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Good morning, it's Monday, Aug. 24. The US has imposed new tariffs against Canada. First time reading? Join over 4.7 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
Also in today's Digest: Olympic-like robot competitions (Need To Know), a potential alternative to GLP-1 drugs (Sci. & Tech.), the US economic war with Iran (Pol. & World Affairs), a cat version of Jimothy (Etc.) and much more.
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Need To Know
Trade Talks Collapse
The trade dispute between the US and Canada escalated sharply over the weekend after last-minute negotiations ended without agreement. A raft of US tariffs on Canadian goods kicked in Friday at midnight, while Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada would apply dollar-for-dollar tariffs going into effect Sept. 8.
The new US tariffs apply a 50% levy to about $20B in Canadian imports, or roughly 5% of the goods exported to the US. Items range from alcohol to agricultural products but exclude energy-related goods (full schedule in the first three links here). Carney said the retaliatory tariffs would be equal in monetary value, with specific items listed in the coming days.
Both countries and Mexico signed a free-trade agreement replacing NAFTA during President Donald Trump’s first term. Trump declined a 16-year extension in July, switching to an annual review (see an analysis of issues).
Looking for a 101 on tariffs? Get an overview here.
Anthony Retrial Denied
A Texas judge rejected Karmelo Anthony’s request for a new trial Saturday following his conviction in the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. The case drew national attention over the issue of race, even as both legal teams sought to downplay its role in the violence.
Nineteen-year-old Anthony, who is Black, received a 35-year prison sentence for fatally stabbing Metcalf, who was white, at a high school track meet in April 2025. Anthony’s team says he acted in self-defense, while prosecutors say Anthony initiated the altercation and pulled a knife. Since the trial, Anthony’s supporters have questioned courtroom conduct, evidence, and the jury’s racial makeup. A recent hearing uncovered both teenagers’ disciplinary records that weren’t previously acknowledged due to an informal agreement between the legal teams. The court recused the original judge after Anthony’s team questioned his impartiality over comments he made about the trial (watch the full interview).
Anthony's lawyers have appealed the decision.
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🫶 Humankind: A thoughtful aunt helps her young nephews pull off an unforgettable anniversary surprise for their parents, whose big plans were derailed.
Robot Race Returns
A Chinese-made robot defeated Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt's 100-meter sprint record Saturday, crossing 109 yards in 9.39 seconds, below Bolt’s 9.58 seconds. The showmanship was part of China’s second annual World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing. Watch the moment here, after which the robot slams into a padded wall and collapses (via YouTube).
More than 2,000 humanoid robots are participating in this year’s Olympics-style games, with matches including racing, fighting, table tennis, and soccer. There are also more practical competitions, including contests on industrial assembly, packing, and tool manipulation. China leads the world in humanoid robot production, responsible for more than 80% of global shipments. The country has already begun replacing human workers on some domestic assembly lines and food delivery services, though robots have not yet been widely adopted.
The competition comes weeks after the US banned imports of foreign-made humanoid robots, citing national security concerns. See analysis on how China's approach to AI differs from the of the US.
In The Know
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Actor Michael Wright, best known for playing Eddie King Jr. in 1991 film “The Five Heartbeats,” dies at age 70 due to Marchiafava-Bignami disease, a rare neurological disorder, and complications from heart failure (More)
> American Kyle Kirkwood wins Freedom 250 Grand Prix after leading 128 of 147 laps (More) | Watch him cross the finish line (More, via YouTube)
> Dolly Parton says she is exploring “avatar performances” for future concerts amid health issues, including dizziness and dehydration (More) | Look back at the history of musical holograms (More)
Science & Technology
> Researchers discover compound that boosts metabolism and lowers cholesterol production without loss of muscle mass; could lead to alternatives to GLP-1 drugs (More) | How metabolism works (More, w/video)
> Unknown AI lab releases Ox Alpha, a free model offering 1 million-token context window (roughly 750,000 words in a single prompt); researchers suspect Chinese origin (More)
> Scientists use "thunderquakes"—seismic waves generated by thunderstorms—to image beneath the Earth's surface (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets rise Friday (S&P 500 +0.4%, Dow +1.0%, Nasdaq +0.4%), ending volatile week on a high note ahead of expected sanctions against Iran (More)
> TikTok agrees to $400M settlement with Justice Department over allegations it violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (More) | See which countries limit social media for kids (More, w/map)
> Nvidia signals upcoming price hikes to some of its largest customers (More) | Hugging Face reportedly considers sale, valuing the AI startup at upward of $13B (More)
In partnership with Frontieras
Last Few Days to Lock in ‘FASF’
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Politics & World Affairs
> Iranian hackers shut down a small UK power plant for four days last month, a new report alleges (More) | The US is expected to announce new sanctions against Iran as war focuses on economic isolation (More)
> Tens of thousands of residents of Gary, Indiana, remain without power for 13 days after storms killed at least seven people earlier this month (More)
> Democratic Republic of the Congo reaches road map for peace with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in US-mediated process (More) | See 101 (More)
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Etcetera
Why major storms and military operations get unique monikers.
Exactly how much of the internet is written with AI? (scroll for visuals)
Where to find the world’s oldest living things.
See photos of the Smithsonian National Zoo’s fluffy red panda cubs.
Employers are increasingly posting "ghost jobs."
There are positrons shooting out of your bananas.
What did the Founding Fathers sound like?
Could the timing of your breakfast determine how long you live?
Jimothy, the viral short-spined raccoon, has a feline look-alike.
In partnership: Investors are making moves before Thursday’s deadline.*
Clickbait: These aren’t your grandma’s Oreos.
Historybook: Mount Vesuvius erupts, killing up to 15,000 people in and around Pompeii (79); Thomas Edison files patent for the kinetoscope, an early motion-picture viewer (1891); Brazilian author Paulo Coelho born (1947); Windows 95 released (1995).
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