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Florida death row inmate wants DeSantis to attend his pending execution Dennis Michael Sochor, convicted of strangling an 18-year-old woman he met at a New Year’s celebration in a Broward County bar 44 years ago, is scheduled to die by lethal injection Tuesday at Florida State Prison. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/10/florida-death-row-inmate-wants-desantis-to-attend-his-pending-execution/? Environmental group drops ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ pollution suit after site shuts down An environmental group seeking to punish state operators of the “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration lockup for alleged pollution of the Florida Everglades has withdrawn its case, the Center for Biological Diversity announced Monday. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/14/environmental-group-drops-alligator-alcatraz-pollution-suit-after-site-shuts-down/? AG James Uthmeier launches investigation into bread additive Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday he is launching a probe into commercial baking products containing potassium bromate with an eye on sales of products to Florida schools. https://floridaphoenix.com/2026/07/13/ag-james-uthmeier-launches-investigation-into-bread-additive/?

Farage’s furious clash with Times editor stuns figures close to him ‘Strong confrontation’ comes at fragile moment for Reform’s relations with rightwing media as coverage turns negative https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/18/nigel-farage-clash-times-editor-reform?

Indian activist linked to Cockroach party moved to hospital after 20-day hunger strike Sonam Wangchuk has been fasting to demand the resignation of India’s education minister because of alleged irregularities in medical exams https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/18/indian-activist-linked-to-cockroach-party-moved-to-hospital-after-20-day-hunger-strike?

Trump speech lays groundwork for him to tamper with midterm results, critics warn Democrats and advocates sound alarm at Trump rehashing false claims about 2020 election in his primetime address https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/17/trump-speech-midterm-election-voting? ps:Shouldn't just be democrats, but all people that know how pathetic these lies are getting!!

US launches seventh night of Iran strikes as Hormuz conflict escalates Central Command says attacks were designed to ‘continue degrading Iranian military capabilities’ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/17/us-launches-seventh-night-of-iran-strikes-as-hormuz-conflict-escalates?

Israeli ministers announce plans for new illegal settlements in Gaza and West Bank Defence minister seeks three ‘Nahal’ outposts in Gaza as top commander says Israel now controls 65% of the strip, violating Trump ceasefire deal https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/18/israel-plan-new-illegal-settlements-gaza-west-bank-occupied-palestine? ps:Notice the operative word here "illegal" and are people ok with what they are doing in the West Bank and Gaza??

For more than 60 years, Adventist Aviation Services has served as a vital lifeline for isolated communities where road access is limited or non-existent. https://adventist.news/news/australian-government-partners-with-adventist-aviation

Outreach program at a Medellín school reaches Deaf and hearing students through visual storytelling and sign language. https://adventist.news/news/in-colombia-sign-language-ministry-builds-bridges-with-deaf-community

The workshop is one of the Infusion Hope Center's several initiatives to reach the local community. https://adventist.news/news/in-chile-a-crochet-and-knitting-workshop-strengthens-community-ties

Yes. The sin was transferred through the laying on of hands and confession, not by the blood. The blood cleansed/ atoned for sin. It did not transfer it. Almost all things are cleansed by blood. That's one way of looking at it.

But then the lamb had to be sacrificed, the shedding of blood to pay for wages the sin. Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Bible tells us... 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Once you are sealed, the adversary cannot temp or lead you into sin. see what it says in Revelation 7. 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

The spirit of the dragon's hallmark teaching is a denial of the Gospel in AFFIRMING that something other than what was "according to the Scriptures" could have happened to Christ.

Trump shifts his tone on Jimmy Carter while grappling with Iran, inflation and his own legacy Jimmy Carter used to be one of President Donald Trump ’s favorite political targets, a catchall foil for feckless Democrats that he could jeer at to make himself look strong and decisive. Read More.

Safety fears limit Ebola response in Congo, with more than 12 attacks recorded At least a dozen attacks on health facilities and workers have been recorded during Congo's Ebola outbreak as safety fears restrict the response in the worst-affected region, authorities said Saturday. Read More.

Venezuela earthquakes death toll surpasses 5,000 The death toll from the two powerful earthquakes that shook Venezuela last month rose to 5,069 late on Friday, local authorities said. Read More.

US military launches new airstrikes to ‘swiftly punish’ Iran for deaths of US troops DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military said that it carried out new airstrikes against Iran on Sunday to “swiftly punish” the country’s Revolutionary Guard after an attack on a base in Jordan killed two American service members, left one missing and four requiring hospitalization. https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-hormuz-strait-war-july-18-2026-5adfef67554652580963684d9a663af2?

Trump repeated election integrity claims in primetime address. Here are 16 we've fact-checked In his July 16 address, Trump revisited long-running claims about mail ballots, voting machines, noncitizen voters and the 2020 election. https://www.snopes.com/collections/trump-election-integrity-claims/?

