Author: Jack Mulligan

In a major escalation of the ongoing conflict, Israel launched a massive airstrike on Hezbollah’s headquarters in Beirut on Friday, reportedly targeting the group’s long-standing leader, Hassan Nasrallah. According to U.S. and Israeli officials, the attack was aimed directly at Nasrallah, though it remains unclear if he was in the building or if the strike successfully killed or injured him. If confirmed, Nasrallah’s death would be a significant blow to Hezbollah. Nasrallah has been the face of the Iran-backed militant group since 1992, after his predecessor was assassinated by Israel. Hezbollah has long been a powerful force in Lebanon, with…

Climate activists from Just Stop Oil have once again targeted Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers paintings, throwing tomato soup over two of the artist’s works at the National Gallery in London. The protest took place on Friday, just an hour after two other activists, Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, were sentenced to prison for a similar act of vandalism in 2022. Targeting Van Gogh’s Sunflowers Again At 2:30 PM on Friday, three Just Stop Oil supporters walked into the National Gallery and threw Heinz tomato soup over Sunflowers 1889 and Sunflowers 1888. The latter painting was the same one targeted by…

Google has announced significant updates to its AI-driven note-taking and research assistant, NotebookLM, introducing several new features aimed at expanding its utility beyond its initial audience of educators and learners. The updates now allow users to generate summaries from YouTube videos and audio files and share AI-generated audio discussions through public links. Expanded AI Features for a Wider Audience Originally launched at Google’s I/O developer conference, NotebookLM was initially focused on assisting educators and students. However, the tool has seen a shift in its user base, with 50% of its users now being business professionals, according to Raiza Martin, a…

Travis Kelce, the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, has had a tough start to the season despite his team’s undefeated record. After Sunday night’s win against the Atlanta Falcons, Kelce once again failed to deliver his usual standout performance, finishing with just four catches for 30 yards and no touchdowns. So far this season, Kelce has managed only eight catches for 69 yards and is yet to score. His form has been a noticeable departure from the level of play fans have come to expect from him. In the latest episode of his podcast New Heights, Kelce…

China’s economy got a significant boost on Tuesday after Beijing introduced its largest stimulus package since the pandemic. This broader-than-expected set of measures, which includes more funding and interest rate cuts, aims to pull the world’s second-largest economy out of its deflationary slump, which has caused turbulence in global currency and equity markets this year. While European stocks, emerging-market currencies, and commodities surged on the news, analysts remain skeptical about the longer-term effectiveness of the stimulus. A key concern is the extremely weak credit demand from both domestic businesses and consumers, which could limit the package’s impact. Here’s a look…

Consumer sentiment took a sharp hit in September, experiencing its largest decline over three years as fears around jobs and inflation weighed heavily on the public. According to data from The Conference Board on Tuesday, the consumer confidence index fell to 98.7 from August’s 105.6. This is the most significant one-month drop since August 2021, surprising many who expected a more modest decline. A Significant Decline in Consumer Sentiment The drop in confidence reflects growing unease about the state of the economy. The index had been 132.6 in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread economic turmoil. The…

Two Palestinians were wounded on Monday when a rocket, reportedly fired by Lebanon’s Hezbollah, struck the northern West Bank. The rocket was part of a larger barrage of long-range projectiles launched by Hezbollah toward Israel, setting off warning sirens in several West Bank settlements. Rocket Impact in Deir Istiya According to the Palestinian Authority’s official Wafa news agency, the rocket landed between homes in the town of Deir Istiya, causing significant material damage. Among those injured were a 60-year-old man and an elderly woman, both of whom were taken to a hospital for treatment. Wafa did not provide details on…

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic said that the central bank’s decision to start its rate-cutting cycle with a substantial half-point move will help stabilize the labor market and bring interest rates closer to a neutral level. However, Bostic cautioned that officials should avoid committing to further large cuts due to ongoing uncertainty about inflation. In a speech delivered at a virtual event organized by the European Economics and Financial Centre, Bostic emphasized the need to remain flexible, as the risk of inflation returning remains a concern. He noted that the labor market is weakening, but not yet…

If you’re wondering why you’ll be seeing two Monday Night Football games tonight, it’s all part of an ongoing NFL and ESPN deal that has changed how we enjoy football on Mondays. This week, fans will be treated to two matchups: the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Buffalo Bills and the Washington Commanders vs. Cincinnati Bengals. Why Two Games on Monday Night? The NFL began scheduling more Monday night doubleheaders starting in 2021 as part of a deal with ESPN and ABC, both owned by Disney. This move brought more games to prime-time television on both networks. While doubleheaders were once reserved…

In a move that marks both a nod to the past and a step toward the future, Microsoft has signed a 20-year agreement to purchase power from the infamous Three Mile Island nuclear energy plant in Pennsylvania. The site, known for the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history, is being revitalized to help satisfy Microsoft’s increasing energy demands, particularly for its artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. The plan to reopen the plant by 2028, following improvements, now awaits regulatory approval. A Historic Site Powering the Future Microsoft’s decision to source energy from the Three Mile Island plant highlights the growing…