If you’ve ever shopped for groceries in certain countries, you may have noticed large black warning symbols plastered on food packaging. Known as front-of-package labels, or FOPLs, these markings are designed to alert consumers when a product contains elevated levels of added sugar, sodium, or saturated fat. The goal is to encourage healthier eating — but critics say the system is deeply flawed, often flagging a carton of whole milk or chocolate milk with warning signs while leaving a can of diet soda untouched.
When a public health policy ends up discouraging people from eating genuinely nutritious foods, something has gone wrong. That’s the argument being made by the National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council, who say these labeling systems misrepresent dairy’s well-documented health benefits and threaten demand in key export markets — ultimately hurting American dairy farmers.
Three Major Battles in Latin America
The most active regulatory fights are currently playing out across Latin America.
In Chile — a market that generated $100 million in U.S. dairy exports last year — a front-of-package labeling requirement has been in place since 2019. Under that system, milk, yogurt, and cheese that exceed government thresholds for calories, saturated fats, sugars, and sodium must carry prominent warning labels. The National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council have been teaming up with the Chilean Federation of Milk Producers to seek exemptions specifically for dairy products and to bring the labeling rules in line with Chile’s own dietary guidelines, which acknowledge dairy’s health value.
In Colombia, a market worth $183 million in U.S. dairy exports last year, regulators are considering a draft proposal that could classify most dairy products as “ultra-processed” — simply because making them involves certain processing steps or added functional ingredients. The two organizations filed formal comments with Colombian officials last month and are working alongside Colombian dairy industry partners to push for exemptions for nutrient-rich dairy foods.
In Mexico, the effort has been ongoing for six years. That market represents $2.6 billion in dairy exports, making the stakes enormous. The work there has focused on shaping Mexico’s labeling regulations in a more reasonable direction and preventing a final regulatory phase that could have banned many dairy products from publicly funded settings such as schools and hospitals.
Getting Policymakers Up to Speed on the Science
Changing policy requires more than advocacy — it requires educating the people who write the rules. To that end, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, with backing from the National Dairy Council and the National Milk Producers Federation, organized the NutriLact Congress 2026, a dairy nutrition conference held this past February in Lima, Peru. The event drew more than 300 scientists, health officials, policymakers, and other participants from 17 countries across Latin America. The conference made the case that dairy products play a unique role in filling nutritional gaps at every stage of life — from pregnancy and early childhood all the way through healthy aging.
What This Means for Dairy Farmers
A warning label on a block of cheese sold overseas might seem like a faraway concern, but the ripple effects are real. Reduced demand in export markets affects the bottom line for dairy farmers everywhere. The National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council say they are committed to ensuring American dairy isn’t unfairly branded with misleading warning symbols. Through regional partnerships and educational initiatives like NutriLact, the industry is working to build the long-term relationships needed to win this global labeling fight.
VANCOUVER — A highly anticipated World Cup showdown is scheduled for Thursday as Canada takes on Qatar at BC Place stadium in Vancouver, with Group B remaining wide open and three points on the line for both teams.
Co-host Canada is coming off a 1-1 tie with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto during its tournament opener. The team can count on enthusiastic home support once again in Vancouver, where fans have already shown they are ready to embrace the sport in a country better known for its passion for ice hockey.
Qatar, which hosted the 2022 World Cup, also kicked off this tournament with a 1-1 draw, that time against Switzerland out in California.
BC Place has already demonstrated its enthusiasm for the competition, packing in a strong crowd for Australia’s 2-0 victory over Turkey. The stadium is expected to deliver a lively atmosphere as Canada pushes for a home win.
Canada enters as the favorite despite still being in search of their first-ever World Cup victory. Star forward Jonathan David, the country’s all-time leading scorer, will be looking to step up after substitute Cyle Larin scored the goal in the opening match.
A significant question mark hangs over the fitness of captain and left-back Alphonso Davies, who is dealing with a hamstring issue. That leaves head coach Jesse Marsch with a major lineup decision heading into the match.
Defender Joel Waterman is also hoping to see time on the field. He sat on the bench during the opener, but playing in his home city would make this game especially meaningful for him.
Qatar has had a tough road when it comes to earning respect on the World Cup stage. Heading into this tournament, the team had gone without a win across six matches played at the 1986 and 2022 editions. In 2022, they finished last in their group without earning a single point.
Still, Qatar has already shown improvement over that dismal 2022 showing and now has a chance to build on their opening draw with another strong result.
Waterman summed up the stakes heading into Thursday’s match. “The group is wide open,” he told reporters. “We want to top the group. The focus has never changed for us.”
“It’s a big game on Thursday to beat Qatar and then we’ve got to try and beat Switzerland as well,” Waterman continued. “We’re going to try and pick up the six points and go on to the next round.”
NEWARK, Del. — The University of Delaware field hockey team is looking ahead to the 2026 season after head coach Tara Zollinger unveiled the program’s full schedule on Tuesday.
The Fightin’ Blue Hens are set to compete in 18 games during the upcoming campaign, with 10 of those matchups taking place at Fred P. Rullo Stadium in Newark. The double-digit home game total marks the second year in a row the program has welcomed fans to 10 or more contests on their home turf.
The Federal Communications Commission announced Tuesday that new models of Chinese-made toy drones will be permitted for import into the United States.
Back in December, the FCC had moved to block all new models of foreign-manufactured drones and key components from entering the country, specifically targeting products from China’s DJI and Autel, citing unacceptable threats to national security. Since then, the agency has gradually allowed some new drone models back in.
The latest decision stems from a Pentagon finding that “unsophisticated, low-risk toys” lacking the “organic capabilities and features in range, endurance, sensing, payload, connectivity, and data collection and storage” associated with conventional drones do not present national security concerns.
The FCC laid out tight criteria for what qualifies as a toy drone under this exemption. Qualifying devices must weigh no more than 150 grams — about 5.29 ounces — and can only be operated within a line-of-sight distance of 100 meters or less, which is roughly 328 feet. They also cannot have any network or connectivity features, cannot carry cameras or sensors capable of recording or collecting data, and are limited to no more than 10 minutes of flight time.
The U.S. government has been taking a number of steps to restrict Chinese technology products, and the FCC is weighing additional measures. Last month, the agency said it would allow Chinese drones and consumer routers already sold in the United States to continue receiving critical software updates at least through the end of 2028.
Separately, the FCC is reviewing whether to ban the import of Chinese equipment from a group of manufacturers, having already prohibited the import or sale of their new models back in 2022.
The commission is also considering a proposal that would bar U.S. telecommunications carriers from connecting their networks with Chinese telecom companies identified as national security risks — a move that would also prevent those Chinese firms from operating data centers on American soil.
The Islamic State announced Tuesday that it was behind a deadly assault on a Syrian interior ministry camp located in the city of Raqqa, which took place the day before.
According to Syria’s Interior Ministry, one of its security personnel lost their life during the Monday incident, in which two Islamic State militants attempted to storm a command headquarters belonging to the country’s internal security forces in Raqqa. Syrian forces were ultimately able to repel the attack.
The National Hurricane Center has issued wind speed probability graphics for a developing weather system designated as Potential Tropical Cyclone One.
Forecasters released an updated 34-knot wind speed probability graphic on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at approximately 3:00 p.m. GMT. The graphic provides a 120-hour outlook showing the likelihood of tropical-force winds affecting various areas.
Residents and communities in potentially affected regions are encouraged to keep a close eye on updates from the National Hurricane Center as the system continues to develop.
A team of researchers says it has taken a fresh look at data from a particular kind of stellar explosion and confirmed what scientists have long believed — that the universe is expanding at an ever-increasing rate. That conclusion is the same one that led scientists in the 1990s to identify a mysterious cosmic force known as dark energy.
The new findings directly contradict a study published earlier this year that claimed the universe’s expansion was no longer speeding up — a conclusion that would have upended our basic understanding of how the cosmos works.
“The universe is still accelerating,” said astrophysicist Brodie Popovic of the University of Southampton in England, one of the lead researchers behind the study, which was published this month in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. “There’s still a lot we don’t know and are excited to learn, but we think we’re on the right track,” Popovic added.
The research team, which included two Nobel Prize recipients, used observations from two separate datasets involving what are known as Type Ia supernovas — powerful stellar explosions — to calculate enormous distances across the cosmos. These explosions occur when an object called a white dwarf, the dense leftover core of a low- to intermediate-mass star at the end of its life, is destroyed.
This category of supernova has become a key tool for astronomers because all such explosions appear to release roughly the same amount of light. That means scientists can use how bright or faint they appear from Earth to figure out how far away they are — essentially using them as cosmic measuring sticks. By tracking the brightness of these events, scientists can determine how fast the universe is expanding and how that rate has changed over time. Because light takes time to travel through space, observing distant objects is effectively a look back into the past.
The universe began with the Big Bang approximately 13.8 billion years ago and has been growing ever since. In 1998, scientists revealed that this growth is actually speeding up, attributing the acceleration to a poorly understood invisible force called dark energy. Ordinary matter — stars, planets, gas, dust, and everything familiar on Earth — makes up an estimated 5% of the universe’s total contents. Dark matter, which is detected through its gravitational pull on galaxies and stars, accounts for roughly 27%, while dark energy is estimated to comprise about 68%.
The earlier 2025 study, also published in the same journal, argued that dark energy is fading and has stopped driving the universe’s accelerating expansion.
“Type Ia supernovae are the premier tool for measuring the expansion history of the universe, and provided the first evidence in 1998 that cosmic expansion is accelerating due to dark energy,” said astrophysicist Adam Riess of Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, a co-author of the new study and a Nobel laureate in physics in 2011 for helping discover the accelerating expansion of the universe.
Riess went on to explain the core disagreement: “Over the past decade, a group at Yonsei University has argued that supernova distances should be calibrated differently by accounting for the ages of the stars that eventually explode, and that this ‘age effect’ could substantially alter the evidence for acceleration. In our study, we found no evidence for the claimed ‘age effect’ in the largest calibrated supernova samples used by the cosmology community over the last decade.”
Astrophysicist Young-Wook Lee of Yonsei University in Seoul, one of the leaders of the earlier 2025 study, stood by his team’s work. Lee said the arguments put forward by the authors of the new study have “serious methodological flaws or lead to conclusions that are internally inconsistent by their own logic.”
The researchers behind the new study said they remain confident in both their methods and their conclusion that the universe’s expansion is indeed still accelerating.
The true nature of dark energy remains one of science’s biggest unsolved mysteries. New tools, including the recently opened Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — set for launch in August — could shed new light on the question.
“We’re hoping the new data we get from Vera Rubin and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will help us narrow down what dark energy really is,” Popovic said.
A local weather statement was issued at 10:10 AM CDT for the Lake Charles, Louisiana region, according to information released through the National Hurricane Center’s official text notification system.
The bulletin was distributed via the National Hurricane Center’s public advisory channel. No additional details beyond the issuance time and source location were included in the available information.
Residents in and around the Lake Charles area are advised to monitor local weather authorities for the latest updates and any instructions related to this statement.
An Israeli airstrike claimed the lives of at least two Palestinians in the central Gaza Strip on Monday, health officials reported, while Israeli ground forces extended their reach deeper into a northern Gaza neighborhood, sending families scrambling to escape.
According to medics, the strike hit near a residential building in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing two brothers identified as Ahmed and Mahmoud Abu Heen. The Israeli military offered no immediate response to requests for comment.
A ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump in October 2025 has not succeeded in stopping Israeli military operations in Gaza, nor has it brought about the disarmament of Hamas militants.
With these latest fatalities, the death toll among Palestinians from Israeli strikes since October has climbed to nearly 1,000, according to the Gaza health ministry. Israel reports that four of its own soldiers have been killed by militants during that same stretch of time.
Amid the ongoing violence, Nickolay Mladenov, Trump’s Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, traveled to Cairo to advance negotiations. Sources familiar with the discussions say mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey have been meeting with Hamas leadership regarding the second phase of Trump’s Gaza plan. That plan calls for Hamas to surrender its weapons and for Israeli forces to withdraw — terms that both sides have so far been unable to agree upon.
Israeli troops currently hold more than 60% of Gaza’s land, areas from which civilians have been ordered to leave and where structures have been demolished. On May 28, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly confirmed he had instructed the military to push that figure to 70%.
Witnesses in southern Gaza report that over recent days, Israeli forces have pushed the boundaries of the so-called “Yellow Zone” — the areas under their control — outward into eastern Khan Younis and northern Rafah, where new boundary markers and concrete barriers have appeared.
On Sunday, Israeli tanks rolled further into the Al-Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City in the north, compelling multiple families to abandon their homes. Video footage captured on Monday showed yellow boundary blocks that had been repositioned closer to residential buildings.
“I swear we don’t know where to go,” said Umm Muhammad Junaynah, a resident of Al-Tuffah, visibly struggling to hold back tears as she gathered her belongings. “We are getting our furniture out, we don’t know where to go. We don’t know where to go, we have nowhere to go.”
Almost all of Gaza’s roughly 2 million residents — the majority of whom have already been uprooted multiple times — are now crowded into a narrow coastal strip, living in makeshift tents or partially destroyed buildings under Hamas control.
Nour Shabat, a 27-year-old woman from Al-Tuffah, described the terror of Sunday night. “It was a night of terror, we were scared,” she said.
Gaza has been reduced to rubble over the course of a two-year Israeli military campaign that began following Hamas’s 2023 attack on southern Israel.
Shabat expressed her exhaustion with the repeated upheaval. “I’m tired of displacement, honestly I’m tired of displacement. What is our fault that this is happening to us?” she said. “Should I take my belongings, myself and go sleep in the street? I have slept in the streets many times and I have been displaced many times. I’m tired and can’t handle anymore. Enough, I am tired.”
A traffic crash has prompted the closure of Foulk Road at its intersection with Weldin Road, according to transportation officials.
Motorists traveling through the area are advised to avoid the intersection and plan for alternate routes until the roadway is reopened. The closure is in effect as crews respond to the scene.
No further details regarding the crash, including the number of vehicles involved or any injuries, have been made available at this time. Drivers should remain alert and allow extra travel time if commuting through the affected area.
The National Hurricane Center has issued updated wind speed probability graphics for a weather system currently being tracked as Potential Tropical Cyclone One.
The graphics, last updated Tuesday, June 16, 2026, show the probability of 34-knot winds — roughly 39 miles per hour — affecting different areas within a five-day forecast window.
Forecasters are closely watching the system as it has the potential to develop further. Residents in coastal areas are encouraged to stay informed and monitor the latest updates from official weather authorities.
Major League Baseball has put players on notice about writing on their uniforms after three San Francisco Giants pitchers inscribed Bible verses on their caps during the team’s Pride Night game last week.
Giants starter Landen Roupp took the mound Friday night in a 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs with “Gen 9:12-16” written on his cap. The inscription partially covered the rainbow SF logo that players were wearing to mark Pride Night. San Francisco relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker also had Bible verses written on their caps during the game.
A fourth Giants pitcher, left-hander Sam Hentges, chose to wear the team’s regular black cap with the orange logo rather than the Pride Night version.
In response, MLB released a statement saying the writing broke league uniform rules and that the players involved have been cautioned about repeating the violation. “The writing on the cap violates our rules and consistent with normal practice we have warned the players about future violations,” the league said.
The Genesis passage referenced by Roupp describes God’s covenant with Noah — a promise never to send another worldwide flood — with the rainbow serving as the symbol of that agreement.
Roupp explained his decision to reporters after the game. “That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that, and I’m thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want … and express what we want,” he said.
Giants manager Tony Vitello told reporters the topic was never brought up with the pitchers before the game, adding that it was “just kind of a general knowledge” that players “have the freedom to do what they think is best.”
FLORENCE, Italy — Two of the most recognizable paintings from the Italian Renaissance have been given a fresh new layout at Florence’s celebrated Uffizi Gallery, as the museum continues its efforts to improve the visitor experience.
Beginning Tuesday, guests at Italy’s most visited museum will find Sandro Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” displayed in one room, with “Primavera” visible by simply turning around — hanging on the opposite wall in an adjacent space.
The reorganization comes under the direction of Uffizi director Simone Verde, who stepped into the role in January 2024 and has been guiding the museum through a broader renovation process.
Verde described the updated Botticelli rooms as a bridge between the museum’s storied past and its future vision. “The Botticelli rooms seek to present visitors with the Uffizi of the future, while keeping its feet firmly on the ground and its roots deeply planted in the history of this extraordinary museum,” he said.
The two paintings had most recently been displayed side by side on neighboring walls, giving visitors a simultaneous view of both works. In earlier decades, the paintings faced each other across a single room — an arrangement that contributed to overcrowding and made it difficult for guests to fully appreciate either piece.
When most people think about war affecting oil prices, they picture gasoline at the pump — but the conflict with Iran is hitting drivers in a different way: through the rising cost of motor oil.
The United States may rank as the top producer of crude oil on the planet, but that distinction does not extend to motor oil. The country’s lubricant supply chain tells a very different story, and it’s one that’s costing consumers more every time they pull into a service bay for an oil change.
The price of lubricants has been climbing sharply since the war with Iran began. According to a trade group, the cost of group III base oil — a key ingredient used in motor oil blends — has jumped 175% since the conflict started.
What makes the situation particularly frustrating for drivers is that there may be no quick fix on the horizon. Even if a tentative agreement to end the war were reached, industry analysts say it would not be enough to immediately bring those lubricant costs back down.
A local weather statement was issued at 10:38 AM CDT for the Houston and Galveston, Texas region, according to information released through the National Hurricane Center’s official alert system.
The statement, identified as a local advisory bulletin, was distributed through the NHC’s text notification service. No further details regarding the specific content or nature of the weather concern were available in the released text.
Residents in the Houston and Galveston, Texas area are encouraged to monitor official weather channels for the latest updates and guidance.
PARIS (AP) — For weeks, a dark mountain-like structure towered over the Seine River where Paris’ oldest bridge normally stands. On Monday evening, the doors to that structure swung open to the public.
Stepping inside, visitors immediately notice that Paris smells different. The air carries the scent of wet earth, aged stone, damp cellar walls, and a faint hint of smoke.
