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🎉 Yahoo! It's Friday! You made it. In today's edition: Mbappé strikes again, Wimbledon's all-Czech final, Pogačar's historic climb, Yahoo College Fantasy Football is here, why there are so few Messi's in Argentina, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🏀 Kawhi trade not yet completed: The Raptors' trade for Kawhi Leonard has still not been finalized, as it cannot be completed until the NBA's lengthy investigation into the Clippers ends. For the last 10 months, the league has been looking into accusations that the Clippers funneled money to Leonard as a way to circumvent the salary cap. ⚾️ Derby's almost full: Phillies 1B Bryce Harper and Cardinals RF Jordan Walker have joined the field for Monday's Home Run Derby, which has just two spots left. Harper has a chance to win the Derby at his home park for the second time, first doing so with the Nationals in 2018. 🏒 Carlsson's historic payday: The Ducks matched Leo Carlsson's five-year, $90 million offer sheet from the Flyers, making the 21-year-old center the highest-paid player in NHL history by AAV ($18M). For reference, that figure would rank as the 190th-highest AAV in NBA history. 🏀 UCLA lands top prospect: Serbian phenom Nikola Kusturica has agreed to a multiyear NIL deal worth upwards of $12 million to play at UCLA beginning this fall. The 17-year-old, still two years away from being eligible for the NBA, is considered an early contender to go No. 1 in the 2028 draft. 🏈 No. 44 forever: It took far longer than anyone expected, but the Commanders are finally retiring John Riggins' No. 44 jersey. The franchise's all-time leading rusher likely would have received this honor long ago if he hadn't called out former owner Daniel Snyder for being a "bad guy" with a "dark heart," but Snyder's exit opened the door for them to change tack.   ⚽️ WORLD CUP LIBERTÉ, ÉGALITÉ, MBAPPÉ (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images) At every turn in this World Cup, the game's best players have seized the moment and delivered performances worthy of the colossal stage. On Thursday, Kylian Mbappé took his turn yet again, bringing France within arm's reach of the summit once more. France 2, Morocco 0: The tournament's presumptive favorites lived up to the billing in Foxborough, outshooting Morocco 22 to 5 en route to a comfortable 2-0 quarterfinal victory. Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou's performance, which included a denial of Mbappé from the penalty spot, kept the game knotted for an hour, but that immovable object was no match for the unstoppable force that is Les Bleus. As with Lionel Messi before him, Mbappé's first-half missed penalty did little to shake his confidence, serving only as a warm-up for the more difficult act that followed; namely, his sublime strike through traffic that broke the deadlock in the 60th minute and gave him eight goals this tournament, vaulting him past Messi for the Golden Boot lead. Six minutes later, reigning Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé iced the game with an incisive run and a deft finish for his fifth goal of the tournament, assisted by none other than Mbappé. In any other World Cup, his tally would be among the best. In this one, it's an afterthought on his own team. Seriously, how stacked are France?! They don't call it the beautiful game for nothing. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images) The heir apparent: Though perhaps overshadowed by Messi's miracle-laden farewell tour, Mbappé's form is as prolific as this competition has ever seen. And while he's just 27, giving us eons yet to watch his greatness, let this be a warning: If you've ever lamented not knowing you're in the good old days until you've left them, we're there right now, and they're as good as it gets. Consider that Mbappé's second-half goal brought his career World Cup tally to an astonishing 20 goals in 20 matches. That would be remarkable against any foe, but to score with such consistency in the notoriously cagey environment of the World Cup is unfathomable. He may sit a goal behind Messi on the all-time chart now, but it's clear that — however this tournament ends — the Frenchman will one day stand alone at the top. And it's more than just volume, too, as 17 of his 20 goals have come in the second half, which is as remarkable as it is statistically improbable. With nine World Cup match winners (a record), Mbappé hasn’t padded stats in garbage time; he's pulled his nation by the scruff of its neck toward World Cup glory. Looking ahead: Mbappé and France are one win away from their third consecutive World Cup Final. Only Germany and Brazil have ever accomplished that feat, but Mbappé has never hesitated to lay siege to the history books.   🌎 SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 London, England — No. 10 Karolína Muchová outlasted No. 7 Coco Gauff in a thrilling three-setter on Thursday, winning a tense tiebreak to advance to her first Wimbledon final. For Gauff, the defeat was just her third three-set loss in a Grand Slam since the 2023 U.S. Open (17-3). All-Czech final: No. 9 Linda Nosková cruised past No. 12 Marta Kostyuk in the other semifinal, ensuring a Czech woman comes out on top at the All England Club for the third time in four years (Markéta Vondroušová in 2023, Barbora Krejčíková in 2024). (Tim de Waele/Getty Images) 🇫🇷 Gavarnie-Gèdre, France — Well, that didn't take long. Four-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar turned an eight-minute deficit into a nearly three-minute lead with Thursday's historic and dominant ascent in the Pyrenees, climbing the iconic Col du Tourmalet in a record-smashing 42 minutes, 12 seconds to win Stage 6 and reclaim the yellow jersey. Moving on up: This was Pogačar’s 23rd career stage win at the Tour de France, moving the Slovenian into fifth on the all-time list. Only Great Britain's Mark Cavendish (35), Belgium's Eddy Merckx (34), France's Bernard Hinault (28) and France's André Leducq (25) have more. (Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Las Vegas, Nevada — AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson's first matchup since going 1-2 in the NBA Draft did not disappoint, as Dybantsa (27-7-2) and the Wizards outdueled Peterson (24-3-3) and the Jazz on Thursday's opening night of Las Vegas Summer League. Highlight of the night: Dybantsa laid down the hammer on Utah's Justin Harmon for his first poster as a professional. Rory tees off on the 12th hole. (Luke Walker/Getty Images) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 North Berwick, Scotland — The Scottish Open was crowded at the top after Thursday's opening round, with 71 golfers finishing under par including a five-way tie for the lead at 5-under. One of those co-leaders? Rory McIlroy, who's made a habit of dominating here. 13 straight: McIlroy has now carded 13 consecutive rounds in the 60s at this tournament, which he won in 2023, finished T4 in 2024 and finished T2 last year. Those scores, in order from most to least recent: 65, 68, 66, 65, 68, 68, 67, 66, 65, 68, 67, 66, 64. Not bad!   