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I first posted this three years ago. Last year I began studying for a second doctorate which will be in Community Care and Counseling: Traumatology. Something I see so often is how our biases lock us into a way for thinking and many people don't want to break free from them. The older I grow, and the more I work with people and their problems, the more I realize how harmful pride is and how common it is. The reason so many people get locked into a biased view of something is because of pride. This is even true for many brave souls that seek counseling. The unwillingness of many people to consider, accept and admit they were wrong about something is amazing.

Did Nicodemus make the case for Christians today to consider the teachings of Ellen G. White? Starting at minute marker 1:27 in the video clip below Nicodemus asks Schmuel, "So you would place limits on the Almighty?" In the episode, Nicodemus is making the case for the possibility that God could incarnate Himself as a Man. Nicodemus continues, "And if God did something that you felt contradicted the Torah, would you tell Him to get back in that box that you have carved for Him? Or would you question your interpretation of the Torah?" A bit later he says, "fear alone ensures we remain ignorant, asleep in the safety of rigid tradition." Then, "I don't want to live in some bleak past where God cannot do anything new, do you?" Finally, "Let's look to the ancient roads where the good way is and walk in it, as Jeremiah says. And still keep our eyes open to the startling and unexpected." This same argument being used in this episode to consider the incarnation of God can be used to consider an end-time prophet. Many Christians claim the gift of prophecy died with the disciples and cling to church tradition instead of applying Biblical tests to the claims of modern-day prophets. Click link to view the -> Scene from The Chosen

The compassion of Jesus is noted several times in the New Testament. I am currently reading the gospel of Mark during my daily devotions and read Mark 6:34. "When He went ashore, He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd." The context of the verse is that Jesus was trying to get away from the crowds with His disciples to find a desolate place. Yet, when saw the crowd waiting for Him, He had compassion. A childhood friend of mine, Pastor Nate Furness, is now the pastor at Pacific Union College. He tells me that grace comes first. I see that in this episode. He shows compassion for the leper. He shows compassion for Simon's family situation. He shows compassion for the paralytic. As He was leaving, He stopped to look at Matthew, a look of compassion. Last week I made a post about Season 1 Episode 7 but I got the episodes confused and labeled that post "Episode 6 Responding to Light" . In 2023, I posted on Episode 6 and focused on a different theme. I will post that again in the comments below. Now, getting back to the theme of compassion, have you heard the ice cream song? We used to sing it with our children when they were young. There were times it would bring tears to my eyes because it is about me. When that song becomes about you, it may bring tears to your eyes too. I love Jesus better than ice cream, and ice cream is really good. I love Jesus better than ice cream, just like I know I should. Even when I disobey and don’t do the things I should, Jesus loves me better than ice cream, and ice cream is really good!

