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The Audi A2 e-tron has been spied with less disguise than ever before.

Model resembles a modernized, Sportback version of the classic A2.

Hatchback debuts this fall and will borrow heavily from VW ID.3 Neo.

Audi is gearing up to introduce the A2 e-tron later this year as their most affordable EV. While we’ve seen numerous prototypes in the past, spy shooters recently caught a lightly covered pre-production model.

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More: Audi Confirms The A2 Is Back, Prays It’ll Sell This Time

Looking surprisingly faithful to the MPV that was produced from late 1999 through 2005, the A2 e-tron is an electric hatchback that has a lot in common with the Volkswagen ID.3 Neo . However, it has a unique design that borrows a few cues from crossovers.

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While the front end is heavily disguised, we can get a glimpse of a rounded front bumper and a rectangular lower intake. Previous spy photos have also revealed the car will have split lighting units and a fully enclosed grille that echoes the rest of the e-tron lineup.

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The profile recalls the classic A2, but with a Sportback vibe. This results in a dynamic greenhouse and a gently sloping roof that terminates at a pronounced spoiler. Designers also gave the model gloss black cladding and aerodynamically optimized wheels. They’re joined by pronounced wheel arches as well as winglet-style door pulls that mirror those found on the BMW X5 and Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Baldauf

There isn’t much to see out back, but we can get a glimpse of the gloss black lower bumper and a peek of the taillights. They’re accompanied by a stylized liftgate with angular accents.

Spy photographers didn’t get close enough for interior pictures, but previous images have shown a familiar cabin that resembles the Q3 . This means we can expect an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster as well as a 12.8-inch infotainment system. They’re joined by a flat-bottom steering wheel with a fixed bar that houses the shifter as well as some vehicle controls.

SHProshots

Audi has been coy on performance specifications, but they’ll presumably echo the ID.3 Neo. It features 50, 58, and 79 kWh battery packs that allow for a WLTP range of up to 391 miles (630 km). The Volkswagen also offers motors with 168 hp (125 kW / 170 PS), 188 hp (140 kW / 190 PS), and 228 hp (170 kW / 231 PS).

The A2 e-tron , which is also based on the MEB+ platform, will likely stick to the higher-end powertrains. It’s also worth noting the model may eschew quattro all-wheel drive.

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Beloved toys around the world, teddy bears are icons of childhood wonder. These plush effigies put soft paws and friendly faces on one of nature's most dangerous creatures. Normally, they're tiny, confined to bedrooms and car backseats — except in Stillwater. The 'Birthplace of Minnesota' houses a park bristling with some of the only teddy bears in the world that are larger than their animal namesakes.

The park, a five-million-dollar investment featuring over half a dozen teddy bear statues that range in height from two to over ten feet tall, was given to the city as a completely anonymous gift in the mid-2000s. The identities of the benefactors have since been revealed: former Dell executive Tom Armstrong and his wife, who also committed millions of dollars to other local parks. The resolution of that mystery has robbed the park of none of its magic, however.

The person-sized teddy bears are posed enjoying the other amenities of the park, such as the amphitheater and some of the rides. The park also features a two-story building available as an event venue, a playground area with a miniature of the historic Stillwater Lift Bridge, a climbing wall, and more.

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Here’s TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG), using publicly available open-source information. Check out last week’s report here .

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the end of a weekend wave of air strikes yesterday, the ninth consecutive night of precision strikes “further degrading Iranian military capabilities,” and the beginning of a new, tenth round today . As the blockade approaches the one-week mark, CENTCOM forces have redirected seven commercial vessels and disabled one kinetically, firing AGM-114 Hellfire missiles into the smokestack of an unladen oil tanker heading toward Kharg Island, since reinstating the blockade on July 14.

U.S. forces enforce naval blockade measures against Iran, July 15, by disabling an unladen oil tanker attempting to sail toward an Iranian port. U.S. Central Command

Over 20 U.S. Navy warships are operating in the Arabian Sea and broader Indian Ocean, which we covered extensively last week , and naval force posture has not changed since. Two CSGs, led by USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush , plus an ARG, centered on USS Boxer , are the primary naval assets supporting Blockade 2.0 and the renewed strike campaign, alongside some 14 guided-missile destroyers and a mix of other surface ships. The video below released by CENTCOM shows F/A-18 Super Hornets armed with AIM-9X, GBU-31, and GBU-54 launching during the campaign.

