You’re reading the edition from Friday, August 7, 2026. Read today’s
Friday, August 7, 2026 · 4-minute read
Trump reshapes birthright citizenship, Iran moves to block US ships from Hormuz, and Antarctica’s Blood Falls finally gives up its secret.
Politics & World
President Donald Trump signed two executive orders seeking to narrow who qualifies for citizenship at birth and to deny visas to travelers who come to the U.S. to give birth.
Politics & World
Iranian state media said Thursday a draft plan under Tehran’s joint venture with Oman to reopen the…
Sources: CNBC Top News, AP News, The Hill
Science & Tech
The FDA approved Moderna’s mFlusiva for adults 50 and older, making it the first mRNA vaccine…
Sources: Scientific American, Ars Technica, Vox
The estimated length of a prehistoric Megalodon shark, based on fossil vertebrae thought destroyed in 1989 and rediscovered sitting unnoticed on a museum shelf. That’s roughly four times the length of a modern great white and strengthens evidence the species could exceed 24 meters.
Source: Science Daily
How the Pentagon devised a new way to undercount American casualties from the war in Iran.
The Intercept · Nick Turse
Why a wave of cyberattacks is exposing deeper vulnerabilities in US drinking water systems.
Axios · Rebecca Falconer
How Colombia’s ELN guerrilla group is preparing for a return to war, told through an interactive report from the brink.
The Guardian · Thomas Graham
Spider-Man: Brand New Day enters its second weekend in theaters after becoming the fastest film to reach $500 million domestically. Sunday’s box office estimates will show whether the record pace holds.
Sunday marks the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, capping a week of remembrance ceremonies that began in Hiroshima.
The Perseid meteor shower reaches its annual peak Wednesday and Thursday nights, one of the year’s most-watched skywatching events.
Today’s clickbait, so you don’t have toScientists Finally Identified the Mushroom That Makes People See Tiny Humans
Compiled by the Desk, not linked to a source · Report an error
“Life should be lived on the edge of life. You have to exercise rebellion.”
— Philippe Petit, high-wire artist who walked between the Twin Towers on this day in 1974
Five minutes, the facts that matter, no spin. Seven mornings a week.
