Good morning, it's Friday, March 19. We've got our brackets filled out and are settling in for a long weekend of March Madness. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

EU OKs AstraZeneca Shot

European Union health regulators concluded yesterday a COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford does not increase the overall risk of blood clots, a concern that had caused more than a dozen countries in the bloc to temporarily suspend its use. As of yesterday, Italy, Germany, France, and Spain said they would resume use of the drug.

A company analysis found 37 cases across the EU and United Kingdom of significant clotting issues (15 cases of deep vein thrombosis, 22 cases of pulmonary embolism) out of more than 17 million people inoculated. Health officials said the rate is actually lower than what would be expected in the general population.

Still, the agency said it could not definitively rule out a link to rare forms of blood clotting. A German analysis found seven cases of cerebral vein thrombosis—when a clot prevents blood drainage from the brain—out of 1.6 million people who received the AstraZeneca shot in the country. Population-wide rates of the disease are estimated between 2 million and 15 million per year. 

Four shots are approved in the EU—Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca. The AstraZeneca vaccine is not yet approved in the US, though President Joe Biden said yesterday the US would share 4 million doses of the drug with Canada and Mexico. 

More than 75 million people in the US have received at least one vaccine shot, with the country averaging about 2.5 million doses per day. As of this morning, 539,698 total COVID-19 deaths had been reported, with a rolling seven-day average of just over 1,200 deaths per day. New cases have plateaued around 55,000 new cases per day. Explore the data here.

In Washington, DC, former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra was confirmed 50-49 by the Senate to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. 

The Cicadas Cometh

A dozen states across the US are preparing for a natural (and noisy) spectacle over the coming weeks, as the Great Eastern Brood of cicadas emerges from a 17-year-stint underground to eat, mate, and enjoy the final month of their life. Also known as Brood X, the phenomenon is one of 15 separate broods, each distributed geographically with its own 17- or 13-year cycles. Billions of the bugs are expected to emerge through the spring; see where here.

Though synchronized, the brood won't appear at once—at any location, their emergence is triggered when soil temperatures reach 64 degrees. After molting (time-lapse video), males spend the next few weeks emitting a high-pitch song in unison to attract females. Eggs are laid on branches and twigs, with the larvae immediately burrowing into the ground upon hatching.

If you're feeling hungry, here are some recipes to put the little land shrimps to good use.

A Dry Spring

Nearly the entire western half of the US is expected to see continued drought conditions this spring, according to a new forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration yesterday. The weather exacerbates existing dry conditions and will affect an estimated 74 million people across an area stretching from Texas to North Dakota and over to California. The exception is the Pacific Northwest, which can expect typical seasonal weather.  

The impact will be most felt in the Southwest and parts of California (see drought monitor), which already face severe conditions and are believed to be in the grips of a "megadrought." Fueled by a long-lasting La Niña weather pattern (see 101), weak summer rains, and longer-term climate change effects, the region has become increasingly dry for the past two decades. 

Separately, more than two dozen tornadoes were reported as storms moved across the Deep South, destroying dozens of homes and leaving thousands without power (see photos).

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EAT SMARTER—STOP GUESSING

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> UCLA, Drake, Texas Southern, and Norfolk State all advance in Men’s First Four round (More) | See updated Men’s tournament bracket (More) | Women’s NCAA basketball tournament kicks off Sunday from Texas; see full preview and game picks (More)

> Actor Armie Hammer being investigated by LAPD following 2017 rape accusation; the allegation is latest in a series of sexual misconduct accusations against Hammer (More)

> NFL announces wide-ranging TV deals with ESPN/ABC, Fox, CBS, NBC, and Amazon through 2033 season; Amazon to receive exclusive streaming rights to Thursday Night Football (More)

Science & Technology

> NASA's InSight Martian probe makes first-ever direct measurement of the size of Mars' core at roughly 2,300 miles in diameter (More) | Former US senator and astronaut, Bill Nelson, nominated to lead NASA (More) | NASA makes successful ground test of its flagship Space Launch System rocket (More)

> Analysis suggests small leaks in the blood-brain barrier may be related to age-related memory loss; study helps differentiate between natural memory loss and age-related dementia (More)

> Facebook unveils prototype wristbands that read electrical signals from the brain to interpret hand and finger motion; technology would be paired with its augmented reality glasses (More)

Business & Markets

Brought to you by The Ascent

> US stock markets slide (S&P 500 -1.5%, Dow -0.5%, Nasdaq -3.0%) as bond yields rise and weekly US jobless claims unexpectedly increase to 775,000 (More)

> Google to invest $7B in offices and data centers in 2021, plans to create 10,000 new jobs (More)

> Insurance giant Chubb offers to acquire rival Hartford Financial Services Group for $23B (More)

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Politics & World Affairs

> FBI releases a number of new videos from Jan. 6 Capitol assault; says more than 300 suspects have been arrested (More) | Watch videos here (More)

> House passes pair of scaled-back immigration bills that would offer pathway to citizenship to roughly 3 million undocumented immigrants; bills face uncertain future in the Senate (More)

> Thousands protest in US cities over hate crimes against Asian Americans following Atlanta shootings at three Asian American-run spas (More) | Shooter says attack wasn't racially targeted, police still investigating motive (More) 

IN-DEPTH

Can Clubhouse Keep Rising?

Wired | Steven Levy. The invite-only social audio app has seen a spectacular rise during the pandemic, but must now grapple with moderation issues and keeping users' attention. (Read, $$)

'A Snapshot of What's to Come'

National Geographic | Dina Fine Maron. The illicit wildlife trade—like rhino horns and pangolin scales used in traditional medicine—plummeted during the pandemic, but analysts worry a boom is on the horizon. (Read)

The Hyperactive Hive Mind

The Ezra Klein Show | Ezra Klein. (Podcast) Computer scientist Cal Newport argues email and its hypercharged cousin, Slack, have not only made us less productive, but absolutely miserable. (Apple, Spotify, NYT)

What Sank the USS Thresher?

Popular Mechanics | Kyle Mizokami. Of the most advanced nuclear subs of its time, newly declassified documents shed light on the 1963 disaster that claimed 129 lives. (Read)

DISCOVER TOP FOOD MATCHES

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Take control of your diet and learn all about your body's unique response to nutrient intake, alcohol and coffee metabolism, gluten and lactose sensitivity, and so much more. Get started on your GenoPalate journey today.

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ETCETERA

Download and print men's and women's NCAA tournament brackets.

Astronomers capture photos of the cosmic web.

Giant manta ray photobombs a surfer.

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A Twitter thread analyzing jokes from five-year-olds. 

A prehistoric winged eagle shark used to roam Mexico's waters. 

Thai dogs detect COVID-19 with 94% accuracy. 

A word for what most of us have felt over the past year.

The world's most dangerous cheese.

Clickbait: When you legally change your name for sushi.

Historybook: American novelist Philip Roth born (1933); HBD Glenn Close (1947); HBD Bruce Willis (1955); Texas Western, now known as UTEP, is first basketball team to win NCAA Championship with all-Black starting lineup (1966); Iraq War begins (2003).

"All that we don't know is astonishing. Even more astonishing is what passes for knowing."

- Philip Roth

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