Morning Digest
25 stories from 4 sources, 52 more held back.
German camera maker Leica has excluded a Russian photographer from its prestigious Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA) following Ukrainian criticism over his links to the Russian RIA Novosti news agency. Valery Melnikov, a three-time World Press Photo winner, said in a social media post this week that his long-term series, ‘Mariupol.
Two Russian athletes won the first and the second places in the women’s all-around on the first day of the European Gymnastics Championship underway in Croatia. World champion Angelina Melnikova scored the gold medal, while her teammate Anna Kalmykova received the silver.
Palestinian families besieged by Israeli ‘terrorists’ – US envoy (VIDEO). US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has branded Israeli settlers besieging three Palestinian families in their West Bank homes “terrorists. The days-long siege has targeted several properties, including one owned by a dual US citizen.
CIA had ‘low confidence’ in Trump assassination plot claims – WaPo. The US intelligence community doubted reports of an Iranian plot to kill President Donald Trump by shooting down Air Force One as it departed a NATO summit in Türkiye, the Washington Post has reported.
Released in early August, the Japanese Ministry of Defense’s latest white paper signals that Tokyo, under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is converting years of incremental modernization into a more integrated and far-reaching national-security architecture – one that is altering the strategic landscape along China’s eastern periphery.
The US military lost 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, or a quarter of its entire supply of the reconnaissance craft, during its war on Iran, the Washington Post has reported. The loss cost the US taxpayer an estimated $1.3 billion. The loss figures were revealed by the Washington Post on Thursday, citing three unnamed US officials.
France’s ambassador to the Central African Republic has been disciplined for sexual misconduct with around 30 local women at his official residence in Bangui, according to French media. Ambassador Bruno Foucher brought around 30 women between the ages of 20 and 30 into his residence between January 2024 and March 2026, French magazine Le Canard Enchaine reported on Wednesday.
Collapsing ceilings, asbestos, and holes in walls: Pentagon watchdog sounds alarm over condition of US bases in Pacific. US military installations across the Pacific are in an alarming state of decay, a new Pentagon inspector general’s report has found, calling for “immediate attention” to fix crumbling infrastructure.
Castro at 100: WATCH the story of Cuba’s revolutionary leader. Fidel Castro, the revolutionary leader who ruled Cuba for nearly five decades, was one of the defining figures of the Cold War, defying successive US administrations and surviving hundreds of reported assassination attempts.
Vladimir Zelensky has made an unusually specific claim about what Ukraine needs to defend itself against Russian ballistic missiles.
The defense team of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk last September, has argued that the defendant should be spared the death penalty, as he only “hit the intended target. The defense attorneys insist that the prosecution has been unable to prove the alleged shooter put other people’s lives at risk, thus committing aggravated murder.
An exclusive report by Raw America White House reporter Brian Karem. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., August 7, 2026. President Donald Trump’s secret ploy to escape an Iranian missile attack is drawing fire from both a former White House press secretary and even senior members of his own White House staff, Raw America can reveal.
Senate Republicans are loudly warning Trump that voters are exhausted with his endless war in Iran as gas prices become a real problem for the GOP heading into the midterms. CNN employees are pushing back on MAGA billionaire David Ellison’s plan for an “independent” editorial board, calling it a toothless PR move.
Trump’s company is selling paying customers early access to his official posts. Now, a new lawsuit claims that’s unconstitutional. Sailors on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln have reportedly tried to jump overboard as Trump’s Iran war drags on with no end in sight.
The Kansas City Chiefs star tight end and the pop superstar wed July 3 at Madison Square Garden in front of 1,000 guests. The festivities included a star-studded list of attendees, including Patrick Mahomes, Ed Sheeran, Wayne Gretzky and Selena Gomez. Comedian and actor Adam Sandler officiated the ceremony.
The comments came two days after a fiery, 2½-minute monologue by White during which she defended herself after some critics contended she didn't show enough support for guard Sophie Cunningham when the player took a hit across the head and neck area last weekend at Chicago. Referees upgraded the foul from a Flagrant 1 to a Flagrant 2, resulting in an ejection of Sky guard DiJonai Carrington.
