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Good morning, it's Thursday, Oct. 22. US-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine could begin as soon as next month. First time reading? Join millions of insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
Also in today's Digest: a vulnerability impacting as much as 70% of websites (Need To Know), "Glee" gets a reboot (Sports, Ent., & Cult.), the link between depression and circadian rhythms (Sci. & Tech.), a chemical tank explosion in Ohio (Pol. & World Affairs), and much more.
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Need To Know
US-Russia Relations Thaw
Russia has released American Stephen James Hubbard after nearly five years in prison on charges of fighting as a mercenary for Ukraine. The deal, announced during a top US envoy's visit yesterday, appears to signal warming ties between Washington and Moscow.
The news follows President Donald Trump's decisions this month to import Russian diesel and pause new sanctions (read previous write-up). Unlike previous prisoner releases, the US did not have to free anyone in exchange for Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher who was the last American in Russia considered wrongfully detained by the State Department (what's his full story?). Putin also agreed yesterday to resume US-mediated peace talks with Ukraine as soon as next month. The last round took place in February, shortly before the US and Israel launched the Iran war.
Separately, Ukraine says the US has resumed sharing early-warning intelligence on Russian ballistic missile attacks after reportedly restricting it last week in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
Internet Insecurities
Federal cybersecurity agencies around the world yesterday urged web administrators to patch vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language that powers roughly 70% of websites globally, including Wikipedia. The warning comes after researchers uncovered bugs hackers could exploit to take control of any server running PHP.
A researcher using artificial intelligence discovered the flaws in August, opening the door to cyberattacks if hackers used available ChatGPT models to compromise websites. PHP’s security team rated the issue a 9.2 out of 10 in terms of danger and worked covertly to develop a solution before announcing emergency updates yesterday. Engineers did not publicize the issue to avoid highlighting vulnerabilities hackers could exploit. Germany, Finland, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and France temporarily shut down or disconnected several official websites to prevent attacks while applying security patches.
The PHP bugs will not directly impact your phone or browser, but you can still take steps to protect yourself from hackers with these tips.
In partnership with Doroni
A Drone Expert Is Making Flying Cars Real
In 2016, after years working on military drones, Doron Merdinger began sketching a flying car. He saw how quickly the tech had advanced. Soon, people would fly from driveways. So he built Doroni.
It’s great timing, too. The urban air mobility market is worth $4B today. By 2040, Morgan Stanley puts it at $1 trillion. By 2050, $9 trillion. And with 600+ reservations, the demand for this innovation is undeniable. When FOX Business saw the showroom model get unveiled in March, they called it “the ‘flying car’ set to revolutionize personal air travel.”
Since then, Doroni has gone on to officially reserve the Nasdaq ticker $DRNI in preparation for potential growth. Now, with commercial deliveries planned for 2028, Doroni’s scaling fast. Join 17,500+ early-stage Doroni shareholders. This is your final call to invest at $3.30/share today before the share price changes after midnight ET.*
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Transgender Inmate Rights Upheld
The Supreme Court ruled yesterday to block the Trump administration's planned restrictions on transgender inmates. The high court did not sign or explain the order, which keeps in place a lower court’s decision to prevent 2025 Bureau of Prisons rules from going into effect while the issue plays out in lower courts.
An estimated 1,000 transgender inmates are in federal custody (see the difference between federal and state crimes here, via YouTube), with about 600 receiving hormone therapy last year at an estimated monthly cost of $20-$80 each. If allowed to go into effect, new rules would have ended the Bureau of Prisons’ yearslong responsibility to pay for gender transition surgery, hormonal medication, or items like makeup or wigs. Instead, the inmates would only have qualified for mental health services and medications like antidepressants.
The court has previously ruled to limit transgender rights, including by upholding state bans restricting gender-related medical interventions for kids and limiting transgender athletes’ participation in sports.
🫶 Humankind: Chesapeake Bay fishermen recover more than 24,000 abandoned traps, saving tens of thousands of marine animals.
