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Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard pleads guilty in Quebec sex assault case MONTREAL (AP) — Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard pleaded guilty Monday to sexual assault and forcible confinement in Quebec, the latest conviction in the downfall of the founder of the once-global Nygard International clothing company. Nygard also faces U.S. racketeering and sex trafficking charges. https://apnews.com/article/nygard-fashion-sexual-assault-quebec-fashion-daa22b75ba3a08f0f8aa7271debce404?

Man, 74, becomes oldest inmate executed in Florida in state’s 10th lethal injection this year STARKE, Fla. (AP) — Florida put to death one of its oldest prisoners in its history on Tuesday, a 74-year-old convicted murderer who was one of three older inmates scheduled for execution within the span of a month in the nation’s busiest death penalty state. https://apnews.com/article/florida-execution-dennis-sochor-68549202a2f747dde708bbdcd89a7c69?

FACT FOCUS: A look at US and Iranian claims of control over the Strait of Hormuz A focal point of the Iran war is increasingly about who controls the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow, elbow-shaped waterway that for decades was a relatively safe and reliable transit route for Middle East oil and natural gas supplies. https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-strait-of-hormuz-8df557699c900b29fb33172e6da7f3e9?

No relief from the heat as many US cities will see record overnight temperatures Another week of blistering heat will bring even more health risks in the coming days, as overnight temperatures won’t provide much relief. https://apnews.com/article/heat-dome-record-temperatures-fb7664f71743f71beca4ce7447562ca2?

12 states challenge Paramount’s takeover of Warner, say merger would ‘extinguish competition’ The states sued to block Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery on Monday, arguing that the $81 billion merger would lead to fewer choices for consumers across the U.S. Read more. Why this matters: A Paramount-Warner combo would bring together two of Hollywood’s last five legacy studios. In Monday’s complaint, the states said such a tie-up would “inflict substantial harm” on movie theatres and basic cable distributors. Paramount said Monday’s lawsuit “distorts settled antitrust law” and maintained that its merger would instead create a “stronger competitor against dominant streaming and technology platforms who have harmed the market for theatrical exhibition and jobs in the entertainment industry.” Questions of political influence have piled up — with criticism falling largely along party lines in Washington. No Republicans signed on to the states’ case on Monday. Several attorneys general joining Monday’s lawsuit took aim at the Justice Department’s decision to not challenge the deal — pointing in particular to President Donald Trump’s close relationship with the billionaire family of Paramount CEO David Ellison. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Subpoenas issued to NY Times reporters seen as ‘unprecedented’ threat to press freedom Hundreds of economists say ‘we must act now’ on AI’s economic impact and job displacement risks

Maine killing is at least the ninth death in US immigration sweeps An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a Maine motorist on Monday, marking at least the ninth death since the start of the Trump administration’s mass deportations campaign. Read more. What to know: Immigrant rights groups identified the man who was killed in Biddeford as a 26-year-old native of Colombia. The shooting drew immediate criticism from immigrant rights groups and some Democrats, who called for an independent investigation. The shooting came less than a week after a federal immigration officer fatally shot a Houston man after an altercation with agents while he was driving to work. The Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE, said in a post on X about the Maine shooting that agents were surveilling an address for a person with a final order of removal from the country. When ICE tried to stop a vehicle driven by someone coming from that address, the “vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon,” the department said. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ ICE officer who fatally shot driver in Maine was ‘fearing for public safety,’ agency says WATCH: Protesters hold walking vigil Feds turn over evidence in Renee Good and Alex Pretti killings to Minnesota after months of delay

