SAMWISE
Good morning John. Here is your personal morning briefing · samwise.agency
Thursday, June 11, 2026
RACE RESULT
Antonelli Seeks Sixth Consecutive Win as Mercedes Dominate F1 2026
Kimi Antonelli heads into Barcelona seeking a sixth consecutive Formula 1 victory, yet the story behind his dominance is one of remarkable transformation. Just twelve months ago, mid-season in his difficult 2025 rookie year, the Italian admitted there was “a moment, during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, when everything around me seemed much darker” — doubts swirled as he finished seventh in the standings, 169 points behind team-mate George Russell. An intensive winter simulator programme focused on battery management in the near-50-50 hybrid 2026 cars proved transformative: “A large part of what I’m able to do today comes directly from the preparation work that started last year.” The 19-year-old now leads the championship with 156 points, 66 ahead of Lewis Hamilton, with Russell a further two points back.
FIA and Teams Agree 2027–2028 Engine Power Rebalancing Plan
A package of regulatory changes for 2027 and 2028 has been approved across Formula 1, with the FIA announcing revisions to the power unit framework. The deal rebalances the ICE/ERS split to 58/42 for 2027 and 60/40 for 2028, raising maximum ICE power from 400 kW to 420 kW for 2027 and 450 kW for 2028, with fuel flow increased 5% for 2027 and 13% for 2028. Maximum electric motor deployment drops from 350 kW to 300 kW for 2027, while maximum harvesting increases to 375 kW. Formal governance ratification is now pending.
FIA Accepts Alpine’s Review: Timing System “Inaccurate” in Gasly Monaco Penalties
FIA stewards in Barcelona have accepted Alpine’s right of review into the pit lane speeding penalties that cost Pierre Gasly a Monaco Grand Prix podium, establishing that FOM’s distance measuring system was “inaccurate and overestimated the speed” of his car. The evidence was provided by FOM on Wednesday, making it unavailable to race stewards at the time — a key admissibility threshold for a right of review. Gasly, who called the Monaco demotion the hardest sporting moment of his career, had crossed the line third before two five-second penalties for fractional pit lane speed violations dropped him to seventh. The full right of review hearing commenced Thursday afternoon in Barcelona, with an outcome that may also affect George Russell, whose own race spiralled after a related pit lane infringement.
Pirelli Goes a Step Softer at Barcelona to Encourage Strategic Variety
Pirelli has supplied a step-softer tyre allocation than usual for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend, designating the C2 compound as Hard, C3 as Medium and C4 as Soft. The softer selection aims to increase strategic variation and encourage additional pit stops, while bringing the Hard compound into play as a viable race option. Barcelona’s demanding layout — combining high-speed corners with a final sector generating substantial lateral tyre loads — typically produces high degradation. The softer compounds should widen the strategic window, with analysts expecting two and potentially three-stop races depending on Sunday’s track temperatures.
Russell Faces 68-Point Deficit After Monaco Drive-Through Ends His Race
George Russell heads into Barcelona 68 points behind championship-leading team-mate Kimi Antonelli after a Monaco Grand Prix disaster that yielded zero points. Russell received a pit lane speeding penalty during the race that triggered a drive-through, ending his afternoon as Antonelli won for the fifth consecutive time. The Mercedes driver sits third in the drivers’ championship with 88 points, two behind Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Despite the mounting deficit — with 16 rounds remaining — Russell has not conceded the title fight heading into a Barcelona circuit expected to suit the nimble 2026-specification Mercedes.
Red Bull Requests FIA Review After Topping F1’s Inaugural Engine Benchmark Rankings
Red Bull Ford Powertrains has requested a formal FIA review of Formula 1’s inaugural ADUO engine benchmark results after topping the rankings, delaying official publication. Under the current outcome, Mercedes — rated between 2–4% behind Red Bull on ICE power — would receive one additional development upgrade this season and in 2027, while Ferrari, Audi and Honda, each more than 4% adrift, qualify for two upgrades apiece. The challenge exposes a structural tension: ADUO measures only the internal combustion engine, yet allowances extend to the battery and MGU-K — potentially granting Mercedes, widely regarded as the strongest overall power unit, extra electrical development rights under a system designed to help weaker manufacturers catch up. The FIA re-verification is expected to take one to ten days.
Colton Herta Leads Seven Rookies into FP1 at Barcelona
Seven drivers will replace regular Formula 1 starters in Friday’s opening free practice session at Barcelona, led by American IndyCar star Colton Herta making his first-ever F1 car appearance for Cadillac. Herta joined Cadillac as test driver and is competing in Formula 2 in 2026, working toward the super licence points required for a race seat. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli will also step aside for Mercedes reserve Fred Vesti. Also confirmed for FP1 are Leonardo Fornaroli for McLaren, Luke Browning for Williams, Paul Aron for Audi, Dino Beganovic for Ferrari and Ayumu Iwasa for Red Bull.
Leclerc Switches to Hamilton’s Brake Configuration After Monaco Nightmare
Charles Leclerc will trial Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton’s Carbon Industrie brake configuration in Friday practice at Barcelona, after a catastrophic brake failure caused his Monaco retirement while running third. “The front left was working well, the front right was half working, and the two rear brakes were not working at all — it’s like the calipers were not even in the car,” Leclerc said. Ferrari’s solution is to switch the Monegasque from the Brembo discs and pads he has used to the Carbon Industrie compound Hamilton runs. A successful FP1 test could see Leclerc adopt the new set-up for the full weekend as the fourth-place championship driver looks to end a podium drought stretching back to the Japanese Grand Prix in March.
Drivers' Championship
1. Andrea Kimi Antonelli — 156 pts
2. Lewis Hamilton — 90 pts
3. George Russell — 88 pts
4. Charles Leclerc — 75 pts
5. Oscar Piastri — 60 pts
6. Lando Norris — 58 pts
7. Max Verstappen — 43 pts
8. Isack Hadjar — 29 pts
9. Liam Lawson — 26 pts
10. Pierre Gasly — 26 pts
11. Oliver Bearman — 18 pts
12. Franco Colapinto — 15 pts
13. Arvid Lindblad — 13 pts
14. Carlos Sainz Jr. — 6 pts
15. Alexander Albon — 5 pts
16. Esteban Ocon — 3 pts
17. Gabriel Bortoleto — 2 pts
18. Fernando Alonso — 1 pts
19. Nico Hülkenberg — 0 pts
20. Valtteri Bottas — 0 pts
21. Sergio Pérez — 0 pts
22. Lance 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
CHAMPIONSHIP
IndyCar Season at the Halfway Point: Championship Race Tighter Than 2025
Nine of 18 NTT IndyCar Series races are complete, and while Alex Palou remains the dominant force, the championship battle is considerably closer than a year ago. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has won four races — the most of any competitor — and holds a 49-point lead over Kyle Kirkwood and a 68-point advantage over David Malukas. At this stage last season Palou led by 72 points before building a modern-era record 196-point margin by year’s end. IndyCar’s presentation has also improved markedly, with the sold-out Arlington Grand Prix earning widespread praise as a standout first-year event alongside strong attendance at St. Petersburg, Long Beach, and Detroit.
