A Heat Advisory is in effect through 8 o’clock this evening for parts of our region, as dangerously high temperatures and humidity combine to create potentially hazardous conditions.
The National Weather Service office in Mount Holly has issued the advisory for New Castle County here in Delaware, along with portions of southeastern Pennsylvania — including Philadelphia, Delaware, Eastern Chester, Eastern Montgomery, and Lower Bucks Counties — and several New Jersey counties, including Mercer, Camden, Gloucester, and Northwestern Burlington.
Heat index values — what the temperature actually feels like on your skin — could reach as high as 101 degrees this afternoon. Health officials warn that those levels can quickly lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke, especially for the elderly, young children, and those working or exercising outdoors.
To stay safe, health experts urge you to drink plenty of water, stay indoors in air-conditioned spaces, and avoid direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day. Just as important — check in on neighbors, relatives, and friends who may be vulnerable to the heat.
The advisory expires at 8 PM this evening. Stay with TV Delmarva for the latest updates on this and other weather alerts.
Goldey-Beacom College’s Men’s Soccer team is set to hold its annual Alumni Game on Sunday, August 23.
Anyone interested in attending or taking part in the event is asked to fill out the required information form, which is available through a link provided by the athletics department.
The National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey has issued a Heat Advisory effective July 16, lasting until 8:00 PM EDT that same evening.
Residents in the affected area should be aware of the elevated heat risk and take steps to stay safe during the hottest parts of the day. Health officials generally recommend drinking plenty of water, avoiding strenuous outdoor activity during peak afternoon heat, and checking on elderly neighbors and family members who may be more vulnerable to heat-related illness.
The advisory was issued at 11:53 AM EDT on July 16. Those without access to air conditioning are encouraged to seek out cooling centers in their communities.
Four male juveniles are facing charges following a burglary Wednesday evening in the Bear area of New Castle County.
Officers with the New Castle County Division of Police were dispatched to the 2100 block of Old Kirkwood Road at approximately 7:44 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, after callers reported seeing multiple individuals running away from a building.
When officers arrived on scene, they located the four male juveniles outside the building. All four were subsequently charged in connection with the burglary.
Thick, acrid smoke from wildfires burning in Canada descended over a wide swath of the United States on Thursday, darkening skies from the Great Lakes all the way to portions of the East Coast. The smoky conditions cut down visibility for morning commuters and triggered urgent warnings about dangerous air quality that made going outside a health risk.
Detroit found itself among the worst-ranked major cities in the world for air quality, according to Steven Freitag, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service based in Pontiac, Michigan. He explained that a stubborn high pressure system held smoke in place from dozens of fires burning in Canada and northern Minnesota, while northwest winds carried that smoke directly into Michigan.
“Sure enough, it arrived in force here and it’s really pretty extreme levels,” Freitag said, adding that visibility in certain areas dropped to just half a mile.
Across the broader Great Lakes region, multiple cities recorded air quality readings ranging from unhealthy to outright hazardous. Health experts noted that fine particles found in wildfire smoke pose particular dangers to children and individuals living with conditions like asthma or heart disease.
In the New York City area, a heavy yellowish-orange haze settled over the morning skyline, obscuring the view of Manhattan’s well-known skyline for much of the day.
City officials opened cooling centers in response, while health authorities advised New Yorkers to cut back on intense or lengthy outdoor activities and to remain in air-conditioned environments as much as possible.
State officials distributed tens of thousands of masks capable of filtering out 95% of tiny airborne particles — including dust and smog — at Penn Station, Grand Central, and other major transit locations across the city.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that public schools, parks, and other city agencies were adjusting their schedules and programming, moving events indoors and rescheduling activities as air quality was expected to deteriorate further throughout the day.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation issued a health advisory covering air quality across the entire state.
The agency warned of potential short-term spikes reaching “very unhealthy” levels, stretching from Buffalo in the western part of the state through Rochester near Lake Ontario, into Syracuse in the central region, and down to the greater New York City metropolitan area.
If you have a habit of pressing the gas pedal a little harder to shave time off your commute or run errands faster, new research suggests you may want to reconsider. Not only does speeding burn more fuel and pump more harmful gases into the atmosphere — it barely saves you any time at all.
The findings come at a particularly relevant moment, as gas prices have remained high through the summer and drivers are feeling the pinch at the pump during everyday travel and road trips.
A study published Thursday in the Nature journal Communications Sustainability found that if American drivers simply followed posted speed limits, the country could collectively save an average of $22 million per day in fuel costs — based on prices at the time of the study — along with 6.7 million gallons of fuel and 57,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions daily. Researchers say that reduction in emissions would be roughly equivalent to removing about 5.5 million passenger cars from the road.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota examined data from 120 million vehicle trips taken across the country on four Wednesdays in 2021. They used information from national road networks, posted speed limits, and elevation data from the U.S. Geological Survey. The analysis focused on roads with speed limits of 45 mph (72 kph) or higher.
What they found was striking: more than 43% of the trips studied included at least one instance where the driver exceeded the speed limit, and drivers spent nearly 12% of their total time behind the wheel going faster than allowed.
Despite the common belief that speeding gets you there faster, the time savings turned out to be minimal. With an average daily driving distance of 28.6 miles (46.03 kilometers), sticking to the speed limit would only add about 54 seconds to a driver’s day.
“If your goal is to shave one minute off your time, then you’ve got to drive fast. If your objective is to get to your destination safely and to save fuel, then you might drive slower than the speed limit,” said William Northrop, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Minnesota and co-author of the study.
The research also looked at battery-electric vehicles, though that portion of the analysis was limited to California given the level of EV adoption in the U.S. at the time. Northrop noted, “We find that driving slower is beneficial for EVs as well.”
The study also revealed differences between states. Nevada stood out for both how often drivers sped and by how much. Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina had high rates of speeding, though drivers there did not necessarily exceed the limit by as large a margin. Meanwhile, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and South Dakota showed the lowest rates of speeding overall.
The connection between speed and fuel consumption comes down to basic physics — the faster a vehicle travels, the more energy it requires and the more emissions it produces. While vehicle engines have grown more efficient over the decades even as cars have gotten larger and more powerful, speed limits have also risen since the 1970s, when the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act set a national 55 mph cap during the energy crisis of that era.
When factoring in today’s average gas prices and increased miles driven, researchers estimate Americans could save closer to $26 million and 7.2 million gallons of fuel per day this year simply by easing off the accelerator.
The study does acknowledge one limitation: driving more slowly across the board could affect traffic flow in ways that might influence overall efficiency.
The research is especially timely given that gas prices have climbed above $4 per gallon this year following disruptions tied to the war in Iran. Fuel efficiency experts have long pointed to speed reduction as one of the easiest ways to stretch a tank of gas further. If enough drivers cut back on fuel use, it could even influence broader demand in the oil market, potentially affecting prices.
Rob Middleton, an associate research scientist in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan who was not part of the study, praised the work but offered some perspective on its scale. The fuel savings identified, while significant, still represent only a small portion of the roughly 375 million gallons of gasoline consumed in the U.S. each day.
“It’s a big number, but it’s a small fraction,” Middleton said. “This is a ‘freebie’ in that it doesn’t really cost anyone anything to do.”
He also emphasized the ongoing importance of fuel efficiency improvements as electric vehicles continue to make up only a small share of vehicles on the road. “The market penetration of selling EVs is still small, so we still need fuel, we still need ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles, we’re still going to have them for a very long time,” he said. “Things that we can do to either make the new ones better or to improve our fuel supply, we need to do.”
The British government announced Thursday it plans to increase oversight of its domestic spy agency after an official watchdog found that MI5 had deceived courts about its connection to a neo-Nazi informant who was accused of attacking his former partner.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the situation as requiring “urgent action” to strengthen accountability within the U.K.’s domestic security service. An independent tribunal determined that MI5 had repeatedly offered “a false account” of the events surrounding the case.
Earlier this year, MI5 issued an apology and paid a financial settlement to resolve a legal claim filed by a woman regarding her treatment at the hands of an allegedly abusive former partner — a man who turned out to be an MI5 informant referred to in court proceedings only as Agent X.
The agency had maintained under oath that it had neither confirmed nor denied Agent X’s status as an informant. However, it was later revealed that an MI5 officer had actually disclosed that information during a conversation with a BBC journalist who had been looking into Agent X.
The Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the body responsible for examining complaints against Britain’s intelligence community, concluded that MI5 had misled three separate courts. The tribunal said a false narrative had been “allowed to take hold and persist” and pointed to “systemic failures” that caused opportunities to correct the record to be overlooked.
“The findings of this report are stark. It details serious failings by individual MI5 officers, resulting in false evidence being provided to the courts, and criticism of MI5 as an organization,” Mahmood stated.
She added: “MI5 plays a critical role in keeping our country safe and we owe a debt of thanks to its staff. They have made significant progress over the last year in learning from these failures, but there is more to do to ensure the highest standards of integrity and accountability are upheld.”
MI5 Director-General Ken McCallum acknowledged that the agency “recognizes without hesitation the seriousness of our failings” and pledged that the organization was working “to ensure we never find ourselves in this position again.”
This is not the first time MI5 has faced scrutiny over its handling of informants. In a separate case last year, a report revealed that MI5 shielded a high-level spy who had been embedded within the Irish Republican Army, even after the agency knew he was being sought by police in connection with a murder. The report also found that MI5 continued to conceal the truth about that agent for decades following the end of Northern Ireland’s violent conflict.
NEW DELHI (AP) — At least one person was killed and many others were rushed to hospitals after a sudden crowd surge struck a major Hindu religious festival in India’s eastern Odisha state on Thursday, according to a news agency report.
The chaos unfolded in the coastal city of Puri, where tens of thousands of worshippers had gathered for the annual Rath Yatra chariot festival, as reported by the Press Trust of India.
Regarded as one of the oldest and largest religious processions on the planet, the centuries-old celebration centers on the removal of Hindu deity idols from the Jagannath Temple, which are then paraded through city streets atop elaborately decorated chariots.
Footage captured at the scene showed injured festival-goers being carried away for medical treatment, while shoes, bags, and other personal items lay scattered across the ground in the wake of the surge.
In a social media statement, Odisha police reported that emergency response teams administered first aid and oxygen to 33 individuals before transporting them to hospitals in the surrounding area.
This is not the first time tragedy has struck the festival. Last year, three people lost their lives and more than a dozen were hospitalized following a similar crowd surge during the same event.
Deadly crowd crushes are not uncommon at Indian religious festivals, where enormous gatherings — sometimes numbering in the millions — converge in tight spaces with limited safety infrastructure or crowd management. Just last January, at least 30 people died when tens of thousands of Hindu pilgrims rushed to bathe in a sacred river during the Maha Kumbh festival, recognized as the world’s largest religious gathering.
One of the worst such disasters on record occurred in 2013, when pilgrims at a Hindu temple festival in the central state of Madhya Pradesh panicked after rumors spread that a nearby bridge was about to collapse. At least 115 people perished — either crushed in the stampede or drowned in the river below.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is moving to make it easier for men to obtain testosterone prescriptions, the latest chapter in a long-running debate over the hormone’s benefits and potential risks for sexual health, mood, and overall well-being.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other senior officials are backing the effort. On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the military would begin screening service members for low testosterone and offering the hormone as a tool to help troops perform at their “absolute best.”
While online influencers and men’s health podcasters have long promoted testosterone as a cure-all for building muscle and boosting energy, science does not support that sweeping claim. However, medical experts say a decade’s worth of new research has strengthened the argument for testosterone’s role in sexual health while reducing fears about cardiovascular risks.
“Many providers have been trained for years that these were real issues, and they were scared to get a testosterone reading from a patient or offer them testosterone therapy,” said Dr. Justin Dubin, a urologist at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute.
Last year, the Food and Drug Administration removed a prominent safety warning about potential heart risks associated with testosterone pills, gels, injections, and patches, citing updated data showing no increase in such problems.
Last month, the agency proposed revising prescribing instructions to allow testosterone to be used for age-related symptoms such as low libido and erectile dysfunction. The current label states the hormone is only approved for abnormally low testosterone caused by serious medical conditions or injury.
Doctors who prescribe the drug say patients with those specific conditions represent only a fraction of those seeking treatment.
“The majority of people we see in our office are regular men complaining of these common symptoms because they’re dramatically affecting their quality of life,” said Dr. Helen Bernie, a urologist and director of sexual health at Indiana University.
Testosterone was first approved in the 1950s to treat hypogonadism, a condition in which low hormone levels result from problems affecting the testes or other organs. Testosterone naturally decreases with age, which can affect sexual function, mood, and bone density — but how to properly diagnose and treat men with those issues has long been a subject of debate among researchers.
“These symptoms overlap with symptoms of human aging in men, so there’s a high risk of misdiagnosis and that’s led to the controversy,” said Dr. Shalender Bhasin of Harvard Medical School, who has co-authored several recent testosterone studies and treatment guidelines.
Bhasin notes that growing acceptance of men’s sexual health as a serious medical concern — a shift that began with the introduction of Viagra for erectile dysfunction in the 1990s — has contributed to increased willingness to prescribe testosterone.
Bhasin helped write the Endocrine Society’s current guidelines, which recommend discussing testosterone therapy with men who have documented symptoms and two blood tests confirming low hormone levels. A recent study by Michigan researchers found that only 12% of men receiving a prescription actually met that standard.
The risk of overprescribing is not new. In the early 2010s, pharmaceutical companies spent heavily on television advertising for testosterone gels, patches, and other products, marketing them as solutions for fatigue, muscle loss, brain fog, and weight gain. By 2013, those products were generating more than $2 billion in annual sales, even though most of the conditions advertised were not FDA-approved uses.
In 2015, the FDA responded by requiring drugmakers to clarify that their products were not approved for routine age-related complaints and to add a boxed warning about potential heart risks.
The FDA now says more recent evidence justifies relaxing those restrictions. A study mandated by the FDA and published in 2023 tracked 5,000 men with a history of heart disease — half received daily testosterone gel, and the other half received a placebo. After two years, there was no difference in rates of heart attack, stroke, or related complications between the two groups.
A separate series of National Institutes of Health studies involving nearly 800 older men found that testosterone therapy improved erectile dysfunction, libido, and other sexual health measures and had a modest effect on mood. Benefits for fatigue, memory, or general well-being were minimal or nonexistent.
Bhasin, who helped lead both research efforts, says the studies are the largest of their kind but that more investigation is needed on long-term effects.
“I think FDA’s label changes are very welcome and they are bringing us a big step forward,” Bhasin said. “But I think there’s a lot more to be done to better define the safety and efficacy.”
In comments submitted to the FDA, the Endocrine Society called for studies lasting 15 to 20 years to evaluate conditions that develop slowly, including prostate cancer, which remains a concern with testosterone therapy.
Experts broadly agree that men who are planning to have children in the near future should not take testosterone. The hormone shuts down the body’s natural production process.
“It can stop the signal from your brain to your testicles to make testosterone, and so you stop making sperm,” Dubin said. “That can compromise fertility.”
Most guidelines also urge caution for men who have had prostate cancer or are considered at risk, given unresolved questions about whether hormone therapy could accelerate tumor growth. However, the FDA has proposed language that would only recommend avoidance for men whose prostate cancer has already spread to other parts of the body.
Dietary supplements marketed online as testosterone boosters should be avoided, experts say, because they are not FDA-approved and are unlikely to be effective.
FDA-approved testosterone treatments come in several forms. Gels and pills typically require daily use, while injections, patches, and implantable pellets can last weeks or months. Many of these products are now available through telehealth platforms, though that route carries its own risks.
A 2022 study by Dubin found that only one in seven online prescribing companies asked basic screening questions — including whether patients planned to have children — and most did not have a testing threshold to confirm whether patients actually had low testosterone levels.
Rehoboth Beach residents and visitors who make payments to the City should take note of some upcoming changes taking effect August 1. The City is moving away from its existing 2.5% convenience fee structure and adopting a new pass-through service fee model managed by Tyler Technologies.
Under the new system, fees will be determined by Tyler Technologies based on the payment method chosen and will show up as a separate line item on your transaction.
Here is a breakdown of what to expect under the new fee schedule:
Credit and debit cards — whether used online or in person — will carry a fee of 3.75% of the total transaction amount, with a minimum charge of $2.50.
ACH and eCheck payments made online will be charged a flat fee of $1.95 per transaction.
Checks paid in person will not incur any additional fee.
Credit card chargebacks will result in a $15.00 fee per occurrence.
United Airlines announced Thursday that climbing ticket prices have done little to push travelers away, giving the carrier confidence that stronger fares can help cover what amounts to nearly $6 billion in extra fuel costs expected this year.
Chief Executive Scott Kirby addressed the issue of yield — the average amount of revenue an airline collects per mile each passenger flies — saying it should continue trending toward what he described as reasonable pre-pandemic levels. Kirby said that over time, this would allow airlines to generate enough revenue to justify the significant investment needed to operate their businesses.
BEIJING — A stock-exchange filing from China’s Anhui Korrun has provided a rare look at the value of artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek, suggesting the company is worth roughly $51.82 billion.
According to the filing, a fund in which Anhui Korrun’s subsidiary had invested put 2.90 billion yuan toward an indirect ownership stake of 0.8265% in DeepSeek. That investment implies a total company valuation of 350.88 billion yuan, which converts to approximately $51.82 billion at current exchange rates.
The disclosure is notable because it represents one of the few pieces of publicly available information about DeepSeek’s first round of outside fundraising. The low-profile company has never publicly announced or explained the details of that fundraising effort.
(Exchange rate used: $1 = 6.7717 Chinese yuan renminbi)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood before representatives from more than 60 nations in Washington on Thursday to launch a push for a new international counterterrorism focus — one aimed squarely at what he called “far-left terror.”
Rubio opened the conference, titled the Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism, by arguing that years of coordinated global action had “severely diminished” the threat posed by Islamic extremism. However, he said rising left-wing violence represented an “undeniable reality” that the world had largely ignored — calling it a “blind spot” in current counterterrorism efforts.
“We can and we must identify and map this threat and rebuild our counterterrorism architecture to defeat it,” Rubio told the assembled officials. He characterized the danger as a transnational one, involving groups that target politicians and public infrastructure and are driven, he said, by a deep hostility toward the West.
President Donald Trump has made confronting left-wing organizations a central priority. Trump highlighted the issue during his 2024 campaign and pledged to act against groups he accuses of fueling violence, particularly following the killing of conservative activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk.
Rubio announced that the Trump administration had already held a law enforcement workshop in May to examine the far-left threat, and that a second workshop would be co-hosted with Germany.
“We will either cooperate across our borders, or the terrorists will continue to exploit the gaps between them,” Rubio said. “The United States is building the infrastructure, the partnership and the strategy to defeat the scourge of far-left terror.”
Since November, the U.S. government has designated four European organizations — Antifa Ost, the Informal Anarchist Federation/International Revolutionary Front, Armed Proletarian Justice, and Revolutionary Class Self-Defense — as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Authorities are offering rewards of as much as $10 million for information about how those groups are financed.
