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The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, June 9, 2026:

AcrossWhat the Louvre Pyramid is primarily made of

• The answer is Glass.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

All that and a bag of chips, perhaps?

• The answer is Lunch.

😡

• The answer is Angry.

Timbuktu's country

• The answer is Mali.

Kitchen work before cooking

• The answer is Prep.

DownEnjoy an outdoor vacation with extra amenities

• The answer is Glamp.

Moon-related

• The answer is Lunar.

Something that can be "acute" or "obtuse"

• The answer is Angle.

Medication order from a doctor, for short

• The answer is Scrip.

Like many children when meeting their parents' friends

• The answer is Shy.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.

Since the work-from-home shift in 2020, Logitech has been releasing more products with a mobility focus. We love the Casa Pop-Up Desk that was released a couple of years ago. And now, the brand has introduced a computer mouse for modern work with a nod to nostalgic tech. The Logitech Mobi Fold is a pocket-sized mouse that folds up for incredibly easy transportation. It's also so fun to fold and unfold — reminiscent of snapping a flip phone shut.

Logitech Mobi Fold price and specs

The Mobi Fold retails for $79.99 and is available as of June 10. It features the following:

• Size: 33 mm (21 mm when folded) H x 122 mm (66 mm when folded) D x 57 mm W

• Weight: 79 grams

• Colors: Graphite, off-white, lilac, sand

• Battery: One-minute charge provides 22 hours of use, full charge provides one month of use

It folds down small enough to comfortably fit in your pocket. Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable Mobi Fold first impressions

I received a Mobi Fold ahead of its launch, and have been using it for a couple of weeks. It's not my go-to while working at my desk in my home office (that's Logitech's Signature Comfort Plus M850 L), but I do think it's a fun solution for people who don't work in one location.

The design doesn't scream comfort at first glance, but it's actually pretty ergonomic and comfortable to use. It tracks very well, even on different surfaces like a coffee shop table or even a pant leg. The touch controls are responsive as well — though I've found the scrolling to be a little sensitive, often scrolling the entire length of a page when I'm trying to go line by line.

As with other Logitech products, the Mobi Fold can pair with up to three devices, with a button to switch between them. You're also able to customize two buttons on the touch panel in the Logi Options+ app, which is pretty cool. They're defaulted to go backward and forward on a webpage, but you could program them, for example, to copy and paste text.

As someone who works from home and doesn't like to stray from my desk, I don't know that I'd buy the Mobi Fold. But for people who work during their commute or like to move around throughout the day, this is a great alternative to carrying a bulky mouse in their bag. Plus, it's just such a fun concept, and I find myself fidgeting with the mouse, folding and unfolding it while I work.

Where to buy the Mobi Fold

At launch in the U.S., Mobi Fold is exclusively available on Logitech.com and in the TikTok Shop through July 8. In Canada, it's available on Logitech.com and other retailers beginning June 10.

Opens in a new window Credit: Logitech Logitech Mobi Fold $79.99 at Logitech
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Today's Connections: Sports Edition will require football knowledge.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Play design

• Green: Bikes

• Blue: Seattle-based baseball

• Purple: Spelled like a hockey team

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Develop (A Play)

• Green: Bicycle Brands

• Blue: Seattle Mariners

• Purple: Starts with an NHL Team, In Singular Form

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #625 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Develop (A Play): DESIGN, DEVISE, DRAW UP, SCHEME

• Bicycle Brands: GIANT, HUFFY, MONGOOSE, SCHWINN

• Seattle Mariners: AROZARENA, KIRBY, RALEIGH, WOO

• Starts with an NHL Team, In Singular Form: BLUEPRINT, DUCKTALES, KINGPIN, STARTER

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 10, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for June 10, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for June 10 Pips

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally; 1-2, placed vertically.

Greater Than (8): Everything in this space must be greater than 8. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 6-1, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for June 10 Pips

Number (4): Everything in this red space must add up to 4. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 4. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (10): Everything in this space must be greater than 10. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for June 10 Pips

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically; 4-0, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically; 0-5, placed vertically; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed vertically.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 2-1, placed vertically; 4-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 2-3, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically; 4-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this mspace must add up to 4. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Unraveled.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

UNDID

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Hungry Hungry ___.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 10, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

HIPPO

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A lizard.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 10 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 10, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

GECKO

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Grants wishes.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

GENIE

Final Hurdle hint

Hunger.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

GREED

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

For more than 20 years, air travelers have had to make sure they bring their liquid toiletries in 3 oz. bottles only, then chug their drinks before passing through airport security — a reaction to foiled terrorist plots that involved liquid explosives.

But those days are coming to an end, at least in Europe, where two large airports are installing new 3D Computed Tomography (CT) security scanners that can more accurately detect real threats.

Meanwhile, the U.S.'s Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) is "aggressively" adding the new scanners to airports, according to Scientific American, but any change to liquid rules does not appear imminent. Part of the reason for the delay is the patchwork implementation, with only about 255 of the country's 432 airports adding them.

The TSA estimates that all its airports will be equipped with 3D scanners by 2043.

Brussels and London enter the 21st century

Back in Europe, Brussels Airport in Belgium is the latest facility to announce the new CT scanners; construction is set to begin next year, and the first implementation in 2028. The technology will replace 2D X-ray scanners and ultimately screen passengers, via full-body scanners, and carry-on luggage via conveyor belt scanners.

