King of Pop Movie, NFL Draft, and Civics Thursday

News for the insatiably curious. View email in browser. In partnership with Good morning. It's Thursday, April 23, and we're covering the new Michael Jackson biopic, tonight's NFL draft, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4.7 million insatiably curious readers. Sign up here. Don’t keep us a secret: Share the email with friends (copy URL here)​. And, as always, send us feedback at hello@join1440.com. 🇺🇸 Civics Thursday: The US government's relationship with Native American tribes, shaped by treaties, wars, and forced removals, is unlike any other in American history. This week for Civics Thursday, we explore how it developed, including a surprising link to the US Constitution and the tribes' unique legal status.  Need To Know  It's Close to Midnight The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, “Michael,” has its box office debut this weekend, projecting a $65M-$70M US opening. If so, it will mark the top domestic opening for a musical biopic in US history, not accounting for inflation. The film, backed by the Jackson estate, depicts the late singer’s rise to fame from a member of the Jackson 5 in the 1960s to becoming the King of Pop. While earlier screenplays covered child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson, the final cut does not. Parts of the film were reshot last year after Jackson’s estate realized a settlement with accuser Jordan Chandler prohibited any depiction of him in a movie (see story here; see survey of US perceptions here). Michael Jackson holds the record for the bestselling album of all time, with the 1982 release of “Thriller.” The adult version of Jackson is played by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, son of Jermaine Jackson (see family members). A Smoke-Free Generation The United Kingdom passed a bill this week to phase out the sale of tobacco nationwide. Anyone born after 2008 will be permanently barred from purchasing cigarettes, vapes, or heated tobacco when the bill becomes law next week, pending royal assent. Roughly 64,000 people die each year in England alone from tobacco-related causes. The cost to the UK healthcare system of smoking-related illnesses, including cancer and heart disease, amounts to around $4B annually. In addition to prohibiting vendors from selling tobacco to future generations, the bill requires smoke-free premises—including playgrounds, hospitals, and outside schools—to also become vape-free. A study found the new bill could reduce smoking prevalence in young people to below 5% by the late 2040s. See UK smoking trends here (w/graphs). Smoking is one of the world’s leading causes of death, linked to more than 7 million deaths annually. Learn about the history of the deadly habit here. NFL Draft Countdown The NFL draft kicks off tonight at 8 pm ET in Pittsburgh, marking the first time the event has been held in Steelers Country since 1947. See mock projections here. The Las Vegas Raiders are anticipated to select Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 overall pick. Mendoza led the Hoosiers to their first College Football Playoff title earlier this year after winning the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Meanwhile, the Steelers face uncertainty as the team awaits veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers' decision on a 22nd season, all while holding 12 picks—the most of any team since the seven-round draft format began in 1994. The draft ends Saturday with the Denver Broncos making the final, 257th pick, dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant.”  Teams have eight minutes to make their first-round selections this year—a high-pressure process that has led to mix-ups between similarly named players and even missed picks. Read about a few of the most memorable mistakes here. In partnership with Dose Plot Twist: It Might Be Your Liver Feeling fatigued? It could be your liver. Dealing with bloating or digestive discomfort? Look at your liver. Metabolism feel off? Yep … possibly your liver. This one organ handles over 500 essential functions every day, and in a world full of processed foods, drinking, and daily stressors, it’s constantly working overtime—often without much support.   Dose is designed to change that. This clinically-backed liquid supplement supports your body’s natural detoxification processes with ingredients like turmeric, milk thistle, ginger, and dandelion root—all in a simple 2oz shot. No pills, no prep—just a fast, effective way to support your liver at its foundation.   Did we mention it tastes like delicious orange juice? 1440 readers can take advantage of up to 35% off sitewide through April 30, plus free shipping and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Please support our sponsors!  