???? Second Boeing whistleblower dead | ????? India reels under scorching heatwaves | ???? Nostradamus of US polls prepares his election predictions

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Market Watch

• Indian benchmark indices ended the day higher, with the Sensex up 128.33 points at 74,611.11, and the Nifty up 43.35 points at 22,648.20.
• Nifty Media and Nifty Bank were among the biggest losers while Nifty Auto and Nifty Metal were among the biggest gainers.

Boeing scandal: Second whistleblower dies in two months

Joshua Dean, a whistleblower who exposed safety issues with Boeing's 737 MAX, succumbed to an aggressive lung infection making him the second whistleblower to die while the company stands accused of lax safety standards.

The details: Dean died due to a sudden and fast-spreading infection. He was reported to have been in good health and led a healthy lifestyle before suddenly falling critically ill.

• He was admitted to the hospital with breathing difficulties and was diagnosed with pneumonia and a serious bacterial infection known as MRSA. Dean was in a critical condition for two weeks before his death.
• His lawyer, Brian Knowles, emphasized the importance of whistleblowers and the courage it takes to expose wrongdoing, stating Dean's death is a loss to the aviation community and the flying public.

Why this is concerning: Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems have been under scrutiny for safety issues, and the testimonies of whistleblowers are crucial to the case against the companies.

• This is the second death of a Whistleblower in two months. John Barnett, died earlier this year from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
• Barnett's colleagues raised suspicion over his death, saying he didn't seem like a person who would have committed suicide.

Here's an interview Barnett did with TMZ before his death:

How bad is the Boeing Dreamliner? This Al-Jazeera sting shows:

Who was Joshua Dean? Joshua Dean was a former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, who was known for raising concerns about manufacturing defects in the 737 MAX aircraft.

• Dean had filed a complaint against Spirit with the Federal Aviation Administration, alleging serious quality failings at its production facility, and had also testified in a shareholder lawsuit against the company.

Also read Boeing's Suicide Mission: Is the company just killing off people?

Severe heatwave warning: IMD forecasts 44-47°C for parts of eastern India

The IMD has predicted severe heatwave conditions to continue over several parts of India, with temperatures expected to reach between 44 to 47°C in certain regions, such as Gangetic West Bengal and parts of Jharkhand, Odisha, and Rayalaseema until the 3rd of May.

Of note: This is partly due to a massive heatwave that is ongoing in south and southeast Asia, where temperatures in summer months have been exacerbated by the El Nino effect.

The details: A red alert for extreme heatwave conditions has been declared in Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha, with East India to experience a heatwave for the next three days, as per IMD's forecast.

• April saw unusually high temperatures in East and Northeast India with the number of heatwave days being the highest in 15 years for Gangetic West Bengal and in 9 years for Odisha.
• The extended heatwave is projected to lead to higher power consumption, with peak power demand recently recorded at 224 GW on 30 April, and it's predicted to reach 260 GW by FY25.

The other side: In contrast, the IMD has forecast potential rainfall and thunderstorms over various regions, including the northeastern states, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and other parts of India beginning from May 1st, which might provide some relief from the heat.

Clip du jour

This epic video of an IITian who turned a Bolero into a self-driving vehicle, that's running in traffic in Bhopal.

Hi, I’m Gaurav Jeyaraman, the editor of this newsletter. We’d like to hear some feedback on our newsletter: what works and what doesn’t work? WhatsApp me directly and tell me what you think.

'Nostradamus' Of US Presidential polls prepares prediction for 2024

Renowned political forecaster Allan Lichtman, known as the “Nostradamus of US presidential elections,” is preparing to test his prediction model once again for the upcoming 2024 presidential race. He has not made a final prediction for 2024 yet but notes that “right now a lot would have to go wrong for Joe Biden to lose this election.”

The intrigue: Lichtman, has predicted nine out of the past ten US presidential elections correctly. The only election he has incorrectly predicted was the 2000 presidential election, selecting Al Gore over George Bush in a prediction he insists was the correct choice, saying the 2000 election was stolen.

• His system uses a set of 13 true or false statements, known as the “13 keys to the White House,” to forecast election outcomes, created in partnership with Russian seismologist Vladimir Keilis-Borok. (Initially, the duo developed the system to predict earthquakes)
• “The way it works is if six or more of the 13 keys go against the White House party (incumbent) they are predicted losers and if fewer than six then they are predicted winners,” Mr Lichtman said. He said Biden is down by only 2 keys so far.

The details: The 13 keys are:

1. Party mandate: After the midterm elections, the incumbent party holds more seats in the US House of Representatives than after the previous midterm elections.
2. Contest: There is no serious contest for the incumbent party nomination. ?
3. Incumbency: The incumbent party candidate is the sitting president. ?
4. Third-party: There is no significant third-party or independent campaign. ?
5. Short-term economy: The economy is not in recession during the election campaign. ?
6. Long-term economy: Real per capita economic growth during the term equals or exceeds mean growth during the previous two terms. ?
7. Policy change: The incumbent administration affects major changes in national policy. ?
8. Social unrest: There is no sustained social unrest during the term. ?
9. Scandal: The incumbent administration is untainted by major scandal. ?
10. Foreign/military failure: The incumbent administration suffers no major failure in foreign or military affairs. ?
11. Foreign/military success: The incumbent administration achieves a major success in foreign or military affairs.?
12. Incumbent charisma: The incumbent party candidate is charismatic or a national hero. ?
13. Challenger charisma: The challenging party candidate is not charismatic or a national hero.?

ICYMI

• ?? Have you received calls asking to sign you up for post-election beneficiary schemes? The EC has issued a warning against this.
• ?? A lookout notice has been issued against Prajwal Revanna who faces sexual harassment allegations which have led to a political storm.
• ?? Sanjiv Bhasin, the Director of IIFL Securities, has suggested that investors should secure some portion of their profits now, given the potential for a sharper-than-expected correction in the stock market post-elections.
• ?? In a bid to offer one-of-a-kind experiences, Airbnb has launched celebrity-hosted stays, hosted by celebrities like Janhvi Kapoor, Kevin Hart, and Doja Cat.
• ?? Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph has been removed from Covid-19 vaccine certificates due to the model code of conduct.
• ?? Reports of Goldy Brar’s death have been refuted by California police.
• ?? Pakistan has proposed that Lahore be the sole venue for India’s matches in the Champions Trophy 2025.