From the bright riverfront, guests enter a dim corridor lined with illuminated photographs of caves, while a low electronic rhythm seems to pulse through the surrounding walls.
Underfoot, the original cobblestones of the Pont Neuf still rise and fall with every step.
The installation, called the Pont Neuf Cavern, is the work of French street artist JR — sometimes referred to as the French Banksy. It is free to enter at any hour of the day and will remain open through June 28.
Constructed primarily from printed fabric and air, the structure converts the 17th-century bridge into a simulated cavern that reaches 18 meters — roughly 59 feet — above the Seine.
“It feels like the city has disappeared,” said Léa Martin, a 22-year-old art student from Lyon who visited on Tuesday. “You know the river is right outside, but for a moment you’re somewhere ancient.”
The scent experience is a deliberate and central part of the illusion. Olfactory expert Sarah Bouasse designed two evolving fragrances drawing on geosmin and isoborneol — chemical compounds linked to the smell produced when rain falls on dry ground.
The scent shifts as visitors cross the bridge: beginning with wet soil and mineral dampness, it gradually transitions into something warmer, smokier, and faintly animal in nature.
“Usually I cross here without looking up once,” said Michel Dupré, a 67-year-old retiree, as he blinked stepping back into daylight. “Today I felt the stones under my feet. And smelled them too. It makes you walk like a child again.”
Adding to the atmosphere is a sound installation by Thomas Bangalter, formerly one half of the French electronic music duo Daft Punk. His composition fills the cavern with deep rumbles, echoes, and rhythmic pulses.
The Pont Neuf was completed in 1607 and, despite its name translating to “New Bridge,” remains the oldest bridge still standing in Paris.
JR’s creation invites people to experience this familiar crossing in a completely new way — through their sense of smell, hearing, and touch.
The installation also serves as a tribute to artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who in 1985 wrapped the Pont Neuf in pale golden fabric, drawing an estimated 3 million visitors. That project bathed the bridge in light. JR’s version takes visitors into darkness.
“You enter into the darkness,” JR has said, “and emerge into the light on the other side.”
Those who wish can hold up their phones to unlock an augmented-reality layer developed with tech company Snap. Through the screen, digital bats streak light across the cave, passing visitors leave ghostly impressions, and a dancer appears to materialize out of thin air.
JR has connected the work to Plato’s allegory of the cave — the ancient philosophical idea that prisoners mistake shadows for reality. In his view, today’s cave walls are the screens and algorithms that filter what people perceive. Even so, the most powerful moments in the installation require no phone at all.
“It’s completely strange,” said Nadia Benali, 34, smiling near the artificial cliff walls. “Paris needs things that make people stop.”
Once the installation closes, its fabric materials will be reused or recycled. The mountain-like structure will disappear, traffic will resume, and the Pont Neuf — a bridge older than the French Revolution itself — will once again stand open to the sky.
WARSAW, Poland — A 44-year-old Russian artist who openly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin was shot and killed at close range outside his home in the eastern Polish city of Biala Podlaska, according to prosecutors who announced the news Tuesday.
Polish media identified the victim as Robert Kuzovkov, though prosecutors referred to him only as Robert K., as required under Polish privacy laws. He worked under the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky.
Two Belarusian nationals, ages 37 and 33, were taken into custody near the Belarusian Consulate following the Monday morning attack.
Prosecutors described the victim as an artist who, through his work, “expressed criticism of the current policies of the Russian authorities.” His paintings included unflattering portrayals of Putin, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and other senior Russian officials. One piece depicted Putin being held in the arms of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
Just the day before his death, the artist had posted a video to his YouTube channel showing him in Berlin placing a Russian flag into a trash can on June 12 — the holiday commemorating Russian sovereignty.
Prosecutors said an unidentified man approached the artist near his home at approximately 9:45 a.m., fired two shots, then shot him three additional times at close range before fleeing the scene. The victim died at the scene from gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and back.
Polish prosecutors have not linked the killing to the Russian government, and Poland’s Internal Security Agency did not respond to a request for comment.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the country has faced repeated accusations of attempting to eliminate political opponents on foreign soil, including alleged plots targeting exiled activists in France and Lithuania. German officials have also disrupted alleged plots against the head of a German arms supplier to Ukraine and a Ukrainian military official.
In 2024, Polish authorities arrested a man in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That same year, a Russian helicopter pilot who had defected was killed in Spain, with Russian operatives considered the prime suspects.
NEW YORK (AP) — The rate at which babies in the United States die before their first birthday has dropped to its lowest level ever recorded, according to early government figures released this year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in 2025, the infant mortality rate came in at just under 5.4 deaths for every 1,000 live births. That’s a step down from roughly 5.5 in 2024 and approximately 5.6 during each of the two years before that. Though the change may seem minor, health researchers say it carries real statistical weight — amounting to hundreds fewer infant deaths annually.
Pinpointing exactly what is behind the improvement is challenging, but Dr. Michael Warren, chief medical and health officer for the March of Dimes, called it a positive sign. “This is an encouraging data point, and we hope that this trend will continue,” he said.
Infant mortality tracks how many babies die before reaching their first birthday. Because the number of births changes from year to year, researchers use rates rather than raw numbers to make meaningful comparisons over time.
The total count of infant deaths is also trending downward. Provisional CDC figures show approximately 19,350 babies died in 2025 — down from around 20,050 in 2024 and about 20,160 in 2023. Those preliminary numbers may shift slightly as further analysis is completed, but the overall direction is expected to hold.
Over the past three decades, the U.S. rate has gradually improved, falling from 7.5 deaths per 1,000 births — a decline credited to advances in medicine and public health campaigns. Even so, the U.S. continues to perform worse than other high-income countries. A study published last year found that in 2022, the American infant mortality rate was nearly double that of several comparable wealthy democracies, including Italy, Japan, Spain, and Sweden. Experts point to poverty, limited access to prenatal care, and other systemic issues as contributing factors.
That 2022 figure was notable for another reason — it marked the first statistically significant increase in the U.S. infant mortality rate in roughly two decades. Health officials linked that spike to a resurgence of RSV and flu infections among infants.
In response, U.S. health authorities in 2023 began recommending two new protective measures: a lab-created antibody shot designed to help infants’ immune systems fight RSV, and an RSV vaccine for pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. A March of Dimes expert stated last year that these interventions likely played a role in the improvement seen in 2024.
Warren also noted that a drop in sudden infant death syndrome cases may be connected to growing awareness and education around safe sleep practices for babies.
The CDC posted its 2025 preliminary data in late May. On Tuesday, the agency released a more detailed breakdown of 2024 infant mortality figures. Key findings from that report include:
— Death rates fell for both the youngest infants — those under 28 days old — and for slightly older babies. Preliminary 2025 data suggest those declines have continued.
— Racial disparities in infant mortality remained pronounced in 2024. Babies born to Black women died at more than twice the rate of infants born to Hispanic, white, and Asian American women.
— Researchers observed a drop in the mortality rate for full-term infants born at 39 to 40 weeks gestation, though rates for other gestational age groups did not change significantly.
— Among individual states, Mississippi recorded the highest infant mortality rate at 9.65 deaths per 1,000 births, while New Hampshire had the lowest at just under 3 per 1,000.
Warren addressed the wide variation between states, saying: “These differences are reflective of a variety of reasons related to access to care, community factors, and policies that improve health and outcomes.”
A court hearing in the state murder case against Luigi Mangione was postponed by one day after prosecutors neglected to notify the jail that he was needed in court, forcing a delay in what had been an anticipated ruling by the judge.
Judge Gregory Carro had set the hearing for Tuesday, but the proceeding was adjourned about half an hour after its scheduled start time when Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann informed the judge that the prosecution had failed to deliver the necessary paperwork to the jail.
“It’s on us,” Seidemann told the court. “We got the writ signed but we failed to serve it.”
“That’s unfortunate,” Judge Carro responded.
Seidemann pointed out that the judge overseeing Mangione’s federal case, Margaret Garnett, had issued an order to the jail allowing him to appear in court wearing a suit — but acknowledged that order alone was not sufficient to have him physically transported to the courtroom.
Mangione, 28, is currently held at a federal detention facility in Brooklyn while he awaits trial in both state and federal proceedings stemming from the December 4, 2024, killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. He has entered not guilty pleas in both cases and faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted in either.
Judge Carro had been expected to issue a ruling Tuesday on an unspecified matter following a closed hearing held two weeks prior. Carro sealed that virtual proceeding at the defense’s request but offered no further explanation at the time. Any ruling from the judge will now be issued Wednesday.
Mangione’s state trial is scheduled to begin September 8, while his federal trial — which includes stalking charges — is set to get underway October 13.
Thompson, 50, was shot and killed as he walked toward a Manhattan hotel where UnitedHealth Group was holding its annual investor conference. Surveillance footage captured a masked gunman firing at him from behind. Investigators say the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” were found written on the ammunition — a phrase commonly associated with tactics used by insurance companies to avoid paying out claims.
Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was taken into custody five days after the shooting at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, roughly 230 miles — or about 370 kilometers — west of Manhattan.
At a hearing last month, Judge Carro ruled that both a firearm and a notebook found in connection with Mangione can be used as evidence at trial. Prosecutors say the weapon — a 3D-printed pistol — is consistent with the gun used to kill Thompson. The notebook, they say, contains writings about wanting to “wack” a health insurance executive and references to fighting back against “the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel.”
ATLANTA — A federal judge who faced discipline following an investigation into serious misconduct has stepped away from a Georgia election records case after the U.S. Department of Justice questioned whether she could remain impartial.
U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross filed an order on Tuesday recusing herself from the case, saying she was doing so “out of an abundance of caution for the potential perception of bias.”
The Justice Department had moved to have Ross removed from the proceedings, pointing to her reported attendance at an event connected to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis — the prosecutor who brought charges against President Donald Trump related to Georgia’s 2020 election.
The case before Ross involved the Justice Department’s lawsuit against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which the federal government is seeking an unredacted copy of the statewide voter list.
In her recusal order, Ross acknowledged the politically charged nature of the situation. “Both the Trump administration’s present and Willis’s past efforts have become heavily polarized,” she wrote, adding that she “cannot discount” that a neutral outside observer might view her attendance at a Willis campaign-sponsored event as a sign of support for the district attorney — even though she said she only attended to reconnect with former colleagues.
Ross previously worked in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office and crossed paths with Willis there before Willis rose to become district attorney.
A prior court investigation found that Ross had sex with a high-ranking uniformed police officer inside the courthouse within earshot of staff members, attended a partisan political event, and then initially denied the allegations when confronted. As a result, she received a “private reprimand.”
According to the investigation report, the event Ross attended was hosted by a district attorney’s campaign. Ross stated that the district attorney had been a personal friend since 1999 and that she had attended a private gathering on the sidelines of the event to visit with former coworkers from the district attorney’s office.
Willis secured an indictment in August 2023 against Trump and 18 other individuals, alleging they took part in a broad effort to reverse the outcome of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election. That criminal case was ultimately dismissed in November.
Nigeria is intensifying its legal offensive against Islamist militancy, with hundreds of additional suspects now facing prosecution in what officials describe as a continued push to stamp out terrorism, the country’s Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi announced Tuesday.
The West African nation has been battling a 17-year insurgency driven by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, known as ISWAP, primarily in the country’s northeastern region. Aid organizations report the violence has left thousands dead and forced at least 2 million people from their homes.
Fagbemi said 84 additional suspects were scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, joining roughly 490 others who have already been brought before a federal court in Abuja since Monday. An additional 102 cases were carried over from a prior round of proceedings.
“The message is to let everybody know that terrorism in whatever shape or form is not to be condoned or tolerated,” Fagbemi said.
This week’s proceedings mark the fourth phase of terrorism trials held under President Bola Tinubu. Over the past decade, large-scale mass trials have become a central tool in the Nigerian government’s strategy to combat militant activity.
In April, authorities announced that 386 suspected Islamist militants had been convicted, receiving sentences that ranged from five years in prison to life behind bars.
BEIJING — China’s National Disease Control and Prevention Administration rolled out a revised Ebola prevention and control plan on Tuesday, tightening procedures for tracking close contacts, strengthening oversight at medical facilities, and expanding monitoring at the country’s borders.
The updated plan was prompted by recent Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, according to a statement from the administration.
Under the new guidelines, anyone considered a close contact — meaning someone who has had direct exposure to the blood, bodily fluids, secretions, excrement, or contaminated belongings of a confirmed or suspected Ebola patient — must be tracked and placed under quarantined medical observation for 21 days starting from their last point of contact with the infected person or contaminated item.
Medical facilities, disease control agencies, and customs offices at every level are required to report both suspected and confirmed Ebola cases through a designated online system within two hours of identification.
The scope of surveillance is also being broadened. In addition to existing port health checks and domestic disease tracking, monitoring will now include alerts from international health organizations, testing conducted by domestic laboratory institutions, and wastewater screening on aircraft arriving from abroad.
Travelers arriving in China from Ebola-affected countries or regions — or anyone who has visited such areas within the past 21 days — will be required to monitor their own health for 21 days after entering the country.
Disease control agencies at the provincial level have been directed to work with relevant government departments to follow up with individuals who have traveled to Ebola-affected regions, maintaining contact until the 21-day monitoring period is complete.
PARIS — World leaders representing the G7 nations issued a joint demand Tuesday for a powerful and well-coordinated effort to combat the Ebola outbreak currently affecting Congo, pressing other countries to contribute resources toward stopping the virus from spreading further.
In a formal statement, the leaders said, “We continue to closely monitor the situation as it evolves, along with our partners, to ensure that this dangerous virus does not spread, including across borders.”
BEIJING — China’s embassy in the United Kingdom has filed a formal protest with British authorities following London’s announcement of new sanctions that include four Chinese entities accused of providing key military supplies to Russia.
In a statement posted on the embassy’s website, officials called on Britain to acknowledge and correct what they described as a “mistake” and to pull back the sanctions. The embassy also warned that China would take whatever steps are needed to defend the rights and interests of its businesses.
“On the Ukraine crisis, China has consistently promoted peace talks and strictly controlled exports of dual-use goods,” an embassy spokesperson said in the statement. “Normal exchanges and cooperation between China and Russia should not be disrupted or affected.”
The latest British sanctions package, unveiled on Tuesday, takes aim at Russia’s network of so-called “shadow” ships and financial channels used to evade existing restrictions. It also targets suppliers of critical military equipment to Russia operating in China, Thailand, and Turkey.
World number one Scottie Scheffler will step onto the course Thursday morning at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, with a historic goal in mind — completing a career Grand Slam. He will play alongside defending U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun and amateur Mason Howell, with their group scheduled to begin from the par-four, 394-yard first hole at 8:14 a.m. ET.
Scheffler, a two-time Masters champion who captured both the PGA Championship and the British Open last year, is attempting to become just the seventh man in history to win all four of golf’s major titles. If he succeeds, he would join Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan, and Gene Sarazen in that exclusive club.
Australian Adam Scott, who is marking his 100th consecutive major appearance this week, will play in the group just ahead of Scheffler, alongside Harris English and Nick Taylor.
McIlroy, who successfully defended his Masters title in April and finished tied for seventh at last month’s PGA Championship, will tee off from the 10th hole at 7:52 a.m. with Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg and England’s Tommy Fleetwood.
Former U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm, one of 13 LIV Golf players competing in the 156-man field and a joint runner-up at the PGA Championship, is set to begin from the 10th tee at 2:09 p.m. alongside Justin Rose and Jordan Spieth.
Two-time U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, also competing on the LIV Golf circuit, will look to bounce back after missing the cut at both the Masters and the PGA Championship. He tees off from the back nine at 1:25 p.m. with Viktor Hovland and 2022 U.S. Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick.
A developing tropical weather system is posing a serious flooding threat as it slowly pushes inland, forecasters warned Tuesday morning.
According to the National Hurricane Center, as of 10:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, June 16, the center of Potential Tropical Cyclone One was positioned near coordinates 27.0 degrees north latitude and 98.0 degrees west longitude. The storm was tracking to the northeast at approximately 6 miles per hour.
The system had a minimum central pressure of 1007 millibars and maximum sustained winds of around 30 miles per hour at the time of the advisory.
Despite its relatively modest wind speeds, forecasters are emphasizing that the primary danger from this system is not wind — it is water. Very heavy rainfall and dangerous flash flooding are expected as the storm moves through the region.
Residents in the storm’s path are urged to monitor local emergency management guidance and avoid low-lying areas that may be susceptible to rapid flooding.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami issued its first forecast advisory Tuesday afternoon for Potential Tropical Cyclone One, a developing weather system that could pose a threat to portions of the Gulf Coast.
As of 3:00 p.m. UTC on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, the center of the disturbance was located near 27.0 degrees north latitude and 98.0 degrees west longitude, an area near the Texas-Mexico border region. The position is estimated to be accurate within 60 nautical miles.
The system is currently drifting toward the northeast at about 5 knots, or roughly 6 miles per hour. Maximum sustained winds are currently at 25 knots, with gusts reaching up to 35 knots. The minimum central pressure is estimated at 1007 millibars.
According to the forecast, the system is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm by the morning of June 17, with maximum sustained winds increasing to 35 knots and gusts up to 45 knots. The storm is forecast to continue tracking northeast toward the Louisiana and Texas coast.
By the afternoon of June 18, the system is expected to move inland, with winds weakening to 25 knots. Forecasters predict the storm will fully dissipate by June 19, 2026.
The National Hurricane Center has requested ship reports from vessels within 300 miles of the storm’s current position. The next full advisory was scheduled for 9:00 p.m. UTC Tuesday, with an intermediate advisory expected at 6:00 p.m. UTC. Forecaster Blake issued the advisory.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami issued its first advisory Tuesday morning on Potential Tropical Cyclone One, a weather disturbance that has been tracked for several days as it traveled across the southern Gulf of America and into northeastern Mexico before pushing into southern Texas.
