Good morning. Today is National Coming Out Day, a civil awareness day created by activists Robert Eichberg and Jean O'Leary in 1988 to support the LGBTQ community in “coming out of the closet,” aka revealing your sexual orientation or gender identity to others for the first time.

To everyone reading this: we hope you feel loved and accepted for who you are. Remember, you👏are👏enough👏.❤️

In today’s edition:

• 📦 Amazon Prime Day II: The Sequel
• 😍 Ted Lasso is coming to Bumble
• 🚫📱 Don’t take your new iPhone on a roller coaster

… and more.

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news takes 3.88 minutes to read.

"Wise people, even though all laws were abolished, would still lead the same life."

–Aristophanes (445 BC - 386 BC)

The MLB playoffs are in full swing, and even Russian hackers are getting into the spirit. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Several of America's largest airports, including LAX, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, Chicago's O'Hare, NYC's LaGuardia, and Denver International, were targeted yesterday by cyberattacks that knocked their websites offline, but ultimately didn't hamper operations – a strikeout, if you will. A senior US gov't official later confirmed the attacks originated from Russia.

🌐✈️ More deets: Over a dozen major airport websites were affected by the "distributed denial of service" (DDOS) attack, which essentially overloads sites by jamming them with artificial users.

It left customers across the US unable to access flight information or booking services for several hours – though the FAA’s air-traffic website showed no indications of any flight disruptions.

• And this probably explains why: the targeted systems don’t handle air traffic control, internal airline communications and coordination, or transportation security, per ABC. ⚾️💨*Whiff*

🇷🇺 Who’s to blame?... Killnet, a pro-Russia hacker group, reportedly posted a list of major US airport websites on its Telegram account Monday morning, encouraging its 91,000 subscribers “to commit DDOS on the civilian network infrastructure of the United States of America."

• Also listed by Killnet were websites for hospitals and health care systems, weather monitoring centers, and metro systems across the US. None of which have reported any online disturbances so far this week.

🌍 Zoom out: On a more serious note – Russia carried out a series of coordinated missile strikes on civilian areas in major Ukrainian cities yesterday, killing at least 11 people and injuring 89 more. President Vladimir Putin confirmed he ordered the attacks, calling it retaliation for what he alleged was a Ukrainian plot to blow up a $3.7 billion bridge linking Russia to Crimea.

If Prime Day 2022 were a movie, it'd be The Gray Man – so good Amazon almost immediately decided to make a sequel. One that promises to outdo even the original.

But regardless of whether the sequel ends up being better (has it ever been though? Serious question), a lot of people will still go see it. According to a recent survey by Numerator, nearly one-third of America will be shopping at Amazon over these next two days, up from 29.9% during Prime Day 1.

📦 More Prime Day 2 fun facts… Over the course of the event, which runs today and tomorrow, it’s estimated:

• Households will spend an average of $200+ for the first time in Prime Day history.
• Amazon will account for more than $1 in every $5 spent on consumer goods across the US.
• 78% of participating consumers will purchase all of their holiday gifts instead of waiting for Black Friday.

​​🛒 Zoom out: If you’ve ever heard the phrase “monkey-see, monkey-do,” just map it onto the retail industry – when one major retailer holds a blowout sale, they all follow suit (especially with excess inventory on hand). Walmart, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Kohl’s are all planning flash sale events that coincide with Prime Day 2, while Target beat them all to the punch with a two-day sales event last week.

+In the know: The first Prime Day of the year resulted in a record $12.0 billion in total sales, up from $11.2 billion in 2021.

And by that we mean Ted Lasso the show, not the character of the same name. Though if we ever saw that sweet man’s profile, there’d immediately be a new world record-holder for the “quickest time to swipe right.”

