Good morning! The weekend edition is 698 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Scripps National Spelling Bee

• Rescue dog saves new owner

• Should you eat cracked eggs?

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Today’s Big Story

Blue Origin, We Have a Problem

• An uncrewed Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded in a massive fireball during a launchpad test in Florida, engulfing part of the launch complex and shaking nearby homes. No injuries were reported, and founder Jeff Bezos said all personnel were accounted for.

• The blast destroyed the rocket and heavily damaged Blue Origin's only New Glenn launch pad. The setback could delay Amazon satellite launches and NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon and establish a long-term lunar presence. (See video of the explosion here)

• The explosion is the latest in a string of mishaps for New Glenn, including a failed satellite deployment that prompted an FAA grounding earlier this year. The pattern underscores how far Blue Origin still trails SpaceX, which completed 165 launches last year while New Glenn was still working toward regular service.

Saturday’s Quick Hits

• Eight students on a school field trip were stranded nearly 100 feet in the air after the Iron Shark roller coaster at Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier malfunctioned during its initial climb. Firefighters spent roughly four hours rescuing the riders one by one, lowering each in a safety harness into a truck basket. All eight were shaken but unhurt. (More)

• A federal judge temporarily blocked Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund Friday, halting any transfers or payments while legal challenges proceed. The fund was created through a settlement of Trump's own lawsuit against the government over a leaked IRS records case — a setup critics from both parties have called an unauthorized slush fund with little oversight. A hearing is set for June 12. (More)

• Shrey Parikh, 14, of San Bernardino, Calif., won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee Thursday, correctly spelling 32 of 35 words in a 90-second spell-off against 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta of Jersey City, N.J. His 32 correctly spelled words set a new spell-off record. Parikh's winning word was "bromocriptine." (More)

• One of seven villagers trapped in a flooded cave in central Laos for ten days was rescued Friday and transferred to a hospital. Four others have been located but not yet extracted; two remain missing. The villagers entered the cave in Xaisomboun province on May 19 to look for gold before flash flooding blocked the exit. (More)

• A federal judge ruled that Trump's name was illegally added to the Kennedy Center and blocked the administration from closing it for renovations. Judge Christopher Cooper said only Congress can rename it, and that the board's March vote to close the building was "ill-informed and seemingly preordained." The Kennedy Center said it plans to appeal. (More)

• A Swiss study tracking 96,000 colorectal cancer cases over 40 years found rates rising about 0.5% annually among adults under 50 — including people in their thirties with no family history — even as rates fall in older groups. Nearly 28% of younger patients were already at advanced stages at diagnosis, compared with 20% of older patients. Researchers cite diet, obesity, and lifestyle changes as possible factors. (More)

Weekly Dose of Positive

• A New Zealand man rescued a 9-month-old dog from a shelter last week, and days later, she bit him awake as his house burned down, saving his life. (More)

• Samsung resolved a strike by agreeing to share 10.5% of semiconductor profits with 48,000 workers, a deal that could pay each worker roughly $78,000 per quarter. (More)

• Dawn Zuidgeest-Craft graduated from medical school at 69 and is awaiting confirmation from Guinness World Records as the oldest person to earn a medical degree. (More)

• A wild jaguar was spotted in Argentina's Iberá park for the first time in 70 years, the result of rewilding efforts that grew the population from zero to 50. (More)

Extra Credit

Mapping the most popular ice cream brands in every state.

Does dopamine fasting actually work?

Strange sea creatures are washing ashore in massive numbers.

Is it ever safe to eat cracked eggs?