SAMWISE
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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
RACE RESULT
Newgarden wins Bommarito 500 for record sixth WWTR victory, ties Al Unser Jr. on all-time list
Josef Newgarden arrived at World Wide Technology Raceway on a walking boot following his Indianapolis 500 crash, but left carrying hardware. The Team Penske driver won the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 on Sunday night, claiming his record-extending sixth career victory at the 1.25-mile oval. Starting eighth, Newgarden led 53 of 260 laps, including the final 35, to fend off Marcus Ericsson who led a race-high 114 laps. The win is Newgarden’s 34th career triumph, drawing him level with Al Unser Jr. for ninth on IndyCar’s all-time victories list. Teammates David Malukas and Scott McLaughlin also finished inside the top seven.
Ericsson charges from 12th to second at WWTR, his best result since Detroit 2023
Marcus Ericsson charged from 12th to lead a race-high 114 laps at World Wide Technology Raceway before finishing second to Josef Newgarden — a statement from the Swede in a contract year with Andretti Global. The runner-up was his best result since Detroit in 2023, his first season with the team, and he has already accumulated more top-five finishes through nine rounds in 2026 than across all of last season. Mechanical failures at Long Beach and the Indianapolis Grand Prix had previously cost Ericsson points, leaving him ninth in the championship with 196.
Palou runs out of fuel in pit lane at WWTR, finishes 17th as title lead trimmed to 49 points
Alex Palou’s title lead suffered a significant blow at World Wide Technology Raceway. Starting from pole, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver became entangled in an incident with lapped traffic, drawing no penalty. He gambled on a rain strategy at lap 140 and briefly inherited the lead when a second red flag flew — then ran out of fuel on pit lane, coasting to his stall and dropping several positions. Palou finished 17th; combined with his 24th-place result at Phoenix, it already ties his total finishes outside the top ten from all of last season. He leads Kyle Kirkwood by 49 points.
Rasmussen delivers ECR podium at WWTR days after contract renewal, secures Leaders Circle spot
Christian Rasmussen delivered one of ECR’s season highlights with a third-place finish at World Wide Technology Raceway. The driver led five laps and threatened to upset Newgarden and Ericsson in the closing stage before running out of pace over the longer run. The podium arrived just days after ECR extended Rasmussen’s contract despite a difficult run of results that included a crash with Andretti Global’s Will Power at Phoenix Raceway. The finish elevated Rasmussen from 24th to 22nd in the championship standings, securing the final spot in the Leaders Circle — a valuable championship threshold.
Armstrong completes oval top-ten hat-trick at WWTR, outperforming road course record in 2026
Marcus Armstrong’s ninth-place finish at World Wide Technology Raceway completed a top-ten hat-trick on the three ovals of the 2026 IndyCar season. Armstrong joins Team Penske’s David Malukas and Scott McLaughlin as the only drivers to score top tens at Phoenix, Indianapolis, and WWTR. His oval results of fifth at Phoenix, fifth in the Indianapolis 500, and ninth at WWTR mean he has accumulated more top fives and top tens on ovals than road or street courses — notable given he only began racing on left-turn-only tracks in 2024. Armstrong sits tenth with 196 points, 43 behind fifth-placed O’Ward.
Collet leads seven laps at WWTR before mechanical failure ends race bid 34 laps from finish
Caio Collet’s race at World Wide Technology Raceway was a study in heartbreak. The Brazilian rookie was dealing with a rib injury from his Indianapolis 500 crash when he qualified 20th and charged through the field to lead seven laps, appearing to threaten a podium finish. Then, with 34 laps remaining, smoke began billowing from the rear of his #4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, forcing him out of the race. Collet was classified 22nd. “It’s hard,” he told FOX Sports. “I think we did everything right today, from the strategy to the driving, to everything. It’s racing.”
O’Ward finishes 11th at WWTR despite five podiums at circuit, calls for Arrow McLaren to raise game
Pato O’Ward has historically been one of the strongest performers at World Wide Technology Raceway, with five podiums including five runner-up results at the circuit. Sunday provided a sharp contrast: O’Ward qualified ninth and finished 11th, one position behind Arrow McLaren teammate Christian Lundgaard. “We need to raise our game… they’ve got to be wins and podiums, because otherwise, I really do think we have no shot,” O’Ward said. Arrow McLaren is in a transformation year, having moved to a new facility and building key components in-house for the first time.
