Oil and gas companies are not acting in line with climate goals, Americans’ incomes remained flat in 2018, this week was the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

These, and more, are the newsworthy stories from this past week.

Science and Environment

• A NASA project that mixed cement on the International Space Station found that the space cement has a uniform density while Earth-based cement has a more layered structure due to gravity-based sedimentation.
  
  This uniform density makes the cement stronger. But this strength may be counter-balanced by the development of large air pockets in space cement, making it more porous than the Earth-mixed counterpart. This increased porosity makes the cement weaker.
  
  From ZME Science

• Fossil fuel extraction and use in the Arctic is changing the local chemistry and leading to a buildup in pollutants.
  
  From ZME Science

• A report found that none of the largest listed oil and gas companies are acting in line with climate goals. If governments take a tougher stance on carbon emissions, as is required to significantly curb climate change, the companies risk losing 2.2 trillion dollars.
  
  To this date, fossil fuels are aggressively funding lobby, public discourse, and even some scientists, for the purpose of spreading doubts about climate change and reduce environmental regulation.
  
  From ZME Science

Health and Society

• Researchers have found the earliest evidence of milk consumption ever observed in the teeth of prehistoric British farmers.
  
  The team identified a milk protein called beta lactoglobulin (BLG) in the mineralized dental plaque of seven individuals who lived around 6,000 years ago. The findings will help improve our understanding of when humans developed lactose persistence (LP), the ability to digest lactose in milk.
  
  From ZME Science

• A recent Yale study has discovered that high-fat diets contribute to irregularities in the hypothalamus region of the brain, which regulates body weight homeostasis and metabolism.
  
  From Neuroscience News

• Turkish engineers at the Young Guru Academy developed a smart cane that uses ultrasonic sensors which relay warnings of nearby obstacles through vibrations in the handle.
  
  The cane can be paired via Bluetooth with the WeWALK app on a smartphone to offer navigation instructions. The cane comes with native integration for Voice Assistant and Google Maps.
  
  From ZME Science

• This Wednesday, at 8:46 a.m. ET, was the 18th anniversary of 9/11.

Business and Economics

• Apple set monthly prices for its TV+ video-streaming service and Arcade videogame service at $4.99, largely undercutting rivals. TV+ launches in November and will come free for a year with the purchase of a new device, while Arcade is available Sept. 19.
  
  From The Wall Street Journal

• Americans’ incomes remained essentially flat in 2018 after three straight years of growth.
  
  From The Wall Street Journal

• American consumers have seen the interest rates they’re paid on savings accounts, bonds and CDs tumble this year, and central banks have set negative rates in Japan and the eurozone.
  
  Negative interest rates mean depositors pay to save money in bank accounts.
  
  The Federal Reserve is gearing up to cut interest rates for the second time this year when it meets later this month, and banks are already cutting rates on savings accounts.
  
  The low-to-negative interest rate environment poses a major problem for people looking to save for retirement.
  
  From Axios

• The top 15 richest Americans could have seen their net worth decline by more than half — hundreds of billions of dollars — had Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax plan been in place since 1982.
  
  The figures don’t take into account any steps billionaires might have taken to reduce their exposure to the tax, including saving less or giving more money away.
  
  From Bloomberg

Government and Politics

• President Trump said the U.S. plans to pull most vaping products from the market, citing growing concerns about health hazards and rising use by teenagers of the alternative to cigarettes.
  
  The Food and Drug Administration intends to ban popular fruity flavors, as well as menthol and mint e-cigarettes, from stores and online sellers, leaving just tobacco-flavored products.
  
  From The Wall Street Journal

• Outside observers will not be allowed without permission inside “tent courts” in South Texas where the Trump administration is processing thousands of migrants forced to wait in Mexico.
  
  From AP

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would annex a huge swath of the West Bank along the border with Jordan if he stays in power after next week’s election, in a last-minute push on Tuesday to draw more conservative votes.
  
  From The Wall Street Journal