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🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: Carolina's comeback, Longhorns repeat as softball champs, quarters come to soccer, Judge lands on IL, NBA mock draft, Ohtani breaking baseball (again), and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🥎 Longhorns go back-to-back: Texas beat Texas Tech, 4-1, on Thursday to complete the sweep and win its second straight softball national championship. It's the same result as last year, with the mighty Longhorns once again besting the Red Raiders' multimillion dollar roster full of superstar transfers. ⚾️ Judge lands on IL: In a brutal blow for the Yankees, Aaron Judge will be out for the foreseeable future after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his rib. The three-time MVP will be re-examined in 4-6 weeks, and "is expected to return at some point this season." 🎾 Last two standing: The women's French Open final is appropriately historic for this rollercoaster of a Grand Slam, with 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva — the first person born after 2004 to reach a major final — set to face 114th-ranked Maja Chwalińska, the second qualifier ever to reach a major final (Emma Raducanu, 2021 U.S. Open). 🏀 Trump at MSG: President Trump confirmed that he will attend at least one of next week's games at Madison Square Garden, which will make him the first sitting U.S. president to attend the NBA Finals. 🏀 Miles sets record: Lynx guard Olivia Miles set a WNBA rookie record with eight 3-pointers made in Thursday's win over the Valkyries. The ROY frontrunner put up a 28-4-7 line to lead first-place Minnesota (8-2) to its sixth straight win.   🏆 STANLEY CUP FINAL CANES STORM BACK TO EVEN SERIES (Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) In Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Golden Knights stormed back to win. On Thursday, it was Carolina's turn to stage a series-shifting comeback. ICYMI: The Canes trailed 2-0 in the third period before scoring three goals in five minutes to revitalize the home crowd. A tip from Vegas' Mark Stone in the final seconds sent the game to overtime, where Seth Jarvis found the back of the net to play the hero and even the series. Final score: Hurricanes 4, Golden Knights 3 (OT). Controversial call: The Canes' third goal in regulation came on a power play in the final five minutes, after a challenge from Vegas head coach John Tortorella led to a delay of game penalty. The challenge was on a controversial no-goal call, with referees ruling that goaltender interference was enough to erase a Golden Knights goal. Historic start: The Hurricanes are the first team since the 1944 Canadiens to win a Cup Final game after trailing by multiple goals in the final 10 minutes of regulation. This is also the first Stanley Cup Final in history to be tied 1-1 with both teams having a multi-goal comeback win. Are you not entertained?! Tune back in on Saturday night for Game 3 in Las Vegas. Judging by how this series has gone so far, we should be in for another thriller.   ⚽️ PRESS PAUSE STARTS AND STOPS: GAME BREAKS COME TO SOCCER (Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images) If you watched soccer last weekend, you likely witnessed the growing familiarity of a previously foreign concept: hydration breaks. The new normal: A sport once known for its 45-minute halves, uninterrupted by commercial interests or talking heads, has buckled with increasing regularity to mid-half stoppages. Though first implemented as a weather-dependent protocol to spare players from extreme heat, the breaks have extended their reach further into a game typically resistant to change. Just last weekend: The Champions League Final featured cooling breaks in both halves, despite temperatures in Budapest sitting in the mid-70s at kickoff. Mauricio Pochettino used a first-half cooling break to create one of the year's great sports memes, gathering USMNT players around his MacBook for tactical instruction. Starts and stops: Regardless of weather conditions, every match in the upcoming World Cup will feature hydration breaks in each half, spanning exactly three minutes from whistle to whistle. Get ready to learn quarters, world! Poch’s laptop moment evokes the NBA's whiteboard, much to purists' chagrin. (Screenshot: TNT Sports) Cooling or commercials? FIFA will reportedly allow broadcasters to show commercials during the World Cup breaks, with some caveats, per The Athletic. For example: Ads can't start within 20 seconds of the referee's whistle, and they must end more than 30 seconds before the game restarts. As of two weeks ago, conversations between Fox and FIFA about the inclusion of advertisements were still ongoing. Between the lines: The break-creep also changes the tactical complexion of a match, giving teams an opportunity to huddle up and talk X's and O's. Managers once relied on an unreliable game of telephone to install new instructions mid-half. Now, they can adjust with great specificity as players congregate for water. Perhaps the most uncomfortable aspect of the breaks is the clock, which will continue running despite the firm three-minute period of inaction. The officials will add those minutes to the stoppage time at the end of each half. Bottom line: Just as NFL RedZone is no longer seven hours of commercial-free football, futbol is no longer enjoyed 45 minutes of uninterrupted action at a time. Inevitably, the gradual normalization of breaks will create opportunity for incremental advertising over time, further commercializing a sport whose fans are loath to witness the transition. This story was written by Dylan Dittrich, author of our upcoming Sports Business newsletter, which launches soon. Want in? Email dylan.dittrich@yahooinc.com with the subject line "I'm in."   