The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, but it’s a quarterback hunter who made the most dramatic offseason splash.
All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons, traded from the Dallas to Green Bay, should command a big share of the spotlight as the NFL kicks off the 2025 season this weekend with a slew of intriguing matchups, including Parson’s Packers playing host to the Detroit Lions, who have gone from league laughingstock to vogue Super Bowl pick.
Cowboys fans are still agonizing over the Parsons trade, even though their team got two first-round draft picks and Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kenny Clark in the deal, and shellshocked quarterback Dak Prescott responded to the news with a Texas-sized understatement: “I’m not going to say we’re better.”
No time to lament now, as Dallas faces Super Bowl champion Philadelphia on Thursday night in the annual kickoff opener. It’s one of eight divisional matchups in Week 1, with another being the Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs squaring off Friday night in São Paulo, Brazil. That’s the first of seven international games this season, the most ever for the NFL. Gone are the days when the league simply staged a few games in London. This season also features games in Germany, Ireland, Spain and, for the second consecutive year, Brazil.
Not only do the Chargers open with the defending AFC champions, but they will play three consecutive AFC West games in the first three weeks — at Las Vegas in Week 2, and home against Denver in Week 3. It’s a rollicking ramp-up in a division of Mount Rushmore-type head coaches — Andy Reid of Kansas City, Sean Payton of Denver, Pete Carroll of Las Vegas and Jim Harbaugh of the Chargers.
The Rams, meanwhile, open at home Sunday against the Houston Texans, the team that nine months ago delivered an opening-round knockout of the Chargers in the playoffs.
The most pressing issue for the Rams? The health status of quarterback Matthew Stafford, who missed much of summer practices with back problems.
The 37-year-old quarterback recently told reporters he’s doing whatever he can to ensure he’s ready to play.
“Done a ton of research just trying to help myself out,” Stafford said.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is looking to stay healthy after missing most of training camp with a back issue.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
As usual, quarterbacks will be a focal point again this season, with Aaron Rodgers now in Pittsburgh, Sam Darnold in Seattle and two more familiar players taking snaps for the New York teams, Justin Fields with the Jets and Russell Wilson with the Giants.
Pittsburgh opens at the Jets, meaning Rodgers returns to the place he called home the past two seasons. He downplayed that reunion recently in a conversation with Mad Dog Sports Radio’s Adam Schein, saying, “A lot has changed over there, coaching staff‑wise, player‑wise. Obviously, I have friendships over there, but it’s one game out of 17.”
Then there are the sophomore quarterbacks, if you will, including rising second-year stars Jayden Daniels in Washington, Bo Nix in Denver, Michael Penix in Atlanta and Drake Maye in New England. In Minnesota, former Michigan standout J.J. McCarthy assumes the helm after sitting out his rookie season with a knee injury.
Mike Vrabel returns to coach New England, where he was a defensive star with the Patriots, and Ben Johnson takes over in Chicago after helping draw up so much success for Jared Goff and the Lions as Detroit’s offensive coordinator. The Bears play host to Minnesota in the first Monday night game of the season.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes looks to pass during a preseason game against the Chicago Bears on Aug. 22.
(Ed Zurga / Associated Press)
Every season, either records are broken or players move up the charts. Some to watch include Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, who needs five touchdown passes to reach 250 in the fewest games, and career completions by Rodgers, who likely will move into the top five in the first month of the season. Keep an eye on Jacksonville kicker Cam Little, who made a 70-yard field goal in a preseason game; the record long is 66 yards by Justin Tucker in a 2021 game.
Also in 2021, Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt got to quarterbacks 22½ times to tie the single-season sack record set by Michael Strahan 20 years earlier. Could that mark fall this season? Watt is still around, as are elite pass rushers such as Aidan Hutchinson of Detroit, Myles Garrett of Cleveland and Jared Verse of the Rams.
Oh, and a new guy in Green Bay.
“I didn’t think I’d be traded,” said Parsons, who collected 52½ sacks in four seasons with the Cowboys. He said he’s determined to prove the Packers “were right about me.”
Greyson Chance has turned his solemn eyes into bright and vivid colors by launching the very limited-edition collectible figurine named ‘Lil G,’ something that would only be available to people visiting the Gold Tour all over the country. The singer declared it to be his “magnum opus”; he did it with the best of designers and it even had touches of 24-carat gold! Put so thinly, the very limited availability has, of course, stirred quite the frenzy in the masses of worldwide fans.