Judge says Trump IRS lawsuit was filed for ‘improper purpose,’ refers lawyer for possible discipline U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams accused President Donald Trump and his lawyers in a scathing ruling of having manipulated the court system when he sued a federal agency under his control, bypassing a requirement that parties in a lawsuit must have adverse interests. Read more. Why this matters: The judge stopped short of explicitly voiding the deal shielding Trump from tax scrutiny but said the government cannot claim in official proceedings that the agreement was the result of a legitimate legal process. Though the practical impacts of the ruling may be limited since the lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed months ago and the administration has already abandoned the $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” that came out of it, the order nonetheless amounts to a scathing rebuke and tees up a politically uncomfortable line of questioning for Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as he faces the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ FACT FOCUS: Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death spurs false claims Sister Darline Graham Nordone will serve remainder of his term Questions linger about aging politicians and health transparency Aortic tear blamed in Graham’s sudden death is a fast-killing emergency What to know about Trump’s order shrinking the size of 2 national monuments in Utah Abortion rights are on the ballot in 4 states. Here’s what to know Supreme Court justices to testify before Congress on increasing security funding in rare appearance

🥃 1 fun thing: Washington's $1,000 whiskey Photo: Mount Vernon The reconstructed distillery at George Washington's Mount Vernon is selling limited-edition whiskeys made with 18th-century methods for America's 250th, Axios D.C.'s Anna Spiegel writes. It costs $1,000 and is available for purchase at Mount Vernon. Keep reading …

💥 U.S. drone boat debut Image: CENTCOM Axios Future of Defense author Colin Demarest writes: The U.S. this week used a trio of drone boats to attack an Iranian pier near the Strait of Hormuz, where at least one small submarine was stationed. Why it matters: It's a first-of-its-kind operation, according to U.S. Central Command, which oversees military action across the greater Middle East. Dramatic footage shared by CENTCOM shows three Saronic-made Corsair boats zipping toward the facilities and exploding at the water's edge, tossing fire and smoke into the sky.

🌉 Stat du jour: AI housing takeover Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios OpenAI and Anthropic employees could theoretically buy nearly a third of the San Francisco metro's homes if both companies go public at expected valuations, Axios San Francisco's Nadia Lopez writes from a new Redfin analysis. San Francisco's AI-driven real estate frenzy has become so intense that some home sellers say they'll consider accepting pre-IPO stock as part of the purchase price. Keep reading.

🌡️ Mapped: Heat wave repeat Data: GFS, NCEI. (Average highs calculated from 1991-2020 data.) Map: Erin Davis/Axios Another heat wave is bringing dangerously high temperatures from the Great Plains to the Northeast early this week, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes. NOAA forecasters expect record-breaking highs of 95° to 105° across the northern Plains, Midwest and Northeast through midweek. Over 128 million Americans are under a heat warning, watch or advisory.

📉 New data: America's trust tanks Data: Gallup. Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios America's confidence in 14 of its core institutions is at or near all-time lows, Axios' Avery Lotz writes from Gallup polling out this morning. This year, 27% expressed "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in those institutions. That's just one point higher than the all-time low in 2023. Zoom in: 27% expressed confidence in the presidency — well down from its 2002 high of 58%. Congress, at 9%, is up 2 points from its rock-bottom ratings in 2014 and 2022. Explore the data … Keep reading.

🛢️ The push to bypass Hormuz Data: Global Energy Monitor, Axios research. Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios Oil's top players are building their way around the Strait of Hormuz instead of waiting for the fight to end, Axios' Emily Peck writes. Why it matters: Countries and companies are racing to move oil and gas out of the region without passing through the strait, the world's most important — and vulnerable — energy chokepoint. 🔭 Zoom in: Goldman Sachs analysts identified seven pipeline and infrastructure projects (under construction, planned or deemed feasible) that would allow oil to bypass the strait entirely. The analysts found that new pipelines under construction or in the works could carry enough oil to replace more than 45% of what Gulf producers used to ship through the strait by the end of next year. By the end of 2028, the number rises to more than 60%. Between the lines: These projects could come together fast. Goldman found that similar pipelines have historically taken a median of 2½ years to build — and even quicker when built in response to a supply crisis. ps:Something that should've and could've been done years ago!!!!!

