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* Tiger Woods in danger of missing the cut after rough start at British Open
Tiger Woods is at risk of missing the cut at his third straight major this year after a rough first round at The Open Championship on Thursday.

* Russia sentences journalist Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on espionage charges
A Russian court sentenced Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on Friday on charges of espionage.

* Van Jones says 'Democrats dodged a bullet' after Trump's RNC speech
CNN commentator Van Jones said that Democrats "dodged a bullet" on Thursday, panning former President Trump's acceptance speech as a rambling mess.

* Reddit dog-allergy victim is shamed for leaving family reunion early: 'Couldn't take it anymore'
A woman on Reddit asked for advice after she got grief from family members for leaving a family reunion early due to her allergic reaction to a dog.

* CNN's Jake Tapper calls out MSNBC for skipping RNC: 'We're here live as opposed to some other networks'
CNN host Jake Tapper chastised MSNBC for failing to cover the RNC live in Milwaukee.

* Biden should step aside and resign, undecided voters tells ABC
A panel of five undecided voters on ABC News Thursday night unanimously agreed that President Biden needs to step out of the race because of his age and gaffes.

* Trump assassination attempt shows to Putin and Xi the West on Biden’s watch is vulnerable, unfocused
Russia’s Putin and China’s Xi have noted glaring gaps in America’s security, especially following the attempted assassination against President Trump, which they will likely take advantage of.

* Former Secret Service agent questions why Trump was allowed on stage amid threat concerns: 'Why not delay?'
Retired Secret Service agent Mike Matranga called operations at Trump's Pennsylvania rally a "catastrophic failure" as details emerge on what was known and when.

* Meet the American who cooked up frozen foods, adventurer and innovator Clarence Birdseye
Prolific inventor Clarence Birdseye, a native of Brooklyn, found inspiration to pioneer frozen food for American consumers in the remote icy wilderness of Labrador, Canada.

* Abner Haynes, ex-Chiefs star running back, dead at 86
Former Kansas City Chiefs star running back Abner Haynes, who spent most of his career in the organization, has died, the team said Thursday. He was 86.

Inflation

Inflationary woes: More chain stores closed in 2023, continuing into 2024

8 months ago By Special

(The Center Square) – More chain stores closed in 2023 as a result of high inflationary costs, with the trend continuing in 2024 led by the iconic department store, Macy’s.

In 2023, retail stores, pharmaceutical and fast-food chains continued a trend of previous years: declaring bankruptcy and closing their doors or shutting down some locations to cut costs, citing inflation, higher costs, and profit losses.

Business notes

* Small-business sales: Sales at small businesses declined in June from the previous month as high prices forced consumers to scale down spending on goods and services, according to a report by fintech company Fiserv. The decline in the small-business index trends with the burdening high living costs of households.

* Backlash against DEI: Farm machinery giant John Deere has dialed down what it calls its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) “mindset” after facing a pressure campaign on social media and beyond over some of its diversity measures. John Deere said on July 16 it will stop supporting social awareness events, review training materials to remove socially motivated messaging, and confirmed it doesn’t have any diversity hiring quotas..

* UnitedHealth Projects Cyberattack to Cost $2.45 Billion in 2024

* China’s Weak CPI, Declining PPI Indicate Risk of Deflation: Experts

-- The Epoch Times

World View

* Russia sentences journalist Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on espionage charges
A Russian court sentenced Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on Friday on charges of espionage.

* Deadly explosion in Tel Aviv leaves one dead, more wounded
A deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv Thursday has left one person dead and four more injured. Military officials are investigating the origin of the drone.

* Large explosion rocks Tel Aviv in middle of the night
A large explosion in Tel Aviv has left builds near the U.S. embassy damaged. It's not yet clear what the cause of the blast was.

* South Korea's top court issues landmark ruling recognizing some rights for same-sex couples
South Korea's Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples are eligible to receive the same health insurance benefits as heterosexual couples in a landmark verdict.

* Biden's $230 million Gaza pier quietly shuts down, US senator labels project 'national embarrassment'
President Biden promised the Gaza humanitarian pier as a means of increasing assistance into the area, but months later the military has announced that it will cease operation.

* WATCH: Helicopter rescues plane from snowy mountain after emergency landing
A Piper PA-18, a small plane, that had to make an emergency landing on a snowy mountain in Argentina was rescued by specialized personnel and a helicopter.

* ISIS threat rising in Syria, Iraq as US military warns terror attacks could double in 2024
ISIS attacks across Iraq and Syria are ramping up as the terrorist organization looks to boost its capabilities even as the U.S. and its allies continue to employ 'Defeat ISIS Missions'.

* European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen makes final bid for second term before vote
Ursula von der Leyen is running for a second five-year term as president of the European Union's executive commission. She is popular, but her re-election is not a foregone conclusion.

* Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich seen at second Russia hearing on bogus espionage charges
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich appeared in court on Thursday to resume his trial on espionage charges, charges his employer the U.S. government and his employer say are bogus.

* Bus crash in popular tourist spot kills 25 in mountain region, investigation ongoing
Authorities and officials in Peru have lamented the significant human factor in several bus crashes throughout the Andes, mostly tourism buses that speed along narrow roads.

* Zelenskyy says Ukraine can't win war unless US lifts limits on striking military targets in Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine cannot win the war with Russia unless restrictions are lifted on the use of U.S. weapons to attack targets inside Russia.

* Border fire between Israel, Hezbollah continues as delegates prepare to mediate ceasefire with Hamas
An Israeli soldier was killed in combat with Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah as fighting continues at Israel's northern border, the Israeli military said.

Inflation

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