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Greyson Chance has yet again given his fans a new object to obsess over, and it is not quite music to speak of. The singer shared on Instagram his “magnum opus,” i.e., a highly meticulous collectible, ‘Lil G.’ Chance narrates in his post’s video that he worked with “the world’s best designers, architects and craftsmen” to birth this figure. It has details like spiky hair and a 24-karat chain of gold: Think of it as a little fancy version of the artist himself.
The ‘Lil G’ would be a big catch if it were available for release to be sold generally. In fact, no person can get it online, nor shall one find its little’ form on any regular shelves in any store anywhere. It is only by coming up to Chance’s Gold Tour that one may get a hold of an ‘Lil G.’ “You can only get Lil G exclusively on the gold tour,” he states firmly in the video. “So if you don’t have a ticket yet… you better get one!”
The announcement simply captioned “ok everyone say hi to my little prince” quickly gathered responses from fans all over the world-many were thrilled, some downright desperate.
An admirer from the Philippines wrote, “Aww so cute!! I love you Greyson!! How wonderful! ✨✨ What a sentiment!.” The comments could really tell an upbeat crowd as a few came in the waffles’ native language, then were translated, all screaming out in love and urgency.
For those who somehow ended up missing out on joining the tour, it felt like hell. “NOOOO i don’t own a passport pls ill do anything for him 😭,” one cried out, emphasizing the practically real barrier to travel for most supporters. “I want one! I need one! But you never come here,” another wench cried, expressing frustration about tour sites.
These collectibles also sparked comments about the style. “The Versace chain, the McQueen boots, and the simple Prada tank. Love what you did with this,” remarked the thoughtful fan appreciating the high-fashion references in the design. Chance replied, adding personality to the launch, “he’s a humble boy!!.”
This buzz could hardly be asked without a few pragmatic questions such as “WILL IT BE AVAILABLE FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD NEXT YEAR TOO OR ONLY FOR THIS PART OF THE TOUR?” asked eagerly, hoping for a general release. “Is there any way you can put them on your website merch store as well too?😍🥹😍🥹😍🥹,” asked another. No announcement has yet come from Chance regarding this wider release.
Some compared ‘Lil G’ to other famous collectibles. “Way better than a labubu,” one commented, citing a famous toy brand to tilt the comparison in favor of Chance’s creation.
What a lovely surprise for the ones who’ll be there! One of the lucky ones already wrote, “good thing i’m going then 😌,” in anticipation of the exclusive merch. Another one checked in with, “yes lemme get one!!! see you in manila ❤️”.
Beneath it all, there were truly genuine feelings for Chance himself. One fan shared, “You are so adorable and you music makes me so happy your voice is absolutely beautiful,” underlining the fact that beneath this product launch is a genuine artist-fan relationship.
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Greyson Chance’s ‘Lil G’ tackles far beyond a collectible pack-a-punch into a strategic and fan-centric attempt that bind together art, accessibility, and exclusivity. It leaves some wanting for more, but it surely makes the Gold Tour that much more desirable.
In 2000, Elizabeth Gilbert, a successful magazine writer and author of short stories who would go on to even greater acclaim with the publication of “Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia” six years later, went to get her hair cut by Rayya Elias and ended up meeting her best friend. The two spent years as close friends — through Gilbert’s two marriages to men, adaptation of her memoir into a movie starring Julia Roberts and subsequent books — before Elias’ 2016 terminal pancreatic and liver cancer diagnosis made Gilbert realize she was in love with her. They had a short but tumultuous relationship, battling each other over substance abuse issues as Elias’ cancer progressed. When Elias died, Gilbert realized she was suffering from an addiction too: one to sex and love.
Shelf Help is a wellness column where we interview researchers, thinkers and writers about their latest books — all with the aim of learning how to live a more complete life.
After that death, Gilbert set off on a journey of recovery that included a romance with Simon MacArthur, a longtime friend of Elias. Gilbert’s latest memoir, “All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation,” is her account of how devastating heartbreak helped her come to terms with her addiction and set her on a path toward healing.
