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Wednesday, June 10, 2026
RACE RESULT
Antonelli youngest-ever grand slam at Monaco
Andrea Kimi Antonelli cemented his status as F1’s dominant force at Monaco, becoming the youngest driver ever to achieve a grand slam — winning from pole position, setting the fastest lap, and leading every single lap of the race. The Mercedes teenager was 19 years and 286 days old, nearly four years younger than Max Verstappen’s previous record. It was his fifth consecutive victory, matching the select group of just nine drivers in F1 history to win five in a row. The race itself lasted two hours, 23 minutes and 31 seconds — the longest Monaco Grand Prix since 1972.
Hadjar and Racing Bulls deliver best result in years for Red Bull family
Isack Hadjar claimed third place at Monaco for Red Bull, delivering the team’s first podium not taken by Max Verstappen in over two years — the last having been Sergio Perez in Shanghai 2024. Teammate outfit Racing Bulls compounded a remarkable weekend for the Red Bull family, finishing fifth and sixth with Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad. That result was the best in the team’s history under its current Racing Bulls identity, and the best under any name since Abu Dhabi 2021. Lawson and Lindblad’s performance reinforced the junior team’s growing status as genuine midfield contenders in the 2026 season.
FIA to hear Alpine’s Gasly penalty review by video conference Thursday
Alpine will have their request for a Right of Review heard by the FIA on Thursday, June 11, following two controversial pit lane speed limit penalties handed to Pierre Gasly at Monaco. The first infringement saw Gasly exceed the 60 km/h limit by just 0.1 kph; the second by 0.4 kph. Alpine argue the team warned Gasly before each pit entry, and that no other driver received two such penalties despite five being penalised in total. The hearing will be conducted by video conference. If Alpine’s challenge succeeds, Gasly’s Monaco finish could be upgraded from seventh place to third.
Mercedes explains how Russell’s Monaco penalty became a double disaster
Mercedes technical director Andrew Shovlin has explained how George Russell’s Monaco Grand Prix unravelled into a costly double mistake. Russell pulled into the pit box during a safety car period despite being radioed to stay out, apparently seeing tyres being prepared — standard safety car procedure — and assuming a stop was planned. Because mechanics were not expecting him, they were unready to serve a penalty simultaneously. Shovlin also admitted the team does not fully understand why the 0.1 kph speed limit violation was triggered. The situation was further complicated by Antonelli having just lapped Russell, requiring both cars to be managed at once.
Hamilton at highest championship position since 2021 after Monaco podium
Lewis Hamilton’s second place at Monaco elevated him to second in the 2026 drivers’ championship — his highest standing since the closing rounds of 2021, when he narrowly and controversially missed out on an eighth world title. The Ferrari driver now sits 66 points behind championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli with 16 races remaining. Hamilton, 40, described the result as part of a process of proving himself in the new regulations. “I’m in a period where I’m having to remind people of who I am,” he said, crediting team principal Fred Vasseur for delivering car improvements he had been requesting.
Fornaroli and Browning set for FP1 debuts at Barcelona this weekend
Two rookie drivers will make their Formula 1 free practice debuts at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend under the 2026 regulations requiring each team to field an academy driver for at least four FP1 sessions per season. McLaren will run Andrea Fornaroli in place of Lando Norris during Friday’s opening practice at Barcelona, while Williams gives Luke Browning a dual opportunity — replacing Alexander Albon in Spain and then Carlos Sainz at the Austrian Grand Prix. Fornaroli is a McLaren junior driver; Browning is part of the Williams programme. The Barcelona-Catalunya circuit hosts round seven of the championship this Friday through Sunday.
Norris title defence all but over as deficit reaches 98 points
Lando Norris all but conceded his world championship defence after Monaco, with the McLaren driver now 98 points adrift of leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli with just six races completed. The reigning 2025 world champion admitted his title hopes now look “extremely forlorn,” having already fallen nearly 100 points behind after Antonelli’s record-breaking run of five consecutive victories. While 424 points remain available across the final 16 rounds, Norris would need an almost total collapse from the championship leader combined with a near-perfect run of results. The scale of the task led even Norris himself to publicly acknowledge his defence is effectively over.
