Good morning. It's Thursday, July 16, and we're gazing out windows from across the world via the internet. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

COVID-19 Reaches the Statehouse

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) said yesterday he was self-isolating after contracting the coronavirus, becoming the first US governor to publicly reveal a positive test. The state's daily case count has steadily risen since February to 16 cases per day for every 100,000 people, but still remains outside the top 15 states when tallying the nation's hotspots. Oklahoma also hosted a Trump campaign rally June 20 in Tulsa, which Stitt attended. See how each state's case count is trending along with their reopening status here. 

Separately, Walmart—the nation's largest retailer and employer—will require customers to don face masks at all of its locations (including Sam's Club) beginning July 20. Kroger, the country's largest grocery chain, made a similar announcement. The companies become the latest in a string of retailers, including Costco and Best Buy, to make the move. See a good roundup of the science of how masks help blunt the spread of the coronavirus here.

In Washington, DC, officials downplayed criticism of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the administration's top expert on the pandemic, by White House trade adviser Peter Navarro. The president said he maintained a strong relationship with Fauci. 

Overseas, China became the first major economy to return to growth, posting a 3.2% rise in GDP in the second quarter.

Finally, researchers are getting closer to pinning down the true fatality rate of the virus, a surprisingly difficult figure to calculate. Estimates show it likely lies between 0.2-1.0%.  

New cases in the US have hovered between 60,000-65,000 over the past week, with deaths just over 550 per day. The total case count was 3.5 million, with 137,420 total deaths as of this morning. See the rolling three-day average here.

Chinese Sanctions Pile Up

The US announced yesterday it would sanction employees of Chinese companies, including tech giant Huawei, over their firm's complicity in alleged human rights abuses.

The decision is the latest in an avalanche of sanctions and policy changes aimed at China and its interests. Late Tuesday, President Trump ended Hong Kong's special trade and travel status with the US over a new national security bill imposed by Beijing on the city. The order joined a separate bill allowing US sanctions on banks and institutions found to be undermining Hong Kong's autonomy. Earlier in the day, the United Kingdom announced it would fully ban Huawei equipment from its 5G cellular networks, citing espionage concerns. On Monday, the US rejected all claims of Chinese sovereignty in the South China Sea.

US posture toward China is quickly becoming a top election issue, and observers anticipate both Trump and Biden attempting to outflank each other leading into November. 

Baby Bust on the Horizon

Every country in the world could see its population shrink by the end of the century, a new study concluded. At least 23 countries may see their populations cut in half. The culprits are aging demographics and lower fertility rates. Modern populations must average about 2.1 births per woman to maintain their size; researchers estimate that figure, which was more than five in 1960 (see data), will fall to 1.7 by 2100.

The most populated countries were projected to be India (1.1 billion), Nigeria (791 million), China (732 million), and the US (336 million); the current top four are China (1.4 billion), India (1.3 billion), the US (330 million), and Indonesia (267 million). The global population was estimated to peak in 2064, at 9.7 billion. 

Interestingly, the study's reference scenario showed China becoming the world's largest economy in 2035, but predicted the US would regain the top spot by 2098. See the full report here.

Separately, fatal drug overdoses in the US rose to a record high in 2019, to just under 71,000, reversing a decline seen in 2018. 

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LESS ISN'T ALWAYS MORE

It's time to talk about hair loss. No, it isn't fun. And yes, what used to be a forest atop your head is starting to look a bit more like a meadow. But it's perfectly normal. Men worldwide experience hair loss and thinning. And thankfully, there's a treatment.

Hims brings men a complete suite of options to make hair loss a worry of the past. Shampoo, vitamins, and topical solutions round out the team, but the real MVP is Finasteride. It's an FDA-approved medication (learn more here) that treats hair loss in men by blocking DHT, a natural hormone that speeds up hair loss in men. If you're ready to start getting your hair back, just complete a free online consultation with a licensed medical professional on the Hims telehealth platform (from the comfort of your own home), then sit back and relax. Any prescribed hair loss treatment will be shipped directly to your door, for free, with worry-free refills.

