Good morning. It's Thursday, April 16, and we're covering the latest on the Federal Reserve, how sperm whales speak, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.7 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
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🇺🇸 Civics Thursday—The US-Iran conflict has sparked debate about international law: who it applies to, who enforces it, and whether it even matters. This week, for Civics Thursday, we explore the rules-based international order, the Monroe Doctrine, and tariffs: three tools that have shaped how the United States exercises power globally. |
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President Donald Trump threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell yesterday if he does not resign from the Board of Governors when his term as chair ends next month.
Powell revealed this year that the DOJ launched a probe into a roughly $2.5B renovation of the Fed’s headquarters. Powell characterized the investigation as a pressure campaign by Trump to push the central bank to lower interest rates (watch video). Since then, the investigation appears to have continued; despite a judge’s order last month blocking the subpoenas, three officials appeared at the construction site this week.
The probe has complicated Trump’s efforts to see Kevin Warsh confirmed next week to replace Powell as chair, with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) refusing to vote for any nominees while the investigation continues. While former chairs typically resign from the bank’s seven-member Board of Governors after their leadership term ends, Powell has said he plans to stay on as governor until the probe ends. |
Shoe company Allbirds announced yesterday that it will pivot from footwear to AI-related hardware, pending shareholder approval. The company, rebranding as NewBird AI, saw shares close up over 500% on the news.
Allbirds was cofounded by New Zealand soccer star Tim Brown. The company launched its first shoe in 2016, with an emphasis on simple design and natural materials (including merino wool, tree fiber, and sugarcane). At its height, Allbirds was valued at over $4B. However, the company saw mounting losses after going public in 2021. Last month, Allbirds sold its footwear business to American Exchange Group for $39M. See an interview with the company’s materials expert here (w/video).
Now, the remnants of Allbirds—once considered part of the uniform of Silicon Valley—will turn to graphics processing units, the computer chips that power AI. The company announced a $50M investment that it will use to purchase and sell GPUs. See a throwback to Allbirds’ sneaker glory days here. |
Sperm whale communication follows a strikingly similar pattern to human speech, according to a study published yesterday.
Previous research has shown how these massive mammals—some weighing more than 100,000 pounds—communicate using clicks known as codas, which resemble human vowels (listen here). Now, a new analysis of nearly 4,000 codas from 15 calves and females reveals that sperm whales shorten, elongate, and vary tone to produce thousands of possible combinations. Researchers likened the patterns to elements of Mandarin, Latin, and Slovenian. The analysis also suggests individual whales have distinct cadences.
The study is part of Project CETI, an international quest to translate—and eventually communicate with—sperm whales using robotics and artificial intelligence. Listen to founder David Gruber explain his inspiration and ambitious vision here. |
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In partnership with EnergyX |
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The Lithium Boom Is Heating Up |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> A'ja Wilson, a four-time WNBA MVP, signs a three-year, $5M deal to stay with the Las Vegas Aces—marking the largest contract in league history (More) |
> Katy Perry is under investigation by Australian police for alleged 2010 sexual assault of actress Ruby Rose (More) | "Looksmaxxing” influencer Clavicular is hospitalized for a suspected overdose, says he's at home recovering (More) |
> Madonna announces new album "Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II," a sequel to her 2005 Grammy Award-winning album, will be released July 3 (More) | Kanye West postpones summer concert in France after officials threaten to ban him (More) |
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> Geological feature on Mars resembling a bathtub ring points to an ancient ocean that once covered roughly a third of the planet (More) | Earth-sized planets need 20%-50% of water in Earth's oceans to support life, more than previously thought (More) |
> Printed neurons generate brainlike signals capable of communicating with living cells, with potential applications in vision, hearing, and movement implants (More) |
> Maine lawmakers pass nation's first statewide ban on new data center projects; centers requiring over 20 megawatts of power are barred until October 2027 as a council analyzes their impact on local grid, electricity bills, air, and water (More) |
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In partnership with EnergyX |
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Global Bank Predicts 80K-Ton Lithium Shortage |
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> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.8%, Dow -0.2%, Nasdaq +1.6%); S&P 500 rises to new high (More) | Robinhood shares rise 10% after SEC removes limit on day trading activity (More) | 200-year history of Wall Street wanting your money (More) |
> Jury finds Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster illegally monopolized ticketing market and overcharged customers, with remedies pending; verdict was brought by 34 states and DC after Live Nation settled separately with the DOJ (More) |
> Snap to lay off roughly 1,000 employees, or about 16% of its global workforce, and will not fill another 300 open roles; marks fourth round of layoffs since 2022 (More) |
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> President Donald Trump signals peace talks with Iran could resume as US military enforces blockade on all commercial ships from Iran (More) | US Senate rejects resolution to block Trump from further military hostilities (More) |
> Migrant boat carrying Bangladeshis and Rohingya refugees capsizes in the Indian Ocean, with at least 250 people missing (More) |
> Oklahoma principal tackles gunman in high school lobby, protecting 6,200 students; see surveillance footage (More) |
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> America's Best Free Restaurant Bread
The Atlantic | Caity Weaver. One journalist spent months, 13,000 miles, and an uncomfortable amount of Diet Coke tracking down the best free restaurant bread in America. The answer will delight you. The ending you won't see coming. (Read) |
> The US Border's Unknown Surveillance Giant
Rest of World | José Olivares. A little-known firm quietly built a $1.3B surveillance empire across Mexico, including cameras, drones, facial recognition, and license plate readers. Now it's sharing live data with Texas authorities and the FBI. (Read) |
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In partnership with EnergyX |
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Exxon Has an Unlikely New Competitor |
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1440 Topics: Civics Thursday |
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In celebration of America's 250th birthday, each week we're sharing what we've learned about key topics that help you stay informed and participate in the world around you:
The rules-based international order: The system of treaties, institutions, and norms governing relations among nations was, in part, built by the US after World War II. Here's what we found on the rules-based international order.
> The Monroe Doctrine: In 1823, the US declared the Western Hemisphere off-limits to European interference. Two centuries later, President Donald Trump invoked it to justify policy in the Americas. Here's what we learned about the Monroe Doctrine.
> Tariffs: One of the oldest tools in American economic policy, they have been used to protect industries, spark trade wars, and reshape alliances. Explore the best resources we found on tariffs.
What is 1440 Topics? A continuously updated ecosystem where we curate the best evergreen resources we've found on thousands of topics for you to explore. Have a suggestion for our Civics section? Let us know here. |
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Clickbait: Step inside the thrilling world of Midwestern meat raffles.
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Historybook: Actor Charlie Chaplin born (1889); Harriet Quimby is first woman to fly across English Channel (1912); Basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar born (1947); Singer-songwriter Selena Quintanilla-Pérez born (1971); 32 die, 17 injured in Virginia Tech mass shooting (2007).
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"Imagination means nothing without doing." |
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*Disclosure: Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. (“EnergyX”) has engaged 1440 Media to publish this communication in connection with EnergyX’s ongoing Regulation A offering. 1440 Media has been paid $102,270 and may receive additional compensation. 1440 Media and/or its affiliates do not currently hold securities of EnergyX. This compensation and any current or future ownership interest could create a conflict of interest. Please consider this disclosure alongside EnergyX’s offering materials. EnergyX’s Regulation A offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers and sales may be made only by means of the qualified offering circular. Before investing, carefully review the offering circular, including the risk factors. The offering circular is available at invest.energyx.com/. Comparisons to other companies are for informational purposes only and should not imply similar results. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Market shortfall are forward‑looking estimates and are subject to substantial uncertainty.
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