Good morning. It's Tuesday, Aug. 11, and in breaking overnight news, Russia says it has developed an effective vaccine for the coronavirus (experts are skeptical). Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Lebanese Government Resigns

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab and his cabinet resigned yesterday, saying the scale of corruption plaguing the country was too big to be addressed from inside government. The decision comes amid anti-government protests reinvigorated by a catastrophic explosion last week in Beirut—triggered by 2,750 tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate—that killed at least 160 and injured nearly 6,000. The material had been held at the port without safeguards for seven years, despite numerous warnings. 

Before both the explosion and the pandemic, Lebanon was facing its worse economic and political crisis in decades. Critics allege the ruling elite have exploited state resources (see overview), driving the country into heavy debt and causing spiraling inflation. The government is also paralyzed by a complex power-sharing agreement, and the militant group Hezbollah plays a strong role in the country's politics.

Read the backstory on the confiscated ship that originally carried the explosive material into Beirut here.  

Mauritius Oil Spill

Salvage crews are racing to remove an estimated 2,500 tons of oil from a wrecked Japanese tanker that ran ashore off the African island nation of Mauritius. The ship ran aground on a coral reef two weeks ago and has slowly leaked at least 1,000 tons of oil into the surrounding waters of the Indian Ocean. Crews, hoping to extract the remaining oil before the ship sinks, were delayed yesterday by high winds and 15-foot waves that battered the vessel. Cracks have appeared in the hull, indicating the ship may break apart.

Though smaller relative to historic spills—the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill was roughly 500,000 tons—it could spell disaster for the tiny nation. Mauritius welcomes more than 1 million visitors annually, with its vital tourism sector heavily dependent on the nation's beaches, wildlife, and reefs.  

See photos of the spill here.

Big Ten Likely to Cancel Season

The Big Ten Conference will likely cancel its 2020 college football season, along with other fall sports, according to reports yesterday. With just weeks before kickoff, the conference would become the first of the Power Five—the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, PAC-12, and SEC—to preemptively end its season. Three of the top six biggest athletic departments (Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan) are members of the Big Ten. A representative for the conference denied a vote had taken place, and a number of the conference's coaches pushed back on the plan. A formal vote and decision are scheduled today, with the Pac-12 expected to follow suit. See the status of each conference here.

The decision comes as some of the sport's top players, including Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, have pushed to play—albeit with enhanced safety measures. Power Five schools could lose a collective $4B if the season is entirely canceled, not including millions in local revenue generated in cities on game day.

Meanwhile, the NFL is on standby to fill in on Saturdays. 

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DANISH SHADES FOR SUNNY DAYS

As far as people go, the Danes seem to have it figured out. From high scores on income equality to long life expectancy to great education systems, it's hard to see why Danes wouldn't love being Danes. Coincidentally, Christopher Cloos glasses are also from Denmark. Now, we're not saying Christopher Cloos eyewear is the reason Danes are so happy. But we're also not not saying it.

Christopher Cloos sunglasses are the sleeker, smarter, better-functioning versions of your current shades. They're basically the Denmark of sunglasses. Polarized, beautiful designs, and spring-hinged (so they hug—and don't hurt—your face), you'll be wondering how and why you ever bought your last pair of mall kiosk shades. And Christopher Cloos sunglasses are both one-size-fits-all and incredibly durable, so those among us who are small children, large-headed, or simply have a bad track record with sunglasses can masquerade as a runway model all summer long.

If you aren't sold yet, just check out their site today. You'll be leaving with your very own competitively priced spring-hinged sunglasses by the end of the day. And use coupon code 1440 for 20% off.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by Hamama

> NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs first round begins tonight in Canada with all Eastern Conference games played in Toronto and Western Conference games in Edmonton (More)

> Martin Birch, legendary British music producer for Fleetwood Mac and Black Sabbath, dies at 71 (More)

> WarnerMedia makes sweeping layoffs, sending home 600 employees including top executives for Warner Bros. as part of a companywide restructuring (More)

Getting your daily dose of veggies is easy when you have a Hamama Microgreens Kit. Watch your greens grow anywhere in the house, and use code 1440GREENS now for $10 off. #Ad

Science & Technology

> Dwarf planet Ceres found to have reservoirs of salt water and brine beneath its surface and may still be geologically active; object is the biggest in the Solar System's asteroid belt (More)

> Nootkatone, an organic citrus compound, approved for use in repelling ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes; the chemical is equally or more effective at repelling ticks than existing synthetic options like DEET (More, $$, NYT)

> Amateur scavenger hunter uncovers one of the largest collections of Bronze Age artifacts in Scottish history; haul includes a sword and complete horse harness (More)

Business & Markets

> McDonald’s suing former CEO Steve Easterbrook for recovery of $40M exit package, claiming he lied regarding consensual relationships with employees (More)

> Fortune releases annual Global 500 list of world’s largest companies by revenue, Walmart and Chinese energy giant Sinopec top list  (More)

> California judge blocks Uber and Lyft from classifying drivers as contractors; voters to consider the issue in November elections (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Russia unveils what it claims is an effective coronavirus vaccine, registers it for use; President Vladimir Putin says one of his daughters has received the vaccine (More) | Global reported cases pass 20 million, while the US totals 5.1 million cases, with 163,465 deaths; see three-day trend (More) 

> Chicago police report more than 100 people arrested, 13 police officers injured, as looting sweeps through the city's Magnificent Mile early Monday following a police-involved shooting on the south side (More) | President Trump pulled from press briefing due to shooting near the White House (More)

> Hong Kong media mogul and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai arrested under new Chinese national security law (More) | China levels sanctions on 11 Americans, including Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) (More) 

IN-DEPTH

TikTok and the Sorting Hat

Remains of the Day | Eugene Wei. A fascinating look at how an app focused on helping US teenagers create lip-sync videos ended up challenging YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, becoming one of the first Chinese internet tech companies to break into the Western market. (Read)

The Last Lighthouse Keeper

Globe and Mail | Greg Mercer. A profile of Thom and Anne Drew, who helped ships navigate the perilous Nova Scotia waters for years—until the Canadian Coast Guard automated the signals from the lighthouse. Committed to the peaceful and isolated life of Mosher Island, the Drews refused to leave. (Read, $$)

'ARE YOU A MODEL?'

In partnership with Christopher Cloos

Better get used to hearing that question a whole lot more. If you buy a pair of Christopher Cloos sunglasses, that is.

Their mind-blowing spring hinges can fit any head shape, and the minimalistic, retro frames will have you stealing glances in the mirror all summer long. Plus, you might be thrown a surprise modeling contract on your golden hour strolls down the street. So check out Christopher Cloos frames that are straight out of Denmark today. Get 20% off with code 1440.

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ETCETERA

What happens when you sneeze on the subway. ($$, NYT)

Watch Indonesia's Mount Sinabung erupt for the second time in three days.

The best meteor shower of the year peaks tonight.

Shark Week kicks off with Mike Tyson subduing a reef shark.

The insect apocalypse may be a little overblown.

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger reveal their new baby girl.

Face masks are leading to more teeth brushing.

The UK's top diplomatic cat retires.

Clickbait: Zoomed out? Try holograms.

Historybook: Author and historian Alex Haley born (1921); HBD Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak (1950); HBD actress Viola Davis (1965); Final US ground combat troops leave South Vietnam during Vietnam War (1972); RIP Robin Williams (2014).

"There’s no shame in failing. The only shame is not giving things your best shot."

- Robin Williams

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