“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)
“China’s economic growth slowed sharply between the start of April and end of June as weak domestic demand and the Iran war’s impact on oil prices overshadowed the country’s strong exports. Official gross domestic product (GDP) figures showed the world’s second largest economy grew in the second quarter by 4.3%, below Beijing’s annual target, and after a 5% rise in the first quarter. … The announcement represents the first full quarter of GDP data since the start of the Iran war on 28 February and marks the lowest quarterly expansion since the end of 2022, as China was emerging from its strict Covid-19 restrictions.” (07/15/26)
“President Donald Trump’s holding company took a $2 million payment last year from a top investor in a South Korean aluminum firm as the company was fighting a trade case before Trump’s Commerce Department, highlighting the president’s business ties to companies with business before his administration. The payment from Base Co. LTD was part of a ‘letter of intent’ and a ‘nonrefundable development fee,’ according to the president’s latest financial disclosure. The New York Times first reported the transaction. Base Group is a key shareholder in Korea Aluminium, one of several companies that the Commerce Department has accused of circumventing duties imposed on Chinese aluminum. The company has also had a years-long business relationship with the Trump family business, selling Trump-branded wine in South Korea.” (07/14/26)
“President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States no longer believes it needs a military presence in Iraq, arguing Iran has been weakened enough for Baghdad to stand on its own as the U.S.-led coalition mission approaches its planned Sept. 30 conclusion. … Trump said the U.S. partnership with Iraq would shift away from military cooperation toward investment and energy development, while [Iraqi Prime Minister Ali] al-Zaidi said: ‘The 30th of September, the U.S. forces would be out of Iraq. While U.S. companies will be inside Iraq.'” (07/14/26)
“British counterterrorism police on Tuesday said Ann Widdecombe, a right-wing politician who was killed last week, had been the victim of a ‘targeted attack.’ Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in Haytor, in Devon, southwestern England, on Thursday, having sustained serious injuries. A 28-year-old British man from Rotherham, a town in northern England around 270 miles away from the crime scene, was arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday. On Monday, the police said they were also holding him ‘on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.'” (07/14/26)
“The federal government agreed to temporarily hold off on construction of a planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement [concentration camp] in Northern California. The voluntary pause until Sept. 9 comes after the California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and Santa Clara County officials sued the Trump administration last month to block the facility from being developed near Gilroy. The lawsuit remains ongoing. … Community members and advocates for immigrants swiftly opposed the project. ICE has consistently looked to increase its detention capacity in California, where eight [concentration camps] can now hold a combined 9,000 people, though the state has long been a thorn in the agency’s side.” (07/14/26)
“A federal judge on Tuesday blocked U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration from enforcing a policy that targets foreign nationals who study disinformation and hate speech on social media for visa denials and deportation. Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington sided with the Coalition for Independent Technology Research in finding that the administration’s policy likely unlawfully burdens the speech of non-citizen researchers in the United States in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. The group’s lawsuit alleged that the U.S. State Department, while claiming it is fighting online censorship that Trump’s allies have argued has affected conservative speech on social media, had been engaged in a far-reaching campaign of censorship targeting researchers and anti-disinformation advocates.” (07/14/26)