LSU cornerback DJ Pickett says he has no plans to change out of the No. 5 amid pushback from 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, with the Washington Commanders quarterback saying the situation won't distract from his focus on the NFL season. "I've worn the number my whole life, since I was 4 years old," Pickett, a sophomore, said Thursday. "It's the number I was promised [by LSU].
The NBA's schedule has plenty of intrigue in January with the highly anticipated returns of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown to their respective former homes. The league released its entire schedule Thursday. Antetokounmpo visits Milwaukee for the first time with his new team Jan. 28 when the Miami Heat play at the Fiserv Forum.
The regular season begins on Oct. 20 with a triple-header. The Boston Celtics will face the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock) before the Philadelphia 76ers head to Madison Square Garden to play the New York Knicks (7 p.m.
A source told EPSN the transfer is expected to be completed in the coming days, with Torres due to fly to Paris to complete a medical exam before signing for the French side. ESPN revealed earlier this week that Barça had rejected an opening offer of €40m from PSG but that negotiations remained ongoing.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears will not change their name if they build a stadium across state lines in Indiana. During his annual address at training camp on Thursday, chairman George H. McCaskey said the team will not be renamed the "Hammond" Bears if they break ground on a fixed-roof stadium some 30 minutes southeast of Solider Field.
Arizona Cardinals rookie quarterback Carson Beck won't play in Thursday night's preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a rib injury sustained in last Thursday's Hall of Fame Game, a source told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The injury is not considered serious, the source told Rapoport. A team source told ESPN's Josh Weinfuss that there is "zero long-term worry" about the injury.
Busch died in May at the age of 41 due to severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. Busch's widow, Samantha, announced on social media Thursday that Gibbs would drive in the classic M&M's paint scheme on "one of Kyle's favorite tracks." "Going back without him will be heartbreaking.
Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton, who has missed 14 games with a right hip impingement, has been activated off the injured list prior to the Field of Dreams game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Iowa.
Calling Grok a frontier model might have sounded ridiculous a year ago, but SpaceXAI’s latest model is paving a trajectory that likely doesn’t have rivals laughing anymore.
German camera maker Leica has excluded a Russian photographer from its prestigious Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA) following Ukrainian criticism over his links to the Russian RIA Novosti news agency. Valery Melnikov, a three-time World Press Photo winner, said in a social media post this week that his long-term series, ‘Mariupol.
Two Russian athletes won the first and the second places in the women’s all-around on the first day of the European Gymnastics Championship underway in Croatia. World champion Angelina Melnikova scored the gold medal, while her teammate Anna Kalmykova received the silver.
Palestinian families besieged by Israeli ‘terrorists’ – US envoy (VIDEO). US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has branded Israeli settlers besieging three Palestinian families in their West Bank homes “terrorists. The days-long siege has targeted several properties, including one owned by a dual US citizen.
CIA had ‘low confidence’ in Trump assassination plot claims – WaPo. The US intelligence community doubted reports of an Iranian plot to kill President Donald Trump by shooting down Air Force One as it departed a NATO summit in Türkiye, the Washington Post has reported.
Released in early August, the Japanese Ministry of Defense’s latest white paper signals that Tokyo, under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is converting years of incremental modernization into a more integrated and far-reaching national-security architecture – one that is altering the strategic landscape along China’s eastern periphery.
The US military lost 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones, or a quarter of its entire supply of the reconnaissance craft, during its war on Iran, the Washington Post has reported. The loss cost the US taxpayer an estimated $1.3 billion. The loss figures were revealed by the Washington Post on Thursday, citing three unnamed US officials.
France’s ambassador to the Central African Republic has been disciplined for sexual misconduct with around 30 local women at his official residence in Bangui, according to French media. Ambassador Bruno Foucher brought around 30 women between the ages of 20 and 30 into his residence between January 2024 and March 2026, French magazine Le Canard Enchaine reported on Wednesday.
Collapsing ceilings, asbestos, and holes in walls: Pentagon watchdog sounds alarm over condition of US bases in Pacific. US military installations across the Pacific are in an alarming state of decay, a new Pentagon inspector general’s report has found, calling for “immediate attention” to fix crumbling infrastructure.
