4.27.2024

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Good morning. It's Saturday, April 27, and in this weekend edition, we're covering the construction of a pier for Gaza aid deliveries, a Tesla safety review, and much more. First time reading? Sign up here.

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One Big Headline

Gaza Pier Construction

US Army engineers have started building (w/visuals) a floating pier for the passage of humanitarian aid off the coast of Gaza. The pier is expected to be completed by early May and is estimated to help unload as many as 2 million meals per day from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

More than 1,000 US troops are estimated to be involved in building the pier; however, the troops won't be setting foot onto the Gaza Strip as part of an order from President Joe Biden. A temporary causeway connecting the pier to the shore is being assembled at sea. At least 150 trucks would receive the aid using the causeway and distribute the meals to the enclave's roughly 2.3 million people. Large swaths of the population face starvation, according to international groups.

Separately, an Egyptian delegation arrived in Israel Friday to restart talks over hostage-release negotiations with Hamas. Roughly 100 hostages abducted from Israel during Hamas' Oct. 7 raid remain captive.

See updates on the war here.

Quick Hits

Federal Student Aid head to step down in June amid FAFSA fallout.

Richard Cordray will leave the Education Department office that oversees the Free Application for Federal Student Aid program, the largest provider of student financial aid in the US. The announcement comes amid delays—partly due to glitches and errors—in the rollout of a revamped FAFSA process.

US regulators launch new probe of Tesla after 2 million cars recalled.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reviewing a December recall on Tesla's autopilot feature, focusing on whether the electric vehicle company adequately remedied the issue. The probe comes after at least 20 crashes have occurred involving cars that received Tesla's autopilot software update.

King Charles to resume public duties next week after cancer diagnosis.

The 75-year-old king was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in February (see previous write-up) and has made limited appearances since then. Buckingham Palace said Friday King Charles' medical team was pleased with his progress so far under current treatments.

White House Correspondents' Association Dinner to be held tonight.

The dinner is one of Washington, DC's biggest events, with White House officials, lawmakers, celebrities, and journalists in attendance. SNL's Colin Jost is set to host. The 41-year-old joined "Saturday Night Live" as a writer in 2005 and has cohosted the late-night show's "Weekend Update" segment since 2014.

Key US inflation measure rises in March.

The core personal consumption expenditures price index, which measures costs consumers pay across a wide swath of items, excluding food and energy, rose 2.8% year-over-year and 0.3% month-over-month in March. The latest data match the figures in February. The index is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge.

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Humankind

A 6-year-old British girl alerts and saves her family from their burning home. (More)

Bystanders rescue man trapped in car after fiery Minnesota highway crash. (More)

Medical miracle: A 4-year-old boy's heart beats again after suddenly stopping for 14 hours. (More)

A couple meets through Grubhub delivery; they're getting married next year. (More)

Two unrelated Alabama families coincidentally welcome babies named Johnny Cash and June Carter on same day at same hospital. (More)

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Humankind(ness)

Today, we're sharing a story from reader Jeanine M. from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

"I was parallel parking into a tight spot and the man in the truck in front of me had just gotten out of his vehicle. When he saw me parking, he jumped back in and pulled forward a little bit. Then he got out and watched until I was able to get into the spot; then he gave me a thumbs-up once he knew I made it. How kind!"

What act(s) of kindness did you experience this week? Tell us here.

Etcetera

Bookkeeping

> Poll finds 73% of Americans say protecting the US from terrorism is a top priority.

> You can now buy a $9,420 flame-throwing robot dog called "The Thermonator."

Browse

> Ohio resident captures rainbow swirl in cloud.

> See geological "spider" formations on Mars.

> Artist uses household items to recreate works of art.

> Minnesota high school unearths 1920 time capsule.

> The winning bakeries of France's best baguette competition.

Listen

> A small collection of stories featuring good ideas turned bad.

Watch

> NASA's supernova time-lapse video shows 20 years in 20 seconds.

> Why do we use cringey terms of endearment for loved ones?

> Male camel fails to impress his female counterpart.

> How to get people to listen to you.

Long Read

> The giant salmon with a weaponized mustache.

> ... and the English heiress who orchestrated a multimillion-dollar art heist and built bombs for the Irish Republican Army.

Most Clicked This Week: Resurfaced photo captures iceberg that sank the Titanic.

Historybook: Ferdinand Magellan dies (1521); Ralph Waldo Emerson dies (1882); Coretta Scott King born (1927); Nelson Mandela wins election to become first Black president of South Africa (1994); New York City’s Freedom Tower construction begins (2006).

"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate action of its members."

- Coretta Scott King

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