It's time to stop worrying and start taking action. Hims has the options you need to bring back your hair in full force. And if it's not a fit, Hims has a 90-day guarantee. Try it out now.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> The 132nd Rose Parade, held annually on New Year's Day in Pasadena, California, is canceled for the first time since World War II due to COVID-19 (More)

> Kanye West ends 2020 presidential run just days after launch; bid was not feasible given West already missed the deadline to appear on the ballot in many states (More) | "Magic School Bus" author Joanna Cole dies at age 75 (More)

> Houston Texans wide receiver Kenny Stills among 87 arrested on felony charges at Breonna Taylor protest outside the home of the Kentucky attorney general (More) | NBA player Jrue Holiday donating NBA restart salary of $5M to social justice fund (More)

Science & Technology

> Far-reaching Twitter hack infiltrates the accounts of Joe Biden, Kanye West, Elon Musk, and many others, urging users to join in a Bitcoin scam; the most widespread attack in Twitter history suggests a severe, yet-to-be-identified security loophole (More)

> Most detailed map of the cosmic microwave background backs up previous measurements, deepens the existing mystery around why the universe is expanding quicker than theory predicts (More) | Read more about the CMB and the Big Bang (More)

> Researchers 3D print a working heart valve using live human heart cells; advance expected to have a significant impact on studying heart disease, the leading cause of death for Americans (More)

Business & Markets

> Apple wins tax battle with European Union, as court sides with company over $14.8B tax bill due to Ireland (More) | Alphabet (Google) to invest $4.5B in Jio Platforms to expand internet access in India; partnership will develop affordable smartphone (More) | Amazon extends work from home policy to January (More)

> UnitedHealth, world’s largest healthcare company, posts best quarter in company history as fewer patients visited hospitals, driving health insurance profits higher (More)

> American Airlines to send 25,000 employees furlough notices as pandemic continues to crush US flight demand (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Brad Parscale demoted as Trump campaign manager; will be replaced by Bill Stepien, current deputy manager and former White House political director (More) 

> Family of George Floyd announces lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis (More) | Unsealed police body camera footage revealed to the public (More) | City council of Asheville, North Carolina, backs reparations plan via investments (More) 

> White House finalizes rollback of parts of the National Environmental Policy Act; 50-year-old law requires the government to weigh a bevy of environmental concerns before approving infrastructure projects (More)

IN-DEPTH

The Most Important Organization You've Never Heard Of

Forbes | Thomas Brewster. It's not quite at the level of James Bond's secretive MI6 research hub, but some of the projects overseen by Mitre Corp.—like extracting physical fingerprints from social media sites—aren't that far off. Now, a Freedom of Information Act request has shed light on the extent of the organization. (Read)

'Twitter Has Become the Ultimate Editor'

BariWeiss.com | Bari Weiss. Read the resignation letter from writer Bari Weiss, who left her job at The New York Times over what she alleges was harassment and discriminatory behavior by colleagues over pieces that ran counter to standard consensus in the newsroom. (Read)

Editor's note: We've been covering the ongoing push-and-pull over what has been dubbed "cancel culture." For an overview and reaction to the letter, see this piece from Tom Jones at the Poynter Institute. 

SHOUTOUT TO YOU

Here's to all the guys who are taking care of themselves! A good starting point: your hair. Today, you can sign up for a free, discrete online consultation with a physician to access the best hair loss treatment for you. If prescribed, you'll get Hims delivered right to your door with auto-renewals (but you can cancel anytime).

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ETCETERA

See the stunning shortlist for the year's best astronomy photos.

College students say they'll stop partying if they can return to campus.

Banksy returns to London—and gets promptly wiped off. 

From our partners: Tired of being locked into expensive cellular contracts? This company offers flexible, crazy affordable plans tailored for each family member—all managed from one account, starting from $5/month. #Ad

New expert guidance says men should limit themselves to one alcoholic drink per day.

Take a virtual tour of an Egyptian pharaoh's tomb.

Artist turns one-star reviews of national parks into satirical posters.

This amazing website lets you gaze out a random stranger's window. 

Science says you can't eat more than 84 hotdogs in 10 minutes.

Clickbait: Someone is auctioning off life-size animatronic dinosaurs.

Historybook: District of Columbia established as capital of US (1790); RIP former US first lady Mary Todd Lincoln (1882); First successful atom bomb test (1945); Apollo 11 launches with first astronauts who will walk on the moon (1969); John F. Kennedy Jr. dies in plane crash (1999).

"Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand."

- Neil Armstrong

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