Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🏟️ The Summer Olympics are here
• ☕ Global coffee prices are on the rise
• 🏡 Seven-figure starter homes

… and more.

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.97-minute read (1,324 words).

P.S. Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe here for free.

🚨Breaking news: France's high-speed rail network was hit with a coordinated series of "malicious acts," including arson attacks, hours before the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics. Read more.

“You can start changing our world for the better daily, no matter how small the action.”

–Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

The Summer Olympic Games kick off later today with the opening ceremony in Paris. And while the Games have yet to officially begin, they’re already off to a wild start (breaking news aside).

On Wednesday, the men’s soccer match between Copa América-winning Argentina and Morocco – one of several Olympic events held prior to the opening ceremony – experienced quite the chaotic ending.

• Argentina appeared to secure a 2-2 draw after a last-second goal, with some Morocco fans storming the field as the teams left the pitch. However, nearly two hours after the game “ended,” both teams returned to the field and restarted play.
• The reason? Argentina’s equalizing goal had been disallowed for offside by the video assistant referee. Morocco ultimately held on for an official 2-1 victory.

Some other top storylines heading into the Olympics:

The US is favored to win the most medals, but China could compete for golds. According to Nielsen’s Gracenote Sports, the US is projected to win 112 medals overall, including 39 golds, while China is forecast to place second with 86 overall medals and 34 golds. America has won the most medals and golds at each Summer Games since 2008.

A new sport is ‘breaking’ onto the scene. Paris will be the first Olympics to feature the competitive dance sport of breaking (aka breakdancing – but don’t call it that). In this brand-new event, competitors will face off in a series of one-on-one dance contests set to an undisclosed music routine, with their moves judged for creativity, personality, technique, variety, musicality, and performativity.

Russia is technically banned for a second straight Games. Russia was banned from the 2022 Winter Games due to a doping scandal – but its 2024 ban stems from Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian athletes who meet the qualifications for participation this year – which include zero ties to or public support of Russia’s military – will be allowed to compete as "Individual Neutral Athletes" (IANs).

There are some changes – and returning features – to the Olympic village. Cardboard beds are making a comeback for environmental reasons – though some athletes are dubbing them “anti-sex” beds. In other news: gay dating site Grindr disabled location-based features within the Olympic village to prevent athletes from being unintentionally outed, while athletes will have AC following a battle with organizers.

Looking ahead… The three-plus-hour opening ceremony begins at 1:30 pm ET. See the full Olympic schedule here.

📊 Flash poll: Do you plan on watching the Olympics at some point over the next two-plus weeks?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure/other

Then you’ll love Chain Reaction, hosted by Dylan Lane on Game Show Network…

• 💰 Two teams of three contestants earn cash for correct guesses and keep going until they get a question wrong.
• ⛓️ Each chain is six or seven words, with the first and last words revealed at the start of each round.
• 🏆 Whichever team is ahead at the end keeps their earnings, then competes in a bonus round to supercharge their prize.
• 👉 Watch an episode of Chain Reaction FREE here on YouTube.

Watch Chain Reaction on weeknights at 5 pm ET on Game Show Network.

🇺🇸🇨🇦 The US and Canada intercepted a team of Russian and Chinese bombers near Alaska. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska on Wednesday, marking the first time bombers from both countries have operated together near North America. China said the joint exercise, which didn’t enter US or Canadian sovereign airspace, wasn’t aimed at any third parties and complied with international law.

🌎 HIV infections and deaths have plummeted since 2010, per a new UN report. The number of people infected with HIV annually has fallen by 39% since 2010 to reach 1.3 million, while deaths have declined by 52% to reach 630,000, the UN said. Health officials attribute the global decline to increased access to sex education, testing, and newly developed PrEP preventative drugs, which reduce the risk of contracting HIV from sex by ~99%. The UN aims to reduce annual HIV infections and deaths by 90% by 2030.

☕ Global coffee prices are on the rise. Prices for robusta beans – used in instant coffee – are at their highest level since the 1970s, while the cost of higher-quality arabica beans is higher than any point in the past 2+ years (as of earlier this month). Long-term droughts in Brazil and Vietnam – the world’s top two coffee producers – have shrunk the size and amount of coffee beans being produced, causing global supply chain disruptions and price hikes.

