the character in “Superbad”] is based on, was laying on the couch beside me. And I remember just being like: “I’m so terrified to move to Los Angeles to do this show and I’m not going to see you guys anymore. I don’t know anybody out there.” And he was like: “Yeah, man, high school ends next year for us too. I don’t know where any of us are going to college, if we’re going to be friends anymore.” It felt like a big moment, the first time any of us had really acknowledged to one another how much we cared about one another and how afraid we would be without one another. However we were able to bottle that feeling and put it into the movie seems to resonate. Read more of the interview here. Or watch a longer version on YouTube. THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE Illustration by Mario Hugo Read this week’s magazine. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Put your phone away 30 minutes before bed. It’ll help you sleep better. Carry your things in a stylish, durable tote bag. Life’s too short for a mediocre one. Churn homemade ice cream with a great ice cream maker. Feed your baby formula that combines value with evidence-backed benefits. MEAL PLAN Ghazalle Badiozamani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot. The word “perfect” turns up a lot in the comments on this recipe for quick harissa apricot chicken from Zaynab Issa. If you’re feeding someone who doesn’t eat spicy food, try serving the dish with yogurt, which helps soothe the heat. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was talkative. Can you put eight historical events — including the first vending machine, the writing of “Fahrenheit 451” and the founding of the Knicks — in chronological order? Take this week’s Flashback quiz. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Crossplay, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 14 1777 Congress adopts the Stars and Stripes During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress adopts a resolution stating that “the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white” and that “the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.” The national flag became known as the “Stars and Stripes.” read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1846 California’s Bear Flag Revolt begins 1960s 1951 UNIVAC, the first commercially produced digital computer in the U.S, is dedicated American Revolution 1775 U.S. Army founded Arts & Entertainment 1811 Writer and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe is born Black History 1877 First African American graduate of West Point Cold War 1946 The United States presents the Baruch Plan Crime 1985 TWA flight 847 is hijacked by terrorists 2017 Gunman shoots four people, including GOP congressman, at baseball practice 2015 Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s mother, Dee Dee, found stabbed to death European History 2017 Grenfell Tower fire kills 72 in London Exploration 1789 Bounty mutiny survivors reach Timor Latin American & Caribbean History 1982 Falklands War ends Vietnam War 1968 Dr. Spock convicted for aiding draft resisters World War I 1917 U.S. President Woodrow Wilson gives Flag Day address World War II 1940 Germany invades Paris

The World Cup, explained The FIFA World Cup is the world's most prestigious international soccer tournament. The global phenomenon has both men's and women's competitions, each held every four years on staggered schedules. This year's men's competition began June 11 and runs until July 19, when the final will be held in East Rutherford, New Jersey. To qualify, the 211 members of FIFA must be a top team within one of six continental confederations. The number of spots each confederation sends depends on its size, and qualifying can take 12 months or more. Early World Cups had a minimal economic impact on host cities and were fairly low-cost. When Mexico spent millions in 1970 to build multiple stadiums and upgrade telecom and infrastructure, it marked a turning point in FIFA's commercialization. The first global color broadcast in 1982 increased tourism for the host cities and became a selling point to future hosts. The final in 2022 reached 1.5 billion viewers worldwide. ... Read what else we learned about the World Cup here. Also, check out ... > Leagues like the Premier League differ from the World Cup. (More) > The World Cup trophy was stolen in 1966—and eventually found by a dog. (More) > Ten controversial World Cup moments. (More) > Brandi Chastain's penalty kick in the 1999 Women's World Cup sparked an American women's soccer boom. (More)

The Comeback Knicks are the Champion Knicks. Brunson scores 45, and New York tops Spurs for title SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Jalen Brunson and the Comeback Knicks did it again. And now they’re the Champion Knicks. https://apnews.com/article/nba-finals-game-5-spurs-knicks-372c259a94837166818ca7386e678852? ps:Congrats to the NY Knicks as they've won the NBA Championship for the 2025/26 Season!!!!!

The Moon base is coming Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Would you live and work on the Moon? A very select few of us could, in just six years. NASA is pursuing a Moon base near the lunar south pole, describing it as "one of the most ambitious engineering and exploration efforts in human history," Axios' Colin Demarest reports. Go deeper.

