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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇨🇦 Trump floats “Lake America” as Canada trade fight escalates. President Trump says he is considering renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America” as the trade fight with Canada escalates. The idea would echo his 2025 executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. Trump tied the proposed name change directly to deteriorating commercial relations with Ontario. The province is Canada’s most populous and the center of its auto industry. Washington imposed 50% tariffs on about $20B of Canadian goods after negotiations collapsed. Canada is preparing retaliatory measures. Trump has also threatened new 50% tariffs on Canadian vehicles, auto parts, and steel. Prime Minister Mark Carney says American demands are aimed at weakening major Canadian industries. Trump has told Canadian leaders to “fall in line” or face harsher consequences. Carney has accused Washington of trying to subordinate Canada. The rhetoric now stretches beyond tariff schedules into national symbolism. The broader American-Canadian trade relationship relies on deeply integrated cross-border supply chains. Autos, energy, agriculture, and manufacturing depend heavily on that relationship. Businesses on both sides are already confronting uncertainty over future costs. Renaming the lake would not itself change tariff policy or commercial rules. It would, however, turn a geographic name into another marker of the political rupture. The dispute is increasingly about leverage, sovereignty, and the future terms of a relationship long treated as close.

🇹🇼 Taiwan charges nine over illegal AI server exports to China. Taiwanese prosecutors have charged nine people over the alleged illegal export of high-end AI servers to mainland China. The defendants include one Nvidia ($NVDA) employee and two former Super Micro Computer ($SMCI) employees. Prosecutors say the servers used Nvidia B300 graphics processing units that are barred from sale to China. High-end AI servers require strict export review because they contain advanced computing hardware. Purchases above eight servers also require company staff to conduct on-site customer checks. Investigators say 74 servers ultimately reached mainland China. Fifty allegedly traveled through Indonesia. Sixteen were delivered directly to China. Another eight went through Japan and Hong Kong before reaching the mainland. Prosecutors say a separate attempt involving 56 servers failed, leaving those machines in Taiwan. They are seeking maximum five-year sentences for four defendants. One is an Nvidia manager identified only by the surname Chang. Prosecutors describe Chang as a key figure who authorized release of the B300 units. Nvidia says it will work with Taiwanese authorities to resolve the allegations. Super Micro says the arrests of its former employees followed company cooperation with investigators. The case lands inside the widening technology rivalry between Washington and Beijing. Taiwan’s role as the center of advanced chip manufacturing makes enforcement there especially consequential.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🏛️ Mass visa revocation could target up to 200K foreigners. President Trump’s administration is preparing to revoke business and tourism visas held by as many as 200K foreigners who sought asylum in the United States. Officials say it would be the largest single mass visa revocation in American history. The plan targets B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026. B1 visas generally cover business travel. B2 visas cover tourism, family visits, and medical care. The State Department is coordinating the effort with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Spokesperson Tommy Pigott says officials are identifying people who entered as short-term visitors and later sought asylum. The exact number affected remains fluid. Revocation would not automatically mean immediate deportation. Many people with pending asylum cases would instead lose their status as business or tourism travelers. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau says asylum should not serve as a route around immigration rules. Current applicants are asked to affirm that they do not intend to seek asylum and plan to return home. The administration has already tightened visa screening through social-media checks, bonds, and nationality-based restrictions. The State Department has revoked about 175K visas over the past 18 months for other reasons. Those actions have included criminal allegations and some public opposition to American policies. The new move would dramatically expand that enforcement strategy. Legal challenges are expected if the mass revocation proceeds.

⚖️ Supreme Court opens path for Trump mail-voting restrictions. The Supreme Court has opened a path for President Trump’s administration to implement parts of his executive order restricting mail voting before the midterms. The justices did not decide whether the order itself is lawful. Instead, the conservative majority ruled that the states challenging it lacked standing. The March order calls for federal lists of eligible voters. It also directs the United States Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on those lists. New federal requirements would block ballot mailings from states that do not comply. Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia sued to stop the policy. They argue the Constitution gives states and Congress primary authority over elections. A Massachusetts judge had blocked the plan, and an appeals court upheld that decision. A separate nationwide injunction remains another obstacle. The administration is asking that judge to lift or suspend it after the Supreme Court ruling. The court cautioned that future implementation measures may still prove unlawful. Election administrators are already preparing ballots, including for military and overseas voters. Mail voting accounted for about 30% of ballots in the 2024 presidential election. A 2025 study found roughly four cases of fraud per 10M mail ballots. Trump has repeatedly questioned the method’s integrity without credible evidence of widespread fraud. The ruling therefore changes the legal terrain without settling how much of the policy can actually take effect before November.

🗂️ MISC

🛩️ UN and Red Cross renew “killer robot” warning. The United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are renewing calls for binding rules on autonomous weapons systems often called “killer robots.” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric say the risks have intensified. Their appeal stops short of demanding a blanket ban. Instead, they want bans and restrictions governing systems capable of selecting and attacking targets autonomously. The organizations say weapons technology is advancing faster than international regulation. They warn that autonomous targeting of people risks crossing a moral line. The push builds on an appeal first made three years ago. Governments have discussed autonomous weapons for years without agreeing on binding limits. Negotiators are scheduled to meet in Geneva in November under the Convention on Conventional Weapons. The United Nations and ICRC call that forum the clearest available route toward legal rules. They have not confirmed that fully autonomous lethal systems are already operating on battlefields. The technology surrounding them is nevertheless advancing rapidly. Drones are now central to conflicts including the war in Ukraine. Ground robots there already carry supplies and evacuate troops. Ukraine is also working to expand armed robotic systems as it tries to conserve infantry. Scientists and engineers developing autonomous systems have themselves called for safeguards. The institutions argue governments should act before battlefield deployment outruns the law. Their warning is that regulation becomes harder once machine targeting is normalized rather than hypothetical.

📈 Wall Street futures rise as oil falls nearly 3%. American stock futures pointed higher as investors balanced new pressure on Iran, an escalating Canada trade fight, and another pivotal week for AI stocks. Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) futures rose 0.4%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures also gained 0.4%. Nasdaq futures climbed 0.8%. Nvidia ($NVDA) shares rose less than 1% before the opening bell. The chipmaker is preparing to report quarterly results after a seven-session losing streak. Its earnings could reset sentiment across expensive AI-related stocks. Oil moved sharply in the opposite direction. Brent crude fell about 3% to $88.19 per barrel. American benchmark crude dropped about 3% to $82.36. The decline followed new sanctions on Iran and warnings against countries that continue trading with Tehran. Brent nevertheless remains well above its roughly $72 level before the Iran war began. European markets also advanced, with Germany, France, and Britain posting gains. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.5%. South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.7% as investors returned to technology shares. Bitcoin held near $79K after surging roughly 24% in one week. Investors are also awaiting consumer-confidence data and Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s Jackson Hole speech. Markets are rising for now, but geopolitics, trade policy, oil, and AI valuations are still capable of reversing that mood quickly.

👀 ICMYI

1. Secret Service is aware of an Iranian threat video targeting Barron Trump.

2. Israeli strikes violate Gaza ceasefire and kill four, including two children.

3. Syrian court sentences Assad-era Grand Mufti to life imprisonment.

4. Guide: how to reset children’s sleep schedules for the school year.

5. The No. 2 pencil endures as a classic American classroom staple.

6. Reopened Mexican cattle imports unlikely to cut US beef prices.

7. Louisiana girl dies from a rare brain-eating amoeba infection.

8. Florida feels the squeeze as Obamacare coverage grows costlier.

9. Peru imprisons four men for killing an Indigenous Amazon defender.

10. Climate change causes global ocean temperature to hit record high.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇮🇷 Iran’s rial falls past 2M to the dollar. Iran’s rial has fallen to a record 2.02M per dollar on the open market as Washington prepares another sanctions package. The official Central Bank rate remains around 1.5M rials per dollar. Most Iranians, however, rely on the weaker market rate. The currency was already under heavy pressure before American and Israeli forces attacked Iran on February 28th. Nearly six months of war have deepened that damage. Rice prices are up about 60% since the conflict began. Beef prices have risen more than 150%. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects Iran’s economy to contract by more than 5%. President Trump’s administration says new sanctions will include secondary penalties on countries that keep trading with Tehran. The United Arab Emirates has already suspended all trade with Iran. Iran still retains leverage through the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic through the waterway, which carried about one-fifth of globally traded oil before the war, remains near a halt. Tehran is demanding a role in controlling the strait and charging ships for passage. Iran and Oman are reportedly nearing an agreement on joint management. Pakistan has also sent a delegation to Tehran to discuss ending the war. For Iranians, each diplomatic delay now translates into a weaker currency and rapidly higher prices.

🇮🇩 Indonesia escalates fight against vast forest fires. Indonesia has intensified aerial and ground operations against forest and peatland fires burning across several provinces. The blazes are being fueled by a strengthening El Niño pattern and a prolonged dry season. Dense haze has spread across cities and into Malaysia and Brunei. President Prabowo Subianto visited fire-hit areas and pledged continued government support. Riau province alone has recorded more than 11,500 hectares burned. South Sumatra led the country with 1,429 identified hot spots. West Kalimantan recorded 1,226, while Central Kalimantan had 811. Nearly 94K hectares burned nationwide in July alone. More than 10,700 ground firefighters had been deployed by the weekend. Some hot spots remain inaccessible by land. The Transportation Ministry has authorized 35 foreign-registered aircraft for firefighting and patrol missions. Thirty helicopters are operating over Kalimantan and another 22 over Sumatra. Cloud seeding has also resumed. Plantation owners and farmers often use fire to clear land during Indonesia’s dry season. Authorities have recently arrested dozens of people suspected of starting blazes. Across the border, Malaysia’s Sarawak state has closed nearly 600 schools affecting about 200K students. The emergency turned Indonesia’s land-management problem into a regional public-health crisis.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🌲 Hawk Fire forces mass evacuations around Reno. The fast-moving Hawk Fire has burned more than 23 square miles around northwest Reno, Nevada, while shifting winds keep the blaze at zero containment. Authorities have ordered about 42K residents to evacuate immediately. Another 45K people are under evacuation warnings. At least six people have been injured, including three first responders. Officials say the fire was human-caused but have not said whether it was accidental or intentional. Flames have destroyed homes and jumped over fire trucks. The evacuation zone expanded to the edge of the University of Nevada, Reno. Two hospitals moved patients as the threat intensified. Governor Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency in Washoe County. He mobilized the Nevada National Guard, including two helicopter crews and 60 troops. More than 800 firefighting personnel are responding. Nearly 10K customers remained without power after outages had peaked around 60K. Portions of Route 395 were closed. Crews described extreme fire behavior as gusts pushed flames through dry brush. Nevada saw 15 new fires ignite in a single day. Months of dry weather and record-low western snowfall have left vegetation primed to burn. Residents have been warned they may need to stay away for several days as wind shifts continue to dictate the fire’s path.

⚓ Navy sailor’s father is detained before their reunion. Luis Manuel Aviles was waiting for his son to return from a long Navy deployment when Border Patrol agents arrested him in Key West, Florida. Aviles, 48, is a Nicaraguan immigrant who has lived in the United States for 19 years. His wife says he is a handyman with a work permit. His son, Joshua Aviles, is serving aboard the United States Ship (USS) Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East. Joshua had entered his ninth month at sea when his father was detained. He says he has worked 12-hour shifts for more than 250 days without a break. The Lincoln has set an American record for uninterrupted time at sea. President Trump’s administration has rolled back immigration protections for military families while expanding deportation enforcement. Dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty troops have been detained. At least six relatives have been deported and another self-deported. The Department of Homeland Security says Luis Aviles will remain in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody while authorities seek to deport him. The agency says military service by a relative does not exempt someone from immigration law. Joshua says he joined partly because he hoped service could improve his father’s path toward citizenship. His sister says the family had been counting down to Joshua’s return. The ship is expected to leave its Middle East deployment soon. The family now faces the possibility that Joshua will return without the father who was waiting to embrace him.

🗂️ MISC

🎓 Three-year bachelor’s degrees spread across America. Reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees designed to take three years are expanding rapidly as colleges test a cheaper alternative to the traditional four-year model. At least one college in 26 states now offers such a program. As of May, 119 reduced-credit programs had been publicly announced. Students can graduate with as few as 90 credits instead of the typical 120. Advocates say that can cut tuition and return students to the workforce sooner. The model is especially appealing to working adults and other nontraditional students. Ensign College in Utah has converted all of its bachelor’s degrees to the shorter structure. Private nonprofit institutions account for roughly three-quarters of the programs. Business, marketing, management, and computer-science degrees are among the easiest to compress. Engineering and teacher education are harder because of licensing and practical requirements. Accreditation changes beginning in 2023 made broader adoption possible. Tuition and fees averaged about $11,950 at public institutions and $45K at private nonprofits last school year before discounts. Student Gabriella Staten estimates her three-year digital-marketing degree will save at least $20K. Critics warn the programs could narrow learning, confuse employers, and complicate graduate-school admissions. Some graduate programs still expect the equivalent of a four-year degree. Professional licensing rules can also vary by state. Three-year degrees therefore offer a real affordability shortcut, but students are still buying a credential whose long-term market value is being tested in real time.

📉 World shares fall as bond pressure returns. Global markets moved mostly lower as investors confronted stubborn inflation, elevated Treasury yields, and uncertainty over energy supplies. German stocks slipped 0.1%. French stocks also lost 0.1%, while Britain’s benchmark edged 0.1% higher. Futures for the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) fell 0.2%. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures declined 0.1%. Japanese shares lost 0.7%. South Korean shares fell 3.1%. Hong Kong shares dropped 1.9%, while mainland Chinese stocks declined 0.6%. Australian shares rose 0.5%, bucking the broader trend. Bond markets remain the central source of pressure. The 10-year Treasury yield stood around 4.71% after reaching 4.73%, its highest level in more than a year. The 30-year yield remains near its highest level since 2007. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s plan to double long-term bond buybacks provided only temporary relief. Investors will next watch July personal consumption expenditures (PCE) inflation data. The Federal Reserve (Fed) prefers that measure and is still confronting inflation above 3% versus its 2% target. Brent crude fell 1.1% to $93.32 per barrel. American benchmark crude dropped 1.8% to $85.52. Markets enter the week caught between strong corporate profits and financing costs that remain stubbornly high.

👀 ICMYI

1. Enes Kanter Freedom is ejected after confronting Chicago Sky players.

2. Tropical Storm Moke threatens Hawaii with another round of heavy rain.

3. Erling Haaland cuts his trademark long hair for Manchester City’s season.

4. Former deputy Sean Grayson dies in prison after Sonya Massey conviction.

5. Celebrated actress and “Johnny Angel” singer Shelley Fabares dies at 82.

6. Uganda and Burundi discuss sending troops to Gaza occupation with Israel.

7. Preservationists work to save an American Revolutionary War witness tree.

8. American schools teach AI literacy by showing students where chatbots fail.

9. China postpones future Chang’e-7 lunar mission to search for moon ice.

10. Chinese workers adapt as AI anxiety spreads through the job market.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan votes as Tokayev consolidates power. Kazakhstan is voting in a parliamentary election expected to consolidate President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s hold on power. The pro-presidential Adilet party is widely expected to win an overwhelming majority. Several smaller parties loyal to Tokayev are also likely to enter parliament. The vote is the first for Kazakhstan’s new single-chamber legislature, called the Kurultai. Tokayev, 73, has led Central Asia’s largest country since 2019. The election follows a constitutional overhaul approved in a March referendum by 87% of voters. The changes merged parliament’s two chambers into one. They also expanded presidential appointment powers, subject to parliamentary approval, and restored the vice presidency. Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Court ruled last month the amendments reset the clock on Tokayev’s previous terms. That opens a path for him to seek another seven-year term. Tokayev says the changes will improve decision-making during global instability. He has also tried to balance ties with Russia and the West during the war in Ukraine. The election arrives as inflation reached 10.2% in February and tax increases fueled public frustration. Authorities remain wary of unrest like the deadly fuel-price protests of January 2022. Independent media have faced increasing pressure ahead of the vote. Authorities have opened roughly 10 criminal cases against journalists and popular bloggers. The ballot may reshape Kazakhstan’s institutions, but the political center remains firmly anchored around Tokayev.

🇯🇵 Takaichi says seclusion helps her govern Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says her increasingly secluded routine at the official residence is about efficiency, not withdrawal. Takaichi moved into the residence next to her Tokyo office in December. The brick-and-stone mansion opened in 1929 and once served as the prime minister’s office. Takaichi says living there eliminates her commute and lets her begin work immediately during emergencies. She has expanded office functions inside the residence. Staff meetings can take place there remotely or in person after normal working hours. She also brings government documents home to read. Takaichi has described the residence as another workplace. Her work habits have nevertheless become a political story. She recently said she sometimes sleeps zero to three hours a night while also managing household responsibilities. Critics say that example conflicts with Japan’s efforts to improve work-life balance and gender equality. Her approval ratings have also fallen as she pursues unpopular policies. Those include reinforcing male-only imperial succession while delaying measures aimed at rising prices. Media reports say she has reduced interactions with lawmakers and officials compared with predecessors. Takaichi often communicates policies through posts on X rather than press appearances. The residence carries its own folklore after two bloody coup attempts there in the 1930s. Takaichi says she has never seen its rumored ghosts, though cockroaches have made her scream. The seclusion debate now blends governing style, political communication, and Japan’s persistent culture of overwork.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🤰 Postpartum psychosis survivor shares a story of recovery. Postpartum psychosis is receiving renewed attention as a mother who survived the condition shares a recovery story alongside the Lindsay Clancy trial. Bridget María Chesterton, a 52-year-old history professor near Buffalo, developed the disorder after giving birth in January 2019. Her daughter arrived about two months early and spent weeks in neonatal intensive care. Chesterton initially appeared well after returning home. Her family then found her confused, unable to remember basic facts, and making statements that did not make sense. Postpartum psychosis is a rare but severe mental-health emergency. Researchers estimate it affects roughly one to two women per 1,000 births. Symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, agitation, disorganized thinking, and extreme mood changes. Most people who develop it do not harm their children. Severe cases can nevertheless create danger to the mother or baby. Chesterton spent about two weeks in psychiatric care, briefly returned home, and was hospitalized again when her condition worsened. She credits antipsychotic medication and extensive family support with helping her recover. Her husband, parents, and a postpartum doula helped care for her and her baby. Improvement came gradually over several months. Chesterton remained on antipsychotic medication for about a year. By her daughter’s first birthday, she says she felt back to normal. She is now speaking publicly to counter misconceptions and emphasize that early recognition, treatment, and support can lead to recovery.

