The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love a good drink.Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media. SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for July 1, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:Yellow: Found on a mapGreen: Famous filmsBlue: Drink up!Purple: NationsMeet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet todayHere are today's Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:Yellow: Things named after placesGreen: Best Picture winners/nomineesBlue: Places in cocktail namesPurple: Starting with countriesLooking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.Drumroll, please!The solution to today's Connections #1116 is...What is the answer to Connections todayThings named after places: CHAMPAGNE, CHINA, COLOGNE, LIMERICKBest Picture winners/nominees: CASABLANCA, CHICAGO, FARGO, MUNICHPlaces in cocktail names: CUBA, LONG ISLAND, MOSCOW, SINGAPOREStarting with countries: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, GUINEA-BISSAU, INDIANAPOLIS, NIGERIADon't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 1, 2026 Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

New Microsoft research shows how attackers can hijack AI agents that act on a user's behalf, using nothing more than a poisoned tool description to make the agent quietly hand over company data to an outsider. The trick is that the agent never breaks a rule. Every step looks routine, so in a default setup no alarm may fire. The work comes from Microsoft Incident Response and its

Use This Visualization Ranked: Where It Costs the Most to Stay Cool in America See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources. Key Takeaways Arizona is projected to have the nation’s highest summer electricity bill at $1,060, more than double the lowest-cost states. The average U.S. household is expected to spend $792 on electricity between June and September, nearly 40% more than in 2020. Connecticut ranks second despite its milder climate, showing how high electricity prices can rival heat as a driver of summer bills. Keeping cool is becoming significantly more expensive for American households. Rising electricity prices and hotter summers are pushing cooling costs higher, with projected household electricity bills varying by more than twofold across the country. This visualization ranks projected summer electricity bills in every U.S. state using estimates from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), based on Energy Information Administration electricity prices and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration temperature forecasts. Summer Electricity Costs by State Projected summer electricity bills range from $488 to $1,060 across the country: RankState or DistrictEstimated Average Electric BillJun–Sep 2026 1Arizona$1,060 2Connecticut$994 3Texas$936 4Florida$935 5New Jersey$915 6Alabama$911 7Georgia$891 8Maryland$886 9Massachusetts$882 10South Carolina$839 11Mississippi$834 12Louisiana$833 13California$828 14Missouri$803 15Virginia$798 16Delaware$789 17Oklahoma$786 18Tennessee$779 19New York$777 20Rhode Island$772 21Indiana$769 22Pennsylvania$749 23Ohio$745 24District of Columbia$725 25North Carolina$723 26West Virginia$718 27Arkansas$716 28New Hampshire$710 29Kentucky$708 30Nevada$705 31Illinois$687 32Kansas$687 33Michigan$655 34Maine$610 35Utah$609 36Iowa$601 37Colorado$592 38Nebraska$587 39New Mexico$584 40Wisconsin$580 41Vermont$579 42South Dakota$578 43Oregon$572 44Minnesota$556 45Idaho$512 46Montana$500 47Wyoming$491 48North Dakota$488 49Washington$488 --Alaskan/a --Hawaiin/a -- U.S. Average$792 Arizona tops the ranking due to its hotter temperatures. But Connecticut ranks a close second, at $994, despite far milder summers, making it one of the most notable outliers in the ranking. Why Connecticut Costs Almost as Much as Arizona Summer electricity bills depend on two factors: how much cooling households need and how much electricity costs where they live. Arizona, Texas, and Florida rank among the most expensive states because air conditioners run for much of the summer. Connecticut, meanwhile, reaches nearly the same cost despite milder temperatures, showing how local electricity markets can be just as important as cooling demand. At the other end of the ranking, Washington and North Dakota are projected to spend just $488 between June and September. Lower cooling demand and electricity costs help keep their summer bills less than half of Arizona’s total. Why Summer Electricity Bills Keep Rising Higher bills reflect both rising electricity prices and greater cooling demand. Utilities are facing growing infrastructure costs, while hotter summers are increasing air conditioning use. Together, those trends are making cooling a larger share of household budgets. The Growing Cost of Staying Cool For many households, summer electricity bills are becoming a larger affordability challenge. Today, roughly one in six U.S. households is behind on utility bills, with total utility debt projected to reach $23 billion this year. As heat waves become more frequent and electricity prices remain elevated, where Americans live increasingly shapes the cost of staying cool. Learn More on the Voronoi App To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the annual cost of living in every state.