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All your news in a single email. We scour 100+ sources so you don't have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business, and more - all packaged in a 5-minute read below.
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McMaster Steps Down.
National security adviser HR McMaster announced his resignation yesterday, continuing the staff shakeup of top White House posts. McMaster, a Lieutenant General who held senior commands in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (see bio), had served in the position since February of last year, taking over for his embattled predecessor Michael Flynn. The national security adviser is not the head of any particular agency or department, but serves as the top in-house aide to the President on national security issues - and does not require Senate confirmation. Former UN Ambassador and foreign policy hawk John Bolton will take over the position on April 9th.
Estimates of Pacific Garbage Patch Grow.
An 80,000-ton collection of garbage, collectively known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, has four to sixteen times more garbage than previously thought, according to new analysis released yesterday. The new measurements put the size of the Patch at more than 1.8 trillion pieces of garbage spread across 1.6 million square kilometers - nearly three times the size of France. Researchers found the vast majority is comprised of large (over 5mm) plastics. The Patch sits halfway between Hawaii and California - marine debris is pulled into the center of four ocean currents that form a vortex, pulling trash into the middle (see video explanation here). Despite the popular myth, it isn't solid enough to stand on and can't be seen from space.
Almost half of the 80,000 tons is made up of discarded fishing gear.
Weekend Marches Planned Across US.
More than 800 student-led marches are planned across the US and internationally, protesting gun violence as part of the March for Our Lives on Saturday. The biggest planned march, in Washington DC, is expected to draw over 500,000 people. The protests - largely organized by high-school students - come one month after thousands of students marched at the Florida State Capitol following the shooting at a Parkland, FL, high school that killed 17. Student organizers raised over $4M for the DC march, including $500k donations from Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney.
18 to 29 year-olds have had much lower historical turnout rates than other US voters, at around 45% ( see data).
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Sports, Entertainment & Culture.
> Actor who portrayed Bozo the Clown dies at 89 ( More)
> Tom Lazarus, Toys 'R' Us founder, dies at 94 ( More)
> 3 of 4 higher seeds advance in first half of Men's Sweet Sixteen continuing upset-laden tournament, Kentucky and Gonzaga go down ( More)
Science & Technology.
> Study following 1,500 students shows publicly-funded pre-K program with family involvement requirements yields eventual 41% increase in number of Bachelor's degrees versus standard programs ( More)
> Most comprehensive study to date shows reduced caloric intake slows down metabolism, prolongs health in old age ( More)
> Scientists show being hungry activates neural pathway that temporarily reduces the feeling of chronic pain ( More)
Business & Markets.
> US stock markets fall ~2.5% on China tariff news ( More)
> Online data storage biz Dropbox prices IPO above range at $21/share or ~$9.2B valuation - to start trading on Nasdaq today ( More)
> Casino mogul Steve Wynn sells all remaining 8M shares in namesake casino ( More)
Politics & World Affairs.
> Lead lawyer on Russia probe for President Trump resigns amid staff shakeups ( More)
> White House sets consultation period before imposing up to $60B in tariffs on Chinese imports of over 1,300 products ( More)
> Hundreds of protesters march in Sacramento over Sunday shooting of unarmed black man in grandmother's backyard ( More) | Helicopter and body camera footage released ( More)
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The Refugee Detectives.
The Atlantic | Author. Inside Germany's operation to separate those fleeing death and destruction from opportunists and terrorists. (Read)
When an Algorithm Cuts Your Healthcare.
The Verge | Colin Lecher. An emerging issue in the shift towards big data-driven healthcare is how to respond when the prescribed coverage spit out by the computer seems inhumane. (Read)
Using Commuter Patterns for Electoral Maps.
CityLab | Garrett Dash Nelson. It's definitely a novel idea - base congressional districts on commuter networks, capturing the impact people make not just where they live, but where they work as well. (Read)
Photos That Make You Face Hard Truths.
New York Times | Staff. A selection from the work of five freelance photographers on assignment for the NYT, now on exhibit at Sotheby's in London. (Read, paywall)
#FreeMeekMill.
Rolling Stone | Paul Solotaroff. An exclusive interview with the jailed rapper - whose history of well-documented legal troubles are intertwined with an FBI investigation into the judge who sentenced him - and why the hip-hop community has rallied around his cause. (Read)
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The literal translation of every Country's name in one map.
An emergency helpline for overwhelmed toddlers (via McSweeney's).
Clickbait: Tiny mummy alien found in Chilean desert turns out to be a human embryo with genetic defects.
Historybook: Patrick Henry delivers ‘Give me liberty, or give me death!’ speech (1775); HBD Roger Bannister (1929); Adolf Hitler becomes dictator of Germany (1933); RIP Elizabeth Taylor (2011).
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"There is no deodorant like success."
- Elizabeth Taylor
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