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Google is fighting a record European antitrust fine, new U.S. tariffs are reshaping global trade, and questions are mounting after the Pentagon revised its official Iran war casualty count. Elsewhere, regulators are weighing the future of peptide therapies, scientists are advancing quantum computing, and markets are reacting to another busy day of headlines.

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The Big Read

Pentagon Quietly Removes Four Iran-War Deaths From Its Official Toll

Pentagon officials lowered the official Iran-war death toll to 14 from 18, removing four service members killed this month from the running count. Officials did not publicly explain the reclassification, and a Defense Department spokesperson declined to answer questions about which deaths were reclassified.

The move was flagged by watchdog groups tracking Pentagon casualty reporting and quickly drew criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Congressional Democrats demanded a fresh briefing hours after the House narrowly passed a war-powers resolution constraining further Iran operations, and Gold Star family groups called for immediate transparency.

EU Fines Google €890 Million for Favoring Its Own Apps

The European Commission fined Google €890 million for self-preferencing its own apps and services over rivals, in the first major enforcement action against a US tech giant under the EU's new Digital Markets Act. Brussels ordered Google to unwind the challenged design patterns within 90 days.

The fine landed alongside a mandatory-compliance schedule and an unusual public commitment from the Commission to bring monthly progress reports. Google indicated it will appeal while implementing the ordered changes, and rival app developers said the ruling could finally reopen the mobile-app distribution playing field in Europe.

US Rolls Out New Tariffs on Dozens of Countries as Oil Passes $100

Washington imposed a new wave of tariffs on dozens of trading partners citing forced-labor concerns, replacing the temporary global duty imposed after February's Supreme Court ruling. Trading partners rejected the forced-labor rationale but most signaled a willingness to keep negotiating.

Brent crude jumped more than 6% on the day, hitting $100 for the first time since May as Middle East escalation and the tariff wave compounded. Justice Kagan separately signaled from the bench that the Supreme Court will not act as "a rubber stamp" if the new tariff structure is challenged

World View

Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina Ally Steps Down as President

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin is stepping down, removing one of the last Sheikh Hasina allies remaining in top office. Departure clears the way for the interim government to name a successor ahead of general elections.

South Korean Tech Titan Ordered to Pay $644M in Divorce Settlement

An appeals court ordered SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won to pay his ex-wife roughly $644 million in a divorce settlement that has gripped South Korea. The ruling could force asset restructuring across one of the country's largest chaebols.

Attack in Thailand's Deep South Kills Five Soldiers

Gunmen killed five soldiers in Narathiwat, reigniting a long-running insurgency in Thailand's Muslim-majority south. Authorities are hunting the suspects as the region braces for retaliation.

Need To Know

DOJ Drops New York Times Subpoenas After Judge's Rebuke

The Justice Department is walking back subpoenas that had demanded grand jury testimony and phone records from New York Times journalists, after sharp questioning from a federal judge. The retreat ends, for now, a high-profile clash over press freedom tied to reporting on the Qatari plane gifted to the administration.leadership pushing looser rules on experimental compounds.

Los Angeles Homeless Population Grows Again

Los Angeles saw its homeless population rise between early 2025 and early 2026, ending two straight years of decline. The reversal is a political problem for Mayor Karen Bass, who's running for re-election on a record built around bringing those numbers down.

Trump Expands Voluntary Pledge to Curb Data-Center Utility Costs

President Trump expanded a voluntary pledge with governors and utilities aimed at shielding US consumers from higher electric bills tied to the AI data-center buildout. The pledge is not binding, and consumer-advocacy groups called it insufficient given the pace of new hookups.

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Money & Markets

Volkswagen Cuts 2026 Forecast After Q2 Profit Miss

Germany's Volkswagen reported weaker-than-expected Q2 profit and revised down its 2026 sales forecast, citing softer EV demand and Chinese pricing pressure. Shares slid across European auto peers on the print.

Ford and China's Geely Team Up to Build EVs for Europe

Ford is joining forces with China's Geely in an EV joint venture targeting European roads, with operations starting in the first half of 2027 and first vehicles rolling in 2028. Partnership sidesteps US-China EV export tension while giving Ford Geely's low-cost battery scale.

Allianz Buys HSBC's Singapore Insurance Arm for $2.09 Billion

Germany's Allianz has agreed to acquire HSBC's Singapore insurance unit for $2.09 billion, expanding its footprint in one of Asia's wealthiest markets. HSBC continues its long march of shedding non-core businesses to focus on Asian banking.

