Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🌌 NASA’s ongoing solar sail experiment
• 🤔 Behind Beetlejuice 2’s better-than-expected opening weekend
• 📱 Apple unveils its next-gen devices

… and more.

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.89-minute read (1,301 words).

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"Life is much too important a thing ever to talk seriously about it."

–Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Not since AWOLNATION’s hit has the world been so focused on a *musical break* SAIL.

NASA recently released the first photo of its Advanced Composite Solar Sail System spacecraft with the solar sail fully deployed (bottom👆), as it continues a mission that could have large implications for the future of long-distance space travel.

What are solar sails? A large flat sheet of material that takes advantage of how photons, aka light particles, have the ability to impart pressure on an object despite being massless, Space.com reports. They basically work like the sails on a pirate ship – but powered by the Sun instead of the wind.

Ready for the sci-fi part?

• In theory, a solar sail spacecraft can travel long distances in space without the need for additional fuel.
• And its stamina is enough to make the Energizer Bunny jealous. As Three Body Problem showed us, solar sails should enable crafts to reach very high speeds, since it can attain this fuel-less acceleration on an indefinite timescale (again, in theory).

Here comes the boom

NASA’s solar sail is about the size of a nine-bedroom apartment in NYC, measuring ~860 sq. ft.

And while the sail’s material is malleable and can fit relatively easily into enclosed spaces (like New Yorkers), the system required to rig the sail to the spacecraft can be a challenge to send into orbit due to its required size. NASA’s mission is testing a new boom system that can fit into an object roughly the size of an envelope before being unfurled in orbit, with the aim of conducting the deployment operation, then using it to inform the use of large-scale sails for future missions.

• NASA’s sail-deployed craft is currently tumbling through space, as engineers monitor the boom system. Once completed, the spacecraft’s altitude system will be engaged to stabilize the spacecraft and stop its tumbling.

👀 Follow along: NASA’s mobile app provides updates on when the solar sail is passing above users’ locations, so they can potentially witness an IRL view like this👇.

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🇬🇧 The UK’s Princess Kate Middleton is cancer free. In a three-minute video message released yesterday, the Princess of Wales said she completed several months of chemotherapy to treat an unspecified type of cancer, which was discovered following abdominal surgery in January. Princess Kate also announced plans to return to work and undertake “a few more public engagements in the coming months.”

🇰🇷 In South Korea, sales of dog strollers outstripped baby strollers last year. South Korea features the world’s lowest birth rate of 0.72 births per woman, or about one-third of the level needed to maintain the current population. On the other hand, the number of registered dogs in South Korea has doubled since 2018, with dog stroller sales quadrupling since 2019. Pet-friendly venues are also increasing across the country, while a growing number of restaurants and cafes are declaring themselves no-kid zones.

🇯🇵 Japan is building a $2 billion defensive satellite constellation. The plan involves launching hundreds of small satellites into low-altitude orbit to monitor ships and military sites across the globe, with full-scale operation set to begin by early 2028. Japan’s new satellite constellation is part of a larger government initiative aimed at nearly doubling the country’s defense budget in the coming years.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice filled theaters across America this past weekend, with its better-than-expected $111 million haul at the domestic box office ranking second all-time for a film debuting in September.

But, unlike the film’s titular demon, Beetlejuice 2’s near-record-setting performance at the box office didn’t just appear out of thin air. The film’s success can be attributed in part to Warner Bros.’ largest-ever promo partner campaign, valued at $100+ million across 35 different brand partners.

How it worked: Each of the top Beetlejuice 2 brand partners found ways to integrate their brands into scenes or locations from the movie – and the film’s creators were part of every decision.

Examples include:

• A CarMax partnership where the film’s creators helped construct an afterlife car dealership called BeetleMax.
• A Progressive Insurance ad in which Flo and the gang are tasked with protecting the owners of the iconic Deetz house from sandworms and a near encounter with Beetlejuice himself.
• Denny’s bringing retired menu favorites back from the dead, and also launching a brand-new Afterlife Menu with custom, film-themed items.

