10.26.2024

 

In partnership with

Good morning. It's Saturday, Oct. 26, and in this weekend edition, we're covering rising E. coli cases tied to a popular fast-food chain, an ancient Norse saga discovery, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4 million readers. Sign up here.

Don’t keep us a secret: Share the email with friends (copy URL here)​.

And, as always, send us feedback at [email protected].

One Big Headline
 

E. Coli Outbreak Expands

E. coli illnesses linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers have spread to 75 people across 13 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced yesterday. Twenty-two people have been hospitalized, with one person dead. See outbreak map here.

 

The update comes three days after the CDC opened an investigation, initially reporting 49 E. coli cases, including 10 hospitalizations and one death. Federal regulators haven't confirmed the outbreak's source, though initial investigations point to the onions on the burgers as a likely source after Taylor Farms (the sole supplier of McDonald's onions) issued an onion recall at its facility in Colorado. The incident has prompted fast-food chains like Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell to temporarily remove raw onions from their items in some locations. 

 

Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli (see overview), are bacteria typically found in the intestines of humans and other animals. They help to digest food and produce vitamins. However, some strains have evolved, causing illnesses by producing toxins that damage the lining of the intestines. 

In partnership with honeycomb

This Toilet Paper Just Might Save the World

 

Every 24 hours, 27,000 trees are cut down … just to make toilet paper. We think that’s far too many, and honeycomb agrees, which is why they created luxury 3-ply made from bamboo. It feels just like regular high-end toilet paper, but doesn’t harm trees.

 

You might be wondering: Why bamboo? It grows insanely fast—nearly 100x faster than the average tree—making it a sustainable option to save forests. Bamboo also has uniquely short fibers, which are perfect for creating soft toilet tissue you can feel good about. It’s biodegradable, 100% plastic-free, and honeycomb delivers straight to you.

 

The best part? For the next 24 hours, honeycomb is giving 1440 readers 30% off your first order with code 1440.

Please support our sponsors!

Quick Hits
 

Japanese voters head to polls tomorrow in Japan's snap elections.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party faces its most significant electoral challenge for the first time since 2009 amid corruption scandals and declining public support. Analysts predict the opposition, particularly the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, may gain ground. Ishiba called the parliamentary elections after taking office Oct. 1 following the resignation of Japan's former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. 

 

Robotaxi developer Waymo raises record $5.6B in funding.

The funding round is the largest for Alphabet's autonomous vehicle division, Waymo, as it looks to expand its robotaxi services across more cities. The round—led by Alphabet and joined by venture firms including Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity, and T. Rowe Price—brings Waymo's total capital raised to more than $11B. Waymo operates in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, and plans to expand to Austin and Atlanta as part of a partnership with Uber.

 

Grateful Dead cofounder and bassist Phil Lesh dies at 84.

Lesh played for the Grateful Dead for its entire 30-year history and also cowrote some of the band’s most noteworthy songs, including “St. Stephen," “Dark Star,” “Cumberland Blues,” and “Box of Rain.” The Grateful Dead was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and disbanded in 1995 after the death of the group's leader, Jerry Garcia. Lesh had faced health challenges later in life, including battles with prostate and bladder cancer. No cause of death was made public.

 

'Well Man' identified from 800-year-old Norse saga.

Researchers have linked ancient DNA from skeletal remains found in a well at Sverresborg Castle in Norway to the "well man" mentioned in the medieval Sverris Saga. The research indicates the remains likely belong to a man who died during a 1197 raid and was thrown into the well to poison the water supply, corroborating the historical narrative. The finding represents the first instance of physically identifying an individual described in historical texts through genomic analysis. 

 

India, China begin implementing Himalayan border pact.

India and China have begun withdrawing their troops from an undefined 2,100-mile-long disputed Himalayan border, marking a step toward deescalating a four-year military standoff (see background). The withdrawal follows a recent agreement between the two nations to resume military patrols along the border, which had been a source of tension since deadly clashes in July 2020 that killed 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers. 

 

Boeing reportedly exploring sale of parts of it space business.

The aerospace company's space business up for sale includes its troubled Starliner vehicle and operations that support the International Space Station. The sale exploration is reportedly at an early stage and may not result in a deal. The report comes after a SpaceX capsule carried four astronauts from the space station back to Earth after their return was delayed due to problems with Boeing's capsule and Hurricane Milton.