🇺🇸 America's multiracial future Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Universal History Archive via Getty Images The next great civil rights battle may be whether America's old racial categories can keep up with its future, Axios' Russell Contreras writes. Why it matters: The U.S. is heading toward a more Latino, Asian, Black immigrant and multiracial future. The rules for counting race will help decide who gets political power, civil rights protections and public resources. Two massive generational shifts will redefine the nation: Multiracial dominance: Multiracial Americans are on track to likely dominate the population over the next two centuries. Trade with Latin America could blur lines of migration and citizenship. 🗳️ State of play: For decades, federal racial categories have been the foundation for enforcing anti-discrimination laws, drawing political districts and measuring inequality. If identity becomes completely fluid, or if old boxes break down, the very legal tools used to protect marginalized communities could weaken. The bottom line: The question isn't whether America will diversify. It's whether a civil rights enforcement system built on 20th-century boxes can govern a 22nd-century nation.

🎙️ Media's big battle Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images The outcome of ABC's legal battle with the FCC could set a landmark precedent on press freedom and the role businesses play in supporting American democracy, Axios' Sara Fischer writes. 📺 Why it matters: The FCC's efforts, targeting broadcasters deemed critical of the president, speak to a broader trend of regulatory agencies losing or conceding power to the executive branch during the Trump era. FCC chair Brendan Carr has suggested his agency isn't independent — contrary to longstanding tradition — and that commissioners who are supposed to regulate broadcasters independently are ultimately governed by the president. 🎙️ State of play: Carr is targeting late-night and daytime talk shows, like ABC's "The View," arguing they shouldn't be exempt from rules that require "bona fide news interview programs" to allot equal air time for competing political candidates. 💬 In a notable departure from its previous effort to acquiesce to political pressure from the president, ABC has lambasted Carr, arguing his actions threaten to "upend decades of settled law and practice and chill critical protected speech."

💉 Vaccine reckoning Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images A pivotal series of decisions in the next few months will determine the shape of U.S. vaccine policy for years to come, Axios' Adriel Bettelheim reports. Why it matters: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came into office promising to restore public trust in vaccines and to scrutinize the medical and pharmaceutical establishment. But his boldest moves have drawn political blowback, along with charges that he's spreading misinformation and debunked theories. 💉 State of play: Kennedy shook up precedent and touched off a legal firestorm with moves like limiting eligibility for COVID shots and narrowing the schedule of recommended immunizations for children. Some of his most sweeping efforts have been temporarily frozen by courts. And the actions of a handpicked group of advisers have been stalled. But it's possible that Kennedy will try again by appointing a new panel of advisers. A decision is expected by the end of the year in a high-profile case, brought by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other groups, to overturn Kennedy's childhood vaccine recommendations. 🔎 Trump's continued interest in long-discredited links between vaccines and autism remains a wild card in any federal policymaking. ps:Pathetic, truly pathetic!!!!!

🔌 Power play Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images The AI-driven power boom is forcing a once-in-a-generation decision about how America's electricity system should grow, Axios' Amy Harder writes. For decades, utilities planned around predictable increases in demand. AI is changing that. ⚡️ State of play: Data centers now seek amounts of electricity that used to be associated with entire cities — raising questions about who pays for new infrastructure, who gets access to scarce power and how quickly projects can connect to the grid. 🗣️ Driving the news: Debates are unfolding at the nation's largest grid operator, PJM, and at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Some proposals would allow data centers to connect directly to power plants or generate their own power onsite, at least initially operating outside the broader electricity grid. 👀 What we're watching: At least one key decision by the federal agency is expected as soon as this month. The outcome of that decision and others will influence electricity prices, reliability and the pace of AI development.

🤖 AI unleashed Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Congress has a long history of failing to regulate technology. AI is on track to be no different, Axios' Maria Curi writes. ⚡️ Why it matters: If the U.S. doesn't write the rules on AI, authoritarian regimes and adversaries may do it. Getting it wrong could mean an electorate deprived of reliable information and minors exposed to online abuse. A patchwork of state regulations could create confusion and waste. Some of this has already started to happen. 🤖 State of play: President Trump kicked off his second term by ripping up his predecessor's attempt to regulate AI, declaring that his administration would prioritize innovation over safety. U.S. companies have continued releasing increasingly powerful models amid fierce competition. 🚨 Those models, armed with never-before-seen capabilities to exploit cyber vulnerabilities, spooked the public and Washington. Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order aimed at shoring up the country's cyber defenses. 🌏 Inside the debate: Policymakers on both sides of the aisle often frame AI leadership as a matter of national security, arguing that overly restrictive regulation could result in China winning the global AI race. Critics contend that inadequate guardrails on ever more powerful models could, themselves, be a national security hazard.

