Members phkrause Posted Sunday at 11:48 PM Author Members Posted Sunday at 11:48 PM June 27, 2026 Good morning. Sometimes, our preference for certitude, our need to define things with conviction, closes us off from possibility. María Jesús Contreras Natural selection By Melissa Kirsch When Serena Williams retired from tennis in 2022, she was 40 years old, had won 23 Grand Slam singles tournaments, 14 more in doubles, and had spent 319 weeks as the No. 1 player in the world. She had “never liked the word retirement,” she said in an essay in Vogue, offering a reframing of her departure from the sport that she’d dominated for so many years: “Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.” “Evolving away”! At the time, this phrasing seemed to offer a distinction without a difference — a “conscious uncoupling” from tennis. This week, though, when Wimbledon announced that Williams would play singles at the tournament for the first time in four years, the language seemed less poetic and more deliberate. She evolved away from tennis; now, it seems, at least for the moment, she has evolved back. We get to decide how we narrate our lives, and sometimes our preference for certitude, our need to define things with conviction, closes us off from possibility. I’m not asserting that Williams scripted her return to tennis four years ago. But I’m intrigued, now, by the way she framed her decision to leave the sport — for her fans, and, one imagines, for herself — not as a rejection of tennis, but as an embrace of her family, her business ventures, the other things in her life that matter to her. I’ve written about how much I value the practice of making “Away/Toward” lists, where you itemize the things in your life you want to move away from, the things you want to move toward. My “Away” lists are always a series of negatives I need to rid myself of — bad habits, soured relationships, unproductive ways of thinking. But I love the idea of looking at one’s life more objectively, without so much judgment: I’m evolving away from this person, this job, this particular chapter, and who’s to say I won’t evolve back? This openness with language seems particularly useful when you’re making a decision or change that’s difficult. Leaving tennis was painful for Williams. “I don’t want it to be over,” she said in her farewell essay, “but at the same time I’m ready for what’s next.” For most of us, this is the ideal “away” scenario: We love what we’re doing, but we’re leaving it, on our own terms, and we’re looking forward to the next chapter. Moving away from one thing without rancor, moving toward something else with enthusiasm. As Williams evolves back onto the court at the All England Club this coming week, I’m wondering about my own evolutions. Where can I narrate my own experience with more spaciousness? Celebrities’ purposely ambiguous public statements don’t often offer much in the way of wisdom, but in this case, I think there’s something to be heeded. What elements of our own lives could benefit from some less definitive framing? What are we leaving behind that, who knows, we might want to one day revisit? THE LATEST NEWS Venezuela Earthquakes The ruins of a residential building in La Guaira. Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York Times Officials say the earthquakes in Venezuela this week killed at least 920 people and injured at least 3,300 others. The toll could still rise, as many people remained missing or trapped. These satellite photos show the trail of destruction down the northern coast. Search-and-rescue teams from around the world have arrived to help recover people from the rubble. The U.S. State Department has earmarked $150 million for relief efforts. The quakes exposed the fragility of Venezuela’s infrastructure. There are only three functioning ambulances serving greater Caracas, one doctor said. Firefighters are relying on cellphone lights. A hospital in the disaster zone is operating without running water. War in Iran The U.S. military said it had struck missile and drone storage locations in Iran, as well as coastal radar sites, in retaliation for Iran’s attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump called Iran’s ship attack a “foolish violation” of the cease-fire. A U.S. defense official told The Times that yesterday’s attacks were not intended to revive the war. Around the World Vantor, via Reuters Crimea: Weeks of Ukrainian airstrikes have rattled the Russian-controlled peninsula. The authorities there declared a state of emergency after Russia said it had intercepted 660 drones overnight. China: A small aircraft flew into the tallest building in Beijing, sending debris and plane parts onto the street. Politics John Bolton, who was national security adviser during Trump’s first term, pleaded guilty to mishandling classified information. He faces up to five years in prison. Vice President JD Vance downplayed the Watergate scandal, saying that if it happened today it would be “like a 12-hour news story.” Times Exclusive: The administration is investigating whether Yale’s admissions practices hurt white and Asian applicants. The university has hired a high-powered law firm to try to reach a settlement. Other Big Stories Texas approved a common set of books that millions of public school students across the state must read. It includes Bible excerpts. The District of Columbia agreed to pay a settlement to a man who was arrested last year after he played the “Imperial March” from “Star Wars” to protest the National Guard. Two weeks after breaking free from a game ranch in Texas’ Hill Country, an escaped giraffe named Gracie was found “fat and happy” a few miles away. THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV Milly Alcock as Supergirl. Warner Bros.Entertainment “Supergirl” is a watchable (if derivative) bit of summer superhero entertainment, our critic writes, held up by a strong central performance from Milly Alcock. In “The Invite,” Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde star as a millennial couple whose tense marriage gets a wild jolt from their neighbors. It’s a critic’s pick. “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness,” a seven-episode historical sketch show starring Larry David and produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, premieres on HBO this weekend. Fine Arts A record Sotheby’s auction in London brought in £393.4 million with fees — about $521 million — across 25 works. The top earner: Amedeo Modigliani’s 1917 “Seated Nude With Necklace,” which sold for £48.2 million. As Europe broiled in a heat wave this week, some museums billed themselves as refuges. London’s Imperial War Museum called itself a space of “salvation” from the heat. A new National Geographic museum opened in Washington, D.C., this week. Here are five standout photographs from its collection. More Culture Eisa Davis