Good morning. It's Tuesday, July 14, and another major school district has announced it won't fully reopen in the fall. Have feedback? Let us know at hello@join1440.com.

First time reading? Sign up here.

NEED TO KNOW

LA Public Schools to Stay Remote

Los Angeles and San Diego public schools will remain online only when they reopen in the fall, officials announced yesterday. The LA unified district is the country's second largest, and the two combine to serve more than 850,000 students. The news came as California announced a rollback of reopening plans, halting indoor operations at restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, and elsewhere. The state is averaging almost 8,000 new cases per day.

Some of the increase in cases can be attributed to increased testing capacity. Still, test positivity—the fraction of people that get tested that have the virus—has doubled across the US since mid-June, to almost 9%. Explore the data here.

One bright spot has been New York City. Once the world's epicenter, officials confirmed the city reported zero COVID-19 deaths Saturday, the first time since the pandemic began that no deaths have been tallied. The US has reported 3.36 million total cases, with 135,615 deaths as of this morning. See the moving three-day average here.

Outside the US, Mexico exceeded 35,000 deaths, passing Italy for the fourth-highest total worldwide. Overseas, officials in Africa, where the outbreak has so far been better than originally feared, announced new daily cases had risen by 24% over the past week. 

Separately, we're reading this look at how basic technology shortfalls—like reliance on fax machines—is a choke point for public health officials at the local level ($$, NYT).

South China Sea

The US said yesterday it would not recognize Chinese claims of sovereignty over waters of the South China Sea. A significant escalation of tensions, the move applies only to the sea's waters, avoiding disputes over islands.

The sea is strategically located between China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and other islands (see maps), and is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, facilitating $3T in annual trade. China has aggressively asserted its influence for decades based on an informal map made by the ruling Communist Party in 1947, though the claims are not internationally recognized. The US, seeking to ensure open access to and through its waters, has avoided direct confrontation, relying on United Nations mediation. The sea also contains upward of 10 billion barrels of oil and almost 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

See a history of the complex tensions in the region here.

'Redskins' Officially Dropped

The NFL's Washington Redskins announced yesterday they would formally drop the moniker and associated logo. The decision, after nearly nine decades of use, was expected amid growing pressure from investors and business partners over what many consider to be a racial slur against Native Americans. 

Team owner Dan Snyder had long resisted calls for change, contending the name was a term of respect (the brand also accounts for about $230M of the team's $3.4B valuation). A replacement name has not been revealed, but leading contenders include the Red Tails—an homage to the Tuskegee Airmen, the Black World War II squadron whose planes had distinctly colored tails—and the Warriors, said to be a Snyder favorite. The Red Wolves has also emerged as a fan favorite, which could leverage existing uniform design.

See a history of the term "Redskin" here. 

Enjoy reading? Share 1440 with your three closest friends.

A RE-SHOPPING SPREE

Re-shopping for home insurance policies can reveal some incredible savings. But why does it have to sound like it's a homework assignment? Going through all the home insurance options available means a lot of legwork, which is time-consuming and frankly, no fun.

Good thing then that Policygenius can do all of the heavy lifting for you. All you have to do is answer a couple of questions about yourself and your property, and their experts will compare your home insurance policy against options from top companies, to ensure you're getting the right coverage at the best possible price point. And the best part: If Policygenius experts find you a better rate than what you're currently paying, they'll get you switched at no extra cost.

So now's probably a good time to do some home insurance re-shopping, but don't make it homework. Check out Policygenius today, and compare home and auto policies across different insurers to find your best savings combination. They've saved customers an average of $1,127 per year by doing just that. Join in on the savings!

Please support our sponsors!

IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by Kettle & Fire

> Body of “Glee” actress Naya Rivera found at lake five days after she went missing; Rivera was 33 (More) | Kelly Preston, “Jerry Maguire” actress and wife of John Travolta, dies at 57 of breast cancer (More) | "MythBusters" star Grant Imahara dies at 49 (More)

> Houston Rockets superstar Russell Westbrook tests positive for the coronavirus; NBA announces 19 players have tested positive since July 1 (More)

> “Hamilton” musical cast album becomes first cast album since 1969 (“Hair”) to hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart (More) | Haven’t seen “Hamilton” yet? Check out our preview before you watch (More)

Drool-worthy flavors keep clean eating fresh, interesting, and fun. Boredom kills any healthy eating plan, which is why Kettle & Fire created 16 distinct bone broth flavors that hit the spot no matter what you're in the mood for. Grab 20% off with code 1440. #Ad

Science & Technology

> Google launches $10B digitization fund for India, focused on building out the country's internet and communications technology ecosystem (More)

> The smooth handfish becomes the first modern saltwater fish registered on the list of endangered species to be officially declared extinct (More)

> Researchers produce sperm stem cells in the lab, in a significant step toward treating infertility; stem cells can be grown into full-fledged sperm carrying the donor's genetic material (More)

Business & Markets

> S&P 500 swings 2% to end the day down 0.9% after briefly entering positive returns territory for 2020 (More) | Shares of Tesla end down 3% after starting day up 16%, briefly becoming the 10th most valuable US stock before intraday drop (More)

> PepsiCo beats quarterly revenue and profit estimates as consumers load up on snack products and packaged goods (More)

> Analog Devices to acquire fellow semiconductor chipmaker Maxim Integrated for $21B in largest US deal this year (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Last-minute court order halts the execution of Daniel Lewis Lee, what was to be the first federal execution since 2003; challenge centers on the use of pentobarbital as the lethal injection agent (More) | Supreme Court issues overnight ruling, will allow execution to proceed today (More) 

> US monthly budget deficit hits all-time high of $864B, driven by coronavirus stimulus spending; figure roughly equals the first 10 months of 2019's deficit combined (More)

> Excavations begin at the site of a potential mass grave from the 1921 Tulsa riots; work expected to be completed within a week (More, w/photos)

IN-DEPTH

Why We Can't Stop Spreading Misinformation

OneZero/Medium | Simon Pitt. Whether it is banal and relatively harmless—like a monkey playing memory games—or has real-life implications, our brains are hardwired to read and repeat easy-to-believe chunks of information. (Read, $$)

The Bomber Mafia

Revisionist History | Malcolm Gladwell. (Podcast) A fascinating look at the life of Air Force General Curtis LeMay, credited with designing an effective—but controversial—bombing campaign in World War II's Pacific Theater. (Listen)

NO MORE HEAVY LIFTING

Policygenius knows you live a busy life, and don't have time to sift through all of the different home and auto insurance policies available. So they created a team of experts to do it for you.

If you find savings (the average re-shopper saves $1,127 annually), they'll switch your policies at no extra cost to you. Start re-shopping today without even thinking about it.

Please support our sponsors!

ETCETERA

Ever lost luggage while flying? It's probably for sale in Alabama​.

How face mask usage varies by demographics.

The innovative history of the ice cream truck.

From our partners: These might be the coziest pair of shoes you'll ever own. #Ad

This year's top states for UFO sightings.

How to see the comet Neowise before it leaves for 6,800 years.

Ford brings back the iconic Bronco—a lot of them. 

Vermont is stunning when viewed from a drone. ($$, NYT)

Joshua Tree National Park closed by aggressive bees.

Clickbait: Pub installs an electric fence to enforce social distancing.

Historybook: Revolutionaries in France storm the Bastille (1789); Archaeologist and spy Gertrude Bell born (1868); President Gerald Ford born (1913); Howard Hughes breaks record with 91-hour flight around the world (1938); NASA’s New Horizon probe completes initial survey of solar system (2015).

"There is nothing more difficult to measure than the value of visible emotion."

- Gertrude Bell

Enjoy reading? Forward this email to a friend.

Why 1440? The printing press was invented in the year 1440, spreading knowledge to the masses and changing the course of history. Guess what else? There are 1,440 minutes in a day and every one is precious. That’s why we scour hundreds of sources every day to provide a concise, comprehensive, and objective view of what's happening in the world. Reader feedback is a gift—shoot us a note at hello@join1440.com.

Interested in advertising to smart readers like you? Apply here!