Rolling out the news you want

Welcome to the BLUNT Newsletter, your direct access to pop culture that is short and to the point.

Quick Hits:

• US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigns after Trump assassination attempt.

• Sunday was Earth’s warmest day since 1940, with a global temperature of 62.76°F.

• Tourists at Yellowstone National Park flee hydrothermal explosion, which shot boiling water and rock into the air.

CANNABIS

For the first time, voters will likely see a major party presidential candidate supporting marijuana legalization, with Kamala Harris expected to secure the Democratic nomination after Biden announced he is exiting the race. Harris, who has evolved on the issue, frames legalization as key for criminal justice reform.

A study found that “medical cannabis seems to be effective at reducing perceptions of pain, including for playing-related musculoskeletal disorders.”

Melissa Etheridge is being sued by partners in her cannabis business, alleging she "abandoned them" and left them in "financial ruin."

US NEWS

Netanyahu to address Congress, meet Biden, Harris, Trump. Protests are expected. Palestinian factions sign unity declaration.

NASA marks 25 years of Chandra Observatory, releases new images. Chandra unveiled supernovae, galaxy clusters, black hole X-rays.

US home prices hit record high in June, median $426.9K. Home sales fall to December lows.

President Biden to announce end of 2024 reelection bid tonight. Harris wins Democratic nomination, speaks in Milwaukee.

Sen. Bob Menendez to resign next month after conviction.

WORLD NEWS

Southern Italy faces severe drought; Sicily authorities strive to save tourism.

Russia offers Moscow residents a record $22,000 to fight in Ukraine.

Landslides in Ethiopia devastate village, killing at least 229, including rescue volunteers.

SPORTS

The 2024 Paris Olympics start today with men’s soccer and rugby sevens events.

Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game drew 3.44 million viewers, the third highest ever for a WNBA game, and more than four times the viewership of 2023’s All-Star Game.

Equestrian dressage star Charlotte Dujardin announces sudden withdrawal from Paris Olympics.

POP CULTURE

The 81st Venice Film Festival’s full lineup (Aug. 28-Sept. 7) includes world premieres of sequels to “Joker” and “Beetlejuice.”

Ryan Reynolds reveals the name of his youngest child with Blake Lively at the NYC premiere of “Deadpool & Wolverine.” He thanked his wife and mentioned their four children, including the youngest, Olin.

The votes are in, and people want Maya Rudolph back as Kamala Harris on ‘SNL.’

BUSINESS

US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.2%, Dow -0.1%, Nasdaq -0.1%) as tech stocks decline. Tesla shares drop 8% after earnings report reveals a second consecutive quarter of falling profits.

U.S. investigating Delta Air Lines for fair customer treatment after thousands of flight cancellations.

Meta launches Llama 3.1, its largest open-source language model, trained on 400 billion parameters.

Wiz rejects $23B Google takeover, opts for IPO amid antitrust concerns; would be Google’s largest acquisition.

Spotify’s price hikes didn’t stop subscriber growth and record profits.

Quote of the Day:

“You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.”

- Vernon Howard

That's all for now! We hope you enjoyed this edition of the BLUNT Newsletter. Have a fantastic rest of your day!