In The Know
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> US women's gymnastics team earns silver at World Championships, ending a winning streak dating back to 2011 as China takes gold by 0.233 points (More, w/video) | See schedule and how to watch individual all-around, event finals (More)
> "Glee" will return with a reboot on Hulu and Disney+, reviving the Emmy-winning musical dramedy that ran for six seasons from 2009-15; star Lea Michele reportedly returning to reprise her role as Rachel Berry (More)
> Maryland fires football coach Mike Locksley after a 2-5 start to the season; his tenure included a 39-54 record and three bowl game berths across seven and a half seasons (More) | Who are the top candidates to replace him? (More)
In partnership with NativePath
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Science & Technology
> Roughly one in four people diagnosed with depression are believed to have a newly identified "circadian" subtype akin to being in a state of perpetual jet lag; study suggests a need for new treatments (More) | What are circadian rhythms? (More)
> Two-drug combination shows promise for preventing premature births by slowing down the immune clock of pregnant women (More) | How every organ in a mother's body changes during pregnancy (More, w/video)
> Macaque monkeys who live through a deadly disease outbreak appear to avoid potentially contaminated food, offering insights into the evolutionary origins of disgust (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.6%, Dow +0.7%, Nasdaq +1.1%), boosted by 7.8% jump in SpaceX shares; the company reported $14.6B in third-quarter revenue, up 161% from the year prior (More)
> New Mexico judge orders Meta to pay the state $25B for deceiving users about its data privacy practices on Facebook, marking the largest fine ever leveled against the tech company (More)
> Energy Department plans to loan up to 315,000 barrels of oil from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, marking the first time in US history the emergency reserve has been used to decrease home heating oil prices (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> US orders departure of some diplomatic staff, families from Saudi Arabia amid threat of Houthi attacks (More) | Israeli military reportedly detains dozens of Americans, including Democratic politician Brad Lander, in the West Bank (More)
> Chemical tank explodes in Toledo, Ohio, leading to evacuations and shelter-in-place orders; the tank contained glycidyl methacrylate, a chemical used in paints, plastics, and coatings (More) | Watch footage of the white plumes (More)
> Pope Leo XIV will not need further lung cancer treatment, his doctors say, maintaining the cancer was localized (More)
In partnership with Doroni
$DRNI’s Price Changes Tonight
This is your chance to get in early, before Doroni takes to the skies.
They just unveiled the showroom model of their flying car after nearly a decade of R&D. It’s already been preordered by 600+ people. And with commercial deliveries targeted for 2028, this futuristic promise is nearly a modern-day reality. They’ve just officially reserved the Nasdaq ticker $DRNI. This is your final call to invest at $3.30/share before the share price changes after midnight ET.*
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Explore
Monday marks the 42nd anniversary of the professional debut of Michael Jordan, who became one of the greatest players of all time and a cultural icon.
> Jordan actually finished his geography degree while in the NBA.
> Revisit the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest, where he made his now-iconic leap.
> ... and watch 50 more of the best moments of his career.
This is a preview of Saturday's 1440 weekly Society & Culture newsletter, which explores the context behind the cultural zeitgeist. Aren't in the know yet? Sign up here for free.
Etcetera
Los Angeles once again crowned America's rattiest city.
Are you cut out for the sloth life? Take the test.
See ordinary objects look extraordinary under a microscope.
The mysterious dancing plague that swept through Europe in 1518.
The creepiest urban legend from every US state.
Who is Gen Z's "six degrees of Kevin Bacon"?
Listen to what goes into training a $75K guide dog.
What are the odds we're not alone in the universe?
Reese's reveals the best places in the US to go trick-or-treating.
In partnership: This fast-growing flying car company’s share price is set to change after tonight.*
Clickbait: Lay's wants you to eat Thanksgiving dinner in chip form.
Historybook: Original Metropolitan Opera House opens in New York City (1883); Oscar-winning actress Joan Fontaine born (1917); Actress Annette Funicello born (1942); President John F. Kennedy alerts Americans to Cuban missile crisis (1962); Reggae artist Shaggy born (1968).
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"Our goal is not the victory of might but the vindication of right ... not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom here in this hemisphere, and we hope, around the world."
- John F. Kennedy
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