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Thousands of idle ships trapped near the Strait of Hormuz could become floating nurseries for invasive marine species and spread them worldwide when trade resumes |– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser July 28, 2026 0

Thousands of idle ships trapped near the Strait of Hormuz could become floating nurseries for invasive marine species and spread them worldwide when trade resumes |– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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EXCERPT:

Having escalated into open hostilities on February 28, 2026, the current United States and Iran war has been going on for nearly five months. In this period, the Strait of Hormuz, the only open-ocean exit for major producers like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and the UAE has been in chokehold. The strait is the world’s most critical maritime energy chokepoint, facilitating the passage of roughly 600 billion worth of energy trade annually. According to estimates, about 1,500 vessels are stuck in the Persian Gulf, and several hundred more are stuck in the adjacent Gulf of Oman.Now according to new research, something growing on the hulls of these ships could spread worldwide when the trade resumes. The study published in Biological Invasions, was led by an international team of 24 marine scientists, led by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), and including the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).The team cautioned that thousands of commercial vessels stranded for months in the Persian/Arabian Gulf following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could unintentionally trigger a massive marine invasive species event. The study titled, “Closure of the Strait of Hormuz May Trigger a Bioinvasion Super-Spreader Event,” highlighted how prolonged periods at anchor allow ship hulls to accumulate dense communities of marine organisms including algae, barnacles, mussels and other invertebrates which can be transported across the globe when trade resumes.

Houthis say they attacked Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, threatening new chokepoint in Iran war– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser July 28, 2026 0

Houthis say they attacked Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, threatening new chokepoint in Iran war– www.channelnewsasia.com
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EXCERPT:

Before the Red Sea flare-up, Trump vowed on Wednesday to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s joint military command in turn warned that if Trump’s threat against infrastructure was carried out, Iranian forces would target regional oil, gas, electricity and economic infrastructure and prevent the export of “even a single drop of oil”, Iranian state media reported.

Hours later, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reported an explosion in what it called a mined route south of the Strait of Hormuz, saying one of three oil tankers had caught fire while the other two turned back. The Guards said the strait was under their control and “completely closed”, warning that no tanker would be allowed to enter or leave without coordination with Iran.

In 12 straight days of attacks since a June ceasefire fell apart, American strikes have widened from the south to western and central areas of Iran. The US military’s Central Command said it would continue to “further degrade” Iran’s ability to threaten ship traffic.

AI can become more biased than humans while choosing who gets hired; study finds |– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser July 28, 2026 0

AI can become more biased than humans while choosing who gets hired; study finds |– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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EXCERPT:

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being trusted to help employers screen CVs, rank candidates and even conduct early-stage interviews. The promise is simple: AI can process thousands of applications quickly, reduce administrative workloads and, in theory, make hiring decisions more objective than humans. According to a recent review by MIT Technology, based on the 2024 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology titled “Costly Exploration Produces Stereotypes With Dimensions of Warmth and Competence”, large language models (LLMs) may not only inherit human biases from the data they are trained on but also develop entirely new stereotypes based on their own experiences. Rather than simply reflecting existing prejudice, these systems can create fresh patterns of discrimination as they attempt to optimise decision-making over time.The findings are particularly significant because businesses are rapidly integrating AI into recruitment. If these systems begin making assumptions about groups of applicants after only a handful of hiring decisions, they could gradually reinforce unfair employment practices without any explicit human instruction.The research, conducted by scientists at Princeton University and the University of Chicago, builds on earlier psychological work showing how stereotypes can emerge from repeated decision-making. It suggests that the same learning strategies that make AI effective at solving complex problems can also make it unusually prone to stereotyping job candidates.

German Nuclear Fuel Plant Cleared to Work With Russia’s Rosatom– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser July 28, 2026 0

German Nuclear Fuel Plant Cleared to Work With Russia’s Rosatom– www.themoscowtimes.com
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EXCERPT:

Germany on Wednesday approved an application by French firm Framatome to produce nuclear fuel rods under a licensing agreement with state-backed Russian firms despite political concerns, arguing it lacked the legal basis for a rejection.

A Framatome subsidiary had applied to produce at its plant in northern Germany fuel elements to supply nuclear plants in the eastern European market using Russian licenses and technology in a joint venture with Russian firms TVEL/Rosatom.

Despite political concerns due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the environment ministry in the state of Lower Saxony with guidance from the federal environment ministry granted the necessary approval subject to certain conditions.

A spokesperson for the federal ministry said that while the government in Berlin has a critical view of the cooperation with a Russian state-owned company, the decision was made in accordance with the relevant nuclear laws of Germany.

“The appropriate instrument to address this, however, is not nuclear law, but rather EU-wide sanctions, including those in the nuclear sector,” the ministry said in a statement.

Trump prepares fresh tariffs on dozens of countries: Report– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

Trump prepares fresh tariffs on dozens of countries: Report– www.channelnewsasia.com
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EXCERPT:

US President Donald Trump is poised to unleash fresh tariffs on dozens of countries as soon as this week, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday (Jul 21), with his temporary 10 per cent global tariff scheduled to expire on Friday.