Rubio also alleged that left-wing militant groups around the world are becoming more closely connected to foreign governments that oppose the United States. He pointed to Iranian proxy networks as being “increasingly intimately tied to leftist militant groups around the world,” though he offered no evidence to support that claim. He also accused Cuba’s Communist leadership of having “helped build the far left” inside the United States, again without providing supporting evidence.
Not everyone is on board with the administration’s approach. The American Civil Liberties Union and other civil liberties organizations have cautioned that labeling groups as far-left terrorist organizations could end up criminalizing peaceful protests and targeting political opponents rather than addressing real security threats.
ATLANTA — Lionel Messi said he was not at all shocked by Argentina’s ability to pull off another dramatic comeback, this time in their World Cup semi-final against England.
The 39-year-old captain set up both goals — one for Enzo Fernandez and one for Lautaro Martinez — in the final minutes of Wednesday’s intense match at Atlanta Stadium, lifting the defending world champions to a 2-1 victory from a losing position.
The win continued a pattern of late heroics for Argentina throughout the tournament. They had previously needed extra time to get past Cape Verde in the Round of 32 and Switzerland in the quarter-finals, and came back from two goals down to beat Egypt 2-3 in the last 16 thanks to a stoppage-time goal.
“This group doesn’t surprise me,” Messi told reporters following the match. “I know and we know what we were capable of. People might have had doubts about us because we had players who were very much at their limit, but when we come together and are united, it always gives us an extra boost.”
“They inspire each other. They find something they didn’t know they had, and give everything,” he added.
Messi, who noted he is fully savoring the experience at his sixth World Cup and has no plans to retire, said he is eager to face 2010 world champions Spain in New Jersey on Sunday.
“It’s a team I know well,” said Messi, who spent 17 years playing for Barcelona in Spain. “They have a footballing philosophy and have been playing this way for many, many years. I know the players. I’ve played against them, I follow them and several of them are at Barca, the club I love. It’s a special match, a World Cup final. I imagine it’s going to be an even contest.”
After the final whistle, Messi and his teammates celebrated while holding up a banner asserting Argentina’s claim over the Falklands/Malvinas islands — the South Atlantic territory at the center of a 1982 war between Argentina and Britain.
Given the deep historical and sporting rivalry between the two nations, Messi said losing to England was simply not an option.
“We went out there with real determination,” Messi said. “The fans wanted this victory more than any other because of what it means to face England in a semi-final and reach another World Cup final.”
Northampton County, Virginia is pushing back against a proposal that would allow mining on the ocean floor off the coast.
County officials have formally voiced their opposition to the offshore seabed mining proposal, calling for it to be stopped. The stance was outlined in materials released by the county government.
The county’s opposition signals concern over what such an operation could mean for the region’s coastal environment and the communities that depend on it.
No additional details about the specific mining proposal or its current status were included in the county’s release.
NEW YORK (AP) — The basketball world may finally get some answers about LeBron James’ future on Thursday.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a current free agent, is set to speak publicly Thursday afternoon in New York City. The appearance raises the possibility that he could announce his plans for the upcoming season — or at minimum offer some insight into where his decision-making stands.
James will be taping an episode of his podcast, “Mind the Game,” with Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton serving as a guest co-host. The recording is set to take place on the opening day of Fanatics Fest, a four-day gathering in New York that brings together dozens of athletes, celebrities, and sports icons. Organizers have confirmed that single-day general admission tickets are completely sold out. The appearance was announced back in May and has been on the schedule for months.
At 41 years old, James is the oldest active player in the NBA. He is also the only player in league history to have competed across 23 seasons, with the upcoming year set to be his 24th. Speculation about his next move has been building for over two months, dating back to May when the Los Angeles Lakers were knocked out of the NBA playoffs.
Following that elimination, James said he was uncertain about his future. The only concrete update he provided came on June 30, when he confirmed he would continue playing and disclosed that he was departing the Lakers after eight seasons together — a run that included the 2020 NBA championship.
Since that announcement, the league has been waiting more than two weeks to learn what comes next for one of basketball’s greatest players.
James’ list of accomplishments is unmatched in NBA history. He has been selected to the All-Star Game 22 times, earned All-NBA honors 21 times, won four Most Valuable Player awards, claimed four NBA Finals MVP titles, and was named All-Star Game MVP three times. He was also included on the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.
In his most recent season, James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. Over the course of his career — spanning more than 1,600 games — he has averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per contest.
Thursday’s podcast taping is just the first of two scheduled public appearances for James in New York that day. He is also expected at the Game Plan Summit, a by-invitation-only event presented by CNBC and Boardroom. There, James is slated to sit down with Boardroom co-founder Rich Kleiman — who is longtime business partner to Kevin Durant — to discuss, according to organizers, “how he’s built an empire beyond basketball, what’s ahead for him in business, and why the next generation of athletes is poised to wield more influence than ever before.”
James began his professional career in Cleveland in 2003, spending seven seasons with the Cavaliers before moving to Miami for four years, where he captured his first two NBA titles. He then returned to Cleveland for four additional seasons before departing in 2018 to join the Lakers.
Reports indicate that Cleveland and Miami are once again being considered by James as he evaluates his options. Several other teams — including Philadelphia, Minnesota, and Golden State — are also said to be on his radar.
ALGIERS, Algeria — Eleven children lost their lives and 19 others were hurt when a fire swept through an orphanage near the Algerian capital in the early morning hours Thursday, according to officials.
Algeria’s Civil Protection agency reported that the blaze ignited at approximately 3:30 a.m. at a two-story childcare institution located in Mohammedia, a community in the eastern outskirts of the capital city of Algiers.
Authorities have not released information about the ages of the children who died or were injured. No adult fatalities or injuries were reported.
Rescue crews successfully evacuated five children with limited mobility from the building. A number of the injured children were taken to a hospital that specializes in burn treatment, according to Lt. Col. Nassim Bernaoui, the head of communications for the Civil Protection agency.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who was on an official state visit to Berlin at the time, offered his condolences following the tragedy.
“It is with a heart resigned to the will of Allah that I learned of the death of children and the injuries suffered by other children of Algeria following the fire that broke out in a childcare institution,” the president said.
The deadly fire happened to fall on Algeria’s National Children’s Day. It also occurred during an intense heat wave that has triggered close to 1,000 fires throughout the country over the past week, the Civil Protection agency said.
The U.S. government has officially added two more Mexican criminal organizations to its list of foreign terrorist organizations, according to a notice published Thursday in the Federal Register, the official U.S. government gazette.
The newly designated groups are the Juárez Cartel, which operates along the Texas border, and Los Viagras, a criminal organization based in the western Mexican state of Michoacán.
With these additions, eight Mexican criminal organizations now carry the foreign terrorist label in the eyes of the U.S. government. The others include the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Criminal gangs from other Latin American nations — including Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, and El Salvador — have also received similar designations from the Trump administration.
President Donald Trump began applying the terrorist designation to Latin American cartels in February 2025, a move intended to give U.S. authorities greater ability to act against the groups and anyone the U.S. believes is supporting them.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that both newly designated groups have either carried out terrorist acts or present a serious threat of doing so — endangering American citizens or threatening U.S. national security, foreign policy, or economic interests.
The designations add to the mounting pressure on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government, which is already dealing with the indictment of 10 current and former officials from the state of Sinaloa on alleged cartel ties, along with ongoing disputes over U.S. operations inside Mexico.
The Juárez Cartel is one of Mexico’s oldest drug trafficking organizations. For decades, it has held control over a critical crossing point along the central Mexico-U.S. border — the city of Ciudad Juárez, which sits directly across from El Paso, Texas.
The cartel was founded by Amado Carrillo Fuentes, nicknamed “El Señor de los Cielos” — or “Lord of the Skies” — for his use of light aircraft to move enormous drug shipments in the 1990s. His brothers and sons carried on the operation after him, building a multimillion-dollar drug trafficking empire. Despite numerous arrests of its leadership over the years, the cartel and its allied groups have maintained an extensive smuggling network into the United States.
Mexican analyst David Saucedo noted that the designation is significant because it gives the U.S. more tools to act decisively along the border. The Gulf Cartel and the Northeast Cartel — both operating at the eastern end of the Texas border — had already been designated terrorist organizations back in February 2025.
Los Viagras is a regional cartel operating in Michoacán, a state that is already home to two other U.S.-designated terrorist organizations: Cárteles Unidos and La Nueva Familia Michoacana.
The group emerged in the wake of a 2013–2014 armed uprising by local farmers who successfully pushed out many of the established cartels, only to see new criminal organizations fill the void.
Los Viagras is led by Nicolás Sierra Santana, who faces a formal federal indictment in the District of Columbia on drug trafficking conspiracy charges filed in June 2025. The State Department is offering a $5 million reward for any information that leads to his arrest.
The organization has shifted alliances over time to strengthen its regional grip through extortion. It also manufactures synthetic drugs, which it sells to other cartels that then move them into the United States.
When wildfires break out, the smoke they produce doesn’t stay put — it can drift across hundreds of miles, reaching communities far from the actual fire and creating real health hazards for the people who live there.
Fires in one state can worsen air quality several states over, and blazes in Canada have been known to push smoke deep into American cities.
So what can you do to keep yourself and your family safe when wildfire smoke threatens your air? Here’s a breakdown of what experts recommend.
The Environmental Protection Agency uses something called the Air Quality Index to measure pollution levels. It combines all pollutants into one easy-to-read number — and the lower that number, the better the air.
A reading under 50 means the air is healthy. Between 50 and 100 is considered moderate. From 100 to 150, the air becomes unhealthy for sensitive groups, and anything above 150 is considered dangerous for everyone.
Who counts as a sensitive group? Dr. Sanjay Sethi, who leads the division of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at the University at Buffalo medical school, says that includes people living with asthma, lung disease, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“If you have heart or lung problems, then you’ve got to be definitely more careful,” Sethi said. “I would either avoid going outside or wear an N95 or at least a dust mask.”
Keep in mind that smoke isn’t always visible or detectable by smell — even when you can’t see or sense it, the air may still be harmful to breathe.
The EPA operates a website where you can check up-to-date air quality conditions in your region. A company called PurpleAir, which makes air quality sensors and shares live data publicly, also offers a detailed map showing readings street by street through a network of citizen monitors.
For checking the air inside your home, Joseph Allen, who directs Harvard University’s Healthy Buildings Program, recommends purchasing an indoor air quality monitor.
“You can find these low-cost, indoor air quality monitors just about everywhere online now. They don’t cost all that much anymore,” Allen said.
If you need to head outside briefly, Dr. Sethi says a short trip is unlikely to cause lasting harm for most healthy people. However, wearing an N95 mask — which many became familiar with during the coronavirus pandemic — can significantly cut down on the particles you inhale.
“N95 is going to get rid of 90-95% of the particles,” said Jennifer Stowell, a research scientist at Boston University’s Center for Climate and Health. “If you have access to a mask that has a respirator-type attachment to it, then that’s the very best.”
If you’re outside and start feeling symptoms, experts say you should go back indoors or find somewhere with cleaner air as quickly as possible — even if you’re generally in good health.
“If you start wheezing, which is like this whistling sound of the chest, or if you’re feeling short of breath, that’s definitely more concerning,” Sethi said.
Inside your home, close the windows and run your air conditioner on the indoor circulation setting rather than pulling in outside air. You can also use blankets or towels to block gaps where outdoor air might seep in, like the space under doors.
Swapping out your air conditioner’s filter for a MERV 13 filter can provide added protection — just make sure it’s installed properly so air doesn’t bypass it.
“If you happen to have access to an air purifier, even if it’s just a room air purifier, try to keep it running and in the room that you’re doing most of your activities in,” Stowell advised.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two of eight men facing federal murder and terrorism conspiracy charges for their alleged involvement in a foiled attack on a UFC cage-fighting event held at the White House last month entered not guilty pleas in court Thursday.
Tycen Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio, and Chandler Scaggs, 21, of Chapmanville, West Virginia, made their pleas before U.S. District Court Judge Edmund Sargus Jr. in Columbus. Both men, along with the six other defendants, face charges of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to commit murder on federal property and against a federal official.
Judge Sargus scheduled their trial to begin September 14.
U.S. Attorney Dominick Gerace II spoke with reporters last week following the group’s July 9 indictments, saying: “What would have happened or could have happened, that’s never going to be clear, because, thank God, there was an intervention here and this thing was disrupted. But, in my view, when I look at what’s been alleged there, it seems pretty likely that someone or multiple people were driving to Washington, D.C., to do something.”
An attempt to reach Proper’s attorney for comment went unanswered. An attorney for Scaggs declined to make any statement.
Court documents indicate the alleged conspiracy began taking shape in May. Members of the group reportedly stockpiled money, weapons, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, medical supplies, and communications gear. Their stated grievances included concerns about government corruption, water use by data centers, and the current administration’s handling of the Epstein files.
The intended target was UFC Freedom 250, a cage-fighting event held on the South Lawn of the White House as part of the country’s 250th anniversary celebration. Law enforcement said they became aware of the potential threat four days before the event was set to take place.
According to a federal affidavit, one of the defendants told investigators the group intended to send explosive-equipped drones into the crowd and then open fire on people as they fled the scene.
The Justice Department announced charges against seven individuals from multiple states, including Ohio, Missouri, Washington, Nebraska, and California. Authorities said the suspects subscribed to fringe conspiracy theories and hoped the attack would bring down the government.
Four of the alleged co-conspirators were charged in Missouri, Nebraska, and California during the weekend of the event, with two more charged roughly a week later in Washington and Missouri. Those individuals are still being transferred to Ohio, where all cases have been consolidated under Judge Sargus’ court. The defendants are expected to be tried together.
Scaggs was the last person arrested in the case but was the first of the out-of-state defendants brought to Ohio.
A cabinet minister from the eastern German state of Saxony is urging the European Union to consider steeper tariffs on Chinese-built automobiles, saying the added financial pressure could encourage Chinese carmakers to establish partnerships with European manufacturers — including Volkswagen, which operates a plant in the region.
Dirk Panter, who serves as Saxony’s economy minister, made the remarks in an interview published Thursday by the Bild newspaper. “We need to consider imposing higher tariffs on Chinese-made cars at the EU level,” Panter said.
The comments come in the wake of warnings from Volkswagen that it may be forced to shut down four of its German manufacturing facilities in the coming years — among them the all-electric vehicle plant in Zwickau, located within Saxony — unless alternative solutions can be identified.
Volkswagen’s chief executive has floated two possible paths forward: manufacturing models developed in China at European production sites, or forming partnerships with Chinese automakers.
Panter suggested that the threat of EU tariffs could serve as a powerful negotiating tool. “If a joint venture in Saxony could help avoid European tariffs, that would be a bargaining chip that would allow us to negotiate from a completely different position,” he told Bild.
Chinese automakers have been steadily expanding their foothold in European markets. Companies like BYD have gained ground in part through popular plug-in hybrid vehicles, which currently fall outside the scope of EU tariffs that apply specifically to all-electric cars.
Panter made clear he is not advocating for shutting Chinese manufacturers out of Europe entirely. “We will not keep Chinese manufacturers out of Europe,” he said. “Anyone who wants access to our market must also take responsibility for value creation and employment in Europe.”
Agreements to purchase existing homes across the United States dropped sharply in June, as rising mortgage costs and record-high home prices kept many would-be buyers from moving forward with purchases.
The National Association of Realtors announced Thursday that its pending home sales index fell 5.4% last month, landing at 72.5. That was a much steeper decline than the 0.5% drop that economists surveyed by Reuters had anticipated. Pending sales — which typically turn into completed transactions within one to two months — declined across all four regions of the country and were down 0.3% compared to June of the previous year.
Looking ahead, mortgage rates are expected to stay elevated in part due to renewed tensions between the United States and Iran, which flared up following the breakdown of a fragile ceasefire last week.
Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist, pointed to a combination of factors making the market particularly tough right now. “The highest mortgage rates in nearly a year and the record-high national median home price together are contributing to a tepid housing market that is especially difficult for first-time homebuyers,” he said.
Goldey-Beacom College’s volleyball program is setting its sights on continued improvement in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference as the 2026 season schedule has been announced.
The Lightning are looking to build on recent momentum within the conference, leaning on an experienced group of players and an ongoing dedication to elevating the program to new heights.
WASHINGTON — A significant fracture within the Democratic Party was on full display Wednesday when more than half of House Democrats cast votes in favor of stripping $3.3 billion in U.S. military assistance to Israel — the clearest sign yet that longstanding bipartisan backing for the country is eroding amid the ongoing war in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians.
The amendment ultimately failed by a vote of 104-314, falling short of the threshold needed to attach it to a broader national security spending bill. But the outcome laid bare how dramatically attitudes have shifted regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military campaign, which is now entering its third year.
House Democratic leadership itself was divided on the issue, with the vote widely viewed as a political test run ahead of the U.S. midterm elections that will decide which party controls Congress. Over 100 Democrats supported cutting the foreign military funding, while nearly as many opposed it. The vast majority of Republicans sided with maintaining the Israel aid package.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced his opposition to the measure, though he acknowledged that change is needed. “For the good of Israel and the Palestinian people, American policy in the Middle East must change,” Jeffries said.
In a letter to fellow Democrats ahead of a private caucus meeting where he addressed the matter, Jeffries wrote that he believes “there are more decisive ways to achieve the urgent change necessary when it comes to the far-right Netanyahu government.”
The growing rift over U.S. support for Israel poses a serious challenge for the Democratic Party, which is facing pressure from an energized progressive wing. Self-described democratic socialists have been gaining ground in several high-profile House races, including contests last month in New York.
While more centrist Democrats have continued to back U.S. support for Israel, an increasing number have pulled away from Netanyahu’s approach as the war has stretched on in response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Democratic Whip Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts announced she would vote in favor of withholding the funds.
Republicans have used the Democratic divide to argue that the party is being pulled too far to the left — even as House Speaker Mike Johnson deals with his own internal tensions, as President Donald Trump’s most committed America First members push back against foreign military spending.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak to the nation Thursday evening at 9 p.m. ET, and he has indicated that elections and voting machines will be among the subjects he plans to cover — a signal that election integrity could take center stage.
The address comes at a time when Trump has been ramping up pressure on Republicans to enact tighter federal voting regulations before November’s midterm elections.
The speech is anticipated to center on the theme of “free and fair elections,” and Trump has already been building anticipation by teasing what he described as “really big news.”
Trump has long viewed election integrity as a cornerstone of public confidence in democratic institutions. His position typically includes support for voter identification requirements, maintaining accurate voter registration rolls, securing absentee and mail-in voting procedures, and guarding against fraud or administrative errors.
Conservatives broadly argue that clear, consistently enforced rules are essential to ensuring that every legitimate vote is counted and that election results carry public legitimacy. Transparency in how votes are counted and elections are administered is also a priority they frequently champion.
