“As humanitarian assistance and basic services dwindle, people in Gaza have been increasingly deprived of the means for their survival,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York.
It has been 17 weeks since any fuel has entered Gaza, according to Mr. Dujarric – a critical shortage that forced the Al-Shifa Medical Complex to suspend its kidney dialysis services and restrict its intensive care unit services to just a few hours per day.
Other hospitals, including Al-Aqsa in Deir al-Balah, have also come under attack, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting a strike on a tent sheltering displaced civilians in its courtyard.
Over the past 48 hours, five school buildings sheltering displaced families were also hit, reportedly causing deaths and injuries, while a new evacuation order issued on Sudan displaced 1,500 families from northern Gaza.
Living in terror
Olga Cherevko, an official at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), described conditions for families in Gaza as “living in terror.”
“The only thing that is on their minds right now is a ceasefire and peace at last,” she said.
Ms. Cherevko called for Israel to open all border crossings and allow a steady and sufficient flow humanitarian aid.
“The thing that needs to happen for us…to address the emergency on the ground, is to reopen additional crossings, to allow supplies to enter through multiple corridors and remove the constraints that are in place for us to deliver supplies to people in need,” she said.
She warned that unless conditions change quickly, essential services will continue to shut down — and the broader humanitarian response could stall entirely.
“If the situation doesn’t change very, very urgently, more such services will continue shutting down,” Ms. Cherevko said.
“And if the situation doesn’t change going forward, the entire humanitarian operation could grind to a halt.”
Global law firm K&L Gates LLP advised Terramont Infrastructure Partners, a North American-focused infrastructure investment firm, on its US$160 million capital commitment to Dispatch Energy LLC, a leading provider of distributed energy solutions. Terramont is focused on companies that are critical to the economy and which seek to make a positive, measurable sustainability impact. Dispatch’s investments will focus on generating cost savings, enhancing resiliency, and providing grid services designed to meet the growing demand for on-site power generation.
K&L Gates served as corporate counsel and fund counsel on this deal. The team was led by New York partners Ed Dartley and Adam Tejeda and included Charleston partners Andrew Lloyd and Lauren Garenne, Kansas City partner Jim Goettsch, New York partner Chris Carson, Boston associate Christopher Phillips-Hart, Charleston associate David Caughran, and New York associates Benjamin Augugliaro and Jamie Robinson.
Dartley commented: “We’re very pleased to have advised Terramont as deal counsel on their latest transaction and as fund counsel. The strength of our platform allowed us to assemble a cross-practice team that leveraged capabilities across several offices and disciplines. We very much forward to continuing to advise Terramont on future transactions.”
“We were extremely pleased to work again with the K&L Gates team on this important investment for our Fund,” said Terramont co-founder Vikram Singh. “K&L Gates has been a partner with us since our launch of Terramont Infrastructure, and a trusted advisor as fund counsel and as corporate counsel. Their knowledge and experience across multiple industries is unparalleled and we look forward to working with them on future deals as we continue to invest in the infrastructure space.”
Based in New York and San Francisco, Terramont invests in best-in-class businesses alongside top-quality management teams. Investment sectors include renewable power, sustainable energy, transportation, digital, environmental, and other infrastructure businesses.
K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with lawyers located across five continents. The firm represents leading multinational corporations, growth and middle-market companies, capital markets participants and entrepreneurs in every major industry group as well as public sector entities, educational institutions, philanthropic organizations and individuals.
It only took Ed Albin a few steps on June 29 to spot it as he wandered onto an empty construction site about 45 minutes southeast of Atlanta, in the US state of Georgia.
“Oh my God,” he said, crouching down to take a look at his find. “Oh my God.”
Perched on the dirt, like it just fell from the sky, was not just any old rock. It was a chunk of the Georgia fireball that had blazed across the sky on June 26 and disintegrated 43km (27 miles) above West Forest, in Covington, on its way southeast.
In a floppy sun hat and pink shirt, Albin tested the meteorite with a rare earth magnet attached to a metal pole. It gave a faint hint of magnetic attraction, its nickel iron flecks pulling it toward the magnet – proof of its descent from outer space.
Another hunter, Sonny Clary, ran over to take a look.
“Millions of years flying in outer space,” he said in awe. “How cool is that?”
