JD Digest — Friday, July 3, 2026

Hamilton Reveals Ferrari Losing Four Tenths Per Lap to Mercedes in Silverstone Power Deployment Crisis

Lewis Hamilton has revealed Ferrari is losing around four tenths of a second per lap to Mercedes on the straights at Silverstone, warning of an “unprecedented weekend in terms of power deployment.” Hamilton confirmed drivers have formed a WhatsApp group to discuss the super-clipping energy crisis. “We run out of battery power and the K motor will be switched off for a large portion of the lap,” he explained, adding that through Maggots-Becketts the deficit could effectively double. Ferrari sits 98 points behind Mercedes in the constructors’ standings, and Hamilton admitted Silverstone’s layout does not naturally favour the SF-26.

Drivers Warn Silverstone's Famous High-Speed Character at Risk From Super-Clipping Energy Crisis

Multiple drivers have warned that super-clipping is set to erode Silverstone’s famous high-speed character at this weekend’s British Grand Prix. Super-clipping describes the phenomenon where cars exhaust their electrical energy reserves and lose hybrid power through sustained fast corners, with Silverstone offering few heavy braking zones to recharge the battery. Alexander Albon said the circuit is “less special” than it once was. Charles Leclerc noted that “high-speed corners become more like medium-speed corners,” while Franco Colapinto expressed hope conditions would prove better than feared. The FIA is making operational changes but cannot alter the fundamental track layout driving the problem.

Hamilton Details Year-Long Battle to Earn Ferrari Engineering Trust After Barcelona Breakthrough

Lewis Hamilton has described a year-long process of rebuilding trust with Ferrari engineers following his arrival from Mercedes. Hamilton fought for front suspension geometry changes, brake modifications, and an engineer realignment before finally achieving results. “People tend to listen to you less” when results are poor, he said. The breakthrough came at Barcelona, where Hamilton took his first Ferrari victory in the team’s first win in nearly two years. He now sits third in the championship with 125 points, 46 behind leader Kimi Antonelli, and arrives at Silverstone targeting a record tenth British Grand Prix victory. “The trust is now there and things I ask for get done,” he said.

Ferrari Bring Targeted Silverstone Upgrades After Pinpointing Root Causes of Austria Failures

Ferrari has identified the root causes of its Austrian Grand Prix struggles and is bringing targeted aerodynamic upgrades to Silverstone. The SF-26 suffered from a combination of factors in Austria: soft Pirelli compounds that did not suit the car, a corner-entry fix that induced rear tyre overheating, and power unit performance degradation at altitude and in high temperatures. For Silverstone, Ferrari benefits from harder Pirelli compounds and cooler conditions. The update package includes a revised Macarena wing and a low-drag diffuser configuration. Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth and Charles Leclerc eighth in Austria despite showing strong pace in earlier sessions.

Alonso's F1 Retirement Decision to Hinge on Aston Martin Upgrade Performance This Summer

Fernando Alonso will make his Formula 1 retirement decision during the summer break, with his choice reportedly contingent on the performance of Aston Martin’s upcoming upgrade packages. Aston Martin is bringing aerodynamic upgrades to Silverstone this weekend, with Honda separately confirming a power unit improvement targeting the Dutch Grand Prix in August. Alonso and the team hold a 2027 contract option, but Alonso has indicated results over the next several races will heavily influence his thinking. The Spaniard has scored just one championship point in 2026, leaving him eighteenth in the standings. Technical director Adrian Newey is overseeing a comprehensive engineering recovery programme.

Honda Confirms Dutch Grand Prix Power Unit Upgrade to Aid Aston Martin Championship Recovery

Honda has confirmed a significant power unit upgrade targeting the Dutch Grand Prix in August, part of a phased development programme aimed at boosting Aston Martin’s championship recovery. Power unit director Shintaro Orihara disclosed the programme covers combustion chamber shape changes, pre-chamber modifications, and lubrication system friction reduction. “Our target is the Netherlands,” Orihara said. Aston Martin, which has scored just a single championship point from 2026’s opening eight races, is relying heavily on Honda’s development roadmap as Adrian Newey simultaneously restructures the team’s engineering and manufacturing operations ahead of a critical second half of the season.

Button Warns Mercedes Against Complacency as Sprint Weekend Format Adds Silverstone Complexity

Jenson Button has issued a warning to Mercedes ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix, urging the championship leader not to assume Silverstone will be a straightforward victory. Mercedes enters as heavy favourite on a circuit that should maximise the W16’s straight-line advantage, with Kimi Antonelli 40 points clear of team-mate George Russell. However, Button pointed out that the sprint weekend format — with only one free practice session before Friday’s Sprint Qualifying — compresses the development window and leaves less margin for error. Lewis Hamilton, third in the standings on 125 points, arrives chasing a record tenth British Grand Prix victory and adds further threat to Mercedes’ expected dominance.

