Trump ends trade talks with Canada over digital services tax.
President Donald Trump said yesterday he is halting trade talks with Canada in response to a new tax on companies making more than $15M off Canadian internet users. The tax, for which first payments will be collected Monday, is estimated to cost US companies up to $3B. Trump said he would inform Canada of the tariff levels he plans to impose within seven days; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has not responded at the time of this writing.
Son of Norway's crown princess charged with sexual assault.
Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been charged by Oslo police with multiple offenses, including rape, sexual assault, and bodily harm, after an investigation involving a "double-digit" number of alleged victims. The 28-year-old Høiby denies most of the accusations. See an overview of the royal family here.
Scientists discover how squids make themselves transparent.
A research team led by scientists at the University of California, Irvine, has revealed how squids manipulate light to shift from transparent to vividly colored. They found cells composed of stacked, spiraling columns of platelets from a protein called reflectin function as reflectors, selectively transmitting and reflecting light at specific wavelengths. The breakthrough could inspire advances in adaptive camouflage, responsive fabrics, and optical technologies.
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Fed's preferred inflation gauge rises more than expected in May.
The core personal consumption expenditures price index, which measures costs consumers pay across a wide range of items, excluding food and energy, rose 2.7% year over year and 0.2% month over month. The annualized rate is up 0.1 percentage point from April. The Federal Reserve targets 2% annual inflation. Learn more about the index here.
Lalo Schifrin, composer of the 'Mission: Impossible' theme, dies at 93.
The Grammy-winning Argentine composer passed away from complications of pneumonia. During his career, Schifrin created more than 100 film and television scores. He was best known for composing the "Mission: Impossible" theme's "dun dun dun-dun dun dun" hook, which became a signature for both the original 1960s TV series and the Tom Cruise film franchise.
Tectonic forces may create a new ocean in Africa.
British university researchers say pulsing waves of molten rock deep beneath Ethiopia’s Afar region are slowly stretching and thinning Africa's crust; the motion is guided by the tectonic plates above. Although the continent isn't expected to split for millions of years, growing insights into the relationship between deep Earth pulses and tectonic activity could enhance understandings of surface volcanism and earthquakes.