PITTSBURGH, July 1, 2025 – Wabtec Corporation (NYSE: WAB) announced today that it completed the acquisition of Evident’s Inspection Technologies division (Inspection Technologies), formerly part of the Scientific Solutions Division of Olympus Corporation, a global leader in Non-Destructive Testing, Remote Visual Inspection and Analytical Instruments solutions for mission critical assets. This acquisition strengthens Wabtec’s Digital Intelligence business with industry-leading inspection technologies that enhance customer productivity, reliability, and safety, while also positioning the company for accelerated, profitable growth.
“Today, we are a stronger company with the addition of Inspection Technologies,” said Rafael Santana, President and CEO of Wabtec. “The acquisition expands and strengthens our Digital Intelligence business, with advanced products and services for the Company’s rail, mining, and industrial sectors, while broadening our reach into other high-growth, high-margin end-markets. It enhances Wabtec’s existing portfolio, is accretive to key financial metrics, and aligns with the company’s long-term vision to lead the industry in innovation for our customers.”
The strategic acquisition helps accelerate Wabtec’s growth trajectory and meets the increasing demand for advanced diagnostic technologies. It also aligns with Wabtec’s stated growth drivers, including accelerating the innovation of scalable technologies, increasing the installed base, expanding high-margin recurring revenues, and driving continuous operational improvements. Additionally, acquiring Inspection Technologies expands Wabtec’s Digital Intelligence business growth opportunities and recurring revenue, effectively doubling the size of its total addressable market (TAM) from approximately $8 billion to $16 billion, while enhancing its ability to deliver innovative solutions to a broader range of customers.
“Inspection Technologies’ product portfolio strongly complements our existing digital technologies, while adding advanced automated inspection capabilities in a space where data acquisition, analytics, and automation are critical,” said Nalin Jain, President of Wabtec’s Digital Intelligence Group. “It will accelerate the development of scalable technologies by integrating advanced analytics, sensors, and AI technology to deliver enhanced predictive maintenance capabilities to our customers. Evident Inspection Technology employees have done a fantastic job in delivering these innovative technologies and I am looking forward to welcoming them to the Wabtec family.”
TRANSACTION DETAILS
Wabtec acquired Evident’s Inspection Technologies division for $1.78 billion (~$1.68 billion after tax benefits). The transaction was financed through a combination of cash on hand, newly issued term notes, plus term loans and short-term borrowing under the Company’s credit agreement. The transaction is anticipated to provide immediate shareholder value with a high single-digit revenue growth outlook, accretive Adjusted EBIT margins and accretive return on invested capital (ROIC) over time. Additionally, the acquisition is projected to be slightly accretive to Adjusted EPS in the second half of 2025. The purchase price reflects an estimated multiple of 12.0x projected 2025 EBITDA adjusted for transaction and separation costs, anticipated tax benefits, and projected run-rate cost synergies of $25 million. The Company intends to incorporate the revenue and EPS impact of this acquisition into its Full Year Financial Guidance during its Q2 Earnings call.
About Wabtec Corporation Wabtec Corporation is revolutionizing the way the world moves for future generations. The Company is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions and value-added services for the freight and transit rail industries, as well as the mining, marine and industrial markets. Wabtec has been a leader in the rail industry for 155 years and has a vision to achieve a sustainable rail system in the U.S. and worldwide. Visit Wabtec’s website at http://www.wabteccorp.com.
About Evident Inspection Technologies Division Evident’s Inspection Technologies and Microscopy divisions were established in 2022 when Olympus Corporation spun off its Scientific Solutions Division to form a new company. Evident’s Inspection Technologies division delivers solutions that solve complex challenges, inspecting mission-critical assets and infrastructure with nondestructive testing, remote visual inspection, and analytical instruments for maintenance, manufacturing, and environmental applications. Visit Evident’s website at ims.evidentscientific.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws, including statements regarding the expected benefits of the Inspection Technologies acquisition, the anticipated synergies of the transaction, the expected impact on Wabtec’s operational and financial performance, (including business growth opportunities and TAM), and certain projected financial results of Inspection Technologies. These statements and all statements other than historical facts constitute forward-looking statements concerning future circumstances and results and are sometimes identified by the words “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “outlook,” “position,” “project,” “recur,” “strategy,” and “will” or other similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements are based upon current plans, assumptions, estimates and expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. For more information on these risks, please refer to Wabtec’s filings with the SEC. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such plans, estimates or expectations include, among others, (1) unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the transaction; (2) uncertainty of the expected financial performance of Inspection Technologies and the combined company following completion of the transaction; (3) risks associated with the integration of Inspection Technologies and the potential for failure to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction; (4) the ability of the combined company to implement its business strategy; (5) inability to retain key personnel; (6) changes in general economic and/or industry specific conditions; and (7) other risk factors as detailed from time to time in Wabtec’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive.
