Trending in Paris for Men: Glitter Pants and Inflatable Suits  The New York Times

Is Broadcom (AVGO) One of the Best Trending AI Stocks to Watch in 2026?  Yahoo Finance

Trending Surgical Procedure That Changes the Color of Your Eyes Alarms Scientists  Futurism

Trending stocks this week as tech meltdown rattles investors  Seeking Alpha

Cunningham’s 22-second point now a trending meme  Inquirer.net

1. Grand Theft Auto workers seek union recognition after mass firings  The Guardian
2. GTA 6: Rockstar workers demand union recognition  BBC
3. GTA 6 developers at Rockstar Games pushing to pursue official union recognition following 2025 sackings: "The union is now stronger than ever"  Eurogamer
4. GTA 6 makers have 10 working days to voluntarily recognise Rockstar IWGB Game Workers Union or it may go to a government tribunal  Rock Paper Shotgun
5. Fired GTA 6 developer accusing Rockstar Games of union busting says playing the blockbuster will "probably...  Yahoo

Samsung Music Studio 7 Review: A Great Speaker On Its Own, And Even Better In A Pair  Engadget

1. Proton launches Lumo 2.0 with image generation, memory, private web search, more  9to5Mac
2. Lumo, Proton’s privacy-focused AI chatbot, gets an upgrade  TechCrunch
3. Lumo 2.0: Proton's Private Alternative to ChatGPT and Claude Just Got Better  It's FOSS
4. Proton launches Lumo 2.0, doubling down on zero-access encryption as AI security risk grows  IT Security Guru
5. Proton's Privacy-Focused Lumo Chatbot Gets Image Generation  Engadget

1. Google pulls the plug on Tenor API, killing GIF pickers around the web  9to5Google
2. Google’s killing off Tenor GIF searches in other apps  The Verge
3. Don't panic, Discord isn't losing GIFs as Google shuts down Tenor API  PCGamesN
4. Google to shut down Tenor API on June 30, killing GIF support on Twitter/X, Discord & more  Shacknews
5. Google kills Tenor API, forcing apps to find new GIFs  The Tech Buzz

1. Google's chatty Keep Live and Gmail Live interfaces make first appearance  Android Authority
2. Gmail Live now in testing on Android and iOS  9to5Google
3. Google's Gmail Live AI Feature Is Now Available In Beta  Engadget
4. Gmail Live Just Arrived on Android and iOS  Droid Life
5. Google Gemini Live comes to Gmail and Keep: voice chat starts in summer 2026  en.softonic.com

Editor’s note: In honor of America’s 250th birthday, Earth Observatory is revisiting stories about the landscapes that helped shape U.S. history. The images and text on this page were originally published on February 17, 2025. Explore the full collection here.

George Washington was born in 1732 on his family’s tobacco plantation at Popes Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Three years later, he moved up the Potomac River to Little Hunting Creek Plantation, a property later renamed Mount Vernon. The riverside property, approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Washington, D.C., was central to the man who became the first U.S. president.

Though the family soon moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia, and resided there for much of his youth, Washington began managing the Mount Vernon property in 1759, soon after his marriage to Martha Dandridge. Washington’s letters make clear that he cherished and longed for this place during his long absences as a surveyor, military commander, and politician—a location he called the most “pleasantly situated” estate in the United States. It was where he helped raise two stepchildren, four step-grandchildren, and an array of crops and livestock. It was also where he was laid to rest in 1799 at the age of 67.

The OLI (Operational Land Imager) on Landsat 8 captured this image of Mount Vernon and its surroundings on August 25, 2024. While much of the land surrounding the estate has been developed into things like suburban neighborhoods, shopping areas, and military bases, fragments of the pristine forests, farmland, and riverscapes that Washington would recognize remain.

In a 1793 letter to Arthur Young, an English agricultural expert and reformer, Washington expounded on the virtues of Mount Vernon’s land.

Toward the end of his life, Washington’s land holdings extended across five farms centered on Mount Vernon. The map below, based on one of Washington’s drawings, shows their layout. The Mansion House Farm encompassed Mount Vernon, with Union Farm and Dogue Run Farm to the west. Muddy Hole Farm lay to the north and River Farm to the east.