U.S. forces launching aircraft and precision munitions against Iranian military targets. U.S. Central Command

Moving east, USS George Washington is operating in the Western Pacific. The flattop was spotted conducting a fueling-at-sea with USNS Earl Warren and a replenishment-at-sea with USNS Charles Drew last week in the Philippine Sea. Lt. Arren Halfacre, serving aboard Washington , said the complex operation with Warren , which involved three fuel lines simultaneously, was a “rarely done evolution” that included roughly 150 Sailors and Merchant Mariners.

USS George Washington (CVN 73) during a fueling-at-sea evolution in the Philippine Sea. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Crowley

Also in the Pacific, USS Theodore Roosevelt is well into the sea phase of exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 and underway in the Hawaiian Islands Operating Area. RIMPAC 2026 is the world’s largest international maritime exercise and the 30th iteration in a series that started in the early 1970s. Participating units have been operating over the past week south of Oahu, to the west of the Big Island, with AIS transponders broadcasting publicly . Roosevelt welcomed the acting Secretary of the Navy, Hung Cao, who observed flight operations , met with senior brass, and took photos with the crew on July 18.

USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC). U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Apprentice Tyler Harstad

Back in the continental United States, USS Nimitz is at Naval Station Norfolk, her final homeport before a deactivation that was delayed until next year , moored at Pier 14N. A couple of piers down, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is berthed at Pier 11S. And, further south along the Elizabeth River, USS Gerald R. Ford moved to Pier 5N at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in advance of her first Planned Incremental Availability . On the west coast, USS Carl Vinson , the only carrier currently in San Diego, moored at Kilo Pier on July 17 after a weeklong underway completing flight deck certifications and carrier qualifications with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2.

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) arrives to Naval Station Norfolk, July 9, 2026. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Oscar Pichardo

Overall, three U.S. carriers are deployed, three are training or in port in various states of readiness, four are in maintenance, and one is being used primarily for training. Two amphibious ready groups are deployed, four are training or in port, and three are in maintenance.

Note: Positions are general approximations. Non-deployed LHA/LHD amphibious warships are not shown.

Contact the author: ian.ellis-jones@teamrecurrent.io

The post Where Are The Aircraft Carriers: July 20, 2026 appeared first on TWZ .

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Halloween might seem like a long way away, but it's never too early to start getting ready, and if you're anything like me, then you can't wait for the weather to start getting cooler, with crisp leaves underfoot and misty mornings. It seems the designers at IKEA agree, because they've already launched a whole set of Kustfyr Halloween decor so you can start preparing for spooky season now.

The new seasonal lights are particularly cute, and I defy anyone not to be charmed by the adorably spooky LED ghost table lamp with its arms raised mid-scare. Pair it with a set of ghostly battery-powered LED string lights for a full themed room.

It wouldn't be Halloween without pumpkins, and you can avoid the mess and hassle of carving a real gourd by picking up one of IKEA's fun pumpkin lamps. The globe-shaped LED pumpkin table lamp is a cute classic, while the matching battery-powered pendant lamp is safe to use outdoors, so you can hang it on your porch when it's time for trick-or-treating.

Want more creepy ways to decorate your home? Check out the full Kustfyr collection , which includes everything from plushies to plates.

Adorably spooky Halloween lights

IKEA

Kustfyr Battery LED Table Lamp - Ghost

IKEA

Kustfyr LED Table Lamp - Pumpkin

IKEA

Kustfyr Battery Pendant Lamp - Pumpkin

IKEA

Kustfyr Lantern for Pillar Candle - Black

IKEA

Kustfyr Battery LED Table Decoration - Pumpkin

IKEA

Kustfyr LED Lighting Chain With 32 Lights - Ghost

IKEA

Kustfyr LED String Light With 12 Lights - Ghost

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A common culprit behind severe gum disease may also stiffen and narrow the heart's aortic valve, preliminary research suggests. This may help explain links between gum problems and poor heart health.