This press release also contains certain non-GAAP measures. Non-GAAP measures should not be considered as a substitute for items calculated in accordance with GAAP, as they are subject to inherent material limitations.
An unexpectedly strong solar storm rocked our planet on April 23, 2023, sparking auroras as far south as southern Texas in the U.S. and taking the world by surprise.
Two days earlier, the Sun blasted a coronal mass ejection (CME) – a cloud of energetic particles, magnetic fields, and solar material – toward Earth. Space scientists took notice, expecting it could cause disruptions to Earth’s magnetic field, known as a geomagnetic storm. But the CME wasn’t especially fast or massive, and it was preceded by a relatively weak solar flare, suggesting the storm would be minor. But it became severe.
Using NASA heliophysics missions, new studies of this storm and others are helping scientists learn why some CMEs have more intense effects – and better predict the impacts of future solar eruptions on our lives.
During the night of April 23 to 24, 2023, a geomagnetic storm produced auroras that were witnessed as far south as Arizona, Arkansas, and Texas in the U.S. This photo shows green aurora shimmering over Larimore, North Dakota, in the early morning of April 24.
Copyright Elan Azriel, used with permission
Why Was This Storm So Intense?
A paper published in the Astrophysical Journal on March 31 suggests the CME’s orientation relative to Earth likely caused the April 2023 storm to become surprisingly strong.
The researchers gathered observations from five heliophysics spacecraft across the inner solar system to study the CME in detail as it emerged from the Sun and traveled to Earth.
They noticed a large coronal hole near the CME’s birthplace. Coronal holes are areas where the solar wind – a stream of particles flowing from the Sun – floods outward at higher than normal speeds.
“The fast solar wind coming from this coronal hole acted like an air current, nudging the CME away from its original straight-line path and pushing it closer to Earth’s orbital plane,” said the paper’s lead author, Evangelos Paouris of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. “In addition to this deflection, the CME also rotated slightly.”
Paouris says this turned the CME’s magnetic fields opposite to Earth’s magnetic field and held them there – allowing more of the Sun’s energy to pour into Earth’s environment and intensifying the storm.
The strength of the April 2023 geomagnetic storm was a surprise in part because the coronal mass ejection (CME) that produced it followed a relatively weak solar flare, seen as the bright area to the lower right of center in this extreme ultraviolet image of the Sun from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. The CMEs that produce severe geomagnetic storms are typically preceded by stronger flares. However, a team of scientists think fast solar wind from a coronal hole (the dark area below the flare in this image) helped rotate the CME and made it more potent when it struck Earth.
NASA/SDO
Cool Thermosphere
Meanwhile, NASA’s GOLD (Global-scale Observations of Limb and Disk) mission revealed another unexpected consequence of the April 2023 storm at Earth.
Before, during, and after the storm, GOLD studied the temperature in the middle thermosphere, a part of Earth’s upper atmosphere about 85 to 120 miles overhead. During the storm, temperatures increased throughout GOLD’s wide field of view over the Americas. But surprisingly, after the storm, temperatures dropped about 90 to 198 degrees Fahrenheit lower than they were before the storm (from about 980 to 1,070 degrees Fahrenheit before the storm to 870 to 980 degrees Fahrenheit afterward).
“Our measurement is the first to show widespread cooling in the middle thermosphere after a strong storm,” said Xuguang Cai of the University of Colorado, Boulder, lead author of a paper about GOLD’s observations published in the journal JGR Space Physics on April 15, 2025.
The thermosphere’s temperature is important, because it affects how much drag Earth-orbiting satellites and space debris experience.
“When the thermosphere cools, it contracts and becomes less dense at satellite altitudes, reducing drag,” Cai said. “This can cause satellites and space debris to stay in orbit longer than expected, increasing the risk of collisions. Understanding how geomagnetic storms and solar activity affect Earth’s upper atmosphere helps protect technologies we all rely on – like GPS, satellites, and radio communications.”
Predicting When Storms Strike
To predict when a CME will trigger a geomagnetic storm, or be “geoeffective,” some scientists are combining observations with machine learning. A paper published last November in the journal Solar Physics describes one such approach called GeoCME.
Machine learning is a type of artificial intelligence in which a computer algorithm learns from data to identify patterns, then uses those patterns to make decisions or predictions.
Scientists trained GeoCME by giving it images from the NASA/ESA (European Space Agency) SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft of different CMEs that reached Earth along with SOHO images of the Sun before, during, and after each CME. They then told the model whether each CME produced a geomagnetic storm.
