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Good morning. You may notice something a little different: we joined the rush of Americans at the spa and got a makeover.
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Have any thoughts or feedback on our new look? Just reply to this email.
P.S. Want to book an appointment for yourself? Let us know and we’ll put in a good word (but keep in mind, Cathy told us no slots are available for another few weeks).
⏰🚀 Ready, Set, Go: Today's newsletter takes 3.73 minutes to read.
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🍩 Daily Sprinkle
"Nothing can dim the light that shines from within."
- Maya Angelou
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🗣👂 Dose of Discussion
🌿 Marijuana Legalization in the U.S.*
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Over the past two months, four U.S. states have officially legalized marijuana for recreational use - NJ, NY, VA, & NM - bringing the total number to 17 plus D.C. and Puerto Rico (covering ~43% of the U.S. population).
However… These laws are in conflict with the federal Controlled Substances Act, which classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug (the most tightly restricted category).
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The federal government currently abides by a 2013 memo from Deputy AG James Cole telling prosecutors to focus on only the highest-level of cannabis-related offenses (including distributing to minors, conspiring with drug cartels, and engaging in violence).
In December, the House passed legislation that would decriminalize and tax marijuana at a federal level. It was not brought to a vote in the Senate.
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A trio of Democratic senators (including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer) have committed to advancing comprehensive marijuana legislation reform in the Senate this session.
📝 What do the polls say?
A Gallup poll in November found 68% of Americans were in favor of legalizing marijuana, a record high.
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A Pew Research poll released Friday found 60% of Americans were in favor of legalizing marijuana for medical and recreational use, with another 31% in favor of legalization for medical use only.
*Editors Note: We initially intended to cover this tomorrow (on 4/20) – but since the closing arguments in the Chauvin trial take place later today, we thought we’d provide a 360° view of that in tomorrow's issue instead.
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👇📰 Quick Bits
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🦠 COVID Update
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Roughly 39k Americans were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Sunday, according to Our World in Data.
Image: Bloomberg
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Half of all U.S. adults 18+ have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot, according to data published Sunday by the CDC.
(Note: The percentage in the graphic above is out of all Americans, not just those 18+.)
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🏛️ White House Refugee Cap
President Biden signed an executive order on Friday extending a 15k refugee admissions cap first imposed by former President Trump through the end of September.
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The order also broadens the regions from which the U.S. will accept refugees to include parts of Africa and the Middle East.
After receiving backlash from fellow Democrats, the White House later backtracked and said Biden would “set a final, increased refugee cap” by May 15.
From the Left - NBC
From the Right - NY Post
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⚠️ Peloton Warning
A federal safety commission issued a warning about the Peloton Tread+ (formerly known as the Tread) on Saturday.
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The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the machines pose “serious risks to children for abrasions, fractures, and death,” citing 39 incidents and one death.
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From the warning: "Reports of a pet and objects being sucked beneath the Tread+ also suggest possible harm to the user if the user loses balance as a result."
Peloton released a statement refuting what it called a “misleading, inaccurate bulletin,” saying consumers should be perfectly safe as long as all warnings and safety instructions are followed.
More: Read the full CPSC warning.
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📸 The Weekend in Pics...
Image: Dominic Lipinski, AP
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Prince Philip’s funeral was held Saturday in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in England.
Image: SpaceX rendering
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NASA awarded SpaceX a $2.9B contract to develop the first commercial human lander to safely carry American astronauts to the Moon.
Image: YouTube
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A WWII-era plane was forced to make an emergency landing in the Atlantic Ocean during the Cocoa Beach Air Show.
🔭 The Week Ahead...
Monday: Closing arguments in the Derek Chauvin trial
Tuesday: Apple’s “Spring Loaded” event
Wednesday: National Kindergarten Day
Thursday: Earth Day; Start of two-day White House climate summit
Friday: Federal advisory panel meets to discuss J&J vaccine
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DONUT Holes...