📝 Bottom line: Analysts say the success of Beetlejuice 2’s promotion campaign will likely prompt more film studios to work together with brands on marketing content, rather than simply invest in traditional ads.

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“The less hands-on I was, the more I got sucked into problems. And by the time I got sucked into a problem, it was like 10 times as much work.”

Silicon Valley has been grappling with a fundamental question pertaining to startups: How hands-on should founders be in everyday operations?

According to some industry experts, including Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham, a large portion of US startups have been approaching this issue the wrong way.

In a recently published essay, Graham writes that most startups have long assumed that scaling means switching to “manager mode” – aka embracing the principle that CEOs should avoid micromanaging their direct reports, and allow them more freedom to perform their jobs.

But Graham says startups should instead embrace the concept of “founder mode,” in which the CEO is heavily involved in nearly all aspects of a company from top to bottom. This includes regular “skip-level” meetings, where a CEO goes around direct reports and meets with the lower rungs of their company.

• To support his theory, Graham cites reports from many of Y Combinator’s most successful founders, including Airbnb’s Brian Chesky (quoted above), who consistently say prioritizing manager mode over founder mode ended up hurting their companies.

✋ Yes, but… Other startup veterans argue founders do need capable managers, since they’re often better at handling the complexities that come with a growing business – though they also acknowledge poor execution of manager mode can cause more harm than good.

• ☝️ Apple unveiled its slate of next-gen devices at yesterday’s “Glowtime” event, including the iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series 10, and AirPods 4 series; the tech giant also revealed new features coming with its iOS 18 update next month, including AI offerings packaged and billed as “Apple Intelligence.”

BUSINESS & MARKETS

in partnership with Arro

• 💰 US markets rose across the board (S&P: +1.2%; Dow: +1.2%; Nasdaq: +1.2%).
• ⚖️ Google's second antitrust lawsuit in less than a year begins; this one is focused on the company’s dominance in ad-tech.
• 🍔 Activist investor Nelson Peltz steps down as chairman of Wendy's board. | 🏡 Big Lots, the discount home goods retailer, files for bankruptcy and announces a sale to private equity firm Nexus Capital.

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SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🙏 James Earl Jones, the legendary film and Broadway actor known for voicing Darth Vader and Mufasa among other roles, passed away at 93 years old; Jones is one of 27 entertainers ever to win an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). | 🏥 Harvey Weinstein was hospitalized for emergency heart surgery; the disgraced film producer is serving a 23-year prison sentence in New York for rape and sexual assault.
• 🏈 Monday Night Football: The San Francisco 49ers defeated the New York Jets 32-19; 49ers star RB Christian McCaffrey was a surprise inactive. | ⚖️ Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson was accused of a 2020 sexual assault in a new civil lawsuit filed yesterday; Watson previously faced 20+ similar civil suits, nearly all of which have been settled.
• 🎶🤠 The Country Music Association announced the nominees for the 58th Annual CMA Awards; Morgan Wallen led the way with seven nominations, while Post Malone earned four nods; Beyoncé failed to make the list despite a chart-topping album.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

in partnership with Spoak

• 🎮🤖 Roblox announced plans to roll out a new AI tool that'll enable creators to generate whole 3D scenes using only text prompts.
• 🕷️ Tarantula hair acts as a defense mechanism to prevent the scavenging army ants that clean their nests from eating the spiders alive, according to a new study.
• 🚀 SpaceX is planning to launch its historic – and weather-delayed – Polaris Dawn mission as early as this morning. (Dive deeper: Polaris Dawn is attempting the first private spacewalk)

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MISCELLANEOUS

• 🐳 Hvaldimir, the recently deceased beluga whale suspected of being trained as a spy by Russia’s military, died after a stick became stuck in its mouth, per a police report; officials say the whale wasn’t shot to death, as claimed by some animal rights groups.
• 🗣️🗳️ The first presidential debate between former President Trump and VP Kamala Harris kicks off tonight at 9 pm ET; the event will be hosted by ABC News and simulcast on other major networks.
• 🏛️🇦🇫 The House Foreign Affairs Committee released a 354-page report on the 2021 withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, culminating a three-year investigation by the GOP-led panel. (From the Left | From the Center | From the Right)

CLICKBAIT

• 🤑 The 10 people most likely to reach trillionaire status.

