New national monument, Amazon internet, and petting dogs boosts health.

Happy Wednesday! Today’s edition is 1,190 words, a four minute read.

First time reader? Sign up here!

💵 📈 

Business & Economy

Daily stock market update

U.S. stock markets closed lower on Tuesday (S&P -0.42%, Nasdaq -0.79%, Dow -0.45%) ~ Stocks pulled back after credit rating agency Moody’s downgraded the banking sector. (More)

Banks fined for use of Signal, WhatsApp to evade regulators’ reach

U.S. regulators are fining Wall Street firms $549 million for failing to maintain electronic records of employee communications. 11 firms admitted that from at least 2019, employees used side channels like WhatsApp and iMessage to discuss company business without keeping records of the communications, which violates federal law. Since 2021 the SEC and CFTC have handed out more than $2 billion in fines in an effort to stamp out the use of secure messaging apps by Wall Street employees and managers. (More)

Tesla CFO Kirkhorn steps down

The CFO stepped down from the company on August 4th and will be replaced by current Chief Accounting Officer Vaibhav Taneja. Kirkhorn has served as the CFO for the past four years and has been with the company for 13 years. He will stay on through the end of the year to help support the transition. (More)

🇺🇸 ⚖️ 

US News, Politics, & Government

Biden announcing historic Grand Canyon monument designation during his Arizona visit

President Biden announced the creation of a new national monument near the Grand Canyon that will protect the area from expanded uranium mining. The monument - called Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni - will protect nearly a million acres of land that is sacred to Native American tribes. The designation is intended to protect the Colorado River Watershed from future mining. Currently, there is a moratorium on uranium mining in the area until 2032, but the new designation makes the restrictions permanent.

DeSantis replaces his campaign manager for 2024 presidential bid

DeSantis is replacing Generra Peck with James Uthmeier, his chief of staff from his state office. The changes come after the governor made two big staff cuts in July as the campaign faced financial trouble. DeSantis is nearly 40% behind Donald Trump in the national polls. (More)

Los Angeles city employees go on strike, alleging exploitative conditions

Over 11,000 Los Angeles city workers started a 24-hour strike on Tuesday, citing unfair labor practices and the city’s unwillingness to bargain in good faith. The disruptions led to trash-pickup and non-emergency 311 call center delays as well as some animal shelters and swimming pool closings. The city’s contract with the 95,000-member SEIU union has yet to expire, but the union members decided to hold the one-day walkout to show the possible impact of a longer work stoppage. (More)

🌍️ 

World

Twin Russian strikes on Ukrainian city kill civilians, then hit rescuers

Ukrainian officials said that Russia’s attack on the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk on Tuesday specifically targeted rescue workers and first responders. The strike killed five civilians, an emergency worker, and a servicer member. The first missile hit a residential building followed by a second that landed after the first responders arrived on scene to treat the wounded and dig people out from under the rubble. (More)

Lula's plan to expand internet access in Amazon region takes shape

An underwater fiber optic cable is now providing three million Brazilians who live in the Amazon region with internet access. The new service is part of President Lula’s plan to expand connectivity in remote areas. Lula said on Monday that the fiber optic cables are part of a proposal to "care for the jungle, water and fauna, but also for the people" who call the rainforest home. (More)

Iraq bans media from using term “homosexuality”

Iraq’s official media regulator ordered all media and social media companies operating in the state not to use the term “homosexuality” and instead to say “sexual deviance.” The Iraqi Communications and Media Commission said in a statement that the use of the term “gender” was also banned. It prohibited all phone and internet companies licensed by it from using the terms in any of their mobile applications. (More)

🏈 🎬️ 

Sports & Entertainment

Women's World Cup Day 20 recap: France and Colombia move on to the quarterfinals

Colombia beat Jamaica 1-0 to advance to the quarter final for the first time. They will face England in the next round who will be without star player Lauren James. ~ France handled Morocco easily, winning 4-0. They will play co-host Australia in the next round. (More)

Tory Lanez sentenced to 10 years for shooting and injuring Megan Thee Stallion

Rapper Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday for shooting and injuring hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in both of her feet in July 2020. Lanez was found guilty on the charges in Dec. 2022 but sentencing was delayed several times. (More)

Sacramento Republic make U.S. soccer history inking Kimbrough

The team signed thirteen-year-old Da’vian Kimbrough on Tuesday, making him the youngest player to become a soccer professional in the U.S. He is also believed to be the youngest professional in team sports across the major leagues in North America, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and WNBA. (More)

🔬💊 💻️ 

Science, Health, & Tech

Apple Music launches a Discovery Station to help you find new songs

Apple Music has a new station that’s designed to help you find songs you might like. The app’s Discovery Station will play a curated selection of music based on what you’ve been listening to lately but haven’t added to your library or heard before. You can find the option by heading to Listen Now on Apple Music’s mobile, desktop, and web apps and then looking beneath the Stations for You section. (More)

Volcanoes like Kīlauea and Mauna Loa don't erupt like we thought they did

Scientists used to believe that basaltic volcanoes erupted after water pushed magma up and out of the ground. It turns out that carbon dioxide is the driving force behind the eruptions. The magma also shoots up from a much deeper reserve, originating in Earth’s mantle 12 to 19 miles deep instead of 4 to 8 miles deep in the outer crust as previously thought. Understanding where and how the eruptions start will help scientists develop plans to mitigate danger posed by future volcanic blasts. (More)

Wegovy shown to reduce risk of heart attack, stroke in major cardiovascular trial

The weight loss drug Wegovy reduced the risk of heart attack, stroke, or heat-related death by 20% in a clinical trial. The trial lasted five years and included 17,604 adults with heart disease and obesity or who were overweight but didn’t have diabetes. It is the first trial to show a risk reduction in people without diabetes. However, doctors emphasized that only topline results of the trial have been made public, without mention of adverse events or the specific effect the drug has on each of the conditions tested. (More)

🎁 

Bonus Material

Petting other people’s dog can make you healthier! 

Golfing in the clouds wins the 2023 World Sport Photography awards.

The 10 most popular wedding songs.

Deep dive: How long could a person survive in space without a spacesuit?