Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 👤 Lawmakers are targeting the TSA’s use of facial recognition
• 🦧 Animals can be doctors, too
• 🎈 Airbnb is *Iconic*

… and more.

🚀⏰ Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~4.78-minute read (1,274 words).

P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

“Dude, sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something.”

–Jake the Dog; Adventure Time (2010-2018)

A bipartisan group of senators is pushing for restrictions on the use of facial recognition technology by the Transportation Security Administration, citing concerns that travelers’ privacy, civil liberties, and pride may be at risk (okay we may have added the last one but does anyone actually have a good driver ID photo?).

Background: The TSA has been rolling out facial recognition tech at major airports – including those in Atlanta, DC, Detroit, LA, and Miami – as part of a pilot project that began one year ago. The process involves passengers walking up to an airport security checkpoint, slipping an ID card into a slot, and looking into a camera on top of a small screen.

Once the passenger’s face-scan is successfully compared to their ID and a government database of past images (e.g., previous driver’s licenses or passport photos), they can walk through to the body-scan section. The new program reportedly cuts the average verification time from around half-a-minute to 7-10 seconds.

• This technology is currently in use at 84 airports around the country, with the TSA planning to expand it in the coming years to all of its 430 locations.
• Passengers can currently opt out, though TSA Administrator David Pekoske has said facial recognition will eventually be required across the board because it’s more effective and efficient.

The program also has its fair share of critics. In a letter published yesterday, a group of 14 Republican and Democratic senators raised concerns about how the TSA’s biometric data is collected, who has access to it, and what happens if it gets hacked. Lawmakers also noted the technology’s potential for misuse by the government, and expressed concern that its reported 3% error rate is too high.

👀 Looking ahead… The lawmakers are calling on Senate leaders to limit the TSA’s use of facial recognition tech in the upcoming FAA reauthorization bill, which faces a must-pass deadline of May 10.

📊 Flash poll: Do you support the TSA’s increased use of facial recognition technology for verifying passengers’ identities?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure/other

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🫒 The global olive oil industry is experiencing one of its toughest moments, per a top executive. Spain, Greece, and Italy – which collectively produce ~80% of the world’s olive oil – have experienced a series of droughts and wildfires in recent years, leading to current olive oil shortages and record-high global prices. Experts say the industry’s 2024-25 outlook is still uncertain, meaning global prices will continue to be volatile for several months. The recent issues have contributed to making olive oil the most stolen item from supermarkets in Spain.

🇹🇷🇮🇱 Turkey suspended all trade ties with Israel. The Turkish trade ministry cited the "worsening humanitarian tragedy" in the Palestinian territories as its reason for pausing trade between the two nations, who had a trade volume of $6.8 billion in 2023. Israeli officials accused Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan of breaking trade agreements, and said Israel will ramp up local production and other imports in response.

🇲🇾🇮🇩 Microsoft announced new AI projects in Malaysia and Indonesia. Microsoft unveiled plans to establish a national AI center in Malaysia, which is aimed at improving data center infrastructure and AI skills across the country as part of a $2.2 billion investment over the next four years. The US tech giant also agreed to invest $1.7 billion in Indonesia over the same period, as part of its overall goal of upskilling 2.5 million people in Southeast Asia by 2025.

Get ready for some monkey great ape-business: Scientists in Indonesia have observed an orangutan applying a plant with medicinal properties to a wound as sort of a topical salve, which marks the first time this behavior has ever been documented in the animal kingdom.

What happened: In June 2022, researchers monitoring a group of ~150 orangutans noticed an adult male named Rakus, who had an open wound on his "cheek" likely obtained in a fight, doing the animal equivalent of taking himself to the doctor.

Rakus was seen chewing the stem and leaves of a plant called Fibraurea tinctoria, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and is used locally by humans to treat pain, malaria, and dysentery – but rarely consumed by orangutans. He then removed the mass from his mouth, and spent ~7 minutes lathering the substance all over his cheek wound.

• The wound closed within five days, with no signs of infection. And it healed completely within a month.

How did this behavior come about? Scientists don’t know for sure, but have two leading theories. The first is that it’s a learned behavior taken from elsewhere, since male orangutans typically live far away from where they were born. The other is a trial- and- error- based theory, which basically says the plant’s properties were discovered by luck one day when an orangutan touched an open wound while eating the plant.

🩺 Zoom out: Other animals have also played doctor, they just haven't self-medicated in this purposeful, specific way.

+Semi-related reading: Scientists are pushing a new standard for animal consciousness.

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💬 Quoted: “Icons let you step into worlds you’ve only ever dreamed of.”

• Have you ever wanted to host a living room jam session with Doja Cat, watch live comedy with Kevin Hart, or stay up all night gaming and pointing at things with TikTok star Khaby Lame? If so, it may be time to break out that lucky shamrock. Airbnb recently unveiled a new category of unconventional listings called Icons, with the first 11 experiences including all of the above options – plus the chance to stay at one of several out-of-the-box listings, including Prince’s Purple Rain house, the Ferrari Museum in Italy, and the house from Pixar’s Up (which can float via crane). Users interested in an Icons experience can enter a lottery for "digital golden tickets," with Airbnb saying 4,000+ such tickets will be available this year.

