Good morning, it's Thursday, Aug. 13. A new type of object was discovered in deep space. First time reading? Join over 4.7 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
Also in today's Digest: a record deal for the Los Angeles Lakers (Need To Know), Google debuts a competitor to Apple's AirTag (Sci. & Tech.), is the time coming for pet raccoons? (In-Depth), most desirable ZIP codes (Etc.), and much more.
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Scientists say they have identified a new type of cosmic object, a supermassive black hole surrounded by a dense gas cloud, resembling a star. The so-called “black hole star” could explain similar objects, red dots that have until now remained unidentified. See illustration; scroll for image.
While searching for the oldest possible galaxies, researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope noticed an extremely bright red spot—the reddest hue it has ever documented. They say the object—named “MoM-BH*-1”—formed about 660 million years after the Big Bang. They posited that a powerful star surrounded by a dense cloud of hydrogen could explain the red hue, among other phenomena. However, it was only when researchers incorporated a black hole into their simulation that it explained the object’s brightness, radiating 100 billion times the energy of a star.
Red dots have appeared in nearly every image the telescope has taken, suggesting these cosmic objects may have been foundational in the early universe. Learn more about the telescope's mission. |
Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, are reportedly buying the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal that values the team at a record $12.5B.
The sale would shatter the Lakers' own record for the highest-priced sale of a North American sports franchise. The previous record was set just 14 months ago, when current owner and Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter agreed to buy the Lakers at a $10B valuation. NBA team valuations surged 18% from 2025 to 2026, driven in part by multibillion-dollar media rights deals. The Lakers rank among the NBA's most popular teams, a status largely gained after Dr. Jerry Buss bought the team and drafted Magic Johnson in 1979. This rise inspired an HBO drama; watch trailer here.
Iger joined Kushner's Thrive Capital in April. Last month, the firm was named as a potential investor in FIFA's now-abandoned plan to sell stakes in the World Cup and other competitions.
Deep dive into the NBA with 1440's expert-curated resources here. |
🫶 Humankind: University students invent a solar-powered ambulance to deliver medical care to rural communities. |
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Reprogrammed immune cells in chickens may protect the animal from bacterial infections without the use of antibiotics, an in vitro study yesterday revealed. The finding could help reduce antimicrobial resistance and affect farming practices for the estimated 27 billion chickens or more alive at any given time.
Sodium butyrate is a fatty acid naturally produced by gut bacteria in chickens. When a team led by the University of Bristol exposed developing immune cells to the compound, it strengthened the animals’ ability to fight a range of infections, including Salmonella and E. coli. While it is not the only form of immune cell training, this approach was distinct in helping chicken cells better clear pathogens without excessive inflammation. Read the study here.
Chickens are a common reservoir for bacterial infections, and E. coli is among the leading threats of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. At least 23% of foodborne Salmonella cases in the US are linked to eating chicken or turkey.
Explore chicken consumption by country here. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Russell Westbrook to retire from the NBA after 18 seasons across seven teams (More, w/video announcement) | PGA Tour playoffs begin today in Memphis, with Scottie Scheffler entering as the No. 1 seed (More, w/complete standings) |
> Alex Cooper's Unwell media company is valued at $500M after its first outside investment from businessman Patrick Whitesell (More) | How Cooper is building a Gen Z media empire (More) |
> Sir Rod Stewart cancels remaining farewell tour dates, citing need to recover from a routine, successful heart procedure; the 81-year-old singer-songwriter has recently canceled or paused a handful of shows over his health (More) |
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> Google unveils upgraded Pixel phone, its first-ever competitor to Apple's AirTag, a new AI-powered voice feature designed to better understand how people talk, and more at annual "Made by Google" event (More) |
> Protective vest worn by a test dummy in NASA's 2022 uncrewed Artemis mission may dramatically reduce astronauts' exposure to potentially cancer-causing radiation during solar storms (More) | Five of the largest solar storms ever recorded (More) |
> New telescope captures never-before-seen view of a dying star's debris being recycled so it can eventually become part of new clouds, stars, or planets (More, w/image) | View the dying star in question at different wavelengths (More) |
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> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.3%, Dow -0.0%, Nasdaq +0.5%) after tame inflation report (More) | Consumer price index fell 0.1% in July, putting annual inflation rate at 3.4% as expected (More, w/chart) |
> US budget deficit rose to $432B in July, the highest monthly level since March 2021, as spending outpaced revenue; 2026 deficit totals $1.8T so far (More) | Understand the deficit (More) | Can you balance the budget? (More, w/game) |
> Wendy's shares close up nearly 15% on reports of activist investor Nelson Peltz preparing to take the fast-food chain private (More) |
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> David Crowley narrowly defeats democratic socialist Francesca Hong in Democratic primary for Wisconsin's gubernatorial election, defying recent polls (More) | Why did the polls get it so wrong? (More, free w/email) |
> White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave post by end of August to spend time with family, per President Donald Trump; decision comes weeks after Leavitt returned from maternity leave (More) |
> Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accompanied President Donald Trump on military jet to leave Turkey last month; other Cabinet members remained on decoy plane (More) | See previous write-up (More) |
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> The Rise of the Pet Raccoon
The Atlantic | Annie Lowrey. The fluffy scavengers are winning hearts and driving viral videos. But do they belong in our homes? (Read) |
> Resurrecting Liquid Fire
WSJ | Josh Loock and Nikki Walker. An iconic color used in neon signs vanished. A 100-year-old company is working to bring it back. (Watch) |
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Historybook: Sharpshooter Annie Oakley born (1860); Florence Nightingale, pioneer of modern nursing, dies (1910); Fidel Castro born (1926); Construction of the Berlin Wall begins (1961); Baseball great Mickey Mantle dies (1995); Celebrity chef Julia Child dies (2004).
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