“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday announced a new effort to annually screen service members’ testosterone levels and offer testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), framing it as a way to keep troops on the ‘leading edge of lethality.’ The screening, added as part of war fighters’ periodic health assessment, will affect troops age 30 and older, though those under 30 can voluntarily choose to get the test, Hegseth said in a video message posted to X. … The Pentagon chief authorized the new screening program to ensure troops ‘have the right testosterone levels to operate at [their] absolute best because it’s well-established science that as we age, testosterone levels often naturally drop,’ he said.” (07/15/26)
“A man who threatened on social media in May to shoot Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage was arrested, London police said on Wednesday, as concerns grow over the security of politicians following the killing of Ann Widdecombe, a former member of parliament. The man was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of sending threatening communications to a member of parliament, the Metropolitan Police said. ‘I am going to shoot you in the head if you win,’ he allegedly told Farage on social media, according to the Telegraph newspaper. The July 8 killing of Widdecombe, who was a member of the anti-immigration Reform UK, has led the party to call for better protection of its members.” (07/15/26)
“U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said federal immigration agents won’t end vehicle stops, one day after officials announced a temporary pause in such stops after agents [murdered] two men in Texas and Maine. ‘We must be strong, tough, and smart, and we CANNOT give up one of ICE’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!’ Trump wrote in a social media post. On Tuesday, Trump administration officials said the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency had ordered its officers to suspend most vehicle stops around the country after two men were [murdered] by ICE agents during such stops six days apart.” (07/15/26)
“A Moroccan prosecutor said on Wednesday he had ordered the release of veteran journalist and political commentator Ali Lmrabet after questioning him, although an investigation continues following allegations of defamation and libel. Lmrabet, 66, who holds French nationality and lives in Spain, was arrested on Sunday on arrival at Tangier airport. He is a political commentator on social media and has been an outspoken critic of Morocco’s political system for decades. … In 2003, Lmrabet was jailed after being convicted on charges that included offending King Mohammed VI. In 2005, a Moroccan court banned him from practising journalism in Morocco for 10 years.” (07/15/26)
“Wholesale prices unexpectedly fell in June as sliding energy costs helped brighten the inflation picture, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. The produce price index posted a seasonally adjusted 0.3% decline for the month, compared with the Dow Jones consensus estimate for the final demand cost measure to be unchanged. On an annual basis, the index indicated a 5.5% inflation rate. The May reading was revised sharply lower, from an initially reported increase of 1.1% to 0.6%. Excluding food and energy, the core PPI rose 0.2%, against the outlook for a 0.3% increase. The core PPI less trade services rose 0.1% and was up 5.1% from a year ago.” (07/15/26)
“French President Emmanuel Macron’s party is suing far-right National Rally presidential candidate Marine Le Pen for allegedly using its name in a campaign slogan. The party, Renaissance, said that Le Pen’s slogan — ‘For France, the Renaissance’ — amounted to an ‘unauthorized appropriation of its political identity and trademarks.’ Le Pen formally launched her presidential bid last week after a court cleared her to run despite being found guilty of embezzling funds from the European Parliament — a charge she continues to deny and has appealed to France’s highest court.” (07/15/26)
“Not every accomplice gets a say in the matter. A Maryland man allegedly stole a 3-month-old kitten from a pet store, carried her into a nearby bank and asked an employee to hold the animal moments before handing a teller a note demanding cash, according to police and a local cat rescue. The kitten, named Magnolia, was found unharmed after Prince George’s County police arrested the suspect. Beltsville Community Cats later joked on Facebook that her brief ‘life of crime’ was over. … The rescue later posted on Facebook that Magnolia was recovered safely, and she had bonded with the bank manager during the ordeal.” (07/14/26)
“One person died, three people were missing and 16 were rescued from the waters off San Francisco after a pontoon boat sank Tuesday afternoon while carrying mostly family members as part of a memorial service, authorities said. Crews arriving on the scene near Alcatraz Island found a three-deck pontoon vessel almost fully under water with the motor still running and leaking fuel, San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said. … Officials say they’re still piecing together exactly what caused the three-story, 50-foot pontoon boat to sink.” (07/15/26)
“The British government announced plans Wednesday to introduce a six-hour social media curfew from midnight for 16- and 17-year-olds — though they will be able to override the proposed default setting. In its latest attempt to reduce the risks of online harm for children, Britain’s Labour government also said that features that can keep users scrolling for longer, such as videos that automatically play one after another, will also be switched off by default for older teenagers. The planned restrictions come a month after the government unveiled a social media ban for under-16s, which is expected to cover platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, but not messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal, from next spring.” (07/15/26)
“A coalition of public health groups sued the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday, seeking to block a new policy that could allow a wave of new flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches to enter the market without completing the required scientific review. … Led by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the American Lung Association, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the American Academy of Pediatrics.” [editor’s note: You know what’s already “allowed?” Actual tobacco. Apparently these groups are worried about the diseases they claim to oppose going away – TLK] (07/14/26)