June 26, 2026 Good morning. Sam’s traveling and will be back on Monday. Iran struck a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, undermining efforts to restore shipping there. And we have a report below from journalists on the ground in Venezuela. But we will start in Washington. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Protected no more By Tom Wright-Piersanti I’m the news editor of The Morning. The Supreme Court sided with President Trump in two big tests of his immigration crackdown, granting his administration the power to expel hundreds of thousands of migrants and to turn away others at the southern border. The justices allowed the Trump administration to end humanitarian protections that permit people from Haiti and Syria to live and work legally in the United States. The migrants had been shielded by a program, known as Temporary Protected Status, that Congress had created in 1990 to provide temporary legal status to people fleeing war, natural disasters or other crises. The ruling clears a path for the potential deportation of 350,000 Haitians and 6,100 Syrians. And it’s likely to have implications for T.P.S. holders from about a dozen other countries. In the other case, the justices said the Trump administration could turn away migrants seeking asylum along the U.S.-Mexico border by physically preventing them from crossing into the United States, where federal law would have entitled them to try to claim asylum. Both rulings were split along ideological lines, 6 to 3. Our Supreme Court reporter Ann Marimow explains their significance: Taken together, the opinions from the court’s conservative majority signaled deference to the president’s ability to set the nation’s immigration policy, as the justices prepare in the coming days to issue more rulings that will decide how much power to give Mr. Trump across his boundary-pushing agenda. The race factor The matter of race was central to the T.P.S. case, Adam Liptak writes. Trump has a history of derogatory statements against Haitians: He has accused them of “poisoning the blood” of the nation, accused them of “eating the pets” of their neighbors, and described their home country as a “shithole” that is “filthy, dirty, disgusting.” If discrimination was “a motivating factor” in Trump’s determination, the leading precedent said, it would violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause. But Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, concluded that Trump’s comments had not cleared that bar. The president’s statements, he wrote, were not “overtly racial.” Justice Elena Kagan, in her dissent, was incredulous. “The references — of filth, disease and primitiveness — are shot through with racial stereotypes and tropes,” she wrote. For more The justices also struck down a Hawaii law that required permission to carry guns onto private property. In another case, the justices overturned a jury award for a man who had claimed that the weedkiller Roundup caused him to develop cancer. The court will return next week to weigh in on other major tests of presidential power. See the cases that remain. (We have made this article free for Morning readers. You’ll find more free articles below.) SEARCHING THE RUBBLE Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York Times; Federico Parra/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images; Maxwell Briceno/Reuters Isayen Herrera, a freelance reporter for The Times, reported yesterday from La Guaira, a port city near Caracas, Venezuela, that is one of the areas hit hardest by a pair of devastating earthquakes. At one collapsed building, she reported, no emergency crews came. No firefighters. No medical workers. So the residents, in flimsy helmets, were attempting rescues themselves. They could hear their loved ones trapped inside the rubble: Tap. Tap. Tap. “They’ve pulled out a lot of dead people,” said Yorliana Colmenares, who believed her boyfriend was among those under the crushed walls and knotted wire. “Injured people, children, animals.” The Venezuelan government put the official death toll at 235 with more than 4,300 injured, but those numbers were expected to rise significantly. Hundreds of people are trapped in the rubble or missing. There is growing fear about the toll in shantytowns, where many people live in precarious hillside homes. International rescue teams were arriving early this morning to help with the desperate search for survivors. The quakes slammed a country struggling to emerge from a decade-long depression that prompted millions to emigrate and wiped out infrastructure, including for health care. The disaster is an unexpected test for the new, forced alliance with the United States months after the Trump administration arrested and removed Venezuela’s longtime president, Nicolás Maduro. Among the missing is a 35-year-old man who was deported this year from Florida, where he worked remodeling homes, under the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. In videos posted on social media, one woman likened the experience of living through the quakes to being inside a horror movie. A man who was in a Caracas shopping mall told The Times, “Everyone was just kind of waiting for the building to fall on top of them.” Adriana Loureiro Fernandez, a photographer who lives in Venezuela, witnessed horrific scenes of collapsed buildings and spoke to survivors trying to cope with the aftermath. She describes the experience in the video below. Click to watch. The New York Times WORLD CUP FEVER And now back to Tom, our resident sports fanatic, for an update about the action on the field. Every four years, I and millions of my fellow Americans cosplay as hard-core soccer fans. We relearn the offside rule and Google what “V.A.R.” stands for. We set aside our aversion to ties. We’re all in — until the U.S. team inevitably flames out and we lose interest. This time, though, the U.S. is not flaming out, and we’re not losing interest. It helps that we’re hosting most of the matches. How can you not love seeing Scottish fans depleting Boston’s beer supply? Or Brazilians dancing in the sands of Miami Beach? Or thousands of the real hard-core American soccer lovers disrupting traffic in Seattle with a raucous march to the stadium? Team U.S.A. last night. Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images And yes, it helps that the U.S. is outperforming expectations. Our guys won their first two matches — a feat not achieved since the inaugural 1930 World Cup — before dropping their final match of the group stage last night, 3-2, against Turkey (or was it Türkiye?) after having already clinched the top spot. Next up is the round of 32, otherwise known as the knockout round, in which the U.S. will face Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 in Santa Clara, Calif. If we win there, there’s a good chance it’ll be Egypt or South Korea a few days later. A deep run in the World Cup. What better way to celebrate our 250th birthday? More from yesterday’s matches: Ecuador defeated Germany 2-1, earning a spot in the knockout stage. Ivory Coast reached the knockout stage for the first time, with a 2-0 win over Curaçao. Japan and Sweden played to a 1-1 draw, propelling Japan to a round-of-32 game against Brazil on Monday and sending Sweden to the knockout stage as a third-place team. The knockout rounds are starting to take shape. But the rules deciding who plays whom are, frankly, too confusing to figure out on your own. This handy page from The Athletic does the math for you. THE LATEST NEWS Politics Trump’s abrupt decision not to sign a bipartisan housing bill left some Republicans wondering if he was trying to sabotage his own party’s chances in November. The housing bill may still become law — even without Trump’s signature. Here’s how that would work. A one-time tax on billionaires, intended to fund health care programs, will be on the ballot in California in November. Around the World In South Sudan. Ed Ram for The New York Times Many teachers in South Sudan haven’t been paid in a year. They keep coming to work anyway. Z.ai, a tech start-up from China, released an A.I. model that is nearly as powerful as those of Anthropic and costs much less to use. King Charles III released details of his personal income taxes, the first monarch in Britain to do so. The heat wave roasting Europe would not have happened without global warming, researchers say. Other Big Stories Apple raised the prices of its Macs and iPads, citing the rising cost of computer memory and chips driven by the A.I. boom. The Pentagon is again requiring flu vaccinations for all recruits in basic training, reversing an order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, after an outbreak at a base in Texas. John Bolton, a former top adviser to Trump who became one of his most outspoken critics, is expected to plead guilty today to mishandling classified information. He could go to prison. OPINIONS The New York Times Louise Perry thinks the sexual revolution helped men more than it helped women. She chatted with Ross Douthat about how to fix that. Play the video above to watch their conversation. Trump’s reflecting pool fiasco is the perfect symbol for his clownish presidency, Michelle Cottle writes. (This link is free.) Subscribers always win. Here’s why. You can now save 75% on your first year of a New York Times Games subscription. Discover all of our word and logic games (and play past puzzles), earn badges for your achievements, plus more. Time is running out though, so subscribe today. MORNING READS Ready for liftoff? The Artemis missions and the SpaceX I.P.O. have more people dreaming of a visit to the stars. Can space tourism get them there? (This link is free.) Chimp chuckles: Humans aren’t the only species that laughs. Scientists tickled apes and got a familiar reaction. Brown or blue? A French ophthalmologist invented a controversial procedure that can change eye color. (This link is free.) Late night hosts graded the attractions at the Great American State Fair. Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about Dianna Russini, a former N.F.L. reporter for The Athletic. TODAY’S NUMBER 11,000 — That’s how many gallons of whiskey were produced at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate before his death, a historian said, making it the largest whiskey distiller in the United States at the time. The distillery burned down after Washington died, but it was revived in 2001 and is now celebrating its 25th anniversary. (This link is free.) RECIPE OF THE DAY David Malosh for The New York Times Vaughn Vreeland’s recipe for Italian heroes solves a perennial problem of packing sandwiches for a picnic or beach day: the wilted lettuce. Instead, his heroes use a slaw made with cabbage and red onions, which offers the same crunch and freshness as shredded romaine with even more sturdiness. STAGE FRIGHT Tim Lahan What’s happening with the Broadway musical? Just two seasons ago, 14 new musicals opened on Broadway. Last season, though, it was down to six. And only two have been announced to open this year. The industry is optimistic that the form is just in a weird moment, and not vanishing for good, Michael Paulson reports. But there are some systemic challenges: For one, he writes, the theater industry’s focus has shifted toward plays starring well-known actors, which are generally cheaper to produce than musicals and more likely to make money. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Marki Williams/The New York Times Wirecutter Wear sneakers that look good in the office and at the park. Wirecutter has some stylish options. (Check out their favorite Prime Day deals, too, before the sales end.) Keep the dentist at bay with a simple, free habit: rinsing with water after meals. Read a swoony Sapphic novel. Ashley Herring Blake, a romance author, recommends some of her favorites. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was fixated. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning 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

🇺🇸 Pics for the road! Photo: Jen Golbeck/AP This was the view from the top of the 110-foot Ferris wheel at Freedom 250's Great American State Fair on the National Mall yesterday. Photo: Tom Brenner/Reuters Visitors rode the Ferris wheel yesterday at the fair, which'll run through July 10. If you're going.

