IJR News

Mbappé Targets 2026 Ballon d’Or for Madrid — Sep 18, 2026Mbappé says the Ballon d’Or should return to Real Madrid and stresses that winning individual honours is secondary to helping the club win titles, while underscoring Madrid as his preferred home; he also revealed a decade-long relationship with Florentino Pérez that culminated in his 2024 move to the Bernabéu. He has floated signing Madrid icons Cristiano Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo Nazário, reaffirmed his focus on Real Madrid’s success, and highlighted Pérez’s role in shaping his transfer, as he eyes the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

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Pauly D proposes to Nikki Hall in Vegas — Sep 28, 2026Pauly D proposed to Nikki Hall during his DJ set at Omnia Dayclub in Las Vegas on September 27, 2026; she said yes as he shouted it on the mic.

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Maya Lindstrom Pauly D and Nikki seem like a solid match after six years, glad they made it official in Vegas.

Rodri backs six Spaniards for Ballon d’Or — Sep 23, 2026Lionel Messi is being backed by Argentina teammates for a record-extending Ballon d’Or, with his World Cup performance cited as a key argument. Rodri, meanwhile, named himself and five other Spanish players as deserving contenders, while leaving out leading nominees including Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane.

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Tekever hits $6.4 billion valuation with $580 million Series D raise — Sep 23, 2026Tekever reached a $6.4 billion valuation on a $580 million Series D, UC Investments' first direct investment in Europe.

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Tom Gallagher The UK CORVUS selection plus this funding should push Tekever to expand production of those autonomous platforms without delay.

Panasonic Opens Global Osaka Battery R&D HubBusiness — Sep 16, 2026Panasonic Energy is consolidating battery R&D in Osaka into Energy Innovation Square and a linked Suminoe facility, bringing 500+ staff together to accelerate development times by over 15% and tighten the link between lab work and mass production for automotive and data-center batteries. The initiative aims to deploy integrated digital simulations with physical testing across Panasonic’s global network, including US plants in Nevada and Kansas, to boost energy density, lifespan, and overall production agility.

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Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

Anthropic Says Claude Now Leads 26% of Its R&D Work — Sep 17, 2026Anthropic says Claude now leads 26% of its R&D work, up from near zero in February, and urges rivals to publish similar metrics on recursive self-improvement.

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Nicole Hardy It's impressive how fast Claude has scaled to handle over a quarter of Anthropic's R&D, but rivals sharing their own numbers would help everyone track real progress on self-improvement.

Impulse Space raises $308M in Series D extension round — Sep 16, 2026Impulse Space raised an additional $308 million in its Series D extension, bringing the round total to $808 million to fund expanded team, manufacturing, and continued development of its in-space mobility systems. The funding, along with recent government contracts, signals growing demand for post-launch spacecraft movement across commercial, civil, and defense customers.

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Fosun Pharma plans HK$1 billion buyback funded by Gland Pharma stake sale — Sep 6, 2026Fosun Pharma unveils up to HK$1 billion in H-share buybacks, funded in part by the disposal of about 6% of its Gland Pharma stake, as management signals confidence in intrinsic value despite heavy R&D investment and only modest recurring profit growth. The stake sale, worth around US$296 million, reduces Fosun’s holding in Gland Pharma to ~45.76% but keeps it as controller, with proceeds earmarked for R&D, debt repayment, and further buybacks to support long-term value creation.

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Elena Vasquez Modest recurring profit growth with heavy R&D spend is the real story here, the buyback is just window dressing for investors.

Raid on Taipei Gay Bar Prompts LGBTQ Protest Ahead of Pride — 1d"They raided the place violently. It was very scary," a detainee said after Taipei police took 51 from gay bar Commander D on Oct. 3; about 100 protested Sunday.

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Tom Gallagher If laws were being broken inside, the raid might have had a reason, but the reported force still needs explaining.

US Carrier Strike Group Reaches Phuket After Middle East Operations — 1dUSS George H.W. Bush and destroyer USS Delbert D. Black arrived off Phuket on October 4 after Arabian Sea operations during the Iran conflict; the stay runs through October 9.

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Jared Kim These visits keep the US-Thailand military partnership practical and visible on both sides.

Disney HR layoffs — 6dDisney is cutting around 300 HR and technology roles in a third 2026 layoff round under CEO Josh D'Amaro, part of broader cost cuts, early-retirement offers, and AI-driven corporate streamlining.

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Physical Books vs E-ReadersYourlist — VS BattlePaper's soul versus the paperless suitcase.

Spike Lee restrained after fan questions him about Palestine at Yankee Stadium — 5dStaff restrained Spike Lee at Yankee Stadium after a fan confrontation; video shows him shouting, "Why'd you come over to me?"

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Nicole Hardy Security did the right thing getting involved before it turned into something worse.

Former Rep. Wild Criticizes Crockett for Skipping Talarico in PAC Endorsements — 5dRep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, is facing criticism after her political action committee left James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, off a list of candida… — by Andrew Powell

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Priya Raman Talarico deserves the same backing as others on the list if Crockett wants to build real unity.

