NEED TO KNOW

Southwestern Heat Wave

More than 50 million people across the Southwest are under extreme heat warnings and advisories caused by a late summer heat wave, with record-breaking high temperatures expected over the weekend. Temperatures could reach as high as 127 degrees in California’s Death Valley and 115 degrees in the greater Los Angeles area. Temperatures will cool only slightly at night, elevating the risk for heat-related illness.

Separately, officials warned the extreme heat and drought conditions could increase the risk of wildfires in the western US states. The Route Fire, which erupted Wednesday due to the extreme heat north of LA, forced residents in the area to flee. See active fires here.

The scorching temperatures result from a phenomenon known as a heat dome—when hot air, usually moving in from the Pacific, gets trapped under a high-pressure system. The event is supposed to last into next week.

College Football Kicks Off

The 2022 college football season kicks into full swing tomorrow, with a number of high-profile games scheduled for opening weekend. 

The defending champion and No. 3-ranked Georgia Bulldogs are featured in the day's early marquee matchup, taking on No. 11 Oregon (3:30 pm ET, ABC) in a quasi-home game for Georgia in nearby Atlanta. Georgia returns 10 starters from its 2021 squad, including starting QB Stetson Bennett.  

In the biggest Week 1 matchup, No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes host No. 5 Notre Dame in Columbus (7:30 pm ET, ABC). The Buckeyes, who had one of the top-ranked offenses in 2021, return Heisman candidate QB CJ Stroud along with three first-team preseason AP all-Americans. 

Among other notable games, No. 7 Utah travels to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators (7 pm ET, ESPN), while LSU hosts Florida State Sunday in New Orleans (7:30 pm ET, ABC). See a full TV schedule here.

Getting the party started early, No. 17 Pittsburgh beat West Virginia last night on a late interception return for a touchdown.

Burying Mr. Gorbachev

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, will be buried tomorrow in Moscow. A committed member of the Communist party, Gorbachev rose to power in 1985 amid broad corruption and a weak economy, aiming to restructure the stagnant Soviet system. He was eventually ousted in 1991.

Hailed by the West for initiating political reforms, Gorbachev was criticized by his party for failing to prevent the Soviet collapse. Awarded the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the Cold War, he also oversaw the response to the Chernobyl crisis and the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Current President Vladimir Putin, a vocal critic, will not attend the funeral after opting to leave flowers at his coffin yesterday. 

Meanwhile, Ukraine is looking to expand its counteroffensive to the east and north. See war updates here. 

In partnership with Jambys

THE COMFIEST LABOR DAY

Meet Jambys, the super-soft house clothes built for maximum comfort at home. Designed by a team of activewear designers from Nike, Lululemon, and Arc'teryx, Jambys makes performance inactivewear that you’ll throw on the second you get home, and never take off until you have to leave. Their signature fabric is … well, you've gotta feel it to believe it—plush and stretchy, yet somehow still breathable and light.

Jambys are unisex and made from sustainable modal fibers. The company launched just two years ago with their boxers with pockets, which are basically incredibly soft boxers made with a closed fly and perfectly deep pockets. When we first heard about them, we thought, "is that real?" But then we got a pair … and then we got six more to ensure we could wear them every day. And now, you can build a full housefit from other products made from the same fabric, like their no-sweat sweatpants, lightweight "house hoodie," and more.

This fall, you’re going to want to wear Jambys 24/7. Shop the Jambys Labor Day sale, and take up to 35% off select items when following our links—no code needed.

Please support our sponsors!

IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

In partnership with Hers

> Serena Williams takes on Australian Ajla Tomljanović tonight (7 pm ET, ESPN) in third round of 2022 US Open, likely to be her final competitive tournament (More) | See full US Open bracket (More) 

> Three more "SNL" cast members leaving ahead of season 48; departures come after stars Pete Davidson and Kate McKinnon announced the 47th season would be their last (More)

> Denver Broncos sign QB Russell Wilson to five-year, $245M extension, making him 2nd-highest paid NFL player on a per-year basis (More) | NBA star Donovan Mitchell sent to Cleveland Cavaliers from Utah Jazz in blockbuster trade (More)

From our partners: Anxiety affects nearly 1 in 4 women in the US. But treatment can help. Hers offers access to personalized, provider-trusted treatment from the comfort of your own home. Receive access to consults and check-ins online, along with FDA-approved medications delivered directly to your door if prescribed. Join Hers for 70% off your first month of treatment today.