🌋 Cluster of quakes Data: USGS. Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios Several strong earthquakes have recently rocked areas in or near the "Ring of Fire," the world's most seismically and volcanically active area, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes: Devastating magnitude 7.5 and 7.2 earthquakes in Venezuela left at least 188 people dead, with many more injured or missing. Magnitude 5 or higher quakes have struck since Wednesday in California, Japan, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. 🔎 Zoom in: Clusters of strong earthquakes are rare but not unprecedented. Scientists have been researching whether large quakes in one area can trigger more elsewhere. The Venezuela earthquakes — too strong for either to be a foreshock or aftershock — are connected because they likely occurred on the same fault. There's no evidence that the rest of the quakes are directly related. Get the latest.

💻 AI price shock Data: Apple. Table: Courtenay Brown/Axios The enormous sums of money going into the AI race are driving up costs throughout the economy. That's now becoming increasingly apparent to ordinary Americans who might have thought that AI's impact would be primarily on their jobs, Axios' Courtenay Brown and Nathan Bomey report. 📈 Apple provided the clearest evidence yet yesterday, raising prices by as much as 25% on MacBook and iPad models — and blaming soaring memory chip costs due to AI demand. The same memory squeeze is now hitting gaming consoles. Also yesterday, Microsoft announced price increases of as much as $150 on Xbox consoles — which comes after Sony and Nintendo recently made similar moves. The bottom line: For the past few decades, consumer gadgets were one of the few areas where prices reliably fell. The AI infrastructure boom is reversing that.

👀 Administration slows OpenAI release Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is getting the Mythos treatment: He learned during a conversation Wednesday with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that OpenAI will have to initially limit release of its next model, GPT-5.6, to only a small set of government-approved partners. I'm told the administration made the move because of the model's "Mythos-like" capability — a reference to the Anthropic model that has formidable power for both cyber defense and cyberattacks. Why it matters: This marks the first time the U.S. government has preemptively asked an American AI company to restrict the launch of a model before release, Axios' Ashley Gold and Sam Sabin point out. Between the lines: A source tells Axios that OpenAI has been proactively working with the administration on the GPT-5.6 model release since before Anthropic revoked access to its frontier models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, over a rare Commerce Department directive. The White House has been looped in on the capabilities of OpenAI's new model and has been able to preview its abilities. OpenAI hopes to get the model to a larger group next week. Behind the scenes: Lutnick wanted to be sure all relevant parts of the government test and approve the model, a second source told us. This source said the government intervened because GPT-5.6 has Mythos-class power, not because the administration is suddenly taking a heavier hand. "This is what's happening with models of that caliber," the source said. The models are so powerful that the administration wants to be sure the companies have adequate safeguards in place, the source added. Go deeper.

The cost of blind loyalty Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images President Trump trained elected Republicans to obey him, even when they disagreed. Elected Republicans trained Trump to expect obedience, even as his demands grew impossible to satisfy. Why it matters: Years of Republicans submitting to Trump, often against their own judgment, have curdled into a rolling crisis as Washington nears the likely end of the GOP's two-year monopoly, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a "Behind the Curtain" column. 🥊 The big picture: Trump has spent his second term steamrolling his own party, confident the lawmakers he humiliates will keep voting his way. You see it everywhere: He canceled the signing of a landmark bipartisan housing bill just hours before the ceremony — trying to strong-arm the Senate into passing the SAVE America Act, a sweeping voter ID bill with no realistic path to 60 (or even 50) votes. He dismissed the housing bill — which his own White House had called "one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history" — as "of minor importance." He berated the "Four Republican Losers" in the Senate who voted this week to rein in his Iran war powers, calling the rebuke "poorly timed and meaningless." (Hours after his barrage, Republicans passed a symbolic reversal.) He blew up a bipartisan scramble aimed at renewing the government's FISA surveillance powers, demanding the SAVE Act on voting rules be bolted on. He let the authority lapse rather than back down. He yanked his own intelligence nominee, Jay Clayton, from a confirmation hearing hours before it began, leaving the nation's spy agencies under an acting director both parties distrust. He refused to brief Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and other senators on his Iran deal until after the text was finally released, leaving them to defend terms they hadn't seen. He blindsided senators by proposing a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund just as they moved a $70 billion immigration package, defending Jan. 6 rioters who attacked the building where the senators work. 👀 Between the lines: Trump is governing like a term-limited president with little patience for Congress, few concerns about the midterms and an insatiable appetite for executive power. Republican lawmakers are still stuck with Senate rules, swing-state politics and the long-term consequences of his maximalist demands — like blowing up the filibuster to pass the SAVE Act. "I don't think about Americans' financial situation," Trump told reporters in May when asked whether domestic economic pressure was shaping his Iran negotiations. "I don't care about the midterms," he said to his Cabinet two weeks later, dismissing the idea that Iran could wait him out on peace talks. 🏛️ What we're hearing: The first sustained check on Trump's second-term power is coming from rebellious GOP senators, especially those whose careers he cut short for insufficient loyalty. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), beaten in a Trump-backed primary, was initially among those voting to curb the president's Iran war powers. Trump and Cassidy got in a shouting match during a closed-door Senate lunch. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who chose retirement over a humiliating primary, has become the face of GOP resistance in the Senate — publicly savaging Trump nominees, opposing any move to weaken the filibuster and vowing to "do everything I can" to block the SAVE Act. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who voted with Trump 99% of the time before Trump backed a primary challenger anyway, joined Tillis and Cassidy in refusing to advance attorney general nominee Todd Blanche over concerns about the "anti-weaponization" fund. Top Republicans tell us Trump's response — lashing out ineffectively — could be a preview of how he'll play his cards over the next 2½ years as his power wanes. He'll technically be a lame duck after November's midterms. A favorable midterm environment could hand Democrats the House, even with Republicans' redistricting edge. The Senate is in play, too. "The Senate is now behaving like the Senate," said a longtime Trump ally who knows Congress well. "More to come. If he loses the Senate, his presidency will be effectively over. Yet he's acting like it doesn't matter."

THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 26 1948 U.S. begins Berlin Airlift The Berlin Airlift begins. U.S. and British pilots begin delivering food and supplies by airplane to Berlin after the city is isolated by a Soviet Union blockade. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1990s 1993 President Clinton punishes Iraq for plot to kill George H.W. Bush 21st Century 2003 Former U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond dies Ancient Americas 1541 Francisco Pizarro, conqueror of the Incas, assassinated Arts & Entertainment 1975 Sonny and Cher’s divorce becomes final Civil War 1862 Rebels strike Union at the Battle of Mechanicsville Inventions & Science 1974 Pack of chewing gum becomes first-ever item scanned with a UPC barcode 1956 Congress approves Federal-Aid Highway Act 1959 St. Lawrence Seaway officially opened LGBTQ+ History 2015 Same-sex marriage is made legal nationwide with Obergefell v. Hodges decision 2003 Lawrence v. Texas is decided U.S. Presidents 1844 President John Tyler weds his second wife 1963 John F. Kennedy claims solidarity with the people of Berlin World War I 1917 First U.S. troops arrive in France World War II 1945 United Nations Charter signed

> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.0%, Dow +0.1%, Nasdaq -0.5%) | US Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index—key inflation metric monitored by the Fed—rose 4.1% year over year in May, highest level in three years (More) > Apple shares drop 6% after it raises prices for MacBooks and iPads due to higher memory chip and storage costs (More, w/price hikes) | Microsoft raises Xbox console prices for third time in 13 months due to higher component costs (More) > Dating app Bumble reportedly exploring sale amid slow growth | Inside the dramatic story behind Bumble's founding—including a Russian billionaire and a Tinder cofounder (More)

The Lithium Boom Is Heating Up Lithium stock prices have more than doubled in the past year in response to ballooning costs and shortages. $ALB climbed 165%. $SQM, 136%. But the real winner may be a $1B private stock, EnergyX. This unicorn’s tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods at speeds 500X faster. Now, after opening America’s largest lithium facility of its kind and announcing a new potential $600M/year project in Utah, they’re preparing to unlock up to 13M tons of lithium. Industry leaders like General Motors and POSCO have already invested. Join them as an EnergyX investor before the 7/16 deadline.*

> IBM unveils world's first sub-1-nanometer chip technology, expected to enable significantly more powerful computers without a corresponding energy increase (More) | How small is a nanometer? (More) > Gene editing enables scientists to see an early human embryo in detail, revealing a master gene crucial to development; finding may improve IVF outcomes and reduce pregnancy loss (More) | Understand the gene-editing technique (More, w/video) > Astronomers discover two planets the size of Jupiter but lighter than cotton candy; they are likely composed primarily of helium and hydrogen (More)

David Clayton-Thomas, lead singer of the Grammy-winning band Blood, Sweat & Tears, dies at age 84 (More) | Listen to "Spinning Wheel," one of the band's hits written by Clayton-Thomas (More)

'Peppa Pig' Contract Doesn't Fly Nearly 1,000 people have signed an open letter condemning contracts requiring child actors to sign over their voices to AI. The letter comes after Hasbro, which owns the “Peppa Pig” brand, reportedly updated its contracts to include the clause. The new contracts come after Hasbro presented an AI version of Peppa Pig this year, in partnership with ElevenLabs. It’s not clear if six-year-old Harriette Cox, who began voicing the character last year, licensed her voice for the project. (See part of the demo via LinkedIn.) Child advocates say kids are too young to sign over rights to their voices or images indefinitely. If they refuse, however, they risk losing out on business opportunities. “Peppa Pig” is a Nick Jr. show with tens of millions of YouTube subscribers. The animated series is one of dozens of entertainment projects owned by Hasbro; adaptations of Monopoly, My Little Pony, Magic: The Gathering, and Furby are currently in development.