Kirkwood Proves He Is the Real Deal as Andretti Global Hits New Heights
Kyle Kirkwood has been the most consistent driver of 2026, posting six top-five and eight top-ten finishes in nine starts on his way to second in the championship with 293 points. The Arlington Grand Prix winner is a champion at every level of the American open-wheel ladder and is now testing that pedigree against Palou at the series’ top tier. Andretti Global as a whole is performing at a higher level following the off-season departure of Colton Herta, with Marcus Ericsson dramatically improving his form and results — the Swede was in position to win at both St. Petersburg and Gateway — as he drives to earn a new contract.
Malukas Emerges as Team Penske’s Lead Driver in Breakthrough First Season
Twenty-four-year-old David Malukas has become the surprise package of IndyCar’s first half, sitting third in the championship with 274 points in his debut season at Team Penske. Brought in to replace the 45-year-old Will Power, Malukas led out of the final corner of the Indianapolis 500 only to lose in heartbreaking fashion to Felix Rosenqvist in the closest finish in the race’s 110-year history. With the full resources of the Penske organisation behind him, Autosport’s John Oreovicz writes that it is clear Malukas will be winning races soon and often — having already emerged as the team’s standout performer ahead of Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin.
Rosenqvist Wins Closest Indianapolis 500 Finish in the Race’s 110-Year History
Felix Rosenqvist cemented his place as an IndyCar legend by winning the 110th Indianapolis 500 for Meyer Shank Racing in the closest finish in the classic race’s history, edging David Malukas who had led out of the final corner. The victory was the culmination of a first-half campaign in which only Palou’s brilliance denied Rosenqvist a second victory at Long Beach. Team-mate Marcus Armstrong felt aggrieved by the orchestration of the finish through red and yellow flags, but the New Zealander is widely viewed as a future race winner and a likely successor to Scott Dixon in the No. 9 Ganassi car when the six-time champion eventually retires.
Newgarden Contract Rumors Cast Shadow Over Penske Heading Into Second Half
Josef Newgarden is firmly established as IndyCar’s king of the short ovals, winning both Phoenix and Gateway in 2026, but his campaign has been marked by inconsistency on road and street courses — where he has qualified inside the top ten just twice. The two-time champion sits sixth in the standings with 238 points. According to Autosport, rumours persist that he is unhappy and seeking a way out of the Penske camp. The speculation centres on the No. 6 Arrow McLaren car driven by the driver-funded Nolan Siegel, which is viewed within paddock circles as a potential landing spot should Newgarden seek a move.
13 Drivers Descend on Road America for Pre-Race Test Ahead of June 21 XPEL Grand Prix
More than half the XPEL Grand Prix field tested at Road America’s 4.014-mile circuit on June 9, giving teams a rare opportunity to prepare for the Father’s Day weekend race (June 19–21) after a punishing stretch of five consecutive race weekends. Andretti Global, Arrow McLaren, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan each fielded three cars, while A.J. Foyt Racing and Ed Carpenter Racing ran two apiece. For newcomers like RLL rookie Mick Schumacher, the test provided nine days of data to analyse before attacking the undulating Wisconsin circuit in earnest — a potentially decisive advantage on a track that rewards accumulated knowledge.
Schumacher Captivated by Road America’s Uniqueness After First Test Visit
Mick Schumacher described Road America as a track unlike any he has raced at in his Formula One and sports car career, calling it “very unique” and declining to draw comparisons to European classics such as Spa-Francorchamps. The RLL rookie — whose season began with a wrist injury sustained in a first-lap St. Petersburg crash not of his own making — arrived at Elkhart Lake with no preconceptions but quickly appreciated the circuit’s dramatic elevation changes and woodland setting. Schumacher drew on advice from teammates Graham Rahal, a Road America regular for decades, and Louis Foster, who won the pole there in his own 2025 rookie season.
Siegel Leads McLaren’s Systematic Road America Test After 2025 Best-of-Three Finish
Nolan Siegel was the top Arrow McLaren finisher at Road America in 2025, coming home eighth while team-mates Pato O’Ward and Christian Lundgaard finished 17th and 24th respectively, giving the young American a reference point as the team ran through a structured three-car test programme on June 9. Siegel emphasised the value of the testing day — rare in IndyCar — noting each car carried its own distinct list of items to work through. He acknowledged the human cost of back-to-back-to-back racing, saying the crews had slept just 2-3 hours before travelling from Gateway to Elkhart Lake, calling for appreciation of the men and women who make race weekends possible.
Rasmussen Building Momentum After Gateway Podium and Multi-Year ECR Contract Extension
Christian Rasmussen arrived at the Road America test with fresh confidence, having finished third at World Wide Technology Raceway — his best result since winning at the Milwaukee Mile in August 2025 and his third podium in two and a half IndyCar seasons. The Danish driver also secured a multi-year contract extension with Ed Carpenter Racing last week, bringing stability as the series enters its second half. Road America was a weak venue for ECR in 2025, where Rossi and Rasmussen finished 13th and 18th, making the test day a targeted opportunity to understand where the team can find pace before the June 21 race.
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
After 9 of 18 rounds.
Teams’ Championship
1. Team Penske — 591 pts
2. Chip Ganassi Racing — 576 pts
3. Andretti Global — 509 pts
4. Arrow McLaren — 507 pts
5. Meyer Shank Racing — 417 pts
6. Rahal Letterman Lanigan — 351 pts
7. Ed Carpenter Racing — 264 pts
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
* Teams’ Championship is unofficial (calculated by OpenWheelWorld.net), after Round 9. After 9 of 18 rounds.
WEC
Habsburg Puts Alpine on Provisional Pole as Defending Champion Ferrari and Both Peugeots Miss Hyperpole
Ferdinand Habsburg put the #35 Alpine Endurance Team A424 on provisional Hypercar pole at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans with a lap of 3:23.135, edging Louis Délétraz in the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota by just 0.013 seconds. The session produced a major upset: the #83 AF Corse Ferrari, the defending Le Mans-winning entry, failed to make the top 15 and was eliminated from Hyperpole contention. Peugeot suffered a double elimination on home soil, with both 9X8 Hypercars failing to advance beyond the first qualifying phase. Three Cadillac entries progressed comfortably to Hyperpole alongside Ferrari’s two factory 499Ps.
