SAMWISE
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Saturday, June 20, 2026
CHAMPIONSHIP
Mercedes Identifies Same Battery Component Behind Russell and Antonelli DNFs
Mercedes has confirmed that the battery failures which retired George Russell from the Canadian Grand Prix and Kimi Antonelli from the Barcelona Grand Prix originate in the same component within the power unit. The Silver Arrows are phasing in new battery modules to address the problem, though Russell’s damaged unit is still being shipped back to the UK by sea freight and will take several months to arrive for detailed investigation. Team principal Toto Wolff issued a stark warning after Barcelona, saying Mercedes “can’t compete for a championship if every second race a car loses fat points.”
Ferrari to Debut First ADUO Engine Upgrade at Austrian Grand Prix
Ferrari is poised to introduce the first of its two ADUO-permitted power unit upgrades at the Austrian Grand Prix on June 28. The team will run an updated version of its 067/6 engine featuring modifications developed in collaboration with Shell’s laboratory in Hamburg. A key change involves raising the intake air temperature limit from 100°C to over 115°C, allowing more efficient fuel combustion and increased power output. The upgrade arrives as Lewis Hamilton sits just 41 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli following his maiden Ferrari victory at the Barcelona Grand Prix.
ADUO: Red Bull Rated as FIA Benchmark Engine Despite Rivals Dominating Races
The FIA’s ADUO power unit rankings have placed Red Bull Powertrains as the benchmark engine in Formula 1, meaning Red Bull receives no additional development tokens this season. Mercedes, which won six of the opening seven grands prix, gets one engine upgrade; Ferrari, Honda and Audi receive two each. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies confirmed the team was “surprised,” noting that ADUO rankings measure only internal combustion engine performance, excluding the electrical element that accounts for nearly half of total 2026 power output. The FIA is now reviewing the methodology following Red Bull’s formal challenge to the ranking.
McLaren and Red Bull Formally Appeal Gasly’s Monaco Reinstatement to FIA Court
McLaren and Red Bull have formally lodged appeals with the FIA International Court of Appeal against the decision to reinstate Pierre Gasly to third in the Monaco Grand Prix. Gasly had originally been penalised for pit lane speeding before Alpine’s right-of-review succeeded when FOM admitted a measurement error caused pit lane speeds to be over-reported. McLaren stated the case raises “important questions concerning sporting fairness, regulatory consistency and the integrity of competition.” Mercedes, which had also considered an appeal, subsequently withdrew its challenge. McLaren and Red Bull pursuing the ICA route is highly unusual, with very few precedents in the sport’s modern history.
Red Bull Brings Second Major Upgrade Package to Austrian Grand Prix
Red Bull will bring its second major aerodynamic upgrade of the 2026 season to the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. Team principal Laurent Mekies, while confirming the team has been working hard on the package, cautioned that it alone will not close the gap to the front runners. “There is no doubt that the Austrian package alone will not be enough,” Mekies said. Max Verstappen sits seventh in the Drivers’ Championship with 55 points, 101 adrift of leader Kimi Antonelli. Red Bull has indicated further development steps will be needed beyond Austria to return to genuine race victory contention.
Honda States Aston Martin’s 2026 Results Have “Failed Expectations”
Honda has issued a statement acknowledging that Aston Martin’s 2026 Formula 1 results have “failed expectations,” with the partnership having scored only one point from the opening seven rounds. Honda Racing president Koji Watanabe visited Aston Martin’s UK base as the two parties assessed a season hampered by power unit reliability and vibration problems. Neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll reached the finish at the Barcelona Grand Prix. The Honda power unit’s vibration characteristics proved more damaging once integrated into Adrian Newey’s Aston Martin chassis than had been anticipated during development.
Jak Crawford to Replace Lance Stroll in Austrian GP FP1
Aston Martin has confirmed that reserve driver Jak Crawford will take the wheel of Lance Stroll’s car for the first free practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix, with Stroll returning from FP2 onwards. The substitution counts towards Aston Martin’s regulatory requirement to field a young driver in at least four free practice sessions during the 2026 season. Crawford is part of Aston Martin’s junior driver programme. The Red Bull Ring FP1 session is scheduled for Friday June 27. Stroll has not scored a championship point in 2026, while the team has accumulated just one point across seven races.
Carlos Sainz Proposes Radical New Season Format to Separate Driver and Constructor Titles
Williams driver Carlos Sainz has unveiled a proposal for a radical overhaul of the Formula 1 season format that would fully separate the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships. Sainz envisions a 20-race calendar in which each driver runs two races with every competing manufacturer’s car, requiring all drivers to use each team’s machinery during the season. The concept, which Sainz says arose from discussions about the challenges of the 2026 technical regulations, is designed to allow championships to be won on driver talent rather than car performance alone. The idea is considered highly unlikely to be implemented in any near-term regulatory discussions.
Drivers' Championship
1. Kimi Antonelli — 156 pts
2. Lewis Hamilton — 115 pts
3. George Russell — 106 pts
4. Charles Leclerc — 75 pts
5. Lando Norris — 73 pts
6. Oscar Piastri — 68 pts
7. Max Verstappen — 55 pts
8. Pierre Gasly — 41 pts
9. Isack Hadjar — 34 pts
10. Liam Lawson — 28 pts
11. Oliver Bearman — 18 pts
12. Franco Colapinto — 16 pts
13. Arvid Lindblad — 13 pts
14. Carlos Sainz — 6 pts
15. Alexander Albon — 5 pts
16. Esteban Ocon — 3 pts
17. Gabriel Bortoleto — 2 pts
18. Fernando Alonso — 1 pt
19. Nico Hülkenberg — 0 pts
20. Valtteri Bottas — 0 pts
21. Sergio Pérez — 0 pts
22. Lance Stroll — 0 pts
Constructors' Championship
1. Mercedes — 262 pts
2. Ferrari — 190 pts
3. McLaren — 141 pts
4. Red Bull — 89 pts
5. Alpine — 57 pts
6. Racing Bulls — 41 pts
7. Haas — 21 pts
8. Williams — 11 pts
9. Audi — 2 pts
10. Aston Martin — 1 pt
11. Cadillac — 0 pts
ROAD COURSE
Flu-Fighting Armstrong Leads Meyer Shank 1-2 in Opening Road America Practice
Marcus Armstrong, battling influenza and running on just two hours of sleep, set the fastest time in Friday’s opening practice session for the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America. The New Zealander posted a lap of 1 minute, 44.2714 seconds in the No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda to lead a 1-2 for the team at the 4-mile Wisconsin road course. Teammate and 2026 Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist was second at 1:44.3501, with championship leader Alex Palou third at 1:44.3659. “I’m as sick as a dog. I don’t feel great. At least I’ve proven to myself I can still be fast with two hours of sleep,” Armstrong said.