While critics have questioned whether some of the proposed measures are necessary or effective, conservatives generally regard election security and voter confidence as fundamental pillars of a fair democratic process.
Maryland’s governor has unveiled a $20 million commitment to improve public boating access and waterway safety across the state, with funding directed toward 24 projects set to get underway in Fiscal Year 2027, which began July 1.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will distribute $13 million through the Waterway Improvement Fund alongside $7 million in General Obligation Bond funding. The money will go toward upgrades at public boating facilities, dredging of navigable waterways, boating safety vessels, and related infrastructure improvements.
“Boating is an integral aspect of Maryland’s cultural identity that supports our seafood and tourism economies,” said Gov. Moore. “These major investments provide resources to strengthen our boating infrastructure, expand recreational access, and ensure the longevity of our waterways for Marylanders to enjoy the Chesapeake Bay for generations to come.”
Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz highlighted the program’s community-driven approach. “Boating is one of Maryland’s most cherished cultural activities and a significant economic driver for our state,” he said. “The Waterway Improvement Fund has been essential for improving public boating access and safety. It’s funded by Maryland’s boating public and allocated based on guidance from our waterfront communities.”
Boating represents the largest outdoor recreation industry in Maryland, generating more than $4 billion in economic activity and sustaining roughly 17,000 jobs statewide.
The Waterway Improvement Fund operates on a user-pay, user-benefit model. It is primarily funded through a one-time 5% excise tax collected when a boat is purchased and titled in Maryland, along with a portion of the state gas tax. Since the fund was established in 1966, it has channeled more than $469.5 million into state and local projects, completing more than 4,900 capital projects at nearly 400 public boating access sites and within 250 navigable channels across the state.
One of the most significant projects receiving support this year is a major overhaul of the state-owned Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, including replacement of the marina’s bulkhead. Described as Maryland’s largest publicly owned marina and a gateway to the Chesapeake Bay, the $30 million renovation is scheduled to begin in late summer.
Eric Luedtke, DNR’s Director of Capital Projects, emphasized the fund’s broad importance. “The Waterway Improvement Fund is the cornerstone of recreational boating in Maryland. It is an essential source of funding to give Maryland residents and visitors access to the vast boating opportunities on the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries, and on our coastal bays,” he said. “These investments are made possible by the contributions of boaters themselves and through close coordination between county and municipal governments, the State, and our federal partners.”
Fund dollars can cover the full cost of a project or be used as matching funds to draw down federal dollars. Applications are evaluated based on local government and state priorities, with projects selected according to their benefit to the general boating public. Requests for Fiscal Year 2027 funding totaled more than $45 million, far exceeding available resources.
Starting July 15, 2026, the Department of Natural Resources will begin accepting applications for the following fiscal year through an online form.
Projects funded through the Waterway Improvement Fund in FY27 include:
Anne Arundel County: Asquith Creek (Severn River) maintenance dredging, $450,000 (matching funds); Marley Creek (Patapsco River) maintenance dredging, $722,500 (matching funds).
Baltimore City: Broening Park boating facility improvements, $125,000.
Baltimore County: Pleasure Island Channel maintenance dredging and beneficial use, $1.4 million.
Caroline County: Choptank Marina improvements and fuel station upgrades, $250,000.
Charles County: Town of Indian Head, Mattingly Park – Slavins Dock boating facility improvements, $320,000.
Dorchester County: City of Cambridge yacht basin improvements, $1 million (matching funds); Tylers Cove Marina renovations, $500,000; Town of Vienna boating facility renovations, $100,000.
Harford County: City of Havre de Grace yacht basin facility improvements, $125,000; Gunpowder River and Taylors Creek maintenance dredging, $1.5 million.
Kent County: Town of Chestertown marina fuel systems upgrades, $175,000; Bogles Wharf (Rock Hall) boating facility improvements, $100,000.
Queen Anne’s County: Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department safety and rescue vessel, $80,000 (matching funds); Town of Queenstown, Queenstown Creek channel dredging and beneficial use placement, $925,000; United Communities Volunteer Fire Department safety and rescue vessel, $80,000 (matching funds); Matapeake Landing (Stevensville) boat ramp improvements, $250,000.
Somerset County: Somers Cove Marina bulkhead replacement and facility improvements, $7 million General Obligation Bonds plus $1.727 million.
St. Mary’s County: Seventh District Volunteer Fire Department safety and rescue vessel, $80,000 (matching funds); St. George Island boating pier improvements, $125,000.
Talbot County: New Bridge Landing boating facility improvements, $546,000 (matching funds); Town of St. Michaels West Harbor Road and East Chew Avenue boating marina facility improvements, $725,000.
Worcester County: Public Landing dredging (Snow Hill), $325,000.
Statewide: Shore erosion control projects related to boating, $50,000; Clean Vessel Act Pumpout Grant Program, $175,000 (matching funds); Maryland Natural Resources Police safety and rescue vessel, $180,000; Statewide emergency and maintenance dredging, $964,500.
Three Salisbury University graduates who got their start with the campus’s student streaming operation are now making their mark in local media — and they recently returned to their roots to watch the next generation carry on the tradition.
On the evening of February 11, 2026, Salisbury University hosted a basketball doubleheader against longtime rival Christopher Newport inside the Maggs Physical Activities Center. A full crew of Sea Gull Sports Network student workers handled broadcast duties and game operations for the event, which drew more than 1,200 unique viewers throughout the night.
Among those present at Maggs Gym that evening were three recent SU graduates who first developed their broadcasting skills with SGSN before going on to land positions at local media outlets. Their return offered a firsthand look at how the student network continues to serve as a launching pad for careers in the industry.
Philippine police announced Thursday that four suspects are now in custody following the deadly home invasion that claimed the life of American marine biologist Kent Carpenter, 73, at his residence in the coastal town of Sibulan in Negros Oriental province.
According to authorities, three men forced their way into Carpenter’s home last Sunday in what investigators believe was a planned robbery. One of the intruders allegedly shot Carpenter in the head with a handgun while he was seated on a sofa. A second suspect assaulted Carpenter’s Filipino companion, forcing her into a room and raping her.
Before fleeing the scene, the men took a laptop, a backpack, and an undisclosed amount of cash, according to national police spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co. A fourth individual, who served as a lookout outside the property, later surrendered to police and is said to have provided key information about how the crime unfolded. A fifth suspect connected to the break-in remains at large.
Co noted that one of the arrested men had previously been hired by Carpenter to perform carpentry work at the home, and that the alleged shooter is among those in custody.
“All indicators as of now point to the fact that the attack was not connected to (the American’s) work,” Co told reporters. “It was really a planned robbery. So, we are still verifying why they killed the American marine biologist.”
Numerous U.S. and Philippine universities and environmental organizations have expressed grief and disbelief over Carpenter’s death.
Carpenter had played a notable role in international legal proceedings, having testified on behalf of the Philippine government during its arbitration case against China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. His expert testimony addressed the environmental consequences of China’s island construction and fishing operations in the contested region, according to former Philippine officials familiar with his involvement.
In July 2016, an international arbitration panel based in The Hague ruled against China’s broad territorial claims and highlighted the environmental harm caused by its island-building activities in the disputed waters. China rejected the panel’s authority, declined to take part in the proceedings, and dismissed the ruling entirely.
Carpenter had spent considerable time as a lecturer and researcher at Silliman University in Negros Oriental. He had also served as a biological sciences professor at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, since 1996.
His research centered on the Philippines and the Coral Triangle — the biodiverse region between the Indian and Pacific oceans — and had a lasting influence on conservation efforts worldwide, according to Old Dominion University officials. They noted he was in the Philippines on an extended research assignment and had planned to retire in September.
“He dedicated his career to expanding our understanding of the world’s bodies of water and protecting some of its most vulnerable ecosystems,” Old Dominion President Brian Hemphill said in a statement.
NEW YORK (AP) — American consumers tightened their wallets in June compared to May, as ongoing economic concerns mounted and the positive effects of generous government tax refunds began to wear thin.
According to a report released Thursday by the Commerce Department, retail sales increased just 0.2% in June — a significant pullback from the revised 1% gain recorded in May.
When gas station sales are removed from the equation, retail sales actually showed stronger growth, rising a solid 0.7%.
Clothing and accessories stores experienced a 0.3% decline in sales, while internet retail saw a strong 1.9% jump — driven largely by consumer activity surrounding Amazon’s Prime Day event, which ran from June 23 through June 26. Stores selling sporting goods, hobby items, musical instruments, and books posted a 1.3% gain, boosted in part by spending tied to the World Cup.
It’s worth noting that the retail sales data only captures part of the consumer spending picture and leaves out categories such as travel and hotel stays. Among service-related businesses tracked, restaurants showed a slight uptick of just 0.1%.
This report arrives as inflation showed signs of cooling last month. The cost of gasoline, clothing, and used vehicles all declined, giving consumers some financial breathing room. Underlying price pressures also eased more than most analysts had predicted.
As of Thursday, gas prices had fallen to $3.94 per gallon, compared to $4.04 a month earlier, according to motor club AAA.
The Labor Department reported Tuesday that consumer prices dropped 0.4% between May and June — the steepest monthly decline in four years — after having risen 0.5% the previous month. Year-over-year inflation fell to 3.5%, down from 4.2% in May and below what many economists had forecast.
Economists say that core inflation data suggests the spike in gas prices resulting from the Iran war, while it pushed up airfares and some other costs, has not yet triggered widespread, lasting inflation. However, the United States has resumed attacks on Iran, and President Donald Trump announced a new blockade in the Strait of Hormuz — a critical shipping corridor that handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. That escalation threatens to reverse some of the inflation progress seen last month.
Looking ahead, major retailers including Walmart, Target, and Macy’s are expected to release their second-quarter earnings results next month, which should shed more light on how shoppers are behaving.
A recent report from the Conference Board found that Americans’ views of the economy improved slightly as gas prices came down, though consumer sentiment remains largely pessimistic by historical measures.
Sarah Williamson, a 27-year-old software support engineer from Raleigh, North Carolina, said she has become much more deliberate about her spending over the past year or so. While she feels financially stable thanks to steady employment, rising food and fuel costs have led her to cut back on non-essential purchases.
“I shop less overall as a hobby,” she said.
Williamson said she makes small but deliberate choices at the grocery store — for example, skipping pre-cut fruit like cantaloupe in favor of buying the whole fruit at a lower cost. She’s also more careful with clothing purchases. Recently, she bought a dress for $30, shipping included, through TikTok Shop, and spent $72 on a cotton nightgown from Amazon. While the nightgown was pricier than she’d typically spend, she felt it was justified given how often she wears it.
Brian Reynolds, CEO and founder of Just For Teens — a skincare brand targeting preteens and teenagers — said his budget-friendly products, including $5 pimple patches, are well-positioned for the current retail climate because they appeal to cost-conscious families.
Reynolds said his brand is on track to expand into 10,000 Dollar General locations by October, up from roughly 4,000 stores late last year. Sales have been steady so far, and he anticipates a stronger push during the back-to-school shopping season.
“There’s a lot of space for products that are everyday essentials that are value-priced,” he said.
DOVER, Delaware — Delaware’s 153rd General Assembly has recessed after passing a series of legislative updates designed to bolster the state’s marijuana regulatory framework before adjourning.
The new laws are intended to build on the foundation already in place for Delaware’s cannabis program, adding more structure and oversight to how marijuana is regulated across the state.
Commissioner Sanderlin spoke positively about the changes, saying, “These legislative updates provide important clarity and structure as Delaware continues to build a responsible and effective marijuana program.”
The Office of Marijuana Commissioner is expected to play a central role in implementing the newly passed measures as Delaware continues developing its cannabis oversight program.
New filings for unemployment benefits fell last week to their lowest point in 10 weeks, as the pace of layoffs in the United States continues to remain at historically low levels.
According to a Thursday report from the Labor Department, the number of people applying for jobless aid during the week ending July 11 dropped by 8,000, landing at 208,000. That figure came in well under the 219,000 applications that analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet had anticipated.
Weekly unemployment filings are widely viewed as a close approximation of layoff activity and serve as a near real-time snapshot of how the American job market is holding up.
Earlier this month, the government released its broader June jobs report, which painted a more cautious picture. Employers added just 57,000 jobs in June — less than half the number added the month before — suggesting that many companies are hesitant to grow their workforces. The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.2% from 4.3% in May, though that improvement is largely attributed to out-of-work individuals giving up their job searches and no longer being counted among the unemployed.
June’s sluggish hiring followed a relatively strong three-month stretch of job gains, which had helped ease fears that the war in Iran might further destabilize an already fragile labor market.
Since the U.S. economy recovered from the pandemic-era recession, weekly jobless claims have generally held steady in a range between 200,000 and 250,000. However, hiring began to slow roughly two years ago and slowed further into 2025, influenced by President Donald Trump’s tariffs, a reduction of the federal workforce, and the lingering effects of elevated interest rates used to combat inflation.
Several major corporations have reduced their headcounts in recent months, including Verizon, UPS, Amazon, Disney, Starbucks, and Walmart. Last week, Microsoft announced it would be cutting 4,800 positions — roughly 2.1% of its worldwide workforce — with a significant portion of those cuts coming from its Xbox video game division.
Thursday’s report also showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which smooths out week-to-week fluctuations, fell by 4,750 to 214,250. Additionally, the total number of Americans currently collecting unemployment benefits for the week ending July 4 declined by 16,000 to 1.81 million — also considered a historically healthy level.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa’s nuclear regulatory authority announced Thursday that three recent contamination events at the continent’s only nuclear power facility did not result in any radioactive material escaping into the outside environment.
According to the National Nuclear Regulator, the incidents involved elevated levels of airborne radioactive contamination inside the Koeberg Power Station, located on South Africa’s west coast. The contamination occurred when ventilation systems lost electrical power during ongoing maintenance work. Officials emphasized there was no threat to the general public at any point.
The three separate events took place on June 30, July 2, and July 7, and each one was fully contained within the boundaries of the station, the regulator said.
Any workers inside the plant who might have been exposed were screened and tested. The NNR reported that the radioactive contamination detected in those workers was lower than the level of radiation a person typically receives during a routine dental X-ray.
The regulator noted it is continuing to conduct further inspections, but stated that the events “did not meet the criteria for classification as a nuclear or radiological incident or emergency and did not result in any off-site radiological consequences.”
The Koeberg Power Station sits approximately 40 kilometers — about 25 miles — north of Cape Town, South Africa’s second-largest city. It is the only commercial nuclear power plant on the African continent and first came online during the 1980s under the apartheid government. The facility’s two reactors supply roughly 5% of South Africa’s total electricity and are operated by the country’s national electricity company, Eskom.
Both reactors recently received 20-year operational extensions, meaning they are now cleared to remain in service past the year 2040.
South Africa has broader ambitions to expand its nuclear energy capacity by building additional stations, as the country works to address an unreliable and heavily coal-dependent power supply that is struggling to keep pace with a growing population.
The trend toward nuclear energy is not limited to South Africa. Other nations around the world are increasingly turning to nuclear power to meet surging energy demands, even as critics continue to raise safety concerns, pointing to disasters such as Chernobyl and, more recently, the Fukushima disaster in Japan.
Several African nations are also moving forward with their own nuclear energy programs. Egypt, for example, is currently constructing its first nuclear power station, which will feature four large Russian-built reactors. According to the World Nuclear Association, Egypt hopes the plant will be operational around 2030 and eventually produce about 10% of the country’s electricity.
Indonesian authorities confirmed Thursday that one person has died and 23 others remain unaccounted for after a passenger boat sank in the waters off an island destination in Indonesia.
The vessel, identified as KM Nurul Salsa, had departed from a port at Jampea Island on Wednesday morning with 70 passengers and crew members aboard. In addition to people, the boat was transporting copra, cattle, and motorcycles.
Officials received word Wednesday afternoon that the ship’s engine had given out and the vessel was going under, approximately 43 nautical miles — or about 79 kilometers — from its intended destination port in the Selayar Islands, located in South Sulawesi Province.
By Thursday, search teams had reached 46 survivors, but efforts to locate the remaining 23 missing individuals were being complicated by dangerous sea conditions. Muhammad Arif Anwar, who leads the Makassar Search and Rescue Office, described the obstacles crews are facing.
“The challenge is the weather, with waves 2 to 2.5 meters high at the search site. The winds are also strong. That’s the main challenge,” Anwar said.
The search operation involves members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the National Police, local fishermen, and area residents working together to find the missing.
Passenger boats serve as a vital mode of travel throughout Indonesia, a nation made up of more than 17,000 islands. However, loose safety regulations and overcrowding on these vessels have long been linked to repeated maritime accidents across the country.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Three tiny islands sitting where the Persian Gulf meets the Strait of Hormuz have taken center stage in the growing U.S. military campaign against Iran.
The islands — Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb — were taken by force from what would become the United Arab Emirates back in 1971 by Iran. Since then, they have served as a military stronghold for Tehran, giving the country considerable influence over the strait, which carries one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas during peacetime.
Recent American military strikes targeting two of those islands have sparked fresh debate about who ultimately controls these disputed rocky outposts.
Combined, the three islands cover only about 10 square miles — roughly 25 square kilometers — yet their military and strategic value far exceeds their physical size. They sit directly along the deep-water shipping lanes connecting the strait and the Gulf.
Abu Musa, the largest of the three, has a small village but functions mainly as a base for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The Guard has positioned fast attack boats and missiles there — weapons that have previously been used to threaten ships in the strait — along with air defense systems. Greater Tunb Island serves a similar military function, while the much smaller Lesser Tunb hosts only a military presence.
The strategic value of these islands has made them a prize sought by regional powers for generations.
Iran, at the time governed by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, seized the islands on November 30, 1971 — just two days before the United Arab Emirates officially came into existence. Because the shah was America’s primary security partner in the region at the time, there was little international objection.
After Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, the islands became a launching point during the so-called “Tanker War” of the 1980s, when the U.S. Navy escorted oil tankers through the region under threat of Iranian attack. Iran used the islands to monitor the strait and send out vessels to lay mines or directly strike ships.
American estimates indicate Iran attacked more than 160 vessels during that conflict. In the current war, the Joint Maritime Information Center — a coalition overseen by the U.S. Navy — has recorded more than 50 attacks on ships and oil rigs, including some instances of U.S. forces firing on vessels accused of attempting to break its blockade of Iran.
As part of the recent escalation, the U.S. military has carried out strikes on both Abu Musa and Greater Tunb. Some military analysts have raised the possibility of an American ground invasion of the islands.
Isabel Oakeshott, a columnist for The Telegraph who now lives in Dubai, described the islands’ combined effect in stark terms: “Together they act as a layered denial system to the most critical energy chokepoint in the world.” She compared Abu Musa to “a fixed aircraft carrier” for Iran.
While analysts say capturing the islands would likely be within U.S. military capability — given that American paratroopers and Marines are already stationed in the region — holding them would present serious dangers.