Cadillac Locks Out Top Two in Le Mans FP1 with 1.7-Second Gap Over Hypercar Rivals
Cadillac locked out the top two positions in the opening free practice session for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans on Wednesday, dominating the Hypercar field by a remarkable margin. The #38 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota V-Series.R set a benchmark of 3:23.786, while the #101 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac finished 1.56 seconds adrift in second place. The #20 BMW M Team WRT completed the top three, a further 0.19 seconds back. Ferrari’s best effort placed sixth at the Circuit de la Sarthe. The result raised early questions about the Italian manufacturer’s setup heading into qualifying and the race.
Kobayashi Puts Toyota on Top in Eventful Le Mans Night Practice Session
Kamui Kobayashi set the fastest time in the second free practice session for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans on Wednesday night, posting a lap of 3:26.096 in the #7 Toyota Racing GR010 Hybrid. The session included an early setback: co-driver Nyck de Vries spun at the Goodyear Chicane, causing floor damage that required urgent repairs before Kobayashi returned to the track. The #7 Toyota ultimately beat the #83 AF Corse Ferrari by 0.220 seconds, with the #101 Cadillac WTR third and the #36 Alpine fourth. The night session provided teams with crucial setup data ahead of Thursday’s Hyperpole qualifying.
Ferrari Technical Director Calls 2026 Le Mans Most Difficult Yet as Rivals Close Performance Gap
Ferrari arrived at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans having won three consecutive editions of the race but acknowledged it no longer enters as the favourite to extend that record. Technical director Ferdinando Cannizzo described the 94th edition as “perhaps the most difficult 24 Hours of Le Mans we have faced as Ferrari,” pointing to strong competition from Cadillac, BMW, Toyota and Alpine in early race-week running. Global Head of Endurance Antonello Coletta described the event as “an extremely tough challenge in which more than one Manufacturer can aspire to victory.” Ferrari’s factory 499Ps advanced to Hyperpole but trailed the pace-setting Alpine by more than a second in qualifying.
Aston Martin Valkyrie Sends Both Entries to Le Mans Hyperpole After Career-Best Spa Result
Aston Martin secured a double entry into Thursday’s Hyperpole session at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the #007 car of Ross Gunn, Harry Tincknell and Tom Gamble finishing seventh in Hypercar qualifying and the #009 entry of Marco Sørensen and teammates ninth. The result builds on the team’s momentum from the preceding 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, where the #007 Valkyrie took fourth place — the strongest WEC finish in the road-derived Hypercar’s career across ten series appearances. Both Valkyries completed the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans without incident, finishing twelfth and fourteenth. The team targets a significantly higher result at the 94th edition.
Doriane Pin Sets Fastest LMP2 Time in Le Mans Qualifying, Advancing Duqueine to Hyperpole
Doriane Pin delivered the standout LMP2 performance in Wednesday’s joint qualifying session at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, posting a time of 3:34.662 in the #30 Duqueine Team ORECA-Gibson — 0.8 seconds faster than the 2025 LMP2 pole benchmark at the same circuit. Pin, who shares the car with Julien Andlauer and Richard Verschoor, had already led Free Practice 1 before carrying that momentum directly into qualifying. The CLX Motorsport entry of Ian Aguilera was second, 0.567 seconds behind. Pin’s time secured Duqueine a place in Thursday’s Hyperpole session and drew broad attention across the Le Mans paddock.
Dempsey Disqualified from LMGT3 Qualifying Pole; Seven Marques in Top Seven Positions
Peter Dempsey was disqualified from provisional LMGT3 pole position at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans after the #34 Racing Team Turkey Corvette was found to have excessive rear diffuser wear during post-qualifying scrutineering. The disqualification elevated Eric Powell’s #77 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3 to the top of the LMGT3 Hyperpole order, with Gray Newell’s #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR just 0.024 seconds behind. Seven different marques occupied the top seven positions in LMGT3 — Corvette, Ford, Aston Martin, Porsche, BMW, Ferrari and Lexus — underlining the competitive spread across the class heading into Hyperpole.
Cadillac Emerges as Genuine Le Mans Favourite After Aerodynamic Updates Close Top-Speed Gap
Cadillac arrives at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans as a genuine contender for overall victory after addressing the top-speed deficit that hampered previous campaigns with an updated aerodynamic package. The manufacturer locked out the top two positions in Free Practice 1 before three of four entries advanced comfortably into Thursday’s Hyperpole session following qualifying. A motorsport.com analysis of Le Mans test and early race-week sessions identifies Cadillac, BMW and Toyota as the strongest Hypercar runners for the 94th edition. The #12 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota finished just 0.013 seconds behind provisional pole in Hypercar qualifying, with Louis Délétraz placing second in the evening session.
WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1. René Rast / Robin Frijns — 35 pts
2. Brendon Hartley / Ryo Hirakawa / Sébastien Buemi — 26 pts
3. Sheldon van der Linde — 25 pts
4. Kamui Kobayashi / Mike Conway / Nyck de Vries — 25 pts
5. Kevin Magnussen / Raffaele Marciello — 24 pts
6. Antonio Fuoco / Miguel Molina / Nicklas Nielsen — 23 pts
7. Alessandro Pier Guidi / Antonio Giovinazzi / James Calado — 19 pts
8. Dries Vanthoor — 18 pts
9. Harry Tincknell / Tom Gamble — 14 pts
10. António Félix da Costa / Charles Milesi / Ferdinand Habsburg — 12 pts
1. BMW — 59 pts
2. Toyota — 52 pts
3. Ferrari — 42 pts
IMSA GTP — Drivers
1. Jack Aitken — 1,760 pts
2. Laurin Heinrich — 1,616 pts
3. Felipe Nasr — 1,606 pts
3. Julien Andlauer — 1,606 pts
5. Earl Bamber — 1,412 pts
1. #31 Cadillac Whelen (Action Express) — 1,760 pts
2. #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport — 1,606 pts
GAME RECAP
Staal scores two, Hurricanes top Golden Knights 5-3 to even Stanley Cup Final at 2-2
Jordan Staal scored two goals, including the go-ahead marker at 6:32 of the third period, as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2. Game 5 is Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. Nikolaj Ehlers posted three points on a goal and two assists. Jackson Blake had a goal and an assist, and Logan Stankoven also scored for Carolina. William Karlsson, Mark Stone, and Brett Howden scored for the Golden Knights. Brandon Bussi made his first career start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Jordan Staal becomes first player in 43 years to score in each of first four Cup Final games
Jordan Staal is the first player in 43 years to score a goal in each of the first four games of a Stanley Cup Final. The Carolina Hurricanes captain accomplished the feat in Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena, joining Mike Bossy with the New York Islanders in 1982, Steve Payne with the Minnesota North Stars in 1981, and Johnny Bucyk with the Boston Bruins in 1970. Staal recorded two goals in Tuesday’s 5-3 victory, including the go-ahead score in the third period, and now has five goals total in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.
