Those who make Brazil’s most famous liquor cachaça (kah-SHAH-sah) are hoping the World Cup is the tipping point that finally popularizes the spirit around the world. The sugar cane-based liquor is the main ingredient in the country’s national cocktail, the caipirinha (kigh-puh-REEN-ya). The Wall Street Journal says cachaça makers are hoping that tourists and fans who sample the drink ask for it when they get back home, that is, if they can pronounce it.

If you’re watching today’s USA/Germany World Cup match, you don’t want to be doing math to figure out whether the US will advance depending on what happens in their game and the simultaneous Portugal/Ghana game. So the New York Times’ Upshot column broke down 984 scenarios in which the US could advance to the round of 16 and put them into a handy interactive table.

In a New York Times Op-Ed piece, Linda Greenhouse writes of the Supreme Court’s 9-0 decision in favor of cellphone privacy. She says in cases involving technology, “the court seems free of ideological baggage and is trying hard, collectively, to get it right.” She says the big difference in this case as opposed to other search and seizure cases is that Supreme Court Justices have cellphones too, and they could just as easily be searched by law enforcement.

Is Aereo dead? Not necessarily. The New York Post says the decision by the Supreme Court that the digital antenna and cloud-based DVR violated broadcast networks copyrights left open the possibility of a tweak that could keep the service going. If the service were to shift from offering live viewing to “time shifted” viewing, it would seemingly be protected by a 1984 decision in the Betamax case that found such time shifting to be legal.

ABC made big news when it announced David Muir would replace Diane Sawyer as host of World News. But perhaps more important, was the announcement that George Stephanopoulos, not Muir, would be the network’s “chief anchor” to be relied upon in the event of breaking news and major political coverage. USA Today’s Gary Levin says it marks the first time that someone other than the evening news anchor will be the main face of a network news team. Levin says it’s the strongest signal yet that the flagship evening newscast is no longer the most important.

Call it destiny. A 31-year-old Denver woman named Amelia Earhart is preparing to recreate the around-the-world flight attempted by the famous, yet unrelated, female pilot in 1937. She’ll be bringing along photos of the parents who named her Amelia, hoping to give her a name no one would forget. The Kansas City Star says Earhart quit her job as a traffic reporter in March to prepare for the flight which she will make with her co-pilot Shane Jordan.

A bitter battle over a law banning livestock from a tiny Nebraska town has threatened to wipe the town off the map. Residents there, so upset over the law, voted by one vote to dissolve the town altogether. On the surface, the story of Seneca, Nebraska is very much a local interest piece. But if you dig a little deeper, Matthew Hansen of the Omaha World-Herald says the story of Seneca really is a microcosm of the worst of modern-day America. Hansen says we live in a world where “winning an empty argument always trumps the harder labor of searching for common ground.”

Chinese recycling tycoon Chen Guangbiao is planning to treat 1000 homeless New Yorkers to lunch in the swanky Central Park Boathouse restaurant. After lunch, he’ll hand each attendee $300 in cash. He says he wants to inspire others and prove that Chinese people are generous. But not everyone wants his money. The New York Post caught Guangbiao trying to hand a $100 bill to a homeless man who brushed him off. The South China Morning Post says Guangbiao is also known for his habit of singing “We Are the World” which he plans to do at his series of free lunches. VIDEO

Restroom hand dryers have come a long way in recent years, but many people still prefer the old fashioned paper towel. The Wall Street Journal says dryer manufacturers aren’t giving up. The new generation of hand dryers promises to be more efficient and cleaner. One company describes the sensation as a “fresh breeze off the ocean.”

It was just like the old days for a few hours yesterday. If you wanted to talk to a colleague, you had to pick up the phone - or actually get up and walk over to them. The Washington Post says a widespread outage of Microsoft’s email service meant workers throughout North America who rely on Outlook had no access to their email.

There’s an oft-cited statistic that 100 million Americans (or about 40% of the adult population) suffer from severe chronic pain. But according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, experts say that figure is exaggerated and misleading. The paper found that of the 19 members of the Congressional panel that came up with the statistic, 9 had close ties to the narcotic drug industry. Experts say in reality, only about 20% to 25% of adults are substantially impaired by chronic pain and only half of them can’t work because of it.