🙏 Stat of the Day: Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor at a key Boeing supplier (called Spirit AeroSystems) who raised concerns about improperly drilled holes in the fuselage of 737 Max jets, has died at the age of 45. His family told NPR that Dean, who they described as a “health nut,” had quickly fallen into critical condition after being diagnosed with a MRSA bacterial infection. Dean is the second Boeing-related whistleblower to die in the past three months, with both deceased men represented by the same lawyer.

🤔 Did You Know? The main theme for Mission Impossible – two long notes, followed by two short notes – was inspired by the Morse code signals for “M” and “I.”

📰 Worth a Read: ‘I Will Never Forget Any of It’: Brittney Griner Is Ready to Talk → (NY Times)

• ☝️ A team of UK archaeologists unveiled the reconstructed face of a 75,000-year-old Neanderthal woman whose skull – thought to be the best-preserved Neanderthal find this century – was recently discovered in Iraq.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

in partnership with NoNetz

• 💰 US markets closed up across the board (S&P: +0.9%; Dow: +0.9%; Nasdaq: +1.5%). | 💉 Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, reported sales of $9.35 billion in Q1 (up 22% from 2023); the drugmaker said it expects supply constraints to continue affecting Ozempic/Wegovy sales.
• 🚲 Peloton is cutting 15% of its overall workforce; CEO Barry McCarthy is also departing.
• 🛢️ The FTC approved Exxon Mobil’s $60 billion purchase of Pioneer Natural Resources, but barred Pioneer's former CEO from Exxon's board due to allegations he tried to collude with OPEC to raise oil prices. | 🔍 Google’s landmark antitrust case, in which regulators allege its search engine is an illegal monopoly, saw closing arguments begin yesterday. (Background)

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SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🎥 Sony and Apollo Global Management reportedly submitted a $26 billion all-cash offer to buy Paramount.
• 🏇 The 150th running of the Kentucky Derby – aka “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports” – takes place on Saturday evening.
• 🤝🎶 Universal Music Group and TikTok signed a new licensing agreement that will bring music by Drake, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, and others back to the social media platform after a two-month hiatus. (Background)

SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

in partnership with Paleovalley

• ☄️ The ongoing Eta Aquarids meteor shower is projected to reach peak activity on Saturday night into Sunday morning.
• 🏥🫄 US maternal mortality rates fell to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, marking the first decrease in at least three years; a total of 817 US women died of maternal causes, at a rate of 22.3 per 100,000 live births.
• 🌎🍿 Roughly 10% of the most popular movies of the past decade include a scene in which the characters address climate change, per a new academic report.

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MISCELLANEOUS

• 🎓 Student protests: More than 2,000 protesters in total have been arrested at universities across the country over the past two weeks. | Three Northwestern students filed a lawsuit accusing the school of enabling the harassment of Jewish students when a pro-Palestinian encampment was set up on campus. | The House approved legislation to establish a broader definition of antisemitism for the Department of Education to enforce anti-discrimination laws.
• 🇨🇳🌐 Chinese telecom giant Huawei, which is blacklisted from doing business in the US, is secretly funding cutting-edge research at American universities – including Harvard – through an independent Washington-based foundation, per Bloomberg.
• ⚖️ A group of 26 Republican AGs filed a lawsuit to block a recent Biden administration rule requiring background checks for firearm sales at gun shows. (Background)

CLICKBAIT

• 👥🪖 Faceless people, invisible hands: New Army video aims to lure recruits for psychological operations.

Last month, the Clark family in Utah sent a box of Amazon returns to a warehouse in California with one accidental addition: their beloved cat Galena. 

🐈 Meow-sing person: Galena had been absent for a week, when a California veterinarian called the family to say their cat had been found by an Amazon employee and was in her custody. Although Galena was over 600 miles away from home and across state lines, she was safe and healthy. 

• The Clarks believe a curious Galena hopped into the cardboard box full of returns when dad Matt left the room briefly to grab scissors and packing tape. 
• Galena is "not the kind of cat who makes noises," shared mom Carrie, "so she wasn’t speaking up for herself."

The Clarks flew to California the next day to retrieve a grateful Galena, who jumped right into her mom's arms.  

Coming at you hotter than the sidewalks of Phoenix, it’s the DONUT’s weekly news quiz.

Find out how your news superpowers stack up against our team.

Below are three lists of ingredients. All you have to do is give us the completed dish they make.

☝️ Recipe #1:

• Sweetened coconut flakes
• Egg yolks
• Eggs
• Sugar
• Cornstarch
• Cinnamon
• Coconut milk
• Salt
• Butter
• Vanilla extract
• Pie crust
• Heavy whipping cream

✌️ Recipe #2:

• French loaf
• Butter
• Olive oil
• Crushed tomato
• Garlic cloves
• Oregano
• Chili flakes
• Salt
• Mozzarella
• Sprig fresh Italian basil

3️⃣ Recipe #3:

• Chicken cutlets
• Salt & pepper
• Dried oregano
• Olive oil
• Shallot
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Garlic
• Dry white wine
• Heavy cream
• Parmesan cheese
• Baby spinach

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☝️ Recipe #1: Coconut cream pie

✌️ Recipe #2: French bread pizza

3️⃣ Recipe #3: Creamy Tuscan chicken