The world's currency Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Planet Earth has roughly 180 currencies. But for a vast share of global transactions, people want to use just one: the United States dollar, Axios' Neil Irwin writes. 🌏 Why it matters: This is a unique source of global power and responsibility. America's role in the world over the next 250 years will be determined by its ability to maintain, and wisely steward, this role at the center of the global economy. ⚠️ Yes, but: Other nations are increasingly chafing at the power the U.S. wields thanks to the dollar — and they're seeking alternatives. 💵 How it works: The dominance of the dollar in international trade and finance gives the U.S. the ability to exert its will far from our shores, without firing a gun. This power is evident when the U.S. fines European banks for doing business with Iran or cuts off Russian oil companies from the mainstream financial system. It has also fueled global demand for Treasury debt that allows the U.S. to borrow vast sums, especially in crises. 🧠 This primacy is based on policy choices and structures built over decades — in some cases, centuries. 👀 What we're watching: Some of the underpinnings of U.S. dollar dominance are coming under question. Sky-high U.S. fiscal deficits mean the world is being inundated with Treasury debt. The political independence of the Fed is in question. And many in the Trump administration see the costs of maintaining dollar dominance as a burden for Americans. Perhaps most importantly, the U.S. has used the threat of cutting off access to the dollar-based global financial system as an increasingly all-purpose weapon for economic warfare. That means major U.S. rivals (China, Russia) and frenemies (India, Brazil) are eager for dollar alternatives. ✅ Reality check: So far, other leading powers seem to lack the willingness or ability to build alternatives. More broadly, network effects are powerful things. Everybody uses dollars because everybody else uses dollars. 💰 The bottom line: The role of the U.S. dollar in the world is secure for now, much as America's rivals might not like the status quo. But global angst is simmering, and as the Dutch and British learned long ago, no dominant currency is forever. Read more.

Trump and Pakistan say Iran deal could be signed Sunday but Tehran signals more time is needed ISLAMABAD (AP) — Key mediator Pakistan on Saturday said a deal to end the Iran war was closer than ever and U.S. President Donald Trump asserted it would be “signed tomorrow,” while Iran made some of its most optimistic statements yet but indicated a bit more time was needed. https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-leader-funeral-khamenei-war-deal-1f4bfb01f91029f92787cbc2ec7ad81e? Deal is reached to end Iran war and Trump orders stop to US naval blockade ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United States and Iran have reached an initial agreement to end their war and open the Strait of Hormuz, offering relief to the Gulf region and global economy more than three months since fighting began. https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-war-ceasefire-deal-e0a9e4e1152ea8da10ea066ad174a23a?

🗳️ ICE obtains local voter files Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch. Stock: Getty Images ICE investigators are going straight to local election officials for individual voter files and have obtained them in two counties, per emails shared exclusively with Axios' Brittany Gibson. Why it matters: President Trump's decadeslong push to root out alleged noncitizen voting has evolved into a multiagency effort reaching into state and local voter systems. 🔎 Documented cases of noncitizen voting are rare. The conservative Heritage Foundation tracks convictions and court records of voter fraud. It shows 100 documented cases of noncitizen voting between 1982 and 2025. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative unit within ICE, asked county election officials in Texas for specific voter files last month, according to emails obtained from records requests made by Democracy Forward and shared with Axios. Another HSI agent asked for registration information for two voters in Forsyth County, N.C., last November. In both cases, the voter files were shared with HSI, emails show. Read on.

✏️ White student population shrinks Data: U.S. Census Bureau. Chart: Russell Contreras/Axios White students now make up less than half of Americans enrolled in school from nursery through graduate programs, Axios' Russell Contreras writes from new Census Bureau data. White (non-Latino, non-multiracial) student enrollment fell from 46.7 million in 2000 to 36.6 million in 2024. Latino enrollment rose from 10.2 million to 18.4 million over the same period. 🎒 Zoom in: The demographic shift is most visible in early childhood and K-12 education. White children are around 47% of the students at nurseries and kindergartens, and 48% at elementary and high schools. Higher education is the only remaining group in which white students remain a majority (51.1%).