The FT said the most immediate new duties are expected to be on a par with the 10 per cent tariffs currently in place, but the administration was also working on other investigations that could grant it the legal authority to propose higher duties.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.


300K North Carolina Student Loans in Default

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

North Carolina has released a report that reveals over 300,000 people in the state have defaulted on their student loans. This amounts to billions of dollars owed. Nationally, one in five student loan borrowers are in default.

Almost 300,000 North Carolina College Borrowers are in Default, Owing Billions– legalinsurrection.com
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EXCERPT:

This is probably true in multiple states. Imagine the numbers for California.

Nearly 300,000 North Carolina college-goers are in default, owing billions in student loans

Nearly 300,000 North Carolina college-goers have defaulted on their federal student loans, collectively owing $7.8 billion, data analyzed by the Associated Press shows.

About half of those people, owing an average of $26,500, have gone into default just since last September.

Since then, federal policies on student loans have changed and some repayment options are gone or about to go away. At the same time, the number of federal employees working on students loans has been slashed, noted Julia Barnard, a former ombuds for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Record complaints have come in, and many borrowers are being given varying information about how much they actually owe, Barnard told WRAL News.

That, paired with affordability issues more broadly, lead Barnard and other experts to project the numbers will only grow.

“It’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better,” Barnard said.

Trump Announces New Canada Tariffs, Threatens More for other Countries

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

President Donald Trump appears prepared to utilize tariffs as a geopolitical tool once again. He announced a 50% tariff on Canada that came without warning. The administration is also signaling more tariffs on more countries are soon to follow. This could indicate the administration believes it has a legal path to apply tariffs that doesn’t conflict with SCOTUS’ recent ruling on tariffs.

US Hits Canada With 50 Percent Tariffs– gellerreport.com
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EXCERPT:

The administration is responding to the retaliatory stance that Canada had retained toward the US:

“At the outset of the president’s trade policy, which he implemented early last year, there were only two countries that retaliated against the United States: the People’s Republic of China and Canada,” an official said. “Canada has retained substantial retaliation against the United States, as the U.S. imposes trade actions to re-industrialize, re-shore, and support its manufacturing. Specifically, Canada has to be held accountable for this continued discrimination,” the official continued (Townhall).

Financial Times: On Monday evening the administration published a list of specific goods that would be subject to the 50 per cent tariff, including milk and dairy products, alcoholic drinks, clothing and furniture…. The Trump administration will base the tariffs on Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which has never been used to impose duties on trading partners. A senior administration official said the law gave the president the authority to impose duties when a country discriminated against the US “relative to the treatment it gives a third country” (Financial Times).

Fact sheet: (White House).

Trump hits Canada with surprise 50% tariffs — and he didn’t warn Carney during their World Cup talk

By Emily Goodin, NY Post, July 20, 2026:

WASHINGTON — President Trump slapped a mammoth 50% tariff on certain Canadian goods — a move meant to combat what the administration described as the country’s “continuous discrimination” on American products.

The new tax will apply to a range of imports, including wine, hockey sticks, and cement and goes into effect in 30 days, but the administration indicated in a Monday briefing call that it was open for negotiations on the matter.

“Canada has retained substantial retaliation against the United States,” a senior administration official told reporters on a Monday briefing call.

Houthis Announce Plans to Shut Down Red Sea

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

Following Iran’s provocation, the Houthis of Yemen have pledged they will shut the Red Sea down. The hope is that shutting down two major shipping lanes, the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, will cripple the global economy.

Iran-Backed Houthi Terrorists Announce Blockade of the Red Sea– gellerreport.com
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EXCERPT:

The Houthis is another Islamic terror arm of Tehran. They must be confronted accordingly. Iran’s terror regime is a scourge upon humanity, and its reign must be brought to an end.

Washington Times: The Houthis, a Yemen-based rebel faction backed by Iran, announced a new blockade of the Red Sea on Monday, potentially opening a new front in the U.S.-Iran war even as Pakistani and Qatari mediators work to broker a ceasefire. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a video statement that the group would immediately impose a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, which borders the Red Sea. Houthi-affiliated media confirmed the blockade would take effect immediately, saying it was in response to what the group called Saudi Arabia’s illegal “blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years.”

Judge Pauses Paramount-Warner Deal for Two Weeks

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín of the Northern District of California has put a two-week hold on the DOJ-approved Paramount-Warner merger. The deal is being held up by a California lawsuit seeking to prevent it from happening. The judge was nominated by former President Joe Biden.

Calif. Federal Judge Pauses Paramount-WBD Merger – tctechnology.com
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EXCERPT:

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order pausing the $110 billion merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery as she considers a ruling on a preliminary Injunction in an antitrust case filed by 12 attorneys general.

The July 20 ruling by U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín of the Northern District of California pauses the deal for 14 days while she considers a preliminary injunction, which would block the merger for the duration of the litigation and impose substantial costs on Paramount.

“My office and attorneys general nationwide have secured an emergency order blocking the unlawful merger of Warner Bros. and Paramount,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading a coalition of states seeking to block the deal on antitrust grounds. “This is a critical first win in our case to ensure this megamerger never sees the light of day. …With our lawsuit, we’re fighting for a free and fair market and a thriving film and television industry that serves creatives and audiences alike.”