Even with rising tuition costs and falling wages, data suggest college graduates will go on to earn far more over their lifetime than a worker with only a high school diploma. USA Today says the main reason is that average wages for those without college degrees have fallen as well. Over the past 40 years, those with a bachelor’s degree generally earned 56% more than high school graduates.

Robert Morris University in Chicago is looking for recruits for a new slate of athletic scholarships - aimed at gamers. The Chicago Tribune says the school will hand out 30 athletic scholarships to students who play the game “League of Legends.” The school’s associate athletic director says the game, while not physical, is like a sport in that you need to work as a team and know your role. Some students will receive scholarships worth about $19,000 — half the cost of Robert Morris’ tuition and room and board.

One of soccer’s oddities came back to bite the United States in its 2-2 draw with Portugal on Sunday - stoppage time. In soccer, the game is over when the referee decides it is. At the end of each 45 minute half, the referee adds on an amount of time he or she feels will account for time lost to substitutions, injuries, goals and other delays. The New York Times says people in the soccer community have mixed feelings over whether this setup is part of the charm or in need of more clarification.

Looks like your mom was on to something when she told you to “sit up straight.” The Wall Street Journal says evidence is mounting that good posture contributes to a host of health benefits, from reducing back and joint pain to boosting one’s mood. Doctors say many people develop poor posture sitting in front of a computer and carry over that posture while standing and walking.

If you think you’re being asked to fill out more and more surveys - you’re right. The Boston Globe says the best known online survey platform, SurveyMonkey, is now processing survey responses at the rate of 2.2 million per day, up from 1 million a day in January 2013. Experts say companies want to get real-time feedback quickly, before negative reviews can spring up on social media. The surveys actually serve a dual purpose; to see how a company is doing and to gather information that might help draw more customers.

You don’t need an antenna to enjoy your favorite reruns these days. The Orange County Register says a few changes in technology have led to an explosion of classic television series’ being rerun on cable and through streaming video services. And it’s not just older viewers tuning in - Antenna TV says a good segment of its audience is in its 30s and 40s.

New York Daily News music critic Jim Farber says more Caucasian artists have risen to prominence in the past year than ever before - helping to transform the rap genre. From Grammy winners Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, to breakout star Iggy Azalea, industry experts say whiteness has become an advantage. Some observers wonder if rap will end up like rock and the blues, started by blacks but eventually dominated by whites.

Gluten-free products are everywhere. An estimated one-third of Americans are trying to avoid the element found in grain. But is going gluten-free actually good for you? The Wall Street Journal says many health experts believe there are no proven benefits to a gluten-free diet, unless you’re one of a small percentage of people whose bodies can’t process the protein. In fact, many gluten-free foods contain fewer vitamins, less fiber and more sugar.

Horseback riding skills were once a key part of the U.S. military. Now, USA Today says the military is placing a new emphasis on horsemanship. Horses are still seen as an effective way to move through the battlefield in certain situations. So troops, usually Army Special Forces soldiers, are being taught how to control, care for and load horses.

A Texas man has a new prosthetic hand, thanks to some local high school students studying advanced engineering. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram says the students designed and built the prosthetic hand using a 3-D printer and instructions from the internet about creating low-cost prosthetics. The hand cost the students less than $50 in materials.

Suitors are lining up for a piece of Vice Media, with Disney, 21st Century Fox and Time Warner all clamoring for a piece of the company and its young audience. The New York Times says Vice could be valued at anywhere from $1.5 to $2.5 billion. Although Vice has only produced 11 hours of television programming, the company wants its own TV network, a movie deal and the maximum price for investors.

Rail cars have been a key mode of transportation for automobile makers since the 1950s. But when Ford started producing its Transit cargo van, the company soon realized it had a problem. The van is 110 inches tall, but each level of the standard, double-decker auto transport rail car is only 90 inches. The Detroit News says Ford has modified hundreds of rail cars to keep shipments of the Transit van running smoothly.

