Good morning, it's Thursday, July 9. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is "over." First time reading? Join over 4.7 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
Also in today's Digest: "The Pitt" sweeps Emmy nominations (Sports, Ent. & Cult.), OpenAI releases its latest model (Sci. & Tech.), fascinating facts on the Civil War (Civics), ranking US cities by their bedbug problem (Etc.), and much more.
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The US carried out a new wave of airstrikes against Iran hours after President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was “over.” See live updates here.
The US accuses Iran of attacking three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, after requiring all vessels passing through the strait to use an approved route. In response, the US says it struck Iran’s air defense system and over 60 small boats used by its paramilitary. The US also revoked a waiver allowing the sale of Iranian oil on the international market. The standoff surrounds Iran’s ongoing promises to charge fees on ships passing through the strait, potentially in exchange for guaranteeing their safe passage (what’s the difference between a fee and a toll?).
The latest flare-up comes as Iran plans to bury former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today, capping a nearly weeklong funeral procession. See scenes from the procession here. (w/photo) |
Human intelligence largely depends on the processing power of individual brain cells, according to a study out this week. The finding challenges the assumption that humans' superior cognitive abilities (compared with other mammals, like rats) stem primarily from having more brain cells and the vast connections between them.
Researchers tasked an artificial intelligence model with learning and reproducing the functions of individual neurons from humans and rats. The experiment revealed that a single human neuron can independently perform tasks, such as distinguishing between images of dogs and cats—abilities previously thought to require the collective activity of several neurons. The researchers believe that a human neuron's unique electrical properties and dense, treelike branches—which collect incoming information—may enhance its computational capacity. Explore the anatomy of a neuron here.
Experts say this more granular understanding of human neurons could inspire the development of more complex AI models, which are already modeled after the human brain. (w/video) |
🫶 Humankind: An Australian barber travels to a remote island rocked by a series of suicides to teach young Aboriginal people how to cut hair as a positive, practical outlet. |
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Graham Platner—the Democratic candidate for Maine’s Senate race—announced yesterday he will suspend his campaign. The revelation came ahead of a July 13 deadline, and days after a Politico story revealed an allegation of rape by a woman he once dated. (Read the piece; watch her CNN interview.)
In his 11-minute video announcement, Platner again denied the allegations against him. Nonetheless, many influential leaders had rescinded their endorsements, chief among them Rep. Ro Khanna (D, CA-17) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The announcement ends Platner's bid to unseat Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) with an antiwar, economically populist agenda; his campaign claimed to have generated the largest volunteer base in the state’s history. Still, it was beset by scandals, including the revelation of a Nazi-linked tattoo and a physical assault allegation. (See inside the vetting process.)
Maine is considered a must-win state for Democrats seeking to take control of the Senate. The state’s Democratic Party has until July 27 to announce his replacement (see 12 potential contenders). |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> "The Pitt" dominates Emmy nominations with 25 nods; "Hacks" breaks record for most comedy series nods in a single year (More, w/full list) | Rob Reiner receives posthumous nod for "The Bear," plus more surprises and snubs (More) |
> Justin Bieber will join Shakira, BTS, and Madonna for the first-ever World Cup final halftime show just outside New York City on July 19 (More) |
> Wimbledon women's singles semifinals begin today at 8:30 am ET, with American Coco Gauff vying for a spot in Saturday's final; men's singles semifinals are set for tomorrow (More) |
The World Cup quarterfinals begin today at 3 pm ET, with France taking on Morocco. 1440 is partnering with Men in Blazers to deliver daily, in-depth coverage through the final whistle. Sign up here to follow the final thrilling stages. |
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> OpenAI releases most capable AI model yet—GPT-5.6—to the public weeks after the Trump administration delayed the rollout over cybersecurity concerns; the government has approved today's release following additional testing (More) |
> World Health Organization projects new cancer cases will nearly double to 35 million by 2050, calls for urgent action to address global healthcare inequities (More) | How cancer cells compare to healthy cells (More, w/video) |
> Teardrop-based device can measure dopamine levels, potentially offering a noninvasive approach for monitoring Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions (More) |
What phobias do you have? From apeirophobia (living too long) to trypophobia (cracks and holes), yesterday's Health & Medicine newsletter explored the science of phobias. Check it out here and sign up here! |
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> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.3%, Dow -1.1%, Nasdaq +0.2%) as the US carries out further strikes on Iran (More) | Federal Reserve officials split on pace of future interest rate cuts, Fed's June meeting minutes show (More) |
> Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin aims to secure $10B at a $130B valuation in the 25-year-old rocket company's first private capital raise (More) | The childhood experience that shaped Bezos (More) |
> Jobs with "AI" in the title have tripled since 2022, now making up one in 12 listings on Indeed's job board, per new data (More) | What happens if AI eventually replaces more jobs? Watch our explainer (More) |
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> ICE agent fatally shoots a Mexican citizen, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, earlier this week during a traffic stop in Houston; ICE alleges Araujo was living in the US illegally, evaded arrest, and rammed the agent's vehicle; critics call for an independent investigation (More) |
> President Donald Trump clears Ukraine to manufacture the US' Patriot air defense missiles after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit (More) |
> German palliative care doctor is sentenced for murdering 15 patients, ages 25 to 94, using a cocktail of sedatives (More) |
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If the government spends taxpayer dollars to collect public data, shouldn’t that data be used for major policy decisions? USAFacts is asking Congress to do just that.
As voters, you deserve reliable data. Without public data, taxpayer money risks being misspent, policy decisions can suffer, and it’s harder to hold the government accountable. Reliable data is what makes government work for the people who fund it.
Public data belongs to the people—including you. Support public data and sign the open letter. |
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> The Luck Behind Greatness
The Pudding | Russell Samora. The 2015 Golden State Warriors are seen as one of the greatest NBA teams. So why does one data journalist rank them as the century's least ethical? See a visual dive on every NBA title since 2001, ranked by luck. (Read) |
> The Food Truck Mafia
Washingtonian | Jessica Sidman. The National Mall gets over 30 million visitors a year. An organized network of unlicensed vendors has figured out how to profit from every one of them—from running turf wars to charging $15 for ice cream. (Read) |
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Historybook: 14th Amendment ratified in the US, granting citizenship to African Americans (1868); First Wimbledon tournament begins (1877); Actor Tom Hanks born (1956); Andy Warhol's iconic "Campbell's Soup Cans" makes its debut (1962); Musician Courtney Love born (1964).
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