Good morning. It's Friday, Sept. 20, and we're covering the US' medical equivalent of the Nobel Prize, posthumous allegations against billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, and much more. First time reading? Join over 3.9 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here. |
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Recipients of the US medical Lasker Awards were announced yesterday, recognizing scientists for their work in immunology, GLP-1 hormone therapy, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Often described as "America's Nobel," the awards frequently predict winners of the Nobel Prizes announced in October, with 95 Lasker laureates having won a Nobel.
A trio of researchers, including pioneering endocrinologist Svetlana Mojsov, was recognized for the discovery of the GLP-1 hormone's efficacy in treating obesity and diabetes, the basis of highly popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. For decades of HIV/AIDS research, including involvement in testing a promising twice-yearly antiviral drug injection, Quarraisha and Salim Abdool Karim were recognized with the public service award. University of Texas' Zhijian “James” Chen was recognized for identifying how the immune system detects foreign DNA in viruses.
Established in 1945 by philanthropists Mary and Albert Lasker, the awards seek to accelerate funding for medical research (see history). Recipients receive a $250K financial award. |
Mohamed Al-Fayed Allegations |
The late billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed has been accused of sexual assault by more than 20 female former employees of Harrods, five of whom accuse him of rape. Al-Fayed, who died last year at age 94, owned the British luxury department store from 1985 to 2010. A BBC documentary released yesterday alleges Harrods failed to intervene and helped cover up abuse claims.
The incidents reportedly occurred at various locations in London, Paris, St. Tropez, and Abu Dhabi, including Harrods' offices, Al-Fayed's London apartment, and properties he owned abroad. Some women allege they underwent medical examinations, including sexual health tests, when starting work for Al-Fayed.
The Egyptian-born businessman, whose son Dodi's relationship with Princess Diana was portrayed in "The Crown," faced additional sexual assault claims in 1997, 2008, and 2017 but was never formally prosecuted or convicted. Harrods' current owners have expressed shock and apologized to the victims. |
Freddie Owens is set to be executed by lethal injection today at 6 pm ET. The execution will mark South Carolina's first in 13 years. It comes after Owens' codefendant recently retracted allegations against him.
In 1999, Owens was convicted of killing 41-year-old convenience store worker Irene Graves during a robbery two years earlier. Surveillance footage shows a man named Stephen Andra Golden and Owens conducting the robbery; it is not clear who fired the lethal shot. This week, however, Golden retracted his allegation that Owens was present with him, instead saying a third, unnamed person is culpable.
Following his sentencing, Owens was charged with killing cellmate Christopher B. Lee. Owens says he did so in anger after what he maintains is a false conviction in the Graves case.
Today's execution will mark the US' 14th execution this year. See a map of states' execution policies here; see historical public opinion data on capital punishment here. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
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> Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani becomes first MLB player in history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases (More) | 2024 WNBA regular season wraps with the playoffs set to begin Sunday (More) | |
> "Saturday Night Live" announces lineup of hosts and musical guests for the show's 50th season set to begin Sept. 28 (More) |
> Judge dismisses lawsuit against New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan alleging sex trafficking and assault alongside Harvey Weinstein (More) |
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> EU regulators give Apple six months to comply with interoperability requirements under the recently passed Digital Markets Act; rule would enable non-Apple devices to easily interact with iPhones and Apple Watches (More) |
> Pocket-sized nuclear battery up to 8,000 times more efficient than existing comparable technologies demonstrated by researchers (More) |
> Engineers develop "ventilator-on-a-chip" that allows real-time study of ventilator-caused lung injuries at the cellular level (More) |
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> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +1.7%, Dow +1.3%, Nasdaq +2.5%); S&P 500 and Dow rise to fresh records following the Federal Reserve's larger-than-expected rate cut a day before (More) | See previous write-up (More) |
> Nike CEO John Donahoe to step down Oct. 13, will be replaced by longtime Nike veteran Elliott Hill, who retired from the brand in 2020 (More) | The Walt Disney Co. to stop using Salesforce-owned Slack after hack exposed company data (More) |
> US existing home sales drop 2.5% month-over-month in August, the slowest pace since October 2023; median home price of $416,700 is up 3.1% from a year ago and is highest median price for any August since records going back to 1999 (More) |
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In partnership with Great Point Capital |
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> Hezbollah and Israel exchange strikes following pager, walkie-talkie explosions that killed at least 37 people; Hezbollah rockets kill two Israelis while Israel says it destroyed dozens of rocket launchers (More) | See war updates (More) |
> Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) takes unconventional step to advance stopgap government funding bill in the Senate following defeat in the House (More) | How the federal budget works (More) |
> North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) denies CNN report claiming he posted numerous controversial and sexually explicit messages on adult sites, including calling himself a "Black Nazi"; Robinson says he will stay in the race (More) |
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> Correlation v. Causation
Clearer Thinking | Staff. When there appears to be a relationship between the occurrence of two phenomena over time, a correlation exists. But, famously, correlations don't imply causation. So, what can they teach us? (Read)
> Wild Turkey Hobbyists
Niche to Meet You | Leslie Thompson. The large, noble bird is a staple of American cultural life, inspiring a constellation of hobbyists interested in learning about and protecting the creatures. (Listen) |
> Who Names the Mountains?
Half as Interesting | Sam Denby. The US Board on Geographic Names—currently made up of 60 experts—has decided what to call over 2 million places over the last 130 years, from mountains to mines. (Watch)
> The Other You in the Multiverse
Big Think | Ethan Siegel. The mind-bending theory of the multiverse claims there's infinite universes out there—potentially with the same physical conditions giving rise to exact replicas of you. (Read) |
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Father and Son Reinvent the Engine |
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