Good morning. You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to have noticed the recent cultural… obsession with the Roman Empire.

And even if you’re not a history buff (or a male human) it’s easy to see why. What happened in-and-around Ancient Rome still impacts how we live today, from Colosseum-inspired massive sports stadiums to how our country is structured (the Roman Republic’s system of checks and balances inspired the founders of the US government).

Roman engineers also built a massive system of roads across Europe and the Middle East – ~50,000 miles worth connecting the empire, which was so large that at one point 1 out of every 4 people in the world lived under its control – as well as aqueducts, basically old-school pipes that delivered fresh water from up to 57 miles away for baths, fountains, and even toilets. Some still provide running water to modern-day Rome.

Soooooo, ya – the hype, as they say, is real. And on second thought, we may even turn this newsletter into one about the Roman Empire.

Just kidding. Because as cool as Ancient Rome was, the modern-day world is in many ways even cooler.

Let’s learn more about it👇.

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be about a 4.66-minute read.

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"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself."

–Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

On Friday, the state of California sued five major oil companies, alleging they knowingly deceived the public for decades about the climate-change risks associated with fossil fuels.

The lawsuit, modeled on successful past cases against the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries, is seeking tens of billions of dollars in damages for money spent in recent decades to address climate-related issues like wildfires, heat waves, and droughts.

🤔 What are the allegations?... California’s AG claims all five companies – Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, and Chevron – have known that burning fossil fuels would change the climate since at least the 1960s, but instead chose to promote disinformation to lawmakers and consumers.

The suit cites a range of studies previously commissioned by the companies that pointed to the environmental risks of widespread fossil-fuel use. A few examples:

• A 1968 report commissioned by all five companies concluded: “Significant temperature changes are almost certain to occur by the year 2000.”
• In a 1977 presentation to Exxon executives, scientists reported that “current scientific opinion overwhelmingly favors attributing atmospheric carbon dioxide increase to fossil fuel consumption.”
• A 1979 paper from senior scientists in the oil and gas industry found rising CO2 concentrations would contribute to future global warming, but said the effects would likely go undetected until around 2000 due to a temporary natural cooling trend.

🔀 On the flip side: The oil companies say California’s lawsuit is meritless and politically biased, and claim the state lacks the constitutional authority to enforce billions of dollars in damages for climate-related reasons.

They also assert that Congress, not the courtroom, is the proper venue for addressing energy policy, since any adverse ruling against the oil and gas industry would carry large implications for the overall US economy.

• Oil execs in the past have also questioned the validity of studies that purport to connect the industry’s actions to climate change, arguing such research is largely based on predictions, assumptions, and incomplete data.

⚖️🌎 Zoom out: This isn’t the only climate-related lawsuit to be filed in recent years. Since 2017, more than 40 US states and cities have filed ongoing lawsuits against fossil-fuel companies over their alleged roles in contributing to climate change.

📊 Flash poll: Do you agree with California’s decision to sue fossil-fuel companies?

Yes

No

Unsure/other

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🇮🇷 Iranian citizens commemorated the one-year anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death. Amini, 22, died while in the custody of Iran’s morality police for an alleged violation of the country’s strict hijab requirements for women. Her death sparked months of anti-government protests among Iranians, prompting a government crackdown that resulted in at least 537 deaths and 20,000+ arrests. On Saturday, the anniversary of Amini’s death, her father Amjad was placed under house arrest by Iranian police as he left to visit her grave, per multiple reports.

🇮🇪📱 Irish regulators fined TikTok $368 million for failing to protect children’s data privacy. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, the lead privacy regulator for Big Tech companies with European headquarters in Dublin, levied the fine on Friday after its investigation found TikTok’s sign-up process for teens back in 2020 resulted in their accounts being public by default. In a statement, TikTok said it disagrees with the regulator’s decision, and pointed to changes the company implemented in early 2021 which made all under-16 accounts private by default.

🇮🇹 Italian researchers found some genes inherited from Neanderthals are linked to severe Covid risk. Scientists spent the past few years analyzing the DNA of nearly 10,000 people in the Bergamo area of Italy, which recorded one of the world’s highest Covid death rates. The new peer-reviewed study identified three genes inherited from Neanderthals which made patients twice as likely to develop severe pneumonia from Covid, and three times more likely to be hospitalized due to the virus when compared to patients who didn’t carry the gene.

On Friday, the United Auto Workers launched a strategic strike against GM, Ford, and Stellantis after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a new labor contract.

The walkout, which marks the first simultaneous strike at all Big Three US automakers in UAW history, is being held across three factories which collectively employ ~10% of the union’s ~150,000 members.

UAW leaders say the strategy behind their initial strike is to minimize the impact on workers’ finances while maximizing the pressure placed on the Big Three to up their new contract offer. Or in other words – it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out of the ole ball game (aka making cars).

• Workers are seeking an across-the-board wage increase of 36%, the restoration of traditional pension plans, and a 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay, among other things.
• Automakers have countered by offering wage increases of up to 20% alongside concessions on the other points in the form of annual profit-sharing checks (typically $10,000+ per year).

The limited strike is already starting to have an impact. GM and Ford closed two additional factories over the weekend due to supply-chain disruptions caused by the walkout, with more plant closures expected in the near future as parts supplies dwindle.

And since US auto inventories have remained tight since the height of the Covid pandemic, experts say the ongoing strike will likely lead to higher prices for new and used vehicles over the next several weeks.

💬 Quoted… “Well, as a robot CEO, I don't really have weekends. I'm always on, 24/7, ready to make executive decisions and stir up some AI magic. But hey, I don't mind, I'm here to help Dictador take over the world."

