Good morning. It's Friday, April 23, and NASA's Perseverance rover has notched another unprecedented achievement. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Vaccine Tipping Point

The US passed more than 200 million vaccine doses this week, meeting President Joe Biden's pledge to reach the goal within his first 100 days in office. As of this morning, more than 52% of US adults have been vaccinated (along with 80% of seniors), with the country averaging 3 million shots administered per day. See how your state is doing here. 

Despite the progress, experts worry the US may be close to a tipping point where vaccine supply outpaces demand. Recent surveys suggest 62% of Americans have either gotten or plan to get vaccinated, with another 17% planning to "wait and see." At the current pace of vaccinations, the primary demand for vaccines may be satisfied by mid to late May. See an in-depth breakdown of vaccine intention by various demographics here.

New daily cases have dropped by about 10% over the past week (see data), but have averaged above 60,000 per day for the past month. Despite elevated cases, deaths continued to decrease slightly over the same timeframe, now averaging just under 700 deaths per day. Experts say this decoupling of deaths from case rates is due to vaccine uptake and the high rate of inoculation among seniors, the most vulnerable demographic.  

Separately, read why health officials believe herd immunity in the US is increasingly unlikely. 

Oxygen on Mars

NASA's Perseverance rover notched another Martian milestone this week, successfully producing oxygen from the planet's atmosphere. The feat marks a necessary first step toward the human exploration of Mars, with the goal of avoiding having to transport sufficient oxygen from Earth for astronauts to breathe while carrying out an extended mission. Oxygen is also a key component of rocket fuel, raising the possibility of future refueling stations on the planet. 

The atmosphere on Mars is almost entirely carbon dioxide (95%), with trace amounts of oxygen and other gases. Perseverance's toaster-sized unit separates oxygen atoms from the carbon dioxide, while releasing carbon monoxide (technical overview). Roughly 5 grams of the gas were produced during the demonstration, about enough for an astronaut to breathe for 10 minutes.  

The achievement also suggests the future possibility of long-term human settlement on the planet—something at least one group has already produced designs for.

Subway Bomber Sentenced

A man convicted of attempting a suicide bombing in one of New York City's busiest subway complexes was sentenced to life in prison yesterday. Akayed Ullah, 31,  detonated a pipe bomb in the tunnel running from the city's Port Authority terminal to Times Square during morning rush hour in December 2017.

Only four people were injured in the attack after the homemade device malfunctioned, badly burning Ullah but failing to produce shrapnel, typically the deadliest component of such bombs. Officials later determined Ullah had been radicalized online, pledging the lone wolf attack to ISIS. Federal Judge Richard Sullivan said despite Ullah's failure in the attack he was not less culpable. 

See surveillance footage from the attempted bombing here (warning: sensitive content).

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HOW MUCH?

Guess how much is spent annually on treatment for osteoarthritis (the most common form of arthritis).

Whatever you thought it was, guess again. The answer is a whopping $180B, and—with US incidence of osteoarthritis expected to reach 25% by 2030—that number doesn't seem likely to decrease anytime soon. But, unfortunately, Big Pharma has been unable to-date to find a solution addressing the multiple complex molecular mechanism driving osteoarthritis. Most treatments just address symptoms, but Cytonics’ innovation lies with a comprehensive approach at the root cause. Cytonics has developed a genetically engineered protein to attack the many destructive molecules responsible for osteoarthritis, and could crack the market for treatments wide open.

Today, 1440 readers have the opportunity to invest in Cytonics' cutting-edge technology, which has the potential to reverse the progression of cartilage damage in arthritic joints. They've already raised over $15M to-date: check out the Cytonics investment opportunity to learn more today.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> The 93rd Academy Awards air this Sunday (8 pm ET, ABC); here’s everything you need to know about Hollywood’s biggest night (More) | See predictions for each category (More) | Here’s how to stream each of the Best Picture nominees (More)

> Rapper Shock G, Digital Underground front man best known for “The Humpty Dance,” dies at 57 (More) | Les McKeown, lead singer of the Bay City Rollers, dies at 65 (More)

> “Nomadland” is big winner at 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards with four awards including Best Picture (More)

