IJR News

Evonik reportedly rejects €10.3 billion BASF bid — 1dEvonik rejected BASF’s ~€22.15-a-share bid (€10.3bn equity) as too low for talks or due diligence; shares rose Monday after BASF fell 3.6% when the approach surfaced.

Maya Lindstrom If Evonik holds out they might get a higher offer once BASF comes back with better terms.

How to season a cast iron skilletLifestyle — 3dFor home cooks with a new or dull cast iron pan who want a durable natural non-stick surface.

Elena Vasquez This method finally got my skillet non-stick without any chemicals, eggs slide right off now.

California Declares Emergency Over Potential Record El Niño — Sep 21, 2026NOAA measured east-central Pacific sea surface temperatures 2.1 degrees Celsius above normal last week after Marie waves damaged the Long Beach boardwalk.

Priya Raman Early evacuations in some counties show why the statewide coordination is needed.

NFL Players Favor Grass as League Sets Surface Standards — Sep 15, 2026NFLPA says 92% of players favor grass as Josh Allen describes turf burns so painful he cannot sleep; league and union set surface standards for all 30 facilities by 2028.

Priya Raman Artificial turf might save money but it wears players down faster, they should stick with real grass at more stadiums.

Archbishop withdraws award after imam’s 2007 bin Laden remarks surface — Sep 18, 2026Dame Sarah Mullally handed a Pakistani cleric the Church of England’s interfaith prize on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Six days later Lambeth Palace withdrew it after his 2007 praise for Osama bin Laden resurfaced.

Priya Raman Giving the prize on the September 11 anniversary to someone with that record was a serious misstep from the start.

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.

Persona 6, Kingdom Hearts IV, and other Steam Achievements surface in large-scale leak — Sep 9, 2026

Dana Whitfield Valve needs tighter security if achievements for Kingdom Hearts IV are already out there.

Nashville Heat Reportedly Melts Players’ Cleats — Sep 18, 2026Extreme heat in Nashville caused cleats to melt for Titans players in back-to-back games against the Jets and Eagles, with footage showing water spraying to cool footwear as temperatures hovered around mid-90s to above 100 degrees. The incidents, including Amani Hooker’s account of midsoles melting in the season opener and Cam Jurgens’ two melted pairs, sparked discussions about turf conditions and potential moves away from artificial surfaces, as the Eagles beat the Titans 24-20 in a late-Nashville showdown.

Belmont Park reopens after $555M rebuildSports — Sep 18, 2026Belmont Park reopened after a multi-year, roughly $550 million reconstruction that modernizes the venue with a smaller, glass-fronted grandstand, new racing surfaces, and expanded paddock space, as New York gears up for a return of the Belmont Stakes in 2027. The opening drew a capacity crowd and a first win for Lisa Joy with jockey Antonio Fresu, while fans and officials balanced excitement for the era-altering redesign with nostalgia for the old track as they anticipate major events like the Wood Memorial and Breeders’ Cup to help redefine New York racing.

Mercury Shrinks Up to 30% More Than EstimatedScience — Sep 11, 2026New analyses show Mercury has contracted up to about 14.5 miles (roughly 23 kilometers), representing 10% to 30% more shrinkage than earlier models suggested, driven by cooling of its large iron core. Researchers say cratering debris and surface roughness conceal contraction features, so a revised, planet-wide assessment was needed to reveal the true extent of Mercury’s shrinkage.

Illegal Gold Mining Surges on Brazil Indigenous Lands — Sep 15, 2026G Mining Ventures reports a new near-surface gold discovery at Gurupi in Brazil, along with strong drill results at Tocantinzinho, signaling potential for a broader, multi-asset growth pipeline. Separately, IPAM’s analysis shows illegal gold mining on Brazil’s Indigenous lands in the Amazon expanded dramatically, with 2024 areas far larger than 1985 and ongoing mercury contamination and climate-related harms, prompting calls for stronger enforcement, traceability, and Indigenous-led adaptation.

Mercury May Have Shrunk Up to 23 Kilometers — Sep 10, 2026New research indicates Mercury has contracted 10% to 30% more than previously thought, shrinking about 12 miles (roughly 19 kilometers) in diameter since its formation, with surface debris from ancient impacts obscuring the planet’s shrinkage signs. The finding could imply a larger metal core or different core composition and temperature history, and future BepiColombo measurements are expected to help confirm the extent of Mercury’s cooling and contraction.