Backup Bussi backstops Hurricanes to Game 4 win in first career playoff start
Brandon Bussi made 17 saves in his first career start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, helping the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-3 Game 4 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. The 27-year-old netminder was claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers on October 5 and had never previously started a playoff game. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour said the decision to start Bussi took about a minute in conversation with goalie coach Paul Schonfelder. Brind’Amour has not announced his starter for Game 5 on Thursday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh.
Brind’Amour confirms Andersen given rest day for Game 4, Game 5 starter still undecided
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed Tuesday that goaltender Frederik Andersen sat out Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights due to fatigue, not injury. “In conversation with our goalie coach, Andersen needed a break,” Brind’Amour said after Carolina’s 5-3 win at T-Mobile Arena. “To give him the break, he needed the full night off.” Backup Brandon Bussi started in Andersen’s place. Brind’Amour declined to name his starter for Game 5 on Thursday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, saying the decision would be made the morning of or the day before the game.
Golden Knights carry road confidence into pivotal Game 5 of Stanley Cup Final in Raleigh
Game 5 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final takes place Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, with the series between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights tied 2-2. Vegas won Games 1 and 3 in Las Vegas, while Carolina claimed both games played at Lenovo Center. The Golden Knights are noted for their road success heading into Thursday’s contest. Should Vegas win, Game 6 returns to T-Mobile Arena on Saturday with the Stanley Cup in the building for a potential presentation. Should Carolina win, Game 7 would be scheduled for Las Vegas on Monday.
Maple Leafs tell Gavin McKenna he will be the first overall pick at June 26 draft in Buffalo
The Toronto Maple Leafs told top prospect Gavin McKenna he will be selected first overall at the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26 in Buffalo, New York, according to a report published by Heavy.com. The Leafs conveyed the decision to McKenna at the NHL Scouting Combine. McKenna has been the consensus top prospect in this draft class throughout the season. The announcement removes the remaining uncertainty around the top selection. Toronto holds the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, which is scheduled to begin June 26 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.
RECAP
Davis Martin’s Gem Moves White Sox Into AL Central Lead with 2-1 Win Over Braves
Davis Martin threw six scoreless innings for his ninth win as the Chicago White Sox beat the Atlanta Braves 2-1 Wednesday night, moving into first place in the AL Central by half a game over Cleveland. Martin, 9-2, gave up six hits, struck out six and walked one, matching Aaron Ashby and Gavin Williams for the major league wins lead. Chicago has won seven straight at home and nine of 13 overall, including two consecutive against the NL-best Braves. The White Sox took the lead in the fourth when Derek Hill singled in a run and Luisangel Acuna added an RBI on a groundout.
Rasmussen Strikes Out Career-High 13 as Rays Sweep Red Sox 7-5
Drew Rasmussen struck out a career-high 13 batters and two-hit the Red Sox over seven scoreless innings Wednesday, lifting the Tampa Bay Rays to a 7-5 win and their first series sweep of Boston since 2023. Rasmussen, now 6-2, fanned his first four hitters and never allowed a runner to reach third base. Nick Fortes matched a career high with four hits, while Yandy Diaz and Taylor Walls also contributed multiple hits. The Red Sox rallied with a four-run eighth, with Ceddanne Rafaela hitting a three-run homer, but Cedric Mullins answered with a two-run blast off Justin Slaten to close it out.
Callihan Hits Two Home Runs as Pirates Rally Past Dodgers 9-8
Tyler Callihan hit the first two home runs of his major league career, including a go-ahead three-run blast in the eighth inning, as the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-8 Wednesday night. Ryan Ward had hit a grand slam in the sixth to give the Dodgers a 6-1 lead. Shohei Ohtani allowed a season-high four runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings, with his ERA rising to 1.06. Ohtani connected on his 12th homer of the season in the ninth, a two-run shot off closer Gregory Soto, to cut the deficit to one. But Soto secured his ninth save to end the comeback attempt.
Chisholm Drives In Three as Yankees Complete Three-Game Sweep of Guardians 8-4
Jazz Chisholm Jr. drove in three runs and Carlos Rodon pitched six solid innings as the New York Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Guardians with an 8-4 victory Wednesday. Chisholm tripled home two runs in the first inning off rookie Parker Messick and added a home run later in the game. The Yankees improved to 11-4 since May 24 and swept the Guardians at Progressive Field for the first time since 2007, ending Cleveland's streak of avoiding series sweeps at 31 consecutive series, the longest current stretch in the AL. Jose Caballero added two RBI for New York.
Tatis Walk-Off Homer in Ninth Lifts Padres Past Reds 5-4
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a two-out walk-off home run to left field in the ninth inning off Chase Petty to lift the San Diego Padres to a 5-4 victory Wednesday. Tatis spread his arms as he rounded the bases and his jersey was torn off in a wild celebration. The blast was the fifth career walk-off for Tatis and the fifth walk-off win of the season for San Diego. Cincinnati had rallied to lead 4-2 on three home runs, the last of which was Eugenio Suarez's shot off Ron Marinaccio in the eighth. The Padres won two of three from the Reds.
Holliday Grand Slam Leads Orioles Past Mariners 7-2, Snaps Four-Game Skid
Jackson Holliday hit his third career grand slam to become the first player in Orioles franchise history with three grand slams before turning 23, and Brandon Young pitched seven scoreless innings as Baltimore beat the Seattle Mariners 7-2 Wednesday night to snap a four-game losing streak. Young, now 5-1, allowed only two hits, walked two and struck out five. The Orioles are 9-1 in games he has started this season. Pete Alonso hit a solo homer and Leody Taveras added an RBI double. The 22-year-old Holliday, who has 25 career home runs, extended the lead to 7-0 in the seventh inning.
