2: An Israeli couple who work at their country’s embassy in Washington, D.C., were shot and killed last night outside the Capital Jewish Museum by a gunman who reportedly chanted “free, free Palestine,” after he shot and killed them. Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were identified as the two people murdered. A 31-year-old suspect is in custody.
$20 million: Google DeepMind is offering artificial intelligence researchers $20 million of compensation per year in a bid to attract the top talent, amid an industry-wide battle for top talent. OpenAI and SSI are also offering eight-figure salary packages, and company leaders are personally courting top talent. If they need a hand, Nick Saban is available.
8: Mahmoud Abbas, the longtime chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, visited Lebanon on Wednesday for the first time in 8 years. He met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, as the two leaders called for the disarming of armed groups that operate in Palestinian refugee camps.
75: US Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), who was serving his ninth term in Congress, died Wednesday morning at the age of 75. The former congressional staffer oversaw his district’s transformation from a sleepy suburban area on the outskirts of D.C. into a booming tech hub. His passing means there are now three vacancies in Democratic-leaning House seats, and gives US Speaker Mike Johnson a little breathing room as he prepares to pass the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
$245 million: Former Democratic Republic of Congo Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo was found guilty of embezzling $245 million inpublic funds, and sentenced to a decade of hard labor. Matata, who was prime minister from 2012 to 2016, had received praise from the International Monetary Fund for stabilizing the Congolese economy.
4,268: If you don’t have anything rice to say, don’t say it. Japanese Farm Minister Taku Eto resigned Wednesday after he declared over the weekend that he never has to buy rice because his supporters give him the staple grain free of charge. The comments didn’t land well with the public, in large part because rice prices have ballooned to 4,268 yen ($29.63) for a five-kilogram bag, a record.
