AI deepfake regulation, deadly mushroom dinner, and where your food comes from.

Happy Friday! Today’s edition is 1,061 words, a 3 ½ minute read.

First time reader? Sign up here!

💵 📈 

Business & Economy

Daily stock market update

U.S. stock markets closed slightly higher on Thursday (S&P +0.003%, Nasdaq +0.12%, Dow +0.15%). (More)

Mortgage rates rise to just short of 7%

U.S. mortgage rates rose for the third week in a row but stayed below 7%. The 30-year fixed-rate-mortgage averaged 6.96% this week, up from 6.90% the week before, according to Freddie Mac. A year ago, the 30-year fixed-rate was 5.22%. (More)

Novo Nordisk to acquire obesity drug maker Inversago Pharma

The makers of Wegovy and Ozempic bolstered their weight loss portfolio by acquiring Inversago Pharma for $1.08 billion. Inversago develops experimental therapies to treat people with obesity, diabetes and other conditions affecting the body’s metabolism. (More)

🇺🇸 ⚖️ 

US News, Politics, & Government

FEC moves toward potentially regulating AI deepfakes in campaign ads

The Federal Election Commission has begun to move towards regulating AI-generated deepfakes in political ads ahead of the 2024 election. Deepfakes are a type artificial intelligence used to create convincing image, audio, and video hoaxes. The move is intended to safeguard voters against election disinformation. (More)

NYC mayor wants more aid from the Biden administration to offset $12B in costs for housing migrants

Mayor Eric Adams renewed his appeal to the federal government to help the city avoid a budget crisis as expenses mount from providing temporary care and shelter to migrants arriving from the southern U.S. border. Since the spring of 2022, nearly 100,000 migrants have arrived in NYC. The federal government has promised the city $140 million to help offset costs, but the city hasn’t received any of the money yet. (More)

Maui wildfire update

The fires have killed 53 people, and the number is expected to increase, according to Hawaii’s governor. The island’s infrastructure also took a major hit with as many as 1,700 buildings burning down. 80% of the Lahaina fire is contained but thousands of people are still without power on Maui. (More)

🌍️ 

World

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio assassinated at campaign event

Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was fatally shot while leaving a campaign rally at a school north of the capital Quito, 10 days before the first round of the election was set to take place. Ecuador’s current president, Guillermo Lasso, requested help from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation after the incident. Violence in Ecuador has skyrocketed due to its proximity to cocaine producing countries that use the country to traffic drugs from South America to North America and Europe. (More)

Iran moves American prisoners to house arrest as a step in a swap for their release

Iran released four Americans from Evin Prison and moved them to a hotel where they will be held under guard as part of a prisoner swap. Another American who was previously released and under house arrest is also part of the deal. Iran announced that their freedom would eventually be granted in exchange for five Iranians held in the U.S. and access to $6 billion in a frozen account in South Korea. The U.S. froze the money amid economic sanctions against the country. (More)

Wild mushrooms suspected of killing 3 who ate a family lunch together in Australia

Australian officials are trying to figure out how three people died and a fourth became critically ill after eating wild mushrooms at a family lunch. Police interviewed the woman who cooked the meal but didn’t get sick herself. They released her after questioning and said she remains a suspect. The victims symptoms were consistent with poisoning from death cap mushrooms, which are extremely deadly. (More)

🏈 🎬️ 

Sports & Entertainment

Phil Mickelson wagered over $1 billion on sports during his career

A new book by professional gambler Billy Walters details how Phil Mickelson bet more than $1 billion on football, basketball, and baseball over the past three decades. He also allegedly attempted to place a $400,000 wager on Team USA in the 2012 Ryder Cup in which he participated. His gambling losses are estimated to be $100 million. (More)

Disney raising prices of Disney+, Hulu ad-free plans

Disney will hike Disney+ prices for the second time in less than a year, increasing the monthly costs of its ad-free plan from $10.99 to $13.99 a month starting Oct. 12. For Hulu, the ad-free version will rise to $17.99 a month, up from $14.99. (More)

2023 Emmy Telecast Officially Sets 2024 Date

The live telecast of the Primetime Emmy Awards and the pretaped Create Arts ceremonies have been moved from September to January 15, 2024. The Television Academy and broadcaster Fox are hoping that the writers and actors strikes will be resolved by then. (More)

🔬💊 💻️ 

Science, Health, & Tech

Virgin Galactic launches second-ever commercial space flight

The company launched its “Galactic 02” flight on Thursday, sending six people to suborbital space and back. Four of them were women, setting a record for most women on a single spaceflight. Three of the six were private passengers, including a mother-daughter duo. One became the first Olympian to experience space, and the other became the youngest-ever to reach the final frontier. A ticket to ride costs a cool $450,000. (More)

UnitedHealth cutting back on prior authorizations

Starting next month UnitedHealthcare plans to drop prior authorization requirements for a range of procedures, including dozens of radiology services and genetic tests. The company said the removals will reduce its overall prior authorization volume by 20%. Prior authorization is often criticized by patients and doctors, who complain they add paperwork and slow down care. Insurers insist they help guard against improper care and help keep costs down. (More)

Engineered bacteria could one day save your life from cancer

Scientists have engineered bacteria that can detect the presence of tumor DNA in a live organism. The new bacteria - called “CATCH” or “Cellular Assay for Targeted CRISPR-discriminated Horizontal gene transfer) - are specifically designed to look for cancerous DNA and absorb it, effectively becoming a living biosensor for tumors. After a successful trial run in mice, the researchers are now adapting their strategy for detecting and treating human cancers and infections. (More)

🎁 

Bonus Material

Charted: Where does the U.S. import its food from? 

People ignore these hidden design features every day.

How hackers can steal your passwords by listening to you type.

A solo winner took home their entire $1.58 billion Mega Millions jackpot.