Palou Targets Record-Breaking Road America Win as Championship Lead Stands at 49 Points
Championship leader Alex Palou enters this weekend’s XPEL Grand Prix at Road America with a chance to make history at a circuit he has turned into a personal stronghold. The Spaniard has won three times at the 4-mile Elkhart Lake road course, drawing level with Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi on the all-time IndyCar wins list there. A fourth victory on Sunday would move Palou clear of all three. Palou also leads the championship by 49 points over Kyle Kirkwood after nine races, pursuing a fourth consecutive NTT IndyCar Series title that would tie Sebastien Bourdais’ series record set from 2004 to 2007.
Newgarden Manages Foot Injury as Nasr Stands By for Road America
Team Penske has placed Felipe Nasr on standby for this weekend’s XPEL Grand Prix at Road America as Josef Newgarden continues to manage a left-foot injury sustained during the Indianapolis 500. Newgarden has shown remarkable resilience, racing at the Detroit Grand Prix while still wearing a boot and using a crutch away from the car, then winning last weekend at WWT Raceway. If Newgarden is unable to compete at Elkhart Lake, Nasr will step into the No. 2 Chevrolet. Newgarden currently sits sixth in the championship with 238 points, 104 behind leader Alex Palou after nine of 18 races.
Andretti Global Hunting First Road Course Victory of 2026 at Road America
Andretti Global arrives at Road America off the back of a strong weekend at WWT Raceway, where Marcus Ericsson finished second and Kyle Kirkwood and Will Power both placed in the top eight, and now targets its first road course victory of the 2026 season. Kirkwood, second in the championship 49 points behind Palou, has never won at Elkhart Lake but brings strong recent form. The team’s only Road America win came via Alexander Rossi in 2019. Rossi is also in the 2026 field for Ed Carpenter Racing and enters the weekend 14th in the drivers’ standings with 152 points.
Schumacher, Hauger and Collet Set for Road America IndyCar Debut This Weekend
Three of IndyCar’s 2026 rookie class will race at Road America for the first time this weekend: Mick Schumacher of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Dale Coyne Racing’s Dennis Hauger, and A.J. Foyt Enterprises’ Caio Collet. Schumacher, son of seven-time Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher, drives the No. 47 Honda for RLL in his first full IndyCar season after stints in Formula One and other European championships. Hauger and Collet, both from Indy NXT backgrounds, have established themselves as the top two rookies this season. Hauger leads the rookie standings with 133 points, with Collet second at 99 and Schumacher third at 89.
Drivers' Championship
After Race 9 of 18 — WWT Raceway
1. Alex Palou — 342 pts
2. Kyle Kirkwood — 293 pts
3. David Malukas — 274 pts
4. Christian Lundgaard — 246 pts
5. Pato O’Ward — 239 pts
6. Josef Newgarden — 238 pts
7. Scott McLaughlin — 222 pts
8. Felix Rosenqvist — 221 pts
9. Marcus Ericsson — 196 pts
10. Marcus Armstrong — 196 pts
11. Graham Rahal — 193 pts
12. Scott Dixon — 192 pts
13. Rinus VeeKay — 175 pts
14. Alexander Rossi — 152 pts
15. Kyffin Simpson — 147 pts
16. Santino Ferrucci — 146 pts
17. Will Power — 145 pts
18. Dennis Hauger (R) — 133 pts
19. Louis Foster — 131 pts
20. Romain Grosjean — 117 pts
21. Nolan Siegel — 116 pts
22. Christian Rasmussen — 112 pts
23. Caio Collet (R) — 99 pts
24. Sting Ray Robb — 89 pts
25. Mick Schumacher (R) — 89 pts
26. Conor Daly — 24 pts
27. Takuma Sato — 20 pts
28. Jack Harvey — 8 pts
29. Jacob Abel (R) — 6 pts
30. Helio Castroneves — 5 pts
31. Ed Carpenter — 5 pts
32. Ryan Hunter-Reay — 5 pts
33. Katherine Legge — 5 pts
Teams' Championship
After Race 9 of 18
1. Team Penske — 591 pts
2. Chip Ganassi Racing — 576 pts
3. Andretti Global — 509 pts
4. Arrow McLaren — 507 pts
5. Meyer Shank Racing — 417 pts
6. Rahal Letterman Lanigan — 351 pts
7. Ed Carpenter Racing — 264 pts
=. Juncos Hollinger Racing — 264 pts
9. Dale Coyne Racing — 250 pts
10. A.J. Foyt Enterprises — 245 pts
11. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing — 32 pts
12. Abel Motorsports — 6 pts
13. HMD Motorsports — 5 pts
GT WORLD CHALLENGE
CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa: 70-Car Field Set for June 24, Lamborghini Temerario to Make 24-Hour Race Debut
The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, the 79th running of the Belgian classic, features a 70-car GT3 grid when racing begins June 24 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Ten manufacturers compete across Pro, Gold Cup, Silver Cup, Bronze Cup and Pro-Am classes. The headline is Lamborghini’s Temerario GT3 making its first 24-hour race appearance, with the Grasser Racing Team entry of Mirko Bortolotti, Maximilian Paul and Franck Perera carrying the defending Spa champion’s hopes. Porsche leads manufacturer representation with 16 entries, ahead of Mercedes-AMG on 11. BMW, Ferrari and McLaren each field eight cars. A new knockout Superpole qualifying format debuts on Friday afternoon.