When in place, fliers will be able to transport an unlimited amount of liquids in their carry-ons as long as the individual containers do not exceed 2 liters (about 68 fluid ounces); the EU currently limits liquids to 1 liter in containers no larger than 100 milliliters (about 3.4 fluid ounces) for those passing through 2D scanners. The new rules will apply to more than drinks, as most airports consider toiletries like lotions, toothpaste, and hair gel to be liquids.

SEE ALSO: Travel blogger on hantavirus-stricken cruise ship: 'we're people' Laptops can stay in carry-ons

The CT scanners' ability to accurately identify objects through various angles also means travelers can leave their laptops in their carry-on luggage as they pass through security. The scanners use sophisticated algorithms to create high-resolution 3D models of bags, allowing security personnel to rotate objects and more accurately identify them as harmless or worth a closer look.

Brussels Airport officials tout the new scanners as a way to streamline the security process.

"With this new technology, we will not only continue to ensure safety, but also make security screening even smoother and easier for our passengers. With the new scanners, we will also increase capacity so that we are prepared for any growth in passenger numbers in the coming years," Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport, said in a statement.

Brussels follows London's Heathrow Airport, which installed the CT scanners earlier this year and is already allowing some fliers to drop the 100 milliliter liquid limit and keep their laptops in their bags.

Best TV deals ahead of Prime Day Best 55-inch TV deal Insignia 55-inch QF QLED 4K Fire TV $239.99 at Amazon (save $160 ) Get Deal Best 65-inch TV deal Hisense 65-inch S7N Canvas QLED 4K Art TV $899.99 at Walmart (save $460) Get Deal Best 75-inch TV deal Hisense 75-inch U7 Mini LED 4K TV $1,197.99 at Amazon (save $802) Shop Now

Prime Day season is one of the best times of year to buy a TV on sale. That's been etched into our mental calendars in July for the past decade, but this year, hype for one of the year's biggest shopping events starts in June: Prime Day 2026 will run from June 23 to 26. As always, worthwhile TV deals are already popping up in the weeks preceding the event.

The good pre-Prime Day TV deals aren't just at Amazon. Half the time, the reason that TV deals during Prime Day go so hard is that competing retailers like Best Buy refuse to let Amazon get all the attention — and it has already started this year. If you don't want to wait until the end of the month to grab your new TV, here are 15+ of the best TV deals I've found at Amazon and Best Buy ahead of Prime Day. Most models in this list match or beat their all-time record-low price, according to Amazon price tracker camelcamelcamel.

SEE ALSO: How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup online for free Best TV deal ahead of Prime Day overall Hisense 75-inch U7 Mini LED 4K TV $1,197.99 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $802   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Hisense finally launched its highly-awaited RGB TVs on June 2. While both the UR8 and UR9 RGB TVs are on sale at Best Buy, there's another 2026 Hisense TV with a much wilder discount: The 75-inch Hisense U7 Mini LED TV is just $1,197.99 after a massive 40% price drop from its usual $1,999.99.

Just released in March, the Hisense U7 series has a pretty incredible lighting system for its price range. Its backlight benefits from full-array local dimming, which uses clusters of tiny LED bulbs that can fully turn themselves on or off for more precise contrast during any scene or livestream. Other impressive numbers include a peak brightness of 3,000 nits (great news for FIFA fans trying to watch a game during the daytime) and a native 165Hz refresh rate (great news for gamers on a budget).

Deals on 43-inch TVs and under

• Insignia 43-inch Class F50 Series 4K Fire TV — $149.99 $199.99 (save $50)

• Toshiba 43-inch C350 4K Fire TV — $139.98 $299.99 (save $160.01)

Deals on 50-inch to 55-inch TVs

• Insignia 55-inch QF QLED 4K TV — $239.99 $399.99 (save $160)

• Hisense 55-inch U6 Mini LED QLED 4K Fire TV — $397.97 $549.99 (save $152.02)

• TCL 55-inch NXTVISION QLED 4K Art TV — $629.99 $999.99 (save $370)

• Hisense 50-inch S7N Canvas QLED 4K Art TV — $797.99 $1,299.99 (save $502)

• Samsung 55-inch S90F OLED 4K TV — $997.99 $1,597.99 (save $500)

Deals on 65-inch TVs

• LG 65-inch 75B QNED 4K TV — $499.99 $699.99 (save $200)

• Hisense 65-inch S7N Canvas QLED 4K Art TV — $839.99 $1,299.99 (save $460)

• Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $947.99 $1,499.99 (save $552)

• TCL 65-inch QM8K Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $997.99 $1,499.99 (save $502)

Deals on 75-inch to 77-inch TVs

• Toshiba 75-inch C350 4K Fire TV — $379.99 $729.99 (save $350)

• Hisense 75-inch QD7 Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $549.99 $799 (save $249.01)

• LG 75-inch 75B QNED 4K TV — $729.99 $999.99 (save $270)

• Hisense 75-inch U6 Pro Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $848.99 $1,399.99 (save $249.01)

• TCL 75-inch QM8K Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $1,497.99 $1,999.99 (save $502)

• Hisense 75-inch S7N Canvas QLED 4K Art TV — $1,597.99 $2,499.99 (save $902)

• Hisense 75-inch UR8 RGB Mini LED 4K TV — $2,199.99 $2,499.99 (save $300)

• LG 77-inch C5 OLED 4K TV — $2,199.99 $3,699.99 (save $1,500)

Deals on 85-inch TVs

• Hisense 85-inch QD7 Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $799.99 $1,299.99 (save $500)

• Hisense 85-inch U8 Mini LED QLED 4K Fire TV — $1,687.96 $2,297.99 (save $610.03)

• Hisense 85-inch UR9 RGB Mini LED 4K TV — $3,999.99 $4,499.99 (save $500)

TL;DR: Surfshark One+ with Incogni combines VPN protection, antivirus, breach alerts, and automated personal-data removal for $74.99 (reg. $250.20).

