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New Yorkers woke up again Friday to “unhealthy” air quality levels.

The actor claimed he knew the identity of his alleged stalker on the call, which he made sometime before he died by suicide in April.

The actor claimed he knew the identity of his alleged stalker on the call, which he made sometime before he died by suicide in April.

The produce supplier allegedly linked to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis that has sickened hundreds across at least five states also sells products at a number of retailers.

McDonald's has gone gourmet with these two new chef-inspired offerings.

LeBron James gave the Knicks their flowers on Thursday and pinpointed the changes that helped them win the NBA Finals.

Zelensky's Cabinet Reshuffle Backfiring As He Names New Defense Minister

Amid a continuing status of martial law in Ukraine, one European headline underscores that President Zelensky's significant cabinet and defense ministry reshuffling has 'backfired'.

Public outrage and rare protests have ensued in the capital and across various cities after he sacked popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who many Ukrainians see as having turned the tide of the war with Russia, implementing an ambitious tech-focused drone strategy.

Zelensky has now confirmed the dismissal by appointing Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) chief Yevhen Khmara as acting defense minister.

Yevhen Khmara, via RBC-Ukraine

"Once the necessary legal procedures are completed, I will ask lawmakers to support Yevhen Khmara's appointment as defense minister," Zelensky announced.

None of this is being received very well among the public, also days after the forced resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who was merely six months into the job:

The removal of Svyrydenko and swift appointment of Sergii Koretskyi as Ukraine’s new prime minister barely registered in the public debate, but there was uproar around the defence portfolio.

On Thursday lawmakers approved almost an entirely new wartime cabinet and Koretskyi’s nomination – a move largely seen as logical given his track record as chief executive of state energy giant Naftogaz and his crisis‑management roles at Ukrnafta and Ukrtatnafta.

Inside parliament, Koretskyi vowed to focus on defense, economic stability and EU integration. Outside, thousands of demonstrators made it clear that the real battle who controls the armed forces – and how - had only just started.

Zelensky seemed on the defensive in a Thursday night address explaining his choice for new acting defense chief.

"Yevhen Khmara will serve as acting Minister of Defence of Ukraine. He headed the SSU's Centre of Special Operations Alpha, which has achieved the most effective results in eliminating the occupiers on the front. Alpha consistently ranks number one in the monthly results," he said.

"Khmara was responsible for the long-range operations of the Security Service of Ukraine," Zelensky added. "We agreed that Khmara will also oversee the long-range operations of the Security Forces – this is a priority."

Seeking to put a positive spin on a move which is proving deeply unpopular, Zelensky continued: "He knows exactly what Ukraine needs and is also capable of maintaining control over the internal situation across the components of the defense forces. He has sufficient security experience to prevent disgraceful incidents."

⚡️🇺🇦 BREAKING: Zelenskyy confirms tensions between Fedorov and Syrskyi: “Without me, they won’t sit down together”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed tensions between former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, saying he… pic.twitter.com/olt7DuSalu

— Denys from Ukraine (@GlushkoDenys) July 16, 2026

Chief Foreign-Affairs Correspondent of the WSJ, Yaroslav Trofimov, has pointed out that "Many Ukrainians (and not just Ukrainians) see this as Zelensky putting petty politics ahead of winning the war." If the protests grow rapidly, it could cause Zelensky's external supporters to sour on him.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/17/2026 - 10:30

UMich Sentiment Extends Bounce From Record 46-Year-Lows As Gas Prices Ease

Having rebounded from record (46 year) lows in June, University of Michigan's preliminary July Sentiment survey was expected to show further improvement as gas prices fell since the US-Iran 'peace' MoU signing (before rising modestly in the last few days of the reignited conflict).

And indeed it did, headline Consumer Sentiment jumped from 49.5 to 54.4 (51.0 exp) - its highest since February...

"With the second straight month of 10% jumps," said UMich Dirctor of Surveys, Joanne Hsu, pointing out that "consumer sentiment climbed to its highest reading since February of this year on the basis of easing price pressures at the pump in recent weeks."

All five index components improved, led by significant 20% increases in buying conditions for durables as well as year-ahead business conditions.

This month’s rise in sentiment was pervasive across the population, seen across groups by age, income, wealth, and political party.

Particularly strong increases were seen among consumers without a bachelor’s degree.

Year-ahead inflation expectations ticked down from 4.6% in June to a still-elevated 4.2% this month. 

However, Hsu concludes by pouring cold water on the bounce by noting that sentiment’s upward momentum may prove difficult to sustain if recent declines in gas prices continue to reverse course.