🏀 CLASS OF 2026 NBA MOCK DRAFT 7.0 (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) With the NBA Finals upon us and the draft less than three weeks away (June 23-24), here's our latest two-round mock, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor. Top 10: Wizards: AJ Dybantsa (BYU) Jazz: Darryn Peterson (Kansas) Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer (Duke) Bulls: Caleb Wilson (North Carolina) Clippers: Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville) Nets: Nate Ament (Tennessee) Kings: Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas) Hawks: Keaton Wagler (Illinois) Mavericks: Brayden Burries (Arizona) Bucks: Kingston Flemings (Houston) Be sure to check out our 2026 NBA Draft Guide, which features full scouting reports for our top 60 prospects, player comparisons, and multiple big boards.   ⚾️ SHO-TIME OHTANI'S BREAKING BASEBALL (AGAIN) (Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Shohei Ohtani has already amassed 5.2 wins above replacement this season, which is more than all but 30 players had last year. As a reminder: There are still four months left in the season!!! As a hitter, he's shaken off a cold start (by his standards) to get back to his usual offensive prowess, batting .301/.420/.521 with 10 HR, 14 2B, 33 RBI and 41 R. His .420 OBP leads the NL and his .941 OPS ranks third. As a pitcher, he's 6-2 with a 0.74 ERA, which is the third-lowest through 10 starts of a season in MLB history. He's just two innings shy of qualifying for the ERA leaderboard, which he would otherwise top by nearly three-quarters of a run (Cristopher Sánchez, 1.46). Chasing the Babe: In 1923, Babe Ruth amassed a career-high 14.1 WAR, marking the only time in MLB history that someone eclipsed 13 WAR (per Baseball Reference). Ohtani's current pace? 13.6. Game on.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) 🏀 NBA Finals, Game 2 The New York Buzzsaws — er, Knicks — go for their 13th consecutive win tonight in San Antonio (8:30pm ET, ABC), where the Spurs will try to salvage a split at home before the series heads to the Big Apple. Flashback: This is the first time the Knicks have led in the NBA Finals since going up 3-2 on the Rockets on June 17, 1994 — the day of O.J. Simpson's infamous white Bronco chase. 🏒 Stanley Cup Final, Game 3 The Hurricanes and Golden Knights are tied at one game apiece as the series heads to Las Vegas tomorrow night (8pm, ABC). Road warriors: Carolina has yet to lose on the road in these playoffs (6-0), and a victory tomorrow would make them just the fifth team in NHL history to win their first seven away games in a single postseason. 🎾 French Open The action concludes this weekend at Roland Garros, starting with No. 2 Alexander Zverev vs. No. 26 Jakub Menšík in today's first men's semifinal (8:30am, TNT/HBO Max) and No. 10 Flavio Cobolli vs. Matteo Arnaldi in the second (1pm). Tomorrow, it's No. 8 Mirra Andreeva vs. Maja Chwalińska in the women’s final (9am), followed by the men's final on Sunday (9am). First-time champs: No matter who wins, this year's French Open will be just the second Grand Slam in the last 20 years to crown a first-time major champion in both the men's and women's draws, the other being the 2021 U.S. Open (Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu). ⛳️ U.S. Women's Open The LPGA's second major of the year continues at famed Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles (Fri-Sun, Peacock/USA/NBC), where 156 players are competing for a women's golf record $12.5 million purse. Leaderboard: American Jennifer Kupcho (-5) holds a one-stroke lead after the opening round. World No. 1 Nelly Korda and No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul both struggled, each shooting a two-over 73. ⚾️ NCAA Baseball Super Regionals The Sweet 16 gets underway today, as eight best-of-three series hosted by the higher seed will determine who advances to the College World Series. Four of the series start today, while the other four start tomorrow. Underdogs everywhere: How chaotic were the Regionals? Just two of the Supers are between seeded teams, with No. 3 Georgia hosting No. 14 Mississippi State (Sat. 11am, ESPN) and No. 6 Texas hosting No. 11 Oregon (Sat. 8pm, ESPN). The other six series: Cal Poly at No. 16 West Virginia, Little Rock at Troy, USC at No. 5 UNC, Ole Miss at No. 4 Auburn, Oklahoma at No. 15 Kansas and St. John's at No. 7 Alabama. More to watch: 🇺🇸 Friendlies: USMNT vs. Germany (Sat. 2:30pm, TBS); Brazil vs. USWNT (Sat. 5:30pm, TBS) … The men play their final World Cup tuneup in Chicago, while the women head to São Paulo for a two-game series. 🐎 Horse Racing: Belmont Stakes (Sat. 7:04pm, Fox) … The 158th Test of the Champion closes out the 2026 Triple Crown season. 🏎️ Formula 1: Monaco Grand Prix (Sun. 9am, Apple) … Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli goes for his fifth straight victory at the most prestigious event on the F1 calendar. 🏈 UFL Playoffs: DC Defenders at Orlando Storm (Sun. 3pm, ABC); Louisville Kings at St. Louis Battlehawks (Sun. 6pm, Fox) … Winners meet in next week's championship. ⛳️ PGA: The Memorial (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/CBS) … Four players are tied for the lead (-5) at Muirfield. ⚾️ MLB: Guardians at Rangers (Fri. 8pm, Apple); Royals at Twins (Fri. 8pm, Apple); Nationals at Diamondbacks (Sun. 3:15pm, Peacock); Giants at Cubs (Sun. 8:30pm, NBC) 🏀 WNBA: Wings at Sparks (Fri. 10pm, ION); Storm at Lynx (Sat. 1pm, ABC); Valkyries at Aces (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Fever at Liberty (Sat. 8pm, CBS) Plus: 🥍 PLL Week 4 in Charlotte (Fri-Sat, ESPN+); 🏁 NASCAR in Michigan (Sun. 3pm, Prime); IndyCar in St. Louis (Sun. 9pm, Fox); ⛳️ LIV Golf Andalucia (Fri-Sun, FS1); 🏈 IFL Week 13 (Sat-Sun, Yahoo Sports TV) Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.   🐎 31 LENGTHS HORSE RACING TRIVIA (Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) With the 158th Belmont Stakes set for tomorrow, let's take a moment to flashback to the greatest race ever run. Question: What year did Secretariat complete his Triple Crown with a 31-length victory at the Belmont? A) 1981 1978 C) 1973 D) 1969 Answer at the bottom.   🏎️ START YOUR ENGINES YAHOO SPORTS x APPLE TV (Apple) This weekend's Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Monaco Grand Prix 2026 continues our season-long partnership with Apple TV for F1 coverage. Tune in: Today's practice sessions (7:30am/11am ET) and tomorrow's qualifying (10am) will both air for free on Yahoo Sports, while Sunday's race will stream on Apple TV, the new U.S. home of Formula 1.   Trivia answer: C) 1973