Rest stops are plentiful along the New Jersey Turnpike. Long before the highway was built - the Cedar Bridge Tavern welcomed travelers. It was a popular rest stop in the 1700s. The Newark Star-Ledger says Monmouth University students are spending the summer conducting an archaeological dig at the site. They’ve turned up relics from those early travelers - and from Native Americans who frequented the area even before the tavern was built.

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk announced his company is suspending enforcement of its patents to encourage new electric car development. Musk says he’s frustrated more car companies haven’t been able to develop better electric cars. The longest range Tesla Model S gets about 300 miles per charge while most other current electric vehicles get around 100 miles per charge. USA Today says one reason for the unusual move is that Tesla is building a new battery plant and is likely looking for other customers.

In a city known for its architecture, Donald Trump’s 96-story Trump International Hotel along the Chicago River is not winning over many people - mostly because of the giant, “TRUMP” sign being put on it. The Chicago Tribune says the sign, while ugly, does follow Chicago’s rules and will likely stay. In an editorial, the paper says the scaffolding being used to erect the sign is attractive by comparison. The paper says it’s a shame because the building really is beautiful, but its sign strips away the building’s elegance.

The Washington Post says that in just 48 hours, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has become the front-runner in the race to replace Eric Cantor as Majority Leader. McCarthy is only in his fourth term, but fellow members of Congress says McCarthy is a master of relationships who has worked hard to reach out to members of the Republican party.

Teen smoking is on the decline. Just 15.7% of U.S. high school teenagers were smokers in 2013 - that’s down from 27.5% when officials began tracking teen smoking rates in 1991 and down from a peak of 36.4% in 1997. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey also finds teens are drinking less alcohol and fewer sodas, getting into fewer physical fights and having less sex with more birth control.

A group of high school softball players in upstate New York learned a valuable lesson when after years of playing on a substandard field, they sued their school district in federal court - and won. The Buffalo News says the Batavia High School players were upset that the boys varsity baseball team played in a local minor league stadium, while their softball field had fallen into disrepair. The district has settled and agreed to make $175,000 worth of improvements.

There’s a persistent rumor that Apple will eliminate the iPhone headphone jack, instead insisting that manufacturers go to Bluetooth or a headphone that plugs into the lightning charge port. The New York Daily News says that rumor has some Apple fans fuming, especially those who own headphones costing hundreds of dollars that would seemingly be incompatible with an iPhone 6. Removing a headphone jack would free up space for a bigger battery, more processing power or a better camera.

While most of our appliances have become energy efficient in recent years, most clothing dryers have not. A new report finds Americans waste $4 billion annually in energy costs by using inefficient dryers. USA Today says electric dryers typically use as much energy as an efficient new refrigerator, clothes washer and dishwasher combined. Regulators have mostly ignored the dryer in requiring energy efficiency upgrades since the 1970s.

Pollster Frank Luntz pens an Op-Ed in the New York Times explaining why no one predicted Rep. Eric Cantor’s stunning loss in the Republican primary. Cantor’s pollster predicted a 34-point lead 12 days before the election, yet Cantor lost by 11 points. Luntz says polls are only one part of the equation. Qualitative analysis, such as talking to voters to gauge their mood is just as important.

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s own writings reveal a portrait of a troubled man who struggled to maintain his mental stability - from the time he began basic training until the day he walked off his base in Afghanistan in 2009. Bergdahl’s close friend shared the contents of his journals, a laptop and other personal effects with the Washington Post because she said she’s concerned with how her friend is being portrayed.

The Wall Street Journal says restaurants are pulling out all the stops to encourage diners to make 5:30 reservations, luring people in with sophisticated menus and online booking specials. Some say restaurants are more accommodating in the early evening. 5:30 seatings put restaurants at an advantage as well, helping the staff to essentially warm-up before being slammed by the 7 o’clock dinner rush.

