Smartphones arrived just before the US fertility rate plunged. One study says it’s a direct cause

By Deidre McPhillips
Jun 12, 2026
The smartphone may have become a “substitute” for physical contact and in-person human interaction, the researchers said. 

The US fertility rate has been trending down for decades, leaving researchers and policymakers searching for causes that may help pinpoint solutions. There have been all kinds of theories, including soaring costs of childcare, the rise of birth control and even the role of car seat regulations. A new paper offers a provocative culprit in a succinct package: the smartphone. But some other researchers are skeptical that this single factor could play such an outsized role in a much longer-term trend.

'Wake-up call': Europe reacts to Anthropic halting access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models

Copyright Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

By Nathan Rennolds

Published on 13/06/2026 - 16:26 GMT+2

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Anthropic said it believed the US government had become aware of a potential means of jailbreaking Fable 5.

European politicians have sounded the alarm on sovereign AI after US firm Anthropic announced it was halting access to some of its top AI models following a directive from the Trump administration.The company said late on Friday that it had received a letter from the government ordering it to suspend access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models for foreign nationals over national security concerns.

By Nathan Rennolds

Published on 13/06/2026 - 16:26 GMT+2

Anthropic said it believed the US government had become aware of a potential means of jailbreaking Fable 5.

European politicians have sounded the alarm on sovereign AI after US firm Anthropic announced it was halting access to some of its top AI models following a directive from the Trump administration.

The company said late on Friday that it had received a letter from the government ordering it to suspend access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models for foreign nationals over national security concerns."The net effect of this order is that we must abruptly disable Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for all our customers to ensure compliance," Anthropic said.

Cage fighting, anyone? Welcome to Trump’s 80th birthday party on the White House lawn

The UFC event’s structure, referred to as “The Claw,” and its location has been criticized by some as desecration of the historic grounds.

March 30, 2026 / 11:19

Jun. 14, 2026, 5:27 PM EDT
By Erum Salam and Akayla Gardner

President Donald Trump is celebrating his milestone 80th birthday on Sunday with a spectacle of men cage fighting on the White House South Lawn.

From Davos to the G7: Mark Carney’s middle-power moment

Diplomats from Europe to Australia say Carney’s call for middle-power solidarity has captured the attention of countries looking for leverage in a harsher world
POLITICO By Mike Blanchfield, Ryan Heath and Tim Ross

06/12/2026 04:09 PM EDT

When Mark Carney arrived in Davos in January and warned that “middle powers” risked ending up “on the menu” of the “hegemons,” he sounded like a Canadian prime minister on the hunt for a foreign policy. Six months later, diplomats across Europe and Asia are still quoting the speech.

So Much for Leaving Abortion Up to the States

Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 14 June 2026 

Louisiana’s case against the FDA is not just about one drug.

The 2022 Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, supposedly gave states the authority to decide for themselves whether to permit abortion. What should have been apparent then, and is obvious now, is that anti-abortion activists and their allies on the high court were never going to be satisfied with that.

Deal is reached to end Iran war and Trump orders stop to US naval blockade

By MUNIR AHMED, JULIA FRANKEL, ABBY SEWELL and WILL WEISSERT
Associated Press
Updated 3:03 PM PDT, June 14, 2026

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United States and Iran have reached an agreement to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz, offering relief to the global economy more than three months since fighting began. 

• Full details of the deal were not immediately available.
• The signing will be Friday in Switzerland. 
• U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed a deal had been reached and said he had authorized an end to the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz.

Swiss voters reject 10 million population cap

3 hours ago

Imogen Foulkes

Bern, Switzerland

Voters in Switzerland have rejected a proposal to limit the country's population to 10 million. Results showed nearly 55% of participants voted against and 45% voted for, with a turnout of 60% of the population. 

Any Major Dude would Tell You, Trump: Can't Strike a Deal with Iran without Israel's Consent and If You Do, You will Pay for It

Analysis By Yiannis Damellos

June 14, 2026

A sour Trump says Israel should not have attacked Beirut as the US-Iran deal nears “very close”; at the same time, Israel and Iran prepare for retaliation. Here, in the Greek Courier, we already knew all this mumbo-jumbo long before it happened, and any major dude in the media business was also aware that the Israelis were going to sabotage Trump's latest desperate attempt to save the Midterms with a bad deal. How many times have we seen this already, and how possible is a potential US-Iran agreement to end the war?

Knicks owner James Dolan loses battle with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani

Story by 

Qwame Skinner

Fri, June 12, 2026 at 8:38 AM PDT·

3 min read

The New York Knicks were up 3-1 in the NBA Finals after hosting the San Antonio Spurs for Games 3 and 4 and splitting the homestand. Unfortunately, much of the discourse surrounding the game was dominated by matters unrelated to basketball, namely United States President Donald Trump, New York Knicks owner James Dolan, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Fox in Meltdown over Booing of Trump as Polls Turn Brutal

THE NEW REPUBLIC
The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent
June 10, 2026
PODCAST
As Trump gets mercilessly booed at the Knicks game and Fox spins wildly to erase it, a data analyst parses new polls showing Trump cratering—and explains why he’s entered a downward spiral.

