A midair collision between two firefighting helicopters battling a wildfire in Greece killed two crew members and left two others alive, authorities said. The two who died, a Greek coordinator and a Danish pilot, were aboard the same helicopter. The two men in the other helicopter were both found alive. The crews were attempting to extinguish a fire on the border of the Attica and Boeotia regions of Greece, around 40 miles west of Athens. “The loss of the Greek coordinator and the Danish pilot while they were operating in the major fire at Porto Germeno fills us all with grief,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote in a social media post. “Sincere condolences to their families.” A total of 266 people were evacuated from the region over the weekend. Strong winds made it difficult for the more than 500 firefighters and nearly two dozen aircraft to control the blaze. Three other firefighters died last week in Greece while attempting to put out wildfires. “The fire risk remains very high,” Greece’s Chief Fire Officer Vasilios Vathrakoyannis said. “We are going through perhaps the most difficult days of the summer.”

Rapper Nicki Minaj announced in a Friday X post that she will be charging fans to access exclusive content. “I finally did it,” Minaj wrote in her post. “You can now subscribe to my X account.” The Queens rapper described her subscription-only space as a place for people who want to do anything from “think deeper” and “look cute” to “cuss people out” and “levitate.” Many people criticized the “Billionaire Barbie” singer, who, while not being an actual billionaire, has a net worth of $150 million, for the new money grab. “Why are we begging for subscriptions on Twitter?” one user asked. “Here she goes begging for money again so she can pay for her legal disputes,” another wrote, referring to her alleged $275,000 debt for concert event production, as reported by TMZ. Minaj, 43, has branded herself as President Donald Trump’s “number one supporter,” even claiming that the hate she gets from supporting him “motivates [her] to want to support him more.” In 2024, the rapper was named the richest female rapper in the world.

America just turned 250—but we don’t look backward. We’re already thinking about the next 250 years of innovation. Want to share your thoughts about the country’s future and have a chance to be featured on The Daily Beast Podcast? Pull out your red-white-and-blue soapbox and share your thoughts, predictions, and questions here.

In a four-part series, Joanna Coles is sitting down with experts to discuss the future of America, exploring topics like manufacturing, sports, and technology. This series is produced in partnership with PMI U.S., US Businesses of Philip Morris International and its America250 initiative, a yearlong push to celebrate and accelerate American innovation and reinvention.

This week, Joanna is joined by Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Senior Associate Dean for Leadership Studies at the Yale School of Management, to discuss the future of American education. From disruptive technological advancements like AI to ongoing policy debates and shifting societal expectations, education is being reshaped in real time, impacting the country’s next generation of leaders and citizens. What will this next chapter look like? Share a thought, prediction, or question for a chance to have Jeffrey respond on-air.

Your opinions fuel the conversation. Don’t miss your chance to weigh in—submit your thoughts here.

A 44-year-old man was arrested after climbing to the top of New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge, stripping off his clothes, and then plunging into the water hundreds of feet below. Galymzhan Abaildayev scaled the bridge’s north tower with a backpack on Sunday before displaying flags and then jumping into the East River. The bridge’s clearance is about 135 feet at its center, while its two main stone towers are about 270 feet tall. Abaildayev was rescued from the water by the New York Police Department’s harbor unit and taken to a local hospital in stable condition. He faces charges of reckless endangerment, graffiti, public lewdness, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct. It wasn’t immediately clear why he jumped or what was on the flags.

About 60,000 people have been evacuated in eastern Washington state in response to wildfires tearing through the Spokane area. At least 600 homes, businesses, and other structures have been destroyed in and around the state’s second-largest city, filling the sky with smoke and haze. So far, nobody has been reported injured or unaccounted for, but officials warned it was still early in the response effort. Among the evacuees were patients at the U.S. Veterans Affairs hospital in Spokane. As of Monday, the fires were 0 percent contained, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Firefighters hoped that cooler temperatures and lighter winds on Monday would help them get a handle on the blazes. Investigators have not yet determined how they started. About 525 square miles of grassland were also burning in western Idaho and eastern Oregon, while in central Utah, a massive blaze more than doubled in size over the weekend, reaching 57 square miles. The National Weather Service has issued air quality warnings across the Northwest.

