Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,003 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Russia cracks down on online searches

• House starts its August recess early

• How people spend their time

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Big Stories

Ozzy Osbourne Dies

• Ozzy Osbourne, the Black Sabbath frontman who helped create heavy metal and became one of rock's most notorious figures, has died at 76. His family confirmed Tuesday that he died that morning "surrounded by love." No cause of death was given, though he had been battling Parkinson's disease since 2019.

• Osbourne co-founded Black Sabbath in 1968, pioneering heavy metal with dark, thunderous albums like Paranoid and Master of Reality that influenced generations of musicians and sold over 100 million records. After being fired in 1979 due to substance abuse, he launched a successful solo career with hits like "Crazy Train" and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” He gained new fame in the 2000s as a reality TV star on MTV's "The Osbournes," a show following his family life.

• Known for his wild stage antics like biting the head off a bat thrown onstage by a fan, he also spent decades battling addiction before getting sober. Parkinson’s left him unable to walk in recent years, but he performed a farewell on July 5 seated on a throne before 45,000 fans in Birmingham with Black Sabbath's original lineup.

US Exits UNESCO

• The Trump administration announced the US will withdraw from UNESCO, the UN cultural agency, effective December 2026, citing anti-Israel bias and the organization's recognition of Palestine as a member state in 2011. The decision reverses President Biden's 2023 move to rejoin the agency after a five-year absence that began during Trump's first term.

• UNESCO runs the World Heritage Sites program that protects landmarks like the Taj Mahal, Grand Canyon, and Egyptian pyramids, while also setting global standards for education, science, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. The US provides 8% of UNESCO's budget, but the agency has relied less on American funding as countries like China have gained more influence over global standards.

• The withdrawal is part of Trump's broader retreat from international organizations, including pulling out of the World Health Organization and the top UN human rights body under his "America First" approach. The US previously left UNESCO under Reagan in 1984 over concerns about Soviet influence, then rejoined in 2003 under George W. Bush.

Russia Criminalizes Online Searches

• Russian lawmakers approved a bill that criminalizes online searches for 'extremist' content, with first-time offenders facing fines up to $64. The term 'extremist' is defined broadly, covering opposition groups like Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation and the 'international LGBT movement.' Officials claim ordinary users won’t be targeted, only those who repeatedly seek banned material.

• How authorities will track violators remains unclear; enforcement could come through internet providers or random device checks. The bill also bans advertising of VPNs (virtual private networks that hide users' locations and allow access to blocked sites), though VPN use remains legal. Russians widely use VPNs to access banned content, but authorities are increasingly trying to close these digital loopholes.

• Even pro-Kremlin figures criticized the bill, including state TV head Margarita Simonyan, who asked how she could monitor critics if she’s forbidden to read them. Russia’s normally unanimous parliament showed rare division, passing the bill in a 306–67–22 vote.

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Quick Stories

US News

• Minnesota state Senator Nicole Mitchell will resign by August 4 after being convicted of burglary for breaking into her stepmother's home to steal her late father's possessions. (More)

• Columbia University announced Tuesday it punished students for participating in pro-Palestinian protests, including probations, suspensions ranging from one to three years, expulsions, and degree revocations. (More)

• House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled votes and started August recess early to avoid Republican lawmakers voting on bipartisan demands to release Jeffrey Epstein investigation files. (More)

World

• Greek police arrested fugitive Moldovan oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, who fled Moldova in 2019 after being accused of helping steal $1 billion from a Moldovan bank. (More)

• More than 230 children were poisoned by six Chinese kindergarten staff who allegedly added industrial lead paint to food to make it more colorful. All six have been arrested. (More)

• South Australia's premier declared an algal bloom that turned coastal waters toxic green and killed 400 marine species a "natural disaster" requiring federal recognition and emergency funding. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed mixed on Tuesday (S&P +0.06%, Nasdaq -0.39%, Dow +0.40%). President Trump announced a 15% tariff deal on imported goods with Japan and a 19% deal with the Philippines. (More)

• Opendoor Technologies stock soared 400% in July after Reddit traders pushed the real estate startup up threefold before shares fell 12% Tuesday as the rally lost steam. (More)

• Elon Musk opened his long-promised Tesla Diner in Hollywood Monday, featuring robot servers, Cybertruck-shaped burger boxes and classic American food alongside Tesla charging stations. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• NFL training camps opened Tuesday with Aaron Rodgers now a Pittsburgh Steeler, while the Eagles and Ravens return most offensive starters for championship runs. (More)

• Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu announced his retirement Tuesday, ending a 12-season NFL career that included a Super Bowl championship with Kansas City. (More)

• The US Olympic Committee banned transgender women from women's sports to comply with Trump's executive order threatening to cut federal funding from organizations allowing transgender athletes. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Brain scans showed the pandemic aged people's brains by 5.5 months even in people who didn't get Covid, with men and poorer communities experiencing the most shrinkage. (More)

• Ancient viral DNA once dismissed as “junk” helps control gene activity, especially in early development. (More)

• Australian scientists discovered 29 monitor lizard species have hidden bone chainmail under their skin, suggesting up to half of all lizard species may have this armor. (More)

Extra Credit

How to have a “dumb phone summer.”

Mark Zuckerberg adds another 1,000 acres to his $300 M Hawaii compound.

How people spend their time throughout the day.

Survey finds half of adults admit to peeing in pools.