U.S. blocks top Anthropic models When you use Claude this morning, it tells you: "Claude Fable 5 is currently unavailable." Here's the backstory, as scooped last night by Axios' Alex Isenstadt and Maria Curi: The Trump administration is blocking foreign governments, companies and individuals from accessing Anthropic's most advanced AI models. The company promptly took the model down for everyone, just two days after releasing it with great fanfare. Why it matters: The move marks an escalation in Washington's effort to treat cutting-edge AI systems as national security assets. Anthropic is on a Pentagon blacklist deeming it too dangerous for the government's own use, and in a Commerce Department licensing regime calling it too dangerous for foreign use. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sent a letter to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei yesterday saying that the Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models would be subject to export controls to any location outside of the U.S. and to all foreign persons within the country. An administration official told Axios the Commerce Department decided to take the action after another company claimed it was able to jailbreak Mythos, alarming the administration about possible national security risks. ⏸️ The administration tried to get Anthropic to pause releasing the latest models but was unsuccessful, the official said, prompting the export control letter. The model needs to remain locked down until the U.S. government's national security apparatus is hardened, the official said, adding that could happen in the next few weeks. Keep reading.

Why Trump’s 80th Birthday Bash Is So Fully Corrupt David Rothkopf examines the ethics of Trump turning the White House into the setting for the massive spectacle. The UFC event at the White House on Donald Trump’s birthday is “as corrupt a MAGA event as there could possibly be,” a top political commentator alleges. David Rothkopf tells The Daily Beast Podcast that the president’s 80th birthday occasion, which coincides with Flag Day, should be viewed as a state-sponsored promotion of the mixed martial arts organization, with Paramount also benefiting. “The last time [Trump] thought that he had a peace deal with Iran, he went to a UFC event in Miami with Marco Rubio. And here we are again, another peace deal brewing,” Rothkopf, the Daily Beast’s chief global affairs correspondent, told co-host Joanna Coles. “But this thing is different, because it’s incredibly corrupt.” Rothkopf noted how much the government has paid to put on the event: $60 million. That’s according to court documents filed in response to a lawsuit challenging the legality of the event, claiming the National Park Service unlawfully approved it and that federal landmarks like the White House cannot be used for private, for-profit spectacles. “There’s a big advertisement right in the middle of it for Monster Energy, an energy drink,” Rothkopf continued. “If there was ever a White House that has monster energy, it’s this White House.” Other ads in and on the octagon include Bud Light and Polymarket. Trump, Rothkopf continued, is “giving big benefits to sponsors and donors and others, and somebody is making money on this. This is for profit. The UFC, which is run by his friend, Dana White, the UFC is controlling the PR for this, not the White House Press Office." The event comes a few days after the Trump administration, and the UFC signed a memorandum of agreement that the State Department would use the company for diplomatic purposes. Paramount’s role should also be questioned, Rothkopf said. “Paramount, the broadcasting company owned by the Ellisons—who are his buddies—are controlling the TV rights to this,“ Rothkopf said, referring to tech billionaire Larry and his son, David. “This is as corrupt a MAGA event as there could possibly be. And it’s also gross.“ “What Trump is giving the United States for its 250th birthday is humiliation, because this is humiliating,” Rothkopf said. If any other country did what Trump is doing, it would spur immediate ridicule, he added. Reached for comment, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told the Daily Beast, “David Rothkopf is a far-left loser who clearly suffers from a severe and debilitating disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted his peanut-sized brain.” In addition to being the subject of an ethics lawsuit, the UFC event is accused of violating the U.S. flag code, since Octagon Girls will be wearing flags as part of their outfits. The flag code states that the stars and stripes “should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding or drapery,” and that the flag should never “be used as a costume or athletic uniform.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-donald-trumps-80th-birthday-bash-is-so-fully-corrupt-david-rothkopf/?