St. Pete Council OKs study to review costs, benefits of owning its own utilities Responding to the frustrations expressed by local residents, the St. Petersburg City Council has taken a major step towards potentially jettisoning its longtime relationship with Duke Energy Florida and creating its own city-run electric utility. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/06/05/st-pete-council-oks-study-to-review-costs-benefits-of-owning-its-own-utilities/? She’s out: Democratic Rep. Lindsay Cross says she will not run for re-election This is a developing story. St. Petersburg Democratic House Rep. Lindsay Cross stunned political observers Thursday when she announced she will not run for re-election. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/06/04/shes-out-democratic-rep-lindsay-cross-says-she-will-not-run-for-re-election/? Shevrin Jones files to succeed Frederica Wilson in CD-24 Former state Senator Shevrin Jones is running to succeed eight-term U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson in Congressional District 24, according to paperwork filed Thursday morning. https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/shevrin-jones-files-to-succeed-frederica-wilson-in-cd-24/?

Crime Spree of Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioters Revealed as Worse Than Known One in 16 of the rioters whom the president freed has since been arrested, charged, or convicted of other crimes. At least 97 of the more than 1,500 Capitol rioters pardoned by President Donald Trump have since been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of crimes unrelated to Jan. 6. The figure, published Thursday by the independent legal outlet Lawfare, is nearly triple the largest prior tally and amounts to nearly one in 16 of the insurrectionists swept up in the clemency order Trump, 79, signed on his first day back in office. The crimes “run the gamut,” Lawfare reports, from low-grade offenses such as trespassing and drug paraphernalia to grand larceny, stalking, plots to kill politicians and police, and fraud against the government. At least 14 pardonees have been charged with sex crimes or offenses tied to child sexual abuse material. At least six have faced domestic violence charges. At least 20 have been hit with DUI or public intoxication charges. Most damning, five of those Trump freed were arrested over conduct that happened at least partly after their release. That means the clemency order may have actively enabled their alleged crimes. One of the five, Lawfare reported, is Andrew Paul Johnson, 45, a Florida handyman freed by the pardon in 2025. A Hernando County jury convicted him in February of five charges, including the molestation of two children, and he was sentenced to life in prison in March. Police said he tried to silence one victim by promising to share restitution money he expected from the Trump administration over his Jan. 6 case. Another, as PunchUp exclusively revealed last month, is Christopher Quaglin, 40. The violent Proud Boys member was sentenced to 12 years after he committed some of the most heinous crimes on Jan. 6, but served only four before Trump pardoned him. As our sister Substack reported on May 29, the electrician from North Brunswick, New Jersey, who currently lives in Florida, has been arrested twice in the past three months alone—including in May, when he allegedly fought with officers who arrested him for disorderly conduct. The new count dwarfs earlier figures. The New York Times editorial board counted 39 reoffenders in March. The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington identified 33 in December 2025, a figure echoed by a report from the Democratic staff of the House Judiciary Committee. Tracking the pardonees is difficult because, unlike parolees, they face no monitoring or reporting requirements, Lawfare noted. The job has been made harder by the Justice Department’s deletion of Jan. 6 defendant records, which Lawfare has worked to restore. Trump signed the sweeping proclamation hours after his second inauguration, with no pardon attorney review and no victim notification, undoing what had been the largest federal investigation in U.S. history. The findings come weeks after the administration floated a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate those it says were politically targeted. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche would not rule out letting pardoned rioters who assaulted police claim payouts, per CNBC, though the DOJ is now backing off the plan amid Republican pushback. One case shows the pardons cutting the other way, too. Andrew Taake, 37, a Houston man, had pleaded guilty to soliciting what he believed was a 15-year-old girl for sex—a charge that predated the riot. He escaped a sentence by drawing on prison-time “credit” banked while detained for bear-spraying a police officer at the Capitol, a conviction Trump then erased, the Daily Beast revealed last November. He didn’t reoffend after walking free—but the clemency still spared him punishment for a separate child sex crime. “President Trump has exercised his constitutional authority to issue pardons and commutations for a variety of individuals, including those who have been victims of Biden’s weaponized justice system,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the Daily Beast, before pivoting to an attack on former President Joe Biden’s clemency decisions. “The White House has a rigorous pardon review process which includes the White House Counsel, the Department of Justice, and ultimately the President as the final decider. And the only pardons anyone should be critical of are from President Autopen, who pardoned and commuted sentences of violent criminals including child killers and mass murderers—and that’s not to mention the proactive pardons he ‘signed’ for his family members like Hunter on his way out the door.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-jan-6-pardon-crime-spree-revealed-as-even-worse-than-known/?