Freedom 250 draws 288,000 ticket requests for 100,000 available spots at Washington D.C. race
Penske Entertainment received 288,000 ticket requests for the inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington D.C., a free IndyCar race around the National Mall on August 22–23 commissioned by President Trump to mark the country’s 250th birthday. The nine-day submission window netted nearly three times the 100,000 available daily spots. Penske’s Bud Denker told RACER: “If we’d left it open five more days, we’d be up to Indy 500 numbers.” The ‘Stars & Stripes’ attendance plan splits capacity between 50,000 fans inside and 50,000 outside the 1.66-mile, seven-turn street circuit each day.
Drivers’ Championship
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
Unofficial (via OpenWheelWorld.net)
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. ECR — 264 pts
8. 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
WEC
Alpine Sets Fastest Time in Qualifying; Defending Champion Ferrari #83 Eliminated
Ferdinand Habsburg put the #35 Alpine A424 Hypercar fastest in the opening qualifying session for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, posting a 3:23.135 to edge Louis Deletraz’s #12 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota by just 0.013 seconds. Jordan Taylor’s #101 Cadillac was third. The biggest shock was the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P — defending race winner — failing to make the top 15 and missing Thursday’s Hyperpole, condemning it to start from 17th on the grid. The #50 and #51 factory Ferrari entries did advance to Hyperpole. The top 15 in each class progress to Thursday’s two-stage Hyperpole shoot-out.
Cadillac Locks Out Top Two in Le Mans Opening Free Practice
Cadillac locked out the top two positions in the opening Free Practice session for the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans, held on Wednesday at Circuit de la Sarthe. Earl Bamber set the fastest time of 3:23.786 in the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota entry, with Jordan Taylor second in the #101 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac, 1.652 seconds behind. BMW’s René Rast was third in the #20 at 1.747 seconds off the pace, followed by Will Stevens in a third Cadillac — the #12 — in fourth. Alpine’s Ferdinand Habsburg completed the top five. Rivals sat more than 1.7 seconds off Cadillac’s leading pace.
Ferrari Admits Most Difficult Le Mans Defence Despite Three Consecutive Wins
Ferrari management has acknowledged the three-time defending Le Mans champions face their most difficult race in recent memory, with team leadership stating they are “not the favourites” despite three consecutive race victories. Ferrari finished behind both BMWs at Spa-Francorchamps and was outpaced by Toyota at Imola earlier in 2026. The #83 AF Corse 499P failed to make the top 15 in qualifying and will start 17th, missing Hyperpole entirely. Team leadership stated the squad must “maximise everything that is under our control” and noted that “sometimes it is not the fastest car that wins, but the one that interprets the race best over the course of 24 hours.”
All Eight Manufacturers Within a Second: Le Mans 2026 Most Competitive Hypercar Field Ever
Analysis of the 2026 Le Mans Test Day has shown this year’s Hypercar field may be the most evenly matched in the modern endurance era. All eight manufacturers managed consistent lap times below three minutes and 30 seconds — a benchmark only a handful of cars reached in 2025. The total number of individual sub-3:30 laps recorded at the test more than doubled from 178 laps in 2025 to 362 in 2026. Aston Martin’s #007 Valkyrie set the fastest test day lap at 3:26.293, and four manufacturers — Toyota, Cadillac, Alpine and Aston Martin — emerged as the leading contenders based on average pace across the session.
Toyota Accuses Le Mans Rivals of ‘Stupid Games’ Over Test Day Pace Management
Toyota GR Racing has accused rival Hypercar manufacturers of hiding their true pace during the Le Mans Test Day, with team management describing the behaviour as “stupid games.” Toyota posted the fastest average lap times during Sunday’s test but is treating the data with scepticism. The Japanese manufacturer won the 2026 WEC season opener at Imola before finishing off the podium at Spa-Francorchamps. Toyota’s concern reflects the unique dynamics of endurance testing, where teams frequently run conservative programmes to avoid revealing performance ahead of the race. The 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans begins on Saturday at Circuit de la Sarthe with eight Hypercar manufacturers competing.