Washington was known as an innovative landowner who, with the labor of hundreds of enslaved people, took unusual care to manage his crops sustainably. For instance, he shifted much of his production to wheat and corn and started experimenting with a seven-year crop rotation system and cover crops to better preserve the health of his soil after realizing that growing tobacco depleted its fertility.

While most crops were raised at the outlying farms, Mount Vernon’s gardens were showcases for visitors and laboratories for experimentation. The showy upper garden was a formal garden near the mansion with carefully trimmed dwarf boxwood hedges and a heated greenhouse with lemons, oranges, and rare plants.

Closer to the river was the lower garden, a kitchen garden brimming with vegetables, and a small garden that Washington called “my botanick garden,” where he spent much of his time experimenting with new varieties. Even closer to the river was the fruit garden, an experimental orchard where the estate raised pears, cherries, peaches, and apples. This may have been the source of the centuries-old preserved cherries that archaeologists unearthed in Mount Vernon’s cellar in 2024.

The lands connecting the five farms—his “wilderness,” Washington called it—were a forested area where he often spent time hunting and fishing. Species such as oak, hickory, and heath shrubs dominated the forests in Washington’s time. Dozens of the same plant species from that period are still found on the estate’s forests in modern times, though large numbers of non-native species have established themselves as well.

One of the larger open spaces visible in the Landsat image above is Fort Hunt Park. Once part of Washington’s River Farm, Fort Hunt was constructed in 1897 to bolster Washington D.C.’s defenses during a period of heightened tensions with Spain. Across the Potomac River stands Fort Washington Park, home to ruins of a fort that was used to defend the city during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.

Across the river in Maryland lies another property with a connection to George and Martha Washington. National Colonial Farm in Piscataway Park was established in 1958 to preserve the couple’s beloved views across the Potomac. Today, National Colonial Farm is a living farm museum and features several 18th-century heirloom varieties of herbs, flowers, and vegetables, including “Orinoco” tobacco, red May wheat, and Virginia white gourdseed corn.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Map of Washington’s farm courtesy of the Library of Congress. Story by Adam Voiland.

References & Resources

• Lee, J. (2006) Experiencing Mount Vernon. Accessed February 14, 2025.
• Library of Congress (1801) A map of General Washington’s farm of Mount Vernon from a drawing transmitted by the General. Accessed February 14, 2025.
• The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (2024, June 13) Archaeologists Unearth 35 Glass Bottles from the 18th Century at George Washington’s Mount Vernon During Mansion Revitalization, Most Containing Perfectly Preserved Cherries and Berries. Accessed February 14, 2025.
• The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (2025) Farm structure. Accessed February 14, 2025.
• The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (2025) George Washington the Farmer. Accessed February 14, 2025.
• The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (2025) The Four Gardens at Mount Vernon. Accessed February 14, 2025.
• NASA Landsat science. Accessed February 14, 2025.
• NASA Harvest Our Impact Areas. Accessed February 14, 2025.
• National Park Service Fort Hunt – History and Culture. Accessed February 14, 2025.
• National Park Service Fort Washington Park. Accessed February 14, 2025.
• Wells, E. & Brown, R. (2000) An Annotated Checklist of the Vascular Plants in the Forest at Historic Mount Vernon, Virginia: A Legacy from the Past. Castanea, 65(4), 242-257.
• Wine Spectator (2024, June 17) Presidential Pits: Archaeologists Find 29 Bottles of Cherries and Berries at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Accessed February 14, 2025.

This image released on June 26, 2026, features the globular cluster NGC 6723, sometimes called the Chandelier Cluster. Like its namesake, it sparkles with countless lights. However, each ‘lightbulb’ in this chandelier is an individual star 27,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius (the Archer).

Globular clusters like NGC 6723 contain some of the oldest stars in our galaxy. These clusters have ages that often exceed 10 billion years old, and some are nearly as old as the universe itself. Astronomers think globular clusters are some of the first structures that formed in our galaxy, coalescing potentially billions of years before the thin disk of stars in which our Sun orbits. The details of how globular clusters formed, however, are not yet certain.

Learn more about the Chandelier Cluster.

Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Sarajedini, G. Piotto

NASA Ames Science Stars of the Month: July 2026

The NASA Ames Science Directorate recognizes the outstanding contributions of (pictured left to right) Sungshin Choi, Yi-Chun Chen, Emma Yates, Eduardo Bendek. Their commitment to the NASA mission represents the entrepreneurial spirit, technical expertise, and collaborative disposition needed to explore this world and beyond.

Space Biosciences Star: Sungshin Choi

Sungshin Choi is a Project Scientist with Amentum in the Space Biosciences Division. Sungshin is recognized for her enduring support of many space biology flight investigations past, present and future, including CBIOMES, ODYSSEY, and Space Algae II more recently. She is a tireless advocate for high-quality science and the principal investigators whom she represents.

Space Biosciences Star: Yi-Chun Chen

Yi-Chun Chen is a Project Scientist with Amentum in the Space Biosciences Division. Yi-Chun is recognized for her exemplary support of multiple space biology activities including the MeF1, GEARS, and ELISA MABL (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay – Microgravity Associated Bone Loss) flight investigations. She is a dedicated and determined problem-solver that enables her teams to achieve success.

Earth Science Star: Emma Yates

Emma Yates is a research scientist with the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute in the Earth Science Division. She has been instrumental in advancing NASA’s Ozone Where We Live (OWWL) project by leading community engagement, citizen-science partnerships, and field deployments across California. Her efforts are expanding access to NASA science while building innovative community-based air quality monitoring networks that support Earth science research and public engagement.

Space Science Star: Eduardo Bendek

Eduardo Bendek is an optical scientist with the SETI Institute in the Astrophysics Branch in the Space Science and Astrobiology Division. In support of the Ames Coronagraph Testbed (ACT), Eduardo developed several options for ACT first light experiments, reviewed them with various stakeholders, and delivered a comprehensive presentation to project management for how to proceed. Eduardo’s excellent support of the ACT project is critical to its success as Ames develops this near-infrared testbed for the Habitable Worlds Observatory.

The Northwest Earth and Space Science Pathways (NESSP) project recently concluded its 2025–2026 ROADS (Rover Observation And Discoveries in Space) from Earth to Venus National Challenge, a NASA Science Activation program student challenge that engaged more than 500 students on 120 teams from eight states in authentic science and engineering experiences inspired by Venus exploration.

The challenge began with educator professional development in August 2025, preparing teachers and mentors to guide students through the ROADS experience. Registered teams then worked through challenge checkpoints from January through May 2026, with in-person Hub events held in April and May 2026 to give students opportunities to showcase their work, connect with peers, and engage with NASA-inspired STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) activities.

NESSP, led by Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington, creates opportunities for students and educators to connect with NASA science through hands-on STEM learning. The ROADS framework challenges upper elementary, middle, and high school students to work collaboratively on mission-inspired activities that mirror the ways NASA scientists and engineers investigate planetary environments and prepare for future exploration.

Throughout the academic year, ROADS from Earth to Venus teams completed eight Mission Objectives focused on science, engineering, teamwork, and communication. Students documented their work in Mission Development Logs, designed mission patches, modeled carbon movement on Earth and Venus, investigated the greenhouse effect, collected remote sensing data using kite-mounted cameras, programmed robotic rovers to navigate Venus-inspired terrain, explored NASA-related careers, and presented their final mission stories through virtual submissions and regional Hub events.

In addition to completing the challenge virtually, many students participated in in-person Hub events hosted by NESSP partner institutions, including Central Washington University, Montana State University, and Northern Arizona University. These events gave teams the opportunity to showcase their work, exchange ideas with peers, interact with mentors, and experience college campuses as part of a broader STEM learning community.

“The ROADS Challenge gives students the opportunity to do more than learn about NASA missions – they become part of the mission,” said Dr. Darci Snowden, Director of NESSP. “I am especially proud of this year’s teams. Students took on an exceptionally broad set of mission objectives, from modeling carbon cycles and designing experiments to conducting remote sensing operations with kites and programming rovers to navigate challenging terrain while collecting scientific data. These students participated because they were curious, motivated, and eager to learn. By investigating authentic mission challenges, collaborating with teammates, and sharing their ideas with others, students develop the confidence and skills needed to see themselves as future scientists, engineers, educators, and explorers.”

