The new Labour leader says his government will deliver the biggest change in British politics for 40 years. Continue Reading »

The next prime minister promised nothing less than the biggest change in British politics in 40 years in his first speech as Labour leader. Continue Reading »

Kiran Kaur is jailed after attempting to hide the knife used to kill student Henry Nowak. Continue Reading »

The French culture minister has told the BBC that the Bayeux Tapestry is in "a wonderful state". Continue Reading »

The broadcaster reveals she has smouldering myeloma, which can develop into a type of blood cancer. Continue Reading »

Chinese organized crime groups are making as much as $1 billion annually in tap-to-pay fraud schemes targeting retailers and banks. Continue Reading »

The public is as depressed about the economy as it has been since the years just after the pandemic, according to the All-America Economic Survey. Continue Reading »

"Todd Blanche treated the meeting as a mere 'check-the-box' exercise intended to secure votes for his confirmation," said Epstein survivor Dani Bensky. Continue Reading »

The move is a vote of confidence in Boeing from the U.S. government. Continue Reading »

The talks come weeks after Anthropic announced a similar deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX to use the computing capacity at its Colossus 1 data center Continue Reading »

Par AFP Par Jacques KLOPP © 2026 AFP Un an après avoir été battu sur le fil à Toulouse, le Suisse Mauro Schmid a offert à la Suisse sa première victoire sur le Tour de France en six ans vendredi à Belfort où Tom Pidock, présent dans la même échappée, a effectué un beau rapproché au classement général.En franchissant la ligne, le coureur de Jayco-AlUla a subitement levé son vélo pour se fendre d'une magnifique roue arrière, un geste acrobatique osé pour lancer les célébrations alors qu'il était encore à la lutte avec le Colombien Harold Tejada pour se disputer la victoire au sprint.Mais cette fois, elle n'allait pas lui échapper, un an après avoir cédé de justesse à Toulouse face à Jonas Abrahamsen dans un match à deux déjà, un vrai crève-cœur à l'époque, pour signer à 26 ans sa première victoire sur le Tour. La première pour un Suisse depuis Marc Hirschi en 2020."J'ai travaillé extrêmement dur pour cette victoire. L'an dernier, j'étais si proche", a réagi le solide coursier de Bülach, ville du canton de Zurich.Son directeur sportif, Mathew Hayman, était presque plus content que son coureur, un "gars très intelligent qui n'arrive pas en retard ... Continue Reading »

Par AFP © 2026 AFP La police sud-africaine a arrêté 69 personnes après qu’une manifestation contre les migrants a dégénéré en pillages et en violences dans le sud du pays, près de Gqeberha (ex-Port Elizabeth), a indiqué vendredi la police de la province du Cap-Oriental.Au moins 23 commerces ont été pillés et une personne a été hospitalisée à Jeffreys Bay dans ce nouvel épisode de violences xénophobes. Une vague de manifestations contre les migrants en situation irrégulière secoue le pays depuis plusieurs mois et a poussé près de 150.000 personnes à quitter l’Afrique du Sud, selon des données compilées par l'AFP."Jeudi matin, le 16 juillet 2026, une manifestation prévue à Oceanview, près de Jeffreys Bay, a dégénéré en violences, entraînant l’arrestation de 69 suspects âgés de 18 à 52 ans pour troubles à l’ordre public", précise un communiqué de la police."Plusieurs ressortissants étrangers ont été placés dans un centre d'hébergement temporaire pour leur sécurité", ajoute la police.Une vague de manifestations, parfois violentes, lancée par une mosaïque d'organisations vise les migrants en les accusant de prendre le travail des Sud-Africains.Au moins quatre étrangers (deux Mozambicains, un Éthiopien et un Malawite) ont péri dans des éruptions de violence liées à ... Continue Reading »

Par AFP Par Richard CARTER © 2026 AFP Les sourcils froncés par la concentration, Juliette Sébastien tient fermement son Rubik's Cube, ses doigts virevoltant à un rythme frénétique, avant qu'elle ne pose le casse-tête sur une table, après l'avoir résolu en seulement 25,03 secondes.Bienvenue dans l'univers de la compétition de Rubik's Cube, ou "speedcubing" pour les initiés, où les participants s'affrontent dans des épreuves allant de la résolution de cubes avec des maniques en passant par le défi aux yeux bandés.La championne de France, Juliette Sébastien, mesure ses talents à ceux de 1.200 concurrents venus de 53 pays lors des 11e championnats d'Europe de speedcubing à Arnhem, ville de l'est des Pays-Bas.Cette étudiante de 25 ans s'entraîne au moins une heure par jour, mais elle est passée à l'approche de la compétition à trois ou quatre heures quotidiennes, malgré une fâcheuse piqûre de guêpe à la main. "Je m'entraîne par séries de 100, 200, parfois 300 résolutions (...) Il y a toujours de nouvelles techniques à apprendre", explique-t-elle à l'AFP. Si son temps dans l'épreuve du 4x4 (un Rubik's ... Continue Reading »