Trumpy USPS Boss Admits He Plans to Cause Election Chaos President Trump’s postmaster general gave a worrying answer about delivering mail-in ballots. President Donald Trump’s postmaster general told senators that under a newly proposed rule, the U.S. Postal Service would refuse to deliver mail-in ballots in states that withhold their voter rolls from the Trump administration. The USPS is considering a new rule that would require states to provide the names, addresses, and ballot barcode numbers for anyone who requests a mail-in ballot, effectively providing the Trump administration with a federal absentee voter database. Asked during a Homeland Security Committee hearing Wednesday whether USPS would deliver election mail if states refuse to hand over their voter lists, Postmaster General David Steiner responded unequivocally. “Under our proposed regulation, no,” he replied. “We would tell the state that we need the manifest.” The move comes as White House insiders have expressed alarm about Republicans’ chances in the November midterm elections in the face of Trump’s record-low approval ratings and widespread voter dissatisfaction with the war in Iran and the cost-of-living crisis. The proposed rule would require state election officials to hand over the list at least 30 days before ballots are sent out under state law, and voters who aren’t on the list wouldn’t receive a ballot. It cites Trump’s March executive order seeking to create lists of eligible voters and restrict mail-in voting, which Trump has repeatedly described as “cheating” despite mailing in his own ballots. At least five lawsuits have challenged the executive order, which was in jeopardy Thursday after a federal judge ruled the Trump administration was trying to unlawfully interfere with states’ administration of federal elections. The Constitution explicitly grants states the authority to run elections while giving Congress a limited oversight role. During the Homeland Security Committee hearing, ranking Democrat Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan said the proposed rule was illegal and would “coerce” states into providing the Trump administration with sensitive voter data. The Justice Department last summer asked nearly every state for copies of their statewide voter registration lists. When officials from 30 states and the District of Columbia refused, the administration sued to try to obtain the information. So far, nine federal district courts and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals have ruled in favor of the states, CBS News reported Wednesday. “This is basically a back-door way for the federal government to get voting information that states control under the U.S. Constitution,” Peters told Steiner. “You are going to make a decision that people cannot vote by mail… That’s unacceptable.” Steiner responded to the criticism by saying the rule was not an attempt to federalize elections, but rather sought to ensure “the right ballots are going to the right people.” The American Postal Workers Union, however, issued a statement this month saying it was “deeply alarmed” by the proposed change, which it called an “unconstitutional attack on the millions of Americans who vote by mail.” “The union rejects the premise that the USPS has to comply with the Executive Order” underpinning the new rule, the statement said.Public comments on the proposed change can be submitted until July 2, while the executive order instructs the postal service to issue its final rule by the end of the month. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-postmaster-general-david-steiner-admits-usps-wouldnt-mail-absentee-ballots-in-under-new-rule/? ps:How much more pathetic can this administration get??

📺 1 for the road: Hot new TV tech A new Samsung RGB TV on display at CES in Las Vegas in January. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images Best Buy will be the exclusive national retailer for new RGB LED TVs — a rollout it calls the biggest change in TV tech in over a decade, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports. RGB LEDs use thousands of red, green and blue backlights for better colors and contrast, Wired explains. 🤩 Incoming Best Buy CEO Jason Bonfig said: "It's not just a spec change — the colors are physically produced differently, and it's something you'll notice immediately." Models will start at $999, in sizes from 50 to 116 inches. Go deeper.

🍎 Apple is hiking MacBook and iPad prices, blaming the "rapid expansion of AI data centers" for causing an "extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage." The company said: "We know this is not welcome news, and we are working tirelessly to find solutions." Go deeper.

A new paper published in Frontiers in Nutrition argues that current public health recommendations for exercise and protein intake are largely aimed at preventing deficiency, not helping people achieve the best possible long-term health, independence, and quality of life. The paper tackles several fundamental questions: How much protein do people really need? What types of exercise offer the greatest benefits? And what does the latest research show? According to author Dr. Chris Macdonald (Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, and Director of the Better Protein Institute), a growing body of evidence suggests that people may benefit from higher levels of physical activity and protein consumption than current guidelines typically recommend. "Public health advice often focuses on the minimum people need to avoid problems," said Dr. Macdonald. "But many people want to know what they should do to remain strong, independent, and mentally sharp throughout life." Exercise and Healthy Aging The paper reviews research linking regular exercise to a wide range of health benefits, including a lower risk of death, better mental health, stronger cognitive function, and greater resistance to age-related decline. The evidence also suggests that combining aerobic activities such as walking, running, or cycling with resistance training may provide especially powerful benefits. Dr. Macdonald argues that physical activity should be viewed not only as a way to avoid disease, but also as a tool for maintaining strength, mobility, and independence throughout life. Protein Intake Beyond Minimum Requirements The review also takes a closer look at protein recommendations. Current UK guidelines are based primarily on preventing protein deficiency in sedentary adults. However, the paper points to newer research suggesting that physically active people, older adults, and pregnant women may benefit from significantly higher protein intake. The review further highlights evidence that higher-protein diets can support fat loss (due to increased satiety and thermic effect), making them beneficial for body composition as well as overall health. Importantly, the paper notes that higher protein consumption is not limited to meat-based diets. With thoughtful meal planning, plant-based diets can also provide sufficient protein, as demonstrated by the growing number of vegan powerlifters and bodybuilders. From Minimum Health to Optimal Health Rather than replacing existing recommendations, Dr. Macdonald suggests supplementing them with guidance focused on what he calls "optimal health outcomes." He argues that people would benefit from clearer and more practical information about how exercise and nutrition can support long-term physical and cognitive performance. In addition to updating guidelines, Dr. Macdonald believes there needs to be a shift in how society views exercise and protein intake. "… high-intensity exercise and high-protein diets are often associated with bodybuilders and superficial aesthetic goals. However, high-intensity exercise and high-protein diets also empower the general population to extend their lifespan and healthspan. Therefore, it is less about having 'abs' and a 'beach body' and more about being able to lift up, play with, and even remember, your grandchildren thanks to a strong and resilient body and mind. When we see a stereotypical image of a hunched-over slow, fragile person with ill health, in their later years, it seems like an inevitable consequence of "Father Time," however, I propose that in most cases, it is evidence of a non-evidence-based lifestyle. In short, we should not be quick to normalize and accept the consequences of a largely sedentary lifestyle; we should proactively empower people to reclaim their health and their independence. The reduction in unnecessary suffering would be profound." https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260622091429.htm

