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👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. Stat of the day: Nationals slugger James Wood hasn't even been in MLB for two full seasons (310 games) and he's already faced as many different pitchers as Ted Williams did in his entire career (447). In today's edition: Goal-scoring bonanza, CWS Final Four is set, golf's next American star, NBA mock draft, MLB power rankings, make your U.S. Open picks, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES ⚾️ Final Four: The College World Series semifinals were finalized on Wednesday, with No. 16 West Virginia (who trounced Troy, 12-0) set to face No. 5 North Carolina and No. 3 Georgia (who beat No. 6 Texas, 2-0) set to face Oklahoma. 🏒 Torts out in Vegas: John Tortorella will not return as head coach of the Golden Knights, the team announced Tuesday, two days after losing in the Stanley Cup Final. Torts was only hired in March on an interim basis, and there was no guarantee he'd be retained beyond that. 🏈 Smith's brain to be studied: Aldon Smith's family will donate his brain to the Boston University CTE Center to determine whether CTE played a role in the former lineman's death after he passed away on Saturday at the age of 36. (Read my buddy Adam's post about his friend, Aldon). ⏱️ Lyles sets world record: Reigning Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles broke the 150m world record on Tuesday at the Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic. He notched a time of 14.67 seconds, eclipsing the previous mark of 14.92 set in April by Jamaica's Kishane Thompson. 🏈 Jordan's last dance: Cameron Jordan, the eight-time Pro Bowl defensive end who's spent all 15 of his NFL seasons with the Saints, is returning to New Orleans for "one final season." The 37-year-old has 132 career sacks, second only to Von Miller (138.5) among active players.   ⚽️ GROUP STAGE WORLD CUP: 3 STARS, 7 GOALS (Dan Mullan/Getty Images) Three of the world's best scorers took the field on Tuesday for their World Cup openers. And boy, did they deliver. Kylian Mbappé got things started in New Jersey, scoring twice in France's 3-1 win over Senegal to move into third place on the World Cup scoring list with 14 goals. (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) Erling Haaland followed with a brace of his own in his World Cup debut, leading Norway to a 4-1 victory over Iraq in Foxborough. (Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images) Lionel Messi saved the best for last, scoring a hat trick in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria in Kansas City to leapfrog Mbappé and tie Miroslav Klose for the most goals in World Cup history (16). Up next: Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane, two more world-class scorers, take the field today for Portugal and England. How many times will they find the back of the net?   🏀 CLASS OF 2026 NBA MOCK DRAFT 9.0 (Dillon Minshall/Yahoo Sports) With the 2026 NBA Draft less than a week away (next Tuesday), we've got a fresh two-round mock draft, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor. Drama at the top? On Monday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson both believe they'll be the first pick. Dybantsa worked out for both Washington and Utah, while Peterson worked out only for Washington and won't meet with any other teams. Top 10: Wizards: AJ Dybantsa (BYU) Jazz: Cameroon Boozer (Duke) Grizzlies: Darryn Peterson (Kansas) Bulls: Caleb Wilson (UNC) Clippers: Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas) Nets: Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville) Kings: Keaton Wagler (Illinois) Hawks: Brayden Burries (Arizona) Mavericks: Karim López (Mexico) Bucks: Kingston Flemings (Houston) Be sure to check out our 2026 NBA Draft Guide, which features full scouting reports for every prospect, player comparisons, and multiple big boards.   ⛳️ NAME TO KNOW JACKSON KOIVUN: GOLF'S NEXT AMERICAN STAR? Koivun after leading Auburn to another national championship last month. (Tanner Pearson/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) Jackson Koivun has conquered college golf. Now he's set his sights on becoming the No. 1 player in the world. Jay Busbee, Yahoo Sports: Don't let the clear eyes and the calm, measured voice fool you. Jackson Koivun is an assassin with the highest of goals: "I want to be," he declares, "the number-one player in the world." He says it in the middle of a long conversation, he says it without bravado or defiance, he says it with the same certainty that he'd say the sky is blue and the Auburn summers are hot. And he's about to get the chance to carry through on it. Later this week, Koivun, the star of Auburn's national champion golf team, will make his final start as an amateur at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Soon afterward, he'll officially turn pro, making his first start as a professional in early July at the John Deere Classic. He'll surrender his amateur, guaranteed slot at the Open Championship, which you only do if you're highly confident you'll play your way back into the field very soon. "He's the most positive, optimistic person I ever coached," says Nick Clinard, Koivun's head coach at Auburn. "Negative thoughts never really creep into his mind." Koivun hits a shot from the bunker during Monday's practice round at Shinnecock Hills. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images) The college-to-pro pipeline in golf isn't quite as sanctified as, say, football or basketball. So let's put this in a cross-sport context: Koivun is the most anticipated amateur in a generation, on the level of LeBron James or fellow Auburn Tiger Cam Newton. Yes, he's that good. Koivun, who's forgoing his senior year, is a two-time individual national champion and a three-time SEC champion, plus he's led Auburn to two national titles. He already ranks 28th in the world in true strokes gained, per DataGolf, among multiple recent major winners. During his three years in college, he won 11 times — six this past season alone — and finished with 34 top-10s and 87 rounds below par, all of which are school records. His career 68.89 scoring average is the best in NCAA history. Shall we keep going? We'll keep going. His freshman year, Koivun won all three major individual awards — the Ben Hogan, the Fred Haskins and Jack Nicklaus awards — along with the Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award. This past year, he again won all three individual honors, becoming the first player ever to hit the trifecta twice. Keep reading.   ⚾️ 1-30 MLB POWER RANKINGS (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports) Three NL teams sit atop our latest MLB power rankings, in which Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman highlights a first-time All-Star candidate or two from each team. (Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports)   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 (Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ World Cup, Day 7 Cristiano Ronaldo's sixth and final World Cup begins today in Houston, where Portugal faces DR Congo (1pm ET, Fox). Then it's England vs. Croatia in Dallas (4pm, Fox), Ghana vs. Panama in Toronto (7pm, FS1) and Uzbekistan vs. Colombia in Mexico City (10pm, FS1). Climbing the ladder: Ronaldo and England's Harry Kane have both scored eight career World Cup goals, two shy of joining the 15 players who've scored at least 10. It's not hard to imagine both of them entering that exclusive club this summer considering Ronaldo is, well, Ronaldo, and Kane just scored 61 goals across 51 games this past season. ⚾️ CWS, Semifinals The College World Series Final Four begins today in Omaha, where No. 5 North Carolina faces No. 16 West Virginia in one semifinal (2pm, ESPN) and Oklahoma faces No. 3 Georgia in the other (7pm, ESPN). Where it stands: North Carolina and Oklahoma are undefeated, so they need only one win to advance to the CWS Finals. If either lose, winner-take-all games will be played tomorrow. More to watch: ⚾️ MLB: White Sox at Yankees (7pm, Prime) … Chicago (38-33) currently sits atop the AL Central with 38 wins in mid-June. Two years ago, they won 41 games all season. 🏀 WNBA: Liberty at Sky (8pm, USA); Aces at Mercury (10pm, USA) … New York (10-4) and Las Vegas (10-4) are tied for the league's second-best record behind Minnesota (11-3). Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.   ⚽️ LEADERBOARD WORLD CUP TRIVIA (Yahoo Sports) Lionel Messi is now tied for first in World Cup goals with 16 and Kylian Mbappé ranks fourth with 14. Question: Who ranks third with 15? Hint: South America. Answer at the bottom.   ⛳️ WHO YA GOT? U.S. OPEN: MAKE YOUR PICKS (Tracy Wilcox/PGA Tour via Getty Images) The third major of the PGA Tour season tees off tomorrow at Shinnecock Hills. Which golfer will come out on top? Will the winner be under par? Who finishes higher: Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy? Make your picks: Golf Pick 'Em is live, and we have a Yahoo Sports AM group that you can join to see where your picks stack up against us and other readers. And yes, the group winner(s) get a prize. Picks are due by 6:30am ET tomorrow, so get them in now! And make sure you're in the "Yahoo Sports AM" group to compete alongside Kendall, Jeff and other readers.   Trivia answer: Ronaldo (Brazil)