Ronald Acuna Jr. Returns to IL with Left Hamstring Strain, Second Stint of the Season
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a left hamstring strain, his second IL stint of the season with the same injury. Acuna exited Tuesday's game against the White Sox after an awkward stride while trying to beat a throw at first base. Manager Walt Weiss classified it as a Grade 1 strain, not as severe as feared but enough to require an IL placement. Acuna had missed 15 days in May with a Grade 1 strain in the same hamstring before returning on May 19. The Braves, despite the loss, hold a major league-best 45-23 record.
Marlins Blank Diamondbacks 8-0 for Seventh Win in Eight Games
Kyle Stowers hit a three-run homer and Owen Caissie added a two-run blast as the Miami Marlins blanked the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-0 Wednesday night for their seventh victory in eight games. A six-run fourth inning provided the decisive margin, with Stowers sending a ball to the upper deck in right field and Caissie adding another long ball. Otto Lopez went 2 for 4 with two RBI and raised his major league-leading batting average to .342. Arizona starter Ryne Nelson, now 2-5, was tagged for seven runs and eight hits in just four innings. William Kempner pitched two innings of relief for his first career win.
ROBOTICS
Neura Robotics raises $1.4B Series C from Nvidia, Amazon and Tether, reaching $7B valuation
German humanoid robotics startup Neura Robotics closed a $1.4 billion Series C round—the largest single raise in humanoid robotics history—anchored by Tether Holdings, with Nvidia, Amazon, Qualcomm, Robert Bosch, and Schaeffler also participating. The Metzingen-based company, valued at approximately $7 billion, builds the 4NE-1 humanoid robot targeting manufacturing and logistics environments, along with a factory transport robot and a domestic robotic arm. The company said its existing orders and strategic deployment pipeline already exceed $1 billion. Proceeds will fund robot manufacturing scale-up, its AI software platform, and global distribution infrastructure.
GPT-5.5 tops new Agents’ Last Exam leaderboard with 24% pass rate, edging Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5
UC Berkeley’s Center for Responsible, Decentralized Intelligence launched Agents’ Last Exam (ALE), a rigorous benchmark testing whether AI can execute economically valuable, long-horizon professional workflows across 55 non-physical industry sub-domains from the U.S. federal occupational taxonomy. On the inaugural leaderboard, OpenAI’s GPT-5.5—operating through the Codex harness—scored 24.0%, edging Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5 at 22.0%. The benchmark was developed with an advisory committee of over 300 domain experts and is designed to measure real-world autonomous task completion rather than academic test performance. Researchers and developers can submit models directly for public evaluation on the ALE platform.
Decart launches Oasis 3, an interactive world model for photorealistic driving simulation, via API at $0.02 per second
Decart, a two-year-old AI startup valued at approximately $4 billion following a $300 million raise, unveiled Oasis 3, a real-time interactive world model that generates photorealistic, multi-camera driving environments for autonomous vehicle testing and robotics training. The model is available via API at $0.02 per second, with enterprise pricing on request. Oasis 3 is built on Decart’s DOS (Decart Optimization Stack), which the company says makes its inference costs more than an order of magnitude cheaper than competitors. Unlike prior world models, Oasis 3 supports infinite scenario generation, though scene consistency degrades over extended sessions and physics simulation remains an open research problem.
Waymo publishes Reference Driver model in Nature Communications to benchmark robotaxi safety against human behavior
Waymo, in collaboration with TU Delft, published research in Nature Communications introducing the Reference Driver, a new computer model that more accurately benchmarks autonomous vehicle safety against human driving behavior. Unlike prior industry models that focused only on last-second reactions, the Reference Driver uses an active inference framework to simulate the internal “surprise” a human driver experiences during a conflict scenario, enabling pre-crash behavioral modeling. The company is making the research code available under an academic, non-commercial license. The work comes as Waymo faces ongoing federal investigations into a January 2026 incident in Santa Monica in which one of its robotaxis struck a child.
Researchers train HRM-Text foundation model from scratch for $1,500, challenging conventional AI training economics
Researchers published a paper describing how they trained HRM-Text, a foundation model, from scratch in just 1.9 days on a 16-GPU cluster at a total estimated compute cost of roughly $1,500. Pretraining foundation models from scratch typically costs millions of dollars and is reserved for well-funded labs, making this result noteworthy. The team reports that HRM-Text achieved competitive scores using 100 to 900 times fewer training tokens and 96 to 432 times less estimated compute than comparable models including Qwen, Gemma, and Llama. The work highlights how efficiency improvements and better training regimes continue to reduce the cost barrier for AI research.
SpaceX alumni launch Ambrosia Energy to deliver solar-plus-battery power plants at $100/MWh for AI data centers
Sara Spangelo and Ben Longmier, co-founders of satellite startup Swarm (acquired by SpaceX in 2021), emerged from stealth with Ambrosia Energy, a startup building solar-plus-battery power plants designed to undercut natural gas on both cost and construction time. Targeting AI hyperscalers, Ambrosia promises $100 per megawatt-hour combined solar and storage, with plants deployable in under 12 months from contract to grid-on—versus the five-to-seven-year backlog facing gas turbine orders. The company began constructing its first site in West Texas in January 2026, with sections already operating at 100% capacity. DFJ Growth has invested; the investment size was not disclosed.
Jedify raises $24M Series A to build enterprise context graphs that help AI agents understand business data
New York-based startup Jedify raised $24 million in a Series A round led by Norwest, with participation from S Capital VC, Cerca Partners, Oceans Ventures, and strategic investor Snowflake Ventures. Jedify’s platform connects to enterprise data sources—including databases, data warehouses, SaaS tools, Slack channels, and meeting recordings—to build a real-time “context graph” that gives AI agents the business-specific knowledge they need to perform autonomously. Unlike semantic layers or metadata catalogs, the company’s multi-dimensional context graph captures relationships across entities, data, people, permissions, and workflows, while inheriting row-, column-, and table-level access rules. Total funding reaches approximately $33 million.
CYBERSECURITY
GAO: DoD and VA Must Improve EHR Cybersecurity Coordination
The Government Accountability Office is urging the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs to strengthen cybersecurity coordination for their joint federal electronic health record. A GAO report found that the Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization office, which oversees the shared system used by more than 200,000 healthcare providers, does not fully follow leading interagency collaboration practices. The Joint Incident Management Framework had not been completed as of April 2026. The GAO recommends both agencies define common cybersecurity goals and performance measures to reduce risk across a system serving millions of veterans and active-duty service members.
