Good morning. In this edition:

• 🎓 Importance of college
• 🏆 Emmy Awards
• 📼 “Dumb” tech returns

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.48-minute read (925 words).

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

“Truth is the offspring of silence and meditation.”

–Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727)

A college education was once widely seen by Americans as the golden ticket to success. But it’s now starting to look more like a scratch-off with bad odds, according to new Gallup polling that found the perceived importance of a college degree has fallen to a new record low.

By the numbers: Gallup found just 35% of US adults currently rate college education as “very important,” continuing a 15-year-long trend of Americans placing less importance on its value.

• When last asked this question in 2019, 53% of US adults said a college education was very important—down from 70% in 2013, and 75% in 2010.
• On the flip side, the percentage of Americans who view college as “not too important” has risen from 4% in 2010 to 24% in Gallup’s most recent survey.

Declines in the perceived importance of college have been seen across all major demographic categories. And even among pro-college groups like Democrats or college graduates, less than half of their members currently say college is very important.

Driving the move: While Gallup’s new survey didn’t directly explore the reasons behind the widespread decline in a college education’s perceived value, researchers proposed several possible explanations:

• Increasingly high costs associated with college
• Recent attention to the benefits of trade schools
• The growth of online learning and micro-credentials
• AI’s potential to cause revolutionary changes in the labor market (where new grads are already seeing higher unemployment rates)

However, other data highlights the value of a college degree

The median income for a US household led by someone with at least a bachelor's degree stood at $132,700 last year—more than double the median income of a household led by a high-school grad ($58,410), according to Census data published last week.

That gap has only widened over the past two decades, with earnings for college-led households rising by 6.3% compared to 3.2% for households of high school graduates.

But…Many Americans have attained financial success without a college degree—just ask Larry Ellison, who briefly became the world’s richest person last week. Recent shortages among blue-collar workers have also shown that trades represent a strong alternative career path to attaining a college degree.

📊 Flash poll: In your opinion, how important is a college education today: very important, fairly important, or not too important?

• Very important
• Fairly important
• Not too important

Upwork's one-stop shop connects you with AI professionals who have the specific skills you need for your projects. With work samples, client reviews, and identity verification, you can hire based on your exact needs. Advanced search engine makes finding suitable candidates easier than ever—no cost to join, no cost until you hire.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🏦 Fed Gov. Lisa Cook—who was fired by President Trump for alleged mortgage fraud by claiming two primary residences—declared one of the properties in question as a “vacation home” and never sought tax exemption as a primary residence, per multiple reports.
• 💻 EU agrees to accept Microsoft’s commitment to unbundle Teams from its Office products; decision essentially exempts Microsoft from a potentially hefty antitrust fine.
• 💰 Late Italian designer Giorgio Armani instructed his heirs to gradually sell their stakes in his fashion house; it marks a reversal from Armani’s persistent refusal to dilute his stake during his lifetime.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

in partnership with Jase

• 🏈 CFB: See a full Week 3 recap (link). | NFL: See a full Week 2 recap (link).
• 🥊 Terence Crawford dethrones Canelo Alvarez of his undisputed super-middleweight belt by unanimous decision; Crawford is now the first male boxer to hold undisputed titles in three weight classes in the four-belt era.
• 🏆 The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards were held last night. See all the winners.

*From our partners: 🦠🧳 Food poisoning doesn't check your travel itinerary… And UTIs don't wait for business hours. Emergencies are rude like that. Enter The Jase Case: real prescription antibiotics ready when life gets inconvenient. Prepare for the unexpected—order Jase now.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🏭 EPA proposes ending requirements to collect and report greenhouse gas emissions for businesses in 40+ different sectors.
• 👶 The sound of a baby crying—particularly one that signals pain—triggers a hot flush in adults’ faces, per new research.
• 🔥 Western US wildfires end up reducing air pollution in the eastern US by roughly the same amount as they increase pollution in the west, per new study; this is due to a series of weather pattern shifts that trigger rainfall on the East Coast, effectively washing away pollutants.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 🚨 22-year-old male suspect arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University; Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said investigators are still trying to pin down a motive; Gov. Cox also clarified that ammunition carried by the alleged shooter was engraved with anti-fascist and meme-culture language—including the message “Hey, fascist! Catch!”—and said the alleged shooter had a romantic partner who is transitioning from male to female; official charges are expected tomorrow.
• 🌆 Memphis, TN, will be the next city to see a National Guard deployment due to crime, President Trump announced; Memphis had the highest crime rate among US cities with 100,000+ residents last year.
• ✈️ Toxic fumes are increasingly leaking into planes’ cabins and cockpits due to a design element in nearly every commercial jetliner, per a new WSJ report.

☝️ You’re looking at some of this year’s finalists from the ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition—the largest space photography contest in the world. The winning shots are now on display at London’s National Maritime Museum.

🤔 Did you know? Cats' brains are structured a lot like ours. They’ve got the same major regions (frontal, temporal, occipital, parietal), and even process emotions in similar ways. So yes, Mittens is judging you with human-level accuracy.

📰 Worth a read: On the fence about a spending decision? Try the 0.01% rule

🖱️ Clickbait: The return of dumb things: Why young people are ditching smartphones for MP3 players and digital cameras

Travel is richer when you share it. Modern Adventure curates journeys where curious explorers form small groups and connect in extraordinary destinations. Local hosts bring traditions, crafts, and cultures to life, letting you:

• Taste, touch, and experience what few travelers get to
• Participate in hands-on, behind-the-scenes experiences
• Discover hidden stories and exclusive moments

Each adventure transforms your perspective, forges bonds, and leaves lasting impressions.

Monday: National Tackle Kids Cancer Day

Tuesday: The last day of New York Fashion Week

Wednesday: Federal Reserve widely expected to cut interest rates

Thursday: Black Rabbit, starring Jude Law and Jason Bateman, hits Netflix; weekly unemployment claims

Friday: Him hits theaters; Cardi B drops second studio album Am I the Drama?

On Friday, we covered the recent rise in violence targeting political figures from both parties across the country, in the wake of last week’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.

❓ Our question to you: What are your thoughts on the Charlie Kirk assassination and/or recent rise in political violence across America?

• “I think it's crazy that someone could kill someone because they disagree with them. The country was founded on freedom and the right to free speech and now people are taking it for granted and taking that right away for others.”
• “We have a mental health crisis in the United States. Add to this strong political rhetoric and easy access to guns, and political and school shootings are the result. We need to focus on the root cause- providing more mental health supports- and tone down the divisive political rhetoric that is triggering this.”
• “Two young children lost their father. A wife lost her husband. For what? I did not agree with him politically, but our society has GOT to get away from the mindset of, "They're wrong, I'm right, and my way is the ONLY way!"”

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

+Note: Some responses may be slightly edited for clarity/length; Sample size: We received 95 longform responses.

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

1. Ambi
2. Cardin
3. Ed
4. Therm
5. Vap

🍎🐻 Okan the bear went viral this month after zookeepers in Turkey rushed him to the vet on a stretcher for what seemed like a serious stomach issue. After a few scans, the diagnosis was far less dramatic: the sweet-toothed Okan had just eaten way too much fruit. 

1. Ambi = On both sides (e.g., ambivalent)
2. Cardin = Pivotal (cardinal)
3. Ed = Eat (edible)
4. Therm = Heat (thermal)
5. Vap = Lack (vapid)