Good morning. If your fridge is packed with upcoming wedding invites and pictures of newly-married couples are increasingly filling your Insta feed, there’s a simple reason why – wedding season is in full swing.

In fact, “wedding season” isn’t just a myth created by Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn; the data backs it up. More than 65% of couples getting married this year will wed during the summer or fall, according to The Knot’s annual Real Weddings Study, a trend that’s consistently been seen in the US for years.

Some other 2023 findings:

• The most popular wedding month – for the seventh year in a row – is October.
• The most popular day to get married is September 23, 2023. Which the study claims is because “It feels visually and numerically balanced with 23 appearing twice in the date. In much the same way that October 22, 2022 was last year's most popular wedding date and had nice symmetry and balance.”

Know what else has nice symmetry and balance? The NEWS (at least when we report it😉).

Let’s rock ‘n roll.

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news takes 4.66 minutes to read.

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P.P.S. A big s/o to everyone who saw our content team in the wild this weekend. We ❤️ meeting and hearing from all of you.

"I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed."

–Booker T. Washington (1856-1915)

Over the weekend, an uncrewed Russian spacecraft attempting the country’s first Moon landing since 1976 crashed into the lunar surface and “ceased to exist.” Russia’s space agency was racing against India to become the first country to ever land at the Moon’s south pole, with India’s attempt scheduled to occur within the next three days.

And they’re not the only countries attempting to scope out the location, which is seen as the most promising site for human occupation.

🤔 Why target the Moon’s south pole?... Peer-reviewed research has shown the lunar south pole contains a large amount of frozen water. Major space agencies and companies believe this ice can be harvested and used by humans living in future Moon bases (for both the creation of rocket fuel and use in daily life), instead of shipping out water at the ultra-low cost of ~$10,000 per 16 fl. oz (about one normal-sized water bottle).

And while no countries have successfully landed at the lunar south pole to date, the location could soon become more crowded than the subway at rush hour. In addition to Russia and India, both the US and China – the two biggest space powers in the world – are planning to build bases at the Moon’s south pole by the mid-2030s.

🌕💥 Many countries vying for the same resources on the same land could lead to future conflict. Plus, after decades of cooperation, the world’s space agencies are starting to forge their own separate paths for the future.

• The ISS – which is jointly run by the US, Russia, and 13 other nations – is set to be retired in 2031, with no replacement planned. China will be the only country with an operational space station in Earth’s orbit at that point.
• And, speaking of China: a recent joint study by the US Defense Innovation Unit, Space Force, and Air Force warned that Beijing is on track to outpace Washington and become the world’s dominant space power “economically, diplomatically, and militarily” by 2045.

📊 Flash poll: Given the recent breakdown in cooperation among space agencies, plans for future Moon bases to be located in the same vicinity, and the creation of new space-focused military agencies – do you think a military conflict will occur in space, or on the Moon/Mars, within the next 30 years?

Yes

No

Unsure/other

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🇪🇸🏆 Spain won the 2023 Women’s World Cup yesterday. The Spanish women’s national team beat England 1-0 in the final, thanks to a goal from left-back Olga Carmona (who also scored the winning goal in the semifinals). Spain’s tournament victory comes four years after the country won its first-ever match in the Women’s World Cup. Nearly 76,000 fans attended the final at Stadium Australia, increasing the tournament’s record attendance to more than 1.975 million.

🌀🇲🇽 Tropical Storm Hilary brought heavy rain and flooding to Mexico and California. The storm initially made landfall in Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula yesterday afternoon, then crossed over the northern border into the US several hours later, bringing winds of up to 70 MPH and several inches of rainfall that caused flooding in many areas. Hilary represents the first tropical storm to hit the state of California since 1997, as well as the first to make landfall in Southern California since 1939.

🇨🇳📉 China is entering a period of much slower economic growth, economists say. The International Monetary Fund predicts China’s GDP will come in below 4% over the next several years – or less than half of China’s annual GDP growth for most of the past 40 years. Similarly, research firm Capital Economics estimates China’s GDP growth will fall to ~2% per year by 2030. Both organizations attributed the projected declines in economic growth to the country’s large debt figure (~$47 trillion, or about 45% of GDP), unfavorable demographics, and widening divide with most international trading partners.

