Good morning, it's Tuesday, Oct. 6. The Supreme Court is back in session with a major climate change case. First time reading? Join millions of insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
Also in today's Digest: Cornell students protest in support of Jane Doe (Need to Know), an ex-American Idol contestant gets life in prison (Sports, Ent., & Cult.), parents are spending a fortune on Little League (In-Depth), the best dog photo of the year (Etc.), and much more. |
|
|
|
Supreme Court Term Begins |
The newest Supreme Court term kicked off yesterday with a case on whether energy companies can be held liable for damage related to climate change.
Boulder sued oil companies Exxon and Suncor in 2018 over allegations that their fossil fuels worsened local heat waves and wildfires. (An analysis by the left-leaning Colorado Fiscal Institute estimates climate change will cost the state $37B over 25 years.) The companies and their supporters, including the Trump administration, seek to block the suit, arguing it would allow state law to supersede federal law regulating the environment. If allowed to move forward, the case would clear the path for dozens of similar lawsuits.
Later this term, the court will review challenges to state laws banning AR-15s that allegedly violate the Second Amendment, the Trump administration's authority to detain migrants without bond hearings and deport them to third countries, and states' ability to require proof of citizenship to vote. (Wondering how the Supreme Court became so influential? Check out this "1440 Explores" podcast.) |
Student activists shattered a glass window and sprayed graffiti on Cornell University's main administrative building yesterday, kicking off protests over the Ivy League school's handling of an alleged sexual assault at a fraternity.
A former Cornell student filed a lawsuit against the university, seven Chi Phi fraternity members, and others last month, claiming the school failed to protect her after she was drugged and gang-raped in 2024. The woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, had reported the alleged assault to campus officials, prompting the university to ban Chi Phi and impose sanctions on the fraternity members, ranging from expulsion to essay writing. The district attorney, however, did not pursue criminal charges, citing insufficient evidence of nonconsensual sexual activity. It has since emerged that Cornell omitted Jane Doe's assertion that she was raped from a report given to prosecutors.
More than 35% of female undergraduates surveyed at Cornell last year reported experiencing nonconsensual sexual contact, up from 23% in 2023. |
Public schools across the US implemented nearly 12,000 book bans over the past year, a new study revealed. The bans encompassed 7,370 individual works, marking the highest total since nonprofit organization PEN America began tracking bans in 2021.
More than a dozen states have enacted sweeping laws to censor and remove books flagged as explicit or profane since 2021. Books addressing race, sexuality, and gender identity remain among the most commonly removed materials, according to PEN’s analysis. See the most banned titles here. Texas and Florida’s combined tally accounted for around 95% of all recorded bans nationwide (scroll for map of bans by state). Supporters say parents have a right to control their children’s educational materials, while opponents contend that bans violate the First Amendment.
Stephen King was the most-banned author for the second consecutive year. His newest novel, “Other Worlds Than These,” comes out today. Watch how he became the king of horror (via YouTube). |
|
|
|
🫶 Humankind: Retired FBI agent uses his sleuthing expertise to track down 100 rare apple trees and save them from extinction. |
|
|
|
|
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin announces plan to retire at the end of the NHL season, capping a record-setting career that cemented him as the league's all-time leading goal scorer (More) | What was the secret behind his goals? (More) |
> Former "American Idol" contestant Caleb Flynn is sentenced to life in prison without parole for murdering his wife (More) | Comedian Reggie McFadden, known for appearances on "Def Comedy Jam" and "In Living Color," dies at age 57 (More) |
> Taylor Swift's "Patient Zero" debuts at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 chart, knocking Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” out of the top spot after a record run of 24 nonconsecutive weeks (More) | How the Hot 100 is calculated (More via YouTube) |
|
|
|
|
> Astronomers discover first known second-generation planet orbiting the remains of the dead star from which it was born; finding suggests our sun could one day leave behind the ingredients for a new world (More) |
> Medical professionals link heat waves to a 25% increase in medical complications among pregnant women; a 1 degree Celsius increase in heat can boost chances of a preterm birth by roughly 5% (More) |
> People who eat ultraprocessed meals have higher insulin and blood sugar levels shortly after eating than those who eat less-processed meals of similar calories and macronutrient content (More) | How processed is your food? (More) |
|
|
|
|
|
> US stock markets close up (S&P 500 +0.7%, Dow +0.2%, Nasdaq +1.1%) as the Nasdaq composite and Nvidia hit all-time highs (More) |
> CNN CEO Mark Thompson will remain in charge of the news network after parent company Warner Bros. Discovery’s $110B acquisition by David Ellison’s Skydance, expected to close today (More) |
> General Motors to reintroduce hybrid vehicles to US lineup as the gasoline-electric cars account for a record 16.3% of total vehicle sales amid rising gas prices (More) | Calculate when it's worth buying a hybrid (More) |
|
|
|
> Yemen's Saudi-backed government forces claim to have ousted Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from Bab el-Mandeb Strait, responsible for 12% of global trade; Houthis deny the claim (More) | See map of the two key waterways impacting oil prices (More) |
> Former Republican House speaker Dennis Hastert dies at age 84; the longest-serving Republican speaker from 1999 to 2007, Hastert was known for spearheading Bush-era tax cuts before he was disgraced by a child sex abuse scandal (More) |
> FlyDubai copilot who allegedly stabbed captain last week reportedly intended to crash into Tel Aviv airport or building; began planning attack over a year ago (More) | See passenger's recording, anticipating her death (More, warning—sensitive) |
|
|
|
> Little Athletes, Big Price Tags
WSJ | Harriet Ryan. Dropping $500 on a single bat is just the beginning for today’s youth baseball parents. How has America’s pastime turned into a luxury expense? (Read) |
> Finding the Sweet Spot
Radiolab | Latif Nasser. Spurred by a U2 song and a curious child’s question, one journalist goes on a hunt to track down the absolute sweetest thing on Earth. (Listen) |
|
|
|
Historybook: Civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer born (1917); Yom Kippur War begins (1973); Pope John Paul II is first pope to visit White House (1979); Anwar Sādāt, president of Egypt, assassinated (1981); Hollywood legend Bette Davis dies (1989).
|
|
|
|
"You will never be happier than you expect. To change your happiness, change your expectation." |
|
|
1440 Media 111 N Canal St, Suite 1210 Chicago, IL 60606
Copyright © 2026, 1440 Media, All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
