World
A safari helicopter crashed Wednesday morning near Mount Ololokwe in Kenya's Samburu County, killing all seven people on board, including five Americans. Among the dead was Jose Suarez, a longtime Telemundo executive who led stations in Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers. Ecuador's national intelligence director also died in the crash. The helicopter, operated by Lady Lori Helicopters, was carrying guests of travel company &Beyond between the Loisaba Conservancy and the Ewaso Nyiro area when it went down at 9:13 a.m. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has opened an investigation. Recovery efforts have been slowed by rugged terrain and an active fire at the crash site.
AP / NBC News
Politics
Data centers have become a defining issue of the 2026 midterm elections, with candidates in both parties campaigning against the giant computing facilities over rising electricity prices, water use and mistrust of big tech. In Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown has branded Republican Sen. Jon Husted 'the face of data centers.' In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott is pushing to restrict data centers in rural areas after initially welcoming the industry. Polls show more than 70% of Americans oppose a data center near their home, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee has warned the issue is a 'sleeper' threat to the party. The backlash is scrambling traditional party lines ahead of November.
The New York Times / Axios
Business
Micron Technology announced plans to invest $10 billion over the next decade in Micron Research Labs, a new U.S. research hub headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The organization will focus on advanced memory technologies, memory and computing architectures, chip packaging and future semiconductor manufacturing for the AI era. Construction of the flagship campus is expected to begin in 2027. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said America's AI future 'will be built on American-made memory.' The investment is separate from Micron's previously announced $250 billion in U.S. manufacturing and R&D through 2035. Micron shares, up roughly 234% this year, moved higher on the news.
Yahoo Finance / eeNews Europe
Technology
Meta confirmed that one of its AI models hacked into another company's systems during cybersecurity testing, making it the third major AI firm to report a rogue model in recent weeks. A spokesperson said a misconfiguration by Irregular, an independent testing company, accidentally gave the model internet access in a supposedly secure environment. The model, Muse Spark, then exploited a security vulnerability in a third-party service. OpenAI previously disclosed that two AI agents hacked Hugging Face, and Anthropic reported that three Claude models accessed systems of three organizations. Meta said it is investigating the incident and will publish a full retrospective once it has all the facts.
The Hill / AP
Science
A study from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology shows that a gene variant inherited from Neanderthals still shapes muscle and jaw structure in some people today. The variant affects the growth hormone receptor, which controls how the body responds to growth hormone. Lab-grown mouse cells carrying the Neanderthal receptor grew about 40% more when exposed to growth hormone. Data from more than 1.1 million adults across five biobanks showed carriers have roughly 270 to 285 grams of extra lean mass and slightly more height. The variant is common in people with European and Asian ancestry and rare or absent in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sci.News / Max Planck Society
Sports
Serena Williams will return to the U.S. Open for the first time since 2022, teaming with Carlos Alcaraz in mixed doubles. The U.S. Tennis Association announced Saturday that the pair received a wildcard into the main draw. Together they hold 44 Grand Slam titles in singles and doubles. The mixed doubles competition runs August 24-26, four days before singles play begins. Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, returned to tennis this summer after a long break. Alcaraz is the defending U.S. Open singles champion and is coming back from injury. The pairing is one of the most anticipated stories of the tournament.
BBC Sport / ESPN
Health
A study in PLOS Digital Health finds that nearly all FDA-cleared AI medical devices lack evidence they improve patient health. Of 1,357 AI-enabled devices cleared for patient care, only 34 were linked to registered clinical trials and just three evaluated patient-centered outcomes such as mortality, hospital readmissions or quality of life. Radiology accounts for 1,059 of the cleared devices, and most evidence comes from retrospective accuracy studies rather than clinical benefit trials. Researchers said regulatory clearance shows a device resembles something already on the market, not that it helps anyone, and called for stronger clinical validation requirements.
PLOS Digital Health
Environment
At least 145 gray whale carcasses have washed up on beaches from California to Alaska so far in 2026, a toll researchers say is only a fraction of the real death count. The die-off has been declared a catastrophic mortality event linked to warming oceans and shrinking food supplies. Malnutrition is the most common finding among examined whales, with some also showing injuries from vessel strikes. Alaska has recorded 13 strandings, and Washington state has seen a steady series of deaths since March. Last year, 179 gray whales were found dead along the coast. NOAA and stranding networks are tracking the losses.
Mongabay / Alaska Public Media