NEED TO KNOW

Whistleblower Testifies

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testified before a Senate panel yesterday, providing an intimate look at a wide range of company practices. During the hearing, Haugen claimed Facebook harmed children and weakened democracy, often despite internal knowledge of the problems. She pushed Congress for greater scrutiny of the company's policies, particularly around underage accounts, hate speech, and misinformation.

The 37-year-old former employee is responsible for leaking thousands of internal documents (paywall, WSJ) to financial regulators and the press. Allegations range from the company's knowledge of Instagram's effect on teen mental health to the revelation of a two-tiered moderation system for favored users (see overview). 

Watch Haugen's opening statement here, and read her complaints to the Securities and Exchange Commission here.

Finally, find Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's response here.

(Another) Debt Ceiling Vote

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is expected to hold a procedural vote today on stand-alone legislation to suspend the debt ceiling through December 2022. The vote, the third involving the debt ceiling in the past week, would require the support of at least 10 GOP senators and is expected to fail. Treasury officials have set a deadline of Oct. 18 to take action to avoid default.

Republicans have publicly linked the vote to a sweeping $3.5T budget framework, which they do not support. Observers say Democrats may be forced to consider raising or suspending the ceiling via the reconciliation process, which may be passed by a simple majority vote (here's why). However, the move would require revisiting a number of time-consuming procedural hurdles.

Meanwhile, negotiations continue with Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), who have rebuffed the $3.5T price tag on the social spending package. Manchin signaled yesterday he would be open to a topline number between $1.9T and $2.2T for the bill.

French Church Scandal 

At least 216,000 children have been sexually abused by French Catholic clergy since 1950, according to a report released yesterday. The 2,500-page review estimated the number may surpass 300,000 if those abused by lay members of the church were included. Most were believed to be young boys, and half of the cases were said to have occurred before 1970. Church officials were also found to have silenced victims and dismissed or ignored claims of abuse.

The church commissioned the independent probe in 2018 in an attempt to provide redress to victims. More than 3,200 abusers were identified, out of 115,000 total priests and other clerics—though researchers noted this estimate was likely an understatement. 

The report follows a decision by Pope Francis earlier this year to explicitly criminalize sexual abuse within the church.

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THE ABCs OF PETS

The 1440 team is full of dog (and cat) people and households. To name just a few: Appa, Bear, and Corduroy teach us the fundamentals (the ABCs, if you will) of unconditional love. But what do we do when they fall ill?

When Appa experienced severe food allergies a couple of months ago, her humans had two options: wait three days for an open appointment at the vet and pay hundreds of dollars or start a free instant chat with a licensed vet through Pawp. We don't need to tell you how easy that decision was. For just $19/month, Pawp gives an entire household of pets (up to six dogs and cats) access to 24/7 text or video chat with licensed vets, along with a $3,000 annual emergency fund if the going ever gets especially tough. We're pleased to report that Appa has not needed to use the emergency fund in her six months as a Pawp pup ... but it can make all the difference if you do find yourself needing it.

Sign up today for the pet insurance alternative you didn't realize you needed. Pawp helps give the 1440 family peace of mind, and they'll do the same with your family. Check it out for just $19/month.
 

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by Vuori

> Boston Red Sox top New York Yankees 6-2 to advance to American League Division Series (More) | See preview of tonight's National League Wild Card matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers (More)

> "And Just Like That," the "Sex and the City" revival currently filming in New York, sets December 2021 premiere date on HBO Max (More)

> Justice Department reviewing decision not to charge FBI agents in sexual abuse probe of USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar (More) 

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Science & Technology

> Three scientists split Nobel Prize in Physics for work on complex dynamic systems; Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann helped build large-scale climate models, while Giorgio Parisi studied "spin glass" systems (More)

> Engineers develop hydrogel tablets capable of purifying one liter of river water in less than an hour; roughly one-third of the world's population lacks access to clean drinking water (More)

> New imaging approach allows scientists to image whole pigment-containing cells in 3D; advance may shed light on pigment-related disorders and diseases like albinism and melanoma (More)

Business & Markets

> US stock markets bounce back (S&P 500 +1.1%, Dow +0.9%, Nasdaq +1.3%) led by tech stocks (More)

> Jeff Bezos ($201B), Elon Musk ($190B), and Mark Zuckerberg ($134B) top annual Forbes 400 list of richest Americans (More)

> US trade deficit grows to record $73B in August, up 4.2%; the figure measures the dollar value difference between what the country imports and what it exports (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> AstraZeneca requests emergency use authorization for COVID-19 antibody treatment for use in immunocompromised patients (More) | US COVID-19 deaths continue to fall, now averaging around 1,750 per day; see stats here (More)

> Transparency advocates call on Britain to tighten enforcement against money laundering after leaked Pandora Papers show London as a tax avoidance hub (More) | South Dakota appears to rival major offshore tax shelters (More) | What are the Pandora Papers? (More)

> California oil spill that dumped an estimated 127,000 gallons of oil into the ocean off the California coast may have been caused by a ship's anchor (More)

BOW ... OW!

In partnership with Pawp

When your dog ingests a foreign object, it's no joke. It'll mean a few stressful nights ... and you'll rack up some serious surgery bills.

So if you're handed a $2,500 bill, do you have the cash on hand? No one should have to sacrifice their pet's well-being for financial reasons—so Pawp has you covered with a $3,000 annual emergency fund. Better yet, you can speak to licensed vets 24/7 via text or video chat to help identify and solve issues before they become issues. Sign your household up for Pawp today for just $19/month and cover up to six dogs and cats.

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ETCETERA

The five most (and least) valuable college majors.

The world's 50 best restaurants (this year).

Floating drone captures footage from inside a hurricane at sea.

Striking photos of birds of prey in flight.

Rogue grandmother sneaks into amusement park, injures herself.

HBO drops teaser trailer for "Game of Thrones" prequel.

Russian actress blasts into space for a film shoot.

TikTok challenges are becoming abusive.

Clickbait: Meet the world's tallest bodybuilder.

Historybook: Civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer born (1917); Yom Kippur War begins (1973); Pope John Paul II is first pope to visit White House (1979); Anwar Sadat, president of Egypt, assassinated (1981); RIP Hollywood legend Bette Davis (1989). 

"You will never be happier than you expect. To change your happiness, change your expectation."

- Bette Davis

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