West coast hurricane, Harrison Ford snake, and world's beautiful beaches.

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Business & Economy

Daily stock market update

US stock markets closed lower on Thursday (S&P -0.77%, Nasdaq -1.17%, Dow -0.84%) ~ The market fell for a third straight day. August has been rough on stocks, but insiders believe the slight pullback could end up being healthy for the market in general. (More)

Aldi to acquire Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores in Southern expansion

Aldi plans to purchase hundreds of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets stores across the Southern US. The company will takeover 400 stores in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Some stores will be converted into Aldi stores, while others will continue operating as Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket grocery stores. Terms of the deal were not made public. (More)

Looming auto workers strike could cost $5 billion in just 10 days, new analysis says

If the United Auto Workers decide to strike against Detroit’s Big Three automakers, it could quickly cause billions in losses. A work stoppage by nearly 150,000 UAW workers at GM, Ford, and Stellantis would result in losses of more than $5 billion after 10 days. In 2019, a 40-day strike cost GM $3.6 billion. Consultants have said the economic effect could be much worse with strikes affecting all three automakers instead of just one. (More)

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US News, Politics, & Government

Hawaii governor vows to block land grabs as fire-ravaged Maui rebuilds

Hawaii’s governor promised to keep the land in local’s hands when Maui rebuilds from the wildfire devastation. The state attorney general is working on a moratorium on land transactions in Lahaina to ensure no one is victimized by a land grab. Locals have said they are afraid that wealthy investors will buy the land and build hotels and condos that they can’t afford to live in. A typical starter home in Hawaii costs over $1 million, while the average renter pays 42% of their income for housing. Cost of living could increase further after the rebuild. (More)

Hurricane Hilary upgraded from tropical storm, putting California at risk of flash floods

Hurricane Hilary was upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 3 hurricane on Thursday as it heads for the Southwest US. It is expected to weaken once it reaches the US coast, but heavy rains could drench California with months’ worth of rain in just a few days. If Hilary makes landfall on California as a tropical storm, it will be the first one in 84 years. The heavy rainfall will begin Friday night and continue into early next week. (More)

Authorities investigating threats to grand jurors who indicted Trump in Georgia

Georgia authorities are investigating threats against members of the grand jury that indicted Donald Trump and 18 of his associates. The sheriff’s office is looking for the source of the threats after the jury members’ names and other personal information were posted online. Although the proceedings were held in secret, the names of the jury members were included in the indictment. Someone then accessed the publicly-available names and connected them with personal info before posting it online. (More)

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World

The entire capital city of Canada’s Northwest Territories has been ordered to evacuate as hundreds of wildfires scorch the region, officials say

Hundreds of wildfires in Canada’s Northwest Territories have forced the evacuation of the capital city of Yellowknife. 20,000 residents are fleeing by road and air as 230 fires scorch the territory. Those that are driving to safety are having difficulty seeing and breathing. Air quality alerts are in effect across central Canada and into Minnesota due to smoke from the fires. (More)

French prosecutors charge five over acid burglaries in Paris

Five people have been charged with more than 90 burglaries in Paris that involved the use of acid to break the locks on apartment doors. The robbers injected corrosive liquid into the locks to disable them. These break-ins began in France in 2022 and continued across other European countries before reemerging in Paris in early August. The police arrested the suspects after setting up surveillance in a Paris suburb following four break-ins. (More)

At least 60 migrants feared dead in Cape Verde boat disaster

60+ migrants could be dead after a boat capsized off Cape Verde, West Africa. 101 people were on board but only 38, including four children, were rescued. They launched from Senegal on July 10 and were rescued on August 15. It is unclear whether Cape Verde was the migrant’s final destination or if they were heading for the Canary Islands. Both places have become popular spots for migrants trying to reach Europe. (More)

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Sports & Entertainment

NBA season to tip off with champion Nuggets hosting Lakers

The Denver Nuggets will raise their championship banner for the first time before playing the Los Angeles Lakers in the first NBA game of the season on Oct. 24. The Golden State Warriors will face off with the Phoenix Suns in the second game of opening night. Christmas Day will feature five games - Bucks vs Knicks, Golden State vs Denver, Celtics vs Lakers, 76ers vs Heat, and lastly Dallas vs Phoenix. (More)

The Killers brought a Russian fan onstage in Georgia — and it didn't go well

The rock band has apologized after causing a geopolitical stir during a concert in the country of Georgia on Tuesday, when they invited a Russian fan on stage and were booed by the audience. Georgia’s government has been accused of pro-Russian leanings, but public opinion in the country is mostly pro-Ukrainian. The country achieved independence from Moscow in 1991 and has fresh wounds from a 2008 conflict with Russia over territorial rights. (More)

“Barbie” becomes biggest Warner Bros. movie ever at domestic box office, beating “The Dark Knight” 

On Tuesday, “Barbie” passed “The Dark Knight” to become the biggest Warner Bros. movie ever in North America. The movie’s domestic total reached $537.4 million, with a worldwide box office tally of $1.2 billion. It trails the final Harry Potter film which grossed $1.34 billion globally, but it could pass that mark as well. (More)

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Science, Health, & Tech

Blue Shield California ditches CVS for Amazon and Mark Cuban’s drug company

Blue Shield of California will stop using CVS Health’s Caremark as its pharmacy benefit manager and will partner with several companies, including Amazon Pharmacy and Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs. Under the plan, Amazon Pharmacy will provide free delivery of medications to members, and Cost Plus will offer a pricing model that is transparent and more affordable. (More)

Newly discovered snake species found in remote Peruvian land is named for Harrison Ford

Four researchers discovered a new species of snake while navigating a scientifically unexplored area in Peru. The snake is yellow-brown and nearly a foot-and-a-half long. Its scientific name is Tachymenoides harrinsonfordi. The explorers thought it would be funny to name it after Harrison Ford because his character "Indiana Jones” hates snakes. (More)

3 people have died after infection with rare flesh-eating bacteria in Connecticut and New York

Three people died in Connecticut and New York from a flesh-eating bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus that is found in warm, brackish water or raw shellfish. The two victims from Connecticut were infected and died after swimming in two separate locations on Long Island Sound. A third person was infected after eating oysters at an out-of-state restaurant. The bacteria causes 80,000 illnesses and 100 deaths in the US every year. (More)

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Bonus Material

The 25 most beautiful beaches in the world.

Watch: Does cracking your knuckles cause arthritis?

Berkeley post office workers busted for stealing cannabis from mail.

A cozy doomsday missile silo is for sale in Nebraska.