Par AFP Par Tommy WANG © 2026 AFP Après avoir survécu à l'incendie d'immeuble résidentiel le plus meurtrier du monde depuis 1980 à Hong Kong, les rescapés, entre les larmes et la colère, ont espéré en vain vendredi que le gouvernement reconnaisse sa responsabilité dans la catastrophe.L'incendie de Wang Fuk Court, qui avait tué 169 personnes, déplacé des milliers de résidents et ravagé sept tours d'appartements en novembre 2025, "aurait pu être évité mais ne l'a pas été, aurait pu être anticipé mais ne l'a pas été", a finalement plaidé l'avocat principal d'une commission d'enquête sur la catastrophe.Cette commission a clos ses travaux ce vendredi, et ses conclusions devraient être remises en septembre aux autorités.Certains résidents, en larmes, se sont étreints à la fin de l'audience, et beaucoup ont déclaré qu'ils espéraient toujours que les autorités assument leurs responsabilités. L'un d'entre eux, Dorz Cheung, a dit éprouver "un sentiment d'impuissance" face à une situation "tout simplement inacceptable"."Ne devraient-ils pas prendre leurs responsabilités et présenter leurs excuses? Plutôt que de prétendre qu'ils ne sont pas impliqués et de s'en laver les ... Continue Reading »

Par AFP © 2026 AFP L'ancien président sénégalais Macky Sall, en campagne pour le poste de secrétaire général de l'ONU, est arrivé vendredi à Dakar, accueilli par une foule de partisans, pour une brève rencontre avec son successeur Bassirou Diomaye Faye.Cette visite est critiquée par les détracteurs de M. Sall, qui réclament la lumière sur des dizaines d'homicides commis sous son règne.M. Sall, candidat au poste de secrétaire général des Nations unies, avait annoncé mardi qu'il se rendrait vendredi à Dakar pour un entretien avec son successeur, qui ne lui a jusqu'ici pas manifesté de soutien dans sa campagne.Ce sera la première fois que Macky Sall, à la tête du Sénégal de 2012 à 2024, y reviendra depuis son départ du pouvoir en avril 2024.L'ex-président est accusé par les nouvelles autorités d'avoir réprimé les manifestations de l'opposition entre 2021 et 2024, entraînant des dizaines de morts dans le pays. L'actuel pouvoir lui reproche par ailleurs d'avoir dissimulé une partie importante de la dette qui plombe l'économie du pays. L'ex-chef d’État s'est posé peu après 15H00 (locale et GMT) sur un aéroport militaire de Dakar, accueilli par un millier de ses partisans qu'il a salués debout sur un véhicule, ... Continue Reading »

Former head of Elite Europe Gerald Marie faces six complaints alleging rape of underage models, adding to claims by more than a dozen women Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

The US move to slap tariffs on Brazil has sparked concern in India, prompting New Delhi to move with caution on a trade deal Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed a pro-LGBTQ bill introducing ‘cohabitation contracts’ for unmarried couples Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Obesity may be keeping more than 600,000 people out of work in Britain, according to research from the University of York Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Long-term military support for Ukraine has become a routine policy, showing Brussels and Washington don’t see peace as an option Read Full Article at RT.com Continue Reading »

Пострадали две женщины Continue Reading »

В Сумской области была объявлена воздушная тревога Continue Reading »

В пробе спортсмена был обнаружен эритропоэтин Continue Reading »

Российские войска ликвидировали нескольких офицеров ведомства Continue Reading »

Это произошло в Никитовском районе Горловки Continue Reading »

IMPEACHMENT WATCH: WHITE HOUSE INSTRUCTS IRS TO AUDIT ENEMIES... (Top headline, 1st story, link) Related stories:Trump selling faster access to presidential announcements... Drudge Report Feed needs your support!   Become a Patron Continue Reading »

Trump selling faster access to presidential announcements... (Top headline, 2nd story, link) Related stories:IMPEACHMENT WATCH: WHITE HOUSE INSTRUCTS IRS TO AUDIT ENEMIES... Continue Reading »

POLL: SOCIALISTS TOP MAGA CANDIDATES (Main headline, 1st story, link) Related stories:DON MIDTERM ELECTION CRY Continue Reading »

DON MIDTERM ELECTION CRY (Main headline, 2nd story, link) Related stories:POLL: SOCIALISTS TOP MAGA CANDIDATES Drudge Report Feed needs your support!   Become a Patron Continue Reading »

7.3 QUAKE MEX... (First column, 1st story, link) Related stories:MAP...San Andreas fault has gone ominously silent... Continue Reading »

Germany, stripped of Russian pipeline gas, received Algeria's president with military honours and talked about LNG. Continue Reading »

Air strikes intensify raising fear of an all-out war. Continue Reading »

Palestinian women in Gaza who have lost limbs during Israel's genocidal war are using football as a way of recovering. Continue Reading »