Castro at 100: WATCH the story of Cuba’s revolutionary leader. Fidel Castro, the revolutionary leader who ruled Cuba for nearly five decades, was one of the defining figures of the Cold War, defying successive US administrations and surviving hundreds of reported assassination attempts.
Vladimir Zelensky has made an unusually specific claim about what Ukraine needs to defend itself against Russian ballistic missiles.
The defense team of Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk last September, has argued that the defendant should be spared the death penalty, as he only “hit the intended target. The defense attorneys insist that the prosecution has been unable to prove the alleged shooter put other people’s lives at risk, thus committing aggravated murder.
The Kansas City Chiefs star tight end and the pop superstar wed July 3 at Madison Square Garden in front of 1,000 guests. The festivities included a star-studded list of attendees, including Patrick Mahomes, Ed Sheeran, Wayne Gretzky and Selena Gomez. Comedian and actor Adam Sandler officiated the ceremony.
The comments came two days after a fiery, 2½-minute monologue by White during which she defended herself after some critics contended she didn't show enough support for guard Sophie Cunningham when the player took a hit across the head and neck area last weekend at Chicago. Referees upgraded the foul from a Flagrant 1 to a Flagrant 2, resulting in an ejection of Sky guard DiJonai Carrington.
LSU cornerback DJ Pickett says he has no plans to change out of the No. 5 amid pushback from 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels, with the Washington Commanders quarterback saying the situation won't distract from his focus on the NFL season. "I've worn the number my whole life, since I was 4 years old," Pickett, a sophomore, said Thursday. "It's the number I was promised [by LSU].
The NBA's schedule has plenty of intrigue in January with the highly anticipated returns of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown to their respective former homes. The league released its entire schedule Thursday. Antetokounmpo visits Milwaukee for the first time with his new team Jan. 28 when the Miami Heat play at the Fiserv Forum.
The regular season begins on Oct. 20 with a triple-header. The Boston Celtics will face the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock) before the Philadelphia 76ers head to Madison Square Garden to play the New York Knicks (7 p.m.
A source told EPSN the transfer is expected to be completed in the coming days, with Torres due to fly to Paris to complete a medical exam before signing for the French side. ESPN revealed earlier this week that Barça had rejected an opening offer of €40m from PSG but that negotiations remained ongoing.
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears will not change their name if they build a stadium across state lines in Indiana. During his annual address at training camp on Thursday, chairman George H. McCaskey said the team will not be renamed the "Hammond" Bears if they break ground on a fixed-roof stadium some 30 minutes southeast of Solider Field.
Arizona Cardinals rookie quarterback Carson Beck won't play in Thursday night's preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a rib injury sustained in last Thursday's Hall of Fame Game, a source told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The injury is not considered serious, the source told Rapoport. A team source told ESPN's Josh Weinfuss that there is "zero long-term worry" about the injury.
Busch died in May at the age of 41 due to severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. Busch's widow, Samantha, announced on social media Thursday that Gibbs would drive in the classic M&M's paint scheme on "one of Kyle's favorite tracks." "Going back without him will be heartbreaking.
Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton, who has missed 14 games with a right hip impingement, has been activated off the injured list prior to the Field of Dreams game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night in Iowa.
An exclusive report by Raw America White House reporter Brian Karem. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., August 7, 2026. President Donald Trump’s secret ploy to escape an Iranian missile attack is drawing fire from both a former White House press secretary and even senior members of his own White House staff, Raw America can reveal.
Senate Republicans are loudly warning Trump that voters are exhausted with his endless war in Iran as gas prices become a real problem for the GOP heading into the midterms. CNN employees are pushing back on MAGA billionaire David Ellison’s plan for an “independent” editorial board, calling it a toothless PR move.
Trump’s company is selling paying customers early access to his official posts. Now, a new lawsuit claims that’s unconstitutional. Sailors on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln have reportedly tried to jump overboard as Trump’s Iran war drags on with no end in sight.
Calling Grok a frontier model might have sounded ridiculous a year ago, but SpaceXAI’s latest model is paving a trajectory that likely doesn’t have rivals laughing anymore.