The Times spoke with Gilbert about how to recognize signs of sex and love addiction in ourselves and how to learn to be OK on our own. Now cleared for romance, the author has a sober dating plan intended to create boundaries and avoid jumping into another relationship too quickly. “The better care I take of myself, the less stressful the world feels,” Gilbert says, “and whatever energy is left over, I pour into my work, my friends and my community.”
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
What were some warning signs for you that you had a problem with sex and love?
Intimate relationships have been a cause of pain and struggle for me from my early teens until I finally found the help I needed at age 50. For 35 years, I used my romantic and sexual partners the way other folks use drugs. I was constantly looking outside myself for both stimulation and sedation. I found partners I could get high on, and other partners who would calm me down. I was constantly overlapping relationships, always either running away from someone or toward someone else. I was never able to settle my nervous system, find contentment with anyone or take care of my interior life. Though I knew my behaviors were harmful to myself and others, I could not stop compulsively repeating the same patterns. It was exhausting, shame-inducing and, as I’ve heard sex and love addiction described, about as satisfying as hijacking a revolving door.
How did the discovery that you were a sex and love addict change your worldview?
There was relief in finally being able to name the thing: “Ah! So that’s what’s wrong with me!” It was soothing to sit in a room with other people who behaved in many of the same ways I did. People told the truth about behaviors I’d always tried to hide, and being able to talk about these behaviors released so much of my shame and gave me a safe community in which to heal.
“For 35 years, I used my romantic and sexual partners the way other folks use drugs,” Elizabeth Gilbert says.
(Deborah Lopez)
Through recovery, what have you learned about how to build healthier relationships?
The goal of my recovery is to end up in a healthy and sustainable relationship with myself. I’d always looked outside myself for a partner who could rescue me. Over the last six years of recovery, I’ve learned how to take full accountability for my own life, how to self-soothe, and how to become securely attached to myself. I now trust that there is a sober, sane, emotionally stable, well-resourced and compassionate adult woman at the wheel of my life. It is now inconsequential to me whether I ever end up in a romantic relationship again; I have a reliable life partner, and it’s myself.
You write about being “lost in the endless search for connection.” Does this search feel over to you, and what do you do with the extra energy and love you have to give?
It takes an immense amount of love and energy to keep one human being (myself) thriving. For years, my codependency and enmeshment kept me focused on making sure all my partner’s needs were met, so that, ideally, they might take care of me. It’s inefficient and exhausting to pour all your love and resources into one person, with the hopes they might someday give you some of it back. Now, I’m learning how to pour that love, energy, and care directly into myself, which is so much more gratifying. My creativity is thriving, my friendships are richer than ever, I’ve been traveling more, and showing up in the world as a whole and contented person. The better care I take of myself, the less stressful the world feels, and whatever energy is left over, I pour into my work, my friends and my community.
How is sex and love addiction similar to and different from other types of addiction?
A good description for addiction is “false worship” — making something or somebody into your God and sacrificing everything to it. Our culture teaches us that disappearing into another person’s heart is what “love” means, and women, especially, are taught not only to seek this kind of extreme attachment, but that they are worthless without it. At the beginning of my recovery, I was asked, “What is this behavior costing you? Why don’t you believe that you can take care of yourself? And why don’t you believe that they can take care of themselves?” Those questions helped me see the level of my addiction. Historically, I have always needed to be with somebody whom I believed I could not live without, or somebody whom I believed could not live without me. I’d throw away any sense of balance, reason and integrity, all so I could give my all to somebody. As with all types of addictions, I was trying to escape the pain of my reality. The high always works till it doesn’t — then comes the suffering. This kind of mad attraction, attention and abandon comes to a screeching halt when one of the parties changes their mind and starts to pull away. Then comes the withdrawal process, which feels like death. That’s not an exaggeration: the closest I have ever come to both suicide and murder was because of my addiction to another person. I wish I could say this extreme level of disorder and violence is uncommon, but people kill themselves and each other every day because of relationship fixation and obsession. People routinely lose everything (their health, serenity, jobs, money, and families) because of romantic devastation and dysfunction — and still, they have trouble walking away.
(Maggie Chiang / For The Times)
You have now been cleared by your sponsor as “ready to date.” What will that process look like for you?
