Good morning, It's Friday, July 9, and we're covering Richard Branson's race to space, the downfall of a former celebrity attorney, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

4 Million Deaths

The global COVID-19 death toll has surpassed 4 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. While the US has the highest reported total at more than 600,000 deaths, current global hot spots include Brazil and Russia. Reported deaths across Africa have also tripled over the past month.

In the US, newly reported illnesses have risen by more than 30% over two weeks, to around 15,000 cases per day (see data). Deaths attributed to the virus have remained steady, averaging just over 200 per day. 

Experts say the combination of loosened restrictions, a summer travel boom, and the new Delta variant have driven the rise. Preliminary data suggest vaccines available in the US and the UK remain more than 90% effective in preventing severe illness arising from the Delta variant. More than half of new cases in the US over the past two weeks have been linked to the strain (data here). 

Almost 65% of Americans over the age of 12 have received at least one vaccination dose. See how your state is doing here.

In related news, Japan declared a state of emergency through Aug. 22. The decision means almost no spectators will be allowed at the Tokyo Olympics, which begin July 23. Average new COVID-19 daily cases in the city have doubled since mid-June, surpassing 660 per day.  

Avenatti Sentenced

Former high-profile attorney Michael Avenatti was sentenced yesterday to two-and-a-half years in prison for a failed extortion scheme against apparel giant Nike. 

Best known for his role representing adult film star Stormy Daniels in a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, Avenatti had taken up the case of Gary Franklin, an amateur basketball coach who accused Nike of improperly paying star recruits. Avenatti then attempted to leverage those claims to secure a settlement with Franklin, as well as a separate $25M consulting contract for himself and an associate. Avenatti delivered a tearful apology in court; the sentence fell well short of the nine-year term sought by prosecutors. 

Avenatti also faces charges in two separate federal trials alleging he embezzled millions from clients—including a mentally ill paraplegic—to fund side ventures and a lavish lifestyle. 

Billionaires in Space

Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of Virgin Group, is scheduled to travel to the edge of space Sunday aboard the first fully crewed flight of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo Unity. The trip is meant to be a demonstration for a future space industry; New Mexico, which hosts the launch site, has invested almost $250M in Virgin's Spaceport America.

Branson's trip comes nine days ahead of fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos's liftoff aboard his company Blue Origin's inaugural flight. While Blue Origin utilizes a more traditional vertical liftoff (see our previous write-up), Virgin's craft will ride aboard a dual-fuselage mothership that will travel almost 10 miles high before launching the spaceplane. See a demo here.

Some argue Branson isn't technically reaching space—the 55-mile-high trajectory will fall short of the 62-mile-high Kármán line (though others, including NASA, would disagree).

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KEEPING APPA HEALTHY

Woof! My name is Appa: I'm a 1-year-old rescue dog, the self-proclaimed mascot of 1440, and a Pawp pup. Today, you'll be hearing from me instead of our writers, because I'm the resident expert on all things Pawp.

I experienced some food allergies last month. Instead of waiting for hours at the vet and scheduling an expensive appointment, my humans accessed 24/7 instant video calls and text chats with licensed vets to help diagnose my problem for free. Thankfully, the Pawp vets helped me feel better quickly, but if I'd needed an emergency surgery my humans could have accessed Pawp's provided $3,000 emergency fund to ease the financial burden. Under 3% of pets in the US have insurance coverage, thanks in part to ridiculously high premiums (averaging $42/month for dogs). Pawp costs just $19/month, regardless of preexisting conditions, breed, age, or location.

Pawp provides unlimited access to professional opinions, an emergency fund to avoid hard financial decisions, and covers up to six pets per household (but I enjoy being an only dog). Learn why your family should be a Pawp family today.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Fourteen-year-old Zaila Avant-garde spells "Murraya" correctly to become the first African American to win Scripps National Spelling Bee (More) | Meet Avant-garde who also has three Guinness World Records for basketball dribbling (More)

> "Bridgerton," "Scandal" creator Shonda Rhimes extends deal with Netflix to include television, film, and gaming (More) | Marilyn Manson turns himself in on assault charges; multiple allegations of abuse have been made against the rocker this year (More) 