Why Oncology Is Becoming Healthcare AI's Toughest Proving Ground
Cancer care is emerging as the domain where enterprise AI either proves itself or fails, according to Dr. Theepa Dinis of clinical NLP company emtelligent. Dinis says oncology “puts more pressure on AI than almost any other area of medicine” because of its data complexity and high-stakes decision environment. She warns that cancer care exposes data governance gaps that “may determine success or failure for enterprise AI,” and that AI hallucinations in pharmacovigilance could “send the whole system chasing the wrong problem.” Health systems deploying AI in oncology workflows must treat data quality as a prerequisite, not an afterthought.
EHR Vendors Accelerate Agentic AI: Elsevier, athenahealth, PointClickCare
A cluster of agentic AI integrations is reshaping the EHR market. Elsevier acquired Wellsheet, a clinical workflow platform deployed at 139 U.S. hospitals. Athenahealth added more than 80 AI features to AthenaOne, reporting a 30 percent increase in recovered payments. PointClickCare launched Billing Advisor for skilled nursing facilities. Enzo Health debuted an AI-native EHR for home health providers, while Elation Health acquired Aster to add women's health voice AI. Glooko also completed an integration connecting insulin pump data directly into participating EHR systems, extending continuous glucose management into clinical workflows.
Virtual-First Care Requires Shared Clinical and IT Governance, Leaders Say
Health systems building virtual-first care models must treat clinical and IT leadership as equal partners with shared governance structures and common metrics, according to Amy Lukowski, vice president of operations at Ovatient. Founded by MetroHealth and MUSC Health, Ovatient operates an EHR-integrated virtual practice connecting patients to a broader care continuum. Lukowski argues virtual urgent care is “table-stakes” for competing against national telehealth providers and retail clinics, but only delivers durable value when integrated with primary care and behavioral health. “There is no wrong door for patients to enter and be seen,” she said.
Stanford's AI Discharge Summary Tool Reduces Physician Burnout in Pilot
Stanford Health Care piloted MedAgentBrief, an AI agent that generates hospital discharge summaries, finding strong clinician adoption and measurable reductions in burnout. Developed at Stanford Medicine and deployed at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, California, the tool delivered AI-drafted summaries each morning to 11 hospitalist physicians over 10 weeks. A study published in JAMA Network Open found omissions in 25 percent of reviewed summaries and inaccuracies in 20 percent, with hallucinations rare at 2 percent. Time savings averaged about three minutes per patient, though physicians estimated saving more than 10 minutes through reduced cognitive effort.
Charta Health Joins Athenahealth Marketplace with AI-Powered Chart Audits
Charta Health, an AI chart review platform, has joined the Athenahealth marketplace, integrating directly with AthenaOne to automate pre-billing audits across every patient encounter. The San Francisco-based company says its platform increases revenue by an average of 11 percent by catching coding errors, undercoding, and payer-specific compliance gaps before claims are submitted. Unlike sample-based manual review, Charta covers 100 percent of encounters across five capabilities: autonomous coding, revenue discovery, payer compliance, clinical quality measure tracking, and provider performance feedback. CEO Justin Liu said the integration lets practices access the tool “directly within the workflow they already use every day.”
AMN Healthcare Acquires Jaide Health to Expand AI Language Services
AMN Healthcare has acquired Jaide Health, an AI-enabled medical interpretation and translation platform, to extend language access services for limited English proficiency patients across the full care journey. The deal expands AMN's capabilities beyond clinical encounters — where credentialed human interpreters remain the standard — into administrative touchpoints including patient intake, discharge instructions, and routine written communications. Jaide Health is already deployed across multiple healthcare settings and its team will join AMN Healthcare. CEO Cary Grace said the acquisition helps health systems “deliver a more seamless experience for patients and care teams” while preserving reliance on qualified interpreters for high-stakes clinical interactions.
Jackson Hospital in Alabama Reports Network Security Incident
Montgomery, Alabama-based Jackson Hospital disclosed a network security incident detected June 8, 2026, involving suspicious activity in its computer systems. Third-party cybersecurity and digital forensic specialists are investigating the event, which the hospital says appears limited in scope with no data loss. Patient care operations have not been affected, and the hospital plans to share additional details as the investigation proceeds. Jackson Hospital, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2025, is simultaneously contending with a reimbursement dispute with BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama. Its CEO has warned of possible closure if BCBS does not raise its reimbursement rates.
PROJECT
16-Camera DIY Motion-Capture Rig Processes 4 Billion Pixels Per Second
[Dennis] built a 16-camera optical motion-capture system capable of processing 4 billion pixels per second, rivalling professional rigs at a fraction of the cost. Custom PCBs carry AR0234 MIPI image sensors with M12 lenses and IR filters, while Raspberry Pi CM4 and CM5 compute modules handle local capture per camera. Near-infrared LED ring lights pulse at 160 W for marker illumination. A custom image-processing pipeline runs 300× faster than OpenCV for real-time tracking. The complete system—hardware schematics, firmware, and software—is open source on GitHub (dennisss/dacha), putting professional-grade VTubing and motion capture within reach of any determined maker.
Safely Repurposing Old EV Battery Packs for Home Solar Storage
[Ed] demonstrates how salvaged Nissan Leaf high-voltage battery packs can feed a home photovoltaic system using the open-source Battery Emulator project (GitHub: dalathegreat/Battery-Emulator). The emulator translates the EV pack’s battery management system into a language standard solar inverters understand. [Ed] notes the BMS must restart daily and warns of real complexity in bridging a Leaf’s high-voltage pack with typical 12–48 V DC home solar gear. Safety and careful integration are paramount, but the payoff is significant: cheap second-life EV cells repurposed for home energy storage, backed by a fully open-source toolchain anyone can audit and adapt.
240-MP: A Raspberry Pi Media Player That Bridges VCR Nostalgia and 4K HDMI
[Anthony Caccese] released 240-MP, a GPLv3-licensed Raspberry Pi media player wrapped in a charming VCR-style blue-and-white interface. Under the hood it’s an MPV wrapper handling local files, playlists, and Plex streaming equally well. The clever design outputs composite video to vintage CRTs and HDMI 4K to modern displays, making it equally at home on a retro television or a contemporary monitor. It runs on any Raspberry Pi model—from the original to the Pi 5—and the VHS-aesthetic UI makes navigating your media library genuinely delightful. Source code is available on GitHub under the GPLv3 licence.
