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Good morning, it's Thursday, July 2. A human-made cell can reproduce and even compete for food. First time reading? Join over 4.7 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
Also in today's Digest: the potential end of "sell by" dates (Need To Know), USMNT advances to the knockout stage (Sports, Ent., & Cult.), the three US presidents who died on July 4 (Civics Thursday), Toby, the cat with 28 toes (Etc.), and much more.
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Need To Know
Mr. Potato Cell
Biologists have, for the first time, combined dozens of lifeless chemicals to create a synthetic cell that eats, grows, reproduces, and even competes for food like naturally occurring cells, a team from University of Minnesota revealed yesterday.
The breakthrough builds on decades of research into the minimum genetic material necessary to sustain life, which could pave the way for advances in medicine and other fields but also raises concerns for synthetic biology skeptics. While earlier efforts focused on stripping down existing natural cells, this is the first cell assembled piece by piece from 150 to 200 simple molecules. Named for its potato-like appearance, SpudCell has just 36 genes, including some taken from a virus and E. coli. By comparison, earlier experiments required nearly 500 genes and humans have roughly 20,000 (scroll for visualization).
Hundreds of scientists are expected to join a new nonprofit dedicated to advancing SpudCell, which cannot consistently pass its complete genetic material to future generations or produce its own proteins.
California Food Labels
California food labels can no longer include “sell by” dates after a new law went into effect yesterday. Food producers can instead add “best if used by” dates (indicating peak product quality) or “use by” dates (indicating safety). See fine print.
The law aims to reduce confusion. More than 80% of Americans discard unspoiled food due to label misunderstandings, a 2019 survey found. One-third of respondents falsely believe the dates are federally regulated (the exception is infant formula, after the removal of salt in the 1970s led to at least 118 cases of Bartter syndrome).
Nearly 20% of American food waste is due to label confusion, the FDA says. In California, more than 6 million tons of unspoiled food per year ends up in landfills, where organic waste releases more than 40% of the state’s methane emissions, per climate advocates.
California’s laws can have nationwide implications, as companies streamline their products for compliance. See how a toxic chemical law impacted Californians and non-Californians alike (Figure 1).
Canada Joins Eurovision
Canada will make its Eurovision Song Contest debut next year in Bulgaria, the country’s national public broadcaster said yesterday. The decision comes as Canada seeks to expand European ties, and as viewership dropped this year amid a boycott over Israel’s participation.
The contest began in 1956 with a mission to unite postwar Europe and is open to all members of the European Broadcasting Union. Israel joined in 1973, and Australia joined in 2015. (Morocco joined for one year only, in 1980; watch the submission.) Canada allocated more than $105M this year for contest expenses, and will appear in the semifinal (how does money impact placements?). Today, Eurovision is the world’s largest music event, reaching more than 130 million viewers.
Canada has not yet revealed how it will select its musical act; some broadcasters host a competition while others handpick their acts. In past years, Canadian citizens have participated via other countries. Watch Celine Dion’s 1988 performance.
... and watch a trailer for Eurovision's Asia spinoff, coming to Bangkok in November.
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In The Know
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Victor Willis, the Village People cofounder, dies at age 74 (More) | Willis co-wrote "Y.M.C.A," dubbed "an American phenomenon" by Congress; listen here (More) | Actor Danny Glover, 79, reveals yearslong battle with Alzheimer's (More, w/interview)
> Nearly complete OpenAI film bought by indie distributor Neon after being dropped by Amazon (More) | Sony to stop producing physical video game discs for new PlayStation games starting January 2028, citing declining demand (More)
> USMNT advances to World Cup's Round of 16 after defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0, marking the team's first knockout stage win in 12 years; USMNT will face Belgium on Monday in Seattle (More)
1440 is partnering with Men in Blazers to bring you the most detailed coverage of the world’s biggest tournament this summer. Sign up here to get daily, in-depth updates.