In The Know  Sports, Entertainment, & Culture > Churchill Downs strikes $85M deal to buy intellectual property rights for Preakness Stakes and Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, bringing the first two legs of the Triple Crown under the same company (More) | Does horse racing have a future? (More, w/audio) > Autopsy report reveals 14-year-old girl allegedly killed by singer D4vd died of multiple stab wounds (More) | See timeline of the murder case (More)  > Dave Mason, a founding member of English rock band Traffic and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, dies at age 79 (More) | Listen to one of Traffic's biggest hits, "Dear Mr. Fantasy" (More) Science & Technology > Scientists identify new doorway coronaviruses can use to infect human cells, a discovery that may guide the development of future vaccines and antivirals (More) | Watch how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells (More) > Bees appear greener as humidity rises, possibly because the increased moisture causes their exoskeletons to swell (More, w/image)  > Robot ping-pong player created by Sony's AI research team becomes the first to attain expert-level performance in a competitive physical sport, marking major gains in rapid decision making and precision (More) | Watch Ace the robot play (More) Business & Markets > US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +1.1%, Dow +0.7%, Nasdaq +1.6%), with S&P 500, Nasdaq finishing at record levels (More)  > Lululemon Athletica names former Nike executive Heidi O’Neill its new CEO, will take over Sept. 8; former CEO Calvin McDonald left the company in January (More) | Microsoft's LinkedIn names veteran executive Dan Shapero its new CEO (More)   > Spirit Airlines reportedly nearing deal for $500M bailout from the Trump administration as it seeks to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy (More) | What went wrong with Spirit? (More, w/video)  In partnership with Motley Fool Money Expert: 'A Great Time For A Balance Transfer' There's a smarter way to tackle credit card debt—and not enough people know about it.    This card gives you 0% interest on balance transfers all the way into 2028. That's nearly two years to chip away at your balance, completely interest-free. In an economy like this one, that kind of breathing room matters. Transfer your existing balances to this card and you'll have a full 21 months to pay them down—without a single dollar going to interest.   Learn more → 0% interest into 2028 Politics & World Affairs > Iran strikes three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, capturing two of them; President Donald Trump says US-Iran peace talks could begin as soon as tomorrow (More) | Pentagon announces Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving his post; no explanation given for the departure as of this writing (More) > Rep. David Scott (D, GA-13) dies at age 80, the fourth House Democrat to die in Congress since last year (More)  > Nearly half of Americans, 152.3 million people, live in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution, new study finds (More) | See most polluted cities (More) | ... and cleanest (More) In-Depth > The Great Baby Race Smithsonian | Jordan Friedman​​​​​​. In 1926, a Toronto bachelor and prankster died, leaving his fortune as a prize: Whoever had the most babies over the next 10 years would inherit a significant portion of his estate. (Read)  > How Money Laundering Actually Works Johnny Harris | Johnny Harris. The world's most sophisticated money laundering system has no computers, no banks, and no paper trail. It's also thousands of years old. (Watch)  In partnership with Dose The Easiest Health Habit You’ll Keep Most wellness routines fail because they’re too complicated. Dose for your Liver keeps it simple: a quick, 2oz daily shot that supports liver function, digestion, and steady energy—no mixing, no pills, no disruption to your routine.   It tastes like orange juice, takes seconds to add to your morning, and delivers clinically backed support where it matters. If you’ve been meaning to take better care of your body, this is an easy place to start—save up to 35% here through April 30 plus free shipping and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Please support our sponsors!  1440 Topics: Civics Thursday  This week, we took a deep dive into the relationship between the US government and Native American tribes. Here are some of the most interesting resources we found:    > The Iroquois Confederacy's political structure, with its separation of powers and representative governance, may have directly influenced the framers of the US Constitution (Read).   > There are 575 federally recognized tribes in the US, a legal status that determines access to land, resources, and sovereignty (Watch).   > Explore the rest of the resources we discovered with our topic page about US-Native American relations.   Know a civically engaged high schooler? The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is hosting an essay competition for Midwest juniors and seniors on America's global future, with prizes up to $1,000. Submissions are due April 26. Learn more here.    Etcetera  Why US gas is cheaper than almost anywhere else.   See photos of a one-in-50 million split-colored lobster.   Follow a live map to see how many birds are migrating overhead.   Lay’s launches global-inspired World Cup flavors.   Yankees players push to change a long-standing uniform tradition.   A look at US wine 50 years after the Judgment of Paris.   Dragon scales found on Mars.   Four former US presidents share optimism about the country.   Clickbait: Plants can “hear” rain coming.   Historybook: English playwright William Shakespeare dies (1616); Hollywood legend and diplomat Shirley Temple born (1928); American punk rock band Ramones releases first album (1976); The first video is uploaded on YouTube (2005).   "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." - William Shakespeare, in "Hamlet" Behind the Name. In 1440, the printing press sparked a knowledge revolution. 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