Good morning and welcome to Wednesday. Did you know that today is Ocean Day? World Ocean Day to be pacific.

Some other things you’ll know after reading this email:

• 🌡🧠 The optimal temperature to do brain-intensive work
• 💰 How much Tiger Woods was offered to join a new Saudi-backed golf league
• 🏦 What the World Bank is saying about the global economy

… and more.

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news takes 4.69 minutes to read.

"You are now, and you do become, what you think about."

–Earl Nightingale (1921-1989)

Less than two weeks ago, we took a by-the-numbers look at gun violence in America, which recently became the leading cause of death among US children, per CDC data.

• Today, we’re covering various policies and technologies that have been proposed or enacted in recent weeks to curb gun violence in American communities.

🏛️✍️ Legislation: In the aftermath of last month’s Buffalo grocery store shooting, New York state lawmakers enacted a package of gun laws that, among other things, strengthened NY’s “red flag” measures and raised the minimum age to buy a semiautomatic rifle to 21.

• Sen. Chris Murphy – the lead Democratic negotiator in ongoing bipartisan gun control talks – said Sunday he's "more confident than ever" that Congress will reach a deal, which won’t include an assault weapons ban or comprehensive background checks.
• Sen. John Corryn, the lead GOP negotiator, said Monday he's "optimistic" there will be 60-plus votes on gun control legislation, enough to overcome the Senate filibuster.

🤖 Technology: Some companies are promoting AI-equipped cameras as a more effective way of preventing guns in schools (and other areas) compared to metal detectors, which can clog entrances and leave outside people vulnerable to attack.

• Axon, the company best known for developing the Taser, announced this week that it’s halting plans to develop a Taser-equipped drone as a “potential solution” for thwarting mass shooters after a majority of its ethics board resigned over the controversial project.

👀 Looking ahead… Gun control advocates are planning protests in major cities across the US this upcoming Saturday in concert with a march in Washington, D.C.

Waymo and Uber have signed a long-term, strategic partnership to collaborate on long-haul autonomous trucking, the two former-bitter-rivals-now-turned-partners announced yesterday, the latest development in a five-year frenemy saga.

🥊 Let’s back up… In February 2017, the Alphabet-owned Waymo sued Uber and its subsidiary, self-driving truck startup Otto, seeking $1.4 billion and a public apology from Uber over allegations of trade secret theft and patent infringement.

• The case went to trial nearly a year later, but ended after the two sides agreed to a surprise settlement.
• Uber ended up admitting that it misappropriated tech from Waymo, and Anthony Levandowski, a former Google engineer and the founder of Otto, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in the situation.

🤖🚛 Back to the present: Uber Freight, the company’s commercial logistics division, is designed to work similarly to its main app, connecting shippers directly with independent carriers to reduce shipping costs and expensive empty cargo miles.

• Waymo is developing autonomous tech known as Waymo Driver, which will eventually allow semi-trucks to drive themselves. With the partnership, the company plans to earmark billions of miles of driverless delivery capacity for the Uber Freight network.

👀 Looking ahead... The exact scale and timing of this agreement remains to be seen, though it could be rolled out soon. Waymo partnered with UPS to help with the holiday rush last year.

🚢 Zoom out: Autonomous driving tech isn’t just for cars/trucks either. Less than one week ago, a 122,000 ton ultra-large tanker developed by HD Hyundai became the first large ship to complete an ocean passage of more than 6,210 miles under autonomous control.

🦠🐒 The CDC ramped up its monkeypox alert to a Level 2 on Monday, encouraging people to “practice enhanced precautions” to stem the outbreak, which has now spread to 40+ countries.

• The agency initially recommended that international travelers wear face masks when visiting any of the countries where monkeypox has been detected, but later removed that guidance from their website.
• The CDC continues to recommend masks for people at high-risk of contracting monkeypox, including those who share a living space with infected persons, and healthcare workers or others who may be in close contact with confirmed cases.

📸 The big picture: Despite the raised alert level, the agency says the overall risk to the general public is “low”; the US has documented 31 cases across 12 states plus D.C., while globally there have been 1,000+ confirmed cases with zero deaths.

Monkeypox is thought to spread mainly through contact with the rash caused by the virus, which can happen directly via bodily contact or indirectly through infected materials.

• The WHO says most cases from the current outbreak have been detected in men who have sex with other men, though the virus itself isn’t an STI.

🤠 That’s Texas Modern... not just preserving the natural and organic qualities of materials, but using stunning designs to accentuate them even further. 

It’s embracing this philosophy that has made Petrified Design a go-to for residents of Austin, Texas, for custom furniture and buildouts.👌

Petrified Design places a focus on creating well-executed products that boast an exceptional and natural aesthetic – as you can see in their project gallery. 