Nirvana Members Reunite, Accept MTV Vanguard Award — Sep 27, 2026Grohl, Novoselic and Smear accepted MTV's Video Vanguard Award from Chuck D on Sept. 27, 2026 in Los Angeles; Novoselic called Cobain "one of one" as Smear lit a cigarette. The band did not perform.

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Tom Gallagher Smear lighting a cigarette during the speech felt like classic Nirvana style.

167,639 Pounds of Meat Recalled Over Counterfeit USDA Inspection Marks — Sep 23, 2026The USDA warns that about 167,639 pounds of Star Meat Delivery products—pork, beef and goat—were produced without federal inspection and bear false inspection marks (EST 1363), shipped to A&D Foods in Georgia for nationwide distribution, and should be discarded or returned. No illnesses have been reported, but officials say these products could pose safety risks and are continuing the investigation for additional affected items.

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The Four-Letter Type TestQuizie — QuizThe classic sixteen-types test — twenty questions, four axes, your letters computed for real, and an AI portrait written for your exact mix.

Social Security's 2027 COLA Forecast Faces Medicare CostsFinance — Sep 24, 2026Forecasts put Social Security’s 2027 cost-of-living adjustment at 3.5% to 3.6%, with the official figure due Oct. 14 after September inflation data. Rising Medicare costs—including a projected increase in Part B premiums and a finalized Part D deductible hike—could absorb part of the increase before beneficiaries receive it.

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Spencer Memoir Reopens Dispute Over Diana ClaimsWorld — Sep 16, 2026Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, promotes in his forthcoming Swan Song: Diana, My Sister a narrative accusing Prince Charles of a volatile reaction after Diana’s death, including allegedly telling Spencer he’d “forget her soon enough” and suggesting relief at Diana’s death as the boys walked behind her coffin; the memoir also touches on Diana’s mental health and the emotional aftermath. Buckingham Palace publicly questions the recollection, with Charles’ grief cited as potentially clouding judgment and memory, while Spencer counters with renewed detail as the book release approaches.

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Sanders Bill Would Ban Superintelligence and Create AI Oversight Agency — Sep 23, 2026Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, are pushing legislation that would permanently prohibit the development and deployment of artificial superintelligence whi… — by Andrew Powell

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Rachel Meyers A new oversight agency risks slowing useful AI work on medicine and climate without addressing labs outside the US.

Medicare Drug Costs Expected to Rise in 2027Health — Sep 20, 2026Industry and public testimony on GDUFA reauthorization highlighted calls for more transparency in generic drugs and concerns about shortages and safety. Meanwhile, a U.S. Section 301 investigation into Germany’s pricing underscores fears that high global prices threaten innovation and patient access, as Medicare Part D faces rising premiums and deductibles and the expiration of a subsidy that helped stabilize costs.

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Memoir Claims Charles Told Spencer Diana’d Be Forgotten — Sep 16, 2026Spencer memoir claims now-King Charles said 'Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough!' six days after Diana's 1997 death in a call over the princes' funeral walk.

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Metcalfe Wants ‘John Tucker’ Costar Reunion — Sep 20, 2026Jesse Metcalfe named Arielle Kebbel, Penn Badgley and Brittany Snow as costars he’d love to work with again, and hinted there could be a John Tucker Must Die reunion. He acknowledged a sequel script exists at 20th Century Fox but said it has lost momentum and is on pause, with Kebbel and others still hopeful and Metcalfe not losing sleep over the outcome.

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Chris Dalton The original was light and funny so a reunion could still work if everyone is on board.

Herbstreit Defends Cruz GameDay Appearance Amid Backlash — Sep 18, 2026Kirk Herbstreit said he'd "never seen a guy booed that long" after Ted Cruz's nearly 10-minute GameDay spot; journalists called his defense disingenuous.

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Sam Okafor Herbstreit has a point about the booing going on way too long for any guest on a college football show.

Jelly Roll Weighs Music Future, Seeks God’s Direction — Sep 14, 2026Jelly Roll says he may walk away from music to follow God’s direction, planning a hiatus and saying he’d do something entirely different if that’s what God wants. His reflections come after a year of major career highs, including Grammys and Grand Ole Opry induction, alongside personal changes like divorce, sobriety, and ongoing therapy as he seeks clarity for his next path.

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Novo Nordisk Partners With Anthropic to Accelerate Drug Discovery — Sep 16, 2026Novo Nordisk and Anthropic announced a collaboration to deploy Claude Science and other frontier AI models to speed up drug discovery and strengthen AI-driven software development, with initial testing on specific R&D workflows and a focus on robust data governance and human oversight. Executives emphasized productivity gains, shorter development timelines, and new scientific opportunities enabled by AI, including assurances from Anthropic’s leadership about safe, capable AI to advance medical breakthroughs.

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Chris Dalton Testing these tools on specific workflows first makes sense before claiming big productivity gains.