🏈 BACK TO SCHOOL COLLEGE FANTASY FOOTBALL IS HERE! College football is more than just a version of the pro game. It has its own distinct style and culture — and its own massive following on Saturdays. Now, it's getting its own distinct Yahoo Fantasy sports experience. That's right: College Fantasy Football is now on Yahoo. The traditional fantasy football you know and love, designed for the college game. How it works: Like traditional fantasy football, Yahoo College Fantasy Football is a season-long game with head-to-head weekly matchups. Drafts, trades and waiver pickups work the same way, and the scoring system is similar. Player pool: Draftable players include those from all 68 teams in the Power 4 (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC), plus Notre Dame. New position added: In addition to drafting individual players and a defense, there's also now a roster spot for "Team Offense," rewarding team-level aggregate scoring. Expanded rosters: Whereas traditional fantasy football rosters have just 15 spots, the college game has 18. This reflects a sport that has more stars than ever thanks to the transfer portal creating new opportunities for playing time, NIL keeping talented upperclassmen in school and freshmen becoming increasingly game-ready. Prepare for Draft Day: Drafts open on Aug. 3, and scoring starts a month later when Week 1 kicks off on Sept. 3. Here are our Top 300 player rankings to help you prepare for your draft.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WEEKEND WATCHLIST (Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ World Cup, Quarterfinals Who will join France in the semifinals? Spain and Belgium take the field today in Los Angeles (3pm ET, Fox), followed by tomorrow's doubleheader of Norway vs. England in Miami (5pm, Fox) and Argentina vs. Switzerland in Kansas City (9pm, Fox). Who should you root for? Morocco is off the table, but for Americans searching for a rooting interest there are seven worthy bandwagons to jump on. There's Norway, if you're catching Haaland fever; or England, if you're ready for "it" to finally come home. And of course there's the simple duality of whether you love Lionel Messi (Argentina), or have gotten tired of his non-stop success (Switzerland). 🎾 Wimbledon Championships The men's semifinals begin soon, with No. 2 Alexander Zverev and local wildcard Arthur Fery taking the court first (8:30am, ESPN), followed by top-ranked Jannik Sinner vs. Novak Djokovic. Tomorrow (11am, ESPN) is the women's final — an all-Czech affair between No. 9 Linda Nosková and No. 10 Karolína Muchová — followed by the men's final on Sunday (11am, ESPN). Chasing 25: Djokovic is yet again just two wins away from his record-breaking 25th Grand Slam, which has eluded him since winning No. 24 three years ago despite this being his eighth major semifinal in that time. One problem? Five of those eight have come against Sinner, who's 5-1 against him in their last six meetings. ⛳️ Evian Championship The season's fourth LPGA major continues this weekend (Fri-Sun, Golf) at France's Evian Resort Golf Club, where Japan's Aki Iwai shot a scorching 8-under 63 on Thursday to take a two-stroke lead over the field. Korda struggles mightily: World No. 1 Nelly Korda, seeking the Career Grand Slam and a spot in the Hall of Fame, got off to a disastrous start with a 3-over 74, 11 shots off the lead and in danger of missing the cut. ⚾️ MLB, First-Half Finale This weekend marks the last set of games before the All-Star break, and you could do much worse than closing out the first half on Sunday with one of the best pitching matchups imaginable, as Paul Skenes' Pirates host Jacob Misiorowski's Brewers in Pittsburgh (12:15pm, Peacock). Plus… The MLB Draft is this weekend in Philadelphia, with Rounds 1-4 on Saturday (1pm NBC/Peacock/MLB) and Rounds 5-20 on Sunday (11:30am, MLB.com). To prepare for the proceedings, dive into our in-depth analysis of the Top 50 prospects, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman. 👊 UFC 329 Conor McGregor returns to the Octagon for the first time in five years on Saturday night in Las Vegas (9pm, Paramount+), where his welterweight bout against Max Holloway headlines a card that also includes fan favorite Paddy Pimblett and Olympic wrestling gold medalist Gable Steveson. Pre-fight reading: Conor McGregor isn't just fighting Max Holloway at UFC 329. He's fighting history (Ben Fowlkes, Uncrowned) More to watch: 🏀 WNBA: Wings at Tempo (Fri. 7:30pm, ION); Liberty at Lynx (Sat. 1pm, ABC); Mercury at Aces (Sat. 6pm, NBCSN/Peacock); Sky at Wings (Sun. 7pm, ESPN) ⛳️ PGA: Scottish Open (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/CBS) … Play continues at The Renaissance Club, where Rory McIlroy (-5) was among the five players tied for the first-round lead. ⚽️ NWSL: Orlando vs. Kansas City (Fri. 8pm, Prime); San Diego vs. Angel City (Sat. 8:45pm, ION); Seattle vs. Portland (Sun. 4pm, ESPN) … San Diego (9-4-1) and Portland (8-3-3) sit atop the standings. 🚴 Tour de France: Stages 7-9 (Fri-Sun, Peacock) … Riders will complete two more flat stages and a hilly stage before getting their first rest day on Monday. Plus: 🏀 NBA Summer League (Fri-Sun, ESPN/Prime); 🏁 NASCAR at EchoPark Speedway (Sun. 7pm, TNT); 🥍 PLL Week 8 in Chicago (Fri-Sat, ESPN+/ESPN2); 🏈 IFL Week 18 (Sat-Sun, Yahoo Sports); 🏀 BIG3 Week 4 in Los Angeles (Sat. 4pm, CBS) Got plans this weekend? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.   🎾 WIMBLEDON TENNIS TRIVIA Djoker takes on Jannik Sinner in the semifinals today. (Matthias Hangst/Getty Images) Novak Djokovic's seven Wimbledon singles titles are tied for second among men in the Open Era, trailing only Roger Federer's eight. Question: Who is he tied with? Hint: His last win came in 2000. Answer at the bottom.   🇦🇷 NAMESAKE WHY THERE ARE SO FEW MESSI'S IN ARGENTINA A mural of Messi adorns a wall in his hometown of Rosario. (Marcelo Manera/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) There are more than 100,000 people from Argentina whose first name is Lionel, for obvious reasons. But just 11 are named Messi thanks to an obscure 1969 statute prohibiting the use of surnames as first names. Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo Sports: While Argentine supporters have painted towering murals of Messi, written songs in his honor and tattooed his face, jersey and autograph on their bodies, there's one form of tribute that remains largely forbidden across the country. Argentine law still prohibits expecting parents from turning Messi's well-known surname into a first name. As of June 2025, there were just 11 Argentine citizens or legal foreign residents whose first name was Messi, all 19 years old or younger, according to the country's national registry of persons. That's far less than the 205 American citizens with the first name Messi. Or the roughly 265 people in France. Or the 363 Brazilians. Or the staggering 3,402 residents of Peru.   Trivia answer: Pete Sampras

