Good morning. It's Tuesday, May 18, and we're covering the Supreme Court's decision to hear a challenge to Roe v. Wade, a messy divorce in Seattle, and more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Abortion Challenge

The Supreme Court announced yesterday it would review Mississippi's prohibition on abortions after 15 weeks during its upcoming term. The case, to be heard in the fall, is considered the most direct challenge to the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that generally established the right to an abortion prior to fetal viability (see overview), typically considered to be around 24 weeks.

It will also mark the first arguments on the issue since the court gained a 6-3 conservative majority since Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court following the death of former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September. Chief Justice John Roberts joined liberal justices last June in a 5-4 decision striking down a Louisiana law requiring abortion clinics to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.  

Mississippi passed the new law in 2018, which was immediately challenged by the Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the only abortion provider in the state. The legislation included exemptions for health emergencies and fetal abnormalities. Lower courts struck down the law, citing Roe v. Wade, and suspended its implementation pending appeal.

The high court said it would focus on a single question—whether all bans on elective abortions prior to viability violate the Constitution. 

Brooklyn Center Case Begins

The former Minnesota police officer involved in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright during a traffic stop last month made her first appearance in court yesterday. A judge ruled the trial may proceed, with a possible start date in December. 

According to reports, Wright was pulled over in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center for expired tags, but police sought to detain him after discovering an outstanding warrant. Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran of the force, claims she mistakenly pulled her gun instead of her Taser as Wright attempted to flee. Body camera footage revealed Potter threatening to deploy the Taser (view here; warning: sensitive content). Experts say such mistakes are rare, with documented instances occurring about once a year. 

Potter faces one charge of second-degree manslaughter, which requires prosecutors to prove she was culpably negligent and took an unreasonable risk that led to Wright's death. 

Gates Admits Affair

New details behind the divorce of the billionaire philanthropist couple Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates emerged yesterday, following reports the Microsoft founder left the company's board amid a probe into an extramarital affair with an employee.

According to reports, the affair occurred around the year 2000 but came to the board's attention in 2019 (Melinda and Bill were married in 1994). Gates ultimately resigned from the board last March before the investigation's conclusion. Via a representative, Gates acknowledged the affair but denied it was the cause of his resignation.

The news follows reports alleging Gates had developed a reputation for questionable advances toward Microsoft employees over the years ($$, NYT)—a characterization also disputed by Gates. French Gates was also reportedly concerned by her husband's meetings with deceased sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein, which Gates contends were focused solely on philanthropy. 

See how the couple's wealth, estimated to be near $130B, is spread around.

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BE LIKE BRETT

Meet Brett. In 2014, his dog, Jada was experiencing horrible stomach issues, and Brett simply couldn't get to the bottom of it. He tried fasting, bland diets, and (what felt like) every commercial dog food on the market. But unfortunately, nothing seemed to work.

Until, that is, he tried a home-cooked meal at his vet's recommendation. The results were staggering, so he set out to bring real, fresh food to dog owners everywhere. And thus was born The Farmer's Dog. Instead of the harsh processing, fillers, and preservatives in most commercial options, The Farmer's Dog boxes are full of fresh ingredients that meet the standards of human food. But they're not "human-grade" to be fancy—it's to ensure what we're feeding our pets meets basic safety and quality standards.

Sign up for The Farmer's Dog and receive personalized meal plans delivered right to your door in environmentally friendly packaging. Everything is precooked and arrives frozen, so all you have to do is defrost, then open and pour. Your dog's health will thank you, and today 1440 readers can get 50% off your first box.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> NBA Playoffs begin today with an expanded play-in tournament; see analysis on all 20 playoff teams (More) | How the play-in tournament works (More) | Basketball Hall of Fame broadcaster Marv Albert to retire at the end of this season (More)

> Amazon in talks to buy MGM and its 4,000 films and 17,000 TV episodes for $9B (More) | Rapper T.I. and wife Tiny Harris under investigation for sexual assault and drugging women (More)

