Good Morning! Today’s edition is 923 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Iran hit with EU sanctions

• Amtrak debuts new high-speed trains

• Best movie performances

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Big Stories

US Economy Rebounds in 2nd Quarter

• The US economy grew 3.3% in the second quarter after shrinking 0.5% in the first quarter due to import swings caused by Trump's tariffs. Businesses stockpiled imports in Q1 with tariffs looming (which reduced GDP since imports are subtracted from growth). Then in Q2, they cut imports by 29.8% (boosting GDP by over 5 percentage points).

• Beneath the headline growth, underlying economic indicators showed strain. Private investment plunged 13.8%, the biggest drop since COVID, while federal government spending declined 4.7%. Business uncertainty from frequent tariff changes has also left companies confused about investment and hiring decisions.

• Consumer spending grew a modest 1.6%, keeping the Q2 recovery alive, but economists warn of slower growth ahead. Since importers pay tariffs and pass costs to consumers, prices are expected to rise as tariff effects become more visible.

Iran Sanctioned

• The UK, France, and Germany triggered UN sanctions against Iran over nuclear violations, giving Tehran 30 days to allow inspectors back or face deeper isolation. Iran's uranium stockpile is 45 times the 2015 nuclear deal limit, and enrichment levels are far above permitted purity. The European powers had to act before the nuclear deal expires on October 15.

• IAEA nuclear inspectors haven't been able to access Iran's key sites since Israeli airstrikes damaged facilities earlier this year. Eight rounds of talks failed to get Iran to allow inspectors back in. Iran called the sanctions move 'illegal and unjustified' and demanded it be reversed.

• The sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions on Iran's oil and banking sectors. They will be UN-wide, forcing compliance from Russia and China, who had proposed a six-month extension instead. Arms industry sanctions will be restored, and the US gains veto power over lifting future sanctions.

Phantom Limb Discovery

• A study in Nature Neuroscience tracked three patients before and after arm amputations and found the brain’s map of the missing hand remained stable for up to five years. This overturns decades of belief that neighboring body parts take over lost areas.

• The stability helps explain phantom limb sensations like pain and tingling, which most amputees experience long after surgery. Previously, these feelings were thought to result from a 'broken' brain map that needed retraining, leading to therapies like mirror-box exercises and virtual reality training. The new evidence shows these treatments fail because they're designed to fix brain reorganization that never actually occurs.

• Instead, researchers believe severed nerves cause phantom sensations, not brain reorganization. This insight could guide surgeons in protecting nerves during amputations, while enabling brain-computer interfaces to tap into preserved brain maps for better prosthetic control and sensation.

How 433 Investors Unlocked 400X Return Potential

Institutional investors back startups to unlock outsized returns. Regular investors have to wait. But not anymore. Thanks to regulatory updates, some companies are doing things differently.

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

• Border Patrol arrested two firefighters battling Washington state's biggest wildfire on Wednesday after finding they were in the US illegally. (More)

• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the federal government will take control of Washington's Union Station from Amtrak as part of a security and beautification plan.  (More)

• Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O'Neill will run the CDC after the previous director was fired on Wednesday for opposing what her lawyers called Trump's "unscientific, reckless directives.” (More)

World

• Kim Jong Un will attend China's World War II parade next week alongside Putin, marking his first trip to China in six years and biggest international event since 2011. (More)

• Singapore will cane and jail vape users starting September, with fines up to $545 and 20-year sentences for suppliers selling drug-laced versions. (More)

• The EU summoned Russia's envoy after missiles hit near its Kyiv office during an overnight attack that killed 17 people, including four children, across Ukraine. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Thursday (S&P +0.32%, Nasdaq +0.53%, Dow +0.16%). The S&P closed at another all-time high as Nvidia clawed back most of its dip from after-hours trading on Thursday. (More)

• Amtrak debuted its new higher-speed trains on Thursday. The new trains can reach up to 160 MPH and will travel between Boston and Washington D.C. (More)

• The average 30-year US mortgage rate dropped to 6.56% this week, its lowest in 10 months, down from 6.58% last week but up from 6.35% a year ago. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber blasted four home runs Thursday in a 19-4 win over Atlanta, joining just 20 other major leaguers to hit four in one game. (More)

• Former MLB star Mark Teixeira announced Thursday he's running for Congress in Texas, seeking the seat being vacated by GOP Rep. Chip Roy, who's running for Attorney General. (More)

• Star Wars: Starfighter started filming Thursday in the UK, starring Ryan Gosling and newcomer Flynn Gray in a standalone adventure set five years after Rise of Skywalker. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Credit reporting giant TransUnion disclosed a data breach affecting 4.4 million customers. Hackers stole names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers. (More)

• Georgian archaeologists discovered a 1.8-million-year-old jawbone from early humans who first left Africa, plus fossils of saber-toothed tigers, elephants, and other ancient animals. (More)

• Scientists are using $4,000 robot rabbits to catch pythons in Florida's Everglades, where the invasive snakes have wiped out most small mammals and birds. (More)

Extra Credit

The best movie performances of the 21st century. 

Time capsule sealed by Princess Diana opened after 34 years. 

Ring doorbell captures Florida man survive a double bear attack.

Why do hammerhead sharks have a hammerhead?