Bearman Admits Austria Was a 'Punch in the Face' as Haas Seek Silverstone Recovery

Oliver Bearman has admitted that Haas’s Austrian Grand Prix performance was a “punch in the face,” delivering a frank assessment of the team’s difficult outing at the Red Bull Ring. Bearman acknowledged the squad is working to understand why its Austria pace fell short of expectations and what adjustments can be made to recover at Silverstone this weekend. Haas has scored 21 points in 2026, with Bearman contributing 18. The team arrives at the British Grand Prix hoping a circuit that better suits its aerodynamic package can help them reverse recent form ahead of a sprint weekend that compresses the usual preparation time available to engineers and drivers.

Formula 1's Lego Parade Cars Return to Silverstone Following Miami Grand Prix Format Issues

Formula 1’s Lego drivers’ parade cars are returning to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix this weekend following the format’s troubled debut at the Miami Grand Prix. The promotional concept, in which drivers are escorted around the circuit in oversized Lego vehicles ahead of the race start, generated controversy in Miami with some drivers expressing frustration over elements of the arrangement. The British Grand Prix represents the format’s second appearance of the 2026 season and takes place in front of one of F1’s biggest and most enthusiastic home crowds. The event is round nine of twenty-two in the 2026 world championship.

SECURITY

Hackers Breach DHS Intelligence-Sharing Network Used for World Cup Security

Hackers breached the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) during late May and early June, DHS officials confirmed. The platform, used by federal, state, and local agencies to share intelligence and coordinate emergency response, was struck in what DHS called “a recent cyber incident involving a specific, unclassified legacy information sharing environment.” Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, warned the accessed information “risks national security,” noting HSIN is actively supporting FIFA World Cup operations in the U.S. The breach adds to a string of federal cybersecurity failures following deep cuts to CISA and federal security budgets.

Zuckerberg Tells Staff Meta’s AI Agent Overhaul Is Behind Schedule

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told staff at an internal town hall Thursday that AI agent development has not “accelerated in the way” executives had anticipated. Meta laid off approximately 8,000 employees — about 10 percent of its corporate workforce — in May and reassigned 7,000 to AI groups, including a unit called Agent Transformation. Zuckerberg acknowledged the job cuts were not as “clean” as they should have been, driven by concern the company was not moving fast enough. He said the restructuring’s benefits have not yet “come to fruition,” though he expects improvements in three to six months. Meta plans to spend up to $145 billion on AI infrastructure this year.

REGULATION

OpenAI Proposes Donating 5% Equity Stake to U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman proposed donating 5 percent of the company’s equity to a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, the Financial Times reported. Under the plan, other major AI companies would contribute similar stakes. Altman described the move as a way to “secure good relations with the administration and address political blowback” as OpenAI continues its transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit company. The proposal would require congressional approval. Separately, Sen. Sanders introduced the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, which would impose a one-time 50 percent tax on AI company profits to seed a federal public investment fund.

ROBOTICS

Apptronik Unveils Apollo 2 Humanoid and 90,000-Sq-Ft Robot Park Training Facility

Austin-based robotics company Apptronik unveiled Apollo 2, an upgraded humanoid robot featuring both bipedal and wheeled configurations, alongside a new 90,000-square-foot training and data collection facility in Austin it calls Robot Park. The company, backed by a Google DeepMind Gemini Robotics partnership, announced customers Mercedes-Benz and GXO among early Apollo 2 commercial deployments. CEO Jeff Cardenas said the company is focused on “what they can do every day on the job.” Apptronik employs approximately 300 staff and has raised roughly $1 billion in total funding. Robot Park is designed to generate the real-world operational data needed to train robots for manufacturing and logistics environments.

INDUSTRY

Together AI Raises $800 Million at $8.3 Billion Valuation Led by Aramco Ventures

Together AI, a cloud platform for open-source AI model training and inference, raised $800 million in new funding at an $8.3 billion valuation, led by Aramco Ventures. The company reports annual bookings exceeding $1.15 billion and has seen open-source model usage on its platform triple industry-wide over the past year. Major customers include coding tool Cursor, agentic AI startup Cognition, and enterprise AI company Decagon. Together AI previously raised $305 million at a $3.3 billion valuation approximately 16 months ago. The company was co-founded by Vipul Ved Prakash, who sold Topsy to Apple, Percy Liang of Stanford, and Ce Zhang of ETH Zürich.

