June 26, 2026 - USMNT Falls to Turkey, Wins Group D

A new AP-NORC poll asked Americans a deceptively simple question. Describe the United States in one word.

The most common answers were optimistic. Eighteen percent reached for great, prosperous, or powerful. Another thirteen percent said free or freedom.

But read the full list and the mood darkens fast. Fourteen percent said struggling or declining. Nine percent landed on corruption or unfairness. Add in confused, divided, unstable, and embarrassing, and the gloomy words outnumber the hopeful ones. We lead with greatness and trail off into grievance.

The party divide is the tell. Asked whether the American Dream still holds true, 57 percent of Republicans said yes. Only 24 percent of independents and 17 percent of Democrats agreed.

 Same country. Three very different reads on it.

Had I been asked, I would not have picked any of them. My word is "unrealized." Not broken. Not finished. Unrealized. We are not living up to our potential, and we know it. But every ingredient of greatness is sitting right here. Talent. Freedom. Each other. What we lack is the recognition that more unites us than divides us. Tellingly, the top answer for what brings us together was "freedom." We agree on more than we admit.

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With a Round of 32 berth already secured for the 202 World Cup, a U.S. lineup of mostly substitutes lost 3-2 to Turkey on a stoppage-time goal by Kaan Ayhan, closing out a first-place finish in Group D ahead of a Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

NPR

An AP-NORC poll of 2,596 U.S. adults found Americans split on describing the country ahead of its 250th anniversary, with Republicans favoring words like "great," "prosperous" and "free," while Democrats more often chose "struggling," "declining" or "corruption."

Associated Press

Mexico fans once again drew criticism at the World Cup after chanting a widely condemned homophobic slur during their 3-0 Group A win over Czechia, despite years of FIFA warnings and a Mexican federation campaign urging fans to drop the chant.

Outsports

NYPD officers patrolling Midtown Manhattan say they've been briefed about an expected crush of fans, paparazzi and onlookers around Madison Square Garden on July 3, when Taylor Swift is rumored to marry Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce at the arena.

Variety

A National Park Service court filing says the liner of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was cut with a sharp knife or razor, forcing it to be drained for repairs as as the Trump administration investigates alleged vandalism and faces scrutiny over the troubled $16 million renovation project.

Associated Press

In a 6-3 decision in Mullin v. Al Otro Lado, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration may continue turning back asylum seekers before they reach the U.S.-Mexico border, finding that federal law allows asylum applications only after migrants have entered the United States.

SCOTUSblog

Larry David called President Trump's UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House's South Lawn "a travesty" and said it left him "embarrassed to be an American," prompting the White House to accuse the comedian of "Trump Derangement Syndrome."

USA Today

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was struck in the throat by Phoenix Mercury's Alyssa Thomas during Wednesday's 111-109 loss, later exiting the game with a back injury. No foul was called against the on-court violence, prompting fans and sports personalities to urge Clark to abandon the WNBA league.

Daily Mail

After decisive primary wins in New York solidified democratic socialists as a rising force on the left, the movement's standard-bearers — including Senator Bernie Sanders — say they're united by a belief that direct government action, not the free market, can best tackle health care and housing costs.

The New York Times

GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy dropped his support for a Democrat-led resolution restricting President Trump's war powers in Iran after a White House briefing he secured by slipping a note to envoy Steve Witkoff following a heated closed-door clash with Trump at a Senate Republican lunch.

CBS News