As part of my recovery, I have a “sober dating plan” intended to create boundaries and brakes around getting to know someone. The plan includes such items as “no weeklong first dates.” Knowing how capable I am of throwing myself into another human being, I’m not in a hurry to go out there and discover if I can survive another relationship. Having had 35 years of relationship drama, it’s been beautiful for me to learn how to find serenity in solitude, and I don’t want to risk throwing away all the gains I’ve made. But should I ever want a partnership, there is a plan in place to keep me as sane and sober as possible through that union.
How do we know when we are depending on someone else too much, and how can we become more emotionally dependent on ourselves?
The first step of all 12-step programs reads, “We came to believe we were powerless over (fill-in-the-blank person, substance or behavior) and that our lives had become unmanageable.” Ask yourself: Has your life become unmanageable? If the answer is yes, you might be in some sort of addiction/dependency crisis. If you come from a background that was dysfunctional, neglectful or abusive, “unmanageable” might just feel like home to you, and it may be difficult to imagine that there could be a simpler, happier way to live. I have learned it’s not necessary to live a life of nonstop unmanageability. No matter how chaotic my history, I can learn how to safeguard my serenity so I don’t have to drag people into my drama anymore or leap headlong into theirs. Moving forward, my emotional labor is to make sure that I remain full — full of creativity, joy, faith, emotional health, esteem, curiosity, rest, courage and the vibrancy of life itself. It’s also my job to hold the belief that others can resource this same inherent fullness within themselves, without requiring me to empty my life into theirs, as proof of love. My ultimate purpose is to be of loving service to the world, and I cannot be that if I have emptied my life into someone else’s.
TAKEAWAYS
From “All the Way to the River”
What do you say to people who believe they’ll never be happy if they don’t find someone with whom to share their life?
I would say the same thing my own higher power said to me in a meditation once: “Honey, why would we have designed the system in such a way as to guarantee your endless misery? Can’t you see that we designed you in such a way that everything you are searching for outside of you exists within you? Call off the search, sweetheart. You contain everything you need.”
2. Collaborate on a Slides presentation in Google Chat
If your team uses Google Chat, you can share a Slides presentation in a chat. Other people in your chat can add comments and help make changes to your presentation.
This works in standard one-on-one or group chats, but it’s especially useful if you use the collaborative workspaces in Chat that Google calls “spaces.” Unlike informal chats, spaces are meant to gather conversations, documents, and other materials for specific projects, events, or groups. If you’re working on a presentation related to a project, the space is the perfect place to share and collaborate on the slideshow. (For more about working in spaces, see our “Google Spaces cheat sheet.”)
To share a presentation in Chat: Start by opening an existing chat or space, or starting a new one in the main window. To the left of the box where you type in your chat messages, click the + icon. If you’re in a space, select Google Drive from the panel that opens, and then on the next panel click Attach Drive files. If you’re in a regular chat, there’s one less step: just click the + icon and select Attach Drive files.
Google must pay $425 million to the plaintiffs of a class action lawsuit that accused the company of collecting users’ data even after they’ve turned off a tracking feature, a federal jury has decided. The lead plaintiff sued Google back in July 2020, arguing that the company still harvested data even though it tells users they can disable tracking under Web & App Activity through its connection with other apps, such as Uber and Instagram. US District Judge Richard Seeborg then certified the lawsuit as class action, involving 98 million Google users and 174 million devices.
The plaintiffs’ lawyers asked for $31 billion in damages, but the jury only found Google liable on two of the three privacy violation claims. Google didn’t violate the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act and didn’t act out of malice, the jury found. As a result, the jury concluded that the plaintiffs aren’t entitled to any punitive damages.
In a statement, Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said that the decision “misunderstands how [their] products work.” He added that the company’s privacy tools give users control over their data and insisted that Google honors people’s choice to turn off personalization. Castaneda said that Google plans to appeal.
The company faced several similar privacy lawsuits in the past. Another 2020 lawsuit accused Google of tracking users in Incognito mode, and the company agreed to settle the $5 billion lawsuit in 2023. A year later, it admitted that it can indeed collect information in Incognito and promised to destroy billions of data collected from Incognito tracking to settle the complaint.
Netflix’s hit show Wednesday is officially coming back for a third season. The gothic teen series starring Jenna Ortega has become one of the streamer’s most-watched shows, and fans are already eager to know what’s next after the shocking Season 2 finale. While the release date is still under wraps, creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar have confirmed that Season 3 is in the works — with more Addams Family secrets and hints at new storylines ahead.