Opens in a new window Credit: Surfshark Surfshark One+ Plan with Incogni: 1-Year VPN, Antivirus & Personal Data Removal $74.99
$250.20 Save $175.21   Get Deal

Most people understand the idea of protecting their devices online. Fewer people realize how much of their personal information is already floating around the internet long before a hacker or scammer ever gets involved.

That’s what Surfshark One+ with Incogni is trying to address. And one year is on sale for just for $74.99 (reg. $250.20).

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Instead of focusing only on VPN protection, the bundle tackles both sides of online privacy: protecting your devices in real time and reducing how much personal information is already circulating through data brokers and people-search databases.

The Surfshark side covers the familiar tools. You get a VPN for encrypted browsing across up to five devices, antivirus protection, private search, alternative identity tools for signups, and breach alerts that notify you if your email, passwords, IDs, or payment information show up somewhere sketchy.

Then there’s Incogni — the feature that makes this bundle feel more proactive than reactive.

Incogni automatically contacts more than 420 data brokers on your behalf and requests the removal of personal information like your name, address, phone number, and other identifying details. It also continues to monitor and re-request removals as your information reappears online.

On its own, Incogni normally costs about $95 per year, which makes its inclusion here especially notable.

This is an ideal opportunity for anyone increasingly uncomfortable with how exposed personal data has become online.

Get a 1-year subscription to Surfshark One+ with Incogni for a one-time payment of $74.99 (reg. $250.20).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Every year, Apple hosts the Worldwide Developers Conference to reveal the latest updates to its operating systems (and occasionally drops some hardware surprises, too). And this year, Apple had a lot to cover.

WWDC 2026 is Tim Cook's last big event as CEO, and the tech world has been waiting for a torch-passing moment to CEO-in-waiting John Ternus. We also learned all about iOS 27, macOS 27, iPadOS 27, and a ton more Apple products, including the revamped AI version of Siri, during the opening keynote.

WWDC 2026 kicked off with a live "special event" at Apple Park at 10 a.m. PT on Monday, June 8. That keynote has now ended, but you can still watch the livestream and catch up on all the biggest announcements.

Keep checking back, as we'll be updating this page repeatedly throughout WWDC 2026, which officially runs through Friday, June 12.

Apple unveiled a ton of new features and updates during this week's WWDC keynote. From the brand new Siri AI to Spatial Reframing, the internet is still talking about what's coming in the latest Apple operating systems like iOS 27 and macOS 27 Golden Gate.

However, the biggest announcement may be what Apple didn't mention during the keynote. And while we didn't get any direct mentions of the iPhone Fold Ultra, the company seems to have shared the news unintentionally in its new iOS 27 developer beta.

Code found within the new iOS 27 beta appears to confirm the long-awaited foldable iPhone.

The foldable iPhone, which has been called iPhone Fold but may end up officially going by the name iPhone Ultra, seems to be referenced in iOS 27 code, according to developer Sam Henri Gold.

iOS 27's framework has new parameters that mention “foldState” and “angleDegrees.” These references were not in previous versions of iOS, and seem like pretty straightforward references to a foldable device.

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"foldState" directly references a foldable device and “angleDegrees" can refer to the angle at which the foldable iPhone is opened at.

Gold posted his findings on the social media platform X. The developer also found that the new iOS 27 beta checks the device to get the total number of built-in displays. 

Every single iPhone that has ever been released up to this point has a grand total of one built-in display. If Apple is adding this to the latest iOS, that's yet another sign pointing to a new foldable device with more than one display. Based on early leaks and dummy units, the foldable iPhone will feature a large foldable display as well as an outer display that can be used when the device is closed.

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After the iOS 27 developer beta went live, it didn't take long for the tech world to find other indirect references to the foldable. Journalist Mark Gurman and tech creator Marques Brownlee both shared these hints with their followers on social media, with Gurman noting, "LOL could they be any more blatant?"

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Rumors and reports have strongly pointed to a September announcement and end-of-year release date for Apple's foldable iPhone. However, Apple has not yet officially announced the device. These findings within the code of the iOS 27 beta are the strongest direct indication yet that it exists and that Apple is indeed planning to drop a foldable iPhone sometime in the very near future.

An orange and blue fever has been spreading through the city of New York, as hometown team the Knicks compete in the NBA finals for the first time in 27 years.

Donning jerseys and custom airbrushed Knicks merch bought outside their local corner store, residents have been flooding the streets, jumping on top of taxis, and partying in subway cars like they've already won.

SEE ALSO: The Mashable 101: The creators defining the internet in 2026

All in all, New Yorkers are getting hot, so what better way to starve out the fever than with the shocking ice bath that was President Donald Trump's arrival at Madison Square Garden (MSG), in attendance for what would become a devastating third match-up for the Knicks against the Spurs.