Albon equals Mansell’s record for Williams race starts — outright record beckons
Alexander Albon’s eighth-place finish at Monaco brought him level with Nigel Mansell as the driver to have made the most race starts for Williams — both having started exactly 95 Grands Prix in Williams colours. The Thai-British driver is poised to break that record outright at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, a milestone that arrives as Albon continues to perform strongly in a difficult season for the Grove squad. His Monaco result was also the best individual finish of his 2026 campaign. Williams sit eighth in the constructors’ standings, but Albon’s consistency has provided one of the team’s rare highlights this season.
Drivers' Championship — After Monaco
1. A.K. Antonelli — 156 pts
2. L. Hamilton — 90 pts
3. G. Russell — 88 pts
4. C. Leclerc — 75 pts
5. O. Piastri — 60 pts
6. L. Norris — 58 pts
7. M. Verstappen — 43 pts
8. I. Hadjar — 29 pts
9. L. Lawson — 26 pts
10. P. Gasly — 26 pts
11. O. Bearman — 18 pts
12. F. Colapinto — 15 pts
13. A. Lindblad — 13 pts
14. C. Sainz — 6 pts
15. A. Albon — 5 pts
16. E. Ocon — 3 pts
17. G. Bortoleto — 2 pts
18. F. Alonso — 1 pts
19. N. Hülkenberg — 0 pts
20. V. Bottas — 0 pts
21. S. Pérez — 0 pts
22. L. Stroll — 0 pts
Constructors' Championship
1. Mercedes — 244 pts
2. Ferrari — 165 pts
3. McLaren — 118 pts
4. Red Bull — 72 pts
5. Alpine — 41 pts
6. Racing Bulls — 39 pts
7. Haas — 21 pts
8. Williams — 11 pts
9. Audi — 2 pts
10. Aston Martin — 1 pts
11. Cadillac — 0 pts
GAME RECAP
Staal’s Go-Ahead Goal Lifts Hurricanes Past Golden Knights 5–3, Tying Series 2–2
Jordan Staal scored twice — including a first-period power-play goal — as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5–3 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, tying the series 2–2. Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake gave Carolina a 2–0 lead before Staal’s power-play tally made it 3–1 after the first period. Staal’s second goal, with 13:28 remaining in the third, restored Carolina’s lead after Vegas tied it 3–3. Nikolaj Ehlers added an empty-net goal at 19:05. William Karlsson, Mark Stone, and Brett Howden scored for Vegas. Brandon Bussi made 18 saves in his first career playoff start; Carter Hart stopped 23 shots.
Bussi’s Historic Cup Final Debut and Staal’s Unprecedented Streak Highlight Carolina’s Game 4 Victory
Brandon Bussi became the third goalie in the expansion era to win his first career playoff start in the Stanley Cup Final, stopping 18 shots in Carolina’s 5–3 Game 4 victory on Tuesday, joining Andrei Vasilevskiy in 2015 and Jussi Markkanen in 2006. Brind’Amour kept his starting goalie decision secret until pregame warmups before tapping Bussi ahead of Pyotr Kochetkov. Jordan Staal also made history, becoming the first player in 44 years to score in each of the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final and the first team captain ever to accomplish the feat. The series is tied 2–2 heading into Game 5 in Raleigh on Thursday.
Cup Final Shifts to Raleigh for Game 5 With Series Tied 2–2
The 2026 Stanley Cup Final shifts to Lenovo Center in Raleigh for Game 5 on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, with the series tied 2–2. The four-game run has produced 33 total goals, averaging 8.3 per contest. The Hurricanes are 7–2 at home in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, while Vegas’s Brett Howden scored his 14th goal of the postseason in Game 4 — a Golden Knights record for most in a single playoff run, surpassing Jonathan Marchessault’s 13 in 2023. Carolina’s penalty kill stands at 92.5 percent while the Golden Knights have converted at 23.9 percent on the power play through the playoffs.