Ferrari Fields Eight 296 GT3 Evo Machines at Spa, with AF Corse Slotting Arthur Leclerc into Pro Lineup
Ferrari brings eight 296 GT3 Evo cars to the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa across all five classes. Factory-supported AF Corse fields two Pro entries: the No. 50 of Arthur Leclerc, Lilou Wadoux and Sean Galael, and the No. 51 of Alessio Rovera, Nicklas Nielsen and Tommaso Mosca. The 296 GT3 Evo receives substantial updates for 2026, with revised front and rear aerodynamics, a new front splitter and bumper appendages, a reworked rear diffuser, and a new gear ratio cascade for improved torque delivery. Updated cooling and suspension geometry complete the package. Almost all of Ferrari’s 2026 GT3 bodywork has been revised ahead of the June 24 race weekend.
Le Mans 2026 Analysis: “The Fastest Car Didn’t Win” — How Toyota’s Strategy Outsmarted BMW’s Outright Pace
Toyota’s strategy handed the No. 7 GR010 Hybrid the 2026 Le Mans 24 Hours victory despite it not being the outright fastest machine. Post-race analysis shows the No. 20 BMW M Hybrid V8 of Robin Frijns, Rene Rast and Sheldon van der Linde held a pace advantage on the long straights, while Cadillac demonstrated the strongest single-lap performance in high-temperature conditions. Toyota started both cars 14th and 15th after Hyperpole and built its race around offset fuelling and opportunistic timing. Two Full Course Yellows in the 19th and 22nd hours were decisive, allowing Nyck de Vries to build a 20-second lead Kamui Kobayashi then managed to the chequered flag.
Toyota’s Le Mans Win “Almost Never Happened”: Safe Mode Crisis and Twin FCY Periods Sealed Sixth Victory
The winning No. 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans nearly did not finish. A driveshaft torque sensor problem triggered a power-limiting safe mode, dropping performance so severely the crew temporarily abandoned hope of victory. Kobayashi confirmed the car ran in safe mode for extended periods, with the team unable to override the limiter without risking further damage. Two Full Course Yellows in the 19th and 22nd hours brought Toyota back into contention by equalising pit stop windows. The FCY in hour 22 allowed Nyck de Vries to vault into a 20-second lead, which Kobayashi managed to the finish for Toyota’s sixth Le Mans victory.
IMSA GTP Title Battle Poised for Watkins Glen as Aitken Holds 144-Point Lead over Heinrich
Jack Aitken and the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen team carry a 144-point championship lead into Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, the sixth round of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Watkins Glen International on June 28. Aitken, who shared with Earl Bamber to win in Detroit earlier this season, holds 1,760 points ahead of Laurin Heinrich on 1,616. Julien Andlauer and Felipe Nasr are third with 1,606 points. In manufacturers’ standings, Cadillac leads Porsche by 25 points. The race marks the halfway point of the 11-round season and is Round 3 of the Michelin Endurance Cup, with all four classes competing at the Finger Lakes circuit.
WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1. Conway / Kobayashi / de Vries — 75 pts
2. Frijns / Rast / Van der Linde — 71 pts
1. Toyota Racing — leads championship
2. BMW M Team WRT — chasing
After Round 3 — 24 Hours of Le Mans
IMSA GTP — Drivers
1. Jack Aitken — 1,760 pts
2. Laurin Heinrich — 1,616 pts
3. Andlauer / Nasr — 1,606 pts
1. Cadillac — 1,797 pts
2. Porsche — 1,772 pts
3. Acura — 1,676 pts
NHL
Carolina Hurricanes Bring Stanley Cup to Downtown Raleigh in Championship Parade
The Carolina Hurricanes brought their second Stanley Cup championship to the streets of Raleigh on Saturday, hosting a 2026 Championship Celebration starting at 11 a.m. in downtown Raleigh. The parade began at the intersection of Hillsborough and St. Mary’s Street, winding through downtown before concluding at Davie Street. A rally at City Plaza followed, where players, coaches, and special guests addressed the crowd. City officials expected more than 100,000 fans, potentially making it the largest event in Raleigh’s history. It is the first Stanley Cup parade for the city since the Hurricanes captured the championship in 2006.
Jonathan Toews Announces Retirement After 16 NHL Seasons and Three Stanley Cups
Jonathan Toews, one of the most decorated captains in NHL history, announced his retirement on Thursday after 16 professional seasons. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native made the announcement at the Jonathan Toews Sportsplex in his hometown. Toews, 38, won three Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks, captaining all three championship runs. He spent his final season with the hometown Winnipeg Jets, recording 29 points in 82 games after a two-year absence caused by Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and Long COVID. Toews finished his career with 921 points — 383 goals and 529 assists — across 1,149 NHL games with Chicago and Winnipeg.
Maple Leafs Acquire Darren Raddysh from Tampa Bay in Eight-Year, $8.5M Sign-and-Trade
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday in a sign-and-trade deal. As part of the arrangement, Raddysh signed an eight-year contract extension with Toronto at an average annual value of $8.5 million. The Lightning received Toronto’s fifth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft. The deal is one of the first major roster moves of the NHL offseason and was announced in the days leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft, which runs June 26–27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. Raddysh’s eight-year commitment represents one of the longer defensive contracts in recent league history.
