3.28.2018

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Besinek v. Lamone.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments today in a pivotal case that could significantly alter the future of US elections by limiting the ability of states to gerrymander congressional districts. The case, Besinek v. Lamone, considers whether the Democrat-controlled Maryland government violated voters first amendment rights by redrawing congressional districts ahead of the 2012 elections in a way that made one district virtually unwinnable for Republicans. The move allegedly added a net gain of 90,000 registered Democrats to the state's 6th district, where only 230,000 total voters usually cast ballots for midterm elections. While the case focuses on Maryland, it's also a proxy for the Court's willingness to intervene in states' determination of political boundaries - even when the motivations are clearly partisan. In the case of Maryland, former Governor Martin O'Malley admitted that the redistricting was politically motivated. A ruling on the case is expected later in the year.

New Human Organ Identified.
Scientists say they have found a new organ that, among other things, may have implications for understanding how cancer spreads throughout the body. The organ, called the interstitium, lies just below the skin (which is the body's largest organ) and is a patchwork of interconnected, fluid-filled compartments, anatomically distinct from the rest of the body. Scientists believe the interstitium may act as a shock absorber to keep tissues from tearing during day-to-day functioning. The organ went unnoticed for so long due to the way researchers examine tissue samples, which are thinly sliced and treated with chemicals. Because the fluid was accidentally drained from the interstitium in the process, scientists thought they were looking at dense connective tissue. Scientists think the fluid-filled compartments - which drain into the lymphatic system - may explain why cancer cells that invade the layer are able to easily spread to the lymph nodes. 

Alton Sterling.
Louisiana officials will not pursue criminal charges against two white police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, LA, in July 2016. Sterling - whose death was one in a string of police shootings that spurred the Black Lives Matter movement - was shot and killed by police as they attempted to detain him outside a convenience store while responding to a disturbance call. Cell phone videos from the scene (content warning) show Sterling pinned by police - officers say Sterling was reaching for what they thought was a gun (the dispatch call indicated a firearm was present). Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry said the video could neither prove or disprove the claim. Not yet public footage from body cameras and surveillance video will be released after the disciplinary process concludes, as early as the end of this week. 

In separate news, the California attorney general will join an investigation into the shooting of an unarmed Sacramento man last week. 
 

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Check out the For The Interested newsletter for a weekly collection of simple ideas to help you become better at your work, art, and life. The most recent issue includes 43 Things To Make Life Easier, 47 Netflix Documentaries to Make You Smarter, a breakdown of How To Worry Less, and more.

HBO promotes season 5 of Silicon Valley by drone delivering pizza in exchange for retweets (w/ video). 

Archaeologists think they've found the remains of famous Chinese warlord Cao Cao.

...And museum finds 2500-year-old mummy in sarcophagus marked empty.

Beautiful photos of sandstorms from around the world. 

Police are opening iPhones with dead people's fingerprints. 

What a flying bald eagle looks like in slow motion. 

Asia's 50 best restaurants for 2018. 

Blind mountain lion wanders into neighborhood, has staring contest with resident. 

The mysterious Instagram account that only follows men named Paul Williams.

Clickbait: Louisiana family uses alligator for baby gender reveal. 

Historybook: RIP Virginia Woolf (1941); RIP Jim Thorpe (1953); RIP W.C. Handy (1958); RIP Dwight D. Eisenhower (1969); HBD Lady Gaga (1986).
 

"If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people."
- Virginia Woolf
 

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