The U.S. Mint released 250,000 special quarters marked with "July 4th" to celebrate America's 250th birthday. These coins were sent to banks across the country and can be found in regular change starting in June 2026.
Key Facts
The special quarter honors the Declaration of Independence and features Thomas Jefferson on one side.
The coin has a unique "July 4th" marking and shows a cracked Liberty Bell with inscriptions about American history.
It is one of five different quarters released in 2026 commemorating significant events in U.S. history.
The coins were distributed randomly to banks and financial institutions nationwide starting in early June.
Collectors can buy sets of all five quarters for about $100 or a special gold coin for $19,600 from the U.S. Mint.
Experts say the coins are more for sentimental value than making money because resale prices often stay below purchase cost.
A coin grading company is offering $2,500 to collectors who submit the "July 4th" quarter for verification, with the coin returned after grading.
The special quarters are meant to be collected, saved, and shared as part of celebrating American heritage.
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The article discusses how owning a home in America has played an important role in creating opportunities for people over the past 250 years. It highlights the connection between homeownership and economic progress.
Key Facts
The article covers a 250-year history of homeownership in America.
It explains that owning a home often helps people build wealth.
Homeownership has been a key part of the American way to improve life chances.
The article suggests owning property supports financial and social stability.
It refers to homeownership as part of the “American dream.”
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Whey protein, once considered a waste product from cheesemaking, has become very popular in the United States due to a growing trend called "proteinmaxxing," where many people try to eat more protein. This demand has led to shortages of whey protein, with manufacturers struggling to meet orders.
Key Facts
Whey is the liquid leftover from making cheese, previously often thrown away or used as animal feed or fertilizer.
Tony Meives, from a family of cheesemakers, now runs a company selling whey protein powder as a health product.
The popularity of whey protein has grown beyond bodybuilders to the general public, appearing in many foods like cereals, frozen meals, and even snacks.
A 2025 survey showed 71% of US adults are trying to eat more protein, up from 59% in 2022.
Whey is now considered a valuable co-product, not just a byproduct of dairy farming.
Making whey protein powder involves filtering, purifying, evaporating, and drying the liquid whey.
Increased demand for whey protein has caused shortages and unfilled orders for producers.
Experts say the protein trend has transformed whey into a major source of income for dairy farmers.
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The expected conflict over renewing the USMCA trade deal between the United States, Canada, and Mexico did not happen. The ongoing war with Iran shifted the U.S. government's focus away from the trade pact, leading to quieter negotiations and no immediate renewal.
Key Facts
The USMCA is a trade agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Policymakers expected a fight over renewing the deal this year, but it did not occur.
The war with Iran has taken priority for the U.S. government, reducing attention on the trade deal.
President Donald Trump has cooled on the deal and will not extend it for another 16 years.
The U.S. government has started formal talks with Mexico and kept contact with Canada about the deal.
The agreement will expire in 10 years if no extension is agreed upon.
The U.S. administration believes its tariff policies have already changed North American trade relations.
With U.S. midterm elections approaching, officials expect the negotiations to remain calm.
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Jobs for secretaries and administrative assistants, a field mostly made up of women, have been declining for many years and are expected to keep shrinking. Some administrative workers are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT to help with tasks, making their work faster and allowing them to focus on other activities.
Key Facts
Administrative assistant jobs fell from 3.5 million in 2004 to 2.1 million in 2024.
Nearly 97% of administrative assistants have been women.
The job decline is expected to continue due to AI tools that can do some administrative work.
Medical secretaries and administrative assistants in healthcare are an exception, with a 4% job growth expected by 2034.
Deanna Danger, an administrative assistant, uses AI programs like Copilot and ChatGPT to take meeting notes faster.
Using AI has helped Danger finish tasks in minutes that used to take hours.
AI is changing how administrative assistants work but the full impact on their jobs is still unclear.
Employers are offering AI training sessions to help administrative staff use these new technologies.
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Many young people from Generation Z are choosing to take short breaks from work, called mini-retirements, because they worry they will not receive enough money from state pensions when they are older. These mini-retirements are a way for them to rest and save money differently than previous generations.
Key Facts
Generation Z refers to people born roughly between 1997 and 2012.
Mini-retirements are short periods away from work, unlike traditional retirement which happens once at old age.
Many in Generation Z doubt they will get sufficient state pension benefits in the future.
