Data: Census Bureau ; Chart: Neil Irwin/Axios American consumers have powered the economy forward this year. In July, they took a breather. Why it matters: While the underlying trend in consumer demand appears solid, retail sales hit an air pocket last month, suggesting a bumpier path ahead for overall growth. - Combined with a weak jobs report last week and two subdued inflation readings this week, it points to the Federal Reserve having room to be patient on potential interest rate increases this fall. Driving the news: Retail sales fell 0.6% in July, the weakest performance in more than a year and well below the 0.1% gain analysts expected. - Excluding gas stations and auto dealers, there was still a 0.3% decline in sales, meaning…
Data: Census Bureau ; Chart: Neil Irwin/Axios American consumers have powered the economy forward this year. In July, they took a breather. Why it matters: While the underlying trend in consumer demand appears solid, retail sales hit an air pocket last month, suggesting a bumpier path ahead for overall growth. - Combined with a weak jobs report last week and two subdued inflation readings this week, it points to the Federal Reserve having room to be patient on potential interest rate increases this fall. Driving the news: Retail sales fell 0.6% in July, the weakest performance in more than a year and well below the 0.1% gain analysts expected. - Excluding gas stations and auto dealers, there was still a 0.3% decline in sales, meaning…Open
Mangione has pleaded guilty to stalking charges in connection with the death of Brian Thompson, a health care executive. A separate judge will decide the future of Mangione's state trial.
Mangione has pleaded guilty to stalking charges in connection with the death of Brian Thompson, a health care executive. A separate judge will decide the future of Mangione's state trial.Open
Hawaii's governor has declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Lala churns toward the Big Island with hurricane-force winds expected by the weekend, a storm that could mark the first direct tropical hit on the islands in 75 years. Governor Josh Green issued the emergency declaration on Thursday as Lala, packing maximum sustained winds […] The post Tropical Storm Lala bears down on Hawaii as governor declares state of emergency appeared first on American Almanac .
Hawaii's governor has declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Lala churns toward the Big Island with hurricane-force winds expected by the weekend, a storm that could mark the first direct tropical hit on the islands in 75 years. Governor Josh Green issued the emergency declaration on Thursday as Lala, packing maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, tracked west-northwest through the central Pacific at 10 mph. As of 5 a.m. ET on August 14, the storm sat roughly 455 miles east-southeast of Hilo, close enough that forecasters expect heavy rain and gusty winds to reach the Big Island by Friday. Hurricane warnings are now in effect for Hawaii County. Tropical storm watches cover Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai,…Open
The U.S. Army has named the two soldiers killed when an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter went down during a maintenance test flight near Salado, Texas, a crash so severe it sparked a 155-acre grass fire and forced evacuations. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, Texas, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, […] The post Army identifies two Fort Hood soldiers killed in Apache helicopter crash near Salado, Texas appeared first on American Almanac .
The U.S. Army has named the two soldiers killed when an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter went down during a maintenance test flight near Salado, Texas, a crash so severe it sparked a 155-acre grass fire and forced evacuations. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, 34, of Killeen, Texas, and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25, of Belton, Texas, died Wednesday afternoon when their twin-engine Apache crashed into a field south of Salado, roughly 50 miles north of Austin. The Army released their names Friday in a statement that offered few details about what went wrong, saying only that the helicopter "experienced a mishap" during the flight. The crash remains under investigation. Both men were pilots assigned to Bravo Company, 1st…Open
A House committee report accuses Harvard of co-authoring more than 140 research papers with Chinese universities tied to Beijing's military, while collecting over $600 million in Chinese funding, more than any other American school. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party released the findings ahead of their public debut, detailing what investigators describe […] The post Congress finds Harvard co-authored 140-plus papers with Chinese military-linked universities appeared first on American Almanac .
A House committee report accuses Harvard of co-authoring more than 140 research papers with Chinese universities tied to Beijing's military, while collecting over $600 million in Chinese funding, more than any other American school. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party released the findings ahead of their public debut, detailing what investigators describe as years of research collaboration between Harvard-affiliated scientists and institutions the Pentagon has identified as central to China's defense modernization. Committee Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar, a Michigan Republican, paired the report with a blunt demand for the university to overhaul its approach to foreign research partnerships. Separately, Rep. Pat…Open
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is under renewed fire over a Detroit animal shelter that a former employee called a "slaughterhouse", and his Republican opponent says the record proves Detroiters couldn't trust him with their pets. The controversy centers on Detroit Animal Care and Control, the city shelter that fell under El-Sayed's authority when […] The post Abdul El-Sayed faces scrutiny over Detroit animal control record as whistleblower allegations resurface appeared first on American Almanac .
