Jullea Powell

🚘 Driving a car has long stood as a key symbol of independence for younger Americans – but to many members of Gen Z, the idea is now more hassle than it’s worth.

🌍 See an Israel-Hamas update; a North Korean soldier defected for the first time since the pandemic; and more.

🌍 Russia and Iran used AI to spread disinformation about US presidential elections, per Meta and OpenAI; Ukraine’s military incursion in Russia’s Kursk region is entering its third week; and more.

🏡🚨 A Missouri woman was arrested on federal charges accusing her of trying to steal Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate and swindle Presley’s family out of millions of dollars.

🌍 Worldcoin, an eye-scan project from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, is facing global pushback; Canada's two largest railroads are preparing for a potential strike that could disrupt US supply chains; and more.

🌏 Toronto developers are turning a defunct airport into a $22 billion city; a Chinese firm claims it has created the world's fastest-charging EV battery; and more.

🌏 Two Asian prime ministers are departing office; Germany issued an arrest warrant for a Ukrainian man allegedly involved in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions; and more.

🐻 A trio of Western states are pushing federal regulators to remove the protected status of grizzly bears following a recent spike in human-grizzly encounters.

🌍 Greece’s worst wildfire of 2024 continues to spread near Athens; Indian law enforcement busted a fake cricket league swindling Russian gamblers; and more.

🌏 Israel placed its military on high alert for a potential Iranian attack; China unveiled plans to accelerate its carbon-reduction initiatives; and more.

🌏 A Russian chess player is under investigation for allegedly poisoning her opponent; Japan issued its first-ever megaquake alert; and more.

🌍 Moscow claims Ukraine launched a major surprise attack in Russian territory; Thailand’s Constitutional Court disbanded the country’s most popular political party; and more.

🌍 A reclusive tribe in Peru’s Amazon attacked loggers suspected of encroachment; the UN found nine of its workers were potentially involved in Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel; and more.

🌏 Bangladesh’s leader resigned and fled the country amid mass anti-government protests; China has been circumventing US restrictions on AI chips, per a NYT report; and more.

🎓 A growing number of smaller US colleges are looking to boost their revenues by embracing a side hustle: hosting non-degree-related activities on campus.

🌍 The UN officially declared famine in Sudan’s Darfur region; Russia legalized crypto mining and the use of crypto for international payments; and more.

🌏 The US and Russia carried out their largest prisoner swap since the Cold War; Australia launched the world’s first national program to treat peanut allergies in babies; and more.

🌏 Wind and solar generated more electricity than fossil fuels in the EU for the first time; China is planning to establish a national internet ID system; and more.

🌍 Thousands of Serbians are protesting plans for Europe's largest lithium mine; Israel arrested 9 soldiers accused of sexually abusing a Hamas prisoner; and more.

🌏 Both parties claimed victory in Venezuela’s presidential election; the US is upgrading its military forces in Japan; and more.