Demand in the US for weight-loss drugs is surging. In fact, Wegovy- and- Ozempic- maker Novo Nordisk, which is based in Denmark, is currently generating so much American investor interest and revenue from the drugs that it’s strengthening the Danish currency relative to the euro, leading the country’s central bank to keep its interest rates low. (Any Danes reading this? You’re welcome🤝.)

To provide a further idea of the drugs’ current/projected economic impact:

• Novo Nordisk has seen its market value increase ~38% this year to reach ~$414 billion. Denmark's estimated 2022 GDP was $406 billion.
• Wall Street analysts predict this class of new obesity drugs could eventually exceed $100 billion in annual sales, which would represent one of the largest drug classes of all time.
• Around 40% of US adults are obese. And, according to a recent survey by STAT and The Harris Poll, one-third of Americans say they would indefinitely pay whatever they can afford to access new weight-loss medicines such as Ozempic.

💰📈 The ingredients for making some green are all there. Nothing gets investors more hyped than a product with a massive target market, high price point (Ozempic and Wegovy both cost ~$12,000/year), and benefits that can be quickly reversed once the drug stops being taken.

+Related reading: Weight-loss pills with the same effects as the injection-based Ozempic and Wegovy could soon be on the horizon.

💬 Quoted… “Bob has a big fear of death.”

One of the latest investment decisions made by Robert Nelson, co-founder of Arch Ventures, an investment firm that’s already made billions of dollars in profit from its stakes in biotech companies, was to pour a few hundred millions dollars into Altos Labs. Nelson and the startup’s founders believe they can turn the clock back on aging cells to restore functions characteristic of younger cells, the WSJ reports.

• Nelson isn’t the only investor betting big on companies working to boost the human lifespan; Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, Larry Page, Jack Dorsey, Jeff Bezos, and others have also backed companies working in the field.
• And some of these bets could actually pan out, per experts – there are expected to be 25 million centenarians (people at least 100-years-old) by 2100, up from 450,000 in 2015.

+Dive deeper: The Maximum Human Lifespan Will Rise Dramatically This Century → (Singularity Hub)

⚽🥇 Stat of the Day: 44 = the number of trophies soccer superstar Lionel Messi has won in his career (covering individual and team performances), after helping lead Inter Miami to its first-ever Leagues Cup victory on Saturday. With the win, Messi passes his former teammate Dani Alves to claim a new all-time record.

🤔 Did You Know?... Nikola Tesla tried to sell several governments on a "death ray" – or, as he also framed it, a “peace ray” – that would destroy armies and planes from 200 miles away.

📰 Worth a Read: The lifelong effects of "the favorite child” → (BBC)

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• ☝️ The winners of this year’s Nature inFocus photo awards were announced earlier this month; the annual contest is aimed at showcasing the best animal portraits and conservation photography around the world.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

in partnership with Dooeys

• 💰 US markets closed mixed on Friday (S&P: -0.01%; Dow: +0.1%; Nasdaq: -0.2%); all three indices closed down for the week.
• 🚗 Mercedes-Benz unveiled the second generation of its flagship sports car on Friday; the 2024 AMG GT coupe comes with up to 577 horsepower and a 0-60 time as low as 3.1 seconds; pricing hasn’t yet been unveiled. | 🛣️🛥️ In other news about cars we'll never be able to afford: Rolls Royce unveiled the Droptail, an exclusive coachbuilt series model inspired by high-speed sailing yachts from the 1930s; the price tag is rumored to be ~$30 million😳.
• 🤔 Take a look at the 3 trends currently dividing restaurant companies into winners and losers.

