Self-Healing Fabric, Netanyahu Visits D.C., & Giant Jellyfish

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
July 28, 2026

Good Morning! Today’s edition is 828 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap:

First-time reader? Sign up here!

President Donald Trump is holding separate meetings this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their visits to Washington.
Netanyahu is expected to discuss maintaining the ceasefire with Iran, implementing the U.S.-brokered Israel-Lebanon framework and expanding the Abraham Accords. Zelenskyy's visit comes as U.S. and Ukrainian officials continue discussing new peace proposals aimed at ending Russia's war in Ukraine.
Both leaders will also attend Graham's funeral today at Washington National Cathedral before his remains are returned to South Carolina for a second funeral service Wednesday. Graham was one of Congress' strongest advocates for both Israel and Ukraine.

Uganda has begun distributing emergency food aid after at least 19 hunger-related deaths were reported in the drought-stricken Karamoja region. Crops have failed since the area's last meaningful rainfall in April, leaving roughly 1.5 million people facing acute food shortages as malnutrition continues to rise.
The government plans to distribute 9,400 tons of food over the next two months using emergency funds approved by parliament. The operation is Uganda's first major government-led relief effort since international aid cuts left humanitarian agencies with fewer resources to respond to the growing crisis.
Karamoja has endured repeated hunger crises driven by drought, poverty and low agricultural productivity, with a similar emergency claiming more than 2,200 lives in 2022. While officials say the current food aid will provide immediate relief, they argue long-term investments in drought resilience, water infrastructure and agriculture are needed to prevent future crises.

Scientists in China have created a flexible, leather-like textile made from living fungal cells that can heal tears, change color and potentially provide built-in UV protection. Unlike earlier fungal materials, the manufacturing process keeps the cells alive, allowing the fabric to retain biological functions after it's formed.
The researchers grew the fungus into small pellets, molded them into sheets, and added glycerol to make the material flexible without killing the cells. They then demonstrated the fabric could heal itself with water and fresh fungal cells, grow decorative patterns where nutrients were applied, and gain new properties by adding engineered microbes.
The material also biodegraded almost completely within 41 days in soil, offering a potential alternative to synthetic textiles that can persist in the environment for decades. While the fabric hasn't been tested for everyday durability or washing, researchers believe it could eventually find applications in short-term clothing and other sustainable textile products.

A new $6.4 billion bridge linking Detroit and Windsor opened to traffic, adding a major new crossing for U.S.-Canada trade after years of construction. (More)

Police said a suspected gang-related shootout involving at least three shooters killed three people and wounded four others at Seattle's Bite of Seattle festival. (More)

Sen. Mitch McConnell said he is continuing rehabilitation after last month's fall and remains unable to return to in-person Senate duties. (More)

The leaders of Brazil and China agreed to fast-track trade negotiations following new U.S. tariffs on Brazilian exports. (More)

Toronto police searched for suspects after gunfire damaged the U.S. Consulate, the second shooting at the building this year. (More)

Venezuelan men deported to El Salvador last year sued two U.S. aviation companies, alleging they helped unlawfully transport them to a maximum-security prison. (More)

US stock markets closed mixed on Monday (S&P +0.02%, Nasdaq -0.18%, Dow +0.51%) with semi stocks and oil dipping. (More)

Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino will step down and be replaced by former Bloomin' Brands chief David Deno following a turbulent turnaround effort. (More)

Peacock will become available on YouTube Premium in the U.S. next year as part of a new partnership between NBCUniversal and YouTube. (More)

A judge ruled there is enough evidence for singer D4vd to stand trial on murder and child sexual abuse charges in the death of a 14-year-old girl. (More)

Tadej Pogačar won his fifth Tour de France title, tying the record for the most victories in cycling's biggest race. (More)

Singer-songwriter Carly Simon said she has been living with Parkinson's disease. (More)

Nvidia, Microsoft, SpaceX, and other technology companies launched an alliance to develop open AI safety tools following last week's Hugging Face cyberattack. (More)

Scientists found T cells decide whether to attack cancer by weighing competing "attack" and "stop" signals at tiny contact points where immune cells first touch tumors. (More)

About one-third of children with multiple food allergies were able to safely eat full servings of three allergy-triggering foods after treatment with the allergy drug omalizumab. (More)

Puppy assumes lifeguard duty for baby ducks.

World’s largest jellyfish spotted near Cape Cod.

Punch the Monkey turns one.

Your feedback helps us provide the best newsletter possible.