Building Collapse Scare, Musical Babies, & Mystery Space Balls

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Adam Rogers
July 08, 2026

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Several blocks of Midtown Manhattan were evacuated yesterday after construction workers discovered buckling structural support beams inside a 37-story building undergoing conversion from office space to apartments. Officials said the structure continued to shift throughout the day as engineers assessed the risk of a partial collapse.
The damage began on the 21st floor, where support beams buckled and caused floors 21 through 26 to begin caving inward. Officials said there were no injuries and all construction workers were safely evacuated. Engineers plan to stabilize the building with emergency steel supports once it is safe to enter.
Authorities established a security zone around the site, closing nearby streets and evacuating seven neighboring buildings. The former Pfizer headquarters is one of New York City's largest office-to-residential conversion projects, and the cause of the structural failure remains under investigation.

Three commercial tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, including one liquefied natural gas tanker that caught fire off Oman. The attacks were the busiest single day of violence in the waterway since late April.
The US responded with strikes on Iranian military sites, including air defense systems, coastal surveillance facilities, and anti-ship missile launchers. US Central Command said the operation was intended to impose "heavy costs" for attacks on commercial shipping.
The escalation further strained the interim ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. The US also revoked a temporary sanctions waiver allowing Iranian oil sales, while Iran accused Washington of violating the agreement.

Babies begin recognizing music as early as 3 months old, according to a new study, while spontaneous movement to music becomes much more noticeable around their first birthday.
Researchers studied 79 infants aged 3, 6, and 12 months using brain activity recordings and motion tracking while they listened to children's songs. Babies of all ages showed stronger brain responses to structured music than scrambled versions of the same songs, but only 12-month-olds consistently moved more when hearing music.
The movements seen in 12-month-olds primarily involved the upper body, including rocking, swaying, and early clapping motions. Researchers found no evidence that infants of any age moved in time with the beat, suggesting rhythmic coordination develops after the first year of life.

President Trump said he would consider allowing Turkey to buy F-35 fighter jets despite longstanding U.S. restrictions tied to its Russian air defense system. (More)

Senate Republican leaders said they spoke with Mitch McConnell, describing him as fully engaged as questions continue over his weekslong hospitalization. (More)

A US indictment tied the alleged Bishnoi crime syndicate to the 2023 assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. (More)

A woman wanted in last week's Monaco bombing was found shot dead near Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities arrested two men in the investigation. (More)

Explosions injured at least 18 people in Damascus as French President Emmanuel Macron became the first major Western leader to visit Syria since Bashar Assad's fall. (More)

A French appeals court ruled Marine Le Pen can potentially run for president in 2027 while upholding an embezzlement conviction and home detention with electronic monitoring. (More)

US stock markets closed lower on Tuesday (S&P -0.45%, Nasdaq -1.16%, Dow -0.25%) as AI stocks dropped and oil prices rose. (More)

Stellantis opened US orders for the Fiat Topolino, a tiny electric city vehicle that starts at $13,995 before destination charges. (More)

Rivian shares fell more than 10% after the electric vehicle maker announced plans to raise about $1.5 billion through a public stock offering. (More)

Lionel Messi scored in a record sixth straight World Cup knockout match as Argentina erased a two-goal deficit in the last 10 minutes of regulation to beat Egypt 3-2. (More) | Switzerland beat Colombia in a penalty shootout to reach its first World Cup quarterfinal since 1954. (More)

Coco Gauff defeated Jessica Pegula in three sets to reach her first Wimbledon semifinal and continue her pursuit of a third Grand Slam title. (More)

Donovan Mitchell signed a four-year, $273 million maximum extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers. (More)

The brain links facial structure with how expressions should move, helping explain why some smiles can seem subtly unnatural. (More)

A review of workplace surveillance research found that employee monitoring does not consistently improve performance but can increase stress and erode trust. (More)

Several hormonal contraceptives were linked to a slightly higher risk of meningioma, with the strongest association seen for birth control injections. The risk went away after stopping use. (More)

Golden moonrise among this year’s best astronomy photos.

Why some sea otter bones turn purple.

Australian reveals likely origin of mystery space balls.

Pringles debuts chip-flavored hot dog buns.

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