5.21.2018

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5.21.2018
All your news in a single email. We scour 100+ sources so you don't have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business, and more - all packaged in a 5-minute read below.
 
Need To Know.
US and China Hit Pause on Trade War.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced that the US would hold off on applying previously announced tariffs on Chinese imports while working towards a longer-term deal. In April the administration unveiled nearly $50B in Chinese imports targeted for 25% tariffs and threatened to add another $100B. The tariffs - leveled largely in response to Chinese theft of intellectual property from US firms - would make Chinese goods more expensive, and therefore less competitive, in the US marketplace. China promptly responded with a 25% tariff on roughly $50B of US agricultural and auto imports. The negotiators are working towards a framework that lowers the trade deficit between the two, with rumors of a Chinese agreement to buy up to $200B in new American goods. 

The US exported $170B in goods and services to China in 2016, importing $479B.

Shooting Leaves 10 Dead at Texas School.
At least 10 people were killed and 13 others injured after a shooter opened fire at a Houston-area high school Friday morning. The gunman, 17-year-old Santa Fe High School student Dimitrios Pagourtzis, surrendered to authorities - officials say he intended to take his own life but ultimately chose to not follow through. Pagourtzis reportedly carried a shotgun and a .38 caliber revolver, both owned by his father. While he confessed to the shooting, no motive was given - though he reportedly told authorities he spared people he liked. Classmates provided mixed recollections of Pagourtzis, from "quiet" to "bullied" - he was captured on video performing in a church dance days before the shooting. It's the third school shooting in the US this year alone in which five or more people were killed or injured. 

An April survey reported that 57% of students were worried a shooting may happen at their school. 

Venezuela's Maduro Re-elected.
Venezuela's president and leader of the country's governing socialist party Nicolás Maduro was re-elected to a second term on Sunday. International observers called the election - which saw the two most popular opposition leaders barred from most campaign activities - a sham. Maduro's campaign leaned heavily on state resources for financing and reportedly pressured state employees to vote. Many of the country's poor population turned out to vote at pro-Maduro polling stations in the hopes of winning an unspecified prize - a move critics said was akin to vote-buying. The country of 30 million has been in the grips of a devastating 5-year economic downturn driven largely by falling oil prices. The national currency, the bolivar, has lost 99% of its value in the past year while inflation has risen by 14,000%. 

In fact, the currency has become so worthless that people are making handbags out of it.
 
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In The Know.

Politics & World Affairs.

> 110 killed after plane crashes shortly after takeoff from Havana airport in Cuba (More) | Company responsible for the 737 had numerous safety complaints (More)
> Trump legal adviser Rudy Giuliani says Mueller investigation into obstruction could end by September if President Trump agrees to meet with investigators (More)
> Justice Department asks internal watchdog to investigate whether FBI counterintelligence surveillance of 2016 Trump campaign was politically motivated (More)
 

Business & Markets.

> Campbell's (Campbell's Soup, Pepperidge Farm, V8 juices) CEO resigns amid slumping sales, shares slide 12% (More)
> Starbucks officially allows individuals to gather in stores and use bathrooms even if they don't make a purchase, following wake of Philadelphia incident (More)
> Private equity firm Blackstone sells remaining Hilton Hotels shares, which it took private in 2007 for $26B (More)
 

Science & Technology.

> Elon Musk reveals details for Loop, which would address urban congestion using underground 16-person pods; Loop would focus on transit within cities, while Hyperloop would focus on travel between cities (More)
> 3-D printed smart gel controlled via electric signals can move underwater and grab objects, has applications in biomedical applications and underwater robots (More)
> Scientists demonstrated engineered E. coli bacteria that convert plants into renewable chemicals for jet fuel, plastics, and more (More)
 

Sports, Entertainment & Culture.

> Justify wins Preakness Stakes; will have chance at historic Triple Crown June 9 at the Belmont Stakes (More)
> Prince Harry marries American actress Meghan Markle (More) | Watch 2-minute recap of Royal Wedding (More)
> Shoplifters wins Palme d’Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival; full list of winners here  (More) 
Etcetera.
Comparing the GDP of US states to countries across the world. 

Some of the best 2018 commencement speeches from around the country. 

Wondering what you should've studied in school? Here's America's hottest job.

Treat yourself while putting off tasks - it's called procrastibaking.

Study reveals the most popular infomercial in each state.

After 70 years of golf, 93-year-old Ohio man hits first hole-in-one.

An interactive tool so you can hear both Laurel and Yanny. (paywall)

Here is the Kerry James Marshall painting Diddy just bought for $21M. 

Hasbro trademarks the smell of Play-doh.

Clickbait: Mom changes son's name after tattoo goes wrong.

Historybook: HBD American Red Cross (1881); Charles Lindbergh is 1st person to fly solo across the Atlantic (1927); Amelia Earhart is 1st woman to accomplish the same feat (1932); RIP Jane Addams (1935); HBD The Notorious B.I.G. (1972).
 
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