Is Florida’s high SNAP error rate by design? State’s top Democrat says yes If Florida doesn’t lower its SNAP error rates, the state could have to pay as much as $1 billion to continue to participate in the federal food security program. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/09/is-floridas-high-snap-error-rate-by-design-states-top-democrat-says-yes/?

July 10, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. Happy Friday. I want to tell you about a rare instance of bipartisan cooperation in Congress. The stage where President Trump planned to sign the housing bill last month, before abruptly canceling. Cliff Owen/Associated Press More housing A major bipartisan housing bill that President Trump has dismissed as a “yawn” appears set to become law without his signature late tonight, weeks after he surprised congressional Republicans by suddenly canceling his plans to sign it. (He could always sign it, or it could fall to a veto, today.) The bill is the first genuine effort the federal government has made in over 30 years to build more housing, the problem at the heart of the nation’s persistent housing crisis, says my colleague Ronda Kaysen, who has been covering its passage. Among other requirements, the bill — known in typically inelegant Washington-speak as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — adjusts a plethora of federal rules, with an aim to make it easier and cheaper for developers to break ground and raise walls, and illegal for large investors to snap up single-family homes. That combination could increase the supply of housing and drive down prices for homeowners and renters alike. “Some of the provisions cut through red tape, others make it easier to lend or borrow money,” Ronda told me yesterday. “But more than anything, this bill puts a flag in the ground, telling states, cities and builders that the federal government is taking this crisis seriously.” A bipartisan feat The legislation passed both chambers of Congress in June, an unusual example of aisle-crossing cooperation. Michael Gold, who covers Capitol Hill, told me that was notable. “In a Congress where much of the sweeping legislation has been in party-line bills, to me, there was something almost old-school congressional about the way it all came together,” he said. “And the final bill is huge.” But Trump threw a wet blanket on the achievement. Just hours before a signing ceremony at the Capitol last month, he dismissed the legislation as “of minor importance,” saying that he would sign it only if Congress passed a bill to tighten voting restrictions. He’d pushed that voter ID bill for months, although it didn’t have the support to pass in the Senate. On June 29, Mike Johnson, the speaker of the House, apparently sent the housing bill to Trump’s desk anyway. That started a 10-day clock for the president to sign the bill, veto it or do nothing and allow it to pass into law automatically. At midnight, by many interpretations of the timing, that clock goes ding. Speaker Mike Johnson in the Capitol late last month. Alex Kent/The New York Times A muted win I asked Michael how common this kind of non-action is on the part of a modern president. He told me it was fairly rare. It happened a decade ago, when Barack Obama didn’t sign a bill that renewed sanctions on Iran, which had cleared the Senate on a unanimous vote. Obama decided not to sign the bill to show he didn’t like it, while conceding that it was veto-proof. Trump’s decision was more unusual. Weeks before this bill passed, he’d called it the “most comprehensive and consequential housing legislation” in American history. But then, Michael said, “he seemed to reverse course, allowing it to become collateral in a rift that opened up between the president and Senate Republicans in particular.” And as the midterm elections loom, that approach took from Republicans a chance to make the case, loudly, that affordability is something they’re concerned about. Instead of a being a rousing win, as Michael put it, the housing bill effectively limped across the finish line. Taking action Still, many see the law as a triumph — or something that will be a triumph at midnight. Ronda told me it provides a kind of road map for communities, providing strategies that allow them to make changes to zoning codes and permitting rules and building regulations. “The bill says that there is a lot more that America can do to get us out of this crisis than simply wait for interest rates to fall,” she said. I asked her for an example. She pointed to the rules that currently govern manufactured housing, what you might recognize as trailer homes. They came by the name honestly, but that could change. Here’s Ronda: Manufactured homes are generally faster and cheaper to build than stick-built homes. But they have never been widely adopted because to meet federal standards, they have to be built on a steel chassis, which is expensive and also limits the size and style of home you can build (you’re basically limited to what looks a lot like a trailer). But under the new bill, they won’t need to have that steel chassis. And that change will allow other kinds of factory-built, modular homes to meet federal standards. They could have second stories, for example. They won’t need to pretend to be mobile. As the men in quarter-zips say, that business could scale. MORNING READS We’ve made the stories in this section free for you, once you log in. It’s not so much a read as a listen, but still: Here’s Michael Gold talking about the landmark housing bill you just read about, with Michael Barbaro on “The Daily.” Anatoly Kurmanaev, who’s been covering the earthquakes in Venezuela, recently caught up with a source he met there a dozen years ago — a social activist in the port city of La Guaira. Her whole world has been devastated. “So many people I know have died,” she said. Bonnie Tyler, the pebbly-voiced Welsh singer whose rock-operatic “Total Eclipse of the Heart” was a gigantic hit in the 1980s, died this week at 75. She loved living under that song’s shadow. As she said last year, “How can you ever possibly imagine it would still be so big today and people who weren’t even born then would be