Pin Tops LMP2 Qualifying; Dempsey Sets Pace in LMGT3 at Le Mans
Doriane Pin dominated the joint 30-minute LMP2 and LMGT3 qualifying session at the 2026 Le Mans 24 Hours, setting a 3:34.662 in the #30 Duqueine Team Oreca-Gibson, more than half a second clear of second-placed Ian Aguilera in the #37 CLX Motorsport. Pin’s time secured Duqueine a front-row start for Thursday’s Hyperpole. In LMGT3, Peter Dempsey set the pace in the #34 TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R with a 3:55.744, ahead of Eric Powell’s #77 Proton Ford Mustang GT3. Neither Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 car made the top 15 cut in LMGT3, leaving both entries outside the Hyperpole groups.
Aston Martin Returns to Le Mans with Raised Expectations After Spa Breakthrough
Aston Martin heads to the 94th Le Mans 24 Hours with genuine confidence after a breakthrough fourth-place finish at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The #007 Valkyrie of Tom Gamble and Harry Tincknell crossed the line five seconds off the race-winning BMW — the programme’s best WEC result in its tenth series appearance. The sister #009 car retired following a late crash. Aston Martin also topped the Le Mans Test Day on Sunday, setting the fastest time of 3:26.293, placing the Valkyrie among the leading Hypercar contenders for Saturday’s race. The Valkyrie is the only non-turbocharged, non-hybrid entry in the current field, using a naturally aspirated V12.
Jamie Chadwick Becomes First Woman to Drive a Hypercar at Le Mans
Three-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick became the first woman to drive a Hypercar at the Circuit de la Sarthe, completing five laps in the #17 Genesis Magma Racing GMR-001 during the Le Mans 24 Hours Test Day. Chadwick had raced in LMP2 at Le Mans previously with IDEC Sport and was promoted to Genesis Magma Racing reserve driver earlier this year. Her historic laps coincided with Genesis making its own debut as the first South Korean manufacturer to race in the premier class at Le Mans. Chadwick told reporters after the test she intends to work her way up to a full Hypercar drive.
WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1. René Rast / Robin Frijns / van der Linde — 35 pts
2. Hartley / Hirakawa / Buemi — 26 pts
3. Magnussen / Marciello / Vanthoor — 25 pts
4. Kobayashi / Conway / de Vries — 25 pts
After Round 2 — Spa-Francorchamps
1. BMW — 59 pts
2. Toyota — 52 pts
3. Ferrari — 42 pts
4. Aston Martin — 14 pts
5. Alpine — 14 pts
6. Peugeot — 9 pts
7. Cadillac — 8 pts
IMSA GTP — Drivers
1. Jack Aitken — 1,760 pts
2. Laurin Heinrich — 1,616 pts
3. Julien Andlauer — 1,606 pts
3. Felipe Nasr — 1,606 pts
After Round 5 — Detroit
1. #31 Cadillac Whelen — 1,760 pts
2. #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport — 1,606 pts
3. #93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing — 1,552 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
AI
Apple Overhauls Siri with Google Gemini at WWDC 2026, Launches iOS 27 and Standalone AI App
Apple’s WWDC 2026 kicked off at Apple Park on Monday, with CEO Tim Cook announcing a Siri overhaul powered by Google Gemini and the release of iOS 27. The new Siri, available as a standalone app, will support iPhone 11 and newer when iOS 27 ships this autumn. Apple promises 30% faster app launches and deeper on-device intelligence through the expanded Apple Intelligence platform. Craig Federighi declared “privacy in AI is non-negotiable” during the keynote. The event carries added significance as Cook announced he will hand the CEO role to hardware chief John Ternus on September 1, making this his final WWDC.
Anthropic Releases Claude Fable 5, Its First Mythos-Class Model, with Hard Safety Limits and 90% Analytics Benchmark
Anthropic launched Claude Fable 5, its first publicly available Mythos-class model, on Monday — days after the company publicly warned that AI systems are “getting too dangerous.” Fable 5 introduces hard safety limits blocking cybersecurity exploits, biological, and chemical weapon assistance, and model distillation. It scored 90% on Hex’s core analytics benchmark, the first model to reach that threshold. Pricing is set at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens. Fable 5 is free for Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise subscribers until June 22, after which usage credits are required. Ninety-five percent of sessions now run on Fable 5.