and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Daniel Weiss for The New York Times Lin-Manuel Miranda is returning to Broadway: “Warriors,” his first musical since “Hamilton,” is set to open next spring. It’s based on the cult classic 1979 film about a street gang that has to fight its way from the Bronx to Coney Island. Major networks are taking a new look at microdramas, the vertically shot, mobile-first soap operas delivered in dozens of rapid-fire episodes. Will Canada be the next country to join the Eurovision Song Contest? Its broadcaster has joined the European Broadcasting Union, the requirement for entry in the competition. Subscribers always win. Here’s why. You can now save 75% on your first year of a New York Times Games subscription. Discover all of our word and logic games (and play past puzzles), earn badges for your achievements, plus more. Time is running out though, so subscribe today. RECIPE OF THE WEEK Dane Tashima for The New York Times By Melissa Clark Apricot Snack Cake Apricots and other stone fruits are coming into season in much of the country right now, and Kay Chun’s moist and rich apricot snack cake is a perfect use for the ones that have gone a bit soft. She calls for fresh apricots, but peaches, plums and nectarines work well, too. And while this is a delightful afternoon snack, it’s also lovely for dessert, preferably with some vanilla or butterscotch ice cream scooped on top. REAL ESTATE Gabriela Hasbun for The New York Times The Hunt: Three women wanted to start a family in the Bay Area. Could they find a house to do it in? Play our game. What you get for $900,000: An Italianate house in St. Louis. A stone house in Round Mountain, Texas. A farmhouse with outbuildings in Bovina, N.Y. Pick your favorite: In Mexico City, a colonial-style house, a house clad in terrazzo and a 1945 Art Deco-style home are all on the market for $1.3 million. LIVING The New York Times La Dolce Vita: Dreaming of an Italian getaway but not sure where to go? This quiz will help you find your ideal vacation spot. Move abroad: Countries are curtailing or even canceling their residency-by-investment programs, but there are still some appealing options available. Spread out the blanket: It’s picnic season! Be the ultimate host with these recipes and tips. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER How to stop your Brita from growing gunk Where you store your Brita pitcher matters. Mold can grow in humid environments where water is stagnant, and algae can grow when the pitcher is left out in the sun. Instead, store it somewhere cool and dim: in the fridge, in a cabinet or on a counter away from a window. Make sure to disassemble and hand-wash the pitcher with soap and water monthly, and dry it thoroughly before putting it back together — otherwise you might find mold in the spots where water is trapped. Lastly, don’t forget to replace the filter when it expires, especially if your current one seems clogged or your water is starting to taste funny. — Annemarie Conte and Tim Heffernan WORLD CUP The knockout rounds are about to get underway. No more settling for a draw or monitoring point differentials. It’s the phase of the tournament where one moment, action or mistake can define a team’s legacy, The Athletic’s Paul Tenorio writes. And that idea of legacy will be looming large on Wednesday, when the United States plays Bosnia and Herzegovina. It will be the lowest-rated team the U.S. has ever played in a knockout match, Paul notes. But the Americans can’t dwell on that. “Just one U.S. team, in 2002, has ever won a World Cup knockout game,” he writes. “This is a chance to change another narrative around the program. But to do that, you have to win.” More World Cup Cape Verde — the third-smallest country in tournament history, playing in its first World Cup — has advanced to the knockouts. It will play Argentina next. France crushed Norway, 4-1, behind a first-half hat trick by Ousmane Dembele. Brazil is home to the world’s largest Lebanese diaspora. That explains why fans in Lebanon, whose own team didn’t qualify, are all in on the Brazilians. Our correspondent Abdi Latif Dahir attended a watch party in Tripoli. See his video below. The New York Times NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were magically and myalgic. 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 Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted Monday at 11:33 PM Author Members Posted Monday at 11:33 PM June 29, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. Rescue efforts continue in Venezuela. And a U.S. official said the U.S. and Iran had agreed to stop attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. There’s plenty more below. But I want to start today in South Africa. Malawian nationals wait outside a migrant camp in Durban, South Africa. Joao Silva/The New York Times Migration woes Xenophobic violence has been mounting in South Africa recently, as mobs of anti-immigrant protesters march in Johannesburg and elsewhere, threatening African migrants and attacking foreign-owned businesses. (This link is free.) One anti-immigration group has set an arbitrary deadline for all undocumented migrants who are in the country to leave. That’s tomorrow, June 30. It’s unclear what will happen if the migrants don’t leave — the group hasn’t said — but many in South Africa are worried. I reached out to John Eligon, our bureau chief in Johannesburg, to ask what’s happening, and why. Sam: Let’s take this back to basics. Can you help us understand what things are like in South Africa these days? John: In a word, tense! Over the past several months we’ve had a lot of protests against immigrants, and they’ve just been growing and growing. And there’s been a few instances of violence in which mobs have chased and attacked immigrants out of their homes and businesses. Recently, an immigrant from Malawi was killed. Already this year, we’ve seen thousands of immigrants leave South Africa because of the threats and the attacks. Migration has long caused tensions in South Africa, because it has the continent’s largest economy. The fact is, most African migrants aren’t crossing the Mediterranean in search of greener pastures in Europe. Most go to other African countries. And South Africa is about as attractive a destination as any on the continent, because people think they can find work here. Officially, about three million immigrants live in South Africa, or about 5 percent of the population. But there are a lot more who are undocumented. Have you noticed a change recently? One thing I’ve found particularly startling in recent weeks is that we’ve essentially had migrant camps spring up on streets of major cities around South Africa. This is the wealthiest country on the continent and you don’t expect to see that here. But with so many immigrants scared to stay in their homes and rushing to