📱 Anyways… Starting this Thursday through the rest of the year, Bumble users in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia will be able to access “Bantr Live,” a new feature mimicking the text-based blind dating app seen on the show. And for those who have Ted Lasso on the to-watch list but are just too busy to get to it rn – like half of our team – here’s how it works:

• Every Thursday at 7 pm local time, users RSVP to the weekly event within the app.
• When the experience kicks off, participants are randomly paired together. At which point the clock starts, and users have three minutes to chat back-and-forth – profile and photos unseen.
• After time runs out, each user is asked if they want to continue the convo. If the answer is yes on both sides, the chat will open in the normal messages tab, unlocking the ability to view profiles.

🙈 Zoom out: Tinder has a couple of similar features, including “Blind Date,” which lets users chat before being able to match and view each other’s profiles.

🤔 There’s something off about this image isn’t there? I mean the dog’s enjoying the carrot, but the last thing we want to do is contribute to our furry friend’s identity crisis….

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• Typically, giving your doggo human-grade dog food requires preparation, a fridge, and cleanup.
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🐶 Sundays is all about making dog care simple, and that’s why they offer a customizable, auto-delivery program with a 20%-off subscriptions discount. Plus, get an extra 50% off your first order with code DONUT.👍

Give your pup quality food they LOVE with Sundays For Dogs.

KFC must stand for Kwickly Fulfilling Customers (or Kwite Fast Chicken), because the fast-food chain has the quickest drive-thrus in all of America, per the 22nd annual Drive-Thru Report from QSR and Intouch Insight.

The report was based on an analysis of 1,500+ orders from the top ten fast-food chains in America – who were then ranked across several categories, including service, speed, and accuracy.

📊 The results: When it comes to the fastest total time – aka how long you spend in the drive-thru from start to finish – KFC placed first, with an average of 5 minutes and 2 seconds.

Chick-fil-A, which held last year’s fastest drive-thru crown, ended up being the slowest, at 8 minutes and 29 seconds. But there’s a very obvious reason why: it’s far more popular than the others, averaging nearly twice the amount of cars in its drive-thru (4.74) as the overall average (2.76).

• People don’t seem to mind the wait, either. The chicken joint tied with Hardee’s as the top-ranked chain in customer satisfaction with their drive-thru experience (95%).

🤦‍♀️ I said *no* ketchup… When it comes to the worst drive-thru experience, Wendy’s and McDonald’s brought up the rear, at 82% and 85%, respectively.

💬 Quoted…​​ “These are very, very serious things which I think are likely to push the U.S. and the world… in some kind of recession six to nine months from now.”

At a conference in London yesterday, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon gave a dire prediction for the immediate future of the US economy.

• He cited four major factors: inflation, Russia’s war in Ukraine, interest rates going up more than expected, and the unknown effects of ongoing quantitative tightening by the Fed. (What’s that?)

🍿🍅 Stat of the Day: The average movie score on Rotten Tomatoes has increased 43% since 2009, per Franchise Entertainment Research (via Harper’s).

🌎 Around the World: Workers at an oil plant in southern Iran went on strike yesterday, as anti-government protests across the country entered their fourth week.

🤯 Did You Know?... After living for nearly a year onboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly was ~2 inches taller than his twin brother (former astronaut Mark Kelly) upon returning to Earth. Scott’s height eventually returned back to normal about a year after his return.

📖 Worth a Read: The Two Words That Terrify Junior Employees → (WSJ)