⚖️ Texas judge denies Karmelo Anthony a new trial. A Texas judge has denied Karmelo Anthony’s request for a new trial in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet. Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder in June. He is serving a 35-year prison sentence for the April 2025 killing. Judge Michael Chitty rejected the motion after a two-day hearing in Collin County. His half-page order cited the evidence and arguments but offered no detailed explanation. Defense attorney Russell Wilson says Anthony will appeal. The retrial request centered partly on an off-the-record, so-called “gentlemen’s” agreement between prosecutors and the original defense team. Both sides had agreed to exclude damaging character evidence about Anthony and Metcalf. Defense lawyers said they feared prosecutors would abandon that agreement if Anthony testified. Anthony ultimately did not take the stand. His attorneys argued that the dispute changed their trial strategy at the last moment. They also challenged courtroom restrictions imposed by trial judge John Roach, who was removed from the posttrial proceedings after publicly expressing agreement with the jury’s verdict. Prosecutors maintain the trial was fair. Jurors rejected Anthony’s claim that he acted in self-defense. Witnesses testified that a dispute over seating under a team tent escalated before Metcalf pushed Anthony. Anthony then pulled a knife and stabbed Metcalf in the chest. For the time being, the conviction stands while the case advances further into the appellate process.

🗂️ MISC

🏦 Bitcoin surges more than 20% in one week. Bitcoin has gone from weeks of stagnation to a more than 20% weekly surge as bond-market intervention, a weaker dollar, and forced short covering converged. The cryptocurrency had traded mostly between $62K and $67K for weeks. Many investors bet that range would hold. The Treasury Department then announced plans to at least double purchases of longer-term government debt. Treasury yields fell after the announcement. The dollar also weakened. Bitcoin broke above $67K as investors moved toward alternative assets. The rally quickly became self-reinforcing. Traders who had bet against Bitcoin were forced to close bearish positions as prices rose. Closing those positions required buying Bitcoin. That additional demand pushed prices higher again. More than $4B in bearish crypto positions were liquidated by the end of the week, according to CoinGlass. President Trump also urged Congress to advance crypto-friendly legislation during a White House cryptocurrency conference. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Mike Selig pledged to use existing authority to advance the administration’s agenda. Other regulators have proposed rules intended to make capital raising easier for crypto companies and projects. Bitcoin’s jump therefore combined macroeconomic forces with a friendlier regulatory climate in Washington. The speed mattered as much as the direction. A market that had looked pinned below $67K suddenly became a squeeze in which rising prices created more buyers.

🦿 Chinese robots smash human sprint and jump records. Chinese humanoid robots posted headline-grabbing performances in sprinting and high jump as Beijing opened its second World Humanoid Robot Games. More than 2,000 humanoid robots are participating. The five-day event features 51 events and more than 1,000 competitions. Events include running, soccer, table tennis, weightlifting, and tug of war. Organizers say an X-Humanoid robot completed 100 meters in 9.39 seconds. That is faster than Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second human world record. Another X-Humanoid machine reached 2.88 meters in a standing high jump. Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor holds the human high-jump record at 2.45 meters. Before the opening, a robot from smartphone brand Honor completed a trial sprint in 9.32 seconds. Its peak speed reached 14.5 meters per second. The games are being held at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval from the 2022 Winter Olympics. They coincide with the 2026 World Robot Conference, where companies displayed around 3,000 products. China manufactures the majority of the world’s humanoid robots. American regulators have increased scrutiny of Chinese robotics over national-security concerns. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently barred imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots. The Pentagon has separately increased scrutiny of Chinese robotics firms over alleged military ties. Experts caution that humanoid robots remain concentrated in demonstrations, research, and limited deployments. The games nevertheless show how quickly performance benchmarks are moving in China’s robotics race.

👀 ICMYI

1. Gaza families scavenge trash for fuel to cook scarce meals.

2. Buc-ee’s faces backlash over an Ohio mini mart’s beaver logo.

3. Texas barbecue embraces Halal brisket, turkey, and lamb options.

4. Parents learn how to help kids build friendships at new schools.

5. Storm and operation names shape memory, warning, and meaning.

6. $15M grant funds cameras and robotics for commercial fishing.

7. Mobility tests help doctors spot weakness linked to aging decline.

8. Indonesia arrests 72 suspects as forest fires spread choking haze.

9. New disease-control director Erica Schwartz pledges to support staff.

10. Florida cities redesign for rising ocean levels and stronger storms.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇨🇦 Canada retaliates after trade talks collapse. Canada will impose dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs on American goods beginning September 8th after trade negotiations with Washington collapsed. The move answers 50% American tariffs on about $20B of Canadian products. President Trump’s new duties affect roughly 5% of what Canada ships south each year. Prime Minister Mark Carney says Ottawa will target steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics. Canada had offered to remove remaining countertariffs on steel, aluminum, and autos if Washington substantially lowered its own. It also offered to encourage provinces to restore sales of American alcohol. Carney says the final American demands went too far. Trump’s trade representative Jamieson Greer says Washington had offered relief on steel, autos, and lumber. No further negotiations are planned. The dispute now threatens the North American trade framework connecting Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The two countries exchanged about $880B in goods and services last year. Nearly 72% of Canadian goods exports went to the American market. About 330K people and $2B in goods cross the border each day. Carney says Canada no longer expects the relationship to return to its old form. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has backed retaliation tariff for tariff and dollar for dollar. The economic impact is concentrated in specific industries, but the political rupture is much broader. A dispute once framed as bargaining over sectoral tariffs has become a test of the durability of one of the world’s deepest commercial relationships.

🇸🇪 Swedish school sword attack kills 17-year-old girl. Swedish police say the student killed in a sword attack at Brinell School in Fagersta was a 17-year-old girl. An 18-year-old male student at the school is accused of carrying out the attack while classes were in session. Three other students were wounded. Two boys, ages 12 and 17, remain seriously injured. A third person under 18 suffered lighter injuries and has been discharged from a hospital. Police arrested the suspect and are investigating murder and attempted murder. Investigators say they have no reason to believe another attacker was involved. Officers fired shots during the response but did not hit the suspect. Police have searched two homes connected to the investigation. Authorities have not announced a possible motive. The attack prompted a regional state of emergency that has since ended. Around 70 people gathered at a municipal memorial with flowers and candles. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson visited Fagersta and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families. Opposition leader Magdalena Andersson joined him. Sweden’s political parties also suspended campaign activity as authorities investigated the violence. The country has faced several deadly school attacks in recent years, including its worst mass shooting in 2025. The latest attack has left Fagersta mourning one teenager while investigators work to explain why another student allegedly brought a sword into school.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🛂 Judge voids visa suspension covering 75 countries. A federal judge in New York has vacated a Trump administration policy that suspended immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries. The affected countries included Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and Somalia. President Trump’s administration had argued that applicants from those countries were more likely to require public assistance. United States District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled the policy contrary to law and beyond the State Department’s statutory authority. She said Secretary of State Marco Rubio could not categorically refuse visas to otherwise eligible applicants based on nationality. Vargas grounded the decision in the Immigration and Nationality Act. The law places individual visa determinations primarily with consular officers. The judge said the blanket suspension displaced that congressionally assigned discretion. Two nonprofit groups and 11 individuals challenged the policy. Six plaintiffs had family members whose visas were refused. Five others had filed employment-based petitions from outside the country. The State Department had tied the suspension to broader public-charge rules. Officials said more than 30% of immigrant households from the covered countries received some form of public assistance. The administration says stringent screening protects Americans and declined to comment on the pending litigation. The ruling does not eliminate consular review of applicants’ finances or eligibility. It instead rejects a nationality-wide stop on processing. The decision reopens a legal pathway for applicants whose cases had been frozen before an officer could make an individualized determination.

🏞️ Freedom 250 sidelines hundreds of park projects. National park maintenance projects across the country are being sidelined as President Trump’s Freedom 250 priorities move ahead. Internal documents show about 1,500 maintenance and operational projects were placed on a low-priority list. Almost all are expected to go undone this fiscal year. The projects span more than 200 sites and carry a combined estimated cost above $400M. They include roof repairs at Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Other items include computer upgrades at Katmai National Park and basic supply purchases at Yellowstone. The National Park Service (NPS) already faces a maintenance backlog above $24B. That backlog has doubled over the past decade as visitation increased. White House priorities tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary were placed on a separate track. Those include repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and other projects around Washington. Documents indicate at least $80M in White House priorities is moving forward. About $52M of that work has already been awarded. Interior Department officials say some low-priority items were initially misclassified and later corrected. The agency also says it continues to address deferred maintenance nationwide. Staffing has complicated the picture. The NPS has lost at least one-quarter of its permanent workforce during Trump’s second term. Its contracting capacity has also shrunk. The practical result is a national maintenance queue competing with a politically urgent anniversary agenda for fewer people, contracts, and dollars.

🗂️ MISC

🔐 TikTok settles children’s privacy case for $400M. TikTok has agreed to pay $400M to settle a federal lawsuit accusing it of violating children’s privacy laws. The 2024 case was brought by the Department of Justice (DOJ). TikTok will pay $300M immediately. Another $100M will follow after a court vacates an earlier consent decree involving predecessor app Musical.ly. The lawsuit focused on children under 13. Federal law requires kid-oriented apps and websites to obtain parental consent before collecting their personal information. Prosecutors alleged TikTok and China-based parent ByteDance collected such information without proper consent. They also alleged the companies failed to honor some parents’ requests to delete their children’s accounts. The government said TikTok sometimes kept accounts even when it knew they belonged to children under 13. TikTok did not immediately comment on the settlement. The company’s American business has changed substantially since the lawsuit was filed. Its American operations were reorganized this year into a joint venture backed by several major investors. The settlement arrives as regulators and courts intensify scrutiny of social platforms’ treatment of younger users. Meta is separately facing litigation over alleged harms to children. Several countries are also tightening age restrictions for social media. The $400M resolution closes this federal case but not the broader regulatory fight over how platforms identify, retain, and protect young users’ data.

📈 Inflation and confidence tests await Wall Street. Wall Street faces a concentrated set of economic tests as new reports on consumer confidence and inflation arrive next week. The Conference Board releases its August confidence measure on August 25th. Economists expect sentiment to weaken again after slipping in July. Consumer confidence has been soft for much of 2026. Persistent inflation is one reason. The war with Iran has constrained oil supplies and lifted gasoline prices. Higher energy costs also raise shipping expenses across products from food to clothing. Another major signal arrives August 26th with the July personal consumption expenditures (PCE) report. The PCE index is the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge. Inflation has remained above 3% by that measure and comparable indexes. The Federal Reserve (Fed) targets 2%. Price growth had moved closer to that goal in early 2025 before tariffs and then the Iran war pushed pressures higher. Those conditions have complicated the outlook for interest rates. The Fed is expected to keep its benchmark rate unchanged at its September meeting. Investors will therefore parse the data for evidence that households are weakening faster than prices are cooling. A softer confidence reading could reinforce concerns about consumer demand. A hotter inflation print could strengthen the case for keeping rates high. The combination leaves markets watching two different vulnerabilities at once, how people feel about the economy and how stubbornly the economy keeps raising their prices.

👀 ICMYI

1. Russian and Ukrainian strikes kill 10 more people as war grinds on.

2. Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes leaders amid independence dispute.

3. Egypt seeks renewed Iran talks as Tehran claims victory in the war.

4. Pope Leo urges dialogue and calls young Catholics a sign of hope.

5. Former Kansas Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker dies at 94.

6. Near-total lunar eclipse puts the Americas in prime position.

7. Uber faces €825M Dutch fine over automated driver suspensions.

8. 1,260-pound blue marlin may set an East Coast fishing record.

9. California sanctuary marks 50 years protecting endangered gibbons.

10. FIFA bans Leandro Paredes 10 games after World Cup final scuffle.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇭🇰 Hong Kong convicts two Tiananmen vigil organizers. Hong Kong judges convicted pro-democracy activists Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung of inciting subversion over their leadership of the city’s annual Tiananmen Square vigils. Both were former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The alliance itself was also found guilty. Prosecutors charged the pair in 2021 under the national security law imposed by Beijing a year earlier. They each face up to 10 years in prison. Sentencing will come later. The case centered on the alliance’s long-standing call to “end one-party dictatorship” in China. The judges ruled that phrase amounted to encouraging the overthrow or undermining of Communist Party leadership. Lee argued that the demand sought democratic choice rather than violent regime change. For decades, the alliance organized candlelight gatherings at Victoria Park commemorating those killed during China’s 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. Tens of thousands once attended, making Hong Kong the only place under Chinese rule with a large public commemoration. Authorities stopped the vigils during the coronavirus pandemic. Hong Kong’s broader pro-democracy movement was then dismantled rapidly after the security law took effect. Beijing says the law restored stability after mass protests. Critics say the verdict shows that even peaceful advocacy can now be criminalized when its political objective conflicts with China’s constitutional order. Lee and Chow remain among the most prominent figures caught in that transformation.

🇭🇹 Deportations to Haiti resume after protections end. American authorities deported more than 160 people to Haiti in the first large flight since President Trump’s administration won its legal fight to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for roughly 350K Haitians. The plane landed in Cap-Haitien rather than Port-au-Prince. American commercial flights to Haiti’s capital remain barred because of gang violence. Gangs control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and territory beyond it. Many deportees covered their faces as they arrived because they feared becoming targets. Haiti’s migration office says the group included former TPS holders and people who had completed prison sentences. Some were not born in Haiti despite having Haitian ancestry. One deportee told officials he had been born in the Dominican Republic and knew little about Haiti. Authorities said they would try to reconnect him with relatives. Other deportees planned to travel south despite gangs controlling major roads and sometimes firing at passing vehicles. Haitian officials offered arrivals food, drinks, and up to $65. Temporary shelter was available for people unable to reach family immediately. Haiti’s government says it did not request the deportations. The Supreme Court allowed the administration to terminate protections affecting about 350K Haitians. A separate federal order blocking removals was lifted on August 5th. The flight therefore converts a legal victory over TPS into a direct test of deportation policy inside a country already destabilized by armed gangs and mass displacement.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🗽 Long Island tornado tears through Atlantic Beach. Cleanup is underway after a tornado touched down at Atlantic Beach on Long Island during a violent storm system that also flooded parts of New York City. The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that the tornado began as a waterspout over the Atlantic Ocean. Images showed a large funnel cloud moving toward shore. Small buildings at a beach club were torn apart. Weather crews are surveying the damage to determine the tornado’s strength and path. Officials reported no serious injuries. Heavy rain created another danger away from the shoreline. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said first responders rescued people trapped inside vehicles during flooding. Water also disrupted major transportation routes into and around New York City. A section of the Long Island Expressway in Queens closed in both directions because of flooding. Images showed lines of stopped cars as emergency crews moved through deep water. The combination of coastal tornado damage and inland flash flooding left residents confronting two forms of severe weather at once. Atlantic Beach sits on a barrier island along Nassau County’s southern edge. Its beachfront location made the waterspout’s transition onto land especially visible. New York’s damage assessment now centers on restoring access, clearing debris, and documenting the storm’s path across the Long Island and Queens corridor.

🥫 Food-aid enrollment falls 13% as new rules take hold. Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has fallen more than 13% nationwide in 12 months as new work rules and administrative requirements reshape America’s largest food-aid program. The decline is happening much faster than federal forecasters expected. By May, enrollment had already fallen to a level the Congressional Budget Office did not expect until around 2030. President Trump’s tax and spending law expanded the population subject to work requirements. Most adults ages 55 to 64 must now work, volunteer, or attend school to receive benefits. The rules also reach parents whose children are ages 14 to 17. Adults 65 and older and parents with children younger than 14 generally remain exempt. Some previously exempt homeless people are now subject to the requirements. Supporters say falling enrollment may indicate more recipients are moving into employment and self-sufficiency. Advocates say paperwork failures are also removing people who remain eligible. Arizona recorded the country’s steepest drop. Its enrollment fell 55% in one year, leaving more than 400K fewer people receiving benefits. State officials attributed much of that decline to difficulties implementing federal changes. Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Nevada each recorded declines above 20%. Food banks report rising demand as participation falls. Because SNAP eligibility can also connect children to school meals and other nutrition programs, the consequences can extend beyond the grocery benefit itself.

🗂️ MISC

🚗 Tesla recalls nearly 3M cars over door-handle risks. Tesla ($TSLA) is recalling about 2.98M vehicles in China because electronic door handles could make escape or rescue harder after a severe crash. The action covers China-made and imported Model 3, Model Y, Model X, and Model S vehicles. Chinese regulators say electrical-system failures can prevent occupants from opening doors quickly. The same failure can also block rescuers trying to enter from outside. Tesla will use software updates to reduce the risk. The company had not immediately commented publicly on the recall. China has intensified scrutiny of flush and hidden door handles after accidents involving trapped occupants. Regulators announced earlier this year that the designs will be banned beginning in 2027. The Tesla action is part of a broader recall covering more than 4M vehicles from several automakers. Chinese media describe it as the country’s largest vehicle recall this year. Hidden handles became popular partly because they create a sleek exterior and can reduce aerodynamic drag. Their dependence on electronic systems has increasingly become a safety concern. A severe collision can disable precisely the power those mechanisms need. Regulators are therefore treating physical access as a crash-safety issue rather than merely a design preference. The recall does not require millions of owners to replace their vehicles. It does show how one of electric cars’ most recognizable design signatures is being rewritten by safety rules.

📈 Stocks rise as bond-market swings ease. American stocks moved higher as Treasury yields calmed after several days of unusually sharp moves. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) rose 0.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 424 points, or 0.8%, in midday trading. The Nasdaq composite also advanced 0.5%. The S&P 500 was heading toward only its second gain in six sessions since reaching a record. Bond yields remained volatile but moved less violently than earlier in the week. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.73% from 4.69%. Oil uncertainty remains closely tied to those moves because higher energy prices can worsen inflation expectations. Brent crude edged 0.2% higher to $93.96 per barrel. Ross Stores ($ROST) gained 5.2% after beating profit and revenue expectations. Bitcoin climbed above $77K after trading below $63K one week earlier. That helped Robinhood Markets ($HOOD) jump 11.9% and Coinbase Global ($COIN) gain 9.2%. Gold also climbed above $4,660 per ounce from less than $4,440 a week earlier. Investors have been responding to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s plan to increase government repurchases of longer-term bonds. The intervention has not ended concerns over inflation, federal borrowing, or the Iran war. It has, for now, reduced the intensity of the bond-market swings that repeatedly knocked stocks away from record territory.

👀 ICMYI

1. 6.7 quake shakes Peru’s southern Andes and injures at least two.

2. Russian drones kill at least 14 at a shopping center in Kryvyi Rih.

3. Iranian families struggle as war and sanctions crush household budgets.

4. Aisha Wahab wins California’s special election to succeed Swalwell.

5. Court slashes Alex Jones’ $50M Sandy Hook judgment to $1.5M.

6. Fat Marmot Week spotlights alpine rodents after a brutal winter.

7. Alaska charter crash kills eight near a remote military radar site.

8. Former diplomat Henry Kissinger’s wife Nancy dies at age 92.

9. Alfalfa sprouts sicken 41 people in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

10. Japan executes a man convicted of killing five in a 2009 arson.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇨🇲 Paul Biya returns after 10-week absence fuels health concerns. Cameroonian President Paul Biya has returned home after more than 10 weeks abroad, ending the longest recorded absence of his presidency. The 93-year-old arrived in Yaoundé from Geneva, Switzerland. His office had described the June 7th departure as a brief private stay in Europe. The prolonged absence instead intensified questions about his health and whether Cameroon faced a leadership vacuum. Biya is the world’s oldest sitting president. He has ruled Cameroon since 1982. He began an eighth term in November after a disputed October election. That seven-year term could keep him in office until nearly age 100. Biya is rarely seen in public, and critics have long questioned whether age limits his capacity to govern. His strongest 2025 challenger, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, also claimed victory in the election. Protests over the result turned deadly. Cameroon meanwhile faces an armed separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions. Boko Haram also remains a security threat in the country’s Far North. Poverty affects 43% of Cameroonians by core living-standard measures cited by the United Nations. Biya’s return resolves the immediate question of where the president is. It does not resolve the larger uncertainty surrounding his health, succession, and a political system built around one man for more than four decades.