leave the country, thousands have gone to these makeshift camps where the authorities are processing them and trying to get them out of the country. Where does this anger at migrants come from? Many South Africans blame foreigners for taking their jobs, committing crime and straining public resources. For all its economic might on the continent, South Africa is also one of the most unequal countries in the world. Poverty and unemployment are high. So is crime. Even though research and data suggest that immigrants are hardly drivers of these problems, they are often scapegoated. One survey found that seven out of 10 South Africans believe immigrants are bad for the economy. A fence separates a migrant from Malawi from his South African girlfriend and their son. Joao Silva/The New York Times What’s most fascinating to me is that it’s Black South Africans targeting other Black Africans. No one’s marching against or attacking the white Germans in Cape Town. In fact, there was a clip circulating on social media of one of the anti-immigrant leaders telling a white German who’s lived in the country for 20 years, “You are a part of us now.” These are the same activists telling Black Zimbabweans who have lived most of their lives in South Africa to go back to their country. And now this is all coming to a head. What is this Tuesday deadline? Who set it? The deadline is most closely tied to Nkosikhona Ndabandaba, one of the leading anti-immigrant activists, who is also a prominent Zulu leader. Ndabandaba has been leading groups of men dressed in traditional Zulu warrior regalia in demonstrations against immigrants. He has been most vocal about the June 30 deadline. But other anti-immigrant groups closely tied to him — most notably, a relatively new group called March and March — have also adopted that date. It goes without saying that they have no official authorization to force immigrants out of the country. But this deadline has taken on a life of its own, stirring panic among South Africans across the board. How is the South African government responding to the violence? President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned South Africans not to take the law into their own hands, saying that the country rejects xenophobia and Afrophobia. But the messages have been somewhat mixed. His government has also instituted a harsh crackdown on illegal immigration, with new workplace inspections, more stringent border controls and other measures that seemed meant to appease the anti-immigrant groups. It has also touted the fact that it’s been processing all the migrants who want to return to their native nations — and making a point to say that they’re issuing five-year bans to undocumented migrants on their way out. The issue of migration isn’t going anywhere anytime soon — not with the world’s population continuing to grow and climate change and economics driving people from their home countries. What does that mean for Africa? Africa is the youngest and fastest-growing continent. By 2050, it’s expected to have 2.5 billion people. Some analysts say internal migration can be good for the continent if government leaders manage it properly. Migrants can help balance labor needs across countries, increase productivity and grow the economy continentwide. But many African officials feel that supporting too many migrants will make it difficult to manage internal challenges like poverty, joblessness, and already-strained electricity and water supplies, which can fuel unrest and backlash. With all that Africa has to offer in terms of human capital and natural resources, the last thing the world wants to see is the continent growing unstable. THE LATEST NEWS Venezuela Earthquakes Fabiola Ferrero and Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York Times Emergency crews in Venezuela are racing against the clock to find survivors, more than four days after twin earthquakes struck. More than 100 trained dogs from 21 countries are helping with the search. A Colombian team rescued an 11-year-old boy alive from under nearly 10 feet of rubble. Families and forensic specialists are working to identify victims at the state morgue in Caracas. Politics Graham Platner has a slight edge over Senator Susan Collins in the Maine Senate race, a new poll indicates. But any lead looks too small for polls to measure reliably. Divisions inside both parties over support for Israel and the war in Iran are making the midterms more unpredictable. War in the Middle East Iran seems willing to risk the cease-fire to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have not confirmed agreeing to halt attacks there. China is emerging as a relative winner from the crisis in the strait. OPINIONS Kelly Nano-Miranda This photo essay by Kelly Nano-Miranda, with text by Binyamin Appelbaum, highlights the immigrant labor that makes Hamptons luxury possible. Pope Leo is taking on just war theory. It’s past time for an overhaul, James Grimaldi writes. (This link is free.) Self-destructive decisions, not Chinese competition, might be the biggest threat to America’s position in the A.I. race, Dan Wang and Julian Gewirtz write. Subscribers always win. Here’s why. You can now save 75% on your first year of a New York Times Games subscription. Discover all of our word and logic games (and play past puzzles), earn badges for your achievements, plus more. Time is running out though, so subscribe today. MORNING READS Zohran Mamdani during his campaign for mayor of New York. Amir Hamja for The New York Times In the club: The hottest venues in New York have drinks, dancing, D.J.s and the occasional democratic socialist campaign event. Hold the doilies: Traditional bed-and-breakfasts are revamping their décor and emphasizing personalized services to compete with Airbnb. Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was a video about attacks on volunteers helping with burials during an Ebola outbreak. Metropolitan Diary: A Robert Moses special. Lives lived proudly: Many transformative figures in L.G.B.T.Q. history worked under the radar to bring about change. Here are a few of their stories. (This link is free.) TODAY’S NUMBER $5.7 million — That is how much money was at stake in a Polymarket bet about whether a player’s nickname, “Donk,” would be said during an e-sports tournament in Romania. Wait, what? (This link is free.) WORLD CUP Canada is through to the round of 16 for the first time with a very late win over South Africa, 1-0. Before this tournament, the Canadian men hadn’t won (or drawn) a single World Cup match. A video showing three of Japan’s players taking on 100 schoolkids could provide clues to the team’s strategy against Brazil. South Korea’s president called for the sports ministry to investigate the national team’s group-stage exit. The team’s head coach is resigning. RECIPE OF THE DAY David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks. Here’s an easy win for a weeknight dinner and you don’t even really need a recipe. It’s just fettuccine with ricotta and a fistful of mint. While the pasta cooks, fold a healthy stream of olive oil into the cheese, along with a little lemon juice, a minced shallot, some salt and pepper and an aggressive amount of chopped mint. That’s your sauce. Drain the pasta and put it into a warm bowl, add the cheese mixture, then swirl. Serve to applause. