Bird of the Day, theme 'Birds Up Close'

Today's Bird of the Day; daily community event. Theme: #BirdsUpClose.

Hatsune Miku 19th birthday celebrations

Fans and artists mark Hatsune Miku's 19th birthday with fan art, songs and Snow Miku tributes across platforms.

VGen artists open commissions and share portfolios

Creators on VGen are opening commission slots, posting portfolio pages and promoting verification/commission links.

Hugo Awards winners announced at LAcon V

LAcon V awarded Hugos including Murderbot (Best Dramatic Short Form) and Sinners (Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form).

Novak Djokovic upset by Mariano Navone, out in US Open 1st round

39‑year‑old Djokovic loses in five sets to Mariano Navone, 7‑6(5), 5‑7, 4‑6, 6‑2, 6‑1, his earliest major exit in 20 years

Pokémon: Wild Card announced, teaser debuts

New animated Pokémon film 'Pokémon: Wild Card' announced at the 2026 Worlds, follows a TCG player and Mimikyu, due 2027

Turkmenistan starts fixing massive methane mega leaks

UN's Methane Alert and Response System prompted Turkmenistan to begin plugging super‑emitter methane leaks at ageing oil and gas sites.

Lanterns Episode 3 centers John Stewart origin

Episode 3 'OutKast' gives John Stewart a full origin story, reframing his character and drawing wide praise

Kalshi bans George Santos for life

Prediction market Kalshi permanently banned ex‑Rep. George Santos after concluding he likely traded on insider knowledge about State of the Union attendance.

Georgia officer placed on leave after family's pet donkey shot

Pet donkey HeeHaw was shot dead during a search at a Rockmart farm; a Georgia police officer has been placed on leave.

John Ternus succeeds Tim Cook as Apple CEO

John Ternus takes the helm after nearly 15 years under Tim Cook as Apple prepares a foldable iPhone and AI-driven product pushes.

Met Museum cancels planned John Galliano Met Gala exhibit

The Metropolitan Museum cancels its planned 2027 Met Gala exhibition honoring John Galliano after intense backlash; Galliano withdraws.

US excludes Pennsylvania measles deaths from national counts

Federal health officials are excluding Pennsylvania measles deaths from national tallies while the cases are reviewed, drawing scrutiny.

Pokémon World Championships 2027 set for Singapore

Pokémon confirms World Championships will be held at Singapore Expo, Aug 13, 15, 2027

Star Wars: Zero Company earns strong early player praise

Players call Star Wars: Zero Company 'fun as hell', tactical XCOM‑style combat and writing singled out in early impressions

Spider-Man: Brand New Day becomes fourth highest-grossing film, $2.332B

A Spanish report lists Brand New Day at $2.332 billion worldwide, placing it fourth on the all-time global box office list.

Rolling Stone names 25 Most Influential Creators of 2026

Venus Williams forced into late‑night US Open start after marathon match

Venus Williams' first‑round match vs Sofia Kenin began after midnight following Djokovic's long night, prompting scheduling criticism

Notting Hill Carnival marks 60th anniversary

Notting Hill Carnival marked its 60th year with three days of Caribbean parades, music and street performances.

EU designates ChatGPT, Reddit, Roblox under Digital Services Act

European Commission names ChatGPT a VLOSE and Reddit and Roblox VLOPs, imposing tougher DSA rules and a 4-month compliance deadline

Wilson and Plum withdraw from USA FIBA World Cup; Citron and Iriafen called up

A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum withdraw for health reasons; Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen replace them on the U.S. roster for Berlin.

Tarrant County may close 92 polling places, Pentagon says no troops at polls

Comic Sky cover art highlights

Community members share classic and new comic covers, connecting‑cover features, artist spotlights and con haul posts under #ComicSky.

Politician's speech lifts line from The American President

Online posts say a politician's speech lifted a near‑verbatim line from Michael Douglas's 1995 film The American President.

Van Morrison turns 81, fans mark the Belfast singer‑songwriter's birthday

Musicians and fans celebrate Van Morrison's 81st birthday with tributes and memories of live shows

Lionel Messi retires from Argentina national team

Lionel Messi, 39, announces immediate retirement from international football after nearly two decades and six World Cups.

Orioles claim outfielder Luis Robert Jr. off Mets waivers

Baltimore has claimed outfielder Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the Mets, absorbing the remaining guaranteed money and adjusting the roster.

Fright Club tonight: George A. Romero's The Crazies

Community horror watch‑along selects Romero's 1973 The Crazies for tonight's Fright Club screening.

Duane 'Keffe D' Davis found guilty in Tupac Shakur murder

Duane "Keffe D" Davis convicted in 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur; potential life sentence, sentencing date not reported.

Lionel Richie hospitalized after St. Louis concert, enters ICU

77-year-old Lionel Richie checked himself into a St. Louis hospital after performing; reports say he was in the ICU and being evaluated for dehydration.

Trevor Story delivers 10th‑inning walk‑off, Red Sox beat Mariners 9-8

Trevor Story’s 10th-inning single scored Nick Sogard, lifting the Red Sox to a 9-8 win in 10 innings.

HelpSky mutual‑aid posts request urgent housing and medical aid

The '#HelpSky' mutual‑aid stream shares urgent fundraisers for rent, motel stays, groceries, medical bills and gender‑affirming care.

Liverpool sign Bradley Barcola from PSG in up to £123m deal

23-year-old France forward signs a five-year contract; initial fee £106m plus £17m in add-ons (up to £123m).

Was Pluto’s 2006 demotion a mistake?

The Guardian revisits the debate as Pluto's defenders push to restore its planetary status after the 2006 reclassification.

Anthropic sued over alleged theft of 'tens of thousands' of songs

Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell sue Anthropic, claiming Claude models were trained on vast quantities of copyrighted songs.

Adult Swim marks 25th anniversary with special programming

Adult Swim celebrates 25 years with anniversary events and themed programming across its schedule this week

Rachel Maddow spotlights Great Lakes naming in on‑air segment

Rafael Devers hits his 30th homer of the season

Devers belted a 403-foot solo off Bryce Elder for his 30th homer this year, marking his fifth career 30-homer season.

Italian Grand Prix at Monza, photo gallery

BBC publishes a gallery of Monza images as Formula 1 teams gather at the historic Autodromo Nazionale Monza for the Italian GP.

M5.5 earthquake 44 km NNE of Ruteng, Indonesia

USGS reports a M5.5 quake 44 km NNE of Ruteng, East Nusa Tenggara; shallow depth ~10 km and no immediate tsunami alert.