Washington Saves launches July 1, 2027, automatically enrolling workers without employer retirement plans into an IRA at a default contribution rate ranging from 3% to 7%.
Choosing a Roth over a traditional auto-IRA keeps withdrawals tax-free and invisible to the Social Security formula that determines benefit taxation.
Even modest savings before full retirement age can fund delayed Social Security claiming, worth roughly 8% more per year than filing early.
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Picture a 59-year-old woman in Tacoma who has waited tables, run a register, and answered phones at a seven-person insurance office. Decades of steady work, zero years with a 401(k). Her retirement plan has always been Social Security. Then a letter arrives from her employer explaining that starting July 1, 2027, she is being automatically signed up for something called Washington Saves.

#security #july #free #year

There's a concept in biology called adaptive radiation. It occurs when a species enters a new environment with unoccupied ecological niches and rapidly evolves into multiple distinct forms. We see a similar pattern in technology. When a breakthrough technology emerges, it often triggers a wave of innovation, with a growing number of companies developing competing approaches and quickly filling what was previously an empty market.
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Quantum computing appears to be following a similar path. The technology is still in its early stages, and a few companies are already racing to bring it into commercial reality, each pursuing different architectures and strategies. Unlike traditional computers, which process information as ones and zeros, quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, that can represent multiple states simultaneously. That allows them to tackle certain highly complex calculations much faster than conventional computers.
The commercial potential is hard to ignore, with Grand View Research projecting the quantum computing market will expand from about $1.9 billion in 2026 to more than $8 billion by 2033.

#computers #market #investing

Monster Beverage (NASDAQ: MNST) just announced a 2-for-1 stock split, set to take effect in mid-August, the latest in a long line of splits for one of the market's great long-term winners.
With about $200, you can easily own shares. But a split is never the real reason to buy a stock. The business behind it is, and Monster's is as strong as ever.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Monster is the energy drink powerhouse behind Monster Energy, and its secret weapon is a partnership most casual observers have forgotten. Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) owns roughly a fifth of the company and distributes Monster through its vast worldwide bottling network. That gives a mid-sized beverage company the global reach of a giant. Monster is using that muscle to expand aggressively into Southeast Asia, China, India, and other fast-growing markets, and international sales now make up nearly half of its business. For a brand once seen as an American phenomenon, that runway abroad is enormous.
What keeps Monster fresh is a nonstop stream of new products. The company rolls out new flavors and zero-sugar variants constantly, from limited-edition cans to region-specific launches, keeping fans engaged and shelves turning. Its marketing leans into motorsports, gaming, and action sports, cementing a rebellious, high-energy identity that money alone cannot buy.

#flashing #long

Entering his third season as Texas A&M's head baseball coach, Michael Earley's journey to College Station was as a volunteer, unpaid hitting coach, but thanks to a 2022 lawsuit filed by multiple college baseball coaches alleging that the NCAA violated federal antitrust laws by restricting their compensation to zero, Earley, and many others are in line to benefit from a $49.3 million settlement for these coaches, offering long-overdue compensation.
After three seasons as one of Texas A&M's key ******* istants and ace recruiters, former coach Jim Schlossnagle's dramatic decision to leave the Aggies for the Texas Longhorns led Trev Alberts to make his first significant coaching hire during his first full year as A&M's Athletic Director, choosing to give Michael Earley a shot given his strong relationship with the incoming 2025 roster and background as a hitting coach.
Earley has plenty of advice to bestow upon younger players, including his own son, urging future players during his appearance on the Chasing Baseball Dreams podcast with Bobby Minor to "compete, not compare" and focus on improving instead of looking at the player ahead of them who may possess certain athletic traits or experience that has yet to be gained.
✍️ Compete > Compare

Texas A&M baseball coach Michael Earley with great advice for young athletes across all sports on the Chasing Baseball Dreams podcast with Bobby Minor pic.twitter.com/fvGfne9h4F
Due to injuries to star hitters Gavin Grahovac and Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M finished 30-26 during the 2025 season, missing the NCAA Tournament after being just one win away from securing the program's first College World Series ******* le just a year prior.

