diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/NewsFeed.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/NewsFeed.svelte
index bc7d81d..a1c8318 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/NewsFeed.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/NewsFeed.svelte
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   import { track } from '$lib/analytics.js';
   import { pwa, installApp, dismissPwa } from '$lib/pwa.svelte.js';
   import { ritualState, markBriefSeen } from '$lib/ritual.js';
-  import { feedBase, parseView, viewUrl } from '$lib/feednav.js';
+  import { feedBase, defaultView, parseView, viewUrl } from '$lib/feednav.js';
 
   // Which top bar to wear: 'legacy' = the feed's own Header (the interim `/` mount, kept
   // unchanged), 'hub' = the shared editorial HubBar (the /news mount, part of the new family).
@@ -36,8 +36,18 @@
   // so `/` behaves exactly as today and `/news` is self-coherent. At cutover, `/` becomes
   // the hub and only `/news` renders the feed.
   function base() { return feedBase($page.url.pathname); }
-  function urlForView(key) { return viewUrl(base(), key); }
-  let selected = $derived(parseView($page.url));
+  function urlForView(key) { return viewUrl(base(), key, defaultView(base())); }
+  let selected = $derived(parseView($page.url, defaultView(feedBase($page.url.pathname))));
+  // Latest is local-first only on the frozen `/`; on /news it's the pure chronological
+  // firehose — the geo scope dial belongs to Highlights, not Latest (Codex).
+  let latestGeo = $derived(chrome !== 'hub');
+  // Back is for genuine drill-ins. On /news suppress it for the top-level lanes (Latest is
+  // the default there); on the frozen `/` keep the original "anything but Highlights" rule.
+  let showBack = $derived(
+    chrome === 'hub'
+      ? (selected.startsWith('tag:') || selected.startsWith('source:') || selected === 'search')
+      : selected !== 'today'
+  );
   let searchQuery = $derived(($page.url.searchParams.get('q') || '').trim());
   let searchOpen = $state(false);
   let searchText = $state('');
@@ -69,7 +79,7 @@
   // Scope dial: the reader's "emotional radius" — nearby | region | country | world.
   // Persisted; default nearby. 'world' = the global brief/feed (no geo lead).
   let homeScope = $state('nearby');
-  const homeActive = () => selected === 'latest' && !!homeValue;
+  const homeActive = () => latestGeo && selected === 'latest' && !!homeValue;
   let showSignIn = $state(false);
   let showSaved = $state(false); // Saved flyout
   let loading = $state(true);
@@ -299,8 +309,8 @@
     }
     if (key === 'latest') {
       const q = P.param(prefs.data);
-      // Closer to Home lives on the all-news browse lane (Latest).
-      const homeq = homeValue ? `&home=${encodeURIComponent(homeValue)}` : '';
+      // Closer to Home lives on Highlights now; Latest stays pure chronological on /news.
+      const homeq = latestGeo && homeValue ? `&home=${encodeURIComponent(homeValue)}` : '';
       return `/api/feed?sort=latest&limit=${PAGE}&offset=${offset}${homeq}${q ? '&' + q : ''}${exq}`;
     }
     if (key === 'following') {
@@ -338,7 +348,7 @@
   let appNavDepth = 0;
   function goBack() {
     if (appNavDepth > 0 && typeof history !== 'undefined') history.back();
-    else goto(urlForView('today')); // landed here directly → app-safe Highlights
+    else goto(urlForView(defaultView(base()))); // landed directly → the base's default view
   }
 