HARDWARE

UCLA Launches $125 Million Hub to Accelerate Next-Generation AI Chip Design

A new $125 million semiconductor research hub at the University of California, Los Angeles will focus on designing AI chips optimized for edge inference, targeting the growing gap between rapidly evolving AI models — which update every few months — and chip development cycles that take 18 to 48 months. Partners include Applied Materials, GlobalFoundries, Meta, Synopsys, and Broadcom. Dean Ah-Hyung “Alissa” Park is leading the initiative. The hub will co-advise PhD students with both academic and industry supervisors, aiming to accelerate a new generation of hardware designed specifically for on-device AI inference. The facility reflects broader industry concern about AI hardware lagging model development.

PROJECTSOFTWARE

Zelda: Twilight Princess Successfully Ported to 3DS

With a full decompilation of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess now available, at least one developer decided to find out whether a port to Nintendo’s 3DS was actually feasible — and the answer turns out to be yes. Despite the early state of the project, the game runs on original 3DS hardware with surprising stability, leveraging the decompiled source to rewrite platform-specific code for the handheld’s ARM processor and limited RAM. The achievement demonstrates the snowballing value of game decompilation efforts: once the source is reconstructed, community members can rapidly explore platforms the original developers never considered. Full source for the port has been shared publicly.

COMMUNITYPOLICY

Denmark Police Walk Back Airport Drone Sighting Reports

After last September’s widely reported drone sightings at Danish airports sparked concern among aviation authorities, police in Jutland have quietly retracted their incident report — concluding the ‘drones’ may actually have been misidentified conventional aircraft. The reversal is notable because the drone enthusiast community played an active role in the investigation, cross-referencing known flight paths to show plausible non-drone explanations for each sighting. Hackaday’s coverage contrasts Denmark’s measured approach with the UK’s overreaction to the 2018 Gatwick incident, which grounded flights for days and cost millions. As drone regulations tighten globally, how authorities handle ambiguous reports matters more than ever.

EVENTCOMMUNITY

Open Healthware Conference Returns July 9–10 in San Francisco

The Open Healthware Conference returns July 9–10 at San Francisco’s Gray Area venue, bringing together makers, clinicians, and researchers at the intersection of open-source hardware and healthcare. Admission is free, supported by NSF funding, making it one of the more accessible gatherings for anyone building medical or assistive technology outside of traditional commercial pipelines. The two-day format mixes talks with tables where attendees can demo projects and prototypes. Whether you’re working on low-cost diagnostics, accessible assistive devices, or just curious how open hardware principles apply to healthcare, this is a rare opportunity to connect with practitioners and inventors working at that exact boundary.

PROJECT3D PRINTING

Cyberdeck Raspberry Pi 4 Mini Music Workstation

This week’s 3D Thursday feature is a compact cyberdeck built for music production, pairing a Raspberry Pi 4 with a Teensy 4.1 for dedicated audio processing inside a fully printed enclosure. The build includes an 800×480 Waveshare DSI touchscreen, a 10,000 mAh battery for portable use, and a Rii Mini X1 wireless keyboard squeezed into a form factor that actually fits in a bag. The combination of RPi 4 Linux flexibility with Teensy’s real-time audio capabilities means the workstation can run DAW software while simultaneously handling low-latency synthesis. Design files are available for anyone who wants to build or adapt the chassis for their own music rig.

HARDWAREELECTRONICS

Titan Mini: Compact Renesas RA8P1 Edge AI Board at $44

The Titan Mini packs serious AI horsepower into a compact form factor. Built around the Renesas R7KA8P1 SoC — combining a 1 GHz Cortex-M85 primary core with a 250 MHz Cortex-M33 secondary and an Arm Ethos-U55 NPU rated at 256 GOPS — the board targets embedded AI inference without the bulk of an SBC. It ships with 32 MB SDRAM, 8 MB QSPI flash, a 40-pin Raspberry Pi HAT-compatible header, and runs RT-Thread RTOS out of the box. At $44.23 on AliExpress, it undercuts similar edge AI platforms while maintaining broad peripheral compatibility. Maker-friendly documentation is available via the RT-Thread community.