Brandon Carr, an analyst with the Washington-based Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, which advocates for restraint in U.S. military operations overseas, issued a stark warning: “Without prepared, hardened fortifications to provide cover — even with air support from nearby naval assets — force protection would be an enormous challenge.”
Carr added: “The Marines would come under fire from Iranian ballistic missiles and drones, severely limiting their ability to project power into the strait.”
In recent years, the United Arab Emirates managed to persuade both China and Russia to include language in joint statements calling for the island ownership dispute to be resolved through negotiations or an international court. That diplomatic effort angered Tehran, though the broader international community largely paid little attention to the matter.
Emirati legal scholar Noora Mohamed Al Murry addressed the long-ignored dispute in April, writing: “What the world called a bilateral territorial dispute was, from the beginning, a strategic claim on a global chokepoint.” She added: “Managed ambiguity, in a waterway this consequential, is not a neutral position. It is a choice with a price, and the world is now holding the invoice.”
Columnist Oakeshott predicted that the UAE — which hosts American military forces and has itself come under Iranian fire during the conflict — would likely push to reclaim the islands once the fighting ends.
The current U.S. military campaign may finally force a resolution to a dispute that has simmered for more than five decades — ever since the late shah himself warned in 1971 that the strait could become a problem for the world. “It does not take a big boat to carry a bazooka and a few shells,” the shah told The Guardian newspaper that year. “But the trouble that it could cause is tremendous.”
President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak to the nation Thursday evening at 9 p.m. ET, and he has indicated the address will cover elections and voting machines — raising the possibility that he will once again bring up long-discredited theories surrounding his 2020 presidential loss to Democrat Joe Biden. The planned speech follows his recent push for Republicans to tighten federal voting laws before November’s midterm elections.
Trump’s last primetime presidential address, delivered in April, included a claim that U.S. objectives related to Iran would be achieved “very shortly.” Since then, however, a series of back-and-forth military strikes between the U.S. and Iran across the Middle East and in the Strait of Hormuz has collapsed an interim agreement meant to pause the conflict. Early Thursday, U.S. strikes expanded to a broader range of targets, including a vessel accused of breaking a blockade on Iranian ports, while Iran responded by launching attacks against U.S. allies in the region.
In the weeks following Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election, officials he had personally appointed to lead the Department of Justice, cybersecurity agencies, and intelligence departments all concluded the same thing — that the election was conducted fairly, with no significant fraud or foreign interference.
Now in his second term, Trump has worked to challenge that well-established conclusion, and Thursday night’s address is expected to be another attempt to do so. He has already filled key positions with loyalists who have repeated his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, and he has made it clear he expects those around him to align with his position.
In what observers have described as a loyalty test, many of Trump’s nominees have declined to directly state who won the 2020 election, instead offering only brief acknowledgments that Biden did serve as president.
When a reporter asked Trump on Tuesday whether the address would deal with “election machines and integrity,” he confirmed it would cover “that subject” and added that there would be “a couple of other things to say also.” Beyond that, he has offered little detail about the content of the speech.
In a separate development, an Associated Press analysis of federal data going back to 1989 found that Trump has taken longer on average to approve disaster relief requests than any other president on record. Since returning to office, Trump has approved roughly 65 major disaster declarations while denying more than two dozen others from states, tribes, and territories seeking federal aid following hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, storms, and wildfires. The analysis also found that no other president has shown such a wide gap in denial rates between states that politically supported him and those that did not.
Micron Technology announced Thursday it has entered into long-term supply agreements with several automotive industry partners — including chip designer Qualcomm and audio products manufacturer Harman — to provide the memory and storage components that power artificial intelligence features in modern vehicles.
The deals come at a time when the semiconductor industry is scrambling to ramp up production capacity to keep pace with exploding demand for memory chips, driven largely by the rapid spread of AI technology across multiple sectors.
These types of chips serve a wide range of applications, from data centers and consumer electronics to automobiles, where they enable AI-driven features like advanced driver assistance systems and digital cockpit displays.
Micron holds a unique position in the market as the only U.S.-based producer of high bandwidth memory chips used alongside Nvidia’s AI processors. That distinction has helped Micron — along with competitors SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics — command premium prices in the marketplace.
In addition to Qualcomm and Harman, Micron’s new agreements extend to auto parts suppliers Visteon, JOYNEXT, DENSO, Astemo, and Hyundai Mobis. The goal of these partnerships is to provide consistent supply and predictable pricing, helping manufacturers plan production more effectively and invest in next-generation vehicle platforms.
Qualcomm’s president and CEO, Cristiano Amon, highlighted the growing need for integrated technology in modern vehicles. “As vehicles become increasingly software-defined, automakers need technology platforms that bring together high-performance compute, connectivity, memory and storage,” he said.
Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra had previously noted in June that the company had already signed 16 strategic customer agreements. He anticipates that growth fueled by data centers will increasingly be supported by AI-enabled capabilities in smartphones, high-end personal computers, automotive applications, and robotics.
Two major investment firms announced Thursday a $1.7 billion commitment to deploy fuel-cell technology as a power source for artificial intelligence cloud infrastructure.
Industrial Development Funding, known as IDF, and U.S.-based asset manager Oaktree said they will funnel the investment into Bloom Energy’s fuel-cell systems, with a specific focus on providing dedicated electricity for Nebius’ AI computing operations.
According to the companies, the funding will support behind-the-meter power generation — meaning electricity produced directly on-site — allowing Nebius to keep pace with rapidly growing demand for AI computing capacity. IDF is taking the lead role in developing the Nebius project, while Oaktree is coming in as a minority equity partner.
The announcement reflects a broader shift in the data center industry, where operators are increasingly looking to nuclear energy, renewable sources, and fuel cells to satisfy the enormous and growing appetite for power driven by AI and cloud computing. That shift is sparking billions of dollars in new infrastructure investment across the sector.
Bloom Energy has attracted significant attention from major investors. In 2025, Brookfield agreed to invest as much as $5 billion in Bloom’s fuel-cell technology specifically to power data centers.
Fuel cells work differently from conventional power generation. Rather than burning fuel, they produce electricity through a chemical reaction. Depending on the type of fuel used, the process can result in byproducts like water and heat — making the technology a cleaner option compared to traditional combustion-based power generation.
Drivers traveling along Baynard Boulevard in Wilmington should be prepared for intermittent lane closures between North Broom Street and Concord Avenue.
The disruptions are the result of ongoing construction activity in the area. Lane restrictions are expected to remain in effect until 5 p.m.
Motorists are encouraged to allow extra travel time or consider using alternate routes to avoid potential delays in the area.
SRN News brings listeners a daily audio feature called “Global Landscape,” a two-minute segment designed to keep audiences informed on the most important religion-focused news stories happening around the world.
The feature offers a timely overview of major developments at the crossroads of faith and global affairs, covering cultural shifts, significant events, and emerging trends tied to religion on an international scale.
Compact yet informative, “Global Landscape” is crafted to give listeners a meaningful snapshot of how faith continues to shape communities and events worldwide.
DOVER, Del. — Delaware’s Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is sounding the alarm for both riders and drivers to pay closer attention on the road as motorcycle traffic picks up during the height of summer.
The agency issued the alert following a string of recent crashes that left one motorcyclist dead and two others seriously hurt in separate incidents.
Officials say the summer months bring a significant increase in motorcycle activity, making it especially important for all road users to remain aware of their surroundings and share the road with care.
The OHS is reminding drivers to watch for motorcycles, particularly when changing lanes or making turns, and is encouraging riders to follow safe riding practices at all times.
CHESTER, Va. — More and more Virginia couples are choosing farm settings to tie the knot, and a growing number of farming families are seizing the opportunity to turn their land into wedding destinations.
At Ashton Creek Vineyard, the Thibault family had a clear goal from the start: share the stunning scenery of their winemaking operation with guests looking to celebrate life’s biggest moments. Since 2006, they’ve built a space where visitors can relax and mark milestones while enjoying Virginia wines.
“Vineyards and wineries take so long to mature and build recognition, and we knew having weddings and events could speed up that process,” said Alan Thibault, who runs the vineyard alongside his wife, Maria.
The couple divides responsibilities — Maria works with couples, event planners and caterers, while Alan focuses on maintaining the vines and crafting 15 different wines. Most of the agricultural work takes place during the week, leaving weekends open for events and celebrations.
Beyond their Chester location, the family also operates a sister property called Riverside Vines in Dinwiddie County, where couples can exchange vows with sweeping views of Lake Chesdin.
In Nelson County, Dickie Bros. Orchard offers a completely different but equally breathtaking setting. Couples marry on a hilltop overlooking fruit trees, open pastureland and the DuPriest and Little DuPriest mountains — a landscape that has been farmed since 1752.
John and Shelby Bruguiere represent the ninth generation of their family to own and work the 500-acre property. The farm produces pears, plums, nectarines, peaches and apples across 40 orchard acres. In 2024, the couple opened Castle Hall Weddings at the orchard to help manage the financial pressures that come with running a farm.
“Castle Hall was the name of the original home here at the orchard,” John explained. “With this diversification, we could reduce some of the higher costs and keep the land, keep it in land use, and keep it as an option for the next generation.”
They built a barn venue capable of hosting up to 150 guests. While the facility may not rival high-end wedding venues, John says the scenery speaks for itself.
“We may not have the amenities that some of the high-end wineries and venues do, but we have a view unlike any other,” he said. “And that’s what we’re selling — the view!”
Over in Lunenburg County, Parrish View Farms has been in the Parrish family since 1950. What began as a dairy operation has grown into a row crop farm and a popular destination for agritourism, special events and weddings. Four generations of the family now work the land together.
Liz Parrish is among those helping run the property, which has been creatively reimagined to welcome wedding guests. The family constructed an elegant barn for receptions, transformed a tobacco barn into a cozy lounge complete with a signature LOVE sign, and converted 1970s-era grain bins into a bridal suite, a small theater and a fully functioning bar.
The ceremony area is surrounded by seasonal flowers and crops, giving guests an immersive experience in the farm’s natural beauty.
“The beauty that we have all around us every season is a big draw for folks,” Cary said. “Especially in the fall, when everything looks best.”
The full story is available in Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s summer Cultivate magazine at issuu.com/virginiafarmbureau. The Parrish family was also featured in the August 1, 2024, episode of Real Virginia, Virginia Farm Bureau’s weekly television program.
A newly released AP-NORC poll finds a growing generational divide among American Jews when it comes to their connection to Israel. According to the survey, support for Israel plays a central role in the religious identity of many Jewish adults aged 45 and older — with about half saying that backing Israel is very important to who they are. Among younger Jewish adults, however, that figure drops to roughly 40 percent. Older generations tend to view Israel as a vital safe haven, particularly given the historical memory of the Holocaust and the threat of future persecution.
On the abortion front, some advocacy organizations are pushing for state laws that go beyond what Roe v. Wade established — seeking to eliminate all restrictions on abortion, including up to the moment of birth. The National Abortion Federation, which represents abortion providers, has stated its opposition to what it calls “rigid legal cutoffs that ban or restrict abortion care at viability or arbitrary gestational lines.” While the organization does not fund political campaigns, its stance may reflect the thinking of other groups in the movement. In 2024, national abortion organizations worked to defeat a South Dakota ballot measure that would have banned abortions in the third trimester and permitted some restrictions in the second. Voters ultimately rejected that measure in a referendum.
In Israel, the country’s parliament has passed two significant pieces of legislation that effectively block ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from being drafted into the military. During a lengthy legislative session this week, lawmakers voted to stop the arrests of ultra-Orthodox men who had avoided the draft, and also to formally recognize Jewish religious study as a foundational value of the state. Both measures are seen as major concessions by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party to ultra-Orthodox political allies who have long sought to officially exempt their community from military service — a requirement that applies to most Jewish men and women in Israel. The moves have drawn considerable opposition from many Israeli citizens.
When life takes a difficult turn, many Americans find themselves opening the Bible. A new survey from the American Bible Institute found that people experiencing hardships — whether it’s going through a divorce, battling an illness, or grieving the loss of someone close to them — are significantly more likely to read scripture than those who are not facing such challenges.
The poll also found that losing a job or surviving a natural disaster can push people toward the Bible as well. The findings suggest that personal crisis often serves as a catalyst for turning to faith.
The results echo the words of Romans 15:4, which states that “through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
WASHINGTON — Farmers in 59 Virginia counties and surrounding areas can now apply for emergency loans after a series of natural disasters, including drought, freeze, and frost conditions, struck the region.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency is making emergency credit available to help agricultural producers recover from the damage. The loans can be used for a variety of purposes, including replacing essential equipment or livestock, restructuring farm operations, or refinancing certain debts.
Counties qualifying for drought-related disaster assistance include: Albemarle, Augusta, Bedford, Carroll, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Franklin, Grayson, Lunenburg, Patrick, Prince Edward, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, and Wythe, along with the city of Waynesboro.
A separate and longer list of counties is eligible for assistance related to frost and freeze damage. Those counties are: Albemarle, Amherst, Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Buckingham, Caroline, Clarke, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Frederick, Giles, Gloucester, Goochland, Greene, Halifax, Hanover, Henry, Highland, Loudoun, Louisa, Madison, Montgomery, Nelson, New Kent, Orange, Page, Pittsylvania, Prince William, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Stafford, Warren, Washington, and Wise.
Tony Banks, senior assistant director of agriculture, development and innovation for Virginia Farm Bureau, highlighted how farmers can find the help they need. “USDA’s Disaster Assistance Recovery Tool is easy to use and allows farmers to quickly drill down to the emergency program or programs available in the county where they experienced losses,” Banks said.
Banks also warned that the situation could expand. “As the drought progresses, additional localities may be designated as disaster areas,” he said. “I encourage farmers to check the discovery tool regularly or reach out to their local Farm Service Agency office.”
Farmers seeking more information can visit farmers.gov, where they will find the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, a Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and a Loan Assistance Tool to help identify available programs. Those wishing to file a Notice of Loss or learn more about programs can contact their local USDA Service Center. Media inquiries can be directed to Mathew Myers, FSA farm loan specialist, or to Banks at 804-514-5207.
The medical school at the University of Minnesota is now selling dolls specifically aimed at what it describes as “transgender and gender diverse children.” The toys are designed for youngsters between the ages of four and ten, with the university framing their purpose as therapeutic play.
According to reports, the dolls can be outfitted with a variety of clothing and hairstyle options, allowing children to mix and match male and female characteristics as they see fit.
The initiative has drawn sharp criticism from those who argue the dolls serve as a grooming tool. Critics are also raising concerns about where the funding for the project is coming from and whether public or institutional money is being used to support it.
The Trump administration is moving forward with a plan to surround Lafayette Park with permanent fencing. The park sits directly outside the White House and has historically been one of the most well-known protest locations in the country.
A rendering released by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts shows what the proposed fencing would look like when open, with a view looking south from H Street toward the White House.
Protesters and others who have long used the park as a place to demonstrate are expressing concern that installing permanent barriers could fundamentally change how the public is able to use the space.
Does your hand ache after a long session of scrolling through your phone? You might be dealing with what’s commonly called “texting thumb” — a broad term covering a range of discomforts tied to heavy smartphone use.
The condition can show up as general stiffness, a throbbing sensation near the knuckle, or a clicking feeling when bending the thumb. When ignored, the repeated motion of typing and swiping can develop into more serious medical issues, including carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis.
Smartphone overuse injuries aren’t new — people have been warned about them for decades, going back to the days of “BlackBerry thumb.” But today’s phones are bigger and heavier than ever, and we use them for far more than calls and texts. Doomscrolling for hours, paying bills, and watching full movies have all become everyday habits.
“Mobile devices are here to stay. So rather than saying ‘you can’t be on your device,’ we really just need to learn and think about ways to make the devices compatible with modern life,” said Dr. Maureen O’Shaughnessy with the University of Kentucky HealthCare Hand Center.
Keeping your wrists and elbows locked in the same position for extended periods can cause soreness at the base of the thumb or wrist. Holding a phone upright for too long can also wear out your other fingers.
Dr. O’Shaughnessy noted that many people only notice the discomfort when they step away from their phones — like during a vacation — and the aches begin to fade.
The most straightforward fix is to simply put the phone down more often and take short breaks between scrolling sessions. If cutting back feels like a challenge, try switching up your posture, alternating hands while typing, or using your index finger instead of your thumb.
Your phone’s built-in accessibility settings can also help reduce strain. Voice-to-text lets you send messages without typing at all, and increasing the font size means you won’t need to hold the phone as close to your face.
There are also ring and circle-shaped grip accessories that attach to the back of your phone, helping spread the weight more evenly across your hand. Many of these accessories double as stands, making it easier to prop up your phone while watching videos.
After a long day of screen time, stretching your hands can provide real relief. Try flexing your wrist by tilting your palm toward and away from you while using your other hand to gently push and pull. Dr. O’Shaughnessy also suggested bending each finger individually and making small circles with your thumbs.
For pain specifically at the base of the thumb, place your hand flat on a surface and stretch the thumb away from your fingers, holding the position for about 30 seconds.
If numbness, tingling, or persistent aching doesn’t improve after cutting back on screen time and trying remedies like ibuprofen or ice, it’s worth seeing a doctor. Ongoing phone use can worsen thumb arthritis, trigger De Quervain’s tenosynovitis — which causes sharp pain and swelling at the thumb’s base — or lead to carpal tunnel from a pinched nerve. Trigger thumb, a painful catching sensation when bending the thumb, can also result from an inflamed tendon.
Breaking the cycle of endless scrolling isn’t easy, but even small, intentional pauses to shift your posture can make a meaningful difference.
“Our hands were not designed to use phones all day long,” said Dr. Eugene Tsai, a surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. “In order for us to use the phones, we have to be kind to our hands.”
DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian authorities have intercepted a weapons-smuggling attempt at the country’s border with Iraq, with state media reporting Thursday that the shipment was allegedly headed for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.
According to Syria’s state-run SANA news agency, an unnamed Interior Ministry official confirmed that the seized truck was loaded with advanced weapons and rockets. A preliminary investigation determined that Hezbollah in Lebanon was the intended destination for the cargo. Hezbollah has been engaged in armed conflict with Israel since early March.
Syria’s current leadership, which came to power after ousting former President Bashar Assad in 2024, has made it a priority to crack down on weapons and drug smuggling across its borders — particularly along routes shared with Iraq and Lebanon. For decades, those corridors have been used to funnel supplies to Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups.
U.S. President Donald Trump has pressed Syria to take direct military action against Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been working to keep his country from being drawn into a broader regional conflict.
Hezbollah issued no statement in response to the allegations.
Separately, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi traveled to Washington earlier this week to meet with President Trump, who has been pushing Iraq’s government to disarm militias backed by Tehran.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union announced two new regulations Thursday targeting Google, requiring the tech giant to share its search data and open its Android operating system to competing artificial intelligence companies.
