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Did you know that you can hear a blue whale’s heartbeat from over 2 miles away?

Blue whales, the largest animals on Earth, have hearts that weigh around 400 pounds, and their slow, powerful heartbeats can be detected from great distances.

Economy

Federal Reserve Makes Large Interest Rate Cut!

The Federal Reserve announced a much-anticipated interest rate cut on Wednesday, reducing the benchmark rate by half a percentage point (50 basis points) from its highest level in 23 years. This move comes as the central bank responds to progress in controlling inflation and aims to ease borrowing costs.

The cut, the Fed’s first since March 2020, brings the federal funds rate down to a range of 4.75% to 5%. This is a larger than expected cut and the Fed said they expect to make another before the end of the year.

Since July 2023, interest rates had been set at a range of 5.25% to 5.5%, the highest since 2001, while the Fed closely monitored economic data to assess whether inflation was moving toward its 2% target.

Recent months have shown encouraging signs that inflation is cooling, although it hasn't fully reached the Fed's goal yet. In August, inflation slowed to 2.5% annually, down from 2.9% in July, and significantly lower than the cycle's peak of 9.1% in June 2022.

Now that the Fed is cutting rates, borrowing costs, including rates on home loans, credit cards, auto loans, and student loans should start to decrease.

Some rates, particularly mortgages, have already seen significant declines as the Fed indicated its plans for rate cuts. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate recently dropped to 6.20%, according to Freddie Mac, down from a peak of nearly 8% last October.

Other rates, such as those for personal loans, credit cards, and auto loans, are more directly linked to the Fed’s policy changes and are likely to decrease shortly after the Fed’s decision, according to Parthenon’s Gregory Daco.

Sports

The Largest Stadium in 2030 World Cup

The final of the 2030 FIFA World Cup is nearly six years away, but the design for the stadium expected to host the match has been unveiled.

The Grand Stade Hassan II in Morocco – one of the three co-hosting countries, alongside Spain and Portugal – is projected to be one of the world’s largest football stadiums, with a planned capacity of 115,000. Located on a 100-hectare (about 247 acres) site in El Mansouria, north of Casablanca, the stadium’s design is inspired by a traditional Moroccan tent called a “moussem,” according to designers Oualolou + Choi and Populous. The structure will feature an aluminum lattice covering both the seating area and the surrounding tiered gardens, as well as a botanical garden on the ground floor.

Tarik Oualalou, design principal at Oualalou + Choi, stated that the design reflects Moroccan culture, drawing from traditional elements like the moussem, tent, and garden, as well as Moroccan landscapes. The stadium’s layout is designed with FIFA World Cup events in mind, with separate zones for general admission fans and a main section for VIPs and hospitality. Christopher Lee, managing director at Populous EMEA, described it as a potential landmark for Morocco and global football.

When compared to other large stadiums, the Grand Stade Hassan II will have a capacity of 115,000, placing it among the largest. The Narendra Modi Stadium in India holds 132,000, while the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in North Korea has an official capacity of 150,000, though it’s estimated to now seat about 114,000 after renovations.

Environment

Ultra Rare Reptile

The discovery of Australia's most endangered reptile surviving in colder temperatures has motivated conservationists in Perth to push forward in efforts to save the species, which is estimated to have only 400-500 individuals left in the wild. Plans are now underway to introduce the Western swamp tortoise into new areas as scientists seek alternative habitats, with its current environment rapidly drying up.

Other Australian turtles, like the "bum-breathing punk" and a species confined to a single river in New South Wales, face less immediate environmental threats. However, the Western swamp tortoise's habitat in southwestern Western Australia is drying at an alarming rate. Recently, wildlife managers found a juvenile tortoise 280 miles south of Perth in Northcliffe, where a relocation project has been ongoing since 2016. In Northcliffe, water temperatures drop below the known threshold for cold-blooded reptiles to remain active—around 14°C (57°F). Despite this, herpetologists told ABC News that the flowing water would still allow the tortoises to forage. To compare growth rates, some tortoises were also released in a slightly warmer area farther north.

With only a few hundred tortoises left in the wild, Southern Forests Wildlife official Pauline Hewitt was thrilled when tortoises released around Northcliffe were found to survive the cold conditions. A new population has now been released in Augusta, about 60 miles east of Perth, where conditions are not as cold.

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Mind Stretchers

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Yesterday’s Answers to the Mind Stretchers:
When is the top of a mountain similar to a savings account?
- When it peaks one’s interest.

Gerry Moore got closest with the answer: when “It draws interest!”.

While Albert Knox did not get the correct answer, I would like to highlight his answer because it is very inspiring.

“The top of a mountain is similar to a savings account in the sense that both require persistent effort and discipline to reach. Just like how you need to make regular deposits to a savings account to build up your funds over time, climbing to the top of a mountain often requires consistent progress, step by step, to reach the summit. Both endeavors also offer a sense of achievement and satisfaction once the goal is reached, whether it's reaching the peak of a mountain or achieving a financial milestone in your savings account.” - Albert Knox 

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to[email protected]or reply to email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.