Scientists found that a common saturated fat, palmitic acid, may promote processes linked to type 2 diabetes, including inflammation and impaired insulin function. Meanwhile, oleic acid—the main fat in olive oil—shows protective effects that could help keep metabolism on track. Credit: Shutterstock Researchers are taking a closer look at how different types of dietary fat may influence the risk of type 2 diabetes, a disease that affects millions of people worldwide and is linked to serious health complications and premature death. A new review published in Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism (Cell Press) explores the contrasting effects of two major fatty acids found in the diet: palmitic acid and oleic acid. The work was led by teams from the CIBER Area for Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM) at the University of Barcelona. "Palmitic acid, a saturated fatty acid widely found in foods, is associated with impaired insulin sensitivity, whereas oleic acid, abundant in olive oil, may have a protective effect against these metabolic disorders," says Professor Manuel Vázquez-Carrera, from the UB's Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, the UB Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), the Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute (IRSJD) and CIBERDEM. Other contributors include Ricardo Rodríguez-Calvo of CIBERDEM at the Pere Virgili Institute for Health Research (IISPV), Marta Tajes of the CIBER Area for Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV) at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), and Walter Wahli of the University of Lausanne (Switzerland). According to Vázquez-Carrera, the findings suggest that the type of fat people consume may be more important than the overall amount. "This review highlights the significant role of the quality of dietary fat, rather than the total amount consumed," notes Professor Manuel Vázquez-Carrera, who is a group leader at CIBERDEM at the UB. How Palmitic Acid May Promote Diabetes The researchers examined evidence showing that palmitic acid can trigger several biological processes linked to metabolic disease. As Xavier Palomer (UB-IBUB-CIBER-IRSJD), the article's first author, says, "at the molecular level, palmitic acid promotes the accumulation of potentially toxic bioactive lipids, fosters low-grade chronic inflammation, and contributes to the dysfunction of cellular organelles, such as the endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria." The team notes that these cellular changes "are closely linked to impaired insulin action and the progression of metabolic disease." Oleic Acid Shows Protective Effects The picture looks quite different for oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat found in high amounts in olive oil. According to the review, oleic acid encourages the body to store fats in forms that are metabolically less disruptive and have little effect on normal cellular function. It also helps maintain healthy insulin signaling in important metabolic tissues, including the liver, muscles, and adipose tissue. Researchers say oleic acid may also offset many of the harmful effects associated with palmitic acid. This could help explain why eating patterns rich in monounsaturated fats, including the Mediterranean diet, are consistently linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Improving Nutrition Strategies for Diabetes Prevention The authors emphasize that more targeted research is needed to better understand differences seen across population studies. "It is important to consider variables such as the source of fatty acids, their dietary context, interactions with other nutrients, and different food processing methods," says Manuel Vázquez-Carrera. The researchers believe that gaining a clearer understanding of these factors will improve scientists' ability to evaluate how different fats affect metabolic health. In turn, that knowledge could support the development of more effective dietary approaches for preventing and managing type 2 diabetes. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260621060318.htm

A minimally invasive procedure for chronic knee pain is helping some patients find significant relief without undergoing major surgery. For Cynthia Schraf-Fletcher, 74, the results were "remarkably" successful. Nearly a year after receiving genicular artery embolization (GAE) on her right knee, Schraf-Fletcher says the improvement is comparable to the total knee replacement she previously underwent on her left knee. "I couldn't be more pleased," says Schraf-Fletcher, who had the procedure performed by Leigh Casadaban, MD, MS, assistant professor of radiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine. Today, she says everyday activities such as gardening and riding a stationary bicycle are far more enjoyable because of the reduction in pain. How Genicular Artery Embolization Works GAE is an outpatient procedure designed to ease chronic knee pain by reducing blood flow to inflamed areas within the joint. By targeting abnormal blood vessels associated with inflammation, the treatment can help decrease swelling and discomfort. "For treating osteoarthritis in the knees, we often think of medications, physical therapy, maybe a steroid injection, and then on the far end of the spectrum is a total knee replacement. There really hasn't been anything for patients in between," Casadaban, a vascular interventional radiologist, says. "GAE is a promising minimally invasive procedure that may fill that spot for people who have failed conservative treatments but are not yet ready to have a major surgery." According to Casadaban, people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis tend to benefit the most. Patients with more advanced disease can also undergo the procedure, although the effects are generally less durable. "We find about 70% of patients have phenomenal results. They cut their pain scores in half, sometimes more. We have a few patients with no pain at all after the procedure," Casadaban says. "Patients that have tried a lot of other treatments and haven't had pain relief are happy to get back to their normal activities." After experiencing complications from knee replacement surgery, Schraf-Fletcher was eager to explore another option. Looking back, she says choosing GAE was the right decision. What Happens During the Procedure? GAE typically takes between one and two hours and is performed under conscious sedation. During the procedure, an interventional radiology team makes a small incision near the crease of the leg. Using X-ray imaging and contrast dye for guidance, doctors advance a tiny catheter through the femoral artery until it reaches the genicular arteries around the knee. Once in position, the team releases microscopic beads that block blood flow to the abnormal vessels located in the painful areas identified by the patient. Patients are monitored for several hours afterward and are usually able to return home the same day. Doctors generally advise taking it easy for a few days during recovery. Originally developed in Japan a little more than a decade ago, GAE has steadily gained attention worldwide. Since 2021, the FDA has granted "breakthrough device status" to multiple devices related to the procedure in the United States. Research Suggests Long Lasting Pain Relief Early and ongoing research continues to produce encouraging results. "The theory is that GAE reduces inflammation inside the knee joint, and symptom relief can last years," Casadaban says. "Four-year data published in Japan shows that if you have one outpatient procedure, your pain relief can last for those four years. In the U.S., we now have two-year data, which shows that if you have a good response, pain relief can last two years. That really speaks to the theory that we're hopefully modifying something in the joint." Casadaban is currently leading two clinical trials at CU Anschutz. One study is examining changes in knee fluid among patients receiving GAE. The other is evaluating a temporary arterial treatment device called Nexsphere-F, which blocks small blood vessels in the knee that may contribute to inflammation and pain. Expanding Beyond Knee Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that affects millions of people each year and can occur in many different joints throughout the body. Although GAE is currently used only for knee conditions, Casadaban says researchers and physicians are beginning to explore its use for other painful musculoskeletal disorders, including frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, and plantar fasciitis. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260622091502.htm