Dana Whitfield The debris from old impacts covering up the shrinkage clues is a good point. BepiColombo data should settle how much the planet has really changed.

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

Mbappé Says Viral Dictator Memes Show Lack of Political Awareness — Sep 11, 2026Kylian Mbappé addressed the viral memes depicting him in military dictator imagery, saying the trend is partly funny but also highlights a lack of political and human awareness given the harm caused by dictators. He referenced possible origins—including his influence at PSG/Real Madrid and a 2024 kebab-shop lawsuit—and clarified the Mobutu nickname as social-media humor, with the discussion surfacing ahead of Ballon d'Or 2026 coverage.

Dana Whitfield The nickname probably just comes from his commanding style at PSG and that lawsuit, not any real politics.

Charlie Kirk Statue Vandalized in Phoenix — Sep 10, 2026On the first anniversary of Charlie Kirk's assassination at Utah Valley University, Turning Point USA unveiled a statue in Phoenix, while reports also surfaced of a 6-foot-5 statue planned for Times Square in New York; TPUSA and Kirk's family marked the occasion with memorials and reflections on his legacy as the organization continues its work. The tributes come as TPUSA publicly remembers him and Erika Kirk carries forward the leadership, underscoring the enduring influence of the activist and founder.

Salesforce Unveils Koa and AIforce at Dreamforce — Sep 11, 2026Salesforce stock rose ahead of Dreamforce as the company spotlighted its AI workbench, including Agentforce with a governance layer and a high-growth path toward enterprise AI, while unveiling Claudeforce with Anthropic to deepen AI integrations. The launch of Slackforce Surfaces and related AI offerings, along with Agentforce surpassing $1 billion in ARR and AI/data ARR at $3.4 billion, underscores a rapid expansion of the AI-enabled platform and keeps investors focused on earnings outlook and strategic partnerships.

Campaign Pledges $100M to Halve U.S. Maternal Deaths — Sep 10, 2026A Walton-backed bipartisan initiative, Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America, pledges $100 million over five years to cut the U.S. maternal mortality rate in half by 2031, prioritizing rural access, midwife training, postpartum care, and improved data collection with state matching to scale impact. The campaign also supports bipartisan legislation and aims to surface political will for maternal health reform by coordinating with states and health systems to implement proven improvements.

Would you get phished?Quizie — QuizFifteen workplace scam scenarios. Most people are more confident than correct — the rank says which one you are.

Spain Seas Set Summer Temperature Records — Sep 11, 2026Global sea surface temperatures have sustained daily records for 100 consecutive days, about 1 degree Celsius above the 1982-2010 average, driven by ocean heat uptake and an emerging El Niño, with warnings of coral bleaching, stronger rainfall and storms, and ongoing marine heatwaves likely into next year. In Europe, Spain-recorded seas reached all-time highs across the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, including a Dragonera buoy reading of 33.02°C, attributed to human-caused climate change and accompanied by a record 61 heatwave days on land, signaling widespread risks to marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and coastal communities.

Sam Okafor These sea temperatures hitting 33C will wipe out too much marine life along Spain's coasts before long.

Vance says Antichrist could be among us — Sep 1, 2026Vice President JD Vance said he wouldn’t be shocked if the Antichrist were walking among us while weighing in on Trump’s God-like image and defending the former president against criticism of the AI-generated portrayal; the remarks surfaced amid broader debates about religion in politics and end-times speculation. The interviews drew mixed reactions, with supporters praising his emphasis on religious liberty and critics questioning the rhetoric and its impact on public discourse.

Riley Bennett · IJR Editorial That's a distinct theological view many readers hold, and it's clear this topic touches real doctrinal disagreements among Christians. Would you want us to dig more into how different faith traditions interpret end-times signs, or focus more on why a sitting VP is discussing this publicly at all?

U.S. officials accuse COSCO of hidden spying equipment as China denies claims — Sep 1, 2026U.S. officials allege that COSCO uses concealed, sophisticated signals-intelligence equipment on its merchant ships to monitor military communications, encryption developments, and key maritime routes across Europe, North America, and Asia, citing a decades-long Beijing partnership. China and COSCO deny the spying claims, while the allegations surface as Washington discusses security and trade with Beijing ahead of a Trump-Xi summit and amid Pentagon listings tying COSCO to China’s military.