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A Crisis of Civic Credibility (Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / Getty)   View in browser You know that conspiracy theories have gotten out of hand when even Donald Trump thinks so. Yesterday in the Oval Office, reporters asked the president about FBI Director Kash Patel’s statement that his agents were assisting in an investigation into Senator Lindsey Graham’s death. Trump said the matter was simple: Graham had fallen victim to a heart problem. “What happened is actually something that’s very hard to detect,” he said. “I don’t see a lot of evil there. I know there’s all sorts of conspiracy theories going along. And I don’t think the FBI—I think the FBI’s wasting their time if they’re doing that.” Despite Trump’s effort to tamp down rumors, speculation about Graham’s death continues to spread, especially among Republicans. The MAGA influencer and self-proclaimed McCarthyite Laura Loomer suspects that Graham was murdered, but Marc Thiessen, a Washington Post columnist and former George W. Bush speechwriter, has questions as well. Patel is a MAGA insider and veteran conspiracist, but John Cornyn—an establishment senator who lost Trump’s support and then a primary in May—also wants to see a toxicology report “to rule out any foul play.” At the same time, Mitch McConnell’s prolonged absence from the Senate is inspiring conspiracy theories as well. The senator’s office released a photograph Sunday night that was intended to quell rumors, and it even included a copy of that day’s Washington Post, like a proof-of-life picture of a hostage. The image was immediately dissected by would-be sleuths who wondered whether it was an AI-generated deepfake or some other kind of fabrication. (The Post acquired the original photo from McConnell’s office and says that metadata appear to show it was taken Sunday.) Senator Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican who has seldom met a wild hare he won’t chase, went on the right-wing channel Real America’s Voice and said, “I’ve just heard from some other sources that was an older photo. So I really don’t know.” One can hardly be surprised that so many MAGA-aligned voices are leaping to unproven theories. (I have seen members of the public and media on the left also casting doubt on McConnell’s status, but no comparable remarks by Democratic lawmakers.) A conspiratorial bent has long suffused the right, but Trump made it core to his appeal. His 2016 campaign centered on the ideas that foreign countries were sending criminals to the United States and that Hillary Clinton was engaged in an elaborate uranium scheme with Russia. More recently, his rallying cry is the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him. The president can scarcely complain about the FBI wasting its time when Patel espoused conspiracy theories before his appointment, and when agents have been reinvestigating (yet again) the 2020 election results in Georgia. Fringe ideas find fertile territory in Congress, where roughly two-thirds of House members have joined the chamber since Trump won in 2016. This MAGA tendency has exacerbated a broader trend toward low trust in American society, which both preceded and contributed to Trump’s rise. “When people in a society lose faith or trust in their institutions and in each other, the nation collapses,” my colleague David Brooks warned in a 2020 essay. “In periods of distrust, you get surges of populism; populism is the ideology of those who feel betrayed. Contempt for ‘insiders’ rises, as does suspicion toward anybody who holds authority. People are drawn to leaders who use the language of menace and threat, who tell group-versus-group power narratives. You also get a lot more political extremism.” In such an environment, many people are slow to believe official explanations, whether they take the form of medical examiner’s reports or photographs issued by senatorial offices. Distrust has been further exacerbated recently by the rise of artificial intelligence. Disinformation and misinformation experts who spent years telling the public to be on guard against deepfakes are now trying to convince the public that the McConnell image is real. They weren’t wrong to be concerned before, but it’s easy to see how years of warning, combined with a social-trust deficit, contribute to the proliferation of doubt. I see this even in people around me whom I’ve never known to be suspicious or susceptible to baseless rumors. I see it in myself at times. The situation reminds me of a famous old bit called “Of Course—But Maybe” by the comedian Louis C.K. “I have, like, the thing I believe—the good thing, that’s the thing I believe—and then there’s this thing and I don’t believe it but it is there.” That has become the modern American condition. Skepticism of authority is prudent; excessive skepticism is corrosive. But it’s hard to tell when you’ve crossed that barrier, especially when everyone around you is wrestling with the same question. Trump’s attempts to soothe suspicions about Graham’s death are unlikely to make much difference. One reason is that the atmosphere of distrust has broken containment. Trump may have risen by exploiting that feeling, but now he’s just another authority figure to be doubted. Meanwhile, he continues to feed the problem elsewhere. The president is scheduled to give a speech tomorrow night in which he’s expected to speak about supposed threats to election integrity. Trump’s claims about noncitizen voting and other fraud have all been nonsense. For those who believe what he says, these comments encourage distrust in election officials and democracy broadly; for those who reject what he says, they create reasons not to trust the government he leads. Believe it or not, we are condemned to distrust. Related: America is having a moral convulsion. A Department of Justice for an age of conspiracy theories

Defending champion Argentina reaches World Cup final by beating England 2-1 ATLANTA (AP) — No “Hand of God” this time. Argentina didn’t need it. https://apnews.com/article/world-cup-england-argentina-score-2ae6a218ae88248db6565ffd13f60d38?

France’s National Assembly gives final approval to assisted-dying bill after years of debate PARIS (AP) — France’s National Assembly gave final approval Wednesday to a bill allowing adults with incurable illnesses to receive lethal medication, the culmination of years of debate over end-of-life care. https://apnews.com/article/france-medically-assisted-dying-euthanasia-vote-628a8191b3756ae1fb2cc0e429526b67?

