Good morning. It's Thursday, April 2, and we're covering Trump's national address on the Middle East war, a newly uncovered driver of multiple sclerosis, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.7 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here.
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🇺🇸 Civics Thursday—The governments that repair our potholes, collect our trash, and educate our children are also the least understood. Scroll down to learn more about the public education system and the over 90,000 local governments in the US. |
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President Donald Trump, in an address to the nation last night, said the war in Iran is nearing completion, projecting another two to three weeks of US involvement. He also expressed confidence that key military objectives are close to being met, including dismantling Iran's missile production, destroying its naval capabilities, and curbing its regional proxies. Replay the address here and see takeaways here.
The operation, which began roughly a month ago following coordinated US and Israeli airstrikes, also aims to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sent an open letter to the American people yesterday, urging a reassessment of narratives around the conflict and arguing that Iran holds no hostility toward ordinary US citizens. He also framed Tehran's military actions as defensive and questioned US foreign policy priorities. Read the letter here.
Separately, earlier in the day, Trump became the first sitting US president to appear at a Supreme Court hearing after attending oral arguments on his executive order to narrow birthright citizenship (see overview and recap). |
Multiple Sclerosis Breakthrough |
Neuroscientists have discovered a new mechanism contributing to multiple sclerosis, according to research published yesterday, opening an additional path to treating the chronic neurodegenerative disease.
MS is a condition in which the immune system attacks the protective coating (known as myelin) around individual nerve cells, disrupting central nervous system functions throughout the body. While researchers have long focused on protecting the myelin sheaths, a second process also occurs: Neurons in the brain's cortex, the outermost layer of gray matter that controls higher-level cognition, also die. The new research reveals that chemical reactions caused by inflammation significantly damage the DNA of gray matter neurons, leading to cell death. The results suggest focusing solely on myelin is insufficient to treat the progressive symptoms of the disease.
There is no current cure for MS, and the condition is typically diagnosed by the appearance of white lesions in the brain (see images here). |
India yesterday launched what is expected to be the world’s largest census, covering over 1.4 billion people and marking the nation's first effort to collect detailed caste data since 1931 under British rule. The move could reshape social programs and political representation.
Discrimination based on caste—a hereditary social hierarchy rooted in Hindu scripture (read 101)—has been banned in India since 1950. Since its first post-independence census in 1951, India has tracked only the lowest caste and marginalized Indigenous groups, not the population at large. The stated intention was to phase out labels long tied to profession, neighborhood, and social life. Critics have said that largely ignoring caste downplays its continued influence. About 70% of surveyed Indian adults say most of their friends are within their caste, and the majority say stopping inter-caste marriages is very important (see data).
The census, anticipated to last one year, will be the first India conducts digitally, with over 3 million government workers uploading data to mobile apps. |
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In partnership with SmartAsset |
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The Top 10 Wealth Management Firms of 2025 |
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Whether you're looking for help with retirement, wealth management or tax planning, the US is home to thousands of advisors that can potentially meet your specific needs. SmartAsset ranked the top 10 wealth management firms in the US based on AUM, fees, and more.
