Good morning! The weekend edition is 787 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Border Patrol finds smuggling tunnel

• Blind pro skateboarder builds first adaptive skatepark

• Grand Canyon’s scariest job

First time reader? Sign up here!

Today’s Big Story

Harvard vs Trump Saga Continues

A federal judge blocked Trump from barring Harvard's international students.

• A Massachusetts judge on Friday stopped the Trump administration from stripping Harvard's ability to enroll international students, a move that would have affected thousands of current and prospective students. The ruling also orders officials to restore affected students' ability to remain in the country and continue their studies.

• The administration moved to strip Harvard's international student program in May after the university rejected demands from Trump's anti-semitism task force following campus protests over Gaza. The demands included restrictions on international student admissions and government-approved audits of faculty ideologies. Harvard's refusal also prompted $2 billion in grant cuts and $100 million in contract cancellations.

• Two dozen universities have rallied behind Harvard, warning in legal briefs that the tactics could be used against any school and would hinder American innovation. Over 12,000 Harvard alumni, including Conan O'Brien, called the pressure campaign 'reckless and unlawful.'

• Later Friday, Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil was released after 104 days in federal immigration detention. A judge ruled that Khalil posed no flight risk or community danger despite government deportation efforts over his pro-Palestinian activism.

Saturday’s Quick Hits

• Border Patrol agents discovered a sophisticated drug smuggling tunnel connecting Tijuana to San Diego while it was actively under construction in April, according to a June 18 news release. The 2,918-foot tunnel, stretching over half a mile and reaching 1,000 feet into US territory, featured electrical wiring, lights, and tracks designed for transporting large quantities of contraband. The entrance in Mexico had been recently tiled over to conceal it. (More)

• Scientists discovered three new sea spider species off the US West Coast that survive by farming methane-eating bacteria on their exoskeletons. The tiny, translucent spiders graze bacteria that convert methane into sugars and fats for nutrition in deep-sea environments thousands of feet underwater. The symbiotic relationship may help prevent greenhouse gas methane from reaching Earth's atmosphere while sustaining life in sunlight-free ocean depths. (More)

• A federal appeals court allowed Trump to retain control of California's National Guard while Governor Gavin Newsom challenges the deployment in court. The 9th Circuit panel ruled Trump likely acted within his authority when federalizing troops to quell Los Angeles protests over immigration raids, rejecting a lower court's order to return control to the state. Newsom vowed to continue his legal challenge. (More)

• Friday was the summer solstice, the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere and the start of astronomical summer. The solstice occurs when Earth's tilt is most extreme, with the upper half tilted toward the sun, creating maximum daylight. The word comes from Latin, meaning "sun pause," marking when the sun stops its upward march and begins retreating, making days gradually shorter until December's winter solstice. (More)

• Aflac confirmed hackers accessed customer personal information, including Social Security numbers and health data, in a June 12 cyberattack. The insurance company stopped the intrusion within hours and said no ransomware was deployed. Aflac is offering free credit monitoring to affected customers and said business operations continue normally. The attack was part of a broader campaign targeting the insurance industry. (More)

• The Supreme Court unanimously upheld a 2019 law allowing American victims of terrorist attacks in Israel and families of deceased victims to sue the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that the federal government has a "compelling interest" in providing a forum for American victims to hold international terror perpetrators accountable. The ruling overturned an appeals court decision that found the law unconstitutional. (More)

Weekly Dose of Positive

• At 82, Faith O'Reilly is the oldest female powerlifter competing at the 2025 National Senior Games, where powerlifting debuts for the first time in the event's history. (More)

• Blind professional skateboarder Dan Mancina built the world's first adaptive skatepark in Detroit, featuring wider obstacles and tactile guides to help visually impaired skaters navigate safely. (More)

• Japanese scientists used CRISPR gene editing to successfully remove the extra chromosome causing Down syndrome in laboratory cells, improving cell function and reducing aging markers. (More)

• Air India Captain Sumeet Sabharwal heroically saved hundreds on the ground by diverting his failing aircraft from apartment buildings at the last minute to crash into an empty military building in Ahmedabad. (More)

Extra Credit

Man proposes to his AI chatbot girlfriend.

How to wipe your old computer clean of personal data.

Jumping lemurs win a nature photo contest. 

Meet the crew doing the Grand Canyon’s most terrifying job.