Good morning, it's Tuesday, Sept. 29. Iowa is going to be home to one of the largest steel mills in US history. First time reading? Join millions of insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
Also in today's Digest: Stevie Wonder releases four unheard songs (Sports, Ent., and Cult.), prosecutors reopen a Cornell University gang rape case (Pol. & World Affairs), scammers pose as grandchildren (In-Depth), a shark swims flooded streets (Etc.), and much more.
Don’t keep us a secret: Share the email with friends or share via SMS/social. |
|
|
|
President Donald Trump unveiled plans yesterday for a $15B steel mill project in Iowa, which he says will be the largest such plant in US history. The announcement comes as Trump seeks to drum up support for his economic agenda ahead of the November midterms.
The plant will be built by Mesabi Metallics, a Minnesota-based company owned by Indian conglomerate Essar Group. It aims to start production in 2030, ramping up to 10 million tons of steel per year and supporting 1,750 permanent new jobs (visualize steel production by country). The company will transport iron ore from its new $2.5B Minnesota mine, allowing for fully US-made steel. The project supports Trump’s effort to reduce the US trade deficits and is expected to lower costs to US consumers from Trump’s associated steel tariff regime.
The announcement comes amid a newly competitive race in Iowa, where Democrats have not won the Senate in 18 years. |
Nvidia announced plans yesterday to spend another $150B buying back its own shares, bringing its total buyback authorization to $235B—the largest in history. The company's shares closed up 1.7% on the news.
The buyback would reduce the number of Nvidia shares on the market, potentially boosting the company's stock value. Experts say Nvidia is signaling that it believes its shares are undervalued, given its status as the world's most valuable publicly traded company, with a market capitalization of over $5.4T. The buyback increase comes after the tech giant reported its second-quarter revenue hit $96.2B, a 106% gain from the same period last year.
The company also launched a security platform yesterday that can intervene if AI agents attempt unauthorized activity, such as hacking. Nvidia said over 100 companies, including Microsoft and Citi, are already using the software. Meanwhile, regulators are racing to assign liability for increasingly common AI-driven cyberattacks. |
In partnership with Quince |
|
Same Loom, Very Different Price Tag |
|
A cashmere sweater from a luxury label and one from Quince can start life in the same factory. What changes on the way to the tag is the markup—the wholesale hands, the retail floor, the brand name.
Quince cuts that chain. They design in-house, produce at the same audited factories that supply top luxury brands, and ship straight to you—no 3–5x retail bump. Their fall collection is stocked accordingly: Mongolian cashmere crewnecks, handwoven Italian leather satchels, organic cotton cardigans.
Doing the fall closet refresh? Scroll the collection and check the material against competitors on-site. The gap is the whole story. |
|
Please support our sponsors! |
|
British police released five men on bail yesterday after arresting them on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack near a US-operated air force base. Officials are investigating possible links to Iran, Russia, or nonstate militant groups.
The men, all British nationals in their mid-20s, were arrested early Sunday after police responded to a call from a local farmer describing oddly parked vans and men wearing face coverings (read her account). Eighty-five homes were evacuated while bomb-detection robots examined the vans; their findings are unclear as of this writing. The UK began allowing the US to use a nearby air force base to house bombers flying missions against Iran in March, following Iranian strikes on British allies and shipping interests. Iran's Revolutionary Guard has said the base is a legitimate target but denied responsibility for the incident.