• Dictador, a Polish beverage company, has officially appointed an AI-powered humanoid robot as its CEO. And before you put in your two weeks and move to Costa Rica because what’s the point if robots are just going to be taking all of our jobs, you should know a) that’s still a looooooong ways away and b) the AI-appointed CEO, who goes by the name of MIKA, is still experimental and not yet making all of the company’s decisions. Significant moves at Dictador – like if/whether to reduce headcount – will be made by human executives, the company’s European president told Reuters.

🎟️📈 Stat of the Day: The Coach Prime effect is real (*cue his theme song*). The University of ​​Colorado has surpassed the Ohio State University for the highest average ticket price in college football, at $512 for home games. Colorado secondary ticket prices are up 163% since before the start of this season, and CU prices are up 327% since the beginning of last season’s ticket sales.

🤔 Did You Know?... The median time US patients spend in emergency rooms is 2 hours, 40 minutes, based on a 12-month average ending in the third quarter of 2022, according to federal data. That's up from 2 hours, 35 minutes in 2021 (a pandemic year) – and 2 hours, 18 minutes in 2014.

📰 Worth a Read: The mystery of how our taste buds can detect two types of saltiness → (Knowable)

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• ☝️ You’re looking at some of the winners from t​​he Royal Observatory Greenwich’s 15th annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year award; this year’s edition fielded more than 4,000 submissions from 64 different countries.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

in partnership with Floof

• 💰 US markets fell across the board on Friday (S&P: -1.2%; Dow: -0.8%; Nasdaq: -1.6%); the Dow was the only one to end higher on the week (+0.1%).
• 💵🔤 Disney has reportedly received a $10 billion offer for ABC and its affiliates (including FX and National Geographic).
• 🍟 The National Owners Association, an independent advocacy group of more than 1,000 McDonald’s owners, is protesting California’s fast-food bill that’s about to be signed into law.

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SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🏈 CFB roundup: Unranked Missouri upset No. 15 Kansas State on a walk-off 61-yard field goal, and No. 18 Colorado beat Colorado St. in double-OT; see other highlights from the weekend (link) | 🏈 NFL Roundup: The Cowboys beat the Jets 30-10, while the Bengals dropped to 0-2 after losing to the Ravens (full Week 1 recap); the Saints and Panthers kick off tonight at 7:15 pm ET.
• 📝 Ashton Kutcher resigned from his leadership role at anti-child sex trafficking org Thorn following backlash over character letters sent on behalf of convicted rapist Danny Masterson. | 📝 Russell Brand has been accused of rape and sexual assault by four women, a joint British media investigation uncovered; Brand denies the allegations.
• 📺 It’s the year of game shows and live sports: This fall’s TV programming is heavy on unscripted shows as a result of the ongoing writers and actors strikes.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

in partnership with The Wine Connection

• 🧑‍🚀 A new crew of three astronauts arrived at the ISS.
• 🦕 Scientists discovered a new species of small plant-eating dinosaur on the Isle of Wight in the UK; the findings suggest Europe had its own family of small herbivorous dinosaurs separate from those found in Asia and North America.
• 🚀🦴 Speaking of fossils: Take a look at the recent controversial Virgin Galactic flight containing human ancestral remains.

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MISCELLANEOUS

• 🍔 It’s National Cheeseburger Day: here are all the deals that fast-food restaurants are offering.
• ⚖️ A jury acquitted three men charged with plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020; nine of the 14 people charged in the plot have now been convicted, and 5 have been found not guilty.
• ⚖️ GOP Texas state senators acquitted Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) of all impeachment charges, allowing him to return to his post. (Background)

CLICKBAIT

• 🥤 Coca-Cola debuts new mystery flavor created by AI.

Monday: Apple releases its newest operating system (iOS 17)

Tuesday: World leaders – including Biden and Zelensky – gather in NYC for a UN General Assembly; International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Wednesday: The Fed decides whether or not to raise interest rates

Thursday: National Chai Day

Friday: iPhone 15 lineup officially goes on sale; new albums from Drake and Doja Cat

On Friday, we covered a federal court ruling that blocked an order from New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) suspending the right to carry guns in Albuquerque for a 30-day “cooling-off period,” citing a public health emergency due to recent gun violence.

❓ Our question to you: Do you agree with Gov. Grisham’s emergency health order?

• 👍 Yes: 42%
• 👎 No: 44%
• 🤷 Unsure/other: 14%

Click here to read some of the best responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 11,514 votes and 1,238 longform responses.

Twelve-year-old Bayleigh Teepa-Tarau recently won the golf event at the Association of Intermediate and Middle Schools Games in Tauranga, New Zealand. Which, without the following context, is impressive – but still fairly commonplace.

What makes this situation even more impressive, however, is that Bayleigh claimed the championship after only ever playing three rounds of golf in his life😳.

⛳️ The backstory: Bayleigh has autism, and has often had to deal with social and academic struggles in school. Though his parents can't believe how comfortable and natural he is on the golf course. 

• “I’m so proud of him,” said his father, Hemi Tarau. “I’m surprised at how well he did because of his autism, but then I’m not surprised... it [golf] has done amazing things for his confidence.”

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

1. Audi
2. Bucc
3. Ego
4. Frag
5. Juxta

(keep scrolling for the answers)

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1. Audi = Hearing (e.g., audible, auditorium)
2. Bucc = Cheek (buccal, buccinator muscle)
3. Ego = Self (egocentric)
4. Frag = Break (fragment)
5. Juxta = Beside (juxtapose)