7.2.2018

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.
 

LeBron James to Lakers.
NBA superstar LeBron James will join the Los Angeles Lakers, ending one of the most highly anticipated free-agent sweepstakes in years before it had barely begun. On Friday, James declined the option to extend his contract with his current team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, putting him on the open market – the deal nets James $154M over 4 years, with an option to extend for the fourth year. It also brings a four-time MVP and 14-time All-Star to one of the league’s most storied franchises – the Lakers have won 16 NBA championships, but only two playoff series since the Kobe Bryant-led squad won the title in 2010. The challenge for James will be drawing other available talent to join him in Los Angeles – with the top target being Kawhi Leonard, whose relations with his current team have soured – to compete with Western Conference challengers Houston Rockets and the dominant Golden State Warriors. See a list of top free agents here.

James thanked Cleveland fans with an Instagram post of the team's 2016 championship parade. 
 
Trump Set to Announce SCOTUS Pick.
President Trump will announce his nomination to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy's seat on the Supreme Court on July 9th, according to reports over the weekend. Trump appointed current justice Neil Gorsuch earlier in his term to fill Antonin Scalia's vacant seat - which went unfilled for nearly 14 months - and has said he will pull from a list previously developed during Gorsuch's nomination (see full list). Kennedy announced his retirement last Wednesday - he has been the decisive swing vote in a number of landmark cases that crossed political lines including effectively legalizing same-sex marriage and upholding Roe v Wade, while broadening the ability of corporations to support political campaigns and, more recently, supporting the Administration's travel ban. The Senate only needs a simple majority to confirm the pick - the GOP holds a slim 51 seat majority, and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has said she will not support a candidate who would overturn existing abortion laws. 

Here's a quick guide to the nomination process. 

Mexico Rejects Ruling Party.
In a historic landslide win, Mexicans elected left-wing candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as president yesterday. The election - with voters considering roughly 3,400 local, state, and national positions - dealt a blow to the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which had held power continuously for over seven decades until 2000 and recaptured the presidency in 2012. Claiming nearly 53% of the popular vote, Obrador captured more than two times the votes of his nearest opponent, making it the largest margin of victory in modern Mexican history. Running with the left-wing Juntos Haremos Historia coalition, Obrador has vowed to aggressively tackle the endemic corruption that has crippled Mexican government functions, while seeking a better relationship with the US. Both current President Peña Nieto and President Trump offered their congratulations to the President-elect. 

Over 110 candidates were killed in an unprecedented wave of political violence leading up to the election. 
 

> Spanish star Andres Iniesta announces retirement from international soccer following Spain's stunning loss to Russia in World Cup (More) | See full World Cup results and schedule (More)   
> Get Out director Jordan Peele announces new Sci-Fi comedy Weird City will air on YouTube (More)
> Wimbledon begins today, 2-time champ Andy Murray withdraws (More) | See tournament odds and predictions (More)
 

> Study of 'super-elderly' population in Italy suggests there may be no fixed limit to the human lifespan (More)
> New inexpensive catalyst to split water, a key step in making hydrogen fuel, demonstrated; material is suitable for large-scale commercialization (More)
> SpaceX conducts final launch using its Block 4 engine system, expects new Block 5 design to be reusable for up to 100 flights (w/ launch video) (More)
 

> E-Cigarette maker Juul raises $1.2B at $15B valuation (More)
> Nike beats expectations, stock surges 11% to all-time high (More)
> Electric scooter company Bird raises $300M at a $2B valuation, becomes fastest company to become a 'unicorn' (More) | Meet the unicorns, or companies worth over $1B (More)
 

> Satellite images show North Korea potentially making upgrades to nuclear research facility, despite recent agreement with US (More) | US reportedly has plan in place to dismantle North Korea nuclear program within one year (More)
> Canada moves forward with $13B in retaliatory tariffs focused on metal goods and agriculture (More)
> Russian "big brother" law, which requires telecom companies to store all user communications for six months and make available to law enforcement, goes into effect (More)

Banksy surfaces in Paris with new political murals about the refugee crisis. 

2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year winners.

America's work-life balance is pretty terrible.

...And less than 23% of adults get enough exercise. 

The 39 best health and science books to read this summer. 
 
Holly ‘Cargo’ Harrison completes 15,000-mile walk from Argentina to Alaska (video). 

How to cook a hamburger like a professional chef.  

Clickbait: Infamous French criminal escapes prison via helicopter.

Historybook: HBD Thurgood Marshall (1908); Amelia Earhart disappears on round-the-world flight (1937); RIP Ernest Hemingway (1961); Civil Rights Act is signed into law (1964).
 

"Courage is grace under pressure."
-Ernest Hemingway
 

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