Kings Hire Peter Laviolette as Head Coach on Three-Year Deal
The Los Angeles Kings hired Peter Laviolette as their new head coach on a three-year contract, the team announced Tuesday. The 61-year-old returns to the NHL in his seventh head coaching role after being fired by the New York Rangers in April 2025. Laviolette replaces D.J. Smith, who served in an interim capacity after Jim Hiller was fired shortly after the Olympic break. Smith guided Los Angeles to the final Western Conference playoff spot, but the Kings were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. Laviolette won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006 and previously coached the Islanders, Flyers, Predators, Capitals, and Rangers.
Top 2026 Draft Prospects Attend Cup Final With Buffalo Draft 16 Days Away
Five of the top prospects for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft attended this week’s Stanley Cup Final — Chase Reid, Alberts Smits, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, and Caleb Malhotra — participating in practices and morning skates and meeting with players from both clubs. The draft, set for June 26–27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, is 16 days away. Gavin McKenna, who ranked No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting’s final list of North American skaters, is widely projected to go first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who won the draft lottery. McKenna posted 51 points in 35 games as a Penn State freshman.
Red Wings Captain Larkin Submits Three-Team Trade List: Florida, Minnesota, Vegas
Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has submitted a three-team preferred destination list to the organization, sources told TSN and ESPN, naming the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights. The 29-year-old wraps up his 11th season in Detroit — his 10th straight without a playoff berth. He has five seasons remaining on an eight-year, $69.6 million contract with an $8.7 million annual cap hit. All three teams are projected in the bottom half of the NHL in cap space, with Vegas currently ranked 31st with just $4.6 million available. Larkin holds a full no-trade clause, giving him final say on any destination.
McNabb and Hanifin Both Managing Injuries as Golden Knights Head to Raleigh for Game 5
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb played through a significant facial injury in Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Final after suffering a puck to the face during Game 2. McNabb left to seek medical attention and returned for Game 3 wearing a full cage, logging 35:47 of ice time in the double-overtime contest. He did not practice before Game 4 but was expected to play. Noah Hanifin also left briefly during Game 3 and did not practice before Game 4. Vegas faces Games 5 and potentially Game 7 on the road at Carolina’s Lenovo Center.
RECAP
Braden Montgomery Makes History With Walk-Off Homer in MLB Debut
Braden Montgomery became the fifth player in Major League Baseball history to hit a walk-off home run in his big-league debut, slugging a two-run shot off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Chicago White Sox a 6-5 victory over Atlanta on Tuesday night at Rate Field. The 23-year-old outfielder, acquired from Boston in the Garrett Crochet trade last December, went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, adding an RBI single in the fourth inning. Montgomery connected on a 0-1 changeup and lined it 343 feet to left field to complete a stunning debut.
Dodgers Erupt After Skenes Exits; Freeman Collects 2,500th Career Hit
The Los Angeles Dodgers scored ten runs after Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes departed and handed the Pirates a 12-3 defeat on Tuesday night. Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, struck out seven and held Los Angeles to two runs in six innings before the bullpen collapsed in the seventh. Andy Pages hit a two-run homer and added a sacrifice fly during the decisive frame, which also included a throwing error, two bases-loaded walks, and Freddie Freeman’s 2,500th career hit — a sharp RBI single to center. Will Klein earned the win in relief of starter Eric Laurer, who allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Acuña Leaves Braves Loss With Left Hamstring Tightness, Day-to-Day
Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. left Tuesday night’s 6-5 extra-innings loss to the Chicago White Sox with tightness in his left hamstring, marking the second time this season he has left a game with a similar issue. Acuña pulled up limping after attempting to beat out a grounder to third baseman Miguel Vargas in the fourth inning. He had previously spent time on the 10-day injured list from May 3–18 with a strained left hamstring suffered while running out a grounder. Manager Walt Weiss said the injury does not appear as serious as May’s strain, and Acuña is listed as day-to-day.