#texas

The college football season is now just four weeks away from its Week Zero kickoff. Programs will begin their quests for the College Football Playoff, and fan bases across the country will have renewed hope before their teams take the field.
Several programs and their fan bases are hoping for a much better 2026, especially after disappointing 2025 campaigns. Many schools have also hired new head coaches, hoping they can lead their programs back to national relevance.
MORE: Former FSU quarterback Thomas Castellanos plans to explore a potential return to college football
The 2026 season will bring renewed optimism and excitement for fans nationwide. Not every team will rebound into a College Football Playoff contender, but meaningful progress is often enough to energize a fan base. Here are three schools that should bounce back in 2026 after dreadful 2025 seasons.
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) warms up in the second quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

#schools

Medicare has excluded routine dental since 1965, and a single implant now costs $4,500, which is enough to wipe out an entire year's Social Security COLA increase.
Medicare Advantage dental riders and standalone plans both cap annual benefits somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000, leaving $3,000 or more uncovered on a single implant.
Dental schools perform implants at prices 30 to 50 percent below what private practices charge, making them the highest-leverage option for a procedure Medicare will never cover.
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A 68-year-old on Original Medicare walks out of her dentist's office with a treatment plan for a single implant. The estimate: $4,500. She calls 1-800-MEDICARE to confirm coverage and receives the answer she hoped was wrong. Original Medicare will pay zero. The estimate is not her coinsurance. It is her bill.

#medicare #single

Environmental groups have been campaigning to encourage banks and other financial institutions to divest from fossil fuels for years, with efforts growing stronger since the Covid-19 pandemic and the global push to transition away from oil, gas, and coal to renewable alternatives.
In June, the Bank of England quietly announced that it would no longer be accepting bonds ****** ociated with coal operations for key loan arrangements. The ban will be enforced from October. It is the latest move to encourage a shift away from thermal coal for electricity production. The Bank of England said it would no longer be allowing commercial banks to use bonds linked to thermal coal as "collateral" when borrowing money from the financial institution.
The move suggests that any bonds linked to thermal coal are now considered too risky to appear on its balance sheet, as consumers and governments worldwide call for a shift away from "the dirtiest fossil fuel". The rapid global transition to renewable energy could lead certain types of fossil fuels to depreciate in value over the coming decades, making them more of a financial risk.
The Bank of England stated that thermal coal companies "can be exposed to potential financial risks connected to the adjustment of the economy towards net zero," in its policy statement. It said it would also discount the value of bonds in other relevant sectors "to protect the Bank against financial risks".
It is common for the Bank of England to provide loans to major banks operating in the United Kingdom, including Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest, and HSBC, to help them settle transactions and conduct operations efficiently. To gain access to these loans, commercial banks must provide collateral as a guarantee, typically in the form of bonds.

#banks #fossil #away #encourage

Although he struggled a bit in the second half, Warriors rookie Will Richard had an impressive 2025-26 season, especially considering he was selected No. 56 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. Richard was praised throughout the year by coaches and teammates for his basketball IQ and ability to move without the ball.
In 69 games, Richard averaged 6.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 ***** ists and 1.2 steals in 20 minutes per game. The former Florida Gator was an efficient shooter from within the arc, converting on 67.9% of his 2-point attempts and a serviceable 33.5% of his 3-pointers. With zero new free agent additions to this point, Richard will have an opportunity to earn more minutes in Golden State's rotation as a sophomore.
Here are some of Richard's strongest plays for the Warriors during his rookie campaign.
This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Will Richard Golden State Warriors 2025-26 regular season highlights

#Warriors #rookie #season #Florida

Our ***** ysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here.
Performance was driven by strong rate recovery from capital trackers and O&M efficiencies in vegetation management, offsetting milder weather impacts in Texas and Indiana.
The company identified 14 gigawatts of large load projects eligible for ERCOT's 'batch zero' process, representing a 65% increase over Houston Electric's current system peak demand.
Management increased the 10-year capital plan by $1.2 billion, primarily to support modest system upgrades for large load connections and the Downtown Houston revitalization project.
The Houston Electric system's existing 10 gigawatts of hosting capacity allows for efficient load connection at a disciplined cost of less than $60 million per gigawatt.