HARDWAREELECTRONICS

Waveshare ESP32-C5-LCD-1.47: First Dual-Band WiFi 6 IoT Dev Board

Waveshare’s ESP32-C5-LCD-1.47 is the first widely available dev board built around Espressif’s ESP32-C5, bringing dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi 6 to the maker ecosystem alongside Bluetooth 5.0 LE and 802.15.4 support for Zigbee and Thread. The RISC-V core clocks at 240 MHz, and the board ships with a 1.47-inch 320×172 TFT LCD, USB-C, and a standard 2.54 mm header pinout. Priced at roughly $12–$14 on Waveshare’s store and AliExpress, it’s a compelling upgrade path for WiFi-hungry projects that have outgrown the 2.4 GHz band. ESP-IDF and Arduino framework support is confirmed.

SOFTWARERETRO OS

KolibriOS 0.7.7: Assembly-Built OS Still Turns Heads in 2026

In Hackaday’s Jenny’s Daily Drivers series, Jenny List reviews KolibriOS 0.7.7 — an open-source operating system written entirely in x86 assembly language, descended from MenuetOS and small enough to run from a floppy disk. Minimum requirements are genuinely minimal: 1 MB of disk space, 8 MB RAM, and a 586-class 32-bit CPU. On modern hardware it boots almost instantly, landing in a pixelated but functional GUI complete with games, DOSBox, graphics editors, and two web browsers. The catch: neither browser supports HTTPS, walling off most of the modern internet. For makers with old hardware looking for a lightweight emulator platform, though, it’s worth a look.

Supergirl Tracking 60% Second-Weekend Drop as DC Studios Projects $125M Overall Loss

Supergirlis tracking an estimated60% dropin its second weekend, as analysts now project the DC Studios release will incur an overall loss of approximately$125 million. The film opened last weekend to$37.1 milliondomestically — well below pre-release tracking of $55 million-plus — and earned a weakB− CinemaScore. DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran acknowledged the debut fell below expectations. The underperformance accelerates pressure on the studio to recalibrate its character rollout strategy under the new DCU leadership and draws scrutiny to whether the female-led chapter of the DC Universe was launched prematurely.

Young Washington Opens for America’s 250th Birthday, Angel Studios Projects $15-20M Four-Day

Angel Studios’ historical biopicYoung Washingtonopens in theaters today, timed to coincide with America’s250th anniversaryon July 4. Directed byJon Erwin, the film follows the early life of George Washington and starsWilliam Franklyn-Millerin the title role alongside Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, and Kelsey Grammer. Angel Studios is projecting a$15–20 million four-day opening, leaning on the patriotic timing and a grassroots ticket-preorder campaign urging audiences to “make this the No. 1 movie in America” on the nation’s 250th birthday. The release positions the studio as patriotic counter-programming against the family-animation of Minions & Monsters.

A24 Returns Backrooms to Theaters with 16 Extra Minutes as Backrooms: Everything Must Go

A24returned Backrooms to theaters Friday under the expanded titleBackrooms: Everything Must Go, adding16 minutes of new footageand bringing the runtime to 2 hours and 6 minutes. The re-release is a bold ancillary play for A24’s biggest domestic hit, which earned$184 millionin North America on a $10 million production budget. DirectorKane Parsons, who is 20 years old, adapted his own YouTube horror series for the big screen. The new cut adds lore and Easter eggs for repeat viewers, capitalizing on the July 4 holiday corridor and the film’s sustained Gen Z fanbase.

YouTube Horror Series The Mandela Catalogue Lands at Spielberg’s Amblin and Amazon MGM After 11-Studio Bidding War

Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment,Amazon MGM Studios, and United Artists won the film rights to YouTube analog-horror seriesThe Mandela Cataloguein a competitive11-studio bidding war, according to Deadline. CreatorAlex Kisterwill direct the feature adaptation from a screenplay he co-wrote with Tyler Clifton; Spielberg and Holly Bario produce alongside Aaron B. Koontz and Scott Stuber. The deal follows theatrical breakouts from YouTube-origin genre films Obsession and Backrooms, which together grossed over $700 million worldwide, accelerating studios’ appetite for creator-native IP. The Mandela Catalogue has amassed more than 100 million views on YouTube.

Emmy Nominations Drop July 8: Netflix Projects 124 Nods, Pluribus and The Pitt Lead Programs

Emmy nominations for the2026 Primetime Emmy Awardswill be announcedWednesday, July 8at 11:30 a.m. ET, with final-round predictions from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter projectingNetflixto lead all distributors with124 nominations. Apple TV+’s sci-fi dramaPluribusis forecast to top all individual programs with 22 nominations, ahead of HBO Max’s The Pitt at 21 and Netflix’s Beef Season 2 at 17. Returning HBO Max comedy Hacks and first-year contender Widow’s Bay are also projected for breakout Emmy showings, with the announcement just five days away.

