Good morning. It's Wednesday, June 23, and we're covering slowing vaccine rates, a pop star's fight to control her finances, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at hello@join1440.com.

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NEED TO KNOW

Vaccine Goal Falls Short

The Biden administration acknowledged yesterday it is likely to miss its goal of having 70% of US adults at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 4. Officials instead noted 70% of Americans aged 30 and over have received at least one shot. Americans aged 27 and over are expected to reach the threshold by Independence Day. 

The admission comes as vaccination rates have dipped to an average of 1.1 million per day, down by two-thirds from mid-April. The slowdown partially reflects the difficulty of health officials in reaching younger adults—roughly 43% of those aged 18 to 24 have received at least one dose, more than 20 percentage points below the average for US adults (65%). 

The seven-day rolling average of new COVID-19 cases in the US has settled near 11,000 per day (see data), with average deaths near 300 per day. More than 602,000 total deaths have been reported in the US. Explore vaccine hesitancy by demographic here.

Separately, data suggest countries that relied on a Chinese-developed COVID-19 shot are experiencing a surge in new cases, undermining China's efforts around vaccine diplomacy.

#FreeBritney

Britney Spears will make a virtual appearance today in a Los Angeles court to testify about her 13-year conservatorship. The pop star’s father, Jamie Spears, was appointed her conservator in 2008 following high-profile public struggles with mental health (conservatorship 101). The conservatorship now includes two arms: One to oversee her personal matters, which is controlled by a care manager, and one to manage her $60M fortune, run by her father alongside wealth manager Bessemer Trust.

Recently unearthed records from The New York Times revealed the 39-year-old performer has been trying to end the conservatorship (NYT, paywall) for years. The younger Spears expressed concerns over her father as early as 2014, citing his drinking as a primary issue.

Public interest in the case was renewed following “Framing Britney Spears,” a documentary that explored her career and the arrangement, and rekindled the popular #FreeBritney social media movement. Catch the testimony here (12 pm ET).

Pardons in Spain

The Spanish government yesterday pardoned nine Catalan separatists jailed over sedition charges following a failed 2017 secession. Officials said the move was needed to help mend the rift between the central government in Madrid and the semiautonomous region. Those pardoned had initially received sentences of between nine and 13 years in prison. 

Home to almost 8 million people, the northeastern region largely enjoys self-rule and accounted for roughly 20% of the country's prepandemic economy. It is also home to Barcelona, the country's second-largest city. With a distinct cultural identity, Catalonia's separatist movement peaked in 2017 with a successful—but unofficial—independence referendum that prompted Madrid to establish temporary direct rule over the region.

Carles Puigdemont, who led the region during the secession attempt but fled the country in the aftermath, did not receive a pardon. 

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by The Ascent

> Vanessa Bryant settles wrongful death lawsuit with helicopter company in death of her husband and daughter (More) | Martin Luther King Jr.'s estate reaches international deal with publisher HarperCollins for rights to King's literary archive (More)

> Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets win top two picks in NBA draft lottery (More) | Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib, who came out as gay Monday, has the top-selling jersey in the NFL (More)

> Jim Bessman, beloved music journalist, dies at 68 after reportedly suffering an aneurysm (More) | Emmy-nominated producer and CBS executive Norman S. Powell dies at 86 (More)

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Science & Technology

> Reports say the Food and Drug Administration approved Biogen's Alzheimer drug despite statisticians claiming insufficient proof of effectiveness (More) | See our previous write-up on the drug's approval (More)

> NASA's Hubble telescope remains in safe mode as the agency attempts to restart a crashed computer; the 1980s device is believed to have a malfunctioning memory module (More)

> Australia pushes back on United Nations report recommending the Great Barrier Reef be reclassified as a World Heritage Site in Danger due to the effects of climate change on its coral (More)

Business & Markets

> US stock markets up (S&P 500 +0.5%, Dow +0.2%, Nasdaq +0.8%); tech companies lead Nasdaq to fresh record high (More) | Microsoft briefly passes $2 trillion market cap, becoming second US public company after Apple to reach milestone (More) | Eyewear startup Warby Parker files for confidential initial public offering, last valued at $3B (More) 

> European Commission launches antitrust investigation into Google’s advertising practices (More) | Federal Trade Commission will reportedly review Amazon’s proposed $8B acquisition of MGM (More)

> US existing home sale prices rise a record 23.6% over last May to $350,300; existing home sales decrease for fourth straight month (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Senate voting rights bill fails to clear procedural hurdle, with a party-line 50-50 vote; 60 votes were required to break a filibuster (More) | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA-12) signals she will form a select committee to probe the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol (More)

> New York City holds primaries to select nominees to run for mayor, other city officers; new ranked-choice voting system could take weeks to yield results (More) | Check here for real-time updates (More)

> An estimated 300,000 US gun purchases were blocked by background checks last year, with 42% due to prior felony convictions (More) | Forty million guns were purchased legally in 2020 (More) | Slain Colorado police officer Gordon Beesley was ambushed, officials say; two others were killed in Denver-area shooting Monday (More)

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ETCETERA

How the US Navy stress tests an aircraft carrier (w/video). 

The best ice cream in every state.

Help a computer win the New Yorker cartoon caption contest.

Beauty at the edge of the Florida Everglades.

Iowa news channel breaks coverage at the worst time possible.

Watch an eel climb a ramp to eat squid. (plus a clever headline; NYT, paywall)

Meet America's first Olympic skateboarding team.

Just a normal day in Times Square.

Clickbait: Geriatric penguin gets custom shoes.

Historybook: Computer scientist Alan Turing born (1912); Track and field great Wilma Rudolph born (1940); Title IX enacted, bans gender discrimination in public education and sports (1972); RIP polio vaccine developer Jonas Salk (1995); United Kingdom votes to leave the EU (2016).

"The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more."

- Jonas Salk

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