Gough reflected on the renewal in July 2025, saying, “Television has — and always will be — a team sport. Miles and I have been doing this long enough to know that shows like this don’t come along every day. It’s such an alchemy of writing, directing, acting, crew, streamer, studio, and fans. We remain grateful and excited to continue this journey and tell these stories with all of our partners.”
Below, find out everything we know so far about Wednesday Season 3, from potential cast returns to plot details and more.
Is Wednesday Getting a Season 3?
Yes — Netflix renewed Wednesday for Season 3 on July 23, 2025, even before Season 2 premiered.
When Will Wednesday Season 3 Be Released?
A release date has not been announced. Season 2 arrived a little under three years after the show’s debut in November 2022.
Filming on the second season began in early 2024 after delays caused by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which pushed back many productions as unions reached new deals with studios. Season 2 also marked a shift in location, with production moving to Ireland after Season 1 was filmed in Romania from September 2021 to March 2022.
Which Wednesday Cast Members Are Returning for Season 3?
Details remain under wraps, but co-creators Gough and Millar have teased that Season 3 will delve deeper into character arcs, expand the world of Nevermore, and reveal more secrets of the Addams Family. Most intriguingly, the Season 2 finale introduced Aunt Ophelia — the surprise presence scribbling “Wednesday Must Die” in Grandmama’s basement — establishing a major plot thread for Season 3.
UK travellers could face long queues and possible delays at European airports from October, as the EU rolls out a new border system that may cause disruption. The Entry/Exit System (EES) will require non-EU passengers, including British holidaymakers, to provide fingerprints and facial scans when entering the Schengen Area for the first time. After that, a simple face scan will be used for future visits.
The scheme will begin its phased rollout from October 12, depending on how ready each airport is. But by April 10, 2026 the system is expected to be fully in place across the EU. Travellers flying into Europe may notice newly installed machines in arrivals areas, designed to record biometric information before allowing people to pass through. The aim is to speed up border checks, but experts have warned the new process could go wrong during busy periods.
Aviation analyst Oliver Ranson told Simon Calder’s Independent Travel Podcast that while most airports cope well in normal circumstances, even minor issues with new systems can lead to chaos.
“Almost every airport works fine when everything is running smoothly,” Ranson said. “But when new systems are introduced, small glitches can make the whole arrivals process collapse very quickly.”
If queues build up, passengers could be forced to wait on planes, or flights may even be diverted if arrival halls become overcrowded.
Ranson’s research shows that airports in southern and eastern Europe are likely to be hit hardest, particularly those that deal with a high volume of non-Schengen passengers.
Although no Spanish airports are on the top 10 list, busy destinations such as Malaga, Alicante and Palma de Mallorca are monitoring the rollout closely.
While large airports like Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat are better prepared for huge numbers of arrivals, smaller tourist airports could face challenges if delays mount.
EU officials insist enough kiosks and staff will be available by the time the system launches.
But union sources have raised concerns that not all personnel have received full training, which could lead to problems during peak times.
Airports such as Paris Charles de Gaulle and Faro in Portugal, which handle a large number of UK flights, are not considered high risk due to the way they manage crowd flow in short bursts.
Still, travellers flying during half-term or weekend holidays are being urged to expect possible delays as the system goes live.
As Ranson put it: “It only takes a small failure for things to get very gnarly, very quickly.”
As emergency services worked to pull people from the wreckage, the city’s mayor, Carlos Moedas, declared it an unprecedented tragedy. Here is what we know so far.
What happened?
The Gloria funicular, a national monument hugely popular with tourists, was operating as usual between Restauradores Square in downtown Lisbon and the Bairro Alto neighbourhood on Wednesday evening.
The journey is just 265m (870ft) and takes three minutes but operates up a steep hill, with two carriages travelling in opposite directions.
At around 6pm, the top car reportedly hurtled down the hill before leaving the tracks and crashing into a building 30m (98ft) from the bottom of the line.
Image: The Gloria funicular connects Lisbon’s Restauradores Square to the Bairro Alto viewpoint
Image: The wreckage of one of the two carriages of the Gloria funicular. Pic: AP
Image: The remains of the funicular carriage that derailed. Pic: Reuters
According to the people who were in the bottom carriage, a few metres into their ascent, it started going backwards. When they saw the other car speeding towards them, they jumped through the windows to escape.