The system, previously identified as AL90, is generating significant rainfall but has not yet developed a well-defined center of circulation. Forecasters say most computer models indicate the system will move back offshore overnight Tuesday, with winds expected to reach tropical storm strength by Wednesday. As a result, Tropical Storm Watches have been put in place for parts of the Upper Texas coast and southwestern Louisiana shoreline — specifically from Sargent, Texas, to Morgan City, Louisiana.
Regardless of whether the disturbance officially becomes a tropical cyclone, forecasters are warning that heavy rain and life-threatening flash flooding remain the most serious dangers. The initial wind intensity has been set at 25 knots, or about 30 miles per hour, based on surface and radar observations.
The storm is currently drifting slowly to the northeast. Forecasters expect it to pick up speed as it interacts with a broad weather trough sitting over the eastern United States. Models suggest the system will hug the Texas coastline Wednesday before moving back onshore late Wednesday or early Thursday. Forecasters project the system will dissipate by early Friday.
Upper-level atmospheric conditions are not particularly favorable for significant strengthening, with notable wind shear and the system’s close proximity to land working against it. However, a jet stream to the north and warm Gulf waters are expected to support some intensification through Wednesday. Due to the shear, the storm is unlikely to take on a classic tropical appearance on satellite imagery — instead, rainfall and winds will be concentrated heavily on the eastern side of the system.
Key hazards forecasters are highlighting include:
Flooding: Potentially life-threatening flash and urban flooding is expected along the Texas coast eastward into central Mississippi through Thursday. If rainfall is prolonged, flood threats could stretch into the weekend. Small stream and minor river flooding is anticipated along the Texas coast into southwestern Louisiana, with isolated pockets of significant river flooding possible in those areas.
Tropical Storm Threat: The system is forecast to strengthen into a tropical storm as it moves along or just off the northwestern Gulf Coast through Wednesday.
Coastal Flooding: Minor to moderate coastal flooding is expected along portions of the Upper Texas and Louisiana coastlines.
This advisory was issued by Forecaster Blake at the National Hurricane Center.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami issued its first wind speed probability advisory for Potential Tropical Cyclone One at 3:00 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.
At the time of the advisory, the center of the system was positioned near latitude 27.0 North, longitude 98.0 West. Maximum sustained winds were estimated at approximately 25 knots — equivalent to 30 miles per hour or 45 kilometers per hour.
The advisory, prepared by Forecaster Blake, outlines the probability of tropical-storm-force winds of at least 34 knots (39 mph), 50-knot winds (58 mph), and hurricane-force winds of 64 knots (74 mph) reaching various locations along the Gulf Coast over the next five days.
Among the locations with notable cumulative probabilities of experiencing at least tropical-storm-force winds are Cameron, Louisiana, with a 25 percent cumulative chance; Galveston, Texas, at 25 percent; and a Gulf forecast grid point near 28.0 North, 95.0 West, carrying a 37 percent cumulative probability — the highest listed in the advisory.
Other areas listed in the probability table include Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Alexandria, New Iberia, and Lake Charles in Louisiana, as well as Port Arthur, Freeport, High Island, Matagorda, Port O’Connor, and Rockport in Texas.
Residents and interests along the Gulf Coast are encouraged to monitor updates from the National Hurricane Center as the system continues to develop.
The National Hurricane Center is keeping a close watch on a developing weather system in the Atlantic that has been designated Potential Tropical Cyclone One.
Forecasters are tracking the storm’s movement and intensity as it continues to develop. Residents along the Eastern Seaboard, including those on the Delmarva Peninsula, are encouraged to monitor updates from official weather sources.
Tropical systems can change rapidly, and officials urge the public to stay informed and have a preparedness plan in place as the Atlantic hurricane season gets underway.
Northbound travelers on South Chapel Street are facing a right lane closure along the stretch between Dawson Drive and DE-4.
The lane restriction is currently in place, and drivers in the area should be prepared for potential delays. Motorists are encouraged to use caution when passing through the affected zone.
No additional details regarding the cause or expected duration of the closure were provided at this time. Drivers may want to consider alternate routes until the lane is fully reopened.
NEW YORK — The next generation of Hollywood directors isn’t coming from traditional film schools. Increasingly, they’re arriving with millions of online subscribers and a proven ability to capture an audience’s attention.
The back-to-back success of two films — “Obsession” and “Backrooms” — both helmed by filmmakers in their 20s who got their start on YouTube, has shined a bright light on a growing trend in the entertainment industry.
Studio executives are now actively combing through platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram in search of the next great directing talent. These digital spaces aren’t just where young creators hone their skills — they’re also where those creators build loyal, engaged fan bases that can follow them straight to the multiplex.
Mike De Luca, co-chair of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, spoke about the phenomenon at a conference last month. “These filmmakers are in a dialogue with their audience from the word ‘Go’. Their subscribers have direct input in each iteration of these things,” he said. “By the time you get to the movie, they’ve had a billion test screenings.”
This isn’t entirely new territory. Issa Rae and Bo Burnham are among the well-known names who first found their footing on YouTube. But the number of today’s independent filmmakers with digital roots continues to grow. Here’s a look at some of the creators who have already made the leap — and a few who appear to be on their way.
Known online as “Kane Pixels,” 20-year-old Parsons is the director behind the A24 horror hit “Backrooms.” A native of Petaluma, California, he started posting videos online when he was just 9 years old. A video series he created based on the creepypasta Backrooms internet meme eventually led to his feature film debut, which stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve. The film has earned $250 million at the worldwide box office, and a sequel is already in the works.
At 26, Barker grew up in Mobile, Alabama, and briefly attended film school in Los Angeles before shifting his focus to YouTube sketch videos. He later produced a horror short called “The Chair” and a found-footage horror film titled “Milk & Serial” — made for just $800. After Tea Shop Productions saw “The Chair,” the company backed Barker’s next project, “Obsession,” with a $750,000 budget. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Focus Features picked it up for $15 million. It is expected to surpass $300 million in global ticket sales soon. Barker has already completed his next film, “Anything But Ghosts,” for Blumhouse Productions, and A24 has tapped him to direct a reboot of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
Mark Fischbach — better known online as Markiplier — is 36 years old and built a YouTube following of more than 38 million subscribers through video game playthrough content. He branched out into series and podcasts before making his directorial debut earlier this year with “Iron Lung,” a sci-fi horror film he also wrote and edited. Based on a 2022 video game, the film was made for under $5 million and self-distributed, yet it pulled in more than $50 million at the box office.
At 34, Firstman grew up in New Jersey and first gained attention through a series of comedic short skits posted on Instagram Live during the pandemic. As a comedian, writer, and actor, he followed a more conventional path toward filmmaking — co-starring in the 2025 HBO series “I Love LA” and serving as a consulting producer on the animated series “Big Mouth.” In May of this year, Firstman made his directorial debut with “Club Kid” at the Cannes Film Festival. The film, in which Firstman plays a gay nightclub promoter who learns he has a son, was a standout at the festival. Following a bidding war, A24 acquired it for $17 million.
Clark, who is from northern Virginia, has spent the past eight years posting horror short films on YouTube. He is now developing his most popular short, “Portrait of God,” into a full-length feature, with Jordan Peele and Sam Raimi on board as producers. Clark has also been chosen by Lionsgate and Blumhouse to direct a new version of “The Blair Witch Project.”
In April, Neon announced that Evenson will direct a feature-length adaptation of his viral 2014 short film “Mora.” The 12-minute short, which has been viewed nearly 5 million times on Evenson’s YouTube channel, Grimoire Horror, follows a struggling artist searching for a bloody, disfigured woman who keeps appearing in AI-generated images. Roy Lee, producer of “Weapons,” is attached to produce. The project will serve as Evenson’s directorial debut, though he already has an extensive visual effects resume that includes credits on “Dune: Part Two” and “The Last of Us.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Just days before his movie hit theaters, 26-year-old director Curry Barker struck a friendly wager with his manager and agent: if “Obsession” opened above $20 million at the box office, they would all get tattoos.
The film came close but missed the mark, debuting at $17 million. Still, nobody was complaining. Barker had made the horror film for just $750,000, making even that opening a remarkable achievement. But what happened next surprised everyone. The second weekend, the film cleared $20 million — and then did it again. And again. And nearly a fourth time, displaying a staying power that is virtually unheard of in the film industry.
“It was just like: Holy cow. I didn’t think that was an option,” Barker said. “Now we’ve said if it hits $300 million, we’ll all get the tattoo. We had to make a new milestone. And I think we’ll reach it.”
Over the past month, “Obsession” has rattled the entertainment industry. The microbudget thriller has now pulled in $286 million worldwide and is still drawing audiences. During its fifth weekend in theaters, it ranked second only to Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day,” earning $19 million. In North America, it has outperformed “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.” It stands as the biggest release in the 24-year history of Focus Features, which has had to push back its video-on-demand release date. By any measure, it ranks among the most profitable films ever produced.
Barker, who cultivated a following through sketches and short films on YouTube, is now living the dream that countless aspiring filmmakers chase. Life, he acknowledged in a recent interview, has changed considerably.
“My day to day is pretty much the same. It’s just that when I go out in public, it’s a lot different,” he said with a laugh. “I actually feel a little unsafe sometimes.”
That’s a somewhat ironic turn for the man behind a film that has been frightening audiences across the country. In “Obsession,” a character named Bear Bailey (played by Michael Johnston) uses an antique toy called a One Wish Willow to wish that his crush, Nikki (played by Inde Navarrette), would fall in love with him. The spell — loosely drawn from an old “Simpsons” Halloween episode — works in deeply unsettling ways.
The film’s remarkable run has sparked widespread conversation across Hollywood. Alongside the A24 hit “Backrooms,” directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons, it has highlighted YouTube as a launching pad for the next wave of filmmakers.
The film has also drawn younger Gen Z audiences — already a significant and growing portion of regular moviegoers — back into theaters. Summer box office has long been ruled by established franchises, but “Obsession” may signal a shift in that trend.
“If there’s a lesson from ‘Obsession,’ I think it’s about audiences,” said Peter Kujawski, chairman of Focus Features. “We have a generation that grew up online, approaches culture with enormous curiosity and playfulness, and is far less concerned with where a filmmaker comes from than whether the story connects. They’re engaged, incredibly film-literate and eager to champion new voices and original stories.”
Barker grew up in Mobile, Alabama, before relocating to Los Angeles at age 18. He says he feels a deep connection to his generation and believes the response to “Obsession” speaks to something many young people are feeling.
“I get it because I think we’re a little tired of being at home. Our generation is the COVID generation,” Barker said. “I was fortunate enough to have all four years of high school experience. My brother, Riley, lost two years of that. We’re sick of the phones.”
Before filmmaking, Barker had dreams of becoming an actor. An early encounter with “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” at age 11 helped steer him toward horror, though his earliest passions were quite different.
“I was a huge Harry Potter fan growing up. Huge. I was obsessed,” Barker said with a smile. “I had all the wands. I would dress up.”
Barker spent a year at a Los Angeles film school, where he connected with Cooper Tomlinson, who would later become a co-star and producer on “Obsession.” The two eventually charted their own course on YouTube and TikTok, building an audience through a comedy sketch series called “That’s a Bad Idea.”
Barker wrote and directed a 2023 short film called “The Chair,” which caught the attention of Tea Shop Productions. Producer James Harris approached him about expanding it into a feature, but Barker had a different idea — he wanted to make “Obsession,” a film that drew on similar themes. Around the same time, he also produced an $800 found-footage horror film called “Milk & Serial.” When he couldn’t find a distributor, he uploaded it directly to YouTube. It went viral and earned him representation.
“Obsession” was selected to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, giving it a prestigious platform. A bidding war followed, and Kujawski and Focus Features ultimately acquired the film for $15 million.
“What stands out about Curry is that he isn’t working from an inherited playbook,” Kujawski said. “Whether you look at his earlier work or ‘Obsession,’ there’s a consistency of vision and a confidence in his storytelling that immediately sets him apart. He knows exactly what he wants to say while being absolutely committed to making every minute of his work as entertaining as possible, and he’s willing to take real risks in service of that vision.”
Barker’s rapid rise has made him a symbol of a new kind of filmmaker — one who sharpened his skills as a digital creator and arrived in Hollywood with a built-in fan base. Jason Blum, the chief executive of Blumhouse Productions, has drawn comparisons between Barker and his peers and the generation of bold American filmmakers who emerged in the 1970s, describing them as “making edgy movies that are connecting in theaters in a crazy way.”
“When you really step back, my journey is not really that different than Christopher Nolan or David Fincher or Steven Spielberg,” Barker said. “You can watch their early short films and see their work before they were given a chance. I think YouTube is just a path, a platform we can use now to show the industry what we’ve got.”
Today, Barker is among the most in-demand directors working in Hollywood. He has already completed his next feature, “Anything But Ghosts,” starring Aaron Paul and Bryce Dallas Howard, for Blumhouse. Two months ago, A24 announced that he will write and direct a reboot of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
Adjusting to the spotlight has been a process. Acclaimed directors including Ari Aster, Zach Cregger, and even Spielberg have reached out personally to praise the film.
“That’s when you start to feel this impostor syndrome of like: What? It’s not that good,” Barker said with a laugh. “All I see when I watch ‘Obsession’ is the problems.”
A sequel is essentially already a given. “A sequel isn’t hard for this movie,” Barker acknowledged. He described how future installments could follow different characters making wishes on One Wish Willows, each story centered on a different human vice — greed, fame, or something else entirely.
As much as it might be tempting to draw parallels between Barker’s success and the wish-granting premise of his own film, the reality is closer to the opposite. In “Obsession,” the main character’s fatal flaw is hesitation — waiting too long to act on his feelings, assuming there will always be more time. Barker, by contrast, never waited. He wanted to make films, so he made them.
“Anyone that asks what advice you have for young filmmakers, I always say the same thing,” Barker said. “I went to a film school for a year out in L.A. and I watched people paralyze themselves with the pressure of: I’ve told people I’m a director so now I have to direct something that has to be good. If it’s not good, everyone’s going to judge me. The result of that thinking is two years on one short film.”
“You can’t put too much pressure on an idea,” he added. “You just got to make it.”
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s Republican governor announced Tuesday that the state should do away with the death penalty, stating that both federal and state data show capital punishment fails to discourage violent crime. The announcement marks a dramatic reversal for the 79-year-old governor, who was one of the architects of the very law he now wants to see repealed — legislation he helped craft as a state legislator nearly half a century ago.
Speaking at a news conference, the term-limited governor was direct about his changed position. “I no longer believe the death penalty is a deterrent to murder,” he said, adding, “I believe Ohio should abolish the death penalty.”
Despite the governor’s call for repeal, the chances of the legislature acting on it appear slim. Republican House Speaker Matt Huffman stated back in February that he would “vigorously oppose” any such effort, and the former Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost publicly agreed with that position on social media.
The governor has been quietly extending Ohio’s unofficial moratorium on executions for years, repeatedly pushing back scheduled execution dates because drug manufacturers have refused to supply the chemicals required for lethal injections. In January 2025, President Donald Trump directed then-Attorney General Pam Bondi to assist states in resolving that supply problem. Former Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a supporter of capital punishment, told Bondi that “without the assistance of the federal government, Ohio’s situation is unlikely to change.”
The governor has already acknowledged that no executions are expected to take place before his term concludes in 2026. The repeated delays have left Ohio with a backlog of 30 executions scheduled over the next four years, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
Ohio last carried out an execution on July 18, 2018, when Robert Van Hook was put to death for stabbing a man he had met at a Cincinnati bar back in 1985. The current governor took office in 2019.
Ohio had reinstated capital punishment in 1981 under legislation co-authored by the governor, after the practice was ruled unconstitutional in 1972. Executions did not actually resume in the state until 1999, and since that time, 56 people have been executed by lethal injection in Ohio.
The governor’s stance on the death penalty has evolved gradually throughout a political career that began in 1976 and took him from county prosecutor through multiple state offices and a seat in the U.S. Senate. Early in his first term as governor, he directed the state prison system to explore alternative lethal injection drugs. By 2020, he was telling lawmakers they would need to approve a different execution method before any more inmates could be put to death. Since then, neither a bipartisan push to ban capital punishment nor a separate effort to introduce nitrogen gas executions has gained traction.
When the governor first raised the idea of alternatives, he said he had doubts about the death penalty’s value, questioning whether “it in fact did deter crime, which to me is the moral justification.”
Ohio is not alone in reassessing capital punishment. New Hampshire lawmakers overrode a governor’s veto in 2019 to eliminate the death penalty. Colorado abolished it in 2020, and Virginia followed in 2021. Pennsylvania’s governor has urged legislators to do the same, pledging not to sign any new execution warrants. In 2022, Oregon’s governor commuted the sentences of all 17 people on death row and ordered the state’s execution chamber torn down.
A newly released survey from Pew Research is shining a light on a challenge that millions of American families know all too well — the feeling that being a good employee and a good parent at the same time is nearly impossible.
The survey found that many working parents feel they simply cannot give everything they have to both their careers and their home lives simultaneously. As one sentiment captured in the research put it, there is “no way to be two things at once.”
According to the findings, the difficulty of balancing professional responsibilities with family demands leaves many parents feeling stretched too thin on both fronts. Neither their employer nor their children are getting 100% of their attention and energy.
Researchers point to certain workplace benefits as potential solutions that could make a meaningful difference for struggling families. Access to paid sick leave and more affordable childcare were identified as two key supports that could help working parents better manage their dual responsibilities.
The findings underscore a broader national conversation about what employers and policymakers can do to better support the growing number of households where all adults are in the workforce while also raising children.
A Gold Alert that had been issued for Lisa Williamson has officially been canceled after she was located.
Authorities confirmed that Williamson has been found, bringing the alert to a close. No additional details were released regarding the circumstances of her disappearance or recovery.
Chemical producer Olin announced Tuesday it has agreed to purchase fellow U.S. chemical company Huntsman in an all-stock transaction worth roughly $2.43 billion, bringing together two major industry players as chemical companies look to grow larger and cut costs in a difficult business climate.