Republicans in US Senate left in dark by Trump on Iran deal, but want details and a vote WASHINGTON — U.S. senators from both political parties said Tuesday they had yet to see the text of the deal Trump administration officials struck over the weekend to end the war in Iran, though several indicated any final agreement will require their approval. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/06/16/repub/republicans-in-us-senate-left-in-dark-by-trump-on-iran-deal-but-want-details-and-a-vote/?

Florida’s GOP AGs used to intervene in utility rate cases, but no longer As electricity cost increases outpace other measures of inflation, attorneys general around the country have intervened to stop what they consider exorbitant rate hikes: https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/06/17/floridas-gop-ags-used-to-intervene-in-utility-rate-cases-but-no-longer/? ps:But of course Florida's AG could care less!!!!! To veto or not? All eyes are on DeSantis, sovereign immunity bill Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who recently pushed for a major overhaul of property taxes paid to cities and counties, will soon decide whether to increase the amount of money local governments and the state must pay out in negligence lawsuits. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/06/16/to-veto-or-not-all-eyes-are-desantis-sovereign-immunity-bill/? Uthmeier, federal partners warn of human trafficking during FIFA World Cup Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and a coalition of state, federal, and private partners warned Floridians Tuesday of a heightened risk of human trafficking, a day after Miami hosted its first of seven FIFA World Cup matches. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/06/16/uthmeier-federal-partners-warn-of-human-trafficking-during-fifa-world-cup/?

More Than 770,000 Children Are No Longer Receiving SNAP Benefits After Trump Changes Federal Food Program As a House committee debated President Donald Trump’s signature domestic policy bill last year, Republican backers repeatedly emphasized that its changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, wouldn’t affect vulnerable people. https://www.propublica.org/article/snap-benefits-children-food-stamps? “Digital Colonialism”: U.S. Demands to Access Africans’ Data Raise Privacy, Sovereignty Concerns Frank Ssekamwa says the United States presented his country with an impossible choice. If it accepted the terms of a new health agreement, Uganda would have to give the U.S. access to the data of millions of his fellow citizens — a decision he worries would make their personal information more vulnerable to breaches and possible exploitation. https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-state-department-africa-uganda-aid-medical-data-privacy?

Teasing the Temple in the Dead Sea Scrolls When Cyrus and the Persians brought an end to the Babylonian Exile and decreed that communities exiled by the Babylonians were permitted to go back to their homelands, the Judeans living in Mesopotamia must have been filled with hope and anticipation as they prepared for the return journey to the land of Judah. Their focus surely revolved around the complex challenges of rebuilding and, in particular, the task of restoring the Jerusalem Temple. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/dead-sea-scrolls/teasing-the-temple-in-the-dead-sea-scrolls/? Herod the Great: Friend of the Romans and Parthians? Often we think of Herod the Great in relation to ancient Rome. We understand the king as steadfast in his loyalty to this western imperial power—and rightly so. Herod’s behavior routinely betrayed his Roman interests, and inscriptions attest to and advertise this allegiance by identifying him with such titles as “Friend of the Romans.” It is entirely appropriate then to apply the modern label “Roman client king” to Herod, as scholars have done for so long. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/herod-the-great-friend-of-the-romans-and-parthians/?

Small plane crash A small jet carrying six people crashed on a highway in South Texas on Tuesday evening, with bystanders rushing to help rescue passengers from the fiery wreckage. One person was killed and five others were injured when the plane went down on Laredo's Loop 20 highway, scattering debris across multiple lanes. Read more.

Economy The Federal Reserve is expected to leave interest rates unchanged today. But for many investors, economists and Americans hoping for lower borrowing costs, the bigger focus will be on what comes next under new Chairman Kevin Warsh, who succeeded Jerome Powell. Warsh's post-meeting news conference, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET, will be his first major opportunity to introduce himself and his approach to monetary policy. Read more.

Georgia election President Trump scored a key victory in Georgia on Tuesday when his endorsed candidate, Rep. Mike Collins, defeated former football coach Derek Dooley in the GOP Senate primary runoff. Collins will now face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, who's generating 2028 presidential buzz. Read more.

G7 summit World leaders resumed meetings today at the Group of 7 summit in France, where discussions about the US-Iran agreement have been "frank," sources said. President Donald Trump has vowed to publicly release the text of the agreement with Iran within "a couple of days," but a copy of it was obtained by CNN from a US official. Read the full 14-point memorandum.

Severe weather Millions across the Midwest are bracing for an outbreak of severe storms today, with strong tornadoes, destructive winds and widespread power outages possible from Missouri through Indiana. Forecasters also expect Tropical Storm Arthur to form along the Gulf Coast within hours, making it the first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. Read more. FOLLOW THE FORECAST: Track the storms in the CNN Weather app and sign up for the CNN Weather newsletter.

