Good Morning! Today’s edition is 934 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Lightning strike breaks record for largest ever

• Presidential Physical Fitness Tests

• Reese’s and Oreo colab

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Big Stories

Lawmaker Stock Trading Ban

• A Senate committee voted 8-7 to advance a bill banning stock trading by lawmakers, presidents, and vice presidents. Only one Republican, sponsor Josh Hawley, voted yes, while all Democrats supported the measure. The bill includes a carve-out allowing Trump to keep current holdings but prohibits future stock purchases during his term.

• Originally named after Nancy Pelosi, the bill now called the "HONEST Act," bars members of Congress and spouses from holding, buying, or selling stocks. The vote comes after years of public pressure and a recent House Ethics report on questionable stock purchases by lawmakers' families.

• Trump attacked Hawley on Truth Social, saying he is a "second-tier senator" and "playing right into the dirty hands of the Democrats." Other GOP senators argued the ban would unfairly punish wealthy people and discourage some from serving in Congress. Sen. Rick Scott defended wealth-building, asking, "How many of you don't want to make money? Anybody want to be poor?"

Lightning Record

• Scientists confirmed a 515-mile lightning bolt from 2017 as the world's longest on record, stretching from eastern Texas to near Kansas City. The "megaflash" occurred during a severe storm and spanned a distance that would take eight hours to drive. Average lightning bolts typically measure less than 10 miles.

• The World Meteorological Organization certified the record after scientists reanalyzed archival satellite data from 2017 using improved detection methods. Megaflashes occur when warm Gulf air collides with cold northern air, creating severe atmospheric instability in the Great Plains. These giant bolts form 10,000-18,000 feet high and rarely cause ground damage despite their massive scale.

• The 2017 bolt surpassed the previous 477-mile record from 2020 by 38 miles. Scientists expect to find even longer megaflashes as detection technology continues improving.

Americans Rethink Discrimination & DEI

• Forty-five percent of Americans now believe Black people face high levels of discrimination, down from 60% in 2021 after the George Floyd protests, according to a new Associated Press-NORC poll. Views on discrimination against Asian Americans also dropped from 45% to 32% since 2021, while perceptions of discrimination against Hispanic people remained steady at 44%.

• Four in 10 Americans think DEI reduces discrimination against Black people, while about one-third say this about Hispanic people, women, and Asian people. Many Americans - between 33% and 41% - don't think DEI makes a difference either way. About one-quarter believe DEI increases discrimination against these groups.

• Companies are retreating from diversity programs under the Trump administration pressure to withhold federal funding because of DEI initiatives. Americans remain divided on solutions, as some support merit-based approaches while others seek alternative ways to ensure workplace diversity.

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Quick Stories

US News

• County emergency director Dub Thomas admitted he was home sick and asleep during the July floods that killed over 100 in Kerr County, Texas. (More)

• Police arrested Arkansas schoolteacher Andrew McGann, 28, on capital murder charges after a five-day manhunt for killing a couple hiking with children at Devil's Den. (More)

• President Trump will revive the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools through an executive order, restoring the physical challenges that were phased out over a decade ago. (More)

World

• Myanmar’s military rulers, known as a junta, ended emergency rule to prepare for a December election widely seen as illegitimate. Opposition groups are boycotting amid new crackdowns and civil unrest. (More)

• At least 91 people have been killed and 600 more wounded in Gaza over 24 hours after being shot while waiting for humanitarian aid trucks. (More)

• Pope Leo XIV named St. John Henry Newman a "doctor" of the church, making the 19th-century Anglican convert one of only 36 people to receive Catholicism's highest theological honor. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed lower on Thursday (S&P -0.37%, Nasdaq -0.03%, Dow -0.74%). Broader markets struggled despite great earnings results from tech giants. (More)

• Trump imposed new tariffs Thursday, raising rates up to 40% globally and hitting Canada with 35% over fentanyl concerns. (More)

• Figma's stock soared to $115 on its first day of trading Thursday after pricing its IPO at $33, a debut that valued the design company at $68 billion. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• The NFL debuted Sony’s Hawk-Eye camera system at the Hall of Fame Game, replacing traditional chains to measure first downs. The tech aims to speed up calls, not improve accuracy. (More)

• Authorities disclosed that a heart attack killed wrestling icon Hulk Hogan at his home in Florida last week. (More) | Singer Justin Timberlake revealed he has been diagnosed with Lyme disease. (More)

• Conor McGregor's appeal of a 2023 civil sexual assault ruling was dismissed. Ireland’s High Court upheld the €248,000 judgment, rejecting all arguments from McGregor’s legal team. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Scientists discovered tubeworms and mollusks thriving over 31,000 feet deep in Pacific Ocean trenches, confirming that larger life forms exist in these extreme environments by relying on trench-accumulated carbon. (More)

• A new study found people inhale over 70,000 microplastic particles daily indoors, far more than expected. Most are tiny enough to embed in lung tissue. (More)

• Fireflies are lighting up the US Northeast this summer after a wet spring created ideal conditions, though experts warn the species remains in long-term decline from habitat loss. (More)

Extra Credit

MLB Pitcher switches teams mid-game after being traded.

Adult summer camps are gaining popularity.

Australia bans YouTube accounts for users under 16.

Reese’s and Oreo team up to create candy cookie treats.