Swiss tourist Rasha Abdul told Sky’s Europe correspondent Alistair Bunkall her husband escaped first, allowing her to pass their three-year-old son to him before she got out and the top car crashed just metres from them.
“We were afraid it would crash with us – the fact that it crashed there [on the corner] rescued us,” she said. “When I went out, everything was dusty and blurry.”
Image: Swiss holidaymaker Rasha Abdul
What caused it to derail?
It is not clear what caused the funicular to malfunction and derail.
The New York Times reported the Lisbon Firefighters Regiment saying it happened as a result of a “cable that came loose”. But officials have refused to be drawn on witness speculation that the funicular’s brakes were faulty.
According to Carris, the company that runs the railway, scheduled maintenance had been carried out.
Engineer Dave Cooper told Sky News local investigators need to establish why the two carriages “parted company”.
“The very fact that you can see both cars in the same news shot tells you there’s something wrong because while one is at the bottom, the other should be at the top,” the chairman of the British Standards Committee for Cableways told presenter Gareth Barlow.
He said the two cars may have become detached because of a fault with the cables or the point they connect to the carriages.
Image: Emergency services work at the scene on Wednesday. Pic: Reuters
Describing what likely happened, he added: “That top car has lost suspension. Then what appears to have happened is it comes careering down the hill and has gone quite a distance to get to where it’s got to.
“It comes to a bend and the rails want it to go round that bend but it’s careering away and strikes the building.”
The situation will have likely been made worse by the fact that the carriage was at full capacity – weighing up to 14 tonnes in total, Mr Cooper said.
Who are the victims?
On Thursday morning, Portugal’s civil protection authority said 17 people died in the crash and 23 were injured.
All of those killed were adults – eight women and seven men, it said. The details of two further victims who died of their injuries in hospital on Thursday morning have not been revealed.
Only one of the dead has been named so far. Transport workers’ union SITRA said Andre Marques died on Wednesday as a result of the crash.
Image: The crashed carriage on its side at the scene on Thursday morning. Pic: Reuters
Those injured include 12 women and seven men between the ages of 25 and 65 and a three-year-old child, the Civil Protection authority said.
The nationalities of 15 of them have been revealed and include three people from Portugal, two from Germany, one from Spain, one from South Korea, one from Cape Verde, one from Canada, one from Italy, one from France, one from Switzerland, and one from Morocco.
According to CNN Portugfal, the two from Germany were the three-year-old boy and his mother, who were both pulled from the wreckage.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it is “aware of the incident” and “in touch with the local authorities”.
“We stand by to provide consular assistance if there are any affected British nationals,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
What is the iconic Gloria funicular?
The funicular opened in 1885 as the second of its kind in the city.
It was electrified in 1915 after having originally been powered by water counterweight.
The Gloria, like the two other funiculars in Lisbon, was designed by the Portuguese engineer Raoul Mesnier de Ponsard.
It is the best-known and most popular funicular in the city and is said to transport around three million people a year.
The funicular connects downtown’s Restauradores Square to the neighbourhood of Bairro Alto at the top of a hill in just three minutes.
It departs every 12 minutes from both sides, starting at 7:15am. The last departure is at 11:55pm.
The view from Bairro Alto is said by many to be the best in Lisbon.
Image: A map shows the location of the Gloria funicular in Lisbon
What have officials said so far?
Lisbon mayor, Mr Moedas, declared three days of mourning in the city.
“I extend my heartfelt condolences to all the families and friends of the victims. Lisbon is in mourning,” he said.
He described the incident to Portuguese news site Diario de Noticias as a “tragedy that has never happened in our city”.
“The moment is for action and help. I thank you all for the response in a few minutes. The only thing I can say is that it is a very tragic day,” he added.
Image: A member of the Civil Protection authority gives a news conference near the crash site on Thursday morning. Pic: Reuters
President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen posted on X: “It is with sadness that I learned of the derailment of the famous ‘Elevador da Gloria’. My condolences to the families of the victims.”
Portugal’s defence minister Nuno Melo said: “The accident in Lisbon with the Gloria elevator was a tragedy that caused strong commotion and consternation in Portugal and in the world… I express all my solidarity and offer heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.”