> The 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup group stage kicks off tomorrow in venues throughout the US; 16 countries from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean will compete (More) | England faces Italy in European championship Sunday (More)

Science & Technology

> US health regulators narrow approval of controversial Biogen Alzheimer's drug to only those with mild forms of the disease; initial approval came despite statistical doubts about the drug's efficacy (More)

> Engineers demonstrate tiny strands of ice that can bend like a noodle and revert to their original shape without breaking; each strand is one long single crystal instead of many smaller grains, enhancing its flexibility (More)

> "Mirror" fabric allows clothing that cools wearers by roughly 10 degrees; clothing appears normal but effectively reflects the sun's ultraviolet, visible, and near- and mid-infrared light (More)

Business & Markets

Brought to you by Gong

> US stock markets fall (S&P 500 -0.9%, Dow -0.8%, Nasdaq -0.7%) as economic concerns grow among investors (More) | An estimated 373,000 Americans filed initial jobless claims last week, an unexpected increase over last week and above estimates (More)

> Fifteen states drop opposition to Purdue Pharma bankruptcy, improving chances of resolution over opioid epidemic lawsuits (More)

> European Union regulators fine Volkswagen and BMW $1B for violating antitrust laws (More)

From our partners: Sales & Marketing: It's the revenue event of the summer, Gong #celebrate. Listen to an insight-packed panel of business leaders spilling their secrets and discussing trends and tactics shaping the revenue industry. Join Gong on the big (virtual) stage this July 21; save your seat today.

Politics & World Affairs

> President Joe Biden says the US mission in Afghanistan will end Aug. 31, earlier than original Sept. 11 date (More) | Analysts warn the Taliban is in a position to overrun the Afghan government; see breakdown here (More)

> Death toll in Miami-area building collapse rises to 64, with 76 still unaccounted for (More) | Tropical Storm Elsa floods New York City metro station as it heads over the Northeast (More, w/video)

> Two Americans implicated in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse; 15 former Colombian soldiers also detained in the plot (More)

IN-DEPTH

Invisible Addiction

Guardian | Michael Pollan. Pollan, the renowned food science writer, weighs in on whether it's time to reset our relationship with caffeine. (Read)

The Clairvoyant

Truly*Adventurous | Gabriella Gage. The true story of a teenager in rural, 19th-century Tuscany whose supposed supernatural powers gained her a cult following. (Read)

48 Hours, Part II

Criminal | Phoebe Judge, Lauren Spohrer. (Podcast) Part two of the nearly unbelievable story of Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn, victims of a bizarre armed kidnapping in 2015. (Listen)

IS YOUR PET INSURED?

In partnership with Pawp

Did you know that there are approximately 164 million dogs and cats in the US, but the market penetration for pet insurance is only 2.8%? That's because pet insurance is an expensive purchase (averaging $42/month for dogs and $21/month for cats), and often doesn't cover preventative medicine like routine care. Worse yet, pets with preexisting conditions can't receive coverage where they need it the most.

Pawp is a first-of-its-kind platform to topple the pet insurance industry. They've combined on-demand telehealth via a 24/7 digital clinic with a $3,000 emergency fund to help make the difficult financial decisions a lot less difficult. And it only costs $19/month, for up to six pets, with no restrictions on preexisting conditions, breed, age, or location. That's half the price of traditional pet insurance for dogs, with so many more perks. Check out Pawp today to get covered.

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ETCETERA

Mapping global happiness levels.

Creating false-positive COVID-19 tests with soda pop. 

Ferocious sea star tops June's best science photos.

Upstate New York faces a plague of caterpillars.

Denmark hosts the world's biggest sandcastle.

Twelve-foot python on the loose in a Louisiana mall.

A tiny Da Vinci bear drawing sells for $12M.

... speaking of bears, keep your car doors locked.

Clickbait: When you're fleeing police, but you need that quarter pounder.

Historybook: President Zachary Taylor dies of cholera while in office (1850); 14th Amendment ratified in US, granting citizenship to African Americans (1868); First Wimbledon tournament begins (1877); HBD Tom Hanks (1956); Musician Courtney Love born (1964).

"A hero is someone who voluntarily walks into the unknown."

- Tom Hanks

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