⚽ 1 for the road: "1 in a billion" photo 20-year-old soccer star Lionel Messi helps bathe 6-month-old Lamine Yamal during a September 2007 photo session in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: Joan Monfort/AP Almost two decades ago, photographer Joan Monfort didn't think much of his photo shoot of a teenage Lionel Messi bathing a cute baby boy in a plastic bathtub. Not until the remarkable twist of fate became clear years later, when that infant blossomed into Lamine Yamal. Now those images of the long-haired Messi, his hands covered in soap suds as if anointing Yamal as soccer's Next Big Thing, have become the most talked about — and gawked about — in the run-up to tomorrow's World Cup final, when Messi's Argentina will play Yamal's Spain for the biggest trophy in the sport. "I have never been a believer or thought that anything was destined to occur, but I am beginning to have my doubts. This is beyond all reasonable explanations," Monfort told AP from his home in Barcelona. Photo: Joan Monfort/AP How it happened: Luck dictated that Yamal's mother, who appears in the calendar photo, won a raffle of families in the city of Mataró, near Barcelona, who wanted to participate. Soccer destiny then deemed that her baby boy, who would become a star for Barcelona some 15 years later, was paired up with the Argentine who would become one of the greatest of all time. Read a 2024 interview with Monfort about the "1 in a billion" photo (CNN).

🏟️ Priciest World Cup matches Data: TicketData.com. (Excludes championship final and third-place match.) Chart: Brad Jennings/Axios Some of the toughest World Cup tickets, per Axios' Brad Jennings via TicketData: Mexico. Three of Mexico's home matches ranked among the tournament's five most expensive. Each required at least $3,000 to get in. Argentina vs. England. The dramatic 2-1 semifinal in Atlanta on Wednesday carried a $3,560 get-in price. Scotland vs. Brazil. The June 24 Miami match drew a $3,382 get-in, amped by the boisterous traveling "Tartan Army."

⛽ Another reason gas stays high Illustration: Megan Robinson/Axios Ukraine's drone attacks on refineries have hammered Russia's oil infrastructure, creating an economic shock that is increasingly visible worldwide, including in the U.S., Axios markets correspondent Matt Phillips reports. The ripple effects can now be seen in the U.S. After Russia banned exports of the fuel last week, U.S. diesel prices edged above $5 a gallon Thursday. 💥 The International Energy Agency says: "Almost every large refinery in the western part of Russia has been hit by drones. ... Attacks continued through June and into July, with many refineries being hit multiple times." Russia's traditional diesel customers — which include large emerging markets like Brazil — are turning to the U.S. for supplies. That foreign buying is helping to push up prices for Americans. Read on.

😶‍🌫️ Our smoky days Data: NOAA/NESDIS Hazard Mapping System. Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios Hazy, polluted summer days, like Americans across the Midwest and Northeast continue to deal with this weekend, are rapidly becoming the new normal. The eastern half of the country has seen a steady increase in smoky days, with nearly half of 2023 recording at least light smoke. The latest: President Trump is threatening to raise tariffs on Canada over the wildfire smoke that's drifted into the U.S., saying the "cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying." Go deeper.

