“Starbucks announced it will close about 250 underperforming stores in North America, about 1% of its 18,000 locations. The announcement, revealed in a letter to employees from chief operating officer Mike Grams, heralds the second major wave of Starbucks closures since Brian Niccol became CEO two years ago. … The locations to be closed have not yet been specified by the company, but a regulatory filing from the company indicates most of the stores will be shuttered before the end of fiscal 2026.” (09/24/26)
“Newly unearthed records in a Munich archive have cast doubt on Adolf Hitler’s whereabouts at the time of his niece’s suspicious 1931 death, according to news magazine Der Spiegel. Hitler’s unusually close and controlling relationship with his niece, Geli Raubal, has long been the subject of speculation and rumor, and newspaper reports at the time suggested that Hitler may have played a role in her death. Raubal died from a gunshot wound to the chest from a pistol belonging to Hitler, in what was officially determined to be a suicide. Hitler … was away in the city of Nuremberg that day, giving him what appeared to be a strong alibi. But according to an article in Der Spiegel, historian Harald Sandner recently discovered documents in archives in Munich casting doubt on that account — and raising questions about whether Nazi sympathizers in the police may have falsified records to protect Hitler.” (09/24/26)
“A US appeals court has for now reinstated an Ohio law requiring residents to present documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote at the state’s motor vehicle offices, in a boost for allies of President Donald Trump who want tighter voter registration rules. The 2-1 decision late on Wednesday by the Cincinnati-based 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals to pause a lower court ruling blocking the law was a win for Ohio’s Republican government ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.” (09/24/26)
“German prosecutors are investigating a man aged 105 over allegations that he was an accessory to multiple counts of murder at a Nazi prisoner of war camp in World War Two. The suspect is alleged to have been a camp guard at Stalag 326 VI K in Senne in northwestern Germany. A similar case had also been under way involving a second former camp guard at Senne, Dortmund public prosecutor Sonja Frodermann said in a statement. That suspect died a few months ago at the age of 99, she said. No further details about the two former guards have been made public, however the two cases highlight the difficulties faced by prosecutors who continue to investigate Nazi-era crimes, with most of the remaining suspects already dead.” (09/24/26)
“Ever-higher costs to service mounting debt loads pose a major risk to governments around the world, economists have warned. Global debt rose by $10 trillion in the first half of the year to top $365 trillion, according to research published by the Institute of International Finance on Wednesday. State debts are rising as yields on medium- and long-term government bonds issued by a slew of the world’s biggest economies hit their highest levels in more than a decade — including in the U.S., Japan, France and the U.K. … The Washington-based group found that advanced economies paid over $3.3 trillion in interest on internationally traded government bonds last year, more than global spending on AI ($2.6 trillion), defense ($3.1 trillion), or clean energy ($2.3 trillion).” [editor’s note: From the article it’s not clear whether that “global debt” includes everyone’s assorted debts, or just the money borrowed by politicians – TLK] (09/24/26)
“Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has considered the remote possibility of US military action against Canada, according to an interview with The New York Times. Carney told the Times that his administration has carefully examined the ‘extreme tail risk’ scenario where the US takes military action against his country, and had prepared accordingly, without providing further detail. ‘I think you have a responsibility in these roles to look at extreme tail risk,’ Carney told the Times. ‘That’s just risk management. That’s not a base case, but it would be irresponsible not to’ prepare. Any conflict would likely be highly imbalanced. The US military has more than 2 million active-duty and reserve troops, while Canada has less than 200,000, according to their governments. Similarly, as of 2024, the US possessed 65 military submarines, compared to Canada’s four.” (09/24/26)
“The US Navy has disclosed that eight sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its prolonged deployment, The Hill reported. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao made the disclosure in a letter to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, after she sought information about the well-being of sailors aboard the carrier and accompanying vessels. The revelation comes after families of sailors raised concerns about deteriorating mental health and difficult living conditions during the carrier strike group’s lengthy deployment in West Asia amid the US war with Iran.” (09/24/26)
“A fire broke out on Wednesday evening at a ground-based Starlink satellite communications station in central Poland providing connectivity for the region, including Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said, adding the systems were now operational. Poland has been on heightened alert for acts of sabotage since Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in 2022. Russia has repeatedly denied any such action.” (09/24/26)
“The FBI is investigating a claim by a cyber-crime group that it has stolen sensitive information on all bureau staff – around 38,000 people. The group, Shiny Hunters, says it has every agent’s name, role, badge number and personal details including home address, phone numbers and spouse information. Professor Ciaran Martin, the former head of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, said – if confirmed – it was ‘as serious as it gets when it comes to data breaches.’ In a statement posted on X, the FBI said it was aware of the claim and the agency was ‘actively and aggressively investigating the matter’. The criminals claim to have breached the FBI’s servers on Monday night and began contacting reporters on Tuesday sharing samples and screenshots of the stolen data.” (09/24/26)
“The man once known only as the ‘Unknown Wanderer’ in Boise now has a name—and a curious tie to one of the country’s most infamous unsolved crimes, CBS News reports. Idaho investigators say the man found dead by cyanide in a Boise church in December 1982 has been identified via DNA as Dr. Mathew Francis Betkouski, a chemist with a long-standing obsession with poisons. While authorities aren’t formally tying him to Chicago’s 1982 ‘Tylenol Murders,’ in which seven people were killed by cyanide-laced Tylenol, investigators have revealed evidence that appears to possibly link him to the cold case. He had a history of working in drugstores, and colleagues recalled him having a fascination with carrying out the ‘perfect crime,’ the AP reports.” (09/24/26)