AP Exclusive: The private school choice boom leaves behind many kids in public school In theory, voucher programs are supposed to give children an educational opportunity they wouldn’t otherwise have. In reality, students already in private or home school are most likely to benefit, an analysis by The Associated Press shows. Read more. Why this matters: More families across the country are experimenting with private school as states — and soon the federal government — use taxpayer-supported scholarships to encourage them to leave public school. Soon, half of all American schoolkids will be able to apply for state money to finance a private education, and many states will offer the scholarships even to high-income families. In some cases, public school families aren’t aware of these scholarship programs. They may lack transportation to get their kids to private school. Some worry their child won’t survive in a more strict disciplinary environment. Sometimes, as in Texas, the law is written to benefit families who know how to navigate complicated education systems. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump is shifting special ed, civil rights out of Education Department. Here’s what we know Teens’ reading and math scores have stagnated, US test results show Indiana becomes the latest state to receive flexibility from Trump on federal education spending

Trump says illegal immigration increased car insurance premiums. Experts say otherwise President Donald Trump this week credited his tough immigration policies for a drop in car insurance premiums, falsely blaming illegal immigration during his predecessor’s time in the White House for a prior increase. Read more. What to know: Experts say that increased costs were primarily due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as riskier behavior on the roads and supply chain disruptions that led to higher repair costs. Now that insurers are on a better financial footing, they are cutting rates to stay competitive. There is no evidence to suggest that illegal immigration played a significant role in either the rise or the fall of insurance premiums. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Judge upholds the conviction of former Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan for helping immigrant evade ICE Federal prosecutors charge 15 people with impeding agents during Minnesota immigration crackdown ICE says relaxed detention standards ‘reduce the burden’ on contractors running its lockups Adoptee threatened with deportation to Iran granted asylum

Most Americans see freedoms under threat but core to nation’s identity, AP-NORC poll finds WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Americans believe civil liberties like the right to vote are under threat, according to a new AP-NORC poll, while also continuing to agree that the rights expressed in the nation’s founding documents are still core to American identity. https://apnews.com/article/poll-america-250-voting-rights-threats-16e638192ab65ed2676e8a96283c69a1?

Federal government seeks to halt the first US reparations program for Black people The federal government on Tuesday asked a judge to halt the United States’ first reparations program that offered Black people in a small Illinois city $25,000 for 20th century race-based housing discrimination, joining an existing lawsuit that called the program unconstitutional. https://apnews.com/article/illinois-reparations-trump-department-of-justice-race-814515b5c67c176f0fa7bda09e172245? Special ed, civil rights to be shifted out of Trump’s shrinking Department of Education WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education announced sweeping efforts Tuesday to outsource its special education programs and civil rights enforcement to other agencies, in another major step by President Donald Trump’s administration to dismantle the department. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/06/16/repub/special-ed-civil-rights-to-be-shifted-out-of-trumps-shrinking-department-of-education/? ps:How pathetic, why would we want to give people a good education or there civil rights?????

The cost to overcome a Trump endorsement? $100 million In the Republican runoff for Georgia governor, Rick Jackson’s campaign spent more than $100 million, largely out of the billionaire’s own pocket, to defeat the candidate the president endorsed, Burt Jones. Read more. Why this matters: Jackson’s win was another rare example of the president’s choice falling short in a primary battle. Trump’s efforts were more successful elsewhere. His candidate for U.S. Senate won a runoff in Alabama, and his pick for Oklahoma governor advanced to another runoff there. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Full election results from Alabama, California, the District of Columbia, Georgia and Oklahoma Georgia Republicans choose Collins for Senate and Jackson for governor, a mixed result for Trump Trump-backed Moore wins GOP runoff for US Senate in Alabama, as Democrats focus on rising costs Democrat Aisha Wahab advances in California special election to replace former US Rep. Eric Swalwell

