Sports, Entertainment & Culture — July 13, 2026

World Cup exceeds U.S. expectations. The 2026 tournament is delivering record television ratings and strong attendance, outpacing pre-tournament projections of American hosting capacity and fan interest.

Axios reports the tournament's appeal extends beyond viewership figures, citing on-field theatrics and a race among the sport's biggest stars for what the outlet calls soccer immortality. According to the report, the event's performance so far has answered skeptics who doubted whether the United States could adequately stage the competition or generate sufficient domestic enthusiasm for the sport.

Axios · Read more →

Live-action 'Moana' opens soft. Disney's remake topped the North American box office but failed to make a big splash. The soft opening puts new pressure on the studio's live-action remake strategy.

AP News · Read more →

Alabama Shakes return after 11 years. The band announced 'I Must Be Dreaming,' their first new album in 11 years. It arrives August 28.

Pitchfork · Read more →

Madonna tops the charts again. 'Confessions II' gives her a 10th Number One album, making her the first artist of the 2020s to score chart-toppers in four different decades.

Rolling Stone · Read more →

Sam Neill dies at 78. The 'Jurassic Park' and 'The Piano' actor died in Sydney on Monday, his family said, calling the death 'sudden and unexpected' after his apparent recovery from cancer.

AP News · Read more →