Good morning. It's Monday, June 26, and we're covering weekend upheaval in Russia, a corruption trial in Israel, and much more. First time reading? Sign up here.
You share. We listen. As always, send us feedback at [email protected]. |
|
|
|
|
An uprising by Russia's top paramilitary group against Kremlin officials ended nearly as quickly as it began over the weekend, with Wagner group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin going into exile in neighboring Belarus. The challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin's authority followed months of simmering tensions between the group and military brass (see timeline).
Events rapidly escalated Friday when the former Putin confidant released a video calling for the ouster of top defense officials (while denying a coup attempt against Putin). By Saturday morning, Wagner—a private military force numbering around 25,000—had captured the southern city of Rostov and began to march toward Moscow.
Within hours, Prigozhin announced he would turn his troops around following a Belarus-brokered deal. Prigozhin departed to Belarus while the Kremlin dropped charges of treason and offered amnesty to Wagner troops. The deal ended what observers had called the biggest threat to Putin since he assumed power in 2000.
Analysts speculated Prigozhin may have overestimated popular support for the effort once already en route to Moscow before abandoning the effort, while US intelligence reportedly detected signs of the uprising in advance.
How the events and loss of Prigozhin on the battlefield will affect the war in Ukraine remains to be seen; see updates here. |
FDA Guidance on Psychedelics |
The US Food and Drug Administration released a draft of guidelines for research into the therapeutic use of psychedelics Friday, initiating a 60-day public comment period. Observers see the move as the latest step toward potentially legitimizing classic psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA, which have long faced cultural and medical stigma.
Psychedelics are powerful, psychoactive compounds that temporarily alter perception, mood, and other cognitive processes, and have been used for millennia for their mind-altering effects (see overview). Synthetic versions sparked popular use in the 1970s, leading to their designation as Schedule 1—or banned—drugs. However, research in recent years suggests medically supervised use can likely treat prevalent mood, anxiety, and substance disorders, prompting both private investment and public legislation to further explore the drugs' medical applications.
Officials released the nonbinding recommendations two days after a bipartisan group of lawmakers filed a bill in Congress seeking to require the FDA to produce such a document. Watch how psychedelics affect the human brain here. |
Netanyahu Trial Continues |
Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan began providing key testimony yesterday in a long-running corruption case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Prosecutors claim Milchan provided Netanyahu with a string of gifts totaling more than $200K in exchange for pushing legislation that would grant Milchan favorable tax status.
The allegations form the center of one of three high-profile corruption cases, which have dragged on for years due to the pandemic and various legal challenges and have now been rolled into a single trial (see overview). The proceedings have spanned the deaths of multiple witnesses and seen Netanyahu both be voted out and back into office amid the country's larger political gridlock.
In related news, nearly 100,000 protesters gathered in Tel Aviv for the 25th straight week, demonstrating against judicial reforms proposed by Netanyahu's government. See an explanation of the proposal here. |
|
|
|
|
|
In partnership with Chartr |
|
|
|
|
Data Like You've Never Seen |
|
|
|
If you like 1440, it's about time you check out Chartr. Chartr is the free visual newsletter packed with charts, facts, and data snacks, delivering you data-driven insights on business, tech, entertainment, and society.
Tackling topics like: "How Netflix makes and spends its money," "A visual history of America’s most popular baby names," "Why Mount Everest is so busy," and much, much more. It’s data like you’ve never seen before—which you have to see to fully appreciate. Chartr explores the numbers behind a story—the deeper context that you can't get from just reading—and then communicates them visually. Join 400,000+ visual learners and data-driven professionals with Chartr.
Oh, and it’s free (and always will be). Sign up today. |
Please support our sponsors! |
|
|
|
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
|
> Human remains found in area where British actor Julian Sands went missing while hiking in January (More) | Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, recovering from operation following breast cancer diagnosis (More) |
> Brittney Griner named WNBA All-Star starter in first season since 10-month detainment in Russia (More) | Dean Smith, former Olympic gold medalist and prolific Hollywood stunt performer, dies at 91 (More) |
> Florida tops LSU 24-4, breaking the record for most runs in a Men's College World Series game; winner-takes-all Game 3 set for tonight (7 pm ET, ESPN) (More) | Los Angeles Angels top Colorado Rockies 25-1 for MLB's third-largest margin of victory since 1900 (More) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
> Xbox chief Phil Spencer testifies in antitrust case against Microsoft's acquisition of Activision, argues the Xbox gaming console has fallen far behind competitors (More) |
> Turtle study reveals mechanism linking warmer temperatures with increased number of female hatchlings and higher fertility rates (More) |
> NASA officials say the cost of a proposed robotic mission to retrieve samples from the surface of Mars has grown to $10B, roughly equal to the James Webb Space Telescope; estimates put the effort in doubt (More) |
|
|
|
|
> US stock markets close lower Friday (S&P 500 -0.8%, Dow -0.7%, Nasdaq -1.0%); Nasdaq ends streak of eight weeks of gains (More) |
> Starbucks employees at nearly 150 unionized stores strike over Pride month decoration restrictions at certain stores (More) |
> Bridge collapse causes train carrying asphalt, sulfur to crash into river in Montana Saturday; also damages high-speed internet cable (More) |
|
|
|
|
> Much of the southeastern US set for an extreme heat wave this week as a high-pressure heat dome stalls air, keeps away clouds (More) | What are heat domes? (More) |
> Greek conservative leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis wins second term as prime minister Sunday, New Democracy party wins majority in parliament (More) | Former Guatemalan first lady Sandra Torres leads polls in presidential election Sunday, unlikely to reach majority needed for outright victory; runoff scheduled for Aug. 20 (More) |
>Three San Antonio, Texas, police officers charged with murder for shooting death of woman reportedly experiencing mental health crisis early Friday (More) |
|
|
|
|
In partnership with Chartr |
Data Storytelling (and Illustrating) |
Please support our sponsors! |
|
|
|
|
"The formula for success is simple—practice and concentration, then more practice and more concentration." |
|
|
|
Why 1440? The printing press was invented around the year 1440, spreading knowledge to the masses and changing the course of history. More facts: In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. We’re here to make each one count.
Send us your feedback at [email protected] and help us stay unbiased as humanly possible. We’re ready to listen.
Interested in reaching smart readers like you? To become a 1440 partner, apply here. |
|
|
|
1440 Media 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Suite 1212 Chicago, IL 60654
Copyright © 2023, 1440 Media, All rights reserved. |
|
|
|
|
|