   // Load the data for a view. Called by afterNavigate (URL-driven: in-app goto,
@@ -359,7 +369,7 @@
         feed = items;
         feedNextOffset = resp.next_offset ?? null;
         // Home lane pages by the API's world cursor; other lanes by simple length.
-        feedDone = (key === 'latest' && homeValue) ? feedNextOffset == null : items.length < PAGE;
+        feedDone = (key === 'latest' && latestGeo && homeValue) ? feedNextOffset == null : items.length < PAGE;
         markDisplayed(feed);
         if (key.startsWith('source:') && items[0]) {
           sourceNames = { ...sourceNames, [key.slice(7)]: items[0].source };
@@ -687,11 +697,7 @@
               {isFollowing(followTarget.kind, followTarget.value) ? '✓ Following' : 'Follow ' + followTarget.noun}
             </button>
           {/if}
-          <!-- TODO(latest-default): once bare /news becomes Latest, suppress Back for BOTH
-               'latest' and 'today'; show it only for genuine drill-ins (tag/source/search),
-               or Back lands on the top-level Latest page. Don't change this until then —
-               it would alter the frozen `/` feed. -->
-          {#if selected !== 'today'}
+          {#if showBack}
             <button class="viewback" onclick={goBack} aria-label="Go back">
               <svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-hidden="true"><path d="M19 12H5M11 6l-6 6 6 6" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2.1" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/></svg>
               Back
@@ -807,7 +813,7 @@
           <p class="muted center pad">No highlights yet today — try a calmer filter, or check back soon.</p>
         {/if}
       {:else if feed.length}
-        {#if selected === 'latest'}
+        {#if selected === 'latest' && latestGeo}
           {#if homeEditing || (!homeValue && !homePromptDismissed)}
             <div class="homecard rise">
               <p class="homecopy">Want good news closer to home?</p>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/feednav.js b/frontend/src/lib/feednav.js
index 6b0da56..5b6c395 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/feednav.js
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/feednav.js
@@ -8,20 +8,32 @@ export function feedBase(pathname) {
   return (pathname || '').startsWith('/news') ? '/news' : '/';
 }
 
+// The default (bare-path) view per base: `/news` leads with Latest — the live, "as it
+// comes in" firehose — while the interim `/` keeps leading with Highlights (frozen). At
+// cutover `/` becomes the hub, so only the /news default remains.
+export function defaultView(base) {
+  return base === '/news' ? 'latest' : 'today';
+}
+
 // The current view key, derived from query params only (path-agnostic, so a deep link
-// works at either base): search > source > tag > explicit view > 'today' (Highlights).
-export function parseView(url) {
+// works at either base): search > source > tag > explicit view > the base's default.
+// 'highlights' is the canonical param for the Brief; 'today' stays accepted as an alias.
+export function parseView(url, def = 'today') {
   const p = url.searchParams;
   if ((p.get('q') || '').trim()) return 'search';
   if (p.get('source')) return 'source:' + p.get('source');
   if (p.get('tag')) return 'tag:' + p.get('tag');
-  return p.get('view') || 'today';
+  const v = p.get('view');
+  if (!v) return def;
+  if (v === 'highlights' || v === 'today') return 'today';  // Brief (alias-tolerant)
+  return v;
 }
 
-// A link to a view at the given base path. 'today' is the bare base; everything else
-// carries its query param so the same parseView() reads it back identically.
-export function viewUrl(base, key) {
-  if (key === 'today') return base;
+// A link to a view at the given base path. The base's default view is the bare path;
+// the Brief is canonically `?view=highlights`; everything else carries its own param.
+export function viewUrl(base, key, def = 'today') {
+  if (key === def) return base;
+  if (key === 'today') return base + '?view=highlights';
   if (key.startsWith('source:')) return base + '?source=' + encodeURIComponent(key.slice(7));
   if (key.startsWith('tag:')) return base + '?tag=' + encodeURIComponent(key.slice(4));
   return base + '?view=' + encodeURIComponent(key);
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/feednav.test.js b/frontend/src/lib/feednav.test.js
index 91f7826..4278fc6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/feednav.test.js
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/feednav.test.js
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
-import { feedBase, parseView, viewUrl } from './feednav.js';
+import { feedBase, defaultView, parseView, viewUrl } from './feednav.js';
 