June 17, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. We are now three days into an uncertain pause in the war between the United States and Iran. Before I get to that, though: I’ve heard from a lot of you about how frustrating it can be when you can’t read our links without a subscription to The Times. I’m happy to say that starting today we’ll provide several free stories in every newsletter. They’re in the Morning Reads section. No paywall. Just click. Tehran on Monday. Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times In mediation It’s a tenuous, fragile moment. We haven’t seen the preliminary peace agreement that’s meant to be signed in Switzerland on Friday. Hostilities continue to simmer in Lebanon between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed. A period of diplomacy may be coming, 60 days of negotiations to end the war. But what those negotiations will bring remains an open question. Three of my colleagues have examined some of the possibilities. Their perspectives, deeply informed by the beats that they cover, help illuminate some of the forces at play in this dangerous, unsettling dispute. The view from Washington President Trump’s in a bind, reports David Sanger, who covers the White House and national security. Trump called David over the weekend to talk about how much he loathed the deal his predecessor Barack Obama made with Iran in 2015, which curtailed sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on the regime’s nuclear activity. “It was a road to a nuclear weapon, and ours is a wall against a nuclear weapon in the truest sense of the word,” he told David. “So let’s start there.” But as the Trump administration heads into negotiations over Iran’s nuclear stockpile and future research and enrichment activities, the president knows he has to get more than Obama did. Because if he does not, why did he take the United States to war in the first place? And it’s a big undertaking. The 2015 deal with Iran took 18 months to negotiate. Experts on nuclear material, inspection and enforcement were involved. The agreement was more than 150 pages long, filled with technical details and benchmarks and schedules. Trump, as ever, presents as an optimist. “We have our deal done with Iran,” he said yesterday at the G7 summit in France. “It goes to a second stage, which I think will be actually easier.” The view from Tehran Iran’s feeling emboldened, reports Yeganeh Torbati, who covers the country. Iranian politicians, generals and clerics from across the nation’s political spectrum called the preliminary deal a victory for Tehran, Yeganeh reports, one that shows Iran’s “resilience against a far more powerful enemy.” One expert Yeganeh spoke with said that Iran was certain to be galvanized heading into continued talks about peace. “I cannot recall another instance in which Iran suffered such serious military setbacks yet emerged with what could be considered a diplomatic victory,” he said. That may spell trouble at the negotiating table, especially when it comes to the future of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. “The nuclear negotiations will be the real test of the durability of this arrangement,” the expert said. “If tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have subsided by that stage, Trump may find it more difficult to extract major concessions from Tehran.” The economic view Wind turbine parts in Yancheng, China. Qilai Shen for The New York Times No matter what happens, the war has permanently altered the world order, reports Patricia Cohen, who covers the global economy. For one thing, the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz has changed where nations buy their energy and what kinds of energy they’re buying. In some places, like South Korea and Japan, there’s been a turn toward coal, which pollutes the atmosphere. In others, Patti says, it’s likely to propel a turn toward renewable sources like nuclear, wind and solar. China’s a big beneficiary of that because it’s so far ahead of the rest of the world in developing those energy technologies. That’s the second big change: Beijing is even more important on the world stage. “China looks to be an out-and-out winner,” concluded analysts from a global energy consulting firm. Third, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz may never truly return, Patti reports. Iran wants to impose a fee on ships that sail through the narrow waterway, which could violate international agreements. But even if it doesn’t, Tehran has demonstrated that it can disrupt trade there any time it wants to. Shipping companies don’t like the uncertainty. Finally, the World Bank says that growth of the global economy is slowing. Separately, inflation is starting to roar. That could result in a jittery world economy. I’ll let Patti have the last word on that: “And that is not good for long-term planning, investment or growth.” More on the war Trump said he hoped the war with Iran would soon be in the “rearview mirror.” Iran’s foreign minister said new talks on nuclear arms and sanctions relief would start on Friday. U.S. officials have not released a report on a February strike on an Iranian school, or publicly accepted U.S. responsibility for it. Iran says it killed at least 175 people, mostly children. G7 summit In France. Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times At the G7 summit in France, world leaders are praising Trump for the deal. They are trying to flatter him. Trump signaled that the war in Ukraine was not a priority. He said the U.S. had “nothing to do” with a conflict “thousands of miles away.” ELECTION RESULTS It was a mixed primary night for Georgia Republicans backed by Trump. Representative Mike Collins, his pick for Senate, won. (Collins will face the Democratic incumbent, Jon Ossoff, in November.) But Trump’s pick for governor — Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a longtime ally — lost to Rick Jackson. More results from last night: Alabama: Representative Barry Moore, whom Trump endorsed, won a runoff for a Senate nomination. He will be favored in the election to replace Senator Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor. Washington, D.C.: Votes are still being tallied in the Democratic mayoral contest. So far, Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist, leads Kenyan McDuffie, a tough-on-crime moderate. See results from other key primary and runoff races here. THE LATEST NEWS In the Courts A 19-year-old from Ohio told the authorities that he and others had planned to attack the White House during Trump’s U.F.C. event, using explosive-laden drones. At least five people have been charged. The Justice Department told a Mississippi court that Elon Musk’s A.I. company, xAI, can run dozens of gas-burning turbines in the state despite not having permits. A federal judge blocked Idaho’s transgender bathroom ban, which from next month would have imposed penalties of up to five years in prison. More on Politics The Trump administration took a major step toward dismantling the Education Department, moving its programs for disabled students to the Health Department and its civil rights office to the Justice Department. New documents indicate that Homeland Security did not receive input from the State Department, which the law requires it to consult, before it decided to end deportation protections for more than 350,000 Haitians. Hillary Clinton said Joe Biden’s presidential re-election bid was a “terrible mistake.” Vice President JD Vance’s book “Communion” is out. He writes in it about an “unsettling” meeting at the Vatican and disavows his infamous disparagement of some Democrats as “childless cat ladies.” Here are more takeaways. Vice President JD Vance Nathan Howard for The New York Times Around the World Military officials in Britain said a Russian Navy ship had fired warning shots near a yacht in the English Channel. China is cracking down on overseas investing, forcing citizens to keep their savings at home to fund state-led technology goals. An exiled Russian artist who used his work to criticize Vladimir Putin was shot to death outside his house in Poland. OPINIONS The New York Times Chris Hayes and Ezra Klein discuss whether high-profile Democrats like Graham Platner can convert attention into electoral success. What attracts young men to the U.F.C.? Hope Reeves considers the contest’s appeal after bringing her sons to Trump’s White House fight night. 3 days left: Earn a special Wordle badge. Celebrate 5 years of the game by solving through Friday. Play now MORNING READS We’ve made these stories free for everyone. Enjoy! Photo illustration by Hannah Whitaker Frozen yogurt lines: They’re getting crazy long. Why do people wait hours for this stuff? Hot date: Some young people, sick of dinner and drinks, are meeting through exercise. Bilingual brains: One brain can process different languages in shockingly similar ways. Your fridge, camouflaged: Hidden appliances are the newest luxury-kitchen craze. Where did the sink go? TODAY’S NUMBER 30,000 — That’s how many gallons of water a French sound artist is using in New York City to create a symphony that relies on hundreds of floating, singing bowls. WORLD CUP France and Senegal played in New Jersey yesterday. But casual viewers might not have realized it, because — as usual with matters involving the Garden State — New York gets the glory. The venue, MetLife Stadium, has been rebranded as New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament. Read about why that irritates New Jerseyans. Onto the matches … Lionel Messi’s best goal. FOXSoccer Argentina: Lionel Messi scored all the goals in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria last night, looking crisp as ever at 38 years old with his first hat trick at a World Cup. See his best goal. France: Kylian Mbappe is back, still looking incredible. He scored twice in a 3-1 win over Senegal. Just how good will his World Cup record be? Norway: Erling Haaland also scored twice, in a 4-1 win over Iraq. The trek from New York to the stadium bearing its name can get hairy. Four Times journalists tried four different ways — train, bus, bike and ride share — to make the trip. See which won. The New York Times RECIPE OF THE DAY David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. I love Meera Sodha’s cauliflower, cashew, pea and coconut curry for its deliciousness and for how it reminds me of a great sentence that my former colleague Jennifer Steinhauer wrote when she brought the recipe to The Times: “This is quite frankly one of the best vegan recipes I have ever eaten, and weeknight-friendly to boot, especially if, like me, you are inclined to press others to cut up the cauliflower, perhaps by noting that you have folded the last 11 loads of laundry.” Good eating. BEAR MARKET In the “Paddington” musical. Kalpesh Lathigra for The New York Times Paddington Bear was ubiquitous in London when I was there around Christmas, calling out from billboards and signs to come see him in “Paddington: The Musical.” Now he’s followed me home, where his producers will bring the show to Broadway next spring. They’re optimistic it’ll be a hit. “As the world has become darker, the lightness and joy of the story have become more relevant,” one told The Times. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Lois Dodd Spend 10 minutes looking at this painting by Lois Dodd, “The Painted Room.” It’s cool what happens when you let your mind focus. We’ll help. Consider what might have happened in the life of a Wirecutter reporter to lead her to spend more than $500 on a folding chair. Improve your executive functioning. Among other things, steer clear of people critical of your executive functioning! GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were naively and venially. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam 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

