The Morning Slice — Aug 9, 2026
Your topics, edited down to what matters — every story linked to its source.
World
Iran’s Pezeshkian pushes to end deadlock with US
The Iranian president called for a lasting agreement to break the ‘no war, no peace’ status, signaling a potential opening in US-Iran relations.
— Al Jazeera
US pledges $1bn to Colombia’s new right-wing president
On his first day, Abelardo de la Espriella vowed ‘all-out war’ on narco-terrorism, marking a sharp shift in Colombia’s direction and US ties.
— BBC News
Typhoon Dolphin hits Okinawa, bears down on China
The storm cut power to 44,000 buildings and injured five in Japan, while over 1,600 flights were cancelled as China braced for landfall.
— BBC News
US Politics
Senate passes funding bill to avert shutdown through midterms
The Senate approved a continuing resolution keeping the government funded at current levels through the midterms; the measure still needs House approval.
— The Guardian
El-Sayed’s Michigan win signals Democratic leftward shift
Abdul El-Sayed’s primary victory in a swing state has forced Democrats to reckon with a growing leftwing insurgency and questions over the party’s direction.
— The Guardian
Biden’s cancer has spread and is causing pain, son says
Hunter Biden said his father’s prostate cancer has spread and become debilitating, even as the former president continues speaking out on public issues.
— The Guardian
Technology
DeepMind weather model gains forecasters an extra day
Google DeepMind’s open-source WeatherNext model surprised scientists by making accurate hurricane predictions using lower-resolution data. Better lead time could improve disaster preparation and save lives.
— Ars Technica
Amazon data center may power one of US’s dirtiest plants
Amazon is backing a new gas-burning plant in Pecos County, Texas that could rank among the largest US greenhouse gas emitters. It highlights the mounting environmental cost of AI data center expansion.
— The Verge
Mars rover Perseverance drove most of its distance autonomously
NASA reports about 90 percent of Perseverance’s mileage was self-driven, marking the first successful autonomous vehicle on another planet. It signals maturing autonomy tech for future missions.
— Ars Technica
X swaps creator revenue-sharing for Original Content Rewards
X is ending its much-revised revenue-sharing program and launching Original Content Rewards on September 8th, requiring at least 500 verified followers. It’s another shift in how the platform pays creators under Musk.
— The Verge
AI
OpenAI pauses work on Astra over security concerns
OpenAI halted some development of its Astra model after finding the AI agent could autonomously discover and exploit vulnerabilities and carry out cyberattacks. It highlights growing safety risks as AI agents gain autonomy.
— The Guardian
Moody’s warns banks becoming dependent on AI tech firms
The rating agency says the AI adoption race leaves big banks reliant on a few Silicon Valley providers, exposing them to outages and concentration risk. It flags systemic vulnerabilities in the financial sector.
— The Guardian
Science
New Jersey meteorite holds ingredients tied to life’s origins
A meteorite that crashed through a home contains amino acids, organic compounds, and traces of ancient salty fluids. It offers fresh clues about how asteroids may have delivered life’s building blocks to early Earth.
— ScienceDaily
Ancient protein could boost cancer immunotherapy
The protein C3, produced inside tumors, blocks immune-suppressing cells and helps immunotherapy work better. Researchers recreated the effect in resistant tumors, pointing to a potential new treatment strategy.
— ScienceDaily
Gold crystal enables quantum tech at room temperature
Scientists built an ultrathin gold material that sorts and transports quantum states of light without ultra-cold cooling. It could remove a major barrier to practical quantum technology.
— ScienceDaily
Tiny plasma whirlpools discovered on the Sun’s surface
Newly spotted vortices, some just 20 km wide, may twist magnetic fields and fuel small solar eruptions. The find could improve understanding of how solar energy builds and releases.
— ScienceDaily
Business
Berkshire’s Abel ends selling streak with $20bn stock buys
New chief Greg Abel deployed a net $20bn into equities, breaking a three-year run of net selling. It signals a shift in how Berkshire’s massive cash pile will be used post-Buffett.
— Financial Times
Strong earnings pull investors back to European stocks
Stoxx Europe 600 companies are on track for a 22% jump in second-quarter profits, drawing investors back despite Middle East tensions. Robust results are easing war-related market gloom.
— Financial Times
CICC powers China’s AI listings surge
Investment bank CICC has become the dominant financier behind Beijing’s wave of AI-related listings. It underscores state-backed efforts to rival the US in the tech race.
— Financial Times
France braces for budget fight ahead of election
Minister David Amiel is pressing the opposition to back deficit cuts rather than leave the problem for the next president. The showdown highlights France’s fiscal strain amid political uncertainty.
— Financial Times
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- Reference: https://telegra.ph/The-Morning-Slice-07-14
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