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Good morning, it's Tuesday, Aug. 25. Scientists turned plastic into edible cookies for astronauts. First time reading? Join over 4.7 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
Also in today's Digest: a 2003 rom-com is being revived (Sports, Ent., and Cul.), a 20-minute workout may be the next best thing to sleep (Sci. & Tech.), ocean temperatures reach a record high (Pol. & World Affairs), the country's top party schools (Etc.), and much more.
Need To Know
Tehran Trade Squeeze
The Trump administration expanded secondary sanctions against Iran yesterday, threatening penalties against foreign countries and companies that do business with Tehran. The move could restrict their access to the US financial system. The Treasury also sanctioned nearly 60 people, entities, and vessels that it says are tied to Iran's nuclear and missile programs, oil trade, and cyber operations.
The measures add pressure to an economy already strained by previous sanctions and a US naval blockade. The rial hit a record low yesterday, with $1 buying roughly 2.02 million rials, while the IMF projects Iran's economy will shrink more than 5% this year. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did not specify which countries could face secondary sanctions, but China, Turkey, and the UAE are Iran's largest trading partners (see full list). China buys roughly 80% to 90% of Iran's oil exports.
Iranian oil reaches China via intermediaries and ship-to-ship transfers that can obscure its origin. Independent refineries, known as "teapots," are among its major buyers.
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Reno Fire Spreads
A fast-spreading wildfire near Reno, Nevada, has injured at least seven people, destroyed more than 30 homes, and burned about 23 square miles of land as of this writing. Officials have called on roughly 63,000 people to evacuate their homes.
The Hawk Fire began Saturday near Hawk Meadow Trail, northwest of the city (how do dispatchers name wildfires?). Officials said Sunday the fire was human-caused but did not share additional details. The fire quickly spread, aided by dry vegetation and fast winds, with gusts predicted to reach 25 miles per hour today. The winds can change direction quickly and carry fires to new locations, making the fires especially difficult to contain. Dry thunderstorms risk fueling the spread further. Unlike many other states, Nevada is at especially high risk for wildfires due not only to its dry climate but also to its prevalence of non-native, invasive grasses, including cheatgrass and medusahead (w/videos).
Listen to a fire historian explain the phenomenon via "1440 Explores."
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🫶 Humankind: Pizza place turns an inconsiderate prank call for $300 worth of pizza into a good deed by donating all the pies to a local hospital.
From Trash to Treat
Researchers have 3D-printed high-protein cookies from crop waste and recycled plastic (w/video). The cookies, dubbed µBites, are part of a NASA-funded project aimed at feeding astronauts on long-duration missions.
The team used water, heat, pressure, and oxygen in a 32-step process to break down polyethylene terephthalate, the main component in single-use water bottles. The resulting carbon-rich liquid was combined with yeast engineered to consume it. As the yeast fed, it converted the carbon into proteins, fats, and other nutrients (how yeast works). Researchers combined these nutrients with sweetener, fiber, and starch to create a paste, which they then printed into cookies. Humans are awaiting institutional approval to try the cookies, but the prototypes reportedly smell good.
Experts say the technology could also help divert plastic waste while meeting global food demand, which is projected to increase by up to 56% by 2050 with population growth. All the plastic water bottles purchased from 2009 to 2019 would tower over New York’s Manhattan Island (scroll for visuals).
Editor's note: If you tried to read yesterday’s Etcetera story on ghost jobs, you may have hit a paywall—our fault. Check out the unlocked version here.
In The Know
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York pleads no contest after arrest on suspicion of engaging in prostitution (More) | Cleveland Browns tap Deshaun Watson as starting quarterback after tight competition with Shedeur Sanders (More)
> Paramount Pictures is developing a sequel to the 2003 romantic comedy "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" with Kate Hudson as a producer (More) | Watch the original trailer (More)
> Teletubbies IP WildBrain buys AI firm in $11M cash and stock deal to create toys, apps, and platforms that let kids interact with TV and movie characters (More)
Science & Technology
> New smartphone app Mobilio helps people with blindness or low vision navigate faster and avoid obstacles; early testing suggests it can rival a human guide (More, w/video demo)
> Language skills appear to stay resilient with age, new brain imaging study shows; the language network seems to remain nearly unchanged in older adults even as other cognitive systems decline (More)
> A 20-minute workout may protect memory after a sleepless night as well as a 90-minute nap; new study suggests both preserve cognitive function through different brain pathways (More) | How much deep sleep should you get per night? (More)
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Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.3%, Dow +0.3%, Nasdaq -0.8%) as the US warns of global sanctions against Iran (More)
> FTC settles Zillow and Redfin antitrust case after alleging Zillow paid Redfin $100M to curb competition (More) | California cancels Paramount settlement talks over $111B Warner Bros. merger, alleging Paramount leaked discussions (More)
> Taiwanese prosecutors charge nine people, including staffers from Nvidia and Super Micro, over alleged illegal export of AI servers to China (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Supreme Court rules President Donald Trump can carry out parts of an executive order restricting mail-in voting (More) | US military says it struck an alleged drug-smuggling boat in the Pacific Ocean, killing two people (More)
> The UK says it will share classified technical information with Ukraine for making long-range missiles; France to provide additional interceptor missiles (More) | See war updates (More)
> Ocean temperatures hit a record high in August, EU’s climate change monitor finds (More, w/graph) | How higher ocean temperatures strengthen hurricanes (More)
In partnership with ButcherBox
Oh My, Bacon!
If you're drooling as much as we are thinking about arguably one of the best cuts of steak, read closely. ButcherBox, the service that curates high-quality meats and delivers them straight to your door, is running one of their best deals of the year.
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Etcetera
Novel genetic technique identifies 9/11 victim, 25 years later.
Americans are smoking marijuana more and cigarettes less.
Ranking the nation's top 25 party schools.
Five factors that influence how likable you are.
Chicago conservationist spots a half-male, half-female bird.
Eight experiences people don't have anymore because of phones.
Astronauts grow kale and wasabi mustard in space.
Fewer than 50 people are known to have the world's rarest blood type.
How to eat breakfast like an ancient Roman.
Your weirdest hobby might make you more hirable.
In partnership: Invest in the flying car company that’s raised $40M+ from over 12,000 shareholders.*
Read about one fiction writer's taboo experience embracing AI. (In-Depth)
Read how the pressure for girls to stay thin affects their cognition. (In-Depth)
Clickbait: Toddler subs himself into a pro soccer match. (w/video)
Historybook: Matthew Webb becomes first person to swim across English Channel (1875); Singer Aaliyah dies in plane crash (2001); Voyager 1 becomes first human-made object to enter interstellar space (2012); Astronaut Neil Armstrong dies (2012); Sen. John McCain dies (2018).
*Please support our sponsors.
"Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand."
- Neil Armstrong
*Disclosure: This is a paid advertisement for Doroni's Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.doroni.io.
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