#capital #gigawatts #system #tell

KO surged 28% YTD while PEP gained just 1%, as Coca-Cola Zero Sugar's 16% volume growth and margin expansion separated the two businesses.
Pepsi's Frito-Lay North America unit slipped 2% in Q2, and recovering those volumes is the single catalyst that unlocks the $155 ***** yst target.
Pepsi's 3.91% yield and 16x forward P/E offer more room to surprise than ***** e's stretched 26x valuation after a one-year run.
Act now: the ***** yst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Coca-Cola didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) and PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP) both closed the books on Q2 2026 with beats, yet the businesses look further apart than ever.

#coca #cola #zero #grab

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Bryan Baker of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at Tropicana Field on July 26, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
In the aftermath of a 3-0 win over the Rangers on Wednesday evening, Ryan Vilade said he did not want to face Bryan Baker. The Rays' infielder/outfielder shares a clubhouse with the righthanded closer, so stepping into the batter's box against Baker is not a concern. For Rays' opponents, facing Baker has been a nightmare in 2026.
"To see 'Big Bake' running in from the bullpen with the lights (flashing on and off) and (music) playing, it gets everyone fired up," said Vilade, whose exceptional work (9 HR, 35 RBI, .804 OPS) in a part-time role has often aided the Rays in getting to their closer. "I'm glad he's on our team and whenever we get to the ninth with him on the ***** p, we feel pretty good."
For good reason. The 6-foot-6 Baker nailed down his 30th save of the season Thursday afternoon in the series finale with Texas to tie with Cleveland's Cade Smith for the MLB lead. The 31-year-old heads into a weekend series versus the visiting White Sox having converted 19 straight save opportunities, a stretch that began May 17. During that span, which totals 24 appearances, Baker has allowed one run. That was a solo homer to Kansas City's Josh Rojas on June 24, an outing in which Baker shrugged it off to record his 20th save.
"I have been feeding off the catchers and going for what they see and what they've kind of seen the whole game and let the defenders work behind me," said Baker, when asked about the run he is on. "It's been a lot more (pitching to) contact lately, which as long as there's zeros are on board, I'm good."

#rays #ninth #work

Former San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees will officially be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH, as a member of the class of 2026 on August 8. Sean Payton, former Saint and Brees' longtime head coach in the Crescent City, was recently announced as the presenter for No. 9 at the enshrinement ceremony.
Although Brees and Payton had their own backgrounds in the NFL before joining forces in New Orleans in 2006, the QB-HC combo cemented their professional legacies within the Superdome at the heart of the Big Easy, delivering a rebirth to Saints football and aiding in the rebuild of a then-broken city.
Following a 3-13 season and a 2005 campaign that saw zero home games played inside of New Orleans following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the city and team required a refresh and found just what Louisiana needed in a first-year head coach and a young gunslinger coming off of a brutal shoulder injury. These guys would grow, progress, and build what would become one of the most prolific offenses in modern league history.
The partnership between Brees and Payton quickly sparked a fire for the black and gold while providing a sense of hope for those still suffering from the tragic natural disaster just a year removed. In the pairing's inaugural season in New Orleans, the Saints finished with an 11-5 overall record and made a run to the NFC Conference Championship game. Although the team would ultimately fall short of reaching the ultimate goal of playing in and winning the city's first Super Bowl, this season was simply a foreshadowing of greater things to come.
New Orleans would go on to miss the postseason in both 2007 and 2008 before a magical year in which pigs learned to fly.

