America's Shrinking Workforce, Bonnie Tyler, & a Pink Grasshopper

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Adam Rogers
July 10, 2026

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The share of Americans working or looking for work fell to 61.5% in June, the lowest level since March 2021 and, excluding the pandemic, the lowest in roughly five decades. About 720,000 people left the labor force last month alone, according to the Labor Department.
Economists point to several possible causes, including retirements, workers giving up after long job searches, return-to-office mandates and caregiving responsibilities. Participation also declined among prime working-age adults, suggesting the trend extends beyond an aging population.
With workforce growth slowing, economists say future economic growth will depend increasingly on productivity rather than a growing labor pool—a shift that could make sustained expansion harder to achieve.

Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh singer best known for the 1983 hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart," died Wednesday at a hospital in Portugal after being treated for an illness. She was 75. Her family said she had recently undergone emergency intestinal surgery and had appeared to be recovering before her unexpected death.
Tyler earned three Grammy nominations during a career spanning nearly five decades. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" spent four weeks at No. 1 and surpassed one billion streams. She also recorded the hit "Holding Out for a Hero" for the 1984 film Footloose.
Born Gaynor Hopkins in Wales, Tyler developed her signature raspy voice after throat surgery in 1976. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2022 for her contributions to music and continued recording and performing well into her 70s.

Extreme heat continued baking much of the western US yesterday, with temperatures forecast to reach 117 degrees in California's Coachella Valley. Triple-digit or near-triple-digit heat is also expected across parts of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, and Florida through at least the end of the week.
Phoenix has endured three straight days of 113-degree temperatures, with overnight lows remaining above 90 degrees. Officials say 18 people have already died from heat-related causes this year—up from five during the same period last year—and emergency crews have responded to about 400 heat-related calls since May.
The heat is expected to spread into parts of Colorado, Montana, and the Dakotas this weekend, while dry thunderstorms and low humidity continue elevating wildfire danger across the West. Meanwhile, heat index values could climb as high as 116 degrees in parts of the Carolinas and Georgia.

Palm Beach International Airport officially became President Donald J. Trump International Airport, with the FAA approving a DJT airport code effective Aug. 18. (More)

Former Olympian David Hearn pleaded not guilty to intentionally damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in a politically contentious federal case. (More)

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner suspended his campaign following a sexual assault allegation from a former girlfriend, which he denies. (More)

The International Criminal Court says it has uncovered new evidence linking alleged atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region to senior leadership. U.N. experts say the attacks bore the hallmarks of genocide. (More)

A Palestinian aid worker who organized World Cup watch parties across Gaza was killed in an Israeli airstrike, according to local health officials. (More)

Flooding from Tropical Storm Maysak has killed at least 39 people in southern China, authorities said. As rescue efforts continue, Typhoon Bavi is forecast to strike the country's east coast this weekend. (More)

US stock markets closed higher on Thursday (S&P +0.81%, Nasdaq +1.30%, Dow +0.27%) as semiconductor stocks pumped and oil prices fell. (More)

Walmart and Sam's Club rolled back prices on summer staples, including groceries, household goods, and outdoor items, to attract budget-conscious shoppers. (More)

US existing home sales unexpectedly declined in June as affordability pressures persisted and home prices reached another record. (More)

Kylian Mbappé scored his 20th World Cup goal and added an assist as France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the semifinals. (More)

UCLA landed Serbian star Nikola Kusturica, one of Europe's top basketball prospects and an early candidate for the No. 1 pick in 2028. (More)

US soccer star Christian Pulisic suffered a fractured right leg during the Americans' World Cup loss to Belgium and is expected to miss several weeks. (More)

A California mosquito control district launched an expanded program releasing sterile male mosquitoes to curb invasive, disease-carrying populations without using chemical pesticides. (More)

Researchers captured the formation of new oceanic crust for the first time, revealing that seafloor spreading occurs in sudden bursts rather than continuously. (More)

A new study found that brightening Pacific Ocean clouds with aerosols could weaken El Niño events, though the geoengineering concept remains experimental. (More)

60% of adults answered four or fewer of eight questions correctly on this financial literacy quiz.

Watch: Family dog steps between boy and charging bear.

The best place to see dolphins in America is in South Carolina.

See photos of an extremely rare pink grasshopper.

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