👋 Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In today's edition: Spain topples France, the AL wins the All-Star Game, golf's major season is almost over, the worst contracts of the NBA offseason, Argentina and England's rivalry is reignited, and more. Yahoo Sports AM is written by Kendall Baker and Jeff Tracy. Let's sports...   🚨 ICYMI HEADLINES 🥇 Suni commits to LA28: Six-time Olympic medalist Suni Lee will return for the LA 2028 Games, marking the American gymnast's third Olympics. And, as is now standard practice, there will also be a documentary exploring her story, including her comeback from chronic kidney disease and her journey to these next Olympics on home soil. 🎾 Coming soon: Speaking of documentaries, the first trailer for Prime Video's "Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter" was released on Tuesday. The feature-length documentary from the director of "The Last Dance" will premiere on Aug. 20 ahead of the U.S. Open. ⚾️ Roch gets record bonus: The White Sox have given No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky a record $10.35 million signing bonus, breaking the previous mark of $9.25 million set by Reds RHP Chase Burns and Rockies minor leaguer Charlie Condon, the No. 2 and 3 picks in 2024. 🏒 Cover athlete: Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini, 20, will grace the cover of EA Sports' NHL 27, making him the youngest player ever to earn that honor. 🏀 Kawhi investigation expands: The NBA's investigation into Kawhi Leonard's no-work, multi-million dollar endorsement deal has expanded to include a previously unreported endorsement deal with another company, among additional potentially improper benefits. Leonard's trade to the Raptors cannot be completed until this investigation concludes.   ⚽️ WORLD CUP SEMIFINAL LA ROJA SHUTS DOWN LES BLEUS (Pablo Garcia/Soccrates/Getty Images) In a battle of the collective versus the individuals — of fundamentals versus flair — Spain emerged victorious, claiming a place in the World Cup Final for the first time since their 2010 triumph. Spain 2, France 0: Spain controlled the game for its duration, seizing the advantage through a 22nd-minute penalty calmly dispatched by Mikel Oyarzabal. Despite the early lead, La Roja did not park the bus, instead remaining aggressive in a match that saw France's once-fearless attack rendered toothless. Pedro Porro's 58th-minute goal slammed the door on Les Bleus, who surely expected Bastille Day to go a little differently. More clean sheets than a laundromat: With the shutout win, Spain have extended their unbeaten run to 37 games and recorded their record sixth clean sheet at this World Cup, where they've surrendered just a single goal through seven matches. That they added mighty France to their ledger is perhaps the greatest feat of all. Consider that Golden Boot leader Kylian Mbappé didn't record a single shot on goal, his first such failure in a World Cup match since the 2022 quarterfinals. And France, which had scored 16 goals this tournament, suffered their first scoreless World Cup game since the 2022 group stage, a span of 10 matches. We knew this would be a battle of strength vs. strength, we just didn't know how completely one of those sides would dominate the other. As Yahoo Sports' Steven Goff eloquently put it, "[France] needed a jackhammer to open the Spanish defense. It came with a butter knife." One-sided rivalry: France entered the match as slight favorites, just 90 minutes away from becoming the third team ever to reach three straight World Cup Finals. But La Roja have now won eight of their last 11 matches against Les Bleus, including three straight major tournament semifinals in each of the last three years as their collective brilliance yet again toppled France's collection of stars. The last word: "This team is made up of huge individuals, but all individuals work towards the benefit of the whole group," Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said after the victory. "We are a team, and when you're facing a team like us, then we're unbeatable, and that's how we're feeling now."   🌎 SNAPSHOTS THE WORLD IN PHOTOS (Al Bello/Getty Images) 🇺🇸 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — The AL beat the NL 4-0 in an All-Star Game that gave fans little to cheer about on the field; to wit, Yankees LF Cody Bellinger won MVP on the strength of his 2-run single in the first inning of a game that featured just one extra-base hit. But the environment at the ballpark turned an otherwise forgettable game into an unforgettable evening. The highlight: A massive fireworks display doubled as the dramatic finale of a five-minute midgame ceremony intended to echo the 1993 classic, "The Sandlot." The interlude began with a group of kids riding their bikes to the ballpark, where they eventually hung out with the big leaguers on the diamond as Ray Charles' rendition of "America the Beautiful" played, a la the iconic Fourth of July set piece from the movie. How can you not be romantic about baseball? Or, as Kyle Schwarber said of the Americana-drenched scene, "Man, this is heaven right now." (Dario Belingheri/Getty Images) 🇫🇷 Le Lioran, France — Tadej Pogačar won Stage 10 of the Tour de France on Tuesday, running away from his rivals at the end of a grueling mountain stage to extend his overall lead by nearly a minute (3'36") and strengthen his grip on what would be a record-tying fifth yellow jersey. Must-watch ascent: Pogi's win came courtesy of a chasedown that would make LeBron jealous, closing a 44-second gap in less than 900 meters to pass leader Richard Carapaz on the stage's penultimate climb. And by the way, Carapaz is no slouch, winning gold in the 2020 Olympics and the polka dot jersey (best climber) in the 2024 Tour. Pogačar is simply on another level. (Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images) 🇪🇸 Pamplona, Spain — The annual Festival of San Fermín — the week-long celebration best known for its daily running of the bulls — ended Tuesday at midnight as the townspeople met in City Hall Plaza to sing the traditional notes of "Pobre de Mí" and officially close out the festivities. The running of the bulls: Each morning during the festival (July 7-14), millions of spectators watch as thousands of participants make a three-minute, 850-meter dash through the streets of Pamplona alongside six bulls and six steer en route to the city's bullring.   💯 STAT SHEET BIG NUMBERS Scottie Scheffler signs autographs for fans during Tuesday's practice round. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) ⛳️ 101 days That's how long golf's major season lasts, just a little over three months from the opening round at Augusta to the moment someone hoists the Claret Jug this Sunday at Royal Birkdale. How quick is that? Consider that Indiana won the national championship, Seattle won the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics came and went before the Masters even began. It's a sprint that leaves us with an interminable nine-month wait before it all comes around again, so you'd be wise not to take for granted this week's Open Championship, which tees off 'tonight' at 1:35am ET. Record purse: The Open is offering a tournament-record $17.75 million purse this week, though that figure is still by far the lowest among the four majors ($22.5M for the U.S. Open and Masters; $20.5M for the PGA Championship). It also trails the PGA Tour's eight signature events and first two playoffs ($20M each), The Players ($25M) and the Tour Championship ($40M). 