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEL BROOKS Martin Mills/Getty Images On the occasion of his 100th birthday, the Times critics Manohla Dargis and Jason Zinoman present 100 reasons to love Mel Brooks. (No. 11: “All definitions of comedy are terrible, but his is the least bad: ‘Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into a sewer and die.’”) More on culture Bill Maher, a frequent Trump critic, received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center last night. Our report. Johnny Knoxville’s “Jackass” franchise turns 25 this year, with “Jackass: Best and Last” in theaters now. Our critic Alissa Wilkinson takes the measure of the series, “a documentary about an endangered species: enduring, weirdly healthy, bizarrely supportive male friendships in the 21st century.” Also, so much poop. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Caroline Tompkins for The New York Times Listen to Gracie Adams’s new single, “Hit the Wall.” Then watch her in conversation with our Joe Coscarelli and Jon Caramanica on “Popcast.” Eat chickpeas to help keep your cholesterol in check. Also because they’re delicious. Upgrade your bath towels. It’s a relatively inexpensive way to feel luxurious. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were delving, deviling and inveigled. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted yesterday at 01:38 AM Author Members Posted yesterday at 01:38 AM June 30, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. For a lot of the country today, it’s going to be a scorcher. In deep-red Texas, Democrats have a chance to win a Senate seat this fall, according to a new Times/Siena poll. And yesterday President Trump saw some mixed rulings at the Supreme Court. Let’s start with those. The Supreme Court. Tierney L. Cross for The New York Times Wins and losses The Supreme Court significantly expanded presidential power yesterday, holding that Trump can fire most independent government regulators. That’s a big deal. Critics say a president who can fire regulators at will is a president less constrained by constitutional checks and balances. He or she can issue loyalty tests. The court framed only one exception: governors of the Federal Reserve. The decisions came in two separate, but related, cases. The first concerned Trump’s efforts to fire Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, because her policy views are, in his mind, inconsistent with the priorities of his administration. (As in, she’s a Democrat.) The 6-to-3 decision in that case determined that the president could indeed fire her at will. That’s a substantial shift in political power, one that gives the president more direct control over independent government agencies. The ruling has implications for more than two dozen of those agencies — including, but not limited to, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Postal Service. As my colleagues note, the president has already changed the leadership of at least 13 agencies. The New York Times In a dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the ruling “promises to unleash only chaos.” At the same time, the Slaughter decision carved out the “unique role” of the Federal Reserve, with justices ruling that officials at the long-independent central bank could be fired only for cause. The second case, involving Trump’s efforts to do just that to Lisa Cook, a governor of the Fed, underscored the carve-out. In a 5-to-4 ruling — with two conservative justices, John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh, joining the three liberals — the court said that Cook could not be fired without the chance to rebut unproven allegations of mortgage fraud leveled by the Trump administration against her. Only a president can remove a governor from the Fed for cause, the justices wrote. “But that does not mean that he may make that decision for any reason, or no reason,” they added. (Trump immediately renewed his vow to fire her anyway.) Request denied E. Jean Carroll Sarah Blesener for The New York Times The Supreme Court also ruled yesterday on a request by Trump to re-examine a $5 million civil judgment against him after a jury found in 2023 that he had sexually abused and defamed the writer E. Jean Carroll. The justices declined to take up the case. That could end his legal efforts to fight back against the jury verdict finding that he assaulted Carroll in the mid-1990s in a department store dressing room. Trump condemned the decision on social media. “I will continue the fight against this Weaponization and Lawfare Case against me, including the ridiculous claim of Defamation, with all of my power and strength,” he wrote. From the mailbag Trump was no less pugnacious in responding to another Supreme Court ruling yesterday. (We’re coming to the end of the court’s term, and the decisions are coming in hot.) This one upheld the grace period that Mississippi has for late-arriving mail-in ballots. The ruling means that Mississippi can count ballots that come in up to five business days after Election Day, so long as they’re postmarked by that day. And it leaves in place laws similar to Mississippi’s in 18 other states and territories, including Nevada and California. On social media, Trump excoriated the decision and called for passage of his voter identification law: “In light of the tremendous loss in the Supreme Court today concerning Voter’s Rights, and the fact that ‘people’s’ votes are allowed to be counted LONG AFTER an Election is over, it is more important than ever to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.” More on the Supreme Court The court’s last decisions of the term are expected today. A few big cases remain, including on birthright citizenship and transgender athletes. In its next term, starting in the fall, the court will consider two Arizona laws that require proof of citizenship when registering to vote. THE LATEST NEWS Midterm Elections Democrats have a serious chance to win a Senate seat in Texas for the first time in a generation: James Talarico is tied with Ken Paxton, a New York Times/Siena poll finds. (We’ve made this story free for you to read, along with some others in this newsletter.) It’s Primary Day in Colorado. The biggest race is to be the Democratic candidate for governor. Senator Michael Bennet is facing off with the state’s attorney general, Phil Weiser. Gen-Z candidates — including a 29-year-old