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The search for survivors in Colombia is becoming a race against time, a Pentagon review sheds new light on civilian casualties in Yemen, and a Hollywood family tragedy moves deeper into the courts. Plus, the latest from markets, sports, science, and culture.
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The Big Read
Colombia's Earthquake Toll Passes 227 as Rescuers Run Out of Time
Colombian forensic authorities said Wednesday that more than 227 people died in Monday's magnitude 7.4 quake in the west of the country. Civilian-run databases put the missing above 4,100, and officials concede the confirmed toll is almost certainly low.
Rescuers were still detecting signs of life on Wednesday afternoon, and Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder put a clock on it. Eder called the next twenty hours the most critical stretch for pulling anyone out alive, as aid convoys reached Pereira, Manizales and Quibdó.
A Pentagon Review Counts 153 Civilians Killed by US Strikes in Yemen
An unclassified Pentagon assessment obtained by AP found that three April 2025 airstrikes on Houthi targets killed 153 civilians and injured 243 more. Sent to Congress as part of an annual civilian-harm report, it covers strikes in and near Sanaa and the Ras Isa port.
Ras Isa was the deadliest, with 80 killed and 171 injured as fuel tankers burned on footage aired by the Houthis' al-Masirah channel. US Central Command said at the time that the strike "was not intended to harm the people of Yemen."
Nick Reiner Indicted in the Killing of His Parents
A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted Nick Reiner, 32, on murder charges in the deaths of director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. Returned in secret on July 20 and unsealed Wednesday, the indictment adds a "lying in wait" allegation meant to establish premeditation.
Reiner pleaded not guilty; his parents were stabbed to death at their Brentwood home on December 14 and he was arrested within hours. Going through a grand jury lets prosecutors skip California's public preliminary hearing, and the special-circumstance finding opens the door to a capital case.
World View
Settlers Besiege Palestinian Families in a West Bank Village
Two extended families in Qusra, near Nablus, have been besieged since Sunday with their water and power cut off and food supplies running low. Israeli security forces withdrew from the settler outpost on Wednesday, though roughly a dozen settlers remain camped at the site.
Canadians Petition to Expel the US Ambassador
More than 60,000 Canadians have signed a petition demanding Pete Hoekstra's expulsion from Ottawa, accusing the ambassador of repeated interference in Canadian politics. Launched by a woman in Calgary, it lands midway through tense trade talks aimed at a deal before new US tariffs take effect next Wednesday.
Brazil Orders Discord to Switch Off Livestreams
Brazil's data protection authority has ordered Discord to suspend its Go Live feature nationwide, following the death of a 13-year-old girl. Investigators say she was pressured to end her life inside a private server, and the regulator opened its inquiry on 7 August.
Need To Know
ICE to Arm Officers With Electric Shock Gloves
ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on gloves that deliver 380-volt shocks, roughly three times the voltage of a standard American wall outlet. Compliant Technologies, the Kentucky firm behind the device, declined to comment on the no-bid solicitation published Monday.
Trump Sued Over Truth Social's $100,000 Fast Lane
The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation sued Trump on Wednesday in Manhattan federal court over a service selling early access to his posts. Subscribers pay up to $100,000 a month to see market-moving statements seconds ahead of everyone else, which the suit calls "extraordinary, corrupt, and unconstitutional."
Anti-Trafficking Nonprofit Wins $158 Million Migrant Children Contract
Health and Human Services has handed a no-bid $158 million contract to Our Rescue, a Utah group known for anti-trafficking sting operations. Whether it employs any immigration lawyers is unclear, and the nonprofit did not answer NPR's questions about representing unaccompanied migrant children.
Money & Markets
Inflation Cools and Takes a September Hike Off the Table
The S&P 500 closed up 0.26% at 7,748.50 after July consumer prices rose 0.1% on the month and 3.4% on the year, with core at 2.5%. Traders promptly cut September rate-hike odds to 38% on CME FedWatch and now put a 73% chance on December instead.
Wendy's Jumps 13% on a Peltz Take-Private Bid
Wendy's surged more than 13% intraday after the Financial Times reported that Nelson Peltz's Trian is preparing a bid to take the chain private. Trian is working alongside Flynn Group and BlueFive Capital, and Wendy's says it will review any proposal that actually arrives.
Lakers Sell for $12.5 Billion, the Biggest Sports Deal Ever
Josh Kushner and Bob Iger agreed to buy the Lakers for $12.5 billion, the highest price ever paid for a professional sports franchise. Iger says the deal came together in three days, and NBA governors vote on it when they meet in September.
The AI Buildout Needs These 10 Stocks
You don’t have to buy OpenAI or Anthropic to invest in AI. Each large language model requires specialized technology to keep running and growing.
MarketBeat’s The Infrastructure’s Backbone: 10 Stocks Powering the AI Buildout report reveals 10 companies supplying the memory, storage, connectivity, fabrication, power, and cooling behind AI’s next phase.
Future Frontiers
Spain Watches Its First Total Eclipse in Over a Century
Millions crowded northern and central Spain on Wednesday for the country's first totality in more than a hundred years. Darkness lasted under two and a half minutes off Iceland, where the path also clipped Greenland and Portugal, shrinking to about a minute in Spain.