🎾 78 of 92 The Big Three's monopoly (triopoly?) on men's tennis has blended seamlessly into a new era of dominance by the two-headed monster of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who just won his fifth Grand Slam. All in, those five men have accounted for an astonishing 78 of the 92 major titles (85%) since Roger Federer claimed his first back in 2003. Full breakdown: Novak Djokovic leads the way (24), followed by Rafael Nadal (22), Federer (20), Alcaraz (7) and Sinner (5). Andy Murray (3) and Stan Wawrinka (3) briefly crashed the party, while the remaining eight Slams in that time were won by eight different players: Andy Roddick, Gastón Gaudio, Marat Safin, Juan Martín del Potro, Marin Čilić, Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev. ⚾️ 89 runs Nationals All-Star outfielder James Wood has scored an absurd 89 runs this season, which is 21 more than anyone else in the majors. That's the largest such lead in MLB history at the break, and the gap between him and second-place is the same as the gap between second and… 71st! Offensive powerhouse: Wood's proficiency (obviously) extends beyond his run-scoring prowess. The 6-foot-6 lefty, who's just 23, also has the fourth-most HR in the majors (28), the second-best OPS (.984) and the most walks (79). In fact, he joins Bobby Bonds in 1973 as the only players in MLB history with 85+ runs, 20+ HR and 15+ SB at the break.   🏀 OVERPAID THE WORST CONTRACTS OF THE NBA OFFSEASON (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) There are no bad contracts in the NBA… at least not for players. But there are definitely bad contracts for teams, who can't afford to misallocate their financial resources with such a deep well of talent in the league and the second apron acting as a de facto salary cap. The worst of the worst: Here are the six worst moves of the summer so far, according to Yahoo Sports' Ben Rohrbach. These massive overpays, wild sign-and-trades, accounting errors and missed opportunities all come at an even greater cost than the half a billion dollars these players will earn. Trae Young, Wizards (4 years, $212.8M): Washington just tied 30% of its salary cap over the next four years to a rather polarizing figure. On the one hand, he's just 27 and has an All-NBA ceiling; on the other, he's a weak link on defense, hasn't won a playoff series in five years and drew zero interest from the league's other 29 teams. Walker Kessler, Lakers (4 years, $129.5M): It's not just that the Lakers are giving Kessler an average of $32.5 million a year, roughly what Miami will pay three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo next season. It's that they also sent Utah two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps in a questionable sign-and-trade for the right to give the oft-injured center that deal. Gary Trent Jr., Bucks (4 years, $64M): Huh? Trent's signing was so surprising that a number of capologists posited it could be some kind of under-the-table agreement left over from last summer. How else do you explain $64 million for a guy who just averaged 8.1 inefficient points per game in his worst season since his rookie campaign eight years ago? DeAndre Jordan, Pelicans (2 years, $7.95M): The number is hardly eye-popping, especially for the ultimate glue guy who just won Teammate of the Year. But the way they structured his deal — perhaps due to a bookmaking mistake? — will cost them $3 million more than it has to, not an insignificant amount for a small-market team that makes its money on the margins. Tobias Harris, Spurs (2 years, $30.8M): This was a real head-scratcher. Not in absolute terms, but San Antonio needs a better upgrade at the 4 position than just a solid veteran and good locker room presence. Props to Harris, though, who's played 15 years without ever making an All-Star team and yet has earned over $300 million in his career. John Collins, Pistons (3 years, $51M): Detroit moved on from Harris and replaced him with Collins, who's averaged a pedestrian 15 and 7 across the last three years on middling teams. It was a puzzling move in a vacuum, and even more so as ascendant superstar Jalen Duren — who should be the Pistons' top priority — languishes in restricted free agency. Best available: Who's still on the board two weeks after free agency kicked off? LeBron James, of course, headlines our list of the best remaining free agents, which also includes Duren, DeMar DeRozan, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal.   📺 VIEWING GUIDE WATCHLIST: WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 (Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports) ⚽️ England vs. Argentina The Three Lions and La Albiceleste meet this afternoon in Atlanta (3pm ET, Fox) for a spot in the World Cup Final alongside Spain, as Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and the rest will continue the bitter, decades-long rivalry that has laid dormant for more than two decades. Head-to-head: They've squared off five times in the World Cup (England leads, 3-2), including two of the most consequential and memorable matches in soccer history. England's quarterfinal victory at Wembley in 1966 was so heated and controversial that it's believed to have led to the introduction of red and yellow cards, first used four years later. And then there's the 1986 quarterfinal, when Diego Maradona scored the most infamous goal in tournament history (the "Hand of God") just four minutes before scoring one of the greatest ever ("Goal of the Century"). More to watch: ⚽️ NWSL: Gotham FC vs. Washington Spirit (8pm, ESPN) … A rematch of last year's championship game, which Gotham won. 🏀 WNBA: Valkyries at Fever (8pm, USA) … Golden State (17-7) has won seven straight to climb within a game of first place; Indiana (14-9) has won two straight and sits in fifth. 🚴 Tour de France: Stage 11 (7am, Peacock) … Riders travel 100 miles from Vichy to Nevers in today's flat stage. Got plans tonight? Gametime is the best place to score last-minute tickets to the events in your city.   🌎 GEOSPORTS TAP THE MAP GeoSports is a five-question daily trivia game that combines sports with geography. Tap where it happened! The closer you are, the more points you get.   🏀 BEST OF THE BEST WNBA MIDSEASON AWARDS CHECK-IN (Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports) The WNBA season's halfway point has arrived, as all 15 teams have reached the 22-game threshold. With that in mind, Yahoo Sports' Cassandra Negley shares her midseason contenders for the league's major awards, led by Vegory (the "Hand of God") just four minutes before scoring one of the greatest ever ("Goal of the Century").as' A'ja Wilson (MVP), Minnesota's Olivia Miles (ROY), Golden State's Gabby Williams (DPOY) and Dallas' Jessica Shepard (MIP), among others.