Then, when it was given images from three different science instruments on SOHO, the model’s predictions were highly accurate. Out of 21 geoeffective CMEs, the model correctly predicted all 21 of them; of 7 non-geoeffective ones, it correctly predicted 5 of them.
“The algorithm shows promise,” said heliophysicist Jack Ireland of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who was not involved in the study. “Understanding if a CME will be geoeffective or not can help us protect infrastructure in space and technological systems on Earth. This paper shows machine learning approaches to predicting geoeffective CMEs are feasible.”
The white cloud expanding outward in this image sequence is a coronal mass ejection (CME) that erupted from the Sun on April 21, 2023. Two days later, the CME struck Earth and produced a surprisingly strong geomagnetic storm. The images in this sequence are from a coronagraph on the NASA/ESA (European Space Agency) SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft. The coronagraph uses a disk to cover the Sun and reveal fainter details around it. The Sun’s location and size are indicated by a small white circle. The planet Jupiter appears as a bright dot on the far right.
NASA/ESA/SOHO
Earlier Warnings
During a severe geomagnetic storm in May 2024 – the strongest to rattle Earth in over 20 years – NASA’s STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) measured the magnetic field structure of CMEs as they passed by.
When a CME headed for Earth hits a spacecraft first, that spacecraft can often measure the CME and its magnetic field directly, helping scientists determine how strong the geomagnetic storm will be at Earth. Typically, the first spacecraft to get hit are one million miles from Earth toward the Sun at a place called Lagrange Point 1 (L1), giving us only 10 to 60 minutes advanced warning.
By chance, during the May 2024 storm, when several CMEs erupted from the Sun and merged on their way to Earth, NASA’s STEREO-A spacecraft happened to be between us and the Sun, about 4 million miles closer to the Sun than L1.
A paper published March 17, 2025, in the journal Space Weather reports that if STEREO-A had served as a CME sentinel, it could have provided an accurate prediction of the resulting storm’s strength 2 hours and 34 minutes earlier than a spacecraft could at L1.
According to the paper’s lead author, Eva Weiler of the Austrian Space Weather Office in Graz, “No other Earth-directed superstorm has ever been observed by a spacecraft positioned closer to the Sun than L1.”
Earth’s Lagrange points are places in space where the gravitational pull between the Sun and Earth balance, making them relatively stable locations to put spacecraft.
NASA
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The third and final season of hit Korean series Squid Game has broken records to achieve the biggest ever TV launch for Netflix.
Over its first three days, there have been over 60.1m views, a new high for the streamer with over 368.4m hours viewed. The second season launched with 68m views but over a four-day period last December.
It has already become the ninth biggest non-English language season ever with the first and second seasons occupying the top two slots.
Reviews have been mixed to positive with the Guardian’s Rebecca Nicholson calling it “nowhere near as pointed as it was” in previous seasons.
While this has been called the final season, David Fincher has been rumoured to be developing an English language remake for the streamer. The director has worked with Netflix before on political drama series House of Cards, film industry biopic Mank and Michael Fassbender action thriller The Killer. Earlier this year, it was announced that he would work with them once again to direct a sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood based on a script by Quentin Tarantino.
The streamer has already found success with competition spin-off Squid Game: The Challenge with a second season on the way.
When asked about future Squid Game projects, series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk told Variety that he hadn’t heard anything official yet about a remake.
“If they wanted to do a following season, then I think it’s obvious I would have to participate and lead,” he said. “But if it’s the US version that they’re making, I think sharing of ideas would be enough. I have no intention of being completely hands-on in a project like that. Having said that, if Netflix asks and if I feel like my contribution is needed, then as long as it’s not something that would interfere with whatever I’m working on at that time, I would be happy to provide what they need from me.”
Air pollution exposure can be a key contributing factor to increasingly diffuse myocardial fibrosis, according to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings from a new study.
For the retrospective study, recently published in Radiology, researchers reviewed cardiac MRI data for 694 patients (mean age of 47), including 493 people with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and 201 people with normal cardiac MRI.
In a multivariable analysis, the study authors found that for patients with DCM, each 1 µg/m3 increase in one-year mean exposure to ambient fine particulate matter with 2.5-µm or smaller aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) corresponded to a 30 percent higher native T1 z score.
In a new cardiac MRI study, researchers noted that patients with higher long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution demonstrated a higher extent of myocardial fibrosis as evidenced by the cardiac T1 MRI mapping images above. (Images courtesy of Radiology.)