Science & Technology

> NASA to attempt launch of its Artemis 1 moon mission tomorrow; Monday launch was scrubbed at last minute due to an engine cooling issue (More) | Livestream here (Watch, 2:17 pm ET)

> Twitter to test long-awaited "edit" button on tweets, beginning with internal users and rolling out to Twitter Blue subscribers in the coming weeks (More)

> James Webb telescope captures the most detailed image of an exoplanet to date; objects are similar to Earth and its neighbor planets but orbit distant stars (More)

Business & Markets

> US stock markets end mixed (S&P 500 +0.3%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq -0.3%) ahead of today’s August jobs report (More)

> Starbucks names new CEO to begin in April 2023; Laxman Narasimhan will step down as CEO of UK-based consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser (More)

> Chairman of Russian oil giant Lukoil dies after falling out of hospital window, per Russian state-sponsored news (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Math and reading test scores for America's fourth grade students dropped during the first two years of the pandemic, federal study finds; reading scores fell the most in 30 years, while math scores fell for the first time (More)

> Two former White House lawyers expected to appear before federal grand jury probing the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol (More) | Oath Keepers' attorney Kellye SoRelle arrested on Jan. 6 charges (More) | Former President Donald Trump settles with House panel on obtaining his financial records (More)

> Poland plans to seek $1.3T in reparations from Germany for damages caused by the Nazis' World War II invasion and occupation of the country (More)

IN-DEPTH

Zombie Cells

AP | Laura Ungar. Scientists are on a quest to tackle one of humanity's biggest challenges—growing frail and sick at old age—by looking at zombie cells. (Read)

A Ukrainian Soldier Accepts His Death

New York Times | Artem Chekh. A Ukrainian soldier's personal essay on the catastrophic human loss from Russia's invasion of his country, the toll it takes, and the right to a dignified death. (Read, paywall)

The Humiliating History of the TSA

Verge | Darryl Campbell. Reflecting on two decades of pat-downs and shoe removal at US airports and whether the process has made it any safer for travelers. (Read)

(WATCHING) BASKETBALL SHORTS

In partnership with Jambys

What if a basketball short was built more for watching basketball than playing it? It’d look a lot like the Jambys SoftStretch Basketball Short. Compared to your average basketball short, this short is lighter, more breathable, and perfect for working (or not working) from home. With the built-in Jambys lining, it’s safe to say these are guaranteed to be your new favorite house shorts. Literally, they have a 77-day guarantee so you can wear ‘em and see for yourself.

Better yet, select 1440 readers can enjoy an exclusive discount today. Since the Basketball Shorts are not included in their Labor Day sale, Jambys has given us fifty 20% off codes that work on all full-price items so you can grab 'em—use code 1440FIRST50 while supplies last!

Please support our sponsors!

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Editor's note: More than 7 million monthly clicks can't be wrong. Here are the most popular stories we ran in August. Enjoy!

(8/16/22) Ranking America's best states to call home (in 2022).

(8/22/22) Making sense of Ruth's Chris Steak House.

(8/15/22) Hunger stones emerge in Europe.

(8/25/22) Watch a massive superyacht sink off Italy's coast.

(8/8/22) How your brain reacts at the moment of death.

(8/4/22) Why you might want to keep old silica gel packets.

(8/23/22) NASA releases stunning new images of Jupiter.

(8/22/22) One fun thing to do in each state. 

(8/24/22) Massive atlas moth spotted in the US for the first time.

(8/5/22) How to drink wine like an Italian.

(8/2/22) Try these 100 questions to get to know someone better.

(8/17/22) Reimagining traffic lights.

(8/30/22) India blows up two skyscrapers for violating laws (w/video).

(8/22/22) Adorable nightmare clickbait: Hundreds of ducks encircle a car.

Historybook: US Treasury Department is founded (1789); Japan surrenders, ending World War II (1945); Astronaut and teacher Christa McAuliffe born (1948); Keanu Reeves born (1964); Vietnamese president and revolutionary Hồ Chí Minh dies (1969).

"May your future be limited only by your dreams."

- Christa McAuliffe

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