The Scoop In January, President Donald Trump posted two clips from a popular YouTube account sharing some dramatic news: Walmart was closing hundreds of California stores. It wasn’t true. But as California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s communications team pushed back against the posts on X, what alarmed them more than the ...
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Trump calls off Iran strikesTrump calls off Iran strikes
US President Donald Trump abruptly called off a new round of planned strikes on Iran on Saturday after some of Washington’s Gulf allies pushed for deescalation. The pause was contingent upon “rapidly” arriving at a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, as Iran and Oman discussed a ...
US, Japan coordinate yen purchasesUS, Japan coordinate yen purchases
The US and Japanese governments coordinated to stabilize the yen after the currency plummeted last week, a historic intervention aimed at preventing wider economic destabilization. The yen is “very undervalued,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday — Japan’s currency has weakened for months, a phenomenon economists attributed to ...
Trump’s Gaza deal faces resistanceTrump’s Gaza deal faces resistance
US President Donald Trump’s diplomatic push to disarm Hamas has run into headwinds as political resistance in Israel and disagreements with Hamas over implementation cast doubt on the US-backed plan. Trump hailed the agreement last week as a “monumental step” that Israel was “very happy” about, but he dodged key ...
BYD sales rise for third straight month on exports surgeBYD sales rise for third straight month on exports surge
China’s BYD recorded a 22% year-over-year increase in EV sales in July, marking a third straight month of growth, as overseas gains continued to help offset slumping demand at home. The company must sharply lift its second-half sales to meet its annual goal, Bloomberg noted, as a sluggish Chinese economy ...
FIFA scraps privatization push after uproarFIFA scraps privatization push after uproar
FIFA abandoned its plans on Friday to spin off its commercial arm as a $20 billion private entity following a soccer world revolt that has pushed President Gianni Infantino’s leadership to the brink. On Saturday, UEFA — which had threatened to boycott the World Cup — declared victory over the ...
New ads to attack vulnerable Republicans over cost of careNew ads to attack vulnerable Republicans over cost of care
The political arm of advocacy group Care Can’t Wait will launch digital ads in a half-dozen battleground congressional districts next week as part of a six-figure campaign slamming Republicans for the high price of caregiving. The ads, shared first with Semafor, contrast the costs incurred by senior and disability care, ...
Democratic socialists rework platform as they step into spotlightDemocratic socialists rework platform as they step into spotlight
The News MILWAUKEE — Democratic Socialists of America revamped its platform ahead of a national summit this weekend in Chicago, shifting some official positions on immigration and democracy, as Republicans try to cast the entire Democratic Party in its mold ahead of the midterms. “We’re getting a lot of attention ...
Chinese AI companies aim to serve businessesChinese AI companies aim to serve businesses
China’s tech giants are deepening their push into AI for businesses as they look for profitable revenue streams. TikTok owner ByteDance, which boasts the highest annual AI revenue projection among its peers, announced a restructure this week to bring its workplace tool closer to its flagship AI chatbot Doubao, which ...
Robots get better at handling unpredictabilityRobots get better at handling unpredictability
Google DeepMind unveiled a new model this week that gives humanoid robots finer control over how they interact with objects around them. Promotional videos show a robot doing complicated tasks like tying a trash bag and screwing a small lightbulb, suggesting we’re a step closer to general-purpose robotics — where ...