Concerns about pensions are causing young people to rethink how they manage work and savings.
Mini-retirements allow more flexibility for rest and planning finances throughout life.
This trend reflects changing attitudes toward work and retirement compared to older generations.
Personal finance and pension planning are increasingly important topics for Generation Z.
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UK bankers and trade unions are preparing for a conflict over a proposed tax increase on banks to fund support for struggling households this winter. Andy Burnham, a Labour politician, is considering this tax, which banks oppose, saying it would harm the economy, while unions support it as a way to help people facing rising costs.
Key Facts
Andy Burnham wants to introduce a new tax on banks to help families struggling with rising living costs.
Banks like NatWest, Lloyds, and Barclays have seen large profits recently due to higher interest rates.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) supports the tax and says it could raise £9 billion over four years.
Bankers argue that a higher tax would damage the UK economy because the financial sector is one of the few growing industries.
Paul Nowak, TUC leader, says ordinary workers should not pay more taxes, and wealthier sectors must contribute more.
Bank profits reported: NatWest £7.7bn, Lloyds £6.7bn, Barclays £9.1bn in 2025.
Banks plan over £15bn in shareholder payouts from 2026 to 2028.
The tax debate has intensified following recent interest rate rises linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran.
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Alibaba and its U.S.-based payment processor are paying $600 million to settle U.S. government allegations that they did not stop illegal drug sales on their platforms. The companies admitted they failed to prevent the sale and import of banned drugs and chemicals into the United States between 2016 and 2024.
Key Facts
Alibaba and AUS Merchant Services agreed to pay $600 million to resolve the allegations.
The U.S. Justice Department investigated illegal drug sales through Alibaba’s e-commerce sites like Alibaba.com and AliExpress.com.
The companies admitted to failing to stop about 80,000 sales of illegal chemicals, drugs, and pill presses imported into the U.S.
The combined value of these unlawful product sales was over $200 million.
More than 40 undercover purchases of illegal pharmaceuticals and counterfeit equipment were made during the investigation.
Alibaba employees had previously expressed concerns about illegal product sales and weak compliance controls.
The payment processor’s anti-money laundering controls were also found insufficient to stop banned product sales.
As part of the deal, Alibaba agreed to improve its compliance programs and accept responsibility for its officers and employees.
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Snow Patrol's lead singer, Gary Lightbody, said their new song with Kylie Minogue was meant to be a collaboration from the start. He wrote the song thinking of Kylie, and after she agreed to sing on it, they released it as a single called "These Alarms." The band is also celebrating the 20th anniversary of their popular album Eyes Open.
Key Facts
Gary Lightbody wrote several songs hoping Kylie Minogue would sing one of them.
The band recorded one song themselves but kept calling it "Kylie" internally.
Kylie Minogue later added her vocals, completing the song.
"These Alarms" was released on July 1 as a Snow Patrol and Kylie Minogue single.
Kylie recorded her vocals with her own producer and sent them to Snow Patrol.
Snow Patrol is celebrating 20 years since their big album Eyes Open came out in 2006.
Eyes Open includes well-known songs like "Chasing Cars" and "You're All I Have."
Lightbody said they are discussing possible future collaborations with Kylie and love working together.
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KPMG has named Michael Ebeid as its new chair after the previous chair resigned amid criticism over the firm’s handling of ethical issues. Emails show Ebeid previously denied leak allegations and criticized a senator’s actions, but he later apologized, saying he did not know all the facts at the time.
Key Facts
Michael Ebeid was appointed chair of KPMG after Martin Sheppard resigned under pressure from a parliamentary inquiry.
Ebeid had earlier called leak allegations “completely false” and criticized Senator Deborah O’Neill for making them public.
Ebeid apologized after emails were released showing he made those comments before knowing the full extent of KPMG’s problems.
KPMG acknowledged that its investigations into whistleblower claims about leaked confidential information were not thorough enough.
The leaks involved confidential data from companies like Optus and Lendlease, shared to benefit audit contract applications.
The parliamentary committee released emails to highlight Ebeid’s earlier statements as he takes on a leadership role.
Barbara Pocock, a senator, said Ebeid’s appointment suggests KPMG still has deep ethical issues to fix.
Ebeid was the only board member to defend KPMG’s legal privilege claim when asked to share investigation documents with the committee.
