Good morning. It's Monday, July 21, and we're covering the latest step toward a peace deal in Central Africa, a setback for Japan's ruling coalition, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.5 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.
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African Peace Deal Advances |
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 signed a declaration of principles in Qatar Saturday. The document brings the two sides one step closer to a permanent ceasefire agreement, intended to end one of Africa's longest conflicts.
Following the 1994 Rwandan genocide, an estimated 2 million Hutus crossed into eastern DRC. Violence between armed militias drew in foreign powers in the mid to late 1990s, resulting in two wars that collectively killed over 6 million people (see history). The latest bout of violence erupted earlier this year when M23—one of over 100 armed groups—captured two cities: Goma in January and Bukavu in February. Over 7,000 people have been killed and more than 7 million displaced in recent months.
The draft agreement promises prisoner and detainee exchanges, and the restoration of state authority throughout the DRC. A final deal is due to be signed by Aug. 18. |
Japan's Electoral Pressure |
Japan’s ruling party lost its upper house majority in yesterday's election. The results add pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's center-right minority government after he lost the lower house last year. Opposition parties calling for larger tax cuts and immigration controls were slated to make gains.
A loss does not trigger a change in government given that the upper house cannot file no-confidence motions against the country’s leader. However, Shigeru is expected to face pressure from within his own government to step down (recent party leaders who lost control of the upper house resigned within two months). Shigeru indicated yesterday he plans to stay on, citing ongoing trade negotiations with the United States, with tariffs set to go into effect Aug. 1, barring a deal.
The economy—particularly Japan's high cost of living—has been a key concern with voters. The cost of rice has doubled since last year following a 2023 heat wave. |
'Trial of the Century,' 100 Years Later |
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the conclusion of the Scopes Monkey Trial, a landmark legal case dubbed the “trial of the century.” A symbolic clash between the roles of science and religion during the Roaring Twenties, the trial became a public spectacle and was the first to be broadcast nationally on radio.
The case challenged Tennessee’s 1925 Butler Act, which prohibited public teachers from contradicting the biblical account of creation (including the theory of evolution). High school teacher John Scopes intentionally incriminated himself, with his defense helmed by Clarence Darrow and the American Civil Liberties Union. Three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan—who died five days after the trial—led the prosecution. Broader legal questions included the separation of church and state, free speech, and more.
Scopes was found guilty and fined $100 (later overturned), and the Butler Act remained in place until 1967. See historic photos from the trial, and listen to a deep dive into the case here. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Golf world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler cruises to victory by four strokes at British Open to win his fourth major championship (More) |
> Alan Bergman, Oscar-, Emmy-, and Grammy-winning songwriter for performers including Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand, dies at age 99 (More) | Eileen Fulton, actress who starred in "As the World Turns" for 50 years, dies at age 91 (More) |
> Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier leads Team Collier to 151-131 victory over Team Clark in WNBA All-Star Game (More) | Mario Barrios draws with Manny Pacquiao to retain WBC welterweight title; Pacquiao, 46, was attempting to become oldest boxer to win welterweight world championship (More) |
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> Environmental Protection Agency to shutter research and development arm, carry out reduction in force targeting 23% of agency's overall staff (More) |
> Engineers demonstrate 3D-printed stainless steel components that can withstand radiative environments found in nuclear reactors; milestone may help further innovative new reactor designs (More) |
> British scientists begin study of Antarctic ice cores believed to be up to 1.5 million years old; analysis expected to shed light on temperature and climate conditions during the period (More) | What was the Mid-Pleistocene Transition? (More) |
DNA discovery: Tomorrow's Science & Technology newsletter explores the life and legacy of Rosalind Franklin, the uncredited force behind the discovery of the double helix. Sign up here to receive! |
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> US stock markets close mixed Friday (S&P 500 -0.0%, Dow -0.3%, Nasdaq +0.1%) amid report President Donald Trump is pushing for EU tariffs of at least 15% (More) |
> President Donald Trump signs law on regulating dollar-pegged stablecoins, enabling banks and other entities to begin issuing the digital currencies (More) | See previous write-up (More) |
> Uber invests $300M in bid to compete with Waymo and Tesla; will secure 20,000 electric vehicles from startup Lucid, purchase self-driving software from tech startup Nuro (More) |
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> Car rams into crowd outside Los Angeles Saturday, injuring at least 30 people; officials are investigating the action as an intentional attack, have not yet publicly identified a motive (More) |
> Bedouin fighters withdraw from Druze-majority city of Sweida in southern Syria as truce to end weeklong fighting appears to hold, as of this writing (More) |
> Tourist boat in Vietnam capsizes during sudden thunderstorm, killing at least 35 people with four others missing (More) | South Korea floods and landslides kill at least 17 people (More) |
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After His $120M Exit, This Time’s Different |
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Austin Allison knows how to disrupt real estate with tech. Zillow bought his first venture for $120M. But he had one nagging regret.
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