What World Cup security means for privacy

Plus: 500 years ago, the first New Testament in English was published ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

US Edition - Today's top story: World Cup propels surveillance to new heights View in browser 30 June 2026 US Edition   Top headlines Supreme Court validates Fed independence – for now Fireworks and drought are a dangerous combo How Muslims contributed to the nation's founding Lead story We’ve all seen the vivid footage of small drones transforming warfare in recent years, so it’s easy to understand why people tasked with protecting huge open-air stadiums during the World Cup have contracted with companies that know how to protect fans from drone attacks. But this public-private partnership brings more than just a measure of safety for the soccer matches. The burgeoning security infrastructure, which includes increased use of facial recognition technology in and around the stadiums, raises concerns about privacy. And it raises the question of what happens to all that high-tech apparatus when the games are done. Penn State privacy and surveillance expert Anne Toomey McKenna explains how advances in technology and changes in U.S. law and policy put fans, travelers and people in host cities under the watchful eye of a sprawling surveillance system. One final note: Our fiscal year wraps up today, and we’re still a bit short of our fundraising goal. Please help us enter the next year on a solid footing. As we approach America’s 250th birthday, we have a special gift for all our donors: an e-book bringing together some of our most interesting and informative articles on the meaning of the Revolution, then and now. Thank you in advance for your generosity.   Eric Smalley Science + Technology Editor   Under the watchful eye of surveillance cameras, fans leave after the France-Senegal World Cup match in East Rutherford, N.J., on June 16, 2026. AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey World Cup propels surveillance to new heights Anne Toomey McKenna, Penn State The World Cup is bringing visitors and AI-driven surveillance systems, but only one of those is certain to leave when the games are done. Economy + Business Federal Reserve independence secures an important, but not final, victory at US Supreme Court Elizabeth C. Tippett, University of Oregon The court’s narrow opinion backing Fed governor Lisa Cook against Trump referenced the Fed’s vital role in steering the US economy. Environment + Energy Fireworks, heat and drought put this July 4th at high risk for wildfires Lauren Lowman, Wake Forest University Every year, the number of human-caused fires spikes on July 4, and many of them are related to fireworks. When trees and grasses are dry and the temperature high, the risk rises even more. Research about global fishing shows value of detailed environmental data, which the Trump administration seeks to limit Mark Axelrod, Michigan State University Detailed data is useful for understanding and addressing environmental effects on people’s lives in ways that become difficult or impossible if only the broadest and blurriest picture is developed. Scientists find antidepressant in the brains of sharks off the coast of Rio de Janeiro Mariana Batha Alonso, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ); Leonardo Vazquez, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) Scientists have identified sertraline — the active ingredient in Zoloft and dozens of other antidepressants — in the brain tissue of hammerhead sharks caught off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. Ethics + Religion Muslims were part of America’s story long before the republic began Iqbal Akhtar, Florida International University Muslims were woven into both America’s founding population and its labor force, writes a scholar of Islam on the nation’s 250th anniversary. 500 years ago, the first New Testament in English was published – and stirred up a hornet’s nest Michael Bruening, Missouri University of Science and Technology William Tyndale’s translation, published in 1526, was based on a then-radical idea: Anyone should be able to read the Bible in their own language. Politics + Society How a tiny Caribbean island made American independence possible R. Grant Gilmore III, College of Charleston The American Revolution was won not just by ideals and armies, but by the strategic trade networks of a small Caribbean port. 💬 Comments open Science + Technology Supreme Court rules your cellphone location data is protected by the Fourth Amendment Anne Toomey McKenna, Penn State Geofencing warrants, which round up the location data of everyone in a specific place at a specific time, are now legally subject to Fourth Amendment protections. Female baboons keep family bonds strong: research reveals the benefits Joan Silk, Arizona State University Understanding how female baboons benefit from social bonds helps humans understand their own origins. 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