Good morning. It's Thursday, April 29, and we're covering a range of decisions on police body cameras, the NFL Draft, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Body Cameras Take Center Stage

A North Carolina judge yesterday delayed the release of police body camera footage that recorded events during the April 21 police shooting of Andrew Brown Jr. in Elizabeth City. Brown's family, who has seen a 20-second clip of the shooting, petitioned to have five body camera videos and dashcam footage released publicly. Judge Jeffrey Foster expressed concern that the release would impede ongoing investigations into the shooting. Brown's family will be given access to all footage within 10 days, and Foster will reconsider public release in 30 to 45 days. 

An independent autopsy concluded Brown was shot five times, once in the back of the head. Reports suggest he was driving away from the scene as police attempted to conduct a search warrant. Other details in the case have been sparse to date. 

In related news, Chicago police released body camera footage of the March shooting of Anthony Alvarez. According to reports, Alvarez was armed with a semi-automatic pistol and was fleeing from police when he was shot in the back. See the body camera footage here (warning: sensitive content). 

Separately, police in Alameda, California, released footage of the death of Mario Gonzales. Police initially responded to calls of someone under the influence in a public park. Gonzales died after being detained on the ground for five minutes; the cause of death is under review, with an autopsy pending. See the body camera footage here (warning: sensitive content).

Finally, three men were indicted on federal hate crime charges yesterday for their role in the February 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. Each faces additional murder charges in state court. 

Editor's note: Some readers have questioned the need to show video of violent incidents. Video often captures and conveys the nuances of an incident better than words ever can—so we try and be judicious with the use of such footage.

NFL Draft Kicks Off

The first round of the NFL Draft will be held tonight (8 pm ET, ABC/ESPN), live from Cleveland, Ohio. Fans and draft prospects will be present once more after the then-emerging pandemic forced last year's event entirely online. 

This year's early rounds are expected to be quarterback heavy, with former Clemson phenom Trevor Lawrence widely expected to be picked first by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Some projections have up to four more signal callers going in the top 15 picks: Justin Fields (Ohio State), Zach Wilson (BYU), Mac Jones (Alabama), and Trey Lance (NDSU). Alabama's DeVonta Smith, the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy in three decades, is expected to go in the top five, along with tight end Kyle Pitts (Florida) and receivers Ja'Marr Chase (LSU) and Jaylen Waddle (Alabama). See the top 300 prospects here.

Rounds two and three will be held tomorrow, followed by rounds four through seven Saturday. 

Snapchat and SCOTUS

The Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday over whether public schools may discipline students over off-campus speech. At the center of the case is Brandy Levy, who was suspended from the varsity cheerleading squad over a 2017 profanity-laced Snapchat post from the then-14-year-old. Levy argued the suspension violated her First Amendment rights. 

Levy’s lawyer argued that the Supreme Court precedent Tinker v. Des Moines—a ruling from 1969 that states public schools have broader authority to regulate speech that could significantly disrupt the school’s work—does not apply to the case as the post was made on a weekend, outside of school. The school board argued the time and place of the student’s speech are irrelevant as the internet is universal.

Justices appeared split on balancing censorship of out-of-school speech with the schools' rights to address disruptive behavior, which could in principle include online bullying. A decision is expected in early summer. 

56% of Americans can't name an objective news source—share 1440 with a friend. 

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> HBO Max to launch a $9.99 per month ad-supported streaming tier in June (More) | Australian singer-songwriter Anita Lane dies at 62 (More) | Rapper Kodak Black sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to 2016 assault of a teenage girl (More)

> Kendrick Carmouche to be the first Black jockey since 2013 to compete at the Kentucky Derby (Saturday, 2:30 pm ET, NBC) as he rides long shot Bourbonic (More)

> Burning Man, an annual counter-culture festival in the Nevada desert, canceled for second straight year due to COVID-19 (More)

Science & Technology

> Astronaut Michael Collins dies at age 90 from an unspecified type of cancer; Collins piloted the historic Apollo 11 mission that landed the first humans on the moon (More)

> Study shows the most ancient stable pieces of the Earth's crust, known as cratons, have broken apart and glued themselves back together over billions of years; it was previously thought the formations underwent little significant change over time (More)

> Nanobodies, tiny synthetic molecules that mimic the immune system's antibodies, may prevent human monocytic ehrlichiosis, one of the most prevalent and life-threatening tick-borne diseases (More)

Business & Markets

Brought to you by The Ascent

> Federal Reserve holds key interest rate near zero; plans to continue supporting economic recovery (More)

> Earnings season: Apple smashes earnings expectations—quarterly revenues grow 54% to $89B, net income tops $23B; adds $90B to share buyback program (More)

> Ford posts highest quarterly net income in years, but warns global chip shortage may hinder future earnings (More) | Facebook quarterly revenues up 48%, posts $9.5B profit as advertisers accelerate investment in digital ads (More)

From our partners: Don’t miss this historic refi window. No matter what you bought your home at, there's no stopping you from refinancing at the incredible market rates today, which can amount to thousands in savings. Carpe diem, while it lasts.

Politics & World Affairs

> President Joe Biden gives first address to Congress, announces $1.8T American Families Plan; see details of the proposal (More) | Watch highlights of speech (More) | Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) gives the Republican rebuttal (More)

> Federal investigators raid home and office of former Trump personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani; search was reportedly part of a probe into Giuliani's foreign lobbying practices in Ukraine (More)

> Germany to put growing anti-lockdown groups under surveillance (More) | Almost 55% of US adults have received at least one vaccination dose; see how your state is doing (More)

IN-DEPTH

'Look After My Babies'

The Associated Press | Cara Anna. A moving look at the devastating impact of Ethiopia's civil war in the country's northern Tigray region, as told through the travails of one family. (Read)

Following the Science

The Pudding | Jeff MacInnes. Undergirding the successful development of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 was an unprecedented collaboration by the international research community. This fascinating visualization captures the massive scientific undertaking of the past year. (Read)

ONCE IN A DECADE

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ETCETERA

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The monetary cost of a tantrum. 

Netflix wants to solve your decision fatigue.