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Today’s top stories
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to testify in the Senate this morning. The hearing comes a week after he pressured Susan Monarez to resign from her position as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When she refused, the White House fired her. Three top CDC officials then resigned in protest. Here are three things to know before the hearing.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is testifying before the Senate finance committee.
Eric Lee/Bloomberg/Getty Images
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Eric Lee/Bloomberg/Getty Images
🎧 The hearing is technically about the president’s 2026 health care agenda. However, NPR’s Selena Simmons-Duffin tells Up First that isn’t all she expects to come out of the meeting. If a Democratic senator is asking the questions, she says they could hammer Kennedy about what happened last week at the CDC and about vaccine policy. Kennedy has replaced a key vaccine advisory panel with people who are set to change recommendations on a number of vaccines later this month. If Republicans have the mic, they might focus on the Make America Healthy Again agenda. Simmons-Duffin says Kennedy is likely to concentrate on his MAHA efforts and what he describes as the chronic disease epidemic.
A Senate committee will hold a confirmation hearing this morning on President Trump’s nominee to fill a vacant seat on the Federal Reserve’s governing board. The president also hopes to fill a second seat on the board by removing Fed governor Lisa Cook. She has filed a lawsuit to challenge the president’s actions.
🎧 Trump’s desire to shake up the Fed goes beyond a long-requested cut to interest rates. It’s also about who gets to control the decision-making processes, says NPR’s Scott Horsley. If Trump is successful in filling two more seats, four out of the seven Fed governors would be his appointees. The president has nominated White House economic adviser Stephen Miran to fill one vacancy. Miran co-authored a paper last year arguing that the president should have greater control over the Fed’s board of governors.
A federal judge in Boston yesterday ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully froze over $2 billion in research funds for Harvard University. The administration claimed the freeze was in response to antisemitism on the school’s campus. Harvard then filed a lawsuit. Judge Allison D. Burroughs’ ruling said the administration implemented the freeze without taking into account any of the steps the university had already taken to address the issue.
🎧 The judge offered several arguments for how the funding freeze goes against the law, says NPR’s Cory Turner. She said the research that the freeze defunded, which included studies for Alzheimer’s, heart disease and autism, had no clear connection to antisemitism on campus. She also said the freeze violated the university’s First Amendment rights because while the administration said it was doing this to fight antisemitism, Trump was criticizing the school for being a “liberal mess.” The judge was also hard on Harvard, saying it should have done a better job of addressing antisemitism. Turner says that the ruling strengthens Harvard’s bargaining position, but it’s still unknown how this case will play out.
Deep dive
A man walks past a Google logo at the Google Campus in Warsaw on Feb. 13, 2025.
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In a major antitrust case, a judge this week ruled against breaking up Google but barred it from making exclusive deals to make its search engine the default on phones and other devices. The Department of Justice filed the suit against Google in 2020, and four years later, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled in the DOJ’s favor. The “remedies” phase of the trial began in April 2025, with both sides facing off over what price Google should pay for its monopoly. The DOJ urged the spinoff of Chrome and the sharing of Google’s search data, saying it would help prevent unfair advantages in other markets, including artificial intelligence. Here’s how AI fits into this case:
🖥️ Requiring Google to license its search index database could help smaller competitors build their own search engines. AI developers could use the information to help train language models like chatbots.
🖥️ The DOJ argued that Google’s AI products could help strengthen its monopoly in online search, but Google disagreed with the concept, saying competition in the AI race is healthy.
🖥️ In Mehta’s ruling, he says that companies in the AI space are already in a better position to compete with Google, both financially and technologically, than any traditional search company has been in decades.
Picture show
Beirut, Lebanon. August 11, 2025. Six-year-old Kenzi Madhoun from Gaza poses for a portrait outside the American University of Beirut Medical Center. She arrived in Beirut with her father, Adam Madhoun, to begin treatment after being injured in Gaza on Oct. 21, 2023. She is among nearly 35 children the Ghassan Abu Sittah Children’s Fund brings with their caretakers from Palestine to Lebanon for medical and psychological support before they return home. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for NPR
Diego Ibarra Sanchez for NPR
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Diego Ibarra Sanchez for NPR
Dr. Ghassan Abu-Sittah is on a mission to heal children’s wounds from the war in Gaza. Over the years, Abu-Sittah, a reconstructive and plastic surgeon, has treated the wounded in several countries and conflicts. But it’s Gaza where he felt a particular calling to help. Abu-Sittah entered the territory two days after Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants led a surprise attack on communities in southern Israel, resulting in Israeli retaliatory strikes. In November, the hospital where he worked ran out of anesthesia, leading him to leave after realizing he could help more effectively from outside the enclave. He went to Lebanon, where he says the expertise in the management of war wounds is unparalleled. He began to bring wounded children there for complex reconstructive surgery. Since beginning his quest, social activist Darine Dandachly and her team formed a partnership with him through a children’s fund in his name to further help war-injured children. Goats and Soda talked with Abu-Sittah about his goals. Read more about the work Abu-Sittah is doing, see photos of the impact he is making and listen to what he had to say.
