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Faith E. Pinho | (TNS) Los Angeles Times

The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally Saturday in Pennsylvania almost immediately gave rise to internet conspiracy theories that experts say will influence how the nation deals with the shocking act of political violence.

The Trump attack marks the first time in decades someone had tried to take a presidential candidate’s life. While previous assassinations — notably the killing of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 — have brought conspiracy theories, the rise of partisan social media allows such claims to spread rapidly and in unexpected ways.

The Trump shooting claims typically came from random social media users — the writers casting aspersions or seeking to affix blame based on their place in the nation’s intensely polarized political landscape.

The conspiracies formed two now familiar camps — one blaming the “deep state” for what happened, the other claiming without evidence that the shooting was not what it seemed. read more

CAPE CANAVERAL — Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago, and suspect there are hundreds more that could house future astronauts.

An Italian-led team reported Monday that there’s evidence for a sizable cave accessible from the deepest known pit on the moon. It’s located at the Sea of Tranquility, just 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Apollo 11’s landing site.

The pit, like the more than 200 others discovered up there, was created by the collapse of a lava tube.

Researchers analyzed radar measurements by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and compared the results with lava tubes on Earth. Their findings appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy.

The radar data reveals only the initial part of the underground cavity, according to the scientists. They estimate it’s at least 130 feet (40 meters) wide and tens of yards (meters) long, probably more.

“Lunar caves have remained a mystery for over 50 years. So it was exciting to be able to finally prove the existence” of one, Leonardo Carrer and Lorenzo Bruzzone of the University of Trento, wrote in an email. read more

By Taryn Phaneuf | NerdWallet

Average grocery prices rose slightly last month, according to the latest consumer price index, reversing a months-long trend of steady or falling prices.

Overall, food prices — which includes both food at home (groceries) and restaurant purchases — increased 0.2% from May to June, according to the CPI report released July 11 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI, which serves as a proxy for inflation, measures changes in average costs of items in a given period.

The report shows food prices are 2.2% higher than they were 12 months ago. By comparison, prices rose 5.7% over the previous one-year period in 2023. While inflation isn’t rising as fast as it once was, food still feels expensive. In fact, food prices have risen 26% since the start of 2020.

Here are the broad strokes on food prices found in the latest report:

Groceries: The index for food at home is 1.1% higher year-over-year. From May to June, grocery costs increased 0.1%.

Dining out: Restaurant patrons are still paying more (4.1%) for food than they did a year ago. And the price index rose 0.4% from May to June. Specifically: read more