Good Morning! Today’s edition is 983 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• China cozies up to Egypt

• Southwest to open lounges

• How loud is your home state?

First-time reader? Sign up here!

Big Stories

Google Avoids Breakup Again

• Google will not be forced to sell its online advertising exchange after a federal judge rejected the Justice Department's most aggressive proposed remedy in a landmark antitrust case. The government sought the sale after the court found that Google illegally used its control of technology connecting websites with advertisers to lock publishers into its own ad exchange and suppress competition.

• Google's ad exchange connects publishers selling advertising space with companies seeking to buy it, making it a central piece of the infrastructure behind online display advertising. The Justice Department argued that separating the exchange from Google's other advertising businesses would restore competition by preventing the company from controlling multiple parts of the process.

• Google could still face fines and restrictions on its business practices, but the details remain unclear because the judge sealed the remedies order for 14 days. The decision follows another antitrust loss in Google's search business in which the government unsuccessfully sought to force the company to sell its Chrome browser.

Germany Blames Russia

• Germany accused Russia of an attempted attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport after authorities discovered an explosives-laden drone near a Ukrainian aircraft last month. Officials said evidence from the drone, explosives and detonator, combined with intelligence findings, pointed to people acting on behalf of Russian state entities. Moscow denied responsibility.

• Leipzig/Halle is a major cargo hub and an important link in Western military logistics. Ukrainian transport aircraft regularly use the airport, which also supports NATO operations delivering equipment to forces along the alliance's eastern flank. Russian intelligence is also suspected of orchestrating a 2024 incendiary-device attack at the airport.

• Germany responded by ordering the closure of Russia's consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural center in Berlin. Berlin also plans tighter entry controls, additional EU sanctions proposals, and increased pressure on Russia's sanctions-evading oil fleet. Western officials have blamed Russia for roughly 200 sabotage and other malign operations across Europe since it invaded Ukraine.

China Courts Egypt

• Chinese President Xi Jinping met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo Wednesday, his first visit to Egypt in a decade, as Beijing deepens ties with one of Washington's most important Middle Eastern partners. Xi called for expanded economic cooperation and urged the countries to oppose what he described as “unilateralism and acts of bullying.”

• China has invested more than $10 billion in Egypt, financing projects including an electric rail line and a business hub near Cairo, as annual trade between the countries has grown to roughly $20 billion. Their relationship is also extending beyond economics. In August, Chinese and Egyptian fighter jets trained together for the first time, marking a new level of military cooperation between the countries.

• Egypt's strategic importance has grown as the Iran war disrupts oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, leaving the Suez Canal as a critical alternative route.

Your K-Cups Sat in a Warehouse for Months. Taste It?

Here's why grocery store pods taste flat no matter which brand you grab: coffee's flavor comes from delicate oils that start evaporating right after roasting. Store-bought K-Cups spend months in warehouses and trucks before they ever hit your Keurig — and some big brands deliberately over-roast so you won't notice the staleness.

Angelino's, a family-owned Los Angeles roastery, skips all of it. They roast, grind, and pack their own pods, then ship within days of roasting — never months. Compatible with all Keurig® brewers, from 39¢ a cup, with 50+ flavors from Breakfast Blend to Jamaican Me Crazy. New customers get 15% off their first order — no code, no subscription required.

Try Fresh-Roasted Pods

Quick Stories

US News

• New York City will ban generative AI tools for public school students through eighth grade for one year while introducing AI literacy classes for high school students. (More)

• Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey won the Democratic primary over Rep. Seth Moulton, advancing to face Republican John Deaton as he seeks a third full Senate term. (More)

• President Trump nominated acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to permanently lead the department, four months after Cao took over following the departure of former Secretary John Phelan. (More)

World

• Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel is seeking President Trump’s support for a plan to remove Palestinians from Gaza, arguing there is ultimately “no real solution” without their migration. (More)

• Earth is expected to exceed the Paris climate accord’s 1.5°C warming threshold, according to a U.N. report that says countries must now work to minimize the overshoot and eventually reverse it. (More)

• Nicaragua’s legislature gave initial approval to a constitutional reform that would postpone elections until 2028, extend presidential terms to seven years and allow the government to exclude opposition parties. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Wednesday (S&P +0.46%, Nasdaq +0.45%, Dow +0.56%). Major indexes snapped a three-day losing streak as Treasury yields eased, following several sessions of pressure from rising oil prices and inflation concerns. (More)

• Uber announced plans to cut 10% of its workforce as it reduces management layers and costs, freeing up resources to invest in areas such as autonomous vehicles. (More)

• Southwest Airlines will open its first airport lounges in Austin, Baltimore, Honolulu and Nashville in late 2027, with seven additional locations planned in the following years. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr and Texas quarterback Arch Manning enter the college football season as Heisman Trophy favorites. (More)

• The NBA fined the LA Clippers $30 million, stripped five future first-round draft picks and suspended owner Steve Ballmer for one year after finding the team circumvented salary cap rules involving Kawhi Leonard. (More)

• Tiger Woods pleaded no contest to reduced charges stemming from a March DUI crash in Florida, agreeing to a five-year license suspension. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Astronomers discovered a molecule-rich cloud near the Milky Way’s center containing more than 120 chemical species, including several compounds associated with the building blocks of life. (More)

• Fructose may promote weight gain by increasing the intestine’s ability to absorb dietary fat, potentially helping explain why diets high in both sugar and fat are particularly harmful. (More)

• Researchers developed a blood test-based scoring system that distinguished Takotsubo syndrome, or “broken heart syndrome,” from heart attacks with nearly 90% accuracy before invasive cardiac testing. (More)

Extra Credit

South Korea's latest trend is simulated shopping.

Woman needs 38 stitches after otter attack.

Ranking states by how loud they are.

Why did people stop wearing hats 60 years ago?