Google DeepMind CEO wants U.S.-led global AI watchdog Demis Hassabis, Google DeepMind co-founder and CEO, is calling on the U.S. to establish an AI watchdog with the power to screen the world's most advanced models — and coordinate an industry-wide slowdown if dangers mount. Hassabis, the Nobel laureate behind Gemini, lays out the plan in a personal manifesto published this morning, "A Framework for Frontier AI and the Dawning of a New Age." Why it matters: Hassabis tells me in an exclusive interview that the time has come for a more "systematic" approach to AI regulation — funded by the industry, staffed by world-class technical experts, and answerable to the U.S. government. Today's AI-driven cyber risks are "warning shots," Hassabis tells me from his London base. Within 18 months, he says, those capabilities — plus far graver biological and nuclear threats — could live inside open-source models beyond any government's control. Hassabis emphasized that risks will come from the major labs' more powerful future proprietary models, not just open-source models. "What we collectively do now," he writes in his manifesto, "will determine how the next phase of civilization unfolds." 🔬 Behind the scenes: Hassabis has spent months quietly building support for the plan, briefing the Trump administration, fellow lab leaders and European officials before going public. "The noises I've been hearing are very positive," he says of his talks with the administration, which had embraced a laissez-faire approach to AI regulation before Mythos. Hassabis, a scientist who commands rare respect across AI's warring camps, says the other major lab leaders agree at a high level: "This is where the industry needs to go." His timeline is aggressive. "Months," Hassabis says, ideally with the new body operational "before year-end." How it works: Hassabis is proposing an AI standards body modeled on FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), the private, industry-funded watchdog that polices Wall Street under SEC oversight, Axios' Zachary Basu and Madison Mills write. Frontier labs would initially share their models with the body voluntarily, up to 30 days before release, for safety testing that probes dangerous cyber, biological and "deception" capabilities. Once the testing regime proves "effective and robust," Hassabis writes, formalization "could quickly follow." That means frontier models would be required to pass before deploying in the U.S. Hassabis envisions a majority-independent board stacked with Turing Award winners and other credentialed experts, alongside industry, government and open-source representatives. 🤖 The intrigue: The rules would apply to all frontier-class models, "no matter their country of origin or whether they are open or closed" — with the qualifying benchmarks regularly updated as capabilities evolve. Hassabis predicts the "frontier" designation would carry cachet: Being tested means you matter. "I think that's a pretty nice, prestige kind of asset to have," he says. The big picture: The Trump administration's improvised crackdown on Anthropic's Mythos and Fable models last month was "a bit of a wake-up call," Hassabis says — proof Washington needs something sturdier than ad hoc directives. Anthropic saw its most powerful models frozen overnight by an export-control order, then spent 2½ weeks negotiating their release with no established rules, protocols or playbook. OpenAI, hoping to avoid the same fate, agreed to restrict GPT-5.6 to government-vetted partners at launch. It was released publicly last week after negotiations and testing with the Commerce Department. The bottom line: Hassabis believes AGI — a system with all the cognitive powers of the human brain — is "probably only a few short years away," and that we're standing in "the foothills of the singularity." "We've essentially found a way to make sand think," he writes. "It's miraculous." Read the post …

> Engineers develop paint-on electrodes that could one day power heart monitors, robotic prosthetics, and more wearable health technology—while letting users create designs ranging from sharks to foxes (More, w/photos) > Children's brain responses to seeing emotional faces may predict future social life quality; girls with greater amygdala activity were more socially engaged, while the opposite was observed for boys (More) | Amygdala 101 (More, w/video) > Distant exoplanets may harbor water in deep sinks that lie beyond the James Webb Space Telescope's reach, based on new readings of atmospheric data (More) How dreams work: Tomorrow's 1440 Health & Medicine explores what's happening in our brains while we snooze.

