Good morning. In this edition:

• 🧑‍⚖️ SCOTUS is back in session
• ⚖️ Diddy sentencing
• 💼 Jobs with highest burnout

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.56-minute read (948 words).

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

“The best way to understanding is a few good examples.”

–Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727)

The 2025-2026 term of the Supreme Court officially begins today. And, much like last term, it won’t be a boring one.

A (non-exhaustive) list of hot-button issues SCOTUS will likely be tackling:

• Tariff legality: The Justices are hearing a case in early November that will decide whether the majority of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs are legal. Two lower courts have found that Trump doesn’t have the power to unilaterally impose wide-ranging tariffs under an emergency powers law.
• Trump firing independent agency members: SCOTUS will hear two similar cases that seek to clarify whether Trump can fire members of independent agencies—specifically Fed Gov. Lisa Cook and FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter.
• Birthright citizenship ban: The Trump admin has challenged lower-court rulings that block the President’s executive order denying birthright citizenship to children born in the US to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily.
• LGBTQ+ issues: A Colorado case going before SCOTUS this week could set a nationwide precedent for whether states can ban “conversion therapy,” or treatment that aims to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity. Justices are also hearing appeals to two lower-court rulings in favor of transgender athletes who challenged state laws barring them from women’s sports.
• Election law: The Supreme Court has taken on three major cases covering: 1) the future of the Voting Rights Act’s requirement for majority Black House districts; 2) the legality of limiting political parties from coordinating their spending on behalf of candidates; and 3) how to handle mail-in ballots that are posted by Election Day but arrive afterwards.

It’s the first major Trump test for SCOTUS

The Court has decided nearly two dozen cases so far this year that deal with Trump admin policies, all of which have come via its emergency docket (or “shadow docket”). Decisions in these cases—overwhelmingly in favor of Trump—are temporary, with Justices not ruling on the underlying legality of the issue.

This means that the coming SCOTUS term will be the first to permanently address some of the lawsuits filed in response to Trump’s policies enacted during his second term.

📸 Big picture: ~42% of Americans currently approve of the way SCOTUS is doing its job, a near-record low driven mainly by disapproval from Democrats and Independents. In 2020, ~50% of both Republicans and Democrats approved of the court’s performance. But Gallup polling last week found 71% of Republicans now approve of the court, compared with 38% of Independents and 14% of Democrats.

📊 Flash poll: Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Supreme Court is handling its job?

• Approve
• Disapprove
• Unsure/other

Over 250M+ young people globally lack access to proper education. Thinking Huts builds classrooms that transform communities—fast, smart, and sustainably. With 3D-printing, they create schools in weeks instead of months, giving children a brighter tomorrow, today.

• Your support helps communities thrive, teachers lead, and children discover the power of education
• Every dollar given is matched, doubling your impact

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🏥 Costco to sell Ozempic and Wegovy at a discount of $499/month for people without insurance under new deal with Novo Nordisk. | Rite Aid has officially closed all stores following its recent bankruptcy.
• 🛢️ OPEC+ agrees to modest oil production hike in November; the group has raised oil output targets by a collective 2.7+ million barrels/day so far this year, or ~2.5% of global demand.
• 🏘️ Greystar, the largest US landlord, and 25 other property management companies agree to pay a collective $141 million to settle class-action lawsuit that accuses them of driving up housing costs by using rent-setting algorithms.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• ⚖️ Sean "Diddy" Combs sentenced to four years in prison, following his conviction on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. | Fox Sports broadcaster Mark Sanchez arrested and charged with battery following confrontation with 69-year-old truck driver in Indianapolis; ex-NFL QB was stabbed during the altercation and remains hospitalized.
• 🎶 Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl, was the #2 best-selling album in modern US history based on first-day sales from Friday (2.7 million copies); The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, Swift’s latest concert film, topped domestic box office with $33 million.
• 🏟️ CFB: Week 6 is in the books (recap). | NFL: See a full Week 5 recap (link). | MLB Playoffs: See a recap of Divisional Round action yesterday (link).

Most homeowners sit on $100K+ in equity while paying high interest on everything else. Home Equity Agreements let you access up to $600K without monthly payments or adding debt.

No credit score impact. No income verification hassles. Just cash you can use however you need—debt payoff, investments, home improvements, or major expenses.

SuperMoney compares top HEA providers in minutes so you get the best terms available.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🌕 The Harvest Moon, the first of three supermoons this year, will achieve peak brightness in the sky tonight.
• 🚀 Removing the 50 largest objects from orbit around Earth—out of the ~36,000 current objects larger than a softball—would cut danger from space junk by 50%, according to new research.
• 🪐 Yet-to-be-discovered ninth planet in our Solar System, dubbed Planet Y, could be orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune, new study suggests.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 🏛️ Senate fails fourth vote on temporary funding deal to end the ongoing US gov’t shutdown.
• 🌍 Hamas agrees to accept parts of Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, including the release of all remaining Israeli hostages; mediated negotiations with Israel are still needed to finalize the deal.
• 🪖 President Trump authorizes deployment of ~300 National Guard troops to Chicago; move comes amid pushback from city and state leaders. | Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump’s deployment of troops to Portland, Oregon, in a lawsuit brought by the state and city.

☝️A baby sloth nicknamed “Beanie’s Baby” made their first public appearance at the Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania last week. Mama sloth Beanie gave birth to her aptly-named pup in August.

🤔 Did you know? A rare and mysterious green flash of light can occasionally be seen over the ocean horizon at sunrise and sunset. This phenomenon is caused by an atmospheric refraction of light, allowing green light to briefly survive and make it all the way to our eyes.

📰 Worth a read: Could humongous airbags make flying safer?

🖱️ Clickbait: See which occupations have the highest reported rates of burnout

🤒🛏️ Your best defense against cold season? Better sleep... Tuft & Needle's adaptive mattresses support the deep rest your body needs. Free protector (up to $110) with mattress purchase through Oct. 15th. Shop Tuft & Needle here.

Monday: National Coaches Day

Tuesday: NHL drops the puck on 2025-26 regular season

Wednesday: Fed publishes minutes from its September rate meeting

Thursday: Weekly unemployment claims

Friday: Tron: Ares hits theaters; Battlefield 6 releases for Xbox/PlayStation/PC

On Friday, we covered new letters sent by the White House to nine top private and public US universities, which asked them to commit to supporting a list of President Trump’s priorities in exchange for more favorable access to federal money and other terms.

❓ Our question to you: In general, how do you feel about the Trump admin’s new proposal for higher-education?

• Support: 25%
• Oppose: 68%
• Unsure/other: 7%

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

+Note on sample size: We received 1,025 votes and 160 longform responses.

Can you guess the definitions of the following Greek/Latin root words:

1. Anth
2. Chlor
3. Dino
4. Foss
5. Leg

🙌 A quick-thinking gumbo cook in Florida is being hailed as a hero after noticing one regular customer didn’t show up for his usual order—and saving his life as a result.

1. Anth = Flowers (e.g., anthology)
2. Chlor = Green (chlorine)
3. Dino = Terrible (dinosaur)
4. Foss = Dig (fossil)
5. Leg = Law (legal)

Advertise with us: Want to reach other smart and inquisitive readers like you? Become a DONUT partner here.