June 13, 2026 Good morning. We like it when projects are completed, but what if we could abide comfortably in the toiling and striving it takes to get them there? María Jesús Contreras Unfinished business By Melissa Kirsch When the architect Antoni Gaudí died at the age of 73 on June 10, 1926, the Sagrada Familia, the soaring basilica in Barcelona that he worked on for more than 40 years, was only fractionally complete. Construction has been continual and contentious over the intervening 100 years, but in February, work on the central tower was completed, making it the tallest church in the world. This week, on the anniversary of Gaudí’s death, Pope Leo held a Mass in the nave to bless the spire. But still, La Sagrada Familia is not complete, and construction will continue for years to come. This is as Gaudí expected; he did not intend for it to be finished in his lifetime. “My client is in no hurry,” he is reputed to have said. He expected that future generations would work on his masterpiece, as had been the case with the great European cathedrals. This kind of patience is essential when one is building cathedrals, but leaving things unfinished doesn’t jibe with our productivity-fixated culture. We’re our own clients, and we’re in spectacular hurries to get things done, to optimize and perfect and polish off so we can move on to the next. We like our projects shipped, our Apple Watch rings closed, our past relationships resolved. I wrote recently about putting together a summer reading list to ensure 10 books completed by Labor Day. It wouldn’t feel satisfying to suggest we might spend the summer grazing on books and never finish them. I feel antsy when the app icon shows I have an unread email. The poet John Keats coined the term “negative capability” to describe “when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.” Negative capability isn’t comfortable. It’s a liminal place, a zone of questions and ongoing work rather than a clean arrival at knowing. I feel a gnawing in my stomach when I consider dwelling here too long. For the person who likes to check things off a list, it seems at first like the existential equivalent of a sink of dirty dishes. But a capability to sit with uncertainty doesn’t mean you’re not still working. Indeed, Keats saw negative capability as the hallmark of “a Man of Achievement.” You’re in the middle of doing the dishes, not leaving them to grow mold. I told someone recently that I needed some worry resolved in order to be OK, and that until it was, I might experience moments of happiness, but I wouldn’t truly rest. I realized immediately how silly this sounded. I’d put living on hold until I’d solved this problem. But the time during which the problem is unresolved is life, too. We do this all the time: suspend living until some future moment when work is done, closure is achieved, some desired state is attained. We perceive “uncertainties, mysteries, doubts” as things we must endure, rather than someplace we can abide. My friend Daniel, frustrated with the way he and everyone he knows turn to their phones when they forget the name of a movie or book, created a rule: When you’re in a group of people, if it’s not essential to the progression of the conversation, don’t look it up. It’s uncomfortable to sit with the name of that actor on the tip of your tongue, but you’ll get it eventually. Let your memory do its thing. That “irritable reaching” is often for our devices, the source of all answers and all distraction. I’m not suggesting you leave your to-do list unfinished for your children’s children to complete. But it’s worth looking at all the ways we postpone being OK in pursuit of completion. There’s virtue in being done with things, but we spend a far greater amount of our lives in the making and toiling and striving it takes to get there. We might try to get more comfortable with the process. THE LATEST NEWS Business Karsten Moran for The New York Times SpaceX shares rose nearly 20 percent during the company’s first day on the stock market. That made Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire. The Justice Department cleared the way for Paramount’s $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. The deal would consolidate not just the studios, but also two major news networks, CNN and CBS News. War in the Middle East Officials in Washington and Tehran say they’re close to reaching a deal to end the war in Iran. President Trump indicated that a signing ceremony could happen as soon as this weekend. Officials said the U.S. and Iran had agreed to a preliminary deal that would end the fighting, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the U.S. naval blockade. Kennedy Center Pete Kiehart for The New York Times Workers began taking down President Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center’s facade after a judge’s order. The Washington National Opera, which recently severed its longstanding relationship with the Kennedy Center, filed a lawsuit demanding more than $17 million from the center. More Politics A federal judge indefinitely banned the creation of the president’s $1.8 billion payout fund, citing mixed messages from the administration about the fund’s future. The Trump administration said it would comply with a court order to restart processing asylum and other immigration applications. Other Big Stories A Times investigation found that sexual assault and harassment were often ignored in the United Farm Workers union under the leadership of Cesar Chavez. Gene Shalit, the film critic known for his handlebar mustache and penchant for puns, died at 100. HISTORY, REWRITTEN The New York Times President Trump has adorned a well-trafficked walkway at the White House with 47 gold-lettered plaques summarizing each of the U.S. presidencies. They are peppered with falsehoods, insults, self-promotion and erratic capitalization. The Times photographed