Good morning. It's Tuesday, May 4, and one of the world's most influential philanthropic couples is calling it quits. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Gates Divorce

Billionaire philanthropist couple Bill and Melinda Gates will separate after 27 years of marriage, the pair announced yesterday. In a joint statement, both said they had determined they could no longer grow together as a couple. 

With an estimated net worth near $130B, the couple poured much of their wealth into the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Launched in 1994 while Bill Gates still led Microsoft, the company he founded, the group's endowment has reached $47B. Their portfolio of international projects spans areas from infectious disease control to agricultural development to reproductive health. 

The couple met while Melinda worked as a product manager at Microsoft in 1987—Bill famously (or infamously) wrote out a list of pros and cons to help decide whether to propose. 

See their announcement tweet here.

Facebook Decision Looms

Facebook will reveal whether it will maintain a ban on former President Trump tomorrow morning, officials said yesterday. The decision was made by an independent oversight board whose role is to help the social media giant consider content moderation questions. CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he won't overrule board decisions. The former president was suspended from the platform, as well as from Instagram, for comments made following the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol. 

It will be by far the highest-profile decision made by the board, which was established by Zuckerberg in 2018 to assist in developing content moderation policies. The group (see members) does not intervene in the vast majority of questions—it has only released seven decisions—but rather focuses on representative cases that may act as precedents. The decision is expected to be announced at 9am ET tomorrow. 

Separately, Trump's suspension from Twitter will reportedly remain in place indefinitely.

Verizon Bails

Telecommunications giant Verizon will sell its media group, including AOL and Yahoo, to private equity firm Apollo Global Management for a reported $5B. The price tag represents just over half of what Verizon paid for the two companies in 2015 and 2017. Analysts say the move allows Verizon to focus on growing its internet provider and wireless services. 

The sale is also somewhat symbolic. AOL, whose origins date back to 1983, was one of the biggest companies of the early internet age, dominating market share in connectivity, email, news, and chat. At the height of the tech bubble, the company was valued near $220B. Similarly, Yahoo was a dominant player in the search engine space before the arrival of Google, with a value exceeding $100B, but failed to successfully transition to a broader media company.

The deal is expected to be completed in the second half of this year.

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THE SECRET'S IN THE FABRIC

If you work for a performance athletic brand, you work with some pretty amazing materials. Materials that stretch, breathe, and move with you. As in, materials that aren't denim.

So when a few Under Armour execs left to blaze their own trail, they started by addressing the biggest shortfall of denim, and jeans in general: movement. In Revtown’s book, three things make great jeans: comfort, function, and durability. That’s why their proprietary fabric consists of Italian denim that’s tough as nails, infused with the materials used in football uniforms and yoga pants. Revtown jeans are designed to keep you on the move, whether it’s from the office to the bar, or right back to the couch. No tight thighs, no bum-sweats, and absolutely no crotch-binding.

Because Revtown works directly with its customers, they can sell their designer-quality jeans at a fraction of the price of other fashion brands. So check out Revtown today for men's and women's denim made right.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Germany’s world-famous beer and folk festival Oktoberfest canceled for second straight year due to COVID-19 (More) | NYC’s Broadway theaters can reopen May 19, although musicals unlikely to begin until September (More)

> Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser dies at 87 (More) | Marcel Stellman, Belgian record producer who created beloved French and British game show "Countdown," dies at 96 (More)

> Marvel Studios reveals titles and release dates for several upcoming films, including the anticipated sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” set for a July 2022 release (More)

Science & Technology

> Chinese tech giant Baidu launches paid driverless taxi service in Beijing, becoming the first company to offer autonomous transportation in China (More)

> The Environmental Protection Agency proposes industry-backed rule phasing out the use of hydrofluorocarbons in refrigerators and air conditioners; certain HFCs have more than 10,000 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide (More)

> Long-awaited case brought by Epic Games alleging anticompetitive practices by Apple's App Store begins (More) | See our previous write-up here (More)

Business & Markets

Brought to you by Weave

> Retail stocks increase, tech stocks fall as US stock markets end mixed: S&P 500 +0.3%, Dow +0.7%, Nasdaq -0.5% (More) | Online trading giant Robinhood received $331M in Q1 payments from order flow (More) 

> Berkshire Hathaway confirms Greg Abel will succeed as CEO when Warren Buffett steps down in the future (More)

> Asian American business leaders launch $250M fund to fight anti-Asian discrimination (More)

From our partners: Attend Weave's Business Growth Summit for free. How are you attracting customers for your business? On May 19, join us in hearing from incredible speakers like Ken Jeong, Lindsey Stirling, Steve Sonnenberg, and more to discover compelling new ideas on growing your business or healthcare practice. Watch it 100% online, 100% free; RSVP today.

Politics & World Affairs

> New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to lift pandemic restrictions for most businesses by May 19 (More) | See where all 50 states stand (More)

> Biden administration raises the annual refugee cap by almost 400%, from around 15,000 to 62,500 (More) | New level is comparable to the average limit between 2000 and 2016; see data here (More)

> Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces midnight deadline to form a coalition government; center-left lawmaker Yair Lapid may be tasked with the effort if no deal is made (More)

IN-DEPTH

The Plan to Kill bin Laden

Politico | Garrett Graff. Saturday marked the 10-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden. Read a fascinating oral history from the decision makers who helped plan and execute the raid. (Read)

How Long Can We Live?

NYT | Ferris Jabr. The number of centenarians—those living past 100 years of age—is set to dramatically increase by the end of the century. The advances beg the question, what are the limits of human life? (Read, $$)

COMFORT IS KEY, STYLE IS ESSENTIAL

In partnership with Revtown

Plain and simple, Revtown jeans are a triple threat: stylish, comfortable, and affordable.

And it all comes down to their secret sauce: the fabric. They created a proprietary fabric consisting of Italian-milled denim infused with the same stuff used in football uniforms and yoga pants. And it shows (and feels). With men's and women's styles, you can wear Revtown jeans around the clock, while staying comfortable all the while. Check them out today.

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ETCETERA

Good Samaritan dives after toddler following a bridge accident.

A follow-up with the woman in the iconic Kent State shooting photo.

Meet America's newest oldest woman.

The bystander effect is real—but not how you think.

Kroger will begin drone deliveries in Ohio.

Hugging may soon be allowed in England.

Pool owners may be facing a chlorine shortage.

When your boss makes a totally reasonable request. (via Reddit)

Clickbait: This toddler is bringing grade A vibes.

Historybook: Actress Audrey Hepburn born (1929); First Grammy Awards held (1959); Four killed, nine injured after National Guard opens fire at Kent State University (1970); Margaret Thatcher becomes first female prime minister of the UK (1979); Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat sign peace accord (1994).

"You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him."

- Audrey Hepburn

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