Good morning. It's Wednesday, Oct. 8, and we're covering furlough compensation concerns, a Supreme Court conversion therapy case, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.5 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.
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President Donald Trump signaled yesterday that furloughed federal workers may not be guaranteed retroactive compensation when the government reopens, a potential shift from previous policy that covered roughly 750,000 employees.
A draft memo from the Office of Management and Budget states Congress would need to determine whether nonessential workers are paid back once a spending bill is passed. The move deviates from a 2019 law passed during Trump's first term, which guaranteed back pay for federal employees during funding lapses following a five-week shutdown that began in December 2018. The OMB memo argues that while the 2019 law authorizes back pay, it does not appropriate funds for it.
The uncertainty arises as Senate lawmakers remain deadlocked on dueling funding measures, and the government enters its eighth shutdown day. Democrats have tied support for a short-term funding bill to the extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire this year. |
The Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday on whether Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors violates free speech. Christian therapist Kaley Chiles challenged a 2019 law—similar to bans in over 20 states—that prohibits licensed mental health providers from attempting to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Chiles says the law infringes on her ability to counsel minors within a faith-based context.
Conversion therapy, supported by many religious groups but opposed by major medical organizations, aims to have gay or lesbian minors identify as heterosexual and transgender minors identify with their birth-assigned gender. State officials cited studies linking the practice to depression and increased suicide risk, while Chiles’ attorneys argued the evidence of harm is inconclusive, pointing to a recent Department of Health and Human Services report.
Conservative justices questioned potential limits on speech, while liberal justices emphasized possible health risks. The court is expected to rule by mid-2026. |
Researchers have used an artificial intelligence model to map a mouse brain in unprecedented detail, revealing previously unknown subregions. The map, published yesterday, will allow scientists to pinpoint more precisely which parts of the brain govern specific functions, behaviors, and diseases.
The AI model, CellTransformer, was built by the University of California, San Francisco, and the Seattle-based Allen Institute using the same underlying framework as tools like ChatGPT. However, instead of evaluating relationships between words, CellTransformer analyzes relationships between neighboring cells. Drawing solely on large datasets, the model identified 1,300 brain regions and subregions, including uncharted areas that may provide insight into movement disorders, memory loss, and other neurological conditions. One researcher compared the advance to moving from a map that only shows continents and countries to one that reveals states and cities.
The team behind CellTransformer says the model can also be used to map other organs, cancerous tissues, and disease progression. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Twenty-five finalists for the 2025 National Book Awards announced; winners in each of the five categories will be announced Nov. 19 (More) |
> Thirty original paintings by TV host Bob Ross to be auctioned off to raise funds for public television stations (More) | Ross' landscape paintings had been notoriously difficult to find on the open market (Watch) |
> WNBA Finals continue tonight (8 pm ET, ESPN) with the Las Vegas Aces taking on the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 (More) | ... and MLB Division Series continues; see latest schedule and bracket (More) |
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> Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to trio of US-based scientists for 1980s quantum mechanics discoveries that laid the groundwork for digital communications and advanced computing (More) | Nobel Prize in Chemistry to be announced this morning at 5:45 am ET (More) |
> Engineers develop 3D-printed aluminum alloy five times stronger than traditionally manufactured aluminum, potentially enabling lighter aircraft parts; machine learning accelerated search for optimal compositions (More) |
> Chinese chipmakers bought nearly $40B in chipmaking gear from the US and its allies last year—66% jump from 2022—despite US efforts to restrict access (More) |
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In partnership with hear.com |
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> US stock markets close down (S&P 500 -0.4%, Dow -0.2%, Nasdaq -0.7%) (More) | Gold soars past $4K per ounce for first time, signaling investor anxiety; precious metal has gained more than 50% this year (More) |
> Intercontinental Exchange, owner of the New York Stock Exchange, to invest up to $2B in Polymarket, a crypto-based predictive markets platform valued at roughly $8B (More) |
> Tesla unveils two cheaper car models—both with starting price tags below $40K—amid faltering sales; shares fall 4.5% (More) | Ford Motor shares fall 6.1% on news aluminum plant fire will likely disrupt production for months (More) |
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> Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee in oversight hearing on Justice Department; topics covered include Epstein files, DOJ probes (More) |
> US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner to arrive in Egypt today as indirect peace talks between Israel and Hamas continue; Israel marked second anniversary of Oct. 7, 2023, attacks yesterday (More) |
> First National Guard troops from Texas arrive in Illinois a day after Chicago and Illinois sued the Trump administration for deploying federalized troops (More) |
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The Eye Cream That Actually Delivers |
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1440 Topics pairs staff-written overviews with the best resources we've found, curated in a single place for you to explore. Recent updates include: |
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> NFTs 101: Heard of the digital assets but don't really know what they are? Tomorrow's Business & Finance newsletter unpacks non-fungible tokens. Sign up here to receive! |
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Clickbait: Vacuum planet gobbles interstellar gas and dust.
Historybook: American politician John Hancock dies (1793); Great Chicago Fire begins, killing about 300 people and destroying most of the city (1871); Actress Sigourney Weaver born (1949); "Cats" debuts on Broadway (1982); Office of Homeland Security is created in the wake of 9/11 attacks (2001). |
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"You're the luckiest person in the entire world if you know what you really want to do ... and you're the luckiest person in the world if you can then make a living out of it." |
- Andrew Lloyd Webber, musical composer of "Cats" |
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