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OpenAI is in early discussions to give the US government a 5% ownership stake in the company. This plan aims to share the benefits of artificial intelligence with the public and improve relations between AI firms and the government.
Key Facts
OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman supports giving the US public a financial stake in AI companies.
The proposal includes other US AI companies like Anthropic, Google, and Meta possibly giving a similar 5% stake.
The idea is to create an investment fund, similar to Alaska’s Permanent Fund, that invests AI wealth and shares profits with citizens.
Talks are early and may require Congress to approve the deal.
Anthropic recently faced government restrictions over national security but restored access after resolving concerns.
OpenAI and Anthropic plan to go public with stock listings, potentially valuing each company over $1 trillion.
Altman has discussed the idea with President Trump and other government officials.
Senator Bernie Sanders supports a public wealth fund funded by a tax on major AI companies.
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A large painting called Scene in Braemar by Sir Edwin Landseer sold for £5.9 million at a London auction. This artwork, related to the famous Monarch of the Glen painting, was originally made for industrialist Edward Betts and has greatly increased in value since it was last sold in 1994.
Key Facts
Scene in Braemar was painted by Sir Edwin Landseer, Queen Victoria’s favorite artist.
The painting shows a 12-point stag on a Scottish Highland peak.
It sold for £5.9 million, five times the previous record for a Landseer painting.
Sotheby’s had estimated its value to be up to £4 million before the auction.
The painting is larger than Monarch of the Glen, measuring almost 9 feet (2.74 meters) tall.
Edward Betts originally paid £800 for the artwork in the 19th century.
Betts had to sell the painting in 1868 due to a banking crisis.
The painting has been shown in public galleries several times since then.
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Singapore police seized a $42.5 million luxury house that was allegedly bought with money made from smuggling Nvidia AI chips. Four people have been charged with fraud and money laundering related to illegal trade in servers containing these chips, which are regulated by US export rules.
Key Facts
The seized mansion was bought for 55 million Singapore dollars (about $42.5 million).
At least two-thirds of the purchase price came from illegal earnings linked to Nvidia chip smuggling.
The chips involved are advanced Nvidia AI chips controlled by US export laws to prevent misuse.
Wei Zhaolun (Alan Wei), CEO of Aperia Group, faces money laundering charges for using $38 million in criminal proceeds.
Four people total have been charged since February 2025 with fraud and related crimes in this case.
Servers containing the chips were ordered from Dell, Super Micro Computer, and Asus, but their final shipment locations were not disclosed.
Singapore authorities also seized about 1 million Singapore dollars from bank accounts connected to the case.
This is the first time corporate entities under investigation have also been charged in Singapore related to this matter.
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Asian stock markets mostly fell due to heavy selling of computer chip company shares. U.S. stock futures stayed mostly stable after small losses, while oil prices dropped following talks between the U.S. and Iran about ending their conflict.
Key Facts
South Korea’s Kospi index dropped 5.1%, with major chip makers SK Hynix down 7.7% and Samsung Electronics down 6.4%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell 1.5%; chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron shares dropped 5.6%.
Taiwan’s Taiex index declined 1.1%, with semiconductor company TSMC down 1.8%.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 0.8%, helped by an 8.7% increase in Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD after rising sales.
The Shanghai Composite index decreased 0.9%, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 edged down 0.1%, and India’s Sensex climbed 0.5%.
U.S. chip stocks also fell on Wednesday: Micron Technology down 10.6%, Intel down 9%, AMD down 6.9%, Broadcom down 2.2%, and Nvidia down 1.3%.
The S&P 500 index dropped 0.2%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell slightly, and the Nasdaq dropped 0.7%.
Economists say demand for artificial intelligence (AI) may keep growing, but possibly slower than expected due to challenges in adopting AI technology.
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Experts warn that many old fridges in the UK cannot handle recent record-high temperatures above 32°C. Supermarket and home refrigerators are struggling or breaking down because they were designed in cooler times, causing issues like empty shelves and higher energy costs.
Key Facts
Many UK fridges were made to work in air temperatures up to about 32°C.
Recent heatwaves have pushed temperatures above this limit, causing fridges to fail.
Supermarket fridges sometimes switch off or reduce the number of cabinets in use to keep others cool.
Engineers report many fridges breaking down during heatwaves.