World Cup 2026: What did we learn? Continue Reading »

Britain's governing Labour Party confirmed as Andy Burnham as its new leader, clearing the way for him to become PM Continue Reading »

Five blasts were heard near Bandar Abbas after a third consecutive night of US strikes on Iranian military targets; Oman’s foreign minister says talks are underway to secure freedom of navigation through the strait Continue Reading »

The coalition bill would suspend enforcement against ultra-Orthodox men who fail to report for military service, even as the army warns of a severe troop shortage and thousands of reservists carry a growing wartime burden Continue Reading »

Continue Reading »

Jordan has intercepted repeated missile launches from Iran but avoided direct public confrontation with Tehran, reflecting what analysts describe as a calculated effort to protect the kingdom’s security without triggering a broader escalation Continue Reading »

Both countries resume US-mediated negotiations in Rome, with Beirut demanding an immediate pullout from two pilot zones and Jerusalem seeking guarantees that Hezbollah will not return Continue Reading »

Like his predecessors, President Trump has struggled to turn battlefield successes into long-term victories. Continue Reading »

First step: Agree on a goal. Continue Reading »

Intelligence agencies provided the White House with a trove of declassified documents that President Trump cited on Thursday as evidence of election vulnerabilities. Continue Reading »

The president also called for ABC and NBC to lose their broadcast licenses, after complaining that the networks were not airing his remarks. Continue Reading »

Hundreds of thousands of people are creating companies each year, ending a decades-long drought. Continue Reading »

The Chinese upstart says it has trained high-performing AI models cheaply, without using the most advanced chips. Continue Reading »

DeepSeek, SoFi and more in the latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom. Continue Reading »

DeepSeek is called “amazing and impressive” despite working with less-advanced chips. Continue Reading »

The LinkedIn co-founder is starting Manas AI with “The Emperor of All Maladies” author Siddhartha Mukherjee. Continue Reading »

Apps can add flexibility and freshness to your routine. Just try not to get injured. Continue Reading »

Israel allowed displaced Gazans to begin crossing a military zone that bisects the enclave after a deadlock over hostage releases was broken. Continue Reading »

Troubles at Vanke raise questions about the continued spread of the property crisis and whether the Chinese state will step in. Continue Reading »

Some of the women were held alone for extended periods and spent eight months in tunnels, an Israeli medical official said. Continue Reading »

The alliance mounted its first coordinated response to a suspected sabotage campaign against critical infrastructure after another cable was severed in the Baltic Sea. Continue Reading »

Residents of Goma reported gunfire and shelling after rebels overran Congolese troops. U.N. officials estimated that more than one million displaced people were now inside the city. Continue Reading »

A string of early missteps, like rejecting an offer for a deeper vetting of Platner, has cast doubt over his young consultants’ future in Democratic politics. Continue Reading »

Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills to capture the foibles, memes, hypocrisies and other head-slapping events in the world of politics. The fruits of these labors are hundreds of cartoons that entertain and enrage readers of all political stripes. Here's an offering of the best of this week's crop, picked fresh off the Toonosphere. Edited by Matt Wuerker. Continue Reading »

Continue Reading »

Mark Lamb, a Trump-endorsed former sheriff running in Arizona’s 5th District, is trying to fend off a challenger pointing to Lamb’s alleged sexual improprieties and abuse of power. Continue Reading »

... Except in Maine and Michigan, where the primaries have gotten messy for them. Continue Reading »

A vote on the House floor is expected next week, months ahead of the funding deadline. Continue Reading »

The committee is now looking to reschedule the planned meeting. Continue Reading »

Rep. Brad Schneider insists his fractured party can come together on Israel. Continue Reading »

Lindsey Graham’s sister had been expected to be a caretaker who would fill his old seat until the end of the term in January. Continue Reading »

Parents RISE and ParentsTogether Action said the companies’ top leaders must testify to help other parents understand the impact of technology they say harms children. Continue Reading »

“He wasn’t the right pick to begin with,” said one DHS official. Continue Reading »

Trump “believes it's deeply unfortunate and frankly a disgrace,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a press briefing. Continue Reading »

Rehashing grievances about the 2020 election could motivate the Republican base and press GOP lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act. Continue Reading »

The book will cover the former president’s decision to run for reelection and eventually step aside. Continue Reading »

The newly unveiled coin appears to skirt around restrictions on living presidents gracing currency. Continue Reading »

The U.S. launched a fresh round of strikes on Iran overnight Thursday, including what Iran described as strikes on bridges and one of the country's major ports, while Iran has targeted multiple countries across the Middle East. Continue Reading »

The Trump administration took an extraordinary step this week to escalate its nationwide efforts to prevent states from regulating prediction markets, where users can trade on real-world events like sports, politics and pop culture. Continue Reading »

The Canadian woman accused of pummeling a patriotic teenager at the Jersey Shore on Fourth of July weekend is slated for deportation, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed. Continue Reading »