According to the terms of the deal, Huntsman shareholders will receive 0.5476 shares of Olin stock for every share they currently hold. Based on Huntsman’s 175.35 million shares outstanding, that works out to a deal value of approximately $2.43 billion. The implied price per share comes to $13.85 — about 12.8% less than Huntsman’s most recent closing price. Following the announcement, Huntsman shares tumbled 13%, while Olin shares slipped 2.4% during morning trading.
The broader chemical industry has been under pressure as demand has remained flat, production costs in Europe have climbed, and regulatory requirements continue to shift. Adding to those challenges, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — a result of heightened regional tensions since late February — has disrupted the flow of oil and petrochemical products, tightening global supply and driving up prices for plastics and polymers.
Together, the two companies would generate more than $12 billion in combined annual revenue and are projected to achieve over $400 million in savings through operational efficiencies. The combination pairs Olin’s manufacturing strengths — including chlorine and caustic soda production — with Huntsman’s expertise in downstream products and chemical formulations, boosting vertical integration and reducing feedstock costs.
During a conference call with investors, company executives stated that Olin’s ammunition brand, Winchester, will stay a central part of the new company’s portfolio and serve as a foundation for future growth, benefiting from the combined company’s supply chain efficiencies. Executives also highlighted opportunities in the epoxy market, noting that the merged company could compete in sectors that were previously out of reach for either company individually.
The newly combined business will operate under the name OlinHuntsman and will be headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. Olin’s current Chief Executive Ken Lane will lead the company, while Huntsman’s CEO Peter Huntsman will take on the role of non-executive chairman.
If the deal closes as planned in the first half of 2027, Olin shareholders will hold approximately 54.5% of the combined company, with Huntsman shareholders owning the remaining 45.5%.
CLEVELAND — The University of Delaware rowing program is celebrating a strong showing in the classroom, with 19 student-athletes earning MAC All-Academic recognition.
The Mid-American Conference made the announcement on Tuesday, honoring the Blue Hen rowers for their academic achievements alongside their athletic commitments.
China emerged as the fastest-growing market for goods from Latin America and the Caribbean during the first three months of 2026, according to a report released Tuesday by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Despite that rapid growth, the United States continued to hold its position as the region’s dominant trading partner.
The IDB report found that Latin American exports to China jumped 25% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. Exports to the rest of Asia climbed 24%, those heading to the European Union increased 19%, and shipments to the U.S. rose 14%.
“The United States contributed most to the total increase in Latin American and Caribbean exports, whilst China and the rest of Asia showed the greatest dynamism,” the IDB stated in its report.
U.S. dominance in the region is largely tied to its trade relationships with Mexico and Central America, while China tends to lead as a trading partner across much of South America.
On the import side, goods flowing from China into Latin America surged 29%, compared to a more modest 4% increase in U.S. exports to the region. Even so, the U.S. share of Latin American imports climbed to a record level approaching 22%, while China’s share dipped slightly to 9.6%.
Overall, Latin American exports grew nearly 16% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same stretch of 2025 — double the 8% annual growth rate seen throughout all of 2025. Rising prices and higher volumes of key regional commodities fueled that growth.
Gold prices soared 64% between January and April, as investors turned to the precious metal as a safe-haven asset during times of financial uncertainty. Copper, oil, soybean, and iron ore prices also increased, though more modestly. Meanwhile, coffee and sugar prices dropped by more than 20%.
The conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran pushed fuel prices higher, dealing a significant blow to countries that rely heavily on energy imports. Even nations that export oil and benefited from higher revenues felt the pinch through increased fertilizer and freight costs.
In Venezuela, total exports declined 8.7% during the first quarter of 2026, even as shipments to the U.S. ticked up slightly. That modest uptick followed the U.S. capture of President Nicolas Maduro at the beginning of the year and the imposition of significant oversight over the OPEC nation’s oil sector.
The IDB cautioned that “instability in global trade policies and the proliferation of geopolitical conflicts are creating a high degree of uncertainty,” while noting this environment presents “both risks and opportunities for the region.”
Motorists traveling northbound on South Dupont Highway, also known as Route 13, are facing a right lane closure between Quigley Boulevard and Lisa Drive.
The lane restriction is the result of ongoing construction in the area. Drivers are advised to plan accordingly and allow for extra travel time while the work is underway.
The closure is expected to be lifted by 3 PM. Travelers are encouraged to use caution when passing through the construction zone.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is once again opening its doors to public nominations for one of the state’s most distinguished environmental honors — the Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay Award.
First established by Governor J. Millard Tawes in 1959, the award is a lifetime achievement recognition presented by the governor to individuals who have shown an exceptional dedication to conserving and restoring the Chesapeake Bay.
DNR officials say they are specifically looking for candidates who have spent their careers building community support, leading restoration projects, advancing scientific knowledge of the Bay, or contributing in other meaningful ways to improving the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding watershed.
Those wishing to nominate someone can submit a nomination form through DNR’s official website. The deadline to submit nominations is August 31. A volunteer committee of DNR staff members will review all submissions and provide recommendations to the Secretary and the Governor. Winners will be publicly announced once selected, with DNR aiming to make those announcements before the close of the year.
This marks the second year that DNR has offered a public nomination process for the award. The first time it was used, last year, it resulted in Professor Thomas Miller — a longtime fisheries biologist at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science — being chosen as the recipient. He received the award during a public ceremony featuring Gov. Wes Moore at the Board of Public Works.
The award has now been given to more than 100 individuals over the decades. Past recipients include Captain Eldridge Meredith, a waterman and charter boat captain who spent 80 years working in and around the Bay; David M. Goshorn, who currently serves as DNR’s Deputy Secretary and previously worked as DNR’s Chesapeake Bay restoration officer; and John Page Williams, a master naturalist and environmental educator who devoted 46 years to work with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Motorists traveling northbound on South DuPont Highway, also known as Route 13, are being advised of a right lane closure currently in effect between Quigley Boulevard and Lisa Drive.
The lane restriction is the result of construction work in the area. Drivers should plan for possible delays and consider allowing extra travel time or using an alternate route if available.
The closure is expected to remain in place until 3 PM, at which point the lane is anticipated to reopen to traffic.
There’s nothing quite like pushing yourself on a long hike through the woods, breathing in fresh air and soaking up the peace and quiet. But too often, that healthy feeling disappears the moment you get back to camp and reach for a packaged hot dog stuffed into a white bread bun with a slice of processed cheese.
It doesn’t have to be that way, according to Aaron Owens Mayhew, a dietitian and long-distance hiker based in Orcutt, California.
“It always made me sad that people who train so hard, they exercise, they eat well at home, and then they go backpacking and pick up honey buns,” Owens Mayhew said.
Spending time outdoors is widely known to benefit both mental and physical health — but campers and hikers frequently undo some of that good by relying on heavily processed foods packed with saturated fat, salt, and sugar.
So how do you rethink what’s on your camp menu?
Most people understand that a little processed food isn’t going to hurt, especially when you’re burning extra calories on the trail. The real issue, said Owens Mayhew, is how the body handles it. She founded Backcountry Foodie, a website focused on bringing better nutrition to outdoor adventures.
Simple carbohydrates — think sugary baked goods and candy bars — can send blood sugar spiking and then crashing, leaving hikers feeling more worn out than before. Heavily processed foods tend to be calorie-dense but short on the vitamins, minerals, and protein your body needs to keep performing.
Eating well in the wild, on the other hand, can deliver steady energy all day long and help your body recover faster.
“I like to think of food as one variable that can be controlled, unlike a sprained ankle or bad weather,” Owens Mayhew said.
Her advice? Keep eating what you normally eat at home. Instead of frying bacon and eggs over a fire just because that’s a camping tradition, bring the bran cereal you have every morning — this time paired with powdered milk, which you can find in the baking aisle at the grocery store.
Many of the recipes on her website are healthier takes on family classics, including tuna casserole, garlic-Parmesan noodles, and sweet potato casserole. She also recommends packing instant brown rice, quinoa, and couscous to serve alongside grilled meat or fish. These options are lightweight, nutritious, and only require boiling water to prepare.
For extra flavor, try adding fresh ginger, herbs, or garlic and onion powder. Tossing in nuts, dried mushrooms, grated Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, or dried fruit can transform a simple starch into a satisfying full meal.
Planning ahead is everything when it comes to camp cooking, said Rashad Frazier, founder of Camp Yoshi, a gourmet adventure outfitter. Trying to figure it out on the fly usually doesn’t end well.
Long before your trip, take time to map out your meals and prep as many ingredients as possible. Chop your onions and grate your ginger at home, then store them in zip-top bags or containers. That way, when you’re out there, you can spend your time watching the sunset instead of doing prep work.
“There’s no extra bonus points for cutting onions and making mango chutney at camp,” Frazier said.
His cookbook, “Cook Out,” includes a whole section on pantry staples you can prepare before you leave. His universal spice mix, salsa verde, chutneys, curry paste, and pickled onions are all flavor-packed additions that don’t pile on extra calories. Mix and match them with whatever meat, vegetables, or grains you have on hand, he said.
Frazier also strongly recommends having a backup meal ready for when weather or other unexpected problems throw off your plans. His go-to is a Bolognese sauce he keeps frozen until it’s time to head out. But a homemade pureed soup or even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich can save the day.
“Have that one dish that’s always like, in the event of emergency, break glass, eat this,” he said.
Here are two recipes to help take your campsite cooking up a notch:
Universal Camping Spice Mix From the cookbook “Cook Out”
1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (adjust to your heat preference)
Mix everything together at home and store in a sealed container. Rub onto any meat, fish, or vegetable before grilling on a well-oiled surface.
Parmesan Pesto Ramen One serving — From Backcountry Foodie
1 package ramen noodles 2 tablespoons pine nuts or almonds 1 tablespoon dried basil (or 2 tablespoons fresh, if you have it) 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon table salt 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 3 tablespoons olive oil 6 oz water
Before you leave home, throw away the ramen’s high-sodium seasoning packet. Make a pesto packet by combining the nuts, herbs, garlic, and cheese in a small bag. At camp, boil water, cook the noodles until tender, drain the water, then stir in the pesto packet and olive oil. Add fresh basil if you have it.
Pizza Hut is changing hands in a pair of deals worth a combined $2.7 billion, as parent company Yum Brands moves to offload the struggling chain.
Back in February, Yum Brands announced it was exploring a sale of Pizza Hut, around the same time the chain was looking to shut down roughly 250 locations across the United States. The brand has faced ongoing challenges, including aging restaurant locations and stiff competition in the pizza industry.
Pizza Hut got its start in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas. PepsiCo took over the chain in 1977, and later spun off its restaurant division in 1997 — a move that eventually gave rise to Yum Brands.
Private equity firm LongRange Capital has agreed to purchase Pizza Hut — excluding its mainland China operations — for roughly $1.5 billion, the company confirmed Tuesday. Separately, the mainland China portion of the business will be acquired by Yum China Holdings Inc. for approximately $1.2 billion.
Yum Brands CEO Chris Turner expressed confidence in the new ownership arrangements. “Under LongRange and Yum China, Pizza Hut will be well positioned for future growth with ownership that brings deep expertise in the restaurant industry,” Turner said in a written statement.
Yum Brands — which also owns KFC and Taco Bell — kicked off a formal strategic review of Pizza Hut’s future back in November, following a period of falling sales at comparable store locations.
Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, offered a blunt assessment of the situation. “Pizza Hut has long been the weak link in Yum’s portfolio,” Saunders said. “Despite efforts to revitalize the brand and shut underperforming locations, it has become increasingly clear that pushing the division back into growth will require a level of investment and patience that Yum is just not prepared to commit to.”
Saunders also noted that shedding Pizza Hut will allow Yum Brands to put more energy and resources behind its stronger-performing brands.
Yum Brands, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, anticipates both transactions will be finalized during the third quarter of this year. The company’s stock dipped slightly in early pre-market trading following the announcement.
Singer Bonnie Tyler has regained consciousness after being placed in an induced coma, but the Grammy-nominated pop star is still in intensive care and described as “very unwell,” according to a statement posted Monday on her official website.
The 75-year-old vocalist was admitted to a hospital in Faro, Portugal — where she currently resides — last month for emergency intestinal surgery. Following the procedure, doctors placed her in an induced coma as part of her treatment.
The update offered cautious optimism, noting that while her condition is heading in the right direction, the road ahead will not be quick. “Although her condition is improving it is a slow process. Her doctors remain confident that she will make a good recovery but it is going to take time,” the statement read.
All of Tyler’s scheduled performances through August have been either canceled or postponed. However, her team expressed hope that fall concert dates would still go forward, saying, “we are still hopeful that our shows in the autumn will go ahead.”
Tyler earned a permanent place in pop culture history with her thunderous 1983 power ballad “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” a karaoke staple written by Jim Steinman — the producer and songwriter behind Meat Loaf’s music. The song continues to find new audiences every time a solar or lunar eclipse captures public attention.
Born and raised in Wales, the daughter of a coal miner first broke through in 1978 with the hit “It’s a Heartache” before achieving worldwide fame with “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”
British supermodel Naomi Campbell appeared before a London court on Tuesday, taking the stand in her effort to reverse an official ruling that prohibits her from serving as a charity trustee in England and Wales.
The UK’s charity regulator handed down a five-year disqualification against Campbell, 56, in 2024, citing serious financial mismanagement at Fashion for Relief, a charity she founded.
The Charity Commission revealed at the time that thousands of pounds from the charity’s funds were spent on a luxury hotel stay in Cannes, France, benefiting Campbell personally — including spa treatments, room service, and even cigarettes.
The regulator also found that only 8.5% of the charity’s total spending went toward charitable grants over a six-year span beginning in 2016.
Campbell filed an appeal against the ban last year, asserting that she had been a “victim of fraud and forgery.” In a written statement submitted ahead of her courtroom testimony Tuesday, she declared that she has “never undertaken philanthropic work for personal gain, nor will I ever do so.”
“My investigation has revealed identity fraud and deception and helps uncover why most of the funds weren’t used as intended,” she stated. “What my legal team has unearthed is shocking, involving fake email addresses and forged communications with the authorities.”
The Charity Commission’s findings also implicated fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich, who allegedly received approximately 290,000 pounds — roughly $385,000 — in unauthorized payments for consultancy services. Hellmich has been disqualified from serving as a trustee for nine years. A third trustee, Veronica Chou, received a four-year ban.
Fashion for Relief was established in 2015 with the goal of bringing together the fashion world to combat poverty and assist people impacted by natural disasters and other crises globally. The organization was dissolved and removed from the official charities register in 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Kensington Palace confirmed Tuesday that Britain’s Prince George will be heading to Eton College when the new school year begins this fall, walking the same path as his father, Prince William, before him.
For months, royal watchers had been buzzing with guesses about where the second in line to the throne would pursue his secondary education. Many had expected he might choose Marlborough College, the school where his mother, Princess Catherine, received her education.
The palace made it official with a straightforward statement: “Kensington Palace can confirm that Prince George will attend Eton College from this September.”
Eton is a boarding school with deep roots in British history, having been established in 1440 by King Henry VI. The school takes pride in its tradition of shaping the country’s future leaders, counting former Prime Ministers Robert Walpole, David Cameron, and Boris Johnson among its notable alumni. Beyond his father, Prince George’s uncle Prince Harry and his great-uncle, Earl Charles Spencer, are also Eton graduates. Students at the school continue to wear a distinctive traditional uniform consisting of tailcoats, stiff white collars, and pinstriped trousers.
Currently, the 12-year-old prince is enrolled at Lambrook, a private preparatory school located in Berkshire. His younger siblings — Princess Charlotte, age 11, and Prince Louis, age 8 — also attend Lambrook, which sits close to the family’s home in Windsor, to the west of London.
In honor of America’s 250th birthday, McDonald’s is bringing back one of its most nostalgic menu items — the fried apple pie.
The fast food giant announced Tuesday that the beloved treat is making its return for the first time in more than 30 years. Beginning June 23, customers can find the fried apple pie at most McDonald’s locations across the country for a limited time.
McDonald’s isn’t the only chain getting into the patriotic spirit. Burger King recently launched its Firecracker Cookie Pie, featuring a sugar cookie crust topped with red, white, and blue star-shaped sprinkles. Sonic is selling a red, white, and blue slush float for $2.50, while Hardee’s is offering an iced Star-Spangled Biscuit decorated with red and blue sprinkles.
Here’s a closer look at the history of McDonald’s fried apple pie by the numbers:
1968: That’s the year McDonald’s first introduced the fried apple pie, along with the iconic Big Mac. A McDonald’s franchisee in Tennessee named Litton Cochran created the rectangle-shaped pie, which came packaged in a cardboard sleeve. The year 1968 was historically significant, marked by the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis and Robert F. Kennedy in Los Angeles, widespread protests against the Vietnam War, and the passage of a federal law banning housing discrimination.
1992: McDonald’s swapped out the fried version for a baked apple pie at most of its U.S. restaurants that year, responding to increased public concern about fat and cholesterol in the diet. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also released its first food guide pyramid in 1992. Notably, the fried apple pie never disappeared entirely — it has remained on McDonald’s menus in several other countries, including Mexico, Australia, and China.
230: That’s the calorie count in McDonald’s baked apple pie — actually 10 more calories than the fried version, according to the company’s own website. For comparison, a cup of boiled lentils, a single almond Snickers bar, and a grande coffee Frappuccino from Starbucks each contain roughly the same number of calories.
130: The number of members currently in the Facebook group called “Bring Back the Original McDonald’s Fried Apple Pie.”
170 million: The number of American-grown apples McDonald’s says it uses each year at its U.S. restaurants.
35: The height in feet of a massive fried apple pie installation McDonald’s is placing along Route 66 in Joliet, Illinois, near its Chicago headquarters. That’s roughly the same height as a three-story building or certain species of palm trees. The oversized pie is scheduled to remain on display through July 4.
SHERMAN, Texas — Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, whose company makes the computer chips at the heart of the artificial intelligence revolution, is now betting that the AI buildout can breathe new life into U.S. manufacturing — and a factory just north of Dallas may be the proving ground for that idea.
On Tuesday, Nvidia formally announced a major expansion of its AI infrastructure through a $2 billion partnership with Coherent, the company that owns the Sherman, Texas facility. The factory will manufacture the material needed to produce a specialized laser that transmits data between computer chips, allowing them to function together as a unified, more powerful and efficient system. Executives described the technology ahead of the public announcement.
