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The Olympics are over but we can’t help but share this emotional clip from the 1992 Olympics. Stories like these is what makes the Olympic Games such an inspiring event. We’re looking forward to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles!!!

Innovation

Long Distance Surgery

Dr. Luo Qingquan has pioneered a groundbreaking approach in telesurgery by using a control center to operate robotic tools and remove a lung tumor from a patient located 3,000 miles away. Dr. Luo, stationed at Shanghai Chest Hospital on China's Pacific Coast, guided the surgery for a patient at a hospital in Kashgar, Xinjiang Autonomous Region.

This innovative procedure was made possible by the Chinese-made 5G Medbot, which enabled Dr. Luo to apply his precision and decades of experience across three time zones in real-time. This advancement marks a new era in telesurgery, potentially transforming healthcare access in rural areas where the shortage of expert medical professionals previously meant limited or no treatment options.

Shanghai Chest Hospital, renowned as the first facility in China to offer robot-assisted surgeries and the leader in such procedures nationwide, demonstrates the potential of this technology.

Globally, the scarcity of specialist surgeons significantly hampers medical progress, especially in low- and middle-income countries. With only about 1.1 million surgeons worldwide and half as many anesthesiologists, even high-income nations face shortages. According to a Lancet review, low- and middle-income countries have only 0.7 specialist surgeons per 100,000 people, compared to 5.5 in high-income countries. Consequently, 48% of the global population relies on just 20% of the world’s surgical workforce.

World News

FBI Takes Down Ransomware Gang

The FBI announced on Monday that it had seized the servers of a ransomware and extortion group known as Radar (also called Dispossessor). As of now, Radar’s website displays a message from law enforcement stating, “This website has been seized.” This marks a notable success for the FBI, which, along with global law enforcement agencies, has faced significant challenges in combating the growing threat of ransomware.

This joint operation involved the U.K.'s National Crime Agency, the Bamberg Public Prosecutor's Office, and the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (BLKA).

As part of the crackdown, law enforcement authorities seized three servers in the U.S., three in the U.K., 18 in Germany, as well as eight U.S.-based domains and one German-based domain.

Since August 2023, Dispossessor—led by a threat actor known as "Brain"—has been targeting small to mid-sized businesses across various sectors worldwide. The FBI identified 43 victims of these attacks, which spanned the U.S., Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Honduras, India, Canada, Croatia, Peru, Poland, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Germany.

The FBI reported that the ransomware gang typically gains access to networks by exploiting vulnerabilities, using weak passwords, or taking advantage of accounts without multi-factor authentication. Once inside a victim's network, the attackers steal data and deploy ransomware to encrypt the company's devices.

Economy

Summer Jobs are Back as Teens Enter the Work Force

Data from Gusto, a payroll platform for over 300,000 businesses, highlights the wage growth for teens. As of June, the average wage for new hires aged 15 to 19 was $15.68 per hour, up more than 36% since early 2019. This rate of increase surpasses the wage growth for all workers, which has risen just under 27% in the same period.

Teens have also been less affected by broader economic conditions that have sometimes led to lower pay for adults. “It’s a much better time to be a teen entering the labor force today than it was five or 10 years ago,” says Liz Wilke, Gusto’s principal economist.

Beyond higher wages, businesses are offering additional benefits to attract teen workers. For example, Chipotle Mexican Grill provides tuition reimbursement, mental health support, and a student loan repayment match program. These benefits have helped Chipotle improve employee retention and promote workers to management roles, contributing to operational stability.

Small businesses are also trying to keep up with the competition for teen workers. Erin Powell, owner of The Sugar Shack in Minnesota, employs many teens in roles like coffee-making and pizza-baking. She offers vacation accommodations, free menu items, frequent raises, and holiday parties to foster a familial atmosphere.

Despite these efforts, Powell has seen some teens leave for higher-paying jobs at chain rivals like Starbucks. To manage rising labor costs, she has taken on managerial responsibilities herself and worked to reduce business waste.

As businesses continue to navigate the post-pandemic labor market, the trend of higher wages and better benefits for teen workers appears to be a lasting change. While large companies can afford extensive benefit packages, small businesses strive to compete by offering a supportive and engaging work environment. Both approaches aim to attract and retain young talent in an increasingly competitive job market.

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Mind Stretchers

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What has ten letters and starts with gas?

Yesterday’s Answers to the Mind Stretchers:

This one was a tricky one. Like most people, when I first saw it I thought it was R and R. As in “rest and relaxation”.

So the shout out goes to Chris Hostetler, who got the correct answer of “Summer”!

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.