Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🏥 Medicare embraces GLP-1s
• 🧑‍⚖️ Major Supreme Court decisions
• 💵 Do you tip more or less than average?

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.27-minute read (1,136 words).

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In yesterday’s DONUT Holes, we mixed up the month in which SpaceX will be included in the Nasdaq-100 stock index; the Elon Musk-led company is set to be added after-market on July 6. Apologies for any confusion.

"Success is built sequentially. It's one thing at a time."

–Gary W. Keller (b.1957)

Uncle Sam is celebrating his 250th birthday like many larger families do: with fireworks, a cookout, and a few unresolved disagreements at the table.

Just over half of Americans (53%) say they’re "extremely" or "very" proud to be an American, according to Gallup polling published yesterday. That’s the lowest share since the polling org first started asking that question in 2001.

• National pride reached a high mark of 92% shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and remained above 80% as recently as a decade ago.
• But since 2013, that figure has gradually declined to its current 53% level.

A major political divide

Over the 25 years of Gallup polling, Republicans have been far more likely than Democrats and independents to say they’re “extremely” proud to be American—even during President Joe Biden's administration. Meanwhile, Democrats’ and Independents’ levels have decreased significantly.

• The percentage of Democrats “extremely” proud to be American fell from 54% to 14% between 2001-26, while the rate among Independents dipped from 46% to 28%.
• Both declines first began around 2013, and accelerated around 2016.
• Over the same period, the percentage of Republicans “extremely” proud to be an American rose from 64% to 70%, with a 10+-point resurgence in the past two years.

But…Despite the overall negative trend, about 7 in 10 Americans still believe the US has had a great deal (20%) or fair amount (49%) of success in achieving the ideals it was founded on, a level that’s held relatively steady since Gallup first asked this question 50 years ago.

Looking ahead…Celebrations are planned across the country this week in honor of America’s semiquincentennial. Washington D.C. has been holding festivities for weeks ahead of July 4, including the Great American State Fair. NYC is preparing for a New-Year’s-Eve-style ball drop on the 4th, while Los Angeles is expecting a crowd of up to 50,000 for its America250 concert hosted by Queen Latifah.

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Starting tomorrow, millions of Medicare beneficiaries will gain access to GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, in a rollout poised to give pharmacists more action than the bingo hall on jackpot night.

Medicare’s new GLP-1 Bridge program will allow patients who meet certain criteria to access blockbuster medications like Wegovy and Zepbound for $50/month beginning July 1, with doctors and pharmacists preparing for what could become one of the largest prescription drug rollouts in US history.

It’s a big deal for weight loss

Tomorrow’s rollout marks the first time Medicare will help pay for drugs prescribed solely for obesity, rather than limiting coverage to conditions like diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

• An estimated 3.8 million Medicare beneficiaries are projected to meet the coverage eligibility requirements, which include a minimum BMI of 27 alongside other conditions.
• Many such patients have been holding off on taking GLP-1 drugs thus far, with typical monthly costs ranging from $150-$450 without insurance.