Hand-Cranked Raspberry Pi 5 Runs a Local LLM on Zero Grid Power
[Squeezlabs] tackled AI’s energy-hunger problem with characteristic maker ingenuity: a Raspberry Pi 5 running llama.cpp and speech conversion, powered entirely by a USB hand-crank charger. The challenge is that processing spikes cause voltage brownouts that crash the machine. The fix is a custom capacitor board that absorbs those transient peaks, smoothing power delivery to the Pi. Handle resistance also varies with computational load, giving the operator direct physical feedback about inference intensity. While impractical as a daily driver, the project—documented at squeezlabs.github.io/handcrank—raises compelling questions about sustainable compute and embodied AI interaction.
Hacker Builds a DIY CO 2 Scrubber for His Homemade Diesel-Electric Submarine
[Hank Pronk] is building a diesel-electric submarine for lake diving and is DIYing every subsystem, including life support. His CO 2 scrubber follows the same chemical-adsorbent approach used in Apollo missions and commercial dive equipment, replacing a bulky rectangular commercial unit with a compact round DIY design suited to shorter dives. Since the sub runs diesel and spends most time at snorkel depth, extended submerged duration is rare. [Hank] carries spare adsorbent for overnight situations and has a detailed bailout plan. The complete build—every system a hacker can be proud of—is documented on YouTube for the bravest among us.
Free USB 2.0 Unlock for the Power Mac G4, Courtesy of Apple’s Own ROM
[Pierre Dandumont] uncovered a piece of computing history: Apple shipped the Power Mac G4 with a NEC USB 2.0 controller but locked it to USB 1.1 speeds, favouring FireWire 800 instead. Linux already runs the controller at full USB 2.0 throughput; Mac OS did not. The fix is free: replace the machine’s BIOS ROM with an image from a G4 model that shipped without FireWire 800, and the NEC controller’s full capabilities are unlocked under Mac OS too. The modification is irreversible but costs nothing beyond a ROM programmer. A satisfying deep-dive into Apple’s early-2000s port politics.
Amply: Build a $10 Hi-Fi Class AB Bluetooth Amplifier from Scratch
Marco Tabini’s Amply is a $10 Class AB Bluetooth amplifier that punches well above its price. Built around the venerable NE5532 op-amp, it delivers 2×10 W into 8-ohm speakers with total harmonic distortion below 0.015%. Unlike cheap Class D modules, Amply uses a traditional topology with discrete Sziklai-pair output transistors for genuinely clean audio. Bluetooth comes from an MH-M18 receiver module (free of irritating voice prompts), and power arrives via USB-C PD at 9–30 V. PCB files, a 3D-printable enclosure, and full documentation are on GitHub (T76-org/amply); wired-only operation is also supported.
LAYOFFS
Salesforce Files WARN Notice for 86 Positions in Third Layoff Round Since September
Salesforce issued a new California WARN notice covering 86 positions across MuleSoft, Marketing Cloud, and roles adjacent to its Agentforce AI platform, its third round of layoffs in nine months. The cuts arrive despite Agentforce surpassing $1.2 billion in annual recurring revenue, underscoring the widening gap between AI-driven product performance and workforce stability. CEO Marc Benioff has confirmed that engineering headcount is frozen while only sales positions continue to expand. The pattern — generating AI revenue while eliminating the human roles connected to those products — signals a structural shift in how Salesforce is reallocating its workforce investment.
DOL Formally Rescinds 2024 Overtime Rule, Restoring $684 Weekly Salary Threshold
The Department of Labor formally rescinded its 2024 overtime rule, restoring the federal salary threshold for overtime exemptions to $684 per week — the level set in 2019 — following federal court decisions that struck down the rule’s phased increases. Employers who reclassified workers or raised salaries to comply face real exposure: reversing those changes inconsistently creates litigation risk, according to Holland & Hart attorney Adam Bouka, who advises treating any reversal as a fresh exemption review rather than a simple undo. State law does not reset; California, New York, and Washington maintain higher thresholds that multi-state employers must still honor.
AI in HR Is Repeating Old Integration Errors as Buyers Skip Infrastructure, Phenom VP Warns
HR technology buyers are purchasing AI agents — fraud detection, voice automation, candidate screening — before building the data structures, CRM architecture, and workflow consistency those tools require, writes Maggie Allen of Phenom in HR Executive. The pattern echoes the integration failures of the last decade, with fragmented point solutions replacing seamless experiences. A Society for Human Resource Management study found 70 percent of HR leaders using AI report challenges including privacy concerns, employee resistance, and difficulty auditing algorithms. Allen recommends mapping existing workflows before buying, piloting narrow use cases first, and relying on industry conferences rather than vendor hype to evaluate options.
Marsh-Mercer Report: Leadership Failures Are the Top Driver of Workforce Risk Across 26 Markets
A Marsh and Mercer People Risk 2026 report, based on responses from 4,517 HR and risk professionals across 26 markets, found that inadequate leadership skills trigger or worsen more downstream workforce risks than any other single factor surveyed — including mental health deterioration, labor shortages, and poor AI adoption. The share of employees who say they are thriving at work fell from 66 percent in 2022 to 44 percent in 2026. Only 14 percent of organizations surveyed have achieved what Marsh calls transformative risk maturity; those organizations outperform peers by an average of 15 percentage points on talent-related risk mitigation.
Tech Sector Shed 4,375 Workers in Week Ending June 10 as 2026 Toll Nears 184,000
At least 4,375 U.S. tech workers were laid off or scheduled for elimination in the week ending June 10, 2026, according to InformationWeek’s ongoing workforce tracker, pushing the year-to-date total to 183,966 workers across 247 confirmed events. Separately, layoff aggregator TrueUp projects the sector could shed as many as 370,000 U.S. tech workers in 2026 — a figure that would significantly exceed totals recorded in both 2024 and 2025 combined. More than 20,000 tech workers have been cut in every month of 2026 except April, according to TrueUp’s running tally of confirmed workforce reductions.
POLICY
SPLC CEO Testifies at House Judiciary Hearing Alleging Payments to Extremist Informants
The Southern Poverty Law Center’s interim president and CEO Bryan Fair appeared before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on June 9 for a hearing titled “The Southern Poverty Law Center: Manufacturing Hate, Part II.” Republican lawmakers pressed Fair on allegations that the civil rights organization paid informants inside extremist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan—claims tied to an April 2026 federal indictment charging the SPLC with wire fraud and money laundering. Fair denied the allegations, stating the SPLC did not fund hate groups. Democratic members characterized the inquiry as politically motivated. The National Council of Nonprofits called the hearing an attempt to weaponize government against civil society organizations.
