Good morning. It's Wednesday, April 7, and we're covering a surge in US vaccine deployment, US-Iran talks, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Vaccine Deployment Accelerates

The deployment of COVID-19 vaccines in the US continues to accelerate, with President Joe Biden moving up the deadline for all adults to be eligible for inoculation to April 19. The announcement is somewhat symbolic as thirty-eight states will have opened up vaccine availability to anyone over 16 years of age by the end of the week. See a state-by-state breakdown here. 

While the average number of new daily cases has flattened at around 64,000, daily deaths have dropped more than 20% over the past week to less than 800 (see data). That figure includes a reported 222 deaths Sunday, the lowest since March 23, 2020. More than 3 million shots are being administered daily, with more than 40% of US adults having received at least one dose. 

The administration also said yesterday it would not be involved in any efforts around vaccine passports—documents, usually digital, that certify the holder has been vaccinated. 

Separately, the US army says it has begun testing its own vaccine. The drug uses a unique nanoparticle design that researchers hope will make it more robust against highly transmissible variants. 

Not all countries have seen equal success. India has become the world's hot spot, as a surging second wave of infections pushed new daily cases above 100,000 for the first time.  

US-Iran Talks

US and Iranian officials began indirect talks yesterday, a first step toward the US potentially rejoining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, informally known as the Iran nuclear deal. The US signed the pact in 2015, which lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for caps on uranium enrichment and other provisions (see overview), but exited in 2018 under former President Trump. Germany, France, the United Kingdom, China, and Russia also joined the deal. Officials say there is no timeline for the US to return to the pact. 

In related news, Iran reportedly charged 10 officials over the downing of Ukrainian Airlines Flight 752 last January. All 176 passengers were killed after the Iranian military inadvertently fired a missile at the commercial aircraft. The incident occurred amid soaring international tensions, coming just days after the US killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. 

Cyclone Seroja

The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Seroja rose to at least 128 yesterday as rescue crews in southern Indonesia and East Timor began working through rubble in a search for survivors. The system was not particularly powerful—equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane—but triggered extensive flash floods and landslides (see video). On the island of Lembata, where a recent volcanic eruption cleared vegetation and made the area susceptible to rockslides, officials fear some residents may have been pushed out to sea. 

By yesterday the storm had moved into the Indian Ocean and is expected to bend south (see trajectory). Forecasts suggest maximum wind gusts up to 150 miles per hour are possible by Saturday as Seroja moves down the western Australian coast. 

See the difference (or lack thereof) between hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones here.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by Sundays

> Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announce first Netflix project—a docuseries exploring the Invictus Games, which Prince Harry founded in 2014 (More)

> North Korea becomes first country to opt out of Tokyo Olympics over COVID-19 fears (More) | State Department clarifies earlier comments, says US is not currently considering a joint boycott of 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics (More)

> The 2021 MLB All-Star game (July 13, FOX) to be held in Denver after league pulled out of Atlanta over changes to Georgia’s election law (More) | NCAA women's basketball championship brings in most TV viewers since 2014, while men's game down 14% from 2019 (More)

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Science & Technology

> Reports say European regulators have established a causal link between the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and rare blood clots, but exact cause unknown; 30 cases identified in the United Kingdom out of 18.1 million vaccine recipients (More)

> Wisk Aero, urban air taxi startup backed by Google cofounder Larry Page, files suit against rival Archer claiming intellectual property theft (More)

> Study reveals how leptin, a hormone produced by body fat, intervenes in the brain's reward circuitry to help curb overeating; results may help advance eating disorder treatments (More)

Business & Markets

> Jeff Bezos ($177B), Elon Musk ($151B), Bernard Arnault ($150B), Bill Gates ($124B), and Mark Zuckerberg ($97B) top Forbes 35th annual world billionaires list; Forbes estimates 2,755 billionaires worldwide, up 660 over last year (More) | Kim Kardashian joins the list (More)

> International Monetary Fund projects stronger global recovery, expecting world economy to grow 6.0% in 2021 versus previous 5.5% estimate in January (More) | Investment bank Credit Suisse takes $4.7B loss from Archegos Capital trades, executives to step down (More)

> Cryptocurrency trading giant Coinbase releases Q1 financial statements ahead of next week’s initial public offering; company has 56 million users, $1.8B of Q1 revenue, and approximately $800M of Q1 net income (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Three Minneapolis police officers testify against former officer Derek Chauvin, bringing the total to eight, while defense argues technique complied with training; see summary of trial's seventh day (More)

> Rep. Alcee Hastings (D, FL-20), the longest-serving member of Florida's congressional delegation, dies at age 84 from pancreatic cancer (More)

> Navy medic shot and killed in standoff at Maryland's Fort Detrick; the unidentified suspect is believed to have shot two others at a nearby industrial park before heading to the military base (More) | Deceased Capitol Police officer William Evans to lie in honor in Capitol rotunda April 13; Evans was killed in a vehicle attack Friday (More)

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ETCETERA

Ranking which viruses may spark the next pandemic (select "show known zoonotics" to see the top 12).

Meet the Americans who don't use the internet.

Design a better mask, win $500K.

The year's best bird photography. 

The Great Ketchup Shortage is upon us. 

Utah law to require dads to foot half the birthing bill.

A reminder of what cicadas sound like.

The strangely interesting history of the PB&J sandwich.

Clickbait: Teen saves life of 13-year-old boy from 800 miles away.

Historybook: English poet William Wordsworth born (1770); Jazz singer Billie Holiday born (1915); Ford Motor Co. founder Henry Ford dies (1947); World Health Organization is established (1948); The US breaks diplomatic ties with Iran during Iran Hostage Crisis (1980).

"Somebody once said we never know what is enough until we know what's more than enough."

- Billie Holiday

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