first Americans

US sanctions on the International Criminal Court have blocked the court from using American software providers, prompting the Netherlands to build an alternative software ecosystem based on the open-source NixOS operating system. Trial programs are already underway, with a first full release expected at the end of 2027. The move signals a broader European push to reduce dependence on US-based technology suppliers in the wake of escalating sanctions policy.

The New York Times has published a review of 'American Hagwon' by Min Jin Lee, the acclaimed author of 'Pachinko' and 'Free Food for Millionaires'. The review examines the book's exploration of education, ambition and the Korean-American experience. Readers of literary fiction and fans of Lee's earlier work are taking note of her return with a new title.

On this day in 1909, the Industrial Workers of the World launched its first major free speech fight in Missoula, Montana. Union members defied local ordinances banning public speaking by deliberately gathering to speak, being arrested en masse, and filling the jails until authorities backed down and the laws were changed. The campaign became a template for the IWW's later free speech fights across the American West.

Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees star outfielder, will not be added to the team's roster for the American League Wild Card Series as he continues to recover from an injury. The announcement from the club means the slugger will miss the opening round of the postseason, leaving a significant hole in the middle of the Yankees lineup as they begin their playoff run without their captain.

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees open their American League Wild Card Series on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, broadcast nationally on NBC and Peacock. MLB.com published a game FAQ with projected lineups ahead of first pitch. The matchup revives baseball's most storied rivalry in a win-or-go-home postseason format, drawing heavy attention from fans on both sides.

Playwright Sarah Ruhl has a 'First Person' article out with The Arts Desk, highlighted by Hampstead Theatre. The piece offers Ruhl's personal reflections in her own words, drawing attention from theatre audiences. Hampstead Theatre shared the article with its followers, adding to interest in Ruhl's work and her distinctive voice in contemporary American playwriting.

A fitness enthusiast has posted the workout of the day, nicknamed the Pain Cave: three rounds of 21 front squats with a 15kg bar and 21 American kettlebell swings at 16kg, capped at 21 minutes with short rests. They swapped thrusters for front squats after shoulder trouble mid-session and logged the sweat and grind for fellow gym fans.

The Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros begin their American League Wild Card Series with Game 1 at 5 p.m. ET, broadcast on Peacock and NBCSN. The matchup marks the start of Major League Baseball's expanded postseason, with fans discussing lineups, pitching decisions and how the new three-game format could shape each team's October run.

Anniversaries are being marked for Enrico Fermi, born 125 years ago, the Italian-American physicist behind the world's first nuclear reactor and a key figure in developing quantum theory and nuclear physics. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1938 and lent his name to the famous Fermi paradox about alien life.

Atlanta will be the first American stop for the torch relay ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The announcement carries symbolic weight, as Atlanta hosted the 1996 centennial Games and remains a major US Olympic city. Organisers are expected to reveal further relay stops as the route toward Los Angeles takes shape.

The Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros open their American League Wild Card Series on Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET, with coverage on Peacock and NBCSN. Fans are checking game times, pitching matchups and broadcast details ahead of the first postseason meeting between the two clubs, as MLB's expanded playoff format begins.

The Chicago White Sox took the opening game of their American League Wild Card Series against the Houston Astros, striking first in the postseason matchup. The win gives Chicago an early edge in the best-of-three series as they look to advance, while Houston faces pressure to respond in game two and keep its playoff hopes alive.

The Chicago White Sox took the opening game of the American League wild card series, beating the Houston Astros 6-3. Chicago struck early and never relinquished the lead, putting Houston on the back foot with the series now shifting in the White Sox's favour. Fans and analysts are weighing whether the Astros can recover in Game 2 or if Chicago's momentum will carry them through the postseason round.

Long Lake, described as the world's first AI holding company, has completed its $6.3 billion acquisition of American Express Global Business Travel. The deal places a major corporate travel management provider under an artificial intelligence-focused holding structure, and the closing of the transaction was announced via press release. It marks one of the larger acquisitions in the business travel sector and signals growing interest in applying AI ownership models to established travel companies.

Engineering firm Black & Veatch has completed Mitsui's first utility-scale solar project in the United States, located in Texas. The announcement was carried widely across U.S. news outlets. It marks Japanese trading house Mitsui's entry into American utility-scale solar generation, underscoring growing foreign investment in Texas's rapidly expanding renewable energy sector.

New campaign finance disclosures show for the first time how much American political campaigns are spending on artificial intelligence tools. The filings, reviewed by The Guardian, detail outlays on AI services by candidates and committees, offering a rare window into how campaigns are adopting the technology. The figures are fueling debate about transparency and the growing role of AI in election work.

Bivocational pastors—ministers who hold outside jobs while leading congregations—are speaking out about the demands of balancing secular employment with church leadership. Writing for Kentucky Today, one such pastor shares what these church leaders wish their congregations and communities understood: the financial pressures, time strains, and quiet sacrifices involved in serving two roles at once, and why their numbers keep growing across American churches.