Standard Bots Hits $1 Billion Valuation After $200 Million Series C to Scale US Industrial Robot Manufacturing
Standard Bots, which bills itself as America’s largest manufacturer of AI-native industrial robots, raised $200 million in a Series C round led by existing investors and RoboStrategy, valuing the company at $1 billion. The New York-based company plans to expand its Glen Cove facility to 70,000 square feet and is targeting 10% of new US industrial robot deployments by next year. Its robots are designed to be taught through physical demonstration rather than code. Customers include Lockheed Martin, Amazon, NASA, and the US Army. CEO Evan Beard said Standard Bots is “the furthest along” in collecting real-world deployment data for physical AI iteration.
CISA Orders Federal Agencies to Patch Check Point VPN Bug in Three Days After Qilin Ransomware Attacks
CISA ordered US federal agencies to patch a critical Check Point Software VPN and firewall vulnerability by end of day June 11, citing active exploitation by the Qilin ransomware gang. Check Point confirmed the bug has been used against “a few dozen targeted organizations globally” since attacks began May 7, with activity escalating last week. Affected agencies include Homeland Security, State, and Treasury departments. CISA invoked BOD 22-01 authority, its legally binding directive for federal civilian agencies, setting a three-day remediation window. The order does not apply to private sector organizations, though CISA urged all network defenders to apply the available patch immediately.
MIT Media Lab Study Finds AI Boosts Fake News Detection 21% but Erodes Unassisted Accuracy by 15 Points
A four-week MIT Media Lab study involving 67 participants found that AI assistance improved misinformation detection by 21% but caused unassisted performance to decline by 15 percentage points — what researchers call an “AI dependency paradox.” Participants given AI tools to spot fake news became significantly less accurate when the tool was removed. The study, authored by Valdemar Danry, Anku Rani, Paul Pu Liang, Andrew Lippman, and Pattie Maes, was presented at the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. The findings raise concerns about cognitive offloading in AI-assisted information verification tasks and suggest that short-term accuracy gains may erode long-term media literacy.
Nebius and Nvidia Launch Physical AI Living Lab to Give European Robotics Startups Access to Full Simulation Stack
Nebius and Nvidia announced the Physical AI Living Lab, a six-month accelerator giving British and European robotics startups access to Nvidia’s full physical AI stack at no cost. Participants receive Nvidia Cosmos world foundation models, Isaac Sim and Isaac Lab for robot simulation, OSMO workload orchestration, and cloud compute running on Nvidia RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition GPUs via Nebius infrastructure. Engineers from both companies will provide technical guidance. The first cohort begins September 2026; applications run through the Nvidia Inception pipeline. Anthony Hills, Nvidia’s UK&I director, said the lab is designed to close the gap between UK academic AI research and market-ready robotic systems.
Wing and Walmart Expand Drone Delivery to Seven New US Metro Areas, Targeting 40 Million Americans by 2027
Google-owned Wing and Walmart are expanding their drone delivery partnership into seven new US metropolitan areas — Memphis, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Salt Lake City — bringing the network to nearly 20 US markets. The expansion follows Walmart’s confirmation that its drone deliveries surpassed one million. Wing’s drones, capable of 60 mph and equipped with a tether to lower packages to yards, target under-30-minute delivery. The companies plan more than 270 US locations, aiming to reach 40 million Americans by 2027. Wing CBO Heather Rivera said the service has become one that customers count on multiple times per week.
CYBERSECURITY
Senate Health Chair Demands Answers After 1.8 Million-Record NYC Hospital Cyberattack
Sen. Bill Cassidy, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, has asked New York City officials to explain how a cyberattack compromised records for approximately 1.8 million individuals at New York City Health + Hospitals—the largest municipal public health system in the country. In a March 2026 breach statement, NYC H+H disclosed that hackers accessed its network through a third-party vendor and remained undetected for nearly three months, from November 2025 through February 2026. Cassidy is requesting details on security protocols, best practices and planned remediation measures. Officials face a June 18 response deadline.
Three Southern Ohio VA Medical Centers Go Live on Oracle Health EHR
Three Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers in Ohio—Dayton, Chillicothe and Cincinnati—transitioned to the Oracle Health electronic health record on June 7, extending the VA’s multibillion-dollar EHR modernization program. VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence said Ohio “is the second chapter, and second chapters matter.” A central command center will monitor system stability through June 18. Four Michigan VA facilities completed the same transition earlier this year, bringing total 2026 go-lives to seven. The department has 13 facilities scheduled to migrate to Oracle Health in 2026 and expects the system-wide transition to be complete by 2031.