The researchers also noted that each 1 µg/m3 increase in one-year mean exposure to PM2.5 was associated with a 27 percent higher native T1 z score in people with normal cardiac MRI findings.
“In line with other studies, our results indicate that adverse effects of fine particulate air pollution on the heart are observed at exposures below current air quality guidelines, reinforcing that there are no safe exposure limits. Our results bolster evidence that air pollution is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” noted study co-author Kate Hanneman, M.D., MPH, FRCPC, an associate professor and vice chair of research with the Department of Medical Imaging at the University of Toronto, and colleagues.
Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was 25 percent more likely for each 1 µg/m3 increase in one-year mean exposure to PM2. in patients with DCM, according to the study authors.
The researchers also found that the association between ambient PM2.5 exposure and native T1 z scores was particularly prevalent among women (β coefficient of 49 percent), people with hypertension (β coefficient of 48 percent) and smokers (β coefficient of 43 percent).
“Myocardial fibrosis is irreversible; therefore, it is imperative to implement measures to reduce exposure to long-term air pollution, especially in the most vulnerable patients,” emphasized Hanneman and colleagues.
Three Key Takeaways
Air pollution correlates with myocardial fibrosis. Each 1 µg/m³ increase in PM2.5 exposure over one year was linked to a 30 percent higher native T1 z score in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and a 27 percent increase in individuals with normal cardiac MRI findings, indicating diffuse myocardial fibrosis.
Risk is heightened in vulnerable subgroups. Stronger associations between PM2.5 exposure and elevated native T1 z scores were observed in women (49 percent), individuals with hypertension (48 percent), and smokers (43 percent).
Pollution exposure linked to structural heart changes. Among patients with DCM, each 1 µg/m³ increase in PM2.5 exposure was associated with a 25 percent higher likelihood of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), further indicating structural myocardial injury.
In an accompanying editorial, Davis M. Vigneault, M.D., D.Phil, said the study builds upon previous biochemical and epidemiological studies demonstrating elevated cardiovascular risks with air pollution exposure.
“… This study provides new and compelling evidence for a potential pathologic mechanism by which fine particulate matter pollution increases cardiovascular risk, tying together biochemical evidence implicating PM2.5 in the induction of myocardial fibrosis with epidemiologic evidence associating PM2.5 with morphologic changes and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality,” wrote Dr. Vigneault, who is affiliated with the Department of Radiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, Ca.
(Editor’s note: For related content, see “Could Cardiac MRI Improve Risk Stratification in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy?,” “Stress Cardiovascular MRI: What a New Meta-Analysis Reveals” and “Multimodal AI with CCTA and MRI Data Shows Promise in Predicting MACE in Patients with Obstructive CAD.”)
Beyond the inherent limitations of a single-center retrospective study, the study authors conceded possible differences with respect to the timing of exposure to PM2.5, and potentially unknown confounding factors that may have affected the results. The researchers acknowledged that indoor PM2.5, ozone and nitrogen dioxide exposures were not assessed. They also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic occurred within the study period.
(Bloomberg) — Wall Street traders drove a rotation out of the tech megacaps that had powered stocks from the brink of a bear market. Bond yields rose as an increase in job openings dimmed the outlook for Federal Reserve rate cuts. The dollar remained at its lowest since 2022.
While the S&P 500 barely budged after notching all-time highs, a violent rotation took place at the start of July, with money chasing losers at the expense of recent winners. Momentum was unwinding at a pace not seen in over two years, and the small-cap Russell 2000 index beat the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 by the most since April.
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“If you’re long recent winners and are feeling the pain today, we would not be making any dramatic portfolio shifts just yet,” said Bespoke Investment Group strategists. “It could be the start of a longer-term shift that develops, but a one-day move is simply too soon to tell.”
Short-dated Treasuries, which are more sensitive to imminent Fed moves, underperformed longer maturities.
US job openings hit the highest since November, largely fueled by leisure and hospitality, and layoffs declined. Fed policymakers have consistently characterized labor-market conditions as strong in recent weeks.
“As long as the labor market remains solid, the US economy can continue to chug ahead, while helping reduce the risk of stagflation” said Bret Kenwell at eToro. “It would also buy the Fed more breathing room when it comes to interest rates.”
Speaking Tuesday during a panel in Portugal, Fed Chair Jerome Powell repeated that the central bank probably would have cut rates further this year absent Trump’s expanded use of tariffs. Still, when asked if July was too soon for a rate cut, Powell didn’t rule out the possibility.