The following is a lightly edited transcript of the June 10 episode of the Daily Blast podcast. Listen to it here.

Knicks Defeat Spurs in Thrilling NBA Finals Finish to Clinch First Championship in 53 Years

The New York Knicks won Game 5 of the NBA Finals
By Anna Lazarus Caplan 

Published on June 13, 2026, 11:32PM EDT

NEED TO KNOW

• The New York Knicks are NBA champions
• The team won the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the first time in 53 years
• Jalen Brunson led the way with 45 points and won the Finals MVP award
• After 53 years, the New York Knicks are NBA champions!

The Milkman

by Annie Waldman 

June 9, 2026, 7:00 am 

Mark McAfee, CEO and founder of Raw Farm. Sarahbeth Maney for ProPublica

Reporting Highlights

• Raw Milk on the Rise: Driven by political shifts and wellness trends, unpasteurized milk has moved from a fringe obsession to a widespread movement rooted in institutional distrust.
• The Myth of Safety: Despite stringent hygiene efforts, contamination from deadly bacteria like E. coli and salmonella remains an inherent, unavoidable risk in unpasteurized dairy.
• A Political Shield: As raw milk continues to sicken consumers, high-level lawmakers and government officials are championing the industry’s expansion rather than curbing the danger.

The New Trouble With China: Pentagon designates Tech Giants Alibaba, Baidu and BYD as Military Companies

Beijing Lashes Out at Pentagon's New Designation of Chinese Military Firms, 

Politico reports

Source:  POLITICO 

June 13, 2026

China’s Ministry of Commerce has responded vehemently to the Pentagon’s recent update to its list of companies identified as having ties to the military, Politico reports. The ministry accused U.S. authorities of “abusing state power” and undermining the consensus reached between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding the stability of U.S.-China relations during their recent meeting in Beijing.

Canada's Carney says middle-power countries shouldn't compete for favor with the U.S.

World

Jun 13, 2026 

12:39 PM EDT 

By Rob Gillies, Associated Press 

DUBLIN (AP) — Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney continued his efforts to pivot away from the United States and align with Europe, meeting with the leader of Ireland on Saturday ahead of the upcoming G7 summit and saying middle-power countries shouldn't compete for favor with America.

“One Of The Most Horrifying Sentences Written This Century”: Elon Musk Is The World’s First Trillionaire, And People Are NOT Having It

By Dannica Ramirez, BuzzFeed Staff

“Democracy is not compatible with wealth this concentrated.”

Posted on Jun 12, 2026

Well, folks, amid rising unemployment rates, gas, and grocery prices in the US (among other things), Elon Musk just became the world's first trillionaire. Yes, a TRILLIONAIRE. SpaceX just went public, and Elon's more than $766 billion stake in the company, paired with his Tesla stake, boosted his net worth to approximately $1.05 trillion. Again, a TRILLION DOLLARS. And, unsurprisingly, the people are tired, disgusted, horrified, and everything in between. Here's how the internet — including Gavin Newsom and Bernie Sanders — is reacting to Elon Musk's trillionaire status:

Judge orders Trump administration to restore signs changed at national parks

By Kaanita Iyer
2 hr ago
A federal judge in Massachusetts has ordered the Trump administration to restore all signs that were changed or removed at national parks across the country as part of President Donald Trump’s controversial directive last year.

Pakistan Announces Potential US-Iran Agreement Within 24 Hours as Tel Aviv says the deal endangers Israel’s security

A deal will be signed on Sunday and the Strait of Hormuz will reopen amid ceasefire extension, says Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Israel strongly disagrees...

June 13, 2026

Source: The Financial Times and 

The Times of Israel

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Saturday that the US and Iran could electronically sign a deal to extend their ceasefire and reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz within the next 24 hours, according to the Financial Times. President Trump stated that the deal with Iran is "scheduled to be signed tomorrow," and the Strait of Hormuz will be "open to all." Yet, Israeli officials have expressed concerns that the deal endangers Israel’s security, fails to address the war's key objectives, and undermines U.S. military leverage over the Iranian regime.

John F. Kennedy's Honor restored after Trump's Name Removed from Historic Landmark. Now, Trump faces another lawsuit

By Yiannis Damellos

Saturday, May 13, 2026

Tens of thousands of people tuned in, and several hundred showed up in person to watch workers restore the honor of John F. Kennedy, as President Donald Trump’s attempt to tack his name onto the JFK-adjacent landmark at the Kennedy Center collapsed in real time.