Good morning. It's Friday, June 20, and we're covering a draft peace deal in Central Africa, the 50th anniversary of the first summer blockbuster, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.5 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.
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Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo agreed this week on a draft agreement to end fighting in eastern DRC. The deal—mediated by the US and Qatar—is due to be signed next week in Washington, DC.
The two countries have engaged in decades of conflict, since an estimated 2 million Hutus fled to eastern DRC following the 1994 Rwanda genocide and the rise of the Tutsi government (see history). The most recent flare-up centers on M23, a Congolese rebel group widely believed to be backed by Rwanda. The group captured two cities this year—Goma in January and Bukavu in February. Over 7,000 people have been killed and more than 7 million displaced in the latest bout of conflict; over 6 million people have been killed since the 1990s.
The deal comes amid reports the US is pursuing a minerals deal with the DRC. The resource-rich country has the world’s largest cobalt reserves, used in electric vehicles’ lithium-ion batteries, among other key resources. |
Iran’s foreign minister heads to Geneva today to meet with counterparts from Germany, France, and the UK. The developments come amid ongoing strikes between Israel and Iran, with Iran striking a hospital in the southern Israeli town of Be’er Sheva and Israel striking Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor and other nuclear-related facilities. See live updates here.
Europeans hope to secure concessions on Iran’s nuclear program, after a UN watchdog report last month found the country had enriched 400 kilograms of uranium to 60% purity (see previous write-up). The three European countries, known as the E3, participated in a censure of Iran over its nuclear program, the first such reprimand since 2005 and a potential first step to reimpose UN sanctions. The snapback process for sanctions—part of the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal the countries are still party to—expires in October.
See the impact of UN sanctions on Iran here (w/charts). |
Today marks the 50th anniversary of "Jaws," the pop culture phenomenon widely regarded as the first summer blockbuster, passing $100M at the box office. It marked the second theatrical release from a young Steven Spielberg, propelling him to fame at the age of 28.
Located on the fictional Amity Island (and shot in Martha's Vineyard), the plot revolves around a police chief (Roy Scheider), a researcher (Richard Dreyfuss), and a grizzled captain (Robert Shaw) hunting a bloodthirsty great white. The star was arguably Bruce, a nickname for each of three 25-foot, 1,200-pound mechanical sharks (see how they were made here). In addition to the on-screen action, the theme—a two-note score referred to as "da, duh"—has become synonymous with imminent danger.
The film more than tripled its $3M budget and went two months over schedule, but ultimately grossed an inflation-adjusted $1.56B. Read more about how "Jaws" changed Hollywood here.
Plus ... tomorrow's 1440 Society & Culture newsletter dives deep into the career of Steven Spielberg, from "Jaws" and "E.T." to "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and more. Sign up here to receive! |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Indiana Pacers top Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 to even NBA Finals series at 3-3 with decisive Game 7 set for Sunday (8 pm ET, ABC) (More) | Men's College World Series finals set; LSU to take on Coastal Carolina in best-of-three series for NCAA baseball title (More) |
> Los Angeles Dodgers deny ICE agents entry to Dodger Stadium parking lot ahead of tonight's game; Department of Homeland Security denies ICE presence, says federal agents were parked at the stadium for reasons unrelated to operations (More) |
> Justin Baldoni's legal team granted access to private text messages between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift amid legal battle over Lively's allegations Baldoni sexually harassed her on "It Ends With Us" set (More) |
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> SpaceX Starship explodes on launch pad ahead of 10th test flight; official cause of blast under investigation, company cites "major anomaly" (More) | See video here (More) |
> Engineers develop method to double the tensile strength of carbon fiber-reinforced composites; materials are lighter than aluminum but stronger than steel, have applications in aerospace and vehicles (More) |
> Study suggests life persisted during "Snowball Earth"—a period around 700 million years ago when the planet was covered in ice—by living in shallow pools of near-freezing water (More) | "Snowball Earth" 101 (More) |
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> Oil prices rise nearly 3% as Israel vows to intensify attacks on Iran while the US response to the conflict remains uncertain (More) |
> America’s millionaire population grew by 379,000 last year to a total of 23.8 million, the most of any country, per new UBS report (More) |
> Switzerland's central bank slashes key interest rate by a quarter percentage point to 0% amid deflationary pressures (More) | What is deflation? (More) | See interest rates around the world (More) |
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> Federal appeals court allows President Donald Trump to retain control of National Guard in Los Angeles while Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) lawsuit proceeds (More) | Trump extends cutoff for ByteDance to sell TikTok by 90 days; third extension brings new deadline to Sept. 17 (More) |
> Hurricane Erick makes landfall in Oaxaca, Mexico, as a Category 3 storm, with winds of up to 125 miles per hour—the first major hurricane of the 2025 Eastern Pacific season (More) | Heat wave estimated to affect 255 million people across the US (More) |
> South Africa opens investigation into the 1985 kidnapping and killing of anti-apartheid activists known as the Cradock Four (More) |
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> Italy's Garden of Monsters
Archaeology Magazine | Daniel Weiss. Commissioned in the 1550s by a grieving prince, an Italian garden defied Renaissance norms with grotesque stone sculptures and surreal design, later inspiring artists like Salvador Dalí. (Read)
> How to Redraw a City
Works in Progress | Anya Martin. A deep dive into how Japan tackled major urban challenges with a bold idea: let homeowners collectively reshape entire neighborhoods by a supermajority vote. (Read) |
> Tennessee's White Whale
Niche to Meet You | Leslie Thompson. A trek into Tennessee’s legendary Barkley Marathons, an ultramarathon with no set course or finish line, where only a few dare to test their limits and many find unexpected purpose. (Listen)
> The Brain Bubble Bath
Big Think | Wendy Suzuki. How 10 minutes of walking can flood the brain with feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins—activating regions that boost mood, sharpen focus, and strengthen memory. (Watch) |
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