• ☝️ The world’s first floating pod homes have officially launched in Panama; daily essentials like groceries and medicine are flown in by drones designed to withstand open ocean conditions, while self-driving boats are in charge of picking up trash.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📉 US stocks fell across the board yesterday, with the Nasdaq closing at a two-year low. (Dow: -0.3% | S&P: -0.8% | Nasdaq: -1.0%)
• 🏆 The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics was awarded yesterday to a trio of economists – former Fed Chair Ben Bernanke, Douglas W. Diamond, and Philip H. Dybvig – for their work on the relationship between banks and economic turmoil.
• 🛒 Goodwill is launching an online thrift store.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🏌️ Dustin Johnson clinched the inaugural LIV Golf Individual Championship with two events still left to go; he’s already earned $30 million across the first six tournaments.
• 📱🎢 The iPhone 14’s new crash detection feature has reportedly been calling 911 when its users go on roller coasters.
• 🏒⚾️🏈 The 2022-2023 NHL season begins today. | The MLB Playoffs Divisional Round also begins today. | The Carolina Panthers fired head coach Matt Rhule yesterday amidst a 1-4 start, making him the first NFL HC to get the axe so far this season.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🦠🪐 Ancient Martian microbes may have triggered climate changes that made the red planet less habitable, ultimately leading to their extinction, per a new peer-reviewed climate modeling study.
• ☄️ The asteroid that killed the dinos ~66 million years ago also caused a massive earthquake that shook the planet for weeks or even months, per new peer-reviewed research.

EVERYTHING ELSE

• 🎽 Chris Nikic became the first athlete with Down syndrome to complete the Ironman World Championship, which includes a 2.4-mile swim, 113-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run.
• 🇩🇪 The German government announced a new $95 billion plan aimed at easing pressure on its citizens from surging gas prices; the measure includes a one-off payment worth one month's gas bill, and a mechanism to limit prices.
• 🏛️ LA City Council President Nury Martinez resigned yesterday following the publication of a recorded conversation between her and three other city officials in which she used racist slurs.
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Yesterday, we asked how y’all think US governments should handle Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

• 10% said we should only celebrate Columbus Day (or a theoretical Italian-American Pride Day), 38% said we should only celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, 18% thought we should celebrate both holidays simultaneously, 16% said we should celebrate both holidays on separate dates, and 18% were in favor of not recognizing either holiday.

See the full 360° view.

Quick recap: In this section, we’re aiming to crowdsource details about epic trips – then provide the whole playbook for the experience to y’all.

• Have you ever gone on an epic, once-in-a-lifetime trip? Tell us about it here.

🚶‍♂️ Who: Samia A. from Houston, TX

☀️ Length of trip: 5 days

💬 Quick recap: I sighed as I stepped outside the car under the glistening, luminous moonlight amidst the serene, mountainous site. The lengthy and exhausting road trip was certainly worth the wait; I caught the breathtaking sight of Swat Valley, Pakistan 🇵🇰– otherwise known as “Eastern Switzerland”. The vivid aura came as a surprise to me. I pondered why such a lush, mountainous region in Pakistan was never talked about much as I heard the distant, synchronized chirping of birds coming from the thick, verdant forest. If given a chance, I will certainly return to explore much more of the local culture, infused with simplicity and purity, or to sightsee clear lakes, dense forests, and overall explore as much as the exquisite Swat Valley has to offer.

🤔 Want to learn more?... Dive deeper into Samia's must-dos, must-don'ts, and trip expenses here.

P.S. Have your own epic trip you’d like to share? Just reply to this email or fill out this form for a chance to be featured in next Wednesday’s newsletter.

When Fergie the camel was rescued from a home in Colorado, her new owner Brandon Nobles didn't realize she had an affinity for french fries. 

🍟 Fergalicious... The animal was recently spotted walking through an In-N-Out burger drive-thru line in Las Vegas, waiting for her favorite potato treats. 

• The 14-year-old camel is often featured on Brandon's Insta enjoying local restaurants and attractions – though the Nevada local says french fries are her favorite. 

🎭 Trivia: Which actor provided the voice for the end of Michael Jackson's Thriller?

❓ True or False?... Humans are the only animals with chins.

🤔 Riddle Me This… What kind of band never plays music?

(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 who you think would like the DONUT. Once you hit each milestone, you'll get an email with a link to claim your prize. (Pro tip: there's no need to ration points, you're entitled to a prize at each tier.)

Start referring.👇

🎭 Trivia: Vincent Price

❓ T/F: True… and we don't even know why

🤔 Riddle Me This: A rubber band