Good morning. It's Tuesday, July 8, and we're covering a new round of US import tariffs, a guilty verdict in a case that drew public attention, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.5 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.
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The US is set to impose a 25% blanket tariff on all imports from Japan and South Korea, effective Aug. 1, according to an announcement yesterday from President Donald Trump. He also disclosed new rates for 12 other countries, including Malaysia (25%), Kazakhstan (25%), South Africa (30%), Bangladesh (35%), Laos (40%), and Myanmar (40%). The upcoming measures were communicated through formal letters to the countries' leaders, which Trump shared on social media.
Trump yesterday also signed an executive order delaying so-called reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries from tomorrow to Aug. 1. The tariffs had initially been postponed from April to July to give countries more time to negotiate agreements; the US has so far reached deals with the UK and Vietnam, as well as a preliminary framework with China. See a tariff tracker here.
The latest trade updates from the White House reflect the administration's broader strategy of pressuring trading partners into new bilateral deals and reducing the US trade deficit (see overview). |
US measles cases are at the highest level since 1992, before the disease was considered eliminated in 2000. The annual measles tally is 1,277 confirmed cases across 38 states and Washington, DC. At least 155 people have been hospitalized, and three deaths have been confirmed—two children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico. See a map here.
Measles is among the world’s most contagious diseases. About 0.2% of measles cases result in death, mainly in children. In 10% of cases, patients experience ear infections that can lead to hearing loss. Measles vaccines are estimated to have saved roughly 94 million lives over the past 50 years. However, vaccination rates have dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic amid skepticism over safety (see graph).
Separately, six medical organizations sued the Department of Health and Human Services and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. yesterday over the decision to remove the COVID-19 vaccine from the list of recommended immunizations for healthy children and pregnant women. |
An Australian woman was convicted yesterday of murdering three relatives and attempting to murder a fourth using one of the world’s deadliest mushrooms.
Erin Patterson, a mother of two who faces a potential life sentence, hosted her estranged husband’s parents, aunt, and uncle for a home-cooked lunch in July 2023. She served beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms, which contain amatoxins that cause organ failure and account for 90% of mushroom poisoning deaths. Her in-laws and husband’s aunt died within a week; the uncle survived and testified as one of over 50 witnesses.
Prosecutors didn’t specify a motive during the nine-week trial (see key moments) but suggested familial tensions. Evidence included Patterson’s search history and death cap mushroom residue in a food dehydrator she initially denied owning. Testifying in her own defense, Patterson insisted the deaths were an accident.
Jurors were sequestered during deliberations last week to avoid outside influence as the trial garnered widespread public attention. Listen to a podcast series here. |
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In partnership with Timeline |
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Scientists Unlock Healthy Aging Breakthrough |
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The first signs of aging happen where you can’t see them—inside your cells. Beginning in your 30s, the mitochondria, responsible for 90% of your body’s energy, begin breaking down. As your cells lose their ability to keep up, energy levels drop, and physical strength fades.
Luckily, Swiss scientists have found a way to help reverse this decline. Mitopure®, a clinically proven breakthrough, replaces aging mitochondria and helps to rebuild new ones, giving you your energy back. The results? Studies found that participants saw energy and muscle strength increase, without changing their workouts.*
The best part? You can get Mitopure for 40% off (their best sale this year) for Amazon Prime Day, while supplies last. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> 2025 FIFA Club World Cup semifinals kick off with Fluminense taking on Chelsea tonight (3 pm ET, DAZN) and Paris Saint-Germain pitted against Real Madrid tomorrow (3 pm ET, DAZN) (More) |
> Brad Pitt's "F1" nears $300M at global box office, becoming highest-grossing Apple-produced theatrical film ever (More) |
> 2025 Wimbledon quarterfinals begin today; see updated scores, schedule, and brackets for women's and men's tournaments (More) |
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> Twitter and Block founder Jack Dorsey launches Bitchat, a WhatsApp-style messaging service that works entirely over Bluetooth; application doesn't use centralized servers or require personal information (More) |
> Researchers enhance a key molecule involved in photosynthesis in plants, boosting its chemical reaction efficiency by up to 25%; results may lead to improved crop yields in certain species (More) | 1440 Science & Technology: Today's deep dive on memory comes out at 8:30 am ET (Join here) |
> Oldest known pterosaur in North America discovered; the reptiles coexisted with dinosaurs, current specimen pushes their timeline back to about 209 million years ago (More) |
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In partnership with Med-X |
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> US stock markets close down (S&P 500 -0.8%, Dow -0.9%, Nasdaq -0.9%) after President Donald Trump announces a slew of new tariffs taking effect Aug. 1 (More) | Tesla shares drop 6.8% after Elon Musk announces plans to form a new political party (More) | See previous write-up (More) |
> Amazon Prime Day begins today and runs through Friday, July 11, extending to four days for the first time; shoppers expected to spend nearly $24B (More) | Amazon explained (1440 Topics) |
> AI company CoreWeave to acquire data center infrastructure provider Core Scientific for about $9B; shares subsequently drop 3.3% and 17.6%, respectively (More) | ExxonMobil and Qatar Energy find new natural gas deposit off the coast of Cyprus, bolstering the region's energy exporting potential (More) |
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> Death toll from Texas floods rises to at least 104 people, including at least 28 children (More) | See previous write-up (More) | Twenty-seven-year-old gunman killed after opening fire at US Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, injuring police officer (More) |
> Justice Department finds no evidence the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein kept a so-called "client list" or blackmailed high-profile associates; department confirms he died by suicide, citing video footage near Epstein's prison cell (More) | Read the memo (More) |
> President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss potential ceasefire in Gaza (More) | Lebanon signals openness to disarming Hezbollah in exchange for Israeli withdrawal (More) |
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> The New Nostalgia
AirMail | Isabel Brooks. Gen Z is experiencing nostalgia for a time they have never experienced: the pre-internet age. (Read) |
> Syria After Assad
Frontline PBS | Martin Smith. How Ahmad al-Sharaa went from a local al-Qaida leader with a $10M bounty on his head to the leader of Syria—and what his rise means for the future of the country. (Watch) |
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In partnership with Timeline |
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New Research Targets Energy Loss |
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*Disclosure: 500mg Mitopure® has been shown to (1) induce gene expression related to mitochondrial function and metabolism and (2) increase the strength of the hamstring leg muscle in measures of knee extension and flexion after 4 months in overweight 40-65 year olds.
**This is a paid advertisement for Med-X’s Regulation A+ Offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.medx-rx.com/ |
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