China Trip, New Dinosaur, and Evolution of the US Presidency

 Need To Know 

Trump Leaves China

President Donald Trump travels back to the US today after concluding the first presidential visit to China in nearly a decade. See photos of the three-day trip here.

Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping behind closed doors for over two hours yesterday afternoon. Trump said Xi expressed interest in brokering an end to the Iran war. Xi also reportedly warned of clashes between the US and China if the US supports Taiwan's independence. While the US does not officially recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, it maintains strong economic ties with the self-governing island. Trump last year authorized an $11B arms sale to Taiwan, but it has yet to be delivered. Explore why a Chinese invasion would be so challenging.

The centerpiece of the visit was a state banquet last night, where the two leaders exchanged praise, and Trump invited Xi to the White House in September. See what was on the menu here. 

The 'Last Titan' of Thailand

Scientists in Thailand have identified a new giant dinosaur species, Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, believed to be among the largest ever found in Southeast Asia. See artist rendering here (scroll for scale).

The fossils, uncovered in 2016 in Thailand’s Chaiyaphum province, include vertebrae, limb fragments, and a front leg bone nearly 6 feet long. The long-necked sauropod lived roughly 100 million to 120 million years ago during the early Cretaceous period, measured around 88.5 feet long, and weighed about 27 tons—roughly equivalent to four African elephants, the world's largest living land mammal. Scientists say subtle skeletal features distinguish the species from other sauropods, a group of massive plant-eating dinosaurs that includes Brontosaurus. Read the report here. 

The name combines “Naga,” a reference to serpent-like water spirits, “titan,” a nod to Greek mythology, and “chaiyaphumensis,” which marks the discovery site. It was nicknamed the “last titan” after being found in Thailand’s youngest dinosaur-bearing rock formation. Explore an interactive map of dinosaurs found across the globe.

Honda Hits Reverse

Honda reported its first annual loss since becoming a publicly listed company in 1957. The $2.7B drop comes months after the Japanese carmaker scaled back its electric vehicle plans in the US. (See the scrapped models.)

In 2021, Honda pledged to ensure its entire fleet would be electric or hydrogen-powered by 2040. It aimed to do so in part through in-house development and in part through partnerships with General Motors and Sony. However, the company cited tariffs and the end of electric vehicle tax credits as reasons for a reduced consumer appetite in the US for EVs over the past year. Now, Honda says it will refocus on hybrid vehicles, financial services, and motorcycles. (See Honda’s 1966 ad campaign in the US that saw motorcycle purchases skyrocket.)

The company was founded by Honda Soichiro, who began working as a mechanic at the age of 15. Learn about his story here.

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> NFL releases complete 2026 schedule, with a Seahawks-Patriots game slated for Week 1 (More) | How thousands of computers and a handful of executives created the 272-game schedule (More)

> Library of Congress adds music by Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Ray Charles, and more to National Recording Registry (More, w/full list) | Listen to all the songs added to the registry this year (More)

> Shakira, Madonna, and BTS to headline first-ever World Cup halftime show, July 19 at MetLife Stadium (More) 

Science & Technology

> Anthropic and the Gates Foundation pledge $200M over four years to develop AI tools for public health, education, and economic mobility, with a focus on serving low- and middle-income countries (More) 

> James Webb Space Telescope captures what was likely one of the earliest stages of galaxy formation, roughly 13 billion years ago (More) | Track where the telescope is right now (More)

> Autonomous underwater robot identifies biodiversity hot spots on coral reefs with unparalleled precision by analyzing audio and visuals in real-time (More) | Explore photos of reefs around Atauro Island, among the most diverse in the world (More)

Business & Markets

> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.8%, Dow +0.8%, Nasdaq +0.9%), driven by optimism over US-China ties after President Donald Trump's Beijing visit (More) 

> AI chipmaker Cerebras nearly doubles in Nasdaq composite debut, closing at around $95B in this year's largest initial public offering (More) | Defense startup Anduril is valued at $61B, becoming the 12th-most-valuable private company (More) 

> Federal Reserve Gov. Stephen Miran submits resignation letter after serving the remaining five months of former Fed Gov. Adriana Kugler's term as a temporary appointee; Kugler abruptly resigned last August (More) 

Politics & World Affairs

> New El Niño forecast finds the pattern is more than 80% likely to emerge in the coming two to three months, potentially supercharging storms impacting California, Hawaii, and Mexico (More) | There's at least a one-third chance it could become a super El Niño; here's what that means (More)

> Cuba says fuel has run out on the island of more than 9 million people amid monthslong US blockade; US State Department reiterates offer of $100M in direct aid to population (More) 

> US Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks resigns in the latest leadership change at the Department of Homeland Security (More) | What does Border Patrol do? (More)

In-Depth

> How the Presidency Became So Powerful 

1440 Explores | Staff. The Constitution says only Congress can declare war, but since 1950, presidents have repeatedly bypassed that rule. 1440 Editor-in-Chief Sony Kassam and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist HW Brands trace how an office designed for George Washington's restraint became the most powerful in US history. (Watch) 

Prefer audio only? Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 

> Twins with Different Dads

The Guardian | Jenny Kleeman. Lavinia and Michelle grew up knowing they were twins but discovered they were also half-sisters at age 45. The revelation—a scientific rarity—sets them on a midlife journey of self-discovery. (Read) 

> How MLB Stadiums Feed 40,000 People

Food and Wine | Staff. Step inside the Atlanta Braves' Truist Park, where over 400 cooks cook from 6 am to 9 pm to feed crowds the size of a small city multiple times a week for seven months straight. (Watch) 

> Who Killed the Banker's Wife?

Boston Magazine | John H. Tucker. How a gritty prosecutor, a near-perfect fingerprint, and old-school door-to-door police work solved one of Massachusetts' coldest cases. (Read) 

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Historybook: National Woman Suffrage Association founded by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1869); Poet Emily Dickinson dies (1886); Mickey Mouse makes first cartoon appearance (1928); Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright born (1937); Soviet Union begins withdrawal of 115,000 troops from Afghanistan (1988).

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