Today’s topics

• YouTube’s new generative AI features

• Watercress is the healthiest vegetable

• Larry Ellison is the world's second-richest

• Starlink satellites interfere with radio telescopes

  and more…

Stocks closed lower Wednesday despite an initial rally after the Federal Reserve announced a half-percentage-point rate cut. Traders welcomed the move, but concerns about potential economic weakness lingered. The Dow fell 103.08 points, or 0.25%, to 41,503.10, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq dropped 0.29% and 0.31%, respectively. Both the Dow and S&P 500 briefly hit record highs before retreating.

As gas prices fall, Wall Street eyes Fed moves. As gas prices dip and crude oil falls below $70 a barrel, the stock market is focused on the Federal Reserve’s potential interest rate cuts. The S&P 500 hovers near a record high, while 2-year Treasury yields are at their lowest since 2022. Analysts at Jefferies see the broader economic impact hinging more on the long-term direction of interest rates than the size of the initial cut. Meanwhile, energy prices remain a critical factor, with crude dipping to its lowest since December 2021.

Norway's electric revolution outpaces petrol. Norway, a major oil exporter, now has more electric cars than petrol-powered ones, with 754,303 EVs surpassing the 753,905 petrol vehicles on its roads. The country of 5.5 million aims to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2025. Generous tax breaks and incentives—ironically funded by oil and gas revenues—have fueled this rapid shift to electric vehicles.

U.S. mortgage rates hit 19-month low. The average 30-year mortgage rate in the U.S. dropped to 6.20% this week, the lowest in 19 months, according to Freddie Mac. This decline from last week's 6.35% reflects a dip in Treasury yields and anticipation of a Federal Reserve rate cut. A year ago, rates were at 7.18%, and this is the lowest since February 2023.

Larry Ellison overtakes Bezos as world's second-richest. Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison has climbed to the world’s second-richest spot with a net worth of $206 billion, surpassing Jeff Bezos. Oracle shares have surged 20% this September, marking their best month since October 2022. The stock's rise is fueled by Oracle’s significant role in the AI boom.

China Unveils World’s First AI Hospital

China has introduced the "Agent Hospital," the globe’s first AI-powered medical facility, marking a significant milestone in healthcare innovation. Located in Beijing and developed by Tsinghua University, the hospital boasts 14 AI doctors and four virtual nurses, capable of treating 10,000 patients in days—what would take human doctors nearly two years. This cutting-edge hospital aims to enhance accessibility and efficiency in medical care, potentially reshaping global healthcare systems by easing the strain on human medical staff and improving patient care.

YouTube unveils AI tools for Vvdeo and music creation. YouTube is rolling out new generative AI features aimed at helping creators produce more content, announced by CEO Neal Mohan. The AI tools, which will debut later this year, include six-second AI-generated clips for YouTube Shorts, powered by Google’s DeepMind. While AI has fueled disinformation concerns, YouTube hopes these features will empower creators while maintaining its commitment to responsible content.

Meta tightens Instagram rules for teens. Meta is overhauling Instagram for kids and teens with new "Teen Accounts" features aimed at enhancing safety. Starting this week, teen accounts will automatically switch to private, limiting messages to those they follow, and those 15 and under will need parental permission to change this setting. Additional updates include filtering out inappropriate content and reminders to take breaks after an hour of use.

Musk’s Starlink Satellites Disrupting Astronomical Research

Scientists in the Netherlands say Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites are interfering with radio telescopes, blocking their ability to explore the universe. The new generation of satellites is causing more disruption than earlier versions, according to the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON). With thousands of satellites in orbit, researchers warn that astronomical research may be at risk. SpaceX has yet to comment.

Black hole unleashes record-breaking jet 23 million light-years long. Astronomers have discovered the largest jets ever seen erupting from a supermassive black hole, stretching an astonishing 23 million light-years—about 140 Milky Way galaxies in length. Located 7.5 billion light-years away, this colossal eruption occurred when the universe was half its current age. These jets blast out trillions of times more energy per second than the sun.

Lungfish Wins Big in DNA Stakes

The South American lungfish, Lepidosiren paradoxa, now holds the record for the largest genome ever sequenced, boasting 91 billion DNA bases—30 times more than humans. Despite the massive size, it only has about 20,000 genes, similar to humans, with the rest likely being noncoding "junk" DNA. Researchers found that the lungfish adds the equivalent of a human genome to its DNA every 10 million years.

Watercress tops the charts as the healthiest vegetable. Watercress has been named the healthiest vegetable by the CDC, scoring a perfect 100 for nutrient density. This leafy green outperformed Chinese cabbage by over eight points. A cruciferous veggie like kale and broccoli, watercress also thrives in shallow water or damp soil, according to dietitian Rachel O'Connor.

Foot-long millipede rediscovered after 126 years in Madagascar. A massive millipede, missing since 1897, has been rediscovered in the remote rainforests of northeast Madagascar. This foot-long invertebrate was one of 21 species found during an expedition through the island’s mountainous jungles, marking an exciting return for a creature lost to science for 126 years.

TikTok of the day: watch here

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