I wonder if he’ll get a tip. Silicon Valley billionaire Scott McNealy is set to caddy for his son, an amateur golfer playing in this week’s U.S. Open. The San Jose Mercury News says the Sun Microsystems co-founder will lug his son Maverick’s clubs around the Pinehurst Resort & Country Club. Scott McNealy taught his son to play golf at an early age by having him aim for a lawn sprinkler in the backyard.

Give me a hug. That’s the greeting preferred by more and more young guys, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. One researcher says the rise in male hugging can be directly tied to a decrease in homophobia. While more younger guys are embracing the embrace, the paper says it does trigger more awkward moments between millennials and older men who are more used to handshakes.

The New York Times says House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s shocking loss to a Tea Party candidate in a Republican primary will likely pull the entire Republican party to the right and could doom any ambitious legislation, perhaps through the next Presidential election. The Times says Conservatives who have fueled showdowns on issues like immigration and raising the federal debt ceiling are likely to be emboldened by Cantor’s defeat. House leadership positions may now go to Republicans from solidly red states, not swing states like Speaker John Boehner’s Ohio and Cantor’s Virginia.

A judge’s ruling that California’s contract with teachers violates the state’s constitutional guarantee to an equitable education is likely to set off teacher tenure battles across the nation. In the Los Angeles Times, education professor Jack Schneider writes that the judge’s ruling will do nothing to solve the problem of teacher inequality. Schneider argues that veteran teachers stall out not because they have tenure, but because they lack guidance and support.

Visitors to Brazil for the World Cup won’t have to go far to see the economic inequality in Rio de Janeiro. USA Today’s Alan Gomez writes about visiting the biggest slum in Brazil. He says it’s separated from the high-priced hotels of São Conrado by only a four-lane road. I was there in April and saw first hand how sharp the contrast is between the haves and the have-nots in Rio.

Think you’re safe by only telling your child half of the truth? Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found that kids are quite good at figuring out if they’re not getting the whole story - and will learn not to trust the information that person gives them. The Los Angeles Times says the lesson to adults is clear: Watch what you say to kids because they’re always evaluating you.

With demand for so-called 450 square foot micro-apartments expected to rise, General Electric set out to build an entire kitchen that could fit inside a 6-foot long chest of drawers. The Wall Street Journal says GE was able to cram 8 appliances, including two ovens, a sink, a dishwasher and two cooling drawers into the space. GE plans to share the designs with the public, looking for suggestions on how to improve them.

The Washington Post says this time of year, companies that work to scrub your online reputation see a surge in business, as new graduates look for help before they enter the workforce. But the companies will tell you that none of what they do is all that complicated. One important tip: If there is something bad about you out there, stop searching for it, otherwise Google will think it’s important and will include it in more results.

The Washington Post dives into the physics behind the new soccer ball that will debut at the World Cup. The Adidas Brazuca ball takes the place of the Jabulani ball, which was introduced for the 2010 World Cup and was generally panned by the players for not having a true flight. Engineers believe they’ve fixed that by adding polyurethane nubs to the surface of the Brazuca.

A curious thing happened during Sunday’s Miss USA pageant. Miss Indiana, Mekayla Diehl, stole the show and drew national attention for being a “normal” size. Although she wasn’t in the top 10, social media sites lit up with praise for Diehl for not being super skinny. Diehl says she’s ok with being “normal” since it’s better than “being weird.”

Season 3 of Duck Dynasty was a massive ratings success. But by the most recent season 5, its ratings had plunged. Orange County Register television critic, Michael Hewitt says Duck Dynasty may be the latest show to enjoy brief moments of popularity before fading fast, including “Laugh In,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Twin Peaks,” and “Deal or No Deal.”

While many people were skeptical about the $18 billion valuation for the taxi-summoning app company, Uber, the New York Times’ Andrew Ross Sorkin says it’s worth doing the math to see if it might be right. Sorkin says the taxi industry is so huge, that if Uber were to control a quarter of it, the company’s valuation would be right on, perhaps even a little low. The company also has great margins, since it doesn’t own the vehicles, only the technology.