As previously reported, the case argues that the deal, the largest in Hollywood history, would combine two of Hollywood’s five major film distributors and two of the five major owners of basic cable channels, “inflicting substantial harm on movie theaters, basic cable distributors, and ultimately, audiences nationwide.”

The deal has been approved by the Justice Department and Paramount had been hoping to close it as early as July 22.

Bessent Drops the Financial Hammer on Iran, With a Personal Message to the Ayatollah – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser July 22, 2026 0

Bessent Drops the Financial Hammer on Iran, With a Personal Message to the Ayatollah – RedState– redstate.com
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EXCERPT:

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent is at it again, tracking down Iranian regime’s cash and grabbing or freezing it with Operation Economic Fury, the financial side of the actions against the regime.

Bessent explained how they’ve been tracking accounts all over the world, and now they’ve frozen a crypto wallet containing about $130 million linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Senators explore separate stopgap spending bill as House moves ahead– www.politico.com

pgnewser July 22, 2026 0

Senators explore separate stopgap spending bill as House moves ahead– www.politico.com
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EXCERPT:

Senate Republicans are looking at going their own way on government funding, as House Republicans try to move a stopgap spending bill this week to fund the government until after the midterm elections.

GOP lawmakers in the Senate have had conversations with Democrats on moving a stopgap spending bill while also talking with the White House about anomalies, according to a person granted anonymity to disclose private discussions.

Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), the top Democratic appropriator in the Senate, said she has had conversations with Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) about a Senate version of a stopgap spending bill along with potential “anomalies,” which are specific exceptions or exemptions to the flat funding of a continuing resolution usually noted to prevent disruptions to key services.

Murray wants to see if the House can get their legislation across the floor.

“Let’s see what happens in the House,” she said in an interview Monday.

Murray warned that chamber’s measure likely won’t have her support if it makes it through the House and over to the Senate.

“I understand there’s some real flaws with it. I am happy to look at a bipartisan CR, but I understand there’s some real problems on the House side,” she said.

Iran War Risk Pushes African Central Banks to Hold Rates Higher– financialpost.com

pgnewser July 22, 2026 0

Iran War Risk Pushes African Central Banks to Hold Rates Higher– financialpost.com
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EXCERPT:

“It is very unlikely that the CBN would restart monetary easing as long as inflation expectations remain elevated,” said Gergely Ürmössy, emerging markets strategist at Societe Generale SA. “In the CBN’s latest inflation survey, over half of respondents expected inflation to accelerate over the next six months; in March, before domestic fuel and energy prices spiked, roughly 60% expected inflation to hold steady or decelerate.”

Scientists looked 2,000 metres below the ocean and found microplastics in 92% of deep-sea animals, revealing plastic has reached Earth’s most remote ecosystems and could threaten marine food webs |– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser July 22, 2026 0

Scientists looked 2,000 metres below the ocean and found microplastics in 92% of deep-sea animals, revealing plastic has reached Earth’s most remote ecosystems and could threaten marine food webs |– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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EXCERPT:

Scientists have uncovered plastic pollution in one of Earth’s most isolated environments, challenging the long-held belief that the deep ocean remains largely untouched by human activity. Analysing animals living more than 2,000 metres beneath the sea, researchers discovered that 92% contained microplastics, offering some of the clearest evidence yet that plastic waste has reached even the planet’s most remote marine ecosystems. The findings, published in the journal Water Research, also revealed a striking regional difference, with deep-sea animals collected from the Indian Ocean carrying significantly higher levels of contamination than those from the Pacific. The study raises fresh concerns about the growing reach of plastic pollution and its potential impact on fragile marine food webs.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Water Research, focused on hydrothermal vent ecosystems in the Central Indian Ridge and the North Fiji Basin. These underwater environments lie more than 2,000 metres (6,560 feet) below the surface and are among the most isolated habitats on Earth.Researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) examined deep-sea snails and mussels collected from these locations to determine whether microplastics had reached their bodies. Their analysis showed that 92% of the animals contained plastic particles, with an average of 3.4 microplastic particles per individual.

Trump admin refunds $81B in tariffs after his key trade policy was struck down by Supreme Court– www.independent.co.uk

pgnewser July 15, 2026 0

Trump admin refunds $81B in tariffs after his key trade policy was struck down by Supreme Court– www.independent.co.uk
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EXCERPT:

Donald Trump's unsigned housing bill just banned the U.S. digital dollar – thestreet.com

pgnewser July 15, 2026 0

Donald Trump’s unsigned housing bill just banned the U.S. digital dollar – thestreet.com
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EXCERPT:

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law at midnight, and President Donald Trump’s signature was never on it.

Buried inside the bipartisan housing-affordability bill, and having nothing to do with housing, is a provision barring the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency, a government-run digital dollar.

The ban runs until December 31, 2030, and it stops the Fed from issuing a digital dollar either directly to the public or indirectly through banks and other intermediaries. Any future attempt would require Congress to authorize it first.