2.7.2018

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.
 

SpaceX Success (With Style).
As we previewed, SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon Heavy cargo ship yesterday, making it the most powerful rocket in operation. The ship is able to lift more payload than any rocket since NASA's Saturn 5 - the model that was used for the Apollo moon missions - but at roughly 2/3rds the size and 10% of the cost per launch, at $90M compared to $1.16B (though the Saturn V was one of the first and was retired in 1973). The launch was delivered in typical Elon Musk style, with the payload being a Tesla Roadster equipped with a crash dummy and a camera - you can catch a live stream from the dummy as it floats around in Low Earth Orbit (it's pretty amazing). While the payload was delivered into orbit, the core booster was not recovered - which is intended to be reused - missing its target by about 100 meters and falling into the ocean. 

Markets Swing, Recover From Monday.
The US stock markets dominated the headlines for the third day in a row, swinging wildly before closing up about 2%. The rebound comes one day after markets dropped over 4%, the biggest single-day sell-off in over six years. The Dow Jones Industrials average saw a nearly 1,110 point swing from its lowest low to its high, finishing up 567 (2.33%), while the S&P500 finished up 46 points (1.46%) and the NASDAQ up 0.25 points (0.32%). Analysts - while expecting increased volatility in the coming weeks - say the market is finding its bottom after a red-hot January that saw markets rise almost 7% in the first month of 2018. 

Germany Close to Ending Political Limbo.
German officials reportedly reached a deal to form a coalition government between Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and the country's main center-left party. The deal would be a big step in ending four months of political limbo since Germany's elections in late September - it is the longest the country has gone without swearing in a new government since World War II. Unlike the US, voters don't choose the head of their executive branch directly - instead, voters choose a party, and the party with the most votes forms coalitions with smaller groups to collect over 50% of the parliament (German politics 101). In the September 24th elections, Merkel's Christian Democratic alliance gained 33% of the vote, followed by the Social Democrats (21%) and the nationalist far-right Alternative for Germany (13%). Once a deal is reached, it will need to be voted on by the 464,000 registered Social Democrats before being finalized. It would be Merkel's 4th term as chancellor. 
 

> LA Times reportedly in talks to be sold for $500M to billionaire doctor (More)
> Josh McDaniels spurns offer to be Head Coach of Indianapolis Colts; will remain with Patriots (More)
> College football's National Signing Day today; predictions for top 11 recruits (More) | ESPN's Top 300 High School players (More)
 

> Ozone thinning out near equator, chemicals and changing air circulation patterns (More)
> First-ever count of viruses floating around in upper atmosphere is a stunning 800M per square meter, may help explain random outbreaks (More)
> Charter to roll out gigabyte broadband by end of 2018, 10-15x faster than average (More) | See average speeds by city and provider (More)
 

> Casino Mogul Steve Wynn resigns as CEO of Wynn Casinos following sexual harassment allegations (More)
> SEC & Commodity Futures Chairs meet with Senate to discuss cryptocurrencies (More) | Bitcoin & cryptocurrency prices surge ~25% (More)
> Earnings Season: GM stock up 5% after beating estimates (More) | "Avatar Land" helps Disney beat profits (More) |  Snap (Snacpchat) revenue surges, stock up ~25% (More) 
 

> Political crisis hits Maldives as President Abdulla Yameen sends troops into Supreme Court, asks for Indian intervention (More)
> Senate on verge of two-year budget deal that would include avoiding another federal shutdown, deadline is Thursday at midnight (More) |  Budget vs spending bills explained (More)
> 6 dead, 88 missing after 6.4 magnitude quake off Taiwan's coast (More)

Los Angeles is the most congested city in the developed world, according to new study. 

5 quick facts on crime and public perception in the US (data via Pew).

Check out the top philanthropists of 2017.  

Here's why babies don't smile from birth.  

Ugh Millennials: Are pretty good savers, despite having low median incomes.

For the second time in less than a month, it snowed in the Sahara.  

Kylie Jenner reveals photo and name of new baby.  

Coffee's for Closers: Girl Scout sells 300 boxes of cookies outside a marijuana dispensary.

Performers at the immersive theater production “Sleep No More” say audience members have sexually assaulted them. 

Clickbait: Woman wins $560M in lottery, but refuses to make her name public, preventing her from collecting. 

Historybook: HBD Charles Dickens (1912); All Cuban imports and exports banned in US (1962); HBD Garth Brooks (1962); ‘Beatlemania’ arrives in America (1964).

"A DAY WASTED ON OTHERS IS NOT WASTED ON ONE'S SELF."
- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
 

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 hello@Join1440.com.

Check out past editions here.