After the Knicks' Game 2 win, the nation's leader announced he would be the first sitting president to attend an NBA finals game, prompting online derision and city-wide concern that the unfavorable leader would bring bad luck to the famed arena. And, if you're a superstitious sports fan or prone to making connections with the universe, they may have been correct.

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Ahead of the game, U.S. Secret Service barricaded sidewalks around the venue and cancelled a public watch party being held that night outside MSG. In response, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was in attendance for the game, coordinated a separate viewing event at Manhattan's Bryant Park. Users online began preparing themselves for his appearance, including a viral tutorial on how to properly boo the President, with the caption "How to ward off the curse coming for the Knicks in game 3 of the finals."

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So as the national anthem ushered in the start of the game and cameras panned to Trump in his private box, the crowd was ready and loud. Even the Brant Park watch party attendees joined in the chorus, which ricocheted across the city. But it wasn't enough to fend off the Spurs, who would go on to win the match up in a nail-biting game.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Speaking to reporters outside of Air Force One that night, Trump said, "I mean, I thought it was amazing, actually. You mean when they had the camera on me? I thought it was very good. Yeah. It was certainly amazing. It was, I think, mostly cheers. It was loud and it was very enthusiastic."

Trump has previously criticized the league for its "liberal" player politics, and continued the sentiment in his Game 3 comments: "It tends to be a little left wing, but it’s great entertainment. It’s great."

Samsung's next big device announcement isn't until July, but to tide us over, there's a leak about an upcoming device that might have flown under your radar until now.

9to5Google spotted a Wireless Power Consortium listing for the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE (or Fan Edition), a new lower-priced version of the S26 that launched earlier this year. (Although, in the age of RAMageddon, lower-priced may be relative.) The listing contained an image that has seemingly since been removed, but persists on social media. In the image, you can get an idea of what the phone will look like when it launches sometime later this year.

Take a closer look at the camera bump.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Health app gets big refresh ahead of Galaxy Watch 9 release This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

If you've ever seen a Samsung phone before, it doesn't look too surprising. As 9to5Google pointed out, the camera bump has shifted a bit to be closer to the device's top left corner, so that's one change to note. As for other information, the listing doesn't contain much. A recent leak indicated the phone will use an Exynos 2500 chip rather than the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip powering the regular S26, to go along with 8GB of RAM in the S26 FE, as opposed to 12GB in the S26.

In other words, it will probably be a slightly downgraded device with some flagship flair and (hopefully) a reasonable price tag.

Anthropic has released Claude Fable 5, a publicly available version of its powerful but previously restricted Mythos model — complete with a new set of safety guardrails designed to keep its most dangerous capabilities out of the wrong hands. Along with this "safe for general use" model, Anthropic also released Claude Mythos 5, a version of Fable without the safety guardrails, to trusted testing partners.

Earlier this year, Anthropic announced a limited launch of Claude Mythos, a new model with advanced cybersecurity capabilities that Anthropic deemed too dangerous to release.

The company says Fable 5 is the most capable model it has ever made generally available, leading nearly all tested benchmarks across software engineering, knowledge work, vision, and scientific research. The more complex the task, Anthropic says, the wider Fable 5's edge over its previous models and competitors.

SEE ALSO: AI's ability to find major software bugs is growing 490% year on year

Fable 5 shares the same underlying architecture as Claude Mythos 5 — the restricted version shared with cybersecurity partners through Project Glasswing — but ships with classifiers that intercept sensitive queries and route them to Claude Opus 4.8 instead. The restricted categories include cybersecurity, biology, and chemistry, as well as attempts to distill the model's capabilities for use in competing systems.

Anthropic says fewer than five percent of sessions trigger a fallback, though it acknowledges the system is tuned conservatively and will occasionally flag benign requests.

How to try Claude Fable 5

Fable 5 is available today across all Claude plans and via the API using the model string claude-fable-5. It is priced at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens — less than half the cost of Claude Mythos Preview. Subscription plan users get access at no extra cost through June 22, after which usage credits will be required.

Benchmarks

In agentic coding evaluations, Fable 5 outpaced GPT-5.5 and Claude Opus 4.8 by significant margins, according to Anthropic. The company's data shows that it even outperforms Claude Mythos on some key benchmarks.

Credit: Anthropic

In a blog post, Anthropic wrote that fintech company Stripe, which had early access to Fable 5, reported that the model completed a full migration of a 50-million-line Ruby codebase in a single day. Anthropic estimated that this work would have taken a full engineering team more than two months.

Fable 5, Mythos 5, and safety

The safety story here is genuinely complicated. Anthropic spent months warning that Mythos-class models were too dangerous for general release. As recently as May, the company publicly acknowledged that adequate safeguards didn't yet exist, per prior Mashable reporting.

Fable 5 is its answer to that problem, but the company's own disclosures suggest the solution is still a work in progress. An external bug bounty ran more than 1,000 hours of testing without producing a universal jailbreak — but the UK AI Safety Institute made early inroads toward one in a brief initial window. Anthropic frames that as acceptable risk. Others may disagree.

The Fable 5 system card states that the model has similar performance to Claude Opus 4.8 and other recent models on misaligned behaviors such as hallucination, dishonesty, and sycophancy.

NASA has named four astronauts to the next Artemis mission that will practice new maneuvers in space — crucial demonstrations of hardware intended to return humans to the moon's surface.