“AI factories are the infrastructure of the new industrial revolution,” Huang said in a statement.
The facility represents a real-world challenge to a central question in the AI debate: will the technology create jobs, or will it replace workers as machines become capable of writing software, analyzing data, running assembly lines, and even operating vehicles with little human involvement?
Under Huang’s leadership, Nvidia has grown into the world’s most valuable company, valued at roughly $5 trillion. The company is now looking beyond chip manufacturing toward building complete AI systems. The businesses expected to rely on those systems to advance AI development could soon join the group of companies valued at more than $1 trillion. How that wealth is distributed — and what consequences the technology brings — has become a central debate about the direction of the United States.
AI is fueling breakthroughs in research and carries the promise of significant economic growth. But while stock markets have responded positively, many Americans have raised concerns about the technology’s electricity demands, potential job losses, and emerging national security implications.
President Donald Trump’s administration, which had previously favored a hands-off regulatory approach to encourage AI development, has recently begun changing direction. It imposed export controls on AI company Anthropic’s newest models, prompting the company to shut down all public access to those models on Friday over security concerns.
Trump, a Republican, signed an executive order calling for new AI models to be voluntarily reviewed by the federal government. He has also floated the idea of the government taking an ownership stake in AI companies, so the public could share in the financial gains — though that would blur the boundary between the public and private sectors.
At the same time, Trump is counting on the AI industry to drive economic growth, boost manufacturing and construction, and push stock markets higher. He has made a point of including Huang on international trips, most recently having Air Force One stop in Alaska to pick up the leather-jacketed CEO while heading to China for a state visit.
Trump has described Huang as “smart,” a “friend,” and “amazing,” and has publicly acknowledged that he once considered breaking up Nvidia due to its market dominance — before concluding that Huang was someone he needed as an ally.
“We are proud to have you in our country,” Trump told the Taiwanese immigrant last year.
The Coherent factory in Sherman received support from both political parties. The Biden administration approved $33 million in funding through the CHIPS and Science Act to help build out the facility, while the Trump administration followed with an additional $17 million grant to help ensure this piece of AI infrastructure would be produced domestically.
Coherent estimates the factory will generate approximately 1,000 jobs in total, including construction workers, with around 550 positions in advanced manufacturing, engineering, and technical fields.
The factory expansion will ramp up production of Indium Phosphide, a material used to make a laser with the optical intensity of the surface of the Sun. Every second, light pulses hundreds of billions of times through a fiber the width of a human hair, enabling Nvidia’s chips to share information and operate as one combined system — what Huang calls “AI factories.”
The technology could cut power consumption by as much as 50%, allowing computations to happen faster and at significantly lower cost. Reducing the cost of tokens — the industry’s measurement of AI usage — could help the technology expand its reach and capabilities.
“This investment expands America’s capacity to manufacture critical AI-enabling technologies, creates high-value jobs, and reinforces U.S. leadership in advanced manufacturing, photonics, and innovation,” said Coherent CEO Jim Anderson in a statement.
A paper published this month by economists Jessica Wachter and Jonathan Wachter found that the five largest U.S. technology companies invested $380 billion last year as part of the AI buildout — a figure that could roughly double in the current year. Based on that level of investment, the economists see the potential for rapid economic growth as AI takes up a larger share of U.S. gross domestic product. While AI currently makes up about 3% of the economy, that share could grow to somewhere between 8% and 39%.
One Nvidia executive, speaking on background to outline the company’s industrial strategy, said Nvidia is transitioning from selling computer chips to delivering complete AI systems. That shift has meant concentrating more production in the U.S., with chip manufacturing increasingly based in Arizona and assembly operations increasingly centered in Texas, creating a more dependable domestic supply chain.
The executive described Nvidia as providing both a brain and a nervous system to its customers, allowing the intelligence produced to be applied to their businesses in ways that generate new products and uncover savings. That could enable manufacturers currently relying on overseas suppliers to bring production back to the U.S. — taking AI from laptops into factory floors where it can, in their words, “move atoms.”
President Trump has made clear he views the AI industry as central to American strength. “It’s an amazing industry,” Trump told reporters last week. “It’s bigger than any industry anyone’s ever seen. We are leading China by a lot. And whoever leads that is going to really lead the world to a large extent, that’s how big it is.”
How much is a presidential endorsement really worth? That question is at the heart of Tuesday’s primary elections across four states and the District of Columbia, as voters weigh in on contests where President Donald Trump has placed his political stamp.
Trump’s backing has generally helped Republican candidates in this year’s midterm cycle, but Tuesday brings fresh challenges to that track record in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Georgia.
In Alabama, U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, a three-term congressman backed by Trump, is locked in a GOP runoff against Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL and first-time political candidate. Hudson has leaned into an outsider message — similar to Trump’s own original campaign strategy — portraying Moore as a Washington insider. Trump held a phone rally in support of Moore just last week. The two are competing for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is now running for governor. The runoff winner will face the Democratic nominee this fall.
In Oklahoma, the Senate landscape has shifted following the departure of former U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who left his seat to become Homeland Security secretary, replacing Kristi Noem. GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt is term-limited and cannot run again. Republican Alan Armstrong, an energy executive, currently holds the Senate seat as an interim appointee but is barred by state law from seeking a full term. Trump-endorsed Rep. Kevin Hern, a four-term congressman, is running against four lower-profile opponents in the Republican Senate primary. The GOP gubernatorial race is more competitive, with nine candidates on the ballot — a field so large that an August 25 runoff may be needed if no one clears 50 percent.
In Georgia, two separate high-profile races are drawing national attention. In the U.S. Senate primary, Rep. Mike Collins — a second-term congressman who describes himself as a “MAGA warrior” — is squaring off against Derek Dooley, a former football coach making his first run for office. Trump endorsed Collins on Sunday. The winner will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in what is expected to be a closely watched November race. In the governor’s race, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who received Trump’s endorsement last August, is facing billionaire Rick Jackson. The winner of that contest will go up against Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, in the general election.
Tuesday’s runoffs in Georgia were triggered because no Republican candidate secured a majority during the May primary.
Also in the news surrounding Tuesday’s elections, a Democrat previously considered a leading candidate for California governor stepped down in April after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her on two occasions — once in 2019 and again in 2024 — including at a time when she worked for him. Additional allegations of sexual misconduct were also reported. The San Francisco Chronicle first broke the story, with the woman stating she had been too intoxicated to consent. The Democrat has denied the allegations and has said he intends to defend himself in the matter.
Meanwhile, voters in Washington D.C. are participating in what political observers are calling one of the most significant primaries the city has seen in decades. It marks the first time since 1990 that D.C. Democrats have had the opportunity to vote for both a new mayor and a new congressional delegate in the same election.
Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France on Tuesday, President Donald Trump stated that a memorandum of understanding reached with Iran makes one thing unmistakably clear: Iran will not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Trump indicated he intends to release the full text of the U.S.-Iran memorandum in a formal setting at a later time.
The president also expressed support for sending the agreement to Congress for review, a step that some Republican lawmakers have been pushing for.
“I never thought about sending it, never even thought about it, but I will,” Trump said. “I will send it to Congress. I like the idea.”
The current U.S.-Iran deal serves as a framework, with both sides expected to work out the finer details over the coming weeks. A 60-day deadline has been set for the next round of negotiations.
“I think it’s going to go pretty quickly,” Trump said when asked about the timeline for those talks.
Trump elaborated on his confidence while meeting with Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, on the sidelines of the G7 gathering. “Iran wants to get it done. They have to get back to business, and the relationship is now normalized, so I think it’s going to go pretty quickly,” he said.
He added that while the pace of negotiations could vary, there is potential for a swift resolution. “Could go faster, could take longer too, but it could go fast,” Trump said.
RICHMOND — Twenty-one members of the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation’s Women’s Leadership Committee traveled to the Washington, D.C. area earlier this month to take part in a major national gathering for women in agriculture.
The biennial ACE Summit — which stands for Advocate, Cultivate, Empower — drew approximately 450 attendees from across the United States and beyond for three days of leadership training, advocacy workshops and networking from June 1-3 in Arlington and Washington, D.C. This year’s event also served as a celebration of the United Nations’ International Year of the Woman Farmer, honoring the contributions women make to farming, agribusiness and the global food supply.
“It was incredible to have such a large cohort of Virginia women representing us at the summit, especially during the IYWF,” said Faye Hundley, chair of the VFBF Women’s Leadership Committee. “The caliber of speakers and workshop topics made for a thought-provoking and educational experience that empowered women to see their value.”
Over the course of the three-day event, attendees explored the history and importance of the UN’s International Year of the Woman Farmer and examined the obstacles and possibilities women in agriculture encounter worldwide. Sessions covered emerging trends in global farming, the growing role of technology in agriculture, and ways to effectively communicate agriculture’s story to consumers, policymakers and local communities.
Notable speakers at the summit included Sarah Frey, CEO and founder of Frey Farms; Alexis Taylor, chief global policy officer of the International Fresh Produce Association; and Krysta Harden, president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council.
For Jennifer Bryington of Orange County Farm Bureau, the summit was her first ACE experience — and one that left a lasting impression after connecting with agriculture professionals from countries including Ireland and Sweden.
“I attended workshops that stretched my thinking, but it was the conversations in between that stayed with me the most,” she said. “I heard stories of loss and resilience; and stories of women who kept showing up after droughts, hardships, heartbreak, financial struggles and unimaginable challenges. It reminded me of why our work matters so much.”
A major highlight of the summit was the unveiling of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s National Women in Agriculture Study, offering an in-depth look at women’s roles throughout U.S. agriculture. The study found that 90% of those surveyed felt confident speaking about agriculture in public or professional settings and expressed interest in taking on leadership roles. It also pointed to areas where greater support is needed, including caregiving responsibilities, skill-building, leadership involvement, financial planning and personal well-being.
On the final day, attendees turned their training into action, heading to Capitol Hill to meet directly with lawmakers. The Virginia delegation sat down with Reps. John McGuire, Eugene Vindman, Jen Kiggans and Ben Cline, sharing firsthand accounts of the challenges facing Virginia’s agricultural communities — including the toll this year’s severe weather has taken on the state’s crops.
Franklin County Farm Bureau member Monica Bowman said the experience reinforced the power of personal storytelling in the political arena.
“Our stories are more than personal experiences — they are powerful tools for shaping policy, building understanding and strengthening agriculture,” she said.
Sheila Newman of Carroll County Farm Bureau agreed, calling the summit a “unique opportunity” to learn from fellow advocates and speak up for farming communities. “I returned home with new knowledge, valuable connections, and a renewed appreciation for the important role women play in agriculture,” she said.
The full Virginia delegation included Candace Monaghan of Botetourt County; Sheila Newman of Carroll County; Aimee Adams of Charlotte County; Roxanne Stonecypher of Chesapeake; Faye Hundley of Essex County; Monica Bowman and Morgan Washburn of Franklin County; Stacy Richardson of King & Queen County; Kelsey Trainor of King George County; Elizabeth Dzula of Essex County; Jennifer Bryington, Katelyn Burner and Melissa Chambers of Orange County; Ginger Shotwell of Pittsylvania County; Ann Smith of Rockbridge County; Ashley Kuhler of Shenandoah County; Sarah Gillsespie of Smyth County; Cutler Blankenship and Amber Compton of Spotsylvania County; and Julia Stephens of Wythe County.
Members of the Virginia Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Program work to support agriculture — the state’s largest industry — through community education, local outreach initiatives and advocacy on behalf of Farm Bureau policies.
A French robotics company is entering the rapidly growing AI robot market with a machine that deliberately avoids looking like a human being.
Genesis AI, a Paris-based startup backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, introduced its first general-purpose robot on Tuesday. The robot, called Eno, features a wheeled base instead of legs, a foldable tower structure, and hands designed to match the shape of a human hand.
While many leading robotics manufacturers have favored humanoid designs, Genesis AI took a different approach. The company says Eno is built not to resemble humans, but to expand on what humans can do.
Vivian Sun, Vice President of Commercial and Strategy at Genesis AI, told Reuters that the wheeled base was a deliberate choice because most industrial customers work on flat floors. She noted that legs would only be practical in situations involving stairs or similar obstacles.
“We are mimicking humans in capabilities, not in form,” Sun said. “Humans can go up and down, and so does the robot, but through this foldable design.”
Eno operates using Genesis AI’s own artificial intelligence model. The company was founded in early 2025 and has already raised $105 million — equivalent to about €90.6 million — making it one of France’s largest fundraising rounds and matching the record seed round previously set by Mistral AI, considered Europe’s top AI company. The company’s overall valuation has not been disclosed.
Genesis AI has built dozens of units so far and plans to ramp up production in the second half of 2026. The company intends to begin targeted customer deployments by the end of that year, starting with logistics and manufacturing businesses before expanding to hotels, hospitals, and eventually everyday consumers.
In a statement, Schmidt said the robot would not replace human expertise but would instead “amplify it,” calling the technology “one of the largest economic opportunities of the AI era.”
The robot’s debut comes as the global robotics industry is expanding quickly, fueled by advances in artificial intelligence. That growth has sparked widespread concern about job security. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted this month found that 53% of Americans were worried that AI could put them or someone in their household out of a job.
Technical hurdles, including limitations around processing power and battery life, continue to be challenges for the industry as a whole.
Yum Brands announced Tuesday that it is offloading its Pizza Hut chain in a pair of deals totaling $2.7 billion, as the struggling pizza brand faces fierce competition and cautious spending from consumers.
Under the agreement, Yum China will purchase Pizza Hut’s Mainland China operations for $1.2 billion. The remainder of the business will be picked up by private equity firm LongRange Capital for $1.5 billion.
The pizza industry has been under pressure from rising inflation and higher commodity costs, while demand has softened over time. Analysts also point to the growing use of GLP-1 weight-loss medications, which are pushing more consumers toward healthier food choices, as a contributing factor to the slump.
Yum Brands had signaled last year that it was considering its options for Pizza Hut after multiple consecutive quarters of falling sales. The chain brought in roughly 12% of Yum’s total revenue in 2025, but it had fallen well behind sister brands like Taco Bell in performance.
The sale follows Yum Brands entering exclusive negotiations with LongRange Capital back in May. Yum Brands CEO Chris Turner commented on the decision, saying, “These transactions enable Yum! to be a more focused company.”
Pizza Hut has a long corporate history — it was purchased by PepsiCo in 1977, then spun off in 1997 along with KFC and Taco Bell to create a standalone restaurant company. That company eventually became Yum Brands in 2002.
With the Pizza Hut sale, Yum Brands will be left operating only its Taco Bell and KFC brands. Shares of Yum rose roughly 1% in premarket trading following the announcement.
Yum China Holdings, a Shanghai-based company that was itself spun off from Yum Brands, currently operates and franchises more than 18,000 locations across China, including approximately 13,000 KFC restaurants.
Reuters had previously reported in April that several firms — including LongRange, Sycamore Partners, and Apollo Global Management — were competing to acquire Pizza Hut.
WASHINGTON — The cost of goods brought into the United States jumped more than economists anticipated last month, driven by steep increases in fuel and capital goods prices, pushing the annual rate of import price growth to its highest level in nearly four years.
According to the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, import prices rose 1.9% in May, following an upwardly revised 2.0% increase in April. Economists surveyed by Reuters had expected a more modest 1.0% gain. The import price figures do not include tariffs.
Looking at the broader picture, import prices climbed 6.7% over the 12 months ending in May — the steepest year-over-year increase since August 2022, and well above the 4.2% annual gain recorded in April.
A major factor behind the surge has been rising oil prices, which have soared in connection with the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Washington and Tehran announced Sunday that they had reached an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though that deal may depend on a resolution to ongoing hostilities in Lebanon.
The inflation picture has been worsening on multiple fronts. Consumer prices rose at their fastest pace in three years in May, while producer prices posted their biggest increase in three and a half years, according to government data released last week.
With inflation climbing and the job market holding steady, the likelihood of an interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve has grown. Still, many economists believe the threshold for such a policy tightening remains high.
Federal Reserve officials were set to begin a two-day policy meeting Tuesday. Economists widely expected the central bank to hold its benchmark overnight interest rate steady in the 3.50% to 3.75% range, while signaling a shift away from its previous stance favoring rate cuts.
Imported fuel prices jumped 12.5% in May, following an even larger 18.6% spike in April. The cost of imported capital goods rose 1.3%, with heavy spending on artificial intelligence technology cited as a key driver behind that increase.
Motorists traveling southbound on Foulk Road should plan for a slowdown this afternoon as construction crews have closed the right lane between Chatham Drive and Heather Road East.
The lane restriction is expected to be in effect until 3:30 p.m. Drivers in the area are encouraged to allow extra travel time or consider an alternate route until the closure is lifted.
A section of North College Avenue is currently closed to traffic as construction work gets underway in the area.
The closure affects the stretch of road between Cleveland Avenue and Main Street. Drivers traveling through that corridor will need to find an alternate route until the work is completed.
According to DelDOT, the road is expected to reopen by 10 a.m. on June 19th, assuming construction stays on schedule.
Motorists are encouraged to allow extra travel time and watch for construction crews and equipment in the surrounding area.
Germany’s automotive industry association is welcoming the European Parliament’s decision to approve a trade agreement between the European Union and the United States, though the group says trade barriers remain far too burdensome — especially for commercial vehicle manufacturers.
The VDA, Germany’s automotive trade organization, issued a statement Tuesday saying the EU-US deal must now be formally adopted by the European Council without delay.
“Reliable operating conditions are of paramount importance to our companies,” VDA President Hildegard Mueller said, noting that the current 15% U.S. tariff rate on passenger cars and their components continues to present a serious obstacle for German automakers.
Mueller also called for action to help commercial vehicle producers, saying the financial impact on that sector is “of existential importance.” Trucks currently face a 25% tariff rate, while buses carry an additional 10% on top of that.
“They also undermine investment and jobs in the U.S., weaken supply chains, drive up costs throughout the entire value chain, and will ultimately burden consumers as well,” Mueller added.