But…there is a catch: Medicare’s pilot program is temporary and set to expire at the end of 2027. Unless the coverage is extended, millions of Medicare patients who are expected to lose weight from GLP-1s will have to choose between paying higher cash prices, or ending treatment―which, based on current research, would probably cause their weight to rebound.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📈 US stocks close up across the board, with the Dow finishing above 52,000 for the first time (S&P: +1.2% | Dow: +0.6% | Nasdaq: +2.1%).
• 📺📱 Comcast announces plans to split into two publicly traded companies via a tax-free spinoff of NBCUniversal and European entertainment giant Sky Group Limited; the company’s stock closes up 4.5%.
• 🚘 Waymo ends robotaxi pilot program with Uber in Phoenix, AZ; Waymo’s driverless vehicles will instead be repurposed to make autonomous deliveries with DoorDash.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• ⚽ World Cup: Brazil advances to the round-of-16 after beating Japan 2-1 on a stoppage-time goal; Paraguay advances after stunning Germany 1-1 on penalty kicks (4-3).
• 🦸 Supergirl reportedly on track to lose ~$125 million for DC Studios, based on projections of ~$190 million in total ticket sales; the Milly Alcock-led film earned $68 million globally in its debut last weekend.
• 🏀 Memphis Grizzlies reportedly trade G Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. | 🚨 Former NBA players Malik Beasley, Ed Davis, and an NBA agent among six defendants charged with alleged sports gambling scheme where Beasley agreed to manipulate his stats in at least four NBA games, per federal prosecutors.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🔬 Tiny Antarctic sea creature called a sea squirt could be key to treating melanoma, per researchers who found its bacterial toxins eliminated melanoma in mice.
• ⚖️ Trump admin proposes measure requiring hospitals to electronically record Medicare patients’ end-of-life preferences in their medical records beginning in 2028.
• 🪺 UC Berkeley scientist decodes zebra finch birdsongs, earning 2026 Coller-Dolittle prize (and $100,000); annual competition offers an overall $10 million grand prize for achieving two-way communication between humans and animals.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• ⚖️ Supreme Court delivers series of major decisions; they include rulings that mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day can still be counted if they arrive days late (5-4 ruling), that presidents can fire officials at independent agencies for any reason (6-3) except the Federal Reserve (5-4), and that police can’t use location data to identify people near crime scenes—aka geofence searches—without narrowly tailored warrants and probable cause (6-3).
• 🇻🇪 Nearly 50,000 people are still unaccounted for following last week’s devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, per an online platform tracking missing loved ones; Venezuela’s government has confirmed 1,450 deaths and 3,100+ injuries thus far.
• ⛪ San Francisco Archdiocese, a regional branch of the Roman Catholic Church, agrees to pay $395 million and implement new child protection and transparency reforms to settle 500+ childhood sexual abuse claims.

☝️ You’re looking at some of the winners from the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026 competition. The overall grand prize went to Australian photographer Matty Smith’s image of two southern elephant seal pups in an early encounter with the sea (top left).

🤔 Did you know? A 2017 study found mice who lost their sense of smell stayed much thinner while on the exact same high-fat diet as mice with normal smell. At the same time, mice with a boosted sense of smell became even fatter than the control group. Researchers say the results indicate the odor of food may play an important role in how the body deals with calories; if you can’t smell your food, your body may burn its calories rather than store them.

📰 Worth a read: How a master of deception conned investors out of $50 million—in his own words

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• The best albums of 2026 (so far)
• Do you tip more or less than the average person?
• Fully-stocked corner store is floating in Toronto's harbor

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Yesterday we covered how Chinese startup Zhipu AI has released a new AI model that can match Anthropic's flagship Mythos system—America’s top AI model—at finding software security bugs in certain benchmark tests, in another sign the technology gap between the two countries is shrinking.

❓ Our question to you: Should the US govt’t have fewer rules around AI to promote innovation and boost competitiveness globally, even if it carries increased risks? Or should the US have stricter rules to make AI safe and/or fair, even if it slows innovation and competitiveness globally?

• Stricter rules: 71%
• Fewer rules: 18%
• Unsure/other: 11%

Read some of the most thoughtful longform responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 465 votes and 41 longform responses.

❓ Trivia: How many signatures are on the Declaration of Independence?

🏔️ True or false?… Alaska’s state flag was designed by a 7th grader.

🤔 Riddle me this: What has 13 hearts but no other organs?

💸 Talk about good karma... When Honorata Jamrozik won the lottery, the first thing she bought wasn’t for herself at all. Instead, she gifted her neighbors of 14 years thousands of dollars to fund a long-awaited family vacation.

❓ Trivia: 56

🏔️ T/F: True, 13-year old Benny Benson

🤔 Riddle: A deck of cards

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