The EU framed the new rules as a push to encourage innovation and fair competition, saying the measures will help ensure that rival AI services can access Android devices and search engines on equal footing with Google’s own products.
“Thanks to these measures, we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google’s AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services,” said Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice president at the European Commission overseeing technology matters.
The move is part of a broader regulatory effort by Brussels to limit the dominance of major technology companies — referred to as “gatekeepers” — including firms based in China and the United States. The EU’s 27 member nations have increasingly positioned themselves as global leaders in holding powerful tech platforms accountable.
Recent actions from Brussels have included pushing Google to give rival AI companies access to its Gemini AI services, requiring Apple to make its devices compatible with non-Apple products, and demanding that Meta remove what regulators called “key addictive features” such as infinite scrolling.
Kent Walker, who serves as president of global affairs for both Google and its parent company Alphabet, warned that the new requirements could have unintended consequences. He argued the rules would remove protections Google had put in place, including the screening of third-party AI assistants.
“Europeans’ private searches would be exposed to unfamiliar companies, without adequate anonymization of the data and without user knowledge or consent. This would weaken citizens’ privacy, risk business trade secrets, and endanger national security,” Walker said in a written statement.
U.S. President Donald Trump has previously criticized EU regulations targeting American technology companies.
In announcing the two new rules, the European Commission said it determined that AI assistants not developed by Google were unable to operate on Android phones at the same capability level as Google’s own Gemini assistant.
Under the new requirements, Google must allow users to activate competing AI assistants using voice commands and permit those assistants to carry out background tasks — such as making restaurant reservations through third-party applications.
Additionally, Google faces a deadline of January 2027 to begin sharing anonymized search data with certain competitors. The commission said this step is necessary because Google holds an enormous amount of user data that no rival company can currently match, giving it an unfair competitive advantage.
UVALDE, Texas — Days of relentless rainfall have triggered life-threatening flooding across parts of Texas, forcing rescue crews to pull people from rising waters before dawn Thursday while forecasters issued urgent warnings: “Move to higher ground now!”
The National Weather Service office in San Antonio warned that a “large and deadly flood wave” was moving down the same river that was devastated by catastrophic flooding a year ago, when more than two dozen children and camp counselors lost their lives at Camp Mystic.
The dangerous storms are threatening several counties near the Mexican border and throughout the Texas Hill Country. Officials in Kerrville urged residents to move to the uppermost levels of their homes for safety.
The Uvalde County Office of Emergency Management also issued a shelter-in-place order, stating: “All major highways and many city streets are closed due to flooding and water over the roadway.”
As of early Thursday, no deaths or injuries had been reported in connection with the flooding. Several tornado warnings were also issued across the region.
According to a spokesperson for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Game Wardens have taken part in rescuing more than 40 people from floodwaters, with most of those rescues occurring in the Uvalde County area.
Meteorologists reported that between 10 and 20 inches of rain — roughly 25 to 50 centimeters — had fallen over the previous two days, including a staggering 8 inches in just a two-hour window early Thursday morning.
A river gauge located less than 10 miles from Kerrville recorded a rise of 32 feet in just four hours. The National Weather Service said the river was expected to crest at levels comparable to the catastrophic July 4, 2025, flood event.
Forecasters cautioned that already dangerous conditions could worsen further in some of the hardest-hit communities. Portions of the Texas Hill Country — where last summer’s flooding claimed more than 100 lives — were among the areas placed under flood watches.
Some flood watches were expected to remain active through Friday evening.
By Wednesday, Uvalde police had ordered mandatory evacuations for certain neighborhoods, with emergency responders going door-to-door to notify affected residents. Others in the area were put on standby in case additional evacuations became necessary.
Residents along the Leona River were seen scrambling to load their vehicles and flee, though many were uncertain of where to go. Some watched from their doorways as floodwaters crept closer by the hour. One man loaded two kayaks into his truck bed as a precaution.
By Wednesday afternoon, lightning illuminated darkening skies as the normally calm river churned with fast-moving brown water, pressing against a high bridge in town and spilling into surrounding neighborhoods.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared disasters in dozens of counties across the state.
By Wednesday evening, more than six million Texas residents spread across 57 counties were under a National Weather Service flood watch, with some watches set to continue through Friday evening.
Uvalde County has seen some of the highest rainfall totals in the region. Officials there conducted dozens of rescues and warned that more people still needed assistance as river levels continued to rise, with highways and roads throughout the area closed due to high water. Under normal conditions, Uvalde County receives approximately 23 inches of rain over the course of an entire year, according to the Uvalde County Extension Office.
A newly released survey from the Pew Research Center is shedding light on the current state of religious identity across the United States. According to the findings, four in ten American adults — 40% — identify as Protestant Christians, making it the largest faith group in the country.
Catholics make up the second-largest group at 21%, while all other faith communities combined account for nine percent of the adult population.
Perhaps the most notable finding is the continued rise of Americans who do not identify with any religion. The survey found that 28% of respondents described themselves as atheist, agnostic, or simply having no particular religious affiliation. Pew researchers say that figure is the highest they have ever recorded for that category, and the group has grown dramatically over the past 20 years.
RURAL RETREAT, Va. — When a local farmer was fatally struck by another vehicle while operating his tractor in September 2022, one Wythe County high school student decided something had to change.
Olivia Crigger was deeply moved by the tragedy and felt compelled to act. “This tragedy made me realize how quickly something preventable can take a life,” she said. “It inspired me to take action and become a voice for safer rural roads.”
What started as a Girl Scout Gold Award community service project grew into a full-scale safety campaign through the Virginia Farm Bureau SAFER contest, which Crigger joined along with 15 other organizations and individuals last year.
Matt Nuckols, the Virginia Farm Bureau’s safety coordinator, explained the purpose behind the contest. “The SAFER contest was created to raise awareness about the presence of farm equipment on our roads and ultimately change behaviors to keep both farmers and drivers safe,” he said. “It’s about giving communities the tools and encouragement to take that message locally and make a real impact.”
Crigger is no stranger to the dangers of slow-moving farm equipment sharing the road with regular traffic. She frequently escorts friends and family during spring planting and fall harvest seasons, using her vehicle’s hazard lights to alert drivers to slow down.
The numbers tell a sobering story: a vehicle traveling at 55 mph needs roughly 5 seconds and 300 feet — about the length of a football field — to brake and avoid hitting farm equipment moving at up to 20 mph.
“But many people will just keep going 55 miles per hour,” Crigger said. “My family, friends and I have experienced many close calls and near-misses.”
Under the slogan “One close call is one too many,” Crigger created posters, flyers, graphics, and videos that were distributed at local businesses, community events, and across social media. Her materials covered safe driving practices, tractor hand signals, and the challenges that come with operating large farm machinery on public roads.
Her campaign reached a high point at Rural Retreat Heritage Day, where she set up a real tractor display and gathered signatures on a petition calling for warning signs along local roadways. The effort drew strong community backing and caught the attention of the Virginia Department of Transportation.
VDOT Wytheville Residency Administrator James Schwartz described the outcome: “Olivia provided VDOT locations where she felt that farm equipment signs were needed for the safety of farmers in our region. Our staff evaluated the locations and determined the need for 14 signs on six routes, and all 14 signs have been installed. Our team was impressed with Olivia’s initiative, and we were happy to work with her in her effort to improve safety for farmers.”
Nuckols said the newly placed signs carry real value. He noted that the signs “can have a lasting impact by raising awareness in the moment, and pairing them with Olivia’s story — a young leader who chose to make a difference — is the kind of connection people remember.”
The Virginia Farm Bureau supported Crigger throughout the process, offering guidance on campaign strategy, branding, and messaging, along with printed materials and connections to local partners.
“Efforts like Olivia’s are exactly what the SAFER contest was designed to inspire: local leaders identifying a need, engaging their community and taking action,” Nuckols said. “That kind of grassroots impact is what ultimately strengthens safety across Virginia.”
Last month, Crigger presented her farm equipment road safety campaign at the Virginia 4-H State Congress, where she earned a blue ribbon and took first place in the public speaking category. She says she plans to continue expanding her outreach through new partnerships and opportunities.
Italy’s governing coalition is calling on the president to pardon a 72-year-old jeweler who was sentenced to more than 14 years behind bars after fatally shooting two men who robbed his store.
Mario Roggero shot and killed two robbers and injured a third in 2021 following a raid on his jewelry shop in Grinzane Cavour, a small community in northern Italy. Surveillance video captured Roggero pursuing the men into the street after the robbery had already ended.
Roggero’s wife and daughter were present inside the store during the incident. The robbers were armed with a toy gun and a knife.
Italy’s highest court rejected Roggero’s appeal on Wednesday, upholding the 14-year, 9-month sentence. The court determined that Roggero had exceeded the legal boundaries of self-defense because the threat from the robbers had already ended by the time he opened fire outside.
Despite that ruling, the coalition backing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has stood firmly behind Roggero, arguing he was acting to protect his life and his property. Matteo Salvini, who leads the coalition’s far-right League party, expressed his support publicly.
“After a lifetime of work, I don’t think it’s fair to spend years in prison at 72 after being assaulted and robbed,” Salvini said.
The ruling parties issued a joint statement announcing plans to gather signatures in favor of a formal pardon request. Under Italian law, the justice ministry must review such petitions before they are submitted to President Sergio Mattarella for consideration.
The case has sharply divided Italian public opinion. Those who believe Roggero is guilty argue that he clearly crossed the line of lawful self-defense when he chased the robbers and fired at them outside his shop.
Roggero maintained his innocence on social media, where he built a following of thousands of supporters and also sought financial contributions to help pay his legal costs. Italian media reported that he turned himself in Thursday at a jail located in the northern town of Fossano.
Following the finalization of his conviction, Roggero posted a video online thanking those who supported him and encouraging them to keep fighting for what he described as a justice system capable of addressing “increasingly rampant crime.”
Boeing is in the final stretch of obtaining regulatory approval for a fix to the engine anti-ice system on its 737 MAX aircraft, a development that could open the door for deliveries of the long-stalled MAX 7 and MAX 10 versions, company executives announced.
The redesigned system corrects a problem that could lead to engine overheating and potential failure. That issue has been the primary roadblock preventing certification of both the smallest and largest variants of Boeing’s top-selling commercial jet.
According to aviation analytics company Cirium, Boeing has already manufactured roughly 30 MAX 7s and nine MAX 10s that are sitting in storage awaiting delivery. The MAX 10 alone represents at least 28% of all outstanding MAX orders.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced in May that it anticipated certifying the smaller MAX 7 this summer. Southwest Airlines holds the largest number of orders for that particular version.
The MAX 10, which generates more profit per unit, has completed 98% of its required certification flight testing, executives revealed to reporters before next week’s Farnborough Airshow.
“We have two flight tests left, and we should be done real soon here,” said Chris Payne, Boeing’s vice president and general manager for 737 MAX development programs.
Certification of both the MAX 7 and MAX 10 is running years behind its original schedule, a delay that has given European aircraft manufacturer Airbus the opportunity to extend its advantage in the narrowbody jet market.
Boeing has faced a more rigorous certification process following two deadly crashes involving the MAX 8 in 2018 and 2019, as well as heightened scrutiny of its manufacturing and quality control operations after a mid-air cabin panel blowout in January 2024 on a nearly new Alaska Airlines MAX 9.
When the anti-ice system problem was first identified in 2021, regulators permitted the MAX models already flying commercially — the MAX 8, MAX 8-200, and MAX 9 — to continue operating and allowed Boeing to keep building them, while holding back certification of the newer variants.
Beyond solving the heating issue, the fix also reduces engine noise and helps prevent fan flutter, based on results from testing conducted at GE Aerospace’s facility in Ohio, according to Mike Sinnett, Boeing’s senior vice president of product strategy, product development, and development programs.
“It was kind of win-win all around,” Sinnett said.
The 737 MAX uses the LEAP-1B engine, which is built by CFM International — a joint venture between GE Aerospace and France’s Safran.
For aircraft already in service, Boeing says the bulk of the engine anti-ice retrofit can be completed within a single maintenance shift, though it also involves installing new wiring that requires more extensive work. Executives said Boeing is coordinating with regulators on a timeline that would let airlines perform the repair when planes are already undergoing scheduled heavy maintenance, limiting disruption and keeping costs down.
The MAX 10 will also feature an upgraded flight crew alerting system — called an enhanced angle-of-attack system — to meet safety standards that Congress required following the two MAX crashes, which together killed 346 people and grounded the aircraft for 20 months starting in 2019.
The updated system simplifies the cockpit warnings that stem from a malfunctioning angle-of-attack sensor. In both the Indonesia and Ethiopia crashes, pilots were overwhelmed with excessive alerts triggered by that sensor failure.
“It’s an IOU from the return-to-service requirements after the very unfortunate accidents,” said Bill Quashnock, Boeing’s 737 deputy chief pilot.
Quashnock added that all 737 MAX jets currently in service will have the new system installed within two years of it receiving regulatory certification.
In other Boeing certification news, the company has surpassed the halfway point in flight testing for its 777-9 widebody jet and remains on schedule to begin deliveries of that aircraft next year, said Terry Beezhold, Boeing’s vice president and general manager of the 777-9 program. Several major certification steps still remain, including approval for extended-range flights over routes with limited airport options along the way.
European Union regulators announced Wednesday that Alphabet’s Google must grant access to its services for AI competitors like OpenAI, as well as rival search engines, as part of sweeping rules designed to rein in the influence of major technology companies.
The European Commission, which serves as the EU’s competition watchdog, issued the detailed requirements six months after launching what are known as specification proceedings to help the world’s most widely used internet search engine come into compliance with the Digital Markets Act.
Google wasted no time expressing its opposition to the mandated changes. Kent Walker, Google’s lawyer, stated in an email: “Today’s decisions risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans.”
Walker went on to say, “We have repeatedly offered solutions to safeguard users while satisfying the DMA’s goals, but these rulings discount extensive evidence of user harm.”
Under the new rules, Google will be required to open up 11 features within its Android operating system, giving AI rivals the ability to tap into key functions and better compete against Google’s own Gemini AI service.
In practical terms, this means smartphone users will be able to activate a competing AI assistant using voice commands — much like saying “hey Google” — to do things like hail a cab or look up local information. Those changes are expected to take effect for users starting in July 2027 with the next version of Android.
The Commission noted that the measures include strong safeguards for user privacy and device security, and that Google will only be required to extend those 11 features to competitors that meet established security and privacy standards.
The ruling also directs Google to share data it gathers to improve its own search results with OpenAI and other AI-powered chatbots that include search capabilities. That data must be anonymized before being shared.
Google will have the opportunity to first evaluate whether competitors present cybersecurity or data protection concerns before granting access. This portion of the decision takes effect in January of next year and includes a set formula for determining how much rivals must pay for the shared data.
EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen expressed optimism about the outcome, saying in a statement: “Thanks to these measures we hope to see emerging alternatives to Google Search and Google’s AI services, such as Gemini, and that users in the EU can enjoy greater choice of services.”
A federal animal and plant health agency has announced plans to seek updated approval for an information collection program connected to rules designed to stop dangerous citrus diseases from spreading across the country.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service published the notice in keeping with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The agency is requesting both a revision to and an extension of approval for the information collection tied to its regulations.
Those regulations are focused on preventing the spread of citrus canker, citrus greening, and the Asian citrus psyllid — an insect that acts as a carrier for citrus greening — into parts of the United States that have not yet been affected by these threats.
NEW YORK — Sunday’s World Cup final between Argentina and Spain has all the makings of a Hollywood script: the European champions squaring off against the reigning world and South American champions, with a coaching duo whose relationship goes back to a training classroom.
Spain, led by manager Luis de la Fuente, is chasing the country’s second-ever World Cup title — their first came 16 years ago in South Africa. Standing in their way is Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina, which is aiming to become the first country since Brazil in 1962 to claim back-to-back world championships.
But the storyline runs deeper than trophies and rankings. After Spain’s 2-0 semifinal victory over France, De la Fuente made a surprising comment — saying he would be “delighted” if Argentina emerged from the other semifinal to meet Spain in the final.
The 65-year-old wasn’t suggesting Argentina would be an easy opponent. Instead, his words reflected a genuine friendship rooted in the past. Years ago, at the Spanish Football Association’s coaching academy in Las Rozas, De la Fuente served as an instructor while Scaloni was among his students.
That chapter unfolded in 2017, two years after Scaloni hung up his boots as a professional player. De la Fuente, who was overseeing Spain’s youth national teams at the time, was one of the mentors who helped the newly retired player begin his journey into coaching.
Neither could have predicted that the lessons exchanged in that classroom would eventually lead them both to a World Cup final.
Scaloni reflected on that time and his connection with De la Fuente during the 2024 Copa America. “Luis has been a huge help to those of us who did the coaching course in Las Rozas. I’ve had chats with him and I wish him all the best,” Scaloni said ahead of Argentina’s Copa America quarterfinal victory over Ecuador.
The respect between the two coaches flows in both directions. Despite Scaloni once being his student, De la Fuente has gone so far as to call him a master — a remarkable compliment given their history, but one that reflects the success Scaloni has achieved guiding Argentina to both global and continental glory.
During the same period, which overlapped with the 2024 European Championship, Scaloni offered his own praise of De la Fuente’s work. “I want Spain to do well (at the Euros) and he helped us lads who did the (coaching) course in Las Rozas a great deal. I like the way he manages things and how the players give their all for him,” he said.
Both coaches went on to win their respective continental championships that year. Now they meet with the sport’s ultimate prize on the line.
SCALONI’S DEEP TIES TO SPAIN
Scaloni’s connection to Spain isn’t limited to coaching credentials. His wife Elisa Montero, whom he met in 2008, is Spanish. Their children were born in Spain, and the family currently lives in Mallorca. Scaloni, now 48, also spent multiple seasons as a player in Spain, suiting up for Deportivo La Coruna, Racing Santander, and Mallorca.
“Part of my family is Spanish and, naturally, I’m supporting Spain (at the Euros),” Scaloni said in 2024.
Speaking earlier this week, after Spain had already booked their spot in the final and with Argentina’s semifinal still to come, Scaloni offered a glimpse of the warmth — and the competitive fire — that now defines this matchup.
“I’m happy for him (De la Fuente). He deserves it. He’s a great bloke. Everything we see in his national team is what we hope to see in ours,” Scaloni said from Atlanta.
He then added with a touch of humor: “If things don’t go well for us, I’ll give him a call. If we play against him in the final … no. Let’s hope there’s no call until after the final …”
That phone call will have to wait until after Sunday. Before any congratulations are exchanged, mentor and former student will first need to settle who learned the most important lessons of all.
A right lane closure is currently in place on Hudson Road between Cave Neck Road and Falls Road as a result of ongoing construction activity.
The closure is expected to remain in effect until 5:30 PM. Drivers traveling through the area should anticipate potential slowdowns and allow extra travel time.
Motorists are encouraged to consider alternate routes if possible to avoid delays in the construction zone.