The purpose of gospel preaching is to bring people to Jesus Christ as Saviour. The Holy Spirit works every day of the week. Billy Graham crusades were attended by the convicting/convincing power of the HS. The sermons of John MacArthur were as well. The power of God resides in His Word, wherever and whenever it is proclaimed. I might even mention Kip McKean in this context. As Abraham travelled about, the KJV says he built altars and "called on the name of the Lord" Gen. 13:4. Young's Literal Translation says "And there doth Abraham preach in the name of Jehovah"

Gus Goes to Auction One of the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossils ever found—known as "Gus"—goes up for auction this morning with a $19M starting bid. Some experts expect the hammer price to more than double, making Gus one of the most expensive dinosaurs ever sold. See images. Commercial paleontologists began excavating Gus in 2021 on a private ranch within South Dakota's Hell Creek Formation, where over 95% of T. rex museum specimens have been discovered. Measuring about 12.5 feet tall and 38 feet long, the skeleton suggests Gus was a very large creature that lived roughly 67 million years ago. The paleontologists spent two years hand-digging roughly 7,000 square feet to recover about 61% of Gus' bones—an exceptional amount, since even a 50% recovery rate is considered rare. The current record for a dinosaur auction belongs to Apex, a stegosaurus sold to billionaire investor Ken Griffin for $44.6M. The specimen is on loan to New York's American Natural History Museum through late 2028.

Cosmic Sugar Rush Scientists have discovered a sugar molecule common in raspberries and self-tanning products inside clouds of dust and gas near the Milky Way's center. The finding suggests some of life's raw ingredients may have formed in space. Astronomers previously found simpler sugar-like molecules, but erythrulose is the most complex and the first to meet the chemical definition of a true sugar—a molecule with at least three carbon atoms. Scientists identified erythrulose, which has four carbon atoms, by matching its unique radio-wave signature to lab measurements, much like a fingerprint. The technique lets astronomers catalog chemicals without collecting samples. See how scientists identify the composition of celestial matter here (w/video). Sugars are essential to life, serving as an energy source and building blocks for DNA and RNA. Erythrulose isn't used by living organisms but can be converted into important sugars. Researchers estimate millions of tons of erythrulose may have rained onto Earth during the Late Heavy Bombardment roughly 4 billion years ago.

Japanese Spy Revival Japan is building its first centralized intelligence agency since World War II as it struggles to combat espionage attempts by China, Russia, and North Korea, a report revealed yesterday. The effort is being supported by agencies in Germany, Australia, and the US. The country’s intelligence program dates back to the late 1800s, when a loose network of spies decoded cables in the 1904-05 war with Russia (see history). In the 1920s and ‘30s, the country’s internal police force—the Tokko—rounded up tens of thousands of political dissidents. After Japan’s postwar defeat, the country adopted a pacifist constitution and dismantled its defense and intelligence infrastructure, relying on the US for both. Japan set aside $407M for the new agency, which plans to be up and running by December and will be led by Japan’s prime minister. Japanese leaders have also begun rebuilding the country's defense infrastructure, allocating a record $58B this year for defense.

I have no doubt there love of the Torah and the Tehillim! Mr. Goldberg, my teacher, also loved to study the book of Esther. Daniel was new to him. He was enthralled by the story of the fiery furnace. When the Hebrews said "~ Whether God saves us or not, there is no way we are going to bow to your image," Mr. Goldberg was deeply moved by that statement, as we all should be.