U.S. astronauts Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, and Commander Randy Bresnik will lead the Artemis III mission, along with European Space Agency pilot Luca Parmitano. The mission is expected to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, as early as mid-2027. 

Just since February, NASA has rebuilt the Artemis III mission plan from the ground up, after a sharp course change in the moon program early this year. The space agency, under NASA administrator Jared Isaacman, now treats the flight as a fast‑tracked test in Earth orbit, rather than the United States' triumphant return to the lunar surface.

The revamped mission serves as a high-stakes dress rehearsal that aims to prove NASA and its partners can connect the Orion spacecraft and landers together in space. For the first time, NASA will coordinate a launch campaign involving multiple spacecraft. This one mission, expected to last about two weeks, will involve three separate rocket launches, two dockings in orbit, and one high-speed splashdown. 

"Think about how many spacecraft, all of which will eventually carry human beings, will be in orbit at the same time, from Dragon, Shenzhou, Soyuz, possibly Starliner, Starship, and Blue Origin landers," said Isaacman during a news conference in Houston on Tuesday. "This seems like the beginning of the future that we imagined as children. This seems like the very beginning of Earth's first Starfleet to me." 

SEE ALSO: The Milky Way's black hole may have formed this curious tunnel in space

Artemis II, which successfully looped around the moon this spring with a crew, checked out Orion's life‑support systems, navigation, and heat shield in deep space. 

But Artemis III shifts the focus from the lunar environment to space much closer to home. The new concept involves NASA launching four astronauts from Florida on the Space Launch System rocket, sending them into low-Earth orbit and having Orion dock with new commercially built landing vehicles from SpaceX and Blue Origin. Those landers will eventually function as taxis: They will carry crews down to the moon from Orion on later missions.

From left, Andre Douglas, European Space Agency pilot Luca Parmitano, Commander Randy Bresnik, and Frank Rubio will fly the Artemis III mission. Credit: NASA / Bill Stafford

Despite a massive setback for Blue Origin on May 28, NASA said both commercial partners will be part of the Artemis III mission. Blue Origin's 322-foot New Glenn rocket exploded in a fireball during a routine ground test. While the explosion ranked as one of the largest rocket test accidents in U.S. history, all personnel were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported. 

But because the launchpad was completely destroyed, many speculated as to whether the company would be able to participate in the Artemis III orbital tests immediately after the disaster. 

"We recognize there are questions about how Blue Origin's recent anomaly impacts our plans," said Jeremy Parsons, Artemis' program manager. "NASA is stepping in and bringing all of our expertise and capabilities to bear. We are working hand-in-hand with them to meet our commitments to return our nation to the moon."

During Artemis III, engineers plan to run joint checks on air, power, propulsion, and communications, and study how the crew moves and works between vehicles. The flight will keep astronauts inside Orion longer than Artemis II, stress-test its life‑support systems more, try out new moon spacesuits, and use an upgraded heat shield on the capsule. 

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The overhaul responds to two key pressures: time and complexity. Isaacman has previously argued that the agency spent years and large sums on overly ambitious plans, allowing China, a major rival, to close the gap in deep space. China may land its first crewed mission on the moon before the United States does with the Artemis program. 

NASA now wants a simpler, repeatable setup for the mega moon rocket and spacecraft, with a more frequent launch tempo. The entire sequence of Artemis flights are intended as a step-by-step approach to make progress without undertaking too many uncertain risks. 

"There are many parts that need to come together for a space launch, and you need a launch pad, and for me that launch pad is my country, Italy," Parmitano said. "The rocket, figuratively and literally, is NASA. I'm grateful that NASA has allowed me to be part of this incredible group of people, of this crew, and for letting me fly."   

Artemis III Commander Randy Bresnik speaks at the crew announcement event at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston on June 9, 2026. Credit: Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP / Getty Images

Under the new plan, Artemis IV becomes the moon-landing mission, sending the first humans to the lunar south pole in 2028. Artemis V follows as a second surface mission that leans more toward routine stays and early moon-base construction. 

To support that shift, NASA has pressed SpaceX and Blue Origin to simplify their early lander flights, choose less demanding lunar orbits for the first landings, and fly at least one uncrewed touchdown before any astronaut steps onto the surface.        

As a symbolic gesture, Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman gave a baton to Artemis III Commander Bresnik at the announcement event. 

"While this may look like just a baton right now that's in my hand, it feels like this big, flaming Olympic torch that you — Reid, Christina, Victor, and Jeremy — lit, and the world was entranced by its flame," Bresnik said. "We, the Artemis III crew, are honored to be able to carry this torch forward, to be able to execute our mission, to make that flame burn brighter and pass it on." 

"The odds of being swallowed alive by a whale are not zero." This is the tagline from the movie I've been giddy about since I first discovered its logline while writing our 2026 movie preview.

As I wrote then, "OK. So of all the film movie plotlines I've researched in writing this list, this is my favorite for the sheer WTF of it all: Based on the novel by Daniel Kraus, Whalefall centers on a scuba diver (Austin Abrams) who is seeking his father's remains in the ocean when he is swallowed by a sperm whale, giving him only an hour to escape or die. See what I mean? If you want to add Kraus' novel to your library queue, join the club."