Life runs on incentives, competition, and dealing with scarcity. In a capitalist economy, you succeed by developing skills and making things that other people want to buy. Your body works in a similar way—it is governed by the laws of physics. If you want to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you take in. Continue Reading »

Senate Democrats shunned a Wednesday hearing called to hear testimony about allegations of fraud. Continue Reading »

Every Democratic seat sat empty during a Senate hearing on taxpayer fraud on Wednesday as independent journalist Nick Shirley and activist James O'Keefe testified before lawmakers, prompting sharp criticism from Republicans over the absence. Continue Reading »

The Democratic side of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee dais was empty Wednesday as Republicans questioned witnesses at a hearing on "Exposing Fraud in America," prompting GOP lawmakers to accuse the minority of ducking a politically uncomfortable issue. Continue Reading »

Would imposing federal term limits for politicians restore a true “government of the people,” or inadvertently weaken the legislative branch and empower corporate interest groups? Continue Reading »

U.S. President Donald Trump declassified intelligence on Thursday that he maintained showed Chinese interference in U.S. elections, reviving his long-running attacks on election security despite a U.S. intelligence assessment that found no evidence Beijing affected the 2020 vote that he lost. Continue Reading »

Trump said he has asked the F.B.I., C.I.A., the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Justice to investigate what he claimed to be a "cover-up" by U.S. officials of the extent of China's efforts to influence elections. Continue Reading »

President Donald Trump addressed the nation Thursday evening on "free and fair" elections, announcing the declassification of critical intelligence that reveals, as he said, "shocking vulnerabilities" related to "hacking, exploitation and foreign interference." Continue Reading »

The Department of Homeland Security has been planning to consider green card applicants' use of welfare benefits in determining whether to grant permanent legal status, broadening an interpretation of an immigration rule under the Biden administration. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the DHS department that oversees green cards, is set to examine applicants' use of welfare benefits such as Medicaid, food stamps, and housing assistance as factors when deciding whether to grant individuals legal status. The development comes as the latest in a series of moves USCIS has made to tighten green card eligibility, including recently requiring applicants to seek the status only from their home country. Continue Reading »

In a move that will place hundreds of thousands of green card applicants under broader scrutiny each year, the Trump administration is allowing immigration officers to consider whether some applicants have used taxpayer-funded benefits — including Medicaid, food stamps and housing assistance — when determining whether they qualify for permanent legal status. The Department of Homeland Security is poised to rescind a 2022 Biden-era regulation narrowing how officers apply a long-standing "public charge" test — an immigration screening tool used to determine whether applicants are likely to rely on government support — according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials. Continue Reading »

The Trump administration said Thursday that it plans to place limits on the issuance of green cards to immigrants who have used government benefits, undoing a Biden-era policy. The rule pulls back a 2022 regulation that narrowly defined how "public charge" determinations should be made and limited the public benefits that immigration officers could weigh against immigrants seeking legal permanent residency. Continue Reading »

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized New York state's decision ​to halt construction of large new data centers on ‌Wednesday, saying the one-year moratorium would drive jobs and tax revenue to other states. Continue Reading »

The debate over artificial intelligence data centers began a new chapter on July 14 when New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the nation's first statewide moratorium on new data centers. Continue Reading »

New York, birthplace of the power grid, the transistor's commercial triumph, and the modern corporation, just became the first state in America to ban the future for at least a year. Continue Reading »

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host delegations from 65 countries Thursday for a summit on what the Trump administration describes as a resurgence of far-left political terrorism. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller are expected to attend. Continue Reading »

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said the U.S. would focus international counterterrorism ​efforts on "far-left terror," telling officials from more than 60 countries that leftist violence had been overlooked. Continue Reading »

Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Thursday that violent far-left political terrorism "can no longer be denied" as he urged more than 60 countries gathered in Washington to treat the threat as a global counterterrorism priority. Continue Reading »

Pentagon Chief Backs Blue Angels Pilots Following Low-Altitude Pass Over Florida Beach Crowd Authored by Kimberley Hayek via The Epoch Times, War Secretary Pete Hegseth offered support for U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilots on Thursday after a review of a low-altitude jet maneuver over Pensacola Beach, Florida, the day before. Dramatic video shows the U.S. Navy Blue Angels making a low-altitude flyover above Pensacola Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. Navy officials confirmed in a statement that Blue Angels leadership is "reviewing the circumstances surrounding the maneuver and conducting a thorough safety… pic.twitter.com/ZUa1ryk4X8 — ABC News (@ABC) July 15, 2026 Video posted online showed one of the demonstration jets flying unusually close to the ground during an arrival maneuver on Wednesday. The jet kicked up sand and beach items among spectators at a “Breakfast with the Blues” event. Children were seen covering their ears with their heads bowed. The maneuver occurred during events tied to the squadron’s 80th anniversary. “The flyovers will continue until morale improves,” Hegseth posted on X. The Blue Angels said it is conducting a review of the maneuver. “The safety of our hometown community, spectators, and our pilots is our highest priority. Team leadership is ... Continue Reading »