Interviews for this release spanned June 23 to July 13, with more than 70% completed before the resumption of US strikes against Iran on July 7 and the subsequent increase in gas prices.

credittrader Fri, 07/17/2026 - 10:07

With plans to dig around 6,000 trenches, Court added that archaeologists expect to uncover many more significant discoveries along the route.

The film currently has a 96% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Entrepreneur Brady Bates had promised to “Make Vaping American Again” by founding Fifty Bar, a disposable e-cigarette seller.

OASI is mainly funded through payroll taxes. But Social Security has been increasingly paying out more than it collects – forcing the trust fund to tap into its reserves.

Erling Haaland is turning into a proud American. 

"Didn’t MJ just die and you posting this? WOW," one angry fan had written on her vacation upload.

"Didn’t MJ just die and you posting this? WOW," one angry fan had written on her vacation upload.

Dueling lawsuits have emerged over a New York Times piece that aimed to paint a bestselling author as a serial fabulist.

Netflix is mired a long slump that has seen its stock price dwindle and audiences bail on its shows.

Tom Cruise treated AMC employees to a private screening of "The Odyssey."

There was so much red on Lucas Herbert’s scorecard Friday it looked like it was bleeding during his British Open second round at Royal Birkdale.

Burnham Is Facing The Same Dilemma That Has Trapped British Politics Over The Past Decade

By Stefan Koopman, senior macro strategist at Rabobank

To Govern Is To Choose 

Today, Andy Burnham will formally be confirmed as Labour leader. Barring any last-minute surprises, he will become prime minister on Monday. The UK will then have had seven prime ministers in a decade, with five taking office without a general election: May in 2016, Johnson in 2019, Truss and Sunak in 2022, and now Burnham in 2026. 

We have often used these mid-term transfers to make the point that Brexit is like a monster devouring its babies. While we do think that this analogy is becoming increasingly stretched ten years after the vote, Brexit remains an important part of the UK’s story. It has contributed to weak productivity growth, subdued gains in real incomes and stagnant living standards, despite the explicit promise of sunlit uplands. The result is even more disappointment than before, and a never-ending search for a messiah who promises to restore rising prosperity. 

The macroeconomic backdrop helps explain why this search keeps ending in disappointment. The UK's problem increasingly appears to be one of supply rather than demand. In our forecasts for 2024-29, consumption growth never exceeds a paltry 1.2% per year, while per capita spending is broadly flat. Yet inflation remains above target in five of those six years. Weak demand alongside persistent inflation points at persistent supply-side constraints. 

This leaves Burnham facing a dilemma that has trapped much of British politics over the past decade. He inherits high public debt, elevated borrowing costs and weak growth, while demands on the state continue to rise from defence, net-zero and an ageing population. At the same time, investors are increasingly reluctant to finance ever-higher levels of current spending, fearing persistent inflation. That limits the scope for the traditional political response of boosting demand to generate a short-term feel-good factor. If Burnham wants to change the UK's economic trajectory in the run-up to the 2029 election, he will have to focus on expanding supply sooner than later. 

The problem is that expanding supply requires investment long before it delivers results. The UK needs more electricity generation and grid capacity if it wants to electrify industry, housing and transport. It needs more housing, infrastructure and business investment, which means overcoming planning constraints and local opposition. It needs greater labour supply in an economy still characterized by high inactivity and politically toxic immigration. And it needs both public and private capital directed to physical production after years of underinvestment. None of these bottlenecks can be removed quickly. 

For now, markets appear reassured by the expected composition of Burnham's government. The appointment investors feared most, Ed Miliband as Chancellor, appears to have been avoided. Shabana Mahmood is now reported to be the frontrunner for the Treasury. She is widely viewed as closer to Rachel Reeves in her approach to fiscal policy than Miliband is. 

At the same time, she has signalled support for a more active state where investment generates clear economic returns. That matters. If the UK's binding constraint is supply, then it will have to increase public investment. Expanding energy capacity, building housing, upgrading infrastructure and crowding in private capital all require the state to play a role. But higher investment spending cannot easily be layered on top of existing commitments in an environment of limited fiscal space. To create room for supply-enhancing investment, other areas of spending may ultimately face greater scrutiny. 

Markets welcomed this week the absence of a sharp turn to the left, but that alone does not solve the underlying growth problem. A supply-side agenda requires money, political capital, and time. Money remains scarce, with gilt yields near 5%. Political capital depreciates quickly. And recent British prime ministers have rarely been granted much time. If Burnham wants even a remote chance of changing the economic narrative before the 2029 election, he will have to make difficult decisions sooner rather than later. This may also mean testing his popularity with markets once the honeymoon period is over. To govern is to choose.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/17/2026 - 09:40