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Romania plans to sink four rock-filled barges into the Danube River today in a last-ditch effort to keep its only operating nuclear reactor running. Record-low water levels have already forced the shutdown of its other reactor. Together, both typically provide about one-fifth of the nation's electricity. Droughts and heat waves have reduced Danube water levels from their average range of 13 to 26 feet to as low as 4 inches, disrupting shipping and energy generation across the region (see map). Romanian officials hope the sunken barges will redirect water toward its nuclear facility, which relies on the river to cool its reactors. Even if successful, the measure will likely extend operations by only nine to 10 days. Officials are urging residents to conserve electricity and exploring possible power imports, though options are limited as neighboring Hungary also risks shutting down its only nuclear plant. The receding water has exposed dozens of sunken Nazi warships and woolly mammoth fossils. See here.

The Danube River Has Fallen to Record-Low Water Levels, Revealing Nazi Warships, Bombs and Woolly Mammoth Bones In Its Channel As successive heatwaves and drought stalk much of Europe this summer, water levels on the Danube—the continent’s second-longest river, which flows through 10 countries—have fallen to record lows in multiple places along its 1,770-mile route. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-danube-river-has-fallen-to-record-low-water-levels-revealing-nazi-warships-bombs-and-woolly-mammoth-bones-in-its-channel-180989255/?

Faster Flu Shot The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first mRNA flu vaccine for adults age 50 to 64, expanding a Nobel Prize-winning technology first used to combat COVID-19. Unlike traditional vaccines, which take several months to develop, mRNA vaccines can be produced in about six weeks and modified to match emerging flu strains. Developed by Moderna, mFlusiva uses the mRNA plug-and-play model in which genetic sequences for any virus or pathogen can be swapped into the vaccine. Traditional vaccines require growing virus components, which limits the possibility of quick adaptation. The new vaccine coming this fall is 27% more effective than a standard flu shot, though clinical trial participants reported mild side effects like injection-site pain, fatigue, and headaches. Influenza ranks as the 11th leading cause of death in the US, and it results in over 300,000 deaths worldwide annually. Flu season typically runs from October to May in the US. Explore a map tracking reported cases of influenza-like illness here.

AI-Designed Viruses Scientists have used artificial intelligence to design new viruses that don't occur in nature and can infect bacteria, according to a study published yesterday. The breakthrough could accelerate efforts to fight antibiotic-resistant infections by creating customized viruses. The researchers trained AI models on the genetic blueprints of roughly 2 million bacteriophage—viruses that infect bacteria, not humans—before building thousands of new viral designs. Lab testing showed 16 AI-made viruses killed E. coli, including strains resistant to naturally occurring phages. The work could help advance phage therapy, an experimental alternative to antibiotics, as drug-resistant infections are expected to kill roughly 40 million people worldwide by 2050. Researchers caution that increasingly powerful AI tools raise biosafety and biosecurity questions. Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entities on Earth, including in the human body. More than 10 nonillion bacteriophages exist at any given time. Meet the deadliest viruses that hunt bacteria. (w/video)

Student kills at least 7 people at a high school and a home outside Bangkok, officials say NONTHABURI, Thailand (AP) — A student opened fire at a high school outside Bangkok on Friday, killing at least five people and wounding more than 20, according to authorities, who said he also appeared to have killed his two grandparents at the family home earlier in the morning. https://apnews.com/article/thailand-nonthaburi-school-shooting-7939000dbad098198a9fc77169028762?

Ronald L. Lawson, an Australian sociologist; scholar of global Adventism, sectarian religions, and urban conflicts; and co-founder of Seventh-day Adventist Kinship International—the Adventist LGBTQ+ advocacy organization—died on August 3, 2026 at his home in Loma Linda, California. Lawson, who had been beset with various health issues in recent years, was 86..... Lawson was born on January 6, 1940, in Sydney, Australia. After graduating from Toowoomba Grammar School in 1958, he matriculated at University of Queensland, Brisbane, eventually earning a bachelor’s degree in history in 1963, and a PhD in history and sociology in 1970. The following year, he won a Fulbright Travel Grant to New York City, where he became a post-doctoral visiting scholar at Columbia University and studied urban conflicts. After teaching at both Columbia and Hunter College, City University of New York, in 1984, he became a professor in the urban studies department at Queens College, CUNY, where he taught until his retirement in 2009. It was during his nearly forty years living in New York that he helped found the organization that would eventually become SDA Kinship, after he placed advertisements in the gay magazine The Advocate, seeking to connect with other gay and queer Adventists. Eventually, with these contacts, he organized the first meeting of queer Adventists in the summer of 1980. The gathering led to the formation of SDA Kinship, which continues to hold annual conventions called “Kampmeetings.” ---------- That explains so MANY things.

I think it would be wise to checked to see the day Jews go to synagogue in your area then, as they know.

