SUMMARY: Unknown musings of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, Czechoslovakia’s first president and founding father, were recently unveiled from a sealed envelope long kept secret by the family. The notes, dictated to his son Jan around 1934 when Masaryk was ill, reveal reflections on his impending death, critical views on Czechs, Germans, and Slovak nationalist Andrej Hlinka. The documents, containing five pages in Czech and English, were entrusted to the National Archive in 2005 under a 20-year embargo. Experts affirm their authenticity, now ready for detailed study. Masaryk, a symbol of democratic statehood, led Czechoslovakia after its 1918 independence.

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SUMMARY: Scientists have discovered what may be the world’s oldest mummies, dating back up to 12,000 years in southeastern Asia. Unlike the well-known Egyptian mummies or the 7,000-year-old Chinchorro mummies from Peru and Chile, these ancient remains—found in China, Vietnam, and other parts of Southeast Asia—show evidence of smoke-drying by hunter-gatherer communities. The bodies were buried in crouched positions with cuts and burn marks, suggesting early mummification techniques that preserved spiritual and physical connections to ancestors. While the dating methods and consistency of the practice require further study, these findings significantly advance knowledge of prehistoric funerary customs.

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SUMMARY: The Treasury Department is advancing regulations to implement President Trump’s “no tax on tips” promise from the 2023 tax law, effective retroactively from January 1, 2025. This provision eliminates federal income tax on tips earned in specified occupations and allows a deduction of up to $25,000 in qualified tips annually, phasing out for incomes above $150,000. Qualified tips must be voluntary, reported to the IRS, and given in cash or cash-equivalent forms, excluding digital assets and illegal activities. The benefit excludes certain jobs and married taxpayers filing separately. The provision is estimated to reduce federal revenue by $32-$40 billion by 2028.

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