Musk Buys Florida-Based Energy Company Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times, Elon Musk has acquired a power company based in Jacksonville, Fla., paying $1 billion for the mobile gas-turbine provider as a possible solution to data center energy needs. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lists Musk as the acquiring party, with New APR Energy, LLC listed as the acquired entity. Neither party issued public statements on the deal that closed May 14. Local business news outlet Jacksonville Daily Record first reported on the news in June before it gained national media attention in recent days. The potential cost of the deal was found in a separate filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in which Technologies Group reported selling its 5 percent non-voting stake in New APR Energy in a May 28 SEC report. Duos said its sale generated $50.4 million in net proceeds, which implies the Musk deal was worth at least $1 billion. Musk continues to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) development with the research company he founded, xAI, and its chatbot Grok. His xAI company runs the Colossus data center in Tennessee, a $20 billion facility near a power ... Continue Reading »

US Sends Dozens More Refueling Planes To Israel Amid Widening Iran War, Oil Climbs Update(12:25ET): Oil prices are climbing on fresh reports Friday that President Trump is ready to continue escalating and expanding strikes on the Islamic Republic, after a Situation Room briefing this week where the Commander-in-Chief was presented with various options. It bears repeating that the White House in the opening days of Operation Epic Fury promised the American public a fast and hasty, limited military engagement - but this is where we are four months later... "The Trump administration notified Israel it is sending dozens more refueling planes to the country ahead of a potential expansion of military operations against Iran, three U.S. and Israeli officials said," reports Axios. "After he was presented with several new military plans in a Situation Room meeting Tuesday, President Trump is considering a massive offensive in Iran that would be wider in scope than the current strikes around the Strait of Hormuz." This is but the latest signal that the ceasefire and negotiations are fully dead, and the potential for runaway escalation is bigger than ever: OIL RISES TO SESSION HIGHS, BRENT TRADES ABOVE ... Continue Reading »

NY Times Asks Court To Throw Out Subpoena Of Its Reporters Authored by Stacy Robinson via The Epoch Times, The New York Times on July 15 asked a court to toss out grand jury subpoenas of three of its reporters who published a story about the new Air Force One plane that Qatar gifted to President Donald Trump. The paper published the story earlier this month alleging the new plane lacked some defensive features of the older Air Force One aircraft, which the White House denied. That led Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to issue subpoenas to find out where the reporters were getting their information. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, during his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, said the subpoenas were issued to find out who leaked information to the NY Times. Justice Department rules required him to authorize the subpoenas. “We’re not targeting reporters,” Blanche told Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), later adding, “The question we want to ask them is who provided them with classified national security information.” David McCraw, senior vice president and deputy general counsel of The NY Times, said the subpoenas were “brought in bad ⁠faith to punish The ... Continue Reading »

IRGC Targets US Command Center In Syria In Unprecedented Attack Iran's large-scale 'retaliation' on US bases and Gulf states overnight included a rare first if confirmed. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it conducted a missile or drone attack on an American special operations command center at al-Tanf in Syria on Friday. The action came after the US bombed Iran for a sixth consecutive night, and while Iranian targets have on several occasions reached into Jordan, it is unprecedented that the Iranians take active aim at sites within Syria. The IRGC stated the attack was in retaliation for the killing of Iranian soldiers in Iranshahr, in southern Iran. While the hit on Syria was reported in Reuters based on state media claims, the alleged Tanf strike hasn't been independently verified: A Syrian military source told Reuters that Iran carried out an attack near al-Tanf, but it had not hit the base itself. There were no casualties or material damage, the source added.  The episode is the first reported attack on Syria since the US-Israeli war on Iran began in late February. And more: "The IRGC statement claimed that a radar system, multiple helicopters, and several US personnel were ... Continue Reading »

Toxic Wildfire Smoke Begins To Disrupt Local Economic Activity As GOP Senator Readies Canada Sanctions Bill Summary: Questions Swirl Whether Ecoterrorism May Have Accelerated Wildfires  Economic Activity Impacted in Some States  WaPo Warns Smoke Plume To Worsen  GOP Members Blast Canada Over Toxic Smoke; Sanction Bill Against Canada Set To Be Introduced   Toxic Smoke Plume Over Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast  Canada's Wildfire Management Failures Choke Millions Of Americans With Toxic Smoke The Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang reports that deteriorating air quality across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast could be "as bad as or worse than during the historic 2023 wildfire event." "It could get worse before it gets better," Capital Weather warned. VERY UNHEALTHY: DC among cities with worst air on earth this morning. 😖 Air quality as bad or worse than during historic 2023 wildfire event. Could get worse before it gets better. We'll have updates through the day: https://t.co/IvQi50uJhU pic.twitter.com/k1bchBctgR — Capital Weather (@capitalweather) July 17, 2026 Spending a full day outdoors in Washington, D.C., or New York City is equivalent to smoking roughly 10 cigarettes, according to health experts. The economic toll is already mounting. For example, Six Flags Great America in Illinois closed ... Continue Reading »

