Israel, Ozempic, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Facts, without motives. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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Good morning. It's Saturday, May 25, and in this weekend edition, we're covering a call to halt operations in southern Gaza, another victory for blockbuster weight-loss drugs, and much more. First time reading? Sign up here.

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PS—The 1440 team will be off for Memorial Day. Have a great long weekend and we'll see you bright and early Tuesday!

One Big Headline

UN Calls for Rafah Halt

The United Nations' International Court of Justice ordered Israel yesterday to halt military action and any other operations that may lead to the loss of civilian life in the Gazan city of Rafah. The decision is the latest in a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide against the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip, a charge Israel has strongly rejected.

While the decision is meant to be binding for UN member nations, the high court has no means to enforce the order and Israel has signaled it will continue current operations near the city. An estimated 300,000 to 400,000 people remain in Rafah, which sits at Gaza's southern border with Egypt and is home to the primary gate facilitating aid flow. Israel has for months appeared ready to carry out a full-scale operation in Rafah but has only carried out limited incursions to date.

Separately, the Israeli military said bodies of three more hostages taken during Hamas' initial Oct. 7 attack were recovered. Around 100 hostages and the bodies of nearly 40 others are believed to still be held in Gaza.

See updates on the war here.

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Quick Hits

Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock dies.

Spurlock, best known for his Oscar-nominated film "Super Size Me," in which he subsisted solely on a McDonald's diet for a month, died yesterday from cancer-related complications. The effort grossed a modest $22M at the box office but sparked a wide-ranging public conversation over healthy eating. Spurlock was 53 years old.

Ozempic may help treat kidney disease.

The new weight-loss drug cut the risk of kidney failure and death in patients with diabetes by 20% to 30% in preliminary trials. The results follow a string of improved health outcomes behind weight loss for semaglutide, the key compound in the drug, including lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and more.

Rivals meet at Wembley Field.

Manchester City will face Manchester United in the finals of England's FA Cup today (10 am ET, ESPN+), the world's oldest national soccer competition. The pair are the first two clubs to meet in consecutive years in the championship since 1884-85.

Neanderthals and ancient humans only briefly comingled.

A new genetic analysis suggests a wave of Homo sapiens arrived in western Eurasia around 47,000 years ago, intermixing with Neanderthals for around 7,000 years—a relatively short window in evolutionary timescales.

Exchange-traded crypto funds move forward.

US financial regulators approved applications from Nasdaq, Chicago Board Options Exchange, and the New York Stock Exchange to list exchange-traded funds that track the price of the cryptocurrency ether. Ether is the second-largest cryptocurrency behind bitcoin, with a circulating supply worth $440B.

"God's influencer" on track for sainthood.

Carlo Acutis, an Italian computer prodigy who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, will be considered for canonization by the Catholic Church after Pope Francis formally declared a second miracle linked to his tomb. He would be the first millennial to be granted sainthood.

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Humankind

A dying teacher's final lesson—don't wait to say "thank you." (More)

Canadian farmer donates millions of surplus potatoes. (More)

Child mortality rates have plummeted in nearly all countries. (More)

Pro football player Derrick Nnadi dedicates the offseason to shelter dogs. (More)

Philanthropist gives college grads $1,000 and asks them to give away half. (More)

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Humankind(ness)

Today, we're sharing a story from reader Bobby L. in Pensacola, Florida.

"I subscribe to a local car wash monthly, which provides me with as many car washes as I wish. Recently, I took my car in—was a very hot day and I commented to the attendant how busy they were, and while scanning my car's sticker, he mentioned he hadn't had time to eat or drink any liquids all day. I drove through then after another fellow had finished drying my car. I parked it to the side and reached into my trunk for a bottle of Powerade, then walked back and gave it to the young man who checked me in.

About a month later, I saw the same young man who remembered me and when he printed my ticket, he added a wax service free of charge saying how much he had appreciated my gift that day. I was refreshed in my belief that when you do something nice for another person, it comes back to you."

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

Etcetera

Bookkeeping

> Survey shows 54% of Americans identify as middle class.

> ... while only 22% say college is worth taking out loans for.

> Auction targets $30M for Babe Ruth's famous "Called Shot" jersey.

Browse

> Sixty historic photos of the American military and its service members.

> Google's new AI feature can return wildly wrong responses.

> Seventeen-year-old darts prodigy nails an elusive "nine-darter."

> Kabosu, the adorable face of the famous "doge" meme, passes away.

Listen

> The opioid crisis has persisted for three decades—What is taking so long?

> Six people were arrested for a 1989 murder, but DNA evidence says none of them were there.

Watch

> The story of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

> Pearl Harbor survivor recounts the infamous attack.

> How mourning geckos lay eggs without mating.

Long Read

> Poems of war and remembrance.

> The history of the Medal of Honor.

> How the FBI built its own smartphone to track criminals.

Best of the Week: Can "pink noise" help you sleep?

Historybook: Constitutional Convention convenes in Philadelphia (1787); Author Ralph Waldo Emerson born (1803); Businesswoman Madam CJ Walker dies (1919); "Star Wars" premieres in theaters (1977); George Floyd is killed by police during an arrest in Minneapolis (2020).

"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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