Good morning; it's Friday, May 28. It's Memorial Day weekend in the US, so we'll be celebrating the start of summer through Monday—see you Tuesday! Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Tulsa Massacre Remembered

The city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, will mark the 100th anniversary of the Black Wall Street Massacre this Memorial Day. Considered one of the worst incidents of racial violence in US history, the two-day wave of attacks almost entirely destroyed one of the country's wealthiest Black communities at the time. 

The conflict occurred after Dick Rowland, a 19-year-old Black shoeshiner, was accused of assaulting Sarah Page, a 17-year-old white woman. Hearing Rowland was to be lynched, a group of Black residents confronted a crowd at the courthouse, which quickly escalated. See a timeline of events here. 

Following the initial violence, white mobs looted and razed the Greenwood District, then known as the Black Wall Street. Attacks were carried out on foot and via private aircraft, with a number in the crowd having been deputized by city officials. Thirty-nine deaths were confirmed, though a 2001 report concluded up to 300 Black residents may have been killed based on oral history and city records. A moving eyewitness account from the attacks was recovered in 2015 (read here).

Public interest in the incident was revived by HBO's "Watchmen," whose opening scene depicts the violence. President Joe Biden is expected to visit the city Monday to commemorate the date. 

See an interactive visualization of what was destroyed in the massacre ($$, NYT).

Twitter Versus Modi

Social media giant Twitter received a notice of noncompliance yesterday from India after the company labeled tweets from the country's ruling party as manipulated media. It is the latest escalation of tensions between Twitter and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, and follows a visit by police to the company's Indian headquarters earlier in the week. 

Modi has been increasingly criticized over the government's handling of COVID-19. The country's recent spike has been the worst seen by any country during the pandemic with new cases surpassing 400,000 per day in early May and deaths averaging more than 4,000 per day (officials believe the figures undercount the true totals).

Critics say the administration is attempting to control the narrative by censoring online speech. Twitter has called the move an intimation tactic—company executives can face up to seven years in prison under current laws.  

Claims, Cases Decline

Initial unemployment claims continue to fall, with new filings totaling 406,000 last week. The figure is below analysts' expectations of 425,000, and down almost 9% from the previous week. Still above the prepandemic average of around 225,000 per week, economists say the continued drop reflects an economy returning to historical norms. 

Continuing claims fell 4% to 3.6 million, and those receiving benefits under all programs, including gig workers and the self-employed, fell by 175,000 to 15.8 million. Roughly 40% of those out of work (including those looking for work but not receiving benefits) are considered long-term unemployed workers—out of a job for 27 weeks or longer.

Separately, new US COVID-19 infections continue to trend downward, averaging around 23,000 cases and 500 deaths per day (see data). Roughly 59% of those above 12 years old in the US have received at least one vaccine dose, including more than 85% of seniors.

In positive news, emerging research suggests those who recovered from even mild cases of COVID-19 have immune defenses that may last decades. 

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PLEASE SEA THESE JEANS

Kelly Slater is the 11x world surfing champion, and is widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time (according to Wikipedia, at least). And in all his years dominating surfing competitions, he's developed a deep love for the environment, our oceans, and sustainability in general. Which brought him to founding Outerknown.

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So shop Outerknown for the men's and women's S.E.A. JEANS or any of their other fantastic products. You can rest assured you're getting high-quality products with a sustainability focus—it's not something Outerknown takes lightly; it's the reason they exist. And today, you can take 20% off your first order of any full-price items: just use code 1440.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by Beam

> Manchester City and Chelsea face off Saturday (3 pm ET, CBS) in the UEFA Champions League final (More) | Read 1440's guide to European soccer (More)

> Clay Travis and Buck Sexton to fill "The Rush Limbaugh Show" time slot left vacant since the conservative radio host passed away in February (More) | Kelly Clarkson tapped to take Ellen DeGeneres' daytime slot when "Ellen" wraps in 2022 (More)

> The 94th Oscars pushes back original February air date to March 27; will return to its normal in-person ceremony at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood (More)

From our partners: Hydrate like an athlete. Founded by two former professional athletes, Beam is committed to keeping you hydrated as efficiently as possible. With their Hydration Starter Pack, you can support a healthy microbiome, find a natural energy boost, and recover like the pros. And for the next three days, everything on their site is 18% off with the code MDW.