Drivers heading southbound on Interstate 95 near Wilmington should be aware of an ongoing maintenance operation that could slow their commute.
A trash removal crew is currently working in the median of I-95 southbound, between mile marker 17 and the Wilmington area. The operation is expected to remain in place until 4 p.m.
Motorists traveling through that corridor are encouraged to slow down, stay alert, and watch for workers and equipment near the roadway.
MADRID — The Spanish government announced Tuesday it has set aside €719 million, equivalent to approximately $834 million, to finance the construction of a major artificial intelligence gigafactory. Officials say the project is intended to cut down on the country’s dependence on overseas technology while keeping AI development in line with European Union standards.
The funding arrangement will give the government an ownership stake in a company formed specifically to enter Spain’s bid in the European Commission’s InvestAI initiative — a program that could unlock additional financial support for the project.
Spain plans to submit a proposal covering multiple locations, including sites in both Catalonia and Madrid.
According to government officials, the gigafactory is expected to give Spain and the broader European community access to advanced computing power, while also helping domestic businesses develop new technologies and sharpen their competitive edge.
Digital Transformation Minister Oscar Lopez emphasized that investing in high-performance computing infrastructure would open doors for Spanish scientists who currently struggle to access such resources due to high costs and limited availability.
The Accomack County Community and Economic Development Office has announced that it will be operating on modified summer hours.
Those who rely on the office for community and economic development services are encouraged to keep the updated schedule in mind when planning visits or inquiries.
No further details regarding the specific hours or duration of the summer schedule were included in the announcement. Residents are advised to contact the office directly for more information.
Eastbound travelers on Dundee Road (Road 125) are facing a right lane closure due to ongoing construction activity.
The closure affects the stretch of roadway between Willow Grove Road (Road 10) and Bison Road (Road 234). Drivers should expect potential delays in that area.
The lane is expected to reopen by 4 PM. Motorists are encouraged to allow extra travel time or consider alternate routes until construction work is completed.
SpaceX is pressing forward with its $60 billion purchase of artificial intelligence startup Cursor as Elon Musk’s space and AI company looks to sharpen its competitive edge against Anthropic and OpenAI — coming off a successful Wall Street debut last week.
Back in April, SpaceX announced it had secured the option to either acquire Cursor outright or pay $10 billion to enter into a collaborative arrangement with the company.
A regulatory filing submitted Tuesday confirmed that Cursor will become a wholly owned subsidiary of SpaceX once the transaction is finalized, which is expected to happen during the third quarter.
Cursor is an AI-powered coding assistant developed by San Francisco-based startup Anysphere. SpaceX has pointed to Cursor’s strong reach among professional software engineers as a key draw, giving the company access to an entirely new customer base.
When the potential deal was first made public, Cursor noted that teaming up with SpaceX’s subsidiary xAI would allow it to develop future AI products using xAI’s massive data center complex known as Colossus, located in Memphis, Tennessee.
Founded in 2022, Cursor played a significant role in popularizing a concept known as “vibe coding” — a trend that emerged as AI coding tools became increasingly capable of handling real software development tasks on their own.
While Cursor goes head-to-head with other AI coding products such as Anthropic’s Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex, it has also leaned heavily on partnerships with those same larger AI companies to power the underlying technology behind its tool.
It was actually a combination of Cursor’s Composer feature and Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet that inspired a well-known AI researcher to coin the term “vibe coding” in early 2025, while experimenting with the tools on personal weekend projects.
SpaceX made its public market debut on Friday in what analysts widely viewed as a strong showing. The company’s shares have climbed since then, rising 9% ahead of Tuesday’s opening bell.
MANILA, Philippines — During a state visit to the Philippines on Tuesday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier voiced Europe’s growing alarm over escalating tensions in the South China Sea, cautioning that a serious flare-up in the region could threaten international shipping lanes — much like what occurred recently in the Strait of Hormuz.
Steinmeier appeared alongside Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila, where he pointed to the Hormuz blockade — a consequence of the Iran war — as a stark warning of what could happen if territorial confrontations in the South China Sea are left unchecked. Those disputes have been especially heated between the Philippines and China.
Speaking through an interpreter, Steinmeier said, “The situation in the South China Sea … continues to be tense and that gives us cause to be concerned because the Indo-Pacific, in particular the region of Southeast Asia, is one of the most economically dynamic regions of the world.”
He went on to say, “If incidents occur in that part of the world that is also cause for great concern in Europe. Violations of the international law of the sea endanger the freedom of navigation as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has brought home to us recently in a very drastic manner.”
The Hormuz closure, which triggered worldwide spikes in fuel and fertilizer prices, was among the topics the two leaders addressed in a private meeting.
While Steinmeier stopped short of assigning blame to any specific country for the South China Sea tensions, Germany has previously stated that China’s conduct in those disputed waters violates the rights of coastal nations like the Philippines and puts freedom of navigation at risk.
The United States, though it makes no territorial claims in the South China Sea, has repeatedly stated its obligation to defend the Philippines — its longest-standing treaty ally in Asia — should Filipino forces, ships, or aircraft face an armed attack. China has consistently warned the U.S. against involvement in the disputes, which also include competing claims from Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
During a 2024 visit to Manila, then-German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had also raised concerns about China’s actions, which have included minor collisions with Philippine vessels. She said such behavior “violate rights and opportunities for economic development of your own country and other littoral states” and declared that China’s claims “are not covered by international law.” Baerbock visited the Philippine coast guard headquarters and briefly operated a surveillance drone donated by Germany during that trip.
On Tuesday, Steinmeier pledged Germany’s ongoing backing for the Philippine coast guard, which has served as a frontline defender of Manila’s territorial interests and has been involved in multiple confrontations with Chinese forces at sea.
Marcos expressed gratitude to Steinmeier and Germany “for consistently and publicly expressing its support for Philippine efforts to uphold the rule of law in the South China Sea, including by calling on all parties to abide by the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award.”
That 2016 ruling, grounded in the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, struck down China’s sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea. Beijing refused to take part in the arbitration process initiated by the Philippines, rejected the ruling’s outcome, and continues to ignore it.
Federal authorities have disrupted what the FBI director called “planned attacks” aimed at a UFC cage-fighting event that took place at the White House this past weekend, with several suspects now behind bars, FBI Director Kash Patel announced Tuesday.
The specific nature of the alleged threat had not yet been made public, with officials indicating more details would come once formal charges were unsealed later in the day.
A law enforcement official familiar with the situation, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the information had not yet been officially released, said five individuals were arrested across multiple states, including Ohio, Missouri, and California.
According to Patel, the FBI first became aware of the possible threat on June 10 — four days before the mixed-martial arts event on the White House’s South Lawn. “Thanks to the rapid action of the FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” Patel wrote in a post on X Tuesday morning.
President Donald Trump, who turned 80 years old at the UFC event on Sunday, had framed the fights as part of broader celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
ATLANTA — Georgia Republicans are battling over the future direction of their party in runoff elections Tuesday, with voters deciding who will carry the GOP banner against U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and who will compete to hold the governor’s office against former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
President Donald Trump looms large over every contest on the ballot.
In the race for the Senate nomination, Trump stepped in late with an endorsement of Rep. Mike Collins, a second-term congressman who describes himself as a “MAGA warrior.” Collins is competing against Derek Dooley, a political newcomer and former football coach who has earned the backing of outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp.
Trump made his pick in the governor’s race ten months earlier, throwing his support behind Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who was involved in Trump’s efforts to reverse his 2020 loss to Joe Biden. In a last-minute development, Kemp announced his own endorsement of Jones on Sunday.
Both Trump’s and Kemp’s endorsements are being put to the test by billionaire Rick Jackson, who has poured more than $93 million of his personal fortune into his bid for the nomination.
Georgia carries enormous weight in the national battle for control of Congress. Ossoff, who was first elected during the 2020 cycle, is the lone Democratic senator running for reelection in a state Trump carried in 2024. Democrats consider holding his seat critical if they want to gain the net four seats needed to reclaim the Senate majority.
The Republican debate over who can best win in November has taken center stage, with Dooley, 58, arguing that his outsider status actually works in his favor.
“We have got to get the best candidate to beat Jon Ossoff,” Dooley said Monday during one of his final campaign appearances before Tuesday’s polls open. “The Republican Party has not won a Senate race in 10 years. … We have to learn some lessons from that.”
Dooley frequently draws on football analogies, a natural fit given his lifelong connection to the sport. “You’ve got to have somebody who can stay on offense” against Ossoff, he often tells supporters. Before his own coaching career at the college and NFL levels, Dooley came from a celebrated Georgia sports family — his father was the legendary University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley.
Dooley has also targeted Collins over a House ethics complaint alleging the congressman misused taxpayer funds by putting the girlfriend of a former senior aide on the congressional payroll for work she allegedly never performed. An initial review resulted in the matter being forwarded to the House ethics committee.
Collins, whose father also served in Congress, has welcomed Trump’s endorsement while making the case that his own record provides the sharpest contrast with Ossoff, particularly on immigration, and that he can build a wider coalition of supporters.
“We’ve got a great organization with the right voting record and the right message,” Collins said during his final campaign swing before the runoff.
Collins, 58, authored the 2025 Laken Riley Act, legislation that mandates immigrants accused of certain crimes be held without bond. The law bears the name of a Georgia nursing student killed in 2021 by a man who had entered the country illegally. Ossoff initially voted against the measure but later switched his position after Trump returned to the White House.
Collins also highlights his background as the owner of a trucking company, saying the experience has given him firsthand knowledge of the challenges facing workers and business owners. “We must protect Americans first, protect our people, put them first, get the federal government off the backs of hardworking men and women out there,” he said.
Whoever emerges from the Republican primary will face a significant fundraising disadvantage heading into the general election and will rely heavily on national GOP support. Through the end of May, neither Republican candidate had raised $5 million, and both had less than $2 million available to spend. By contrast, Ossoff had raised $60.4 million and held $32.5 million in cash as of late April, the last reporting period before his uncontested primary.
Trump-backed candidates have generally performed well in 2026 primaries, but none have yet faced a self-funded rival with the financial firepower Jackson has demonstrated.
Jackson, a 71-year-old businessman who built his wealth through a company supplying contract healthcare workers, has used that fortune to flood television and online platforms with advertising. Pitching himself to hardcore Trump supporters, he has vowed that immigrants living in Georgia illegally will be “deported or departed.” He has also promised sweeping tax cuts and, with an eye toward a potential general election, has highlighted his personal story as someone who grew up in the state’s foster care system and featured his grandchildren in campaign ads aimed at softening his image.
Jones, 47, comes from a wealthy background but is running a comparatively lower-profile campaign. He presents himself as a “proven leader” and is calling for the elimination of Georgia’s state income tax, though he has not explained how the resulting revenue shortfall would be addressed. He has also pointed to his presidential endorsement and his time as a University of Georgia football player in the 1990s as part of his pitch to voters. As lieutenant governor, Jones pushed legislation — which ultimately failed to pass — that would have barred Jackson’s company from receiving state contracts funded by taxpayers.
Trump did not visit Georgia to campaign alongside Jones in person, but he has offered fresh praise on social media and joined a tele-rally during the early voting window.
“Burt was strongly committed to my Campaign in 2016, 2020, and 2024, and worked tirelessly to help us WIN. He has been with us from the very beginning,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last week.
Georgia’s secretary of state race is also on the ballot for the first time since Trump’s well-documented pressure campaign following the 2020 election, when he famously urged then-Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,800 votes” to overturn Biden’s victory. Raffensperger declined.
Republicans must now choose between Vernon Jones, an outright election denier who previously identified as a Democrat and embraced Trump’s “stop the steal” movement, and state lawmaker Tim Fleming, who avoids directly challenging Trump’s 2020 claims but refers to unspecified “irregularities” — a term that has become a way for Republicans to sidestep both endorsing and rebuking the former president’s assertions.
On the Democratic side, voters are choosing between Dana Barrett, a Fulton County commissioner, and Penny Brown Reynolds, a former Fulton County judge who also served in the Biden administration as deputy assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Agriculture.
A networking technology company that spun out of Intel is making its mark on some of the most demanding computing work in the country — simulating nuclear weapons reactions.
Cornelis, which separated from Intel in 2020 and in which the chipmaker still holds a minority stake, announced Tuesday that its chips are now powering a supercomputer used for nuclear weapons research in the United States.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory revealed it has chosen Cornelis chips to connect 952 computers within its newly built system, known as “Lynx.” The laboratory operates under the National Nuclear Security Administration, alongside two other U.S. national labs, and together they use highly precise computer simulations of nuclear reactions to develop and maintain the country’s nuclear arsenal — considered one of the most computationally intensive challenges in the entire tech industry.
The Lynx system is one piece of a broader $70 million initiative across the three laboratories, aimed at constructing reliable, high-performance supercomputers using standard, commercially available hardware rather than custom-built components.
Cornelis is working to establish its Omni-Path networking technology as a serious competitor to chips made by rivals such as Nvidia and Broadcom. The technology is designed for situations where a computing task is too large for a single machine and must be distributed across many computers at once.
A key advantage of Cornelis chips is their ability to intelligently route data traffic. Rather than sending information through a congested path, the chips can identify a less crowded route — even if it’s technically a longer one — to get the data to its destination more quickly.
Lisa Spelman, CEO of Cornelis, described it this way: “You might drive a mile longer, but you get there 10 minutes faster because you avoided the stadium traffic from the FIFA World Cup.”
BAGHDAD — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is set to travel to Washington in mid-July as part of an effort to deepen the strategic relationship between Iraq and the United States, with a particular focus on economic partnerships, trade, and attracting investment, according to a government spokesperson.
Spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi characterized the upcoming trip as an initiative “to enhance the Iraqi-U.S. partnership based on mutual interests.”
“The government aims to broaden the horizons of our strategic partnership with global companies and stimulate an investment-friendly environment that contributes tangible benefits to the Iraqi economy while strengthening internal stability,” al-Aboudi told the state news agency.
Since assuming office in May, al-Zaidi has made it clear that revitalizing Iraq’s economy, drawing in foreign investors, and fighting corruption are top priorities for his administration.
Iraq is working to lessen its dependence on oil revenues while confronting long-standing issues such as high unemployment — particularly among younger Iraqis — and deteriorating infrastructure.
Al-Zaidi’s path forward is not without obstacles. He must contend with the influence of Iran-backed militias, deeply rooted corruption, and the delicate task of managing relationships with both Washington and Tehran simultaneously.
The announcement of the Washington visit comes shortly after the U.S. and Iran reached an interim agreement to bring an end to the conflict in the Middle East, a development that is expected to put al-Zaidi’s diplomatic balancing skills to the test.
Following his nomination for the prime ministerial role in April, al-Zaidi received a congratulatory message from U.S. President Donald Trump, who expressed hope for stronger cooperation between Baghdad and Washington.
The two countries are bound by a strategic framework agreement that addresses security, economic, and cultural cooperation. Even so, the relationship has faced periodic strain over issues including the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq, Baghdad’s ties with neighboring Iran, and American pressure on Iraq to rein in Iran-aligned armed factions.
Iceland’s finance minister is calling on the nation to pursue European Union membership, arguing it would bolster the country’s economy and security at a time of growing Arctic competition and international trade tensions.
On August 29, Icelanders will head to the polls to decide whether to restart EU membership talks with Brussels. The vote is not a direct referendum on joining the bloc — any finalized deal would require a separate public vote. Iceland had previously pursued membership negotiations but walked away from them in 2013 after a Eurosceptic government came to power.
Finance Minister Dadi Mar Kristofersson, whose party supports a “yes” vote, told Reuters that EU membership aligns with Iceland’s core interests. “I think that both our economic interests and our security interests are well served by membership,” he said.
He added: “The core values of a small open economy are always going to be free trade and a rules-based order, because we do not have the capacity to defend our interests by force.”
Kristofersson acknowledged that Iceland’s longstanding defense agreement with the United States, dating back to 1951, along with NATO membership, remain the bedrock of the country’s security. However, he noted that Trump’s threats to acquire Greenland had shifted the calculus somewhat. Those threats sparked one of the most serious transatlantic confrontations in recent memory, with the EU threatening broad economic countermeasures against Washington.
“We are the unsinkable aircraft carrier and we will remain the unsinkable aircraft carrier,” Kristofersson said, referring to Iceland’s strategic position between Greenland and Europe along one of the Atlantic’s most closely watched stretches of ocean. He also noted that the U.S. views its sphere of influence as extending beyond Iceland and Greenland — and that “is not going to change.”
Gylfi Zoega, an economics professor at the University of Iceland, said the pace of geopolitical change has been extraordinary. “Changes that might have unfolded over a decade had been compressed into 18 months under the Trump administration,” he said. “Europe is on its own. And then we have to decide whether to be a U.S. military base important for the defence of the U.S. homeland or be part of Europe. And that’s the big question.”
With a population of only 400,000, Iceland would be by far the smallest member of a bloc that represents 450 million people. Even so, the EU views Iceland as an appealing candidate given its geographic position and abundant fishing waters, though Brussels has been careful to avoid appearing to campaign ahead of the vote.
On the economic front, Iceland holds the distinction of being the most expensive country in the world, according to analysis by Viska, Iceland’s largest academic union. Its central bank interest rate currently stands at 7.75%. The island’s economy is driven primarily by fishing, aluminum production, and tourism — and its volcanic scenery has even served as a backdrop for the HBO series Game of Thrones.
The country’s Central Bank Governor recently pointed to lower transaction costs, increased competition, and reduced interest rates as potential benefits of adopting the euro, while cautioning that the transition could drive inflation and that significant labor market reforms would be needed regardless of the outcome.
Kristofersson echoed the optimism on interest rates. “Iceland will never become cheap, but … it might become cheaper,” he said. He also noted that the Icelandic crown is a small currency prone to volatility, and that EU membership would give Iceland three paths forward: letting the currency float freely, pegging it to the euro, or adopting the euro outright.