> Fox establishes a nonfungible token company, announces first-ever blockchain animated series from “Rick and Morty” creator Dan Harmon (More) | What is an NFT? (More)

Science & Technology

> Apple reportedly complied with demands by the Chinese government around privacy and data to continue building products in the country; concessions include storing Chinese user data and iPhone encryption keys to servers in the country (More)

> Scientists discover quasicrystals—solid crystals with nonrepeating structures—in the aftermath of the world's first nuclear bomb test; such materials, once thought impossible, require intense pressure and heat to form (More)

> Ultrasound pulses directed at overactive nerve cells near the kidney drop blood pressure in patients with drug-resistant hypertension (More)

Business & Markets

Brought to you by Alternative Assets

> US stock markets fall (S&P 500 -0.3%, Dow -0.2%, Nasdaq -0.4%) led by tech stocks as inflation concerns linger (More)

> AT&T to spin off WarnerMedia and combine with Discovery’s media assets, creating a new publicly traded company; AT&T shareholders to receive 71%, Discovery shareholders to receive 29% of combined entity (More)

> Eastman Kodak tells sources New York attorney general is preparing insider trading lawsuit against the company (More)

From our partners: Unique investment ideas worth exploring. Alternative Assets is a free newsletter that demystifies the most interesting investment ideas out there. Collectibles, wine, NFTs, websites, and even racehorses: subscribe to Alternative Assets for free today.

Politics & World Affairs

> President Joe Biden makes first call backing a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip during a discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (More) | Read the history of the conflict (More)

> Cyclone Tauktae makes landfall along India's west coast, narrowly missing Mumbai; at least 12 deaths have been reported, with more than 150,000 people evacuated (More)

> Republican election officials in Maricopa County, Arizona, rebuff claims of election irregularities, call on state Senate GOP to end audit of ballots (More) | See background on the effort here (More)

IN-DEPTH

The Five Micron Mistake

Wired | Megan Molteni. For months at the beginning of the pandemic, mixed guidance on whether the coronavirus was airborne caused mass confusion. At the heart of the problem was a microscopic difference with huge consequences—the difference between droplets and aerosols. (Read)

Flamin' Hot Scandal

LA Times/MSN | Sam Dean. Richard Montañez has long touted his underdog story of inventing the popular Flamin' Hot Cheetos while working as a janitor at a snack factory. After two books and with a movie deal in the works, his former colleagues now claim the story is bogus. (Read)

REAL FOOD FOR DOGS

In partnership with The Farmer's Dog

There are a couple things you should know about most commercial pet food: "Meal" often refers to rejected, discarded, or diseased animal parts. High heats in production have been shown to produce acrylamide, a known carcinogen in animals. They're chock-full of preservatives, so you can keep bags open for weeks on end. Guess what you'll find in The Farmer's Dog? None of the above.

The Farmer's Dog food is human-grade because it's real food. Every plan is personalized to your pet's specific needs based on a profile you create when signing up, and they just need one preservative: your fridge. Make the best decision of your pet's life today, and get 50% off your first box.

Please support our sponsors!

ETCETERA

The year's top 100 women CEOs.

How state population rankings have changed since 1920. ($$, WashPo)

The Pentagon's anticipated UFO report is on the horizon.

The economics of a $14 sandwich.

Overworking killed 745,000 people in 2016.

Cambridge vet saves a tiger's eye.

French man makes soap from snail slime.

Mexico City is sinking a foot-and-a-half each year.

Clickbait: A dog and their friend on a trampoline.

Historybook: Pope John Paul II is born (1920); Jackie Cochran is first woman to break sound barrier (1953); HBD actress Tina Fey (1970); Mount St. Helens erupts, killing 57 (1980); Facebook raises $16B; largest initial public offering for a tech company at the time (2012).

"Say 'yes,' and you'll figure it out later."

- Tina Fey

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