Good morning. It's Monday, April 26, and we're covering India's coronavirus surge, an Oscars surprise, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

India's Double Mutant

India's coronavirus surge continued without signs of slowing over the weekend, with the seven-day average of new cases rising to more than 310,000 cases reported per day. That figure surpasses the highest single-day total in the US, which was just over 300,000 cases reported Jan. 2. Less than 10% of India's population has received at least one shot of a vaccine. 

Researchers are racing to understand the role a new variant, referred to as the "double mutant" but technically labeled B.1.617, is playing in the surge. The variant made up roughly 70% of India's new cases for the week ending March 25, but its emergence comes on top of huge crowds gathering (w/photos) to celebrate the Hindu holiday of Holi. 

The name is a misnomer—the variant shares two key mutations found in other fast-spreading strains, but also displays 11 other changes. Viruses constantly mutate, with most strains emerging and fading (see visualization). B.1.617 has been observed in at least 21 countries, including the US. Researchers are working to understand its effect on immunization. 

Separately, US health officials lifted a pause on Johnson & Johnson's single-shot COVID-19 vaccine. After a 10-day review, about two instances of a rare type of blood clot were observed per 1 million vaccinations. No restrictions were placed on who should receive the vaccine. Review what is known about the blood clots here.

Almost 54% of US adults have received at least one vaccine dose, including more than 81% of US seniors. The country has reported 572,200 total deaths, with the average number of new deaths flattening out around 700 per day (see data). 

Oscars End With a Twist

"Nomadland" was the big winner at the 2021 Oscars last night, taking home the ceremony's top award of Best Picture. Frances McDormand nabbed Best Actress, her third win in the category, while Chloé Zhao won Best Director. Zhao becomes the first Asian woman, and the second woman overall, to win the award in Oscars history. See the full list of winners here.

In the biggest surprise of the night, Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor for his role in "The Father." The coveted award was widely expected to go to the late Chadwick Boseman, who died in August, for his role in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." The award's announcement was even shuffled to the final slot of the night, building anticipation it would go to Boseman. Hopkins, who did not attend the ceremony, paid tribute to the deceased actor in a belated acceptance speech. 

See photos from the red carpet here, and the (other) biggest surprises and snubs of the night.

Armenian Genocide Recognized

President Joe Biden formally referred to the century-old mass killings of ethnic Armenians by the former Ottoman Empire as genocide over the weekend, becoming the first president since Ronald Reagan to invoke the term. The reference further cements two separate congressional resolutions that made similar declarations in 2019.

Beginning in 1915, experts believe up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed or driven from their homes. The atrocities came at the end of the Ottoman Empire's decline and amid World War I, and represented the worst in a number of nationalist-fueled massacres against ethnic minorities in the region. 

Use of the term has been a decadeslong flashpoint with Turkey—the Ottoman successor—who denies the events amounted to genocide. Turkish officials effectively say the mass killings were not systematic, with Armenians sandwiched between the Ottomans and their World War I foe, the Russian Empire.   

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Simone Biles, five-time world champion gymnast, leaves Nike for a partnership with Athleta, which will include a tour after the Olympics organized by Biles (More)

> The European Union will soon open up borders to fully vaccinated American tourists; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and State Department still recommend against nonessential travel (More)

> Milva, Italian singer and actress who recorded 173 albums and sold 80 million records, dies at 81 (More) | Alber Elbaz, beloved designer for luxury fashion house Richemont, dies at 59 from COVID-19 (More) 

Science & Technology

> SpaceX's Crew-2 mission successfully docks at the International Space Station, becomes the first crewed mission to reuse a Crew Dragon spacecraft and a Falcon 9 rocket (More)

> Genomic analysis finds changes in the development of tumors in those exposed to fallout from the 1986 Chernobyl explosion as children; no evidence that genetic changes from the accident were passed from parent to offspring (More)

> Massive flare observed from Proxima Centauri, one of largest from any star on record; the radiative event lowers the likelihood Proxima b, the nearest exoplanet, is sustainable for life (More)

Business & Markets

Brought to you by The Ascent

> US stock markets bounce back Friday (S&P 500 +1.1%, Dow +0.7%, Nasdaq +1.4%) after reassessing concerns President Biden could seek a capital gains tax rate increase (More)

> Tesla CEO Elon Musk to host "Saturday Night Live" May 8 (More)

> American Express falls short of revenue expectations but beats earnings, as business and travel spending continue to lag (More)

From our partners: Is now the perfect time to secure a travel card? With the country reopening, this credit card is offering huge perks to help people as they start traveling again. With a big points bonus, travel insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and a market-leading points transfer program, it’s the travel card you didn’t realize you needed.

Politics & World Affairs

> Caitlyn Jenner files paperwork to run as a Republican in the upcoming recall election of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D); GOP candidates will face off in primary before facing Newsom (More) | See who has entered the race so far (More)

> At least 80 people dead as fire rips through Baghdad hospital treating COVID-19 patients (More) | Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny ends hunger strike after 24 days (More) | Indonesia says 53 sailors aboard a sunken submarine presumed dead after the vessel was detected at depths well beyond its pressure limits (More)

> Republican-led audit of Maricopa County's 2.1 million ballots from the 2020 election begins in Arizona; critics argue previous official audits showed no evidence of widespread fraud, accuse Republicans of outsourcing the process to a private pro-Trump company (More) 

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ETCETERA

Prototype of the first US dollar goes to auction.

Visualizing the depth of the Great Lakes.

It's been a decade—see the definitive ranking of "Game of Thrones" episodes.

From our partners: Is your company working remotely? This product empowers businesses to work productively—from anywhere—with Apple devices. Create your free account here. #Ad

The best space photos of the year (so far).

Art students whip up post-pandemic New Yorker covers.

Fifteen volunteers spend 40 days underground for science.

Hundreds arrive in Nebraska to fight over the name Josh.

Turbo-charged pooch crashes a track meet.

Clickbait: That unreturned VHS may be a felony crime.

Historybook: John Wilkes Booth killed 12 days after assassinating President Lincoln (1865); HBD former first lady Melania Trump (1970); RIP Lucille Ball (1989); Deadliest tornado in history kills 1,300 in Bangladesh (1989).

"In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come by."

- Lucille Ball

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