NESSP recognized top teams across elementary, middle, and high school divisions for outstanding participation and exemplary Mission Development Logs.

In the Elementary School Division, NESSP recognized The Evil Twins, The Acid Clouds, Flaming Asteroid Nebulas, and The NASA Intelligence, all from Silverdale, Washington.

In the Middle School Division, NESSP recognized Venus Ascenders from Mukilteo, Washington; Project Fuego Venus from Safford, Arizona; Galaxy Dragons from Sequim, Washington; The Four Folds from Hardin, Montana; and Crater Lake Crusaders from Medford, Oregon.

In the High School Division, NESSP recognized Laborantem from Columbus, Montana; Velocity to Venus from Sequim, Washington; Puget Sound Propulsion from Mukilteo, Washington; and Evergreen Explorers from Mukilteo, Washington.

Highlights from this year’s challenge, including student presentations and special recognitions, are available through the ROADS from Earth to Venus Virtual Recognition Ceremony on the NESSP YouTube channel, @nwessp.

Educators, families, and community organizations can continue to access ROADS from Earth to Venus activities and educational resources, along with materials from previous ROADS challenges, through the NESSP website at www.nwessp.org.

NASA’s Northwest Earth and Space Science Pathways project is supported by NASA cooperative agreement award number 80NSSC22M0006 and is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio, which connects learners with authentic NASA science experiences through partnerships with educators and community organizations.

NASA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched the SBIC-NASA Initiative on Monday to increase investment in American manufacturers of industrial components and providers of technologies critical to space exploration to support a sustained presence on the Moon and Mars. 

Under the Memorandum of Agreement, NASA will identify technology priorities and connect businesses to funding opportunities through the agency’s new NASA Office of Strategic Capital. The initiative also will be a part of SBA’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program, which provides leverage that matches private capital raised by investment funds and is designed to enhance fund-level investment returns.

“To achieve President Trump’s National Space Policy, NASA needs a stronger industrial base capable of moving at the speed this new space race demands,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Through the NASA Office of Strategic Capital, this partnership with the SBA will help small businesses access the capital they need to scale, strengthen critical supply chains, rebuild America’s industrial might, and deliver the outcomes necessary to ensure the United States leads the next era of space exploration.”

By augmenting the investable capital for investment funds licensed by the SBA under this SBIC-NASA Initiative, the new initiative expands access to capital for small businesses within the space industry.

“To meet President Trump’s objective of securing American leadership on every frontier, the SBA and NASA are partnering to supercharge the industrial base behind our space program and connect the innovators building critical technologies with needed capital,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “Through this partnership with NASA, the SBA is mobilizing private sector investment to fuel the small businesses, manufacturers, and innovators that are driving American space dominance. By aligning capital with strategic national priorities, this exciting effort will help launch the next great era of space exploration.”

Under the agreement, NASA will define strategic aerospace technology focus areas and identify supply chain needs. The SBA will use those priorities to attract and license qualified private investment funds that commit to invest at least 60% of their capital into NASA-identified focus areas, including:

• Energy production, infrastructure, and storage
• Nuclear power and propulsion
• Advanced software, avionics, and communications systems
• Specialized materials and components
• Inhospitable environment infrastructure
• Scaled launch infrastructure
• Biomedical and life support technology

Through this partnership between NASA and SBA, capital will flow into space industry sectors and upstream supply chain components vital to the National Space Policy and critical to national and economic security.

For details about the new initiative and NASA’s Office of Strategic Capital, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/strategiccapital

-end-

Camille Gallo / Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington 
202-358-1600 
camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov

The updates include translations, new tools for hosts, and more.

Anthropic's Claude Science is a workbench that gives scientists one environment to do computational research, saving them from the need to bounce between databases, pipelines, and tools.

But the company is still claiming that New Glenn will return to flight this year.

The company may finally be ready to try to deliver on Elon Musk's years-long promise of launching a robotaxi network of its own.

X has launched a hosted MCP server, making it easier for developers to connect AI applications with the company’s API.