singing it at karaoke?” He’s a big fellow, loud, maybe a little lonely. Meet Neil, Australia’s celebrity seal. Neil the seal, in Tasmania. Tania Petrie THE LATEST NEWS Graham Platner The New York Times Graham Platner’s exit from Maine’s Senate race has reignited a longstanding conflict between the Democratic Party’s progressive and establishment wings. Lisa Lerer, a national political correspondent, explains it in the video above. Click to play. Platner’s move has plunged the Democratic Party into a fast, foggy search for a replacement. Candidates are duking it out before a July 27 deadline. Replacing a Senate nominee is exceedingly rare. So has a replacement ever actually won? More on Politics The new Air Force One donated by Qatar, which Trump used earlier this week, lacks some of the old model’s defensive countermeasures, including antimissile capabilities. The man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk cried and expressed regret after the shooting, his former romantic partner said. Palm Beach International Airport in Florida is now officially President Donald J. Trump International Airport. Its three-letter code will change to DJT next month. Trump ordered another White House construction project: repairs to the front columns. At the White House yesterday. Alex Kent/The New York Times Middle East The United States and Iran exchanged fire for a second day. Both have threatened to escalate, but so far the U.S. has landed most of the blows. The Israeli military says it is investigating a photo, apparently posted by a soldier, that shows a detained man stripped, blindfolded and bound to a cot. An Israeli airstrike killed a Palestinian aid worker while he was on the way to a friend’s house to watch a World Cup match, his family members and colleagues said. The Palestinian Authority set a date, in November, for its first parliamentary elections in more than two decades. Around the World At least 12 people have died after a wildfire broke out in southern Spain. In Ukraine, people cautiously cheered Trump’s surprise announcement that the U.S. would license their country to make Patriot air-defense systems. A landfill fire has burned for over a week in Indonesia, highlighting the country’s waste management problem. Other Big Stories Times Exclusive: A firm that inspected the buckling Manhattan office tower was repeatedly cited for missing warning signs at other building projects. Federal immigration agents who killed a man during a traffic stop in Houston had been searching for someone else, officials say. Volkswagen said it would drop as many as half its models to reduce costs and better compete with Chinese automakers. A man was sentenced for stealing more than $200,000 worth of rare Chinese books from U.C.L.A. using aliases, fake IDs and dummy manuscripts. A star 1,300 light-years away just swallowed a planet, scientists say. The star still looks ravenous. OPINIONS It’s time to build a new Penn Station in New York City. But Trump is the wrong man for the job, Representative Jerrold Nadler writes. When society rewards women for thinness, using weight-loss drugs like Ozempic can become a depressingly rational choice, Jessica Grose writes. Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. SPORTS After a goal. Brian Snyder/Reuters France won 2-0 against Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals. Kylian Mbappe scored an amazing goal but also went off with what he called “a minor ankle injury.” Coco Gauff suffered a three-set loss at Wimbledon to Karolína Muchová, ending in a tiebreak. Linda Nosková and Muchová will play in an all-Czech women’s final. The men, including Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, play their semifinals today. RECIPE OF THE DAY Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Here’s a good weekend project that’ll clean out your sinuses, too: Nashville-style hot fried chicken. It’s a recipe Melissa Clark adapted from the chef Rodney Frazer at Peaches HotHouse in Brooklyn and, with both ground cayenne and ghost peppers in the crust, it’s hot. You’ll want plenty of pickles and slices of soft, white supermarket bread on the side to act as dampeners. (Watch Melissa cook the dish with the actress Jennifer Garner on our YouTube channel.) TODAY’S NUMBER 18 million — That is roughly how many words in New York State’s regulatory statutes a new artificial intelligence project is searching to find obsolete rules worth removing, such as requiring operators of steam trains to report boiler accidents to the state via telegram or telephone. FANTASY FEAST Tony Singh Emily Whitney for The New York Times Helene Cooper covers the Pentagon for The Times. She’s also a sensational cook and deeply interested in the culture of food. Recently she rented a lodge in the Scottish highlands with a whole passel of family and friends. While there, she managed to engage the Sikh-Scottish chef Tony Singh to prepare a luxurious meal. Haggis pakora followed, along with eight other courses and many, many glasses of wine. Read her accounting of a fabulous meal. More on culture Here’s the philosopher Michel Foucault in 1969: “We can easily imagine a culture where discourse would circulate without any need for an author.” In that world, he continued, writing “would unfold in a pervasive anonymity.” 👀 On the occasion of what would have been Foucault’s 100th year, Emily Eakin takes the measure of the world’s most cited thinker, “celebrated and reviled, sometimes by people in the same political camp.” Read on. Late night hosts joked about the new Air Force One. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Ilya Milstein Become a better dinner party guest, with these excellent tips from T Magazine. Replace the pillows on your bed. As my sleep-obsessed colleagues at Wirecutter discovered, they’re probably too soft. Take our news quiz GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were divebomb and divebombed. 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 Correction: In a recent newsletter, we wrote that The Times had conducted its recent polling with Siena College. The school is now known as Siena University. 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