The Jolly Donald View in browser The U.S. Navy was born to fight piracy. After the Revolutionary War, the United States maintained no standing fleet, but attacks by the Barbary pirates—corsairs based in North Africa who preyed on American merchant ships and took sailors ransom—drove Congress to reestablish a navy in the 1790s. In 1801, Thomas Jefferson dispatched ships to the Mediterranean to fight the pirates, and the successful war that followed proved a template for American interventions for centuries: The U.S. showed it was willing to use military force to defend American commercial interests and to punish bad international actors. Trump has already rejected much of this vision of American foreign policy, a point he demonstrated vividly last month by approvingly likening the U.S. Navy to pirates while describing an interdiction in the Persian Gulf. “We took over the cargo, took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business. Who would have thought we were doing that?” the president said in West Palm Beach, Florida. “We’re like pirates.” Perhaps a man as enthralled by gold as Trump was bound to find a natural affinity with pirates. In fact, the Trump administration is taking a buccaneering attitude around the globe—not just in the actions in the Middle East that Trump described. The U.S. continues to blow up boats, including one yesterday, in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean without any due process or basis in law. And in Washington, a prominent senator has proposed that the U.S. government commission privateers—basically, government-licensed pirates—to battle narco-traffickers. Since the start, the strikes have been a lawless operation. Few legal experts believe there is any justification for them. The Trump administration claims that those targeted are drug smugglers but has presented no evidence for this. Surely, some of them are, though reliable reporting suggests that others are not. Even if the administration had evidence of drug smuggling, that is not the same thing as a conviction; and even if these people had a conviction, federal law does not establish capital punishment for drug trafficking. The attacks received lots of attention when they began, much of it negative, and a few outlets (especially those based overseas) have stayed focused on covering them. But the attention of the public and, especially, Congress has moved on: There are flailing wars and cartoonish corruption going on. Meanwhile, the strikes have actually accelerated. Like the pirates of the golden age, the U.S. military is functioning as an unseen menace, dealing death with no warning or recourse. More than 200 people have been killed in the strikes, but as The New York Times reported a few days ago, the campaign has made no dent in the cocaine trade to the United States. Senator Mike Lee would rather this work be done by private individuals. The Utahn introduced a bill in December that would authorize the president to issue letters of marque, a tool by which the government licenses private individuals to attack foreign interests by seizing ships, as a way of taking on drug traffickers. The Constitution does specifically grant Congress the power to issue letters of marque, though they were effectively abolished by an international treaty in 1856. The wisdom of encouraging private Americans to get into armed battles with cartels is certainly debatable, and the Senate has not advanced the bill. In the absence of privateers, Trump seems to enjoy the idea of the U.S. military acting as outlaws on the seas. During his protracted attempt to figure out what he wants and what he can get out of the war in Iran, Trump announced a full blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. As Lawfare’s Todd Huntley writes, a full blockade would be a violation of international law, though that’s not actually what the U.S. is doing. (One sometimes gets the sense that Trump uses maximalist language without knowing or caring what it means, simply because it sounds cool to him; he also futilely called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”) No one disputes that the Iranian government is acting illegally in the strait. Under international law, the Strait of Hormuz is open to navigation, but Iran has mined the strait and allowed only certain vessels to pass through it, attacking others. The question is what the United States can do in response. (Complicating the matter is the fact that Iran closed the strait after Trump launched a war that is dubious under international law and unauthorized by Congress.) The traditional—and responsible—role for the United States, in the lineage of fighting the Barbary pirates, would be to defend the international norm of free navigation and push to reopen the strait. Trump has been willing to mouth these words. Visiting China last month, he said he raised the issue with Xi Jinping, but Trump did not make it a major focus and received no commitments from Xi. What seems to really excite Trump is not freedom of navigation but financial gain. As his remarks in West Palm Beach indicated, Trump is taken with the idea of seizing ships and selling their cargoes. He had the same impulse with oil tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, which the U.S. seized this winter. The problem is that, as with many of Trump’s past schemes to make money, this one is a mess in practice. As The New York Times reported in March, maintaining just one seized oil tanker had cost $47 million. Perversely, Trump’s war in Iran has driven up the price of oil, so the cargo on board is more valuable. Still, seizing ships doesn’t seem like a very effective way to fill the Treasury’s coffers, and embracing freebooting carries risks besides financial ones. Free and peaceful navigation have enabled the prosperity of the United States and much of the world. No child, or reader of Robert Louis Stevenson, can deny the allure of pirates, but the marauders are rarely the good guys in the story. Related: 20 U.S. boat strikes in three months Trump’s logic for blockading the blockaders

