Good morning! The weekend edition is 714 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• US and Iran agree on wording to end war

• Lego education fund

• Own the smallest town in Australia

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Today’s Big Story

Spy Powers Expire

• A key US surveillance law known as Section 702 is set to expire after Congress failed to reach a bipartisan deal. The program allows intelligence agencies to collect the communications of foreigners overseas without a warrant and has been credited with disrupting terror plots, cyberattacks, and foreign espionage.

• The law has long divided lawmakers because Americans' communications can also be swept up when they interact with foreign targets. Privacy advocates point to past FBI misuse, while intelligence officials argue stricter warrant requirements would hamper national security investigations.

• This year's impasses produced unusual political alliances, with privacy-minded Democrats and Republicans joining forces against a temporary extension. A dispute over President Trump's initial intelligence chief pick also helped stall negotiations.

• Despite the deadline, the practical impact may be limited. A secret surveillance court approved the program's operations through next year, though lawmakers warn a prolonged lapse could eventually disrupt intelligence gathering and cooperation from communications companies.

Saturday’s Quick Hits

• The US and Iran have agreed on the wording of a deal to end their war, Pakistan's prime minister said Friday, with a signing expected within days. The deal would shut down Iran's nuclear program over 60 days and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route Iran has blocked since the war began. Israel isn't part of the deal. (More)

• The US men's soccer team opened the World Cup with a 4-1 win over Paraguay on Friday in Inglewood, California. Folarin Balogun scored twice, becoming the first American to do that in the tournament since 1930. Christian Pulisic left at halftime for unclear reasons. The US now faces Australia next Friday in Seattle. (More)

• The Pentagon released 72 new UFO files Friday as part of Trump's push for transparency on unexplained sightings. The reports describe strange objects, including a "potato-shaped" craft seen by Army soldiers in Colorado in 2022 and glowing red orbs spotted by federal agents in 2023. None of the files prove alien life or government cover-ups, but several cases remain unexplained. (More)

• The Supreme Court blocked Alabama from executing Jeffery Lee with nitrogen gas Thursday, hours before his scheduled death. Lower courts ruled the method causes torturous suffocation, violating the ban on cruel punishment. Three justices dissented. Lee, convicted of killing two people in a 1998 pawnshop robbery, remains on death row, and Alabama could still seek another execution method or date. (More)

• Tornadoes tore through Illinois and Indiana Thursday, damaging more than 200 buildings in Merrillville, Indiana, and ripping the roof off a high school. No deaths were reported, though several people suffered minor injuries. The storms knocked out power to over 320,000 customers and disrupted flights at Chicago's airports. Crews worked overnight clearing roads, and shelters opened for displaced residents. (More)

• The FDA approved a flea pill called nitenpyram for emergency use against flesh-eating screwworm parasites in dogs and cats. It kills most larvae within hours, with a second dose given six hours later, though it won't prevent future infestations. Screwworm, once eradicated in the US, recently turned up in Texas cattle and a New Mexico dog. (More)

Weekly Dose of Positive

• The LEGO Foundation pledged $97 million to the International Rescue Committee for a five-year program bringing play-based education to 5 million children in conflict zones across East Africa and the Middle East. (More)

• A tour boat crew rescued a dog named Bruce after he floated three miles out to sea in an inflatable kayak off Northumberland, England, last Sunday. (More)

• FDA-approved drug Lenacapavir, given as a twice-yearly injection, showed near-total protection against HIV in trials covering over 8,000 people, with one trial seeing zero new infections. (More)

• A Massachusetts ice cream truck owner gave free ice cream to a child who couldn't pay, and after the video went viral, donations poured in, letting her give every child free scoops. (More)

Extra Credit

Australian man caught with 100K illegal cockroaches.

Australia’s smallest town is for sale for $241K.

More than half of Americans believe in Aliens.

Charting countries with the highest water use per person.