Colossae: A Biblical City of the Classical World Colossae is an ancient city in the Lycus Valley of western Turkey, near the modern town of Honaz and the ancient cities of Laodicea and Hierapolis. Together, the three cities form a distinct cluster of early Christian communities that appear repeatedly in Paul’s letters, for example in his letter to the Colossians. Herodotus describes Colossae as a great city in Phrygia, and Xenophon mentions it as large and prosperous. Despite its significance, Colossae remains one of the most under-excavated major sites in the New Testament world. Excavations are now underway under the direction of Barış Yener of Pamukkale University (Turkey), bringing the promise of exciting finds from one of earliest Christianity’s most important communities. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/archaeology-today/colossae-a-biblical-city-of-classical-world/? Searching for the Balm of Gilead The Bible describes a “balm” of Gilead that is counted among “the choice fruits of the land” (Genesis 43:11). Renowned for its medicinal and aromatic properties, it was a prized product in ancient times—and today. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/hebrew-bible/searching-for-the-balm-of-gilead/?

Trump Purges Election Officials in Midterm Power Grab The president has fired the remaining members of an independent election agency. President Donald Trump has fired the last three members of the Election Assistance Commission just months before the midterm elections. The Commission is an independent government agency set up under President George W. Bush to help officials across the country administer elections. One of the commissioners, a Republican appointee, was allowed to resign, while the other two, both Democratic appointees, were informed of their termination via email from the White House presidential personnel office, according to VoteBeat. The fourth commissioner previously left their role in April. “On ‌behalf of President ‌Donald J Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position ‌as Commissioner of the Election Assistance Commission is terminated, effective immediately. Thank you for your service,” the email, which has been seen by Reuters, said. The terminations were made possible by a Supreme Court decision late last month which upheld the president’s firing of a Democratic Federal Trade Commission member and expanded his powers over regulatory agencies. The White House confirmed the firings to Reuters, citing the Supreme Court decision as precedent and saying in a statement, “The President, and head of the Executive Branch, reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America’s elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted.” The White House official also said that the government has been “working across all agencies and local partners to safeguard elections from fraud and abuse, and investing in a strong infrastructure to sustain ‌that mission, especially in the midterm elections.” The Election Assistance Commission is an independent, bipartisan commission that works to “help election officials improve the administration of elections and help Americans participate in the voting process,” according to its website. It also manages the national mail voter registration form, which Trump sought to change last year to require proof of citizenship, a move blocked by a federal judge. Republicans are now seeking to push the president’s SAVE America Act through Congress, which would require voters to show proof of citizenship before they can cast their votes. Commissioner Benjamin W. Hovland was sworn in in February 2019 after being nominated by Trump during his first term. Commissioners Thomas Hicks and Christy McCormick were sworn in in January 2015 after being nominated by then-President Barack Obama. Donald Palmer, another Trump appointee, left in April. The departures come only a few months before November’s crucial midterm elections, which have both sides of the aisle scrambling as Democrats work to flip Republican districts and Republicans try to maintain control of Congress. The Trump administration has sought to intervene in the electoral process ahead of the elections by supporting controversial redistricting pushes in red states, designed to increase the number of GOP-majority districts, prompting Democrats in blue states to respond with redrawn maps of their own. The president has also advocated for a crackdown on mail-in voting, despite both his wife Melania and son Barron making use of it to vote in a recent Florida election. Trump, 80, has also doggedly pursued the same debunked claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him that prompted his supporters to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His persistence has resulted in the FBI raiding election facilities in order to seize boxes of ballots and computers related to the election in an attempt to find proof of voter fraud. No such proof has yet to be produced. It is unclear what the Commission’s future will look like, particularly since the commissioner roles must be evenly split between Republicans and Democrats and confirmed by the Senate. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said in a Thursday social media post that the firings should concern all Americans, regardless of their political affiliation. “Removing every remaining commissioner just months before the 2026 midterm elections is an extraordinary step that demands an immediate explanation from the administration and raises profound concerns about political interference in the institutions that support our elections.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-purges-election-officials-in-midterm-power-grab/? ps:Tell me this isn't a tell all sign what he's trying to do!!!!!!!!!!

Murdoch Paper Goes Scorched Earth on Trump for ‘Destroying’ Jobs Trump’s favorite policy has done little to promote economic growth, argued the paper’s editorial board. The Rupert Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal eviscerated President Donald Trump over the reality of his beloved tariffs. The newspaper’s editorial board published a scathing piece on Thursday evening, ripping the 80-year-old president over one of his signature policies as he seeks to “rescue his underwater job rating.” Following Trump’s Truth Social brag on Tuesday, in which he took credit for Toyota’s announcement about a $3.6 billion expansion in Texas, the Journal asserted that the president likely had nothing to do with the decision. The company shifted production of its Tacoma truck from Mexico to a manufacturing facility in San Antonio, and as the newspaper pointed out, only made reference to the state’s pro-business milieu and local political leaders. Neither Trump nor his Senate endorsee, Ken Paxton, were mentioned in Toyota’s press release. “But the President is right that his tariffs are at work—in destroying U.S. jobs and raising prices,” the Journal wrote. The editorial board highlighted how the U.S. has lost around 75,000 manufacturing jobs since Trump took office in January 2025, over a third of which were in motor vehicle and auto part production. The paper cited rising vehicle costs due to Trump’s tariffs as one possible explanation for the job losses, as dwindling sales correlate with a lower need for workers. Additionally, the newspaper emphasized that Trump’s tariffs have actually hurt Americans rather than helped, noting that foreign retaliation has affected U.S. farmers and raised costs for domestic manufacturers. “Mr. Trump’s Section 232 national security tariffs on autos and parts have cost $35.2 billion through April of this year, and his steel and aluminum tariffs another $17.5 billion, according to U.S. government data,” the board wrote. “Mr. Trump and his advisers claim that foreigners pay his border taxes, but the evidence shows that U.S. companies, workers and consumers are picking up most of the tab.” The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment on the Journal’s editorial. The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision in February that Trump’s sweeping global tariffs were unlawful, upholding the principle that only Congress may exercise the power to tax. Despite the illegality of his initiative, Trump has continued to boast about the supposed economic benefits of his policy, even as Americans bear the brunt of higher prices. The nation’s inflation rate has risen drastically month to month since February, when Trump launched his war on Iran. It has risen by nearly two percentage points, from 2.4 percent in February to 4.2 percent in May. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is expected to publish its June report on Tuesday. https://www.thedailybeast.com/murdoch-paper-wall-street-journal-goes-scorched-earth-on-trump-for-destroying-jobs/? ps:Again more foot n mouth disease for this pathetic little man!!!!!

