Escaped murderer caught, cheaper airfare, and a double rainbow.

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US News, Politics, & Government

Hurricane Lee is causing dangerous conditions across eastern US beaches

Hurricane lee is spinning far offshore in the Atlantic Ocean, but it’s creating a dangerous effect that can’t be seen — rip currents. Lee has weakened in strength but grown in size, which is sending heavy surf into East Coast beaches. This creates a prime avenue for rip currents to form and pull anything caught in them out to sea. Over the last ten years, rip currents have killed more people than tornadoes or hurricanes. (More)

Mitt Romney won't seek second Senate term in 2024

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) announced that he won’t seek a second term in the Senate. Romney would be in his mid-eighties at the end of another term and said, “it’s time for a new generation of leaders.” The decision comes as a growing number of voters want age limits for elected officials. Romney served as the Massachusetts governor from 2003 to 2007 and was the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, eventually losing to former President Obama. He was elected to the Senate in 2018. (More)

Escaped convict Danelo Cavalcante has been captured

Police captured convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante after a nearly two-week manhunt. Cavalcante tipped off police to his whereabouts by setting off a burglar alarm at a home after midnight on Wednesday. A DEA aircraft tracked him from the house using thermal imaging to guide a tactical team to his location. And a police dog successfully subdued him while he was trying to crawl away from the area. He is headed back to prison to serve a life sentence for killing his ex-girlfriend. (More)

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World

Ukrainian missiles strike Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea

Ukraine has hit Russian naval targets and port infrastructure in Sevastopol, in one of the biggest attacks on the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet. Ukrainian officials confirmed that a large landing vessel and a submarine were hit and damaged so badly that they are likely beyond repair. Ukraine launched 10 cruise missiles and three uncrewed speedboats, all of which were destroyed except three missiles that found their targets. Twenty-four people were injured in the attack. (More)

France halts iPhone 12 sales over radiation levels

France has told Apple that if the company can’t stop the iPhone 12 from emitting too much electromagnetic radiation it must recall every iPhone 12 ever sold in the country. Apple is contesting the review and said that the phone is compliant with regulations on radiation levels worldwide. However, France’s radio frequency watchdog doesn’t agree and is also banning the sale of the 12 model until Apple provides evidence that the radiation is below what is legally allowed. (More)

Cruise ship carrying 206 people runs aground in Greenland

A cruise ship, loaded with 206 people, has run aground on a remote area of Greenland and could be stuck for days. The ship hasn’t been able to free itself, and the nearest inspection vessel is nearly 1,200 nautical miles away. Backup isn’t expected to reach them until Friday morning, but everyone on board is safe and well. The ship was “purpose-built” for expedition travel to the world’s most remote destinations, but it appears Greenland was a little too remote. (More)

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Business & Economy

Daily stock market update

US stock markets closed mixed on Wednesday (S&P +0.12%, Nasdaq +0.29%, Dow -0.20%) ~ The Dow fell for a second-straight trading session as the core CPI increased more than expected. The core CPI, which measures costs across various good and services — excluding volatile food and energy segments —, provides a good indication of where inflation is heading over the long term. (More)

Birkenstock files for US IPO

German footwear brand Birkenstock has filed for an initial public offering in the US. It’s expected to be valued at more than $6 billion, but no details have been released about the share price. In 2022, Birkenstock’s revenue was $1.33 billion with a net profit of $200.9 million. It is also the second company, after British chip maker Arm, to list outside Europe this year. (More)

Airline tickets will be cheaper in the fall

Prices for airfare in the fall are much lower than fares during the summer, according to a report from the travel booking app Hopper. Airlines are hoping that cheaper prices will entice travelers to book during the off-peak season. The average airfare is $211 for domestic trips in September and October, down 29% from the average prices in June. The cost to fly internationally in the fall will drop as well, with prices to Europe down 31% from summer peaks, or nearly $330 off ticket prices. (More)

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Sports & Entertainment

Rangers ace Max Scherzer expected to miss rest of regular season

Rangers’ pitcher Max Scherzer is unlikely to pitch the rest of the season, including the playoffs. He strained a major muscle in his shoulder of his throwing arm on Tuesday. Scherzer was signed at the trade deadline to help bolster the Rangers pitching lineup that has been plagued with injuries this season. (More)

Drew Barrymore dropped as National Book Awards host after her talk show resumes during strike

Drew Barrymore has been uninvited to host the upcoming National Book Awards ceremony after her talk show taped its first episode since the Hollywood writer strike began. Her show doesn’t conflict with the actors’ strike, but it does employ at least three writers who are members of the Writers Guild, which has been on strike since May. The foundation in charge of the ceremony said they made the move to put the spotlight back on the writers. (More)

Major League Pickleball merger with PPA is back on

After weeks of disagreement, the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball have once again agreed to merge. The two competing leagues have been in a spending war, trying to sign the top players in the world, and the merger will expand and improve opportunities for athletes. The sport has boomed in popularity over the past couple of years, with more than 36 million people playing in 2022. (More)

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Science, Health, & Tech

Most ambulance rides are out of network, report finds

Nearly 60% of ground ambulance rides in 2022 were out of network. The findings highlight the fact that patients can’t really shop around for an ambulance ride but still get hit with major medical bills because their emergency transport is outside of their insurers’ network. Congress passed the No Surprises Act in 2021, which protects patients from large medical bills when they unknowingly receive out-of-network care. However, ambulance rides were left out of the law. A congressional panel met to discuss the issue of ground ambulance out-of-network costs last month and will release a report with recommendations in November. (More)

Watchdog accuses X again of not moderating hate speech

X failed to remove most of the posts that were flagged for containing “extreme hate speech,” according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Each of the 300 posts examined by the nonprofit was in “clear violation of X’s policies on hate speech,” per the report. Eight-six percent of the reported posts were still on the platform a week after they were reported to moderators. The flagged posts included racist caricatures, Holocaust denials, and hateful imagery like the Nazi swastika. X has filed a lawsuit against the group, accusing it of making “false” claims. (More)

Why new mothers are more likely to see faces in everyday objects

A study has found that women who’ve just had a baby are much more likely to see faces in everyday objects than other women. Researchers believe this may be because of elevated levels of oxytocin in the body after giving birth, which reduces stress, enhances mood, and promotes maternal behaviors. The findings suggest that hormone levels may have an impact on the basic visual processes responsible for our ability to detect and prioritize faces. (More)

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Bonus Material

The most famous streets in America, according to Instagram.

Winning photos from the wildlife Summer Snaps Contest.

Double rainbow appears over NYC on 9/11 anniversary.

What it’s like to have groceries delivered by drone.