each plaque and asked eight historians to explain what the White House got right or wrong. You can read the entire project, with the historian’s annotations, here. THE WEEK IN CULTURE David Hockney The New York Times David Hockney has died at 88. Though he was born in England, his bright paintings captured the sun-soaked atmosphere of Los Angeles as surely as Joan Didion did in prose. Holland Cotter, our art critic, annotates some of Hockney’s greatest works. As with his paintings, Hockney favored bold colors for his clothes. Jacob Gallagher, who covers men’s fashion, described it as a “madcap maximalism in his approach to style.” Music On “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,” Olivia Rodrigo delivers a polished, solemn breakup chronicle that misses her signature adrenaline rush, Lindsay Zoladz writes. It was a battle of the bands at Lincoln Center this past week when two orchestras performed the same symphony. Was it a coincidence or a miscommunication? Taylor Swift’s voice cracked repeatedly during her Songwriters Hall of Fame induction speech — and not just because she was screaming at the Knicks game the night before. More Culture Watch Steven Spielberg break down a suspenseful scene from his new movie, “Disclosure Day.” Trump brings a particular brand of reality-TV-style renovations to the nation’s capital. He may be inspired by HGTV. Human made. Human played. 75% off. Subscribe to New York Times Games for 75% off your first year. Our best offer is only available for a limited time. Relax and recharge with our full portfolio of games, including Wordle, Spelling Bee, Connections, the Crossword and more — all mindfully made by humans. REAL ESTATE From left, Inali Dreyer, Maria Walker and Michelle Flood, with their dog, Harry Styles. Emon Hassan for The New York Times The Hunt: A retired math teacher, her daughter and granddaughter put together about $1 million to find a house in New Rochelle, N.Y., for their extended family. What did they find? Play our game. What you get for $525,000: A pair of Spanish-style bungalows in Twentynine Palms, Calif. A farmhouse in Whitestown, Ind. A Craftsman in Tampa, Fla. A Manhattan aerie: A home in the gables of the iconic Dakota building is full of architectural flourishes. It’s now on the market for $8 million. Take a look inside. Gone native: For homeowners who have “rewilded” their gardens with native plants, a moment of truth arrives when they prepare to sell. LIVING Joseph Buduo gets some final adjustments from his stylist, Lee Alexander. CityLux Glam it up: Pre-wedding makeovers aren’t just for brides. Grooms want in on the hair, makeup and manicures. Get more space: Removing built-in and unused apps on your tablet can help free up storage and reduce screen clutter. Here’s how to do it. Tech-free time: You know you should look at your phone less. It could also help you sleep better. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER Eye cream actually works — with patience We embarked on our brand-new guide to eye creams with skepticism. To our surprise, a few standouts made notable differences for our testers. But consistency and patience are just as important as the ingredients. In fact, some of our testers only began to see differences at the 30-day mark. (Not that instant gratification is impossible to come by: Our testers found that a cooling applicator helped depuff morning eyes on contact.) And in the meantime, a really great concealer can make a big difference. — Abbie Kozolchyk ANOTHER BIG SPORTS WEEKEND Folarin Balogun, right, celebrates with Chris Richards after scoring last night. Andre Penner/Associated Press World Cup: The U.S. won its first match handily last night, jumping out to a 3-0 lead over Paraguay in the first half and never looking back. The tournament will continue, basically nonstop, over the coming weeks. Some picks for this weekend: Brazil vs. Morocco (to see if Vinicius Junior can bring a spark back to Brazil) and Netherlands vs. Japan (to see if Japan, a popular dark-horse pick, is capable of cracking into its first quarterfinal). N.B.A. finals: Knicks fans are ready to erect a statue of OG Anunoby outside the Garden. Spurs fans are seeking therapy after the biggest collapse in finals history. New York is one game away from its first title in half a century. Watch this video and get hyped for tonight. Stanley Cup final: After four frantic, back-and-forth games, the Hurricanes took control in Game 5. “The Carolina Hurricanes continue to improve in this N.H.L. championship series, while the Golden Knights look stuck in neutral,” The Athletic wrote. Carolina is up 3-2 and can clinch its first title in two decades on Sunday night. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was applicant. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week’s headlines. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Crossplay, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 13 1966 The Miranda rights are established The U.S. Supreme Court hands down its decision in Miranda v. Arizona, establishing the principle that all criminal suspects must be advised of their rights before interrogation. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 19th Century 1805 Meriwether Lewis reaches the Great Falls 21st Century 2017 Otto Warmbier returns from North Korean prison in a coma American Revolution 1777 Lafayette arrives in South Carolina to serve alongside General Washington Arts & Entertainment 1962 Stanley Kubrick’s “Lolita” premieres in New York Black History 1967 Thurgood Marshall nominated to Supreme Court Crime 2006 Jurors begin deliberations in Susan Polk trial Middle Ages 1381 Peasant army marches into London Space Exploration 1983 Pioneer 10 crosses the orbit of Neptune U.S. Presidents 1807 Thomas Jefferson subpoenaed in Aaron Burr’s treason trial Vietnam War 1971 The New York Times publishes the “Pentagon Papers”

