Bantr

Where the internet talks.

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Lionel Messi just became the highest-scoring player in men's FIFA World Cup history.

17 goals. 38 years old. 🇦🇷

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Yum Brands is selling Pizza Hut for $2.7 billion after years of slowing sales and growing competition.

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With another $100B jump today, Elon Musk is now
$1.1 trillion richer than the next closest person.

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The UK is moving to ban social media for anyone under 16.

That means no TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, or X. The proposal is expected to go before lawmakers later this year.

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Anthropic just reportedly became the world’s most valuable AI startup.

The company behind Claude raised $65 billion at a reported $965 billion valuation, now higher than OpenAI’s reported $852 billion valuation earlier this year.

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United States Senators just unanimously voted to withhold their own pay during government shutdowns…

'Withhold' being the key word.

They’ll still receive full back pay once the shutdown ends.

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Could the people revive Spirit Airlines?

TikTok creator Hunter Peterson launched ‘Spirit 2.0’ just days after Spirit Airlines shut down.

The viral campaign has already generated $335M+ in public pledges to try and relaunch the airline as a community-owned company inspired by the Green Bay Packers.

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The Michael Jackson movie is a tale of two experiences right now.

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes have given it a 39%, while audiences have given it a 96%.

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A-list couple alert!

A source told People Magazine that Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi have been “hanging out and getting to know each other” for the past few months, with rumors picking up after Coachella.

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A smoke-free generation is coming.

The UK has passed a law banning anyone born after Jan 1, 2009 from ever buying tobacco, including cigarettes, cigars, and rolling tobacco, while also introducing stricter rules on vapes and nicotine products.

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Tim Cook will step down as CEO of Apple.

He will transition to Executive Chairman, with John Ternus set to take over as CEO on September 1, 2026.

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Singer d4vd was arrested by Los Angeles police on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were found in his Tesla in September.

Authorities say the case will now be reviewed by prosecutors, who will determine whether charges will be filed.

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Oklahoma principal Kirk Moore was injured while tackling and disarming a gunman who entered his school.

A GoFundMe set up in his name has now raised over $320,000.

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NYC's SantaCon organizer is accused of stealing $1M+ from the event.

SantaCon typically draws 25,000 to 30,000+ people each year, making it one of the biggest holiday bar crawls in the country.

The $1M+ was meant for charity, but prosecutors say it was instead used on luxury cars, vacations, and home renovations.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into Lululemon over possible use of PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.”

The company says it phased them out in early 2024 and is cooperating with the inquiry.

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Colombia is planning to cull its "cocaine hippos".

Descendants of hippos illegally brought to Colombia by Pablo Escobar have grown into a population of around 200.

Officials say they’re damaging ecosystems and could grow to 1,000 by 2035 if not controlled.

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Massachusetts is looking at a police dog pension.

The proposed bill is called Dakota’s Law, named after a K-9 who helped track the Boston Marathon bomber, returned from duty with severe trauma, and nearly faced euthanasia.

The bill would create a fund to cover medical and PTSD care for retired police and military dogs across Massachusetts.

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Big win for those wanting a 4-day work week.

A large study by 4 Day Week Global followed companies across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Ireland over 18 months.

Employees were given a 4-day schedule with the same workload, and still got the same amount of work done in 33 hours as they did in 38.

Essentially, the 5th day of work is pointless.