Now, 20th Century Studios has given us the first look at Whalefall. Directed by Brian Duffield (Spontaneous, No One will Save Us), this thriller had me at "swallowed by a whale." I love the ocean. I also fear it, some say because I saw Jaws too young. After so much watching of shark movies, I didn't know there could be new fears to unlock in the depths. But this trailer has done exactly that!

I'm seated, in 4DX. How about you?

Whalefall opens in 4DX and other large format theaters on Oct. 16.

Apple is finally giving iPhone users the ability to adjust their ringtone, alarm, and alert volumes independently — a feature Android has offered for years, according to Android Authority.

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For users with access to the iOS 27 developer beta, the controls live in Settings > Sounds & Haptics, where users can also toggle "Match Ringtone Volume" to unlock separate sliders for alarms and system alerts. Android Authority notes that the alarm slider won't affect the Wake-Up alarm, which is managed separately through Bedtime settings. Users who prefer a single unified slider can keep the toggle on.

SEE ALSO: Siri Mode coming to the iPhone Camera app

The addition is a small but meaningful quality-of-life improvement that iPhone users have wanted for years, and one that arrives quietly. Apple made no mention of it during Monday's WWDC 26 keynote, which was dominated by the unveiling of Siri AI, sweeping Apple Intelligence updates across core apps, and a revamped Photos AI editing suite.

iOS 27 is currently available to developers for testing, with a public beta expected next month. The full release is slated for this fall and will be compatible with devices as far back as the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE (2nd generation), though some AI features will be limited to newer phones.

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OpenAI has officially filed for an IPO, setting the stage for a blockbuster year of IPOs, as both SpaceX and Anthropic are also going public

On Monday, OpenAI published a statement on its website announcing that it had confidentially filed for an initial public offering, or IPO, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

"We recently submitted a confidential S-1," OpenAI said. "We expect it to leak so we’re just announcing it."

OpenAI did not share any specific details regarding the terms or size of the IPO. However, the company did explicitly address the timing of the IPO, in that there is no timeline for when OpenAI plans to go public.

"We have not decided on timing yet; it may be a while because there are things we want to do that are likely easier as a private company," reads OpenAI's statement. "But it’s a complicated set of tradeoffs and this gives us the option to go public sooner if that ends up being best."

While the company isn't sharing much, it's been previously reported by Reuters that OpenAI is eyeing an IPO as early as September at a valuation of $1 trillion.

While OpenAI may be seen as the AI industry leader, one of its biggest competitors, Anthropic, beat the company to the punch with its own IPO plans. Anthropic announced last week that it filed to go public with the SEC. Like OpenAI, Anthropic has not yet shared any details regarding share price or timing.

Anthropic's own IPO filing statement came just days after the company announced a fundraising round that valued the company at $965 billion, more than OpenAI's $852 billion. Anthropic also shared revenue numbers that surpassed OpenAI's reported revenue.

OpenAI and Anthropic are far and away the most valuable privately held AI companies in the world, along with xAI, which recently merged with SpaceX. However, once OpenAI and Anthropic go public, they will find themselves multiple trillions of dollars behind tech giants within the AI industry like Nvidia, Google, and Microsoft.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Early Prime Day outdoor deals at a glance: Best portable power station deal Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 $799.99 at Amazon (save $699.01) Get Deal Best cooler deal Coleman Classic Cooler (100-quart, twilight) $87.99 at Amazon (save $22) Get Deal Best solar lights deal Govee Outdoor Solar String Lights (33 feet) $79.99 at Amazon (save $20) Get Deal Best robot lawn mower deal Ecovacs Goat 01000 RTK $699 (save $300.01) Get Deal Best outdoor speaker deal JBL Charge 6 $159.99 at Amazon (save $39.96) Get Deal Best fire pit deal Solo Stove Mesa XL $81.99 (save $18) Get Deal Best campsite deal Yellow Leaf Hammocks Adventure Parachute $39 at Amazon (save $13 with on-page coupon) Get Deal Best outdoor grill deal Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL Outdoor Grill and Smoker $399.99 at Amazon (save $100) Get Deal Best mosquito repellent deal Thermacell E-Series Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller $43.99 (save $11) Get Deal

Welcome to the season of summer fun. The scheudle is getting crowded with camping, trips to the lake, barbecues, the neighborhood block party, and the kids heading off to summer camp. If you recently went through your outdoor gear and noticed some items should head to the garbage, it's time for a refresh.

Like every year, Amazon Prime Day is an ideal opportunity to snag fresh outdoor gear. Plus, moving Prime Day to the end of June this year means we'll have even more time to enjoy the new gear before the weather turns cold.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's early Prime Day deals include some great options for Father's Day

Prime Day doesn't kick off until June 23, but Amazon already has excellent options for outdoorsy folks. Snag some early deals and you can browse the sale with your feet kicked up on a new cooler in the backyard while playing tunes on your new outdoor speaker and admiring your new backyard solar lights.

Here are the best early Prime Day outdoor deals to shop today.

Best portable power station deal Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Solix Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 $799.99 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $699.01   Get Deal Why we like it

After testing dozens of portable power stations, the Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 is the model I take on every camping trip. I like to slightly overestimate my power needs while camping (what if I decide to stay an extra night?), so I prefer the 2,048Wh offered by the C2000 Gen 2.

Anker made this as lightweight as possible and despite landing in 2k Wh category, it only weighs about 42 pounds. That'll be a manageable weight for camping trips where the campsite is near the car. It's also perfect for powering up the outdoor projector in the backyard for movie nights this summer.

