Synagogue shooter sentenced, Tesla investigation, and office vacancies.

Happy Thursday! Today’s edition is 1,272 words, a 4 minute read.

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Business & Economy

Daily stock market update

U.S. stock markets closed lower across the board on Wednesday (S&P -1.38%, Nasdaq -2.17%, Dow -0.98%) ~ Markets reacted poorly after Fitch Ratings downgraded the U.S. credit rating on Tuesday night. Two major reasons for the downgrade include the nation’s mountain of debt and the ratings agency’s unease about the U.S. political situation. Economists quickly attacked the downgrade noting the move comes just as the economy looks stronger than expected. (More)

Private sector added 324,000 jobs in July, well above expectations, ADP says

Private sector companies added far more jobs than expected in July. Job gains came in at 324,000 - well above the estimate for 175,000 - though it trended downward from the 4500,000 added in June. The boost largely came from a boom in leisure and hospitality jobs driven by the summer travel season. (More)

Amazon now offers Fresh grocery delivery to non-Prime members in select US cities

Previously, only people with Prime memberships had access to Amazon’s Fresh grocery delivery service. Now, it’s available to people without the membership in select U.S. cities. Non-Prime members will have to pay a delivery fee between $7.95 and $13.95 depending on the value of their order. Amazon plans to launch the service nationwide by the end of the year. (More)

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US News, Politics, & Government

New director named at NIAID following Dr. Anthony Fauci's retirement

Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo will be the next director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. She will begin her role in the fall, taking over from the interim director who has been serving since Dr. Anthony Fauci stepped down from the post in December. Dr. Marrazzo is currently an infectious disease expert at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. (More)

Pittsburgh synagogue shooter sentenced to death for killing 11 worshippers in 2018 massacre

A jury sentenced Robert Bowers to death on Wednesday for killing 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018. It’s the first federal death penalty imposed under the Biden administration, which has put a moratorium on executions. The attack was the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history. (More)

FBI looks for more possible victims after woman escapes from cinder block cell in Oregon

A man posing as an undercover police officer kidnapped a woman in Seattle and drove her to his home in Oregon. Once there, he locked her in a cinder block cell. The woman bloodied her hands breaking the door to escape but not before she sexually assaulted. The man, Negasi Zuberi, was arrested and is facing federal charges. Authorities said they are looking for additional victims after linking him to violent sexual assaults in at least four more states. (More)

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World

Beijing records heaviest rainfall in at least 140 years, causing severe flooding and 21 deaths

Extreme downpours in Beijing have triggered landslides and floods, killing at least 21 people and leaving 26 people missing. China’s capital has recorded its heaviest rainfall in the last 140 years, with 29.3 inches soaking the city between Saturday and Wednesday morning. The rising water has destroyed roads, knocked out power, and disabled pipes that carry drinking water. Nearly 850,000 people have been relocated. (More)

Justin Trudeau separates from wife, Sophie

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie are separating after 18 years of marriage. In an Instagram post, the couple stated that they will remain a close family with deep love and respect for each other, and they also asked for privacy. They have three children ages 15, 14, and 9. The news comes just a week after Trudeau overhauled his Cabinet team to try and reset his government’s economic agenda. (More)

Russia strikes Ukraine's Danube port, driving up global grain prices

Russia attacked Ukraine’s Danube port on Wednesday as it ramps up efforts to prevent Ukraine from exporting grain. The attacks destroyed buildings and halted ships as they prepared to dock to load up on grain. Wheat prices rose by nearly 5% due to concerns about a hit to global supplies with Ukraine - one of the world’s top exporters - off the market. Moscow has attacked 26 port facilities, five civilian vessels, and 180,000 tons of grain in nine days of strikes since quitting the grain deal. (More)

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Sports & Entertainment

Lionel Messi nets two as Inter Miami beats Orlando in Leagues Cup

Lionel Messi added 2 more goals to his U.S. resume in a 3-1 win over Orlando on Wednesday night and helped his team move on to the Round of 16 in the inaugural Leagues Cup. The Argentine superstar has scored in all three games since he joined Inter Miami in July. (More)

Sources: Big Ten has begun preliminary talks to potentially add more schools to the league

The Big Ten has begun discussions about expanding membership to 18 or even 20 teams. The schools being considered are Oregon and Washington if the league adds two schools, and Cal and Stanford if it wants to move to 20 teams. If the Big Ten decides to offer membership to all four schools, it would likely force the Pac-12 Conference to dissolve. (More)

Lizzo sued by three former dancers alleging harassment and hostile work environment

Three former dancer are suing Lizzo for being subjected to a hostile work environment and harassment while they were members of her dance team. The dancers accused Lizzo - who is known for embracing body positivity and embracing her large physique - of weight shaming them and pressuring to touch a nude performer at a strip club. (More)

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Science, Health, & Tech

The heaviest animal ever may be this ancient whale found in the Peruvian desert

Scientists have dug up fossils in the Peruvian desert that could dethrone the blue whale as the heaviest animal to ever live. The new species - named Perucetus colossus, or “the colossal whale from Peru” has vertebrae weighing over 220 pounds each and ribs that measure nearly 5 feet long. The ancient giant weighed somewhere between 94 and 375 tons. Although the blue whale is longer, the new discovery possibly weighs more because its bones are much denser and heavier. (More)

Tesla under investigation for Model 3 and Model Y steering wheels that freeze up

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is probing reports that 2023 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles lose their steering control while driving. Approximately 280,000 vehicles could be affected by the results of the investigation. Tesla is dealing with several defect inquiries including steering wheels that have fallen off during operation and “phantom braking” problems in which Tesla vehicles suddenly brake in response to invisible hazards. (More)

NASA hears ‘heartbeat’ of Voyager 2 after losing communication

NASA heard a signal from its Voyager 2 spacecraft after losing contact with it for two weeks. NASA sent commands to Voyager 2 on July 21 that accidentally caused its antenna to point 2 degrees away from Earth. The tiny shift means the spacecraft can’t receive any commands from mission control or send data back to Earth from its location more than 12.3 billion miles away. NASA was surprised to hear the signal and is trying to send it a command to reorient its antenna towards Earth before its next scheduled reset in October. (More)

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Bonus Material

An 87-year-old woman fought off a teenage home intruder then fed him snacks.

A truck driver wins $1 million 3 days after announcing his retirement.

Ranked: The U.S. cities with the most vacant offices.

22 ball pythons overrun Florida neighborhood.