An Ignoble Experiment: The 7: School shooting suspect’s father charged; why Parkinson’s may start in your gut; see-through mice; and more

By Jamie Ross
with John Taylor

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Good morning. It's Friday, Sept. 6, and if you're excited about leaf-peeping season, use this map to see peak fall colors in every state. Now let's get to the news.

The father of the Georgia school shooting suspect was charged with murder.

Colin Gray faces two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter and eight counts of cruelty to children. (Barrow County Sheriff's Office/Reuters)

What to know: Colin Gray, 54, is accused of allowing his 14-year-old son to possess an AR-15-style rifle. A relative said the teen suspect had been "begging" for mental health help.
The victims: Two teachers and two 14-year-old students were killed Wednesday at Apalachee High. A new school security system, installed about a week ago, saved many lives.

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Sen. JD Vance called school shootings a bleak "fact of life."

Yesterday: Donald Trump's running mate argued that stricter gun laws won't stop school shootings — even though such attacks are rare in other countries.
Other campaign news: Trump gave a confusing answer when asked about his child care plan. And Kamala Harris's campaign is delighting former president Jimmy Carter.
What else to know: Amazon's Alexa assistant went viral for an embarrassing election error.

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President Joe Biden's son Hunter pleaded guilty to nine federal tax charges.

Biden, in Los Angeles yesterday with wife Melissa Cohen-Biden and security agents, is accused of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes. (Jae C. Hong/AP)

Why? To avoid a second criminal trial that could have revealed traumatic details about his family. He faces up to 17 years in prison at his Dec. 16 sentencing.
Other legal news: YouTube took down several politics channels linked with allegations from the Justice Department that Russia paid right-wing U.S. influencers for content.

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Earth just had the hottest summer in recorded history.

The data: Global temperatures between June and August edged the record set last year, scientists said. The warmth peaked in July, which had the four hottest days ever recorded.
And the heat goes on: The western U.S. is suffering one of its most intense heat waves of the year. See the full severity of it in these five maps.

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Parkinson's disease may begin in the gut.

How we know: People with upper gastrointestinal conditions were far more likely to develop Parkinson's later in life, a new study found. It may help explain a surge in case numbers.
Some good health news: E-cigarette use among U.S. middle and high school students has declined nearly 70% since its peak in 2019, federal officials said yesterday.

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The NFL season kicked off last night.

What happened? The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs held on to beat the Baltimore Ravens, 27-20. The Ravens missed a late touchdown by a toe.
Up next: The Packers and Eagles play tonight in Brazil — the NFL's first regular season game in South America. And there are 13 games Sunday, including Texans vs. Colts.
What to watch this season: New kickoff rules, rookie quarterbacks and surprise teams trying to crash the playoffs.

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Scientists used a food dye found in Doritos to create see-through mice.

Scientists used a solution containing tartrazine, also known as yellow No. 5 food dye. (Matthew Christiansen/U.S. National Science Foundation)

Seriously? Yes. In experiments, they massaged a solution onto the stomachs, scalps and hind legs. Five minutes later, they had a temporary window into the mice's bodies.
They had a good reason: The discovery, announced yesterday, is major step in the long quest to see what's beneath the surface of our bodies without using a scalpel.

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Before you go … watch the U.S. Open singles finals this weekend: Both will feature Americans. In theaters: "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice" — a not-bad sequel sequel.

One more good read: Why there's a fight in D.C. about the future of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

From The Post archive: We're counting down to the Trump-Harris debate. But did you know that the first televised presidential debate was between two women?

One more quick note from John Taylor, editor of The 7: This weekend marks the third anniversary of The 7 morning briefing's launch. Happy birthday to us! We're thankful for all of our readers — especially those of you who've been around since Sept. 7, 2021. Want to help us celebrate? Forward this newsletter to a friend and tell them to sign up. (It's free!) Or, if you're not a Post subscriber, treat yourself: Our Labor Day sale is an amazing deal, and it's available for a few more days. Sign up here. And again — thanks for waking up with us each weekday morning.

And finally … end your week by playing On the Record, The Post's quotable quiz. The weekend version is 10 questions, and you can risk all your points on a final bonus question. Ready to play? Click here. Or try our word game, Keyword.

You're all caught up. See you Monday.