running for a House seat in Colorado — are stepping up to challenge the Democratic establishment. Republicans have tried to focus on affordability, but Trump keeps veering off script. In the video below, Tyler Pager, a White House correspondent, explains how the president is giving his own party midterm anxiety. Click to watch. The New York Times Around the World Delegations from the United States and Iran will be in Qatar today, but it’s unclear if they will hold direct talks. The official death toll from last week’s earthquakes in Venezuela has passed 1,700. Experts fear that’s still a serious undercount. Officials in Russia are careful not to blame economic problems on the war with Ukraine. But Russians are tired of the mismatch between rhetoric and reality. Weather The heat forecast for Tuesday. Orange indicates dangerous levels of heat. Source: NOAA Dangerous heat is expected across much of the United States this week. Temperatures could hit triple digits. Use our interactive map to see heat forecasts where you live. Wildfires are raging in Arizona, Colorado and Utah, after a dry winter and a record-hot spring. Other Big Stories As big A.I. companies prepare to go public, bringing new levels of wealth into the Bay Area, some tech workers doubt they can afford to stay there. (This link is free.) A law meant to end surprise medical billing has led to pay as high as $22,000 an hour for some surgical assistants, who can earn far more than the doctors they help. A space telescope set in orbit two decades ago is falling toward earth. A robotic spacecraft is scheduled to launch this morning on a mission to nudge it back up. OPINIONS @playdrone_ Since the earthquakes, Venezuelans have had to fend for themselves under a repressive government that has abandoned them, Carolina Jiménez Sandoval writes. Trump’s re-election seemed to be a generational political realignment. But the vibe is shifting again, David Wallace-Wells writes. (This link is free.) A.I. won’t take all our jobs because it can’t reason like a human, Zeynep Tufekci writes. Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. MORNING READS Alex Kent/The New York Times At the fair: The Great American State Fair is underway on the National Mall — so far, with sparse attendance. Manners: A French psychologist says a trend toward American-style “gentle” parenting is making French children unbearable. (This link is free.) Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was a photo essay about people who clean houses and mow lawns in the Hamptons. Gym rat: Les Mills represented New Zealand in four Olympic Games, in shot put and discus, then founded a fitness empire that helped popularize aerobics. He died at 91. TODAY’S NUMBER 70 percent — That is the rough percentage of parents in Australia who said their children still had accounts on social media, despite a law banning anyone under 16 from major platforms. “What you’re effectively asking us to do with this is fence the ocean,” a government official said. WORLD CUP Germany, considered a World Cup contender, is out after losing on penalty kicks to Paraguay. Japan is done, too, succumbing to a late comeback from Brazil, which scored in the 96th minute to win 2-1. Morocco triumphed over the Netherlands, also on penalty kicks. Morocco’s decisive shot came from Ismael Saibari, who’s played his entire professional career in the Netherlands. RECIPE OF THE DAY Christopher Testani for The New York Times You can deploy ranch dressing in any number of ways. It’s terrific on a salad, of course, and with crunchy raw vegetables. But I particularly like it as a dip for pizza crusts and for chicken wings. I’ve been making those in the oven lately, so I can eat them while watching W.N.B.A. games or the World Cup. No recipe: just dry flats tossed with salt, pepper, cornstarch and a little oil. Lay them out on a racked sheet pan and roast at 425 until crisp. Toss with a mixture of melted butter and plenty of Frank’s hot sauce. Get on that. A HOLY PLACE Ross Mantle for The New York Times Generations of “Dawn of the Dead” fans have made pilgrimages to the mall in Monroeville, Pa., that George A. Romero filled with zombies in the late 1970s. But this year’s gathering of what’s called the Living Dead Weekend had an elegiac feel: Walmart has bought the building and plans to demolish it. Folks are bummed. “I’d equate visiting the mall to going to Georgetown and standing at the bottom of the steps where Father Karras lands in ‘The Exorcist,’” one fan said. “Or going to Martha’s Vineyard and seeing Quint’s shack from ‘Jaws.’” More on culture A heat wave’s a great time to catch up on movies. Our critics selected the best films of the year so far. (This link is free.) American classical music at 250: still basically European. Late night hosts continue to mock the Reflecting Pool. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Kimber Streams/NYT Wirecutter Store important documents in this fireproof safe. How do we know it’s fireproof? I’ll let the pyromaniacs at Wirecutter tell that story. Sleep better by adopting little rituals to wind down. (This link is free.) Hang a blanket over your windows this week, particularly those that get afternoon sun. On the East Coast and across the Midwest, anyway, it’s going to be hot. ☀️ GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was fanciful. 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: Yesterday’s newsletter misidentified the singer of “Hit the Wall.” She is Gracie Abrams, not Gracie Adams. 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 Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted 23 hours ago Author Members Posted 23 hours ago July 1, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. It’s going to be another hot one for much of the United States today. Stay hydrated and out of the sun if you can. I’m going to start again with the Supreme Court, which ended its term yesterday with some big decisions. And then we’ll get to the rest of the news, including LeBron James’s decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers. Allison Robbert for The New York Times A separation of powers In some of its biggest rulings this year, the Supreme Court pushed back against President Trump. Its justices struck down his executive order to revoke the birthright citizenship enshrined in the 14th Amendment yesterday, rejecting what was perhaps his most extreme assertion of executive authority. Trump wasn’t cowed. In a social media post he said that the court’s decision was “too bad for our Country” and asserted that he could “easily make it up in Congress through Legislation,” and that “no long and unwieldy Constitutional Amendment is necessary.” He called on Congress to start that work immediately. Erica Green and Michael Gold, two of our reporters in Washington, said that Trump would likely need a constitutional amendment to reverse