10.10.2024

 

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Good morning. It's Thursday, Oct. 10, and we're covering what may be the worst storm to hit Florida in a century, the bear deemed most prepared for winter, and much more. First time reading? Join over 3.9 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.

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Need To Know
 

Milton Arrives Stateside

Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast last night as a Category 3 storm, bringing wind speeds of 120 mph and over a dozen tornadoes and thunderstorm warnings. See live updates here.

 

Among the greatest dangers is Milton's storm surge, expected to reach up to 13 feet as of this writing. An estimated 6 million Florida residents were ordered to evacuate ahead of the storm's arrival, including to dozens of emergency shelters; those who did not were directed to shelter in place. More than 1 million people have lost power. Several airports have closed; emergency services in multiple counties have been suspended.

 

Tampa is among several Florida cities considered most vulnerable to storm surge in the US due to its low elevation and continental shelf acting like a funnel, with water accumulating on the coast. As the storm continues on its projected path into the Atlantic Ocean, it is expected to reshape the state's coastline.

 

Google Antitrust Remedies

The Justice Department is proposing to break up Google and force it to sell parts of its business. The proposal, one of several recommendations submitted in a late Tuesday court filing, comes after a judge this summer found Google holds a monopoly in online search and text advertising (see previous write-up).

 

Judge Amit Mehta is expected to decide on a final slate of remedies in August 2025, with Google likely to be required to stop paying device makers—including Apple—over $20B annually to set its search engine as the default. In the event of a breakup, Google warns services will be disrupted for billions of users. Analysts have likened the ruling to the 1999 antitrust case against software giant Microsoft; the last US company to be split by an antitrust ruling was AT&T in 1982 (read history).

 

The ruling on Google's monopoly in search is distinct from a separate DOJ antitrust suit over its ad business. Closing arguments in the trial are expected in November.

 

Mama Bear Retains Crown

A mother bear known as 128 "Grazer" won this year's Fat Bear Week competition, her second consecutive win. The annual popularity contest, launched in 2014, promotes conservation efforts at Alaska's Katmai National Park, home to an estimated 2,200 brown bears. 

 

Over the course of a week, public participants rank before-and-after photos of roughly a dozen bears working to beef up for winter in a bracket-style competition (see photos). This year, reigning champion Grazer's fat-packing evolution was considered especially noteworthy given her calorie-draining care for a young cub, and the recent death of another offspring.

 

In late summer, bears enter a state known as hyperphagia, in which the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin is turned off, enabling them to eat dozens of salmon daily. The bears consume the fattiest parts of the fish, gaining as much as 4 pounds per day before retreating to a den for winter. Learn more here.

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In The Know
 

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> The 2024 WNBA Finals kick off tonight (8 pm ET, ESPN) with the New York Liberty taking on the Minnesota Lynx in a best-of-five series (More

> Vogue reveals theme for 2025 Met Gala, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," and names co-chairs: Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, and Pharrell Williams (More)

> Seattle Kraken's Jessica Campbell becomes NHL's first full-time female assistant coach (More) | 2024 MLB Division Series ongoing; see latest playoff bracket and schedule (More)

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Science & Technology

> Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to trio of researchers for developing AI applications, including Google's DeepMind, to predict protein structure and folding (More) | Literature prize announced at 7 am ET this morning; see selection (More)

> Tesla CEO Elon Musk to unveil company's new driverless robotaxi during live event tonight at 10 pm ET; deployment timeline for the "cybercab" not yet revealed (More

> Consuming fewer calories linked to increased life span in mice, large-scale study finds; results suggest the benefits of dietary restriction extend to improved immune health, genetics factors, and more (More

 

Business & Markets

> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.7%, Dow +1.0%, Nasdaq +0.6%); S&P 500 and Dow notch fresh records as tech stocks—led by Super Micro Computer—continue to rally (More)

> Mining giant Rio Tinto announces it will acquire lithium miner Arcadium Lithium for $6.7B; Arcadium shares close up 31% on the news (More)

> Ratan Tata, former chair of India's oldest conglomerate, Tata Sons, dies at age 86; Tata Sons is the holding company for Tata Group, which oversees nearly 100 companies and acquired British Jaguar and Land Rover for $2.3B from Ford in 2008 (More)

 

Politics & World Affairs

> President Joe Biden holds call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid expectations for Israeli response to Iranian missiles last week (More) | See updates on war (More)

> North Korea announces it will cut off all roads and rail lines to South Korea and "permanently" block the border; announcement comes after months of missile tests, trash balloons (More)

> The Tropicana, Las Vegas' third-oldest hotel-casino, demolished in controlled implosion to make space for $1.5B Major League Baseball stadium (More, w/video) | See previous write-up (More)

 

In-Depth

> Who Gets Shipped—and Why?

Pudding | Staff. Which fictional characters and real-life people—real or imagined—inspire a prolific fanfic community? Explore an analysis of current fanfic trends, along with visuals and graphics. (Read)

 

> Teeth, Reexamined

The Point Magazine | Jacob Mikanowski. An examination of post-World War II Warsaw, chronicling the life of a dentist—the author's grandmother. (Read)

In partnership with SmartAsset

7 Mistakes People Make When Hiring an Advisor

 

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In partnership with SmartAsset

7 Mistakes People Make When Hiring an Advisor

 

Working with a financial advisor can be a crucial part of any healthy financial plan. But choosing the wrong one could wreak havoc. Avoid these 7 mistakes people make when hiring an advisor so you can work to potentially save years of stress.

 

SmartAsset’s free quiz simplifies the time consuming process of finding an advisor. Answer a few questions to get matched with up to 3 vetted financial advisors serving your area. All advisors on the platform have been rigorously screened through a proprietary due diligence process and are legally bound to work in your best interest. Get your financial advisor matches today.

Please support our sponsors!

Etcetera
 

Wildlife Photographer of the Year award revealed.

 

Australian police pursue koala across train station.

 

Scientists produce model head of biggest bug to ever live.

 

PepsiCo puts the "mountain" back in Mountain Dew.

 

Photographer shares a peaceful view of our world.

 

Americans are (maybe) getting healthier.

 

US presidential elections disrupted by "October surprises."

 

The million-dollar mystery of milk.com.

 

Clickbait: Burger King's mysterious spooky menu.

 

Historybook: United States Naval Academy opens (1845); American actress Helen Hayes born (1900); Filmmaker Orson Welles dies (1985); Hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise ship ends (1985); "Superman" actor Christopher Reeve dies (2004).

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*Disclosure: "Journal of Retirement Study Winter" (2020). The projections or other information regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment results, and are not guarantees of your future results. Please follow the link to see the methodologies employed in the Journal of Retirement study.

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