🏀 1 for the road: Knicks ratings rebound Data: Nielsen, ESPN. Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals This year's NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs were the most-watched since Michael Jordan's last win in 1998, according to Nielsen estimates. The series — which ended New York's 53-year title drought — averaged 20.6 million viewers across five games on ESPN and ABC. That's double the audience for last year's series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring against Algeria in Kansas City last night. Photo: Jay Biggerstaff/Reuters Three of yesterday's four World Cup matches featured big moments from soccer's biggest stars: 🇦🇷 Argentina's Lionel Messi scored a hat trick — his first at a World Cup — to tie the record for the most career goals scored in the tournament. 🇫🇷 France's Kylian Mbappé scored two goals, including a rocket from 30 yards out, in the French team's win over Senegal. 🇳🇴 Norway's Erling Haaland scored twice to lead his country to its first World Cup win since 1998. ⚽ Today's schedule: Portugal vs. DRC (1 p.m. ET) ... England vs. Croatia (4 p.m. ET) ... Ghana vs. Panama (7 p.m. ET) ... Uzbekistan vs. Colombia (10 p.m. ET)

⚠️ American pride falls off a cliff Data: PRRI American Identity Survey, May 1-18. PRRI American Identity Report. Chart: Russell Contreras/Axios A profound identity crisis has gripped America ahead of its 250th birthday: Citizens are less proud, less religiously unified and losing faith that the American Dream still works, Axios' Russell Contreras writes. A new survey from the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) finds that Americans are retreating into ideological camps, viewing the opposing side not as a political rival, but as threats to democracy itself. 🧮 By the numbers: 51% of Americans say they're extremely or very proud of being American, down sharply from 82% in 2013. Less than half of Democrats believe that being born in America (42%), believing in God (41%), or being Christian (29%) are important to national identity. A majority of Republicans say being born in America, believing in God and being Christian are important to being truly American. Americans are also split on the American Dream, with less than half believing that hard work gets you ahead. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, belief in the American Dream has fallen from 50% in 2024 to 36% today. Keep reading.

📈 New majority: 2 working parents Data: U.S. Census Current Population Survey data, analyzed by Pew. Chart: Noah Bressner/Axios A majority of U.S. families (52%) now have two parents who work full-time — a record high, Axios' Avery Lotz writes from a new Pew report. That's up six points from a decade ago and 21 points since 1975. The share of families in which the dad works full-time and the mom is not employed fell from 42% in 1975 to just 23% last year. Keep reading.

🚀 Charted: SpaceX soars above Amazon Data: FactSet. Chart: Matt Phillips/Axios SpaceX jumped another 4.8% yesterday, enabling Elon Musk's company to leapfrog Amazon in market value and become the world's fifth biggest company, Axios' Matt Phillips writes. Why it matters: The gain underscores the extraordinary power Musk's mastery of the stock market gives him. Case in point: SpaceX announced a $60 billion all-stock deal yesterday, essentially using its stock as currency to buy fast-growing vibe-coding startup Cursor. That instantly bolstered SpaceX's Grok AI division against Anthropic and OpenAI. Sam Altman walks through the Hart Senate Office Building on June 3. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters ⛰️ Sneak peek: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, befitting the leader of a tech giant with the power of a nation-state, is in the French Alps for the G7, and is holding one-on-one meetings with many heads of state. Today, he's expected to emphasize the importance of ensuring AI is as widely distributed as possible. Altman is expected to highlight OpenAI's commitment to being a reliable and long-term partner. The ChatGPT creator works with most of the countries, both directly with governments and through companies representing critical infrastructure, and provides cybersecurity defensive tools through the GPT-5.5-Cyber program.

🗳️ Big upset in Georgia In the GOP runoff for Georgia governor, billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson spent $100 million, mostly out of his pocket, and beat Trump-endorsed Burt Jones yesterday, 53% to 47%. It's "one of the biggest political upsets in recent Georgia history," writes Greg Bluestein of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jackson will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in the Nov. 3 general election. More from Axios Atlanta. In Georgia's GOP primary runoff for U.S. Senate, Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Mike Collins beat Derek Dooley, 55% to 45%, and will face Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) in November. More from Axios Atlanta. 🥊 The bottom line: A split result for Trump.