Science & Technology
> Anthropic begins restoring access to powerful Mythos and Fable AI models after the Trump administration drops export restrictions (More) | How Mythos and Fable compare to other leading models (More, scroll for table)
> Light-based gene therapy activates neurons involved in Huntington's disease progression, improving brain activity and mobility in mice (More) | What Huntington's disease does to the human brain (More, w/video)
> New blood test detects traces of pancreatic cancer in nearly four times as many patients as standard testing, providing opportunity for earlier interventions (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close down (S&P 500 -0.2%, Dow -0.0%, Nasdaq -0.7%) after Fed Chair Kevin Warsh says inflation is too high; offers no hint on July interest rate decision (More)
> Bending Spoons—owner of AOL and Vimeo—debuts on Nasdaq with $1.7B initial public offering; name comes from "The Matrix" films (More) | Watch the scene that inspired Bending Spoons (More) | Uber-backed Lime raises $167M in IPO (More)
> America's second-largest grocer, Kroger, to buy regional grocery chain Giant Eagle for around $1.6B (More) | Mapping the most popular grocers in every state (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> President Donald Trump earned more than $2B in income last year, financial disclosure reveals; earnings came from stocks and real estate ventures in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and $1.2B from cryptocurrency businesses (More)
> The US will not renew US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which President Donald Trump signed in 2018; will instead renegotiate with each country before the trade deal expires in 2036 (More) | Ranking the US' biggest trade deficits by country (More)
> President Donald Trump takes first trip on new Air Force One to North Dakota (More) | See new photos from inside the Qatari-gifted jet (More)
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Without reliable public data, it's harder to understand what's happening in our communities, harder to assess whether taxpayer dollars are being used effectively, and harder to make informed decisions about the future. Public data helps make government more transparent, accountable, and effective—and that's something every American benefits from.
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In-Depth
> Crows Never Forget
Audubon | Elizabeth Preston. Crows remember faces for years. They recognize and even mob people who wronged them. And when one researcher returned after a year away, a crow landed nearby as if asking, "Where the hell have you been?" (Read)
> Your Brain on Hormones
Radiolab | Staff. We don't have hormones; hormones have us. One woman scanned her brain 30 times over a single menstrual cycle, revealing the surprising science of hormones and why your brain may change more often than you think. (Listen)
Prefer to read? See the transcript here.
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1440 Celebrates America at 250
As America celebrates its 250th birthday, 1440 is highlighting some of the best stories we've found about our complex and exceptional country.
> Fourth of July celebrations used to be so dangerous that lawmakers tried to make them safer—prompting an attack by fireworks-wielding locals in 1904. (More)
> Did you know? Three of the first five US presidents died on July 4, including two on the same day (More), and the first newspaper to report on the Declaration of Independence wasn't in English. (More)
> Around 1440: We've examined fireworks-related injuries across the US (Health & Medicine, read here), learned about the history of McDonald's (Business & Finance, sign up by 8:30 am ET here), and on this weekend we're unpacking the history of "The Star-Spangled Banner" (Soc. & Culture, sign up here).
Explore hundreds of our favorite America-centric resources at 1440 Civics.
Etcetera
American pride hits 25-year low. (w/charts)
See images of this week's stunning strawberry moon.
... and the finalists capturing the beauty of the universe.
Why Europe is still resisting air conditioning.
How to take a day off without using PTO.
The radio station designed to lull you to sleep.
Couple climbs Empire State Building—and gets engaged, then arrested. (w/photos)
Need a smile? Watch a 4-day-old baby sloth.
Clickbait: Meet Toby, the kitten with a record 28 toes. (w/photos)
Historybook: Thurgood Marshall, first Black US Supreme Court justice, born (1908); Amelia Earhart disappears on round-the-world flight (1937); Ernest Hemingway dies (1961); Businessman Sam Walton opens first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas, (1962); Civil Rights Act of 1964 is signed into law (1964).
"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places."
- Ernest Hemingway, from "A Farewell to Arms"
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