SmartAsset's no-cost tool will match you with vetted fiduciary advisors, obligated to work in your best financial interest. The criteria for the matching tool differs from the methodology for the list above and you may not be matched with the advisor firms mentioned in the article. See the list. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Democratic Republic of Congo declares national holiday after soccer team qualifies for first World Cup in 52 years (More, w/video) | Iraq beats Bolivia 2-1 to earn final World Cup spot, marking the nation's first appearance in 40 years (More) |
> Megan Thee Stallion hospitalized after exiting "Moulin Rouge!" Broadway show early Tuesday; singer cites exhaustion, plans to return today (More) | Tiger Woods to skip next week's Masters, says he is seeking treatment after DUI charge (More) |
> Robot umpire makes first MLB game-ending call, giving Baltimore Orioles pitcher Albert Suárez his first major league save in nine years; Orioles beat Texas Rangers 8-3 (More) | Watch here (More) |
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In partnership with Quince |
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Your Spring Refresh Made Affordable |
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> NASA launches four astronauts on 10-day journey around the moon and back, the first crewed flight beyond Earth's orbit since 1972 (More) | Watch takeoff (More) |
> Anthropic issues over 8,000 copyright takedowns after accidental leak of Claude Code's internal source code (More) | Over 100 Baidu robotaxis in China's Wuhan halt, stranding passengers due to system malfunction (More) |
> Engineered tobacco plants produce five psychedelics at once, potentially preserving Indigenous traditions and expanding medicinal potential (More) |
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> US stock markets close up (S&P 500 +0.7%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq +1.2%) for second consecutive day as traders bet on Iran war de-escalation (More) |
> Elon Musk's SpaceX confidentially files for initial public offering, with expectations to go public this summer; SpaceX could become first company to enter public markets at over $1T valuation (More) | The 25 biggest IPOs in US history (More) |
> Eli Lilly shares rise after FDA approves its GLP-1 pill roughly three months after Novo Nordisk's pill; Novo's pill is slightly more effective and has dietary restrictions (More) | See map of states where Medicaid covers GLP-1 obesity treatments (More) |
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> US lifts sanctions on Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a potential signal the Trump administration sees her as Venezuela's legitimate leader (More) |
> Republican leaders back Department of Homeland Security funding plan that excludes Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection; a vote could come as early as today (More) |
> Luigi Mangione's federal trial for killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson postponed to October, state trial postponed to September (More) | Serial killer Ted Bundy linked to 1974 murder of teen girl using DNA evidence (More) |
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> Britain's Dirty Trade
Nightshift | Staff. An 18th-century British craving for Chinese tea (and China's resulting addiction to British opium) fueled a massive opium trade, sparking war and reshaping global power for generations. (Watch) |
> The 17,000-Foot Flood
WSJ | Tripti Lahiri, Krishna Pokharel, Emma Brown. A high-altitude Himalayan lake, destabilized by melting glaciers, suddenly burst—unleashing a tsunami-like flood that tore through communities below and exposed a fast-growing climate risk. (Read) |
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In partnership with SmartAsset |
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7 Mistakes When Choosing A Financial Advisor |
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Working with a financial advisor can be a crucial part of any healthy retirement plan.
Research suggests that people who work with a financial advisor feel more at ease about their finances and could end up with about 15% more money to spend in retirement.* But choosing the wrong one could wreak havoc. Avoiding these 7 mistakes people make when hiring an advisor could potentially help reduce financial stress.
SmartAsset’s no-cost tool helps you find and compare vetted financial advisors serving your area. All advisors on the platform have been rigorously screened through a proprietary due diligence process and are legally bound to work in your best financial interest. Get your financial advisor matches today. |
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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.
> Local governments employ seven times more people than the federal government—and most elections that determine who runs them draw less than 15% of eligible voters. Here's what we found on local government in the US.
> The first public education law in America was passed in 1647 to help children resist the devil. Learn how it became the system that educates over 45 million kids today with our page on public education.
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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Historybook: Ludwig van Beethoven premieres his First Symphony (1800); Danish author Hans Christian Andersen born (1805); Samuel Morse, inventor of Morse code, dies (1872); Singer Marvin Gaye born (1939); Pope John Paul II dies (2005) |
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"Everything you look at can become a fairy tale and you can get a story from everything you touch." |
- Hans Christian Andersen |
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Behind the Name. In 1440, the printing press sparked a knowledge revolution. We carry that spirit forward, cutting through the noise and algorithm-driven feeds, to bring fact-driven knowledge to everyone.
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*Disclosure: "Journal of Retirement Study Winter" (2020). The projections or other information regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment results, and are not guarantees of your future results. Please follow the link to see the methodologies employed in the Journal of Retirement study. |
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