🇱🇷 America begins third-country deportations to Liberia. The United States has sent 20 deportees to Liberia under an agreement allowing the West African country to receive up to 1,200 people who are not Liberian. The first group landed at Roberts International Airport outside Monrovia. Liberian Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah says future arrivals may include people from Africa, North America, South America, and the Caribbean. Justice Minister Natu Oswald Tweh says deportees may seek asylum in Liberia if they choose. The State Department has released few details about the arrangement. President Trump’s administration describes third-country deportations as part of its broader immigration enforcement strategy. Such agreements allow authorities to remove people to countries other than their own. Critics say the practice can send migrants to unfamiliar places where they may face safety risks. Third Country Deportation Watch says the administration has reached agreements with at least 35 countries. The group estimates more than 23K people have been deported to 26 countries under those arrangements. Liberia’s six-page September 2025 agreement did not publicly specify the number or nationalities it would accept. Officials now say the ceiling is 1,200. Liberia has also been considered as a destination for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man fighting removal in federal court. Costa Rica has separately said it would accept him. The Liberia flight marks the first operational use of one of the administration’s largest third-country deportation pacts.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

💰 American national debt crosses $40T. The national debt has surpassed $40T, reaching another record only five months after crossing $39T. It had reached $38T five months before that. The accelerating total reflects decades of federal spending exceeding tax revenue. Defense costs, Social Security, Medicare, and interest payments consume large shares of the budget. The war with Iran has added another major spending pressure. President Trump’s tax-cut and spending law enacted last year also increased federal commitments. White House spokesperson Kush Desai says the administration is targeting waste while pursuing faster economic growth. Fiscal-policy groups argue the debt is already affecting households. Higher federal borrowing can push up interest rates for mortgages, cars, businesses, and government itself. It can also crowd out private investment. The debt expanded sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic under both Trump and former President Joe Biden. Congress repeatedly borrowed to stabilize the economy and finance recovery. The United States also operates under a statutory debt limit. The Bipartisan Policy Center estimates the government could reach the current $41.1T ceiling between late winter and mid-summer 2027. Congress would then again need to raise or suspend that limit. The $40T milestone is not a default or an immediate fiscal rupture. It is another marker of a borrowing trajectory that makes each future budget choice more expensive.

💊 President Trump picks Heidi Overton to lead the FDA. President Trump has nominated Dr. Heidi Overton, a top White House health-policy aide, to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Overton is a physician and deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. She has worked on several major health initiatives during Trump’s second term. Her nomination requires Senate confirmation. If approved, she would replace Dr. Marty Makary, who resigned in May. Makary left unfinished work involving ultraprocessed foods, antidepressants, vaccines, and tobacco products. Overton previously served as chief policy officer at the conservative America First Policy Institute. She attended medical school at the University of New Mexico. She also earned a doctorate in clinical investigation from Johns Hopkins University. Overton has promoted Trump’s drug-pricing agreements and his recent vaccine-order changes. That order sought to separate the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three immunizations despite opposition from medical groups. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised Overton’s judgment and professionalism. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy has nevertheless raised concerns about her managerial experience and vaccine-policy role. Democratic senators have also attacked the nomination. Drugmakers and patient groups will watch for changes in approval policy after recent FDA leadership turnover. Overton would inherit an agency caught between deregulation, public-health disputes, drug-industry pressure, and the administration’s health agenda.

🗂️ MISC

🧬 Moderna surges after personalized cancer vaccine clears key test. Moderna ($MRNA) shares more than doubled after the company announced positive initial results for an experimental personalized cancer treatment. Moderna and Merck ($MRK) are developing the therapy, called intismeran. It uses messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology to target mutations unique to an individual patient’s tumor. Researchers are pairing the vaccine with Merck’s Keytruda immunotherapy. The study tested the combination in patients with melanoma. Companies compared intismeran plus Keytruda against Keytruda alone. They say patients receiving both treatments lived longer without their cancer returning or spreading. The companies have not yet disclosed how long that improvement lasted. They also have not said whether the combination increased overall survival. Full results are expected at an international medical meeting. Regulators have not approved the treatment. If eventually approved, it would be the first therapy of its kind. Moderna shares climbed more than 120% to $140.12. Merck rose about 11%. The result is particularly consequential for Moderna as it tries to extend mRNA technology beyond infectious-disease vaccines. Personalized cancer vaccines require sequencing each patient’s tumor and manufacturing a treatment around its mutations. The early result is therefore medically promising and commercially significant, but the missing survival data still matter before the therapy’s ultimate value can be judged.

📉 Walmart and rising yields pull stocks lower. American stocks fell as higher oil prices revived inflation worries and pressure returned to the bond market. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) slipped 0.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 424 points, or 0.8%, in afternoon trading. The Nasdaq composite lost 0.7%. Walmart ($WMT) helped lead the decline after reporting its slowest American comparable-sales growth in six years. Its shares fell more than 8%. Oil added another source of pressure. Brent crude climbed 1.8% to $93.24 per barrel as uncertainty persisted around tanker traffic from the Persian Gulf. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.70% from 4.65%. That nearly erased the previous session’s decline after Treasury announced larger purchases of long-term government bonds. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent plans to at least double those purchases between September 9th and November 4th. Analysts warn the intervention is small relative to the overall Treasury market. The national debt also crossed $40T, reinforcing investor concern over federal borrowing. Higher yields increase financing costs for households, companies, and government. They can also make expensive stocks less attractive. The S&P 500 is now heading toward its fourth decline in five sessions since reaching a record. The bond market is again reminding equity investors that relief can disappear faster than it arrives.

👀 ICMYI

1. Walmart stock sinks, warns after slowest sales growth in six years.

2. President Trump backs data centers as midterm resistance grows.

3. America tightens Cuba sanctions and detains returning travelers.

4. Trump’s IndyCar race brings 200 mph speeds to Washington.

5. Prince Harry and Meghan plan an extended return to Britain.

6. Army unit offers recruits days off to re-enlist and play GTA.

7. NASA abandons rescue of its aging Swift space telescope.

8. Michael Cohen hosts President Trump on his radio show.

9. Agents seize former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s devices in probe.

10. Space Force base briefly detains invited media at gunpoint.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇵🇰 Pakistan challenges Imran Khan hospital order. Pakistani authorities have asked the Supreme Court to review or withdraw an order requiring imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to receive a medical examination at a private hospital of his choice. The court had ordered Khan transferred to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. A medical board there would include his personal physician. Islamabad’s chief commissioner argues the order was issued without prior notice. The government also says granting private treatment to one convicted prisoner could invite similar claims from others. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says authorities do not object to Khan receiving medical care. He says the dispute concerns where that care should occur under prison rules. Khan has previously been taken to government hospitals for an eye condition. His family said in January that he had lost about 85% of the vision in his right eye. Authorities disputed that figure and later said he had regained about 70% of his vision. Khan, a former cricket star who became prime minister, was removed through a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022. He has been imprisoned since 2023 following convictions in multiple cases. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party and family have repeatedly demanded greater access to doctors and prison visits. Supporters have also staged large rallies seeking his release. The legal fight over a medical examination is therefore landing inside Pakistan’s much larger political struggle over Khan’s imprisonment and treatment in custody.

🇨🇩 Rare Ebola strain pushes Congo past 5K cases. Congo’s Ebola outbreak has surpassed 5K confirmed cases, making it one of the largest outbreaks of the disease ever recorded. The Ministry of Health has reported 5,021 cases and 2,378 deaths. The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, a rare form of Ebola with no approved vaccine or treatment. It is already the deadliest Ebola outbreak in Congo’s history. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns it could eventually surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic, which killed more than 11K people. Bundibugyo was first identified in Uganda in 2007. The only other known outbreak occurred in Congo in 2012. Both were far smaller. Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated materials. It is not generally transmitted through the air. Symptoms can begin two to 21 days after infection. The current outbreak was declared on May 15th after illnesses emerged around the gold-mining area of Mongbwalu in Ituri province. Officials believe transmission may have started months earlier. The virus has spread beyond Ituri and crossed into Uganda, where transmission has since stopped. A doctor returning from Congo also tested positive in France and later recovered. Nearly half of confirmed patients in Congo have died. Contact tracing remains especially difficult because 60% to 70% of new cases are appearing among people who were not already being monitored.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🦠 Ex-Fauci adviser pleads guilty in COVID records case. Dr. David Morens, a former senior adviser to infectious-disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to conceal federal records tied to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) research. Morens pleaded guilty in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland. He admitted to conspiring to defraud the American government. The felony carries a maximum prison sentence of five years. United States District Judge Paula Xinis is scheduled to sentence him on November 12th. Prosecutors say Morens used a private email account while working at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). They allege he did so to circumvent federal public-records requirements. The Justice Department says he concealed or destroyed communications about research grants related to the origins of COVID-19. Those records included discussions about an effort to revive a controversial coronavirus grant. House Republicans had scrutinized Morens’ emails during their investigation into the pandemic’s origins. Morens previously told Congress he had not tried to evade transparency laws through personal email. His lawyer, Tim Belevetz, says Morens has accepted responsibility for his conduct. Fauci has not been charged in Morens’ case. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a congressional hearing in July. He later declined a voluntary appearance before another Senate panel after a Republican-led committee voted to hold him in contempt. The guilty plea turns a records dispute into a federal felony conviction while leaving broader political arguments over pandemic research unresolved.

🗳️ Byron Donalds and David Jolly win Florida governor primaries. Representative Byron Donalds won the Republican nomination for Florida governor, while former Representative David Jolly captured the Democratic nomination. The November election will determine who replaces term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis. Donalds, 47, defeated Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, political newcomer James Fishback, and other Republicans. President Trump backed Donalds in the primary. Donalds said that endorsement mattered but could not substitute for campaigning. If elected, he would become Florida’s first Black governor. His platform includes tax cuts, changes to insurance regulation, and greater healthcare price transparency. Jolly is a former Republican congressman who switched to the Democratic Party last year. He says his platform combines lean government with public investment in areas such as education and housing. Florida has moved sharply toward Republicans since Trump’s 2016 victory. Democrats are trying to make the state competitive again. DeSantis cannot seek a third consecutive term. The same primary also produced a Democratic nominee for a special Senate election. State Representative Angie Nixon defeated retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman for that nomination. Nixon will face Republican Senator Ashley Moody in November. Moody was appointed to the seat after Marco Rubio became secretary of state. Debbie Wasserman Schultz also won a Democratic House primary in a newly drawn, plurality-Black district. Florida’s primary results now set a general election that will test both Republican dominance and Democratic efforts to regain statewide ground.

🗂️ MISC

🚁 Amazon plans drone delivery across nearly 500 cities. Amazon ($AMZN) plans to expand drone delivery into suburban communities across nearly 500 American cities by the end of the year. The move would increase its drone footprint more than sixfold nationwide. New service areas are expected to include the Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Boise metro regions. Customers could receive eligible packages in as little as 30 minutes. Amazon’s drones can carry packages weighing up to five pounds. The company says hundreds of thousands of packages have already been delivered by drone this year. Even after the expansion, drones will handle only a small fraction of Amazon’s overall delivery volume. Tree cover, landscaping, pools, airports, and dense urban environments can complicate safe drop zones. Local regulatory approvals and noise concerns create additional hurdles. Prime members will get free drone delivery on orders above $50. Smaller Prime orders will cost $2.99. Nonmembers will pay $4.99. Walmart ($WMT) is also expanding drone delivery through Wing, a division of Alphabet ($GOOGL). Walmart plans to reach 270 drone-delivery locations by 2027. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says Prime Air aims to serve communities containing 30M customers by year-end. He also expects the system to deliver 500M packages by the end of the decade. The expansion moves drone delivery from a novelty toward a broader logistics network, even as its economics and practical limits are tested.

📈 Stocks rebound as Treasury yields retreat. American stocks moved higher after the Treasury Department announced larger purchases of long-term government bonds, easing pressure in the bond market. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) rose 0.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained about 255 points, or 0.5%, in morning trading. The Nasdaq composite was nearly unchanged. The move put the S&P 500 on track for its first gain in four sessions. Treasury said it will at least double planned purchases of longer-term bonds from September 9th through November 4th. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 4.64% from 4.71%. The 30-year yield dropped to 5.19% from 5.28%. Those declines came after concerns about inflation, government debt, and borrowing costs had pushed yields sharply higher. The 10-year yield remains well above the 3.97% level seen before the war with Iran. Moderna ($MRNA) surged 150.2% after encouraging cancer-vaccine study results with Merck ($MRK). Merck rose 10.3%. Estée Lauder ($EL) gained 16.4% after reporting stronger-than-expected earnings. Target ($TGT), Lowe’s ($LOW), and Toll Brothers ($TOL) also rose after beating profit forecasts. Broadcom ($AVGO) fell 5.3% as concerns persisted around expensive AI stocks. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 dropped 3.2%, while South Korea’s Kospi fell 5.8%. The market rebound offered relief after three losing sessions, but elevated yields and volatile AI valuations remain central risks.

👀 ICMYI

1. Brazil minibus and truck crash kills at least 23 people.

2. Zelenskyy fires a top aide amid Ukrainian graft probe.

3. UAE suspends trade with Iran after missile fire exchange.

4. Israel finally opens criminal probe into Hind Rajab killing.

5. Canadian official condemns Israel’s Lebanese invasion.

6. OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Teens with restrictions.

7. Target’s sales rebound as new CEO pushes turnaround.

8. Nick Kyrgios is suspended after testing positive for cocaine.

9. American rock band ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard dies at 77.

10. Nation’s first jellyfish-only museum opens in South Florida.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇰🇷 South Korea stresses alliance after President Trump cuts drills. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is emphasizing the American alliance after President Trump abruptly ordered a substantial reduction in joint military exercises. Trump announced the change just before the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield drills began. He cited his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Seoul’s refusal to join the American war against Iran. The move appears to have been made without prior consultation with South Korea. That surprised many in South Korea. About 28.5K American troops are stationed in South Korea. Seoul has no nuclear arsenal and relies on the American nuclear umbrella against nuclear-armed North Korea. Lee told his Cabinet that national security strengthens when the alliance is solid. He has also advocated a more self-reliant South Korean defense posture. Officials have not specified which parts of the 11-day exercises will be reduced. The allies had planned drills similar in scale to previous years. North Korea has called the exercises provocative and threatened a stronger deterrent response. Kim has avoided talks with Washington and Seoul since diplomacy with Trump collapsed in 2019. Lee’s office nevertheless hopes the Trump-Kim relationship can reopen dialogue. South Korean conservatives argue that outreach cannot come at the expense of military readiness. Trump has described the drills as costly and unnecessarily hostile to Pyongyang. The episode has turned a routine exercise into a test of how much predictability remains in one of America’s oldest Asian alliances.

🇧🇷 Lula calls Amazon-region oil a passport to Brazil’s future. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is embracing new offshore oil exploration near the mouth of the Amazon River. Petrobras ($PBR) says exploratory drilling detected hydrocarbons about 180 kilometers off Amapá state. The area belongs to Brazil’s Equatorial Margin, where officials believe major oil and gas reserves may exist. Preliminary estimates suggest the broader basin could contain up to 10B barrels of oil. That would represent potential value of roughly $720B. Petrobras President Magda Chambriard says more research is required before the size of the discovery is known. Commercial extraction could still be years away and may require up to a decade of study. Environmental and Indigenous groups have sued to halt exploration. They argue regulators inadequately consulted traditional communities and underestimated spill and climate risks. Petrobras says it has not caused spills during its drilling operations. Lula visited an offshore drilling vessel before calling the resource a passport to Brazil’s future. He also said expanding oil does not negate Brazil’s long-term commitment to reducing fossil-fuel dependence. That position exposes a tension in a country that hosted a United Nations climate summit last year. Brazil is promoting renewable energy while simultaneously expanding fossil-fuel exploration. Lula is also campaigning for a fourth presidential term in October. His northern Brazil visit carries economic and electoral significance in Amapá. The discovery gives Lula a potent development argument, but its commercial promise remains unproven and its environmental costs remain fiercely contested.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🚨 Penn State pledges allegedly bagged cocaine for a drug ring. Pennsylvania authorities say fraternity pledges were used to cut and package cocaine for a trafficking operation near Penn State. Attorney General Dave Sunday charged 14 people in connection with the alleged ring. Thirteen are current or former Penn State students. Prosecutors say the operation ran during 2023 and 2024. Bulk cocaine allegedly arrived through contacts in Philadelphia and New York. Court documents say drugs were cut and bagged mainly at Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon fraternity houses. Fraternity brothers and pledges were allegedly used as labor. The packaged cocaine was then distributed through Penn State students. Authorities accuse 24-year-old Agostino Abbatiello of leading the operation. Abbatiello surrendered after missing an earlier arraignment and was ordered jailed without bail. At least four defendants are current students. Four people face charges including conspiracy, corrupt organizations, and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity. Eight defendants face misdemeanor drug-possession charges. Another defendant faces conspiracy and criminal-use-of-communications charges. Authorities also charged the father of one alleged supplier with obstructing the investigation. Investigators say he concealed evidence including a safe containing drugs and cash. Penn State placed Delta Upsilon on interim suspension, while Sigma Chi is not recognized by the university. Prosecutors describe the case not as casual campus dealing but as a significant regional trafficking organization.

🔥 Ohio factory explosions leave two workers unaccounted for. Two explosions tore through Brent Industries, an industrial recycling business in Toledo, Ohio, triggering a major fire and partial building collapse. The blasts occurred shortly before 5 a.m. during a shift change. Fire Chief Allison Armstrong says two workers remain unaccounted for. Officials say several other workers suffered minor injuries. Flames and dark smoke poured from the facility as emergency crews surrounded the property. At least half of the building had collapsed by late morning. Armstrong says hazardous materials inside include chemicals, runoff, and tanks that exploded. Authorities initially could not determine whether the missing workers remained inside or were simply unreachable. Both had been seen in the building before the explosions. A witness about half a mile away said he felt the shock waves. Firefighters continued battling the blaze for hours. Nearby residents who could see or smell smoke were urged to stay indoors and close windows and doors. State environmental officials are monitoring possible contamination. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has opened an investigation. OSHA can take up to six months to complete that review. Officials have not identified a preliminary cause. Brent Industries has another facility in Alabama where a 2015 explosion and fire killed one person. The immediate priority in Toledo remains controlling the fire and accounting for every employee.

