Good Morning! Today’s edition is 901 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• AI Can Help Fight Conspiracy Theories

• Tyre Nichols Trial

• Hobby Horse Championships

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Big Story

North Dakota Reverses Abortion Ban

A judge in North Dakota has overturned the state’s near-total abortion ban, making abortion legal again after more than a year.

• Judge Bruce Romanick ruled that the state constitution protects a woman's right to abortion before the fetus is viable. The decision came after abortion providers sued the state, challenging the ban. The ruling is expected to take effect in 14 days.

• Abortion rights supporters see the decision as a victory for reproductive freedom. However, North Dakota’s Attorney General, Drew Wrigley, plans to appeal the ruling, arguing that the judge disregarded laws created by the state legislature. The state's governor, Doug Burgum, had signed the law in 2023, which made it a felony for doctors to perform abortions, except in limited cases like saving the mother's life or for rape victims within the first six weeks.

• The ruling follows a series of legal challenges to abortion laws across the U.S., especially after the Supreme Court allowed states to ban abortion in 2022. North Dakota’s only abortion clinic had moved to Minnesota after the 2022 ruling.

Big Story

U.S. Election Betting

A federal judge has approved betting on U.S. election outcomes for the first time.

• Kalshi, a New York-based company, can now offer bets on whether Republicans or Democrats will control the House or Senate after the November election. The decision overturned a previous ban by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which had blocked election betting.

• The CFTC quickly appealed the judge’s decision, arguing that allowing election betting could harm election integrity by giving people monetary reasons to vote a certain way. Despite this, betting on the outcome of the House and Senate races is already live on Kalshi’s website, with different prices for betting on each party.

• Some groups, like Better Markets, worry about its impact on U.S. elections. They also believe it could influence voters and are calling for more regulation to prevent potential problems. It's unclear if Kalshi will expand its betting options to include presidential races in the future.

Big Story

AI Can Fight Conspiracy Theories

Researchers have found that talking to an artificial intelligence (AI) system can help reduce belief in conspiracy theories.

• Normally, it’s thought that people don’t change their minds easily when they believe in such ideas, like the moon landing being fake or COVID-19 vaccines containing microchips. However, a new study shows that using an AI system called "DebunkBot," which provides tailored, fact-based arguments, can challenge these beliefs and encourage critical thinking.

• In the study, 2,190 participants shared a conspiracy theory they believed in, and the AI engaged them in a three-round conversation, offering counterarguments based on their specific belief. Afterward, many participants lowered their belief in the conspiracy by about 20%. One in four people who started with a strong belief came out of the experiment no longer holding that belief.

• The researchers found that reducing belief in one conspiracy theory also slightly lowered belief in other conspiracies. The approach could potentially be used in real-world situations, like responding to conspiracy posts on social media. However, some experts wonder if people would willingly talk to AI in real life and if human conversation could create the same results. Still, the study shows AI’s potential to help fight misinformation.

Little Stories

• The federal trial of three former Memphis police officers involved in the 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols continued Thursday. A Memphis Police lieutenant, who trained the officers, testified that he warned them about the consequences of not following department rules, including going to prison. The officers are charged with violating Nichols' civil rights by using excessive force, not stepping in to stop the assault, and failing to provide medical help. They could face life in prison but have pleaded not guilty. (More)

• Scientists in Japan won an Ig Nobel prize for discovering that mammals, like mice, rats, and pigs, can breathe through their anuses. This surprising finding could help treat respiratory failure in humans. The Ig Nobel awards given for unusual research aren’t the same as the famous Nobel Prizes, which are given for major achievements. (More)

• A judge in Georgia overseeing the election interference case against Donald Trump dismissed three charges on Thursday, including two against Trump, saying they don't fall under the state's jurisdiction. The case against Trump and others is currently on hold due to an appeal. (More)

• New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned after news broke that federal authorities had raided his home and taken his phone. The federal government is investigating the city, including Caban. His replacement is Tom Donlon, who previously worked with the FBI and helped investigate the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. (More)

• Factory workers on the U.S. West Coast went on strike Friday after rejecting Boeing’s contract offer, stopping production of its best-selling jet. Boeing's new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, faces this labor conflict just weeks into the job, after offering workers a 25% pay raise over four years, far less than the 40% they wanted. (More)

Extra Credit

🏝️ Hawaii tops list of happiest states.

🐴 Photos from the UK’s bizarre hobby horse championships.

💎 Jewelry seized by Nazis returned to owners.

🔍️ FDA to investigate tampons after toxic metals found.