The best early Prime Day deals under $100 Best Tech Deal Under $100 Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones $87.95 (Save $92.04) Get Deal Best Kitchen Deal Under $100 Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6QT ClearCook Air Fryer $89.99 (Save $50) Get Deal Best Home Deal Under $100 Bissell Little Green Mini Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner $86.65 (Save $13.34) Get Deal

There are already plenty of reasons to start shopping at Amazon, thanks to a slew of early Prime Day deals rolling out ahead of the main event. Plenty of categories are seeing fantastic markdowns and some real steals, and we've been keeping a close watch on the biggest standouts. The official Prime Day kickoff is just a couple of weeks away, so consider this your head start to get shopping.

A surprising number of these early deals are clocking in at just under $100. Items like these Sony WH-CH720N headphones, for example, are an absolute must for under $100, as are many of the other gems we've uncovered thus far. You'll also find deals on kitchen appliances, home and cleaning goods, and more.

Keep scrolling to have a look through the best early Prime Day deals under $100 on Amazon right now.

Best tech deal under $100 Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Sony WH-CH720N Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones $179.99 at Amazon
  Get Deal Why we like it

These excellent over-ear headphones are one of our favorite pairs thanks to their near-flagship sound quality, impressive noise cancellation, and lengthy battery life. Not only do they sound fantastic when you're listening to your favorite album, but they're comfortable, lightweight (despite not being foldable) and perfect for taking all your calls and meetings as well. If you're looking to invest in great headphones that take you from morning check-ins at work to bopping to all your playlists at night, these are a steal for under $100.

Best kitchen deal under $100 Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6QT ClearCook Air Fryer $89.99 at Amazon
$139.99 Save $50.00   Get Deal Why we like it

This air fryer will quickly become a staple in your kitchen, especially since it's efficient, preheats quickly, and has plenty of room in its 6-quart basket to cook a meal for the entire family. It can get dinner out on the table in record time, save you money and time, and provide a bit of a healthier way to cook some of your favorite dishes. And with its six unique cooking functions, you can do everything from air fry to roast, with a visible window that lets you check on the food without having to open the basket and let the heat out.

Best home deal under $100 Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Bissell Little Green Mini Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner $86.65 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $13.34   Get Deal Why we like it

This lightweight portable carpet and upholstery cleaner can go anywhere you do. It's perfect for handling tough stains on everything from your carpets to your couches and all those stubborn places in between, including your car. Its 4-inch Tough Stain Tool is perfect for handling even the most frustrating, ground-in messes, and if you have pets, it's essentially a godsend for making it look like, to the outside world, they don't exist. And with its small size, it's easily stored until you need it again.

More deals under $100

• Keurig K-Iced Coffee Maker — $85 $129.99 (save $44.99)

• Hydro Flask water bottle — $35 $37 (save $2)

• Ember Smart Mug — $84.47 $129.95 (save $45.48)

• Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go — $23.99 $34.99 (save $11)

• JBL Go 3 — $29.95 $39.95 (save $10)

• Anker Soundcore 2 — $29.99 $44.99 (save $15)

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• TempPro digital meat thermometer — $9.99 $19.99 (save $10)

• Indoor Garden hydroponics growing system — $56.99 $59.99 (save $3)

• Google TV Streamer — $79.99 $99.99 (save $20)

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• KitchenAid Go Cordless Food Chopper — $79.99 $89.99 (save $10)

Steven Spielberg is likely the most iconic American filmmaker living today. He's gifted audiences with the Indiana Jones movies, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jaws, and Jurassic Park. Now, with Disclosure Day, he may have made his most Spielberg movie yet — yes, even more Spielberg than his thinly veiled autobiography The Fabelmans. 

With Disclosure Day, I experienced the distinctive thrill of watching a master filmmaker do what he does best. The film, which focuses on a band of people's struggle to release secret information about extraterrestrial contact on Earth, is a dizzying mix of action, humor, adventure, sci-fi, and wonder. Naturally, I laughed, cried, and gasped. But more than that, Disclosure Day made me feel like I better understand the whole of Spielberg's work, and him as a person. 

SEE ALSO: 2026 Summer movie preview: Every film you need to know about now What's Disclosure Day about?  Josh O'Connor plays mathematician Daniel Kellner. Credit: Niko Tavernise / Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

The answer might sound dry: a power struggle at a military-industrial corporation called Wardex risks exposing the truth about extraterrestrial life to the wide world, which is on the brink of nuclear war (again). However, in the hands of Spielberg and screenwriter David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Death Becomes Her, Presence) this is not a dry tale of corporate espionage and stiff whistleblowers. For one thing, it begins with us, their audience, getting stomped in the face. 

Disclosure Day unexpectedly opens in the middle of a vicious grudge match between two bulky pro-wrestlers. And the POV-shot that kicks things off is under the foot of one as he trounces on the face of another. From the start, Disclosure Day is about conflict.

However, as the view of this arena pulls back — exiting the thrashed fighter's perspective — we see our hero in the stands. A meek figure sitting among roaring fans, American mathematician Daniel Kellner (Challengers' Josh O'Connor) is silent and stressed. 

