Good Morning! Today’s edition is 946 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Secret Service threat network bust

• Study finds UV light kills airborne allergens

• Why cartoons mostly have 4 fingers

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Big Stories

Routh Convicted in Trump Case

• A Florida jury convicted Ryan Wesley Routh of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump after 2.5 hours of deliberation on Tuesday. Routh tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen after the verdict and was restrained by marshals. He faces life in prison on charges including assaulting a Secret Service agent.

• The 59-year-old Hawaii resident represented himself and argued no crime occurred since he never fired at Trump. Judge Aileen Cannon repeatedly interrupted his disjointed 42-minute closing argument when he strayed into irrelevant topics.

• Routh was arrested after Secret Service agents spotted him hiding with a rifle near Trump's golf course in September 2024. He left a note saying, 'This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump.'

Secret Service Busts Threat Network

• The Secret Service dismantled a network that could shut down New York City's cellphone system and was used for anonymous assassination threats against US officials. Agents seized over 300 communication servers and 100,000 phone cards at five locations around the city. The system allowed criminal organizations to communicate anonymously and undetected.

• The operation began after threats against senior government officials increased this spring. Agents are investigating whether the network was meant to disrupt this week's UN General Assembly or interfere with emergency services during world leaders' visits. The system could block police and ambulance communications during crises.

• Agents are analyzing every call and text on the seized phone cards to identify those responsible. Officials stated that the network no longer poses a threat to the area, but declined to identify which officials were targeted.

Back to the Moon

• NASA plans to launch the first crewed Moon mission in over 50 years as early as February 2026. Artemis II will send four astronauts on a 10-day round trip around the Moon to test rocket and spacecraft systems for future lunar landings. The crew won't land but will orbit the Moon and return to Earth.

• The astronauts will travel farther from Earth than anyone since Apollo 17 in 1972, going at least 5,000 nautical miles past the Moon. They'll undergo medical experiments that monitor space's effects on the human body, including studies where scientists grow tissue samples from their blood to examine radiation and microgravity impacts.

• The mission's success determines the timeline for an actual Moon landing. NASA is aiming for a lunar landing "no earlier than mid-2027," but experts call this optimistic given technical challenges. The plan depends on SpaceX's Starship development, which still faces hurdles in achieving orbital flight.

Quick Stories

US News

• North Carolina lawmakers passed "Iryna's Law" after a Ukrainian refugee was stabbed to death on a Charlotte light rail, ending cashless bail and potentially restoring the death penalty. (More)

• A federal judge ordered Trump's administration to restart $500 million in funding for UCLA research, temporarily blocking punishment over the university's handling of Gaza protests. (More)

• President Trump told reporters NATO countries should shoot down Russian planes violating their airspace, citing recent incidents over Estonia and Poland during UN meetings. (More)

World

• New Zealand announced two new residency pathways for skilled migrant workers starting in 2026 to fill workforce gaps as record numbers of citizens leave the country. (More)

• Southern China shut down schools, businesses, and airports on Tuesday ahead of Super Typhoon Ragasa's Wednesday landfall, after the storm killed three people in the Philippines. (More)

• The International Criminal Court charged former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte with crimes against humanity for allegedly ordering the killings of 76 people as president and mayor. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed lower on Tuesday (S&P -0.55%, Nasdaq -0.95%, Dow -0.19%). Major indexes retraced some of their recent gains as investors worried about whether the artificial intelligence bull trend can continue. (More)

• Eli Lilly will spend $6.5 billion on a Houston manufacturing plant to boost production of its experimental obesity pill and other small molecule drugs. (More)

• Disney hiked streaming prices up to $3 monthly starting October 21, pushing its ad-free Disney+ plan to $18.99. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Phoenix rallied from 20 points down to shock Minnesota 89-83 in overtime, evening their WNBA playoff series and stealing home-court advantage. (More)

• Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet tore his ACL and could miss the entire 2025-26 season, hurting the team's championship hopes after acquiring Kevin Durant. (More)

• Major TV companies Nextstar and Sinclair refused to show Jimmy Kimmel's return on Tuesday, saying his comments linking a killer to Trump supporters were inappropriate. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Texas scientists identified the first wild "grue jay," a green-blue jay hybrid created when climate change pushed the species into overlapping territories. (More)

• A University of Colorado study found that UV light can quickly neutralize airborne allergens from pets, dust mites, and mold by changing their protein structure. (More)

• Scientists discovered a 23-foot dinosaur with huge claws in Argentina that had been feeding on an ancient crocodile when it died. (More)

Extra Credit

Own a Scottish castle with a miniature railway track for $4.4M.

The longest airplane route will take 29 hours.

Dragonfly migration season is here.

Why most cartoon characters only have four fingers.