A placebo, or fake supplement, may offer real benefits for older adults, according to new research from psychologists at the Università Cattolica in Milan. After taking placebo pills for three weeks, participants showed improvements in both physical performance and cognitive function. Surprisingly, the benefits were seen even when participants knew the pills contained no active ingredients. The study, published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, was led by Diletta Barbiani, Alessandro Antonietti, and Francesco Pagnini. It was supported by PNRR grants through the Age-IT project. "The study is part of an established line of research in which we analyze the role of the mind in aging processes, which is very important," says Pagnini, Full Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology of the Università Cattolica. Testing the Placebo Effect in Healthy Aging Until now, no research had investigated whether a traditional placebo could influence abilities that naturally decline with age. "Our goal," Professor Pagnini explains, "was to clarify whether an open-label placebo therapy (i.e., where the recipient is aware it is a placebo) or a fake supplement (people don't know it's a placebo) could influence psychological, cognitive, and physical functions in older adults living in the community." To explore that question, the researchers recruited 90 healthy older adults and randomly assigned them to one of three groups. One group received no treatment at all. A second group received placebo pills but was told the pills contained active ingredients designed to improve well-being and physical function. The third group received the same inactive pills but was openly informed that the pills were placebos that could still trigger beneficial mind-body responses. Before and after the three-week study, participants completed questionnaires (providing information on levels of perceived stress, psychological well-being, sleepiness, fatigue, optimism, self-efficacy, and stereotypes about aging). They also took objective tests measuring short-term memory, selective attention, and physical performance. Memory, Stress, and Physical Performance Improved After three weeks, the participants who knowingly took placebo pills experienced lower stress levels than both the deceptive placebo group and the control group. They also showed significant improvements in short-term memory compared with those who received no intervention. Overall, both placebo groups experienced gains in cognitive and physical performance, although the strongest improvements were generally seen among participants who knew they were taking a placebo. Physical performance increased by 7% in the deceptive placebo group and by 9.2% in the open-label placebo group. Cognitive performance also improved. Depending on the specific test, scores increased by between 12.6% and 14.6% among participants who believed they were taking a real supplement, while those who knowingly took a placebo improved by between 6.9% and 21.5%. "These are significant effects," the psychologist emphasizes, "comparable to those seen in some experimental studies on physical activity regarding physical performance and cognitive training, especially with regard to memory." Researchers also observed reductions in drowsiness. Stress levels improved most noticeably among participants who were aware they were taking a placebo. A New Approach to Healthy Aging? The findings suggest that placebo treatments can improve several aspects of functioning in older adults, with open-label placebos performing as well as, or in some cases better than, deceptive placebos. According to the researchers, this makes open-label placebos a promising and ethically acceptable strategy for supporting healthy aging. Professor Pagnini says the results add to growing scientific evidence that the mind plays an important role in the aging process. Thoughts, emotions, and self-perception may influence not only psychological well-being but also physical abilities and cognitive function, highlighting the powerful connection between the mind and the body. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260625060159.htm

⚖️ Trump gets immigration SCOTUS wins Photo illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images President Trump notched a pair of Supreme Court wins for his immigration agenda today. 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 In one major 6-3 decision, the court cleared the way for the Trump administration to revive a policy limiting the number of daily asylum applicants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Human rights advocates said it created a crisis as thousands of people settled in unsafe makeshift shelters to await their turn. The Trump administration said it was necessary to deal with a huge increase in applicants. More from Axios' Brittany Gibson. 🇭🇹🇸🇾 In another ruling, the court allowed the administration to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disasters in Haiti and Syria. The move exposes hundreds of thousands of people to potential deportation. Go deeper. Two other headline-grabbing decisions came down today: The Court ruled that consumers can't use state courts to sue manufacturers that don't warn about hazards tied to their products. And it struck down a Hawaii state law requiring people to get permission to carry guns into stores or hotels.