In 1867, The United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million by writing a check. James

🦌 Parting shot: Antler alert Photo: Sam Trizza Reader Sam Trizza of Bentonville, Ark., shares scenes from a morning hike yesterday up Handies Peak, a mountain rising above 14,000 feet near Lake City, Colo. Trizza, her sister Cate Bowman and brother-in-law Brett Bowman of Houston took the American Basin rout, catching their shadows across the terrain. They also caught two antlered grazers peeking over a ridge. Photo: Sam Trizza

💬 Miller's decision calculus Denounced on social media and by fellow Republicans, Ohio Rep. Max Miller is telling allies he's not quitting for a simple reason: It would be tantamount to admitting he beat his ex-wife and their child, which he denies. 🤔 Why it matters: The Washington summer scandal is a case study in whether Miller — one of Donald Trump's understudies — can successfully employ the president's playbook of never backing down and never quitting. Trump has publicly expressed sympathy for Miller but privately expressed doubts about his viability. 📢 The calls to resign have mounted, especially in the Senate, where Miller's ex-father-in-law, Ohio's Bernie Moreno, serves. Moreno's fellow Ohio Republican, Sen. Jon Husted, called on him to quit today. 🔎 Zoom in: Miller allies say his critics are underestimating his resolve and the intensely personal dynamics of the vicious battle with his ex, Emily Moreno, involving their 2-year-old daughter. "If he quits, he's basically giving up," said a congressional colleague. "And if he gives up, it basically means he did it." 🌎 Zoom out: Though some have called for his expulsion from the House, Miller has told his colleagues it would set a terrible precedent because there's no evidence showing he hurt his ex or their child. "Here we are in the middle of a divorce proceeding, and I don't think he's even been charged with anything they're making the accusations of," said an ally, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.). "We're big on the Constitution, innocent till proven guilty, yet we're guilty until proven innocent, it seems right now with him." House Speaker Mike Johnson called the allegations against Miller "serious" in an interview with Politico on Tuesday but said lawmakers have to allow the Ethics Committee process to play out. "We don't take disciplinary action against members for allegations," Johnson said. Miller has released documents that he says show he was investigated for abuse but that the allegations were unfounded. Yes, but: There's only so long a candidate can hang on if he's constantly denounced, attacked and looks increasingly un-electable. 🚨 Republicans privately expect that Miller will drop his reelection bid by the end of this week, according to two sources. The intrigue: He, his ex and his father-in-law are now embroiled in a dispute over whether the representative held his daughter's blue bunny stuffed animal toy "hostage." Another Ohioan, Vice President JD Vance, has an unfriendly relationship with Miller but has pointedly kept quiet. 🗓️ What's next: According to the Ohio secretary of state office's election calendar, Monday is the last day a political party nominating committee can name a replacement for a candidate if he withdraws. — Marc Caputo and Kate Santaliz

👟 Thune's race to the finish Senate Republicans are racing toward the August recess with a legislative to-do list worthy of a Joe Rogan podcast: crypto, college sports and hemp. Why it matters: They likely won't get to all of it, but the White House wants the Senate to get caught trying. 🏈 First, senators want to get way ahead of any government shutdown fight. Just as important — an NIL rights bill, with ESPN's first College GameDay set for Sept. 5. "I've kind of stacked these things: funding the government, the [Todd] Blanche nomination and the 74 nominations," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said today on Fox News, previewing his agenda. Then come "Russia sanctions, NIL, market structure," he added, rounding out a short list of issues that animate young men, who are the backbone of the MAGA coalition. 👀 What to watch: Thune is still weighing whether and how to force another vote on the SAVE Act or similar election security legislation — even though it's expected to fall well short of the 60 votes needed to advance. "We'll figure out a way to get yet another vote on the Save America Act," Thune told Fox, "but I don't expect the Democrats to change their view." The vote would give Republicans another opportunity to put Democrats on the record opposing a voter ID measure that Thune has called an "80-20 issue." ⚡️ It might also help appease President Trump and his allies in the Senate who are insisting the Senate stay in town until election integrity is addressed. 🎧 What we're hearing: If T.S. Eliot covered Congress, he'd decide August is the cruelest month, breeding cloture votes for senators who just want to catch a flight. Some senators remain hopeful for a last-minute deal that would allow Thune to clear the deck and send everyone home tomorrow. As of this evening, however, the prospect of the Senate working into the weekend remained a real possibility. The intrigue: One major sticking point is crypto and the CLARITY Act, which would provide the first comprehensive federal regulatory framework for digital assets. Democrats are reluctant to grant Republicans an initial procedural vote on the market-structure bill, arguing it could short-circuit bipartisan negotiations and reduce pressure on GOP leaders to come to the table. They are also worried that a failed vote could unlock millions in crypto super PAC money. 🔥 Zoom in: Republicans also remain divided over hemp, threatening to complicate passage of the stopgap spending bill. Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) continues to insist on a vote to strip language, inserted at the White House's urging, that would delay implementation of a ban on certain intoxicating hemp products. — Hans Nichols and Stef W. Kight

Instead of IED i should have typed, EUD. IED is an explosive.

