June 23, 2026 - Messi, Mbappé, Haaland Light Up Cup

When I was a senior in high school, I met George H.W. Bush. His title then was Ambassador - he'd been our ambassador to the UN. He was running for president in the 1980 Republican primaries, and his slogan stuck with me: "a president we won't have to train." He'd already been UN ambassador, CIA director, envoy to China, a congressman, and a decorated World War II aviator. The vice presidency and presidency were still ahead of him. I've always admired his lifetime of public service.

That admiration led to my working for him as an advanceman while in college, and at 29 I was appointed to his administration as a regional administrator at HUD.

Bush 41 is remembered for many things - among them, three words: points of light. He first spoke them at the 1988 convention in New Orleans - and I was in the hall - and repeated the theme in his inauguration. He meant that America's real strength isn't government, it's the millions who quietly serve, each one a light. He founded an organization around the idea. Today, Points of Light is the world's largest nonprofit devoted to volunteer service, mobilizing nearly four million volunteers across dozens of countries.

Fast-forward nearly four decades. My Mingle Project - restoring the common experience amidst all the societal disconnect fueled by technology - is now my calling card, and volunteering is the best way of enjoying common experience. Points of Light is now chaired by the president's son, Neil Bush. So when I was recently asked to join its board, the answer was easy.

My first meeting was yesterday at the Points of Light '26 conference in Washington, where we honored four Daily Points of Light: Morgan Somerville, who rebuilds homes after disasters; Elizabeth Murphy, whose toy and food drives serve her Alexandria neighbors; Lucinda Robb, who teaches kids philanthropy; and Mary Ellen Dawley and Bob Kovacs, who make free videos for nonprofits.

Ordinary people. Extraordinary lights.

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Monday marked one of the most radiant days in World Cup history as Lionel Messi scored twice in Argentina's 2-0 win over Austria to become the tournament's all-time leading scorer, Kylian Mbappé netted a brace in France's 3-0 rout of Iraq, and Erling Haaland added two more in Norway's 3-2 victory over Senegal.

Yahoo Sports

A ransom letter sent to the family of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC Today anchor Savannah Guthrie who was abducted from her Tucson home on February 1, included an apology claiming she had been accidentally killed and offered to return her body for $4 million, according to a new report.

Daily Mail

A US F-15 pilot shot down over Iran in April told intelligence debriefers he saw Iranian drones moving in unison in a jellyfish-like formation, sparking an unresolved debate within the US intelligence community over whether Tehran has developed advanced drone coordination known as one-to-many meshed networking.

CNN

An AP Fact Focus analysis examines Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims that Iran was on the verge of building and using a nuclear weapon, finding that public evidence from U.N. inspectors and U.S. intelligence agencies does not support that assessment.

Associated Press

At least five people have been arrested and five more cited in connection with alleged vandalism at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, as President Donald Trump vowed to enforce a 10-year prison sentence for offenders ahead of the nation's 250th birthday.

NBC News

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is backing a slate of progressive congressional challengers — Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez — against more establishment Democrats in the Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens primaries, with races centered on issues including housing costs, immigration, corporate power and the party’s stance on Israel.

USA Today

The Supreme Court has reinstated the 2017 conviction of Pedro Hernandez, the man found guilty of kidnapping and killing 6-year-old Etan Patz in 1979, ruling that a lower court improperly ordered a new trial over questions surrounding Hernandez’s police confessions.

SCOTUSblog

The Senate overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan housing affordability package aimed at lowering costs, boosting housing supply and addressing the nation’s affordability crisis, sending the sweeping bill to the House and President Trump’s desk.

The Hill

A new study argues that many leaders’ push for full-time office returns is driven less by productivity concerns and more by ego, with researchers finding that executives with stronger narcissistic traits are more likely to resist remote and hybrid work despite evidence that flexibility can improve retention and satisfaction.

The New York Times

Clive Davis, the legendary music executive who discovered Whitney Houston at a New York club in 1983 and helped shape her iconic career, is remembered for their decades-long bond, his deep grief after her 2012 death, and his unwavering belief in her extraordinary talent.

People