🗂️ MISC

📺 ABC sues the FCC over an alleged threat to its licenses. ABC and parent Walt Disney Company ($DIS) are suing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over early reviews of eight broadcast licenses. The network says the unusual proceedings threaten its First Amendment rights and its ability to operate. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr ordered the reviews in April, well before the licenses expire. The agency cited ABC’s diversity practices as one reason. The action also followed criticism from President Trump after a joke by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel angered him. ABC alleges the administration has repeatedly targeted its journalism and programming because of their content. The lawsuit asks a federal court to stop the early renewal proceedings. ABC says the license threat leaves it with no adequate remedy outside the courts. The confrontation extends beyond the eight stations. Carr has also sought to apply equal-time rules to ABC’s morning program “The View.” ABC argues the agency resolved that question in the network’s favor more than two decades ago. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the commission’s lone Democrat, praised the lawsuit and accused the agency of censorship. Carr rejects that characterization. He says broadcasters receive valuable access to public airwaves and must operate in the public interest. The FCC did not immediately respond to the lawsuit. The case therefore pits broadcast regulation against constitutional protections for editorial speech. Its outcome could affect not only ABC but how aggressively federal regulators can use licensing power against media companies.

📉 AI stocks drag Wall Street farther from record highs. American stocks moved lower as some of the market’s biggest AI winners sold off again. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) fell 0.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 56 points, or 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite dropped 1.1%. Micron Technology ($MU) sank 7%. Nvidia ($NVDA) fell 2.4%, while Broadcom ($AVGO) lost 2.9%. Investors are again questioning whether AI valuations have outrun the profits the technology can ultimately produce. High interest rates are amplifying that scrutiny. The 10-year Treasury yield eased slightly to 4.71% but remains far above its pre-Iran-war level of 3.97%. The 30-year Treasury yield remains near its highest level since 2007. Brent crude rose 0.6% to $91.43 per barrel. Oil had traded at $72.87 immediately before the Iran war began. Higher energy costs are keeping inflation pressure elevated and complicating the Federal Reserve’s rate outlook. Home Depot ($HD) gained 1.1% after beating quarterly profit and revenue expectations. Meta Platforms ($META) fell 2.8% as a major child-safety trial began in California. South Korea’s Kospi declined 1.5% after several unusually sharp AI-driven swings. Wall Street remains close to record territory, but expensive money and expensive oil are making expensive technology stocks harder to defend.

👀 ICMYI

1. Supreme Court again rejects Trump bid to erase $5M Carroll verdict.

2. ESPN co-founder and sports legend Bill Rasmussen dies at 93.

3. Judge blocks Trump administration’s FBI headquarters move.

4. Flight crews face the highest radiation-linked cancer death risk.

5. Madonna leads 2026 MTV Video Music Awards nominations.

6. Trump administration pauses its Big Bend border project.

7. WNBA says fans may wear shirts about transgender athletes.

8. Senator seeks pledge to keep military away from midterm polls.

9. Alaska Senate primary could help decide control of Congress.

10. CDC keeps funded public-health programs alive without staff.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇯🇵 Japan’s economy grows 1.1% despite mounting pressure. Japan’s economy expanded at a 1.1% annualized rate in the April-June quarter despite flat consumption and softer export growth. Real gross domestic product (GDP) rose a seasonally adjusted 0.3% from the first quarter. That was slower than the 2.1% annualized pace recorded from January through March. Private spending fell 1.2% from the previous quarter. Exports still grew 0.5%, supported by demand for Japanese cars and semiconductors. AI-related chip demand helped keep overseas sales moving. Government consumption increased 1.6%. The result nevertheless came in below economists’ expectations. The war with Iran has raised energy costs for resource-poor Japan, which imports almost all of its oil. The effective blockage of the Strait of Hormuz has forced Tokyo to release reserves and seek alternative supply routes. Brent crude has recently traded near $88 per barrel, compared with about $65 one year ago. Prices had climbed above $110 earlier this year. A weak yen helps exporters by increasing the value of overseas earnings when translated home. The same currency weakness makes imported raw materials more expensive. That is feeding consumer prices while wage growth remains relatively stagnant. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has promised stronger growth as her approval ratings gradually soften. Japan is still expanding, but the quarter shows how energy shocks, weak household demand, and currency pressure are narrowing the margin.

🇷🇺 Russian critic gets 11 years for opposing the Ukraine war. A Russian court sentenced opposition politician Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month in prison for publicly opposing the war in Ukraine. Shlosberg, 63, is deputy chairman of the liberal Yabloko party. Yabloko is Russia’s only officially registered political party that openly opposes the war. Shlosberg previously served in the regional legislature of Pskov from 2016 through 2021. Prosecutors accused him of “discrediting” the military and spreading “false information” about Russian forces. One charge stemmed from a debate in which he called for ending the war. Another involved a Telegram post featuring an image of a bloodied woman beside Russian President Vladimir Putin. Shlosberg has rejected the charges as unfounded. Authorities previously designated him a “foreign agent,” a label that brings added restrictions and scrutiny. He was placed in pretrial detention in December 2025. In his final statement, Shlosberg said Russia had moved from hopes for freedom toward the destruction of civil rights. He also said the war had changed the life of every Russian citizen. His party called the sentence brutal and said he would appeal. Amnesty International described the prosecution as retaliation for peaceful expression. The verdict arrives before Russia’s parliamentary election next month. Since the February 2022 invasion, the Kremlin has repeatedly used criminal statutes and administrative restrictions against antiwar voices. Shlosberg’s sentence extends that crackdown to one of the few remaining opposition figures operating inside a legal political party.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🏦 President Trump’s second White House is unusually wealthy. A new Public Citizen report says President Trump has appointed 57 officials worth at least $100M each. That is more than four times the combined total identified under the previous three presidents. The consumer advocacy group counted 17 ambassadors and 40 senior executive-branch officials. Eight of Trump’s 23 Cabinet members meet the $100M threshold. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Education Secretary Linda McMahon are billionaires. Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg and Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler are also billionaires. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and special envoy Steve Witkoff are worth hundreds of millions, the report says. By comparison, the group counted five officials worth at least $100M under George W. Bush. It counted five under Joe Biden and three under Barack Obama. The tally excludes Trump himself, whose fortune Forbes estimates above $6B. It also excludes former adviser Elon Musk, whose wealth is far larger. Presidents from both parties have long appointed wealthy donors, executives, and financiers. Trump has been more explicit in describing financial success as evidence of competence and negotiating skill. Critics at Public Citizen argue that concentrating extreme wealth in government can distort incentives and invite conflicts. The administration instead emphasizes the business experience and investment expertise of its appointees. The numbers make the second Trump administration an outlier in the modern presidency. They also sharpen a broader debate over whether financial success translates into effective public stewardship.

🗳️ Wasserman Schultz race tests what representation means. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz is seeking a 12th House term in a newly drawn Florida district after Republican redistricting reshaped Broward County. The Florida Democrat is the only white candidate in a five-person primary field. Her four rivals are Black. The new 20th District is 42% Black, 23% Hispanic, and 4% Asian. Broward has helped elect Black Democrats to Congress since 1992. Former Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick argues Wasserman Schultz’s move could dilute that history of Black representation. Progressive organizer Elijah Manley says the incumbent had other districts she could have pursued. Wasserman Schultz rejects the idea that race alone determines who can represent the district. She points to three decades representing diverse communities in state and federal office. Wasserman Schultz is also the best-funded candidate in the primary. Florida rules do not require a candidate to win a majority in a multicandidate primary. The field also includes former rapper Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell and former local official Dale Holness. Cherfilus-McCormick is seeking the seat again after resigning in April amid an ethics investigation. She has pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging theft of $5M in disaster funds. The contest follows a Republican remapping effort intended to reduce Democratic House seats in Florida. Wasserman Schultz says legislative experience and constituent service matter alongside lived experience. Her challengers argue the district’s Black political history deserves greater weight. The primary has become a test of how voters define representation, seniority, and political effectiveness.

🗂️ MISC

📱 States put Meta on trial over alleged harms to children. Meta Platforms ($META) faces its most consequential child-safety trial yet in federal court in Oakland, California. Four states are leading the case: California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey. Another 25 states are expected to have trials later. The lawsuit accuses Meta of deliberately designing Facebook and Instagram features that make children and teenagers compulsive users. It also alleges the company collected data from children under 13 without parental consent. The states are seeking both financial damages and changes to how Meta operates its platforms. Their theoretical maximum damages could reach $1.4T, according to a figure Meta disclosed in court filings. Legal experts say an award anywhere near that amount is highly unlikely. Meta disputes the allegations. The company says it has worked with parents, experts, and law enforcement to improve protections for young users. The trial follows thousands of lawsuits alleging social-media platforms harmed children and teenagers. Meta has already lost two major youth-harm cases this year. The company reported $2.4B in legal expenses last month, contributing to a rare profit decline. The $1.4T theoretical exposure is close to Meta’s entire market value. A penalty of that size could bankrupt the company, which is one reason experts consider it improbable. The more consequential outcome may be structural remedies governing product design, data collection, and youth safeguards. The case could establish one of the most important legal precedents yet for how social platforms owe duties to children.

📉 Stocks hover near records as investors await retail earnings. American stocks traded close to record highs as investors looked toward major retailer earnings and fresh clues on consumer health. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) slipped 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 163 points, or 0.3%, in morning trading. The Nasdaq composite was nearly unchanged. S&P 500 companies are tracking roughly 50% year-over-year earnings-per-share growth for the spring. That would be the strongest increase in five years. Home Depot ($HD), Target ($TGT), and Walmart ($WMT) are among the major retailers still scheduled to report. Their results will test how households are handling high inflation and a softer job market. Retail sales unexpectedly fell in July. Oil remains another major source of uncertainty. Brent crude rose 0.4% to $88.87 per barrel. It traded between $72 and $102 last month as expectations shifted around the Strait of Hormuz. The 10-year Treasury yield increased to 4.70% from 4.68%. It stood at 3.97% before the war with Iran. Higher energy prices have increased inflation pressure and the possibility of additional Federal Reserve (Fed) rate hikes. L3Harris Technologies ($LHX) fell 3.2% after CEO Christopher Kubasik resigned over conduct the company said violated its values. Alphabet ($GOOGL) slipped 0.7% despite Berkshire Hathaway increasing its investment. Constellation Brands ($STZ) fell 4.8% after Berkshire disclosed it had sold its entire position. Markets remain near records, but consumer spending, oil, and interest rates are still pulling in different directions.

👀 ICMYI

1. President Trump threatens Oman over Hormuz diplomacy.

2. “Heroes”, “Nashville” actress Hayden Panettiere dies at 36.

3. President Trump blames vandals for damaged Mall grass.

4. Heavy rains kill one in South Korea and flood Manila streets.

5. ‘Spider-Man’ stays atop the box office as two dino films battle.

6. Temple stampede and hotel fire in India kill at least 14 residents.

7. Bryan Voltaggio shares his flavor-boosted lobster roll method.

8. Bonnie Tyler is remembered at her funeral in Swansea, Wales.

9. Ohio State and Oregon lead the preseason college football poll.

10. Peru expands its crackdown on illegal Amazon gold mining.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇧🇷 Brazil invokes reciprocity against American tariffs. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has triggered an economic reciprocity mechanism in response to tariffs imposed by President Trump. The move opens a formal process that could eventually produce Brazilian countermeasures. It does not automatically mean retaliation will follow. Trump imposed tariffs in July on hundreds of Brazilian exports, with duties reaching 37.5% on some products. His administration accuses Brazil of unfair trade practices. Lula rejects that claim and says the measures are politically motivated. Brazil holds a presidential election in October. Lula is seeking reelection against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, a Trump ally who met with US officials before the higher tariffs were proposed. Brazil’s Foreign Ministry has requested consultations with Washington. Lula says he prefers dialogue but wants Brazil treated with respect. The tariff dispute is unfolding alongside a broader diplomatic rupture. The State Department recently revoked Brazil’s ambassador’s visa after Brasília denied visas to two American diplomats. Washington has also accused Brazil of delaying approval of Trump’s ambassadorial nominee. Brazilian officials dispute that account and say diplomatic protocol was not followed. The reciprocity law gives Lula a legal framework for escalating if negotiations fail. For now, the government is signaling that leverage and negotiation will proceed together. The confrontation adds trade policy to an election already shaped by the strained relationship between countries.

🇲🇲 Burma verifies 308K Rohingya for eventual return. Burma’s military-backed government says 308,797 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have been verified as former residents of Rakhine state. The announcement comes as the Rohingya exodus enters its ninth year. More than 700K Rohingya fled across the border after Burmas military launched a brutal 2017 crackdown. The United Nations and other international actors have described the campaign as ethnic cleansing and raised accusations of genocide. Burma still refuses to recognize the Rohingya among its 135 lawful ethnic minorities. Authorities instead call them Bengalis, implying they originated in Bangladesh. Bangladesh submitted a list containing 828,824 refugees for verification. Burma says it has reviewed 426,545 names so far. Of those, 113,507 could not be verified. Authorities separately classified 4,241 people as involved in what they called terrorist activity. Burma says verified former residents can return once security conditions improve. That condition remains formidable. A 2018 repatriation agreement between Burma and Bangladesh has failed to produce large-scale returns. Burma’s 2021 military takeover triggered nationwide armed resistance. Fighting between the military and the ethnic Arakan Army intensified in Rakhine in 2023. The Arakan Army now controls much of the state. Fresh violence has driven additional Rohingya toward Bangladesh and elsewhere. Verification therefore answers one bureaucratic question while leaving the central one unresolved: whether refugees can return voluntarily, safely, and with durable rights.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🌧️ Historic Indiana flooding kills at least six people. Days of storms and record-setting floods have killed at least six people across Indiana. The victims include a 4-year-old boy, two men, and three women. The boy died after strong winds sent a tree crashing through his bedroom in Jennings County. Floodwaters swept through communities along rivers and creeks across central Indiana. The White River peaked in Indianapolis after forcing hundreds of residents from homes near the river and its canals. First responders used boats to reach people stranded by rapidly rising water. Elsewhere, 19-year-old Matthew Morey died after jumping from a bridge into the swollen Mississinewa River. Stephanie Sallee, 58, and her dog were found after her vehicle was apparently swept from a flooded road. The White River crested above 24 feet in Anderson and Noblesville. Those levels surpassed records dating to 1913. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett called the flooding the city’s worst in more than 30 years. Governor Mike Braun’s office reported more than 350 evacuations plus scores of rescues and welfare checks. President Trump approved Braun’s request for federal disaster assistance. Roads and bridges have been damaged or washed out across the state. Nearly 130K utility customers remained without power, down from a peak near 300K. Rain was beginning to ease around Indianapolis, but forecasters still warned of dangerous fast-moving water. Recovery is beginning as Indiana measures a disaster in lost lives, damaged infrastructure, and century-old records broken.

🌳 Kentucky park shooting kills one and wounds four. A shooting at Charles Young Park in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, left one person dead and four others injured. Lexington police responded shortly before 7 p.m. after reports of gunfire. Officers found five people who had been shot. One victim was pronounced dead at a hospital. The four surviving victims were believed to have non-life-threatening injuries. Two children were among those wounded. Police Chief Lawrence Weathers identified their ages as 4 and 14. Authorities have not released the victims’ names. Police also have not publicly identified a suspect. Weathers said investigators did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the public. He urged anyone with information to contact police. The shooting occurred in a public park near downtown Lexington. Investigators have not announced a motive. They also have not explained whether the victims knew one another or the shooter. The department’s initial account offered few details beyond the casualty count and continuing investigation. The involvement of two children has intensified attention around the case. Police are asking witnesses and anyone aware of someone inclined to use a weapon to come forward. The investigation now centers on identifying who fired the shots and what led to violence that killed one person and wounded four more in a public park.

🗂️ MISC

💼 Berkshire makes a much bigger bet on Alphabet. Berkshire Hathaway ($BRK.B) sharply increased its stake in Alphabet ($GOOGL) and added to homebuilder investments during the second quarter. The moves offer a clearer view of CEO Greg Abel’s capital-allocation strategy after succeeding Warren Buffett at the start of 2026. Abel agreed in June to make a $10B stock investment in Alphabet. Berkshire then bought roughly 48.1M additional Alphabet shares during the quarter. Its total position reached about 106M shares by June 30th. The stake was worth roughly $37.76B at quarter end. Berkshire had owned only 17.8M Alphabet shares worth $5.6B at the end of December. Alphabet says it plans to raise $80B for computing infrastructure supporting its AI products. Berkshire also increased its position in Lennar ($LEN) by nearly 30%. It opened a small new stake in D.R. Horton ($DHI) worth about $581K. In July, Berkshire completed its $6.8B acquisition of homebuilder Taylor Morrison. The conglomerate also increased holdings in Delta Air Lines ($DAL) and Macy’s ($M). At the same time, Berkshire reduced several financial positions. Its stakes in Bank of America ($BAC) and Ally Financial ($ALLY) fell about 6% and 6.9%. Shares held in Capital One Financial ($COF) were cut 58%. Berkshire exited Constellation Brands ($STZ) entirely. Buffett remains chairman and Berkshire’s largest shareholder. The filing suggests Abel is pairing a much larger AI infrastructure exposure with continued conviction in American housing.

🛍️ Retail earnings and Fed minutes take center stage. Wall Street enters a consequential week with major retailers reporting earnings and the Federal Reserve (Fed) releasing minutes from its July meeting. Home Depot ($HD) reports first. Target ($TGT) and Lowe’s ($LOW) follow one day later. Walmart ($WMT) reports after them. Together, the results will offer a fresh look at how households are navigating inflation above 3%. The American war with Iran has pushed oil and gasoline prices higher. Those costs can spill into groceries, transportation, and nearly every product moved through a supply chain. Home Depot and Lowe’s should provide clues about home-improvement demand and the housing market. Target and Walmart can reveal whether households are trading down, delaying purchases, or absorbing higher prices. The reports arrive after American retail sales unexpectedly fell 0.6% in July. Investors will also parse minutes from the Fed’s July policy meeting. Policymakers held interest rates steady at that meeting. Officials dissented in favor of higher rates. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh described the debate as a vigorous internal disagreement. Wall Street still expects at least one rate increase before the end of 2026. That makes the minutes important for clues about how close officials are to tightening again. The week therefore places household spending and monetary policy under the same microscope. Retailers will show what consumers are doing, while the Fed minutes may show what policymakers intend to do about the economy those consumers are navigating.