Multiple Teams Exploring Trade for Buffalo Sabres Defenseman Bo Byram, per TSN
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Thursday that multiple teams are exploring a trade with the Buffalo Sabres involving defenseman Bo Byram, who has one year remaining on his contract before reaching unrestricted free agency. Byram, 25, posted a career-high 42 points — 11 goals and 31 assists — in 2025–26, with a plus-15 rating and averaged more than 22 minutes per game. His $6.25 million cap hit is financially manageable for potential suitors, while Buffalo’s top defensive spot is already occupied by Rasmus Dahlin. Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen had previously expressed interest in a long-term extension, but Buffalo is now listening to trade offers.
Gavin McKenna Consensus No. 1 Pick as 2026 NHL Draft Approaches in Buffalo
With the 2026 NHL Draft six days away, expert consensus has settled around the first overall pick: the Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to select Penn State left wing Gavin McKenna, who posted 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in 35 collegiate games. Reports indicate Toronto has informed McKenna he is their selection. The San Jose Sharks hold the second pick and are projected to take Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg of Frölunda, while the Vancouver Canucks at third are linked to Brantford center Caleb Malhotra. The draft is scheduled for June 26–27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
RECAP
Schlittler Fans Career-High 13 as Yankees Blank Reds 5-0
Cam Schlittler struck out a career-high 13 Cincinnati Reds batters in six dominant innings Friday night, leading the New York Yankees to a 5-0 shutout at Yankee Stadium. Schlittler issued zero walks and allowed just four hits, as the Reds finished the night with 17 total strikeouts. Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a solo home run and Ben Rice launched a three-run shot in the second inning off Cincinnati starter Rhett Lowder, while Anthony Volpe added a late RBI single. The outing continued Schlittler’s case for the AL Cy Young Award, with the right-hander maintaining one of the sport’s lowest ERA marks among starting pitchers this season.
Braves Beat Brewers 3-2 in NL Division Leaders Showdown
Atlanta took the opening game of a marquee series between the National League’s two division leaders Friday, beating Milwaukee 3-2 as Jacob Misiorowski suffered his first loss in two months. The Brewers ace allowed two runs in six innings; his league-leading ERA climbed to 1.45. Martín Pérez (6-3) earned his fourth straight win for the Braves, giving up one run over six innings with five strikeouts. Mauricio Dubón singled home two runs in the sixth inning to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead, and Mike Yastrzemski added a solo home run in the seventh. Raisel Iglesias earned his 15th save.
A’s Erase Seven-Run Deficit, Walk Off Angels 12-11 in 10th
The Las Vegas Athletics erased a seven-run deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Angels 12-11 in 10 innings Friday night, completing one of the most dramatic comebacks of the 2026 season. The Angels led 11-4 with just 12 outs remaining and had slugged five home runs, but the A’s answered with eight consecutive runs across the final five frames. Jonah Heim hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning to tie the game at 11. In the 10th, reliever Kirby Yates walked Nick Kurtz with the bases loaded to end it, capping a stunning reversal that cut Los Angeles’ AL West division lead.
Kelly Grand Slam Ignites Cubs’ 16-2 Rout of Reeling Blue Jays
Carson Kelly hit his second career grand slam in a seven-run first inning and finished with a career-high six RBIs as the Chicago Cubs routed the Toronto Blue Jays 16-2 at Wrigley Field on Friday. Pete Crow-Armstrong extended his career-best on-base streak to 22 consecutive games, batting .409 during the stretch. Justin Dean, recalled from Triple-A before the game, drove in three runs with a triple in Chicago’s five-run seventh — his first career hit. Seiya Suzuki and Nico Hoerner each had three hits in Chicago’s 18-hit attack. Ben Brown (4-2) allowed two runs over six innings to earn the victory.
Dodgers Rally for Three Ninth-Inning Runs to Walk Off Orioles 6-5
The Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 on Friday night, winning their fourth consecutive game. Mookie Betts led off the ninth with a solo home run off closer Ryan Helsley, cutting Baltimore’s lead to 5-4. Dalton Rushing then singled home pinch-runner Alex Call to tie the game at 5, and Ryan Ward scored the go-ahead run when Tyler O’Neill’s throw to the plate sailed wide of catcher Samuel Basallo on a two-out error. Blake Treinen (4-1) pitched the ninth inning to earn the win in relief. The Dodgers remain among the NL’s best teams.
Altuve, Peña Homer as Astros Power Past Guardians 9-3
Jose Altuve hit a three-run home run and Jeremy Peña slugged two solo shots to power the Houston Astros past the Cleveland Guardians 9-3 on Friday night. Altuve’s blast landed in the Crawford Boxes in left field, sparking a big inning for the Houston offense. Peña finished 3 for 5 with three RBIs, and his two-homer night was the third multi-homer game of his career. Tatsuya Imai struck out a career-high 11 batters over six innings, allowing three runs on six hits without issuing a walk, delivering the best strikeout total of his MLB career. The Astros improved their AL West positioning.
Caglianone Homers, Lugo Returns as Royals Edge Cardinals 6-5
Jac Caglianone hit his 10th home run of the season and Seth Lugo returned from the injured list to lead the Kansas City Royals past the St. Louis Cardinals 6-5 on Friday night, clinching the three-game series and snapping a three-series losing streak. Lugo (3-4), sidelined since June 10 after being struck on the forehead by a line drive, allowed two runs on five hits over six innings. Isaac Collins drove in two runs with a pair of doubles. The Cardinals scored three runs in the ninth off Matt Strahm before Alex Lange entered to earn his fifth save and preserve the victory.