The one on sin last week was very good, and the class was 'somewhat familiar' with....😊

Well, you also have the lies that Satan puts out there. Some try to hold on to their sin or claim that repentance has no place in salvation, that you can believe in Jesus as “Savior” but never repent of your sin. That you can be saved even if you continue in bondage to sin and iniquity just as it was before you became a Christian, that no change is needed. But thats not true as we see... Matthew 4:17 King James Version (KJV) 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Matthew 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Luke 5:32 King James Version (KJV) 32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Jesus even repeated it for emphasis in describing to the people: Luke 13:1-6 King James Version (KJV) 1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Jesus told his disciples to proclaim “repentance and remission of sins” in his name to all the nations. Luke 24:47 King James Version (KJV) 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. When the apostles preached in Acts, they called people to repent of their sins in order to be forgiven: Acts 2:38 King James Version (KJV) 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 3:19 King James Version (KJV) 19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 5:30-31 King James Version (KJV) 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. Scripture is clear, repentance is absolutely necessary in order to be saved. Only those truly repent and turn to Christ and His righteousness in their lives, and away from their sin, will be saved on the last day.

I've really been enjoying this Quarters Lessons!!

"Where law ends, tyranny begins." — William Pitt The post The Weaponization of Faith: Cultural Anxiety and the Russian Trap appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

Men love darkness rather than light.

Michael Peabody, Esq. / ReligiousLiberty.TV ReligiousLiberty.TV launched on June 1, 2008. On June 1, 2026, it turns 18. Old enough to vote. Old enough to enlist. Old enough, at last,… The post The Church Outlived Rome's Plagues. It Almost Didn't Outlive the Webcam. appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

There is a particular kind of stupidity that only flourishes inside a professional sports franchise, where the money is too big and the men are too comfortable, and it always… The post Nationals Fire Executive for Blackballing Catholic Pitcher Trevor Williams appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

The Intermediate Court of Appeals of West Virginia affirmed a lower court order blocking a former minister’s lawsuit. Amber B. Elmore sued Mount Vernon Baptist Church for wrongful termination and… The post West Virginia Appellate Court Blocks Retaliation Lawsuit Filed By Fired Children’s Minister appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

“To the gestating parent who carried me and the non-gestating parent who, per the record, contributed, on this the festival of obligatory affection…” Link to Bill S 9316 (6/2/2026) https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S9316… The post NY Bill Changing Moms and Dads to Gestating and Non-Gestating Parents Goes to Gov's Desk appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