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is under renewed fire over a Detroit animal shelter that a former employee called a "slaughterhouse", and his Republican opponent says the record proves Detroiters couldn't trust him with their pets. The controversy centers on Detroit Animal Care and Control, the city shelter that fell under El-Sayed's authority when he served as Detroit's health director. A whistleblower lawsuit, a $63,000 city settlement, a federal court order blocking warrantless dog seizures, and state records showing thousands of animals euthanized have all resurfaced as El-Sayed campaigns for a U.S. Senate seat against Republican Mike Rogers. Rogers seized on the record in a post on X. "This is sickening," Rogers…Open
A military emergency unit pulled the remains of three medieval kings from a 10th-century Spanish monastery threatened by wildfire, part of a broader wave of blazes and drought battering Europe this week. Late Thursday, flames driven by high temperatures and strong winds pushed toward San Juan de la Peña, a monastery carved into a mountain […] The post Spanish troops rescue 11th-century royal remains from monastery as wildfire closes in appeared first on American Almanac .
A military emergency unit pulled the remains of three medieval kings from a 10th-century Spanish monastery threatened by wildfire, part of a broader wave of blazes and drought battering Europe this week. Late Thursday, flames driven by high temperatures and strong winds pushed toward San Juan de la Peña, a monastery carved into a mountain range in the Aragón region of northeastern Spain. The fire had been burning since Monday and had already consumed more than 3.5 square miles of terrain, forcing the evacuation of 16 surrounding towns. Authorities decided they could not risk leaving nearly a millennium of history inside. Mar Vaquero, vice-president of the Aragón region, told reporters that concern the monastery could be engulfed by…Open
Simon & Schuster plans to publish a new novel by Susan Abulhawa, an author with a documented record of antisemitic posts and praise for terrorism, and she is openly taunting the critics trying to stop it. Abulhawa announced the expanded partnership in a defiant video, mocking Jewish writers and editors who had spoken out against […] The post Simon & Schuster expands deal with author who called Jews 'demons' and praised Hamas attack appeared first on American Almanac .
Simon & Schuster plans to publish a new novel by Susan Abulhawa, an author with a documented record of antisemitic posts and praise for terrorism, and she is openly taunting the critics trying to stop it. Abulhawa announced the expanded partnership in a defiant video, mocking Jewish writers and editors who had spoken out against her earlier deal with the publishing giant. "The Zionists have missed or don't know, but Simon & Schuster will also be publishing my new novel," she said, adding that "Zionists are really mad." The video included digitally altered footage of her critics, set to foreboding music. Among those targeted: Eliana Johnson, editor in chief of the Washington Free Beacon, and John Podhoretz, editor of Commentary. A Simon &…Open
Rosie O'Donnell, 64, says she was "nervous" and caught off guard filming a bed scene with longtime friend Cynthia Nixon for the "Sex and the City" spinoff, a role she took only because Nixon asked her directly. O'Donnell made the comments Thursday on Amy Poehler's "Good Hang" podcast, describing the experience of playing a virgin […] The post Rosie O'Donnell calls intimate scene with Cynthia Nixon on 'And Just Like That' Season 3 'horrifying' appeared first on American Almanac .
Rosie O'Donnell, 64, says she was "nervous" and caught off guard filming a bed scene with longtime friend Cynthia Nixon for the "Sex and the City" spinoff, a role she took only because Nixon asked her directly. O'Donnell made the comments Thursday on Amy Poehler's "Good Hang" podcast, describing the experience of playing a virgin nun who sleeps with Nixon's character in the Season 3 premiere of "And Just Like That." The former talk show host said she agreed to the part without reading the full script, and regretted that decision the moment she saw what the scene required. The storyline, which the New York Post detailed when the premiere aired, features Nixon's Miranda Hobbes, now single and dating women after her breakup with the…Open
