Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🐄 US screwworm response
• 🤝 Iran peace deal published
• 🌊 Massive “space ocean”

…and much more.

P.S.: We’ll be off tomorrow for Juneteenth, but back in your inbox on Monday.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.93-minute read (1,045 words).

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“If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.”

–Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919)

A tiny fly is causing outsized concerns for America's cattle industry.

The New World screwworm, a parasitic pest whose larvae burrow into the flesh of living animals, has been detected in the US for the first time in decades.

Catch up quick: The first US case was detected in South Texas on June 3, with the number of confirmed cases climbing to 12 currently across Texas and New Mexico.

• The infections have been found in cattle, sheep, goats, and a dog, with no human cases reported.
• Federal officials are now racing to contain the outbreak before it spreads further through livestock herds, with the USDA preparing a $1+ billion response effort.

Creating a sterile environment

The centerpiece of the US government’s plan involves building a new facility capable of producing and releasing ~300 million sterile male screwworms per week.

• The insects mate with wild females and prevent reproduction, gradually collapsing pest populations in an eradication technique that’s long been considered the gold standard.
• However, the facility isn’t expected to begin producing screwworms until November 2027 under the current plan.

Ranchers welcome beefed-up security. The domestic screwworm outbreak comes at a challenging time for the US cattle industry. America’s herd is currently at its lowest level in ~75 years, with beef prices rising at a 12.9% annual rate in May to reach a new record high.

The recent spread of screwworm across Mexico has reduced cattle imports into the US, adding more pressure to an already tight supply chain.

Looking ahead…Some economists warn that additional outbreaks could further restrict cattle supplies and push prices higher, while others note that the livestock industry has successfully contained such outbreaks before.

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Picture this: You and your friend open Uber at the exact same time, request the exact same ride, and somehow get two totally different prices.

It may sound like the setup to a bad joke, but a new Consumer Reports investigation suggests it's happening more often than you think.

Researchers recruited ~175 volunteers across 17 states to compare how Uber and Lyft’s algorithmic fares can give wildly different prices for the exact same rides.

Over several months, they tested dozens of trips from the same starting point to the same ending point priced within a few minutes of each other.

• In one Kansas City test, 55 people checking the same route received 29 different prices.
• Overall, researchers found a median difference of ~50% between the cheapest and most expensive fares, meaning a $60 ride would regularly appear as $90 for other users.

But wait, there’s more: The investigation also found Uber and Lyft regularly offer ‘discounts’ to customers on what appeared to be inflated original prices, which could violate several states’ laws. Researchers say ~11% of all advertised discounts they studied—which appeared on ~50% of fares—appeared to be based on inflated prices.

Uber and Lyft disagree with the framing. Both rideshare giants argue the investigation’s methodology failed to account for constantly changing market conditions like driver availability, demand, and timing, which can all fluctuate prices.

Zoom out: The findings come as rising ride-hailing prices continue to outpace overall inflation, growing by an average of 9.6% last year across Uber and Lyft.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🏦 Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady at Chair Kevin Warsh’s first rate-setting meeting; unanimous decision maintains the baseline rate at a range of 3.5%-3.75%; Fed officials also indicated a future rate hike is possible this year, reversing projections of a potential rate cut.
• 📉 US stocks close down across the board following indications of a potential future Fed rate hike (S&P: -1.2% | Dow: -1.0% | Nasdaq: -1.3%).
• 🍎 Apple is raising prices on its products to offset the surging costs of memory and storage chips, CEO Tim Cook reveals in new WSJ interview.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🎾 Serena and Venus Williams to compete together in women’s doubles at Wimbledon; the sisters haven’t played together since 2022. | 🏌️ US Open tees off today, with world #1 Scottie Scheffler as the top favorite to win the tournament and complete a career Grand Slam.
• 🕸️ Sony Pictures releases new trailer for upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, featuring Mark Ruffalo reprising his role as The Hulk.
• 🙏 Daveigh Chase, former child actress who starred in projects like The Ring and Lilo & Stitch, passed away at 35.

In a survey of more than 1,000 women, participants reported improvements in mood, irritability, and menopause-related symptoms through cold water immersion. Unlike ordinary cold tubs that simply chill water, Morozko creates its own ice to deliver true freezing cold immersion, with ice forming at 33℉ to recreate the conditions found in nature.

Hand-built in Phoenix by scientists and engineers, every unit uses ozone filtration to keep water clean and clear without chlorine or harsh chemicals.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 💉 GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may be linked to lower rates of violent behavior by weakening the connection between impulsivity and violence, new study finds.
• ⚡ Nuclear power firm Helion receives regulatory approval to begin constructing the world’s first fusion energy power plant in Washington state.
• 🪸 Coral reefs spanning 64,000 square miles were found to be capable of surviving and recovering from climate change, roughly three times greater than previous estimates.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 💥 Iran war: US releases official text of the memorandum of understanding reached with Iran; among other things, the 14-point document spells out provisions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, providing $300 billion in economic support for Iran, and setting expectations for future talks over Iran’s nuclear program.
• 🏛️ President Trump halts efforts to confirm new Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, keeping Bill Pulte in his role as acting director; Trump also says he won’t sign legislation to reauthorize FISA Section 702 or move forward with Clayton’s nomination until Congress approves a GOP-backed voter ID bill.
• 🎓 Trump admin moves special education and civil rights oversight out of Education Department; special ed will be overseen by HHS, while the DOJ will oversee civil rights in education.

☝️ A time capsule put together by the America250 Commission has been sealed in preparation for its burial at Independence National Historical Park on July 4, 2026. The capsule includes contributions from the federal government, all 50 US states, Washington, D.C., several US territories, and select national institutions. Explore the contents.

🤔 Did you know? There exists a massive water vapor cloud bigger than our entire solar system, which surrounds a supermassive black hole 12+ billion light-years away. This “space ocean” is spread across hundreds of light-years and contains ~140 trillion times the amount of water in all of Earth's oceans combined.

📰 Worth a read: Science suggests cringeworthy dad jokes may serve a real purpose

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• The 10 best TV shows of 2026 so far
• The out-of-touch adults' guide to kid culture
• Chick-fil-A's reign is over. This is now the top fast food chain

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Yesterday we covered how campaign ads featuring AI-generated images and videos are becoming a regular feature of American elections ahead of the 2026 midterms, which are shaping up as a tight race for control of Congress.

❓ Our question to you: If the November elections were held today, which party’s candidate would you vote for?

• Republicans: 26%
• Democrats: 62%
• Third party: 8%
• Unsure/other: 4%

Click here to read some of the most thoughtful longform responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 585 votes and 74 longform responses.

How well did you pay attention this week? Find out here.

Which country has the largest territorial claim in Antarctica?

🎨 Former Pixar animator Vincent Serritella has spent the last six months fighting an aggressive form of brain cancer. Now cancer-free, the artist is thanking the nurses and doctors who helped him along the way in the best way he knows how: by painting them custom portraits.  

Australia (~2.3 million square miles)

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