Elsevier, athenahealth and PointClickCare Each Expand Agentic AI Across EHR Workflows
Three major EHR ecosystem vendors are pushing agentic AI deeper into clinical and administrative workflows. Elsevier acquired Wellsheet, deployed in 139 U.S. hospitals, to embed patient-specific evidence at the point of care through its ClinicalKey AI platform. athenahealth announced more than 80 AI features in its athenaOne platform; early results show a 30 percent increase in recovered revenue and a 16 percent reduction in insurance denials, while voice AI handles more than 23,000 prior authorization calls. PointClickCare launched Billing Advisor for skilled nursing to automate high-friction billing tasks. Enzo Health separately unveiled an AI-native EHR for home health and hospice.
AI Cannot Deliver on Its Promise Without Better Patient Identity Data, Expert Warns
As hospitals accelerate AI deployment, inaccurate patient identity data is quietly undermining those investments, warns Joe Hickey, vice president of provider markets at Verato. A recent S&P Global report found that 84 percent of healthcare organizations say data mismatches contribute to lost revenue, 85 percent of consumers would consider switching providers after identity errors, and 81 percent of providers agree they cannot personalize care without accurate data. “AI, as powerful as it is, cannot function to the height of its abilities with contradictory, missing or inaccurate data,” Hickey said. He argues health systems must fix their data foundation before—not after—scaling AI.
Yale New Haven Health Expands Rad AI Partnership Across 16-Plus Imaging Centers
Yale New Haven Health System is rolling out Rad AI’s Omni Impressions tool across its full network of 16-plus imaging centers and five hospital campuses, the two organizations announced June 9. The expanded partnership also includes co-development of new radiology AI technologies. Omni Impressions uses AI to generate consistent, structured report impressions, reducing cognitive burden for radiologists and improving reporting turnaround. “Rad AI is at the forefront, especially with its Omni Impressions tool,” said Dr. Melissa Davis of Yale New Haven Health System. The partnership was reported exclusively by MobiHealthNews.
Sophia Genetics and Memorial Sloan Kettering Sign MOU for New York Precision Oncology Hub
Sophia Genetics and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a precision oncology hub in New York City. The proposed collaboration would pair MSK’s tumor sequencing capabilities—more than 150,000 samples analyzed since 2014—with Sophia DDM, the company’s AI platform that has processed more than 2.5 million cases since the same year. The hub aims to support development of clinical algorithms, companion diagnostics and multimodal oncology tools for hospital and biopharma partners. Hub details have not been finalized. Financial terms were not disclosed. Products described are currently for research use only.
Stepful Raises $55 Million to Scale Online Healthcare Worker Training Platform
Stepful, a New York-based platform that trains workers for roles including medical assistant, pharmacy technician, patient care technician, surgical technologist and dental assistant, has raised $55 million in Series C funding. Oak HC/FT led the round, joined by new investors Hearst Ventures, Foresite Capital and the Citi Impact Fund. CEO Carl Madi said Stepful will use the capital to expand hospital partnerships, launch programs in nursing, respiratory therapy and imaging, and accelerate AI-powered learning tools. Including earlier seed, Series A and Series B rounds, the company has now raised $106 million in total since its founding.
Virtual-First Care Models Require Clinicians and IT Leaders to Co-Design Workflows
As health systems compete against retail clinics, direct-to-consumer apps and national telehealth providers, succeeding at virtual care depends on deep partnership between clinical and technology leadership, argues Amy Lukowski, vice president of operations and integration at Ovatient. Founded jointly by MetroHealth and MUSC Health, Ovatient operates as a fully integrated virtual practice. “Any successful execution of virtual care at scale requires strong collaboration between health IT leaders and clinicians,” Lukowski said. She advocates moving beyond virtual visits as an add-on to existing in-person care and toward co-designed workflows with joint governance, shared metrics and full EHR integration.