Their team of designers, woodworkers, welders, and craftsmen thoughtfully craft every project and ensure they’re built to last. They can create unique custom pieces for your business or home, whether it’s furniture or larger build-outs and installations.💪⚒️

Whether you want a custom chair, a dream kitchen, or a build-out that perfectly suits your business, Petrified Design has you covered👍

Bring Texas Modern to your home/business with Petrified Design.

Dustin Johnson, the former No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, announced his resignation from the PGA Tour yesterday. The 2020 Masters champion said he’ll only play in major championships and Saudi-backed LIV Golf events going forward, the first of which tees off in London tomorrow.

🏌️ A deeper dive... DJ joins Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, Kevin Na, and a dozen other top-100 golfers who’ve opted to play in the LIV Golf series instead of the Tour, since PGA rules disallow dual membership.

• Mickelson will reportedly receive $200 million just to participate in the Saudi-backed league, which features a total prize pool of $225 million across eight tournaments; DJ’s payout is reportedly between $125–$150 million.
• DJ said his understanding is that he’ll still be allowed to play in golf’s four major tournaments – which are operated by independent organizations – though he’ll likely be ineligible for future Ryder Cups; the USGA has already declared him and the other LIV players eligible for next week’s US Open.

💰🤯 In the know: In a WaPo article published Sunday, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman said Tiger Woods was offered a deal that was “mind-blowingly enormous; we're talking about high nine digits" to join the series, but Woods turned them down.

• ☝️ Taco Bell's new Defy restaurant concept opened in Brooklyn Park, MN, yesterday; the kitchen is located on the second floor and lowers orders through vertical lifts to the cars below (like the tube in a bank drive-thru); three of the four lanes are dedicated to mobile or delivery orders.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• ⛽ The average price for a gallon of gas in the US reached a record $4.92 yesterday, per AAA data.
• 🎯📉 Target warned yesterday that its profit would drop because it needs to cancel orders with vendors and offer discounts to clear out unwanted goods; the retailer’s shares closed down 2.3%.
• 🇪🇺📱 The EU agreed to a new measure that will legally require all smartphones sold in the bloc to have a USB-C port for charging; the iPhone is the only main brand smartphone without this type of connection.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• ⚾ The Los Angeles Angels fired manager Joe Maddon amidst a 12-game losing streak.
• ⛸️ Figure skating’s governing body voted to raise the minimum age for top competitions from 15 to 17 ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
• 🕺 Queen will unveil a previously-unreleased song featuring Freddie Mercury in September, called “Face It Alone.”

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🧠 A team of European scientists discovered a key structural difference between primates and non-primates in certain neuron cells in the cerebrum, the largest part of the brain.
• 🌌🔭 NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope recently published its largest near-infrared image ever taken.
• 🏥 A pair of recent studies found weight-loss surgery was associated with a lower relative risk of cancer and cancer-related death compared to patients who didn’t have the procedure.

EVERYTHING ELSE

• 🇨🇳 Chinese citizens can now get payouts of more than $15,000 – or “spiritual rewards” – for tip-offs on breaches of national security under new measures reported by state media this week.
• 🗳️ Seven states held midterm primary elections yesterday: California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota. (From the Left | From the Right)

💬 Quoted… “For many countries, recession will be hard to avoid.”

The World Bank cut its 2022 global growth forecast from 4.1% to 2.9% yesterday, warning the world economy could slip into a period of stagflation reminiscent of the 1970s (where economic growth falls, but prices continue to rise).

📱🐦 Stats of the Day: An estimated 70% of Elon Musk’s Twitter followers are spam, fake, or inactive users, according to audience research tool SparkToro. 

• For reference, that number is ~41% for other accounts with between 65 million and 120 million followers (Musk has 97 million).

🤯 Did You Know?... The optimal range for cognitive and work performance is between 71.6°F and 75.2°F, according to peer-reviewed research published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health.

📖 Worth a Read: The Power of the Lunch Break — and Why So Many of Us Are Bad at Taking One → (WSJ)

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Frances Connolly and her husband Patrick scored big time when she won the Euromillions jackpot back in 2019, a grand prize of ~$123 million.

💸 Lotto it go... The couple immediately gave away some cash to some of their close friends and family, and didn't stop there. They agreed on a yearly budget for charitable giving... but Frances has already spent it through 2032. 

• The woman is a self-proclaimed "giving addict" and says she's given away ~$65 million already, including starting two charities to help others near her hometown in Northern Ireland. 

💬 What she's saying: "Why wouldn't you [help others]? I've done that all my life... I'm addicted to it now!" 

🍿 At the movies with the DONUT: The character Leatherface is from which classic horror movie series?

🎉 True or False?... New Year’s Eve in Scotland is called Hogmanay.

🤔 Riddle Me This: I can run but not walk; I have a bed but never sleep; what am I?

(keep scrolling for the answers)

👆 Check out the referral prizes you can get just for introducing people you know to little old us. 

What to do: Copy your unique link below, then send it to anyone you think would like the DONUT.

🍿 At the movies: Texas Chainsaw Massacre

🎉 T/F: True

🤔 Riddle: A river