Trump Humiliated as Google Maps Busts His Big Brag Historical images show that Trump’s win isn’t as grand as it seems. President Donald Trump’s initiative to lower gas prices has been met with an embarrassing reality check by Google Maps. A White House account bragged on Wednesday that one of its Philadelphia “Freedom Fuel Network” stations had provided much-needed financial relief to Americans struggling with high gas prices caused by Trump’s war with Iran. The “Rapid Response” account shared a video segment from NBC Philadelphia that discussed how one former Karco K Shop gas station—now wrapped in “Freedom Fuel” signage—posted a price of $3.47 per gallon, which it said was around 40 cents below the state average.However, Google Street View images of the gas station at 3101 N. Broad Street show that the promotion was not quite as monumental as the White House portrayed. In April 2025—three months into Trump’s second term—the gas station displayed a price of only $3.05 per gallon. Other historical images captured of the station show prices either similar to or lower than the $3.47 under the “Freedom Fuel” promotion. Those images appeared to serve as a stark reminder that the price decrease touted by the White House was still effectively an increase over the prices seen before the war. Trump, 80, had campaigned on bringing domestic gas prices below $2 a gallon. However, gas prices skyrocketed in the wake of his strikes on Iran over four months ago, leaving Americans to deal with the consequences at the pump. The White House did not address questions emailed by the Daily Beast when reached for comment. The president announced the “Freedom Fuel Network” in a Truth Social post on July 1, saying that 25 gas stations across the greater Philadelphia area would be lowering their prices ahead of the nation’s semiquincentennial. “This Retailer is taking the lead, and others should follow. They are doing this because they love the U.S.A.,” the president wrote. “America has never been stronger than it is now, and Gas Prices will soon be back to the Record Low Prices Americans enjoyed at the pump before our very successful ‘excursion’ in Iran.” The administration has not shared any details about how the selected gas stations can sell gas at prices well below market. The national average price for a gallon of gas reached as high as $4.56 in May, but has since dropped to around $3.85, according to AAA. However, renewed airstrikes between the U.S. and Iran this week threaten to send prices soaring again. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-humiliated-as-google-maps-busts-his-big-gas-prices-brag/? ps:Notice that he didn't call for Mobil, Shell, etc. to lower the prices that they sell gas to the stations, but asks the gas stations that barely make any money to lower there prices!!!

White House Rages After Embarrassing Trump Story Exposed The president hoped he would be praised for lowering food costs at America’s biggest retailer. The White House has gone into full defense mode after Donald Trump was found taking credit for price cuts that had nothing to do with him. On Monday, the 80-year-old president posted on Truth Social that Walmart would be “lowering prices, by a lot, at my Administration’s request,” including cutting the cost of beef by 15 percent as part of the country’s 250th birthday celebrations. Trump took a victory lap, praising the announcement as a “huge deal” for millions of Americans suffering through a cost-of-living crisis. The president’s second term has been dogged by high food prices, despite Trump making lowering them a central pledge of his 2024 campaign. However, a Walmart spokesperson told The Bulwark that the company’s price cuts had already been in place at its stores for a week before Trump tried to suggest he had convinced the country’s biggest retailer to implement them. White House Senior Deputy Press Secretary Kush Desai then melted down on X while replying to Sam Stein, managing editor at The Bulwark and a former politics editor at the Daily Beast, who had shared an article by the site’s economics editor, Catherine Rampell. “The President and Walmart’s announcement was that the sale is extending all summer long. This is a big win for Americans. The media’s obsessive need to try to undermine any good news when it affects President Trump is pathological.” Desai also tried to suggest that the White House had something to do with Walmart’s discounts, writing in an earlier X post that the Trump administration “stays in close contact with retailers to ensure savings are getting passed on to American consumers, and results like this prove the strategy is working.”Shortly after Trump’s Truth Social boast, Walmart issued a statement detailing its signature Rollbacks and Sam’s Club offers, which the chain typically introduces during the summer. The statement mentioned price reductions on beef and other products but made no mention of Trump or the administration. On July 7, one day after Trump’s Truth Social post, The Wall Street Journal reported that an Agriculture Department official had called some of the country’s largest grocers to urge them to lower their beef prices. However, during a call with Walmart, the company told the USDA that it already planned to lower prices on a range of items, including beef, and that the reductions had been in place since June 29. Walmart executives had also been discussing lowering prices for months to help consumers, as they expected billions of dollars in tariff refunds after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s sweeping import levies in February. “We think the single best return that we can have on a dollar of capital right now is to invest in the customer and invest in price,” Walmart Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey said on an earnings call in May, according to the Journal. The Daily Beast has contacted Walmart for comment. https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-melts-down-after-trump-walmart-price-cut-humiliation/? ps:It's obvious that trump doesn't go to the store and shop! The prices have been going up, up and up, and now they came down a little, but nothing to what they were before!!

Putin’s Nightmare Deepens After Humiliating Strikes Ukrainian drones set two oil tankers ablaze in the Sea of Azov and hit fresh depots as the Kremlin’s fuel misery grows. Vladimir Putin’s fuel nightmare has worsened as Ukrainian drones set two oil tankers ablaze in the Sea of Azov and torched depots deep inside Russia.Thursday’s strikes are the latest blows in a punishing months-long campaign that has crippled Russia’s refineries and plunged roughly 50 million people—about a third of the population—into a fuel crisis on a scale not seen since the dying days of the Soviet Union. At the time of publication, the tankers were still burning off Russia’s southern coast, Rostov Gov. Yuri Slusar said, with one crew forced to evacuate. It was the latest in a run of strikes on shipping in the area, part of Kyiv’s push to choke fuel supplies to Crimea, the peninsula Russia illegally annexed in 2014. Drones also triggered a blaze at an oil depot in the western city of Tver, acting Gov. Vitaly Korolyov said. In the Stavropol region, burning reservoirs forced residents of several apartment blocks to flee, according to Gov. Vladimir Vladimirov. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, 48, has cast the attacks as “long-range sanctions”—payback for Moscow’s refusal to stop fighting. “We have long proposed that Russia end this war, and every day of delay should bring the feeling of war to where it all began—to Russia,” he said. The strikes landed a day after U.S. President Donald Trump, 80, told Zelensky the U.S. would grant Ukraine a license to build its own Patriot air defense systems, as the Associated Press reported. While this would hand Kyiv a long-sought win at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, a top Ukrainian official warned homegrown Patriot interceptors could be a year or more away. Serhii Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister, said the real obstacle is time, not skill, with some subcontracted parts taking up to two years to produce.Russia’s Defense Ministry said it downed 73 Ukrainian drones overnight. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force said it faces its own barrage from 94 Russian drones and two ballistic missiles, saying 19 drones and both missiles hit 13 sites. The Kremlin brushed off any idea that the strikes would expedite peace. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Washington’s stance “ambivalent” but said Moscow still welcomed Trump’s efforts. “It’s a mistake to think that escalation and military pressure could pave the way to a peaceful settlement,” Peskov said, warning that more strikes would only push Russia to carve out a bigger “buffer zone” in Ukraine. He added that Putin is “open to dialogue” and ready for another call with Trump. https://www.thedailybeast.com/putins-war-nightmare-deepens-in-humiliating-strikes-by-zelenskys-ukraine-on-oil-facilities/? ps:Personally they need a different country to be an arbiter between Ukraine and Russia, trump is useless here!!!!!