Setting an alarm to check in for a Southwest flight will soon become a thing of the past.

The airline, which for 50+ years has offered open seating on its flights, will be doing away with this boarding free-for-all and switching to assigned seating, it announced yesterday.

Survey says…

Southwest has reportedly been studying this change since last fall. Its research showed:

• When travelers choose a competitor over Southwest, its open seating model was the #1 reason for that choice.
• 80% of Southwest customers actually prefer an assigned seat.

Starting next year, when the changes take effect, fliers will also be able to purchase pricier seats with extra legroom, Southwest’s first swing at establishing a premium-seating revenue stream.

These seats will eventually account for about a third of seats across airline’s fleet, but execs say no plans exist to implement a true first-class cabin – or alter its “bags fly free” policy (the #1 reason fliers choose Southwest over competitors, per the airline).

📸 Big picture: Southwest is like that old Logic album – under pressure. Profits are down 46% year-over-year, per its Q2 earnings report released yesterday. And activist investor Elliott Management, which revealed a $1.9 billion stake in the airline last month, is calling for leadership changes as performance lags behind rivals like Delta and United.

Coral Isles Sunscreen lets you enjoy the sun worry-free with broad-spectrum UV protection – and without ingredients that harm the coral reef or fragile marine life.

• ✅ Available in SPF 30 & SPF 50
• 🙌 Non-greasy, water-resistant (up to 80 mins) coverage
• 👍 Suits all skin types, especially sensitive skin
• 🪸 Hawaii 104 Reef Act Compliant, oxybenzone-free & octinoxate-free

Summer adventures await – save 15% on Coral Isles Sunscreen with code DONUT.

“It is so legitimately insane, the things in the movie, but none of it is just, like, 'We got to make sure we get that R.' It's all earned. It all makes sense. It's filthy! Filthy! I mean, violence where, like, 'Oh God.' It's glorious. It's operatic."

• Everyone’s favorite bad-mouthed superhero and his shorter, sideburned partner are poised to claim an obscene record. Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters today – and it’s projected to break numerous box office records on opening weekend, including the highest domestic opening for any R-rated movie ever. The film, which marks Marvel’s first foray into the R-rated genre, already set a record for most trailer views within 24 hours (365 million), and has also seen the best pre-debut ticket sales of any movie in 2024.

• ☝️ You’re looking at some of the 35 finalists chosen for the 2024 Creative Photo Awards, which attracted ~4,200 entries from 135 countries.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

in partnership with The Motley Fool

• 💰 US markets closed mixed (S&P: -0.5%; Dow: +0.2%; Nasdaq: -0.9%); the small cap Russell 2000 rose 1.3%, recouping some of yesterday’s losses. | 📈 US GDP rose 2.8% in Q2, above both Q1's 1.4% pace and the 2.1% growth economists expected. | 🏡 The typical starter home (defined as the lowest third of residential values in a region) is $1+ million in 237 US cities, according to a new Zillow analysis.
• 📱 Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash can keep classifying California drivers as independent contractors following a judge’s ruling.
• 🏢 Lineage, a storage and logistics giant, raised $4.4 billion in this year's biggest IPO; shares closed up 5.1% on the company’s first day of trading. | 🚘 Ford shares fell 18.4% yesterday, marking the company's worst single-day performance since 2008.

