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A steering rack bolt on 208,724 Volkswagen and Audi SUVs can corrode, fracture, and leave drivers with no steering control, and a voluntary federal recall is now open acr…

A steering rack mounting bolt in 208,724 Volkswagen and Audi SUVs can corrode and break, leaving drivers with no steering ...
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US shoppers made 7% fewer purchases in H1 2026 but spent 8% more, benchmark of 2,319 brands and retailers finds

Impact.com's mid-year benchmark of 2,319 North American retailers finds US shoppers made 7% fewer purchases in H1 2026 while ...
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A free messaging app used by more than 3 billion people launched a $2.99 monthly subscription this past spring, and paying users still see ads inside the app’s status fe…

WhatsApp Plus launched globally at $2.99/month but the paid tier doesn't remove ads from the Status feed — here's exactly ...
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Black Hills Energy asks Colorado regulators for $26.7 million electric rate increase tied to $184 million grid spend

Black Hills Energy filed a $26.7 million electric rate case with Colorado's PUC on June 12, citing $184 million in grid investments since its last review.
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Screen time rules are set by 86 percent of parents, and independent home testing found motivated teens bypassed most of 18 parental control apps within 48 hours

Built-in smartphone screen limits are used by 86% of parents, but independent testing found motivated teens bypass most controls within 48 hours using documented loopholes.
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A Washington utility’s three-year rate plan carries more than $529 million in federal tax credits, and residential electric bills still climb $28 a month when the first year ...

A Washington utility filed a three-year rate plan with $529M in federal tax credits baked in, yet a typical 800 kWh household faces a $28/month bill jump in the first year.
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TikTok and Disney strike deal giving creators licensed access to Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar content

Disney and TikTok announce a first-of-its-kind global deal letting creators legally use licensed clips and characters from Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar in short-form videos.
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Hybrids claimed a record 15.4 percent of all US new-vehicle sales in the first half of this year, and three automakers control nearly nine in ten of every gas-electric model sold

Hybrids hit a record 15.4% share of the US new-car market in H1 2026, with 1.21 million units sold and three automakers controlling nearly 86% of all gas-electric sales.
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Only 45% of Americans plan a paid summer vacation in 2026, the lowest share in six years, Deloitte finds

Deloitte's 2026 Summer Travel Survey of 4,003 Americans finds vacation intent at a six-year low, with rising costs keeping millions home while committed travelers spend more.
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Conventional wireless earbuds slipped to 82 million shipments in their first annual fall in three years, and the open-ear format that leaves the canal unblocked grew 12 percent ...

New Omdia data shows conventional TWS earbuds fell 2% in Q2 2026 while open-ear models surged 12% to 11.1M units, reshaping the personal audio market.
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A $599 laptop shipped 1.1 million units in its first three weeks on sale, and the wider laptop market shrank 11 percent while its maker grew 23 percent

The MacBook Neo launched at $599 and shipped over a million units on day one, while the broader laptop market is forecast to fall 11% in 2026 and its maker grows 23%.
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Utah FORGE launches extended EGS circulation test to evaluate commercial viability

Utah FORGE began a 90-to-120-day enhanced geothermal system circulation test on Aug. 12 to measure thermal decline and water loss at its Milford, Utah, field lab.