2.26.2020

Need to Know
 ;
Democratic Debate Gets Feisty
Candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination took the stage last night, with most taking aim at frontrunner Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) during a tense and chippy debate. Sanders entered the night having won two of the first three nominating contests while narrowing Joe Biden's lead in South Carolina polls ahead of the state's Saturday primaries. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) also renewed her charge against billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg over prolific ad spending ($460M so far) and allegations of poor treatment of women in the workplace. Observers said Biden had his best performance to date, hitting Sanders on gun control and renewing claims that Sanders considered a primary bid against then-President Obama in 2012. South Carolina is considered a must-win for Biden ahead of next week's Super Tuesday showdown; he currently leads by about 8 points in state polls.

Watch key moments from last night's debate here.
'The Disruption ... Might be Severe'
Americans should begin preparing for the possibility of coronavirus outbreaks at the community level, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday. The carefully worded statement comes despite only about 50 confirmed cases in the US, all of which can be linked to travels to China or are patients who contracted the virus overseas and were repatriated. However, a spike in illnesses outside of China (real-time map) has stoked fears that global travelers returning to the US will accelerate the spread of the virus too quickly for health officials to trace. More than 95% of the 80,400 cases have occurred in mainland China, but cases have spiked over the past week in places like South Korea (almost 1,000 cases), Italy (320), and Iran (100). Markets plunged almost 3% for the second day in a row on the news.  

Officials from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo said a decision on any changes due to the outbreak is still months away.
Hosni Mubarak Dies
Former Egyptian autocrat Hosni Mubarak died at age 91, officials reported yesterday. Holding near-complete control over Egypt for 30 years, Mubarak's autocratic regime maintained a complicated relationship with Western countries as it cracked down on Islamist insurgencies while becoming known for political oppression, restrictions on free speech, and other human rights abuses. Succeeding former president Anwar Sadat following Sadat's 1981 assassination - a stunning incident in its own right - Mubarak eventually undertook economic reforms that liberalized the country's economy but created significant income inequality. Combined with public anger over government corruption, he succumbed to mass protests in 2011, becoming the most prominent figure to fall during the Arab Spring. Mubarak spent the following six years fighting a variety of criminal charges before ultimately being convicted on a single minor charge and released in 2017. 
Enjoy reading? Forward this email or click here to share 1440.
Eliminate credit card interest until 2021.
 ;

Credit cards are a great way to earn cash back, but using them to pay down a transferred existing balance with 0% intro APR is one of the best things you can do to help your credit score, and personal finance game. And when you mix the two of them together? That’s what we call a game changer.

Not only does this card offer 0% intro APR for over a year, cardholders can also earn up to an industry-crushing 5% bonus cash back, all with no annual fee. This is potentially the best card since the 50 bucks grandma would slip you in your birthday card.

So whether you’d like to avoid paying interest until 2021 by transferring your existing credit card balance, or you’d like to secure the highest cash back rate we’ve found, check this out. You can submit an application and get a decision in under two minutes.
 
Please support our sponsors - they help us keep the lights on!
In the Know
 ;
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Investigation finds that famed opera singer Plácido Domingo engaged in inappropriate activity with more than 20 women; Domingo issues written apology (More)
> Michelle Janavs, heiress to Hot Pockets fortune, sentenced to five months in prison and becomes 15th parent sentenced in wide-ranging college admissions scandal (More)
> Leonardo da Vinci exhibit with nearly 120 works sets all-time Louvre record with 1.1 million visitors; the show marked the 500th anniversary of da Vinci’s death (More)
Science & Technology
> Scientists demonstrate conversion of hydrocarbon molecules typically found in fossil fuels into diamond using high-powered laser pulses (More)
> Analysts predict Apple will rollout computers using chips made in-house by next year; company products have long-relied on processors made by Intel (More)
> Discovery of ancient stone tools suggests humans survived supervolcano eruption in India 74,000 years ago; the blast was the largest in 2 million years and is believed to have ushered in a period of global cooling (More)
Business & Markets
> Disney CEO Bob Iger to step down, shares fall 2% after hours (More) | Co-CEO of cloud-based software giant Salesforce to step down; founder Marc Benioff will serve as sole CEO (More)
> Amazon opens first Amazon Go cashierless grocery store in Seattle (More) | Take a peek inside the store via a video tour (More)
> Asian super-app Grab, which provides range of services including transit, food delivery, and managing finances, raises $856M at reported $14B valuation (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> South Philadelphia to open country's first supervised injection facility, allowing people to inject illegal drugs in effort to avoid opioid overdoses (More)
> At least 13 killed in clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups over India's citizenship law; critics say law unfairly grants amnesty to non-Muslims from nearby countries (More)
> Massive East African locust swarm moves into the Democratic Republic of the Congo as United Nations warns of threat to food chains; country hasn't seen a locust swarm for 75 years (More)
More options from The Ascent.
 ;
The Ascent is the friend who always does way too much research before committing to the best option. If you liked what you read above, well, hold on tight. 
> This card has an even longer 0% intro APR, with no annual fee to boot. If you’re looking to erase credit card interest until mid-2021, here you go.
> Not done yet. Here’s the only five star balance transfer card we’ve rated. Not only does it offer 0% APR for 18 months, but it also offers serious cash back rewards.
 
Please support our sponsors - they help us keep the lights on!
Etcetera
 ;
Why people love the idea of 20-minute neighborhoods.
Frightening animation compares the size of New York City to known asteroids.
Ranking America's 25 best national parks. (via Thrillist)

From our partners: Feel secure in minutes and increase your company's productivity. This cloud-based solution delivers Apple management and security with just a few minutes of setup across your business. Learn more here. #Ad
Take a peek inside the prenups of Silicon Valley.
Sulky newborn stares down delivery doctors
Rangers in Central Park race to save a duck stuck in plastic.
Trail runner rescued after crawling for 10 hours in sub-freezing temperatures.
Get ready for "The Bachelor" - but with seniors.
Clickbait: Turkish farmer uncovers a clue linked to King Midas
Historybook: Levi Strauss born (1829); Grand Canyon National Park established (1919); Johnny Cash born (1932); HBD musician Erykah Badu (1971); World Trade Center bombing kills six, injures more than 1,000 (1993).
Enjoy reading? Forward this email to a friend.
 ;
"Success is having to worry about every damn thing in the world, except money."
- Johnny Cash
Why 1440? The printing press was invented in the year 1440, spreading knowledge to the masses. Guess what else? There are 1,440 minutes in a day. Spend your first five with us and never miss out on the conversation. Drop us a line and let us know how we're doing at [email protected].
www.Join1440.com

Join a community of over 4 million intellectually curious individuals.

100% free. Unsubscribe anytime.

Don't miss out on the daily email read by over 4 million intellectually curious readers.