Oura and Whoop Add Virtual Clinician Access, Pushing Consumer Wearables Into Clinical Workflows
Wearable device makers Oura and Whoop have each introduced ways for users to connect directly with physicians from within their apps, STAT News reported June 9. The move aims to close the gap between consumer biometric monitoring and clinical care—particularly for conditions like high blood pressure and sleep apnea that wearables are increasingly capable of detecting. “This was an inevitable development,” said Dr. Ida Sim, a physician and professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies consumer health data. The FDA has authorized only a handful of wearable features for clinical use, and the broader evidence base remains nascent.
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.
LAYOFFS
AI Cited as Primary Driver Behind Nearly 40% of May Job Cuts
Employers cited artificial intelligence as the primary reason for nearly 40% of U.S. job cuts announced in May 2026, up from just 7% in January, according to a report by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. U.S. employers announced just over 97,000 job cuts in May. “AI is now the leading reason companies give for cutting jobs,” said Andy Challenger, the firm’s chief revenue officer. The AI share of layoff citations rose from 10% in February to 25% in March, 26% in April, and approximately 40% in May. Glassdoor chief economist Daniel Zhao cautioned that companies may be using AI as justification for cuts driven by other factors.
Uber Cuts Recruiting and HR Staff by Nearly a Quarter Under New Leadership
Uber is cutting nearly a quarter of its people division, including recruiting and human resources staff, as the company moves to streamline under newly promoted President Jill Hazelbaker. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a memo that “changes are necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the People team and the enormous potential ahead of us.” Hazelbaker, elevated to president and chief corporate affairs officer last month, described some segments as “complex and fragmented, with overlapping responsibilities, unclear ownership, and teams operating too far from the businesses and partners they support.” A spokesperson confirmed the cuts represent “well under 1%” of Uber’s approximately 34,000 employees.
Banks Lay Groundwork for Mass AI-Driven Workforce Reductions
Banks across the financial sector are preparing for significant AI-driven workforce reductions, Bloomberg reported Sunday. HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery is betting on artificial intelligence to shrink the bank’s middle and back offices, with changes potentially affecting around 20,000 roles, or roughly 10% of its workforce. Bloomberg Intelligence analysts project global banks could cut as many as 200,000 jobs over the next three to five years as AI erodes white-collar work. Morgan Stanley separately estimates European banks could reduce headcount by as much as a fifth over the near term. Candidates at major financial institutions are already navigating initial screening rounds conducted by AI-powered software.
GitLab Cuts 14% of Workforce to Scale AI Development Platform
GitLab has laid off approximately 350 employees, representing 14% of its workforce, as part of a restructuring to handle the demands of rapidly growing AI workloads. The company announced in May it would exit 22 countries, flatten management layers, and redirect investment toward research and development infrastructure. CEO Bill Staples noted that agentic workloads are stressing developer infrastructure “more than it was designed to handle.” Despite the workforce reduction, GitLab reported first-quarter revenue of $264 million, up 23% year-over-year, with gross margins of 88%. GitLab joins a growing list of tech firms including Amazon, Cisco, and Intuit that have cited AI transformation as justification for cutting jobs.
Amazon Unveils AI Warehouse Robots as Engineers Protest Layoff-Investment Contradiction
Amazon unveiled a next-generation warehouse robot designed to respond to spoken commands from workers, capable of receiving natural language instructions to transport items through fulfillment centers. The company’s original Proteus model is already deployed across 25 U.S. fulfillment centers. Meanwhile, Amazon Web Services engineers rallied at the Seattle City Council, criticizing the company for cutting more than 30,000 corporate employees since October while committing $200 billion to AI infrastructure and data centers in 2026. Seattle officials unanimously approved a one-year limit on new mega data center construction. Amazon executive John Boumphrey contended that robotics have historically “driven up employment rather than the reverse,” noting demand for robotic technicians.
MediaTek Pledges Hiring Surge to Power AI Data Center Expansion
Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek announced it will significantly increase hiring to support a push into new AI activities, bucking a broader industry trend of workforce reductions. The company is adding engineers in anticipation of strong revenue growth from its developing AI data center business, which Senior Vice President Vince Hu told Bloomberg Television he expects to multiply by 2027. MediaTek is also helping power Nvidia’s new PC chip, known as Spark, and reported strong order visibility for its data center business over the next several years. The hiring push highlights how semiconductor firms positioned in AI infrastructure are following a sharply different talent trajectory than software companies reducing headcount.
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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