Science & Technology

> New subset of immune system dendritic cells discovered; starfish-shaped cells are considered the "first responders" of the immune system (More)

> Research teams make a breakthrough with algorithms that allow self-driving vehicles to operate in bad weather (More)

> International body loosens rules overseeing how long lab-grown human embryos can be developed; current 14-day limit may be extended in certain cases, allowing study of the 14- to 28-day developmental window (More)

Business & Markets

> S&P 500 (+0.1%) and Dow (+0.4%) up, Nasdaq (-0.01%) down slightly following weekly unemployment claims report (More) | “Meme stock” AMC Theatres surges 36% (More)

> Costco sees revenue climb 22% over last year, beats revenue and earnings expectations, but warns of rising costs (More)

> Acorns–savings and investing app which rounds up spare change on debit and credit card transactions–to go public via SPAC valuing company at $2.2B (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Senate GOP offers $928B counterproposal on infrastructure bill, up from original $568B offer; White House offer currently at $1.7T, down from an initial $2.3T (More) | President Joe Biden to propose $6T budget for FY22, the largest federal spending level since World War II (More) | Congress ultimately determines the budget; see overview (More)

> Afghanistan military surrenders at least 26 rural outposts and bases to the Taliban, according to reports; move follows announcement of full US and international withdrawal by September (More)

> Ninth victim dies in San Jose, California, rail yard shooting; gunman died by suicide at the scene (More) | Officials say gunman may have targeted certain workers, motive still unknown (More)

IN-DEPTH

The Mind's Eye

OneZero | Thomas Smith. Within a decade, computers may be able to read images directly from our brains. The potential implications are simultaneously exciting and terrifying. (Read)

The 3.5% Rule

BBC Future | David Robson. How a small fraction of the population can almost guarantee the success of a movement. (Read)

*From the archives of 1440 staff favorites. Check for another next Friday!

One Cow to Feed Them All

Wired | Matt Reynolds. Even lab-grown meat relies on at least one cow to produce burgers—or more precisely, the cell line from the ideal bovine. But in an increasingly competitive industry, such cell lines have become the most closely guarded secrets. (Read, $$)

SUMMER COMFORT

In partnership with Outerknown

Outerknown knows a thing or two about having a comfortable and sustainable summer.
> Their women's Jumpsuits allow you to get ready and stylish in mere seconds, and are sustainably made from soft and durable organic cotton. Cute, versatile, and comfortable—they're the whole package.
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As a 1440 reader, you can take 20% off your first order of any full price Outerknown products today. Get on board for a fun-filled summer: use code 1440 at checkout.

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BEST OF ETCETERA—MAY 2021

Editor's note: More than 3 million monthly clicks can't be wrong. Here are the most popular stories we ran in May. Enjoy!

(5/27/21) How Americans feel about cancel culture. 

(5/26/21) Photos of last night's super flower blood moon. 

(5/11/21) Last year's most popular baby names.

(5/10/21) Ranking the best TV sitcoms of all time. 

(5/12/21) The real-life voice behind Alexa has been revealed. 

(5/7/21) This optical illusion will break your brain. 

(5/20/21) Ranking the best school districts in America. 

(5/26/21) When you really don't want to be in the group photo, but your friend makes you. 

 (5/18/21) The economics of a $14 sandwich. 

(5/27/21) Watch bees open a soda bottle. 

(5/24/21) Simone Biles makes history (again).

(5/5/21) Underwater nighttime photos capture the ocean's diversity.

(5/4/21) A follow-up with the woman in the iconic Kent State shooting photo.

(5/3/21) Portugal opens the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge.

Clickbait (5/6/21): Malian woman gives birth to nonuplets.

Historybook: Native American athlete Jim Thorpe born (1887); Volkswagen founded in Germany (1937); HBD singer Gladys Knight (1944); PLO, the Palestine Liberation Organization, is founded in Jerusalem (1964); RIP poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou (2014).

"You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them."

- Maya Angelou

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