🚘 Two people died in Texas on Saturday after a Tesla vehicle believed to be operating without anyone in the driver’s seat crashed into a tree.
⚖️ The founding member of the Oath Keepers becomes the first person to plead guilty in connection with the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol. (From the Left | From the Right)
🤝 The U.S. & China issued a joint statement agreeing to work together to address climate change. (From the Left | From the Right)
📝 A ‘person of interest’ was arrested in connection with a shooting at a tavern in Kenosha, WI, early Sunday that left three men dead. | Authorities initiated a manhunt in Austin, TX, yesterday for a former detective wanted in the fatal shooting of three people. He remained at large as of last night.
🇨🇺 Raúl Castro, younger brother of Fidel, announced he is stepping down as head of Cuba’s Communist Party; it's the first time a Castro has not led Cuba since the 1959 revolution. (From the Left | From the Right)
☝️ 1 Last Thing… Hester Ford, the oldest living American, died at 116 over the weekend.
📚 Today’s Good Read: The curious case of an NJ deli with a $100M market cap (and $35,000 in sales over the past two years combined), from CNBC’s Dan Mangan.
🎮 Cheat Code: Watch the story instead.
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🤗 Daily Dose of Positive
🦶❤️ One Foot In Front of the Other...
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April 15th, 2013 was supposed to be a fun “girls-day-out” for Heather Abbott and her friends, as they set out to watch a Red Sox game and then cheer on the runners at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
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What started as a beautiful spring day soon turned tragic, as the 2013 marathon bombings caused Heather to lose her left leg.
Since becoming an amputee, Heather has made it her mission to help others thrive-- even through the loss of a limb.
Images: Screenshot
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She started the Heather Abbott Foundation (HAF) in 2014 to help provide customized prostheses to people who have lost limbs in traumatic experiences.
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Most of the time, insurance companies will only cover the most basic walking prosthesis. Any specialized limb - such as a running leg - can cost upwards of $50,000. 🤯
With 42 beneficiaries and counting, HAF has raised more than a million dollars and changed the lives of each recipient.
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From a 13-year-old athlete to a 47-year-old single mom, Heather wants every amputee to “live the life they want” without limitations.
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🛸🌄📲 Calling from the Future…
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🌠 Star Wars… the director of the Pentagon’s Space Development Agency, which plans to start launching its own communications and missile detection satellites into orbit in 2022, said that cyberattacks - rather than enemy missiles - pose the greatest threat to U.S. satellites.
💣 Bombs Away… authorities in the Mexican state of Jalisco found evidence that the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, responsible for approximately one-third of all drugs moved from Mexico to the United States, has begun assassinating enemies by using small, flying drones equipped with homemade bombs.
🤖 Relatively Einstein… audio deepfake startup Alforithmic teamed up with synthesized media company UneeQ to create an AI-powered Albert Einstein chatbot that draws on real audio recordings of the famous physicist - and the input of a talented voice actor - to respond to text-based questions. (Video)
+A Blast from the Past...
💾 In Memoriam… Charles “Chuck” Geschke, an American businessman who co-founded Adobe Inc. and helped develop the PDF, died last week at 81.
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💡 Dose of Knowledge
🦷 Nothing but the Tooth
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Excluding wisdom teeth, how many adult teeth do humans typically have?
A) 22
B) 32
C) 28
D) 26
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(keep scrolling for the answer) |
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🍩👇 Refer your friends & family to the DONUT and earn rewards
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Access merch and even mini-vacations for FREE by referring others to the DONUT. Simply:
1. Copy your unique referral link below.
2. Post said link on social media, drop it in your group chat, trail a cape behind you at a roller derby, etc.
3. Watch the rewards roll in.
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Ambassador Rewards and Progress → |
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💡 Dose of Knowledge Answer
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C) 28
Humans typically have 32 adult teeth, four of which are wisdom teeth.
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