#city

Napoli are zeroing in on Benoit Badiashile to complete their defense, which won't have Alessandro Buongiorno for a few months because of a knee injury, while Sam Beukema is dealing with a tricky Achilles issue, Corriere dello Sport informs.
The center-back opened the door to the destination. His personal terms won't be an obstacle. On the other hand, the Partenopei aren't close to concurring to a deal with Chelsea, as they are angling for a simple loan.
Napoli would be able to evaluate Badiashile for a season that way, as he has dealt with a number of physical problems in recent years. He made just 16 appearances in 2025/2026, for a total of just over 1000 minutes. The Blues invested €40M for him in 2023. They don't seem too keen on a temporary formula at the moment.
The Azzurri have also expressed interest in Jean-Clair Todibo, but he's not too high on their shortlist. Olympique Marseille are targeting him with more conviction. Federico Gatti remains a viable fallback. Instead, a proper investment would be needed to sign Tiago Gabriel from Lecce. He has a €30M price tag, while the Serie A runner-ups value him a lot less. He'd be useful for the lists, though, given his young age. Juan Jesus' return has also been pondered. He's still without a team after his contract ran out.
If they are concerned about Beukema's availability, they'll need a lot more than another injury-prone center-back to be serene for the entire season. It's time for them to seriously contemplate a splash at the position, without worrying about a potential future logjam.

#napoli #badiashile #won 't #season

Coca-Cola (KO) stock jumped 5% on Tuesday after the company beat Wall Street's earnings expectations and raised its guidance as consumers turned to lower-calorie trademark ****** e options, such as ****** e Zero and Diet ****** e.
The stock posted its best day since November 2020.
The soda giant was able to tap into health-conscious consumers and those leaning into America 250 and FIFA World Cup celebrations. Global unit case volume rose 5%, above the previous quarter's 3% gain and the 2.5% growth Wall Street expected, per Bloomberg consensus data. In North America, volume grew 3%.
Yet again, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar was the driving force, with volume up 16% in the quarter. Right behind it were Diet ****** e and Coca-Cola Light, up 7%.
"Diet ****** e was up 7% for the quarter, also, having its moment," CFO John Murphy told Yahoo Finance on Tuesday. "We have ****** e Zero in certain parts of Europe beginning to build scale. You're going to hear a lot more about that in the next 12 to 18 months."

#volume

Four days after OpenAI disclosed that its models had escaped a cyber evaluation and compromised Hugging Face, CEO Sam Altman said humanity had entered science-fiction territory.
"We are now, like, in the singularity. This is the moment."— Sam Altman, July 25 episode of Relentless
Altman did not present the breach as evidence for that claim, but the timing gave his words an uncomfortable real-world backdrop.
OpenAI disabled its production safety classifiers to measure the models' maximum cyber capability. Its July 21 disclosure said they exploited a proxy zero-day, escaped isolation, reached the internet and used stolen credentials and other methods to enter Hugging Face's production systems. They pursued benchmark answers, not a self-selected goal, yet improvised against a live company beyond a boundary their operators expected to hold.
Reuters reported on July 24 that the intrusion ran from July 11 through July 13 and OpenAI took nearly a week after the first escape attempt to connect its test to the breach. Hugging Face had already disclosed it and contacted the FBI. An OpenAI spokeswoman alleged "several inaccuracies" without identifying them. This is not proof that AI has surpassed humanity or begun rewriting itself. It shows agents can sustain complex operations long enough to outrun their controls.

#face #escaped #humanity

A Ukrainian soldier said troops may wait a week to move 300 meters at the zero line.
Drones make even small movements a life-or-death calculation, he told BI.
Fog, rain, wind, and electronic warfare can create brief windows to move.
Ukraine's drone-saturated "zero line" is so dangerous that troops may have to wait days for a safe chance to move just a few hundred meters, a Ukrainian soldier told Business Insider.
The soldier, who uses the call sign Yankee, said that he has experienced cases at the zero line, the forward edge of the front line, where "if you want to sometimes move 300 meters, you can't move for seven days."

