Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,174 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• A wildlife park breeds a rare lemur

• Party members want Canadian PM Trudeau to step down

• Visualizing the cost of the American dream in 2024

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Big Story

James Bond? No, Robert Smalls.

South Carolina is planning its first statue of an African American on the Statehouse lawn, honoring Robert Smalls.

• Robert Smalls was born a slave in 1839 but died in 1915 as a free man. During the Civil War, Smalls disguised himself as a Confederate and stole a slaveholder's ship, sailing his family and others to freedom.

• Smalls later became a US Congressman and helped rewrite South Carolina's constitution to give Black men equal rights after the war. Bigoted men regained power in 1895 and reversed Small’s revisions, but he continued to fight for Black civil rights for the rest of his life.

• He is most known for his escape by boat, but his entire life was filled with acts of virtue. He bought his former master’s house in part with the money he received for turning the stolen Confederate ship over to Union forces and later allowed the man’s destitute widow to live there.

• While South Carolina has a monument that honors the struggle of African Americans in general, Smalls would be the first individual Black man or woman to be recognized.

Big Story

2024 World Series

The 2024 World Series will revive the long-standing rivalry between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees.

• The two iconic Major League Baseball teams have faced each other 11 times in the World Series, with the Yankees winning 8 and the Dodgers 3. The last time they faced off in the Fall Classic was in 1981.

• This year's World Series will feature some of the hardest-hitting players in baseball, including Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Giancarlo Stanton, and Shohei Ohtani.

• Ohtani, a global star from Japan, is in his first season with the Dodgers. He made history in 2024 by becoming the first player to hit over 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.

• Game 1 in Los Angeles starts tonight at 8:08 PM, and game 2 begins at the same time on Saturday. Then the series moves to New York for games 3 & 4. (See full schedule here)

Big Story

Wildlife Park Breeds Rare Lemur

Cotswold Wildlife Park has successfully bred one of Madagascar's most endangered lemurs, the greater bamboo lemur.

• The park is one of only two places in the world to breed the species this year. Greater bamboo lemurs are critically endangered — there are only 36 in captivity.

• Greater bamboo lemur births in captivity are very rare. The UK park has been part of a European breeding program, and this is the fourth year they've bred these lemurs.

• Lemurs are under threat due to habitat destruction and human population growth in Madagascar. The park supports conservation efforts in Madagascar and works on several other projects to raise awareness and funds for endangered animals.

Quick Stories

U.S. News

• The North Carolina government says it will need $53 billion to pay for damages and recovery efforts caused by Hurricane Helene. The number includes investments to prevent future flood destruction. (More)

• Los Angeles Times editorials editor Mariel Garza resigned after the paper’s owner stopped the editorial board’s plan to endorse Kamala Harris for president. (More)

• A Microsoft report found that Iranian government-linked hackers have researched election websites in multiple US swing states to find vulnerabilities that could be used to sway the election. They also scouted major US media websites. (More)

World

• India has evacuated over a million people in preparation for Cyclone Dana. It is predicted to hit coastal regions with wind speeds of 62 to 74 mph and bring heavy rainfall. (More)

• Some fellow liberal party members have urged Canadian PM Justin Trudeau to step down. He plans to run again for a fourth term but hasn’t responded to questions after the request. (More)

• The US says that North Korean troops sent to Russia to fight Ukraine will be “fair game” and “Ukrainian soldiers will defend against them like they are against Russian soldiers.” The soldiers moved early this month and are receiving training at multiple Russian military bases. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed mixed on Thursday (S&P +0.21%, Nasdaq +0.76%, Dow -0.33%). (More)

• Boeing machinists rejected the new labor contract proposal and will continue their weekslong strike. The proposed deal added an almost 40% pay raise over four years, but the union is holding out for a pension plan. (More)

• Tesla's stock jumped 20% on Thursday, its best day since 2013, after the company released a strong earnings report. Tesla reported $25.18 billion in revenue, slightly below what analysts expected but still 8% higher than last year. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Over 11,500 creatives, including actor Julianne Moore, author James Patterson, and musician Thom Yorke from Radiohead, signed a letter asking for a ban on using their art to train AI without getting their permission. (More)

• Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion, and twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful doubles team in history, were chosen for the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025. (More)

• Olympic champ Kate Douglass broke the short course 200m breaststroke world record at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup. Short course meets are held in 25-meter pools rather than 50-meter pools like the Olympics. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Astronomers found the first "black hole triple" system. It's made up of a black hole feeding on a nearby star while another, more distant star orbits them. The system, called V404 Cygni, is in the Milky Way about 8,000 light-years away. (More)

• The CDC has lowered the recommended age to get the pneumococcal vaccine from 65 to 50. They did this because the risk of getting sick from the bacteria, which can cause pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections, increases as people age. (More)

• A study found that semaglutide, the main ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, might lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in people with Type 2 diabetes. This adds to other research showing that GLP-1 drugs may benefit the brain too. (More)

Extra Credit

💵 Visualizing the cost of the American dream in 2024.

🎃 The best places to celebrate Halloween in the US.

🍞 DNA could be to blame for picky eating habits. 

☄️ Watch a fireball blaze over Lake Erie.

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