Project Hail Mary Arrives on Prime Video Today, 105 Days After $340M Domestic Theatrical Run

Project Hail Mary, theRyan Gosling-led sci-fi adventure that grossed$340 million domesticallyin theaters, began streaming onPrime Videotoday, exactly105 days after its theatrical debut. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and adapted from Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, the film follows astronaut Ryland Grace on a solo mission to prevent an extinction-level solar event. The Prime Video arrival follows an exclusive window on MGM+. Amazon MGM Studios timed the streaming premiere to the Fourth of July holiday weekend, positioning the acclaimed sci-fi adventure as a high-profile tentpole event for subscribers.

Wednesday Producer Tommy Harper Wants His AI Platform VeYou to Become the HBO of Vertical Video

Tommy Harper, executive producer of Netflix’s Wednesday and the film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, launched AI-powered microdrama platformVeYouin April and told Deadline he aims to make it “the HBO of vertical.” Harper described the category as “TV in your pocket with a global passport” and compared the current moment to “Spotify in 2008.” Lead investor isS32, the Silicon Valley venture firm founded byBill Marisof Google Ventures, with per-series budgets ranging from$100,000 to $250,000. The platform’s latest title, Rival Hearts, is a soccer romance created with Rivr Films, owned by Cleveland Browns owner Dee Haslam.

DRIVER NEWS

Dixon and Rosenqvist Reported to Join Arrow McLaren for 2027

Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon and 2026 Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist are both set to join Arrow McLaren for the 2027 season, according to reports by ESPN and RACER. Dixon, departing Chip Ganassi Racing after 25 years, would give Arrow McLaren a formidable lineup alongside Pato O’Ward. Rosenqvist, in his third season with Meyer Shank Racing, previously competed for Arrow McLaren from 2021 to 2023 before moving to MSR. Meyer Shank confirmed separately that Rosenqvist will not return to the team after the season. If the reports prove accurate, Arrow McLaren would field one of the strongest and most decorated driver lineups in IndyCar history for 2027.

DRIVER NEWS

IndyCar’s Most Coveted Seat: Who Fills Ganassi’s No. 9 for 2027?

Scott Dixon’s departure from Chip Ganassi Racing opens what many consider the most sought-after cockpit on the IndyCar market: the No. 9 Honda. IndyCar.com’s Inside Line column examined the leading candidates to replace the six-time champion. Christian Lundgaard of Arrow McLaren is considered a logical choice and a potential straight swap if he moves to CGR while Dixon moves to McLaren. Marcus Armstrong of Meyer Shank Racing — a team with an established CGR alliance — is another widely discussed option. Rookie Dennis Hauger of Dale Coyne Racing also features in the conversation, and analysts suggest CGR could pursue a driver not currently competing in the IndyCar Series.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Palou Leads by 60 Points with Record Title Bid Entering Final Nine Races

Alex Palou arrives at Mid-Ohio with a 60-point lead over David Malukas and a 61-point advantage over Kyle Kirkwood as the NTT IndyCar Series championship enters its final nine races. The reigning three-time champion is chasing a record-tying fourth consecutive title and fifth overall. Palou has won at four of the remaining eight venues on the schedule, but oval track events have been identified as opportunities for rivals to close the gap. Three members of the IndyCar.com Inside Line panel named Team Penske’s David Malukas as the strongest challenger during the championship’s stretch run.

ROAD COURSECALENDAR

Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio: IndyCar’s Fourth of July Tradition Returns

The 43rd running of the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio takes centre stage this holiday weekend on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course in Lexington, Ohio. Practice opened Friday afternoon, qualifying follows Saturday at 2:30 PM ET, and the race is scheduled for Sunday at 12:52 PM ET on FOX. Championship leader Alex Palou — who has two wins and a pole at Mid-Ohio in his recent record — enters as favourite. Defending champion Scott Dixon, who won here in 2025, will also be closely watched in the immediate aftermath of his shock Chip Ganassi Racing departure announcement. Streaming is available on FOX One.

DRIVER NEWSROAD COURSE

Dixon Eyes 60th Career Win at Mid-Ohio in Emotional Final Ganassi Season

Scott Dixon heads to Mid-Ohio defending his 2025 race victory while the IndyCar community absorbs news of his impending departure from Chip Ganassi Racing. The New Zealander has 59 career IndyCar victories — 58 of them with CGR — and his next win would make him only the second driver in series history to reach 60. IndyCar.com’s July 2 race preview cited Dixon’s departure and his dominance at Mid-Ohio as two of the weekend’s defining subplots. Dixon won at Mid-Ohio in 2025 from an unfavourable starting position, and the defending champion heads to Lexington amid one of the most dramatic weeks of his storied career.

