Putin Weakened in Coup Aftermath

An attempted armed mutiny against Russian military leaders reveals “real cracks” in President Putin’s authority, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this weekend, following a strange uprising by Russia’s Wagner Group mercenaries.

The Wagner leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, seized two Russian cities on his way to Moscow, where troops were posted on the streets. Putin then granted Prigozhin amnesty and let him leave the country.

The short-lived revolt weakened Putin, global leaders say, and raises the question of how this affects the war in Ukraine. Neither Putin nor Prigozhin has spoken publicly since the amnesty deal was granted.

Median Age in U.S. Hits Record High

The U.S. Census reported that the median age in America has now reached nearly 40, compared to 35 in 2000 and 30 in 1980. And it’s likely to keep going higher.

There are two reasons the median age is rising: Lower birth rates combined with longer lifespans mean more old folks and fewer young ones. The median age is over 40 already in 17 states.

The graying of America has significant implications for jobs, the economy, healthcare, and education. The aging population already keeps the labor market tight, creating generational friction.

Doomed Sub Cost $1.2 Million to Find

The rescue mission to find the Titan sub cost an estimated 1.2 million dollars, paid by the Coast Guard and other rescuers.

A litany of potential safety problems has come to light in the wake of the sub’s implosion. No lawsuits have been filed yet, but lawyers have taken to social media to say that waivers signed by the passengers aren’t iron-clad.

Two passengers, a wealthy father and son from Pakistan, were on the Titan only because a different father and son team rejected the invitation. Billionaire Jay Bloom says he and his son Sean were invited but turned it down. (See Infographic scroll on what it’s like to descend to that depth.)

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➤ Mike Pence called on his fellow GOP presidential candidates to support his plan for a national abortion ban after 15 weeks. The former Vice President said abortion was a winning issue for Republicans in 2024. (More)

➤ Republican legislators in Montana received threatening letters from a “liberal activist” containing a white powder substance, similar to threats sent to GOP officials in Tennessee and Kansas.  The powder was found to be harmless in those states. (More)

➤ A federal judge in Florida temporarily blocked the state from enforcing a new law banning minors from attending drag shows. The judge said the law violated the First Amendment. (More)

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➤ Rory McIlroy hit a hole-in-one in the final round of the $20-million-purse Traveler’s Championship but came up short on the leaderboard again. Keegan Bradley won, shooting 23 under par. (See the hole-in-one here)

➤ The Los Angeles Angels set a new franchise record Saturday by scoring 25 runs against the hapless Colorado Rockies, 13 of them in a third-inning slugfest featuring back-to-back home runs. (More)  

➤ In other baseball news, Yankees home run slugger Aaron Judge announced he tore a ligament in his big toe and will remain on the injured list indefinitely. The Yankees say they’re hopeful Judge will return this season. (More)

Market Report   Previous Week

➤ Facebook says it will cut off all access to news stories in Canada because of a new law requiring social media platforms to pay media companies for their content. Facebook officials said its Canadian users don’t use the platform for news. (More)

➤ A Safeway grocery store in Vallejo, CA, has installed emergency metal gates at its entrance to deter rampant shoplifting. The automatic gate closes after each person enters the store, making it harder for thieves to make a run for it. (More)

➤ Elon Musk said he’ll start training if the martial arts cage fight between him and fellow billionaire Mark Zuckerberg takes shape. Musk said the match “might actually happen,” and if so, he’d train for it. (More)

➤ A European startup showed designs for a new supersonic plane that could fly from New York to London in 90 minutes. The proposed Destinus jet uses liquid hydrogen and rocket engines to cruise at 108,000 feet. (More)

➤ A Harvard behavioral scientist who studied honesty has been put on leave for allegedly fabricating research papers. A data-oriented blog accused her of tampering with the data in her research. (More)

➤ A federal judge issued a $5,000 fine to the two lawyers who used ChatGPT for legal research in a case. ChatGPT invented fictitious cases for citation, and the lawyers submitted them to the court without checking. (More)

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➤ A man who bought a lifetime pass from United Airlines in 1990 for $290,000 has since flown more than 23 million miles. Tom Stuker says he turns the frequent flier miles he earns into money:  “Best investment of my life,” he says.  (More) 

➤ The fastest maze-solving competition on earth involves robot mice using a variety of algorithms to continually optimize solutions at high speed. The Micromouse competition has been running for nearly 50 years. (See Video Here)

➤ Bored with plain old vanilla? A new wave of novel flavors is hitting the ice cream world, including lavender, jasmine, saffron, and tarragon. One company offers an “Everything Bagel” ice cream, and another a turkey bacon flavor.  (More) 

Today’s Trivia

What’s the fastest a commercial airliner ever made it from NY to London?