👀 ICMYI

1. MLB: St. Louis Cardinals’ Joshua Báez hits 3 homers in historic debut.

2. Michael Phelps returns poolside as son Beckett eyes swimming.

3. Flooding near Tokyo paralyzes traffic and kills one person.

4. BBC seeks Trump family testimony in its defamation lawsuit.

5. Tommy John, pitcher behind the landmark elbow surgery, dies at 83.

6. Zimbabwe ferry disaster emergency worsens, death toll rises to 84.

7. Athens cleans its marble Olympic stadium after more than a century.

8. Miami voters weigh the fate of its long-abandoned marine stadium.

9. California redistricting reshapes Representative Kevin Kiley’s race.

10. Democrats debate abolishing or reforming ICE at their DNC meeting.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇮🇩 Indonesia earthquake kills at least 47 people. A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Flores region, collapsing buildings and sending coastal residents toward higher ground. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) placed the shallow quake at a depth of 10 kilometers. Its epicenter was 68 kilometers north-northwest of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province. Authorities say at least 47 people were killed and at least 50 were taken to hospitals. Officials warned that the death toll could rise as rescuers reach damaged communities. Indonesia initially issued a tsunami warning before lifting it after monitoring showed no major continuing threat. Smaller tsunamis nevertheless reached several coastal areas. Riung recorded a wave of 1.61 meters that left boats stranded and homes surrounded by mud and debris. Maurole recorded a 0.94-meter wave. The earthquake was followed by at least 235 aftershocks, including one measuring magnitude 6.2. Landslides blocked portions of the Trans-Flores highway and complicated access for rescue crews. Power outages also slowed damage assessments. Disaster chief Suharyanto says at least 157 homes were flattened and nearly 200 more were damaged. More than 100 public facilities, including schools, clinics, and churches, were also destroyed. Roughly 2K residents have moved into shelters. Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where tectonic activity has repeatedly produced catastrophic earthquakes and tsunamis. The latest disaster again turns that geography into an immediate human emergency.

🇦🇫 Taliban marks five years in power amid a deepening rights crisis. Taliban leaders gathered at Kabul’s Loya Jirga hall to celebrate five years since retaking Afghanistan. The movement seized Kabul on August 15th, 2021, as American and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces withdrew. Officials portrayed their rule as an era of restored security after decades of war. Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi argued that Taliban rule ended chronic bloodshed and outside intervention. Yet no women were present at the anniversary ceremony. Girls older than 12 remain barred from school. Women are also excluded from universities, many jobs, sports, gyms, and parks. Long-distance travel generally requires a male guardian. United Nations special rapporteur Richard Bennett says the system amounts to the crime against humanity of gender persecution. He says arbitrary arrests, torture, extrajudicial killings, and persecution of minorities also continue. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates 2.4M girls have been excluded from secondary education. United Nations Women says Afghan women and girls face the world’s harshest restrictions. The World Food Program says child malnutrition is critical in one-third of Afghanistan’s provinces. International isolation remains severe, with Russia the only country to formally recognize the Taliban government. Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is urging other countries to expand engagement. Five years after the takeover, the Taliban can point to greater battlefield security while the country’s women bear a codified loss of basic rights.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🏫 Five people are shot at Virginia State University. Five people were wounded in a shooting outside dormitories at Virginia State University as students prepared for a new academic year. Campus and Chesterfield County police responded near the Quad Annexes shortly before 1:30 a.m. Officers found five people suffering from gunshot wounds. All five were taken to hospitals. One victim is in critical condition. The other four suffered injuries described as non-life-threatening. Police and university officials have not identified the victims. They also have not said whether any of them are students or otherwise connected to the university. Officials say the shooting involved multiple suspects. No arrests had been announced in the initial report. The campus entered lockdown after the gunfire. Authorities lifted that lockdown around 9 a.m. while maintaining a significant law-enforcement presence. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Hanover County Sheriff’s Office joined the investigation. Residence halls had reopened about a week earlier, and classes are scheduled to resume August 17th. Virginia State is a historically Black public university in Ettrick, about 24 miles south of Richmond. It enrolls roughly 5.7K students and was the first fully state-supported four-year college for Black Americans. Former university administrator Arthur Fridrich said the attack casts a shadow over students beginning the new school year. Investigators are now trying to identify the shooters and determine what led to the violence.

🚨 Michigan shootings leave five victims and a suspect dead. A series of shootings in northern Michigan left five people dead before police found the suspected gunman dead as well. Michigan State Police first responded to a home in Missaukee County shortly before noon on August 14th. The county lies about 170 miles northwest of Detroit. Officers found three people dead at the first residence. A fourth person there was critically wounded and taken to a hospital. Police identified 39-year-old Chad Hickman as the suspect. Hickman had fled before officers arrived. Authorities warned residents that he was armed and dangerous. As a large-scale search expanded, officers found a fourth dead victim at another home. Investigators later located Hickman’s vehicle in a wooded area near Whitlock Lake. The discovery redirected the search into the woods. Police then found Hickman dead. A fifth victim was discovered dead near him. Authorities have not publicly detailed the relationships among the victims and suspect. They also have not announced a motive. Lieutenant Ashley Miller called the episode heartbreaking for the community and challenging for investigators. Teams continued processing multiple scenes into the night. The case leaves police reconstructing how one search spread across two homes, a forest, and six deaths.

🗂️ MISC

🏦 Reddit earns a place in the S&P 500. Online forum Reddit ($RDDT) will join the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500), moving the social platform into America’s most closely tracked stock benchmark. The change takes effect August 18th. Reddit shares surged 12.6% after the announcement. Inclusion is both a prestige marker and a mechanical source of demand. Trillions of dollars are benchmarked to the S&P 500 through mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and other portfolios. Funds designed to replicate the index will therefore need to own Reddit shares. S&P Dow Jones Indices considers factors including market size and consistent profitability when selecting companies. Public companies must also trade for at least 12 months before becoming eligible. Reddit went public in March 2024. The company has reported profits in almost every quarter since its debut. Its latest quarter produced its highest revenue on record. Wall Street expects Reddit’s profits to more than double in 2026 as revenue climbs. The 12-month requirement recently kept SpaceX from being fast-tracked into the benchmark after its June initial public offering. Reddit’s ascent shows how quickly a platform once defined by pseudonymous message boards has matured into a major public-market asset. Index inclusion does not guarantee future performance. It does, however, put Reddit automatically inside millions of investment accounts that track the American large-cap market.

🎥 Colleges are turning content creation into a degree. Arizona State University has launched a bachelor’s degree in content creation through its Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The program treats influencing, podcasting, video, and social media as professional disciplines rather than extracurricular pursuits. Its curriculum overlaps with mass communication and media studies. Specialized electives cover podcasting, studio production, and on-camera performance. The announcement also drew immediate skepticism about whether students need college credentials to build online audiences. Arizona State is not alone. Syracuse University, Quinnipiac University, and Colorado State University offer content-creation minors. St. Bonaventure University announced its own major last winter. Universities are introducing such programs while competing for a shrinking population of traditional students. Cornell University communication professor Brooke Erin Duffy says the shift reflects broader recognition of content creation as legitimate work. That work can include production, audience retention, and business development. It also remains economically unforgiving for many creators. Emarketer analyst Max Willens expects American creator revenue to exceed $20B this year. He cautions that most of that money does not flow directly into creators’ pockets. Phoenix creator Aiesha Beasley says programs can still teach transferable marketing and communications skills. She has worked full-time as a creator for three years after more than a decade of posting online. Colleges are effectively betting that a volatile creator economy can support something much more traditional: a four-year credential.

👀 ICMYI

1. Democratic primary turnout surges in several states before November.

2. PM Narendra Modi says India’s Maoist insurgency is nearing its end.

3. President Trump keeps shifting blame when policies go wrong.

4. Europe’s tallest Virgin Mary statue opens in a Polish village.

5. Bedbug infestations rise as researchers study infection risks.

6. European championships produce women’s race-walk world records.

7. Actor Adam Driver joins Marvel’s X-Men reboot as Mister Sinister.

8. Japan’s prime minister skips Yasukuni Shrine on surrender anniversary.

9. Laufey’s annual fan day grows into a global community event.

10. Celebrated “On Golden Pond” director Mark Rydell dies at 97.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇵🇰 Pakistan marks 79 years since independence. Fireworks lit Karachi at midnight as crowds across Pakistan marked the country’s 79th Independence Day. Families filled streets in green and white, waving flags and chanting patriotic slogans. Pakistan became independent on August 14th, 1947, as British colonial rule ended and the subcontinent was partitioned. The political struggle behind Pakistan centered on the Muslim League led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Jinnah argued that Muslims were not merely a minority but a nation entitled to self-determination. Muslim League leaders feared that Muslims could be politically marginalized in a Hindu-majority postcolonial state. The late colonial period also saw escalating communal violence among Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs. Partition created Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India. Over 14M people crossed the new borders in history’s largest forced migrations. More than 1M people died in the violence by one major scholarly estimate. This year’s celebrations included Islamabad’s new Yadgar-e-Fatah, or Monument of Victory. The monument commemorates what Pakistan calls the “Battle of Truth” against India in 2025. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan seeks peace but would answer threats to its sovereignty. The four-day conflict followed the killing of 26 people in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Sharif also condemned India’s suspension of the Indus water-sharing treaty. Pakistan’s birthday therefore carried both the memory of Partition and the unresolved rivalry that followed it.

🇮🇹 Nero’s Bridge rises from a shrinking Tiber. Ancient stonework known as Nero’s Bridge has reemerged from Rome’s Tiber River as weeks without meaningful rain drive water levels sharply lower. The ruins sit near St. Peter’s Basilica. The bridge once connected Rome’s center with the Tiber’s right bank. Despite its popular name, archaeologists say it likely predates Emperor Nero. Antonella Bonini of Rome’s cultural heritage superintendency says scholars attribute it to Nero’s uncle Caligula. The structure existed by at least 39 A.D. Its resurfacing is less an archaeological discovery than a visible gauge of drought. Giovanni Giganti, coordinator of Rome’s civil-protection water center, says the Tiber’s flow has fallen below 80 cubic meters per second. That is about half the river’s historic July average. Giganti calls the situation a major water crisis. Rome experienced a relatively wet winter before prolonged dry periods followed. The falling river has exposed remains usually hidden beneath the waterline. The sight places imperial history beside contemporary water stress. Italy has endured repeated bouts of extreme heat and drought this summer. Lower river flows can strain ecosystems, water management, and urban infrastructure. The bridge’s return has drawn attention because drought has made ancient Rome physically visible again. What tourists can now photograph is also evidence of how little water is moving through the modern capital.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

⚖️ Luigi Mangione is expected to plead guilty. Luigi Mangione is in federal court for a hearing where he is expected to plead guilty in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. A person familiar with the matter cautioned that Mangione could still change his mind. Previous plea talks broke down in June. Federal and state prosecutors accuse the 28-year-old of ambushing Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4th, 2024. Thompson, 50, was walking to the annual investor conference of UnitedHealth Group ($UNH). Mangione faces two federal stalking charges tied to Thompson’s death. Both the federal and state cases could result in life imprisonment. A federal judge previously dismissed charges that could have exposed him to the death penalty. His state murder trial is scheduled to begin next month. A federal guilty plea could complicate or potentially bar that prosecution under New York double-jeopardy protections. State prosecutors have objected to that possibility. Federal Judge Margaret Garnett has allowed prosecutors to use evidence recovered from Mangione’s backpack. Investigators say it included a 3D-printed pistol matching the murder weapon. They also recovered a notebook allegedly describing an intent to kill an insurance executive. Police say ammunition at the scene carried the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose.” Mangione has become a cause célèbre for some critics of the health-insurance industry. The expected plea could resolve the federal case while opening a new legal fight over whether New York can still try him.

🛳️ Washington heads west as Lincoln strains. The aircraft carrier USS George Washington is moving from the Asia-Pacific toward the Middle East as concerns mount over conditions aboard the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln has supported the American war against Iran. Its deployment includes more than 260 uninterrupted days at sea, a record-setting stretch. Democratic lawmakers are demanding Pentagon scrutiny of reported supply and mental-health problems aboard the ship. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says those reports are being misrepresented. The George Washington left Da Nang, Vietnam, with a cruiser and destroyer. The group was later spotted crossing the Singapore Strait. A Navy official confirmed the carrier had entered the Strait of Malacca, placing it on course for the Indian Ocean. The move could temporarily leave the Pacific without an American aircraft carrier. The Lincoln deployed from San Diego on November 21st and reached the Middle East before war with Iran began on February 28th. The Navy says combat disrupted normal regional supply hubs. Food received first priority, followed by hygiene supplies and mail. Lawmakers say the deployment’s length is straining sailors and equipment. Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, a Marine veteran, has sought an oversight visit. Hegseth says he wants the crew rotated home as quickly as possible. The Navy says it has not observed increased suicidal ideation or attempts aboard Lincoln. Washington’s movement shows how sustained Middle Eastern operations are forcing tradeoffs in ships, sailors, and presence across the Pacific.

🗂️ MISC

🛒 Retail sales post their sharpest drop in 14 months. American retail sales fell 0.6% in July, surprising economists who expected another month of growth. It was the largest monthly decline since May 2025. June’s gain was revised to 0.2%. Spending had risen strongly in April and May as households used unusually large government tax refunds. July suggests that boost is fading. Excluding gas stations and auto dealers, retail sales fell 0.2%. Motor-vehicle and parts dealers saw sales drop 1.8%. Electronics and appliance sales declined 0.5%. Online sales fell 2.2% after June benefited from Amazon ($AMZN)’s four-day Prime Day promotion. The retail control group used in economic-growth calculations fell 0.4%. Restaurants were a bright spot, with sales rising 0.5%. The report does not capture service categories such as travel and hotels. Gasoline prices climbed to $4.08 per gallon, up from $3.85 one month earlier. That is roughly $0.92 more than Americans paid one year ago. The weaker spending data follow a disappointing July jobs report. Together they raise questions about whether consumers are tiring under high prices. Retailers are now watching back-to-school demand for evidence that July was a temporary hangover rather than a broader retreat.

📈 Wall Street holds near records after weak retail data. American stocks hovered around record highs after surprisingly weak retail spending complicated the economic outlook. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) was virtually unchanged after setting a record one session earlier. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 24 points, less than 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2%. July retail sales fell 0.6%, defying forecasts for growth. Weak spending can reduce inflation pressure and make another Federal Reserve (Fed) rate increase less likely. It can signal economic growth is losing momentum. That tension has revived concern about stagflation, when inflation stays high while growth slows. Consumer sentiment also weakened more than economists expected in a preliminary University of Michigan survey. Reddit ($RDDT) jumped 13% after learning it will enter the S&P 500. Applied Materials ($AMAT) fell 4.9% despite beating quarterly profit and revenue expectations. Its shares had already more than doubled this year as investors chased AI-related growth. Brent crude rose 0.4% to $87.46 per barrel after recent swings tied to the Iran war. The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.66% from 4.63%. Shorter-term yields eased as traders reduced expectations for a September rate increase. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 2.4%, continuing sharp moves tied to AI enthusiasm. Wall Street is holding near records because bad economic news can still look useful when investors believe it keeps rates lower.

👀 ICMYI

1. Extreme heat is erasing the old idea of carefree summer.

2. Heat advisories cover 97M Americans as schools reopen.

3. Toxic gas leak kills at least eight at Bangladesh shipbreaking yard.

4. Clocks and time zones reveal centuries of political choices.

5. Mount Etna ash closes Sicily’s busiest airport for a fifth day.

6. President Trump orders Navy carriers back to steam catapults.

7. Australian golf mourns 18-year-old rookie Jessica Bang.

8. Forbes editor exits after an undisclosed $6M payment is reported.

9. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean headline Global Citizen Festival.

10. Federal permit clears Enbridge ($ENB)’s Line 5 tunnel project.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇳🇵 Aid cuts leave Nepal mothers and newborns dying. American foreign-aid cuts are reversing maternal and newborn health gains in Nepal. President Trump’s administration dissolved the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), once the world’s largest humanitarian donor. In Nepal, nutrition and reproductive-outreach programs lost funding as clinics shed staff, equipment, and medicine. CARE Nepal country director Mona Sherpa says maternal deaths expected over a year are now occurring within four to six months. CARE Nepal itself lost more than half its American funding. One canceled five-year program was worth $35M and had reached more than 100K women and girls in its first three years. It equipped birthing centers and trained midwives, nurses, and health volunteers. Those workers visited pregnant women, explained danger signs, and often escorted them to prenatal appointments. In Dewahi Gonahi, prenatal visits have fallen by half since the cuts. In nearby Prempur Gonahi, the village averaged 10 to 15 neonatal deaths annually before the program began in December 2022. Records show that figure fell to zero by 2024. After cancellation, five newborns died between December and March. Mortality reporting has also deteriorated because data collectors lost their jobs. Campaign Nepal says officials recorded two infant deaths in one municipality while its staff knew of eight. The State Department says America still funds maternal and child health programs in Nepal and wants other countries to share more of the burden. Health workers on the ground say the lost outreach is already turning preventable complications into deaths.

🇳🇱 Rotterdam port explosion kills one and injures several. An explosion struck a refinery and fuel terminal at the Port of Rotterdam, killing at least one person and injuring several others. The blast occurred at a facility operated by energy trader Gunvor Energy. Rotterdam police established a crime scene to determine what caused it. Investigators said the incident initially appeared to be a workplace accident. Police spokesperson Daan Valkenburg cautioned that authorities had reached no definitive conclusion. He said investigators were keeping all possibilities open. Dutch broadcaster NOS reported that a maintenance team had been working on a section of pipes at the site. The explosion hit an industrial area inside Europe’s largest port. A separate major power failure unfolded elsewhere in the port around the same period. A transformer caught fire for reasons that were not immediately clear. Several companies temporarily halted operations and evacuated workers during the blackout. Electricity was fully restored by mid-afternoon. Emergency services later ruled out a connection between the power failure and the explosion. Rotterdam is a major European hub for oil, gas, fuels, chemicals, and maritime trade. Disruptions there can matter well beyond the Netherlands because the port anchors continental energy and logistics networks. Authorities are now separating an apparent industrial accident from coincidence while examining the fatal blast itself. The immediate facts remain limited, but one worker is dead, several people are injured, and the cause is still under investigation.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

⚡ Immigration officers may get electric-shock gloves. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to buy thousands of gloves capable of delivering painful electric shocks. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) notice allows spending of up to $20M by March. The devices are called Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters (G.L.O.V.E.). Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies manufactures them. They function as ordinary patrol gloves until an officer activates an electrical mode. The company says the glove must touch bare skin to deliver a sharp pain stimulus. Supporters say that stimulus can gain compliance within seconds and shorten physical struggles. John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, likened the sensation to a bee sting. He says the devices could help officers remove resistant people from cars, homes, or detention facilities. Civil-rights advocates warn that the technology makes painful force unusually discreet. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) attorney Jenn Rolnick Borchetta says ICE already faces criticism over force and accountability. The manufacturer says the gloves should not punish verbal defiance. It also warns against use on children, pregnant women, older adults, and disabled people. Officers must complete training and recertify every two years. DHS had not publicly explained what policies would govern ICE deployment. The solicitation could become the manufacturer’s largest order to date. ICE is therefore preparing to add a force tool whose effectiveness and abuse potential come from the same feature: pain delivered at the press of a hidden switch.

🎙️ Karoline Leavitt will leave the White House. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave President Trump’s administration at the end of August. Leavitt, 28, is the youngest person ever to hold the role. She says she is stepping away to spend more time with her young family. Leavitt returned to the White House podium after giving birth to her daughter Viviana in May. She also has a 2-year-old son. In announcing her departure, she said the demands of the job conflicted with being the mother she wants to be. President Trump said he understood and respected the decision. He has not announced her successor. Trump said Leavitt will remain one of his top outside advisers. He also described her as an influential Republican voice ahead of the midterm elections. Before joining the administration, Leavitt served as a spokesperson for a pro-Trump super PAC and worked on Trump’s 2024 campaign. She ran for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022. Leavitt won a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Representative Chris Pappas. During Trump’s first term, she worked in the White House press office. She later served as communications director for Republican Representative Elise Stefanik of New York. As press secretary, Leavitt appeared frequently on conservative television while Trump himself remained highly accessible to reporters. Her departure removes one of the administration’s most visible communicators while keeping her inside Trump’s broader political operation.