GT3

Lamborghini Calls Temerario GT3’s Debut Season Critical for Customer Racing Programme

The Lamborghini Temerario GT3 is entering what manufacturer officials describe as a critical first season, with eight examples competing globally as the car makes its racing debut. Lamborghini motorsport chiefs have set a target of more than 100 Temerarios on track worldwide by 2027 across GT3 programmes in Europe, North America and Asia. The new car replaces the long-running Huracán GT3 EVO2, and early customer team feedback has been positive. Officials acknowledge the opening season is decisive for building commercial momentum and competitive performance — two factors that drive customer purchasing decisions in the GT3 marketplace.

ELMS

Goodyear Extends European Le Mans Series Tyre Supply Deal Through 2029

Goodyear has secured a contract extension to continue supplying tyres to the European Le Mans Series through the 2029 season, deepening a partnership that has grown since the American manufacturer’s return to top-tier endurance racing. The renewed deal provides tyre continuity for teams and organisers across the ELMS’s LMP2, LMGT3 and GTE categories for three additional seasons. Goodyear’s ELMS programme runs alongside its broader global motorsport commitments and has been accompanied by a steady development cycle. Series officials described the renewal as an important step in securing medium-term technical stability for the championship.

IMSA

33-Car Field Confirmed for IMSA’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Sprint

IMSA has confirmed a 33-car entry for next weekend’s Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, with LMP2 taking top billing in the class’s only sprint-format race of 2026. Car Blanche Racing steps up from GTD to GTD Pro at Mosport in a significant class move. Multiple driver changes reflect the WEC-IMSA calendar clash: Ricky Taylor subs for WEC-bound Harry Tincknell in the No. 52 Bryan Herta Autosport Oreca, and Ben Hanley replaces Paul di Resta in the No. 22 United Autosports entry. Robert Wickens returns to DXDT Racing’s Corvette after a transporter fire ended his Laguna Seca appearance.

ELMSLMP

ELMS Paddock Notes: Teams Arrive at Imola for Round Three

The European Le Mans Series paddock assembled at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari this week ahead of the 4 Hours of Imola, the third round of the 2026 campaign. Pre-event notes from Imola’s Thursday arrival reveal teams fine-tuning car setups across both LMP2 and LMGT3 categories on the fast Italian circuit. Championship standings remain tight following the opening two rounds, with multiple teams separated by small margins. Several entries show late driver lineup adjustments, while weather uncertainty has some engineers debating tyre strategy options ahead of a race that typically produces close multi-class battles at the high-speed Emilian venue.

FIA WECLMGT3

Akkodis ASP Lexus Targets WEC São Paulo Podium After Le Mans Turnaround

Akkodis ASP Team arrives at the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo with explicit LMGT3 podium ambitions, energised by a morale-boosting Le Mans campaign. Esteban Masson, whose spirited LMP2 drive at Le Mans drew widespread acclaim, returns to the cockpit of the No. 78 Lexus RC F LMGT3 for round four of the World Endurance Championship. The French squad carries fond memories of Interlagos — the venue of its previous breakthrough LMGT3 class victory in the series. With the team’s confidence restored by its Le Mans showing, Akkodis ASP has set a clear podium target for next weekend’s Brazilian race.

IMSA Issues CTMP Balance of Performance: Corvette and Huracan Lead Weight Reductions

IMSA has issued the Balance of Performance update for the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R and Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 receiving the largest weight reductions in the GTD/GTD Pro field. The Corvette sheds 12 kg but faces compensating power cuts at two stages, while the Huracan drops 13 kg with a speed-dependent power reduction applied. The new-for-2026 Lamborghini Temerario GT3 picks up a 3 kg weight break plus a significant Stage 1 power increase. Aston Martin’s Vantage GT3 Evo carries a 20 kg weight penalty at Mosport, offset by power compensation across both stages.

Campbell: Leaving Porsche for Ford WEC Hypercar After Decade Was ‘Perfect Time’

Australian Matt Campbell, the reigning IMSA GTP champion with Porsche Penske Motorsport, says leaving Porsche after a decade to join Ford’s incoming WEC Hypercar programme felt like the ‘perfect time’ for a career move. Confirmed in the final batch of drivers for Ford’s 2027 WEC entry, Campbell joins Tom Blomqvist and Nick Yelloly in the Blue Oval’s Hypercar line-up. He describes the diverse LMDh experience shared across the trio as a genuine asset during the programme’s intensive development phase. Campbell has also raised his hand for Ford’s expected Mustang GT3 effort at the 2027 Bathurst 12 Hour, calendar permitting.