ICE should keep making traffic stops despite recent shootings, Trump says WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump wants Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to keep pulling over vehicles, signaling his opposition Wednesday to plans announced just a day earlier to suspend most traffic stops following another string of fatal shootings. https://apnews.com/article/ice-immigration-enforcement-deaths-traffic-stops-3d614361d8354474bc4eb8e37ec26b28?

Alzheimer’s diagnosis Capt. Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III, best known for landing safely on the Hudson River after birds disabled both of his plane’s engines in 2009, has announced he has Alzheimer’s disease. The 75-year-old recently received an early-stage diagnosis. “This disease ... impacts millions of people around the world. It is the unwanted visitor at the door,” he wrote. Read more.

Trump DOJ Goons Melt Down After Blanche’s Secret Confession Is Leaked It couldn’t have come at a worse time for the acting AG. The Department of Justice has lashed out at a Democratic senator who claimed that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche admitted Donald Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” slush fund was a “mistake.” Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin made the bombshell claim about Trump’s former personal lawyer while speaking to reporters Tuesday, on the eve of Blanche’s confirmation hearing to lead the DOJ on a permanent basis. “[Blanche said] ‘What more can I do? What more can I say? I made a mistake. I don’t want to see the weaponization fund go forward,’” Durbin, the Democratic ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said. Durbin said he told Blanche to put the admission in writing so it would be more “credible.” He also claimed Blanche told him he would work with Congress to “codify the fact that it’s gone and it’s not going to be used again,” adding that it “seemed like a very weak defense.” Hours after Durbin’s remarks were reported, the DOJ Rapid Response X account suggested the senator misconstrued Blanche’s comments about Trump’s highly controversial taxpayer-funded compensation scheme. “With all due respect to Senator Durbin, it is unfortunate that a cordial private meeting was taken out of context,” the account wrote. “The Acting Attorney General looks forward to answering any and all questions the Senators have [Wednesday]—in public—before the Senate Judiciary Committee.” Blanche’s attempt to establish the “weaponization” scheme is set to be a key line of attack for Democrats during the acting attorney general’s confirmation hearing on Wednesday. The $1.8 billion slush fund was announced by the DOJ to compensate Trump allies who claim they were wrongfully persecuted by the Biden and Obama administrations, including those convicted of attacking police officers during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The scheme was announced in exchange for Trump dropping a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service—which taxpayers would ultimately have been on the hook for—alleging that the agency failed to take steps to prevent the leak of his tax returns. The slush fund received such bipartisan condemnation that the DOJ backtracked and announced last month that it would no longer move forward with it. However, Blanche has yet to confirm in writing that the scheme has been canceled. Durbin discussed the one-on-one meeting he had with Blanche on Tuesday on X, but did not mention Blanche’s apparent admission that the slush fund was a mistake. Instead, Durbin provided a laundry list of examples to suggest Blanche has played a key role in “aiding and abetting the most corrupt Administration in history.” “Mr. Blanche is at the helm of a weaponized Justice Department, putting President Trump ahead of the Constitution, the rule of law, and you,” Durbin wrote. “It’s clear that Mr. Blanche has never stopped being President Trump’s personal attorney, and I pushed him on his role in the botched release of the Epstein Files, the MAGA slush fund for cop beaters, the Trump-IRS sweetheart deal, and his crypto corruption.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-doj-goons-melt-down-after-todd-blanches-secret-confession-is-leaked/?

