World
The United States has reimposed a naval blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, drawing threats from Tehran to halt all Middle East energy exports. The escalation marks the latest phase of a conflict that has now lasted more than four months, with oil prices jumping more than 10% in the past week. The US launched fresh strikes on Iranian positions after President Trump dropped a proposed toll plan for tanker passage through the strategic waterway.
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Politics
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche endured five hours of sharp questioning from senators of both parties during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. The former Trump defense lawyer faced scrutiny over the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files, the anti-weaponization fund, and high-profile indictments of Trump's perceived foes. Blanche insisted he is not the president's 'yes man' as the Senate weighs his confirmation.
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Business
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that inflation eased to 3.5% in June, down from 4.2% in May, as gasoline prices declined sharply in response to negotiations between the US and Iran. Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, clocked in at 2.6%. The reading marks the lowest inflation since March, though prices remain more than a percentage point above pre-war levels.
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Technology
Apple filed a sweeping trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI in federal court in Northern California, alleging the AI company orchestrated a campaign to steal intellectual property for its hardware division. The 41-page complaint details how former Apple employees, including OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan, allegedly took confidential product designs, supplier information, and manufacturing techniques. The lawsuit marks a dramatic reversal of the companies' 2024 partnership.
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Science
NASA has begun the rollout of the largest section of its Space Launch System (SLS) core stage for the Artemis III mission, moving the top four-fifths of the rocket from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to the Pegasus barge for transport to Kennedy Space Center. The four RS-25 engines are scheduled to ship from Stennis Space Center by the end of July. Artemis III aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface.
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Sports
Argentina will meet Spain in the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, after Lionel Messi's team staged a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over England in the semifinal. Spain advanced earlier with a win over France. A victory would give Argentina back-to-back World Cup titles, a feat last achieved by Brazil in 1962. The match kicks off at 3 p.m. ET.
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Health
A randomized controlled trial published in Nature Communications has found that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, reversed biological age by an average of 3.1 years in adults with HIV after 32 weeks of treatment. The study of 108 participants used epigenetic clocks to measure aging, showing the strongest effects in the inflammatory system and brain, where aging was delayed by nearly 5 years.
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Environment
A wildfire in the French Pyrenees has scorched more than 11,000 acres and forced over 10,000 people to evacuate from nearly 30 towns and villages near the Spanish border. The European Union dispatched four waterbombing aircraft from Cyprus and Sweden along with more than 100 firefighters. The blaze is the latest consequence of multiple intense heat waves that have gripped Europe since May, disrupting daily life across the continent.
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