Friday, June 12, 2026

A spying law goes away

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The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Fri Jun 12 2026

Welcome to the Daily Briefing. Here’s what’s breaking this morning:

•	The Supreme Court said Alabama can’t immediately execute a death row inmate using nitrogen gas.
•	UFC on the White House lawn is happening.
•	The Knicks are just one win away from their first NBA title since 1973.

Nicole Fallert and Jane Onyanga-Omara here. We have Friday's news to know.

Spy provision set to expire on Friday

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act will expire on Friday after the House of Representatives couldn't pass an extension.

Why not? The vote was doomed from the start over Democrats' opposition to President Donald Trump's new acting spy chief.

Why does this matter? For nearly two decades, the statute has authorized U.S. spy agencies to collect the communications of foreigners – and, privacy hawks argue, sometimes Americans. Intelligence authorized by the provision makes up the bulk of the president's daily security briefing, lawmakers say. Top lawmakers have been sounding the alarm about the lapse.

More news to know now

•	Trump canceled strikes on Iran. The president canceled the latest wave of airstrikes he threatened and announced that a "great settlement" of the war could soon be signed.
•	El Niño has formed. Forecasters say this could be one of the largest El Niño events on record amid unprecedented sea temperatures in key regions.
•	Not everyone wants a Buc-ee's. Ahead of a proposed 74,000-square-foot Buc-ee's off Interstate 75 in Port Charlotte, Florida, some residents have raised concerns over the increased traffic it will bring to the area.

World Cup

The games have begun!

Shakira performs during the World Cup opening ceremony on June 11, 2026.

Kai Pfaffenbach, REUTERS

The 2026 FIFA World Cup began last night with the first of three opening ceremonies in Mexico City (and Shakira's performance). Tonight, USA brings the show with a star-studded line-up at SoFi Stadium before the USMNT takes the pitch. Here's how to watch Team USA kick off their tournament run tonight.

Movies

The aliens are among us ...

Armed with a spectacular cast for “Disclosure Day," Steven Spielberg takes an imaginative look at what it would look like if humanity actually found out it wasn’t alone in the universe, and the efforts by some to keep that information hidden. The film in theaters on Friday is classic Spielbergian fare, given that it’s a movie much more about us than intergalactic beings. USA TODAY Film Critic Brian Truitt gave it a ★★★½ out of four stars.

Before you go

•	"Every Year After" makes these big changes from the book.
•	The Artemis III crew doesn’t include any women.
•	What should you actually bring to a FIFA World Cup game?