Ocean City, Maryland is gearing up to welcome elite footvolley talent from around the globe for the 2026 Nations Cup Pro Footvolley Tour, a major international beach sports competition coming to its shores this summer.
Presented by Ocean City Tourism, the four-day event is scheduled to run from Thursday, July 30 through Sunday, August 2. Best of all for beachgoers and sports fans alike, entry is completely free of charge.
The Nations Cup brings together the very best footvolley competitors in the world, giving Delmarva-area residents and visitors a rare chance to watch world-class international beach sports action right on the Ocean City shoreline.
A federal agency that oversees animal and plant health is taking steps to update and continue a data collection effort connected to horse welfare regulations.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has announced its intention to seek a revision to — and an extension of — an existing approved information collection. The collection is tied to the agency’s Horse Protection Program and its enforcement of the Horse Protection Act.
The announcement was made in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, which requires federal agencies to notify the public when they plan to collect, revise, or extend information-gathering activities.
BERLIN — German automaker BMW announced Thursday that it has selected Dorothea von Boxberg to join its executive board as the new head of human resources, highlighting her background in guiding companies through major organizational changes.
The appointment, which received approval from BMW’s supervisory board, follows a surprising profit warning issued last month under the company’s new chief executive, Milan Nedeljkovic, along with commitments to pursue additional cost savings.
Europe’s automotive sector — and German manufacturers in particular — have faced significant headwinds as the industry works to transition toward electric vehicles while contending with intensifying competition from Chinese automakers. Those challenges have been compounded more recently by costs tied to U.S. tariffs and uncertainty surrounding the conflict involving Iran.
Despite the turbulent environment, BMW has so far managed to steer clear of the large-scale layoffs that have hit rivals Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz.
Von Boxberg currently serves as CEO of Brussels Airlines and previously held leadership positions at Lufthansa. She will step into the role on September 1, taking over from departing HR chief Ilka Horstmeier.
Supervisory board chair Nicolas Peter praised the selection, saying, “Dorothea von Boxberg not only brings extensive experience in implementing transformation processes, but also an outside-in perspective on our industry.”
CEO Nedeljkovic also weighed in, stating that “the BMW Group faces new challenges that require consistent adjustment of our structures and ways of working,” and expressing confidence that von Boxberg would be an “excellent addition” to help tackle those demands.
Following the dramatic reduction in its profit forecast — with profit margins potentially falling as low as 1% this year — BMW and employee representatives have been preparing to begin discussions aimed at speeding up efforts to improve operational efficiency.
Drivers traveling along Chaddwyck Boulevard should be aware of intermittent lane closures currently in effect between Heddington Drive and East Saxony Drive.
The lane restrictions are due to construction activity in the area. The closures are expected to remain in place until 4:00 PM.
Motorists are encouraged to allow extra travel time or consider using an alternate route to avoid potential delays.
Drivers traveling on Carsdale Court between Arundel Drive and the end of the cul-de-sac should be prepared for intermittent lane closures as construction work continues in the area.
The lane restrictions are expected to remain in place until 5:30 p.m. Motorists are encouraged to use caution when passing through the construction zone or consider alternate routes if possible.
Motorists traveling northbound on Edgemoor Road should expect a full closure between Governor Printz Boulevard and Philadelphia Pike due to ongoing construction.
The road is shut down in that stretch and is scheduled to reopen by 5 p.m. Drivers are encouraged to find an alternate route until the closure is lifted.
Portugal has become the first member of the European Union to join a global network dedicated to overseeing how artificial intelligence is used in healthcare, a milestone announced on Wednesday as Europe moves closer to enforcing sweeping new AI regulations across the continent.
Under the agreement, Portugal’s healthcare regulatory agency, Infarmed, will partner with HealthAI, a Geneva-based nonprofit organization. Through this partnership, Portugal gains entry to a curated directory of AI health tools that have been reviewed by regulators, along with a real-time alert system designed to flag reports of harmful incidents involving AI in medical settings.
With Portugal now on board, the HealthAI Global Regulatory Network includes Britain, India, Brazil, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Zambia, and Peru.
The development comes as the EU’s AI Act begins to take effect, coinciding with a rapid increase in the use of AI-powered tools across European health systems.
Infarmed President Santos Ivo emphasized the value of working across borders, stating, “This is clearly better achieved through international cooperation and by sharing experiences and expertise.”
HealthAI, which receives the majority of its funding from governments including Canada, Britain, Norway, and Singapore, was created to establish shared standards and governance structures for AI in the healthcare sector.
HealthAI Chief Executive Baptista Leite revealed that the organization is currently in discussions with additional EU member states. He also stressed the global significance of the decisions Europe makes on this issue. “Whatever Europe will do will have a spillover effect in other regions around the world. It’s incredibly important that Brussels gets it right,” he told Reuters.
Northbound travelers on Kenton Road are facing a lane restriction this afternoon as construction crews work in the area.
A right lane closure is currently in place along the northbound stretch of Kenton Road between Forrest Avenue, also known as Delaware Route 8, and Walker Road.
The closure is expected to remain in effect until 5 p.m. Drivers in the area should allow extra travel time or consider using an alternate route to avoid delays.
BANGKOK — A fire that tore through a Bangkok music bar earlier this week has claimed at least 33 lives and left more than 70 people injured, reigniting a fierce debate about the safety regulations — and the legal gaps — that govern Thailand’s bustling nightlife scene.
Bangkok is internationally known for its lively bar and club culture, but critics say the country’s licensing framework has long allowed venues to sidestep the toughest safety requirements.
The fire broke out Sunday night at the Rong Beer Na Ladprao bar in northern Bangkok. As of Thursday, 27 people remained hospitalized, according to Erawan emergency services. Officials said most of the fatalities resulted from smoke inhalation, while a smaller number died from burn injuries.
The bar had advertised on social media that it could hold roughly 600 guests, though the number of people inside when the fire started remains unknown.
Investigators are still working to determine what triggered the rapid blaze and why the death toll was so high. Amorn Pimanmas, president of the Thailand Structural Engineers Association, pointed to possible factors such as overcrowding, flammable materials within the venue, and blocked exits — an assessment shared by other fire safety and engineering professionals.
Amorn stated the disaster could have been avoided “if proper engineering principles and all relevant laws and regulations had been strictly followed.”
Thailand’s main law covering nightlife establishments, the Entertainment Place Act, was originally passed in 1966. It was updated in 2012 — three years after a fire on New Year’s Eve 2009 at the Santika nightclub killed 67 people and injured more than 200.
The updated rules require entertainment venues to use fire-resistant or non-flammable interior materials and proper acoustic soundproofing. Venues must also install smoke ventilation systems, sprinklers, and fire exits large enough to handle their expected crowd size.
However, these requirements only apply to venues that are officially licensed and operating within designated entertainment zones — three of which exist in Bangkok. Opposition lawmaker Paramait Vithayaruksun of the People’s Party described the law as “outdated and unrealistic.”
Speaking to Parliament on Monday, Paramait explained that despite bars and clubs existing throughout Bangkok, venues outside the three designated zones are legally barred from obtaining proper entertainment licenses — even when owners are prepared to meet the safety standards.
As a result, many of these businesses register instead as restaurants with alcohol service and live music, a classification that carries far less stringent safety requirements, he said.
The bar where Sunday’s fire occurred sits outside Bangkok’s designated entertainment zones and was officially registered as a restaurant with live music, according to officials.
Thailand’s entertainment zone restrictions are in place across 55 provinces, while 22 other provinces offer no entertainment venue licenses at all, according to the Department of Provincial Administration.
Paramait said this structure has effectively allowed nightlife businesses to “evade strict safety standards and face much lighter legal penalties.” Restaurants, for example, are not required to use the same soundproofing materials — meaning operators can legally install cheaper foam insulation for live music events.
Thailand’s conservative, Buddhist-influenced values have also played a role in shaping these policies. Nightlife venues are prohibited from operating within 2 kilometers — about 1.2 miles — of a temple or school.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul acknowledged this week that the existing laws fall short and said they need to be revisited. “Times have changed. I’ve asked officials to study how we should adjust the rules,” he said. “We need to look at it from every angle — what society is like today, as well as our culture, customs and traditions.”
Wasawat Kitsiriteeraphak, former president of the Building Inspectors Association, argued that safety inspections should be based on how a building is actually being used, not simply on how it is classified on paper. “The risks to lives and assets of the people depends on the actual use of the building rather than how the business is called,” he said in a statement, calling on authorities to conduct a comprehensive review of similar venues across Thailand to prevent future tragedies.
WASHINGTON — A new study is raising alarms about whether artificial intelligence chatbots are quietly reinforcing government-imposed limits on free speech around the world — including in countries where such restrictions don’t legally apply.
The report, released Thursday by a quasi-independent body connected to Meta’s oversight structure, tested several major AI systems — including those developed by Meta, Anthropic, and OpenAI — and found a consistent pattern: these chatbots were far more willing to produce critical content about leaders of democratic countries than about those of authoritarian regimes.
As one example, Anthropic’s chatbot Claude was willing to create a critical pamphlet targeting President Donald Trump or Britain’s King Charles III. But when asked to do the same for Thailand’s king, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, or China’s leader, the AI refused.
The oversight body tested 10 commercial AI language models using seven politically themed prompts, asking the systems to write critical pamphlets, compose limericks, and list reasons why someone might want to join a protest, among other tasks.
The results showed that a user based in Australia, for instance, was much more likely to get AI-generated political criticism targeting governments in places like Chile, Japan, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States — countries where political speech is generally protected — than criticism targeting governments in Cambodia, China, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, or Turkey, where such speech can be legally punished.
“There is a real risk that, if model developers do not undertake human rights due diligence and implement mitigation measures, they will build AI infrastructure that, intentionally or not, has the effect of extending illegitimate restrictions on freedom of expression globally,” the report stated.
“Such impacts, wherever they originate, have the practical effect of extending the long arm of restrictive governments across borders to limit speech in free countries,” the report added.
The oversight board acknowledged it could not pinpoint the exact cause of these patterns, but suggested the AI models may have absorbed biases from the data used during training, or that companies may have factored in legal risks when setting up their systems.
A separate study by scholars at American universities, published in the academic journal Nature in May, reached similar conclusions through a different approach. Those researchers asked chatbots the same questions in multiple languages and found the answers could differ significantly depending on which language was used.
For example, when ChatGPT was asked in English whether China is a democracy, it said the country is not generally considered one. But when the same question was posed in Chinese, the chatbot responded that “it depends on how you define ‘democracy.’”
The university researchers said they found no direct evidence that governments had deliberately tried to manipulate AI outputs — but warned that “there is every reason to believe they’ll try to do so in the future, if they are not already.”
“People often talk about AI as if it learns from the internet in some neutral way. It doesn’t,” said Hannah Waight, a co-author of the university study and an assistant sociology professor at the University of Oregon. “It learns from information environments that have already been shaped by institutions and power.”
Carlos Carrasco-Farré, a specialist in machine learning, AI, misinformation, and human-machine interaction at Esade Business School in Barcelona, said that “AI systems inherit not only biases contained within individual documents but also inequalities in who has the power to produce and suppress information at scale.” Carrasco-Farré was not involved in either study.
He suggested that developers could work to address the problem by carefully evaluating training data to avoid treating many copies of the same government-backed narrative as if they were thousands of independent viewpoints, and by conducting audits across multiple languages.
Neither Anthropic nor OpenAI responded to requests for comment on the university researchers’ study. The Associated Press reached out to several AI companies for their reactions to the Meta Oversight Board findings as well.
The study comes at a time when governments worldwide — including the current U.S. administration — are working to establish oversight frameworks for advanced AI systems, balancing national security concerns with the desire to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving technology sector.
Syrian officials announced Thursday that they had stopped an attempt to move advanced weapons and missiles across the country’s border with Iraq, according to the country’s state news agency SANA. An Interior Ministry source cited by SANA indicated the weapons shipment appeared to be intended for the militant organization Hezbollah.
Syria’s General Authority of Ports and Customs revealed that the cargo — which included rockets and drones — had been hidden inside what was described as “one of the oil tanker-trucks headed to the city of Baniyas.” Customs officers discovered the concealed weapons at the al-Tanf border crossing between Syria and Iraq after conducting a more thorough inspection of a suspicious vehicle during routine procedures.
Hezbollah had not issued any response to requests for comment as of the time of the report.
The route through Baniyas has grown into a significant corridor for fuel transportation between Iraq and Syria. Reuters reported last month that Iraq was moving forward with plans to expand exports through Syria to include crude oil and naphtha, building upon an existing arrangement in which fuel oil is transported overland to Baniyas for further export. Iraqi officials have described this initiative as part of a broader government strategy to open additional export routes beyond the Gulf region.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated in June that he had spoken with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the subject of countering Hezbollah, which is currently engaged in fighting against Israel in Lebanon.
Syria’s current leadership, made up of former rebel fighters, spent years battling Hezbollah after the group sent fighters to back Syria’s then-president, Bashar al-Assad, during the country’s civil war.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s office reported that Syrian President Sharaa had given assurances that Syria would not interfere in Lebanon’s internal matters.
Federal trade regulators have opened a formal investigation into Samsung Electronics following allegations that the tech giant’s memory chips violate patents belonging to Netlist, a California-based company.
The U.S. International Trade Commission announced Wednesday that the inquiry also extends to products sold by Google, Nvidia, Broadcom, and Super Micro Computer — all of which use Samsung’s chips in their devices.
At the center of the dispute is dynamic random access memory, commonly known as DRAM — a type of chip that temporarily holds data for processors. DRAM has become a critical component in the servers that power the rapidly growing artificial intelligence industry.
Netlist has accused Samsung and its U.S.-based divisions of infringing on its DRAM-related patents, prompting the federal investigation.
Palestinian health officials say at least five people were killed across the Gaza Strip on Thursday as Israeli military strikes continued to escalate, with a conflict monitoring organization reporting attack levels not seen since a ceasefire went into effect last October.
According to medics, an Israeli airstrike claimed two lives near the Tuffah neighborhood in northern Gaza. A third person died from Israeli tank fire in the Zeitoun suburb, located in eastern Gaza City.
A separate airstrike struck a tent camp housing displaced civilians in western Gaza City, killing one person and wounding several others. In the southern city of Khan Younis, another individual was killed when a vehicle was targeted in an attack, medics reported.
Witnesses on the ground also described an airstrike hitting a residential building in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza. The Israeli military did not offer any immediate response to questions about the incidents.
Thursday’s fatalities add to a growing death toll. Gazan health officials say more than 1,100 Palestinians — the majority of them civilians — have been killed by Israeli strikes since the October ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into force. Hamas typically does not report its own casualties. During that same stretch, four Israeli soldiers have been killed by militants operating in Gaza.
While the truce halted large-scale combat operations, it has not stopped near-daily Israeli military strikes from occurring.
Conflict monitoring organization ACLED, which tracks Israeli military activity in Gaza, reported that airstrikes and drone strikes targeting Hamas and other armed groups climbed to more than 40 in June — the highest single-month figure recorded since the ceasefire began.
ACLED Middle East Assistant Research Manager Nasser Khdour offered context for the uptick, stating: “With polls showing the opposition in the lead, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing growing domestic pressure to take a tougher security position against Hamas” — a reference to Israel’s upcoming legislative election scheduled for October.
Israel maintains that its strikes are intended to prevent attacks by militants operating out of Gaza.
Nearly all of Gaza’s approximately 2 million residents are now crowded into a narrow coastal corridor, living primarily in improvised tent shelters or heavily damaged structures, under Hamas control.
The current conflict traces back to October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters launched a cross-border assault into Israel, killing 1,200 people according to Israeli counts. Israel’s military response that followed has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Eli Lilly announced Thursday that it has agreed to acquire AtaiBeckley in a deal valued at up to $3.8 billion, making a major move into the emerging market for psychedelic-based therapies targeting depression and other mental health conditions.
Under the terms of the agreement, Lilly will pay $6.75 per share in cash for AtaiBeckley — a price that represents roughly a 26% premium over where the stock closed on Wednesday.
News of the acquisition sent AtaiBeckley shares climbing more than 30% before the market opened Thursday.
Through this purchase, Lilly gains access to AtaiBeckley’s most advanced drug candidate, known as BPL-003. The product is a psychedelic-based nasal spray currently in late-stage clinical development, designed to treat treatment-resistant depression — a particularly severe form of the condition that fails to respond to conventional therapies.
The total deal value breaks down to approximately $2.8 billion paid upfront, with an additional $1 billion potentially owed depending on whether specific development milestones are achieved.
India’s fourth-largest software services company, Wipro, reported disappointing first-quarter revenue figures on Thursday, falling short of what analysts had anticipated as customers pulled back on technology spending deemed non-essential.
For the three-month period ending June 30, Wipro’s consolidated revenue climbed 10.6% compared to the same period last year, reaching 244.79 billion rupees — equivalent to approximately $2.54 billion U.S. dollars. However, that figure came in below the analyst consensus estimate of 247.76 billion rupees, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Company officials pointed to two key pressures weighing on the broader tech sector: ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and disruption tied to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, both of which have made clients more cautious about where they direct their technology budgets.
Eastbound travelers on Bay Road between South DuPont Highway (Route 13) and East Lebanon (Route 10) may encounter slowdowns as a mowing operation is currently underway in the median.
The work is scheduled to continue until 1 PM. Drivers in the area should use caution and allow extra travel time while crews complete the maintenance.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has unveiled a new proposal that would require military personnel who are older than 30 to undergo screening for low testosterone levels.
The announcement has prompted questions from medical and scientific communities about whether sufficient evidence exists to justify such a testing program across the armed forces.
Low testosterone, sometimes called “low T,” can affect energy levels, muscle mass, and overall health — factors that could be relevant to military readiness. However, the medical community has debated whether broad screening of otherwise healthy individuals is appropriate or necessary.
It remains unclear what specific steps the Department of Defense would take based on the screening results, or how the program would be implemented across the various branches of the military.
Wall Street’s largest financial institutions had plenty to celebrate this earnings season, as a combination of booming deal activity, volatile markets, and resilient consumers pushed second-quarter profits well above expectations.
Here is a look at the major themes driving results at the biggest U.S. banks — institutions whose performance often sets the tone for the broader earnings season.
A Banner Quarter for Investment Banking
A wave of massive initial public offerings and multi-billion-dollar corporate deals sent investment banking fees soaring to their highest point since the pandemic-fueled boom of 2021. The standout moment was the landmark stock market debut of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
According to data from Dealogic, global investment banking revenue surpassed $60 billion during the first half of the year. JPMorgan led all competitors in the rankings, with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley following behind.
Bank executives pointed to healthy deal pipelines and strong backlogs heading into the second half of the year, raising hopes that the investment banking “super cycle” has more room to run.
Trading Desks Thrive Amid Market Swings
Stock trading operations posted exceptional results as choppy markets kept activity elevated throughout the quarter. Concerns about artificial intelligence, tensions in the Middle East, and swings in energy prices all drove clients to make moves.