Colin Firth is Wardex head Noah Scanlon. Credit: Niko Tavernise/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

Swiftly, Disclosure Day reveals he's on the run from Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth) the head of Wardex, because Daniel's backpack contains 78 years of documentation of UFO sightings, alien crash landings, and testing on live survivors. He and a small group of defectors led by a dashing Colman Domingo, wish to reveal this news to the world, believing that the truth is our right. But Scanlon and his army of gun-toting minions believe the world can't handle the truth. 

Into this struggle, others will be pulled in, by fate or chance. Daniel's Catholic girlfriend Jane (a wide-eyed Eve Hewson) is used as an emotional pawn by Scanlon, forcing the couple to go to unusual lengths to ensure their safety. Meanwhile, far off in Kansas City, Missouri, a weather presenter named Margaret Fairchild (a multi-faceted Emily Blunt) has begun speaking in other languages and psychically understanding those around her, all because a bird flew into her exposed-brick loft apartment. Her musician boyfriend Jackson (Thunderbolts*' Wyatt Russell) is understandably perplexed. Especially as she insists — in an urgent whisper — they must evade the men in suits who claim they're from the FBI. 

In a rollicking road trip full of action set pieces, sci-fi spookiness, and deeply humane bits of comedy, Margaret and Daniel will come together and fight for not just the future of humanity, but also humanity's understanding of the universe.

Disclosure Day is about the battle between fear and empathy.  Daniel (Josh O'Connor) and Margaret (Emily Blunt) are on the side of empathy. Credit: Niko Tavernise / Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

Snarling and deeply British, Firth feels almost a vintage villain, dusted off from so many '80s action movies. Cheers to the actor best-known for romances like Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones's Diary, and Love Actually, he's pretty damn intimidating as a man who has little faith in mankind. In sneering speeches, Scanlon demands that Daniel understand that people are ruled by fear. Secrets are essential to maintaining societal peace. 

Other arguments are offered across Disclosure Day about why humans might not be ready to understand we're not the center of the universe or even God's creation. But Koepp's dialogue — always rooted in a place of earnest understanding — pushes back with compassion. Daniel, Margaret, and their band of rebels believe in empathy over fear. 

And through this lens, every character's motivations become clear. And frankly, a clear distinction across heroes and villains in Spielberg's filmography. Villains choose fear; heroes choose empathy. In Disclosure Day, Scanlon fears a world where he cannot be in control, in this case of the secrets of the universe. He argues that others will fear these aliens, who do not look like us or speak our language. But their first message to us? "Don't be afraid of what you don't know." 

Emily Blunt plays weather reporter Margaret Fairchild. Credit: Niko Tavernise / Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

This becomes the plea of Disclosure Day. Not just as we consider what could (and likely does) exist beyond our planet, but in how we consider each other. Empathy is presented not just as a virtue but also as a crucial tool of evolution. If we can overcome our own fears and dare to empathize with those we don't see as like us, what might we achieve? 

The final act explores this in a way that bristled with my suspension of disbelief. Bear with me.

Featured Video For You Andrew Scott and Brendan Fraser talk 'Pressure' and competency porn Disclosure Day offers out-of-this-world spectacle and one of the most thrilling action sequences of 2026.  Steven Spielberg embraces action here. Credit: Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

Disclosure Day functions like a companion piece to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Like Spielberg's 1977 film, the story of alien life's existence focuses on how two average white Americans, one male and one female, comprehend it. But more importantly, the production design and creature design of that classic film carry over here, suggesting a narrative continuum without any characters in common. 

What sets Disclosure Day apart is that Spielberg embraces action here. While Daniel and Margaret aren't soldiers, they face off against plenty. That means car chase scenes, fleeing gunfire, stand-offs over alien tech, and one particular chase scene involving a train. The latter was so tense I held my breath, only letting it out to scream in excitement. 

All of this to say, Spielberg had me deeply hooked. I believed in this world, and in these people. In particular because Disclosure Day — in its runtime of two hours and 25 minutes — remembers to take time to establish its heroes through simple, almost mundane actions. In Jaws, it's the scene where Chief Brody plays a simple game of mimicry with his young son over the dinner table. We understand him not as some invincible action star, but a dad who has to do something outrageously risky to protect his family and his home. 

Steven Spielberg on the set of "Disclosure Day." Credit: Niko Tavernise / Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

In Disclosure Day, this scene is about smashing a cellphone for security. It's a trope in a bunch of espionage movies, typically executed with a casualness that befits a smooth secret agent. But when Margaret gets a call from a stranger who warns her to destroy her cell, she reacts to it with the expertise of a weather reporter. She tosses her phone out the window and directs her baffled boyfriend (Russell is hilarious in this role) to run it over. He tries and fails, leading to some couples bickering that is relatable, but also brilliantly funny because they are fumbling their escape in this awkwardness! 

Which brings me back to the film's final act. Like with Jaws, I wanted to be so hooked by Spielberg's storytelling that I never questioned if a shark even can be blown up that way. But the final act of Disclosure Day isn't asking me to excuse movie science silliness. It's asking me to trust that in a time of crisis, humanity will choose empathy over fear. And while I relished watching Margaret and Daniel's collaboration toward their hard-fought disclosure day, I realized to my own ache that my suspension of disbelief rattled because I don't trust that things would play out as they did. I wish I did. I wish life were like a Spielberg movie. 

On its surface, Disclosure Day is about aliens. But beneath that, it's about us — or more specifically, how Spielberg sees humanity itself. And while he has more faith in us than I do, I hope he's right. 

Disclosure Day opens in theaters June 12.