IJR News

Trump Unveils Multibillion Critical Minerals Push

President Trump unveiled a coordinated package totaling over $180 million in grants to expand mining education and workforce programs, backed by $100 million from the Department of Energy and more than $80 million from the military to three universities, including the Colorado School of Mines, the South Dakota School of Mines, and Johns Hopkins University, to build a domestic critical minerals talent pool. The move, announced at a State Department roundtable, aims to strengthen U.S. supply chains for critical minerals and reduce reliance on China, as part of a broader push to boost mining innovation and manufacturing resilience.

Donald J. Trump

11h

Electric Vehicles

Ford to Embed Apple Maps in 2027 UEV Platform

Apple Maps will be embedded directly into Ford’s Universal Electric Vehicle Platform using MapKit for Automotive SDK, bringing turn-by-turn navigation, real-time traffic, EV routing with battery preconditioning, and seamless hands-free driving enhancements like BlueCruise to Ford’s 2027 UEV lineup, with CarPlay still available as an option. The midsize EV is expected to start around $30,000, and the integration emphasizes privacy by not tying vehicle map activity to individual users while enabling route data to influence driver-assist systems.

Apple Inc.iPhone

Jul 26, 2026

Academia

Colleges unveil 2026 volleyball schedules nationwide

Several schools released 2026 women's volleyball schedules, highlighting non-conference tournaments, conference play, and notable opponents. Highlights include USF's challenging nine-NCAA-tournament-berth non-conference slate, Jacksonville University's 31-match season with ASUN play, USD's themed home-game promotions, and Allen Community College and North Hopkins outlining tournament-rich and district-focused slates.

Jul 24, 2026

Holidays

Midcoast Halloween Festivities Unfold Across Multiple Venues

A regional roundup highlights Halloween-specific events in Maine, including library screenings and haunted attractions; Central Virginia offers pumpkin patches and corn mazes for fall family fun; West Virginia hosts the Head for the Hills Festival with camping, concerts, and a poker tour; and Missouri showcases the Dark Sky Festival with star parties and astronomy talks.

Jul 24, 2026

5G

Lava's Virat V1 5G and Virat V1 launch in India

Lava launches the Virat V1 and Virat V1 5G as an online-first series in partnership with Flipkart, with sale starting July 31, 2026 and introductory launch-day pricing that transitions to standard pricing from Day 2. The phones offer large 6.75-inch displays, big batteries and 4GB RAM with 4GB virtual RAM, IP64 durability, and a focus on affordable, India-tailored design plus Lava’s Free Service@Home and Flipkart Open Box Delivery.

India Flipkart

Jul 24, 2026

Electronics

Mumbai Court Orders Flipkart Refund; Apple India Not Implicated

A Mumbai consumer court has ordered Flipkart and the seller International Value Retail Pvt Ltd to jointly refund around Rs 1.11 lakh and pay Rs 70,000 in compensation and costs after a customer received beard growth oil instead of an Apple iPhone 14 Pro ordered online, ruling that repeated closure of complaints without relief amounted to unfair trade practice and a deficiency in service.

Apple Inc.iPhone

Jul 24, 2026

Business Leaders

Flipkart Plans Bangalore Food Delivery Pilot

Flipkart plans a Bengaluru-based food delivery pilot within the next 30 days, exploring a standalone app or ONDC integration to challenge Zomato and Swiggy while expanding its broader consumer ecosystem. The move highlights a strategic push into high-frequency services with a focus on delivering value to Gen Z and leveraging ONDC to scale rapidly across India.

India Bengaluru

Jul 24, 2026

Dipke plans Bhim Army ticket contest

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey predicts Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke will contest elections on a Bhim Army ticket, arguing that mass movements consistently produce political leaders. Meanwhile, the movement still regards Prime Minister Modi as its leader and seeks his intervention on issues such as the NEET paper leak, as thousands protest with Dipke at the forefront.

Jul 21, 2026

Trump Unveils Multibillion Critical Minerals Push

Ford to Embed Apple Maps in 2027 UEV Platform

Colleges unveil 2026 volleyball schedules nationwide

Midcoast Halloween Festivities Unfold Across Multiple Venues

Lava's Virat V1 5G and Virat V1 launch in India

Mumbai Court Orders Flipkart Refund; Apple India Not Implicated

Flipkart Plans Bangalore Food Delivery Pilot

Dipke plans Bhim Army ticket contest

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