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Your Daily BriefJune 22nd, 2023 |
Good morning, and happy Thursday! The search for the missing Titan submersible went on through the night, with rescue teams combing an area of over 10K square miles in the Atlantic Ocean to hone in on banging sounds that surveillance planes detected using sonar. By the time you receive this email, the 96 hours of available oxygen on the vessel will likely be depleted. We’ll keep you posted once we hear anything.
In Today’s Brief
- Ukraine: EU unveils reconstruction plan
- Federal Reserve: More rate hikes coming
- Cincinnati Reds: Hot streak continues
- Dropbox: Launches new AI venture fund
...and more
Top Tips
FTC vs Amazon
The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Amazon, accusing the eCommerce company of enrolling customers in its Prime program without consent and making it difficult for them to cancel subscriptions.
In a complaint filed yesterday, the FTC said that “Amazon used manipulative, coercive, or deceptive user-interface designs known as ‘dark patterns’ to trick consumers into enrolling in automatically-renewing Prime subscriptions,” adding that the company “knowingly complicated” the process of canceling subscriptions for customers who sought to end their membership. The FTC alleged that, since 2016, Amazon required customers to “navigate a four-page, six-click, fifteen-option cancellation process” that contained numerous off-ramps including warnings about missing out on benefits, discounts, and deal offers that were all intended to derail the customer.
The lawsuit comes one month after Amazon agreed to pay more than $30M to settle two FTC privacy complaints surrounding its Alexa and Ring products.
Lab-grown meat
The United States Department of Agriculture has approved lab-grown meat sales to the public for the first time.
USDA approved the sale of chicken made from animal cells, allowing two California companies called Upside Foods and GOOD Meat to offer “lab-grown” meat to partner restaurants. Upside Foods and GOOD Meat had been racing to be the first in the U.S. to sell meat that doesn’t come from slaughtered animals. Lab-grown meat is created using cells from living animals, such as a fertilized egg, which is incubated and grown into large masses of meat. The product is then cut and restructured into regular, butchered meat replicas.
Production costs of lab-grown meat are far higher than normal butchering, posing issues for mass-market sales. The final approval comes after the FDA issued a "no questions" response to GOOD Meat in March, marking the company’s product safe to eat. Upside Foods received similar approval in November 2022.
Test scores plummet
Math and reading scores among 13-year-olds in the U.S. fell to their lowest levels in decades, according to the results of a federal test known as the nation’s report card.
Per the report, the long-term trend test for 13-year-olds showed a 4-point decline in reading scores, from 260 in 2020 to 256 in 2023. In math, students showed a 9-point decline, from 280 to 271; the 9-point decline in math is the largest decreasing margin ever recorded. The assessment tests were administered by the National Center for Education Statistics to a nationally representative sample of 8.7K 13-year-olds in each subject.
The National Center for Education Statistics is a branch of the Department of Education. In a statement, Peggy G. Carr, the center’s commissioner, said that there are still “worrisome signs about student achievement” more than two years after most students returned to classrooms after Covid pandemic protocols halted in-person learning.
Harvard & mushrooms
Harvard’s nutrition website tells us something hugely important: Studies have shown that mushrooms contain substances renowned for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects.
One study conducted by researchers in Australia showed that women who ate just 10 grams of button mushrooms per day (that’s a few slices) were about two-thirds less likely to develop breast cancer than women who ate no mushrooms.
We’re just discovering all the incredible ways in which mushrooms are at the forefront of everything from medicine to mental health to planetary survival.
That’s why you need to watch the film Fantastic Fungi.
This week, you can screen the special event edition of Fantastic Fungi for free — and get 20 delicious mushroom recipes you’ll love.
>> Catch the special event edition of Fantastic Fungi right here. (For no charge!)
