Good morning. It's Tuesday, June 8, and we're covering the approval of a controversial drug, Jeff Bezos' summer plans, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

New Alzheimer's Drug Approved

US health regulators granted approval yesterday to a drug meant to slow cognitive decline in patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease. It is the first drug in two decades approved for Alzheimer's and the first purporting to address what is believed to be a primary driver of neurodegeneration—the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. The drug is meant to slow, but not reverse, the symptoms of the disease, which affects almost 6 million Americans. 

The approval marks a significant turnaround for the drug, which was believed to be a failure just two years ago. A number of experts are skeptical of the drug's impact on cognitive function—Biogen, the company behind the drug, will be required to carry out a large-scale trial demonstrating positive effects to maintain approval. 

Biogen saw its stock rise 38% on the news, increasing its market capitalization to almost $60B. The drug will cost around $4K per infusion, or $56K per year.

Watch how Alzheimer's changes the brain here (via YouTube).

Bezos in Space

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos revealed yesterday he will join Blue Origin's first crewed space flight. Bezos, who made the announcement via Instagram, founded the aerospace company in 2000. Joining the hundred-billionaire will be Bezos' brother, Mark, as well as the to-be-announced winner of a charity auction. Almost 6,000 bids have been submitted in the auction, with the highest to date near $3M.  

The flight launches July 20, about two weeks after Bezos steps down as Amazon's CEO. The spacecraft, designated as the New Shepard (explore here), will be launched via a reusable rocket booster. A detached capsule will briefly rise above the Kármán line—a 62-mile-high boundary regarded as the beginning of space—before parachuting back to Earth. 

See a video of a New Shepard test flight here.

Boko Haram

Audio recordings released Sunday suggest Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Nigeria's notorious Islamist-militant group Boko Haram, died in May during a confrontation with a rival extremist group. In the tapes, senior members of the Islamic State West Africa Province allege Shekau detonated explosives strapped to his body during a confrontation with the group. The recordings lend weight to earlier rumors picked up by African intelligence agencies. 

Shekau has been one of the continent's most wanted terrorists, having led Boko Haram since 2009. More than 37,000 people have been killed by the group since 2011. Though its influence waned in recent years, the group rose to infamy following the 2014 kidnapping of hundreds of schoolgirls, many of whom are still missing. 

Analysts say Shekau's death—yet to be confirmed—may allow ISWAP to absorb Boko Haram's fighters, cementing itself as the top extremist group in the Lake Chad region. 

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STRESS LESS, SLEEP BETTER

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by The Ascent

> Seventeen-year-old American Coco Gauff becomes youngest female to reach a Grand Slam tennis quarterfinal in 15 years (More) | Naomi Osaka drops out of Wimbledon tuneup tournament a week after withdrawing from French Open due to mental health concerns (More)

> NBCUniversal optimistic Summer Olympic games will take place; announces 7,000 hours of coverage across six channels and streaming on Peacock (More)

> John Sacret Young, seven-time Emmy nominated screenwriter and producer, dies at 75 of brain cancer (More)

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Science & Technology

> Paleontologists discover new species of sauropod, Australotitan, believed to be Australia's largest dinosaur; the species weighed up to 70 tons and stretched almost 100 feet (More)

> Measurements of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reach 419 parts-per-million, 50% higher than preindustrial levels and estimated to be the highest in 4.1 million years (More)

> Scientists make breakthrough in understanding the physics of blood clot formation; may lead to preventative treatments for heart attacks and strokes (More)

Business & Markets

> Apple kicks off annual Worldwide Developer Conference, details new product features (More)

> The French Competition Authority fines Google €220M ($268M) for abusing its market power by unfairly sending users to its own services (More)

> Private equity giants Blackstone, Carlyle Group, and Hellman & Friedman lead $30B buyout of medical supplies giant Medline; marks the largest leveraged buyout since the 2009 financial crisis (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> US officials recover 63.7 Bitcoin ransom—currently worth roughly $2.1M—from a 75 Bitcoin ransom paid in the hack of Colonial Pipeline; the attack shut down one of the biggest US fuel pipelines for five days (More)

> Vice President Kamala Harris makes first foreign trip, beginning in Guatemala; tells immigrants "do not come" to the US border (More) | Number of southwest border encounters surpassed 178,000 in April (More)

> At least 51 people dead and 100 injured after two trains collide in central Pakistan (More)

IN-DEPTH

The Snitch

Atavist | Jordan Michael Smith. When the FBI secured an early release from prison for Scott Kimball, they believed they had a reliable and high-value informant. Instead, a serial killer was released back into the community. (Read)

The Case for Parking Reform

Slow Boring | Matthew Yglesias. How an under-the-radar policy issue has a big impact on the availability and cost of housing. (Read)

RECOVER LIKE A PRO

In partnership with Apollo Neuro

Apollo Neuro is like a wearable hug for your nervous system, telling you that you’re safe and in control. Wear Apollo on your wrist or ankle and use it whenever you need to rebalance—after a workout, an intense emotional experience, or transitioning from work mode to family time. Worn over time, Apollo’s gentle vibrations train your body and mind to bounce back more quickly from stress—the more you use it, the better it works.

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ETCETERA

The best small towns in the US to visit this summer.

World bids goodbye to the last surviving Auschwitz liberator.

The beauty of the Netherlands, in photos.

Microscopic animal survives 24,000 years in permafrost.

Texas mom arrested after impersonating teenage daughter at school.

Why Uber is costing a fortune. (paywall, Curbed)

Turkish mob boss spills the beans on social media.

RIP Cobby, America's oldest zoo chimp.

Clickbait: Insane sinkhole rapidly swallows cars.

Historybook: Muhammad, founder of Islam, dies in Medina, Saudi Arabia (632); Architect Frank Lloyd Wright born (1867); Former first lady Barbara Bush born (1925); James Earl Ray arrested in London for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. (1968); HBD Kanye West (1977).

"The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes."

- Frank Lloyd Wright

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