Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🌌 US confirms space weapons
• 💥 Iran war’s updated cost
• 🇺🇸 Most fun states in America

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.56-minute read (947 words).

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

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin"

–William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of… the US military?

The Pentagon this week acknowledged for the first time that it has deployed weapons in Earth’s orbit, opening space as the next potential global battleground.

Why it’s a big deal: Modern militaries rely on satellites for everything from communication and navigation to missile tracking, intelligence, and identifying targets, making control over what happens in orbit increasingly valuable during conflicts on Earth.

The modern military space race kicked into a higher gear in 2019, when President Trump directed the creation of the Space Force, the first new branch of the US military since 1947.

So, what did the US put up there?

While the exact details are locked up tighter than a space station airlock, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said the US has “on-orbit space control weapons” capable of defending American forces against hostile action.

A Space Force spokesperson said they could involve “kinetic” means that physically damage a target, or “non-kinetic” ones that interfere without blowing the target up.

With specifics under wraps, experts and former officials have pointed to a few possibilities:

• Jammers that could interfere with satellite signals.
• Lasers or high-powered microwaves that could damage or disable equipment.
• Technology to grab another satellite and move it out of position.

In response to America’s space weapon announcement, China’s Foreign Ministry accused the US of “preparing for war in outer space” and urged Washington to stop fueling an arms race. Russia has also previously called for keeping weapons out of space.

But with only the 1967 Outer Space Treaty that bans nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction from orbit, it leaves the door open for weapons like jammers, lasers, and other systems designed to disable satellites.

Looking ahead…President Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile-defense project, signed in under executive order last December, includes plans for space-based interceptors, with a major test scheduled before the 2028 election.

The US space-based interceptor program has already gone from its initial contract to “flight-ready hardware” in less than a year, per Air Force Sec. Meink.

📊 Flash poll: Which statement comes closest to your view? A) America should deploy space weapons to proactively defend national security; or B) America should try to avoid placing weapons in orbit to help prevent an accelerating global space arms race?

• Deploy space weapons to defend national security
• Avoid space weapons to slow a global arms race
• Unsure/other

Walking into the living room, you catch your child curled up with a book, lost in the story, with no reading help needed. Hooked on Phonics prepares your child for that scene in just 15 minutes a day of fun app lessons with real books and hands-on workbooks.

Backed by 40 years of results, this step-by-step program turns sounding out words into a habit your child carries with pride into every grade.

Time together now. A lifetime of confident reading ahead.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🪙 Senate votes 50-49 to block the Clarity Act from advancing, marking a major blow to the crypto industry-backed bill; Republicans largely voted in support, while Democrats largely opposed.
• 🏥 Nike co-founder Phil Knight to donate $1.1 billion to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and its Providence Heart Institute in Oregon; it marks one of the largest gifts to a health institution in US history.
• 🤖 Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang diverges with other top AI CEOs who recently called for a slowdown in development due to safety concerns; in new interview, Huang says market forces already exist, and the AI industry doesn’t need new laws or regulations.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🎶 Macklemore and Ed Sheeran release public statements after Macklemore was removed from the British pop star’s Loop tour over his pro-Palestine comments onstage; several supporting acts also quit Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
• 🚨 Los Angeles prosecutors announce they won’t seek the death penalty against Nick Reiner if a jury finds him guilty of murdering his parents, Hollywood couple Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner; trial is expected to begin next year.
• 🏛️ Kennedy Center board votes to close most of the facility for a two-year renovation amid financial issues; it comes hours after a federal judge blocked the institution from returning President Trump’s name to the building; Trump later threatens to withhold renovations unless his name is added.

The longer you wait to break up with your spreadsheet, the harder it gets. HubSpot’s Smart CRM replaces the haphazard sticky notes, the color-coded sheets, and the three apps you promised you’d stop using.

Every contact, deal, and conversation lives in one place and the platform tells your team what to do next. Startups and small teams can move fast, with results in weeks. Manage up to 1,000 contacts free.

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🌀 Zero Atlantic hurricanes have formed since the 2026 season began on June 1, marking the longest such stretch without an Atlantic hurricane in the modern era (since 1966); meanwhile, the Central Pacific has been notably active with five named storms and two hurricanes.
• 🦕 Diplodocus dinosaur fossil dating back ~150 million years discovered in eastern Spain, marking the first skeletal evidence of the long-necked herbivore species outside of North America.
• 🦠 Two more measles-associated deaths reported by Pennsylvania health officials, with a 40-year-old woman and 18-year-old resident joining two infants whose deaths last month spurred a highly politicized debate.

US, WORLD, & POLITICS

• 🧑‍⚖️ Supreme Court strikes down President Trump's plan to impose new requirements for mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterms, over the dissent of conservative Justices Alito and Thomas.
• 💥 Iran war has cost a collective $38 billion (or $246 million/day) over its first five months, while the US will need 5+ years to replace the missile interceptors it expended so far, per new estimate from nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
• 💰 Median US household income rose 2.6% last year to an all-time high of $87,460, adjusted for inflation, while the poverty rate fell by a nearly half-point to 10.2%, new Census Bureau data shows.

☝️ Yellowstone’s geology team found a record-breaking 20,100 pieces of trash in the National Park’s hot springs this summer. The team fished each piece out by hand to protect the delicate ecosystem, finding $18+ in coins, 280 hats, and an abundance of camera lenses and baby pacifiers.

🤔 Did you know? Japan is officially home to 100,000+ people aged 100 or older for the first time ever. The island nation contains 107,677 centenarians, per new data published this month, with women making up a whopping 88% of the total.

📰 Worth a read: Why it’s possible to be optimistic in a world of bad news

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• An armadillo arrives in… Ohio?
• The most fun states in America
• Where to find the world’s oldest living things

Stock up for Gum Wellness Month… Davids NEW Hydroxi™ Gum Health+Whitening Toothpaste combines nano hydroxyapatite, tea tree, and eucalyptus to support enamel health and fight plaque-causing bacteria. Give your gums more from every brush. Save 20% with code DONUT20.

How it works: We provide an incorrect stat. Your challenge is to guess whether the actual number is over or under the given value.

1. 🎃 2,600 lbs: Weight of the heaviest pumpkin ever grown
2. 🐶 26: Number of puppies in the largest dog litter
3. 🪙 110: Number of grooves around the edge of a quarter

(keep scrolling for the answer)

🦇 Christian Bale is putting his superhero skills to work IRL. The Oscar-winning actor just opened Together California, a foster care village in Palmdale featuring 12 fully furnished homes designed around one main mission: keeping siblings in foster care together.

1. 🎃 Over; 2,819 lbs
2. 🐶 Under; 24 puppies
3. 🪙 Over; 119 grooves

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

Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission from purchases made through links on this page.

Made it this far? Let us know what you think:

👍 👋 👎