• A federal judge in San Francisco has declined to block Microsoft's bid to acquire Activision Blizzard in a $69 billion deal. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said in her ruling that the "FTC has not shown a likelihood it will prevail on its claim this particular vertical merger in this specific industry may substantially lessen competition." [Associated Press]
• The Oak Glen Park neighborhood in Oakland is cleaning up after July Fourth revelers destroyed part of the area's well loved, recently resurfaced basketball court. Fireworks were set off on the court, which is covered in rubber tiles, and some of the tiles were melted and permanently damaged, leading to community members spearheading repairs. [KTVU]
• A man was shot and injured in West Oakland this morning. The shooting happened at 7:51 a.m. on the 1000 block of 26th Street near McClymonds High School, and the victim is said to be in stable condition. [East Bay Times]
• Downtown Napa, which for many years has offered free street parking, is considering a proposal to install parking meters, and local businesses are in revolt. [Chronicle]
• As was predicted, Elizabeth Holmes likely won't be serving all of her 11.25-year sentence, and the federal Bureau of Prisons has updated her release date to reflect the minimum she must serve, which is nine and a half years. [Mercury News]
• Ironically, though electric cars are here to fight climate change, EV batteries do not do so well in extreme heat. [Bloomberg]
• The ticketing nightmare around Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is now hitting Asia, as hundreds of millions of Asian Swifties compete to see the singer at limited shows in Tokyo, Singapore, and Australia. [Bloomberg]

Photo: The beloved Mondrian Car, photograph by Darwin Bell