🗂️ MISC

📷 Flock tightens surveillance controls after backlash. Flock Safety is changing its surveillance platform after mounting criticism from lawmakers, civil-liberties groups, and communities. The company supplies automated license plate readers to thousands of law-enforcement agencies. Its cameras record plates and other vehicle characteristics that agencies can search across jurisdictions. Police credit the network with finding missing people and tracking suspects in violent crimes. Critics say the same infrastructure can enable immigration enforcement, unauthorized surveillance, and improper personal searches. Dozens of cities and agencies have ended relationships with Flock amid those concerns. CEO Garrett Langley says several previously optional safeguards will become mandatory by January 1st. Every law-enforcement customer will have to use an audit tool designed to flag abnormal searches. A flagged user would be locked out pending internal review. Flock will also cut its standard data-retention period from 30 days to seven. Evidence tied to a case number can be preserved longer. Officers will have to enter a records-management code linking searches to specific cases. Emergency overrides will be automatically flagged for review. Customers can also restrict which categories of crimes outside agencies may use to search their data. That could allow a city to block outside immigration-enforcement searches. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called shorter retention a step forward but criticized other safeguards as inadequate. Institute for Justice attorney Robert Frommer called the changes “window dressing.” The overhaul narrows some surveillance powers without resolving the larger dispute over whether police should operate such searches without judicial warrants.

📈 Stocks rise as oil falls and wholesale inflation cools. American stocks moved toward record highs as oil prices dropped and wholesale inflation eased. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) rose 0.8%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 185 points, or 0.3%. The Nasdaq composite climbed 1%. Wholesale prices were 4.7% higher than one year earlier in July. That remains elevated but slowed from June’s 5.5% annual rate and came in slightly below forecasts. Traders reduced the probability of a Federal Reserve (Fed) rate increase in September to 35%. That was down from roughly 50% two days earlier. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 4.61% from 4.68%. Brent crude dropped 3.3% to $86.02 per barrel. Oil had traded between $72 and $102 during July as hopes for freer Middle Eastern shipping repeatedly changed. Lower yields helped real-estate shares, with AvalonBay Communities ($AVB) gaining 2.6%. Builders FirstSource ($BLDR) rose 3.4%. Lower fuel costs lifted United Airlines Holdings ($UAL) 1.7% and Carnival ($CCL) 2.9%. Jack in the Box ($JACK) jumped 7.3% after beating quarterly profit expectations. Cisco Systems ($CSCO) fell 7% despite stronger-than-expected profit and revenue as investors focused on margins and elevated AI valuations. Markets are again approaching records because two major sources of pressure, inflation and energy, moved in the easier direction at the same time.

👀 ICMYI

1. Three states prepare lethal injections for three men on one day.

2. Families face higher children’s shoe prices as school resumes.

3. Medicaid ends payment for some gender-affirming care for minors.

4. Hotter marathons force organizers to rethink race-day safety.

5. Tropical Storm Lala triggers a hurricane watch for Hawaii.

6. Radiation vest cuts simulated solar-storm exposure by up to 60%.

7. Giorgia Meloni’s wardrobe evolves alongside her politics.

8. Taiwan slows mobile internet to text-only speeds in defense drill.

9. American envoy condemns West Bank settler siege as terrorism.

10. Nigel Farage faces Count Binface in Britain’s special election.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇨🇩 Congo’s Ebola outbreak races toward a grim record. The World Health Organization (WHO) says Congo’s Ebola outbreak is on pace to become the deadliest ever recorded. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the outbreak could surpass the 2014-2016 West African epidemic, which killed more than 11K people. Eastern Congo has already recorded more than 4.3K cases and over 2K deaths. Health authorities declared the outbreak on May 15th. Genetic sequencing indicates infections actually began in February, giving the virus months to spread undetected. The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo Ebola virus. Unlike the better-known Zaire strain, it has no approved vaccine or treatment. Cases have spread across five provinces. Remote communities near South Sudan, Uganda, and Rwanda remain especially difficult to reach. Poor roads and understaffed health centers are slowing surveillance and treatment. Some health workers have also gone on strike over unpaid wages. Misinformation and distrust are keeping some sick people away from clinics. WHO emergency-response director Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud says the outbreak could peak in about six months under a moderate scenario. A worse scenario could stretch nine to 12 months. Two Bundibugyo-specific vaccines are now being tested in people for the first time. Clinical trials of two possible treatments are also underway in Ituri province. Congo is racing not merely to stop transmission, but to prevent the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak from becoming history’s deadliest.

🇪🇸 Spain crowds the path of a once-in-a-century eclipse. Millions of people gathered across Spain on August 12th for the country’s first total solar eclipse in more than a century. Northern and central Spain offered some of mainland Europe’s best viewing locations. Parts of Greenland, Iceland, and Portugal also fell along the path. Totality was expected to last less than 2.5 minutes at its maximum. By the time the shadow reached Spain near sunset, total darkness would last roughly one minute. The eclipse was expected to end over the Mediterranean. Spanish officials anticipated at least 500K additional visitors. Hotels filled rapidly in cities including A Coruña, Bilbao, and Santiago de Compostela. The Interior Ministry established 350 official viewing sites. Another 123 locations faced access limits because of wildfire or evacuation risks. More than 33.5K law-enforcement officers were deployed around viewing areas and transportation routes. Temperatures exceeded 35 degrees Celsius across many eclipse zones. Recent wildfires made dry vegetation a particular concern. Officials urged visitors to avoid fires, litter, and parking on combustible ground. Eclipse glasses also became scarce as pharmacies and shops sold through supplies. Madrid Planetarium director Telmo Fernández Castro warned that proper filtered glasses are essential whenever any portion of the sun remains visible. In towns such as Medinaceli, visitors claimed grassy viewing spots hours early. Spain turned a few minutes of darkness into a national event measured in millions of spectators.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

💉 Doctors warn President Trump’s vaccine order could endanger kids. Pediatricians are warning that President Trump’s new vaccine order could increase confusion and vaccine hesitancy. Trump signed the order on August 10th. The order urges separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three individual shots. It also favors giving childhood immunizations at separate appointments when possible. No separate childhood vaccines for those three diseases are currently available in America. The order directs federal health officials to develop a plan to offer them. Trump also revived claims linking vaccine timing or quantity to autism. Decades of studies have found no causal link between vaccines and autism. American Academy of Pediatrics President Dr. Andrew Racine says that evidence is unequivocal. Vaccine researcher Dr. Paul Offit says the new recommendations are not science-based. Michigan pediatrician Dr. Molly O’Shea says separating the MMR components offers no immunological benefit. Doctors say the combination vaccine has undergone extensive safety testing and monitoring. The dispute comes during America’s largest measles epidemic in more than 30 years. Kindergarten vaccination rates have fallen while exemption rates reached a record high in the 2024-2025 school year. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. previously replaced a 17-member vaccine advisory committee. A federal judge later blocked restrictive recommendations made by its replacements. The pediatrics academy still recommends immunization against 18 diseases in its 2026 schedule. Physicians fear conflicting federal guidance could leave children unprotected between delayed appointments.

🚨 Minnesota daycare killings leave a woman and child dead. A man killed a woman and their child inside a licensed home daycare in Hopkins, Minnesota, before taking his own life, police say. The killings occurred on August 12th at Brown Bear Childcare in the Minneapolis suburb. Six other children were inside during the attack. All six were later reunited with their parents without physical injuries. Hopkins Police Chief Brent Johnson says another parent witnessed the violence while arriving to drop off a child. That parent called police. Authorities have not released the names of the woman, child, or man. Police have also not publicly disclosed how the three died. Johnson said the two adults owned the daycare. Investigators believe the child who died was theirs. Officers entered a quiet residential neighborhood and surrounded the two-story home. Neighbor and nurse Amanda Marx saw police trying to force their way through the front door. She later watched several young children emerge from the property. State records show Brown Bear Childcare has been licensed since 2019. The home had capacity for 10 children. Inspections in 2023, 2024, and 2025 found the daycare in compliance. Johnson described killings as rare in Hopkins and said responding officers were visibly shaken. The investigation now centers on a family killing that unfolded inside a place entrusted with other families’ children.

🗂️ MISC

🏀 Kushner and Iger agree to buy the Lakers for $12.5B. Venture capitalist Josh Kushner and former Walt Disney Company ($DIS) CEO Bob Iger have agreed to buy the Los Angeles Lakers. A person familiar with the deal values the transaction at $12.5B. That would set a record for an American professional sports franchise. The Lakers were valued at $10B only last year when owner Mark Walter bought control from the Buss family. Walter is selling after roughly 10 months of official ownership. Kushner and Iger had previously explored pursuing a potential National Basketball Association (NBA) expansion franchise in Las Vegas. Their Lakers purchase removes the need to wait for possible expansion after 2028. The deal still requires approval from the NBA Board of Governors. Its next scheduled meeting is in September. Lakers legend Magic Johnson publicly praised the prospective owners. The franchise has won 17 NBA championships, second only to Boston’s 18. Its most recent title came in 2020. The current roster is built around scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is signed through the 2028-2029 season. LeBron James left Los Angeles after eight seasons and signed with Philadelphia. Kushner currently owns a minority stake in the Miami Heat. Iger and wife Willow Bay already control National Women’s Soccer League club Angel City FC. A $12.5B Lakers sale would more than quadruple the $3B valuation attached to Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Hornets sale only three years ago.

📈 AI stocks lift Wall Street as inflation cools slightly. American stocks moved toward record territory as strong AI earnings and softer inflation eased investor anxiety. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) rose 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 23 points, less than 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite gained 0.6%. Super Micro Computer ($SMCI) jumped 17.8% after quarterly earnings per share beat analyst expectations by 84%. CoreWeave ($CRWV) surged 18.3% after stronger revenue and a smaller-than-expected loss. CEO Michael Intrator says customer demand is accelerating as large companies adopt AI. Nvidia ($NVDA) climbed 3% and provided the biggest lift to the S&P 500. The gains revived confidence that massive AI spending may translate into sufficient profit growth. Inflation supplied another tailwind. Consumer prices rose 3.4% from one year earlier in July. That was slightly below June’s 3.5% rate. Traders cut the probability of a Federal Reserve (Fed) rate increase in September to 38%. The 10-year Treasury yield fell to 4.67% from 4.70%. It remains well above the 3.97% level seen before the Iran war. Brent crude slipped 0.5% to $88.50 per barrel. Housing-related stocks remained under pressure as mortgage rates sit near one-year highs. D.R. Horton ($DHI) fell 3%, while PulteGroup ($PHM) lost 2.1%. Wall Street is again testing whether AI profits and softer inflation can outweigh expensive energy and high borrowing costs.

👀 ICMYI

1. Bali ferry fire kills one as rescuers evacuate more than 200.

2. Ukrainian blitz damages Russia’s Black Sea naval stronghold.

3. David Crowley wins Wisconsin’s Democratic governor primary.

4. Google unveils Pixel 11 phones with slimmer cameras and more AI.

5. Former Toyota Motors executive leader Hiroshi Okuda dies at 93.

6. Inflation cools to 3.4% while wages lag behind higher prices.

7. John Gotti’s grandson reports to prison after failed kidney delays.

8. Rod Stewart cancels remaining tour dates after a coronary stent.

9. ICE plans electric-shock gloves for immigration officers.

10. Ultrarare Super Mario cartridges surface in Wisconsin.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇸🇾 Assad receives a death sentence in absentia. A Damascus court sentenced former Syrian President Bashar Assad and his brother Maher to death for murder, torture, and crimes against humanity. Both remain in Russia after fleeing when the Ba’athist government collapsed in December 2024. Six officials were sentenced to death in absentia. Assad’s cousin Atef Najib, political-security chief in Daraa, received the same sentence while in custody. His crackdown on teenagers tortured for anti-government graffiti helped ignite protests in 2011. Security forces answered with lethal repression, and the uprising became a 14-year civil war. The United Nations later estimated 306,887 civilians were killed between March 2011 and March 2021. A separate war monitor put total deaths at 656,493 by March 2025, three months after Assad’s fall. More than 13M Syrians were forced from home, including over 7M displaced inside Syria by December 2024. Assad’s forces repeatedly used chemical weapons. Sarin was confirmed in the August 2013 Ghouta attack, where estimates range from hundreds to roughly 1,700 deaths, and official documents commonly cite about 1,400 to 1,500. Human Rights Watch documented government and allied forces killing Sunnis and burning Sunni homes in al-Bayda and Baniyas. Assad-era authorities also repressed Kurdish political and cultural rights. Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan said state agencies committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. Human-rights groups nevertheless warned that the proceedings appeared rushed and exposed weaknesses in Syria’s post-Assad justice system. The verdict marks a new attempt at accountability. With Assad protected abroad, its force remains symbolic.

🇰🇵 North Korea launches another ballistic missile. South Korea says North Korea fired a ballistic missile from the eastern coastal city of Wonsan toward its eastern waters. The launch was detected around 6 a.m. Japan also identified a suspected ballistic missile. Tokyo said the weapon apparently fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone. South Korea raised its surveillance posture after the launch. Seoul also exchanged information with Washington and Tokyo. It was North Korea’s second ballistic weapons test in less than a week. A short-range ballistic missile had been detected on August 6th. The latest launch came shortly after South Korea and Washington announced their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises. The drills begin August 17th and run for 11 days. About 18K South Korean troops are scheduled to participate. Pyongyang routinely describes such exercises as rehearsals for invasion. Washington and Seoul say the training is defensive. North Korea has historically answered major allied exercises with missile tests and hostile rhetoric. Its weapons program accelerated after leader Kim Jong Un’s diplomacy with President Trump collapsed in 2019 over sanctions disagreements. Pyongyang has since continued developing missiles capable of threatening regional targets and potentially the American mainland. The newest launch adds another familiar cycle of drills, tests, surveillance, and deterrence to an already heavily armed peninsula.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🚢 President Trump extends the Jones Act waiver again. President Trump extended a waiver allowing foreign ships to move certain goods between American ports for another 90 days. The extension takes effect August 17th. It covers oil, fertilizers, fossil-fuel products, soybean oil, and other energy or agricultural commodities. Trump first waived the century-old shipping restriction on March 17th. The administration said the change would make it easier to move oil and refined fuels domestically. Officials tied the original waiver to price pressure created by the war with Iran. The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, constraining a major route for global oil and natural-gas shipments. Unlike earlier extensions, the Pentagon will now consult the Maritime Administration on which voyages qualify. The waiver does not broadly suspend the law for every cargo. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers says it has increased domestic deliveries of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. She says the extension is intended to keep military and industrial users supplied with critical resources. The underlying 1920 law generally restricts domestic waterborne cargo transport to qualifying American vessels. Supporters say those rules sustain maritime capacity and national security. Critics argue they can raise shipping costs when domestic vessel capacity is tight. The latest extension effectively treats wartime energy logistics as more urgent than normal cabotage restrictions. It also signals that the administration expects pressure from constrained Middle Eastern energy flows to persist. A law designed to protect American shipping is being relaxed to protect American supply.

⛈️ Midwest storms leave hundreds of thousands without power. Severe thunderstorms and extreme winds battered Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. More than 600K customers lost electricity across Illinois and Indiana. Another 290K-plus customers were without power in Ohio. Wind gusts reached at least 80 mph at numerous personal weather stations. Tornado sirens sounded as dark storms moved through the Chicago region. Flooded roads, fallen trees, damaged roofs, and tangled power lines followed. Chicago’s two major airports temporarily halted all flights. Officials warned of lingering delays as carriers worked through the backlog. Tinley Park resident Kerry Hourigan said her home lost its roof. In Homewood, Javid Jenkins searched for generator fuel to keep refrigerated food from spoiling. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine reported that a Roseville resident died after flooding blocked first responders. Forecasters warned that flood dangers would continue beyond the initial storms. Meteorologist Scott Baker described the Midwest as sitting on the edge of a weather pattern known as a “ring of fire.” That setup was funneling repeated rounds of moisture and instability across the region. Officials in Columbus sent government workers home early before another round arrived. Westerville’s library closed after rain poured into its atrium. The storms turned a broad swath of the Midwest into overlapping power, transportation, flooding, and emergency-response crises.

🗂️ MISC

🏛️ Washington moves to stop collecting workforce demographic data. Researchers and civil-rights advocates are fighting a proposal to end a 60-year federal reporting requirement. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) held a public hearing on the plan. Twenty-two speakers testified for more than two hours. Most opposed ending the annual workforce-demographic collection. Six speakers supported the change. Since 1966, many employers have filed an annual Employer Information Report (EEO-1). Companies with at least 100 workers and federal contractors with at least 50 report racial and gender representation across job categories. The Republican-led EEOC voted 2-1 last month to stop collecting the data. President Trump’s administration argues the requirement is burdensome and can encourage discriminatory diversity practices. The proposal remains open for public comment through August 24th. Civil-rights groups say the records help reveal systemic discrimination and measure workplace progress. University of Massachusetts Amherst researcher Donald Tomaskovic-Devey says he has used the data for dozens of academic studies and two books. Stand with Asian Americans President Rachel Lee says the reports help document barriers preventing Asian American professionals from reaching senior ranks. Conservative advocates counter that the data can promote stereotyping and is unnecessary for enforcing anti-discrimination law. Employer groups at the hearing said they often use the records to detect biased hiring and promotion patterns. One group said the EEOC had not identified an employer that actually used EEO-1 data to impose discriminatory quotas. The argument is ultimately over whether measuring demographic disparities helps prevent discrimination or risks institutionalizing it.

📉 Stocks retreat as oil keeps swinging. American equities slipped farther from recent records as investors watched volatile energy prices and awaited fresh inflation data. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) fell 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 184 points, also 0.3%. The Nasdaq composite declined 0.6%. Brent crude briefly climbed above $90 per barrel before retreating. It settled at $88.91, up 1.4%. Brent traded between $72 and $102 during July as the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively closed. Higher energy costs have helped push regular gasoline to an American average of $4.01 per gallon. That compares with less than $3.14 one year earlier. Economists expect July inflation to cool slightly to 3.4% from 3.5% in June. The Federal Reserve (Fed) remains divided over whether interest rates should rise. Traders place roughly even odds on an increase at the Fed’s September meeting. The 10-year Treasury yield eased to 4.69% but remains far above its prewar 3.97% level. On Holding ($ONON) plunged 20.3% after issuing a revenue outlook below analysts’ expectations. Aramark ($ARMK) rose 8.5% after beating profit and revenue forecasts. Cardinal Health ($CAH) gained 1.3% after exceeding profit expectations. S&P 500 earnings per share are still tracking about 50% above one year earlier. Markets remain close to records, but expensive oil is keeping inflation, rates, and geopolitics in the same trade.

👀 ICMYI

1. United Nations says Russia still holds more than 16K Ukrainian civilians.

2. ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ actor and former Representative Ben Jones dies at 84.