American League
1. New York Yankees — 43–27, —
2. Tampa Bay Rays — 41–28, 1.5
3. Toronto Blue Jays — 34–38, 10.0
4. Baltimore Orioles — 34–39, 10.5
5. Boston Red Sox — 29–40, 13.5
1. Chicago White Sox — 38–32, —
2. Cleveland Guardians — 39–33, 0.0
3. Minnesota Twins — 34–40, 6.0
4. Detroit Tigers — 30–42, 9.0
5. Kansas City Royals — 29–44, 10.5
1. Seattle Mariners — 37–36, —
2. Las Vegas Athletics — 36–36, 0.5
3. Texas Rangers — 35–37, 1.5
4. Houston Astros — 33–41, 4.5
5. Los Angeles Angels — 29–44, 8.0
National League
1. Atlanta Braves — 46–25, —
2. Philadelphia Phillies — 39–33, 7.5
3. Washington Nationals — 38–35, 9.0
4. Miami Marlins — 36–37, 11.0
5. New York Mets — 32–40, 14.5
1. Milwaukee Brewers — 43–26, —
2. St. Louis Cardinals — 39–31, 4.5
3. Chicago Cubs — 38–35, 7.0
4. Pittsburgh Pirates — 36–37, 9.0
5. Cincinnati Reds — 33–37, 10.0
1. Los Angeles Dodgers — 46–27, —
2. San Diego Padres — 37–34, 8.0
3. Arizona Diamondbacks — 37–35, 8.5
4. San Francisco Giants — 29–43, 16.5
5. Colorado Rockies — 27–46, 19.0
AI
OpenAI Hires Transformer Co-Author Noam Shazeer From Google DeepMind Ahead of IPO
Noam Shazeer, a co-author of the 2017 “Attention Is All You Need” paper that introduced the transformer architecture underlying every major language model, announced June 18 that he is leaving Google DeepMind to join OpenAI. Shazeer rejoined Google two years ago via a $2.7 billion licensing arrangement with Character.AI and became VP of engineering and co-lead of the Gemini program. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called him “one of the people I have most wanted to work with since the very beginning of OpenAI.” The hire arrives as OpenAI advances toward a public offering. Former Trump White House AI policy official Dean Ball also joins as head of policy.
European Commission Selects EUROPA Consortium to Build Open-Source Frontier AI in All 24 EU Languages
The European Commission selected the EUROPA consortium, led by Italian company Domyn, to build a frontier artificial intelligence model covering all 24 official EU languages, the Commission announced June 19. The project, awarded through the Frontier AI Grande Challenge, calls for a model exceeding 400 billion parameters — on par with the most capable commercial systems — and grants the consortium one year of access to EuroHPC supercomputing infrastructure. The initiative aims to give European businesses, researchers, and public institutions access to powerful AI built on European infrastructure, reducing dependence on large private AI firms based outside the bloc. Language accessibility is the program’s central design objective.
VLC Media Player Creator Jean-Baptiste Kempf Raises $5M for Kyber, a Real-Time Robot Control Infrastructure Startup
Jean-Baptiste Kempf, lead developer of VLC Media Player — which runs on roughly four billion devices worldwide — has turned his attention to robots. His Paris-based startup Kyber has raised a $5 million seed round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, TechCrunch reported June 19. Kyber builds real-time infrastructure for controlling remote devices, applying the low-latency networking principles Kempf developed at VLC to the challenge of reliable robot teleoperation at scale. Lightspeed has also backed Anthropic and Mistral AI. The funding reflects growing investor interest in robotics middleware companies that solve infrastructure problems rather than building robots directly.
Sina Weibo’s VibeThinker-3B Claims Frontier-Level Reasoning From Just 3 Billion Parameters
Nine researchers at Sina Weibo posted a 14-page technical report to arXiv on June 15 claiming VibeThinker-3B, built on the Qwen2.5-Coder-3B base using their Spectrum-to-Signal post-training pipeline, matches or exceeds reasoning performance of flagship systems from Google DeepMind, OpenAI, Anthropic, and DeepSeek — models hundreds of times larger. VentureBeat reported the claim immediately triggered debate over whether benchmark results reflect genuine capability or narrow test-set optimization. The model requires just 6.7 GB of VRAM, making it deployable on consumer hardware. If results hold under independent scrutiny, they suggest parameter count is a poor proxy for reasoning capability.
XDOF Turns Unglamorous Robot Training Data Collection Into a Business, Supplying Major AI Labs
The race to build capable robots has created an unglamorous but essential market: humans who physically collect manipulation data that robotic AI models need to generalize. XDOF, a startup supplying robot training data to AI labs, operates a network of workers performing repetitive object-handling demonstrations — folding laundry, sorting items, opening packages — captured by cameras feeding training pipelines. TechCrunch reported June 17 that several AI robotics programs, including OpenAI’s relaunched robotics initiative, are paying XDOF for training data they cannot collect cost-effectively themselves. Without diverse physical demonstrations across varied environments, robotic foundation models fail to generalize from lab conditions to real-world deployment.
Anthropic’s Claude Design Hits 1 Million Users in First Week, but Extreme Token Consumption Draws Backlash
Anthropic’s Claude Design, released in April 2026 as a research preview, attracted more than one million users in its first week — but its token consumption has triggered backlash among paying subscribers, VentureBeat reported June 18. A PCWorld reviewer burned through approximately 80 percent of their weekly Claude Pro allowance in roughly 25 minutes producing just three variations of a single webpage prototype, describing it as “another token-hungry Claude product” that Pro users would “barely be able to use.” The episode highlights recurring tension in AI product design between showcasing generative capability and delivering sustainable value to consumers paying $20 per month.
Pixi Launches iOS App That Sends AI-Powered Augmented Reality Characters Through iMessage
Pixi launched a messaging-native iOS app June 18 on the App Store that allows users to send AI-powered augmented reality characters through iMessage. The characters come to life through the recipient’s iPhone camera, reacting to physical surroundings, interacting with nearby people, and responding in real time — with no additional app download required from recipients. TechCrunch reported the launch marks a new approach to AI-native social communication, embedding interactive agents directly into existing iMessage infrastructure rather than requiring a dedicated platform. The app combines generative AI character animation with real-time AR, positioning interactive AI characters as a new format for casual mobile messaging.