#line #ukrainian #troops #told

Javier Mendez doesn't see Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry continuing the Dagestan vs. Ireland rivalry.
Welterweight champion Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) makes his first ***** le defense against Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) in the UFC 330 main event on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia (Paramount+).
Machado Garry has called his fight against Makhachev Ireland vs. Dagestan 2, referring to Conor McGregor's bad blood with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Things got so personal with McGregor and Nurmagomedov, that Nurmagomedov jumped McGregor's corner immediately after choking him out at UFC 229.
Mendez says you can't compare the two fights.
"There are zero similarities to Conor vs. Khabib," Mendez said in an interview with NewBettingSites. "Unless Ian starts disrespecting family and religion or country, but I don't see him doing that or Islam doing it either. It's a fight between them, and I feel like if they want to include me and Khabib that's fine. We are fair game, we are trainers and part of the team. They should leave everyone else alone though."

#garry #conor

Jalen Hurts did not wait for a question to establish the Philadelphia Eagles' standard for the 2026 season.
Hurts opened his first training camp news conference with a statement about the offseason, the workouts he organized with teammates and the importance of strengthening relationships throughout the offense.
"Really good summer," Hurts said. "We got a lot of work in, got a lot of guys together and definitely grew closer. The mentality is 100 percent alignment, zero entitlement."
The message reflects Hurts' approach to leading a roster filled with accomplished and highly paid players. Philadelphia has Pro Bowl selections, All-Pro performers and players with championship experience, but Hurts does not believe previous success guarantees future results. His offseason work amid A.J. Brown's departure was designed to build the alignment he referenced. Hurts trained with quarterbacks Tanner McKee, Andy Dalton and Cole Payton in Orlando, Florida, while several wide receivers and tight ends participated in throwing sessions.
DeVonta Smith, Hollywood Brown, Dontayvion Wicks, Elijah Moore, Dallas Goedert and rookie Eli Stowers were among the offensive players involved. First-round receiver Makai Lemon joined the sessions after working through a hamstring injury. The workouts allowed teammates to develop timing while learning how each player communicates and responds to coaching. That familiarity is particularly important as Philadelphia installs Sean Mannion's offense and incorporates several new skill-position players.

#hurts #workouts #teammates #work

Burma's government approved the death penalty as punishment for internet scammers just months after the Fbi announced a sweeping $8 billion crackdown on scam networks coming from the country, according to the country's state-backed media.
The Anti-Online Scam Law passed the country's parliament on Tuesday, green lighting the death penalty for anyone who participates in a scam in which they "commit violence, torture, unlawfully arrest or detain, or treat any person in a cruel manner," according to The Global New Light of Myanmar, a media outlet jointly operated by a private company and the country's Ministry of the Interior.
Burma, also known as Myanmar, has become ground zero for digital scams, with criminals often recruiting migrants from other Asian countries with promises of legitimate work only to imprison them and force them to conduct the scams.
In May, the FBI announced a massive crackdown on a criminal network in Burma known as the "Democratic Karen Benevolent Army." The operation resulted in the seizure of 127,000 Bitcoin, worth over $8 billion as of July.
Fbi Brings Alleged China-linked Hacker To Us In Rare Extradition As Patel Defends Italy Trip

#myanmar #death #Media

In the definition of a back-and-forth battle, the Mariners outslugged the Dodgers with a season-high five home runs in a 7-6 loss for the reigning champs. Neither team seemed capable of holding onto a lead for any meaningful period until the Mariners jumped in front in the eighth thanks to a two-run shot from Dominic Canzone, his second and Seattle's fifth homer of the game.
As different as the seasons of the two starting pitchers in this matchup might be, for one game, they both encountered the same problem, completely allergic to the prospect of a shutdown inning. On four separate occasions, a team took the lead in the first five innings only to see its starter unable to put a zero on the board in the following half-inning.
Justin Wrobleski has thrived this season with the ability to raise his level according to the situation, but what does he do when the opposition ambushes him? The Mariners managed to score five runs off the left-hander without even having a single at-bat with a runner in scoring position against him—courtesy of not two, not three, but four home runs against a pitcher who had allowed a total of three long ****** prior to this game. Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Rob Refsnyder, and Dominic Canzone all left the yard. While the homers hit by Rodríguez and Raleigh could be categorized as mistake pitches, the ones by Canzone and Refsnyder came on well-located fastballs at or well above the strike zone—it stands to reason that Wrobleski's heater didn't have the same life on it, or that the M's guessed right on multiple occasions.
For the Dodgers' offense against Castillo, it was an eventful game from start to finish, but one that could've been more dominant. The M's veteran starter allowed a leadoff bomb to Shohei Ohtani and had to deal with trouble in some form or another for his entire outing.
The Sho has started! pic.twitter.com/rfu4k1gr7W