I believe this is another reason to be filled and led by the Holy Spirit.

Things seem to be moving along very quickly. I do not underestimate them.

US filings for jobless benefits rise to 199,000 last week, but layoffs remain historically low The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but layoffs remain in the historically healthy range of the past few years. Read More.

Thank you for the thoughtful response. I really think the solution lies in the leadership. If the local conference is hiring and training pastors to effectively deal with these problems, then there would be progress. Through sermons and Bible studies, prayer meetings, and elder education, change could take place. The major problem is there is not a desire to do so at any level. People have been conditioned to be tolerant of these issues. But the Bible shows us, that God is not tolerant of this. In only 2 divisions out of 13, our church is tolerant. What saddens me is it appears the GC has abandoned those two divisions and is concentrating on the other eleven. I am not criticizing them or saying they are wrong for abandoning NAD and IED (EU), it just makes me sad. Perhaps, the GC has so many problems—the war in Europe, the war in the Middle East, and other logistical challenges—that it cannot devote time and energy to these problems in NAD and IED. In Ukraine, where we had many losses, the leaders report directly to the GC, to avoid conflicts with other countries. In China, there are many challenges, and they report to the GC. So it is possible that the GC may be understaffed and overwhelmed with challenges. Side Note: I cannot type an em dash on my keyboard, but my grammar checker can insert them for me. 🙂

One Tech Tip: Using your smartphone to capture the August total solar eclipse over Europe Millions of people will get to experience — and film or photograph — a rare total solar eclipse set to sweep over parts of Europe next week. Read More.

Cameroon's president draws concern and criticism by staying abroad for 2 months Cameroon President Paul Biya on Thursday reached two months since the last time he was inside the borders of his country, a prolonged absence that has raised concerns for his health and criticisms about a possible power vacuum in the Central African nation. Read More.

FACT FOCUS: Trump boasts about the economy but there's more to the story President Donald Trump has been extolling his economic accomplishments on social media and at events like a rally at a Las Vegas resort Wednesday. He touts recent record stock market highs and claims a boom in hiring, manufacturing and investment. Some of the claims are clearly true, some exaggerated, some unclear. Read More.

Mortgage rates rise for 5th straight week, hitting levels not seen since 2025 for 2nd week in a row The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose for a fifth consecutive week to its highest level in just over a year, marking the latest strain for prospective homebuyers who are facing steep borrowing costs. Read More.

1 science thing: Bird DNA breakthrough Zebra finches rest on an electric guitar at an art installation in London in 2010. Photo: Carl de Souza/AFP via Getty Images Scientists at Rockefeller University and elsewhere say they've created the first complete genome assembly of the zebra finch, a songbird found in Australia and Indonesia. 🧬 How it works: A genome is the complete set of DNA instructions found in any given organism. Mapping genomes can help scientists better understand biology, evolution, health and more. 👂 Erich D. Jarvis, who runs Rockefeller's Laboratory of Neurogenetics of Language, said in a statement: "We can use this complete genome to interrogate the biology of vocal learning." "If there is a key molecule that converts a non-vocal learning species to a vocal learning species, it's in there somewhere." Go deeper ... Read the study.

🛰️ NASA engineers this week freed up power on Voyager 2 in a plan called "Big Bang," extending its useful life for at least another year. The nearly 50-year-old probe is now in interstellar space, nearly 13.3 billion miles from Earth. Go deeper. South Korean satellite captures before and after views of SpaceX rocket's moon crash A South Korean satellite has captured the first pictures of the moon’s fresh crash scene caused by a stray SpaceX rocket. Read More.

President Trump publicly defended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying that reporting suggesting any friction between the two was "treasonous." Go deeper. Trump’s Iran Oil Giveaway As war with Iran drove oil prices higher, Trump gave politically connected oil companies — not taxpayers — the chance to cash in on publicly owned oil. https://www.levernews.com/trumps-iran-oil-giveaway/? Trump administration moves forward with Head Start overhaul, proposing to eliminate regulations President Donald Trump's administration said Thursday it plans to overhaul Head Start, tossing out many of the regulations that are the hallmark of the early education program for the nation's neediest children. Read More.

Ford's first low-cost EV Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios Ford's first electric vehicle built on its new low-cost platform will be a sub-$30,000 pickup called Fathom, Axios' Joann Muller reports. The truck — arriving in 2027 with a $28,350 starting price — is part of Ford's answer to the mounting threat of cheap Chinese EVs. 🤓 The Fathom was designed from the ground up by a skunkworks group of engineers obsessed with efficiency and cost reductions. Ford says it'll have a large high-res touchscreen, bidirectional power capability and a front trunk. What's next: Pre-orders start early next year, though Ford isn't showing off the design yet. Go deeper ...