the decision, and that such a measure would face long-shot odds in both the House and the Senate. Legislation would require support from Democrats unlikely to provide it, and from Republicans perhaps unwilling to risk voters in battleground districts ahead of the midterm elections. Polls show that most Americans support the right to birthright citizenship, including 38 percent of Republicans. Allison Robbert for The New York Times But a reaffirmation that children born in the United States are Americans doesn’t mean the court hasn’t ruled in Trump’s favor on other occasions. They lifted limits on campaign spending, in a Republican victory, and continued Trump’s rollback of transgender rights by upholding West Virginia and Idaho laws that prohibit transgender athletes from playing on girls’ and women’s sports teams. “The headline might be: ‘Court checks Trump,’ but the through line is a concentration of power towards the presidency, towards the court itself and away from Congress, federal agencies and voters,” one lawyer who argues regularly before the court told my colleagues Ann Marimow and Abbie VanSickle. The decisions, he added, could “fundamentally change the relationship between citizens and their government.” It’s Roberts’s court Another takeaway from yesterday, and from the nearly 60 cases the court ruled on during this term that started in October? Ann and Abbie, joined by Adam Liptak, who has covered the court for decades, say it’s the lasting authority of the chief justice: Chief Justice Roberts showed once again that he was in control of the court he joined more than 20 years ago. He voted in the majority more often than any of his colleagues. And he wrote for the majority in nearly all of the most significant cases this term, including the court’s decisions to block the president’s birthright citizenship order and his attempt to impose sweeping tariffs. In those cases, the chief justice was able to assemble ideologically diverse coalitions with the liberal justices and one or more of the justices nominated by Mr. Trump in his first term. Read more takeaways here. (We’ve made this story free for you to read, along with some others in this newsletter.) Anger management Justice Amy Coney Barrett was part of a few of those ideologically diverse coalitions. That infuriated some on the right, both in Congress and on the internet, who assailed her after she ruled on Monday, in a 5-to-4 decision, that Mississippi could count mailed ballots after Election Day. “Remember Election Day? This disastrous SCOTUS decision, authored by Justice Barrett, guarantees we’ll keep drifting away from it — as our sacred elections get bogged down by endless mail-in ballots and never-ending counts,” Representative Abe Hamadeh of Arizona wrote on social media. The former Fox News host Megyn Kelly was of the same opinion. “Amy Coney Barrett is a turncoat,” she posted. “She’s constantly siding with the left.” According to a Times analysis, members of the court’s conservative bloc, including Barrett, have voted for a liberal-leaning result just 19 percent of the time. More on the Supreme Court Yesterday’s campaign finance decision, which rolled back restrictions on political party spending, is likely to benefit Republicans: Their committees are flush with cash, and they can start spending immediately on midterm battlegrounds. NPR published, and then quickly retracted, an article by the veteran reporter Nina Totenberg saying that Justice Samuel Alito was retiring. A Supreme Court spokesman said the article was “inaccurate.” In the video below, Adam Liptak explains how the Supreme Court rulings this week affected the power of the presidency. Click to watch. The New York Times SEEING GREEN Trump made at least $2.2 billion during his first year back in the White House, including about $1.4 billion from his family’s cryptocurrency businesses, according to a mandatory financial disclosure last night. Trump is a major crypto operator and the industry’s top policymaker, dual roles that seemed to pay off. One of the president’s biggest hauls came when an investment firm tied to the United Arab Emirates bought nearly half his family’s main crypto company, World Liberty Financial. Trump collected hundreds of millions of dollars from sales of his $TRUMP memecoin and World Liberty’s digital tokens. His main family business, the Trump Organization, pulled in millions by licensing the Trump name to properties in places like Saudi Arabia and Qatar. COLORADO PRIMARIES Melat Kiros Chet Strange for The New York Times It was a good night for Democratic insurgents in Colorado. Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old lawyer and democratic socialist, took down a veteran congresswoman in a Denver-area district. And Phil Weiser, the state attorney general, upset Senator Michael Bennet in the Democratic primary for governor. In a third closely watched primary, Senator John Hickenlooper held off a progressive challenger, partly by moving to the left. THE LATEST NEWS Midterm Elections Democrats face an uphill battle to win control of the Senate but new Times/Siena polls show they are competitive in six Senate battleground states. The Republican Party is planning an unusual midterm convention in Dallas in September, Trump said. Politics Representative Tom Kean Alex Kent/The New York Times Representative Tom Kean, the New Jersey Republican who disappeared from Congress without explanation in March, returned to Washington yesterday and revealed he’d been hospitalized for depression. Far-right House Republicans blocked discussion of the annual defense policy bill in an attempt to force action on a voting restriction bill that Trump champions. The U.S. government lifted its restrictions on the A.I. company Anthropic, allowing it to bring its most powerful technologies back online. DOG DAYS Source: National Weather Service. Data is as of 5:24 a.m. Eastern on July 1. The New York Times Summer heat has taken over the Midwest and is spreading east. More than 160 million people in America are under extreme heat warnings. Heat index values — a measure of what the temperature feels like to the human body, when humidity is considered with the air temperature — could reach as high as 115 degrees. Explore maps and forecast data for your hometown. And here are tips for how to stay cool and safe (it’s a free link). OPINIONS The New York Times Ezra Klein talks to Chris Rufo about right-wing activism, D.E.I. and the future of the American republic. I’m gay, not queer, and that distinction matters, personally and politically, Matthew Vines writes. (This link is free.) Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. MORNING READS In Kyiv, Ukraine. Oksana Parafeniuk for The New York Times Last dance: Prom meant everything to Masha Polska, a ninth grader in Kyiv, Ukraine. But when the big day came, her date had to waltz alone. (This link is free.) Rivals: Two neighboring mountain towns in Mexico are fighting over which is the true birthplace of Mexican soccer. Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about whether American-style parenting has spoiled French children. Village person: Victor Willis, the Village People lead singer (and resident helmeted police officer), co-wrote hits including “Y.M.C.A” and “Macho Man.” He died at 74. TODAY’S NUMBER $2.77 trillion — That is the value of corporate deals announced worldwide during the first half of this year. It is the highest midyear total since 2002. And a lot of the deals were big. Forty-seven of them, collectively worth about $1.3 trillion, were valued at $10 billion or more, up an astounding 62 percent year on year. SPORTS World Cup France looked unstoppable in a 3-0 rout of Sweden. Kylian Mbappé scored twice, and now has the record for World Cup knockout-round goals. Mexico blew away Ecuador. The 2-0 victory was Mexico’s first knockout win in 40 years. Norway’s superstar, Erling Haaland, scored in the 86th minute to help his team past Ivory Coast, 2-1. Next up: Brazil. More Sports Serena Williams fell short in her first Wimbledon singles match since 2022. LeBron James plans to return for his 24th N.B.A. season — but not with the Los Angeles Lakers. Here are six teams he might join. RECIPE OF THE DAY Michael Kraus for The New York Times We’re at just about peak strawberries here on the East Coast, and I’m not cooking them for anyone. No need. Just wash and dry and slice, then top with a simplified Swedish cream — a combination of sour and heavy cream anointed with sugar or honey. Summer! SNUGGLE UP Robin Byrd HBO “The Robin Byrd Show” ran on Manhattan public access television from 1977 until 1998, a sex-positive, freewheeling late-night party conversation. “More kitschy than carnal, the shows were fueled by a goofy exhibitionism and a winning enthusiasm for a wide variety of sexual orientations,” our critic Jeannette Catsoulis writes. Now a new documentary, “Bang My Box: The Robin Byrd Story,” explores Byrd’s life as an entertainer and bikini-clad First Amendment warrior. The film’s “as saucy, warm and uninhibited as its subject,” Jeannette says, with “a ramshackle charm and a nostalgic heart.” Read her review. 👙 More on culture How to build a landscape in your yard: slowly. “You need to grow a garden, don’t you?” the English landscape designer Dan Pearson told us. “And even just the ideas — you need to grow those ideas. So there’s much to be said, I think, for taking the time to understand something.” His tips. What’s an “American” movie, anyway? Our staff compiled 10 wide-ranging examples, including “There Will Be Blood” and “Nashville.” THE MORNING RECOMMENDS The New York Times Relieve your “tech neck” with these simple exercises. Listen to the new Phoebe Bridgers single, “Lost Boys.” Our Jon Pareles is into it. Consider new sheets. The testing-obsessed sleepyheads at Wirecutter found the very best ones. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was womanhood. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted 1 hour ago Author Members Posted 1 hour ago July 2, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. Russia mounted a large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, overnight. It was a deadly show of force after weeks of Ukrainian attacks within Russia. There’s more news below, including a look at the legacy of Sandra Boynton’s picture book “Hippos Go Beserk!,” which is about to turn 50. But first, let’s look at some maps. The New York Times An American mosaic All the clichés are true. America is a melting pot. It’s a tapestry. It’s a collage, a quilt of innumerable colors, as you can see in this amazing map. It shows how people describe their ancestry or family origin to the Census Bureau: “Blend them — as 340 million Americans do — and we arrive at a jumbled, overlapping, story-filled infinity.” The map’s worth exploring. You’ll find a pocket of Greeks in Tarpon Springs, Florida. That’s because in the early 1900s, Greek divers came from the Dodecanese islands and transformed the sponge industry along the Gulf Coast. Those neighborhoods of Portuguese and Cape Verdeans in and around New Bedford, Massachusetts? They’re whaling heirs, the offspring of people who first arrived on ships in the 1800s. Look at the Basque in Boise, Idaho. They left the mountains of France and northern Spain to seek gold in the American West. Their families are still here. Vietnamese refugees settled near New Orleans and Houston to do as they had done back home, netting shrimp for the market. All those Scandinavians in Minnesota and North Dakota? Cold winters didn’t bother them. They put down roots and started to farm. I found a sizable population of Dominicans on the west side of the island of Nantucket. And a big hub of Ecuadoreans in East Hampton. Those are people who came seeking work, serving the wealthy. Larry Buchanan, one of the visual journalists who worked on the project, told me to zoom in on Springdale, Arkansas. There’s a neighborhood there that’s 41 percent Marshallese. They call it “Springdale Atoll.” (The islanders came to work in the city’s poultry plants.) Albert Sun, a data reporter and graphics editor who was also on the team, grew up in the Detroit suburbs alongside a lot of Chaldeans — Iraqi Christians who came to the area to work on the assembly lines at Ford. He’d always assumed Chaldeans were everywhere. Look at the map he built. That’s a nope. And here are the Houston suburbs, an absolute kaleidoscope: The New York Times The nation’s story The map tells the story of immigration in America. The team writes: Over 250 years, the country has absorbed more than 100 million people. We can trace the pressures that pushed and pulled them here — and the policies that welcomed certain groups while keeping others out — through the patterns in where their descendants live today. Just peel back the layers. You’ll find the descendants of Italians who started coming to New York at the end of the 19th century. Also the African American descendants of enslaved people in the South who began to move north in the 20th. Here are the families of Mexicans who lived on our southwestern border long before it was a border at all. Chinese are present on the map, largely in Chinatowns on the two coasts, though newer arrivals are spreading beyond those historical boundaries. And the Native Americans who were already here when people from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales showed up? The Iroquois, Navajo, Inupiat, the Chickasaw and others? You can still see their presence, too. We are in the midst of a reckoning over immigration to the United States, and the Trump administration has been aggressive in its desire to deport people who are in the country illegally and to limit the pathways to legal immigration. But the country is experiencing a