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Aqua Break Up

Aqua are breaking up. The Danish-Norwegian Eurodance band best known for the 1997 hit "Barbie Girl" announced today that they're calling it quits. Their last performance was in November of last year at the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival in India, and their final album was

On the fog of Beijing

One of the difficulties in analysing summit meetings between leaders such as Xi Jinping and Donald Trump is that the events are a blend of public theatre and private discussion. With previous presidents of China and the United States such summits represented the culmination of

Asia

US sanctions senior Cuban officials as tensions escalate

The U.S. is sanctioning 11 people it claims are “Cuban regime-aligned actors,” including top officials, as tensions heat up between the two countries. In a fact sheet released Monday, the State Department said it was “sanctioning 11 Cuban regime-aligned actors and three

Trump proposes partial PFAS rollback

{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story EPA issues draft PFAS rule The Trump administration on Monday moved to partially roll back drinking water protections from toxic “forever chemicals.” © Joshua A. Bickel, Associated Press file The Environmental

Trump-backed prayer rally roils debate on church and state

A massive religious gathering on the National Mall backed by the White House is sparking backlash from critics who say it blurs the lines between church and state. The unprecedented appearance of government officials featured virtual remarks from members of the administration

Supreme Court deals blow to Big Pharma

Presented by Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare {beacon} View Online Health Care Health Care PRESENTED BY The Big Story Supreme Court deals blow to pharma challenge of Medicare price negotiation The Supreme Court declined to take up petitions from several of the

Americans grow anxious over economy

Presented by Anthropic {beacon} View Online Business & Economy Business & Economy PRESENTED BY The Big Story Economic fears rise with Trump backlash over Iran Nearly half of Americans have anxiety about their finances at the same time as they have frustrations with the

Our Summer Art Reading List

Whenever I’m stuck in a reading rut, I find that art books of any kind are the only ones that can rescue me. This time, it’s Kory Stamper’s True Color , a transfixing story about the man who originated Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s definitions for

Jury says Elon Musk was too late in case against Sam Altman

{beacon} Technology The Big Story Jury says Elon Musk was too late in case against Sam Altman A California federal jury unanimously rejected Elon Musk’s claims against OpenAI and its co-founder Sam Altman, ending the latest chapter in a nearly decade-long feud. © Markus

HHS withdraws amended vaccine advisory panel charter

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Monday withdrew its amended charter for a highly influential vaccine advisory committee that would have loosened eligibility requirements, citing administrative errors. In a notice set to be officially published in the

British Steel crisis derails China’s tariff-bypass strategy

A Chinese steelmaker’s attempt to use British Steel as a foothold in Western markets has turned into a political dispute, after the UK government introduced a bill that could nationalize the eastern England-based company. Jingye Group, a privately owned steelmaker based in

Asia

The Federal Circuit Dropped A Theme Song For Some Reason

The United States Court Of Appeals For The Federal Circuit — aka the Fed. Cir. or the C.A.F.C. — is an appellate court that has jurisdiction over a broad selection of federal cases including government contracts, international trade, trademarks, patents, federal employee

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