July 15, 2026 By Sam Sifton Good morning. President Trump returned to the combative posture toward Iran that he displayed at the war’s start, threatening yesterday to attack civilian infrastructure and refusing to rule out a ground invasion. And the House voted overwhelmingly to make daylight saving time permanent. (The Senate may feel differently.) There’s more news below. But I’m going to start today with the deadly business of federal immigration enforcement. A memorial for Joan Sebastian Guerrero. Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times Fatal encounters Federal agents have killed two immigrants to the United States in the last eight days, both of them in their cars. The first man to be killed, in Houston on July 7, was in the country illegally. Details in the other case, of a man killed in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday, have remained unclear. The shootings weren’t exactly uncommon. Since President Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, agents involved in the immigration crackdown have shot at least 22 people. Six have been killed. Three were U.S. citizens. Nearly all of the shootings involved officers firing at people in vehicles. We’re still piecing together the particulars of the two most recent shootings. In Maine, officials said the man was trying to flee. In Texas, they said the victim had tried to use his vehicle as a weapon. None of the agents in either incident was wearing a body camera. But The Times has been talking to witnesses and examining video footage. Here’s what we’ve learned. What happened in Biddeford It was early Monday morning in the small, working-class city on the banks of the Saco River, 20 miles south of Portland. Federal agents attempted a traffic stop on a white sedan driven by Joan Sebastian Guerrero, 25, a Colombian national who lived in Biddeford with his wife and 3-year-old daughter. According to Guerrero’s father, he was in the United States legally, though Homeland Security described him, without naming him, as an “illegal alien.” It’s not clear whether ICE was targeting Guerrero — a spokesman for Senator Angus King said the homeland security secretary, Markwayne Mullin, had told the senator the agents were looking for someone else. But they pursued Guerrero, and the stop went awry. The Times obtained several videos of their encounter. In one, there is audio of shouting and five gunshots. Another, from after the shots were fired, shows Guerrero’s car circling slowly around an intersection. After three loops, agents manage to stop the car, open the door and pull out Guerrero. His body falls to the ground. It’s unclear if he’s alive. “I heard agony,” Mary Hayes, a local resident, told The Times. She was describing Guerrero’s wife, kneeling and wailing in the street as his daughter looked on. “I heard a howl that came from your soul, that your whole life had just changed and it was never going to be the same.” In Maine yesterday. Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times What happened in Houston The shooting in Houston also happened early in the morning, in the historically Hispanic neighborhood of Magnolia Park, near the Houston Ship Channel. Immigration agents in two unmarked vehicles there began trailing a white work van. Minutes later, the van’s driver, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, had been fatally shot in the abdomen. Our colleagues on the visual investigations team took a close look at videos of the pursuit. The footage shows the ICE agents driving after the van aggressively, seemingly without flashing emergency lights. At one point one of the pursuit vehicles appears to veer toward the van, possibly making contact, though it’s unclear if it was a ramming or an accident. If there is video of the shooting, it has not emerged yet. But a few moments later, footage from a passing motorist shows two agents bent over Salgado Araujo. He was lying on the street, his hands behind his back, his shirt soaked in blood. A memorial for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. Meridith Kohut for The New York Times A surge in arrests These shootings didn’t happen in a vacuum. My colleagues have reported a recent surge in immigration enforcement activity. It has happened both in large cities like Chicago and Las Vegas and in small suburbs outside Milwaukee and San Antonio. Daily immigration-related arrests doubled in the last week in June, they found, and continue to rise at a pace of about 2,000 arrests a day. The recent enforcement operations “may be more targeted, but they escalate quickly, and it is leading to violence just like before,” a Hispanic community leader in Pennsylvania told The Times. “That is the part that is scary.” Yesterday, The Times reported, the Trump administration ordered ICE officers to halt most vehicle stops while carrying out their operations. (ICE said in a statement that the agency would not discuss law enforcement tactics.) Still, death stalks their work. This also happened yesterday: A 28-year-old man ran from what the authorities called “an encounter” with federal immigration officers at a gas station in St. Augustine, Fla. He was hit by a tractor-trailer and killed. THE LATEST NEWS War in Iran Near the Strait of Hormuz this morning. Reuters Trump backed down from his plan to charge hefty fees on ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, saying the United States would instead provide safe passage in return for investment. The strait is now the focus of the war. But it’s unclear how far the U.S. military will go to exert control there. Trump has made flexing his power on the world stage a hallmark of his second term, but the strategy isn’t working on Iran. On Capitol Hill On Capitol Hill. Kenny Holston/The New York Times The Supreme Court justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan testified about threats to themselves and their families during a budget hearing over the court’s request for millions of dollars to enhance security. Todd Blanche is scheduled to testify this morning in his confirmation hearing to be attorney general. One focus is likely to be his role in Trump’s retribution campaign. Congress has grown older and older over the past few decades, as the chart below shows. Click the image to see more charts about our aging lawmakers. The New York Times More on Politics Trump has paid the writer E. Jean Carroll $5.6 million after a jury found him liable for sexually assaulting and then defaming her, court records show. Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University protester who became a prominent focus of Trump’s campus crackdown, filed a lawsuit accusing administration officials, pro-Israel groups and others of colluding to suppress his constitutional rights. Data Centers New York’s governor enacted the first U.S. statewide moratorium on building the largest kind of data centers. The nation’s largest electrical grid operator said electricity rates would rise for millions of households and businesses within the next three years because of the power that data centers need. OPINIONS Stephan Dybus Looking to break a social media addiction? Meher Ahmad recommends a lo-fi way to do it. Lindsey Graham struck a devil’s bargain with Trump. It was a choice that gave him power, Bret Stephens writes. Deeply reported journalism needs your support. The Times relies on subscribers to help fund our mission. Become a subscriber today. MORNING READS We’ve made all of these links free for you. Gus the T. rex. Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Sotheby’s sold a towering T. rex fossil, nicknamed Gus, for $50.1 million, reanointing the carnivore as the most valuable dinosaur on the commercial fossil market. (Two years ago, it had been unseated — by a herbivore, no less — when a stegosaurus sold for $44.6 million.) In a small Brazilian city deep in the rain forest, you follow either the blue bull mascot or the red one. It’s nothing to do with sports or politics. It’s all about class. The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about menopause myths. Scientists say they have solved what may be the most famous lawn-care-related problem in physics: What happens if you run a sprinkler in reverse, underwater? (One of the scientists who helped with the research was the aptly named Brennan Sprinkle.) TODAY’S NUMBER 12 — That is how many miles Dale Sanders, 91, plans to hike each day on his quest to reclaim his record as the oldest person ever to hike the whole Appalachian Trail. At 80, he became the oldest person to paddle the full length of the Mississippi. Luke Piotrowski/The New York Times WORLD CUP Spain totally outclassed France in yesterday’s semifinal. The 2-0 victory was no accident, our analyst writes. The outcome of today’s semifinal between England and Argentina will likely come down to Lionel Messi and Jude Bellingham. The matchup between the nations is steeped in bad blood. Erling Haaland led Norway to its best-ever World Cup finish. Now he’s big in China. Fans there call him “Baby Ha.” RECIPE OF THE DAY Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. The tomatoes at my market are starting to get good, and it’s time to return to one of my favorite summer meals: Ali Slagle’s tomato Cheddar toasts. You don’t really need a recipe to make them (it’s just tomato and Cheddar on toast slathered with mayonnaise), but you sure can benefit from the advice she picked up from the chef Chris Kronner about how. That is, to grate your cheese into the mayonnaise before swiping it onto the hot toast (wall to wall, please). It melts into a queso-like almost-cream that complements the sliced tomatoes beautifully. 🍅 A FORGOTTEN MASTERPIECE “The Lost Crucifix,” carved by Michelangelo when he was about 18. Augustinian Community of Santo Spirito, Florence Tired: Michelangelo’s David. Wired: Michelangelo’s small wooden sculpture of Christ at the Santo Spirito church in Florence. Here’s the argument. More on culture They’re shorts, but longer. They’re a skirt, but with pant legs. And while they came into fashion in the 1800s, their last big hurrah was during the 1970s. Until now. Culottes are back! The writer Chris Brancato helped create “Narcos” and “Godfather of Harlem.” Now he has brought “The Westies” to the screen, a series about the scrappy Irish street gang that ran the West Side of Manhattan in the early 1980s. “I consider myself in charge of the scumbag universe,” he told The Times. Late night hosts discussed Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS Six Flags Over Texas Strap yourself into one of five new — and frankly terrifying — American roller coasters. One will take you up 309 feet, pause, then drop you at a 95-degree angle at a top speed of 87 miles per hour. Invest in a soundbar for that giant television you found on sale at the big box store. Even the budget pick recommended by the audiophilic cineastes at Wirecutter can help bring Hollywood into your home. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was vitriolic. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Crossplay and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times and me. See you tomorrow. — Sam Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

🦖 1 fun thing: T. rex record Photo: Matthew Sherman/Sotheby's via AP A Tyrannosaurus rex fossil billed as one of the world's largest and most complete specimens was sold for $50.1 million yesterday to a mystery bidder. Sotheby's said the 67-million-year-old fossil, nicknamed "Gus," is now the most expensive set of dinosaur bones ever auctioned. The specimen — about 61% complete — measures 12½ feet tall and 38 feet long. Go deeper.