MAGA hawk mutiny Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Saul Loeb/Getty Images President Trump's Iran deal has opened an explosive second front in MAGA's civil war, waged by hawkish allies who view U.S. concessions as an existential betrayal of Israel, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: Across two terms and 11 years in the political spotlight, no issue has divided Trump's base more than the Iran war. When U.S. strikes began, leading isolationists — from Tucker Carlson to Marjorie Taylor Greene — were excommunicated for suggesting Trump had abandoned "America First" principles on behalf of Israel. Three months later, with an interim deal in hand and peace potentially on the horizon, the Republican hawks who cheered Trump into battle are now leading their own furious rebellion. 🖼️ The big picture: Pro-Israel conservatives are demanding to see the text of Trump's memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran, frustrated as much by the deal's secrecy as by its reported substance. The White House has given conflicting signals on timing: Senior officials said the text would be released yesterday or today. Trump said it may come Friday, after a formal signing ceremony in Geneva. Republican leadership in Congress remains in the dark — and frustrated by the lack of detail. So is Israel, which hasn't seen the official MOU despite being a party to the ceasefire. Trump inflamed the backlash yesterday by praising Iran's negotiators in a bilateral meeting with Qatar's emir, a key mediator distrusted by many pro-Israel Republicans. "We're dealing with people that I think are very rational people," Trump said, adding that Iranian officials were "nice to deal with," "not radicalized" and "looking to help their country." For hawks who view Iran's government as a terrorist regime incapable of reform, the president's language deepened their fear that the deal rewards Tehran for surviving the war. President Trump meets with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan yesterday at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images 🔎 Zoom in: The objections from Trump's pro-Israel allies fall largely into three buckets. Money: The MOU would allow Iran to immediately begin selling oil while opening the door to sanctions relief, frozen funds and a $300 billion reconstruction fund during the next phase of nuclear talks. U.S. officials stress that financial relief would be tied to compliance, but hawks are apoplectic at the mere prospect of money flowing to Tehran. Leverage: Months of overwhelming military force crippled Iran's nuclear infrastructure and conventional military defenses. By entering a 60-day negotiation window and lifting the naval blockade now, hawks argue Trump is trading away unprecedented leverage. Some even claim the regime was on the brink of collapse, though there's little evidence of that. Trust: Critics reject the premise that Iran can be coaxed into moderation — a concern echoed inside Trump's own government. Axios reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe warned Trump that U.S. intelligence has serious doubts about Tehran's willingness to make the nuclear concessions required for a final deal. Between the lines: Vice President Vance may be more vulnerable to the deal's political fallout than Trump, who can always pitch himself as the president who took on Iran when no one else dared. Vance, the likely 2028 heir to the MAGA throne and a longtime skeptic of foreign entanglements, helped negotiate the MOU and is expected to sign it Friday in Geneva. Defending the deal on Megyn Kelly's show yesterday, Vance dismissed hawk critics as wanting "an endless conflict" that goes on "until every Iranian is dead" — then urged MAGA skeptics to stay inside the coalition.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY June 17 1885 Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor The Statue of Liberty, a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of America, arrives in New York Harbor after being shipped across the Atlantic Ocean read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT American Revolution 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill begins Cold War 1953 Soviets crush antigovernment riots in East Berlin Crime 1994 O.J. Simpson leads L.A. police on a low-speed chase 2015 Charleston church shooting Native American History 1876 Native Americans score victory at the Battle of the Rosebud Sports 1976 NBA merges with ABA U.S. Presidents 1972 Watergate burglars arrested 1900 Future President Hoover caught in Boxer Rebellion World War II 1943 FDR’s secretary of war stifles Truman’s inquiry into suspicious defense plant 1940 France signals intention to surrender to the Nazis

Trump delays his own national intelligence nominee, fueling tension with fellow Republicans WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday derailed the confirmation process of his own nominee to head the nation’s intelligence agencies, an extraordinary move that upended Senate efforts to renew a crucial surveillance program and fueled fresh tensions with fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill. https://apnews.com/article/trump-jay-clayton-congress-voting-bill-bc75e8a07ea29788b602625cf1c54b47? 🏭 GM joins arms race Axios' Joann Muller and Colin Demarest write from the ReIndustrialize defense summit in Detroit: GM and Lockheed Martin plan to work together to strengthen U.S. manufacturing and boost America's readiness for war. Why it matters: The collaboration, at the urging of the Trump administration, is portrayed as an effort to protect national security by strengthening the U.S. industrial base across the defense sector. Early conversations are focused on how Lockheed can leverage GM's expertise in high-rate manufacturing, digital engineering and supply chain management, said Frank St. John, Lockheed's chief operating officer. 🪖 The big picture: Lockheed weaponry is sought globally. The Trump administration has inked several deals with the defense contractor — the world's largest by revenue — to greatly boost production of missile defenses. To meet the Pentagon's demand to "triple or quadruple" weapons production within three to four years, Lockheed is investing $9 billion across 20 facilities.