Couple asks their grandmothers to be flower girls; see Mimi, Grandma, and Nana's reactions. (More, w/video) NICU nurse comes home to Post-it note dinner instructions from her husband who usually cooks after her 12-hour shifts. (More, w/video) Ballerina who uses a wheelchair teaches other dancers with disabilities how to pirouette. (More, w/video) Young woman promises to help an 81-year-old return to her native Puerto Rico after an impromptu conversation on the New York subway—an encounter that happened only because she took her AirPods out. (More) "When my elementary teachers needed a bus driver for field trips, my dad volunteered. He'd worked as a bus driver in high school, but that was before a Commercial Driver's License was required in our state. When I was 8 years old, my dad, then 38, studied road manuals for weeks in preparation for his CDL test. He passed it and spent the next three years driving my classmates and me all over South Carolina anytime we had a field trip, including some overnights. I loved going with him to pick up the buses in the morning, and I always felt so cool being the driver's kid." — Joey H. in Durham, North Carolina "I grew up in the 1960s on a small island in north Florida. My dad was the editor, publisher, photographer, and reporter for the weekly newspaper. He was widely admired for his dedication to the community and for his integrity. I was a teenage daughter, and he raised me alone. I'm sure that was quite the challenge. There is one memory I have thought about a lot. In gym class, we were told to ask our mothers to embroider our names on the pocket of the white shirt given to us along with the regulation blue shorts. All the other girls' names were beautifully embroidered, but mine was special. Daddy had carefully stitched my name with blue thread in a staccato connection of short in-and-out stitches—each done with love and perseverance." — Candy D. in Maitland, Florida "When I was about 4 years old, we went to the airport to see my uncle, who had been visiting, leave by airplane. We walked around watching planes flying and landing. After my uncle's plane departed, we walked back to the car. My dad laughed when he let go of my hand. There was a puddle of sweat in his hand. That was because he’d never let go of my hand the whole time." — Peg L. in Wells, Maine

Pentagon releases third batch of declassified UFO files. More than 70 newly released files, spanning the 1940s through this year, contain reports from the public, Defense Department, CIA, and other agencies. Among the more recent files is a rendering depicting an alleged 2022 sighting of an object some have compared to a pale, scaly potato. The Pentagon says it is preparing to release another batch soon. (More, w/images) Read about five of the biggest revelations here.

US beats Paraguay 4-1 in 2026 World Cup debut. The win moves the US Men's National Team one step closer to advancing to the Round of 32. To secure automatic qualification, the US must finish first or second in its group after playing the other three teams (bracket format explained). The team's next match is against Australia on Friday, June 19, in Seattle, at 3 pm ET. (More, w/highlights)

Trees may store less planet-heating carbon than hoped, study suggests Trees may not be able to store as much planet-heating carbon as hoped, a study suggests, with researchers finding photosynthesis does not always lead to wood growth.

Swiss wait to hear result of ballot on capping population at 10 million A national ballot on an unprecedented far-right proposal to limit Switzerland’s population to 10 million concludes this weekend, amid warnings of devastating consequences for the country’s economy if voters back the initiative. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/13/swiss-wait-to-hear-result-of-ballot-on-capping-population-at-10-million?