Introducing 1440 Business & Finance

 

Dear Readers—

 

For years, you’ve told us you want to go deeper on fascinating topics, but don’t know where to look. Search engines return billions of results littered with algorithmically optimized garbage. Yet thousands of amazing expert-made resources—explainers, podcasts, videos, and more—exist. They are just impossible to find. 

 

In the coming months, we will unveil just that: 1440 Topics, a trusted place for you to take your own knowledge journey.

 

But for now, you can get a preview—we're launching our second-ever newsletter, 1440 Business & Finance, on Oct. 31.

 

Curious about retirement? Venture capital? The gig economy? Each week you’ll receive an email with a deep dive into a new topic—along with our hand-picked resources from across the internet. You’ll also be able to explore all of our Business & Finance content online—a preview of the 1440 Topics ecosystem.

 

Sign up here (100% free) to get on the waitlist!

Humankind
 

Sixteen-year-old UK boy—and cancer survivor—helps save lives on the water by responding to maritime distress calls. (More)

 

New York City bus driver reunites with 5-year-old girl he helped after seeing her wandering the streets by herself. (More

 

Father uses TikTok to offer "Dinner with Dad" to any kid or adult child who needs one. (More)

 

Houston Chick-fil-A workers help terminally ill diner cross off "visiting" Alaska from his travel bucket list. (More

 

In-laws drive 17 hours to celebrate daughter-in-law's birthday, whose military husband was overseas. (More)

In partnership with Med-X

Natural Solutions & Nasdaq Bound

Med-X isn’t just making the world greener—it’s starting to turn heads on Wall Street. Their revolutionary natural pesticides are outpacing chemical alternatives in performance in certain use cases, and their impact is undeniable: 200% revenue growth in a booming $17B market.

 

And the best part? Med-X is gearing up for a major milestone: a Nasdaq listing (ticker: MXRX). But the real opportunity is now—before they hit the big stage. Why wait?

 

Become an early Med-X shareholder today and get in ahead of the crowd.*

 
Humankind(ness)
 

Today, we're sharing a story from reader Gloria M. in Safety Harbor, Florida.

 

"I live in a condo community and our power was out for several days. One of our neighbors had a generator and put a power bank outside so that all of his neighbors would be able to charge their cell phones. In addition, he placed a coffee maker out there as well and filled it with water. All you had to do was to bring your own K-Cup! What a thoughtful & wonderful thing to do."

 

What act(s) of kindness did you experience this week? Tell us here.

Etcetera
 

Bookkeeping

> Largest known prime number, spanning over 41 million digits, is discovered.

> More than 34 million ballots cast so far in early voting of 2024 US election

 

Browse 

> The winners of the dog photography awards.

See presidential campaign collectibles

> Do you see a ghost in these vintage photos

A game where you need to figure out a train's direction

> Taco Bell is bringing back items from the past six decades.

 

Listen 

> The art of—and finding fulfillment in—being single

 

Watch 

> Explaining the colors you see when you rub your eyes.

> How female snakes choose a mate

> Meet the kākāpō: a parrot that is too heavy to fly

 

Long Read 

> A melodic greeting between women in Burundi is at risk of being lost

> A statistical analysis of how song lyrics have changed since the 1960s.

 

Most Clicked This Week: This year's most popular baby names

 

Historybook: Erie Canal opens (1825); Women’s rights leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton dies (1902); Hillary Clinton born (1947); Hattie McDaniel, first Black Academy Award winner, dies (1952); Last known natural case of smallpox detected (1977).

"When I was little, my mother taught me how to use a fork and knife. The trouble is that mother forget to teach me how to stop using them!"

- Hattie McDaniel

Why 1440? The printing press was invented around the year 1440, spreading knowledge to the masses and changing the course of history. More facts: In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. We’re here to make each one count.

 

Send us your feedback at [email protected] and help us stay unbiased as humanly possible. We’re ready to listen.

 

Interested in reaching intellectually curious readers like you? To become a 1440 partner, apply here.

*Disclosure: This is a paid advertisement for Med-X’s Regulation CF Offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.medx-rx.com/

1440 Media 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 1212 Chicago, IL 60654

Copyright © 2024, 1440 Media, All rights reserved.

J

 

Join a community of over 4 million intellectually curious individuals.

100% free. Unsubscribe anytime.

Don't miss out on the daily email read by over 4 million intellectually curious readers.