POLICY
18 States and D.C. Seek to Block DOJ Subpoena for Minors' Medical Records
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, joined by AGs from 18 states and the District of Columbia, filed an amicus brief Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California seeking to block the Department of Justice from obtaining minors' protected health information. The DOJ had served Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford Children's Hospital a grand jury subpoena from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas, demanding patient records as part of a nationwide investigation into gender-affirming care. The states are seeking a temporary restraining order, arguing the subpoena threatens state sovereignty over the regulation of medicine and the welfare of transgender minor patients.
ShinyHunters Threatens to Leak 8.8 TB of Amazon One Medical Data
Hacking group ShinyHunters is threatening to publish 8.8 terabytes of data it claims to have stolen from Amazon's One Medical primary care business, according to GovInfoSecurity. The threat is part of a broader extortion campaign by the group, which in June 2026 also published 234 gigabytes of data affecting 2.6 million people allegedly stolen from dental insurer DentaQuest, as well as 26 million records stolen from Madison Square Garden Entertainment. ShinyHunters has been systematically targeting healthcare organizations and businesses across sectors, using stolen records as leverage in an escalating series of high-profile extortion attacks.
Spencer's Gifts Health Plan Pays $450K to Settle HIPAA Ransomware Findings
The employee health plan of New Jersey-based novelty retailer Spencer's Gifts has paid $450,000 to settle federal HIPAA findings stemming from a 2021 ransomware attack by the Conti gang. The plan reported the breach in January 2022, potentially compromising the names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and Social Security numbers of 10,023 plan members. A Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights investigation found the plan failed to conduct an accurate security risk analysis and failed to implement required HIPAA policies and procedures. Spencer's will implement a corrective action plan that includes workforce training. The settlement is HHS OCR's 20th enforcement action tied to ransomware breaches.
Enterprise Debt Is Derailing 42% of Healthcare AI Initiatives, Report Finds
Healthcare organizations carry more enterprise debt than peers in most other industries, and that structural burden is causing 42 percent of AI and analytics initiatives to fail, according to a new report from Genpact and HFS Research. Based on a survey of more than 2,000 senior executives, researchers identified four debt types — technology, data, talent and process — that block AI from delivering value at scale. Healthcare and life sciences face a combined $3.3 trillion revenue and cost opportunity but are held back by siloed patient data, legacy clinical-administrative systems and fragmented workflows. Only 6 percent of organizations surveyed had established programs to measure progress in resolving those debts.
ONC Opens $2M LEAP Grant Competition for Agentic AI, FHIR Monitoring and Lab Data
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT on Friday announced its 2026 Leading Edge Acceleration Projects grant competition, offering $2 million across three research priorities. Up to $1 million will fund development of open-source agentic AI tools for clinical care; $500,000 targets improvements to Lantern, a FHIR API monitoring tool that tracks endpoint availability across U.S. healthcare organizations; and another $500,000 is available for projects addressing laboratory data quality and standard code adoption. Eligible applicants include higher education institutions, tribal governments and nonprofits, with all funded software required to be released open-source. Letters of interest are due June 30, with awards anticipated September 26.
Houston Methodist Hits 85% Ambient AI Utilization Across All Clinical Operations
Houston Methodist has deployed the Ambience Healthcare ambient AI documentation platform across all of its clinical operations, achieving utilization exceeding 85 percent of patient encounters. The nonprofit health system reported a 27 percent increase in patient face time, a 40 percent reduction in documentation time, a 33 percent drop in after-hours charting and a 13 percent decrease in time to close encounters — metrics that far exceed industry averages for ambient AI pilots. Houston Methodist is now piloting Epic's ambient listening solution specifically for nurses at its Cypress hospital after approximately 18 months evaluating nursing-specific ambient tools. The health system received the 2026 KLAS/CHIME Trailblazer Award for the deployment.
Connecting AI Across Prior Auth, Referrals and Claims Is Healthcare's Next Big Challenge
Connecting artificial intelligence tools across clinical workflows — particularly for prior authorizations, referrals and claims management — represents healthcare's next major AI challenge, according to Daniel Cane, CEO of ModMed, in a Healthcare IT News interview published June 19. While AI investments have primarily targeted clinical documentation, diagnostics and decision support, the administrative systems handling handoffs between providers, payers and patients remain largely fragmented and manually intensive, limiting end-to-end AI value. Addressing those workflow connections could reduce care delays and lower administrative costs, but requires deeper integration work than most current point solutions provide.
Ambient AI Moves Into Nursing — But Workflow Complexity Is Substantially Higher
Ambient AI documentation tools, which gained early traction among physicians, are now being evaluated for nursing workflows — where documentation burden and burnout are equally acute, according to Sarah Visker, RN, a clinical informaticist at Aiva Health. Visker noted that nurses document across more care settings and patient handoffs than physicians, making workflow integration substantially more complex. Health systems exploring ambient AI for nursing must address differences in scope of practice, shift structures, care coordination tasks and the format of nursing notes compared with physician encounter documentation. The push to extend ambient AI to nurses reflects growing recognition that administrative burden extends across all clinical roles, not just physicians.
HARDWARE
Pine64 Launches $50 PineVoice RISC-V Smart Speaker for Home Assistant
Pine64 launched the PineVoice, a $50 open-hardware smart speaker built around the Bouffalo Lab BL606P RISC-V wireless microcontroller. The BL606P integrates Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and Zigbee radio interfaces alongside a dual-core RISC-V CPU running at up to 320 MHz. Designed for local voice control with Home Assistant, PineVoice features a four-microphone array for far-field wake-word detection and a 3.5 mm audio jack for wired output. Pine64 is positioning the board as a privacy-respecting alternative to cloud-dependent smart speakers. The board ships with 8 MB of flash and runs a custom embedded Linux distribution, with community firmware support planned.