Future Frontiers

Scientists Build First 3D Heat-Invisibility Cloak

Researchers have built the first three-dimensional cloak that bends heat around complex objects, hiding them from infrared cameras and shielding them from extreme temperatures. Obvious applications: electronics cooling, spacecraft, and anyone who doesn't want to be seen at night.

Physicists Confirm 20-Year-Old Quantum Prediction

Physicists at ISTA have confirmed a two-decade-old theory on distributed entanglement, the quantum link that lets separate modules act as one machine. That's the missing ingredient for scaling quantum computers beyond a single chip.

California's Grizzly Bears Weren't What Scientists Thought They Were

A new genomics study of the state's extinct grizzly population suggests they were closely related to Alaskan brown bears rather than genetically distinct — reopening a fresh debate about reintroduction to Sierra Nevada wildlands.

The Score

Jordan Walsh Signs 3-Year, $15M Celtics Extension

Celtics forward Jordan Walsh has agreed to a three-year, $15 million extension that runs through the 2029-30 season. Boston locks in a young rotation piece at a bargain rate as luxury tax pressures loom.

Ravens Cut Diego Pavia Before Training Camp

The Ravens have cut quarterback Diego Pavia before the start of training camp, ending his shot at the QB3 role behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. Undrafted quarterback stints tend to be short. Pavia's was no exception.

Chris Sale Fans 11 as Braves Hit Four Homers to Edge Padres 6-5

Chris Sale struck out 11 and Atlanta homered four times to edge San Diego 6-5, with Marcell Ozuna's late shot proving the difference. Braves also announced Ronald Acuña Jr. will return from the IL Friday.

Locklear and Pdaadt Power the Diamondbacks Past the Cardinals 10-6

Tyler Locklear and Elly Pdaadt combined for six RBIs as Arizona thumped St. Louis 10-6 in a rare offensive breakout at Chase Field. The loss drops the Cardinals to seven back in the NL Central race.

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Life & Culture

"Shark Week" Returns With K-Pop Star Rei Ami and Ken Jeong

Discovery's "Shark Week" returns Sunday with K-pop singer Rei Ami — from the "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack — and comedian Ken Jeong hosting new specials. Both said the dives shifted how they think about shark conservation.

Johnny Depp Returns as a Snowball-Throwing Scrooge

Paramount has dropped the first trailer for Ti West's "Ebenezer," a dark reimagining of "A Christmas Carol" starring Johnny Depp as the miser himself. It's Depp's first major Hollywood role since his 2022 defamation trial against Amber Heard.

Bon Jovi Cuts MSG Show Short Over Vocal Issues

Jon Bon Jovi abruptly ended his Madison Square Garden show on Thursday, telling the crowd "you're not getting the best of me" before pulling the plug. The band will reschedule, two weeks into a tour that's already tested his surgically repaired voice.

Deep Dive

The Peptide Gold Rush Reaches the FDA

What it is: An FDA advisory panel narrowly backed broader peptide access, the injectable compounds beloved by wellness influencers and celebrities. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has championed the trend, giving fringe biohacking an unusual seat at the regulatory table. The recommendation is nonbinding, but it marks one of the strongest signals yet that federal regulators are willing to reconsider how these compounds are treated after years of sitting outside the medical mainstream.

The detail: Peptides like BPC-157 and TB-500 have circulated for years through compounding pharmacies and gray-market sellers, promising faster recovery and anti-aging benefits. Rigorous human trials remain thin, and much of the enthusiasm rests on animal studies and glowing testimonials rather than clinical proof. Many products are also sold online with inconsistent dosing and quality controls, raising concerns that expanded demand could outpace reliable manufacturing standards unless oversight becomes significantly stricter.

Why it matters: A narrow panel vote signals how contested this moment is, pitting a booming wellness economy against decades of cautious drug-approval norms. Broader access would legitimize products that many mainstream researchers still consider unproven, reshaping what "supplement" even means. Supporters argue greater oversight could improve safety by bringing more of the market into regulated channels, while critics warn that public enthusiasm may move faster than the available scientific evidence.

What to watch: Regulators must now decide how far to open the door, and any expansion will invite scrutiny over safety data and manufacturing standards. Watch whether Kennedy's health agenda pushes the FDA toward approval, or whether career scientists slow the momentum. Any final decision is also likely to influence insurers, physicians, and pharmaceutical companies weighing whether peptide therapies belong in routine medical practice or remain on the fringes.

Extra Bits

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