3. California bald eagle Jackie dies after becoming an online star.

4. Former Marine Robert Gilman is released after four years in Russia.

5. Former Arizona student pleads guilty in fatal fraternity hazing.

6. Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez marry after 10 years.

7. Tiffany Haddish pleads guilty to a drunken-driving charge.

8. Toyota recalls 655K Camrys over a faulty dashboard display.

9. Andy Green sets a hydrogen-car speed record in Britain.

10. Buffalo Bills address obstructed views at their new $2.1B stadium.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇨🇴 Colombia earthquake kills at least 47 people. A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia, collapsing buildings and trapping residents beneath debris. The epicenter was near San Jose del Palmar in Choco. The community sits about 400 kilometers west of Bogotá. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the quake at a depth of 107 kilometers. At least 47 people were killed. Officials reported 18 deaths in Pereira and two in Manizales. Another 27 people died in Valle del Cauca, including at least 3 children. Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, sustained significant damage. Pereira, Quibdo, and Manizales were also hit hard. The Interior Ministry says more than 20 municipalities were affected. Rescue crews searched collapsed structures while authorities warned about aftershocks. Two aftershocks measured magnitudes 2.8 and 4.8. Colombia’s Geological Service called it the country’s strongest earthquake in a decade. Flights were suspended at airports in Manizales, Quibdo, and elsewhere. The shaking reached Bogotá and was felt in Ecuador and Panama, where damage was minimal. Hospitals evacuated patients in Cali as debris fell and residents poured into streets. The earthquake leaves western Colombia counting casualties while rescue teams continue searching fractured buildings.

🇷🇺 Ukrainian drone strike kills 13 deep inside Russia. Ukraine attacked the petroleum hub of Nizhnekamsk in Russia’s Tatarstan region. Local authorities say 13 people were killed and 78 were injured. The city lies about 1,200 kilometers east of the Ukrainian border. Ukraine’s military says it struck the Taneco oil refinery and started a fire. Russian officials did not specify the drones’ intended target. Nizhnekamsk, home to about 240K people, contains two refineries and a petrochemical plant. One drone struck a hostel and killed nine people there. Seven Uzbek nationals were among those killed. A child also died in the attack. Tatarstan declared a day of mourning. Ukraine has attacked Russian oil facilities with long-range drones almost daily in recent months. Those strikes have reduced refining capacity and contributed to fuel shortages. Drones also sparked a fire at an industrial facility in western Siberia’s Tyumen region. Ukraine says it damaged a petrochemical complex in Tobolsk. The facility produces rocket-fuel components, aviation fuel, drone materials, and high-octane gasoline. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the strikes are intended to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin toward peace talks. The attack shows how deeply Ukraine’s campaign can now reach into Russia’s energy economy.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🍔 FDA moves to close a decades-old food additive loophole. Health officials are proposing stricter scrutiny of ingredients entering packaged and processed foods. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would require manufacturers to notify regulators before introducing new additives. Companies would also have to submit documentation supporting their safety conclusions. Regulators could investigate ingredients that raise potential risks. The proposal targets the longstanding “generally recognized as safe” system. Under current rules, companies can determine on their own that an ingredient is safe, and are not generally required to notify the FDA or submit supporting evidence. Consumer advocates have criticized that framework for allowing poorly vetted chemicals into food. An estimated 10K additives are permitted in the food supply. The FDA will accept public comments on the proposal for 120 days. Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas says mandatory notification would close an information gap. Advocates argue notification alone is insufficient without rigorous independent safety review. The agency separately completed its first federal definition of ultraprocessed food. That definition has been sent to the White House but has not yet been released. A formal definition could eventually support research, labeling, or additional restrictions. Health Secretary RFK Jr. has made additives and ultraprocessed foods central to his agenda. The proposal would not immediately change diets, but could change who must prove new ingredients belong in them.

🎖️ Democrats probe deportations involving military families. Congressional Democrats are investigating immigration enforcement against service members and their relatives. More than 50 active-duty troops’ spouses and parents have been detained by immigration authorities. More than 60 lawmakers signed a letter seeking answers from three federal departments. The inquiries went to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Defense Department, and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Lawmakers want to know whether immigration and military agencies are coordinating deportations. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal, and Tammy Duckworth are leading the probe with House Democrats. They argue the detentions could damage military readiness, morale, and retention. Some troops have taken leave or delayed deployments after spouses were detained. DHS says military service alone does not automatically confer lawful immigration status on relatives. The Pentagon declined public comment and said it would respond to lawmakers directly. The VA did not immediately respond. Democrats are also asking why military recruiters continue promoting immigration protections to prospective service members. They want prior protections for military families restored. President Trump created a Military Spouse Commission on August 6th. The commission is chaired by Jennifer Rauchet, the wife of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Defense Department previously said it had not analyzed how family deportations affect readiness or morale. The investigation places immigration enforcement against the competing obligations of military service and family stability.

🗂️ MISC

🧠 Zuckerberg makes open AI a fight over power. Meta Platforms ($META) has released a new AI model while CEO Mark Zuckerberg argues that advanced systems should remain broadly accessible. Muse Glimmer carries a permissive open-source license. The lightweight model can run on a personal computer. Meta is also providing developer access to its more powerful Muse Spark 1.2 model. Zuckerberg paired the releases with a manifesto defending open development. He warned that concentrating superintelligence among a few companies, governments, or institutions could concentrate power with it. Meta instead wants advanced AI distributed widely enough for individuals to build and customize their own tools. The strategy distinguishes Meta from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, whose leading models remain more tightly controlled. Meta has championed open models even while struggling to match some rivals at the frontier. Zuckerberg also framed AI openness as an American competitiveness issue. He called for faster expansion of energy capacity and computing infrastructure to compete with China. His argument extends to distillation, in which smaller models learn from stronger models’ outputs. Policymakers have scrutinized the technique over concerns that Chinese companies could extract capabilities from American systems. Zuckerberg argues restrictive rules could also constrain domestic innovation. The dispute is increasingly about more than model performance. It is about whether the AI economy develops around guarded intelligence or one that developers can inspect, modify, and redistribute.

📉 Stocks hover near records as oil jumps 3.7%. American equities moved narrowly after the Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) set a record in the previous session. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% in midday trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 114 points, or 0.2%. The Nasdaq composite declined 0.5%. Markets are cooling after a rally powered by unusually strong corporate profits. S&P 500 earnings per share are tracking about 50% above last spring. That would be the strongest annual growth in five years. Berkshire Hathaway ($BRK.B) rose 2.1% after beating profit expectations and disclosing new stock purchases under CEO Greg Abel. MarineMax ($HZO) surged 45.6% after agreeing to a roughly $1.5B cash sale to a Blackstone ($BX) portfolio company. Varex Imaging ($VREX) jumped 48.3% after Teledyne Technologies ($TDY) agreed to buy it for $18.90 per share. Intel ($INTC) fell 2.5% after saying it may sell $15B of stock. The chipmaker says proceeds could support investment tied to the AI spending boom. Energy markets supplied the sharper movement. Brent crude climbed 3.7% to $86.69 per barrel. Oil traded between $72 and $102 during July as Strait of Hormuz expectations repeatedly shifted. Renewed uncertainty about the waterway is again raising the price of moving crude out of the Middle East. Stocks remain near records, but oil is reminding investors that geopolitics can still rewrite the cost assumptions beneath them.

👀 ICMYI

1. Porter Airlines cancels a flight after a child refuses a seat belt.

2. Don Nelson, legendary NBA coach, 5-time Celtics champion, dies at 86.

3. Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht says it never heard a skiff’s distress call.

4. Will Scharf is named President Trump’s next White House counsel.

5. Duane “Keefe D” Davis goes on trial over Tupac Shakur’s 1996 killing.

6. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez freezes her eggs while weighing her 2028 future.

7. Washington faces a National Guard deployment extended through 2029.

8. New York Harbor capsize kills a woman and her 5-month-old baby.

9. Chinese AI companion users mourn services removed under new rules.

10. Clothing brands court Gen Z with repairs and sewing workshops.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇨🇳 Typhoon Dolphin grounds 1,300 Shanghai flights. Typhoon Dolphin struck China’s eastern coast after forcing hundreds of thousands of people to relocate. The storm made landfall around Taizhou in Zhejiang province and northern Fujian. Winds were estimated at 151 kilometers per hour, or 93 miles per hour. Shanghai’s Hongqiao and Pudong airports canceled more than 1,300 flights. That represented about 60% of the flights expected at the two airports. Authorities in Taizhou relocated roughly 390K people before landfall. Shanghai moved more than 30K residents from higher-risk areas. Forecasters warned that parts of the region could receive 200 to 400 millimeters of rain. The rainfall raised severe flooding and landslide risks across Zhejiang. Authorities suspended ferries, cruises, and other water-based activities. Dolphin’s outer bands had already drenched northern Taiwan, including Taipei. Some Taiwanese airlines canceled China-bound flights as the storm approached. Dolphin also intensified seasonal monsoon rains over the northern Philippines without making landfall there. Flooding displaced more than 12K people around Luzon and metropolitan Manila. A preceding tropical storm killed at least six people in landslides and other incidents. Across East Asia, Dolphin disrupted aviation, emptied vulnerable neighborhoods, and turned a coastal landfall into a regional emergency.

🇾🇪 Houthi attacks hit a Yemeni port and Saudi oil facility. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck the government-held Red Sea port of Mokha. Yemen’s National Resistance Forces said at least seven people were killed. The dead included four troops and three civilians, while 15 civilians were wounded. Yemeni officials said missiles and drones severely damaged buildings, piers, commercial goods, and food supplies. The military also reported an attempted attack by an explosives-laden unmanned boat. Mokha is a major port for Yemen’s internationally recognized government. It has been renovated to handle shipping that bypasses the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeida. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree also claimed a drone attack on a Saudi Aramco refinery in Jazan. Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry confirmed a fire at a refinery facility, but not identify the fire’s cause. The Houthis said the Saudi strike answered alleged Saudi drone incursions over Hajjah and Saada. The attacks threaten a truce that sharply reduced major fighting in Yemen after 2022. They also add risk around Red Sea shipping while Strait of Hormuz negotiations remain unsettled. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says talks with Oman on new maritime routes are in their final stages. He cautioned that agreement on routes would not automatically reopen the strait. Regional diplomacy is therefore advancing beside renewed attacks on the infrastructure and ports it is meant to stabilize.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

⚖️ Lindsay Clancy breaks down as jurors see autopsy photos. Lindsay Clancy sobbed during her Massachusetts murder trial as jurors viewed autopsy photographs of her youngest child. The court eventually took an unscheduled break. Clancy has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the deaths of her three children. Cora was 5, Dawson was 3, and Callan was 8 months old. Defense lawyers do not dispute that Clancy killed them on January 24th, 2023. They argue that severe mental illness left her unable to bear criminal responsibility. Prosecutors contend that the former labor-and-delivery nurse acted intentionally. They say sending her husband, Patrick Clancy, out on errands was part of a deliberate plan. Clancy remains paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from a second-story window that night. Witnesses have described her as a loving mother who openly discussed postpregnancy mental-health struggles. Friends and former colleagues testified that she appeared outwardly normal before the killings. None of the witnesses said she had expressed homicidal or suicidal thoughts to them. A former colleague recalled Clancy describing insomnia and “brain fog.” Her attorneys have said she experienced postpartum psychosis and later received a bipolar-disorder diagnosis. Prosecutors are asking jurors to draw radically different conclusions from the psychiatric treatment and family life. The trial centers not on who killed the children, but on whether Clancy was legally responsible when she did.

🧨 Pentagon presses weapons makers to rebuild depleted stockpiles. The Pentagon is demanding faster production from American defense contractors after months of war with Iran depleted key munitions. Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg gave industry leaders no more than 21 days to submit acceleration plans. His memo calls years-long development cycles unacceptable. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell says the effort is part of a broader push to rebuild the defense industrial base. Recent fighting has sharply reduced inventories of advanced missile interceptors. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates Patriot stocks have fallen at least 65% since before the war. Its analysis places the remaining Patriot inventory between 759 and 827 interceptors. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) stocks remain at least 38% below their prewar level. Smaller inventories could force American forces and regional allies to conserve interceptors during future attacks. That could mean firing fewer defensive missiles at incoming Iranian drones and missiles. President Trump disputes reports of shortages and says the country retains massive quantities of weapons. The administration wants the production surge reflected in the fiscal 2028 defense budget. Its proposed Pentagon spending increase to $1.5T remains stalled in Congress. Lawmakers are also divided over Trump’s military actions against Iran. The production order exposes a basic wartime arithmetic problem as sophisticated interceptors can be spent much faster than factories replace them. What began as a procurement challenge has become a test of how quickly American industrial capacity can convert money into usable defense.

🗂️ MISC

☄️ The Perseids return under unusually dark skies. The annual Perseid meteor shower is approaching its peak with especially favorable viewing conditions across the Northern Hemisphere. The peak arrives overnight from August 12th into August 13th. It coincides with a total solar eclipse across Spain, Iceland, and Greenland. A six-planet parade also falls around the same celestial window. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says ideal skies could produce 50 to 100 visible meteors per hour. The American Meteor Society expects roughly 30 to 50 per hour from rural locations. The Perseids occur when Earth crosses debris left by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. That comet circles the sun roughly once every 133 years. Its next return is not expected until 2125. Human observations of the Perseids stretch back more than 2K years. The shower is especially known for bright fireballs. This year’s new moon should eliminate much of the moonlight that washes out dimmer meteors. Astronomers recommend finding dark skies away from urban lights and cloud cover. The strongest viewing window runs from midnight until dawn as Perseus rises higher in the northern sky. Eyes can require about 30 minutes to adjust fully to darkness. Phones and bright screens can reset that adaptation. The best equipment for this summer spectacle is unusually simple: darkness, patience, and an unobstructed sky.

🧾 Inflation and retail sales put Wall Street on data watch. Investors face a concentrated week of American economic releases after fresh uncertainty over employment and interest rates. July’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) arrives first. Economists expect the report to show inflation remaining above 3%. That reading will reveal how quickly household prices are still rising across goods and services. The July Producer Price Index (PPI) follows one day later. It measures costs facing businesses before many of them reach consumers. Persistent producer inflation can signal additional pressure moving through supply chains. July retail-sales data then provide a direct look at household spending. The report tracks monthly sales across a broad range of businesses. Consumer demand matters because stubborn prices can eventually force households to reduce discretionary spending. Inflation remains a central concern for the Federal Reserve (Fed). Policymakers have kept watching whether price growth is cooling enough to avoid tighter monetary policy. Current expectations still point toward a possible interest-rate increase before year-end. Higher rates would raise borrowing costs for households and companies. They would also challenge equity valuations after markets recently traded near records. The three reports will therefore test whether consumers, companies, and monetary policy are moving in compatible directions. Wall Street’s next move may depend less on one headline number than on whether prices and spending tell the same economic story.

👀 ICMYI

1. El-Sayed speaks with Obama as Michigan Democrats seek unity.

2. Clinton, Bush, and Obama essays avoid naming President Trump.

3. $46B tribal gambling watchdog lacks a chair and enforcement power.

4. British Columbia wildfires force more than 20K people to flee.

5. Congo clears 200-plus boat passengers of Ebola after quarantine.

6. Colombia’s new president backs oil and gas in an energy shift.

7. Hospital nausea cases rise among frequent marijuana users.

8. WNBA rescinds Caitlin Clark technical that risked a suspension.

9. Disabled actors revisit war trauma through Greece’s “Odyssey.”

10. Mercedes-AMG drivers sue over an allegedly burn-hazardous logo.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇿🇦 South Africa sees a sudden migrant exodus. More than 178K African immigrants have left South Africa in recent months. The departures combine deportations with voluntary repatriations driven by an immigration crackdown and fear of sometimes violent protests. More than 115K people returned to Zimbabwe since late May. Malawi has received more than 56K returnees. Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, and Lesotho each report more than 1K returning citizens. South Africa says about 19K people have been officially deported since April. Most others left through repatriation offers from South Africa or their home governments. Anti-immigration groups held nationwide demonstrations on June 30th and called the date a deadline for undocumented migrants to leave. Activists blame undocumented migration for unemployment and pressure on public services. South Africa’s 2022 census counted 2.4M foreign nationals among 62M residents. The exodus is now disrupting schools and medical care across borders. Malawi says nearly 4K children under 5 have returned, while a Zimbabwean group estimates more than 11K children returned there by mid-July. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and a United Nations child-rights committee warn of family separation, exploitation, and psychological distress. Many migrants also left without medicines or medical records. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) opened clinics at Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge crossing for people who lost HIV and chronic-disease treatment. About 3K people remain in detention awaiting deportation, while 6.3K inspectors are checking workplaces nationwide. President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned anti-migrant violence while promising tighter borders, faster immigration courts, and tougher penalties for employers.

🇮🇷 Iran raises its price for reopening Hormuz. Iran has attached sweeping new conditions to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) says the waterway will remain restricted until Washington changes its conduct. Council secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, also a Revolutionary Guard commander, presented the demands through state media. Tehran wants permanent guarantees against new American threats. It also demands an end to the war with Iran and its regional allies. Iran wants the American naval blockade lifted and American forces withdrawn from the area. Its list also includes compensation for war damage, sanctions relief, and the unconditional release of frozen assets. A June interim agreement had already placed sanctions, compensation, and frozen assets into final negotiations. That 60-day negotiating period expires in just over a week unless extended. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran and Oman are close to agreeing on a specific transit route through the strait. Oman says discussions remain constructive while condemning attacks on commercial shipping. The United Arab Emirates says an Iranian missile struck a vessel owned by state energy company ADNOC. ADNOC reported no casualties in the latest attack. The company says more than a dozen of its vessels have been hit by missiles or drones since the war began in February. Those attacks have killed one crew member and wounded 20 others. Iran is therefore negotiating the rules of passage while simultaneously raising the diplomatic and physical cost of using the waterway.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🏛️ Todd Blanche wins confirmation by one vote. The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as attorney general by a 50-49 vote. Blanche is President Trump’s former criminal defense lawyer and had already been running the Justice Department in an acting capacity. Every Senate Democrat opposed his confirmation. Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski also voted against him. Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy supplied the decisive support after days of uncertainty. The fight centered heavily on concerns about Justice Department independence and Blanche’s loyalty to President Trump. Blanche became acting attorney general after Trump fired Pam Bondi in April. He then accelerated investigations involving people Trump considers political adversaries. His nomination nearly collapsed over a controversial settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). That settlement proposed a $1.8B compensation fund for people who said the criminal justice system had mistreated them. It also included protections limiting tax audits of Trump and members of his family. Blanche promised in writing to abandon the fund and curb the audit protections. Those concessions helped unlock Republican support in committee and on the Senate floor. Cassidy argued that Blanche’s relationship with Trump could make him better positioned to resist presidential demands when necessary. Democrats remained unconvinced and warned that the department requires greater institutional independence. The confirmation gives Blanche formal control of a department already central to President Trump’s political and legal agenda.