*From our partners: ✨ Stylish, supportive, and sustainable… Dooeys' house shoes are the perfect complement for everything you do at home. Featured by both Forbes, CNN, and boasting 5-star reviews across the board, save $15 on Dooeys with code DONUT while supplies last.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

in partnership with Upway

• 🙏 Ron Cephas Jones, the two-time Emmy-winning actor who starred in This is Us and several stage productions, passed away at the age of 66.
• 🍿 DC’s Blue Beetle earned a weekend-high $25.4 million in its debut at the domestic box office; Barbie fell to second with $21.5 million in domestic sales after spending four weeks in first place.
• 🏈 Week 2 of the NFL preseason took place over the weekend. (Full recap | Fantasy draft prep)

*From our partners: 🏆🚲 Experience e-bike excellence… Upway is the #1 certified e-bike dealer, with prices up to 60% lower than retail. All bikes are expert-certified, guaranteed for one year, and returnable for 14 days. Save $100 on an e-bike from Upway with code DONUT.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🤖🚕 GM-owned Cruise is reducing its fleet of robotaxis in San Francisco by 50% pending a state investigation; the move comes after its vehicles were involved in several accidents over the past week. (Background)
• 🦥🦁 A camera trap deep within the Amazon Rainforest captured what appears to be the first-ever recorded footage of a sloth fighting an ocelot… and it’s not as one-sided as you might think.
• 🪱 Some animal species depend on being infected with parasites for their survival, per a new peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers in Microbiology.

MISCELLANEOUS

• 😬 Southern California was struck by a 5.1-magnitude earthquake yesterday afternoon at the same time Tropical Storm Hilary was battering California; there were no immediate reports of damages or injuries from the quake.
• ⚖️📱 Illinois passed a first-of-its-kind law allowing people aged 18+ to sue their parents for lack of proper compensation for online content they appeared in as a child.
• 🚨 The head of Maui’s Emergency Management Agency, Herman Andaya, submitted his resignation late last week, citing health reasons; it came one day after Andaya defended his decision to not activate Maui's alert system during last week's wildfires.

CLICKBAIT

• 😋 The best foods on and off college campuses around the US.

Monday: President Biden travels to Maui

Tuesday: BRICS summit begins in South Africa (what is BRICS?)

Wednesday: The first GOP debate of the 2024 presidential election, which won’t feature front-runner Donald Trump

Thursday: National Waffle Day

Friday: The deadline to claim your piece of Meta's $725 million class-action settlement over Cambridge Analytica; Also the deadline for former President Trump to voluntarily surrender following an indictment in Georgia (Background)

On Friday, we covered how homelessness in the US saw its biggest recorded YOY increase last year (dating back to 2007).

❓ Our question to you (long-form): Anecdotally, have you noticed an increase in the homeless population in your area over the past year?

👍 Yes (65%) – “In Rock Hill, SC, we saw a huge jump in homelessness. This may be due to Charlotte, NC, closing and clearing out a tent city right after the pandemic. But when we talk to friends they also talk about increased homelessness in Anchorage, Alaska.”

• “My brother and sister-in-law work with the homeless every week and have seen the increase and heard the stories here in Phoenix.”
• "Atlanta. I have always seen homeless people there, of course, but the ‘camps’ have grown dramatically. Also, as a criminal defense attorney, I have a lot more indigent clients living out of their cars."

👎 No (35%) – “I live in Queen Creek, AZ, one of the fastest growing US towns. We don't seem to have a homeless population because families are moving here from much more expensive places to live.”

• “Charlotte, NC, area here. High homelessness over the last 2-3 years but seems to be less obvious now… maybe officials are just keeping it out of sight.”

Click here to read the best responses from Friday’s poll.

+Note on sample size: We received 9,363 votes and 874 longform responses.

Founded in 2015, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards are hosted yearly to help us "access our empathy by showing how alike we really are." 

🖼 Making the finals... This year's finalists included some hilariously adorable photos, like this super-focused super-salesman squirrel👆(acorns are for closers!!!!). 

• Other faves include some smooshy seals, a laughing monkey, and some sassy penguins. Check them all out here. 

+Editor's note: This story previously ran in Positive DONUT, a separate newsletter we publish weekly that recaps all the good things happening throughout the world (your antidote to news-induced outrage/anxiety). Subscribe here for free.

Guess the definitions of the following Greek/Latin root words:

1. Aur
2. Bell
3. Calor
4. Cap
5. Fin

(keep scrolling for the answers)

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1. Agr = Field (e.g., agriculture)
2. Bell = War (antebellum, belligerent)
3. Calor = Heat (calorie)
4. Cap = Hold (captivate, capture)
5. Fin = End (final, finish)