Good morning. In this edition:

• 📵 Classroom digital detox
• 🔎 “Is Trump dead” trends on Google
• 🚢 Shipwreck discovery

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.72-minute read (990 words).

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“How you think when you lose determines how long it will be until you win.”

–Gilbert K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

As students return to school this fall, pocket-sized distractions are officially out of bounds at a growing number of classrooms, as districts across the country roll out new restrictions on cellphone usage.

The lay of the land

17 US states plus Washington, DC, have introduced new rules limiting phones and other devices during school hours for this year, roughly doubling the overall total with such restrictions to 35 states.

• In 18 states and DC, devices are banned from “bell-to-bell.”
• Another seven states ban phones during class but allow them between periods or at lunch.
• The rest require school districts to have a policy limiting phone usage, but leave specifics up to local officials.

Supporters argue bans can help improve students’ focus, boost their learning by eliminating distractions, protect their mental health, and level the educational playing field in terms of access to technology. The push is rare bipartisan territory—from Arkansas to California, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have championed limiting phone access in schools.

Not everyone is convinced. Many parents worry about their kids having access to phones in case of emergencies, like last Wednesday’s shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school (though some say phones could be a detriment in such situations).

• Others express concern over everyday logistics that often rely on midday texts, like high-school students coordinating work shifts after school.
• Some experts also caution that research linking school phone restrictions to improved education and mental health isn’t fully settled, and should be studied more before blanket bans are commonplace.

The impact: In districts where new phone bans have been implemented, early reports show signs of calmer classrooms and more face-to-face interaction among students. Teachers “love the policy”, said Julie Gazmarian, a public health professor at Emory University who researches school phone bans.

On the flip side, some teachers report more self-regulation challenges among students who can’t access their phones, which some kids use as outlets for stress.

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On Friday, a federal appeals court upheld a previous ruling that invalidated most of President Trump’s sweeping global tariff agenda, setting the stage for a Supreme Court showdown in the coming weeks.

The decision

In a 7-4 ruling—which featured judges appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents on each side of the decision—the appellate court upheld a lower-court ruling that found Trump overstepped his authority in citing a 1977 law known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

• Trump claimed that IEEPA, which gives a President authority to “regulate” the “importation” of goods to protect national security, lets him impose tariffs as long as he declares a national emergency.

But appeals court judges disagreed. In the majority opinion, judges said the “unheralded” and “transformative” nature of Trump’s tariff policy triggers the major questions doctrine—a term coined by SCOTUS to describe what Justices saw as executive overreach by the Biden admin.

• “IEEPA does not use the words ‘tariffs’ or ‘duties,’ nor any similar terms”—unlike other laws where Congress explicitly gives the President tariff power, the opinion said.

Not all tariffs are affected: Duties imposed by the Trump admin under a different legal authority called Section 232—including sector-specific tariffs on automotive, steel, copper, and aluminum imports—aren’t covered by Friday’s ruling.

Looking ahead…The appeals court decision allows Trump’s tariff agenda to remain in place through mid-October to allow the White House time to ask the Supreme Court to hear the case.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📊 S&P 500 traded at 3.23 times sales on Thursday, a new high, while the top-10 companies accounted for a record 39.5% of the index’s value; meaning the S&P 500 has never been this expensive, or more concentrated in fewer companies. | PCE price index, the Fed’s preferred gauge of inflation, rises 2.6% in July, holding steady from the previous month.
• 🍫 Nestlé fires CEO Laurent Freixe for failing to disclose a relationship with a direct subordinate; world’s largest food company will now be led by Philipp Navratil, former Nestlé Nespresso chief.
• ✈️ Spirit Airlines files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for second time in a year; no-frills carrier says it’s not planning on major changes to flight schedules at this time.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

in partnership with Prevagen

• 🏈 CFB Week 1 is officially in the books, following Bill Belichick's disastrous college debut at UNC last night.
• 🏜️ Burning Man death is being investigated as a homicide after body found in “pool of blood,” police say.
• 🎾 US Open quarterfinals kick off today for men and women; Naomi Osaka advanced after defeating Coco Gauff in straight sets yesterday.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🐊 Nearly intact remains of giant crocodile relative discovered in South America; prey of 70-million-year-old “hypercarnivore” included medium-sized dinosaurs.
• 🦈 Rapidly acidifying oceans are damaging shark teeth and could speed losses past replacement rates, new study finds.
• 🌵 Chinese scientists create succulents that glow in the dark through a process that can be recharged using sunlight.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

in partnership with Tuft & Needle

• 🏛️ “Is Trump dead” and “Trump dead” were two of the top Google searches on Saturday, due to viral rumors of the President’s death.
• ✈️ TSA expects to screen ~17.4 million people over Labor Day weekend (ending Wednesday); that’s up from 17.1 million last year, and an all-time high. | 🎰 Powerball jackpot reaches fifth-highest in game's history last night ($1.1 billion); there was no jackpot winner, per USA Today, meaning Wednesday's drawing will be even higher.
• 🤝 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit kicks off in China's port city of Tianjin, with leaders from Russia, China, India, Iran, and six other nations in attendance.

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☝️ A Wisconsin boater accidentally discovered a long-lost 138-year-old shipwreck in Lake Michigan several weeks ago. The 137-foot-long Frank D. Barker is one of 250 known wrecks scattered in the waters around Door County, a long, narrow peninsula in the Badger State.

🤔 Did you know? In 1998, McDonald’s began a major shift from pre-made burgers to a “Made for You” system, allowing sandwiches to be cooked fresh to order. The system rolled out to 12,000+ US locations, overturning 43 years of fast-food tradition and laying the groundwork for today’s made-to-order culture.

📰 Worth a read: Using pollen to make paper, sponges and more

🖱️ Clickbait: Thousands attend Dutch redhead festival

On Friday, we covered how President Trump’s recent DC crime crackdown is gaining popularity, both among the city’s Democratic mayor as well as the overall American public, in the face of declining crime statistics across the US capital.

❓ Our question to you: In general, do you support or oppose President Trump’s handling of crime so far in his second term?

• Support: 34%
• Oppose: 56%
• Unsure/other: 10%

Click here to read some of the most thoughtful longform responses.

+Note on sample size: We received 1,306 votes and 182 longform responses.

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❓ Trivia: What planet appears to spin sideways, leading to extreme weather seasons?

🎓 True or false? Sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins.

🤡 Riddle me this: I have keys but no locks. I have space but no room. You can enter, but you can’t go outside. What am I?

🐱 Bowling Green University named Pudge the cat as its honorary mascot last week, after the pug-faced Persian comforted football players following a teammate's injury. The internet quickly took notice, and one reporter even tried interviewing Pudge—who, unsurprisingly, had no comment. 

❓ Trivia: Uranus

🎓 True or false? True, up to 40 mins

🤡 Riddle me this: A keyboard