*From our partners: 💰📈 New technology predicted to be worth 25 Nvidias… Experts say this tech breakthrough will transform every walk of life, and the whole movement depends on this one tiny company. Learn more at The Motley Fool.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• ⚽ The US Women’s soccer team defeated Zambia 3-0 yesterday in their opening match of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
• 🚽💥 Director Michael Bay is developing a possible big-screen adaptation of the YouTube sensation “Skibidi Toilet.” | 📱 Ava Kris Tyson, a longtime collaborator of YouTube star MrBeast, is leaving the channel following accusations of sexually inappropriate messages with a minor.
• ⚾👌 San Diego Padres starter Dylan Cease threw the second no-hitter in franchise history yesterday in a win against the Nationals.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

in partnership with 120/Life

• 🤖🔍 OpenAI announced SearchGPT, a temporary prototype of new AI-powered search features; OpenAI says the best features in testing will be incorporated into ChatGPT.
• 🚀 NASA and Boeing said the first crewed Starliner test flight won’t return to Earth until at least August, but didn’t provide a set return date (they’re not stranded though🤔); Starliner’s two crew members have been aboard the ISS since June 6 following a series of delays from their initial June 12 return date.
• 👶 US infant mortality rates rose by 3% in 2022, per a new federal report; it marks the first statistically significant increase since 2002.

*From our partners: 🏆📉 The leading drink for high blood pressure… 120/Life is a delicious superfruit juice blend with ingredients science-backed to help high BP. See lower numbers in 2 weeks or get your money back. Save 15% on 120/Life with code DONUT.

MISCELLANEOUS

• 👶📉 A growing share of US adults under 50 say they’re unlikely to have kids, with the most popular reason being they “just don't want to," per a Pew Research report published yesterday. (More: Why Americans are having fewer kids)
• ⛺ California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered state agencies to start removing homeless encampments on state land; the move follows last month’s US Supreme Court ruling allowing such bans. | 🔥 A California man was arrested for suspected arson in connection with a fast-growing wildfire north of Sacramento; the fire grew 11x to reach 71,000+ acres over a 24-hour period ending last night.
• 🍗 Ohio’s Supreme Court ruled the term “boneless wings” doesn’t guarantee the food is free of bones, but rather refers to a cooking style. | 📜 Oklahoma issued new guidelines for how teachers should include the Bible in public school curriculums under a new state mandate.

CLICKBAIT

• 🥃 The Color of Your Alcohol Could Be Making Your Hangover Worse.

🌯 Stat of the Day: Wells Fargo analyst Zachary Fadem and his team recently ordered 75 identical Chipotle burrito bowls in NYC as part of a case study to see whether the company’s portions are shrinking. The results? Bowl weights were wildly inconsistent, with the biggest they tested weighing nearly double the smallest – though contrary to one popular complaint, there was essentially no size difference between in-store and online orders. (Chipotle appears to be taking these criticisms to heart: In its earnings call on Wednesday, the burrito chain said it’s making an effort to ensure “generous” servings to customers across the board.)

🤔 Did You Know? 27 US states are at least partially north of Canada’s southernmost point, with 13 of those states located entirely north of that point.

📰 Worth a Read: Big Baby Change Station: The world’s cutest monopoly → (The Hustle)

Our weekly news quiz is live.

• How well did you pay attention this week?

Princess Cruises is widely regarded as having the best pizza at sea. The company took their title and ran with it last week, hosting the world's largest pizza party at multiple venues across their fleet of ships.

Cheese or pepperoni? The global pizza party consisted of 60,000+ slices of pizza served on ships to hungry guests. The event was in celebration the company's new partnership with Chef Tony Gemignani, the 13-time World Pizza Champion.

🍕 By the numbers: The record attempt required roughly 6,500 pounds of dough, 3,400 pounds of flour, 1,400 pounds of pepperoni and 2,300 pounds of cheese.

Below are three lists of ingredients. Your job is give us the completed dish they make.

☝️ Recipe #1:

• Chicken breasts
• Flour
• Salt & pepper
• Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Chicken stock
• Lemon juice
• Capers
• Chopped parsley

✌️ Recipe #2:

• Pie crust
• Sugar
• Cocoa powder
• Instant espresso powder
• Salt
• Butter
• Evaporated milk
• Eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Whipped cream

3️⃣ Recipe #3:

• Chicken breasts
• Ginger
• Green onions
• Chicken bouillon
• White pepper
• Jasmine rice
• Chicken stock
• Salt

👆 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.

Start referring.👇

☝️ Recipe #1: Chicken piccata

✌️ Recipe #2: Chocolate chess pie

3️⃣ Recipe #3: Chicken congee (jook)