Not everyone is convinced. Opponents of membership contend that Iceland already benefits from access to the EU’s single market through its participation in the European Economic Area, without taking on the full responsibilities of membership. A major sticking point is fishing — a cornerstone of Iceland’s economy and cultural identity. Critics fear that joining the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy could force Iceland to open its waters to foreign fishing fleets, something the industry strongly opposes.
Chinese social media company Xiaohongshu — better known internationally as RedNote — is taking steps toward a public stock offering in Hong Kong, according to two sources familiar with the situation.
The Shanghai-based company has brought on Goldman Sachs and CICC among the banks tapped to assist with the potential initial public offering, the sources said. The exact size of the offering and the company’s expected market value have not been disclosed, though two separate sources indicated that Xiaohongshu was trading at valuations as high as $50 billion in private markets toward the end of last year.
Those same sources said the company could make its market debut as early as the latter half of 2025. All sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Xiaohongshu, whose name translates to “little red book” in English, did not respond to requests for comment. Goldman Sachs declined to comment, and CICC had not responded by the time of publication.
Bloomberg was first to report the IPO plans on Monday, noting that the company was preparing to confidentially file for the Hong Kong listing before the end of June.
Launched in 2013, Xiaohongshu functions similarly to Meta’s Instagram, giving users a platform to share photos, videos, and written posts about their daily lives. In recent years, it has also emerged as a go-to search tool for young people seeking travel advice, lifestyle tips, and dining recommendations. The platform now boasts more than 400 million monthly active users as of 2025.
One source said the company’s projected profit for 2026 could reach $3 billion.
This is not the company’s first attempt at going public. Back in 2021, Xiaohongshu quietly filed paperwork for a U.S. stock listing, but that effort fell apart after Chinese regulators raised objections about the chosen listing location, according to one source and a fifth person with knowledge of the plans.
That same year, Beijing tightened its oversight of private media and internet companies amid rising tensions between China and the United States, and increased scrutiny of Chinese firms listed on foreign exchanges.
The Hong Kong IPO still requires approval from China’s securities regulator, a process that sources say could take several months.
The company’s valuation has fluctuated significantly in recent years — reaching $20 billion during a 2021 funding round before falling to a reported $17 billion in 2024. Interest in the company surged again in early 2025 after large numbers of TikTok users in the United States migrated to its platform, spurred by the prospect of a U.S. government ban on TikTok in January.
Mobileye Global announced Tuesday that it will launch its own robotaxi service in the United States next year, a move that puts the self-driving technology provider in direct competition with some of the automakers and companies it currently supplies.
Stock in the Jerusalem, Israel-based company climbed more than 5% in premarket trading following the announcement.
The push reflects a broader trend in the autonomous vehicle industry, where growing investment in driverless technology is intensifying competition as companies seek greater control over how their products are deployed and how revenue is generated.
Mobileye’s plan calls for deploying roughly 100 vehicles in a major U.S. city starting in 2027. The company aims to expand that fleet to around 17,000 vehicles over the following five years.
Mobileye, which currently supplies advanced driver-assistance systems to automakers, said the new robotaxi venture will not affect its relationships with existing customers. The company described the direct-to-consumer service as a complement to its current business model, not a replacement.
The announcement comes after ride-hailing company Lyft said last year that it planned to roll out fully driverless robotaxis as early as 2026 in Dallas, using Mobileye’s technology to power those vehicles.
A lane shift is currently in place on Papermill Road (DE-72) in the westbound and northbound directions between Willow Creek Lane and Limestone Road (Road 7).
The lane shift is scheduled to remain in effect until 5 PM. Drivers traveling through that stretch of road should slow down and be prepared for changed traffic patterns.
Motorists are encouraged to allow extra time if traveling through the area or to consider an alternate route if possible.
Travelers heading through the Elderon Drive loop should be prepared for intermittent lane closures as construction work continues in the area.
According to traffic officials, the lane restrictions at Elderon Drive at Elderon Drive — known as the loop — are expected to remain in place until 6:00 PM.
Drivers are encouraged to use caution when passing through the construction zone and to consider alternate routes if possible to avoid potential delays.
Drivers traveling along South Dupont Highway, also known as Route 13, should be aware of an active work operation in the median this morning.
According to DelDOT, a moving operation is taking place in the median between Webbs Lane and Martin Luther King Boulevard. The activity is expected to continue until 1 p.m.
Motorists in the area are advised to use caution and allow for extra travel time while crews are working in that stretch of roadway.
Travelers heading along Star Road between Beech Hill Road and Cox Road should be prepared for intermittent lane restrictions as construction crews work in the area.
The lane closure is expected to continue until 5 PM, according to traffic officials. Drivers are encouraged to use caution when passing through the construction zone.
No detour information was provided, but motorists may want to consider alternate routes to avoid potential delays.
Motorists heading northbound on Bradford Street between B Street and A Street are encountering intermittent lane closures due to construction work in the area.
The lane restrictions are expected to remain in place until 4:00 PM. Drivers are advised to plan accordingly and allow extra travel time or consider alternate routes if possible.
A traffic stop in Wilmington on Saturday afternoon led to the discovery of a stolen firearm and resulted in an arrest, according to authorities.
At around 5:00 p.m. on June 13, 2026, officers were patrolling the Silverside Road area when one of them spotted a Dodge Durango commit a traffic violation at the intersection of Silverside Road and Carr Road.
Officers pulled the vehicle over and made contact with those inside. The stop ultimately uncovered a stolen firearm, leading to an arrest.
Additional details about the arrest, including the identity of those taken into custody and the specific charges filed, were not included in the initial release from authorities.
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — At the Group of Seven summit of major industrialized nations, U.S. allies spent Tuesday pressing President Donald Trump to refocus attention on the war in Ukraine, which has now stretched past four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Recent weeks have seen the conflict in Ukraine overshadowed by the war between the U.S. and Iran. French President Emmanuel Macron, who is hosting the summit, said he intends to convince Trump to keep backing Ukraine and ramp up pressure on Russia in pursuit of a peace deal.
With the United States having scaled back its assistance to Ukraine under the Trump administration, France and its European partners have stepped up as the primary sources of both military equipment and financial support for Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy participated in a morning working session with G7 leaders, though the talks concluded quickly — lasting just 75 minutes, according to the French G7 presidency.
The Ukraine discussions followed Trump’s announcement of a deal to bring an end to the 3 1/2-month U.S. conflict with Iran. Trump confirmed Tuesday that he plans to sit down privately with Zelenskyy. He said he wants to shift his focus to Ukraine now, suggesting that Iran will soon be “back in the rearview mirror.” While he played down the war’s direct impact on the United States, he expressed sadness over the lives lost.
“The whole thing is ridiculous,” Trump told reporters. “So, yeah, I’m going to do whatever I can.”
On a related front, the United Kingdom unveiled a fresh round of sanctions aimed at the so-called “shadow fleet” Russia relies on to export oil and gas, along with the financial networks Moscow uses to dodge Western penalties. Among the vessels targeted are several ships recently acquired by Russia to move liquefied natural gas from its sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project. Last weekend, British forces seized a Russian shadow fleet ship in the English Channel — the first time such an action has taken place there.
Just hours before the G7 summit got underway, Russia unleashed hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles against Ukraine’s largest cities in an assault that left 11 people dead and set a religious landmark ablaze.
The strikes came after both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke separately by phone with Trump on Sunday — the U.S. president’s 80th birthday. Those calls indicate Washington has not abandoned its diplomatic push to bring the fighting to an end, which began with Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
During his 2024 campaign to return to the White House, Trump boasted he could resolve the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office. He has since admitted the situation has turned out to be far more complicated than he originally believed.
In another development, Ukraine on Monday formally launched European Union membership negotiations, beginning a lengthy process that will demand significant political reforms from its government — all while the country continues to battle the Russian invasion. Ukraine views EU membership as a key security guarantee for its future stability once the war concludes. Membership in the NATO military alliance would offer even stronger guarantees, but the Trump administration has ruled that out, and many others are reluctant to admit Ukraine while the war is still ongoing.
The U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement has also drawn considerable attention at the summit. Trump held a private meeting with the Emir of Qatar and is scheduled to meet with the President of the United Arab Emirates later in the day. Neither Gulf nation is a G7 member, but Macron invited their leaders to attend the summit given the turbulent situation in the region.
Trump also voiced frustration over Israel’s continued military operations against the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, telling reporters he is “not happy with the way Israel has handled themselves with Lebanon and with Hezbollah.”
“They should have been able to deal with them faster,” Trump added. “It just goes on forever. And when that happens, it throws a negative light on the big deal. And that’s the deal with Iran.”
G7 leaders also gathered for a working lunch to address the broader Middle East situation, with the conversation expected to center on what comes next following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire.
In recent months, Trump has clashed with leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy over his decision to go to war with Iran without consulting them. He has threatened consequences, including potentially pulling U.S. troops from all four countries — all NATO members — citing their lack of support.
Despite those tensions, U.S. allies are pushing for swift progress that could help ease the economic strain caused by rising oil prices tied to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Macron said France and other Western partners are “ready to take action very quickly” to help reopen the strait through peaceful means. France and the U.K. have been leading efforts to restore maritime security in the strait when conditions allow.
The G7 is made up of France, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Several guest nations — including Brazil, India, Kenya, and South Korea — were also invited to take part in certain sessions of this summit.
ROVINJ, Croatia — A one-month-old pony named Mile has become the most unexpected resident in an apartment building in the northern Croatian coastal town of Rovinj.
Mile is staying temporarily in his owners’ fourth-floor unit because his mother rejected him shortly after he was born. On top of that, he required surgery to treat a life-threatening infection in neighboring Slovenia, where community members pitched in donations to help cover the medical bills. He now needs constant attention around the clock.
“Every two hours, we warm up his milk and feed him,” said owner Andjelka Josipovic. “If we forget to feed him, he wakes up, comes to us and rouses us up.”
Josipovic shares the one-bedroom apartment with her partner Kristijan Jelenic, her two sons, a dog — and now Mile.
The little pony has turned heads throughout the neighborhood, though not a single complaint has been filed.
Josipovic is optimistic about Mile’s chances for a full recovery. He has been eating well and has put on a kilogram — about 2.2 pounds. She described him as cheerful, with a “strong desire to suckle, eat, and fight.”
“The first night, the vet thought there was no hope and wanted to put him down,” Josipovic recalled. “I said, let’s try until the morning.”
The family operates a small ranch and a children’s playroom in Bale, roughly 15 kilometers — about 9 miles — from Rovinj, where llamas, pigs, horses, and sheep all call home.
During the day, Mile joins the other animals out at the ranch. But each evening, he makes the trip back to Rovinj — one of Croatia’s most visited tourist destinations — riding in the back seat of the family’s car. Once home, he settles in on either a mattress or a sofa for the night.
The family lives in a residential neighborhood away from Rovinj’s famous old town, which draws visitors with its winding Mediterranean-style stone streets and a prominent church.
Jelenic noted that at Mile’s current size — just 16 kilograms, or about 35 pounds — having him in the apartment isn’t all that different from living with a dog or another household pet.
“In about twenty days, this probably will no longer be possible,” Jelenic said. “I hope he will be strong enough by then to be able to stay at the ranch.”
U.S. President Donald Trump stood firmly behind a temporary agreement with Iran on Tuesday, insisting the deal makes it absolutely clear that Tehran will never be permitted to build a nuclear weapon. He also floated the idea that Syria might be better suited than Israel to handle the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
Trump made the remarks before sitting down with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France. The president was defending a 14-point memorandum of understanding reached with Iran, the full contents of which have not yet been released to the public.
“The only thing that really matters to me is Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and it says it loud and clear,” Trump told reporters. He added a stark warning, saying “all hell will rain down” on Iran if it attempted to acquire one.
U.S. and Iranian representatives are scheduled to meet in Switzerland this Friday to kick off in-depth negotiations. That meeting will open a 60-day period for complex technical discussions expected to address topics including what happens to Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile and the potential easing of economic sanctions.
Some European allies have expressed worry that the American negotiating team lacks the experience needed to lock in a strong deal, which could lead to a lengthy standoff rather than a resolution.
For comparison, former President Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran — which included sanctions relief — took two full years to finalize. Trump pulled the United States out of that agreement during his first term in office.
“This deal is a wall to a nuclear weapon. His deal was a road to a nuclear weapon. My deal, they can’t have a nuclear, they get blown up,” Trump said, referring to Obama’s earlier accord.
Diplomatic analysts point out that Iranian negotiators bring deep expertise in nuclear diplomacy, are known for identifying weaknesses in opposing teams, and often use delay tactics to advance their goals — making a comprehensive deal within just 60 days a steep challenge.
A major variable in whether the interim agreement holds is the ongoing situation in Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to confront Hezbollah. Iran, meanwhile, has called for Israel to withdraw its troops.
Trump appeared to take issue with Israel’s approach in Lebanon and suggested that Syria — currently led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa and still working to stabilize after years of civil war — might be the right party to step in.
“I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah because to be honest, I think they do a better job of doing it,” Trump said.
Verizon is making a push to win over wireless customers with streamlined plans, a new rewards program, and the elimination of activation and upgrade fees, the company announced Tuesday.
The telecom giant is locked in fierce competition with AT&T and T-Mobile in a saturated U.S. market, where carriers have been offering device subsidies, plan discounts, and ramping up spending on network infrastructure.
Beginning in July, Verizon’s new loyalty program will give postpaid customers 3% back on their monthly bills. Those rewards can be applied toward the purchase of a new phone or used at consumer brands including Sephora, Hilton, Marriott, and Starbucks.
Alfonso Villanueva, interim CEO of Verizon Consumer Group and the company’s chief transformation officer, spoke with Reuters about the strategy, saying it’s designed to give customers more flexibility and simplicity.
“How do we create a value proposition that makes sense for every cohort?” Villanueva said, adding, “We are convinced that our retention will be even higher.”
All postpaid customers on phone and connected device plans will be eligible to opt into the loyalty program and avoid those fees. Additional perks include free Starbucks coffee, a Dunkin’ Donuts treat, or FIFA World Cup 2026 merchandise.
Among the new offerings is a “Simplicity” plan that eliminates network tiers, and another option that bundles Mobility and Home services onto a single bill with taxes and fees already included.
Under new CEO Dan Schulman, Verizon raised its annual profit forecast back in April. The company declined to disclose the cost of Tuesday’s announced changes but said they are expected to add to revenue. Verizon also confirmed the new program would not alter its 2026 financial guidance.
Similar to AT&T, Verizon has been leaning on discounted bundles that pair high-speed broadband with wireless service — a strategy intended to keep customers from switching carriers.
T-Mobile has found success with its own loyalty perks and aggressive marketing, offering plans that bundle Netflix, Apple TV, and Hulu along with five-year price guarantees.
Last month, Verizon cut several hundred positions, following an announcement in November that it would eliminate more than 13,000 jobs.
LONDON — Tennis icon Serena Williams is headed back to Wimbledon, and this time she’s bringing her sister along. The All England Club announced Tuesday that it has awarded Serena and Venus Williams a doubles wildcard, setting the stage for a highly anticipated reunion at one of the sport’s most prestigious events.
Serena boasts an extraordinary record at Wimbledon, having claimed seven singles titles there as part of her 23 Grand Slam singles championships overall. She has also won six doubles titles at the All England Club, all of them alongside Venus.
The 44-year-old made her long-awaited return to competitive tennis earlier this month at the Queen’s Club Championships, where she played doubles alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko. That partnership came to an abrupt end when Mboko sustained a knee injury that ended her Wimbledon hopes.
Serena is now preparing for the grasscourt Grand Slam, which gets underway June 29, by competing in doubles this week in Berlin with partner Karolina Muchova.
Her most recent Wimbledon appearance came in 2022, when she also required a wildcard and fell to Harmony Tan in the opening round. That match marked the beginning of what she described as her decision to “evolve away from tennis” — a choice she made four years ago before her current comeback.
Wildcards at Wimbledon are typically granted to players whose rankings don’t qualify them for automatic entry, and they are generally reserved for notable players returning from injury or those representing the host nation.
On the men’s side, wildcards were handed out to three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, who plans to retire at the conclusion of this season, and former Wimbledon semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov. Tournament organizers still have two men’s singles wildcard spots to fill, with 2021 finalist Matteo Berrettini, Dan Evans, Nick Kyrgios, and Gael Monfils all under consideration.
In women’s singles, French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska of Poland was among those receiving a wildcard, with one spot in that category still remaining. A second round of wildcard announcements is expected later this week.
In doubles, British players Katie Boulter and Heather Watson were also awarded a wildcard to compete together.
Motorists will need to find an alternate route as Carpenter Bridge Road is currently closed to traffic in both directions due to construction activity.
The closure affects the stretch of Carpenter Bridge Road between Roesville Road and Fork Landing Road. Drivers are advised to allow extra travel time and plan accordingly.
According to DelDOT, the road is expected to remain closed through July 15, 2026. No additional detour information was provided at this time.
Drivers heading northbound on Interstate 95 near Wilmington should be aware of an ongoing work operation that could affect travel this afternoon.
A trash removal crew is currently working in the median of I-95 northbound, between mile marker 17 and the Wilmington area. The operation is expected to remain active until 4 p.m.
Motorists traveling through that stretch of highway are encouraged to stay alert, slow down near work crews, and allow extra travel time. Alternate routes may be considered to avoid any potential delays.
SRN News brings listeners a daily feature called “Global Landscape,” a compact two-minute audio segment designed to keep audiences informed about the most important religion-focused news stories from around the world.
The feature offers a timely overview of major developments, cultural changes, and noteworthy events occurring at the crossroads of faith and global affairs. Each edition is crafted to give listeners a clear and concise snapshot of what is happening in the world of religion on any given day.
For more information and to hear the full segment, visit SRN News online.
As Christianity loses followers across the United States, fascination with unidentified flying objects is climbing. Director Steven Spielberg has now entered that conversation with a new film titled “Disclosure Day,” which takes on the subject of extraterrestrial life and what it could mean for religion. The movie raises the question of whether God is exclusively the creator of Earth, or whether a divine being might encompass all intelligent life throughout the universe. Across the country, conventions for UFO believers are growing in number, with some attendees claiming that beings from other planets are themselves representations of God. Religious leaders are divided — some consider UFOs to be demonic in nature, while others caution that the nation’s fixation on them is becoming unhealthy.