We are about to enter Supreme Court decision season, the stretch of late June when the rulings that will shape religious liberty for a generation come down in rapid succession,… The post The Tree, the Choice and the Court appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

This morning, somewhere in America, a woman walked into a building of her own choosing, knelt where she wanted to kneel, and prayed to the God she believes in. No… The post Eighteen Years, and the Doors Are Still Open appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

For millions of Americans, the feeling that their faith is under siege is not a mere political talking point. It is a visceral, lived experience. We look out at our… The post The Weaponization of Faith: Cultural Anxiety and the Russian Trap appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

The Department of Defense has reduced its list of recognized religious affiliation codes from more than 200 down to 31. A memo signed by Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel… The post The Pentagon Just Cut 180 Faiths. The Real Story Is Who Gets to Decide. appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV. View the full article

What to know about the deal between Israel and Lebanon extending their shaky ceasefire The U.S.-brokered agreement was announced days after Israeli forces made their deepest incursion into Lebanon in over 25 years. Read more. Why this matters: Lebanon has become a major sticking point in attempts to extend the separate ceasefire in the Iran war. The deal attempts to separate the conflicts. It has several contentious points, including the creation of “pilot” security zones inside Lebanon from which the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group that Israel has been fighting would be banned. There’s also a stipulation about the group’s eventual disbanding. The militant group was not officially involved in the talks. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Hezbollah rejects latest ceasefire agreement Lebanese Americans open their wallets and hearts as war rages back home There are supposed to be ceasefires across the Middle East, but the fighting is worsening

Senate passes $70B immigration enforcement bill without limits on Trump settlement fund Just before 5 a.m. Friday, Senators voted 52-47 for legislation to fund ICE and Border Patrol for the next three years. It came after weeks of delays and fierce backlash to an unrelated $1.776 billion settlement fund that resolves President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. Read more. Why this matters: The final vote came after Republicans narrowly defeated multiple attempts by Democrats and Republicans to add language to the bill that would permanently ban Trump’s settlement fund for political allies who believe they have been politically persecuted. Republicans defeated an amendment proposed by one of their own members, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, that would have redirected payments from Trump’s settlement to members of law enforcement who were injured in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. The amendments were a test of party unity that complicated what should have been an easy vote for Republicans who wanted to keep the focus on immigration enforcement in an election year. Instead, they spent almost a full day haggling among themselves over whether to block the settlement fund, even after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche had said earlier this week that it would not go forward. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump says Pulte won’t be his nominee for director of national intelligence Ex-national security adviser John Bolton will plead guilty in classified information case: AP source Senate blocks extending key surveillance program following backlash over Trump pick to lead intel US employers likely added 105,000 jobs in May with labor market stable despite costly Iran war Trump announces $700 million in new support for struggling coal industry House passes bill to aid Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia US sanctions Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in latest move to pressure island’s leadership Prosecutors lose appeal in Arizona’s fake elector case but vow to present it again to a grand jury With Oval Office replica and skyline views of Chicago, Obama’s new museum is political and personal Kennedy Center moves to erase Trump references after judge said they were illegally added Water begins refilling Reflecting Pool after Trump’s renovation to repaint it ‘American flag blue’ Planning commission seeks more details on Trump’s planned 250-foot arch near the Lincoln Memorial