Market turbulence tends to benefit trading desks, as sharp price swings prompt investors to rebalance portfolios, manage risk, and take advantage of short-term opportunities.
Loan Demand Supports Interest Income
Consistent borrowing demand helped push net interest income higher in the second quarter. Consumers showed continued financial resilience, with spending remaining healthy and supporting loan activity.
“Consumer spending is solid, consumer credit remains durable and commercial defaults appear to be declining,” said Brian Mulberry, senior client portfolio manager at Zacks Investment Management, a firm that holds shares in several bank stocks.
Although the possibility of an interest rate increase later this year — tied to ongoing inflation concerns — could put pressure on future loan growth, analysts noted that second-quarter results came in ahead of forecasts. Bank executives said the U.S. economy continues to show strength and that they have not yet seen any notable shift in how consumers are behaving.
All Six Major Banks Beat Profit Estimates
Every one of the six largest U.S. banks topped Wall Street’s second-quarter profit expectations. Analysts and investors described the magnitude of those earnings beats as “extraordinary.”
Among the highlights: JPMorgan posted the highest quarterly profit ever recorded by a U.S. bank; Goldman Sachs beat estimates on the back of a trading boom and a flurry of corporate deals; Wells Fargo exceeded forecasts on trading gains and loan growth; Bank of America set trading records amid market volatility; Citigroup shares dipped as investor concern over expenses overshadowed its profit beat; and Morgan Stanley topped estimates on strong dealmaking and trading results.
A Heat Advisory is in effect today for much of our region, including New Castle County in Delaware, as dangerously high heat index values are expected to reach around 100 degrees.
The National Weather Service out of Mount Holly issued the advisory, which runs from noon until 8:00 PM this evening. Beyond Delaware, the advisory covers several counties in neighboring Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including Philadelphia, Delaware, Eastern Chester, Eastern Montgomery, and Lower Bucks Counties in Pennsylvania, and Mercer, Camden, Gloucester, and Northwestern Burlington Counties in New Jersey.
Meteorologists warn that the combination of hot temperatures and high humidity could lead to heat-related illnesses, which can become serious — even life-threatening — very quickly.
Authorities are urging residents to take the following precautions during the peak afternoon hours:
• Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated
• Stay indoors in an air-conditioned space when possible
• Avoid direct sun exposure
• Check on elderly relatives, neighbors, and those without air conditioning
The advisory expires at 8:00 PM tonight. Stay with TV Delmarva for any updates to this advisory and your complete local forecast.
Vertical Aerospace announced Thursday that it has entered into a partnership with Near Earth Autonomy, bringing autonomous flight technology to its Valo aircraft as the British electric aviation company pushes into uncrewed defense and commercial operations.
According to both companies, Near Earth’s autonomous flight systems will be woven into the Honeywell Aerospace Anthem avionics platform, which was already scheduled to be part of the Valo aircraft’s design.
The move reflects a growing trend among aerospace startups, which are increasingly relying on specialized outside suppliers for avionics and autonomous systems in order to reduce development costs and accelerate the path to certification.
Vertical is building the Valo in two configurations — a fully electric tiltrotor version and a hybrid-electric variant.
Near Earth Autonomy, which was established in 2012, has previously developed autonomous flight systems for programs tied to the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, and Honeywell.
Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft developers have been looking beyond the urban air taxi market, where slow certification timelines, missing infrastructure, and tight funding have hampered growth. Defense contracts have emerged as an attractive alternative.
“Defense is an increasingly important strategic market for Vertical, and this partnership moves us from ambition to capability,” said Vertical CEO Stuart Simpson.
Other companies in the same space, including Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, have similarly placed greater emphasis on defense or dual-purpose programs.
President Donald Trump is planning to address the nation in a primetime speech Thursday evening, with election security as the central topic — a move that puts his long-standing grievances about voting systems back in the spotlight as Republicans brace for a difficult midterm election this November.
According to four sources cited by Reuters on Wednesday, the White House was weighing whether Trump’s remarks would include the release of classified intelligence regarding China’s intentions or capabilities to interfere in the 2020 U.S. election. Several Trump administration officials reportedly expressed concern that sharing the information could be misleading.
Trump has spent years casting doubt on election results, repeatedly and falsely claiming that his 2020 defeat to Democrat Joe Biden was the result of a rigged process. He has also pushed other debunked claims — that mail-in voting is riddled with fraud, that voting machines can be easily compromised, and that non-citizens are casting ballots in large numbers. Multiple courts and vote recounts have found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
The intelligence related to China was gathered during Trump’s first term, which ran from 2017 to 2021. Sources told Reuters that the information did not indicate Beijing had actually altered or manipulated any votes.
A White House task force headed by conservative journalist John Solomon reportedly requested documents from the intelligence community outlining that information. According to one source with knowledge of the group’s activities, the task force has spent several weeks reviewing those materials ahead of Thursday’s speech.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt pushed back on reports about the speech’s content. “As usual, anonymous sources are speculating about what President Trump will say during his speech on Thursday evening,” she said. “The truth is, nobody knows yet what President Trump will ultimately say.”
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not respond to requests for comment, and the CIA declined to comment.
Since taking office again in January 2025, Trump has moved to expand federal authority over election administration — a responsibility that under the U.S. Constitution belongs to state governments. He has also pushed Senate Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require photo identification to vote and proof of U.S. citizenship to register, while also compelling states to share voter registration data with the federal government. Democrats and voting rights groups argue that voter fraud is extremely uncommon and that the legislation would end up blocking legitimate voters from participating.
Some Republican leaders have privately urged Trump to redirect his attention toward kitchen-table issues like the high cost of living rather than relitigating the 2020 election.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune offered a measured response when reporters asked Wednesday whether he would counsel Trump against bringing up the 2020 election. “I don’t know what he’s going to say,” Thune said. “The only thing I can tell you is, we are focused on the 2026 election, at least I am, and I think most of my colleagues are.”
Republicans are facing political headwinds heading into the midterms, with Trump’s approval rating below water and voters expressing deep frustration over the Iran war and the high energy prices that have come with it.
Democrats need to flip just three Republican-held seats to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Winning back the Senate, however, presents a steeper challenge, with key races playing out in states that lean Republican.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters Wednesday that Democrats are bracing for the White House to attempt to manipulate the November election. “They know they can’t win the election fair and square,” Schumer said. “So we don’t put it past them to try whatever they can.”
It remains unclear whether television networks will provide airtime for Trump’s speech. That practice is generally reserved for major presidential addresses on matters of significant national concern. Some Democrats, including U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have called on networks to decline, arguing Trump is likely to repeat claims about elections that have already been thoroughly debunked.
A new report from Meta’s Oversight Board is raising serious questions about bias in artificial intelligence, finding that popular AI tools are far less willing to generate criticism of governments that actively restrict free speech.
The board, which receives funding from Meta but functions as an independent body, released its findings on Thursday. The study marked the first time the organization has examined large language models — the technology behind AI chat and writing tools.
Researchers tested 10 AI models, including those developed by Meta Platforms, Google, Anthropic, OpenAI, and China’s DeepSeek. They submitted requests for politically critical content involving 10 different jurisdictions and tracked how often the AI systems refused to respond.
The jurisdictions were divided into two groups — “permissive” and “restrictive” — based on rankings from Freedom House, a nonprofit organization that publishes the annual “Freedom in the World” report.
The results showed a significant difference in how the AI tools responded depending on the type of government involved. Models declined 34% of requests for critical content about “restrictive” governments — such as China and Saudi Arabia — that have laws punishing such criticism. By comparison, the refusal rate dropped to just 14% for regions that either lack those laws or don’t enforce them.
The board also noted a troubling pattern in how the AI systems justified their refusals. “We also saw evidence of models explaining that they were following explicit rules that, as far as we could tell, did not exist and were not evenly applied,” the board stated.
In response to the findings, the board is urging AI developers to carry out thorough human rights assessments and to provide greater transparency about how their models are trained and evaluated.
The report comes just days after the CEO of Google DeepMind called on Tuesday for a U.S.-led international watchdog to review advanced AI models before they are released to the public.
WARSAW, Poland — Polish prosecutors have formally charged an 18-year-old Ukrainian man with sabotage and covert activities conducted on behalf of Russian intelligence services. Authorities allege he was paid to vandalize memorials dedicated to Polish victims of Ukrainian-perpetrated massacres during World War II, with the goal of stirring up hostility between the two neighboring nations.
Poland has long maintained that Russia is waging a campaign of so-called hybrid warfare designed to fracture the relationship between Warsaw and Kyiv. Poland has stood as one of Ukraine’s most steadfast allies since Russia launched its full-scale military invasion in 2022, though anti-Ukrainian sentiment within Poland has been on the rise.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries hit a particularly rough patch in late June, when Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked Ukraine’s highest Polish state honor from Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The move came after Zelenskyy chose to name a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, known as the UPA — a paramilitary group accused of carrying out massacres of Polish civilians during World War II.
The UPA fought for Ukrainian independence against both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, but the organization has also been accused of killing tens of thousands of Poles, primarily in Nazi-occupied areas of Volhynia and Eastern Galicia.
When announcing the charges, Poland’s Internal Security Agency stated the case had revealed “the mechanism of operation of Russian intelligence services, which pursued their own interests by inciting conflicts between the Polish and Ukrainian nations.”
Polish authorities say the suspect carried out 47 separate criminal offenses between November 2024 and August 2025. Beyond allegedly defacing memorial sites, he also faces charges related to planning a sabotage attack using a drone. Prosecutors allege he intended to fly the drone over the vehicle carrying the Polish president during a military parade in Warsaw on August 15, 2025. He was taken into custody before the parade took place.
Investigators say evidence points to the suspect being recruited through online channels and compensated using cryptocurrency.
This case comes after Poland’s Internal Security Agency disclosed in late June that it had uncovered a separate Russia-funded operation aimed at influencing Ukrainian refugees living in Poland — an effort allegedly designed to incite protests and heighten social unrest.
HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s top security official stepped before reporters Thursday to defend a sweeping police crackdown on independent bookstores, saying sellers bear the responsibility of making sure the materials they offer do not pose a threat to national security.
The statement came one day after authorities arrested five individuals connected to two separate bookshops, the third wave of arrests targeting independent booksellers within a four-month span. The move has drawn sharp criticism from those who say the boundary between legal and illegal content remains frustratingly vague.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang pushed back on those concerns, insisting the law is straightforward. Speaking at the legislative building, he compared book selling to food safety.
“If you are a bookseller, you have the responsibility to make sure the books you sell won’t endanger national security,” Tang said. “It’s equal to, for example, when you are selling food, you need to ensure the food won’t cause a stomach ache and is not either poison or illegal.”
When asked whether authorities planned to publish a list of prohibited books, Tang rejected the idea, saying such a list would hinder effective law enforcement against titles that “intend to harm the country.”
“We will not let criminals off the hook like this,” he added.
Wednesday’s police raids targeted Have A Nice Stay, a bookshop founded by a group of former journalists, and the long-established Greenfield Book Store. Authorities said the five people taken into custody were suspected of displaying and selling seditious materials. A police statement claimed the content in question was designed to stir up hatred toward the city’s government, court system, and law enforcement.
Have A Nice Stay had already announced plans to close its doors on August 30. In a social media post, the shop cited financial pressures and what it described as an elusive red line as contributing factors. The store said it is unable to review every book it carries and does not have the means to determine which titles might be considered “problematic.”
This latest action follows two earlier rounds of similar arrests. In March, police detained the owner and staff of the independent Book Punch store, reportedly on suspicion of selling seditious publications. Among the items flagged was a biography of former pro-democracy media figure Jimmy Lai, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a national security case. Then in June, two booksellers were arrested on suspicion of selling seditious publications and receiving money from foreign political organizations.
ATHENS — Four current members of the Greek parliament are among 22 people formally charged Thursday by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in connection with an ongoing investigation into alleged agricultural subsidy fraud that has shaken the Greek government.
The case stems from accusations that dozens of Greek livestock farmers fabricated ownership of grazing land in order to collect millions of euros in European Union subsidies. Prosecutors allege those farmers received assistance from government workers and conservative politicians in carrying out the scheme.
The fallout from the scandal has already led to the resignations of several ministers and triggered parliamentary investigations that have so far produced no definitive conclusions.
The EU has also penalized Greece financially over the misuse of funds that occurred between 2016 and 2023 through the government agency OPEKEPE, which is responsible for managing subsidy payments.
According to a statement from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, known as EPPO, the four sitting lawmakers face charges related to actions allegedly taken in 2021. Those charges include abuse of trust, unlawful management of EU funds, false attestation, and attempted computer fraud.
Prosecutors also announced they were dropping allegations against seven other lawmakers due to insufficient evidence.
Earlier this year in April, Greece’s parliament voted to strip 13 members of the ruling New Democracy party of their parliamentary immunity at the request of the European chief prosecutor, allowing investigators to move forward with their inquiries.
Following Thursday’s announcement, Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis stated that the four indicted lawmakers are presumed innocent until proven guilty, as the charges involve misdemeanors.
EPPO also announced that the former head of OPEKEPE faces five counts of abuse of trust, while additional political staffers have been accused of misdemeanor-level offenses. The office noted that further investigations into alleged wrongdoing during other time periods remain active.
EPPO launched operations in 2021 and serves as the European Union’s independent prosecutorial body, focused on investigating and prosecuting crimes that harm the EU’s financial interests.
The indictments come just weeks after Greek police on the island of Crete arrested 20 individuals following the dismantling of a criminal organization suspected of helping farmers submit fraudulent applications for EU agricultural funding based on false land declarations.
Italy’s lower house of parliament gave the green light Thursday to a deeply divisive government plan to reshape the nation’s electoral system — a move that opposition lawmakers blasted as a calculated effort to keep Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in power when Italians head to the polls in 2027.
The proposal comes from Meloni’s ruling right-wing coalition, which includes her Brothers of Italy party along with the League and Forza Italia. Under the plan, Italy would move to a fully proportional voting system. Any political bloc that earns more than 42% of the vote would receive a bonus allocation of seats — 70 additional seats in the 400-member lower house and 35 extra seats in the 200-member Senate. To prevent any one group from dominating too heavily, total representation would be capped at 220 seats in the lower chamber and 113 in the Senate.
The road to passage was not without friction. On Tuesday, coalition lawmakers themselves helped sink a related proposal that would have allowed voters to express preferences for individual candidates on party lists, revealing cracks within the ruling alliance.
The legislation still requires Senate approval before it becomes law. The government is targeting the period after the summer recess to push it through that chamber.
Italy’s current voting system elects most lawmakers through proportional representation, but roughly one-third of seats are filled through first-past-the-post contests — a format that analysts say tends to benefit opposition parties. The reform would eliminate those first-past-the-post seats entirely, including in southern Italy where a centre-left alliance led by the Democratic Party and the 5-Star Movement has historically performed well.
Supporters of the reform argue it would produce more stable governing majorities following elections. Meloni is on track to become Italy’s longest-serving postwar prime minister in early September, having overseen an unusually steady period of governance.
Meanwhile, a new political force is complicating the picture for Meloni’s coalition. A far-right movement called Futuro Nazionale, headed by former army general Roberto Vannacci, has been drawing support away from the ruling bloc. The party is now polling at just above 6% and has surpassed the League in some surveys. Whether Vannacci would ultimately align with Meloni remains an open question.
Polling firm YouTrend ran simulations showing that a right-wing alliance that includes Futuro Nazionale could still achieve a parliamentary majority — but that the centre-left could come out on top if Vannacci’s party runs independently.
“The outcome of the next election will depend not only on the electoral law, but crucially on where Futuro Nazionale positions itself,” YouTrend said.
UnitedHealth Group announced Thursday that it is raising its profit outlook for 2026, crediting tighter controls on medical spending and a rebound in operating income at its Optum health services arm.
The news sent shares of the healthcare giant climbing nearly 5% in pre-market trading.
Chief Financial Officer Wayne DeVeydt credited cost discipline within the Medicare insurance business and higher payment rates for Medicaid plans serving lower-income Americans as key factors behind the strong second-quarter showing.
On an adjusted basis, the company posted earnings of $6.38 per share for the quarter — well above the average analyst projection of $4.90, based on data from LSEG.
“These results are not a reflection of a trend bending or coming under control, but rather our efforts to start pushing down what is already an elevated number,” DeVeydt said.
UnitedHealth now projects 2026 adjusted earnings per share in the range of $19.50 to $20.00, a significant jump from its earlier guidance of at least $17.75. Analysts had been expecting $18.47 per share for 2026, according to LSEG figures.
CEO Stephen Hemsley took back the reins of the company last year following a period of missed financial targets, a major ransomware attack that disrupted health services nationwide, and the fatal shooting of a top executive outside the company’s investor meeting.
Since returning, Hemsley has restructured the organization, replaced roughly half of its senior leadership team, stepped away from certain insurance products, and pledged $1.5 billion toward artificial intelligence investments.
Keeping Medical Costs in Check
UnitedHealth’s second-quarter medical cost ratio — which measures what share of premium revenue goes toward paying for care — came in at 86.70%. That was considerably better than the analyst forecast of 88.47% and an improvement from 89.4% in the same quarter a year ago.
The company’s insurance division, UnitedHealthcare, reported second-quarter revenue of $86 billion, nearly flat with $86.1 billion in the prior-year period. Total company revenue climbed to $112 billion from $111.6 billion, topping analyst expectations of around $111 billion, per LSEG.
UnitedHealth attributed the improved cost ratio to changes in how insurance plans are structured and updated pricing on its products.
DeVeydt noted that rising insurance costs contributed to a drop in membership, particularly among people who had been enrolled in marketplace plans through the Affordable Care Act — commonly known as Obamacare — as extra subsidies from the pandemic era expired. He said UnitedHealthcare anticipates 500,000 people will leave its Obamacare plans in 2026.
The company left its full-year 2026 revenue forecast unchanged at $439 billion.
Optum Bounces Back
The Optum health services segment delivered a strong turnaround, with second-quarter operating income rising 29% year-over-year to $4 billion. The gains were driven by better performance in the Optum Insight technology segment and improved patient access within its clinical operations.
That marks a notable recovery from the first quarter, when Optum’s operating income fell 15% compared to the prior year, landing at $3.3 billion.
DeVeydt said artificial intelligence tools introduced this year have helped reduce administrative tasks and freed up clinicians to spend more time with patients.
“We said, with Optum Health, this would be a multi-year journey to return to historical growth levels and margins,” DeVeydt said. “I would say we are ahead of schedule in year one.” He expects full revenue growth to return by 2028.
Earlier this year, UnitedHealth scaled back its Medicare Advantage offerings for older adults, and Optum exited contracts for coordinated care plans that were not financially favorable. The company had previously disclosed that Optum faced a combination of regulatory hurdles and cost pressures amounting to an $11 billion setback for the unit over three years.