Scientists have long linked severe gum disease to inflammation throughout the body and a higher risk of heart problems , including coronary artery disease , which can raise the risk of heart attack. Studies have also found that treating gum disease can improve blood-vessel health.

Now, researchers suggest that Porphyromonas gingivalis , one of the main bacteria involved in severe gum disease, may also contribute to calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD), a condition in which calcium builds up in the heart's aortic valve. The findings were presented in July at a meeting of the American Heart Association in Boston and have not been peer-reviewed yet.

Dr. Elena Aikawa , a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who was not involved in the study, said the findings "fit well with our current understanding of calcific aortic valve disease as an active, inflammation-driven disease rather than simply wear and tear of the valve."

Periodontal disease is likely just one contributor among many, rather than the sole cause of CAVD, she added. But the study does identify a biologically plausible pathway linking oral health to heart health that could open new opportunities for prevention and treatment.

How mouth bacteria harm the heart

CAVD affects millions of people worldwide , and there are no approved drugs that slow or stop its progression. As the disease worsens, people may develop fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain, and in severe cases, they often require valve-replacement surgery .

Meanwhile, prior to the new research, it was known that bacteria and inflammatory signals from the mouth can sometimes enter the bloodstream and affect distant tissues, said Richard Lamont , chair of oral immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, who was not involved in the study. Over time, these effects can accrue and gradually reshape how the immune system behaves, he said.

In CAVD, calcium builds up in the aortic valve, which connects the left side of the heart to the large artery that carries oxygen-rich blood to the body. (Image credit: Noctiluxx via Getty Images) P. gingivalis is known to be particularly destructive to gum tissue, causing lots of inflammation, and it's been tied to cardiovascular disease in the past. To see if the bacterium might be directly impacting heart health, researchers at Fuwai Hospital in Beijing looked for P. gingivalis in aortic valve tissue removed during valve-replacement surgery. They compared this diseased tissue to valves that weren't calcified.

The calcified valves contained much higher levels of P. gingivalis DNA and proteins made by the bacterium. " P. gingivalis was about 30 times more abundant in calcified valves than in non-calcified valves," study first author Dr. Chenyang Li , a doctoral candidate at Fuwai Hospital, told Live Science in an email.

To test whether the bacteria might directly contribute to valve damage, Li and colleagues injected live P. gingivalis into the bloodstreams of healthy lab mice. The bacteria reached the animals' aortic valves, triggering inflammation, calcium buildup and narrowing of the valve.

"We were surprised to see valve calcification even in mice without high cholesterol," Li said. "This suggests P. gingivalis may directly contribute to valve disease, beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors."

A comparison group of mice was given antibiotics before the injection and had less bacteria in their aortic valves and slower disease progression. Meanwhile, mice injected with dead P. gingivalis bacteria did not show any changes in their aortic valves.

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The researchers traced the changes in the mice's hearts to interleukin-1 beta, a signalling molecule that normally helps the body fight infections. Exposure to P. gingivalis ramped up the production of this molecule, and in turn, the immune signal switched on genes that pushed healthy valve cells to behave more like bone-building cells, which is a hallmark of CAVD . This switch causes the cells to lay down calcium in the surrounding valve tissue.

When the scientists blocked interleukin-1 beta in some mice, the animals developed much less valve calcification even when the bacteria reached the valve. Lamont said that the mouse experiments strengthen the case that there's a biological mechanism directly linking gum and heart diseases. However, he cautioned that mice have very different oral microbiomes than humans, making it difficult to know whether the exact same process occurs in people.

That said, the team also saw the same pattern in human valve cells grown in the lab. Exposure to P. gingivalis increased inflammation and calcium buildup among the cells, while blocking interleukin-1 beta blunted those effects.

Both Aikawa and Lamont said more research is needed to confirm the relationship in humans. The findings give researchers a new pathway to explore for future treatments, raising questions of whether targeting inflammatory signals like interleukin-1 beta could help slow the progression of this widespread heart disease.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.

What do you know about the body's hardest-working muscle? Find out with our heart quiz!

