## Smash Mouth Frontman Steve Harwell Dies at 56

Authored by pitchfork.com

Steve Harwell, the founding singer of Smash Mouth, died today at his home in Boise, Idaho, of liver failure, The New York Times reports.

Harwell dealt with alcoholism and numerous health issues in the years preceding his death.

On Instagram, Smash Mouth wrote today, “Steve Harwell was a true American Original.

Before launching Smash Mouth in 1994, Steve Harwell released a single with the rap group F.O.S. (Freedom of Speech) through Scotti Bros. Records.

As it turned out, hip-hop was not for Harwell, who recognized that he might not make it big in the genre.

Harwell formed Smash Mouth with his manager (drummer Kevin Coleman), guitarist Greg Camp, and bassist Paul De Lisle, the latter of whom still tours with the band.

Smash Mouth released their debut studio album, Fush Yu Mang, in July 1997 via Interscope. »

### Some Republicans Worry that a Trump Nomination Could Bring Steep Down-Ballot Losses for the GOP

Authored by themessenger.com

It’s a grim sort of arrested development for Republicans, with Trump positioned as a modern-day Adlai Stevenson, Democrats’ losing nominee in 1952 and 1956.

Polls have repeatedly shown that a majority of voters don’t want either Trump or President Joe Biden to run in 2024.

“There’s a lot unknown,” said one veteran conservative activist who is supporting Trump, but also has a keen sense of Trump’s weaknesses. »

### EU blindsided by ‘spectacular’ solar rollout

Authored by politico.eu

“[Solar] development has been spectacular,” said Javier Esparrago, an energy expert at the European Environment Agency, arguing that the fast rollout ultimately “all boils down to [the] costs” of solar power per kilowatt-hour plummeting 90 percent in the past decade.

Rapid solar growth has blindsided politicians and analysts — and could mean good news for global climate efforts.

For now, EU countries should focus on ramping up their 2030 solar targets, Rossi said, to encourage greater investment in the sector and wider clean energy system. »

### Russia is becoming increasingly dependent on Chinese banks as its yuan borrowings more than quadruple

Authored by markets.businessinsider.com

Chinese banks have offered billions of dollars to Russia as sanctions pressure Western lenders to exit the country.

The volume of renminbi-backed loans has more than quadrupled as Russia seeks to move away from the dollar.

As Western banks slash their exposure to Russia, Chinese lenders are stepping in to fill the hole. »

### Japan may seek to dissolve Moonies church in wake of Shinzo Abe killing

Authored by theguardian.com

Japan’s government may ask courts to order the dissolution of the Unification church following the assassination in July last year of the former prime minister Shinzo Abe, according to multiple local reports.

The prime minister, Fumio Kishida, may be hoping the move will quell criticism of his party’s ties to the church, the Asahi suggested.

Abe, whose grandfather, former prime minister Nobusuke Kishi, helped the ultra-conservative church establish a presence in Japan in the 1960s, was shot dead in July 2022 by a man who has said he harboured a grudge against the Unification church and Abe. »

## In pictures

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