U.S. stock index futures showed little movement Thursday as investors took a step back following two consecutive days of gains, while semiconductor stocks continued to face selling pressure ahead of new economic data and another round of quarterly earnings reports.
Chip stocks extended their slide from the previous session, when investors shifted money into large-cap technology companies and bank stocks after major lenders posted strong results.
U.S.-listed shares of TSMC dropped 3.2% in premarket trading, despite the advanced AI chipmaker reporting a 77% surge in second-quarter profit that beat analyst expectations. The company also announced plans to invest an additional $100 billion in the United States.
Memory chip companies were among the hardest hit, with Western Digital and Seagate Technology falling 3.9% and 3.3%, respectively.
Wall Street’s major indexes posted gains for the second day in a row on Wednesday after a Producer Price Index reading came in lower than expected, calming concerns about inflation and reducing fears that the Federal Reserve might tighten monetary policy further. That report came on the heels of similarly mild consumer inflation data released earlier in the week.
A strong start to the second-quarter earnings season also helped boost investor confidence, even as tensions between the U.S. and Iran continued to simmer in the background.
Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, offered this perspective: “While geopolitical dynamics may trigger setbacks, earnings should remain the key driver of performance for the remainder of the year.”
He added, “In fact, with the U.S. second-quarter earnings season kicking off with solid beats, we expect another strong set of results in the coming weeks.”
As of 5:18 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were off 9 points, or 0.02%, while S&P 500 E-minis slipped 1 point, or 0.01%. Nasdaq 100 E-minis were down 63.75 points, or 0.21%.
Later in the morning, investors will be closely watching retail sales figures and weekly jobless claims, due out at 8:30 a.m. ET, for clues about whether the economy is cooling enough to keep inflation in check without raising concerns about slowing growth.
According to CME’s FedWatch tool, markets are currently placing a 10.2% probability on the Fed raising interest rates by 25 basis points at its upcoming policy meeting this month.
The benchmark S&P 500 has climbed more than 10% so far this year and is still hovering near its record close from June, making the rally susceptible to any disappointing economic or earnings news.
United Airlines shares slipped 2.3% after a renewed rise in oil prices cast a shadow over the airline’s profit outlook for both the third quarter and the full year.
On the earnings front, UnitedHealth is set to release its results before the opening bell, while Netflix is scheduled to report after markets close for the day.
WARSAW — Polish authorities have filed charges against an 18-year-old Ukrainian national accused of desecrating memorials dedicated to Poles who were killed by Ukrainian nationalists during World War Two, the country’s Internal Security Agency, known as the ABW, announced Thursday.
The suspect, identified only as Illia K. under Polish privacy regulations, faces 47 separate criminal counts stemming from actions carried out between November 2024 and August 2025. Those alleged offenses include the desecration of memorial sites and preparations for sabotage activities involving a drone.
According to the ABW, the motive was clear: “The aim was to incite ethnic tensions between Poland and Ukraine.” The agency also revealed that investigators uncovered an online recruitment operation that compensated participants using cryptocurrency payments funneled through exchanges registered in Russia and China.
The memorials in question are tied to what are known as the Volhynia massacres, a deeply sensitive historical episode that has long strained relations between the two neighboring countries.
Warsaw has repeatedly accused Moscow of running espionage and influence campaigns on Polish soil — allegations that Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, has consistently denied.
Relations between Poland and Ukraine have also been tested recently after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy chose to name a military unit after fighters from the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, known as the UPA — a group responsible for the mass killings of an estimated 100,000 Poles between 1943 and 1945. While some Ukrainians view the UPA as a symbol of resistance against both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, the organization’s role in those massacres remains a point of deep contention in Poland.
Good morning, Delmarva! It’s going to be a hot and hazy one out there today, so let’s break down what you can expect. Smoke will be the story through the afternoon hours, keeping skies milky and air quality a concern — especially for sensitive groups. Please limit your time outdoors if you’re feeling any irritation. Highs will soar near a scorching 96°F with a south wind at 5 to 10 mph. Late in the afternoon after 5 PM, keep an eye to the sky as isolated showers and thunderstorms become possible. The storm chance stays low at around 20%, but any storm that does fire up could pack a punch. Tonight, scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible before smoke moves back in, with lows settling around a warm 74°F. Heading into Friday, expect more smoky conditions with a cooler high near 89°F. Stay hydrated, protect your lungs, and check back with TV Delmarva for updates. Stay safe out there, Delmarva!
Since the outbreak of the Iran war, oil prices have surged — and with them, the profits of major oil companies. Now, a growing number of U.S. lawmakers are calling for those excess earnings to be taxed.
The push centers on what critics are calling windfall profits — the billions of dollars oil companies have collected as a result of rising prices, not because of any change in how oil is produced or what it costs to produce it.
Supporters of a windfall profits tax argue that the money collected should be returned to lower-income Americans who are feeling the pinch of higher energy costs.
The debate is gaining momentum in Washington as oil companies continue to report strong financial results tied to elevated global oil prices driven by the ongoing conflict.
Global funding for space startups stayed near historic highs in the second quarter, with investor enthusiasm sparked in part by SpaceX’s nearly $86 billion initial public offering, according to a new report from Seraphim Space released Thursday.
The high-profile listing has drawn attention from investors outside the traditional space investment community, helping to establish the sector as a mainstream category for capital allocation.
The wave of interest has also helped fuel larger financing rounds for companies working on launch vehicles, satellite networks, defense applications, and other infrastructure designed to operate in orbit.
“We’ve seen a clear increase in investor interest over the past year, which has been supported by the SpaceX IPO, but also reflects broader investor recognition of the commercial maturity of the sector,” said Lucas Bishop, an investment analyst at the British investment firm.
Bishop added, “We are seeing increased inbound from investors with limited or no prior space exposure, who are now looking to build positions in the category.”
While Bishop acknowledged that the first half of 2026 was an unusually strong period for fundraising and that quarterly figures could vary, he said the fundamental forces driving investment in the industry remained intact.
Investors noted growing interest in companies that serve defense and national security clients, as well as those building computing capabilities designed to operate in space — areas where both government and commercial spending is expected to rise.
Space companies collectively raised around $7.5 billion through 141 venture funding deals in the second quarter, falling slightly short of the record $8 billion raised across 159 deals in the first quarter.
“We are now seeing investors put more money into larger funding rounds for established space businesses. That will mean there’s more capital for companies that have already proved their technology works, that there’s clear demand, and that now’s the time to scale,” said Felix von Schubert, executive partner at NewSpace Capital.
Market watchers are now keeping a close eye on whether Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin follows through on reported plans to raise approximately $10 billion. If completed, the transaction could rank among the largest private fundraises in the history of the commercial space industry and extend what has already been one of the sector’s strongest stretches of capital formation.
A newly released report from the American Civil Liberties Union is raising alarms about how Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are handling their work on the ground, concluding that the use of force has shifted from a last resort to a routine practice.
The report examines ICE’s conduct during the first year of President Trump’s return to office and finds a troubling pattern in how agents are approaching immigration enforcement operations.
The findings come at a particularly charged moment for the agency. Fatal shootings involving ICE officers in both Texas and Maine have drawn fresh public attention to how the agency operates and what level of force its agents are authorized — and apparently willing — to use.
The ACLU’s analysis suggests that rather than being used only when necessary, force has become what the report describes as a “default tool” for ICE officers carrying out immigration enforcement duties.
The report adds to growing national debate over the Trump administration’s aggressive crackdown on undocumented immigrants and the tactics being employed by federal law enforcement agencies tasked with carrying it out.
The Federal Highway Administration has quietly taken bike lanes, speed cameras, and other road safety measures off a key list of recommended best practices — and the move is drawing sharp criticism from safety advocates.
Critics argue that the measures removed from the list are well-documented tools for reducing traffic crashes and preventing fatalities. The decision to strip them from the agency’s official guidance, they say, could have real consequences for communities across the country that rely on federal recommendations when planning road safety improvements.
The changes were made without public fanfare, but opposition has been vocal. Protesters have already taken to the streets in some areas to demonstrate against efforts to roll back bike lane infrastructure, reflecting broader frustration with the direction of federal transportation policy.
Safety advocates maintain that bike lanes and speed cameras are among the most effective tools available to protect both cyclists and pedestrians, and they are calling on federal officials to reverse course.
BARCELONA — Europe’s highest court delivered a significant ruling Thursday, finding that a Spanish law granting amnesty to participants in Catalonia’s push for independence does not conflict with European Union regulations — a decision welcomed by the Spanish government and its Catalan political partners.
The amnesty law, passed by Spain’s lower house of parliament in 2024, was the product of a deal struck between the ruling Socialist Party and Catalan separatist groups. That agreement allowed Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to remain in power following the 2023 elections, though it drew fierce opposition from conservative political rivals who tried — and failed — to block the legislation.
Thursday’s ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union clarified where member nations stand when it comes to passing amnesty laws under the broader framework of EU rules and regulations.
The court concluded that EU law does not stand in the way of Spain’s amnesty measure, since the decision to adopt and carry out such a law falls within each member country’s own authority.
A judge delivering the verdict explained the court’s reasoning, saying it “does not oppose a law which, in order to reduce institutional and political tensions and facilitate a process of reconciliation, provides for the extinction of criminal liability.”
Despite largely siding with the amnesty law, the court drew one clear boundary. It ruled that the law cannot force Spanish courts to lift accounting responsibilities or preliminary proceedings within a two-month window if those cases are still waiting on a decision from the EU court itself.
KYIV, Ukraine — Demonstrators flooded the center of Kyiv on Thursday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took steps to remove his defense minister from office, while parliament gathered to appoint a new prime minister as part of a sweeping government overhaul.
The restructuring could serve as a significant test of Zelenskyy’s political standing as Ukraine’s conflict with Russia approaches four and a half years of full-scale warfare.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, 35, has been regarded as a forward-thinking modernizer whose background in technology is seen as a key factor behind notable improvements in Ukraine’s battlefield performance in recent months against a much larger Russian military force. He was expected to exit the government after only six months in the role.
Zelenskyy offered no public explanation for Fedorov’s anticipated removal. Unverified reports from Ukrainian media outlets suggested that Fedorov had a tense working relationship with Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s armed forces.
Syrskyi, 60, is recognized for helping organize the defense of Kyiv in February 2022 and for engineering a successful counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region seven months later. He was born in 1965 in the Soviet Union and trained at the Moscow Higher Military Command School before serving in the Soviet Artillery Corps.
The crowd at Thursday’s protest — made up largely of younger demonstrators — chanted Fedorov’s name and directed sharp criticism at Syrskyi. Protesters were heard shouting, “Syrskyy go away!” and “A European army for a European country!”
Kyiv resident Bohdan Huryak, who attended the demonstration, described himself as “deeply outraged” over Fedorov’s departure.
“I’m not deeply invested in the internal political debates, but this is a person who shows results on the battlefield, we see results, we feel the fighting spirit and confidence in victory rising,” Huryak told The Associated Press. “And then, six months later, he is removed from office? Come on.”
Protests also erupted in other parts of Ukraine, including the city of Dnipro in the center of the country and the southern port city of Odesa.
This is not the first time street demonstrations have put pressure on Zelenskyy. Last July, he reversed course after widespread protests broke out over legislation that would have weakened the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption oversight bodies — the most serious challenge to his leadership since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.
Before becoming defense minister last January, Fedorov had led Ukraine’s digital transformation efforts and was widely seen as an innovator. He gained public recognition by driving the rapid development and deployment of drone technology and launching several successful digital government platforms.
After taking office, he pledged major military reforms, noting that the armed forces had been dealing with roughly 200,000 desertions and approximately 2 million cases of draft evasion.
In social media posts, Fedorov highlighted what he described as significant accomplishments during his short time in the role. He said he made the calculated decision to redirect funds originally set aside for salaries into midrange strike capabilities, fiber-optic drones, reconnaissance technology, and other military systems.
He also pointed to expanded drone procurement efforts, Patriot missile defense agreements, successful ballistic missile tests, and broad reforms to the military’s procurement process.
At the same time, Fedorov acknowledged falling short in some areas, including completing the Defense Ministry’s organizational transformation “according to NATO standards and common sense,” shifting all procurement to competitive bidding, and building a culture of accountability within the ministry.
He also noted that while many officials had been let go during his tenure, “it was necessary to dismiss even more people who were hindering the changes.”
Zelenskyy never formally announced Fedorov’s removal. However, Fedorov himself confirmed his dismissal late Wednesday in social media posts, where he also outlined his record in office — this came after days of unverified Ukrainian media speculation about his impending exit.
Parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk announced via social media late Wednesday that Zelenskyy had nominated Naftogaz CEO Serhii Koretskyi to serve as the country’s new prime minister.
Zelenskyy stated Wednesday that Koretskyi was the most fitting choice given the government’s top priority of readying Ukraine for another challenging winter season, pointing to the Naftogaz chief’s extensive background in the energy sector.
Lawmakers in Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, were debating the proposed Cabinet changes ahead of the summer recess, which begins Saturday.
Exchange-traded funds — commonly known as ETFs — have been a staple of financial markets since the 1990s, offering everyday investors an affordable way to own a collection of stocks and trade them through a standard brokerage account.
A newer and riskier variation, known as leveraged ETFs, has existed for about two decades. These products promise to multiply the daily gains of a target investment — and they are now surging in popularity, especially among investors chasing the artificial intelligence boom and the hardware companies powering it.
A specific type called single-stock leveraged ETFs, which made their U.S. debut in 2022, are now booming across Asia. Investors are using them to amplify bets on South Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix — and the enormous money flows are reshaping those markets, intensifying volatility, and drawing scrutiny from regulators.
How Do Leveraged ETFs Actually Work?
These funds use financial instruments called futures or swaps — essentially contracts tied to borrowed money — to magnify the daily return of a target stock or index. Depending on the product, that multiplier can be two, three, or even five times the daily move. That means bigger gains when prices rise, but equally bigger losses when they fall.
Single-stock leveraged ETFs launched in South Korea in May, while two-times leveraged funds tracking both Samsung and SK Hynix were listed in Hong Kong in 2025 and have seen dramatic growth. The fund tracking SK Hynix alone has grown 20 times in assets since the beginning of the year.
When investors purchase shares in these funds, the fund must buy shares in the underlying stock plus derivatives to achieve the leverage. If the stock rises, the fund buys more. If it falls, the fund must sell. This daily rebalancing creates a feedback loop that amplifies price swings in both directions.
Who Is Buying These Products?
The firms selling these ETFs market them toward professional traders and experienced investors. Many products carry prominent disclaimers warning that they are not appropriate for long-term, buy-and-hold investors.
The ongoing cost of maintaining a leveraged position chips away at returns over time, causing these funds to often drift significantly from the performance of the investments they track. Despite those warnings, large numbers of everyday retail investors have jumped in, eager to capture the upside gains.
What Is Happening in South Korea?
In South Korea, the situation is especially intense. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix each carry trillion-dollar market valuations and together make up more than half of the benchmark KOSPI stock index.
The combination is “creating an incredible feedback loop that’s driving volatility in the semiconductor space,” said Michael Green, chief strategist and portfolio manager for Simplify Asset Management. “That’s driving elevated levels of volatility on a single-stock level.”
The Hong Kong-listed two-times leveraged ETF tracking SK Hynix, offered by fund manager CSOP, has grown into the largest fund of its kind in the world, with HK$51.8 billion — roughly $6.6 billion — in assets under management.
The massive inflows helped push SK Hynix’s stock price sharply higher, but the daily rebalancing activity at the open and close of trading has since triggered dramatic price swings in both SK Hynix shares and the broader KOSPI index.
On some days this year, Samsung and SK Hynix together have accounted for more than 80% of all trading volume on the KOSPI, according to Reuters calculations.
The KOSPI’s volatility index stood at 89 on Thursday, well above the 28.85 reading at the end of 2025, and just below the record high of 97.99 reached on June 29. SK Hynix’s debut on the Nasdaq this month has added yet another layer of volatility, with a wave of new leveraged ETF products launching in the U.S. market.
What Are Regulators Doing About It?
South Korea’s top financial regulator, the Financial Services Commission, announced a set of new restrictions on Thursday targeting single-stock leveraged ETFs. The measures include a ban on promotional events and guidance discouraging new fund launches.
Last month, another market watchdog — the Financial Supervisory Service — issued an unusually candid admission, acknowledging that approvals for these funds had been “prepared hastily” as part of a broader effort to draw retail investors back from U.S. markets and slow a weakening of the South Korean won.
President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform Wednesday to announce that an American woman who was “wrongfully detained” in Iran during 2024 has been allowed to leave the country.
“She is now safely outside of Iran, and in good condition. The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran,” Trump wrote in his post.
Human rights attorney Jared Genser identified the freed American as Dena Karari, a 53-year-old California resident. According to the New York Times, Karari had her passport taken away by Iranian authorities when she traveled to the southwestern city of Shiraz in December 2024 to visit family members. While she was never formally detained, she was questioned by authorities on multiple occasions, the newspaper reported, citing her attorney Genser.
Genser confirmed her freedom in a post on X, writing, “Dena is now safe and traveling back to the United States,” and thanking Trump for his efforts on her behalf.
Iran has not made any public statement acknowledging her release.
The news comes as fighting entered its fifth night across the Middle East. U.S. military strikes against Iran have been targeting the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping corridor, with the goal of reopening it. Three U.S. officials told Reuters that those strikes are also being used to weaken Iranian military capabilities ahead of potentially more complex operations.
Trump has issued escalating warnings that he could order attacks on Iranian power plants, bridges, and energy infrastructure. Iran, meanwhile, has claimed it struck U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Jordan in retaliation.
Europe’s highest court has sided with Italian regulators in a legal battle against Google, upholding a €750,000 fine — roughly $854,250 — tied to gambling advertisements that appeared on the YouTube platform.
The Court of Justice of the European Union, based in Luxembourg, issued the ruling on Thursday, finding that Google’s responsibility extends to videos posted by content creators who have commercial agreements with the company.
In its decision, the court stated: “Google may be held liable for the YouTube videos of a content creator with whom it has a commercial partnership.”
The fine was originally issued by Italy’s communications authority four years ago. The case is officially identified as C-421/24 AGCOM (Online gambling).
Eleven people lost their lives and 19 others were hurt when a fire broke out at an orphanage on the edge of Algeria’s capital in the early hours of Thursday morning, according to state media reports.
The blaze originated at the orphanage located in the Mohammadia district, situated in the eastern suburbs of Algiers.
Of those injured, ten sustained burns ranging in severity. Emergency responders also successfully evacuated five individuals with disabilities from the facility, the country’s civil protection agency reported.
Officials said firefighting efforts were still ongoing at the time of the report. No victims have been identified, their ages have not been released, and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
The fire comes as Algeria has been enduring a significant heatwave in recent days. According to state news agency APS, citing the General Directorate of Civil Protection, firefighting units across the country had already battled 913 separate fires nationwide between July 8 and Wednesday.