A surprising new study suggests that one of the world’s most widely used weedkillers may be helping dangerous bacteria become harder to kill. Credit: Shutterstock Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) contributes to an estimated 1.1 million to 1.4 million deaths worldwide each year. While this growing threat is typically linked to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, new research suggests another factor may also be playing a role: certain weedkillers. Scientists have found evidence that glyphosate, one of the world's most widely used herbicides, may help select for bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. "Here we show that the most common species of multidrug-resistant bacteria from hospitals are not only resistant to multiple antibiotic classes, but also to high concentrations of the weedkiller glyphosate," said Dr. Daniela Centrón, a researcher at the Institute of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology in Buenos Aires and the senior author of the study published in Frontiers in Microbiology. "These results suggest that weedkillers -- which, unlike antibiotics, are widely applied in agricultural environments -- may have the unintended side-effect of selecting for AMR among bacterial communities within the soil." For decades, Roundup was closely associated with glyphosate, the herbicide first registered in the United States in 1974. Today, the answer is more complicated. Home-use Roundup products found in many hardware and garden stores have been reformulated without glyphosate and may contain ingredients such as triclopyr, fluazifop, and diquat. But glyphosate remains in professional and agricultural Roundup products used in farming, landscaping, and other commercial settings. Testing Bacteria From Nature, Farms, and Hospitals To investigate the connection, Centrón and her colleagues analyzed 68 bacterial strains collected in 2018 and 2020 from sediment in a protected nature reserve in the Paraná delta, a wetland region north of Buenos Aires. Although herbicides have never been applied inside the reserve, glyphosate is commonly used in nearby agricultural areas. The researchers examined how resistant each strain was to 16 commonly used antibiotics, including ampicillin combined with sulbactam, meropenem, tetracycline, and vancomycin. They also tested resistance to pure glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides, which are among the most widely used weedkillers worldwide. The findings were then compared with 19 bacterial strains obtained from local hospitals, including multidrug-resistant species. An additional 15 strains came from feedlots and agricultural soils affected by herbicide use. Hospital Superbugs Also Resist Glyphosate The hospital strains showed widespread antimicrobial resistance. Individual strains were resistant to between one and 16 of the antibiotics tested. Particularly concerning was the finding that 74% were resistant to carbapenems, a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics often reserved as a last line of defense against serious infections. All of the hospital-derived strains were also highly resistant to glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides. "This means that if these bacteria enter the environment through untreated wastewater from hospitals, they could go on to thrive in agricultural areas where glyphosate is used," said first author Dr. Camila Knecht from Dr. Centrón's research group. The 68 strains collected from the Paraná delta represented 15 different genera, including Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Exiguobacterium, and Chryseobacterium. Every one of them displayed at least some resistance to glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides, despite the fact that these chemicals had never been applied within the reserve itself. Among the environmental strains, Enterobacter species tolerated the highest glyphosate concentrations, surviving levels of up to 80 milligrams per milliliter. In contrast, Bacillus species, which are commonly found in soil, were especially sensitive. Their growth was inhibited at concentrations as low as 2.5 milligrams per milliliter. High glyphosate resistance was also observed in strains isolated from hospital infections that showed extreme drug resistance. Resistant Bacteria Share Similar Genetic Backgrounds The researchers then constructed a genetic "family tree" using all 102 bacterial strains included in the study. They found that bacteria with the greatest glyphosate resistance were often closely related, regardless of whether they originated from hospitals, farms, or the Paraná delta. For example, the same bacterial genera showed glyphosate resistance across all three environments. "In the environment, the use of glyphosate leads to the evolution of resistant bacteria in impacted soils, whereas the use of antibiotics favors their evolution in hospitals. Bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes can spread and breed between those two niches in both directions and in multiple ways, with the water cycle playing a key role in transmission," concluded coauthor Dr. Jochen A Müller, a group leader at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Concerns About Glyphosate and Public Health Glyphosate has long been the subject of scientific and regulatory debate. Research has shown that it can harm arthropods (in particular bees), and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as a probable human carcinogen. Several European countries have already restricted some uses of the herbicide. France, Belgium, and the Netherlands have banned glyphosate for household applications, while Germany currently prohibits its use in public spaces. Based on the findings, the researchers argue that pesticide regulations should take antibiotic resistance into account before products reach the market. "Policies for the use of any pesticide, as well as its metabolites, should stipulate the requirement for co-selection testing with antibiotics before marketing. Labels should include a warming that genes for antibiotic resistance can spread from glyphosate-contaminated soils to hospitals through untreated water," counseled Centrón. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260620100434.htm

Learning a new language or recovering the ability to speak may rely less on the brain's movement centers than scientists once believed. New research suggests that regions involved in processing sound and physical sensations play a much larger role in speech learning and memory. The study, conducted by researchers at McGill University and the Yale School of Medicine, could reshape scientific understanding of how speech is learned and influence the design of future speech recognition and brain-based communication technologies. Sensory Brain Regions Take Center Stage For years, researchers have generally assumed that learning and remembering the complex movements required for speech depended primarily on motor areas of the brain. Those regions control the movements of the face, mouth, and vocal tract that make speaking possible. The new findings point in a different direction. Instead of highlighting motor regions as the main driver of speech learning, the research suggests that auditory and somatosensory systems are critical for acquiring and retaining new speech patterns. "Sensorimotor neuroscience has traditionally focused on frontal motor areas as the principal drivers of movement. This study changes that understanding by showing that human speech learning is extensively sensory in nature," said David Ostry, Professor of Psychology at McGill University. The results may also help guide the development of emerging brain-speech technologies. Such systems could one day help restore communication abilities after stroke by incorporating sensory processes to improve performance and usability. Testing Speech Learning With Brain Stimulation To investigate how different brain regions contribute to speech learning, the researchers first altered participants' speech in real time and played the modified speech back through headphones. This approach encouraged participants to adapt their speech patterns, creating a form of speech motor learning. The team then used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive method of brain stimulation, to temporarily disrupt activity in three key brain regions involved in speech: the auditory cortex, the somatosensory cortex, and the motor cortex. Researchers evaluated retention of the newly learned speech patterns 24 hours later. Their prediction was straightforward. If a particular brain region was essential for learning and storing speech-related memories, disrupting that area should reduce retention. If the region was not critical, retention should remain unchanged. The results strongly supported the importance of sensory processing. When activity in either the auditory cortex or somatosensory cortex was disrupted, participants showed significantly poorer retention of the speech movements they had learned. In contrast, disrupting the motor cortex had little effect on retention. "Our study challenges the assumption that new speech memories are solely reliant on changes in motor areas of the brain. Instead, it underscores the importance of changes in auditory and somatosensory brain areas in shaping how we learn to speak," said study co-author Nishant Rao, Associate Research Scientist at Yale University. Brain Plasticity and Future Stroke Therapies The research is part of a larger effort to understand how plasticity in the brain's sensory systems contributes to learning and long-term memory. It also builds on previous studies by the same research group involving arm and hand movements. Those studies similarly found that disrupting sensory regions of the brain interfered with the ability to learn and retain new motor skills. Future work will focus on identifying the specific cortical circuits involved in learning and investigating sensory-based treatments for movement disorders. The researchers are particularly interested in applications for stroke rehabilitation and speech recovery. About the Study The study, "Sensory Basis of Speech Motor Learning and Memory," by Nishan Rao, Rosalie Gendron, Timothy Manning and David Ostry, was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. The research was funded by the (U.S.) National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260619020514.htm