Cerebras Falls 14% Even After Raising Its Guidance
Cerebras dropped 14% after hours despite lifting full-year guidance, in only its second earnings report since going public in May. Core revenue reached $210 million, but the AI chipmaker still posted a $450.5 million net loss, most of it tied to stock compensation.
Cisco Books $4 Billion in Hyperscaler AI Orders
Cisco beat on earnings and revenue and guided this quarter to as much as $18.2 billion, well above the $16.8 billion analysts had penciled in. Shares fell after hours anyway, because the stock had already run more than 60% this quarter on AI-buildout optimism.
The Score
Russell Westbrook Retires After 18 Seasons
Westbrook announced his retirement Wednesday with 27,176 career points and an NBA-record 209 triple-doubles, comfortably ahead of Nikola Jokic's 198. Nine All-Star selections and that 2016-17 MVP line — 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists — close out a career nobody ever imitated.
Messi Says He Doesn't Know How Much Longer He'll Play
Messi wrote that he is unsure he will continue much longer, days after the death of his father and lifelong agent Jorge at 68. Jorge had represented his son since Lionel was 14 and watched him captain Argentina to the World Cup title in 2022.
Paul Skenes' Velocity Keeps Slipping
Pittsburgh pulled Skenes after 65 pitches in Miami on Tuesday, with his fastball averaging a career-low 95.7 mph and nothing touching 97. Manager Don Kelly insists nothing is injured, but the reigning Cy Young winner is 3-4 with a 5.79 ERA across his last nine starts.
Life & Culture
'Spider-Man' Closes In on $2 Billion
"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" has taken $1.68 billion worldwide in twelve days and projects another $65-70 million domestically this weekend. Passing $2 billion would make it the first film since "Avatar: The Way of Water" to manage the feat in theatres.
'Barbie 2' Stalls Over Money
Warner Bros. has made more than six offers across three years, and the team of Gerwig, Baumbach, Robbie and Gosling has rejected all of them. David Zaslav is holding firm on pay in what may be his final months running the studio, leaving the sequel effectively shelved.
Eurovision Bars Countries at War From Hosting
Eurovision has changed its hosting rules so that a winning country involved in an armed conflict cannot stage the following year's contest. Broadcasters pushed for the revision after this year's event in Vienna, and it is widely read as a response to Israel's continued participation.
Deep Dive
Steph Curry, the Warriors, and the Question of How It Ends
What it is: Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said Steph Curry wants "to win and finish his career" with the Warriors, batting down speculation that the franchise's defining star might finish somewhere else. The comments reinforced what both Curry and the organization have hinted at for years: that the four-time NBA champion still sees Golden State as the only place he wants to play, provided the team remains committed to contending.
The detail: Dunleavy told reporters no talks about a Curry departure have taken place, pushing back on offseason chatter that the Warriors might explore a trade or that Curry might request one to chase another title. The front office's message: winning and staying are still being pursued together. Golden State spent the offseason reshaping its roster around Curry's remaining championship window, believing a mix of veteran experience and younger contributors can keep the team competitive without sacrificing the franchise's long-term flexibility.
Why it matters: Curry is the rare superstar whose identity is inseparable from a single franchise, and how Golden State builds around him affects the whole Western Conference. Build a real contender and the storybook ending holds. Fall short, and the pressure to reconsider grows with every losing stretch. Every roster decision will now be judged through the lens of maximizing the final chapters of one of basketball's most accomplished careers.
What to watch: Fall roster moves will signal whether the front office thinks this core can compete, or whether Curry's stated preference is on a collision course with reality. The first real test comes when training camp opens and Golden State's ceiling gets a fresh look. Early chemistry, health, and the development of supporting players will offer the clearest indication of whether another deep playoff run is realistic or whether tougher questions await before next offseason.
What Replaces Roundup?
The next agricultural transition may not be bigger tractors. It may be autonomous robots replacing herbicides entirely. Greenfield Robotics is building commercial systems designed for that future.
Greenfield Robotics is Testing The Waters under tier 2 of Regulation A. No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response will not be accepted. No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement filed by the company with the SEC has been qualified by the SEC. Any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of acceptance given after the date of qualification. An indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind. “Reserving” shares is simply an indication of interest. There is no binding commitment for investors that reserve shares in this manner to ultimately invest and purchase the shares reserved of the company, or to purchase any shares of the company whatsoever.
Extra Bits
Sixteen inmates were injured after lightning struck a US prison in Ohio during severe midwestern storms, which is one way to argue the universe has opinions about incarceration policy.
A four-month-old pet goose named Goosey saved a sleeping Texas family from a barn fire by honking furiously outside, becoming the second-best home security system money can buy.
Booksellers now suspect AI firms are buying and destroying rare books to feed training data, which is somehow both a copyright story and a horror movie pitch.
Today's Trivia
Honey bees are famously good at identifying flowers — but research has shown they can do something much more surprising. What is it?
- Recognize and respond to specific human vocal patterns
- Count objects up to four with surprising accuracy in controlled experiments
- Recognize individual human faces using the same feature-detection method they use for flowers
- Navigate back to the hive from over 50 miles away using magnetic field sensing
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—The Five Minute Daily Team


