Today’s Big Story

Ozempic Boom Is Just Getting Started

Plus, there’s evidence that GLP-1 drugs have health benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss

Ozempic is everywhere these days, it seems, right? There are rumors of “Ozempic face” taking over Hollywood and plenty of celebrites coming forward to praise the drugs. And millions of people are flocking to the medications, from Ozempic to Wegovy, to lose weight and treat health problems. And it sounds like this is just the beginning.

These drugs were originally developed to help control diabetes. But there’s increasing evidence that they have other health benefits, beyond controlling weight. They seem to boost heart health, protect the kidneys, improve sleep apnea, and lower the risk of certain obesity-related cancers. Recent studies have also hinted at their potential to treat addiction and even slow the cognitive decline that comes with dementia. As researchers test these drugs for various conditions, they’re trying to untangle the mysteries behind how exactly they’re working in the body.

In March, Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy became the first weight loss medication to also gain approval to help prevent serious heart problems in people with cardiovascular disease. Eli Lilly, which makes tirzepatide, is also looking to expand Zepbound’s uses. The company announced this month that its weight-loss drug improved symptoms in heart failure patients with obesity and led to a 38% reduction in hospitalizations. Of course, obesity often leads to heart problems and one in every four deaths each year in the United States is due to heart disease.

This is also why more and more doctors are saying one group could benefit from the drugs, but is currently missing out: Senior citizens. For older people, these medications can help in ways that go beyond losing weight, physicians say. Fewer pounds can lead to more mobility and better balance, allowing older people to become more active. That can boost mood, overall health, and sometimes makes the difference between walking freely or using a wheelchair or cane.

Shockingly, America’s weight-loss drug capital isn’t Los Angeles or even moneyed Manhattan. It’s Bowling Green, Kentucky. According to Bloomberg, the state has one of the 10 highest obesity rates in the U.S. and has the highest concentration of people with weight-loss drug prescriptions in the country. In Bowling Green, at least 4% of residents have received prescriptions to take one of these medications in the past year or so—putting it ahead of other major population centers in the state. (For comparison, prescription rates in Brooklyn, New York, and the Miami area are closer to 1%.) And these are conservative estimates. The drugs’ proliferation in the city is even more impressive when you consider that Kentucky’s state Medicaid program doesn’t cover them.

The Campaigns Get Personal

Trump says Democrats ‘took the presidency away from Biden’, while the Harris team fires back memes

It’s going to be a tough race, and we knew the fight would get ugly. And here we are: Former President Donald Trump tried on Thursday to shoehorn himself back into a national conversation that Vice President Kamala Harris has dominated for more than two weeks, holding an hourlong news conference in which he assailed Harris’s intelligence and taunted her for not sitting down for interviews with journalists.

Having lost the luxury of a familiar foe in President Biden, Trump has just three months to try to define Harris and her running mate as a threat. Republicans believe Trump has a clear path to victory if he can stay disciplined with a message centered on policies, but feeling the heat of the Harris campaign’s surging momentum in the polls, Trump is reverting to his basic brawler instincts of nicknames and caustic attacks, and wild mistruths.

The Harris-Walz campaign responded to Trump’s remarks with a modern, and extemely online take: A screenshot of a classic tweet from @dril, a top internet poster known for absurdist humor. “Donald Trump took a break from taking a break to put on some pants and host a p̶r̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶f̶e̶r̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ public meltdown,” the release read. The rest of the statement fact-checked several false statements Trump made throughout the lengthy press conference. Harris also said that she's “looking forward” to debating Trump next month. “And we have a date of Sept. 10," she said in response to a question from NBC News. “I hear he’s finally committed to it, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Olympians Are Competing With Covid

After two pandemic-disrupted Games, most teams aren’t too worried about the virus

You’ve trained for years. You’ve given your all and now you’ve made it to the Olympics—no one’s letting Covid stop them now. Which explains why several athletes in Paris have been competing despite testing positive for the virus. And, it turns out, they’re still officially allowed to compete.

On Thursday, U.S. track and field Olympian Noah Lyles said in a post-race interview that he’d just tested positive. Dubbed the fastest man on the planet, he came in third place. “My first thought was not to panic, thinking I've been in worse situations,” he said. But, he admitted Covid was “taking its toll” and that he would not be competing further in this Olympics.

According to the New York Times, at least 40 athletes competing in the Games have already tested positive. A U.S. Olympic Committee representative told Axios it implemented an infection prevention program prior to the Games that includes encouraging athletes to wash their hands and wear face masks when indoors. They also said the committee helps with setting up their medication, providing them with a private room, transporting them and delivering their meals. “We will allow them to train and compete as long as they feel up to it.”

Designer Pet Perfume?

Sandalwood-scented spaniels might not be the best idea

I’m surprised it took us this long to get here: Luxury perfume. For pets. Dolce & Gabbana just debuted Fefé, a perfume for pooches inspired by designer Domenico Dolce’s dog. “It’s a tender and embracing fragrance crafted for a playful beauty routine,” the company said. But you might ask, are perfumes even safe for dogs?

Of course, the concept of scents for dogs isn’t new. Even standard pet supply stores have scents and deodorizing sprays for sale. Dolce’s entry into the field puts some high-fashion heft behind the idea. It also comes with a hefty price tag ($108) for a small green glass bottle with a red cap and a 24kt-gold-plated paw symbol on the front.

The fashion house swears it’s safe. Water is its first ingredient, and it pairs with a slew of fragrances and oils, including castor, citrus peel and cedar. But while the fragrance might not be toxic, dogs have powerful sniffers. Any overpowering odor has the ability to inhibit a canine’s acute sense of smell. “Dogs recognize themselves by smells, they recognize a person by a smell,” a Roman veterinarian told the Associated Press. Maybe save your money. If you want to provide your dog a perfume, let it roll around on the ground … that’s what they want.

A Weekend Pairing

‘Industry’ + a Dry Martini

Remember HBO’s seedy corporate melodrama Industry? It’s been about two years since the second season aired. But the series finally returns for a highly-anticipated third season on Sunday. Of course, if you barely remember a thing about where we left off, you’re likely suffering from what NPR calls hiatus brain. They can catch you up.

Put simply, the adrenaline rush of a financial drama picks up the pieces that were smashed at the end of the last season, with 20-somethings Yasmin, Harper and Robert all struggling to keep themselves psychologically afloat. The newest addition to what Vanity Fair calls the “Beautiful Fuckup Society” is Game of Thrones alum Kit Harington as Sir Henry Muck, the aristocratic founder of a green energy company that Pierpoint is taking public.

Keep at it.