💰 Thune's $238M war chest Thune's Senate super PAC has $238 million in the bank — more than double what it had at this point in the last election cycle under then-GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, we have learned. Why it matters: The GOP's most powerful Senate super PAC is setting new fundraising records as Republicans fight political headwinds to protect their Senate majority. "I know there were some questions about who the next majority leader would be and can they fundraise at the level of Mitch McConnell," Senate Leadership Fund executive director Alex Latcham told us. 🥊 "And I think those questions have certainly been put to rest." 🚗 Driving the news: As of the end of June, SLF had $238 million in cash on hand, according to figures first provided to us. That's up from $117 million at the same point in 2024 and $104 million in 2022. In the second quarter, SLF, along with its nonprofit affiliate One Nation, raised $140 million — topping the $115 million raised in Q1. The groups collectively raised $76.6 million in Q2 of 2024 and $76 million in 2022. The other side: Senate Majority PAC, the main Democratic Senate super PAC and its nonprofit affiliate, aligned with Schumer, slightly outraised Republicans for the quarter — bringing in $147 million, the New York Times reports. But the Democratic super PAC has just $126 million in cash on hand. And SMP alone — not counting its nonprofit affiliate, Majority Forward — raised $58 million in the second quarter, compared to the $78.2 million that SLF raised on its own (without One Nation). 💬 What they're saying: Latcham credited the haul to Thune's work ethic and a push to bring in new donors. Roughly one-third of the group's donors are giving to SLF for the first time, he said. 👀 What to watch: The group is doubling down on protecting GOP seats, including in red states like Iowa and Ohio, as we first reported. — Stef W. Kight

⚡️ Graham's sanctions legacy Senators from both parties are rallying around a revised Russia sanctions package to honor the legacy of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Why it matters: Bipartisanship is in short supply in the Senate. Graham's sudden death may briefly revive it. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said passing the updated sanctions bill — which has 85 cosponsors — "would be a great tribute to the legacy of Lindsey." "I urge Senator Thune, in honor of Lindsey, to put the Russia sanctions bill on the floor immediately," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. "It will pass overwhelmingly and help our allies in Ukraine." "This would be a good way to show us in a bipartisan way coming together on something that he was literally using some of his last breaths to fight for," Booker said. Driving the news: The mechanics of replacing Graham are moving quickly. At President Trump's urging, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham's sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to serve out the remainder of his term. Nordone will be sworn in at 2:30pm tomorrow. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is expected to take over as chair of the Budget Committee after Graham's death. Meanwhile, potential candidates are already jockeying to run for a full six-year term in the 2026 election. Zoom out: The Senate, on several occasions, has been close to advancing foreign policy legislation drafted by Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). But then Trump would urge Republicans to hold off, giving his administration room to pursue its own pressure campaign against Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a meeting in Ankara, Turkey, late last week with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Graham and other senators emerged convinced they had resolved the administration's concerns. Graham briefed Trump on their progress in a Saturday night phone call. "We are proud to announce that we have reached an agreement with the Trump Administration to move our updated Russia sanctions legislation forward," Graham, Blumenthal, and Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said in a joint statement. 🔎 Zoom in: The spirit of the updated bill remains the same, but the substance differs. The initial bill would have imposed tariffs of up to 500% on countries, including China, that continue purchasing Russian oil and gas. The updated version narrows the scope of those penalties. Between the lines: Senators continued to grapple today with Graham's unexpected death. Thune fought back tears during remarks on the Senate floor as colleagues reflected on Graham's influence. "There are no words to describe his impact on the foreign and domestic policy of the United States," Wicker said. Blumenthal recalled his final extended conversation with Graham over the weekend. "He exulted at reaching an agreement on our Russian sanctions bill and said, 'This is a big effing deal.'" The bottom line: The original sanctions bill has already cleared the House, but it also wants to change it. "It would be very appropriate to name this the 'Lindsey Graham Sanctions Act,'" said Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.). "The way to restrain Putin is indeed to bankrupt the oligarchs." — Hans Nichols

I have no doubt there love of the Torah and the Tehillim!

The following may be the link to the articile that I referenced above? https://spectrummagazine.org/views/catholic-or-adventist-ongoing-struggle-over-authority-95-theses/

Inflation cools more than expected in June as gas costs fall, underlying prices ease WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. inflation cooled last month as the cost of gas, clothes, and used cars fell, providing some relief to consumers, while underlying price pressures also slowed more than expected. https://apnews.com/article/inflation-trump-food-prices-gas-53d221aa918c466172af494ba7debc00? ps:Really? Well lets see, the price of gas about a week ago was on its way down!! First the price was $3.59, one day later 3.69 and than 3.89 now it is 3.99!! Going down?? I think not!!!!!