Good morning. It's Friday, Oct. 18, and we're covering the death of Hamas' top commander, the end of an era in American retail, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.
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Yahya Sinwar, the military head and de facto leader of Hamas, was killed during an Israeli raid in southern Gaza Wednesday, officials confirmed yesterday. Sinwar had long been considered Israel's top target and is believed to have been the architect of the Oct. 7 attack in Israel, which killed almost 1,200 people and kick-started the current Israel-Hamas war.
Sinwar, designated a terrorist by the US, has a winding personal biography. Born in a Gazan refugee camp in 1962, he spent more than two decades in an Israeli prison starting in 1988—during which time an Israeli doctor removed a tumor from his brain. Released in 2011 in a prisoner exchange, Sinwar quickly became a senior figure in Hamas, planning a number of attacks in the intervening decade.
US officials said Sinwar's death offered a chance for a cease-fire in Gaza. An estimated 97 Israeli hostages taken on Oct. 7 remain unaccounted for, while the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 42,000, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
See updates and maps of the conflict here. |
The last full-scale Kmart in the continental US is set to close Sunday in Bridgehampton, New York, marking the end of an era for the once-iconic retailer. Known for its "Blue Light Specials"—flash discount announcements—and celebrity partnerships, the chain struggled over the years to compete with Walmart, Target, and online retailers.
Founded in 1899 as SS Kresge—the first Kmart branch opened in 1962—it was a pioneer in discount retailing. At its peak in the 1980s, annual revenues exceeded $36B with over 2,000 stores. By 1986, the store was the second-largest retailer, behind Sears. Kmart eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2002 and again in 2018, largely due to mismanagement, failed acquisitions, outdated locations, and failure to adapt to online shopping trends. After merging with Sears in 2005, both brands suffered losses, and Kmart’s remaining stores gradually closed.
Only a small Kmart outlet in Miami and a few locations in Guam and the US Virgin Islands remain. See photos through the years here. |
Rare US Constitution Sold |
A rare 237-year-old privately held copy of the US Constitution sold for $9M at auction yesterday. The artifact is one of 100 official copies printed in 1787 and is among eight copies known to exist today that were sent to state leaders for review before being formally adopted. Seven of the eight copies are held by public institutions. See photos here.
The sold Constitution was discovered in 2022 inside a metal filing cabinet in a neglected room of a property in Edenton, North Carolina, once owned by the state's first governor, Samuel Johnston. Johnston, who was governor from 1787 to 1789, oversaw the state convention that ratified the Constitution. The copy was also found with a letter from George Washington asking for ratification.
The last copy of the Constitution sent to states was sold for $400 in 1891. The last copy of the Constitution sent to delegates (one of 14 known copies) was sold to billionaire investor Kenneth Griffin for a record $43.2M in 2021, who outbid cryptocurrency group ConstitutionDAO. |
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In partnership with NativePath |
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Please support our sponsors! |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
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> Netflix adds 5 million subscribers in Q3, bringing its total global subscriber base to 283 million (More) | Universal Orlando's fourth theme park, Epic Universe, to open May 2025 (More) |
> Mitzi Gaynor, actress and singer best known for starring role in "South Pacific" film, dies at age 93 (More) |
> Stage musical adaptation of "Dirty Dancing" set for late 2025 Broadway opening (More) | Famed music festival the Warped Tour returning to three cities in 2025 after a five-year hiatus (More) |
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> Astronomers detect 13-billion-year-old quasars—extremely bright galactic cores powered by supermassive black holes—floating in relatively empty space; discovery challenges current theory about quasar formation (More)
> AI-powered model reveals how sperm cells stick to eggs across a range of vertebrate species; findings may help develop new fertility treatments in humans (More)
> Researchers develop "smart" insulin, which can turn itself on or off in response to varying blood sugar levels; therapy may eventually replace injections for diabetics (More) | Type 1 vs Type 2 diabetes (More, w/video) |
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In partnership with Miso Robotics |
There’s a new MVP frontrunner in the $1T fast food industry.
We’re talking about Miso—the leaders in fast food kitchen automation. Miso just released the new Flippy Fry Station, their smallest, fastest, smartest robot yet. With 144% annual industry turnover, its first production run sold out in just 7 days. White Castle even announced interest in rolling out Flippy to 100 locations. Now Miso’s focused on scaling this All-Pro solution that’s mastered the fry station across 170+ US brands in need of automation.
Invest in Miso before midnight tonight PST.* |
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> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.0%, Dow +0.4%, Nasdaq +0.0%); Nvidia shares close at new record (More) | TSMC shares close up 10% after chipmaker reports strong Q3 earnings (More, free w/email) | Lucid shares close down 18% after EV maker announces public stock offering to raise $1.67B (More) |
> European Central Bank cuts interest rates for the third time in four months, lowering key rate by a quarter point to 3.25%; inflation rate in September slowed to 1.7%, falling below the 2% annual target for first time in three years (More) |
> FBI arrest Alabama man in connection to January hacking of the US Securities and Exchange Commission's X account and a fake post that led to a spike in the value of Bitcoin (More) |
> 1440 launches second-ever newsletter, 1440 Business & Finance, bringing weekly deep dives into topics ranging from venture capital to 401(k) plans; 100% free product to launch Oct. 31, sign up now to join the waitlist (Sign up here) |
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> Independent panel investigating July assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump recommends Secret Service to undergo overhaul in findings released yesterday (More) | Read the report (More) |
> Grand jury indicts father, son for September mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, which killed four people (More) | Archdiocese of Los Angeles agrees to pay $880M to settle sex abuse claims; settlement is the largest single payout by an archdiocese (More) |
> Biden administration forgives $4.5B in federal student debt for 60,000 public service workers under fixes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (More) |
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> An Unnatural Disaster
Long Lead | Jacob Kushner, Allison Shelley. One of the world's newest cities, Canaan rose in the aftermath of Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake but faces an existential threat from the country's gang warfare. (Read)
> Cleveland Got My Back
Players' Tribune | Nick Chubb. The author and star running back reflects on his emotions after a near-career ending injury on the field. (Read)
> The Real-Life Kraken
Ted-Ed | Anna Rothschild. Despite capturing the imagination of sailors for centuries, scientists didn't capture footage of a live giant squid until relatively recently. What took so long? (Watch) |
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In partnership with NativePath |
Here’s How To Rediscover Your Youth |
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Just 1-2 scoops a day of this easily-dissolvable, flavorless powder added to your favorite drink or coffee can help fight the many downsides of aging and have you feeling your youthful best again. Score 45% off + free shipping today! |
Please support our sponsors! |
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Introducing 1440 Business & Finance |
Dear Readers—
For years, you’ve told us you want to go deeper on fascinating topics, but don’t know where to look. Search engines return billions of results littered with algorithmically optimized garbage. Yet thousands of amazing expert-made resources—explainers, podcasts, videos, and more—exist. They are just impossible to find.
In the coming months, we will unveil just that: 1440 Topics, a trusted place for you to take your own knowledge journey.
But for now, you can get a preview—we're launching our second-ever newsletter, 1440 Business & Finance, on Oct. 31.
Curious about retirement? Venture capital? The gig economy? Each week you’ll receive an email with a deep dive into a new topic—along with our hand-picked resources from across the internet. You’ll also be able to explore all of our Business & Finance content online—a preview of the 1440 Topics ecosystem.
Sign up here (100% free) to get on the waitlist! |
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*Disclosure: This is a paid advertisement for Miso Robotics Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.misorobotics.com. |
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