July 18, 2026 Good morning. A summer weekend offers a bounty of daylight that we feel duty-bound to exploit properly. But sometimes the sun-and-fun mandate becomes an unnecessary burden. María Jesús Contreras Scenic route By Melissa Kirsch There’s a particular kind of pressure on summer weekends to get up and get out, to do something worthy of the bounty of warmth and light. The options are picturesque and limitless: Will you swim or hike or simply stroll? Perhaps a picnic! Rent bikes? You always say you’re going to read under that tree, what’s stopping you? Oh, the places you said you’d explore, the outdoor tasks you’d finish, the plans you made last February when you felt cold and constrained and said “as soon as it’s warmer” and look, now it is. It’s enough, some weekends, to make you wish for a rainy day. Even those of us who wait all year for July to open its golden gate and let us out feel a little bullied by summer’s mandate to exploit the day. The promise of your days off is that you’re free to do whatever you please. Which includes lying here by the air conditioning vent with a glass of lemonade — maybe with a book, maybe even watching something on a screen — undisturbed by ants or mosquitoes or other habitants of the outside world. But even though we know we’re the captains of our own weekends, the guilt is real. By the time most of us get up, the sun’s rays are already beating on the backside of the curtains like a dog at the door: let me in, let’s go, what are you waiting for? Even in this, the longest possible unofficial summer, I’m painfully aware there are a mere 16 weekends, and the squandering of even one can feel wasteful. My internal taskmaster prods me off the couch and into the world with bleak prophecies of the first frost and 4 p.m. dusk. I took a wrong turn on my drive home from out of town last Sunday that resulted in a late-night detour on the minor highways of New Jersey, a dreaded tunnel-bound traffic jam where no matter how many times I switched lanes, I was in the wrong one. I had two friends in the car and felt terrible about subjecting them to this purgatory, this waste of a precious summer weekend. Then I tried to flip the script, to approach the moment with a spirit of abundance. The situation was annoying but not altogether unpleasant. I was with two friends; we were talking and singing along with the radio and spending our time on earth gazing at miles of taillights arrayed against the darkness together. It felt at first like we were being kept from living our lives, but of course the whole time we were still living them. In the winter, staying inside is a cozy privilege, an act of restorative self-care. In the summer, we cast it as burning daylight, almost a moral failure. I try to remind myself on those days I decide to nap or do laundry or otherwise forgo the obvious pleasures of the season that the days aren’t a project to be managed. That I’m living and breathing and thinking and experiencing within them no matter what I’m doing. The story I tell of how I spent my summer weekend may sound better if it unfolds at the beach or the barbecue than under a blanket on the couch — or on the New Jersey Turnpike, for that matter. But the setting of the story doesn’t really matter that much. We take turns that may at first seem misguided, but eventually, finally, we arrive back at home. ICE’S LEGAL RECORD Federal prosecutors seldom lose cases. More than 90 percent of criminal defendants plead guilty or are convicted at trial. But over the past year, those prosecutors have lost about half their cases against people charged with assaulting immigration officers. A Times investigation has found that is at least partly because Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have engaged in misconduct as they try to meet President Trump’s aggressive deportation goals. Here’s some of what our reporters uncovered: The Trump administration has charged more than 550 people with assaulting federal officers — far more than previously known. About 400 cases have been resolved so far. In 214, the defendants were acquitted or the charges were dropped. In dozens of the cases, videos and court records show that federal agents were the first to get physical — shoving, tackling or pepper-spraying defendants. In at least seven, officers’ own conduct caused their injuries. Two judges found that agents intentionally destroyed evidence. The Times obtained court filings for every case, interviewed witnesses and federal officials and watched videos of dozens of confrontations. Read the investigation, or click below to watch one of the reporters, Danny Hakim, explain what he found. These links are free to read and watch. The New York Times THE LATEST NEWS Politics The Trump administration revived a policy that gives immigration agents wide authority to deny green cards to people they deem likely to rely on public assistance. Federal courthouses around the country are falling into a dire state of disrepair. Judges say the government is not doing enough to respond. War in Iran Migrant workers flocked to Dubai for economic opportunity. Many now say the war has meant job losses and salary cuts. Oil prices jumped to their highest level in a month. Around the World Mykhailo Fedorov in Kyiv. Jędrzej Nowicki for The New York Times Volodymyr Zelensky fired his defense minister in Ukraine, sidelining a popular rival after a dispute over drone strategy. Read what happened. Andy Burnham, who was installed yesterday as the leader of Britain’s Labour Party, is about to become prime minister. One mother had to rush back to Venezuela after an earthquake to dig for her daughter’s body. Nearly 200 wildfires continued yesterday to devastate large swaths of Ontario, Canada, and spew smoke across the continent. Washington, D.C., had some of its worst air quality on record. As Trump feuds with Italy’s prime minister, the U.S. ambassador is cruising Italy’s coast on his superyacht. Tech The Chinese start-up Moonshot AI released a new A.I. model that appeared to narrow the lead held by well-funded American competitors. Times Exclusive: Meta is in talks to rent out its A.I. data centers to Anthropic. The deal could be worth $10 billion over two years. Start-ups are booming after a decades-long slump, supercharged by A.I. Other Big Stories Tony Hertz/Alamy Taylor Farms said it would pull some of its iceberg lettuce, which was linked to the cyclospora outbreak. We explain if it is safe to eat lettuce. Two U.S. Forest Service employees were freed unharmed after being held hostage at gunpoint for 15 hours in a Northern California forest. A South Carolina man was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for firing a rifle to scare away a Black