June 5, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. Senate Republicans rammed through their $70 billion bill to fund President Trump’s immigration crackdown this morning, after defeating efforts by Democrats and some Republicans to block Trump’s $1.8 billion payout fund. (The bill still needs to go to the House, which is expected to pass it.) And multiple women who dated Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine, told The Times he was a volatile boyfriend. There’s more news below. But first, let’s go to the theater. “Schmigadoon!” Sara Krulwich/The New York Times News from the rialto New York’s theater district is in The Times’s physical backyard, stretching north along Eighth Avenue from our newsroom on 41st Street to 54th Street, and east to Sixth Avenue. It’s thrilling to walk through it, past the dozens of theaters that make up Broadway’s ecosystem, and to consider how closely related the business of live theater is to the one of publishing newspapers: both centuries-old activities, still performed daily by people on stages, by people with keyboards, right in the heart of New York City. That’s neat. Michael Paulson, our theater reporter, bridges the two worlds. Broadway’s his beat and he covers it as if it were a small city — or a polytheistic religion. And he’ll definitely see it in thrall to the theater gods this weekend, with the 79th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday night. (The ceremony will air on CBS at 8 p.m. Eastern and stream on Paramount+. We’ll be covering it, too.) The new musicals “The Lost Boys” and “Schmigadoon!” are at the top of the leaderboard with 12 nominations apiece, and a revival of the musical “Ragtime” is close behind with 11. It’s going to be cool to see numbers from the musicals performed during the ceremony. “Death of a Salesman,” with nine, is the most nominated play. Who will win? Tony voters have been taking in the performances for months. (Here’s how you can see contenders yourself, if you’re in New York or planning to visit.) And as he’s done for years, Michael has talked to a huge number of them about how they’re planning to vote. His predictions of winners in past years have been eerily accurate for just that reason. Of course, past performance offers no guarantee on future return, he reminded me yesterday. But here’s Michael’s ballot for 2026, based on emails and phone calls he traded with about 175 of the roughly 850 Tony voters. Helen Shaw, our chief theater critic, saw these shows herself, and has decided opinions about who should win and informed notions about who will win as well. Her picks are here, and she spoke about them with Wesley Morris on his “Cannonball” podcast. “Liberation.” Sara Krulwich/The New York Times On the boards Michael and Helen’s colleagues on the theater desk have put together an impressive collection of pieces that’ll help prepare you for the ceremony, introducing you to a season’s worth of people, moments and performances. Among them, you can: View portraits of 38 of the nominees. They include Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf from “Salesman,” John Lithgow from “Giant,” Daniel Radcliffe from “Every Brilliant Thing,” Ana Gasteyer from “Schmigadoon!” and Rachel Dratch from “The Rocky Horror Show.” See how actors in six of the shows get into character. Thrill to scene-stealing highlights of the season’s best shows. It’s supposed to be fun Maybe you don’t follow Broadway, though. Perhaps musicals or plays are not your thing. Yesterday afternoon, I asked Michael why you should care about the Tony Awards anyway. Here’s what he told me: The Tony Awards matter in part for the obvious reason — they’re a chance to celebrate the best work staged on Broadway over the previous year. But they matter for other reasons, too. First, and most important, the awards broadcast, despite declining viewership, remains the biggest audience Broadway draws at any one moment, and is an enormous marketing opportunity for the industry and the art form. The song-and-dance numbers performed on the show, when they’re good, lead directly to ticket sales. The broadcast helps remind people of what theater has to offer, and can inspire viewers to go see plays and musicals — in New York, on tour, in their local communities. Second, the show offers inspiration to aspiring theater artists. Over and over again I meet actors and other theater makers who tell me that watching the Tony Awards when they were young helped clarify for them that they wanted to pursue this art form when they grew up. See you onstage! THE LATEST NEWS Congress Senate Republicans swallowed their concerns about Trump’s payout fund and his ballroom project, rejecting efforts to tie their immigration crackdown bill to votes on those issues. Trump says he plans to nominate the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, for the permanent position. Blanche could face a bruising confirmation battle in the Senate. Eighteen House Republicans joined Democrats to approve new aid for Ukraine and fresh sanctions on Russia, defying Republican leaders. Jan. 6 Fallout A Justice Department photo shows Elias Irizarry in a conference room at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with a pole across his lap. A friend videotaped him. Justice Department A Jan. 6 rioter who pleaded guilty to climbing through a broken window at the Capitol has been hired to work at the Pentagon. A Pentagon spokesman called him a “qualified, patriotic young professional.” At least 97 of the nearly 1,600 people who were charged in connection with the Capitol riot have been accused of new crimes, a study found. Trump Administration A planning commission led by Trump’s allies advanced his proposal for a 250-foot triumphal arch, despite an overwhelmingly negative response from the public. Trump announced $700 million in new federal funding for the U.S. coal industry. The administration has quietly continued to kill people aboard boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, and The Times has continued to track the toll. In the video below, Eric Schmitt explains what we know about the campaign. Click to play. The New York Times More on Politics John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, reached a deal to plead guilty to mishandling classified information used in a book. He faces up to five years in prison. The Supreme Court let federal regulators fine Verizon and AT&T millions of dollars