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Soul icon Aretha Franklin dies at 76

Soul singer Aretha Franklin performing at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in 1994. Photo: Leon Morris/Getty Images

Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, who fell gravely ill in recent days, died Thursday at her home in Detroit, Michigan, after battling advanced pancreatic cancer, her publicist, Gwendolyn Quinn, told the New York Times.

Franklin, 76, was considered one of the greatest musical legends of all time, and is known for hits such as “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and "Respect." She had canceled planned concerts earlier this year due to "doctor's orders," The Detroit Free Press reports.

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Jonathan Swan, Zachary Basu
22 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Off the Rails

Episode 2: Barbarians at the Oval

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Beginning on election night 2020 and continuing through his final days in office, Donald Trump unraveled and dragged America with him, to the point that his followers sacked the U.S. Capitol with two weeks left in his term. This Axios series takes you inside the collapse of a president.

Episode 2: Trump stops buying what his professional staff are telling him, and increasingly turns to radical voices telling him what he wants to hear.

President Trump plunked down in an armchair in the White House residence, still dressed from his golf game — navy fleece, black pants, white MAGA cap. It was Saturday, Nov. 7. The networks had just called the election for Joe Biden.

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Sara Fischer, Kyle Daly
1 hour ago - Technology

Fringe right plots new attacks out of sight

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Domestic extremists are using obscure and private corners of the internet to plot new attacks ahead of Inauguration Day. Their plans are also hidden in plain sight, buried in podcasts and online video platforms.

Why it matters: Because law enforcement was caught flat-footed during last week's Capitol siege, researchers and intelligence agencies are paying more attention to online threats that could turn into real-world violence.

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Sara Fischer, Margaret Harding McGill
2 hours ago - Technology

Kids’ screen time up 50% during pandemic

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

When the coronavirus lockdowns started in March, kidstech firm SuperAwesome found that screen time was up 50%. Nearly a year later, that percentage hasn't budged, according to new figures from the firm.

Why it matters: For most parents, pre-pandemic expectations around screen time are no longer realistic. The concern now has shifted from the number of hours in front of screens to the quality of screen time.

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