⚡ Data center fight's new blueprint Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's first-in-the-nation data center moratorium could provide a playbook for Democrats confronting one of the most heated issues of the midterms, Axios' Maria Curi writes. Why it matters: Data centers have become a lightning rod across the country, and Hochul is testing how far Democrats can go on it. 🔭 Zoom out: The backlash against data centers — and the political response — isn't limited to blue states. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) recently called for a ban on new AI data centers in rural neighborhoods and requiring the industry to shoulder more of its infrastructure costs.

⚠️ Anthropic hiring anti-catastrophe team Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Stock: Getty Images Anthropic has warned that its technology could end civilization. Check out its latest job listings to understand how. Why it matters: Anthropic has 32 very scary job openings for roles designed to prevent people from using AI to build everything from homemade explosives to nuclear weapons, Axios' Madison Mills and Maria Curi write. Safety analyst roles require being able to think like someone trying to evade detection, the company says. They stress-test the models accordingly, fixing vulnerabilities. Anthropic is hiring analysts focused on chemicals and explosives, nuclear weapons, financial scams, cybercrime and more. One job description reads: "As an Enforcement Analyst focused on Radiological & Nuclear Harms, you will play a critical role in protecting against the misuse of AI systems for radiological and nuclear harms." Keep reading.

🤖 OpenAI's first device Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios OpenAI's highly anticipated push into consumer devices is expected to begin with a "mobile, screen-free smart speaker designed to be a new type of home computer for the AI era," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. The company hopes to unveil it this year, with a 2027 release, though those plans could be delayed by Apple's lawsuit last week alleging OpenAI stole trade secrets to speed up development. Apple accused the ChatGPT maker of stealing trade secrets. But OpenAI believes the coming device "veers significantly from anything Apple has on the market today and that it's unlikely that it violates trade secrets belonging to the iPhone maker," Bloomberg reports. 🔎 Zoom in: OpenAI thinks the "product's defining feature will be its personality and ability to connect on a humanlike level with users." It will have a built-in camera and sensors so it can see and understand its surroundings. 🍎 The intrigue: Former Apple design chief Jony Ive's studio is helping build the device after OpenAI's $6.5 billion acquisition of his hardware startup last year. Keep reading (gift link).

🇦🇪 UAE's big bet on AI Images from the TAMM app, which translates as: "Consider it done." Courtesy Government of Abu Dhabi In Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, AI is as much a part of daily life as reporting a pothole or making a doctor's appointment or paying a parking ticket — because AI does all that for you. The capital of one of the world's wealthiest and most globalized business hubs has near-universal adoption of an app that knows when you need to renew your national ID or health insurance or vehicle registration. The app's "AutoGov" feature goes a step further: It handles the paperwork and pays what's owed without being asked. Why it matters: The UAE made a massive bet on AI, spending billions on infrastructure and research, backed by long-term thinking and alignment from top leaders. Before the war with Iran, the bet was paying off massively. "People make money here and bring money here," a UAE resident told Jim VandeHei and me when we visited just before the war. The war rattled the UAE's AI ambitions and stirred fears about visiting, given the constant threat of Iranian attack. UAE leaders tell us they remain all-in on AI: They're willing to work with both the U.S. and China, and see the technology as the key to their future beyond oil. 🖼️ The big picture: Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE's longtime ambassador to Washington, told me his country "recognized early that data is destiny — and our leaders didn't wait for AI to arrive before preparing for it." The UAE appointed an AI minister (said to be the world's first) nearly a decade ago, in 2017. Two years later, it opened what's billed as the world's first graduate-level university dedicated to AI. The UAE was built on oil. But leaders aggressively diversified into what The New York Times recently called "the ultimate globalized city — a Switzerland on the Persian Gulf." Dubai, the UAE's biggest city, is rollicking, wealthy and Western-friendly. It's one of the world's top business hubs and is home to the world's tallest building and the world's busiest international airport. That prosperity is being tested by war. But business leaders tell us AI investments have kept the UAE powerful amid the danger and disruption plaguing the Persian Gulf. Last night, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is rewarding the UAE for its help with the Iran war by expanding access to coveted AI chips, capping "a yearslong push by the Gulf state to obtain American technology to diversify its economy." 🥊 Reality check: This is as much opportunism as strategic vision. The UAE has an all-powerful royal family that controls government and business, allowing wholesale societal changes that couldn't be replicated in a democracy. Zoom in: His Excellency Mohamed Al Askar, director general of TAMM, as the app is called, took me behind the scenes of Abu Dhabi's "AI-native government" in two lengthy interviews. He and the emirate's Department of Government Enablement host a parade of ministers from other governments who dream of replicating TAMM. "If you look at the UAE as a whole, this is rooted in our leadership vision," said Al Askar, a leader in digital strategy and technological innovation. "This has become part of our DNA," he added. "This is why I believe the UAE can be a haven for any entrepreneur who wants to test and experiment with AI." Read the UAE strategy ...

🛢️ The Gulf repriced overnight Cargo ships anchor near the Strait of Hormuz off the eastern coast of the UAE this week. Image from AFPTV video The price of oil popped to a one-month high, with Goldman Sachs warning of a rise back over $100 a barrel, after Iran hit two UAE oil tankers. Tehran threatened to halt all Mideast energy exports after the U.S. military reimposed a naval blockade on Iran. ⛽ Gas, which had been ticking down, is back up to a national average of $3.89 for a gallon of regular. 🚛 Diesel, vital to keep the economy moving, is pushing back toward $5 a gallon. Between the lines: Shippers are balking at the Gulf, and refiners don't know if chartered cargo will arrive. Iran appears to be targeting the oil market's "lifeline" with its latest strikes. The bottom line: Fuel, plastics and freight look like they're getting more expensive, with the fallout likely to keep hitting consumers in the months before November's midterms.

