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NEED TO KNOW

40 Million Jobs

Nearly 2.1 million Americans made initial unemployment claims last week, bringing the total number of new claims made during the pandemic to more than 40 million. While still historically large, the figure is down from last week's 2.4 million claims and marks the eighth straight week of declining job losses. Continuing claims—workers who have been collecting unemployment for at least two weeks, a clearer picture of current unemployment—fell by 16% from last week to 21 million total. The total does not include self-employed and gig economy workers receiving benefits through a temporary coronavirus-related benefits program.

In Washington, DC, senators readied a modest $3B bill that would support preparation for future pandemics. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) revealed he and his wife had tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, the result of an April infection. The House, which carried out its first-ever proxy vote Wednesday, held a moment of silence (w/video) for the victims of the virus.

The US had reported 1.72 million coronavirus cases, with 101,617 deaths, as of this morning. Deaths rose by 1.2% since yesterday morning; see the moving three-day average here.

Finally, see what the public believes are the riskiest activities as economies reopen, and how that compares to what experts say.

Have more questions? Check out our expert-curated coronavirus resource page.

Minneapolis on Fire

Demonstrations in Minneapolis continued yesterday following the death of a man killed while being taken into police custody. Marches turned from peaceful to violent, with a downtown police station being set on fire​. The damage follows protests Wednesday that saw 30 buildings burned. Gov. Tim Walz (D) activated the state's National Guard yesterday evening to help restore order.

The protests were sparked after a video circulated online showing the Monday arrest of 46-year-old George Floyd. Floyd, a black man, was shown being restrained on the ground with an officer applying pressure with his knee to Floyd's neck for an extended period of time, despite pleas from Floyd that he couldn't breathe. Floyd was later pronounced dead. The four officers involved have been fired, but not yet charged with any crimes. 

See photos of the unrest here. 

Trump Targets Section 230

President Trump signed an executive order yesterday instructing federal agencies to review liability laws protecting social media companies. The move comes two days after Twitter applied a fact-check label to the president for the first time, for claims regarding mail-in voter fraud.

The order targets Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which effectively treats internet companies as publishing intermediaries not responsible for lawful content posted by others. The law also protects companies from editing or deleting content—if done in good faith—even if otherwise protected by the First Amendment. Some groups accuse social media platforms of suppressing conservative voices (in bad faith), though courts have so far upheld companies' ability to delete at will. It is unclear whether any changes can be made absent Congressional approval.

Look inside Twitter's decision (Medium, $$) to apply the fact-check tag, and watch Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg argue for less moderation here.

Early this morning, Twitter applied a disclaimer to a tweet from the president, saying it "glorified violence" by appearing to suggest Minneapolis looters would be shot.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Boston Marathon canceled for first time in 124-year history; a virtual marathon will take its place as entrants can submit proof of completing the 26.2-mile distance (More)

> Navneeth Murali, 14, spells Karoshthi correctly to win the SpellPundit Online National Spelling Bee; the virtual spelling bee stood in for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which was canceled due to the pandemic (More)

> Soccer’s English Premier League returning June 17 after 100-day hiatus due to the coronavirus (More) | Italy’s Serie A to begin June 20 (More)

Science & Technology

> Rescheduled NASA-SpaceX flight set for tomorrow at 3:22pm ET, with a backup target of Sunday at 3pm ET; watch live here (More)

> Physicists identify a new state of matter formed by the element neodymium; known as a self-induced spin glass, new state behaves like a sea of tiny coordinated magnets, each spinning at their own speed (More)

> Astronomers solve mystery of missing matter, finding more than half of the universe's ordinary matter is sparsely distributed between galaxies (More) | ... but dark matter, representing 80% of the mass in the universe, is still a mystery (More)

Business & Markets

Brought to you by The Ascent

> US stock markets down (S&P 500 -0.2%, Dow -0.6%, Nasdaq -0.5%) as investors worry about potential US-China tension; President Trump to hold news conference today (More)

> Renewable energy consumption in the US passes coal for the first time since 1885 (More) | See breakout of US energy consumption (More)

> UPS to add surcharges on e-commerce shipments as increased home deliveries lead to higher costs (More)

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Politics & World Affairs

> China formally approves new national security law banning seditious activities in Hong Kong; critics say the legislation dramatically suppresses freedom of speech in the semiautonomous region (More)

> Vote on foreign surveillance bill canceled by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA-12); criticism from President Trump, Republicans, and progressive Democrats doomed current version (More)

> Election 2020: Republican National Committee sends letter to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) outlining safety protocols for August convention; Cooper has not yet committed to allowing a full in-person convention (More)

WEEKEND READS

Simple Lessons from Other Health Crises

Medium/Elemental | Erin Blakemore. Every outbreak unfolds differently, but influenza, smallpox, Ebola, and other viruses offer directional advice on how to keep the coronavirus at bay moving forward. (Read, $$)

The Short, Strange Life of the First Friendly Robot

IEEE Spectrum | Yulia Frumer. Japan’s Gakutensoku looks terrifying by today's standards, but in 1929 it was a marvel—until it was lost under mysterious circumstances. (Read)

The Original Misinformation Campaign

MIT Press Reader | Mark Kramer. In 1985, Russia's intelligence services launched Operation Denver, a campaign accusing the US Secret Service of bioengineering the AIDS virus. Sound familiar? (Read)

The Left Right Game

QC Media | Jack Anderson, Emma Tammi. One of the most popular Reddit threads of all time becomes a disturbingly creepy narrative podcast, starring "Westworld" actress Tessa Thompson. Not for the faint of heart. (Listen)

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ETCETERA - BEST OF MAY 2020

Editor's note: More than 1 million clicks can't be wrong—here are the most popular stories from May!

(5/11/20) The 10 most popular dog breeds in America.

(5/13/20) This captivated hare selected as one of the best nature photos of the year.

(5/13/20) NASA captures California's superbloom from space.

(5/18/20) The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards are back.

(5/14/20) Watch a bobcat make a jaw-dropping leap across water.

(5/20/20) This massive crashing wave is the world's largest anamorphic illusion.

(5/7/20) The Irish are returning an old favor to Native Americans.

(5/6/20) A robot spy catches wild gorillas singing for the first time.

(5/21/20) The world's fastest-growing (and declining) retail brands.

(5/8/20) Eleven cognitive biases that influence how you think.

(5/4/20) High waters in the Great Lakes are uncovering centuries-old shipwrecks.

(5/5/20) Clickbait: When stuntwomen have too much time on their hands (w/video).

(5/26/20) Bonus Clickbait: Owl chicks hatch outside man's window, watch television daily​.

Historybook: Comedian Bob Hope born (1903); President John F. Kennedy born (1917); Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay are first to reach Mount Everest summit (1953); Danica Patrick is first woman to lead at Indy 500 (2005).

"Change is the law of life."

- John F. Kennedy

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