Sports, Entertainment & Culture — June 30, 2026

Grizzlies trade Ja Morant to Portland. Memphis sends two-time All-Star Morant to the Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, ending his contested tenure as NBA free agency opens.

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Bill Maher wins Mark Twain Prize at Kennedy Center. Maher received American humor’s top honor Sunday at a ceremony where a tarp still covers the spot where Trump’s name was forcibly removed from the building.

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Lauryn Hill honored with inaugural Living Legend Icon Award. SZA, Doechii, and Nas performed a tribute to Hill at the 2026 BET Awards, where she received the ceremony’s first-ever Living Legend Icon Award.

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Germany and Netherlands both eliminated in World Cup shootouts. Paraguay knocked out Germany on penalty kicks while Morocco beat the Netherlands 1-1 on pens Monday, the biggest upset day of the 2026 World Cup knockout round.

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Cape Verde’s World Cup run electrifies UK diaspora. Hard-fought draws against Spain and Uruguay have sparked unprecedented national pride among Cape Verdean communities in Britain, with fans describing the run as a once-in-a-generation moment.

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