Trump's next targets Intel from Axios' Barak Ravid: President Trump held a Situation Room meeting yesterday to discuss a massive offensive against Iran far beyond the current strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, three knowledgeable sources said. Why it matters: Trump appears willing to bet that escalating the war will force the Iranian regime to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept his nuclear demands. Trump convened the meeting as the U.S. military conducted strikes around the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran's southern coast for the fourth day in a row. U.S. officials said the strikes were meant to gut Iran's ability to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Yesterday afternoon, the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports took effect, and last week, Trump notified Congress the nation was once again at war with Iran. 👀 Inside the room: Trump was joined in the Situation Room by his national security team, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House envoy Steve Witkoff and other senior officials, the sources said. The sources said the meeting focused on plans to hit strategic targets in Iran, in addition to the strikes in the Strait of Hormuz. In an interview with Fox News' Trey Yingst before the Situation Room meeting, Trump said the strikes would expand in the coming days. The U.S. military is going to hit Iran "hard" over the next three days, he said, before stressing that strikes could significantly escalate after that. "Next week, it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants," Trump said. "Next week comes the bridges. We're gonna knock out all their power plants. We're gonna knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate." ⛰️ What to watch: Trump said the U.S. is monitoring suspicious Iranian activity at Pickaxe Mountain, a site so deep underground that the U.S. and Israel think Iran wants to use it to shelter its nuclear program from airstrikes. Trump said the U.S. bunker busters "can go deep" but claimed "nobody knows" if they can reach Pickaxe Mountain.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 15 2006 Twitter launches The San Francisco-based podcasting company Odeo officially releases Twttr—later changed to Twitter—to the public. Over the next few years, Twitter exploded in popularity, becoming one of the world’s leading social networking platforms. read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT American Revolution 1789 Lafayette selected colonel-general of the National Guard of Paris Ancient Egypt 1799 Rosetta Stone found Arts & Entertainment 1986 Columbia Records parts ways with country legend Johnny Cash after 28 years Crime 1953 A notorious English killer is executed 1997 Fashion designer Gianni Versace murdered by Andrew Cunanan in killing spree Exploration 1806 Pike expedition sets out across the American Southwest Inventions & Science 1903 Ford Motor Company takes its first order Native American History 1978 2,800 mile-long walk for Native American justice concludes in Washington, D.C. Religion 1099 Jerusalem captured in First Crusade Space Exploration 1965 Mariner 4 studies Martian surface U.S. Government and Politics 1964 Senator Barry Goldwater nominated for president U.S. Presidents 1971 Nixon announces visit to communist China 1979 Jimmy Carter speaks about a national “crisis of confidence” Vietnam War 1966 North Vietnam urged to treat U.S. POWs better World War I 1918 Second Battle of the Marne begins with final German offensive

Maya Mathematician Unmasked Archaeologists have unearthed the only known example of a Maya mathematician credited with their calculations. An inscription discovered on a wall in Xultun, Guatemala, is signed by Sak Tahn Waax, whose name translates to “white-chested fox.” The writings were found in a math classroom of sorts dating to the eighth century (full study here; scroll for artist’s rendering). There, researchers discovered a formula for synchronizing Maya calendars with the cycles of Mars and Venus. The formula, known as Text 19, was written in partial dates and hieroglyphic shorthand, making it difficult to decipher. Maya societies were known to rely on elegant mathematical and astronomical calculations to mark the passage of time. However, unlike famed Greek astronomers, including Ptolemy, Hipparchus, and Eratosthenes, the names of their Maya counterparts are largely unknown. Contrary to popular belief, the Maya did not predict an apocalypse in 2012. Hear other fascinating takeaways about Maya culture from a man who discovered an ancient Maya city (via YouTube).

❄️ Parting shots! Photo: Pooja Shah Reader Pooja Shah tells us her favorite national park is Utah's Bryce Canyon — specifically in the winter. "The white snow contrasts with the red landscape in a way that is absolutely breathtaking," Pooja writes. Photo: Pooja Shah

🧢 Johnson tries a hat trick Mike Johnson is in an uncomfortably familiar spot: under pressure from Trump, under fire from members and under the gun to advance a reconciliation bill in just a few days. Why it matters: The House speaker is trying to tee up a final party-line legislative package before the midterms, but Republicans remain divided over both the contents of the bill and the strategy behind it. GOP leaders are assembling a narrow framework that would include roughly $67 billion for defense, $20 billion for agriculture and farm aid and elements of the SAVE America Act. The prospect of no offsets for billions of dollars in defense funding is not sitting well with conservatives. "No, I'm not," Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said when asked whether he's comfortable with no pay-fors. 😡 Other members are frustrated about the lack of information: "Most of the conference has been kept in the dark on what exactly is going on," Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) told us. 🚗 Driving the news: The White House has launched a full-court press to shore up support for the package ahead of Thursday's Budget Committee markup and a planned House vote next week. Johnson and House GOP leaders met with President Trump at the White House this afternoon to discuss the path forward. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was scheduled to meet with roughly a dozen conservative lawmakers this evening to discuss the defense funding portion of the package. OMB Director Russ Vought addressed House Freedom Caucus members last night. 🛑 Yes, but: The administration's lobbying blitz hasn't solved every problem. Budget Committee member Erin Houchin (R-Ind.) told her colleagues in a closed-door conference meeting today that she was leaning toward opposing the bill during the committee markup after she was left out of negotiations at Camp David over the weekend, a source in the room told us. "There's a limited amount of space, unfortunately," Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) told us. "I don't blame her for being upset about it." "Somebody's got to be chosen and somebody isn't. Just because you're not doesn't say anything negative," Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) told us. ⚡️ Another flashpoint: Some Republicans believe leadership should first test whether a bipartisan supplemental to fund the war in Iran can pass before falling back on reconciliation if necessary. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) told us that bipartisan negotiations on a supplemental remain "a live discussion." "I am hopeful that if that becomes specific, a specific proposal that doesn't have other partisan initiatives, it would enjoy the support of members from across the aisle," he said. Rather than forcing Democrats to vote directly on funding the war in Iran, Republicans are including billions in defense funding in a reconciliation package that includes other measures Democrats would never go for, like the SAVE America Act. Between the lines: Democrats have an easier political off-ramp when defense funding is wrapped into reconciliation. A clean supplemental, by contrast, would force Democrats to cast a straightforward vote on military funding — something Republicans believe could either attract bipartisan support or provide a potent campaign message if Democrats block it. — Kate Santaliz