Refrigeration experts test fridges in climate-controlled labs to see how they handle higher temperatures.
The UK Climate Change Commission found the 2022 heatwave caused many refrigeration failures in stores.
Some UK supermarkets are now designing fridges that can work in temperatures as high as 35°C to 38°C.
Higher energy costs and empty shelves have resulted from fridges struggling to keep food cold in the heat.
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The Leeds International Piano Competition will be relaunched under the leadership of pianist Sir Stephen Hough, who plans to introduce changes to how the contest is run. The 2027 competition will raise the age limit to 35 and allow competitors full freedom to choose their music pieces.
Key Facts
Sir Stephen Hough is the new artistic director of the Leeds International Piano Competition.
The competition started in 1963 and happens every three years.
Competitors for 2027 can be up to 35 years old, higher than the usual limit of 30.
Participants can now choose any music they want to perform, without a preset list.
The final round involves performing a concerto with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
The jury includes well-known pianists and composer Errollyn Wallen.
The competition aims to better showcase musicians’ true abilities and personal music style.
Past winners include famous pianists like Radu Lupu and Murray Perahia.
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The Onion, a satirical news website, is launching a parody of Alex Jones’ Infowars conspiracy platform. They plan to donate $100,000 from merchandise sales to the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims, who have not yet received court-ordered payments from Jones.
Key Facts
The Onion is creating a parody of Infowars under its own website.
They will donate $100,000 from merchandise sales to Sandy Hook families.
Alex Jones was ordered by courts to pay over $1 billion for false claims about the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting.
Jones falsely called the shooting a hoax, leading to harassment of victims’ families.
Infowars once had 10 million monthly visitors and made over $50 million yearly.
The large court judgments forced Jones into bankruptcy and broke up Infowars.
The Onion’s parody uses Infowars’ style to satirize conspiracy theories and related products.
Sandy Hook families hope this effort will stop Jones from profiting and expose his falsehoods.
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New Jersey is starting to charge companies fees if their workers use Medicaid for health coverage instead of employer-provided insurance. Other states like California and Connecticut are considering similar fees to help cover rising Medicaid costs due to federal policy changes.
Key Facts
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill approved a new fee on employers with 50 or more workers on Medicaid.
The fees range from $325 to $725 per Medicaid-covered individual per year, based on company size.
The state expects to raise $145 million from this program in its first year.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps provide health insurance to low-income residents.
Changes in federal Medicaid rules may increase costs for states and reduce the number of people covered.
California passed a bill requiring the government to explore similar employer fees, leaving the decision to the next governor.
Several other states, including Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Connecticut, have proposed or considered similar charges on employers.
Supporters say employers benefit from having some employees covered by Medicaid, so charging fees helps share costs fairly.
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The European Court of Justice has rejected Google's appeal against a €4.1 billion fine for breaking EU competition rules. The fine was originally imposed because Google forced phone makers to pre-install its apps, limiting competition.
Key Facts
The EU court dismissed Google's challenge to a €4.1 billion antitrust fine.
The fine was first imposed by the European Commission in 2018.
Google was accused of forcing phone makers to pre-install Google Search, Chrome, and the Play Store on Android devices.
The EU's General Court upheld the fine but slightly reduced it from €4.34 billion to €4.1 billion.
Google argued the case was unfair and said customers could still download competing apps easily.
The court ruled the pre-installation limits harmed competition and rejected Google's arguments.
Google stated it adapted its agreements after 2018 and remains focused on innovation.
The EU has fined Google over €8 billion in total for antitrust violations and introduced new laws to regulate big tech.
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The U.S. government announced it will not renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade deal originally negotiated by President Trump during his first term. Instead, the U.S. plans to seek new trade agreements with Mexico and Canada while the current deal remains in effect for now.
Key Facts
The USMCA trade deal replaced the older North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
The deal runs through 2036 but can be ended earlier by the U.S. if needed.
U.S. officials cited trade deficits and issues with the current agreement as reasons for not renewing it.
The U.S. Trade Representative hosted a review meeting with Mexico and Canada on the agreement's operation.
President Trump originally called the USMCA the best trade deal made by the U.S. but has since criticized it.
The administration said it will continue talks with Mexico and Canada to create new trade deals.
The decision came on the day a key review deadline for the USMCA was reached.
The current USMCA remains active until a new agreement is made or the deal is ended earlier.
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