Good morning. It's Friday, July 16, and we're covering deadly floods in Europe, a verdict in America's deadliest newsroom shooting, and more. Have feedback? Let us know at hello@join1440.com.

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NEED TO KNOW

German Floods

At least 93 people were killed yesterday, with hundreds unaccounted for, as record rainfall caused severe flooding in Germany. The worst flooding in decades caused major rivers to flood in Germany, Belgium, and other parts of western Europe. People were left trapped in their homes, waiting on rooftops to be rescued, as floodwaters washed away buildings and cars. Two firefighters also died after evacuation attempts. At least 12 others have been killed in neighboring Belgium.

Power and water supplies have been cut off for hundreds of thousands of residents across the area. Major rail and road transport routes were also disrupted. The rainfall in the region was subsiding Thursday, but forecasts suggest more heavy rain is due in much of western Europe throughout today.

See photos and footage of the damage.

Child Tax Credits

The bank accounts of millions of Americans received a boost yesterday, as the IRS issued the first round of payments under an expanded Child Tax Credit program. Up to $300 per child was issued, with administration officials saying the payments covered 35 million households with roughly 60 million children.

The tax credit, originally established in 1997, previously provided a $2K credit per child under age 17 for the majority of US households. The economic stimulus bill passed this March granted a one-year expansion during the 2021 tax year (see deep dive), allowing for up to $3K per child under 18 ($3,600 for children under six) for many households. Notably, the law allowed for monthly payments through December, instead of a one-time refund upon filing taxes. 

There's at least one catch—the deposits are actually prepayments based on estimated 2021 taxes, meaning families may face smaller returns or unexpected tax bills next April (for those interested, here's how to opt out).

Verdict in Annapolis

A gunman who killed five people and injured two others in a mass shooting at the Annapolis Capital Gazette in 2018 was found criminally responsible by a jury yesterday, rejecting the defense team's claim of mental illness. The verdict means 41-year-old Jarrod Ramos will likely spend life in prison instead of a maximum-security mental health facility. 

The deadliest attack on a newsroom in US history, Ramos had a long-standing history with the paper leading up to the attack. He began a harassment campaign following a 2011 article by the Gazette covering a guilty plea Ramos made in a stalking case, and filed and lost a subsequent defamation case. Prosecutors argued that Ramos' meticulous planning—including barricading an exit route before the attack—contradicted his insanity defense. He is expected to be sentenced to five life terms without parole.

See the victims' profiles here.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by The Ascent

> Tom Brady had a completely torn MCL during 2020 season while leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory (More) | COVID outbreak sidelines six New York Yankees including Aaron Judge, postponing game against Boston Red Sox (More)

> Hollywood film producer Dillon Jordan arrested by federal agents for allegedly running prostitute ring (More) | Netflix to expand service to include video games next year at no extra cost (More)

> "Tiger King" Joe Exotic likely to receive shorter prison sentence in murder-for-hire case after court determines original sentence was miscalculated (More)

From our partners: Paying off credit card debt? This card could save you up to $1,863 in interest charges on $10K of debt. Thanks to one of the longest 0% APR periods on the market, you won't be paying credit card interest until 2023 on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. Learn more now and apply for a decision in under two minutes.

Science & Technology

> Eighteen-year-old Oliver Daemen to join Amazon founder Jeff Bezos aboard his space company Blue Origin's inaugural crewed flight; Daemen, flying in place of an anonymous $28M auction winner, will become the youngest person to fly in space (More)

> New AI platform computes complex protein structures in 10 minutes; the freely available model developed by the University of Washington surpasses Google's breakthrough AlphaFold2 in capability, researchers say (More)

> Dual studies report control over a nanosphere close to the uncertainty limit, a step toward quantum control of large-scale objects (More) | The Heisenberg Principle in simple terms (Watch)

Business & Markets

> An estimated 360,000 Americans filed initial jobless claims last week, in line with estimates and a new pandemic-era low (More)

> Shares of Moderna—mRNA Biotech company known for its COVID-19 vaccine—rise after announcement the company will be added to the S&P 500 index (More)

> Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testifies before Senate Banking Committee, answering a number of questions on inflation, the economy, and other items (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to be questioned tomorrow as part of the state attorney general probe into a raft of sexual harassment allegations (More)

> Haitian officials detain the current head of security for assassinated President Jovenel Moïse (More) | Cuban government lifts tax on food and medicine imports in temporary attempt to quell anti-government protests (More)

> California approves the nation's first state-funded guaranteed basic income program; pilot sets aside $35M for qualifying residents, with up to $1,000 per month going to primarily low-income pregnant women and young adults recently out of foster care (More)

IN-DEPTH

A Forbidden Glance

BBC | George Wright. The story of Raed Ahmed, an Iraqi weightlifter who made a daring defection to the US amid the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. (Read)

Octopuses and Us

The Ezra Klein Show | Ezra Klein. (Podcast) What the octopus can teach us about the nature of consciousness and our relationship with the natural world. (Listen)

The Cursed Cabinet

Input | Charles Moss. A Holocaust-era furniture piece that inspired multiple horror films, the truth behind the Dybbuk Box is finally revealed. (Read)

PRICE IS RIGHT

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ETCETERA

A fascinating map of medieval Europe.

One man's face averaged over 7,777 days.

Dictionary.com adds 300 new words.

James Bond's new car is a (powerful) plug-in hybrid.

Female trainee qualifies for Naval Special Warfare Command crew for the first time.

Watch robots make pizzas from start to finish.

Looking for a new gig? How about eating tacos.

Millions in cocaine charcoal recovered by police.

Fortuitous Florida man finds two separate megalodon teeth. 

Clickbait: What's a better-sounding name for "shark attack?"

Historybook: District of Columbia established as capital of US (1790); RIP former US first lady Mary Todd Lincoln (1882); First successful atom bomb test (1945); Apollo 11 launches with first astronauts who will walk on the moon (1969); John F. Kennedy Jr. dies in plane crash (1999).

"Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand."

- Neil Armstrong

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