Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🦠 Cyclosporiasis update
• 🤔 LeBron back to Miami?
• 🧠 How to become who you want to be

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.85-minute read (1,024 words).

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“Words are the clothes thoughts wear.”

–Samuel Beckett (1906-1989)

America remains in the midst of a nationwide parasitic outbreak linked to lettuce, forcing diners across the country to shoulder the unthinkable burden of ordering french fries instead of a salad with dinner.

• The CDC has received reports of 4,173 lab-confirmed US cases of cyclosporiasis, and 7,400+ more suspected cases, across 41 states since May, with 308 hospitalizations but no deaths.
• That’s far above the ~250 cases reported nationally by this same time last year.

What is cyclosporiasis? It’s an intestinal infection caused by a microscopic parasite from the genus Cyclospora. The infection most commonly results in diarrhea, but can also trigger nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, bloating, fatigue, weight loss, and dehydration.

Cyclosporiasis can clear up on its own in a matter of days or weeks, but doctors generally recommend treatment with antibiotics for confirmed cases.

The outbreak’s source remains unconfirmed

Last week, federal officials identified shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms as a source of the outbreak, prompting Taylor Farms to voluntarily pull iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the US market.

• But over the weekend, the FDA walked back its earlier statement that a Taylor Farms lettuce sample had tested positive for Cyclospora, saying the result ended up being a false positive.

But…Taylor Farms isn’t off the hook just yet. The FDA on Monday said the false positive “DOES NOT” change the fact that tracing data still points to lettuce from Taylor Farms locations in central Mexico, and supports the company’s voluntary recall remaining in place.

Looking ahead…Health officials expect cases to continue climbing through the end of August, historically the peak season for Cyclospora, before tapering off in the fall. Experts recommend buying locally grown produce when possible, since there are no documented US outbreaks tied to local farms.

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Five years after making a disastrous bet to electrify its rental fleet, Hertz is back with a new future-focused strategy: serving as the backbone of the robotaxi industry.

The company recently launched a new fleet-management business called Oro Mobility, which will clean, charge, maintain, and dispatch autonomous vehicles for partner companies.

• Its first major customer is Uber, whose Lucid-Nuro robotaxi fleet is set to launch in San Francisco later this year, with more cities expected to follow.
• Hertz is also using 1,000 employees to drive Uber vehicles today, a move CEO Gil West says will help the company build the operational "muscle memory" needed before software takes over.

Learning from past experiences

Hertz ended up taking a ~$2 billion loss from replacing its fleet with EVs, after the rental company was forced to unload tens of thousands of vehicles amid weakened consumer demand, high repair costs, and plunging resale values.

But that experience also left Hertz with thousands of chargers and decades of fleet expertise, which the company hopes will give it an edge in autonomous driving.

Big picture: Robotaxis are quickly shifting from sci-fi to everyday transportation. Waymo, the clear industry leader, now provides 500,000+ paid rides every week, up from ~10,000/week two years ago. The Alphabet-owned company now has its sights set on reaching 1 million paid rides/week by year’s end.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🚫🚗 Senate Commerce Committee approves legislation to ban all US sales by automakers with 15%+ Chinese ownership; bill would ban Mercedes-Benz due to its nearly 20% passive Chinese investment, with a deadline of 2030 to comply.
• 👍 Paramount Skydance wins approval from EU regulators for its proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery; deal also faces legal challenges in the US, and is temporarily on hold amid a lawsuit from 12 state AGs.
• 💰 Earnings corner: Google-parent Alphabet reports higher-than-expected revenue for Q2, and a ~300% annual boost in profit ($112.1 billion); Tesla reports weaker-than-expected Q2 earnings, but beats analysts’ estimates for revenue.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🏀 Miami Heat mistakenly post YouTube link titled "LeBron James Introductory Press Conference," saying it wasn’t true or based on any insider knowledge; James, 41, is an unrestricted free agent for the first time since 2018.
• 🤖 Elon Musk says Grok will make a fully AI-rendered Odyssey film that is “historically accurate” by the end of the year.
• ⚽️ FIFA World Cup final on Sunday drew 62.8+ million average US viewers across Fox and Telemundo, making it the most-watched soccer event in American history.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🤖 Open AI says two of its AI models escaped a sandbox testing environment and hacked open-source developer Hugging Face to find information that would help it cheat on a benchmark test.
• 📚 Meta is testing a new AI storytelling app for parents called Storykit, which creates AI-generated children’s stories based on their favorite toy or person.
• 📺 Watching TV very often during midlife (50s) is linked to increased chances of cognitive decline and dementia compared to mentally stimulating activities, new study finds.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 💥 President Trump says the US will bomb Iranian bridges or power plants in or near Tehran every time Iran attacks a ship moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
• 🇸🇦☢️ Trump approves landmark nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia that will provide the country with a civilian nuclear program, in which US companies play a central role; it could also open the door for the US to build a uranium-enrichment facility on Saudi soil.
• 🏙️ NYC landlords sue the city to overturn Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new rent freeze on one- and two-year leases, alleging the independent board went through a “sham process” and was influenced by Mamdani; freeze will apply to ~1 million rent-regulated NYC apartments with leases starting October 1 or later.

☝️ The LEGO Group recently unveiled its largest set in history by piece count: a replica of Spain’s Sagrada De Familia, featuring 12,000+ separate elements. The set stands two feet tall with features including historically-accurate stained glass windows, as well as the foundational Apse and Crypt. It’s currently on presale for $799.99.

🤔 Did you know? "Peacock" technically refers only to the male of the colorful bird species. Females are called peahens, and the correct name for the species as a whole is peafowl.

📰 Worth a read: How to become the person you want to be

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• World's most common myths and misconceptions
• Should you toss the whole pint over one moldy berry?
• YouTube CEO’s mom always used this “unpopular” parenting rule

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Yesterday we covered how the Trump admin is in the process of expanding a policy known as the "public charge" test, which allows the US to deny immigrants’ applications for green cards (and other benefits) if they’re deemed likely to rely on gov’t support.

❓ Our question to you: In general, do you support or oppose the Trump admin’s move to expand the “public charge” test to identify which immigrants would likely rely on government support?

• Support: 48%
• Oppose: 40%
• Unsure/other: 12%

Read some of the most thoughtful longform responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 494 votes and 51 longform responses.

What does the name of Buddhist temple Angkor Wat translate to?

🏍️ The Great American Convoy wrapped up earlier this month, with Harley riders completing a journey from Arkansas to Maine and raising $1+ million for the Wounded Warrior Project. The annual ride is led by philanthropist Adam Sandoval, who's made it his life's mission to help veterans in need.

Temple city

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