Trump’s Son Wipes $600M From Family Fortune With Disastrous Bet Eric Trump posted a cringeworthy bid for his dad’s approval just hours before news of the staggering loss broke. One of Donald Trump’s sons got ahead of reports that he lost the first family more than $600 million by posting a cloying online tribute to his father. “I am deeply honored that at 5:01 a.m., Trump Force One will be the first plane to land at the newly renamed Palm Beach International Airport—now and forever President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” Eric Trump wrote on X in the early hours of Thursday morning. “There is no person who has done more for Florida and our country, and no one more deserving of this incredible honor,” he went on. “As a son, and someone who flies out of this airport nearly every day, I will forever be proud to see the initials ‘DJT’ on my boarding pass. Congratulations Dad — I’m happy to have played a big role in making this happen.” Eric Trump spearheaded efforts to rename the airport in his father’s honor. He also, according to a Bloomberg report published less than two hours after his post, played a big role in wiping hundreds of millions of dollars from his family’s holdings with a disastrous bet on the crypto industry. The American Bitcoin venture, which the younger Trump helped launch and now steers as chief strategy officer, has cratered since going public last year, the outlet writes, shedding over 95 percent from its September high. Things got so bad this week that the company had to pull an emergency maneuver, bundling every 15 shares into one, just to stay listed on the Nasdaq stock index. The price hit a record low on Wednesday. Bloomberg calculates that the crash has wiped out more than $600 million of Eric Trump’s stake in the space of 10 months. His brother Donald Trump Jr. also advises the firm. Their father raked in over $1.4 billion in crypto last year, the outlet adds. Eric’s move had been to bet big on Bitcoin itself. As the coin’s price sank and investors piled onto artificial intelligence last year instead, rival miners like Riot Platforms and MARA Holdings rented out their computing power to AI companies—and their stocks soared. American Bitcoin did not follow that lead, Bloomberg writes. It instead gambled that stockpiling the coin through the slump would eventually pay off. It hasn’t yet, even as Eric refuses to sell. “Just hold on, guys,” he said at a Las Vegas crypto conference in April. “Just hold on.” The Daily Beast has contacted American Bitcoin for comment on this story. https://www.thedailybeast.com/eric-trump-wipes-600m-from-family-fortune-with-disastrous-american-bitcoin-bet/?

🤖 OpenAI broadly released its new GPT-5.6 model after staggering the rollout of the powerful new model at the request of the U.S. government, Axios' Ina Fried and Madison Mills report.

🏡 U.S. home prices hit an all-time high in June, with the median sales price hitting a record $440,600, according to the National Association of Realtors. Go deeper.

✈️ PBI is now DJT. The FAA has alerted air traffic controllers that Palm Beach International Airport's three-letter identifier officially changed today to honor President Trump. Read the announcement. ps:How pathetic is it that a president has to have things named after him before he dies! But there's a madness to what he's doing, he knows no one will ever name anything after him when he passes any!!!!!

📊 Venture capital's record year Data: Q2 2026 PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor; 2026 data through June 30. Chart: Dan Primack/Axios 💰 More venture capital dollars were invested in U.S. companies during the first half of 2026 than in any full year, Axios' Dan Primack reports from PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association data. U.S. companies raised $412.7 billion between January and June. That's a whopping 29% increase over what U.S. companies raised in all of 2025 and a 15% increase over the all-time record set in 2021. 💵 The boost was driven by mega-rounds, with over 81% of H1 2026 dollars going to deals of $100 million or more. This includes seven rounds of $1 billion+ in Q2. 🥊 Reality check: The only dark cloud is that Q1 significantly outpaced Q2, although Q2 is where most of the exit activity was found.

Praise the Lord for He is good!

Those are not from the Bible are they?

Lindsey Graham, longtime senator from South Carolina and Trump ally, dies at 71 https://abcnews.com/Politics/sen-lindsey-graham-south-carolina-dies-71/story?id=134688641

The Ju;y 2026 issue of the Recorder contains an article by Darla M. Tucker that mentions that La Sierra University has been rated high in educational quality by the 2026 Forbes Evaluation of U.S. colleges and Universities. The comment was accurate, as far as it went. In short it was selective. It would have been much better journalism if it had more fully reported on the SDA colleges in general, and not confined its reporting to one issue and one school. The following aspects of the Forbes report shows that our colleges are in deep trouble. Our members need to understand and deal with the entire reality. The 2026 Forbes rankings of Adventist institutions from most to least financially healthy: La Sierra University – B+ with a GPA of 3.32 Walla Walla University – B with a GPA of 3.00 Adventist Health University – C+ with a GPA of 2.45 Southwestern Adventist University – C+ with a GPA of 2.35 Southern Adventist University – C+ with a GPA of 2.31 Andrews University – C with a GPA of 2.01 Kettering College – C- with a GPA of 1.97 Union Adventist University – C- with a GPA of 1.79 Washington Adventist University – D with a GPA of 1.57 Oakwood University – D with a GPA of 1.32 Pacific Union College – D with a GPA of 1.30 From a June 12, 2026 article in Spectrum: https://spectrummagazine.org/news/la-sierra-and-walla-walla-universities-top-list-of-us-adventist-higher-ed-finance-rankings/

🏗️ 1 for the road: Construction surrounds White House Photo: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP On the South Lawn, a helipad is being built for Marine One, which has been scorching the grass. "It's got the seal of the White House on it ... in carved granite," President Trump told reporters Monday. "It's really a beautiful thing." Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images On the North Portico, workers yesterday draped tarps around scaffolding on the towering stone columns. The tarps, partially see-through, evoke the ornate stone columns beneath. Trump said on Monday: "We've taken about 150 years of paint off of the columns ... If you don't strip the paint off, it gets worse and worse and worse." (AP) Photo: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP The ballroom, seen here from the Washington Monument, is going up fast. Trump's plans to build a 250-foot-high "Triumphal Arch" in the nation's capital won initial approval yesterday from the National Capital Planning Commission. Members put off a decision on whether a federal law that limits building heights should be applied. Keep reading.