**The Arro Card is issued by Community Federal Savings Bank, member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard International. Here is their Privacy Policy.

👕🤑 Stat of the Day: Wanna shop like the ultra-rich? Prepare to shell out some $$$ for the privilege. NB44 is a new members-only apparel brand that costs $12,000/year to join – but that fee doesn’t cover a single item of clothing. Instead, each member receives the opportunity to regularly purchase customized wardrobe collections crafted by NB44’s 10-person team, with membership also including perks like personalized styling, networking, shipping, and dry-cleaning. And it’s not open to just anyone with a checkbook – since the brand launched in 2021, it’s admitted just under 100 people out of 5,000+ total applicants. NB44 is part of the booming global luxury fashion market, which is projected to grow from ~$130 billion in 2023 to ~$209 billion by 2032.

🤔 Did You Know? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes series, helped exonerate two innocent men by investigating their cases in his free time; his efforts played a role in the creation of Britain's Court of Criminal Appeal in 1907.

📰 Worth a Read: Russia’s First Secret Influence Campaign: Convincing the US to Buy Alaska → (Politico)

Yesterday, we covered how the father of the 14-yr-old Georgia school shooting suspect was charged over the attack, in a case that pushes the legal limits of parental responsibility for a child’s alleged gun crime.

❓ Our question to you: In your opinion, should parents be held legally responsible for gun crimes carried out by their children?

• 👍 Yes: 69%
• 👎 No: 12%
• 🤷 Unsure/other: 19%

Click here to read the most thoughtful longform responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 4,081 votes and 412 longform responses.

Here are five stats from this past week that made our team go “whoa.” Hopefully you will, too.

• 🇺🇸💰 The average US family’s net worth in 2022 stood at ~$1.1 million, while the median American family’s net worth came in at ~$193,000. (Read more)
• 💕 70% of Americans – and 88% of married US adults – believe in the existence of true love. (Read more)
• 🏈 The highest average salary in the NFL in 2017 stood at $27 million/year; that figure is currently $60 million/year following QB Dak Prescott’s new deal with the Dallas Cowboys. (Read more)
• 🤖 Safe Superintelligence, a three-month-old AI startup with 10 employees that was founded by OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, is reportedly worth $5 billion following a new $1 billion fundraising round. (Read more)
• 🇺🇸🎾 The last American man to win a tennis Grand Slam title was Andy Roddick in 2003. (Read more)

As Nora Langdon reached retirement, she started to realize just how out of shape she was. The 65-year-old struggled to climb up and down stairs while showing houses as a realtor – so she reached out to a friend whose husband is a personal trainer for some guidance.

⏭️ Fast-forward 16 years... and 81-year-old Nora is now considered one of the best senior powerlifters in the world, with over 20 national and world records to her name.

• “You’ve heard it all your life — when you retire, you sit down, do nothing, watch TV,” she told CNN.“ That’s the worst thing you can do … Keep that body moving until the Lord calls you home.”

🌲 👀 Ogle: At the beauty of the old-growth forests in the American Pacific Northwest.

📺 Watch: One of the best throws you’ll ever see from an NFL quarterback (s/o Anthony Richardson).

🤔 Pop quiz: Can you tell which videos were created by AI, and which ones are real?

🎃 Halloween: The spookiest time of the year is fast approaching. Looking for decoration inspiration? Look no further.

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🐰 Trivia: In what country did the concept of the Easter Bunny originate?

🦔 True or False?... Porphyrophobia is the fear of porcupines.

🤔 Riddle Me This: I have an eye, but no sight; a sea, but no water; a bee, but no honey; tea, but no coffee; and a why, but no answer. What am I?

Craving a coffee? Copy your referral link below and share The DONUT with your peeps. Once they subscribe, you’ll get an email to claim your gift card – even easier than ordering a coffee during the morning rush🥳.

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🐰 Trivia: Germany

🦔 T/F: False; it’s fear of the color purple.

🤔 Riddle: The alphabet