Apple's OpenAI Trade-Secret War Ramps Up With Preservation Letters To Dozens Of Ex-Employees Apple's legal fight with OpenAI is spilling well beyond the courtroom. A week after suing the ChatGPT maker over alleged theft of its hardware secrets, Apple's lawyers have sent personal document-preservation letters to about 40 former Apple employees now working at OpenAI, according to the Financial Times - roughly 10 percent of the some 400 ex-Apple staff now at the company. The letters direct recipients to retain records and demand meetings with Apple's attorneys, FT reports, a breadth that signals the dispute could widen far past the two people named in the original complaint. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the Microsoft Build conference at the Seattle Convention Center Summit Building in Seattle in May 2024. | AFP-JIJI The escalation builds on the blockbuster suit Apple filed July 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing OpenAI, io Products, and former Apple personnel of misappropriating trade secrets to fast-track AI hardware development. As we reported at the time, the complaint lays out a months-long scheme centered on two former Apple employees now at OpenAI: ... Continue Reading »

Trump To Attend World Cup Final Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump plans to attend the final game of the 2026 World Cup, the White House said on July 16. Trump was traveling on Friday to New York City to attend a FIFA reception at Trump Tower, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in Washington. He is then slated to take in the Spain–Argentina final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. “His attendance will cap what has been the most watched, more secure, and most successful World Cup in American history,” Leavitt said. “This is a fitting conclusion to a tournament that showcased America’s ability to host the world on the grandest stage.” The United States had previously hosted the World Cup once, in 1994. More than 80,000 people are expected to attend the World Cup final on Sunday, which kicks off at 3 p.m. ET. Trump regularly attends sporting matches, including an NBA finals game in New York City in July and the Club World Cup final in 2025. Trump has not attended any World Cup games yet, although members of his Cabinet have watched several ... Continue Reading »

Zelensky's Cabinet Reshuffle Backfiring As He Names New Defense Minister Amid a continuing status of martial law in Ukraine, one European headline underscores that President Zelensky's significant cabinet and defense ministry reshuffling has 'backfired'. Public outrage and rare protests have ensued in the capital and across various cities after he sacked popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who many Ukrainians see as having turned the tide of the war with Russia, implementing an ambitious tech-focused drone strategy. Zelensky has now confirmed the dismissal by appointing Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) chief Yevhen Khmara as acting defense minister. Yevhen Khmara, via RBC-Ukraine "Once the necessary legal procedures are completed, I will ask lawmakers to support Yevhen Khmara's appointment as defense minister," Zelensky announced. None of this is being received very well among the public, also days after the forced resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who was merely six months into the job: The removal of Svyrydenko and swift appointment of Sergii Koretskyi as Ukraine’s new prime minister barely registered in the public debate, but there was uproar around the defence portfolio. On Thursday lawmakers approved almost an entirely new wartime cabinet and Koretskyi’s nomination – a move largely seen as logical ... Continue Reading »

UMich Sentiment Extends Bounce From Record 46-Year-Lows As Gas Prices Ease Having rebounded from record (46 year) lows in June, University of Michigan's preliminary July Sentiment survey was expected to show further improvement as gas prices fell since the US-Iran 'peace' MoU signing (before rising modestly in the last few days of the reignited conflict). And indeed it did, headline Consumer Sentiment jumped from 49.5 to 54.4 (51.0 exp) - its highest since February... "With the second straight month of 10% jumps," said UMich Dirctor of Surveys, Joanne Hsu, pointing out that "consumer sentiment climbed to its highest reading since February of this year on the basis of easing price pressures at the pump in recent weeks." All five index components improved, led by significant 20% increases in buying conditions for durables as well as year-ahead business conditions. This month’s rise in sentiment was pervasive across the population, seen across groups by age, income, wealth, and political party. Particularly strong increases were seen among consumers without a bachelor’s degree. Year-ahead inflation expectations ticked down from 4.6% in June to a still-elevated 4.2% this month.  However, Hsu concludes by pouring cold water on the bounce by noting that sentiment’s ... Continue Reading »

Burnham Is Facing The Same Dilemma That Has Trapped British Politics Over The Past Decade By Stefan Koopman, senior macro strategist at Rabobank To Govern Is To Choose  Today, Andy Burnham will formally be confirmed as Labour leader. Barring any last-minute surprises, he will become prime minister on Monday. The UK will then have had seven prime ministers in a decade, with five taking office without a general election: May in 2016, Johnson in 2019, Truss and Sunak in 2022, and now Burnham in 2026.  We have often used these mid-term transfers to make the point that Brexit is like a monster devouring its babies. While we do think that this analogy is becoming increasingly stretched ten years after the vote, Brexit remains an important part of the UK’s story. It has contributed to weak productivity growth, subdued gains in real incomes and stagnant living standards, despite the explicit promise of sunlit uplands. The result is even more disappointment than before, and a never-ending search for a messiah who promises to restore rising prosperity.  The macroeconomic backdrop helps explain why this search keeps ending in disappointment. The UK's problem increasingly appears to be ... Continue Reading »

