Idalia aftermath, giant food fight, and 5 million bees.

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US News, Politics, & Government

Deadly Idalia weakens to tropical storm but still threatens Georgia and Carolinas

Idalia weakened to a tropical storm last night but parts of Georgia and the Carolinas are still under threat of strong winds and flooding after the storm pummeled parts of Florida. Over 500,000 people are without power in Florida and Georgia as of Wednesday night. Many communities in North Tampa Bay and around the Big Bend region are underwater, with around 4,500 people taking refuge in shelters. (More)

Biden administration moves to loosen weed restrictions

The Department of Health and Human Services is recommending that the DEA loosen federal restrictions on marijuana. The health agency wants the drug moved from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, which would reclassify it among drugs with “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.” The rescheduling does not end criminalization, and people will still face criminal penalties for possession. (More)

Sexual abuse charges dismissed against McCarrick as ex-cardinal ruled unfit to stand trial

Sexual Abuse charges against former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick were dropped after a judge ruled him not competent to stand trial. He is suffering from dementia, and likely Alzheimer’s disease. McCarrick was charged with sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy in 1974. He was removed from his post in the Catholic Church in 2018 due to the sexual abuse allegations. (More)

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World

Spain hosts its annual “Tomatina” tomato throwing party

Around 15,000 people pelted each other with tomatoes Wednesday during Spain’s annual “Tomatina” in the town of Buñol. 120 tons of overripe tomatoes were dumped into the main street of town for participants to throw. The festival was inspired by a food fight between local children in 1945 in the town. Media attention in the 1980s turned it into a international event, drawing participants from across the world. (More)

Military officers in Gabon say they have seized power

A military group in Gabon has taken over the government and arrested President Ali Bongo Ondimba, moments after Bongo won a controversial election for a third term. The country has been under the rule of the Bongo family since 1967 and has long been accused of corruption. More than 30% of people live in poverty in Gabon despite its rich oil reserves. And unemployment is at 40% among people aged 15 to 24. (More)

Russia sees biggest drone assault on its own territory since invading Ukraine

Russian experienced the biggest drone attack since it launched its war on Ukraine. Six Russian regions, including Moscow, were attacked on Wednesday. No casualties have been reported. Meanwhile, Russia hit Kyiv with a massive attack. Ukraine downed 28 cruise missiles and destroyed 15 out of 16 drones launched overnight. Two people were killed, and three were injured. (More)

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Business & Economy

Daily stock market update

US stock markets closed higher on Wednesday (S&P +0.38%, Nasdaq +0.54%, Dow +0.11%) ~ The S&P notched its fourth consecutive winning session. (More)

Burger King lawsuit alleges Whoppers are smaller than advertised

A judge ruled that Burger King must face a class action lawsuit accusing the chain of false advertising. The suit alleges that the restaurant falsely enlarged the size of their Whopper sandwiches in ads. The actual burgers are 35% smaller than they appear in marketing materials. (More)

Millions of additional salaried workers could get overtime pay under Biden proposal

Millions of salaried workers would be eligible for overtime pay under a proposal by the Biden administration. The rule would raise the limit for workers automatically eligible for overtime pay to about $55,000 a year, from the current level of about $35,000. President Obama ordered a similar increase, but the move was blocked by a federal judge. This proposal is also likely to face pushback. (More)

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Sports & Entertainment

Phillies star Bryce Harper belts 300th career home run

Phillies star Bryce Harper hit his 300th home run on Wednesday, making him the 158th player in major league history to reach that mark. He has homered in three straight games two separate times this month. His hot streak has the Phillies at the top of the National League wild-card playoff standings. (More)

Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek cruise into US Open third round

Coco Gauff easily defeated Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-2 at the US Open. She will face Elise Mertens in the third round. Elsewhere, top seed and defending champion, Iga Swiatek, also won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. (More)

Nebraska volleyball sets world record for attendance at women's sporting event

92,003 fans watched the Nebraska Huskers volleyball team take on Omaha on Wednesday, making it the largest crowd ever to watch a women’s sports event. The previous record was held by a Champions League soccer match between FC Barcelona and Wolfsburg in Barcelona, Spain. (More)

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Science, Health, & Tech

Ancient Roman walls discovered in Swiss Alps

Archeologists in Switzerland have discovered the remains of 2,000-year-old Roman walls in the Alps. The walls were found during the excavation of a gravel pit. Iron nails, gold from jewelry, and household items have also been unearthed. The findings could shed light on Roman activity in central Switzerland. (More)

Over-the-counter opioid overdose antidote Narcan to hit shelves next week

The first over-the-counter drug used to reverse opioid overdose will be available in retail stores and online next week. Narcan, will have a suggested retail price of $44.99 for a carton of two doses. It will be carried in stores like Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart, and CVS. (More)

Google launches watermarks for AI-generated images

Google unveiled an invisible, permanent watermark on images that are computer-generated to help prevent the spread of misinformation. The technology, called SynthID, embeds the watermark directly onto images that are created by Imagen, one of Google’s text-to-image generators. The label can’t be covered by filters or color effects. The tool can also scan images to see if they were generated by Imagen. (More)

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Bonus Material

The best of the 2023 iPhone photography award winners.

5 million bees were on the loose after their hives fell off a truck in Canada.

England just hosted its 15th annual Gravy Wrestling Championship.

Meet the finalists for the World’s Cutest Rescue Dog Contest.