Good morning. It's Friday, Aug. 8, and we're covering Israel's announced plan for Gaza, Americans' high intake of ultraprocessed foods, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.5 million intellectually curious 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]. |
|
|
|
|
|
Israel intends to take military control over the entire Gaza Strip, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who made the statement in an interview yesterday. Netanyahu said Israel aims to eliminate Hamas and secure the area but has no plans to permanently govern there. The country will instead seek to transfer authority to Arab forces; Netanyahu did not share further details of the plan.
The statement comes amid stalled ceasefire talks with Hamas and international criticism over the humanitarian situation in Gaza. It also comes amid internal Israeli disagreement (see poll), including concerns from officials and families of hostages held by Hamas. At least 20 of the estimated 50 remaining hostages are thought to be still alive.
Israel controls about 75% of Gaza, where roughly 2 million Palestinians have been displaced, and at least 500,000 face famine-like conditions. Canada and the UK have vowed to recognize Palestinian statehood in September if the war does not end, while France has pledged recognition unconditionally. |
France contained its largest wildfire since 1949 yesterday, after three days battling the blaze. The wildfire in the southern Aude region scorched more than 62 square miles—an area roughly one and a half times the size of Paris.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, which killed at least one person, injured over a dozen others, and forced about 2,000 to evacuate. Dozens of homes and vehicles have been destroyed. Officials blamed climate change for the heightened wildfire risk (see more, w/graph). Strong winds, dry soil, and a recent drought have spread the fire. More than 2,100 firefighters worked to contain the blaze alongside several water bomber planes (see how they work).
The wildfire comes weeks after a parliamentary report warned France’s fleet of 60 firefighting aircraft is aging and limited. The European Commission, which invested in new aircraft and satellite technology, offered its assistance early Thursday. |
Americans' Ultraprocessed Diets |
Ultraprocessed foods make up the majority (55%) of Americans' caloric intake, according to a study released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the agency has surveyed Americans’ nutrition since the 1960s, the latest report is the first to analyze ultraprocessed food consumption.
The term "ultraprocessed foods" was coined in 2009 and has been linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. There is no universally accepted definition; the report uses a Brazilian framework, describing "ultraprocessed" as industrial creations with few, if any, whole foods. The report found sandwiches—including burgers, hot dogs, and PB&Js—are Americans' top source, followed by baked goods, salty snacks, and sugary drinks.
Kids and people from lower-income brackets consume especially high levels of ultraprocessed foods, though rates have declined slightly over the past decade. Read the full study here. |
|
|
|
|
|
In partnership with honeycomb |
|
This Toilet Paper Just Might Save the World |
|
Please support our sponsors! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> NFL preseason kicks off in earnest, with all 32 teams playing through the weekend; see complete preseason Week 1 preview (More) |
> Eddie Palmieri, eight-time Grammy-winning Latin music legend, dies at 88; his 1965 hit "Azúcar Pa’ Ti" was inducted into the US Library of Congress (More) |
> Paramount and Skydance close on $8.4B merger, more than a year after initial announcement; new company is named "Paramount, a Skydance Corporation" (More) |
All about hip-hop: Tomorrow's Society & Culture newsletter explores five decades of lyrical miracles. Subscribe here for free! |
|
|
> OpenAI releases GPT-5, the latest version of its flagship large language model, to free and paying subscribers; new model is heavily focused on advanced reasoning and carrying out tasks for users (More) | LLM explained quickly (1440 Topics) |
> Astronomers find evidence for a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri A; at about 4.4 light years away, the Alpha Centauri system is the closet sun-like star to Earth (More) | How we capture images from space (More, w/video) |
> Argentina's Perito Moreno glacier is losing thickness via melting at about 18 feet per year, up from about a foot per year between 2000 and 2019, and may be in irreversible decline; site draws 700,000 visitors per year (More) | Climatology 101 (1440 Topics) |
|
|
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.1%, Dow -0.5%, Nasdaq +0.4%) (More) | President Donald Trump to nominate top economic aide Stephen Miran to Federal Reserve board to temporarily fill vacancy (More) |
> President Donald Trump signs executive order allowing alternative assets like cryptocurrencies, private equity, and real estate into 401(k) plans and other defined-contribution retirement savings plans (More) | Primer on 401(k) plans (1440 Topics) |
> US continuing jobless claims rise to 1.97 million in the week ending July 26, the highest level since November 2021 (More) |
|
|
In partnership with Pacaso |
|
It’s a company called Pacaso. Five VCs who helped fund the likes of Airbnb and Uber are each backing Pacaso. And they aren’t the only ones. 10,000+ everyday investors are now shareholders too.
Why? Co-founded by a Zillow exec, Pacaso has already made over $110M in gross profits by bringing co-ownership to the vacation home market (worth $1.3T). Now they’re expanding to new countries like Italy and reserved their Nasdaq ticker.
But this opportunity won’t last forever. Invest in Pacaso as a private company here.* |
|
|
|
|
|
> New US import tariffs kick in for more than 60 countries and the EU, ranging from 10% to 50%, as trading partners attempt to negotiate better deals (More) | See full list of imposed tariffs (More) |
> Texas Senate committee votes 6-1 to advance Republican-friendly House map; Republicans say the FBI has agreed to help locate Texas Democrats who left the state to block the quorum needed to pass legislation (More) | See previous write-up (More) |
> Federal judge temporarily blocks further construction at "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in Florida (More) | See previous write-up (More) |
|
|
> The Linguistics of Brain Rot
Smarty Pants Podcast | Stephanie Bastek. How middle schoolers talk is being shaped by social media algorithms we don't understand and can't control. Is this a problem for society, or part of the larger evolution of language? (Listen) |
> Icelanders on Puffling Patrol
Nature on PBS | Staff. Atlantic puffins are in decline, and light pollution lures them into dangerous situations. Learn how biologists and residents of Iceland's Westman Islands are working to save the endangered seabirds. (Watch) |
> Green Wall Street
Time Magazine | Justin Worland. London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore are vying to become the nexus of finance and environmental sustainability. Could they dethrone New York City as the world's financial capital? (Read) |
> Great Uncle Ronald
Longreads | Hannah Engler. A young writer revisits the life and legacy of her beloved great uncle, revising his obituary in the process. (Read) |
|
|
In partnership with honeycomb |
|
27,000 Trees Are Cut Down Each Day |
|
Please support our sponsors! |
|
|
|
"There is no way around hard work. Embrace it." |
|
|
*Disclosure: This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving the ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the Nasdaq is subject to approvals. |
|
1440 Media 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 1212 Chicago, IL 60654
Copyright © 2025, 1440 Media, All rights reserved. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
