 |
| All your news in a single email. We scour 100+ sources so you don't have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business, and more - all packaged in a 5-minute read below. |
| Need To Know. |
| ; |
| India Reelects Modi. |
Prime Minister Narendra Modi scored a decisive victory overnight, as election officials announced the results from India's six-week long national elections. Despite a slowing economy and unemployment at its highest in five decades (though a still manageable 6%), Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) looks poised to win 296 of the 543-seat Parliament, surpassing the 272 seats needed to hold a majority. The BJP's next closest opponent, the Indian National Congress party, grabbed a relatively minor 53 seats. The election - the largest single democratic vote in human history, with almost 900 million eligible voters - was viewed as a mandate for Modi, who has been criticized for encouraging the rise of Hindu nationalism in the country to bolster his political support.
Elsewhere, four days of elections get underway across the European Union to elect a new European Parliament. |
|
| Trump Taxes. |
Congressional efforts to obtain past tax returns for President Trump cleared one hurdle and received an assist from state lawmakers yesterday. At the federal level, a district judge declined to order a preliminary injunction blocking Deutsche Bank and Capital One from complying with a congressional subpoena for President Trump's financial records. On the same day, legislators in New York state - Trump’s home and the headquarters for the Trump Organization - passed a law allowing personal and business state tax returns to be provided to select congressional committees, if requested. Critics railed against the bill, referring to it as a “bill of attainder”, or an instance of lawmakers targeting specific individuals or groups without due process. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had previously declined Congress’ request, though a draft IRS memo that surfaced yesterday suggested the White House must invoke executive privilege to prevent the documents from being turned over.
In related news, a meeting on a wide-ranging infrastructure deal abruptly ended after Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA-12) butted heads over the ongoing investigations. |
|
| American Taliban. |
John Walker Lindh, one of the most infamous enemy combatants captured by US forces in the early days of the war in Afghanistan, is set to be released from prison today after nearly 17 years in prison. Nicknamed the “American Taliban”, Lindh’s story captured the country’s attention - three years after converting to Islam at age 16, he traveled to Yemen and Pakistan to study at a madrassa. Lindh joined the Taliban shortly after the 9/11 attacks, fighting against the US and ultimately being captured in November 2001 in Northern Afghanistan. His release comes three years short of the original 20-year sentence, a decision protested by the family of Mike Spann, a CIA officer killed during the 2001 battle of Qala-i-Jangi, a month-long prison uprising at which Lindh was present before being returned to America.
18 years after Lindh’s capture, US negotiators wrapped up a sixth round of peace talks with Taliban representatives. |
|
| Enjoy Reading? Share with friends. |
|
| In The Know. |
| ; |
| Sports, Entertainment & Culture. |
| > FIFA, the governing body for international soccer, nixes plans to expand the 2022 World Cup in Qatar from 32 to 48 teams (More) |
|
| > Emmy-award-winning director Reed Morano pulls upcoming Amazon series The River from filming in Georgia, boycotting recent 'fetal heartbeat' abortion ban (More) |
|
| > Former NBA All-Star and Michigan alum Juwan Howard named new Head Coach at University of Michigan (More) | NBA announces All-Defensive, All-Rookie Teams (More) |
|
|
| Science & Technology. |
| > Geologists find evidence of largest underwater eruption ever seen; volcanic activity in Indian Ocean created 2,600-foot-high, 3-mile-wide edifice in under 6 months (More) |
|
| > Scientists create interactive 3D model of cell division, known as mitosis, capturing a holistic view of the process for the first time (More) | Explore the publicly-available visualization here (More) |
|
| > Study pinpoints two sources in China responsible for pumping banned ozone-depleting chemicals into atmosphere; sites responsible for 40-60% of rise in trichlorofluoromethane since 2010 (More) |
|
|
| Business & Markets. |
|
|
> US judge rules semiconductor giant Qualcomm violated antitrust laws and "strangled competition", shares down 11% (More)
> Federal Reserve meeting minutes hint at no plans to raise rates even in improved economic environment (More) | Sort of understand what the Fed is, but sort of don't? (More) |
|
> Federal prosecutors announce new indictments against lawyer Michael Avenatti for misappropriating funds owed to Stormy Daniels and extorting Nike (More)
Pay 0% interest until nearly 2021 with some of the top-rated credit cards. Enjoy some of the longest-lasting 0% APRs on the market today, with no interest payments until nearly 2021 (More) #Ad |
|
|
| Politics & World Affairs. |
| > Investigation into whether Virginia Governor Ralph Northam was captured in his medical school yearbook wearing blackface officially ends with no conclusion (More) |
|
| > South African Parliament, led by the African National Congress, elects Cyril Ramaphosa as president (More) | Ever wonder how a parliamentary system works? (More) |
|
| > Violent tornado rips through Jefferson City, Missouri, overnight, with injury count unknown; At least 3 people dead in the region from storms that come on the 8th anniversary of an EF5 tornado that killed 161 in nearby Joplin (More) |
|
|
| In Depth. |
| ; |
| The Shark Attack That Changed Cape Cod. |
| Boston Magazine | Casey Sherman. The great white shark population has steadily risen in the Cape Cod region - driven by a rebound in the gray seal population - with wildlife officials tagging 151 of the feared predators in the past decade. A deadly attack last September has ignited a heated public debate over what, if anything, can be done. Is it time to be afraid of the water? (Read) |
|
| The Man Who is Aging Too Fast. |
| Mosaic | Erika Hayasaki. Werner syndrome, which strikes less than 1 in 100,000 people, is an enigmatic disorder that causes the human body to age at super speed. It can be devastating for those who suffer from it, but can this rare condition help us find a way to eventually slow aging - or even stop it altogether? (Read) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great."
- John D. Rockefeller |
 |
| Why 1440? The printing press was invented in the year 1440, spreading knowledge to the masses. Guess what else? There are 1,440 minutes in a day. Spend your first five with us and never miss out on the conversation. Drop us a line and let us know how we're doing at [email protected]. |
| www.Join1440.com |
|
|