The government’s June employment report, due Thursday, is expected to show a slowdown in nonfarm payroll growth and an uptick in the unemployment rate.
“Federal Reserve interest-rate policy is likely on hold for now,” said Josh Hirt at Vanguard. “If the labor market remains on the trajectory we expect, the Fed can afford to be patient. We anticipate the Fed will be able to make two more rate cuts later this year in this environment.”
Separate data Tuesday showed US factory activity contracted in June for a fourth consecutive month as orders and employment shrank at a faster pace, extending the malaise in manufacturing.
“While the hit to manufacturing activity from tariffs so far appears to have been limited, the further small rise in the prices paid index last month adds to evidence that firms are facing higher costs as a result,” said Thomas Ryan at Capital Economics.
Meantime, Trump said he is not considering delaying his July 9 deadline for higher tariffs to resume and renewed his threat to cut off talks and impose duty rates on several nations, including Japan. And his $3.3 trillion tax and spending cut bill passed the Senate.
Corporate Highlights:
Sweeping tax legislation passed by the Senate would make it cheaper for semiconductor manufacturers to build plants in the US, delivering a win to chipmakers and boosting US efforts to expand the industry domestically.
Tesla Inc. sank as Trump threatened to withdraw subsidies from Elon Musk’s companies and examine the billionaire’s immigration status.
Boeing Co. said Stephen Parker will oversee the defense, space and security unit on a permanent basis, as Chief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg molds his top leadership team, including the appointment of a new chief financial officer.
Ford Motor Co.’s electric vehicle sales plunged 31.4% in the second quarter after the automaker ordered dealers not to sell its battery-powered Mustang Mach-e model due to a safety flaw that could lock occupants in the car.
UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center resolved a contract dispute that threatened to interrupt treatment for thousands of cancer patients in the New York City area.
AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. said it reached an agreement with a majority of bondholders to end litigation that resulted from the movie theater chain’s debt restructuring last year.
Wolfspeed Inc., a chipmaker caught in President Donald Trump’s push to reshape Biden-era tech subsidies, filed bankruptcy to enact a creditor-backed plan to slash $4.6 billion in debt.
Macau’s monthly gaming revenue rose 19% in June, exceeding analyst expectations as visitors poured in to the world’s biggest gambling hub for Cantonese pop concerts and other entertainment offerings.
Some of the main moves in markets:
Stocks
The S&P 500 fell 0.1% as of 4 p.m. New York time
The Nasdaq 100 fell 0.9%
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.9%
The MSCI World Index fell 0.1%
Bloomberg Magnificent 7 Total Return Index fell 1.5%
The Russell 2000 Index rose 0.9%
Currencies
The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index was little changed
The euro was little changed at $1.1793
The British pound was little changed at $1.3741
The Japanese yen rose 0.2% to 143.75 per dollar
Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin fell 2.1% to $105,393.95
Ether fell 4% to $2,404.6
Bonds
The yield on 10-year Treasuries advanced two basis points to 4.25%
Germany’s 10-year yield declined three basis points to 2.57%
Britain’s 10-year yield declined three basis points to 4.45%
Commodities
West Texas Intermediate crude rose 0.9% to $65.70 a barrel
LOS ANGELES, July 1 (Xinhua) — Children aged two to four in the United States are widely exposed to a broad range of potentially harmful chemicals, many of which are not currently tracked by national health surveys, according to a new study published Tuesday.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, was conducted by multiple institutions across the United States and supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Researchers analyzed urine samples from 201 children aged two to four in California, Georgia, New York and Washington. They tested for 111 chemicals and detected 96 in at least five children, 48 in more than half, and 34 in over 90 percent of the children tested.
Many of the chemicals identified are not routinely monitored and may pose health risks, the study warned.
The detected substances include phthalates and their alternatives, parabens, bisphenols, benzophenones, pesticides, organophosphate esters, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and bactericides. These chemicals are commonly found in household products, personal care items, food packaging, furniture and air pollution.
Children are exposed to these chemicals through everyday activities such as eating, drinking, playing, and breathing indoor and outdoor air.
“Our study shows that childhood exposure to potentially harmful chemicals is widespread. This is alarming because we know early childhood is a critical window for brain and body development,” said Deborah H. Bennett, lead author and professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis).
“Many of these chemicals are known or suspected to interfere with hormones, brain development and immune function,” she noted.
The researchers stressed the need for further studies to better understand the long-term health impacts of these exposures. ■
