Warning signs for the economy from America's top companies; the CDC relaxes COVID protocols

Plus, racial justice advocates reflect on the Charlottesville rally, 5 years later [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Suzanne Nuyen First up [A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York City on Aug. 5. The majority of America's top companies have reported strong earnings, but warning signs about the economy are also emerging from their corporate earnings.]( Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images Here's what we're following today: America's top companies have faced a challenging economic environment recently, but it seems like they came out on top. However, top executives say they are [facing lot of uncertainty]( and there are [signs across companies that trouble lies ahead](. Donald Trump says he "encourages the immediate release of" documents related to the FBI's search of his Mar-a-Lago property. If unsealed, the documents could provide [details on the crimes that are being investigated]( where agents could and could not search and a list of what was found. The CDC has released new COVID guidance that lifts quarantine requirements after exposure, deemphasizes screening people with no symptoms and [eliminates a test-to-stay recommendation]( after potential exposures in schools. The organization says the decision "acknowledges that the pandemic is not over, but also helps us [move to a point where COVID-19 no longer severely disrupts]( our daily lives." The Arctic is heating up nearly four times faster than the Earth as a whole, according to new research. Scientists had previously predicted it was warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, and the [startling new numbers]( are a reminder that the people, plants and animals in polar regions are experiencing rapid, and disastrous, climate change. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Picture show [Fireflies outside Pine Plains, N.Y., in June 2021. "I still can't quite believe that I get to see things like this happen in real time/real life and then get to experience it in a completely new way, all over again, when the images get built," Mauney said.]( Photographer/Source In the summer, from dusk until the moon rises, photographer Pete Mauney finds fireflies along quiet stretches of highway, in hidden pockets of woods and under power lines. Although he's an artist and not a scientist, his photographs [shed new light]( on [how his favorite subjects coexist with us]( for better and for worse. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s listen [Charlottesville activist Don Gathers reflects on five years since white supremacists terrorized his hometown — "all the hatefulness and evilness that transpired here."]( Eze Amos for NPR Five years ago, a rally by white supremacists protesting the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Va., left one counter-protester dead and several injured. 🎧 Listen to racial justice advocates [reflect on that tragic day]( or [read their stories](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Weekend picks [Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Chase Sui Wonders, and Rachel Sennott in a scene from Bodies Bodies Bodies, directed by Halina Reijn.]( A24 Check out what [our critics]( are watching, reading and listening to this weekend: Movies: [Bodies Bodies Bodies]( starts with a fairly standard horror-movie premise and mixes horror, comedy and Gen-Z satire with a whodunit-style mystery that will keep you guessing. Television: [Reservation Dogs]( has begun its strong second season and the show co-created by Taika Waititi is one of the best and most original shows on TV. Books: Mohsin Hamid's surreal new novel centers on a white man who awakens one morning to find that his skin has turned brown. [The Last White Man]( only seriously strains credulity at its very end. Music: Lauv, one of pop music's main advocates for normalizing mental health issues has released a new album called [All 4 Nothing](. He says his interest in talking openly about his mental health issues is a product of the times we live in. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before you go [Charles (Steve Martin), Mabel (Selena Gomez) and Oliver (Martin Short) are shown in the third episode of Hulu's Only Murders In The Building.]( Photographer/Source - Steve Martin told The Hollywood Reporter he plans to scale back on acting after the end Only Murders in the Building. The celebrated actor has [worn many hats]( over his career. - The NFL is back this month, and one of the game's most controversial players is expected to return to the field. Here's everything you need to know about the [scandal surrounding Deshaun Watson](. - The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association announced that Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey is being permanently retired across all 30 teams. It's a [first for the league](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]