Houston, We Have Shareholders Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance SpaceX’s highly anticipated Starship test flight never made it off the pad Thursday evening. Instead, the launch was scrubbed after what appeared to be an automatic abort during engine startup, marking the first major operational disappointment since the company became publicly traded just weeks ago. As of this writing, the company has not released a detailed explanation for what happened. SpaceX has only said there will be no launch today, that engineers will review the issue, determine the cause, and announce the next launch opportunity after completing their analysis. Until then, everything circulating online should be treated as speculation, not fact. That hasn’t stopped launch watchers from dissecting the video frame by frame. Several engineers and enthusiasts posting on X believe the booster triggered the abort after multiple Raptor engines failed to ignite properly. One widely shared theory suggests four engines in the center ring never achieved a successful startup sequence, while others have speculated that the new Raptor V3 engines may have a more demanding ignition process than previous versions. Those observations may ultimately prove correct, or they may prove completely wrong. At ... Continue Reading »

US Industrial Production Disappoints (Again) In June US Industrial Production rose just 0.1% MoM in June (less than the 0.2% MoM rise expected), after also disappointing in May. That slowed the annual growth in production from 1.6% YoY to +1.1% YoY... The recent blip higher in Capacity Utilization faded last month (76.1% vs 76.2% exp) with the down-trend seemingly still in tact... If 'soft' survey data is in any way predictive of reality, then we should be seeing a sizable trend higher in industrial production... ...or maybe it's just another useless sentiment signal. Tyler Durden Fri, 07/17/2026 - 09:21 Continue Reading »

Historic NYC Church Torched In Confirmed Arson - City Rejects Save Plan As Demolition Ordered Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, The FDNY has now confirmed what many suspected from the start: the massive fire that gutted the historic South Bushwick Reform Church in Brooklyn was intentionally set. The 1853 landmark, a Greek Revival structure that served generations of worshippers as both a house of faith and a community hub, is a total loss, and it will be completely torn down. CBS New York reported the determination this week. Pastor James E. Steward II made clear the congregation never saw it coming. "It was more than just a building. It's lives and generations of lives that have been touched," Steward said. "We have no known enemies." CBS New York says the New York City Fire Department have come to the conclusion the historic Christian church recently set on fire was "intentionally set" The South Bushwick Reform Church was built in 1863 and served generations of worshippers. It will be completely torn down... pic.twitter.com/npo7KfWQjV — Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) July 16, 2026 He added: "Now we understand it is intentional, which brings another layer of grief to ... Continue Reading »

Watch: Trump Reveals 'Shocking' Election Vulnerabilities Including 278,000 Fraudulent Voters Update (2110ET): Trump has released several major election-related findings:  Mass declassification event - The White House just released previously classified Intelligence Community assessments and reports on election infrastructure spanning January 2020 through June 2026. Adversary capability finding - A quoted IC assessment states Russia, China, Iran, North Korea "at a minimum," plus non-state groups, have the capability to compromise U.S. election infrastructure. Weakest-link identification - Centralized data repositories (voter registration databases, pollbooks, official election websites) are assessed as the systems most vulnerable to exploitation and disruption. Venezuela proof-of-concept - CIA reporting allegedly detailed a Maduro-regime plot to digitally rig Venezuela's 2020 elections using methods that could alter vote totals undetectably "even with an audit." China's 220 million voter files - The PRC allegedly acquired 220 million U.S. voter files beginning in the 2020 cycle - framed as the largest election-data compromise in history - and assigned a dedicated data exploitation unit to it. Alleged intelligence cover-up - The document claims IC officials ("Deep State") suppressed knowledge of the China compromise from both the President and the public, despite the IC discovering it in 2020 across 18 states. Michigan registration fraud files - FBI documents ... Continue Reading »

Renter Nation Returns? Massive Jump In Multi-Family Unit Starts Despite Builder Sentiment Slump US Housing Starts exploded higher by 19% MoM in June, dramatically more than the already large 11.2% MoM expectation and rebounding from the prior two ugly monthly declines. This was the biggest monthly increase in Starts since May 2023. On the other side, the more forward-looking Building Permits declined for a second straight month... This shouldn't be a total surprise after yesterday's decline in builder sentiment (confidence among US homebuilders dropped for a second month to the lowest level of the year, dragged lower by elevated borrowing costs and higher material and land prices). The surge in Starts was dominated by a massive rebound in multi-family units. Single-family down 0.2% to 895K Multi-family (rentals) soar 76.3% to 513K from 293K, fully reversing the May drop from 494K to 291K We can't help but question WTF happened in the May multi-family starts data... Permits were down among both cohorts: single family down 2.4% to 871K SAAR, lowest since August '25 multi-family down to 4.9% to 445K SAAR, lowest since March '26 Additionally, Building Permits are tracking rate-hike expectations (inverted)... Multi-family Starts are back above Permits (perhaps signaling the short-term ... Continue Reading »