Science & Technology

Brought to you by ASYSTEM

> White House hosts virtual climate summit with 40 world leaders, pledges to reduce US emissions by 50% from 2005 levels by 2030; commitment is symbolic but nonbinding (More)

> Analysis finds prototype plastic known as PDK, which has been shown to be infinitely recyclable without loss of quality, could be cost-competitive with existing plastics at scale (More)

> Researchers reprogram the skin cells responsible for creating scar tissue, successfully demonstrating in mice wounds that heal without scarring (More)

From our partners: Stressed out? ASYSTEM just launched Complete Calm, the most advanced de-stress gummy around. Formulated with an award-winning ingredient, Safr'Inside™, you’ll be stunned by how well they work (study). Delicious, natural and effective—check them out today.

Business & Markets

> US stock markets slide (S&P 500 -0.9%, Dow -0.9%, Nasdaq -0.9%) on reports President Biden is considering increasing the capital gains tax rate on the wealthy from 20% to 39.6% (More)

> An estimated 547,000 Americans filed initial unemployment claims last week, figure fell for the second consecutive week to a pandemic-era low (More) | March median existing home sale price up 17% over last year, despite second month of declines in number of homes sold (More) 

> Banking giant Credit Suisse to raise $2B after disclosing $5.5B from Archegos Capital hedge fund loss (More) | Mattel announces record 47% quarterly growth  (More) 

Politics & World Affairs

> DC statehood bill passes House along a party line 216-208 vote; legislation faces slim prospects in the evenly divided Senate (More) | Senate Republicans release $568B infrastructure proposal, countering the Biden administration's $2.3T package (More) | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA-12) offers evenly split commission to review Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol, with joint power for subpoenas (More)

> Russia abruptly announces troop buildup at the Ukraine border will be pulled back by May 1; analysts say the move may have been meant to gauge the response of US, European leaders (More)

> Indonesia continues search for lost military sub; officials believe it may have sunk to a spot too deep to reach, with 53 service members aboard (More)

IN-DEPTH

Apple Versus Facebook

CNET | Queenie Wong. Apple's newest mobile operating system rolls out next week with a seemingly small change that may upend the multibillion-dollar online advertising industry. (Read)

The Disappearance of Kristin Smart

Your Own Backyard | Chris Lambert. (Podcast) On April 13, longtime suspect Paul Flores was arrested for the 1995 disappearance of Kristin Smart. Here's the podcast that ultimately helped break the case. (Listen)

Rise and Fall of a Double Agent

The Walrus | Justin Ling. As a high-ranking Canadian intelligence officer, Cameron Ortis was privy to the inner details of the country's national security—and in the perfect position to sell them to the highest bidder. (Read)

The Mother of All Accidents

Nautilus | Sean Carroll. Seth MacFarlane, Mark Wahlberg, the 9/11 attacks, and the asteroid that sparked life on Earth. (Read)

BIOTECH BREAKTHROUGH

In partnership with Cytonics

Cytonics' revolutionary CYT-108 protein is based on a naturally occurring molecule, and research shows it has the potential to reverse the progression of cartilage damage in osteoarthritis.

But that's enough of the molecular biology mumbo-jumbo. Today's your chance to invest in Cytonics. It's the first treatment for osteoarthritis with the hopes of attacking the source, not just symptoms. More than a massive $180B is spent on treatment for osteoarthritis every year; check out Cytonics' investment opportunity today.

Please support our sponsors!

ETCETERA

The culture of whales—in photos.

The world has a new busiest airport. 

Watch a superyacht squeeze down Dutch canals.

Happy birthday (tomorrow), Library of Congress!

Italian worker skips work with full pay for 15 years. 

This river turns to ice nearly instantly.

Short reflections whilst having a heart attack. (language, via LinkedIn)

Playing dead is actually pretty common.

Clickbait: New Hampshire rocked by a gender reveal.

Historybook: William Shakespeare born, dies (1564, 1616); Actress and diplomat Shirley Temple born (1928); Rhythm Club fire in Mississippi kills 209 (1940); RIP civil rights activist Cesar Chavez (1993); First YouTube video published (2005).

"Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful."

- Vincentio, Measure by Measure, (William Shakespeare)

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