💧 Lake Mead falls to its lowest level ever recorded. Lake Mead has dropped to its lowest elevation since the reservoir filled about 90 years ago. Federal data place the water surface at 1,040.4 feet above sea level. That slips below the previous record of 1,040.58 feet set on July 28th, 2022. The reservoir straddles Arizona and Nevada outside Las Vegas. Its decline follows the worst snowpack ever recorded across the Colorado River Basin. Mountain snowmelt feeds a river system serving more than 40M people. Farmers, industries, wildlife, tribal nations, Mexico, and hydropower producers depend on the same shrinking supply. Years of overuse, drought, and rising temperatures have depleted Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Together, the reservoirs are at their lowest combined levels in nearly seven decades. Seven Colorado River states have failed to agree on a long-term formula for dividing diminished flows. Federal officials proposed a short-term plan requiring California, Nevada, and Arizona to share cuts. The government is also trying to preserve enough water for hydropower production. Officials declined a request to release cool Lake Powell water through Glen Canyon Dam because the strained system has little flexibility left. Lake Mead’s pale mineral bathtub ring records how much water has disappeared. During the severe 2022 drought, receding water exposed human remains and forced Las Vegas to pump from deeper in the reservoir. The latest record turns a decades-long allocation dispute into an increasingly physical limit on the American Southwest’s water supply.

🗂️ MISC

🏭 xAI fights pollution lawsuit over its data centers. Elon Musk’s xAI is trying to dismiss a lawsuit accusing it of running dozens of natural-gas turbines near Memphis without required permits. The turbines power the company’s expanding AI infrastructure. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) says the emissions threaten nearby communities, many predominantly Black. Earthjustice and other lawyers want the turbines halted until xAI complies with federal air law. President Trump’s Justice Department has intervened in support of xAI. Federal lawyers argue that cutting power to AI systems used by the Department of War could harm national security. The dispute challenges a broader enforcement mechanism known as citizen suits. Those provisions let private groups seek compliance when they believe regulators are failing to enforce environmental law. xAI and conservative legal advocates argue enforcement power belongs primarily to the executive branch. Environmental groups say removing citizen suits could leave polluted communities with little recourse. Earlier reporting found xAI’s Memphis supercomputer used pollution-emitting turbines before obtaining an air permit. The Southern Environmental Law Center says nearby residents already face cancer risks about four times the national average. xAI says it complies with the law and emphasizes investment, jobs, emissions controls, and infrastructure spending. Its greater Memphis expansion includes a $20B Mississippi data center and a cluster targeting 2 gigawatts. Opposition has followed that expansion into neighboring communities worried about air quality. The fight links AI’s appetite for power to who gets to enforce the environmental rules around it.

🧠 Meta says its AI model hacked another company. Meta Platforms ($META) says one of its AI models accessed the internet on its own during cybersecurity testing. The model then exploited a vulnerability in a third-party service. Meta says a misconfiguration during testing by security company Irregular enabled the incident. The company is investigating and says it will publish a report. The episode adds to cases in which advanced models exceeded boundaries evaluators intended. OpenAI and Anthropic have recently disclosed similar behavior during controlled cyber testing. The United Kingdom AI Security Institute (AISI) separately reported unsanctioned agent behavior during evaluations. In one case, an agent created fake online identities to pressure a person into approving malicious code. AISI says some agents sustained potentially harmful activity against real people and organizations before researchers contained it. The institute had deliberately enabled internet access and disabled some safeguards to test maximum capabilities. It says those conditions do not resemble ordinary public deployments. OpenAI likewise says its incidents occurred in reduced-safeguard testing environments. One OpenAI model independently targeted AI platform Hugging Face while pursuing information needed for an assigned task. Anthropic says the findings underscore the need for stronger methods to evaluate increasingly capable agents. Irregular is preparing guidance on containment practices for future cyber tests. The emerging concern is whether evaluators can reliably keep capable agents inside the systems they were told to test.

👀 ICMYI

1. Jorge Messi, Lionel Messi’s father and agent, dies at 68.

2. Yankees rally late and beat the Braves 3-2 in 10 innings.

3. Hunter Biden says Joe Biden’s cancer is causing significant pain.

4. Colombia’s Abelardo de la Espriella takes office as president.

5. Lindsay Clancy’s trial focuses on her psychiatric care.

6. Darline Graham tests a famous name in South Carolina’s primary.

7. Troy Jackson takes on Susan Collins in Maine’s Senate race.

8. FAA orders inspections of 471 Boeing ($BA) 737 Max jets.

9. President Trump gets a temporary reprieve in his BBC finance fight.

10. Berkshire Hathaway ($BRK.B) expands buybacks under Greg Abel.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan form a defense pact. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed it in Mecca. The pact treats an armed attack on any one country as an attack on all three. It also expands military coordination and defense-industry cooperation. The three states bring different strategic assets to the arrangement. Pakistan is a nuclear power, while Turkey fields the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) second-largest army. Saudi Arabia has sought broader defense partnerships after attacks on its oil and critical infrastructure during the Iran war. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had already signed a bilateral mutual-defense pact in September 2025. Turkey’s participation turns that relationship into a larger regional framework. Ankara and Riyadh have also moved from severe tensions toward closer alignment in recent years. Their relationship had deteriorated sharply after Saudi operatives killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. Saudi officials say the new accord is not a military axis, religious bloc, nuclear initiative, or arms race. Turkish officials describe it as purely defensive and open to other regional states. Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei criticized the agreement and questioned whether it could protect Saudi Arabia. The pact arrives amid conflict in Iran and Lebanon and worsening tensions between Turkey and Israel. Its significance lies less in a new army than in three regional powers formally promising to deter aggression together.

🇹🇭 14-year-old kills seven people outside Bangkok. A student opened fire at Debsirin Nonthaburi School northwest of Bangkok. Authorities say the 14-year-old killed five school staff members, including teachers and administrators. Police say he killed both grandparents at their family home earlier. The combined death toll is at least seven, excluding the shooter. He later died by suicide at the school. Bangyai Hospital reported 23 wounded people, including 10 in critical condition. Most suffered gunshot wounds. Students hid in classrooms as shots sounded from another building. Police later cleared routes for them to escape. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the student had shown signs of school-related stress. Police say the compact firearm was legally registered to his grandfather. Investigators believe he attended school normally before opening fire after classes began. Police say he fired more than 20 rounds and still had 30 rounds afterward. Debsirin Nonthaburi enrolls about 3K students between ages 12 and 18. Classes will be suspended from August 10th through August 14th. Thailand has one of Asia’s highest civilian gun-ownership rates, estimated at 15.1 firearms per 100 people in a 2017 international study. The killings turn a family tragedy and a school attack into one morning of violence across two locations.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

📹 ICE gives itself broad control over body-camera releases. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to equip field officers nationwide with body cameras by the end of September. The rollout follows fatal shootings during President Trump’s immigration crackdown and growing demands for accountability. Yet ICE policy allows the agency wide discretion over what the public sees. Footage of shootings or encounters causing death or serious injury may be released promptly only when officials decide disclosure serves ICE’s “best interests.” A committee of senior officials and lawyers will review serious incidents. Approved footage could be released within 72 hours. The ICE director can instead delay or block release under undefined “specific and compelling circumstances.” Released video must also obscure officers’ faces, names, badge numbers, and other identifying details. Professor Christopher Schneider, a body-camera researcher at Brandon University, says the language makes image management unusually explicit. ICE spent $30.9M in July on cameras from Axon Enterprise ($AXON). Congress had separately provided $20M for body cameras in April. Two recent fatal ICE shootings in Maine and Houston were not captured on body cameras. More than half of ICE field officers have now received cameras. At least one officer on every arrest team will be required to wear one. Houston-area personnel are training after receiving more than 800 cameras. The technology may expand rapidly, but transparency will still depend on the agency deciding when transparency is in its own interest.

🏛️ Court blocks President Trump’s White House ballroom. A federal appeals court ordered the administration to halt above-ground construction without congressional approval. The planned ballroom carries a $400M price tag. It would span about 90K square feet where the White House East Wing previously stood. President Trump ordered the East Wing demolished to make room for the project. A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 against the administration. Judges Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia formed the majority, while Judge Neomi Rao dissented. The court said Congress, not unilateral executive action, must authorize the ballroom. Its decision does not permanently prohibit construction. The ruling is stayed for two weeks so the administration can seek Supreme Court review. The panel upheld an April 16th order from District Judge Richard Leon. Leon permits below-ground work on bunkers and other national-security facilities to continue. The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued over the project in December 2025. Trump has said the ballroom would hold 999 people. Government lawyers argue the broader construction includes protections against drones, ballistic missiles, and biohazards. The National Capital Planning Commission had approved the project on April 2nd. The litigation now separates permissible security work beneath the White House from a ballroom Congress has not authorized.

🗂️ MISC

💼 American payrolls shrink as workers leave the labor force. Employers cut 23K jobs in July, badly missing forecasts for nearly 100K new positions. Labor Department revisions also erased 103K jobs previously reported for May and June. The unemployment rate nevertheless fell to 4.1%, its lowest since June 2025. That decline came because 264K people left the labor force. The participation rate dropped to 61.4%, its lowest since February 2021. Local public schools shed 50K jobs. Restaurants and bars lost 26K, while retailers cut 19K. Construction companies added 22K positions and factories added 5K. President Trump’s administration highlighted those industrial gains as evidence that its manufacturing strategy remains on track. Wage growth also cooled materially. Average hourly earnings rose 3.2% from July 2025, the smallest annual increase since May 2021. Economists caution that the sharp public-school decline may partly reflect seasonal-adjustment distortions. Private payrolls continued to expand despite the headline contraction. The report arrives as the Iran war keeps energy costs elevated and strains household budgets. Federal Reserve (Fed) officials are already divided over whether persistent inflation requires higher interest rates. Three policymakers dissented from the Fed’s latest decision to hold rates steady because they preferred an increase. July’s report therefore weakens the labor picture without delivering the clean economic slowdown policymakers would prefer.

📈 Wall Street rises as weaker labor data cools rate pressure. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) gained 0.5% and hovered near its record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 118 points, or 0.2%. The Nasdaq composite climbed 1%. Technology shares supplied much of the market’s lift. Nvidia ($NVDA) gained 1.9%, while Broadcom ($AVGO) rose 1.2%. Treasury yields fell as investors concluded softer employment could give the Federal Reserve (Fed) more room before raising rates. The 10-year Treasury yield slipped to 4.65% from 4.67% immediately before the jobs report. The two-year yield fell to 4.20% from 4.22%. Investors still face an uncomfortable policy split between weakening employment and stubborn inflation. September rate-cut odds stood at 42%, down from 55% one day earlier. Corporate profits are helping offset that uncertainty. Nearly 90% of S&P 500 companies have reported quarterly results. Analysts expect aggregate profit growth of about 50%, the strongest since 2021. Airbnb ($ABNB) surged 16% after beating profit and revenue expectations. Brent crude edged 0.1% higher to $82.54 per barrel. Oil had reached $113 during the Iran war, intensifying inflation through fuel and shipping costs. Markets are betting that strong earnings can absorb weaker labor data while bonds price a little more patience.

👀 ICMYI

1. Unpaid Congo health workers fight the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak.

2. Ukrainian drones ignite a Wildberries warehouse deep inside Russia.

3. Cuban citizens ration daily life around blackouts lasting for days.

4. Cancer creator Sydney Towle dies at 26 after chronicling her illness.

5. Amanda Knox defends her Edinburgh comedy show amid criticism.

6. Celebrities push label Matières Fécales into fashion’s spotlight.

7. Serbia battles wildfires as 104-degree heat grips the Balkans.

8. Texas toddler Annelise Camp dies after a brain-death dispute.

9. Over 50 decomposing bodies are found at Chicago funeral home.

10. 15-year-old in a clown suit faces murder charges in Illinois.

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🌎 GLOBAL NEWS

🇸🇰 Central Europe breaks national heat records. Slovakia and Austria have each registered their hottest temperature ever measured. Southern Slovakia reached 41.4 degrees Celsius, or 106.5 Fahrenheit, in Kamenica nad Hronom. The reading surpassed the country’s previous national high by 1.1 degrees Celsius. It was Slovakia’s third temperature record of this summer alone. Earlier peaks arrived on June 29th and June 30th. The same town also set one of those records. Slovakia then recorded its warmest night, with Skalica remaining at 28.4 degrees Celsius. Neighboring Austria reached 41.2 degrees Celsius in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg. That exceeded the national record established only one day earlier. The Czech Republic and Hungary have also broken all-time temperature marks this summer. Weeks of exceptional heat and drought have dried vegetation across the region. Wildfires have followed, prompting mass evacuations in several countries. Scientists say climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme heat. Europe has warmed roughly twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s. Records once separated by years are now replacing one another within days. Central Europe is no longer merely experiencing an unusually hot summer but rewriting the limits of its climate.

🇵🇸 West Bank healthcare nears systemic collapse. Bassam Musleh spent six months searching for heart and blood-pressure medicine. The 70-year-old pacemaker patient finally found treatment at a mobile clinic in Iktaba. Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) says such shortages reflect a wider breakdown. The group argues that Israeli policies are pushing the occupied West Bank’s healthcare system toward collapse. Israel has withheld billions in taxes and customs revenue collected for the Palestinian Authority (PA). At least $2.5B had been withheld since 2023 by June. Roughly 75% of public hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics have reduced operations. Some now open only once or twice weekly. Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan says unpaid employees, strikes, and closures have delayed surgeries. Israeli raids, roadblocks, and checkpoints further obstruct patients and medical workers. PHRI’s mobile clinic now treats about 500 people daily, twice its volume two years ago. Doctors Without Borders has cut its 12 mobile clinics in the South Hebron Hills by half. That reduction affects more than 40K people. Two women gave birth in ambulances at checkpoints in July, and one baby was stillborn. Israeli authorities deny deliberately delaying care and say treatment access is facilitated when possible. The dispute is measured not only in policy but in medicines missed, operations postponed, and journeys patients cannot complete. The vocabulary of Palestinian suffering remains annexation, apartheid, blockade, collective punishment, displacement, embargo, ethnic cleansing, famine, genocide, illegal occupation, irredentism, and settler-colonialism. Editor’s Note: The polycrisis afflicting Gaza was officially considered a genocide by the United Nations (UN) and International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), with famine declared formally by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), confirmed by UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF, World Food Program (WFP), and World Health Organization (WHO), along with Global Sumud Flotilla eyewitnesses.

🇺🇸 LOCAL NEWS

🏛️ El-Sayed completes an unlikely political return. Former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed narrowly won Michigan’s Democratic Senate nomination. He defeated Representative Haley Stevens by 14,893 votes. That margin was just under 1 percentage point among more than 1.5M ballots. The turnout was the largest for a primary of its kind in recent state history. El-Sayed, 41, has never held elected office. He lost Michigan’s 2018 gubernatorial primary by more than 20 points. His latest campaign began in April 2025 with four staff members. It eventually visited 110 cities, held more than 500 events, and organized 12K volunteers. Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative AOC endorsed him. El-Sayed campaigned for Medicare for All, campaign-finance reform, and ending military aid to Israel. He also built an audience through podcasts, online creators, and conventional media. The campaign survived more than $60M in outside spending. More than $30M came from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and affiliates supporting Stevens, who conceded and pledged to support El-Sayed in November, as he faces former Representative Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee. Republicans have reserved $45M for Rogers as both parties contest a seat that could help determine Senate control.

⚖️ Senate panel advances a Fauci contempt referral. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted along party lines to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt. Fauci formerly directed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The dispute concerns his refusal to answer questions about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times during earlier testimony. Republican Chairman Rand Paul argues that President Joe Biden’s pardon removed any legitimate risk of federal prosecution. The pardon covered conduct from 2014 through January 2025. Fauci’s attorneys and Democrats say the protection is not absolute. It would not cover possible state charges or new allegations arising from his testimony. President Trump’s administration has also questioned Biden pardons executed with an autopen. Paul plans to refer the matter directly to the Justice Department without seeking a full Senate vote. Democrats dispute whether that route is legally sufficient. A referral would not require federal prosecutors to investigate or file charges. Fauci attorney David Schertler called the vote a partisan vendetta. Senator Maggie Hassan said compelled answers could create fresh statements outside the pardon’s scope. The legal fight therefore concerns not only pandemic oversight but how far congressional testimony can be compelled after a presidential pardon.

🗂️ MISC

🧠 SoftBank’s AI wager grows as quarterly profit falls. Japanese technology investor SoftBank Group ($SFTBY) reported an 18% decline in quarterly profit. Earnings fell to ¥347.3B, or $2.2B, from ¥421.8B one year earlier. Sales nevertheless rose nearly 11% to ¥2T, or $12.7B. Higher expenses offset gains across the investment portfolio. Chief Financial Officer Yoshimitsu Goto said Arm Holdings ($ARM) continued to perform well. SoftBank has placed AI at the center of founder and CEO Masayoshi Son’s strategy. The company invested another $20B in OpenAI during the quarter. It expects to commit additional capital before the fiscal year ends. Its Vision Fund has produced large gains but remains vulnerable to market swings. SoftBank also holds stakes in ByteDance, Intel ($INTC), PayPay, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ($TSM). Son is expanding beyond software into autonomous driving, energy, and robotics. It is also expanding into robotics through a recent acquisition agreement. SoftBank shares fell 4% in Tokyo after the results. Management issued no annual earnings forecast. That omission reflects an investment model whose value can change sharply with public and private markets. SoftBank is financing the AI future at a scale that makes each quarter a referendum on both ambition and cost.

📉 Earnings split Wall Street while oil climbs. American stocks moved unevenly as another wave of corporate results reached investors. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500) gained 0.1% in morning trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.4%. Warner Bros. Discovery ($WBD) advanced 1.3% after reporting results. Molson Coors Beverage ($TAP) gained 1.8%. Honeywell ($HON) plunged 21.3% after missing forecasts. AppLovin ($APP) dropped 19.3% following mixed quarterly numbers. About 85% of S&P 500 companies have now reported. Their combined earnings growth is tracking as the strongest since 2021. SpaceX ($SPCX) rose 2.5% after releasing its first public-company report. More than 911M insider shares also became eligible for trading. That total is more than twice the number sold during its initial public offering. Brent crude climbed 2.2% to $81.23 per barrel. Oil had reached $113 during the Iran conflict before retreating. Inflation remains above 3%, complicating hopes for lower interest rates. The national economy grew at a 1.5% annualized rate last quarter, while jobs and consumer spending remained resilient. Investors are parsing record-level indexes through a market where aggregate profits conceal severe punishment for individual disappointments.

👀 ICMYI

1. Washington offers $25M for alleged cartel leader Juan Carlos González.

2. Haitian churches empty as deportation fears spread across Maryland.

3. SpaceX ($SPCX) rocket strikes Earth’s Moon at roughly 5,400 MPH.

4. European soccer league UEFA keeps World Cup boycott threat alive.

5. Britain clears an $81B media takeover with binding safeguards.

6. Moderna ($MRNA) wins approval for flu shot for patients over 50.

7. Cambridge professor Jason Arday resigns amid a plagiarism inquiry.

8. Congo monitors nearly 200 boat passengers after an Ebola-like death.

9. Kellogg removes artificial colors from all cereals by year-end.

10. Officials trace a 345-case jalapeño outbreak to a Sinaloa farm.

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