Rolling out the news you want

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

CANNABIS

Home Depot will remove marijuana from its drug testing policies starting September 1, including pre-employment tests, aligning with evolving cannabis regulations.

Biden’s marijuana pardons are the most popular clemency in U.S. history, with bipartisan support exceeding other historic pardon actions.

A study found long-term low-dose THC may have anti-aging effects on the brain, improving cognitive abilities, synapse density, and metabolic activity in older mice. Researchers suggest these findings could lead to potential anti-aging and cognition-enhancing treatments for humans.

US NEWS

Trump adds former Democrats Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to his transition team ahead of potential 2024 presidency.

A New Hampshire resident died from EEE, a rare, deadly mosquito-borne virus; the first such US death this year.

Chinese government-backed hackers targeted US internet service providers, aiming to use the hack as entry to corporate networks.

Special counsel Jack Smith files revised indictment accusing former President Trump of 2020 election subversion; charges unchanged but evidence scope limited per recent Supreme Court ruling.

WORLD NEWS

Event Horizon Telescope achieves 50% improvement in black hole detail, marking highest-resolution detection of black hole features from Earth.

Israel rescues 52-year-old hostage from Gaza tunnels, the eighth recovery since conflict began; 108 hostages remain, 40 dead.

Mexico halts relations with US and Canadian embassies after criticism of López Obrador’s proposal to elect judges by popular vote.

SPORTS

The 17th Summer Paralympics opens in Paris, featuring 4,400 athletes from 184 delegations competing in 22 sports over 11 days.

NFL teams cut rosters to 53 players, releasing over 600 players, including Chiefs WR Kadarius Toney and 2022 QB class standouts.

Travis and Jason Kelce ink a $100M deal with Amazon's Wondery for exclusive distribution of their "New Heights" podcast.

NASCAR to host first Cup Series race in Mexico City in 2025, marking its first points-paying event outside the US.

POP CULTURE

Oasis reunites after 15 years for a major tour, starting in Cardiff in July, potentially generating $528M in revenue.

Sean “Diddy” Combs denies sexual assault claims in lawsuit, calling allegations baseless and accusing accuser Rodney Jones of seeking media attention.

Bruce Springsteen says he’s not retiring and has no plans for a farewell tour, despite ongoing health issues affecting his concerts.

BUSINESS

US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.2%, Dow +0.0%, Nasdaq +0.2%).

Telegram founder Pavel Durov, courted and targeted by governments, faces scrutiny as his complex global relationships emerge during French detention.

Leonard Riggio, longtime Barnes & Noble chairman, dies at 83 after battling Alzheimer’s disease. He led the bookstore for nearly 50 years.

AI model predicts if a brain ages faster than expected by analyzing communication between different brain regions.

Home prices hit record high in June, rising 5.4% year-over-year per S&P Case-Shiller Index; top increases in New York, San Diego, Las Vegas.

Quote of the Day:

“To see things in the seed, that is genius.”

- Lao Tzu

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