G7 Summit, Britain Social Media Ban, & Pickle Smoothies

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
June 16, 2026

Good Morning! Today’s edition is 915 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap:

First-time reader? Sign up here!

Donald Trump arrived in France on Monday for the Group of Seven summit, where conflicts in Iran and Ukraine are expected to dominate discussions among the world's leading economies. The meeting marks the first in-person gathering of G7 leaders since the U.S.-Iran war began.
The Middle East is expected to take center stage after Trump announced a framework agreement with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and extend the ceasefire. The war has disrupted global energy markets and strained relations with some US allies, who were caught off guard by the conflict and reluctant to become directly involved.
Beyond Iran, attendees will also grapple with the war in Ukraine as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with G7 leaders. The summit also comes amid broader tensions between the US and its allies over NATO, tariffs, and other foreign policy disputes.

Keir Starmer announced plans to ban social media use for children under 16, calling the platforms a threat to young people's safety and well-being. The proposal would cover apps including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat, and YouTube, with the government aiming to implement the restrictions next spring.
The move follows a national consultation in which more than 116,000 people participated. More than 83% of parents said social media's risks outweigh its benefits, while 90% supported a minimum age of 16. Britain joins Australia, which became the first country to adopt a similar nationwide ban.
The biggest challenge may be enforcement. Australia has struggled to keep children off restricted platforms, while critics argue the real problem lies in how social media is designed rather than children's access to it. Supporters counter that robust age verification is necessary to protect young users from harmful content and online predators.

Scientists have created the first global maps of vast underground fungal networks that support most plant life and help regulate Earth's climate. The study estimates these thread-like structures stretch roughly 110 quadrillion kilometers through the planet's topsoil—nearly a billion times the distance from Earth to the Sun.
These fungi form partnerships with about 70% of plant species, exchanging water and nutrients for carbon produced through photosynthesis. Researchers estimate the networks move roughly 4 billion tons of carbon dioxide into soils each year, equivalent to about 11% of annual human-related CO2 emissions.
The maps also revealed potential vulnerabilities. Grasslands contain about 40% of the world's fungal infrastructure, but they are being converted to farmland far faster than forests. Because croplands support much sparser fungal networks, scientists warn the shift could reduce soils' ability to store carbon and recycle nutrients.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he and his wife are under Justice Department investigation, accusing Trump of targeting him over a possible 2028 presidential run. (More)

Wisconsin's Ridglan Farms, a beagle breeding facility hit by violent protests, is permanently closing. Its remaining 475 dogs will go to rescue groups by August. (More)

Sen. Mitch McConnell was hospitalized for unspecified reasons, his second hospital stay this year after an eight-day stay in February for flu-like symptoms. (More)

Drone strikes killed more than 1,000 Sudanese civilians in the first five months of 2026, the UN said, as both sides increasingly target hospitals, markets and displacement camps. (More)

Russian strikes killed at least 11 people in Ukraine overnight and sparked a fire at Kyiv's 1,000-year-old Pechersk Lavra monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site. (More)

A court sentenced Marius Borg Høiby, son of Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit, to four years for rape after convicting him on two of four charges. (More)

US stock markets closed higher on Monday (S&P +1.65%, Nasdaq +3.07%, Dow +0.92%) after President Trump announced the US/Iran peace deal over the weekend. (More)

Gas prices dropped below $4 a gallon nationally after the US and Iran reached a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. (More)

Fox is buying Roku for $25 billion, borrowing $12 billion to fund it. Roku will stay independent, but Fox shares dropped 18% Monday on investor worries about the price. (More)

Christian Pulisic missed full US training Monday with a calf injury, but coach Mauricio Pochettino and teammates downplayed the issue ahead of Friday's Australia match. (More)

World Cup favorite Spain was held to a scoreless draw by Cape Verde, ranked 64th in the world and playing in its first-ever World Cup. (More)

The Chicago Bulls are hiring Tiago Splitter as head coach after he led the Portland Trail Blazers to a 42-40 record and a playoff berth in his first season. (More)

Scientists at the Broad Institute improved prime editing technology, making it more stable and effective for delivery into the body, a key step toward treating genetic diseases directly. (More)

Anthropic disabled its new Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models after the government ordered a suspension over national security concerns, calling the dispute a misunderstanding it's working to resolve. (More)

A major review of 69 trials found calcium and vitamin D supplements do little to prevent fractures or falls in older adults. (More)

Pickles have found their way into smoothies.

Artemis II crew captures rare double auroras on Earth's dark side.

Google launches its light simulator on its browser.

Moped stolen in the 1980s returned to owner.

Your feedback helps us provide the best newsletter possible.