Good morning. It's Friday, April 16, and we're covering a mass shooting in Indianapolis, monkey-human embryos, and more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Indianapolis Mass Shooting 

At least eight people were killed and a number of others injured after a gunman opened fire at an Indianapolis FedEx facility overnight. Police have not identified the gunman, who reportedly died by suicide at a nearby location, or a motive as of this writing. It was unclear whether the shooter was an employee at the facility, located near the city's airport. More details are expected throughout today. 

Separately, protests were sparked last night in Chicago after officials released body camera footage of the police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo, who was killed after running from officers in the city's Little Village neighborhood March 29.

Conflicting accounts differ on when the teen, who was armed when initially encountered, discarded his weapon. Preliminary reports suggest he may have been holding, or simultaneously trying to discard, the gun as he raised his hands after being stopped. The incident happened quickly—less than one second elapsed between Toledo being ordered to turn around and shots being fired. Officials are investigating the shooting. 

Editor's note: Many readers have questioned the need to show video of violent incidents. While there is no objectively right answer, we believe that video often captures and conveys the context of an incident better than words ever can—so we try and be judicious with the use of such footage. That said, the body camera footage in this case contains sensitive and graphic content—including the death of a young teenager. Please be warned before viewing; you can find the footage here.

Jobless Claims Fall

An estimated 576,000 Americans filed initial unemployment claims last week, down nearly 200,000 claims from the previous week. It is the lowest the figure has fallen since before the pandemic, though claims still remain historically high—initial claims average about 200,000 to 250,000 per week under normal circumstances (see data).

The number of people claiming benefits under all programs, including those extended under recent economic stimulus packages, sits at 16.9 million, down 1.3 million from the previous week. The falling claims follow earlier positive economic data showing 916,000 jobs added in March—the most since August—and an unemployment rate of 6%, down from a pandemic peak of 14.8%. Retail spending jumped 9.8% in March, buoyed by $1,400 stimulus checks. 

Meanwhile, more than 48% of the US population has received at least one vaccine dose, with the US continuing to lead the globe in total doses administered at almost 195 million (Israel leads per capita). See how your state is doing here.

The country has reported 565,289 total COVID-19 deaths, with the daily average near 730. Daily deaths continue to decline despite a rise in new cases, which now average more than 71,000 per day—a rise of about 25% over the past four weeks. Explore the data here.

Monkey-Human Embryos 

Monkey embryos containing human cells have been successfully grown for the first time, an international collaboration of researchers revealed yesterday. To achieve the feat, monkey embryos were injected with a type of human stem cell capable of evolving into a wide range of different cells with specialized functions. Researchers then watched as the primate and human stem cells evolved side by side. At least three of the specimens lived to 19 days after fertilization. 

Known as chimeras, scientists say hybrid embryos help illuminate early stages of fetal development and may eventually be used to grow organs for human transplant. While the group has achieved similar results with rat- and pig-human chimeras, the use of primates raises a fresh round of ethical questions. 

Living, breathing human-animal hybrids have never been created—the three long-lasting embryos were between 3% and 7% human cells. 

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> BBC lines up five hours of coverage for Prince Philip's funeral (Saturday, 12:30 pm ET) despite public complaints (More) | See full list of attendees for the intimate 30-person ceremony (More)

> Power couple Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez announce breakup after two-year engagement (More) | Fyre Festival organizers settle class-action lawsuit with 277 attendees for $7,220 apiece (More) | Inside look at 2017’s infamous Fyre Festival concert that never occurred (More)

> Michael Jordan to present late Kobe Bryant at Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony (May 15) (More) | University of Texas center Charli Collier selected No. 1 by the Dallas Wings at 2021 WNBA Draft (More)

Science & Technology

> US health officials preparing for the possibility that a third COVID-19 booster shot will be needed nine to 12 months after first vaccination (More) | Everything you need to know about coronavirus variants (Watch)

> Roughly 2.5 billion T. rexes roamed the Earth throughout history, or 20,000 at any one point in time, study finds; calculation is the first to estimate the total population of a long-extinct species (More)

> First-of-its-kind study finds psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, reduced symptoms of clinical depression as much as a common prescription antidepressant (More)

Business & Markets

Brought to you by The Ascent

> US stock markets surge (S&P 500 +1.1%, Dow +0.9%, Nasdaq +1.3%), as S&P 500 and Dow hit fresh record highs as Dow passes 34,000 (More)

> US House Judiciary Committee approves tech antitrust report accusing Big Tech companies of anticompetitive practices; vote was split along party lines (More)

> Outgoing Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos pens final annual shareholder letter, laying out vision for future of Amazon (More)

From our partners: How many credit cards are in your wallet? Make your answer "one." The Ascent's credit card expert personally signed up for this card because of its perfect mix of benefits. Up to 5% cash back, a big bonus, no annual fee, the list goes on.

Politics & World Affairs

> Derek Chauvin won't testify, invoking the Fifth Amendment, as defense rests case; closing arguments scheduled for Monday (More) | Former police officer Kim Potter, charged in the shooting of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, makes first court appearance (More)   

> Republicans prepare counteroffer to Biden administration's $2T infrastructure proposal, rumored to cost around $600B-$800B; package would narrow the focus to physical infrastructure like roads, bridges, and ports (More)

> JD Vance—former Marine, venture capitalist, and author of "Hillbilly Elegy"—tells associates he plans to run to replace retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R) (More)

IN-DEPTH

'Was it Worth It?'

NYT | Timothy Kudo. (Op-ed) A former Marine captain and veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars grapples with the legacy of a conflict without a clear victory. (Read)

The Golden Ticket

Newcomer | Eric Newcomer. How two early investors struck crypto gold with Coinbase, which pulled off an explosive initial public offering this week. (Read)

Fear, Confidence, and Space

TED | Megan McArthur. The NASA astronaut, set to join SpaceX's Crew-2 mission next week, on cultivating the resolve to do incredible things, even in the face of fear. (Watch)

Three Days of Terror

Sky News | Alex Crawford. Hundreds of ISIS-linked militants stormed and captured the Mozambique town of Palma, taking control for three days before being expelled. (Read)

TALK ABOUT FLAVORS

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ETCETERA

Google Earth's new feature reveals the human impact on the planet.

Comparing the Titanic to a modern cruise ship.

They're coming: Fourteen fun facts about cicadas.

The moving winners of the 2021 World Press Photo winners.

New Zealand's colorful coffins.

Hackers attack a casino via fish tank thermometer. 

Buddy the Beefalo has been apprehended. 

RIP logoed Patagonia vests—how will finance bros identify each other now?

Clickbait: The best worst Zoom fail was an honest mistake.

Historybook: Actor Charlie Chaplin born (1889); Harriet Quimby is first woman to fly across English Channel (1912); HBD Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1947); Singer-songwriter Selena Quintanilla-Pérez born (1971); 32 die, 17 injured in Virginia Tech mass shooting (2007).

"The good and the great are only separated by the willingness to sacrifice."

- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

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