#runs #Dodgers #dominic

The White Sox (55-51) waited until the bottom of the ninth to score any runs, and ironically ended up outhitting the Yankees (61-46), but they couldn't make the full comeback and fell just short, 3-2. Chase Meidroth saved the day from a 3-0 shutout, mashing a homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but the bats were mostly quiet and couldn't provide run support for their pitching staff.
Giving the White Sox bullpen a bit of a reprieve from Monday night, Anthony Kay labored through 5 1/3 innings, looking sharp outside of his 29-pitch second inning. The lefty started the game on a high note by striking out the side in the top of the first — the first three of seven Ks during today's outing — but we can't say the same about the next frame.
Back-to-back singles from Jasson Domínguez and Trent Grisham led off the second frame and kicked off their three-run rally. Kay uncorked a wild pitch to move both runners into scoring position before Anthony Volpe lined a double off the top of the wall in right, scoring Domínguez. The southpaw worked around Jazz Chisholm Jr. with a strikeout, but Max Schuemann doubled to left to score another two runs to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead.
Kay was otherwise solid, and when a batter did reach base, he was able to work around it. The main issue, however, is that he received zero run support from the offense, which mustered only three hits while Kay was in the game. It helped that Kay gutted through five-plus innings, but without any run support, it hardly mattered.
Kay put Domínguez on for the second time to lead off the sixth, hitting his 20th batter of the season, and his 10th batter in his last nine starts. Though there was some weird communication between Tristan Peters and Braden Montgomery in right-center, Braden was able to snow cone the ball at the last second for the out.

#three #yankees #anthony

Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL) did almost everything investors had hoped for in its latest quarterly report. While the top and bottom line grew impressively, Google Cloud revenue generated an eye-popping annual growth as businesses continued pouring money into AI infrastructure and generative AI solutions. Under normal circumstances, those numbers would have fueled another rally. Instead, the stock headed in the opposite direction.
The sell-off was not driven by weak fundamentals – it was driven by what's ahead. Investors zeroed in on Alphabet's aggressive AI spending plans, with management signaling elevated capital expenditures this year and an even bigger investment push in 2027. As the artificial intelligence (AI) race intensifies, Wall Street is increasingly asking whether these massive investments will generate returns quickly enough.
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The sell-off also altered GOOGL's technical setup. The stock closed below its 200-day moving average for the first time in more than a year, breaking a key support level that had held throughout the past 12 months. While many technical ****** ysts typically wait for several sessions below that level before confirming a trend change, the move has undoubtedly put the stock under the microscope.

#sell #driven

Blue Jays' Shane Bieber loses control with franchise-worse six first-inning walks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
During his final outing before the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3, Toronto Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber tossed a dud, walking six first-inning batters at Nationals Park on Tuesday night.
No other pitcher in Blue Jays history issued that many bases on ******* in one frame in franchise history. He also walked the second-most batters in the first inning in major-league history.
Pulled after 42 pitches and only 15 strikes, Bieber's pitching line was unique. No other hurler in league history surrendered four runs on one hit with zero strikeouts and six walks. He also failed to induce one whiff.
Washington Nationals leadoff batter James Wood worked a six-pitch walk.