Arozarena Walk-Off Homer Lifts Mariners Past Orioles in 10th
Randy Arozarena hit a two-run home run to lead off the 10th inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 on Tuesday night at Camden Yards. Arozarena drove Rico Garcia’s 0-1 slider over the wall in right field for his seventh home run of the season, plating automatic runner Julio Rodríguez. Mitch Garver also homered for the AL West-leading Mariners, who have won 11 of their last 14 games. Coby Mayo homered as part of a two-run Orioles rally in the ninth to force extras, but José Ferrer escaped a bases-loaded jam to preserve the victory.
Cardinals Blank Mets 7-0 for Fifth Consecutive Victory
Alec Burleson homered and drove in three runs as Dustin May tossed six innings to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-0 shutout of the New York Mets on Tuesday, the franchise’s fifth consecutive win. JJ Westerholt’s two-run double against Freddy Peralta sparked a four-run third inning, with Jordan Walker adding an RBI double and Lars Nootbaar chipping in a run-scoring groundout. Burleson then lined a two-run shot to left in the fifth and added an RBI double in the seventh. Ivan Herrera had three hits and scored three times for St. Louis, while Nathan Church, just off the injured list, also collected three hits.
Chisholm Home Run Lifts Yankees Past Guardians 3-2
Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a leadoff homer in the eighth inning to power the New York Yankees past the Cleveland Guardians 3-2 on Tuesday, their third straight win and a 10-4 record since May 24. Chisholm, using one of Aaron Judge’s bats, drove Tim Herrin’s full-count slider into the right-field stands for his third homer in six games. Rookie Spencer Jones also went deep for his first major league home run, launching Slade Cecconi’s cutter 443 feet to center field. Gerrit Cole allowed two runs on five hits in five innings in his fourth start back from Tommy John surgery.
Caglianone Hits Two Homers as Royals Top Rangers 5-3
Jac Caglianone went 3-for-3 with two home runs and three RBIs as the Kansas City Royals erased an early deficit to defeat the Texas Rangers 5-3 on Tuesday night. Caglianone, who had missed Kansas City’s previous game with right shoulder soreness, ended Nathan Eovaldi’s no-hit bid with a leadoff homer in the fifth. The decisive rally came in the sixth, when Carter Jensen doubled and Maikel Garcia followed with a triple to tie the score at two before Caglianone launched a 431-foot two-run shot off reliever Jalen Beeks. Eovaldi allowed four runs on four hits across 5 2/3 innings.
Marlins Score Four in Eighth to Beat Diamondbacks 10-6
The Miami Marlins scored four runs in the eighth inning to break a 6-6 tie and defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-6 on Tuesday, their sixth win in seven games. Otto Lopez hit a tiebreaking RBI single to start the rally, then Javier Sanoja and Esteury Ruiz added RBI singles to extend the lead. Joe Mack led the offensive effort, going 4-for-4 with three runs scored to become the youngest catcher in Marlins history to record four hits in a game at 22 years and 164 days old. Arizona’s Ketel Marte had driven in two runs with a single in the eighth to briefly tie the game.
American League
1. Tampa Bay — 37–25, —
2. NY Yankees — 37–26, 1.0 GB
3. Toronto — 32–34, 8.0 GB
4. Baltimore — 31–35, 8.0 GB
5. Boston — 27–35, 10.5 GB
1. Cleveland — 37–29, —
2. Chicago WSX — 34–31, 2.0 GB
3. Minnesota — 30–37, 7.0 GB
4. Kansas City — 27–39, 10.5 GB
5. Detroit — 26–39, 10.5 GB
1. Seattle — 34–31, —
2. Texas — 31–33, 2.5 GB
3. Athletics — 31–34, 3.5 GB
4. Houston — 30–37, 4.5 GB
5. LA Angels — 24–40, 9.5 GB
National League
1. Atlanta — 45–21, —
2. Philadelphia — 35–30, 9.5 GB
3. Washington — 33–32, 11.0 GB
4. Miami — 31–35, 14.0 GB
5. NY Mets — 28–35, 15.0 GB
1. Milwaukee — 39–23, —
2. St. Louis — 34–28, 5.0 GB
3. Chicago Cubs — 34–31, 6.5 GB
4. Pittsburgh — 34–32, 6.5 GB
5. Cincinnati — 31–32, 8.5 GB
1. LA Dodgers — 42–23, —
2. Arizona — 33–31, 7.5 GB
3. San Diego — 32–30, 8.0 GB
4. San Francisco — 26–39, 15.0 GB
5. Colorado — 24–41, 17.0 GB
HARDWARE
Giving A Power Mac G4 A USB Upgrade, For Free!