for failing to protect customer data. War in the Middle East Less than a day after Israel and Lebanon announced a new cease-fire deal, Hezbollah and Israeli forces traded strikes. Hezbollah’s leader said his group rejected the deal. Ultra-Orthodox extremists in Israel rioted outside a judge’s home to protest the country’s military draft. Health In a breakthrough, scientists at Columbia University precisely edited the DNA of early human embryos. That could pave the way to genetically engineered babies. Scientists identified a promising strategy to predict and prevent lung cancer, which kills more people worldwide than any other cancer. TREASURE HUNTERS Metals worth trillions of dollars sit at the bottom of the ocean. The New York Times At the bottom of the Pacific Ocean lies a vast expanse of critical minerals like nickel, cobalt and manganese, in the form of fist-size nodules. These metals are used in electric vehicles, weapons and lots of other tech. That makes them extremely valuable. But harvesting them is a challenge. One company has tested a solution: sending a rover two miles below the surface to, essentially, suck nodules up through a very long straw. A new story from our Climate desk explains how the process works — and the potential damage it could do to deep-sea creatures still undiscovered by humanity. OPINIONS Young people are right to boo A.I. at graduation ceremonies, Molly Jong-Fast writes. They should also organize to rein it in. The effort to destroy Black political power in the South is among the greatest betrayals of Black Americans by the federal government in living memory, Mara Gay writes. Morning readers: Save on the complete Times experience. Experience all of The Times, all in one subscription — all with this introductory offer. You’ll gain unlimited access to news and analysis, plus games, recipes, product reviews and more. MORNING READS Costume party: This weekend, fans get a chance to shop the Paris Opera’s closet (it has ballet costumes, too). Prayer and care: Black churches are helping educate the African American community on how to recognize and treat dementia. Going retro: ChatGPT’s new ad campaign emphasizes humans and downplays tech. Will it make A.I. less frightening? Your pick: The most-clicked link in The Morning yesterday was an Opinion discussion about mourning the American dream. A pioneering novelist: Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel series “Persepolis,” which followed a girl through the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, helped millions around the world understand the plight of ordinary Iranians. Satrapi has died at 56. TODAY’S NUMBER $225 — That is what it will cost to park for the day at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, N.J., when Brazil and Morocco meet in the World Cup on June 13. The lot is roughly a mile from MetLife Stadium, where the game will be played. You can take NJ Transit instead. A ticket is $98. Big numbers. SPORTS Stanley Cup: The Carolina Hurricanes overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime, bringing the finals to 1-1 so far. French Open: It is men’s semifinals day. First, Alexander Zverev (the favorite) faces Jakub Menšík. Follow live. College softball: Texas won its second straight Women’s College World Series, defeating Texas Tech. N.B.A. finals: Game 2 between the Knicks and Spurs is tonight. A Times reporter watched Game 1 with the Knicks legend (and former U.S. senator) Bill Bradley. RECIPE OF THE DAY Davide Luciano for The New York Times The weekend plan: portobello patty melts, a taste of an imaginary Los Angeles where Tiny Naylor’s drive-in serves vegetarian burgers alongside the shakes and fries. You’ll like this sandwich very much. HALF FAMOUS Ilvy Njiokiktjien for The New York Times Pommelien Thijs is a huge pop star in Belgium, at least in the Dutch-speaking northern part of the country. Down south, where they speak French, she is hardly known. Although she’s taking French lessons now, Thijs told The Times she doesn’t feel the urge to compromise to gain fans. “If that would mean completely flipping my language, I wouldn’t know how to start,” she said. More on culture Dataland, which says it’s the first museum dedicated to art generated by A.I., opens this month in Los Angeles. Ferdinand the bull turns 90 this year. It’s time to smell the flowers. Late night hosts sized up Trump’s ambitions for the reflecting pool. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Read “Polar Star,” Martin Cruz Smith’s 1989 thriller about a murder investigation aboard a Russian fishing ship. The plot, The Times’s critic declared, “is so complicated that I’m not sure I could explain it even if I wanted to give the story away.” It’s so good. Wash your face. How often? The aestheticians at Wirecutter can help. Text a child who means a lot to you. Or leave an audio message. Seriously: There is no need for a long phone call! Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was dalmatian. 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 P.S. I wrote about this amazing Todd Heisler photograph from Delaney Hall in Newark yesterday, and pointed out how the detainee on the right was using their hands to make the shape of a heart. Unfortunately, a crop of the image removed that part of the picture. Here it is in full. Todd Heisler/The New York Times Correction: Yesterday’s newsletter misstated which player scored 26 points in Game 1 of the N.B.A. finals. It was Victor Wembanyama, not Karl-Anthony Towns. 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

💰 Super rich vs. regular rich Data: Capgemini World Wealth Report. Chart: Emily Peck/Axios The booming stock market is making lots of people richer, especially those who are already spectacularly rich. Globally, ultra-high-net-worth individuals — those with $30 million or more in investable assets — saw their wealth increase nearly 10%, Axios' Emily Peck writes from a new report by consulting firm Capgemini. So-called "millionaires next door," with $1 million to $5 million, saw growth of less than 8%. 👀 Between the lines: The AI boom was the main driver overall for rich people's wealth last year, says Luca Russignan, global head of Capgemini Research Institute for Financial Services. The general public may soon get access to those same assets, particularly through mega-IPOs later this year, but likely won't see the same returns as early-stage investors. Download the report ...