Good morning. It's Monday, April 8, and we're covering a solar blackout, an undefeated champion in women's hoops, and much more. First time reading? Sign up here. |
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A total solar eclipse will pass over North America today, with almost 32 million Americans living in its path. It marks the last total solar eclipse visible in the US for the next 20 years. See here to track the eclipse’s path.
The event happens when the moon passes directly in front of the sun. Since the moon’s orbit is elliptical, its distance from Earth varies, dictating how much of the sun will be covered. A total solar eclipse—where the moon is close enough to entirely block the sun—happens roughly every 18 months but is often only visible from the open ocean or difficult-to-access areas. Over the past century, only 13 total solar eclipses have been visible in the US, the last one being in 2017.
Millions of Americans are traveling across the US for a chance to see a total solar eclipse. Airbnb rentals have booked up along prime viewing locations, while others will have a chance to see a partial eclipse.
Onlookers are urged to wear eclipse glasses, which are at least 1,000 times darker than sunglasses, to protect their eyesight—an eclipse can disrupt the eye’s instinct to turn from the sun’s rays (look for the symbol ISO 12312-2).
Happy (and safe) eclipse viewing! |
No. 1 South Carolina won the women's NCAA basketball championship yesterday, beating Caitlin Clark and No. 1 Iowa by a score of 87-75. The victory caps a perfect 38-0 season for the Gamecocks and avenges a loss to the Hawkeyes in last year's semifinals.
South Carolina was led by freshman guard Tessa Johnson, who came off the bench to score a career-high 19 points in 25 minutes of play (the Gamecocks bench outscored the Iowa bench 37-0). The title is the third in program history, with all three won under current coach Dawn Staley. Watch the celebration here.
The game wraps the most-watched season of women's college basketball in history. Totals aren't yet available for yesterday's game, though Friday's Iowa-Connecticut matchup drew an estimated 17 million viewers.
On the men's side, No. 1 Connecticut topped No. 4 Alabama Saturday night, 86-72, while No. 1 Purdue beat No. 11 North Carolina State, 63-50. The pair meet tonight (9:20 pm ET, TBS), with Connecticut looking to become the first back-to-back champions since Florida in 2006-07. |
Mexico severed diplomatic ties with Ecuador over the weekend, a decision that came after Ecuadorian authorities forcibly entered the Mexican embassy Friday to arrest former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas on corruption charges.
Glas had served as vice president from 2013 to 2017 and was jailed after a court found him guilty of receiving more than $13M in bribes. Several weeks after being released in November, he began living in Mexico’s embassy amid further corruption allegations. Glas says he was politically persecuted and was granted asylum from the Mexican government Friday.
World leaders accuse Ecuador of violating international law treating embassies as foreign territory. The raid is almost unprecedented; there have only been a handful of cases of embassy raids in recent decades (see here). Mexico says it will challenge Ecuador’s decision at the International Criminal Court and has recalled its diplomats. The UN and regional governments also condemned the raid. |
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In partnership with EnergyX |
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The demand for lithium is fueling a modern-day gold rush. Lithium is essential for
batteries in electric cars, storing renewable energy, and even smartphones. Demand
for lithium is projected to soar 20x by 2040, creating a massive opportunity for
investors. Elon Musk didn’t hold back when talking about the potential here: “Do
you like minting money? Well, the lithium business is for you.”
Enter EnergyX. Their patented LiTASTM technology can extract up to 300% more
lithium than traditional methods. They’ve already inked deals with top lithium
producers, secured a partnership and strategic investment from General Motors,
and earned a $5M Department of Energy grant.
Now you can invest in EnergyX for a limited time. This is a unique opportunity to get in on the ground floor just as EnergyX is set to unlock the US’s lithium supply. Become an EnergyX shareholder here.* |
Please support our sponsors! |
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Singer and rapper Jelly Roll wins video of the year at the 2024 Country Music Television awards; see full list of winners here (More) |
> Oregon Powerball player wins nearly $1.33B jackpot, ending three-month run without a winner; jackpot, equal to $621M if taken in a lump sum, was the eighth largest in US history (More) |
> Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg retires; the 35-year-old pitcher was the 2019 World Series MVP and former overall No. 1 draft pick but suffered multiple injuries and medical issues (More) |
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> Engineers determine technical issue causing Voyager 1, launched in 1977, to return garbled communications beginning late last year, raising hope of a potential fix (More) | The space probe is the most distant human-made object from Earth, having entered interstellar space; see current location (More) |
> University of Rochester discloses findings from probe into high-profile academic fraud scandal by physicist Ranga Dias, alleged to have faked room-temperature superconductivity results (More) | See case overview (More) |
> Semaglutide, the key ingredient in new weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, has been shown to reduce symptoms and physical limitations in patients with a common type of heart failure (More) | How Ozempic works (More, w/video) |
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> Markets rebound Friday, closing up (Dow +0.8%, S&P 500 +1.1%, Nasdaq +1.2%); Dow sees worst week in 2024 despite Friday's gains (More) |
> Tesla reportedly suspends plans to build a low-cost entry-level sedan; decision comes amid slowing US electric vehicle market and competition from China (More) | CEO Elon Musk denies reports, also says company will unveil a robotaxi vehicle Aug. 8 (More) |
> Retail giant Target launches paid membership program, including one- or two-day shipping, in bid to compete with Amazon Prime and Walmart+ (More) |
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> Israel reduces its troop presence in the southern Gaza Strip, leaving one brigade reportedly to rest and resupply troops; the move comes at the six-month mark of the war and at the onset of renewed cease-fire talks with Hamas (More) | See updates on the war here (More) |
> Los Angeles heist at a money storage facility believed to yield $30M over Easter weekend in one of the largest cash thefts in US history; FBI reportedly investigating the incident (More) |
> Trump campaign raises $50.5M at Florida fundraiser over the weekend, surpassing $26M haul from a late March fundraiser held by the Biden campaign (More) | See current polls (More) |
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In partnership with EnergyX |
How GM Is Securing Its Lithium Supply |
The world will need to produce 3.8 million tons of lithium per year by 2035 to meet
the demand for electric vehicles. General Motors is turning to one startup to unlock
US-based lithium supply: EnergyX. EnergyX’s patented LiTASTM technology can
extract up to 300% more lithium than traditional methods.
GM led a $50M funding round in EnergyX last year, and EnergyX is now
opening up the opportunity to join them to all investors. Don’t miss out: Become an EnergyX shareholder today.* |
Please support our sponsors! |
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"Failure will never stand in the way of success if you learn from it." |
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