Extreme Heat, Suicide Hotline, and the British Open

Your Daily Brief

July 18th, 2022

Good morning, and welcome to your Monday! Today is World Listening Day (do you hear that? It’s the sound of us giving you a digital high-five for keeping up with our newsletter), and here’s what we have for you:

In Today’s Brief

Uvalde: New report shows “systemic failures” in how law enforcement responded
OpenSea: 20% of total workforce laid off
Top Gun: Maverick: Paramount’s biggest global movie ever
Ricky Martin: Accused of incest
Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck: Married in Vegas
Top Tips: Extreme heat in the UK, ‘988’ suicide lifeline, Cameron Smith wins British Open

Got feedback for us? Reply here.

Britain issues its first-ever “red” extreme heat warning

As temperatures are expected to near 104 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday and Tuesday in some parts of the country, the United Kingdom has issued its first-ever red warning for “exceptional heat.”

On top of placing citizens on high alert for health purposes, the UK Met Office has also warned that infrastructure issues may arise from this week’s heat wave. According to the Met Office, some potential problems are power outages and the potential loss of cellular data, limited water access, delays and cancellations to rail and air travel, and increased danger of water safety incidents at beaches where crowds may gather to cool down.

Heat waves have the potential to be damaging in European countries like the UK, where most homes and buildings lack air conditioning–and some health officials have expressed concerns that thousands could die from heat-related causes in the coming days.

‘988’ suicide and crisis lifeline launches nationwide

The ‘988’ phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline went live over the weekend, transitioning from the original 1-800-273-8255 number as part of an effort from the Trump and the Biden administrations to make mental healthcare more accessible.

According to a press release from the Department of Health and Human Services, the ‘988’ number “follows a three-year joint effort by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to put crisis care more in reach for people in need.” The ‘988’ shortcut was approved in 2020 when then-President Trump signed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act into law.

While the new number is now available nationwide, states are still responsible for investing in infrastructure to support calls directed to it. According to the National Academy for State and Health Policy, 21 states have enacted legislation to fund and implement ‘988’ for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline so far.

Australia’s Cameron Smith wins the British Open

Cameron Smith won the British Open yesterday, taking home $2.5 million in prize money after the tournament’s conclusion along with its trophy, the Claret Jug.

Smith, 28, ended the open at 20 strokes under par. Representing the United States, Cameron Young came in second place with one stroke behind Smith at -19, and Ireland’s Rory McIlroy finished third with -18. The Australian Smith’s victory at the 150th annual British Open marks the first major title win of his career. He has now won six times on the PGA Tour, as well as four times at tournaments around the world.

With Sunday’s win, Smith becomes the first Australian to win the British Open since 1993. His total score of 268 also set a record for a British Open at the Old Course in St. Andrews, surpassing Tiger Woods’ score of 269 when he won the Open there in 2000.

Around the Globe

Thousands of additional people were evacuated in parts of France and Spain as wildfires continued to burn throughout the continent; forest fires in Portugal have been contained
A Ukrainian cargo plane carrying munitions crashed in northern Greece and all eight crew members on board were killed, according to Ukrainian-based airline Meridian, which operated the aircraft
Descendants of a 19th-century Malaysian sultan are attempting to seize about $15 billion in government assets as part of a court-ordered settlement over a colonial-era land deal dispute

On the Homefront

A Texas House committee released a report that details how 376 law enforcement officers responded to the active shooter situation at Robb Elementary School and how the gunman wasn’t stopped due to “systemic failures and egregious poor decision making” (see the full report here)
84-year-old Muhammad Aziz has filed a $40 million lawsuit against New York City for spending two decades in prison for killing civil rights leader Malcolm X–a crime later proven that he did not commit and was exonerated for
A shooting at a mall in Greenwood, Indiana yesterday evening left three dead and three others injured, according to local authorities; the shooter was among the deceased

Glitz and Games

Top Gun: Maverick has become Paramount Pictures’ highest-earning worldwide release ever, earning $1.2 billion in global ticket sales
The 2022 Major League Baseball draft began last night and will run until tomorrow - keep up with the results here
Singer Ricky Martin has been accused of incest and could face up to 50 years in prison under Puerto Rican law if proven guilty

Money Moves

Stocks recovered and traded higher to offset losses from the middle of last week (Dow +2.15%, Nasdaq +1.79%, S&P 500 +1.92%)
Pinterest stock (NYSE: PINS) rose more than 16% after activist investment firm Elliot Management announced it had acquired a 9% stake in the company
NFT marketplace OpenSea lays off 20% of its total workforce due to an "unprecedented combination of crypto winter and broad macroeconomic instability," per a message that CEO Devin Finzer sent to the company (see Finzer’s message here)

Tip & Tricks

Binge Watch: Comedy/horror TV show What We Do in the Shadows is back with the first two episodes of season four on Hulu
Bump This: Snap your fingers and bask in self-love to Lizzo’s new uptempo track “2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)” - listen on Apple Music and Spotify
Cash Grab: This Batman costume worn by George Clooney in the 1997 film Batman & Robin can be yours if you’re willing to shell out more than the current bid of $40,000 (it’s called diversification, people)
Nerd Out: Check out this review of a new smartphone dubbed “Phone (1)” from Nothing and how it differs from your run-of-the-mill iPhone or Android
Go Deep: Toy manufacturer Hasbro’s “Selfie Series” lets you order an action figure with your face on it for $59.99 after taking a picture with their mobile app–reply to this email with your chosen superhero name, if you dare
Say What: “I have a very unique perspective on football and how it should be played, and what good plays look like and what bad plays look like. I feel like I can still have a great impact on the game. I could stay in the game, doing what I love to do, talking about this incredible sport,” Tom Brady said regarding his upcoming role as an NFL broadcaster on Fox Sports after he retires from playing
Hot Goss: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez married in a ceremony in Las Vegas on Saturday, with the latter planning to legally change her name to Jennifer Affleck (“J-Fleck” doesn’t roll off the tongue quite like “J-Lo,” but who are we to judge?)
Life Hack: After you burn your tongue, sprinkling some sugar on it and allowing it to sit and dissolve helps relieve the pain

Looking Back…

On July 18th: First volume of Adolf Hitler’s political manifesto Mein Kampf is published (1925); English novelist Jane Austen dies (1817); Nelson Mandela born (1918); John Glenn born (1921); Ty Cobb collects his 4,000th base hit (1927); Detroit submits a claim for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection (2013).

Share Tip News,
Win a Vacation!

We're giving away a $2,000 vacation package on July 29th. Earn extra entries now by sharing your referral link with friends! Check your status here.

Want to stop receiving Tip News? Unsubscribe here.