Pierre Dandumont has unlocked USB 2.0 on a Power Mac G4 — something Apple never delivered in the early 2000s when they backed FireWire 800 instead. The hardware was hiding in plain sight: Apple had already installed an NEC USB 2.0 controller in these machines but constrained it to USB 1.1 via the BIOS ROM. Running PowerPC Linux automatically uses USB 2.0, but Mac OS refused. The fix: replace the BIOS ROM with an image from a G4 variant that shipped without FireWire 800. The operation cures the limitation — but Dandumont describes it as irreversible, so choose your G4 carefully before flashing.
The Secret Wattcycle LFP Battery Downgrade
Battery reviewer Will Prowse has uncovered a troubling discrepancy in the LFP battery market: the internals of Wattcycle batteries sold to regular customers differ significantly from the review unit sent by the manufacturer. Retail units feature standard cables that show measurably higher voltage drop, varied LFP cell types, and less substantial busbars — unlike the braided wire and thick solid metal construction in the review sample. Prowse emphasizes that Wattcycle is not alone and advocates for transparent battery cases as a practical accountability measure. The finding raises serious questions about how much any review of a manufacturer-supplied sample can be trusted.
How The 2020s Chip Crisis Led To A Buggy Saleae Analyzer In 2026
A YouTuber known as Playduino opened a secondhand Saleae logic analyzer to investigate severe channel crosstalk — and found two cut traces and bodge wires that looked like unauthorized modifications. When he contacted Saleae, their CTO eventually confirmed the full story. During the 2020–2023 global chip shortage, Saleae redesigned around available FPGAs. A first batch used PCBs from a different supplier that introduced ground fill issues requiring rework. Despite passing initial tests, insufficient crosstalk testing meant 406 defective units entered circulation. Serial numbers 00200026245 through 00200026675 are affected. Saleae offered replacement units to affected owners.
Print Your Own Robby The Robot
Ogrinz Labs has released a Creative Commons-licensed set of STL files for a 3D-printable version of Robby The Robot, the science fiction icon from Forbidden Planet . To achieve accuracy, the designer examined an actual Robby at auction — the same piece that sold for $5,375,000 — photographing it extensively. The design combines original modeling with contributions from other open-source Robby projects. Some creative liberties were taken: feet are enlarged to accommodate a human wearer, and joint rotation mechanisms are still in development. Parts connect via dowel inserts for clean external surfaces. The assembled version is large enough to function as a wearable costume.
ESPHome 2026.4.0 Brings a Big Performance Boost for the ESP32
ESPHome 2026.4.0 delivers a significant performance upgrade for ESP32 users: the default CPU clock has been raised from 160 MHz to 240 MHz — a 33% speed increase — with 40 KB of additional IRAM now available for firmware code. The release introduces signed OTA firmware updates for enhanced security; devices will reject unsigned firmware by default once updated. The LVGL graphics library has been upgraded to version 9, a breaking change requiring configuration updates. ESP8266 users gain a new crash handler that logs fault details on every boot after a reset. The release also adds support for a range of new devices and platform components.
Custom FM Radio Station Powered By Shell Scripts
Wanting to reduce screen time while still consuming fresh audio content, maker [Trwmato] built a personal radio station using a Raspberry Pi Zero, shell scripts, and an FM transmitter. The system polls RSS feeds for podcasts and news using the podget tool, mixes downloaded content with locally stored audio, then builds a dynamic playlist prioritizing fresh material without repeating recent tracks. The entire logic — download scheduling, playlist generation, and mixing — runs in shell scripts without a graphical environment. Output reaches a Bluetooth receiver, which drives an FM transmitter for over-the-air broadcast. The creator sees it as a template for small organizations wanting an internal broadcast channel.