WLED 16 Brings GIF Playback, PixelForge Editor, and Particle System to LED Matrices
WLED 16 delivers the project’s most substantial feature release yet, bringing animated GIF playback directly to LED matrices. Alongside GIF support, the update introduces PixelForge, an in-browser toolbox for painting LEDs, creating frame-by-frame animations, and editing GIF content sized for addressable matrix displays. WLED 16 also ships a new Particle System powering effects including drifting sparks, motion trails, bursts, and flowing animations. Additional additions include full HUB75 panel support, DMX input, a custom font editor with scrolling text upgrades, and an expanded palette editor supporting over 100 custom palettes. The release is available on the WLED GitHub repository.
Open-Source WEEDINATOR Agricultural Robot Reaches Field-Ready Milestone
The WEEDINATOR open-source agricultural robot, first featured on Hackaday in 2017, has reached a significant milestone: it now functions as an effective autonomous weed-management instrument in field conditions. The project uses a Raspberry Pi-based control system with GPS-guided navigation to traverse crop rows, and a mechanical weeding head that targets inter-row weeds without herbicides. The 2026 iteration incorporates improved motor controllers and a revised chassis for improved traction on uneven ground. Builder Pete Mendham has documented the full build on Hackaday.io, making the design reproducible for small-scale farmers and maker-agriculturalists looking to automate row crop maintenance.
Maker Etches PCBs Directly From Vintage Magazine Pages Using Toner Transfer
A maker has demonstrated the toner-transfer PCB fabrication method using circuit diagrams printed directly from a vintage electronics magazine, skipping the conventional laser-printer-to-glossy-paper workflow. The process lifts metallic ink traces from the magazine page onto copper-clad board using a clothes iron, then etches the board with ferric chloride. Results show clean single-sided boards suitable for simple analog circuits and through-hole components. The technique revives a pre-CAD era approach to rapid prototyping and highlights that functional PCBs can be produced without design software, a CNC router, or photoresist. Documentation and process photos are available on the Hackaday project page.
Raspberry Pi Pico Breathes New Life Into 1981 Epson HX-20 Laptop
A retrocomputing enthusiast has upgraded an Epson HX-20 — one of the world’s first laptop computers, introduced in 1981 — by replacing its original microcassette tape drive with a Raspberry Pi Pico acting as a solid-state emulator. The Pico presents itself to the HX-20 via the machine’s built-in serial interface, faithfully mimicking the timing and command set of the original Hitachi HD6301 tape drive controller. Storage is handled via a microSD card, giving the refurbished machine effectively unlimited capacity. The project required reverse-engineering the HX-20 tape protocol from period documentation and an oscilloscope trace. Full source code and wiring diagrams are published on Hackaday.
Matter 1.6 Specification Adds NFC Commissioning and AI Thermostat Suggestions
The Connectivity Standards Alliance has released Matter 1.6, adding NFC-based device commissioning as a headline feature. Under the new specification, users can commission Matter devices by tapping an NFC-enabled smartphone against the device rather than scanning a QR code or entering a setup code manually. The specification also introduces Thermostat Suggestions, enabling thermostats to offer AI-driven schedule recommendations, alongside a range of core protocol enhancements to improve interoperability between devices from different manufacturers. Matter 1.6 further refines the Energy Management cluster introduced in 1.3, giving home energy systems better reporting granularity. Device certification under the new spec is expected to begin in Q3 2026.
Million Measure Benchmark Charts Performance From WWII Colossus to Raspberry Pi 5
The Million Measure benchmark has become a community touchstone for comparing computing performance across radically different hardware generations, from the reconstructed World War II Colossus codebreaker to the Raspberry Pi 5. The benchmark executes one million loop iterations while recording elapsed time, producing a metric that scales consistently from electromechanical relays to modern ARM cores. Contributors have run it on ZX Spectrums, BBC Micros, Soviet MK-85 pocket computers, and Arduino Uno boards. Results are catalogued on a public spreadsheet revealing performance differences spanning twelve orders of magnitude. The project underscores how hobbyist benchmarking can create historically meaningful data sets.
Qualcomm Commits to Upstream-First Linux 2.0 for Dragonwing IoT Platforms
Qualcomm announced Qualcomm Linux 2.0, a significant philosophical reset for its Dragonwing IoT platform, committing to an upstream-first open development model. Under the new approach, all Dragonwing kernel patches will be submitted to mainline Linux before appearing in Qualcomm’s own SDK, reversing years of downstream-only development. The shift directly benefits makers and embedded developers who want to run community-maintained Linux builds on Dragonwing hardware such as the QRB5165 and QCS6490 SoCs without waiting for Qualcomm proprietary kernel releases. A Qualcomm Linux 2.0 SDK preview is available now, targeting robotics, industrial IoT, and edge AI applications. Full upstream support for initial Dragonwing SoCs is targeted for Linux 7.3.
EXECUTIVE
OpenAI Brings On Transformer Co-Inventor Noam Shazeer and Trump-Era Policy Chief Ahead of IPO
OpenAI is bolstering its executive bench ahead of an anticipated IPO, landing two high-profile recruits. Noam Shazeer—co-author of the 2017 “Attention Is All You Need” paper that introduced the transformer architecture—is joining after a stint at Google following the $2.7 billion acquisition of his startup Character.AI. Alongside Shazeer, Dean Ball, a former Trump administration AI policy official, will join as Head of Strategic Futures, reporting to Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon, with a start date of July 6. For talent leaders, the hires signal OpenAI’s aggressive push to recruit the industry’s most recognized technical and policy talent before going public.
Rivian Lays Off 300 in Service and Customer Organization, Its Fourth Round of Cuts Since 2024
Rivian has eliminated approximately 300 positions—roughly 2% of its 15,200-person workforce—in its service and customer organization, marking the company’s fourth round of layoffs since 2024. The cuts come as the electric vehicle maker has begun delivering its new R2 SUV, and a spokesperson framed the move as a restructuring of “a handful of teams” to help the company profitably scale. Despite fresh product momentum from the R2 launch, Rivian continues trimming headcount to manage costs. For recruiters, the round puts hundreds of customer experience and service operations professionals back on the market.