Futures Tumble As Latest Chinese "DeepSeek Moment" Sparks Chip Meltdown A surprise breakthrough from Chinese AI startup Moonshot (which is now at the top of the Frontend code benchmark on Arena) rumbled through global markets, sending chip stocks reeling, as queasiness returned about the industry’s unprecedented spending spree (something we have been warning about for the past year). Moonshot claims its new Kimi K3 model rivals top offerings from OpenAI and Anthropic in a release reminiscent of last year’s “DeepSeek moment.” It came as President Xi Jinping appeared at China’s premier AI summit, underscoring how rapidly the nation’s AI developers are closing the gap with US rivals (discussed here a month ago). Meanwhile, delays by Alphabet to the launch of the latest Gemini model has also dented tech sentiment. As a result as of 8:00am ET, S&P futures are 0.8% lower with Nasdaq futs tumbling 1.7%; pre-market, Mag 7 are all lower with NVDA (-2.8%), AMZN (-2.1%), and META (-1.8%) among the most notable decliners. AI and Semis concerns continued to dominate the market narrative overnight ahead of Mag 7 earnings next week. What is different from the past few weeks ... Continue Reading »

Live Cattle Futures Tumble To Seven-Month Low, But Bernstein Says Beef Prices Will Stay Elevated Despite our view that beef prices will remain elevated this year amid the smallest US cattle herd size in more than 60 years and mounting concerns over New World screwworm detections in Texas, live cattle futures in Chicago have tumbled this month as speculative traders unwind bullish bets. Chicago live cattle futures have dropped to their lowest point since December 2025, as speculative traders liquidate positions amid weakening cash trade and falling wholesale beef prices. The commodities firm CIH Cattle Team pointed out on X that both speculative and commercial traders are reducing their long exposure: "Live Cattle OI in a major downtrend! Down 11k over the past month and 83k contracts year-over-year; OI lowest since 2022 for July." Live Cattle OI in a major downtrend! Down 11k over the past month and 83k contracts YoY OI lowest since 2022 for July#cattle #beef #ag pic.twitter.com/bGT12q5L8h — CIH Cattle Team (@CIHCattleTeam) July 15, 2026 Feeder Cattle Index -$3.55 CIH Est: $365.52; Previous: $369.07 2,963 head dropping off (15% of index); 1,979 head traded (11%) #ag #cattle #feedercattle pic.twitter.com/8uQtyXI9da — CIH Cattle Team (@CIHCattleTeam) July 16, ... Continue Reading »

Private Credit: The New Junk Bond Market Authored by Ed Dowd via Beyond the Narrative, Private Credit: The New Junk Bond Market...Except It Lacks Transparency, Liquidity & Is About To Be Stress Tested History Private credit was born from the ashes of the Great Financial Crisis. In the aftermath of that debacle, regulators moved to limit the risks banks could take. Loans deemed too risky were no longer being originated by commercial banks. To fill that void, non-bank lenders stepped in, creating what is known as private debt or direct lending market. You may know these vehicles as Private credit funds, also referred to as business development companies (BDCs). These funds raised capital from pensions, endowments, insurance companies, and wealthy individuals. Unlike junk bonds or corporate bonds, these loans are not publicly traded and are typically held to maturity. In fact Private credit has quietly taken a big chunk of market share from the traditional junk bond market. These private deals give borrowers speed, confidentiality, and customized terms they can't always get from public bonds, while investors get higher yields and perceived lower volatility. The public junk bond market has actually improved in ... Continue Reading »

Bromance Breaks Out Between "Man of Peace" Trump And Azerbaijani President Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev lavished praise on President Donald Trump's diplomacy, telling a group of journalists at the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum that the president achieved peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia in mere months, a historic feat that both Democrat and Republican administrations had failed to accomplish over nearly 30 years. White House Photo by Daniel Torok When asked by Breitbart News reporter Joshua Klein what distinguished Trump's approach, Aliyev said the difference was one of mindset for the willingness to treat an entrenched conflict as something to be settled rather than contained. "Previous administrations spent nearly three decades pursuing policies that effectively froze the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict rather than resolving it," Aliyev said, noting that Trump "approached the conflict from an entirely different perspective." The Azerbaijani president called Trump "a person who loves peace" who "sees peace as an opportunity." "Trump and his team understood Azerbaijan's concerns, worked to persuade Armenia that peace served both countries' interests and ultimately created such a framework that peace became possible," the leader added. Those negotiations culminated at the White House last August, when Trump brought together ... Continue Reading »