Quick Tips
Around the Globe
- The European Union pledged $55B to help rebuild Ukraine from 2024-2027 through the EU’s executive arm, the European Commission (More)
- At least 29 people in Paris were injured in a gas explosion yesterday afternoon; some 270 firefighters were deployed to the scene near Rue Saint Jacques in the city’s fifth arrondissement and contained the fire last night, per local authorities (More)
- A previously unknown ancient Maya city has been discovered in the jungles of southern Mexico, according to the country’s anthropology institute (More)
On the Homefront
- Over 1K marine animals have gotten sick or died this month along the coast of California due to toxic algae blooms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (More)
- Pentagon leak suspect Jack Teixeira pleaded not guilty in federal court; Teixeira's plea comes six days after he was indicted on six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information (More)
- Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said the U.S. should expect more rate increases as inflation is “well above” the central bank’s target rate (More)
Glitz & Games
In partnership with Xero Shoes
- ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ has earned $500M at the global box office after debuting on June 2nd (More)
- Former Steelers linebacker & Super Bowl champion Clark Haggans passed away at the age of 46, a team spokesperson confirmed; no cause of death was disclosed (More)
- The Cincinnati Reds jumped to first place in the NL Central after clinching 11 straight games, giving them the longest active streak in the MLB (More)
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Business & Markets
- Major indexes in the stock market fell for the second straight day, with the Nasdaq leading losses (Dow -0.30%, Nasdaq -1.21%, S&P 500 -0.52%)
- Electric vehicle maker Rivian acquired Swedish EV route planning app maker Iternio to add its technology to its vehicles and plans to use its data to better expand its own charging network, according to Rivian’s CEO (More)
- Cloud storage company Dropbox launched Dropbox Ventures, a new $50M venture fund focused on startups in the AI space (More)
Tips & Tricks
- Feel Good: Meet Gordon Hartman, a dad in San Antonio who built a fully accessible theme park for his daughter with disabilities; Morgan’s Wonderland, which Hartman named after his daughter, has welcomed visitors from all 50 states and around the globe
- Sneak Peek: Eight women attend a bachelorette party when masked intruders attack and only Maggie Q can save the day in the official trailer for Fear the Night, which comes out digitally on July 21st
- Bump This: Canadian singer David James combines a relaxed, Lo-Fi aesthetic with country crooning in his new single “Lost” - listen on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube
- Chow Down: For a delicious and healthy summer side dish, try out this recipe for grilled zucchini that’s perfect for serving alongside pesto pasta, veggie burgers, or whatever you feel like grilling
- Go Deep: Read up on how, 900 years ago, the Sinagua people carved artwork into rocks in Arizona’s Verde Valley that reveals a secret feature every year on the summer solstice when the sun hits it at that particular angle
- Hot Goss: A Los Angeles resident found a trap door in her home after living there for three years, and after opening it, said she began experiencing a series of occurrences such as doors slamming shut, alarms going off at 3 AM, and strange dreams
- Life Hack: Music isn’t just for entertainment; by having it on in the background, it can also help us focus when we need to buckle down and get stuff done - here is the number-one type of music for focusing, according to a Harvard neuroscientist
Tip-Offs
Ranking America’s most livable small cities.
The U.S. state with the priciest gas: Washington.
…and some DIY tips for maintaining your vehicle.
How to set boundaries in ambivalent relationships.
Learn about the airplanes that can see underwater.
Seven clever designs for tiny emergency shelters.
Gameplay footage of the new 2D Super Mario game.
Pharrell Williams makes his official Louis Vuitton debut.
Looking Back…
On June 22nd: Galileo is forced to recant his support of the Copernican system, which held that the Sun was the center of the solar system (1633); Disney’s animated musical Lady and the Tramp is released in U.S. theatres (1955); Charon, the largest moon of Pluto, is discovered (1978); actress Meryl Streep is born (1949).
The awe of timelapse footage
Be prepared for a thrilling ride with gorgeous timelapse photography and cutting-edge wisdom that will give you chills, instill you with a newfound sense of wonder, and fill you with hope for the future.
Fantastic Fungi has earned 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and received rave reviews from critics, calling this a film you CANNOT miss…
“One of the year’s most mind-blowing, soul-cleansing, and yes, immensely entertaining.” — RogerEbert.com
“Mushrooms are the new superheroes.” — Los Angeles Times
This film isn’t just highly entertaining — it will give you hope and tools to make your life better.
>> Claim your free viewing pass for the special event edition of Fantastic Fungi and get all 20 incredible mushroom recipes here.
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