PwC Study of One Billion Job Ads Finds AI Is Rapidly Seniorizing Entry-Level Tech Roles
A new PwC analysis of more than one billion job advertisements across 27 countries reveals a striking shift in the entry-level labor market: AI is “seniorizing” junior roles. Entry-level positions in AI-exposed occupations are now seven times more likely to require skills previously expected only of senior workers, while overall entry-level job volume in those fields has grown 35% since 2019, against a 10% decline in non-AI-exposed entry-level roles. More than half the new skills appearing in these roles were historically senior-level. Those “professionalized” entry-level roles are also growing twice as fast and commanding 42% faster salary growth.
WEC Q2 2026 Labour Market Report: GDP Growth Cut, Clients Delaying Permanent Hires, Staffing Firms Told to Pivot
The World Employment Confederation’s Q2 2026 Labour Market Intelligence report paints a cautious picture for global staffing. GDP growth projections have been revised down from 3.4% to 2.6% for 2026, driven by geopolitical tensions and renewed inflationary pressure from energy markets. In response, clients are delaying permanent hiring decisions—creating a window for flexible workforce solutions. The report also flags accelerating self-employment globally, driven by platform work and post-pandemic labor market shifts. WEC advises staffing firms to reposition as “labour market intermediaries” rather than transactional suppliers, and to develop multi-country operating models to serve multinational clients navigating an uncertain macro environment.
Dayos Releases Athena, Agentic AI Platform Positioned to Replace Workday and Oracle Support Contracts
HR tech buyers relying on Workday or Oracle now have an AI-native alternative to weigh. Dayos announced the general availability of Athena—the latest release of its Hero platform—on June 18, positioning it as a direct replacement for traditional Application Managed Services contracts rather than a tool layered on top of existing systems. The agentic platform handles support, optimization, and operations for enterprise HR and ERP systems without traditional consulting overhead. For HR and talent leaders, Athena represents a growing category of agentic infrastructure that could reshape how organizations staff and pay for the ongoing management of their core people platforms.
BOX OFFICE
Toy Story 5 Tracks for Franchise-Record $165M–$170M Opening Weekend
Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 5 is tracking for the biggest domestic opening of 2026, targeting $160–$170 million from 4,425 North American theaters in its first three days. The animated sequel posted $17.5 million in Thursday preview grosses—the best preview performance of 2026 and second-highest on record behind Incredibles 2’s $18.5 million in 2018. By Friday the film had already crossed $71 million domestically, setting a franchise single-day record. Should estimates hold, the sequel will surpass Toy Story 4’s $120 million domestic debut from 2019, with global projections now pointing to $275 million worldwide.
Obsession Crosses $300M Worldwide, Becomes Top-Grossing Film Festival Acquisition Ever
Focus Features’ horror romance Obsession —directed by 26-year-old Curry Barker on a $1 million budget—crossed $300 million worldwide this weekend, becoming the highest-grossing film festival acquisition in box office history. In the same weekend, A24’s Backrooms surpassed Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu in domestic cumulative grosses. Obsession’s extraordinary run traces directly to a calculated guerrilla campaign: before release, the studio produced a commercial selling the fictional in-world One Wish Willows device, which sold out within hours, then sustained buzz through cryptic Los Angeles and New York billboards and a working phone number connecting callers to the character Nikki’s increasingly unsettling texts and voice notes.
Emmy Nomination Voting Hits Fever Pitch as Campaigns Blanket the Academy
The 2026 Emmy awards campaign season has reached a fever pitch—with nomination-round voting closing June 22 at 10 p.m. PT, networks and streamers have deployed an unprecedented FYC blitz. One voting member of the Television Academy’s 24,000-person membership reported receiving at least 450 official event invitations since May 1, in addition to 210 Academy-forwarded emails advertising viewing programs and screenings. Nominations are announced July 8 . Contenders this cycle include shows from HBO, Netflix, Amazon, FX, and Hulu, with FYC events typically combining an episode screening, a talent panel, and a catered reception at the Academy’s Saban Media Center in North Hollywood.
Actress Self-Funds Emmy Push After HBO Declines to Submit Her for Guest Category
In an unusual act of self-promotion highlighting pressure points in the FYC system, actress Brittany Allen —who played a dying cancer patient on HBO’s The Pitt —launched her own Emmy campaign on Instagram after the network chose not to submit her in the Guest Actress category. Allen shared an FYC graphic on June 15 with the caption “since HBO didn’t submit me, I’m running my own FYC campaign.” The move drew widespread attention from Emmy voters and industry observers, reigniting debate about which performers networks choose to champion and whether self-submission campaigns can generate enough visibility to reach the 24,000-member Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Disclosure Day Eyes Strong Hold as Spielberg Thriller Faces Toy Story 5 Pressure
Steven Spielberg’s UFO thriller Disclosure Day —starring Emily Blunt , Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, and Josh O’Connor—is targeting a 55% drop in its second domestic weekend, with analysts projecting approximately $20 million as the film faces competition from Toy Story 5’s massive opening. The Universal/Amblin release opened last weekend to $44 million domestically, with a $93 million worldwide debut across 25,685 screens in 73 territories. The $115 million production, which cost an additional $80 million to market, needs approximately $300 million globally to reach profitability. Premium large-format screens accounted for 48% of its opening-weekend grosses.
Women in Film and ReFrame Release 2026 Emmy “Who to Watch” FYC Diversity Guide
Women in Film and ReFrame , two advocacy organizations focused on gender equity in entertainment, jointly released their 2026 Emmy “Who to Watch” FYC guide Saturday—a resource spotlighting performers and creators whose campaigns may be overshadowed by major-network and studio resources. The guide arrives as Emmy nomination-round voting closes Monday, June 22 . The Television Academy’s 24,000-member voting body has been flooded with FYC outreach this season, with individual members reporting receipt of more than 450 official event invitations since May 1. Nominations for the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards will be announced July 8 .
Curated daily by Samwise · samwise.agency