declining population and work force. And the factors that make immigrants want to come here remain strong. It will be interesting to see what these maps look like in the future. Go read the whole story. It’s by Albert, Larry, and Jeff Adelson. And explore the map they built. (Start by searching for your hometown, then let your curiosity guide you. We’ve made both these links free for you, along with a few others in the newsletter, so long as you log in.) The pieces are part of a suite of stories The Times is running on the occasion of the nation’s 250th birthday. We’ll be looking at more of them in this newsletter over the holiday weekend. Watch for those! THE LATEST NEWS Politics Doug Mills/The New York Times President Trump introduced his new Air Force One jet — a Boeing 747-8 that the Qatari royal family gave the United States last year, now painted red, white and blue. See it take off. Of at least $2.2 billion that Trump made in office last year, more than $600 million came from the $TRUMP memecoin, which left hundreds of thousands of investors with losses. New York Times/Siena polling of six battleground states shows a close Senate race. In the video below, our chief political analyst, Nate Cohn, walks through the findings. Click to watch. The New York Times War in Ukraine At least 17 people were killed in Russia’s latest assault on Ukraine’s capital, officials say. Across both sides, more than 2 million troops have been killed or wounded since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, according to a new study. Russia’s toll is heavier: 1.4 million troops killed or wounded. With many hospitals in Ukraine destroyed, doctors are delivering babies underground. The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about a prom in Kyiv disrupted by the war. War in the Middle East American and Iranian negotiators held indirect talks in Qatar. Officials in Saudi Arabia have grown unhappy with Trump, viewing him as unreliable and, on occasion, a risk to Gulf Arab nations. The funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei begins tomorrow and will run for six days. Tens of millions are expected to turn out for ceremonies in Iran and Iraq. Other Big Stories ICE has detained at least 10,000 people in the past five days. The agency has roughly doubled its number of daily arrests. A memo from the N.Y.P.D. outlined preparations for Taylor Swift’s wedding events this weekend. Here’s what we know. (This link is free). A rebel Catholic group consecrated four bishops in defiance of Pope Leo XIV, putting them in line for excommunication. IT’S ALIVE? The New York Times Scientists have long dreamed of creating life from scratch. They’re getting pretty close. Blending dozens of ingredients, researchers synthesized cells that look and act like living ones — except these cells were built, not born. Whether they are “alive” is debatable. But they demonstrate most hallmarks of life: They feed, grow, reproduce and compete with one another for food. Read more about the breakthrough. OPINIONS Do you want to discuss the World Cup like a lifelong fan? Roger Bennett has the definitive illustrated guide. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, but Black Americans made its rhetoric of freedom and equality real, Jamelle Bouie writes. (This link is free.) Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. MORNING READS Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times Discofoot: It’s soccer, but set to disco. Doctor chatbot: One of the first tasks medical students learn to do is summarizing a patient exam. Will giving that task to A.I. change how doctors think about diagnoses? TODAY’S NUMBER 135,000 — That is how many fans will fit in the world’s largest soccer stadium, under construction in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Vietnamese government is leaning on big projects to make up for potential economic slowdowns caused by the war in the Middle East. SPORTS Folarin Balogun Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times The United States played brilliantly in a 2-0 knockout win over Bosnia and Herzegovina last night. But the American striker Folarin Balogun drew a red card that will keep him out of the next match, against Belgium. Belgium won against Senegal in the final minute of extra time, with a penalty kick. Here’s a breakdown of how the Belgian squad matches up against the Americans. England escaped a massive upset against the Democratic Republic of Congo when its captain, Harry Kane, scored twice late in the second half. RECIPE OF THE DAY Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich On days when the humidity’s near triple digits and the sun appears to be seven feet away, I like a cold dinner, with a cold beer. If you’re of the same mind, try Melissa Clark’s recipe for a rice noodle salad with salted peanuts and herbs (Put your beer in the freezer while you make it, so it’s flecked with ice when you eat.) The dressing is bonkers good — I’d double it. If you have any left over you’ll find a use for it in coming days. THE DIVORCE CRUSADER Adina Sash Ahmed Gaber for The New York Times Adina Sash is a Jewish activist better known as Flatbush Girl, the online handle she uses in her highly specific form of influencing. She wields her 100,000 followers to mount pressure campaigns against men in the Orthodox Jewish community who refuse to permit their wives a “get,” allowing a religious divorce. “She combines the passionate intensity of an activist with the attention economy savvy of an influencer,” writes Joseph Bernstein, who covers the collision of digital subcultures and politics. “And she brings that combination of stridency and digital spectacle to bear on an ultra-Orthodox world that uses shame as a powerful tool of coercion, and in which women have very little power.” (This story is free to read.) More on culture Sandra Boynton’s first board book for children, “Hippos Go Beserk!,” is approaching its 50th birthday. We take a look at her legacy and offer a guide to her essential books. The new techno rave club scene in Europe? It’s in Warsaw, reports Christine Chung, a Travel reporter who is no stranger to the dance floor. “We have something absolutely fresh,” one music journalist there told her. “We have lots of young energy.” THE MORNING RECOMMENDS The New York Times Plan a fantasy wedding for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. It is like a game to us. Find a new workout. We can help. Slather yourself with body lotion after you shower. (Your skin will thank you, and your dermatologist, too.) The epidermal enthusiasts at Wirecutter found six of the best. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were hiccuped and hiccupped. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. Have a wonderful long weekend with my colleagues. I’ll be back on Monday. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.