海角大神

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2026
June
13
Saturday

Monitor Daily Podcast

June 13, 2026
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Clayton Collins
Director of Innovation

Welcome to your Saturday Daily.

It鈥檚 setting up to be quite a weekend. World Cup matches from Canada to Mexico. Deal or no deal in Iran. Cage fighting at the White House. Knicks in five? All this against the backdrop of the semiquincentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Our deep dive today compares the current vibe to the one around America鈥檚 bicentennial in 1976 (I remember getting a kid-size tricorn hat) and weighs the prospect of some positive, even unifying, national moments.

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As always, watch our homepage or app for stories and news briefs. We鈥檙e tracking developments on Iran, amid conflicting signals.

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Today’s stories

And why we wrote them

A deeper look
Alex Brandon/AP
The arena constructed for a series of Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts is seen on the grounds of the White House, June 11, 2026.

Can a divided US celebrate its 250th together? It鈥檚 off to a rocky start.

( 8 min. read )

On Sunday, the White House will host mixed martial arts fights 鈥� one in a series of 250th anniversary events that so far haven鈥檛 generated broad excitement or unity. Some Americans are already seeing the U.S. semiquincentennial as a missed opportunity.

By Simon Montlake , Caitlin Babcock , and Patrik Jonsson , reporting from Washington and Charleston, South Carolina
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As US-Iran deal inches closer, what playing mediator has cost Pakistan

( 6 min. read )

Much has been made of the positive role Pakistan has played as a mediator between the United States and Iran. But on the ground, the story is much more complicated, with many saying Pakistan is paying too high a price.

By Hasan Ali , reporting from Islamabad
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Part of spy law lapses, but can still be used. Will companies be hesitant to comply?

( 5 min. read )

Some see Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as a provision that鈥檚 critical to U.S. counterterrorism work. But it has been controversial because of privacy concerns, and now, its renewal is caught in a standoff between Congress and President Donald Trump.

By Caitlin Babcock , reporting from Washington
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Medara Udoekong /海角大神
Drummers perform traditional Cape Verdean music at a sendoff for the country's World Cup team at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, June 7, 2026.

鈥榃e鈥檙e on the map now鈥�: Tiny Cape Verde鈥檚 diaspora celebrates its first World Cup

( 5 min. read )

The World Cup is a moment of national pride for many soccer fans. That is especially true for Cape Verdeans, many of whom live far from their home country.聽

By Cameron Pugh , Emily Staunton , and Medara Udoekong , reporting from Pawtucket, R.I., and Boston
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Essay
Karen Norris/Staff

Backyard bird rescue

( 3 min. read )

For this writer, an encounter with nature聽during nesting season brings home lessons聽of persistence, loyalty, and wonder.

By Stephanie Cook Broadhurst
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Viewfinder

Dmitri Lovetsky/AP
A brigantine with sails lit in red navigates the Neva River during a rehearsal for the Scarlet Sails festivities in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 11, 2026. The event marks school graduation and celebrates dreams of a new chapter in life. It is named for a 1923 children鈥檚 book by Alexander Grin in which a girl is told of a prince who will one day arrive on a ship with scarlet sails.
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( The illustrations in today’s Monitor Daily are by Jacob Turcotte. )

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2026
June
13
Saturday

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