Good Morning! Today’s edition is 957 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Nationwide 9/11 memorials

• FBI has person of interest in Charlie Kirk murder

• Emotional support alligator banned from Walmart

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Big Stories

Childhood Obesity Rises Globally

• For the first time, more children are obese than underweight, a UNICEF report revealed Monday. About 188 million kids ages 5–19 (9.4%) now live with obesity, compared to 9.2% underweight. This reverses trends from 2000, when nearly 13% were underweight and only 3% obese.

• Researchers said the surge is fueled by cheap, heavily marketed junk food displacing nutritious foods, with the sharpest increases in low- and middle-income countries where processed food has become more accessible. Obesity rates reach 38% in Pacific Island nations and over 20% in wealthy countries, including the US and Chile.

• Obesity raises risks of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. UNICEF warned the global cost of being overweight could top $4 trillion annually by 2035, urging stricter marketing curbs and school junk food bans.

24th Anniversary of 9/11 Terror Attacks

• Americans observed the 24th anniversary of September 11 with ceremonies at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and Shanksville honoring the 2,977 victims. Families read the names of those killed while sharing personal messages. Attendees marked the exact time when the first hijacked plane struck the World Trade Center with a moment of silence.

• Families shared deeply personal tributes that revealed both grief and resilience. One widow said this year feels especially difficult because her children are getting married without their father present. Another family created a nonprofit that built 16 schools in South Africa in memory of their loved one.

• Beyond formal ceremonies, volunteers nationwide participated in service projects including food drives, park cleanups, and community work as part of a national day of service.

Octopus Arm Preference

• A study of wild octopuses reveals they favor specific arms for different tasks despite identical anatomy. Researchers filmed 25 octopuses over eight years, analyzing 3,907 arm actions in Caribbean and Atlantic waters. They found octopuses use their front four arms 64% of the time and rear arms 36%.

• The arm preferences follow a logical pattern similar to how humans use hands versus feet. Front arms handle exploration and grabbing objects, while rear arms focus on movement by rolling the body across the seafloor or acting like stilts. All arms remain capable of any function.

• Unlike humans, octopuses show no left or right bias, making them essentially ambidextrous. When tasks require two arms working together, they coordinate matching arms on each side. This shows sophisticated coordination despite each arm operating semi-independently with its own nerve clusters.

How 433 Investors Unlocked 400X Return Potential

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Take Revolut. In 2016, 433 regular people invested an average of $2,730. Today? They got a 400X buyout offer from the company, as Revolut’s valuation increased 89,900% in the same timeframe.

No wonder 10K+ everyday people are taking the chance on Pacaso.

Founded by a former Zillow exec, Pacaso’s co-ownership tech reshapes the $1.3T vacation home market. They’ve earned $110M+ in gross profit to date, including 41% YoY growth in 2024 alone. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

The same institutional investors behind Uber, Venmo, and eBay backed Pacaso. And you can join them. But not for long. Pacaso’s investment opportunity ends September 18.

Invest While You Still Can

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Quick Stories

US News

• Social Security recipients may get a 2.7% cost-of-living boost next year, raising the average monthly check by $54 to $2,062. (More)

• The FBI released images of a person of interest in Charlie Kirk's fatal shooting at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, offering $100,000 for information leading to an arrest. (More)

• Former Senator Bob Menendez's wife was sentenced to 4½ years in prison for selling his political influence for bribes, including cash and gold bars. (More)

World

• Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup to stay in power after losing the 2022 election to his left-wing rival. (More)

• Belarus freed 52 political prisoners on Thursday in exchange for the US lifting some sanctions on the country's national airline. (More)

• Britain fired its ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, over leaked emails showing his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein continued after Epstein's sex offense conviction. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Thursday (S&P +0.85%, Nasdaq +0.72%, Dow +1.36%). Stocks rose Thursday as traders expect next week's inflation data won't prevent the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates. (More)

• Warner Bros. Discovery shares jumped 25% Thursday after reports that recently merged Paramount Skydance was preparing a takeover bid for the company. (More)

• Mortgage rates dropped to 6.35% this week, the lowest in nearly a year, as investors expect the Fed to cut rates next week. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• NFL Week 1 averaged a record 22.3 million viewers per game, breaking last year's record for the second straight year with 5% growth. (More)

• Trump attended the Yankees' 9-3 win over Detroit Thursday for 9/11 remembrance, becoming only the third sitting president to visit for a game. (More)

• MSNBC fired analyst Matthew Dowd after he suggested slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk's own rhetoric may have contributed to his shooting death. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Three out of four workers can't stop thinking about work after hours, but reflecting on personal goals helps them detach, researchers found. (More)

• Gmail launched a "Purchases" tab that collects all package delivery emails in one place, while still showing urgent deliveries in your inbox. (More)

• Researchers found three new species of jelly-bodied snailfish in deep waters off California, bringing the total known snailfish species to over 400. (More)

Extra Credit

M&M’s introduces honey-roasted peanut flavor.

Uber app will soon offer helicopter rides.

Emotional support alligator gets banned from a PA Walmart.

Ranking the happiest states in the US.