-const view = (path) => parseView(new URL('https://x' + path));
+const view = (path, def) => parseView(new URL('https://x' + path), def);
 
 describe('feedBase', () => {
   it('is /news only under the /news path; everything else is /', () => {
     expect(feedBase('/news')).toBe('/news');
-    expect(feedBase('/news?view=latest')).toBe('/news');
+    expect(feedBase('/news?view=highlights')).toBe('/news');
     expect(feedBase('/')).toBe('/');
     expect(feedBase('/?view=latest')).toBe('/');
     expect(feedBase('')).toBe('/');
@@ -14,37 +14,55 @@ describe('feedBase', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('defaultView', () => {
+  it('/news leads with Latest; / (frozen) leads with Highlights', () => {
+    expect(defaultView('/news')).toBe('latest');
+    expect(defaultView('/')).toBe('today');
+  });
+});
+
 describe('parseView', () => {
-  it('derives the view from query params, path-agnostic', () => {
-    expect(view('/')).toBe('today');
-    expect(view('/news')).toBe('today');
-    expect(view('/?view=latest')).toBe('latest');
-    expect(view('/news?view=following')).toBe('following');
+  it('bare path resolves to the base default', () => {
+    expect(view('/')).toBe('today');              // / default (frozen)
+    expect(view('/news', 'latest')).toBe('latest'); // /news default = Latest
+  });
+  it('Brief is reachable via ?view=highlights, with ?view=today as an alias', () => {
+    expect(view('/news?view=highlights', 'latest')).toBe('today');
+    expect(view('/news?view=today', 'latest')).toBe('today');     // alias kept
+    expect(view('/?view=today')).toBe('today');
+  });
+  it('reads the standard views regardless of base', () => {
+    expect(view('/news?view=latest', 'latest')).toBe('latest');
+    expect(view('/?view=following')).toBe('following');
     expect(view('/?tag=clean-energy')).toBe('tag:clean-energy');
     expect(view('/?source=7')).toBe('source:7');
     expect(view('/?q=solar')).toBe('search');
   });
-  it('prioritizes search > source > tag > view', () => {
+  it('prioritizes search > source > tag > view, ignores whitespace q', () => {
     expect(view('/?q=a&source=7&tag=b&view=latest')).toBe('search');
     expect(view('/?source=7&tag=b&view=latest')).toBe('source:7');
     expect(view('/?tag=b&view=latest')).toBe('tag:b');
-    expect(view('/?q=%20')).toBe('today'); // whitespace-only q is not a search
+    expect(view('/?q=%20')).toBe('today');
   });
 });
 
 describe('viewUrl', () => {
-  it('builds base-relative links that parseView reads back identically', () => {
-    for (const base of ['/', '/news']) {
-      expect(viewUrl(base, 'today')).toBe(base);
-      expect(viewUrl(base, 'latest')).toBe(base + '?view=latest');
-      expect(viewUrl(base, 'tag:clean-energy')).toBe(base + '?tag=clean-energy');
-      expect(viewUrl(base, 'source:7')).toBe(base + '?source=7');
-      // round-trip: the generated URL resolves back to the same view key
-      expect(view(viewUrl(base, 'latest').replace(base, '/'))).toBe('latest');
-    }
+  it('the base default is the bare path; the Brief is ?view=highlights', () => {
+    // /news: Latest is the default (bare), Highlights is explicit
+    expect(viewUrl('/news', 'latest', 'latest')).toBe('/news');
+    expect(viewUrl('/news', 'today', 'latest')).toBe('/news?view=highlights');
+    expect(viewUrl('/news', 'following', 'latest')).toBe('/news?view=following');
+    // / (frozen): Highlights is the default (bare), Latest is explicit
+    expect(viewUrl('/', 'today', 'today')).toBe('/');
+    expect(viewUrl('/', 'latest', 'today')).toBe('/?view=latest');
+  });
+  it('round-trips: a generated link parses back to the same view', () => {
+    expect(view(viewUrl('/news', 'today', 'latest'), 'latest')).toBe('today');
+    expect(view(viewUrl('/news', 'latest', 'latest'), 'latest')).toBe('latest');
+    expect(view(viewUrl('/', 'latest', 'today').replace('/', '/'), 'today')).toBe('latest');
   });
   it('encodes tag/source/view values', () => {
-    expect(viewUrl('/news', 'tag:good news')).toBe('/news?tag=good%20news');
-    expect(viewUrl('/', 'view=a&b')).toBe('/?view=view%3Da%26b');
+    expect(viewUrl('/news', 'tag:good news', 'latest')).toBe('/news?tag=good%20news');
+    expect(viewUrl('/', 'source:42', 'today')).toBe('/?source=42');
   });
 });