#history #sporting #franchise

Circle—the company behind USDC (the digital dollar used by millions worldwide for payments, savings, and international transfers)—just bought the blockchain patent library IBM spent more than a decade building. The deal, announced July 27, hands Circle over 1,000 blockchain patents issued by IBM worldwide.
Patents are legal rights that give the holder exclusive control over a specific invention. If you hold a patent on a method for processing transactions on a blockchain—the shared digital ledger where crypto activity is permanently recorded and can't be altered—you get to decide who else uses it and on what terms. IBM had been building that kind of leverage since its mid-2010s enterprise blockchain push.
By December 2025, patent ******* ytics firm PatSnap credited IBM with 790 U.S. blockchain patents—more than any other American company, with Bank of America a distant second at roughly 200. Circle, which received its first-ever patent in December 2023 (covering parallel blockchain data processing—a technique for verifying multiple groups of transactions simultaneously), went from essentially zero to the top of the U.S. rankings overnight.
"The portfolio comprises over 680 patent families and nearly 1,000 issued patents worldwide, spanning foundational blockchain technology, banking, financial services, insurance, enterprise infrastructure, supply chain verification, and secure cloud operations," Circle said in its official announcement.
Circle plans to put them to work across its entire stack. "The expanded IP position directly supports Circle's foundation for building the internet financial system, including USDC, Circle Payments Network, Arc, and a growing suite of onchain products and agentic financial tools," the company added. Arc is Circle's own payment-focused blockchain built for institutional finance. The agentic tools are AI-powered software programs that can execute financial transactions autonomously—no human required for each step.

#building

Aaron Rodgers has officially ended the speculation. He stated there is "zero debate" regarding his future. The four-time MVP confirmed 2026 will be his last season. This news arrives as he reports for his 22nd NFL training camp. Fans can stop guessing about his next move. The decision is final and clear. Rodgers wants to play his final year with freedom.
Rodgers spoke after a conditioning test in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He echoed a sentiment he shared back in May. He admitted he thought last year might be his finale. Then head coach Mike McCarthy got hired by the Steelers. Rodgers discussed the situation with his wife. She told him he could play one more year. The pieces finally came together for this reunion. Rodgers dismissed any idea of changing his mind later. He shook his head firmly when asked about returning. "No," the veteran quarterback said. "Zero debate. Zero."
Not everyone agrees that the decision is permanent. Wide receiver DK Metcalf offered a different perspective to local media. He refused to rule out another year for Rodgers. Metcalf noted that players often speak at the start of a year. They do not know how the season will unfold. He suggested Rodgers might not even get hit this year. If that happens, he could say "let's go out there and do another one." Metcalf believes this mindset puts a weight off Rodgers' back. The quarterback is playing free and enjoying time with close friends. Yet Rodgers remains firm on his timeline. He is not leaving the door open for a 2027 campaign.
This situation marks a significant reunion for Rodgers and McCarthy. The head coach previously coached Rodgers for 13 seasons in Green Bay. That partnership began in 2005 during Rodgers' second NFL season. Now they work together again in Pittsburgh. The context of their history adds weight to this final chapter. Rodgers values the chance to close his career with his old coach. This specific dynamic likely influenced his decision to stay for one more year. The team environment feels right for a final run.
Rodgers made the right call by locking in this timeline. Uncertainty drains energy from a player's performance. Knowing the end date allows him to focus entirely on winning. He does not need to worry about contract extensions or future plans. This clarity helps him play with the freedom Metcalf described. The pressure of the "what if" scenario is gone. It is time to enjoy the game without looking ahead. His confidence in this decision shows his maturity as an athlete.

#year #time #season #head

By Yantoultra Ngui and Selena Li
SINGAPORE/HONG KONG, July 27 (Reuters) - Investors are expected to scrutinise whether Shein can justify the $40 billion to $50 billion valuation it is seeking in a Hong Kong initial public offering after a prospectus filed ‌on Sunday showed slowing growth and a sharp decline in profitability.
Revenue rose 8% to $41.8 billion in 2025, but net ‌income fell 39% to $2.06 billion. In the first quarter of this year, the fast fashion retailer swung to a $99 million loss, the filing showed.
While the quarterly loss partly reflected a $328 million fair-value charge on convertible redeemable preferred shares following an accounting change, slowing revenue growth and weaker core earnings underscore the company's mounting challenges.
"Institutional investors on the HKEX (Hong Kong Stock Exchange) will ... zero in on the 2.9% operating margin," said Winston Ma, executive director of the Global Public Investment Funds Forum and a former managing director at the China Investment Corporation.