A newly released report is raising alarms about the treatment of Christians in Nepal. The organization International Christian Concern says the predominantly Hindu country imposes legal restrictions on followers of Christ, subjects them to social pressure, and at times exposes them to violence. ICC stated: “According to Christian leaders in Nepal, increasing Hindu nationalism seeks both to reinforce the country’s identity as a Hindu nation and to suppress Christian growth. Christian converts, especially those who leave Hinduism, often endure severe social consequences.” Current figures show that 81 percent of Nepal’s population practices Hinduism, while Christians make up roughly two percent.
A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit brought by a former Yosemite National Park ranger who lost her job after displaying a large transgender pride flag on a rock wall at a California park. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston ruled that Shannon Joslin, who identifies as nonbinary, failed to follow the correct legal procedures when filing the case. Because Joslin was still in a probationary period at the time of the termination last year, the proper course of action would have been to file a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel. National Park Service rules prohibit any employee from displaying flags that express personal social or political views within the national parks.
Polyamory — the practice of having multiple romantic partners simultaneously — is emerging as the next major debate for progressive religious denominations. Churches that previously moved to accept homosexuality and transgenderism are now facing calls to extend blessings to group marriages as well. Within the Presbyterian Church USA, a debate is underway over a proposal that would require ordained ministers to practice monogamy. In the Episcopal Church, three priests have given up their ordination vows due to conflicts between their church roles and their personal family arrangements. The Episcopal Church also considered, but ultimately did not move forward with, a 2024 resolution aimed at studying “diverse family structures.” Across the border in Canada, the Lutheran Church is also examining the issue of polyamory.
Drivers heading westbound on W Lebanon Road (Route 10) should be aware of a right shoulder closure currently in effect due to ongoing construction work.
The affected stretch runs between Blades Drive and Old North Road. Motorists traveling through that corridor may experience some disruption as crews work in the area.
The closure is expected to be lifted by 3 PM. Drivers are encouraged to use caution when passing through the construction zone.
A new poll from the American Bible Society is shedding light on how Americans feel about artificial intelligence playing a role in their faith lives — and the results suggest attitudes are slowly shifting.
When it comes to clergy using AI to help craft their sermons, opposition has dropped noticeably. Currently, 32% of respondents said they disapprove of the practice, down from 37% just two years ago. However, the single largest group of people surveyed said they were still undecided on the matter.
The poll also found that the share of adults who believe AI could be a useful tool for interpreting and understanding the Bible has grown compared to figures recorded in 2024.
Motorists heading along W Dennys Road between Dinah’s Corner and Maidstone Branch Road should plan for possible slowdowns this afternoon.
An intermittent lane closure is currently in place in that stretch due to ongoing construction work. Drivers are advised to use caution and allow extra travel time while crews are working in the area.
The lane restriction is scheduled to be lifted by 6 PM. No detour information was provided, but travelers may want to consider alternate routes until the construction work is complete.
Every spring, one question dominates conversations between taxpayers and their accountants: “How much do I actually have to pay the IRS right now?” In an ideal scenario, the IRS expects 90% of your total tax bill to be paid in equal portions throughout the year. But for many people, that’s easier said than done.
Unpredictable income — from year-end bonuses, business profits, or a fluctuating stock market — makes it difficult to hit that 90% target consistently. Fall short, and you could be looking at underpayment penalties. The good news is that the tax code includes several legal strategies and “safe harbors” to help you stay in the clear. Here’s a look at five approaches for managing your 2026 tax obligations.
Strategy 1: Use Year-End Withholding to Your Advantage
One of the lesser-known advantages in the tax code is how withholding is treated differently from estimated tax payments. While estimated payments are credited on the date they’re mailed, withholding is considered to have been paid evenly across the entire year — no matter when it actually occurred.
So if you find yourself underpaid come November, you can’t simply send a large estimated payment to make up for earlier shortfalls — those quarterly penalties are already set. But you can increase withholding on your final December paychecks, or take a distribution from an IRA with 100% federal withholding. Because the IRS spreads that December withholding across the whole year, it can wipe out underpayment penalties retroactively.
Strategy 2: Base Payments on Last Year’s Tax Bill
For those who want guaranteed protection from penalties — regardless of what they earn this year — looking at last year’s return is the most reliable approach, and it’s especially popular among high earners.
If your adjusted gross income was $150,000 or less in 2025, paying 100% of last year’s total tax will keep you penalty-free. If your AGI exceeded $150,000, you’ll need to pay 110% of your 2025 tax liability. Even if you sell a business for $10 million in 2026, you won’t owe any penalties in April 2027 as long as you’ve met that 110% benchmark through equal quarterly payments.
Strategy 3: Annualize Your Income for Seasonal Earnings
If your income arrives in waves — say, you’re a consultant paid mostly in the fourth quarter, or you plan to sell a concentrated stock position during the summer — making equal payments in April and June can feel both unfair and financially painful.
The annualized income installment method offers a solution. It requires completing a “mini tax return” calculation each quarter based on what you’ve actually earned so far. This allows you to pay very little early in the year when income is low, then catch up as larger payments come in. It involves more paperwork, but it lets you hold onto your cash longer.
Strategy 4: Treat the Penalty as a Business Decision
Sometimes the most financially logical move is simply to wait until April. IRS underpayment penalties aren’t criminal fines — they function more like an interest charge for using government funds.
As of early 2026, the federal underpayment rate sits at around 7%. If you have an investment opportunity or a high-yield account where your money can earn a significantly greater return, intentionally underpaying and absorbing the penalty cost in April could make financial sense. For some taxpayers, the liquidity alone is worth it.
Strategy 5: Combine Methods for Maximum Benefit
Many experienced investors blend these approaches. They make quarterly payments that meet the 110% safe harbor threshold — guaranteeing no penalties — while keeping the remaining tax they know they’ll eventually owe in a high-yield savings account or short-term Treasury securities until April 15.
The result: no penalties, straightforward equal payments, and interest earned on the balance in the meantime.
Whether you prefer the simplicity of the 110% safe harbor, the precision of annualizing your income, or a last-minute withholding adjustment, there are real options available to taxpayers with unpredictable incomes. Just keep in mind that your state may operate under different rules than the federal government.
This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. Sheryl Rowling, CPA, is an editorial director and financial adviser for Morningstar.
Drivers traveling along W Dennys Road between Dinah’s Corner and Maidstone Branch Road should be aware of an intermittent lane closure currently in effect due to construction work in the area.
The lane restriction is expected to remain in place until 6 PM. Travelers in the area may experience brief delays as crews work in the roadway.
Motorists are encouraged to use caution when passing through the construction zone and to allow extra travel time if their route takes them through this stretch of road.
BANGUI, Central African Republic — A court supported by the United Nations launched its trial of former Central African Republic President François Bozizé on Tuesday, charging him with crimes against humanity for actions carried out by members of his security forces from 2009 to 2013.
This marks the sixth trial conducted by the Special Criminal Court, a tribunal established in 2015 with United Nations backing to hold accountable those responsible for serious crimes committed during the nation’s prolonged conflicts.
The alleged abuses took place at a prison and a military training facility in Bossembélé, a town roughly 150 kilometers — about 90 miles — northwest of the capital city of Bangui. Prosecutors contend that Bozizé, as a military commander, bears responsibility for crimes committed by his presidential guard and other security personnel. Those crimes are described as including “murder, enforced disappearance, torture, rape and other inhumane acts.”
Bozizé, who is 79 years old, will not be present for the proceedings. He has been living in exile in Guinea-Bissau since 2023, and that country’s authorities have declined to extradite him despite an international arrest warrant the court issued in 2024.
Three former military officers — Eugène Barret Ngaïkosset, Vianney Semndiro, and Firmin Junior Danboy — are also named as defendants and are expected to appear before the court.
Bozizé first came to power through a military coup in 2003 and governed the country until 2013, when the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition forced him from power. His removal set off years of brutal fighting between Seleka fighters and the predominantly Christian Anti-balaka militias, a conflict that claimed thousands of civilian lives.
Although a peace agreement was signed in 2019, six of the 14 armed groups involved eventually withdrew from it. Clashes between government forces, allied militias, and rebel factions continue to this day.
One man who says he was imprisoned and tortured at Bossembélé during Bozizé’s time in power spoke with The Associated Press about his reaction to the trial. Maximin Lin Crozon Cazin said he was let down by the former president’s absence from the courtroom.
“It is unfortunate that François Bozizé does not have the courage to face justice in his own country,” Cazin said. “I expect this trial to establish the truth and provide reparations,” he added.
Bozizé’s attorney, Marie Edith Douzima-Lawson, chose not to address the case publicly before the trial began, stating only that the defense has “solid arguments.”
The Central African Republic ranks among the world’s poorest nations. Despite holding significant reserves of gold, one out of every three residents survives on less than two dollars per day.
The country was also among the first in Africa where Wagner, a Russian mercenary organization, became active. That group has taken on responsibility for protecting current President Faustin-Archange Touadéra and has been involved in operations against rebel groups.
A major California university is facing scrutiny over how it hands out student grant money, after research by the Washington Free Beacon revealed a striking imbalance in funding allocations at Stanford University.
According to the Beacon’s findings, Stanford awarded $175,000 to its Muslim Student Union — a sum that actually exceeds the total amount given to every Christian student group on campus combined.
The funding disparities don’t stop there. The university also chose to give $50,000 to a student drag queen organization, while the campus veterans group received just $10,000 — one-fifth of what the drag group was granted.
The Washington Free Beacon’s research has drawn renewed attention to how elite universities prioritize student organizations when distributing financial resources.
Planned Parenthood has filed a lawsuit seeking to strike down an Alaska state law that mandates women visit a doctor in person before they can obtain abortifacient drugs. The organization’s regional branch, Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, argues that requiring an in-person medical visit is too burdensome for women living in Alaska.
The state’s attorney general’s office has responded by announcing it will fight to uphold the law. Planned Parenthood, which is the largest abortion provider in the United States and a major distributor of abortion pills, is leading the legal challenge against the requirement.
A watchdog group that monitors religious intolerance across Europe is reporting a significant spike in hate crimes directed at Christians during the month of May.
According to the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe, 37 documented incidents took place last month targeting churches, Christian institutions, religious symbols, and individual believers — averaging more than one attack every single day.
Of those 37 incidents, 13 involved arson, making May the worst month of the year so far for fire-related attacks on churches and Christian sites.
Colombia will elect a new president this Sunday, but regardless of who wins, economists, policymakers, and investors say the next leader will have little room to maneuver on economic policy — hampered by serious fiscal problems and a fragmented Congress that could block major reforms.
Voters face a choice between right-wing lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella and leftist senator Ivan Cepeda, two candidates with starkly different blueprints for Latin America’s fourth-largest economy.
Financial markets have rallied behind De La Espriella, a political outsider who has vowed to shrink the size of the government by 40%, expand the tax base, and lower corporate taxes to stimulate private-sector job creation. He also wants to revive oil exploration, permit fracking to push production close to 1.3 million barrels per day, and take a tougher stance against guerrilla and criminal organizations.
“The Colombian state as it is currently structured is financially unviable,” De La Espriella said in a recent speech.
Colombian financial assets surged after De La Espriella won the first round of voting with 43.7% compared to Cepeda’s 40.9%. Investors interpreted the outcome as signaling a potential departure from the policies of outgoing President Gustavo Petro — a Cepeda ally whose tenure saw expanded social programs and gains in manufacturing, tourism, and agriculture.
“The market has moved to largely price an Abelardo victory even before the second round,” said Thys Louw, emerging market fixed income portfolio manager at Ninety One. “If Abelardo should win, the market reaction will undoubtedly still be positive … as the perception would be that he will have a mandate to start reversing damage to the fiscal side and investment that was done under Petro.”
Cepeda, for his part, has pledged to build on Petro’s economic and social agenda with an emphasis on reducing poverty. His plan includes raising taxes on the wealthiest individuals and largest corporations, while keeping a ban on new oil and coal exploration — though he remains open to gas and mining development.
“Let us make a tax pact, a fiscal pact, so we do not have to get to a reform that may be, well, unpopular with sectors of the economy,” Cepeda told Reuters last week.
Colombia’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has been driven largely by consumer spending, wage growth, and government expenditure, while private investment has stayed weak and the oil and mining industries have lost steam.
The country’s economy expanded by 2.6% last year — below the pre-pandemic average of 4%, according to official figures. Private investment remains below pre-COVID levels following a steep 13.4% contraction in 2023, which was Petro’s first complete year in office.
Alejandro Cuadrado, global head of foreign exchange and Latin America strategy at BBVA, noted that the Colombian peso has already absorbed more than half of its potential upside. He warned that markets may be overestimating how much fiscal improvement De La Espriella could realistically achieve.
“The challenge is high, even if the market reacts well to a potential De La Espriella victory,” Cuadrado said, pointing out that limited congressional support would constrain the candidate’s ability to make fiscal adjustments.
Colombia’s public debt currently stands at roughly 60% of GDP. Analysts and credit ratings agencies warn that weak government revenue combined with elevated spending will make it difficult to hit the fiscal deficit target of 5.3% of GDP this year.
To prevent a default, the incoming president must cut spending by $5.6 billion in 2027 and by $20 billion over a full four-year term — equivalent to four percentage points of GDP — according to Juan Carlos Ramirez, head of the Autonomous Fiscal Rule Committee.
“If spending keeps rising and revenues do not improve, there comes a point when those debts become unpayable,” Ramirez told Reuters.
Colombia’s sovereign credit rating was downgraded last year after the government lifted caps on spending and debt. Both S&P and Fitch pushed the country further into junk-bond territory.
“Colombia has a track record of tax reforms, but a new reform is not guaranteed. In fact, De La Espriella has pledged to cut taxes, and while Cepeda supports reforms to raise revenue, he could struggle to push them through Congress, as happened during the Petro administration,” Fitch stated.
Market volatility could increase if the election results are disputed. Cepeda raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the first round before ultimately accepting the outcome, while De La Espriella has spoken out against what he described as pressure from armed groups.
Central bank board member Bibiana Taboada told Reuters that investment has shifted toward capital markets and away from productive industries due to legal uncertainty, insecurity, and extortion.
“Whoever reaches the presidency will find multiple challenges, one of them being to get the economy’s productive capacity growing again,” she said. “It will be fundamental to generate confidence that the macroeconomic stability that had characterized Colombia will return.”
Some Colombian companies that had been exploring growth opportunities abroad are now reconsidering investing at home as the election raises hopes for a policy change, according to Paul Dmitriev, co-portfolio manager and senior analyst at Global X.
“No corporate was doing any capex domestically,” Dmitriev said of conditions earlier in the Petro administration. “And now … there’s been this revival, and, ‘okay, I see opportunity for change, and I see an opportunity to invest domestically.’”
Nelson Castaneda of energy industry group Campetrol said that any revival of energy investment would require institutional stability and a long-term strategy, calling such a restart “fundamental to guarantee the country’s energy security and sovereignty.”
Deutsche Bank economists said a Cepeda victory would likely weigh on confidence in Colombia’s economic prospects, while a De La Espriella administration might be able to build a working congressional coalition to pursue fiscal adjustments — though probably not enough to fully stabilize the national debt.
SANTA CLARITA, California — Inside a massive sound stage housing a set from the Amazon Prime Video series “Fallout,” writer and producer Jonathan Nolan made a strong case for the power of tax incentives in keeping major productions on American soil.
The hit series, a high-budget adaptation of a popular post-apocalyptic videogame, filmed its first season in New York. California managed to draw the production westward for Season 2 by offering $25 million in tax rebates.
“If the tax credit wasn’t here, it would be a non-starter and we wouldn’t be able to be here,” Nolan said, speaking from a folding lawn chair on the show’s “Vault” set — a fictional underground shelter featuring the series’ distinctive retro-futuristic design.
Nolan has been an outspoken champion for California’s film incentive program, actively lobbying for the state to approve $750 million in tax rebates aimed at drawing more film and television projects back to the region. He even brought state lawmakers onto the set last year to demonstrate firsthand how actors and skilled workers would benefit.
The show stayed in California for its third season as well, supported by $42 million in tax credits applied to a $166.3 million production budget. According to the California Film Commission, the production employed nearly 600 crew members and 30 actors as a result.
Nolan noted that industry professionals had grown used to traveling abroad to shoot in cities like London, Budapest, or Sydney, rarely stopping to consider what that trend was doing to Hollywood back home.
“People sort of laughed at the idea that Hollywood would ever stop being Hollywood — but I think the last five years, it really has,” Nolan said.
Entertainment industry employment has been on a downward slide since reaching its peak in late 2022, leaving fewer openings for actors, writers, and the many behind-the-scenes workers — including carpenters, costume designers, camera operators, and catering staff — who depend on productions for their livelihoods.
California has felt the pain particularly sharply, losing 17,234 industry jobs between 2019 and 2023, according to data from the Milken Institute. Researchers found that falling TV advertising revenue and slowing growth in streaming subscriptions pushed studios to seek out cheaper locations for their projects.
The situation in Hollywood’s sound stages tells a similar story. Occupancy rates have dropped to 62% in the first half of 2025, down from near-full capacity in 2016, according to Film LA, the nonprofit group that manages filming coordination across greater Los Angeles.
“That threatens to hollow out and destroy a 100-year cultural institution that is maybe one of the most important parts of American culture and our ability to broadcast our culture around the world,” Nolan said. “So, I think the rebate was essential in bringing us back.”
Actor Walton Goggins, who portrays a dual role on the series — a pre-war Hollywood actor known for Western films named Cooper Howard, and a post-apocalyptic bounty hunter called The Ghoul — told Reuters he is grateful to be working in Los Angeles.
“This job permeates every aspect of this city and so to be back here filming this show that employs this many people — artisans that are the best in the world at what they do, given the opportunity to operate at their highest level — I’m in awe,” Goggins said. He added, “I only hope that this tax credit expands so that more production can come back here.”
