Controversy at Ma's foundation has spiralled into criminal complaints and public accusations. Two of Ma's long-time aides, Hsiao Hsu-tsen, the foundationās chief executive and a KMT vice-chairman, and Wang Kuang-tzu, a senior employee, were dismissed over alleged financial irregularities. Ma's camp accused them of distributing employee bonuses in cash and failing to properly record a donation from a Taiwanese businessman operating in mainland China. The dispute has also raised broader questions about Ma's health, political legacy and what effect all this will have on the main opposition party Kuomintang ahead of the local elections later this year.
The Israeli military launched a series of new airstrikes on Beirut targeting Hezbollah infrastructure. Qatari mediators traveled to Tehran to finalize the agreement between the U.S. and Iran to end the Iran war. The deal is expected to be signed on Sunday and reopens the Strait of Hormuz.
A German-led research team is trying to prove whether large-scale solar farms can alter local weather patterns by heating the air above them and, under the right conditions, encourage cloud formation and even trigger rain in the United Arab Emirates. The theory is rooted in a well-understood atmospheric process known as convection. The field experiments in the UAE are expected to provide the first detailed observations of how giant solar installations interact with the atmosphere.
There is a media industry weakened by marauding billionaires and a US president eager to bend it further. A graphic stabbing video from Northern Ireland has become the latest flashpoint in a cycle of online-fuelled violence. More than 260 media workers have been killed in Gaza by Israel.
For Episode 282 of KK&F, Garrison Lovely talks about the SpaceX IPO and Elon Musk's new status as the world's first trillionaire. Garrison also talks about AIās rapidly improving capabilities and its skyrocketing presence in our society.
Israel carried out air strikes on Beirut suburbs, killing 3 people. Iran and the US are trying to reach a peace deal. Russia's Yaroslavl region comes under attack by Ukrainian drones. A fuel storage facility is hit as Kiev's forces target over a dozen regions overnight.
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore sites changed under an executive order. The order comes in response to a February lawsuit filed by conservation and historical organizations over National Park Service policies. Many of the changes were at Philadelphiaās Independence National Historical Park, where the administration removed exhibits on the lives of nine people enslaved at the site in the 1790s under George Washington.
SpaceX went public this week in the largest IPO ever, making CEO Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire. Kirsten Korosec, Sean OāKane, and Anthony Ha discuss what's looking like a hot IPO summer for AI companies.
Frankfurt's train station district is sinking into drug chaos. Brothel and arcade operators are raising the alarm and sending an incendiary letter to the mayor. The Hessian Interior Minister speaks of an āalarming findingā and attacks Frankfurt's drug policy. The city politicians are even bringing up a separate zone for severely addicted people.
The United States and Iran have reached an agreement to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz. Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon. The waterway is crucial to significant shipments of oil, natural gas and related products. Iran still has a missile program, support for armed proxies in the region and a stockpile of highly enriched uranium for its nuclear program.
The Washington Post wrote an opinion piece about amendments to Hong Kong's national security law. The government said the legislation will not infringe any legitimate right of a defendant. It stressed that foreign businesses have no reason to worry about the cityās laws safeguarding national security. The legislature condemned the newspaper for its "wanton smear campaign"
Daphy Michel, 31, died March 2 at a bus shelter in Pittsburgh. She was granted humanitarian parole based on humanitarian need, but she did not live to see a hearing scheduled for two weeks after she died. Michel was a native of Haiti who was seeking asylum in the U.S. after arriving at the southern border in 2022. The medical examinerās office said Michel was suffering from untreated severe mental health issues and a significant language barrier at the time of her release on Feb. 27.
In 1978, a woman gave a hitchhiker a meal in a small village on the Greek island of Crete. It was the summertime and she had been dropped off miles from anywhere. She gave him bread, feta cheese, tomatoes, olives and a bottle of orange juice.
Shikha Bansal spent time in San Diego knocking on doorsteps to talk to people about their daily lives. She found people care deeply about their communities and want opportunities for their families to thrive. Bansal believes civic engagement matters far beyond election seasons and includes volunteering, attending local meetings, supporting neighborhood organizations and helping at schools.
Wang Yi visited Mongolia over the weekend and pushed for stronger cross-border transport and trade ties. He also called for closer cooperation on critical minerals, green development and the digital economy. Khurelsukh said trade between the two countries was on track to hit US$20 billion this year.
The Department of Buildings has unveiled two proposed new sidewalk shed designs for New York. The sheds are less offensive than the familiar, hulking steel-and-green wood eyesores that blight 360 miles of sidewalks in the city. The designs by Arup and Practice for Architecture and Urbanism are a modest step in the right direction, but they don't solve the underlying problem. Chicago and Philadelphia have many old and very large buildings but hardly any sidewalk eyesores.
Nara Organics has recalled its organic baby formula sold in Target stores and online after a multistate outbreak of infant botulism. Three babies between 2 and 5 months became ill in April and May in California, Pennsylvania and Washington. They were hospitalized and treated with the FDA-approved treatment for infantbotulism, BabyBIG.
Marie Tai bought a ductless minisplit heat pump for $20,000. It saved her about $1,300 on her energy bills last year. The bulk-buy approach is taking off as the Trump administration demolishes electrification incentives for home heat pumps.
The New York Knicks won the NBA Championship by beating the San Antonio Spurs in the final game of the NBA Finals. Polina's husband is a Knicks fan and she's been to many games with him. She's also a fan of Dwayne Johnson, a trailer park billionaire, an ultra-athlete competing in Antarctica and a modern conservative woman.
President Trump wants the SAVE America Act attached to the extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to extend the warrantless spy power. The extension of FISA Section 702 lapsed on Friday. Democrats have been blocking the extension over concerns about the appointment of Bill Pulte as the acting National Director of Intelligence.
Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula has been recalled due to a botulism outbreak in three states: California, Pennsylvania, and Washington. The outbreak involved three cases of suspected or confirmed infantbotulism. All affected products were sold in Target retail stores, Target.com, and Nara.com.
Consumer prices rose 0.5% month-over-month in May, while producer prices increased 1.1% in May and 6.5%. The most recent payroll report reflected 172k added jobs and an unemployment rate at 4.3%. Sleep Number Corp. filed chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 12, 2026. Colin Adams was added to the board of directors on June 4th.
NYPD made 63 arrests related to the Knicks' win over the San Antonio Spurs. A 17-year-old was shot in the foot near 43rd Street and Broadway. A number of vehicles were damaged by crowds, including five school buses that were in the city to be used as shuttles for World Cup games.
There is a present tense between the present and the future. The present tense is between a present and a future. There is also a past tense between a current tense and a potential future tense. The future tense is going to take a look at the present tense.