POLICY

UpDoc Wins First FDA Clearance for Patient-Facing LLM Medical Software — a Diabetes App Raising Regulatory Questions

Digital health startup UpDoc has received what STAT News calls a 'historic' first: FDA clearance for medical software built on patient-facing large language models. The company, founded in 2023, received the clearance in December and publicly announced the news in late June. UpDoc's device helps patients manage diabetes using a treatment plan defined by their physician. Patients interact with an LLM-powered chatbot interface — entering data by voice or text — and receive treatment instructions in return. The FDA regulates the device in the same category as drug dose calculators. The clearance has sparked regulatory debate over whether the LLM functions as an interface or the actual clinical decision-maker.

AI/ANALYTICS

NIH All of Us Research Program Now the World's Largest Genomic-EHR Database, with Data from 747,000 Participants

The NIH's All of Us Research Program has reached a major threshold: data from more than 747,000 participants is now available to researchers, making it the world's largest integrated genomic and electronic health record database. The newest release — CDRv9 — includes more than 535,000 whole genome sequences linked to nearly 482,000 EHRs, plus a first-ever inclusion of proteomics data from nearly 10,000 participants. Total enrollment now tops 883,000. More than 86% of participants come from historically underrepresented communities. The dataset has already fueled more than 1,400 peer-reviewed publications, and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya called the program a 'national treasure.'

EHR/EMR

Cone Health Invests $40 Million to Rebuild 14-Year-Old Epic EHR Foundation After Years of Technical Debt

Cone Health is committing at least $40 million to tear down and rebuild the foundation of its Epic EHR, which the health system first installed in 2012. Chief Medical Information Officer Mike Kramer, MD said years of heavy customization left Cone Health with low Epic Gold Stars scores, third-party applications that Epic's native platform now replaces and limited adoption of newer Epic capabilities. The overhaul spans two and a half years, beginning with a six-month Phase Zero. Risant Health, which acquired Cone Health in 2024, is co-funding the project. Kramer estimates the effort could unlock $10 million to $20 million in operational savings through Epic best-practice adoption and application rationalization.

CYBERSECURITY

Federal Judge Dismisses Stryker Cyberattack Lawsuit; All Eight Plaintiffs Withdrew Claims Without Prejudice

A federal judge has dismissed the consolidated cyberattack lawsuit against Stryker Corporation after all eight plaintiffs voluntarily withdrew their claims without prejudice. U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou of the Western District of Michigan signed the order June 30, meaning the case was not decided on its merits and could be refiled. The underlying cyberattack, which plaintiffs attributed to Handala — an Iranian nation-state cybercriminal group — occurred March 11. Stryker had moved to dismiss the case June 22, arguing its investigation found no evidence that any plaintiff's personally identifiable information was accessed and that plaintiffs lacked standing because their data had appeared in prior, unrelated breaches.

TELEHEALTH

Sword Health Partners with Portugal's NHS to Offer AI Physical Therapy — 97% Faster Access, 45% Cost Reduction

Sword Health has partnered with Portugal's National Health Service to integrate AI-enabled physical therapy into the country's public health system. Physicians in Portugal's SNS can now prescribe Sword's remote musculoskeletal care platform for conditions including lower back pain, shoulder pain and knee injuries — at no cost to patients after a medical prescription. Sword's AI analyzes patient movements in real time and provides feedback to correct exercise form, with a clinical team supervising each treatment plan. The Portuguese government said the technology is expected to reduce wait times to begin treatment by 97% and cut costs by 45% compared to conventional physiotherapy models.

AI/ANALYTICS

Vancouver Police Sergeant Becomes First Canadian ALS Patient — and 26th Worldwide — to Receive Neuralink Implant

Vancouver police sergeant Lee Marten has become the first Canadian ALS patient to receive a Neuralink brain-computer interface implant, and the first patient anywhere to undergo the procedure using the company's new experimental surgical robot, which inserted the device's electrode threads directly through the brain's dura. Surgery took place at University Health Network's Toronto Western Hospital in May. ALS had left Marten with enough mobility to operate his wheelchair, but following the implant he can now control his phone or laptop using only his thoughts. Marten is the 26th patient globally to receive a Neuralink implant and the third Canadian, as part of the CAN-PRIME clinical trial.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Penn Medicine VP: Enterprise Architecture Is Now Essential as AI, M&A, and Regulatory Pressure Converge on Health Systems

A perfect storm of AI adoption, regulatory pressure, data sprawl and healthcare M&A is exposing a structural weakness inside health systems: the absence of enterprise architecture governance, writes Prashant Akolia, VP of Enterprise Technology Architecture and Strategy at Penn Medicine. Without a structured EA function, organizations accumulate technical debt, duplicated capabilities and failed AI pilots that stall between proof-of-concept and production. Academic medical centers face the sharpest challenge, operating clinical, research and educational missions on shared infrastructure with different regulatory requirements and risk tolerances. Akolia argues EA is no longer optional — it is 'essential to how leading organizations scale innovation, manage risk and turn strategy into execution.'