Deep Dive Into Sputnik
Sixty-nine years after its launch, a video by [Hoog] revisits the engineering story behind Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite. The original plan was a massive space laboratory, but engineering realities and Cold War urgency forced a radical simplification. The final 84 kg sphere relied on a 1-watt transmitter — whose viability for Earth-to-orbit radio was unproven at the time — and had to survive an orbital environment no engineer had yet characterized. Politically, the US government publicly stoked fear while privately welcoming the precedent Sputnik set for satellite overflight rights, triggering the space race that led, within twelve years, to the first moon landing.
ACCOUNTABILITY
SPLC Interim CEO Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee Amid Congressional Inquiry
Bryan Fair, interim president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center, testified Tuesday before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee as part of a congressional inquiry into the organization. Fair defended the SPLC’s 55-year civil rights mission, including litigation that dismantled the United Klans of America following the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, and highlighted current clients including Karen Finn, whose son Eron — who lives with autism — graduated after the SPLC prevailed in a school discrimination case, and Tanya Gersh, who received a $14 million judgment against a Neo-Nazi for antisemitic harassment. Fair noted constraints in answering some questions due to a pending criminal case against the organization.
NH Gives Opens With a Record 701 Nonprofits in New Hampshire’s 11th Annual Giving Day
New Hampshire’s 24-hour charitable giving event launched Tuesday with a record 701 nonprofits registered to participate — up from 650 last year. The 11th annual NH Gives, organized by the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits, runs from 5 p.m. June 9 through 5 p.m. June 10. Since the event’s 2016 launch, it has raised more than $22 million for nearly 1,200 organizations. Last year, more than 13,000 donors contributed over $3.4 million to support 650 nonprofits. This year, the Katy Burns Local Journalism Fund will match the first $2,800 in donations to InDepthNH.org, a nonprofit news outlet participating in the statewide campaign.
SPLC Annual Year in Hate Report Identifies 1,263 Hard-Right Groups Active in 2025
The Southern Poverty Law Center released its annual Year in Hate & Extremism report on June 9, identifying 1,263 hate and antigovernment groups active in the United States during 2025. The report documents the hard-right movement’s consolidation of power across the federal government and private tech sector, including extremist groups exploiting cryptocurrency for harassment campaigns and targeting college campuses for propaganda and recruitment. SPLC interim CEO Bryan Fair said the movement’s federal allies helped transform hard-right rhetoric into “dangerous policies that have come at the direct expense of Black and Brown people, immigrants, women and LGBTQ+ communities.” The report includes an interactive state-by-state hate group map.
Nonprofit Quarterly and Liberation Ventures Launch 16-Day Week of Repair for America 250
Nonprofit Quarterly and Liberation Ventures announced Tuesday a 16-day editorial collaboration running from Juneteenth through July 4, centering reparations narratives within America’s 250th anniversary commemorations. The “Week of Repair” will feature essays, reporting, poetry, and visual art on WeTheCivic.org from dozens of movement organizations — including the BLIS Collective, Reparations Finance Lab, and The Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center. Content is organized around four pillars: Repair is Personal, Repair is Love, Repair is Community, and Repair is the Future. NPQ interim CEO Sara Hudson said official commemorations are “arguments about who belongs” and that anniversaries do not erase harm. Submissions are open on a rolling basis.
Georgia Farm Turns Regenerative Agriculture Model Into a Place-Based Teaching Nonprofit
White Oak Pastures, a fourth-generation family farm in Bluffton, Georgia, has become a model for regenerative agriculture and the home of an educational nonprofit. Will Harris, the farm’s owner, abandoned industrial cattle production in 1995 and spent decades rebuilding the 3,200-acre operation around regenerative land management. Growing demand for farm visits and knowledge-sharing led to the creation of the Center for Agricultural Resilience, a place-based nonprofit training both mass producers and hobby farmers in regenerative grazing techniques. The U.S. invested $700 million in regenerative agriculture in 2025. Farmer-managed natural regeneration has been adopted in 40 countries. Harris says his goal is to ensure the farm remains “perpetual.”