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On and on, yawn and yawn—the long days and summer heat make it easy to feel drained before you’ve even made it to lunch. While many of us are in the habit of reaching for a caffeinated concoction of choice (coffee, tea, or soda, take your pick), these drinks often cause unpleasant side effects like jitters, overreliance, and an inevitable afternoon crash.

Pique Life’s new X·E Fountain energy drink combats fatigue and boosts focus without the caffeine, so you can drink it in the afternoon without worrying about your sleep being affected.

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Instead of jolting your system with caffeine, X·E Fountain is formulated to support your body’s natural energy production. The blend combines B vitamins, magnesium, and electrolytes to charge you with steady, sustainable energy, sharpen your focus, and replenish your hydration all at once. In other words, you get the energy of your usual morning (or afternoon) cup of joe without the shakes or insomnia. Plus, all you have to do is stir it directly into water, making it a no-fuss addition to your daily routine.

Whether you’re powering through a packed workday, squeezing in one last summer trip, or just looking for an extra boost of energy, X·E Fountain is built to keep you going. Skip the coffee and grab a pack today.

A Mexican cartel boss has been arrested and accused of ordering a hit on an influencer while she was live streaming. Prosecutors say that senior Jalisco New Generation Cartel member Ramón Ángel Álvarez Ayala, known as “El R1,” was behind the attack, as well as a hit on a mayor during Day of the Dead celebrations. On Thursday, a special forces operation was carried out in the state of Jalisco, which led to a member of Ayala’s security detail being killed. In her stream, TikToker Valeria Márquez, 23, was seen clutching a stuffed toy in a beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco, when she said a delivery had arrived for her. After she confirmed her name, she was shot twice. Federal security secretary Omar García Harfuch said she had been in a relationship with one of El R1’s sons, who, after making threats to her, had asked his father to arrange the hit. Both he and the gunman are still at large. The second killing took place in Uruapan, Michoacan, in November, when a teenager approached Carlos Manzo during celebrations and shot the father of two in the back. The teen was killed at the scene.

Dramatic video footage has emerged showing the inside of a seaplane full of American tourists just before it crashed in the Bahamas. The small Cessna 208B seaplane was attempting to take off on Saturday morning when it ran into boat traffic at the Caribbean island. The pilot then turned to look for a safe route out when the plane started pulling left while taxing. Despite the pilot’s attempts to correct course, the seaplane ended up slamming into a dock. Another video showed the Cessna plane on its side with one wing in the water, before eventually sinking. None of the eight tourists on board or its two crew members were injured in the incident near a resort in North Bimini. “All of a sudden the dock started getting closer and closer, and one of the people in the plane behind me said, ‘Where are you going?’ And then it just was ‘boom,’ and it hit,” passenger Jeanne O’Brien told ABC News’ Good Morning America. Tropic Ocean Airways, the operator of the Cessna seaplane, confirmed it is cooperating with authorities after the “mishap” on the water.

Rosie O’Donnell is making a return to hit talk show The View for its 30th anniversary. The 64-year-old comedian and television personality confirmed her return to the ABC series on Monday’s episode of the Tangle With Kyle Ridley podcast. O’Donnell, formerly a co-host of the show for seasons 10 and 18, said she would participate “in whatever way they want” and “just as a guest.” They’re bringing back all the hosts,” O’Donnell continued. “I’m pretty proud of that show, what it’s become, and how it really speaks to the people and to politics.” The former host left the show in 2007 following an on-air altercation about politics and U.S. involvement in Iraq with Elisabeth Hasselbeck and again in 2015 due to a “tense” relationship with Whoopi Goldberg. “We’ve gotten past it,” the Emmy-awarded host said regarding her and Goldberg’s current relationship. “We’re grown-a-- women.” She also highlighted her gripe with the show’s male ownership, despite having been created “for women.” “A show created by a woman, for women, about women, and the man was deciding what we should talk about.” The View is America’s most-watched daytime talk show, featuring a panel of female television personalities who cover “hot topics” in the news, politics, and entertainment, according to the show’s website.