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In the southern Madrid neighborhood of Carabanchel, a monumental mural has been unveiled, now holding the title of the largest in Spain.

The Palacio de Vistalegre Arena, originally conceived as a bullring, was inaugurated in 2000 to replace an earlier structure from the early 20th century that was demolished in 1995. With a capacity of 14,000 people, it has hosted concerts, political rallies, and other large-scale events. In an effort to transform this vibrant neighborhood into a hub for urban art, the municipal government has designated the Vistalegre Arena as the centerpiece of a future "Art Route", a cultural tour dedicated to muralism and street art. This initiative includes direct artistic interventions on facades, walls, and public spaces, featuring works by renowned national and international artists. Among them is Madrid-based artist Sfhir, the pseudonym of Hugo Lomas, who created the striking "Musa de Vistalegre" (Vistalegre Muse). Measuring 18 meters high and 66 meters wide (59 x 197 ft), this mural transforms the gray façade of Vistalegre Palace into a vast canvas becaming the largest in Spain . This colossal painting is part of a series of "muses" who play musical instruments using architectural elements as part of the work. One of these muses, "The Cellist" in Fene, Galicia , was named as the "Best Mural in the World" by Street Art Cities in 2023 and has even been featured on a postage stamp.

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Yakima (pronounced "YAK-uh-maw") Canyon, where the Yakima River traverses a water gap through Manastash Ridge, is an obvious thoroughfare and was used by Native Americans for thousands of years, and then by Euro-American trappers and settlers into the 19th century. It was also an obvious route for a railroad, and the Northern Pacific Railway was built through it in the early 1880s, along the west bank of the river. (The railroad is still in active use and is now part of the BNSF system.)

Railroading was an extremely labor-intensive business well into the 20th century, and camps were built along the right-of-way to house the trackwalkers, signal men, section gangs, and other workers. In 1885 one such camp was built here at Umtanum Creek, where the eponymous creek joins the Yakima. The camp even boasted a school and a post office by the early 20th century.

When in 1925 the automobile highway was built through the canyon on the east shore of the river, cable suspension bridges were built across the river from the railroad camps to provide highway access. Evidently the original bridges were wide enough to be passable to Ford Model As. In the 1960s, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Bureau of Land Management took over the day-to-day management of the bridge, but only in 1987 was the bridge deck narrowed to make it accessible to pedestrians only.

With the continuing rise of automotive travel, it proved no longer necessary to station crews on the railroad right-of-way, and by the 1970s the last of the camps had been removed.

The cable suspension bridges were also removed, with the sole exception of the Umtanum Creek bridge. It was still used by recreational users to access the west side of the river, but because of age-related deterioration concerns were being raised about its safety. Meanwhile, efforts were underway to have the bridge declared a national historic site. Finally, Umtanum Creek Bridge was restored in early 2021, with attention paid to preserving the structure's historic values.

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X-Bow Systems, a company that made its name making solid rocket motors and small space-launch vehicles, has unveiled a new low-cost drone interceptor, named Buckler. The interceptor promises high-speed and a unit cost of less than $100,000, a price point that has only been approached by drone-like systems , not modern supersonic missiles.

The Buckler — named after a small shield of the Medieval and Renaissance eras — is designed to defeat Group 3 drones. As we have explained before , under the U.S. military categorization system, Group 3 is a very broad middle tier of drones that covers designs that weigh anywhere from 56 to 1,320 pounds and can fly at up to 18,000 feet, at speeds of 250 knots or less.

Iran’s now-infamous Shahed-136 long-range one-way attack drone, variants and derivatives of which are now in service in Russia and with several Iranian-backed proxies, falls into the Group 3 category.

A view inside a Russian factory producing versions of the Shahed-136 kamikaze drone. Russian state media

While optimized for bringing down drones, the Buckler can also engage other aerial threats, including subsonic cruise missiles, under certain conditions. This is especially relevant as newer Shahed-derived designs, and many other long-range one-way attack munitions, increasingly blur the line between drones and low-end cruise missiles through the adoption of jet propulsion and higher-altitude flight profiles. Then there is the emerging group of low-cost cruise missiles being adopted in the United States and potential adversaries , as well as existing, more advanced types. Low-flying aircraft and helicopters would also likely be on the menu for this missile, even as a secondary capability.