More than 75% of British citizens are concerned about the Iran war's impact on British national security, according to a poll conducted days after the UK approved US use of its base. |
|
|
|
🫶 Humankind: People with Down syndrome and other disabilities discover movement, connection, and confidence at an Indiana dance studio. (w/video) |
|
|
|
|
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Rod Stewart announces 21-date "The Final Encore Tour," says it will be the last tour of his career (More, scroll for schedule) | Stevie Wonder shares four previously unreleased tracks from "Songs in the Key of Life" (More, w/songs) |
> Senate passes bipartisan college sports bill to regulate payments and restrict transfers, sending it to House (More) | National Women's Soccer League unveils Atlanta expansion club's name, colors, and crest; team will debut in 2028 (More) |
> National Hockey League play returns as the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes host the Florida Panthers to open the 2026-27 regular season tonight (More) | See full schedule (More) |
|
|
|
|
> SpaceX launches Starship spacecraft into orbit for first time to test its readiness for NASA's Artemis moon program; cuts flight short after unplanned engine shutdown (More) |
> Engineers tweak formula of lipid nanoparticles used to deliver mRNA, allowing vaccines to remain stable at room temperature for up to a year (More) | Why mRNA vaccines typically need to be kept at -4 to -112 degrees Fahrenheit (More) |
> Neuroscientists discover humans' response speed when exhaling is on average 41 milliseconds faster than when inhaling; study reveals link between breathing and cognition that could inform sleep disorder therapies and sports performance (More) |
|
|
|
|
|
> US stock markets close down (S&P 500 -0.8%, Dow -0.7%, Nasdaq -0.9%) as 10-year Treasury yield climbs to its highest level since 2007 (More) | See how mortgage rates follow Treasury yields (More, w/graph) |
> The US and China agree to each lower tariffs on $30B worth of nonsensitive goods, including Chinese Christmas ornaments and American hair products, following state visit last week (More) |
> Boeing shares close down 6.9% after the company identifies 737 MAX software glitch that could cause an automated navigation feature to fail during landing (More) | Timeline of the 737 MAX's safety record—including two fatal crashes (More) |
|
|
|
In partnership with Roots |
|
Why Real Estate Still Wins in an AI World |
|
|
|
|
> New York prosecutors reopen investigation into alleged 2024 gang rape of a Cornell University student by seven members of Chi Phi fraternity following a civil lawsuit filed by the victim (More) |
> FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey resigns, citing family reasons, amid reported tensions with FBI Director Kash Patel (More) | Justice Department files appeal to end transgender care for inmates (More) | Federal prison system had more than 2,000 transgender inmates as of February 2025 (More) |
> Iran and US negotiators hold separate talks with mediators (More) | Russian drone strikes Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences in Kyiv, killing at least seven people (More) |
|
|
|
> The Art of Sleuthing
WSJ | Kelly Crow. An 18th-century portrait of a woman wearing a glittering gown piqued a museum curator’s curiosity. The search for her identity sparked a six-year hunt that uncovered clues scattered across centuries. (Read) |
> “Grandma, I Need Your Help …”
The Walrus | Rachel Browne. Scammers are posing as grandchildren in trouble, betting on one convincing call to get grandparents to send thousands of dollars. The voice may sound familiar, but the story isn’t what it seems. (Read) |
|
|
|
In partnership with Quince |
|
Luxury Materials, Minus the Label Tax |
|
Please support our sponsors! |
|
|
|
|
Historybook: John D. Rockefeller reported as world’s first billionaire (1916); Pope John Paul II is first pope to visit Ireland (1979); Stacy Allison becomes first American woman to climb Mount Everest (1988); Basketball star Kevin Durant born (1988).
|
*Please support our sponsors. |
|
|
|
"The secret to success is to do the common things uncommonly well." |
|
|
Behind the Name. Why 1440? The printing press was invented around the year 1440, spreading knowledge to the masses and changing the course of history. More facts: In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. We’re here to make each one count.
Want to connect with millions of insatiably curious minds? Become a 1440 partner here.
Need a breather? Snooze this email for 30 days. |
|
*Disclosure: Unit price $120.00 as of 6/23/23 and $155.30 as of 7/10/26. 17.06% average annual total return since inception (7/1/21 to 7/10/26). "50 years and $25B in transactions" refers to the Roots leadership team's combined experience and career transaction volume. Current unit price and 3% bonus apply to investments received by 12:00 am ET on 10/1/26 with code 1440match; this code may only be used once per account. This is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein. Only the offering circular and related subscription agreement make such an offer. Information contained herein, although believed accurate and compiled from credible sources, is not guaranteed. There can be no assurance the business objectives of the Company will be achieved. Investors may lose all or part of their investment and distributions with respect to such investment are not guaranteed. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. An Investor's, as well as a Renter's, ability to invest is subject to the investor suitability standards set forth in the offering circular. |
|
1440 Media 111 N Canal St, Suite 1210 Chicago, IL 60606
Copyright © 2026, 1440 Media, All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
