🗞️Some News For Youse

🇺🇸 U.S. To Withdraw From Afghanistan

President Biden officially announced the U.S. will withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by September 21, 2021.

• The ~2,500-3,500 troops & special forces still serving in the country will begin coming home on May 1. At the height of the war in 2011, roughly 100k U.S. troops were stationed in the country.
• Over the past two decades, more than 775k American troops have deployed to Afghanistan at least once, per WaPo, with 2,300 killed.

A senior administration official said the U.S. will help the roughly 6,500 NATO troops currently in Afghanistan to withdraw by September as well.

More: The war has reportedly cost the U.S. nearly $2T, according to the Costs of War project.

🥇 Americans Rank the 50 States (Plus D.C.)

Data analytics company YouGov conducted a series of polls gauging Americans’ opinions of each of the 50 states plus D.C. Those surveyed were asked to choose the better of two states in head-to-head matchups, with that data compiled into an overall ranking.

• The Top 5 (Winning percentage): Hawaii (69%), Colorado (65%), Virginia (64%), Nevada (61%), North Carolina (61%).
• The Bottom 5: Arkansas (39%), New Jersey (39%), Mississippi (38%), Alabama (38%), Washington, D.C. (35%).

💉 CDC Delays J&J Vote

A CDC advisory panel decided to delay a vote on how best to use Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine for at least one week, calling for more data before it makes a decision.

• The panel is reviewing six reported U.S. cases of rare and severe blood clots in women aged 18 to 48 who received the vaccine. More than 6.8M doses have been administered.

More: Their decision to delay comes one day after the FDA and CDC issued a joint statement recommending a temporary pause on J&J vaccine administration (which all 50 states have since followed).

🧠 In the Know...

🏛️ The U.S. Capitol Police officer who fatally shot a woman during the January 6th Capitol Riot will not face charges following an investigation. (From the Left | From the Right) 

📺 Former Bachelor star Colton Underwood came out as gay on Good Morning America yesterday.

⚱️ Bernie Madoff Passes Away

Bernie Madoff, architect of the largest Ponzi scheme in history, died in prison yesterday at 82. His death comes 12 years into a 150-year prison sentence.

• Madoff cheated investors out of an estimated $65B in promised returns on $20B invested. Investigators said as many as 37k people in 136 countries were affected over the course of four decades.

More: Victims include thousands of ordinary investors mixed with celebrity names such as director Steven Spielberg, actor Kevin Bacon, and former NY Mets owner Fred Wilpon.

🪙 Toss a Coin to Your Base, O' Market of Plenty

Shares of Coinbase closed at $328.28 yesterday after the company made its public debut on the Nasdaq, giving it a market capitalization of $85.8B.

• Coinbase went public via direct listing, which allows employees and existing shareholders to sell shares immediately at a price determined by the market. (What are direct listings?)

More: The stock reached as high as $429 in intraday trading Wednesday, briefly giving the company a valuation north of $100B.

Even More: Coinbase gifted 100 shares to more than 1,700 employees ahead of its public debut.

📝 Voting Legislation Statement

More than 300 companies, CEOs, and other executives signed a new statement - which appeared in the NYT, WSJ, & other publications as an advertisement - to “defend the right to vote and oppose any discriminatory legislation” that would restrict voting access.

• The statement didn’t mention any specific voting legislation, nor did it call on companies to perform any specific actions or halt political donations to lawmakers supporting such bills.

More: Notable signees include Amazon, Netflix, Ford, Google, Starbucks, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffet, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, and Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser.

From the Left → NBC News

From the Right → WSJ

🧠 In the Know...

🏦 Goldman Sachs posted records in quarterly revenue and profit for Q1 2021, while JPMorgan Chase recorded its highest quarterly profit in history. Dig deeper.

🚗 Toshiba CEO Nobuaki Kurumatani resigned abruptly yesterday as the $20B automaker fields potential buyout offers. Dig deeper.

🗺💰X Marks the Spot

Twenty-thousand dollars has been hidden somewhere in the state of Maine, and people are racing to solve the puzzle and find it.

• Newcastle residents Kurt and Kelly Stokes are the owners of Dirigo Treasures LLC and creators of the state-wide treasure hunt.

The couple spent three years exploring the state to create the game, photographing memorable locations and hiding clues as they went.

Image: Kelly & Kurt Stokes (Lincoln County News)

Finding the treasure is a complex process that involves solving a riddle, puzzle, and secret – all the while exploring the vast state’s famous landmarks.

• After locating all 52 visual clues from a unique deck of cards, the players will then be presented with a manual that reveals the Seven Dirigo Stones.
• Whoever can locate all seven stones will be the one to find the treasure – $20,000 in cash or cash equivalent.

Image: Facebook

“We want players to explore the unique scenery of Maine, from its rushing rivers to green forests and towering mountains,” Kurt said. “We designed the game to be geographically and historically diverse.”

So… who’s taking us to Maine?"