9.30.2024

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Helene Ravages Southeast

Hurricane Helene has left a trail of devastation since making landfall last week, killing over 100 people across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Dozens of people remain unaccounted for; more than 4 million people have experienced power outages. 

A leading danger has come from floods and mudslides. In Tennessee, a bridge collapsed and a dam narrowly avoided failure. In North Carolina, entire towns and cities were cut off, with Asheville (population 94,000) largely isolated for days, requiring emergency supplies to be airlifted in. Atlanta witnessed the heaviest downfall of rain in a 48-hour period in its history. Dozens of people across multiple states have been rescued by helicopter. See photos of the storm's impact here.

Part of the impact can be explained by the storm's relatively large width (see previous write-up). As Helene was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, the system continued to cause storm surges and historic floodwaters. 

Hezbollah Leader Killed

An Israeli airstrike killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, over the weekend. The strike involved 80 tons of bunker-buster bombs, killing Nasrallah at a meeting of senior leaders below residential buildings south of the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

The 64-year-old Nasrallah helmed the group, designated a terrorist organization by the US, for more than 30 years. During that time, he was seen as a spiritual leader for Hezbollah’s supporters (up to roughly one-third of Lebanon's population) and a pivotal player in the Iranian proxy group's transformation into a regional power (see overview). The group led the 2006 war against Israel and has carried out ongoing strikes across the Lebanon-Israel border since Oct. 8—a show of support for Hamas following its Oct. 7 attacks and amid Israel’s war in Gaza.

Israel has significantly expanded attacks across the region, killing other top Hezbollah commanders (see list) over the past week. It also struck Iran-backed Houthi rebels yesterday, its second such strike in Yemen.

'I Can Eat Sugar Now'

A stem cell treatment has reversed a 25-year-old woman's Type 1 diabetes, a study last week found. The case marks the first in which a patient with Type 1 was treated using cells from her own body. Read the study here.

Researchers at Beijing's Peking University extracted patient cells and reverted them to their pluripotent state (see 101, w/video). They then developed these cells into the insulin-producing islet cells responsible for turning glucose into energy—a process attacked by the body when a person has Type 1 diabetes. The team tested the cells in mice and primates for safety. Then, in June 2023, they reinjected 1.5 million cells into the patient's abdomen. Two and a half months later, the patient was producing enough insulin on her own to forgo other treatments.

Roughly half a billion people—including 38.4 million Americans—live with a form of diabetes, representing roughly 10% of the global adult population. See more here (w/video).

Editor's note: In Saturday's newsletter, we mistakenly referred to NYC Mayor Eric Adams (D) as a Republican. He is a Democrat. We apologize for the error and thank you to readers for pointing it out.

In partnership with EnergyX

Supercharging The Lithium Supply Chain

In partnership with EnergyX

How GM Is Securing Its Lithium Supply

The world will need to produce 3.8 million tons of lithium per year by 2035 to meet the demand for electric vehicles. General Motors is turning to one startup to unlock US-based lithium supply: EnergyX. EnergyX’s patented LiTAS™ technology can extract up to 300% more lithium than traditional methods.

GM led a $50 million funding round in EnergyX last year, and EnergyX is now opening up the opportunity for all investors to join them. 

EnergyX invites you to join them as a shareholder before Thursday’s deadline.*

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