Scott Hylands, the star of the 1980s police drama Night Heat, has died at 83. Hylands’s son, Luke Hylands, said in a post on social media that Hylands died on July 29. “Myself and my family are still trying to process this horrible loss,” Luke wrote. Hylands had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2021. From 1985 to 1989, the Canadian actor played Detective Kevin “O.B.” O’Brien in all four seasons of the series—the first Canadian original drama to air simultaneously in the U.S. He appeared alongside Jeff Wincott, who played his younger partner Frank Giambone, and Allan Royal, who portrayed Tom Kirkwood—the newspaper columnist who chronicled the pair’s cases and narrated the series. The series, which aired during CBS’ late-night lineup, often drew higher ratings than Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show in some markets, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Following his run on Night Heat, Hylands appeared on shows such as NYPD Blue, The X-Files, and Stargate SG-1. In 2017, he appeared in the third season of Fargo as Ennis Stuccy, the stepfather of Department of Homeland Security agent Gloria Burgle, played by Carrie Coon. He is survived by his son Luke, his wife of 36 years, Veronica, and his daughter, Rebecca.

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There are plenty of purchases I’ve justified over the years in the name of “self-care,” but few have delivered quite as much immediate gratification as my Lola Blanket. Whether you’re settling in for a TV marathon, reading in bed, cuddling with your partner (or, more realistically in my case, your pet), or just trying to survive an overzealous air conditioner in the middle of summer, a great throw blanket is one of those everyday luxuries we often overlook. Lola Blankets have very much earned their reputation as the internet’s favorite blanket, and after wrapping yourself in one, it’s not exactly hard to understand why.

Dubbed the “softest blanket ever,” the brand’s premium faux-fur throws have amassed more than 30,000 five-star reviews, making them among the most beloved blankets online. Available in an impressive range of colors, patterns, and four different sizes (along with weighted and pet-friendly versions), there’s a Lola Blanket for just about every sofa, bed, and perpetually chilly person. The ultra-soft blankets strike that rare balance of looking elevated enough to leave draped over your couch while still being the blanket everyone instinctively reaches for the second they sit down.

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Of course, softness is only part of their appeal. Unlike many faux-fur throws that require delicate care (or immediately look worse after one wash), Lola Blankets are machine washable, stain-resistant, and built to withstand everyday life. That makes them especially ideal for homes with kids, pets, or anyone who’s been known to enjoy dinner, wine, or an entire sleeve of cookies on the couch (*shamefully raising my hand*).

Each blanket is crafted with OEKO-TEX Standard 100-certified faux fur, therapeutic four-way stretch that makes sharing with a partner (or a pet) a little easier, and reinforced double-hemmed edges for added durability. Best of all, they’re shed-proof, so your furniture, clothes, and floors won’t end up looking like you’ve adopted a very fluffy new pet.

Former Republican congresswoman Kay Granger, who spent nearly three decades in the U.S House of Representatives but stopped coming to Congress in the final months of her term because of dementia, has died at 83. Granger, who represented Texas’s 12th District for 28 years until last year, was the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Texas and later became the first Republican woman to chair the influential House Appropriations Committee. But her career came to a controversial end after it emerged that she had been in an assisted living facility in Texas for months without anyone in D.C. noticing that she had stopped coming to work. Her death was announced by her son, J.D. Granger. House Speaker Mike Johnson paid tribute on X, writing that Granger “broke barriers for women in public service” and “was a dear friend who will be greatly missed.” Granger first entered Congress in 1996 after serving as Fort Worth’s first female mayor. During her time on Capitol Hill, she became a leading voice on federal spending and defense funding, including backing production of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Granger was an early Republican critic of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential bid but later endorsed him in 2020 and voted with his legislative positions about 97 percent of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.

A squeeze on federal research money has driven university scientists to resort to an unconventional revenue stream: uploading footage of wild rodents on an adult content platform. Ecologists at a lab affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles, have launched an OnlyFans account called “OnlyMarms” to post videos of yellow-bellied marmots in the wild. The effort aims to generate donations and offset federal budget cuts that forced universities to slash funding for graduate students overseeing long-term environmental research. The idea struck project lead Daniel Blumstein while watching the Apple TV comedy Margo’s Got Money Troubles. He realized his furry subjects had financial woes of their own. “It’s creating a real challenge,” Blumstein told the Los Angeles TImes. “This is a great teachable moment, not just about marmots, but about the sad state of scientific funding, the value of long-term scientific research and keeping a project alive that we think is valuable to society.” The G-rated account has already attracted 1,700 fans and netted about $4,000 after platform cuts, alongside a fan-created cryptocurrency. “The marmots don’t know how famous they are,” graduate student Emily Renkey told the paper with a laugh. Blumstein added that he was surprised by “the overwhelming international interest in marmots.”