Philadelphia’s Free African Society of 1787 Was America’s First Black Mutual Aid Organization
In April 1787, weeks before the Constitutional Convention convened nearby, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones founded the Free African Society in Philadelphia, a mutual aid organization that charged members one shilling monthly to cover medical care, burials, and apprenticeships. Historians credit the FAS as a precursor to the nonprofit sector; more than 100 similar societies existed in Philadelphia by 1838. In 1794, Allen and Jones obtained what historian Richard S. Newman identifies as the first federal copyright held by African Americans, for their pamphlet on the 1793 yellow fever epidemic. The society disbanded around 1791; the institutions it started — including Mother Bethel AME Church near Independence Hall — endure.
Trans Organizer Documents How Cross-Movement Coalition-Building Wins LGBTQ Majorities in North Carolina
Jess St. Louis, a trans woman and narrative strategist with North Carolina’s Guilford for All, documents how cross-movement organizing — across race, class, and gender — has built stronger support for LGBTQ advocacy than identity-exclusive spaces alone. St. Louis co-founded Guilford for All in 2020; the cis, multiracial group helped flip Guilford County’s commission that year. In 2021-22, a cis member drafted a transgender healthcare and wellness policy; 84 percent of members and survey participants voted in favor. Guilford for All is a chapter of the Carolina Federation, a statewide network. St. Louis argues that limiting trans advocacy to already-aligned spaces forfeits the large-scale power needed to counter anti-trans legislation.
INDUSTRY
Directors Guild Reaches Tentative Four-Year Deal With Studios and Streamers
The Directors Guild of America has reached a tentative four-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, covering pay, health and pension benefits, and the use of artificial intelligence in production. The agreement—the first negotiated under DGA president Christopher Nolan —follows similar four-year pacts secured earlier by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. DGA executive director Russell Hollander and AMPTP president Gregory Hessinger led negotiations. The deal arrives as TV employment for DGA members fell 35% in 2024, a figure cited during talks as evidence of the structural impact of streaming consolidation on directing work.
Obsession Becomes Highest-Grossing Festival Acquisition in Film History
Obsession has crossed $225.5M in global grosses to become the highest-grossing festival acquisition in film history, surpassing the previous record set by Fahrenheit 9/11 , which earned $222M following its 2004 release. The thriller was acquired by Focus Features following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Director Curry Barker ’s film returned $25.4M domestically over the June 5–7 weekend—its fourth-place finish—bringing the U.S. cumulative to $151.9M. The record underscores the growing commercial viability of festival acquisitions when backed by disciplined theatrical rollout strategies and sustained audience marketing efforts.
Matt Damon Launches Rap Alter-Ego “The Nomad” in Cross-Brand Campaign for The Odyssey and Water.org
Matt Damon has debuted a rap alter-ego called “The Nomad” —“Damon” spelled backwards—in a cross-brand marketing campaign tied to the upcoming film The Odyssey and the Water.org initiative Get Blue. Produced with Grammy-winning collaborator Hit-Boy , the project draws partners including Gap, Starbucks, Amazon Music, and Ecolab. The campaign positions music and humor as tools for cultural reach, with each $5 donation providing a person with safe water for life. The dual role of entertaining audiences while funding clean water access marks an unusually integrated approach for a studio film’s marketing campaign.
Art Directors Guild Condemns Martin Scorsese’s Endorsement of AI Storyboard Tool
The Art Directors Guild publicly rebuked filmmaker Martin Scorsese after he promoted Black Forest Labs’ FLUX AI image generator as a storyboarding resource, with the guild stating his endorsement amounted to “turning his back on the human artists” who realize directors’ visions on screen. ADG membership has declined from 3,492 in 2022 to 2,966 in 2025. The guild also cited a 2024 study confirming that AI tools threaten employment across the production design, art direction, and set decoration roles falling under ADG jurisdiction—positions central to the storyboarding work Scorsese endorsed the tool for.
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