Greater Milwaukee Foundation Posts Record $96.9 Million in Grants for 2025
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation issued $96.9 million in community grants in 2025, the largest annual total in the foundation’s 110-year history, according to preliminary data. The organization also received approximately $84 million in new contributions in 2025, the second largest single year of giving in its history. Over the past decade, total gifts have risen 92 percent, philanthropic assets have grown 57 percent to reach $1.33 billion as of December 31, 2025, and total grant dollars distributed in 2025 were 62 percent higher than in 2016. Foundation officials credited increasing donor contributions and targeted community investment strategies for the record-setting performance.
OMB Proposes Sweeping Overhaul of Federal Grant Rules That Could Restrict Nonprofits
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget published a sweeping proposed overhaul of the Uniform Guidance—the federal rules governing grants to nonprofits, state and local governments, and other grantees—on May 29, 2026. The more than 400-page proposal would convert the guidance into binding formal regulation, restrict agency deviations, and remove existing requirements to consider women-owned, minority-owned, and veteran-owned businesses in contracting. The National Council of Nonprofits warned the changes may profoundly impact nonprofits delivering essential services including housing, health, education, and disaster recovery. Public comments are due July 13, 2026, at regulations.gov docket OMB–2026–0034.
USPS Files 4.8 Percent Rate Increase Effective July 12 Affecting Nonprofit Mailers
The U.S. Postal Service filed a rate increase averaging 4.8 percent across First-Class Mail, Marketing Mail, Periodicals, and Certified Mail, effective July 12, 2026. Nonprofit Marketing Mail rates are expected to increase proportionally in the 4–5 percent range, though nonprofit postage remains roughly 50 percent below standard commercial Marketing Mail rates. The pending increase follows a January 2026 pause that Postmaster General David Steiner secured for the first half of the year. Stephen Kearney, executive director of the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers, noted the pause helped organizations mail more than they would have otherwise but acknowledged the mid-year adjustment was expected.
Fidelity, Vanguard, and Schwab Block SPLC Donations Amid Federal Indictment; 121 Groups Protest
Fidelity Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, and DAFgiving360—the three largest donor-advised fund sponsors in the United States—blocked account holders from making grants to the Southern Poverty Law Center following the organization’s April 2026 federal indictment on wire fraud and money laundering charges. Community foundation leaders assailed the decision, arguing the DAF sponsors were acting as unilateral arbiters of nonprofit legitimacy before any legal finding. More than 121 nonprofit organizations signed a letter protesting the block. Fidelity said organizations under investigation may be deemed not eligible for grants; the SPLC has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Corporate Philanthropists Scale Back Racial Equity and DEI Giving Under Political Pressure
Corporate philanthropists are scaling back giving focused on racial equity, environmental justice, and gender equality in 2026, according to a survey of corporate giving leaders. Nearly one-third of respondents plan to reduce racial equality initiatives (29 percent), environmental justice (24 percent), and gender equality (22 percent). In their place, companies are increasing focus on food security (45 percent), digital inclusion (41 percent), and housing (38 percent)—areas characterized as broader and less legally contested. About 60 percent of companies are also strengthening compliance and legal oversight of philanthropy programs, reflecting what analysts described as pragmatic portfolio management in a politically constrained environment.
Nonprofit CEO Burnout Jumps to 46 Percent as Funding Shortfalls and Demand Surge Collide
Nonprofit chief executives are experiencing burnout at sharply elevated rates in 2026, with 46 percent saying burnout is very much a concern—up from 29 percent in 2025—according to the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s State of Nonprofits 2026 report, based on surveys of 380 nonprofit leaders in February 2026. Nearly 60 percent said securing foundation grants has grown harder since January 2025, a higher rate than those reporting difficulty with federal funding at 48 percent. Approximately 73 percent reported increased demand for services since January 2025, while about 30 percent of organizations have reduced staff to cope with the pressures.
CAMPAIGN
Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day’ Eyes $65M Global Opening on $115M Budget
Steven Spielberg’s political thriller Disclosure Day is tracking for a $35 million domestic and $65 million worldwide debut when it opens June 12 . The film — starring Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor as a whistleblower and her attorney — carries a $115 million production budget and arrives with an 85% Rotten Tomatoes score from critics. Analysts note the mid-range tracking reflects strong critical goodwill but softer audience awareness than a typical Spielberg tentpole, with the opening weekend seen as pivotal for the film’s awards-season positioning and international box office momentum.
Sony DMCA Confirms Leaked ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Trailer; Official Drop Set for June 17
Sony Pictures accidentally confirmed the existence of a second Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer by issuing DMCA takedowns against the June 7 leak, inadvertently validating its contents. The footage reportedly features Sadie Sink as a Phoenix-inspired villain with Jean Grey–like powers, a Hulk fight sequence , and fresh glimpses of the web-slinger’s new suit. Sony’s official trailer reveal remains scheduled for June 17 at the Amsterdam Global Fan Event, which the studio confirmed will proceed as planned despite the leak already generating substantial pre-release buzz and massive organic social media engagement across platforms.
‘Project Hail Mary’ Heads to MGM+ on June 18 — Not Prime Video
Amazon MGM Studios confirmed that Project Hail Mary , the Ryan Gosling sci-fi hit directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, will begin streaming on June 18 exclusively on MGM+ — the studio’s premium add-on tier, not Prime Video. The film ends its theatrical window after grossing over $343 million domestically and roughly $681 million worldwide on a $200 million budget. MGM+ is priced at $7.99/month and is not bundled with a Prime subscription, a distribution choice that signals MGM’s intent to use the streamer as a premium pay-one window for its biggest theatrical releases.
Glenn Close, Ridley Scott & Floyd Norman to Receive Honorary Oscars at November Governors Awards
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the recipients of the 17th Annual Governors Awards , to be held November 15, 2026 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Hollywood. Glenn Close — the most-nominated living performer without a win, with eight career Oscar nominations — will receive an Honorary Award alongside director Ridley Scott . Legendary Disney animator Floyd Norman , the studio’s first Black animator, who joined Disney in the 1950s, also earns an Honorary Oscar. Producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler of Killer Films will share the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award .
Netflix Unscripted Chief Jeff Gaspin Exits; Role Will Not Be Replaced
Jeff Gaspin , Netflix’s VP of Unscripted Series, is departing the streamer effective July 1 after two years in the role — and the position will not be backfilled . The exit, described as a joint decision with his boss Brandon Riegg, VP of Nonfiction and Sports, reflects a broader restructuring of Netflix’s unscripted leadership. Gaspin will transition to a producing deal with the streamer, continuing work on projects already in development including Monopoly and Physical 100: USA . Gaspin previously served as Chairman of NBCUniversal Television Entertainment before joining Netflix in 2024.
Curated daily by Samwise · samwise.agency