When it comes to sunscreen, there are two different types: chemical and physical. The Wall Street Journal asks a dermatologist to weigh in on which type is best. Dr. Craig Burkhart says he prefers physical blockers because they tend to last longer, but they also can feel greasy. Burkhart says the best sunblock is whatever kind people will use.

A new report finds focusing more on a plant-based diet could be key to cutting your risk of cancer. Americans are being advised to avoid dairy, reduce alcohol consumption, lay off red meat and double their intake of fruits and vegetables. The San Diego Union-Tribune says researchers used a concept called the precautionary principle which holds that actions shouldn’t be undertaken if their consequences aren’t fully understood. In this case, it’s not certain that particular foods cause cancer, but the evidence that they might leads scientists to recommend avoiding them.

The Denver Post marks the 50th anniversary this week of the first self-service gas station in Westminster, Colorado. The owner of the station, John Roscoe, found he could draw customers to the new experience by charging 2 to 3 cents per gallon below what the full service stations charged. It took a decade for full service gas to really catch on - and even today, customers in Oregon and New Jersey are still banned from pumping their own gas.

USA Today gives us five reasons the stock market is shining brightly. Among them: The momentum stock selloff didn’t extend to blue chips, the U.S. economy bounced back nicely after a rough winter and the U.S. and European central banks did their parts by keeping interest rates low.

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl has refused to speak with his family since being freed after five years in captivity, according to the Wall Street Journal. This as the debate surrounding his capture and release rages on. The Journal says doctors are moving slowly in light of the controversy, which is complicating an already difficult recovery process.

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a fruit-infused peanut flour that could reduce deadly allergic reactions to peanuts and provide a safer ingredient for immunotherapy treatments for children. The Charlotte Observer says researchers have discovered that certain compounds make peanut flour more hypoallergenic by hiding or changing the allergy-causing proteins. One nonprofit says the number of children with peanut allergies has tripled between 1997 and 2008.

As the World Cup arrives, the New York Times takes a look at Brazil’s other favorite sport, Futevolei. It’s a variation on beach volleyball, where players are not permitted to use their hands. The game started on the beaches of Copacabana in the 1960s. The most dramatic maneuver is the “shark attack” which is like a spike in traditional volleyball, except it’s done with the foot.

On the 70th anniversary of D-Day, 90-year-old Leo Scheer looks back at the invasions in the Washington Post. He says he’s eternally grateful that he survived. He still remembers the feelings of guilt he had when he was sent back to England and out of harm’s way three weeks later.

The reviews are strong for “The Fault in Our Stars,” a film based on the young-adult novel, in which two teenagers with cancer fall in love. The New York Times’ A.O. Scott says the film sets out to make you cry - and succeeds. Scott says the film is a tragic love story and also a perfect and irresistible fantasy.

Tetris, the game where players stack blocks of seven different shapes, has turned 30 years old. Invented by a Soviet scientist in 1984, it exploded in popularity when it was developed for the Nintendo Gameboy in 1989. In the San Francisco Chronicle, Peter Hartlaub calls Tetris “the greatest and most influential time suck of my generation.”

Anyone who’s ever watched Ichiro Suzuki warm up before a baseball game has seen him perform a variety of trick catches. While fans cheer and teammates call him a show off - the Wall Street Journal says it’s actually part of an elaborate training ritual. Ichiro believes that to be an outstanding fielder, you have to be able to catch a ball without seeing it - so his trick catches are actually helping to train his brain.

Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald says Cleveland’s sports teams need to start winning if they want to get public support in the form of tax revenues. The Cleveland Plain Dealer says FitzGerald is proposing a “Win Tax” which would award 20% of the city’s “Sin Tax” revenues to Cleveland’s sports franchises based in part by how well they play. Cleveland’s pro sports teams have gone 50 years without a championship, the longest drought of any American city.

USA Today says for the last month, members of the U.S. World Cup team have had their sleep patterns analyzed. Players wear wristbands that detect their sleep and wake periods, and characterize the quantity and quality of their sleep. The coaching staff can use the data to make decisions about training, travel and rest to help limit fatigue.