Good morning. It's Friday, Aug. 13, and we're covering the accelerating Taliban takeover, a landmark metabolism study, and more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Taliban Surge Continues

An offensive blitz by Taliban militants continued yesterday, with the organization reportedly capturing the southern city of Kandahar and the western city of Herāt—Afghanistan's second and third largest cities, respectively. The provincial capital of Ghazni, just 90 miles south of the national capital of Kabul, also fell to the group.

The Taliban now control 12 of the country's 34 provincial capitals, gains that come amid the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Reports of atrocities, including mass executions of government officials and troops, have surfaced in captured regions.

The loss of Herat and Kandahar marks a devastating blow for the Afghan government. Herat is an oasis city near the border with Iran and Turkmenistan, while Kandahar is the cultural center of the country's Pashtun population. See a real-time map of Taliban gains over time here.  

US officials said yesterday they would temporarily deploy troops to help evacuate the US embassy in Kabul.

Census Data Released

The federal government released long-awaited district-level data collected during the 2020 census yesterday, revealing the country is diversifying at its fastest rate on record. 

The number of non-Hispanic white Americans dropped 2.6% from 2010, now making up roughly 58% of the US, while those claiming two or more races tripled to almost 34 million people (just over 10% of the total population). The nation continues to age, with more than three-quarters of Americans aged 18 years or older. The Villages, Florida, was the country's fastest-growing metro area.   

The once-a-decade survey showed 86% of the US lived in a metro area, up from 85% in 2010. The data also aligned with previous estimates suggesting slowing population growth; 52% of counties saw their populations decrease over the past decade.

States will use the count to redraw congressional districts, which will remain in place until the 2030 census. Population shifts revealed in earlier data resulted in Texas gaining two House seats, while Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, and Oregon each gained one. California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia each lost a seat. See a breakdown of redistricting in every state as maps become available here. 

See a summary of results here.

Rethinking Metabolism

One of the largest studies of its kind suggests the body's metabolism remains relatively constant between the ages of 20 and 60, according to results published yesterday. The conclusion counters the common notion that metabolism gradually declines year by year in adults and is partially responsible for weight gain throughout middle age.

The study involved more than 6,500 participants ranging in age from less than 10 days to over 90 years old. Researchers found metabolism—the rate at which your body burns energy to fuel processes ranging from cellular function to blood circulation—peaks around age one and declines by about 3% per year until age 20. After plateauing for four decades, the study suggests metabolism begins to drop again by 1% per year. No differences were found between men and women. 

Researchers are still working to understand the decrease in older age, noting that it may be linked to cellular-level processes.

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In partnership with EnergyX

THE ENERGY TRANSITION

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Chicago White Sox beat the New York Yankees 9-8 on a walk-off home run in the first-ever "Field of Dreams" game (More) | US men's national soccer team ranked in top 10 of FIFA world rankings for first time since 2006 after Gold Cup win (More)

> Britney Spears' father Jamie to step down as her conservator after 13 years and a series of court battles this summer (More)

> Justin Bieber leads all artists with seven nominations at 2021 MTV Video Music Awards (More) | Una Stubbs, British actress best known for "Sherlock," dies at 84 (More)

Science & Technology

> Chemical analysis of a woolly mammoth tusk reveals the prehistoric creatures were constant travelers, traversing what is now Alaska totaling distances equal to circling the Earth twice (More)

> Scientists uncover genetic basis for the variation in the coat patterns of wolves and dogs; study finds genetic variant responsible for light coats originated in wolves roughly 2 million years ago (More)

> Study shows lab-grown antibodies are capable of protecting against malaria; results mark one of the biggest advancements in the use of synthetic antibodies to battle infectious diseases (More)

Business & Markets

Brought to you by The Ascent

> An estimated 375,000 Americans filed initial jobless claims last week, falling for the third consecutive week and in line with estimates (More)

> Bill Gates to pledge $1.5B for climate projects if Congress passes the bipartisan infrastructure bill, currently with the House (More)

> Disney crushes expectations as park's business unit returns to profitability for first time since pandemic and Disney+ subscribers rise to 116 million (More) | Social media giant Reddit raises $410M at a $10B valuation (More) | Airbnb beats revenue expectations, but warns the delta variant may affect future business (More) 

From our partners: *Ring ring.* $200 is calling. This card offers you a $200 cash rewards sign-up bonus and competitive cash rewards on every purchase you make. Enjoy one of the most hassle-free cards on the market, for no annual fee.

Politics & World Affairs

> US COVID-19 cases continue to rise, now averaging 124,000 per day, up 25% over the past week; deaths averaging near 530 per day, up 17% over the past week (More)

> Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to call a snap election for mid-September; move is viewed as a bid for Trudeau's Liberal Party to retake the parliamentary majority (More)

> More than 850,000 customers went without power yesterday, following heavy storms across the Midwest (More) | Current status here (More)

IN-DEPTH

Ghosts

Believer | Vauhini Vara. Using GPT-3—an advanced AI writing program—to work through the death of a close sibling. (Read)

What Bobby McIlvaine Left Behind

Atlantic | Jennifer Senior. How one family deals with the lingering effects of 9/11, two decades on. (Read, paywall)

Number Sense

Quanta | Jordana Cepelewicz. A recent study showed crows understand the concept of zero. How far do animals' sense of numbers go? (Read)

A New Top Dog

NPR | Greg Rosalsky. How America's pet revolution made an industry out of catering to your canine. (Read)

POWERING PROMISING PARTNERSHIPS

In partnership with EnergyX

EnergyX's LiTAS™ technology is a highly scalable nanotechnology capable of dramatically increasing lithium production in a more efficient manner than existing lithium extraction methods. But what does that mean for us or you? 

It means that many electric vehicle companies will rely on this technology as demand continues to outstrip lithium supply. EnergyX already has agreements in place with four of the top 10 lithium producers in the world, and is playing its role in accelerating lithium supply in line with increasing demand for batteries and ultimately electric vehicles. Learn all about their technology and investment offering before the opportunity closes Aug. 20.

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ETCETERA

See the NASA-designed Martian condo.

Mapping US oil production by state.

Three volcanoes are currently erupting in Alaska.

This electric RV could be the future of camping.

How Pudgy Penguins became the internet's latest status symbol. (paywall, NYT)

New jellyfish species photographed off the New England coast.

News segment reunites dog and owner after two years.

Texas city attempts to gather all the Kyles.

Clickbait: Fifteen sets of twins ready to start in the same school.

Historybook: Sharpshooter Annie Oakley born (1860); Fidel Castro born (1926); Construction of the Berlin Wall begins (1961); RIP baseball great Mickey Mantle (1995); RIP celebrity chef Julia Child (2004).

"If I knew I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself."

- Mickey Mantle

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