Theranos Sentencing, Qatar Beer Ban, and How to Spot a Lie

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Good morning. It\'s Saturday, Nov. 19, and in this weekend edition, we\'re covering the criminal sentencing of a former blood-testing startup CEO, a beer ban at this year\'s World Cup stadiums, and much more. First time reading? Sign up here.

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🦃 What are you thankful for? Thanksgiving is a time for reflection and family—and hopefully a break from otherwise stressful news and noise. How are you spending the holiday? Take a moment and let us know here.

One Big Headline

Sentencing in Theranos Trial

Elizabeth Holmes, the founder and former CEO of failed blood-testing startup Theranos, was sentenced to 135 months, or about 11 years, in prison yesterday for defrauding investors. Theranos, once valued at $10B before collapsing, had failed to design technology it promised investors that would generate accurate blood tests via a single finger prick. The criminal case has been viewed as one of the biggest scandals in Silicon Valley in recent memory.

The sentencing caps off a yearslong case and comes 10 months after a federal jury convicted 38-year-old Holmes for three counts of investor fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit fraud. Sentencing had been delayed for the judge to review whether federal prosecutors had manipulated key witness testimony. Holmes\' lawyers had sought a sentence of home confinement and community service, and no more than 18 months in prison.

Holmes\' rise and fall has been captured in a book, an HBO documentary, an award-winning Hulu TV series, and multiple podcasts. Catch up on the case here.

Quick Hits

Qatar bans alcoholic beer sales at 2022 FIFA World Cup stadiums.

The decision came 48 hours before the tournament is set to begin tomorrow, with the first game starting at 11 am ET. Qatar, which tightly regulates public consumption of alcohol, had initially allowed FIFA\'s exclusive beer distributor Budweiser to sell its products inside venues. See a guide to the World Cup here.

Democrat Adam Frisch concedes to Lauren Boebert in House race.

As of Friday morning, Rep. Boebert (R, CO-3) led Frisch by only 551 votes in the race for what was considered a safe Republican district. The race is still headed to an automatic recount per Colorado\'s rules for any race decided by a margin that’s 0.5% or less of the votes.

Justice Department to investigate Ticketmaster-owner Live Nation.

The Justice Department is reportedly opening an antitrust probe into Live Nation Entertainment, focusing on whether the company has abused its power over the multibillion-dollar live music industry. Live Nation has faced increased scrutiny after fans struggled to buy tickets to Taylor Swift\'s Eras Tour.

AG Merrick Garland names special counsel in Trump criminal probes.

The attorney general announced Friday he is appointing prosecutor Jack Smith as a special counsel to oversee the criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump\'s handling of classified White House documents as well as his role leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the US Capitol.

FDA approves first drug treatment to delay onset of Type 1 diabetes.

The Food and Drug Administration approved injections of the diabetes drug Tzield for stage 3 Type 1 diabetes among adults and stage 2 of the disease for children 8 years and above. Nearly 2 million Americans have Type 1 diabetes (see 101).

Biden administration takes student debt relief program to SCOTUS.

The federal government filed an emergency appeal at the Supreme Court Friday, asking the justices to lift separate rulings in two federal courts that have blocked the student loan forgiveness program.

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Humankind

Eleven-year-old UK boy receives highest possible Mensa IQ score, beating Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. (More)

Domino\'s Pizza worker bakes a girl dessert after only one person shows up to her birthday party. (More)

Bay Area man surprises 118 animal shelter workers with self-care packages; plans to complete 30 acts of kindness before turning 30. (More)

Nine-year-old Wisconsin student saves classmate by performing Heimlich maneuver. (More)

See the pure joy on children\'s faces as they record their parents dancing. (More)

Airbnb creates new category for easily finding wheelchair-accessible homes. (More)

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Humankind(ness)

Today, we\'re sharing a story from reader Linda J. in Macungie, Pennsylvania.

"We were visiting our son and family in Utah. Our granddaughter had a softball game we watched. When it was over, I tried to fold up our chairs and a woman came over and folded them for us. Then my hubby left for the men\'s room and our son and daughter-in-law and the girls were at the post-game team meeting. I tried to pick up the chairs but was struggling. Another lovely woman came to my aid and picked up the chairs and carried them to the car for me. Kindness abounds!"

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

🦃 How are you spending Thanksgiving? Spending time with family and friends? Watching football? Avoiding the news? Let us know what you\'re looking forward to this holiday week.

Etcetera

Bookkeeping

> About 20.5 million Americans estimated to bet $1.8B on the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
> US home sales drop for the ninth straight month, falling 28.4% year-over-year.

Browse

> A gigantic turtle-shaped floating city.

> The most popular dog names in 2022.

> ... and the top cat names in 2022.

> Ten of the best art museums in America.

> Zonkey and vibing among new words added to Scrabble.

Listen

> Freakonomics Radio: Is Google becoming worse?

Watch

> Breaking down the language of lying and how you can spot a lie.

> Origin story: How plate tectonics gave us sea horses.

> An animated 3D tour of everything inside the Titanic.
> Why are Fabergé eggs ... eggs? The answer may surprise you.

Long Read

> Should a murderer be allowed to publish scientific papers?

> How Theodore Roosevelt\'s eldest daughter\'s rebellious antics captivated America.

Best of the Week: Crack in Earth\'s magnetic field triggers rare pink auroras.

Historybook: President James Garfield born (1831); President Abraham Lincoln delivers Gettysburg Address (1863); Indira Gandhi, first and only female prime minister of India, born (1917); Actress Meg Ryan born (1961); Actor Adam Driver born (1983).

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

- Abraham Lincoln

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.

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Theranos Sentencing, Qatar Beer Ban, and How to Spot a Lie