8 men indicted in planned drone and sniper attack on White House UFC cage-fighting show COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Eight men were indicted on murder and terrorism conspiracy charges Thursday for their alleged roles in a thwarted drone and sniper attack on the UFC cage-fighting show staged at the White House in June. https://apnews.com/article/trump-ufc-show-attack-plot-3b1142773319ce650a916e61901ad35b?

🚲 E-bike injuries surge Data: NEISS. Chart: Brad Jennings/Axios E-bike sales in the U.S. have more than quadrupled over the past five years, but a spike in ownership has also meant a spike in injuries — especially among young people. About 41% of all emergency visits for e-bike injuries in 2024 and 2025 involved patients ages 10 to 19, Axios' Brad Jennings reports from National Electronic Injury Surveillance System estimates.

🦾 AI chip rush Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios Nearly every major AI company is either making or considering making homegrown chips to reduce reliance on Nvidia and cut costs. Reality check: Designing a chip is one thing. Securing the manufacturing capacity, memory and packaging needed to produce it at scale is much harder, Axios' Ina Fried and Madison Mills write. Read on.

🏛️ MAGA figures flock to Charlie Kirk murder hearing Prominent MAGA and conservative figures are descending on a Utah courthouse this week to attend the preliminary hearing for the man accused of murdering Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Axios' Alex Isenstadt and Marc Caputo report. Why it matters: The show of support in Provo underscores that, nearly a year after his assassination, Kirk remains a unifying figure across the Republican Party and the MAGA movement. Among those who have joined Kirk's family members this week in attending hearings for accused killer Tyler Robinson are: Donald Trump Jr. Utah Sen. Mike Lee (R). Conservative influencers Jack Posobiec and Graham Allen. Rush Limbaugh's widow, Kathryn Adams Limbaugh. The latest: Prosecutors are using this week's preliminary hearing to try to persuade a Utah judge there is sufficient evidence to send Robinson to trial on aggravated murder charges, which could lead to the death penalty. Keep reading.

🇨🇳 Pharma's China tradeoff Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images The life sciences world is split over how the U.S. should respond to China's quick biotech advances — specifically over whether Washington needs a more protectionist playbook to preserve American dominance, Axios' Caitlin Owens reports. It's both cheaper and faster to do early-stage drug development in China than in the U.S. That reality is now being reflected in the places pharma giants like Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer are spending their money. Zoom in: Skeptics warn that the strategy of rapidly snapping up Chinese-developed experimental drugs is shortsighted or even dangerous. It risks hollowing out the American biotech base, and it won't stop China from eventually competing directly with large pharmaceutical companies. Others take the view that the China work will yield another source of high-quality drugs. "American patients deserve access to groundbreaking new drugs," Atlas Venture partner Bruce Booth wrote in a blog post. "The origins of drugs have never really mattered, nor should they."

AI have-nots and know-nots Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images A staggering class divide now separates how Americans experience artificial intelligence, Axios' Zachary Basu reports: For frontier power-users, AI feels like a revolution: a force capable of conjuring companies, building software and solving complex problems at warp speed. For the average person, it feels more like an evolution: a smarter search bar, a faster inbox, an ambient tech layer that saves time — but not much else. Why it matters: Trillions of dollars in economic value — and the livelihoods of millions of workers — are being staked on a technology that most Americans neither trust nor fully understand. It's a new chapter in America's digital divide — the AI "haves," "have-nots" and "know-nots" — with profound implications for the future of wealth, work and power. 🤖 Zoom in: The newest frontier models are designed for an agentic world of coding, research and cybersecurity that most Americans will never see, let alone operate. OpenAI's Sol and Anthropic's Fable now sit atop the pyramid of elite AI obsession, prized for running long coding and research loops with minimal human intervention. Prominent developers have spent the week personifying the two models — debating their temperaments, work ethics, even their personalities, the way sports fans argue over rival athletes. "My overall feel is that Fable is a 'wise owl' who is very thoughtful and very well spoken," tweeted AI researcher Peter Gostev. "GPT-5.6-Sol is like a rottweiler who will grab the problem by the throat and not let go until it is done." Reality check: The people fluent enough to judge Sol against Fable on a coding benchmark are a tiny slice of the country. For most Americans, those names and metrics mean nothing. Millions of people encounter AI passively or unknowingly — through search summaries, AI-generated content, customer-service bots and invisible features inside apps. Nearly half of U.S. adults now use AI chatbots. But the most common use is basic information search — the same job Google has done for two decades, a world away from autonomous coding agents. OpenAI counts more than 50 million paying subscribers in its weekly ChatGPT user base of more than 900 million. The population running agentic coding tools is a fraction of that fraction. 👀 Between the lines: Even among the elites living the frontier AI revolution, there's a pecking order. Sol began as a restricted preview for OpenAI's trusted partners and select organizations before broader rollout, making early access itself a status marker inside AI circles. Fable was pulled offline globally for nearly three weeks in June under U.S. export controls. Its more powerful sibling, Mythos, remains restricted to a small number of trusted organizations. The result is a hierarchy inside the hierarchy: free users, paid users, power users, preview users and an insider class testing capabilities the rest of the world can only read about. Zoom out: The AI industry ultimately needs broad social permission for the transformation it's selling — more data centers, deeper workplace automation, and AI embedded in schools, government and daily life. Yet as AI adoption has climbed, trust has fallen: 63% of Americans say AI is advancing too quickly, and just 16% expect it to benefit society over the next 20 years, according to Pew Research. The clearest gains are being captured by investors, tech giants and power users, while ordinary Americans are being asked to absorb the disruption to jobs, energy and information feeds. 👓 What to watch: The Trump administration's Labor Department published a national AI literacy framework in February, aimed at helping workers "share in the prosperity that AI will create." OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft and Amazon helped pool $500 million in June for RAISE US, a workforce retraining initiative led by former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and former Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb. But basic literacy efforts can only go so far: Frontier users have better tools, earlier access, deeper technical context and hundreds of hours of trial-and-error with systems that change every few weeks.