Tit-for-Tat (Amirhosein Khorgooi / AP)   View in browser Yesterday, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that the United States would become the “GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” blockading Iranian ports and ensuring the safe passage of non-Iranian vessels. And in the spirit of “FAIRNESS,” he added, the U.S. would charge vessels a fee for the trouble. Then, this morning, an amendment: Trump disposed of the fee idea while still indicating that he intends to assert control of the strait and resume the blockade. Now, Trump says, the Gulf states will be making “the Trade and Investment Deals” with the U.S. as a form of compensation. But the particulars of those deals (and of which states will participate) remain unclear. Today marked the fourth consecutive day of strikes across Iran. The cease-fire has disintegrated—Trump formally notified Congress yesterday that the war has resumed—and negotiations have collapsed. If American forces do try to reassert power in the strait, they’ll face a difficult path. Iran is still clamping down on ship traffic, and recent violent clashes in the waterway have once again dramatically reduced the number of vessels entering and exiting the Persian Gulf. The United States’ ability to exert control in the strait could depend on its ability to erode the system of dominance that Iran has established in recent months. Dominance in the Persian Gulf has never been clear-cut. In the early 16th century, Portuguese mariners brought their cartaz system of permits to the Strait of Hormuz, overseeing the waterway for more than a century. In 1622, the joint forces of Persia and England’s East India Company seized it. The Strait of Hormuz is now broadly understood as an international zone, and yet portions of the waterway remain contested. Its narrowest stretch is just 21 miles wide—meaning that, according to a United Nations convention, it is entirely within the territorial waters of Iran and nearby Oman. Neither Iran nor the U.S. are party to the UN treaty, but the U.S. nevertheless recognizes it as international law, Michael Poznansky, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told me. The U.S. has assumed some responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz in the past. Defense of the Persian Gulf was at the core of the Carter Doctrine—Jimmy Carter’s attempt, in 1980, to respond to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. Iran periodically attacked foreign vessels in the strait during the Iran-Iraq War of the ’80s; in 1987, the U.S. Navy launched Operation Earnest Will, escorting Kuwaiti tankers through the strait for more than a year. During that war, the Iranian regime threatened to fully close off the strait but decided against it, realizing that the damage to its own economy would be too great. Iran has repeated this threat over the past two decades, but it never actually followed through until February, in retaliation for the U.S. and Israeli strikes on its land and the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Despite the persistent threat of Iranian interference in the strait over the past half century, its leadership was never guaranteed to be able to enforce an effective blockade. But what remains of Iran’s military, decimated by months of war, has still proved capable of maintaining the transit restrictions that the regime announced in the spring. The persistent threat of mines, and of its nimble boats that can harass or attack other vessels, has kept ship traffic to a minimum; the number of crossings on Sunday was the lowest it had been in a month. Past efforts to break Iran’s stranglehold over the course of this war have failed. In May, American forces began escorting some vessels through the strait as part of an initiative called Project Freedom; it ended after just two days, in part because Saudi Arabia declined to let the U.S. use its military bases and airspace. European allies could provide support for potential U.S. missions in the Gulf, as they did during Operation Earnest Will, but Trump has now eroded many of those relationships. Given Iran’s demonstrated ability to influence ship traffic, the project of ensuring freedom of navigation in the strait might require a permanent U.S. effort, Ray Takeyh, a senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, told me. This could end up being cumbersome and dangerous, Takeyh explained, given the military assets involved in escort missions and the inevitability of Iranian interference. And even then, ship traffic may not return to prewar levels. Trump’s social-media posts over the past couple of days have gestured at the desire for a strong and continued American presence in the strait—a profound shift on the part of a president who spent years decrying the country’s role as “the policemen of the world.” He may soon come to realize that policing the strait does not always mean controlling it. Related: “We may sleepwalk our way back to war.” Why Trump didn’t plan for the Strait of Hormuz

How many Americans are using AI — and how? 35% of American households are using AI to find information. 14% of people trust that information. https://usafacts.org/articles/how-many-americans-are-using-ai-and-how/? How many people live in subsidized housing in the US? In 2025, about 8.86 million people lived in subsidized housing. This was equivalent to about 2.0 people per unit. Subsidized housing options vary by location, ranging from high-rise or garden-style apartments to single-family dwellings, duplexes, and more. On average, residents in 2025 have lived in their units for 10 years and 3 months. https://usafacts.org/answers/how-many-people-live-in-subsidized-housing/country/united-states/? One last fact Immigrants (including all foreign-born residents) were 18.4% of employed workers in 2024. However, they made up 17.2% of the working-age population, indicating a higher employment rate than expected. (The working-age population includes everyone 16 and older.)

UK police say former politician and TV personality Ann Widdecombe was killed in ‘targeted attack’ LONDON (AP) — Former politician and reality TV contestant Ann Widdecombe was killed in a “targeted attack,” though the motivation is still under investigation, British counterterror police said Tuesday. https://apnews.com/article/britain-widdecombe-death-9e2278d5fefe31e13fce1b3b874c688b?

Earthquake aid keeps flowing from Florida to Venezuela, as volunteers unite to help recovery After her grandmother’s house in Caracas narrowly survived last month’s devastating back-to-back earthquakes, Alessandra Izaguirre was desperate to help Venezuela. Read More.

US-Russian crew arrives at the International Space Station for 8-month mission A U.S.-Russian space crew arrived Tuesday at the International Space Station after launching from the Russia-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Read More.

SoftBank Group’s CEO says $5 trillion a year needed globally to meet AI demand TOKYO (AP) — Worries about a bubble in artificial intelligence investments are absurd, SoftBank Group’s CEO Masayoshi Son said Tuesday, deriding such doubts as backward and akin to questioning the use of cars and planes. https://apnews.com/article/japan-son-softbank-ai-technology-97ce41a43624440aa2b91c025937b979?