Good Morning! Today’s edition is 982 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Aging kicks into gear after 50

• TikTok creator arrested

• Turtle smuggler caught at airport security

First-time reader? Sign up here!

Big Stories

Judge Blocks Planned Parenthood Cuts

• A federal judge blocked a Trump administration rule that would have cut Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood after the organization sued the Department of Health and Human Services. The policy ended Medicaid reimbursements for clinics receiving over $800,000 in 2023. However, Judge Indira Talwani granted a preliminary injunction, finding the cuts could cause "adverse health consequences."

• In its lawsuit, Planned Parenthood argued it would be forced to close nearly 200 clinics across 24 states, potentially affecting over 1 million patients. The organization said nearly half of its patients rely on Medicaid for birth control, cancer screenings, and STD testing. The preliminary injunction applies to nearly 600 Planned Parenthood clinics in 48 states.

• Health and Human Services officials said they "strongly disagreed" with the ruling and argued states shouldn't fund organizations focused on "political advocacy over patient care." Planned Parenthood called the funding cuts a "targeted attack" on clinics serving Medicaid patients. The administration will likely appeal the ruling.

Aging Accelerates at 50

• Scientists have identified age 50 as a turning point when proteins linked to fatigue, reduced strength, and cardiovascular problems surge in the body, potentially explaining the physical changes many people experience in their fifties.

• A Chinese Academy of Sciences team analyzed tissue samples from 76 donors who died in accidents and found major protein changes occur between the ages of 45 and 55. The researchers identified 48 proteins linked to diseases like heart problems, liver dysfunction, and tissue scarring that spike during this period. To test whether these proteins cause aging or merely signal it, the team injected them into healthy young mice. The mice quickly lost strength and endurance, suggesting the proteins directly contribute to physical decline.

• The study could eventually lead to treatments that target vulnerable organs before major damage sets in. Rather than treating aging as a uniform process, scientists aim to intervene earlier by focusing on the specific proteins accelerating decline.

China’s Baby Stipend

• China will pay parents $500 per year for every child under the age of three, as part of efforts to reverse a three-year population decline. Just 9.54 million births occurred in 2024, half as many as in 2016, despite Beijing ending the country’s one-child policy. The decline could cripple China's economy as fewer working-age people support a growing elderly population.

• Meanwhile, provincial governments are offering incentives to boost fertility rates. Inner Mongolia gives up to $14,000 for each new child to families with three or more children, while Liaoning province provides monthly payments of $70 to parents who have a third child until it turns three. Sichuan has proposed expanding marriage leave from 5 to 25 days and more than doubling maternity leave from 60 to 150 days.

• Economists call it a positive step but say the subsidies are too small to meaningfully lift birth rates. While some parents may consider having a second child, many remain hesitant due to rising childcare costs and career demands.

Beat the market before breakfast.

Join 100,000+ readers who get smarter about stocks, crypto, and income in 5 minutes flat with our free daily newsletter.

Stocks And Income is 100% free and focused on helping you find investment opportunities that outperform the market average.

No hype, no fluff, just real signals and strategy.

Did you miss these big winners?

✅ CoreWeave (before it soared 209%)
✅ Palantir (+441% this year)

Our readers didn’t.

Get the next big stock and crypto picks delivered daily.

Subscribe for free

_{Stocks & Income is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be used as investment advice. Do your own research.}

Quick Stories

US News

• Police arrested Phoenix content creator Heston Cobb on multiple charges after he allegedly led groups disguised as employees to disrupt Target, Chipotle, and other businesses for viral videos. (More)

• Democratic ex-Governor Roy Cooper launched his North Carolina Senate bid Monday to replace retiring Republican Thom Tillis. (More)

• Half the US is under heat advisories affecting 198 million people as temperatures soar above 100 degrees, while severe storms threaten the Midwest with damaging winds. (More)

World

• Trump shortened Putin's Ukraine war peace deadline from 50 days to 10-12 days, threatening 100% tariffs on Russia and trading partners after meeting the UK's Starmer in Scotland. (More)

• Pro-Ukrainian hackers attacked Aeroflot's computer systems and threatened to release passenger data, forcing Russia's national airline to cancel 40+ flights. (More)

• Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an immediate ceasefire after five days of border fighting killed 33 people, following Malaysian mediation and US pressure through tariff threats. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed mixed on Monday (S&P +0.02%, Nasdaq +0.33%, Dow -0.14%). Markets closed relatively flat Monday as traders eyed the upcoming Fed rate decision, shrugging off the US-EU trade deal. (More)

• Firefly Aerospace plans to go public at $35-39 per share in an IPO that could raise $632 million and value the rocket maker at $5.5 billion. (More)

• Spirit Airlines will furlough 270 pilots this fall and downgrade 140 others from captain to first officer as the carrier shrinks its schedule to return to profitability. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• A Texas stalker received 2.5 years in prison for sending hundreds of threatening messages to the WNBA's Caitlin Clark and driving by her home while claiming an "imaginary relationship." (More)

• Warner Bros. Discovery will split into two companies by mid-2026, with "Warner Bros." handling entertainment and "Discovery Global" managing news and sports. (More)

• Colorado coach Deion Sanders revealed he was diagnosed with aggressive bladder cancer but is considered cured after surgery. He plans to coach this season. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Large language models struggled to solve and explain Sudoku puzzles, often producing nonsensical answers. The University of Colorado researchers say the failures highlight key gaps in AI reasoning and logic. (More)

• Scientists created a needle-free vaccine using dental floss to deliver vaccines through gum tissue. The method showed better mucosal immunity than under-the-tongue methods. (More)

• Two new studies found walking and lifestyle changes can significantly slow cognitive decline in people with the APOE4 gene, which increases Alzheimer's risk by up to 12 times. (More)

Extra Credit

The 50 greatest luxury hotels on Earth.

Ranking America’s fittest cities of 2025.

Woman tries to smuggle turtles in her bra through airport security.

Food & Wine tested seven ways to make bacon so you don’t have to.