Friday, July 4, 2025

BIG Wrap

Victorious Macron sends message of unity

French presidents are heads of state, not of government. It is not unusual for them to send a message of unity after an election, writes the BBC's Henri Astier. But given the extraordinary level of polarization in France, Macron felt he needed to be particularly forceful in his pledge to be "the president of everyone." He is fully aware that many voters backed him, as he put it himself, "not to support my ideas, but to block...

Mysterious liver disease strikes children in U.S. and Europe

The World Health Organization says at least one death has been reported in connection with a mysterious liver disease outbreak affecting children in Europe and the United States. The UN health agency said late Saturday that it has so far received reports of at least 169 cases of "acute hepatitis of unknown origin" from a dozen countries. The cases were reported in children aged one month to 16 years old, and 17 of those who fell ill...

Crew of first private flight to ISS prepare for return

The crew of the first fully private mission to the International Space Station was set on Sunday to leave the orbiting laboratory and head back to Earth. The three businessmen and a former NASA astronaut had spent more than two weeks on the station on a history-making mission organized by startup company Axiom Space, Phys.org reports. A SpaceX capsule was scheduled to undock from the ISS at 8:55 p.m. Eastern for the return trip, before landing...

Pfizer third dose effectiveness wanes after three months, says study

A study released April 22 in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine shows that a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine provides strong protection, roughly 80% to 90%, in the first few months against hospital admissions and emergency department visits caused by the Delta and Omicron variants. However, against Omicron, this protection wanes over time — even after a third dose, Medical Xpress reports. "Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 booster doses significantly improve protection against omicron, although that protection seems...

Florida governor signs law revoking Disney powers

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a controversial bill dissolving Walt Disney World's self-governing status in the state.  The move is seen as retribution for Disney's opposition to the state's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill, the BBC reports. The company's status in the state in effect allowed Disney to operate as its own municipal government. It included the ability to levy tax, build roads, control utilities, and operate its own fire department. The Florida bill will eliminate Disney's...

Musk-funded CO2-reduction contest awards $1 million to 15 groups

From algae farming to producing a sort of artificial limestone, initiatives intended to reduce greenhouse gas in the atmosphere are getting a funding boost from famed entrepreneur Elon Musk, reports Phys.org. The Tesla and SpaceX rocket company developer is bankrolling a $100-million XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition for the most promising ways to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide by grabbing the gas out of the air. The 15 early-phase "milestone round" winners were announced Friday. Each will get $1 million, a...

Formal suspect declared in Madeleine McCann case

A German man has been declared an official suspect by Portuguese prosecutors investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the BBC reports. Christian Brueckner, 45, has been made an "arguido", but Portuguese authorities have not formally revealed the suspect's name. In 2020 German police announced they were investigating him in connection with Madeleine's disappearance. Brueckner has not been charged and denies any involvement in the case. German authorities informed him he was a suspect, at the request of Portuguese...

Rising EV prices send Tesla profits soaring

Tesla has been raising prices – but that hasn't seemed to dent demand for its electric cars. Despite the firm facing higher costs, profits at the electric car company founded by Elon Musk soared to $3.3 billion in the first three months of the year, as customers proved willing to pay more. The firm's deliveries were up 68% – and would have been higher if not for supply chain shortages, the firm said. Its Shanghai factory was...

Can India feed the world?

Last week, Indian PM Narendra Modi told U.S. President Joe Biden that India was ready to ship food to the rest of the world following supply shocks and rising prices due to the war in Ukraine. Modi said India had "enough food" for its 1.4 billion people, and it was "ready to supply food stocks to the world from tomorrow" if the World Trade Organization (WTO) allowed, the BBC reports. Commodity prices were already at a 10-year...

Netflix hints at password-sharing clampdown to counter subscription losses

Netflix has hinted it will crack down on households sharing passwords as it seeks to sign up new members following a sharp fall in subscribers. The number of households using the streaming service fell by 200,000 in the first three months of the year as it faced stiff competition from rivals, the BBC reports. It was also hit after it raised prices in some countries and left Russia. Netflix warned shareholders another two million subscribers were likely...