#hong

By Yantoultra Ngui and Selena Li
SINGAPORE/HONG KONG, July 27 (Reuters) - Investors are expected to scrutinise whether Shein can justify the $40 billion to $50 billion valuation it is seeking in a Hong Kong initial public offering after a prospectus filed on Sunday showed slowing growth ‌and a sharp decline in profitability.
Revenue rose 8% to $41.8 billion in 2025, but net income fell 39% to $2.06 billion. In the first ‌quarter of this year, the fast fashion retailer swung to a $99 million loss, the filing showed.
While the quarterly loss partly reflected a $328 million fair-value charge on convertible redeemable preferred shares following an accounting change, slowing revenue growth and weaker core earnings underscore the company's mounting challenges.
"Institutional investors on the HKEX (Hong Kong Stock Exchange) will ... zero in on the 2.9% operating margin," said Winston Ma, executive director of the Global Public Investment Funds Forum and a former managing director at the China Investment Corporation.

#hong #billion #slowing

For the past half-decade or so, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has taken his time each offseason to determine whether he's going to play another year. This time around, however, Rodgers will skip all that ceremony. This will be the 42-year-old's final NFL season, he definitively confirmed Tuesday.
When asked about his NFL future, Rodgers said there was "zero debate" this was it. After the 2026 NFL season, he's retiring, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor.
Rodgers said he thought last season was going to be his final one for a bit, but he changed his mind once the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy. Rodgers and McCarthy have history together, as the two won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.
"I thought last year might be it," Rodgers said after the Pittsburgh Steelers' conditioning test, echoing the same sentiment he expressed in May that the 2026 season would be his last. "And then Mike [McCarthy] got hired, and I talked to the wife and she said, 'You can do one more year.' I said, 'Well, we'll see if it works out.' And then it kind of all came together."
D.K. Metcalf, however, wasn't necessarily buying Rodgers' willingness to hang it up after the season. Metcalf said it was possible Rodgers would change his mind if things went extremely well for him and the team in 2026.

#mccarthy #last #mike

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Delivered strong first-half momentum by balancing volume growth and price/mix, achieving organic revenue growth at the high end of the long-term algorithm.
Leveraged the FIFA World Cup activation to drive record beverage incidence of over 80% at venues, utilizing integrated marketing to engage consumers across 180 markets.
Navigated an uneven global consumer environment by sharpening Revenue Growth Management (RGM) toolkits, balancing affordability for pressured consumers with premiumization for resilient segments.
Achieved broad-based volume growth across all operating units, supported by the relaunch of Mr. Pibb and continued expansion of Coca-Cola Zero Zero into evening consumption occasions.

#balancing #NVIDIA

Though expected to be ranked, not many are thinking much about Michigan football at this time of the year. Eerily similar to 2021, when a Jim Harbaugh-led team had zero offseason buzz before shocking the college football world, all is quiet on the Western front as it pertains to the maize and blue.
But one ESPN personality thinks that the Wolverines could end up shocking the world.
Dan Wetzel is local to Michigan, and as the ESPN College Football podcast panel did a brief preview of the Big Ten in 2026, and though Michigan football wasn't spoken of much, Wetzel asked: why not the team in Ann Arbor?
"I think that the program that could totally surprise, because I don't think anyone's much of them, is Michigan," Wetzel said. "I don't think there's a lot of discussion, but how are they with a coach, like how good can Kyle Whittingham get them? There's a lot of talent at Michigan; it's a very high-priced roster still. Can Kyle Whittingham step right in and kind of revive that program quickly?"
If Jason Beck gets his offense going and Jay Hill manages to do a good job with the defense, it wouldn't surprise if the Wolverines are better than anticipated. However, the schedule is a bear, so there will need to be some surprise wins there if Michigan is going to find its way to a better postseason berth than the previous two years.

#wolverines