The high speed of the missile also means that a single Buckler battery can engage targets more rapidly and respond faster over a given range. It also makes it possible for follow-up shots to be taken if an effector misses within a given timeframe.

The Buckler is one of the growing number of responses to the increasing threat of drone-and-missile barrages, which are exposing the limits of legacy air defense models. In conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine , most notably, costly surface-to-air missile effectors are routinely expended, in significant quantities, against far cheaper incoming threats.

For years now, TWZ has been calling attention to the U.S. military’s concerning short-range air defense (SHORAD) gap, especially as drone threats have continued to expand and evolve .

“This is our answer to the call from the U.S. and its allies: affordable capability at scale,” X-Bow Systems’ CEO Jason Hundley told Axios .

“You can’t win a war of attrition trading million-dollar interceptors against thousand-dollar threats,” Hundley added.

The company is relying upon its own solid-rocket motor and propellant, allied with an airframe that’s also made in-house, which it says will bring down costs.

Now witness the power of this fully operational Solid Rocket Motor! The XB-34 is our largest SRM to date—but not for long. Stay tuned for an upcoming test that will set a new record for X-Bow. #MayThe4th —and thrust—be with you. Volume up. #StarWarsDay #SolidRocketMotor #SRM … pic.twitter.com/SuU0Fi3fOQ

— X-Bow Systems (@XBowSystems) May 4, 2026

X-Bow Systems recently notched a successful flight test for the Buckler, the company says, demonstrating its propulsion system and flight characteristics after completing motor static-fire and igniter testing.

According to Axios , the Pentagon has also requested a briefing on the interceptor.

X-Bow is entering one of the fastest-growing segments of the defense industry. The company is already well established as a producer of solid rocket motors and, last year, secured a $105 million investment from Lockheed Martin to expand production and provide propulsion systems and related services.

The startup will now be hoping that the Buckler’s eye-catching price point of less than $100,000 per copy will set it apart among drone interceptors.

By way of comparison, the combat-proven Raytheon Coyote , in its Block 2 configuration, also primarily intended for the counter-drone mission, has a unit price of around $100,000 , based on past reports. AeroVironment’s Freedom Eagle-1 (FE-1), which the U.S. Army picked last year to provide an additional layer of defense against longer-range one-way attack drones and other similarly sized uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), has a target unit cost of between $150,000 and $200,000. These are also notably slower and less responsive systems than the Buckler.

Toward the higher end of the scale, the cost of a Stinger short-range surface-to-air missile has historically been put at between $100,000 and $120,000, but reports in recent years have said that current-generation versions, including ones optimized for use against drones , can run up to $400,000 .

In terms of more exquisite SHORAD solutions, the U.S. Army’s Enduring Shield is presently configured to fire AIM-9X Sidewinders , each of which has a price tag around $500,000.

As for the kinds of threats that these effectors are intended to destroy, Shahed-type drones are typically understood to have a unit cost range measured in tens of thousands of dollars .

The Buckler is also intended to bring benefits in terms of speed and scalability of production. This should ensure that production facilities are able to ramp up quickly and, in response to demand, be able to increase the output accordingly. Applying the vertical integration approach, the company says it can address the “industrial-base bottleneck defense leaders cite as the top constraint on scaling interceptors.”

As demand for advanced missile propulsion accelerates, traditional production can’t keep up. Discover how X-Bow is delivering scalable, rapid solutions for urgent national security needs. #TechThisOut with @waltmac pic.twitter.com/nzSbikCz7X

— X-Bow Systems (@XBowSystems) May 7, 2026

Whether Buckler can deliver on its promised combination of performance, affordability, and production scale remains to be seen. But with militaries around the world urgently seeking cheaper ways to counter drones and cruise missiles that are appearing in greater numbers, X-Bow is entering the market at a particularly opportune moment.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

The post X-Bow Unveils Sub-$100K Buckler Supersonic Drone Interceptor appeared first on TWZ .