neighbor. THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV Kit Connor, left, and Joe Locke in “Heartstopper Forever.” Netflix The new “Heartstopper Forever” film, born of the popular boy-meets-boy series on Netflix, creates a couple bond so convincing that it survives even occasional over-explanation, our critic writes. “The Polygamist,” the hit South African Netflix show about (you guessed it) a polygamist, has become a major talker outside Africa, where polygamy is legal in some countries. Want more “Odyssey” after watching Christopher Nolan’s take? These books might scratch your itch. Music Gary Stewart was largely forgotten after his tragic death in 2003. Now a new generation is rediscovering the onetime “king of honky-tonk.” Major music industry groups want to add labels to songs made using A.I. The Internet, a laid-back soul band that emerged from the Los Angeles hip-hop collective Odd Future, is preparing a fifth album. Listen to their interview on Popcast. More Culture Marcel Duchamp, a central figure of the Dada movement, famously gave up art for chess. So a chess grandmaster is playing 50 artists, critics and fans of Duchamp’s — at the same time! — to commemorate his birthday. Leaders at PEN America defended an article the group published about Israeli and Jewish authors that led to the resignation of its president last week. Chloe Fineman, the “Saturday Night Live” star known for her impressions of Melania Trump and Britney Spears, will leave the show after seven seasons. Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. REAL ESTATE From left: Cheryl Smith; her mother, Barbara Smith; and her daughter Dakota Foster in North Philadelphia. Hannah Yoon for The New York Times The Hunt: Three generations of women chipped in what they could to find a three-bedroom house near Philadelphia for less than $400,000. What did they choose? Play our game. What you get for $425,000: A townhouse in Savannah, Ga., a condo in Providence, R.I., and a desert home in Tucson, Ariz. Pick your favorite: An eight-bedroom compound, a forest villa and a contemporary indoor-outdoor house are all on the market in Costa Rica for $1.9 million. Which would you choose? LIVING Near Lake Naomi, in Pennsylvania in 2019. Noah Kalina for The New York Times Second home first: City dwellers priced out of their local markets are looking to vacation and weekend homes as a path to home ownership. Consider a townhouse. They can cost less to build and buy, and often are easier to maintain. Quiet down: A home’s moans and groans can drive you crazy. Here’s how to silence some of the noise. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER How to clear your home of wildfire smoke Picking up a dedicated air purifier or getting new filters for your central air-conditioner are the most effective ways you can help protect those in your home. (That includes pets.) But there are also cheaper, simpler steps you can take: It may seem obvious, but close your windows. And fill in any gaps with weather sealing tape. Vacuuming can blow fine smoke particles that have settled back into the air, so try damp-mopping instead. Change clothes after spending time outdoors. Wash your sheets more often than normal. And keep a good mask on hand. — Tim Heffernan GAME OF THE WEEK Elsa/Getty Images Argentina vs. Spain, World Cup final: The most coveted trophy in sports is up for grabs tomorrow in an intense showdown between two soccer heavyweights. On one side is Argentina, the defending champion. They are fueled by a 39-year-old superstar, Lionel Messi, who is very likely playing in his last World Cup game. On the other side is Spain, a well-rounded squad with its own global sensation, Lamine Yamal, who just turned 19. The Spanish team has allowed only one goal in its seven World Cup games. The match, in New Jersey, is on track to be the most expensive sporting event ever. It will cap off an unusually long World Cup that brought visitors from around the globe to the U.S. and persuaded many Americans to get into soccer, if only for a summer. As you wait: Scroll through our favorite photos from this year’s tournament. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was albumen. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week’s headlines. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Crossplay, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 18 1940 FDR nominated for unprecedented third term Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who first took office in 1933 as America’s 32nd president, is nominated for an unprecedented third term. Roosevelt would eventually be elected to a record four terms in office. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1960s 1969 Senator Ted Kennedy drives car off bridge at Chappaquiddick Island 1980s 1986 Video of Titanic wreckage released American Revolution 1792 Naval hero John Paul Jones dies in Paris Arts & Entertainment 1989 Sitcom actress murdered; death prompts anti-stalking legislation 1995 Barack Obama’s “Dreams from My Father” is published Civil War 1863 Robert Gould Shaw leads Black infantry’s doomed assault on Fort Wagner Crime 1984 Twenty-one people are shot to death at McDonald’s European History 1925 Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” is published Sports 1976 Gymnast Nadia Comăneci scores first perfect “10” in Olympic history U.S. Presidents 1947 Harry S. Truman signs second Presidential Succession Act Women’s History 1947 First female army officer is commissioned

July 18, 2026 The Lie of Now “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) One tactic that “the rulers of the darkness of this world” use to entice mankind to ignore eternity involves portraying the here and now as all there is (Ephesians 6:12). Advertisements, music, and even academic works unashamedly prioritize the now. What’s wrong with believing that the experiences of this world exhaust all realities? The Lord Jesus warns His listeners with the story of a man who lived to increase his wealth, treating this life as the only one. The rich man said, “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (Luke 12:19-20). One big pitfall of pursuing material pleasures is that it ignores judgment day. God’s righteous nature compels Him to judge every wrong committed. “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble” (Malachi 4:1). “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings” (Malachi 4:2). Jesus Christ suffered sin’s hellish punishment for each of us so that everlasting joy can await those who “repent . . . and believe the gospel” during this brief life (Mark 1:15). The best part of now is not the lie that now is all we have, but the chance to live for our Savior both now and forever. BDT