3 things to know before you go
Chris Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax, prepares to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on April 03, 2025. On Wednesday, Newsmax sued Fox, claiming it was illegally using its power to squash rival conservative networks.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/Getty Images North America
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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/Getty Images North America
Newsmax filed a lawsuit yesterday against Fox News and its parent company, claiming that the conservative media giant engaged in antitrust practices to hinder the smaller competitor’s growth in cable news.
Jasveen Sangha, a North Hollywood drug dealer known as “Ketamine Queen,” now faces up to 65 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to supplying the drugs that caused the death of Friends actor Matthew Perry. (via LAist)
The next round of COVID-19 vaccines has been approved for the fall, but the FDA has changed who can receive them. To answer some of your burning questions about the shots, Consider This from NPR tapped in an expert on the subject.
FTSE 250 high-tech defence systems firm QinetiQ (LSE: QQ) is down 18% from its 6 June £5.78 traded high.
Much of this decline has followed announcements of various peace talks connected to the Russia-Ukraine war. The markets appear to believe that these may lead to a lasting resolution of the conflict.
Whether this transpires or not, I believe in the old military adage that the best way to ensure peace is to prepare for conflict.
So apparently does NATO. At June’s 2025 Summit, members agreed to increase their annual defence spending to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035. Last year, the average was just 2%.
How’s the business been doing?
QinetiQ’s 2025 results released on 22 May showed a statutory loss after tax of £185.7m. This compares to a £139.6m post tax profit in 2024.
However, this was largely caused by a £305.9m loss from the one-off downscaling of its older US operations.
Otherwise, its revenue rose to £1.931.6bn, from £1.912bn a year earlier. And it saw a record order intake of £1.954.8bn – up 12% year on year.
Positively as well, its 17 July H1 trading update saw it announce a five-year, £1.5bn extension to its Long-Term Partnering Agreement with the UK government. It also highlighted the awarding of £110m worth of contracts from the UK’s Intelligence Sector.
On 26 June, it announced a $7.7m (£5.7m) contract from the US Defense Logistics Agency. This is to supply survivability solutions for the US Air Force’s C-5 Galaxy aircraft fleet.
On 29 July, it was also awarded a $26m US Navy defence contract with General Dynamics for next-generation submarine systems. And on 4 August it signed a £25m contract to deliver an immersive training environment for the UK’s Royal Navy.
A risk to QinetiQ’s earnings – which is what powers any firm’s share price over time – is a major fault in any of its products. This could be costly to fix in the short term and do longer-term damage to its reputation.
However, consensus analysts’ forecasts are that its earnings will increase by a spectacular 67.3% a year to the end of fiscal year 2027/28.
How does the share price valuation look?
Looking first at QinetiQ’s key valuations compared to its competitors shows it is undervalued on the price-to-book measure. It is joint bottom of the group at a ratio of 4.1 compared to its peers’ average of 13.7.
These firms comprise Chemring at 4.1, BAE Systems at 4.8, Babcock International at 8.4, and Rolls-Royce at 37.3.
It is also undervalued on the price-to-sales ratio – at 1.3 compared to the 2.6 average of its competitors.
A discounted cash flow analysis shows where any firm’s stock price should be, based on cash flow forecasts for the underlying business. In QinetiQ’s case, it shows the shares are 51% undervalued at their current £4.75 price.
Therefore, their fair value is £9.69.
Will I buy the shares?
I already own two stocks in the same sector –BAE Systems, and Rolls-Royce – so owning another would unbalance my portfolio.
However, for those investors without this problem, I think QinetiQ is very well worth considering.
