Good Morning! Today’s edition is 843 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Think positive thoughts and hot sauce won’t burn as bad

• Hurricane Milton hits as Cat 3 storm

• Teenager becomes the first to beat Tetris

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*Editors Note: I write each edition of The Neutral from Orlando. We should be safe from most of Hurricane Milton’s major damage here, but I may miss Friday’s update if the power is out. Please pray/send up good thoughts for those in vulnerable areas.

Big Story

Russia’s “merchant of death” is back in business.

Viktor Bout — a Russian arms dealer released in exchange for WNBA player Brittney Griner — is selling weapons again, per the WSJ.

• Before his arrest in 2008, Viktor Bout was known as one of the world’s most infamous arms dealers. For years, he supplied weapons to rogue states and warlords in Africa, Asia, and South America.

• According to the WSJ, Bout is trying to sell small arms to the Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. The arms haven’t been delivered, but Bout is said to have negotiated a $10 million deal for automatic weapons.

• The arms deal does not include larger weapons like anti-ship or anti-air missiles, which could pose a bigger threat to US military efforts. After his return to Russia in 2022, Bout joined a nationalist party but has kept a low profile until now.

• The WSJ said it’s unknown whether Bout was acting on behalf of the Kremlin or only with their approval.

Big Story

How Positive Thinking Cools Down Hot Sauce

A new study found that what we expect can change how we experience sensations.

• Researchers looked at how positive or negative expectations shape our brain's response and our feelings about taste. When people expected a good experience, it lessened discomfort and increased pleasure, but negative expectations worsened the experience.

• In the study, 47 people, both fans and haters of spicy food, were given hot sauce while their brains were scanned. The scientists found that brain areas tied to pleasure and reward were more active when people expected to enjoy the spicy taste.

• On the other hand, those who expected to dislike the taste felt more pain, with brain areas linked to pain and negative emotions lighting up.

• The findings could help in developing pain treatment or strategies for shaping experiences in daily life, like food or therapy.

Big Story

North Korea Severs Access to South Korea

North Korea announced it will cut off all roads and railways connecting to South Korea.

• This comes after a rise in activity near the border, which hadn't been common in recent years. North Korea has also been placing landmines and barriers along the heavily guarded border.

• The North Korean army said the move is a reaction to military exercises held in South Korea and frequent visits by US nuclear forces in the region. South Korea’s defense ministry said it is working with the United Nations Command regarding North Korea’s decision but didn’t provide further details.

• The UN reports that North Korea is one of the most repressive countries in the world. The government keeps people in line through threats of torture, executions, imprisonment, forced disappearances, and forced labor.

Little Stories

• Hurricane Milton hit the Tampa Bay area yesterday evening as a Category 3 storm. It caused seven tornadoes to spin up before making landfall. As of this writing (Wed. 5 p.m. ET), officials said it was too late to evacuate and urged people to stay where they are to wait out the storm. (Live updates here)

• The Minnesota Lynx will play the New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals after beating the Connecticut Sun in Game 5 of the semifinals, 88-77. The Lynx had lost seven times in a row to the Sun in Minnesota before Tuesday’s game. Game 1 of the Finals is tonight at 8 p.m. ET. (More)

• President Biden talked with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday about Israel's plans to retaliate against Iran. The call lasted 45 minutes, and Israeli officials said the response would likely involve airstrikes on military targets and secret attacks like the one that killed a Hamas leader in Tehran. (More)

• Actress Jenna Fischer, famous for playing Pam on The Office, shared that she has been treated for breast cancer since last December. She went through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation but is now cancer-free. (More)

• Honda is recalling nearly 1.7 million cars and SUVs in the US because of a steering problem that could raise the crash risk. The recall affects Honda models from 2022 to 2025. The issue is caused by a part in the steering system that can make the steering feel "sticky" when turning. (More)

Extra Credit

🚨 Hundreds of raccoons swarm a woman’s house prompting 911 call.

🐻 Mama bear wins Fat Bear Contest, beats rival who killed her cub. 

🎮️ Teenager becomes world’s first to beat Tetris.

🕷️ How the black widow spider’s lethal venom works.