POLICY

Protect Democracy: Civil Society Must Fight for Proportional Representation, Not Just Defend Against Authoritarianism

Cyrena Kokolis and Farbod Faraji, advocates at Protect Democracy, write in NPQ’s “In Defense of Civil Society” column that the nonprofit sector is playing defense against authoritarianism — and that defense alone will not be enough. Their structural solution is proportional representation, or ProRep, in American elections. Under the current winner-take-all system, they argue, partisan gerrymandering and minority rule are built in. ProRep would replace single-member districts with multi-member ones, ensuring legislative seats reflect the actual distribution of votes. Kokolis and Faraji describe it as the reform most likely to sustain a multiracial, pluralist democracy against authoritarian capture.

ANALYSIS

The National Park Foundation’s Latino Heritage Fund: How Philanthropy Built Real Work — Then Dismantled It

Midy Aponte-Vargas, appointed founding executive director of the American Latino Heritage Fund at the National Park Foundation by Obama Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in 2011, reflects on a pattern she calls philanthropy as extraction. The Fund’s work was real — including the designation of the Cesar Chavez National Monument and commissioning a comprehensive Latino history theme study for the National Park Service. But after the 2012 election cycle passed, the Fund was wound down alongside the African American Experience Fund. Writing for America’s 250th, Aponte-Vargas warns: visibility without infrastructure is fragile. Recognition without redistribution of power repeats the same pattern.

SUCCESS

Sikh Coalition Executive Director: 25 Years After 9/11, Sikh Identity Is Resilience — Not a Liability to Conceal

Harman Singh, Executive Director of the Sikh Coalition, reflects on 25 years since 9/11 and the civil rights movement born from post-9/11 hate crimes against Sikhs and South Asians. The Sikh Coalition was founded in direct response to that violence. Writing for America’s 250th anniversary as part of NPQ’s WetheCivic series, Singh argues that Sikh identity — turbans, kirpans, and uncut hair — should be claimed as a source of resilience, not concealed for safety. The community’s path forward, he writes, requires expecting rights rather than merely requesting them — a shift from deference to assertion.

ANALYSIS

Black Innovation Alliance CEO: Civil Society Is Summoned to Refound Democracy, Not Simply Defend It

Kelly Burton, CEO of the Black Innovation Alliance, centers her essay for America’s 250th anniversary on the Constitution’s Preamble and the phrase “a more perfect Union,” which she attributes to Gouverneur Morris. Writing for NPQ’s WetheCivic series, Burton argues that those words are a summons — not to preserve a flawed democracy but to continually refound it. Civil society cannot limit itself to playing defense against authoritarianism; it must articulate a bold, structural vision for what America could become. Burton is also the author of the forthcoming book “The Price of Union.”

IMPACT

Youth250 Initiative: Young Americans Were Never Waiting — Civic Disengagement Is a Structural Failure

Dillon St. Bernard, co-founder of Youth250 and founder of Team DSB, rejects the narrative that young people are civically disengaged. Writing for America’s 250th anniversary as part of NPQ’s WetheCivic series, St. Bernard argues that young Americans were never waiting for permission — they have been building, creating, and organizing all along. The real failure, he writes, is structural: civic institutions invite youth participation without granting real decision-making authority. Youth250, launched by the nonprofit Made By Us, positions Gen Z creators as genuine civic infrastructure rather than token participants. The moment calls for transferring actual power to young Americans.

IMPACT

Drag Queen Pattie Gonia’s “Save Her” Climate Tour Hits 20+ Cities and Has Raised $1 Million for Nonprofits

Environmental activist and drag queen Pattie Gonia — Wyn Wiley out of drag — is touring more than 20 American cities on the “Save Her” show, merging climate advocacy with LGBTQ+ performance. The tour partners with local drag artists at each stop and draws crowds exceeding a thousand. Wiley previously completed a 100-mile trek in full drag from Point Reyes National Seashore to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, raising $1 million for environmental and social justice nonprofits. Wiley has also co-founded Outdoorist Oath, an environmental equity organization. The clothing brand Patagonia has sued Pattie Gonia over a trademark application, sparking a public dispute.