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March 14th, 2023

Good morning, and happy Tuesday! Did you know that about three hours west of Tokyo lies not only the oldest hotel in the world, but also the world’s oldest still-operational establishment? The hotel, named Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, was apparently built around a hot spring that was discovered and opened to the public in 705 AD…and it’s wild to think that it’s still around today! Does anyone want to meet us in Japan?

In Today’s Brief

Africa: Historic tropical storm returns
PETA: Pens letter to the Pentagon
The Last of Us: More seasons coming
Rivian: Wants out of Amazon deal

...and more

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Top Tips

Oil in Alaska

The Biden administration announced that it is approving a scaled-back version of the Willow Project, a 30-year oil drilling project in Alaska proposed by oil company ConocoPhillips.

In a statement, the Department of Interior (DOI) said it approved three of the five drilling sites ConocoPhillips proposed as part of the project in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve. Per the DOI, the denial of two requested drill site pads “reduces the project’s freshwater use” and prevents the development of around 11 miles of roads, 20 miles of pipelines, and 133 acres of gravel. ConocoPhillips forecasted that the Willow Project is “estimated to produce 180K barrels of oil per day at its peak” and deliver as much as $17B in revenue for the federal government, Alaska, and local communities.

Opponents of the project claim that the Biden administration’s approval of three drill sites to be developed conflicts with the President’s publicized efforts to shift to more renewable energy sources.

March Madness begins

Today marks the start of March Madness, the NCAA Division 1 basketball tournament.

68 teams make up the brackets for both the men’s and women’s tournaments. The NCAA’s schedule shows that the men’s play-in round, known as the “First Four,” takes place today and tomorrow. On Thursday, the first full round of 64 teams kicks off. Alabama–with a former player indicted last week on murder charges–is the No. 1 overall seed, while Houston, Purdue, and Kansas are the other No. 1’s. Marquette, UCLA, Texas, and Arizona are the No. 2’s. The First Four round for the women’s tournament is set for tomorrow, with Tennessee Tech playing Monmouth and Illinois facing Mississippi State.

In terms of television viewership, March Madness is one of the most popular sporting events in the U.S. Recent data shows consistent audience levels over the past decade, with an average of 10.7M viewers tuning in during 2022.

Nobel laureate author dies

Japanese author Kenzaburo Oe passed away this month at the age of 88, according to a statement his publisher released yesterday.

Per his publisher, Kodansha, Oe’s death was due to old age. In his life, Oe became known for stories and essays that touched on events such as the impact of war on Japanese society and the birth of his son Hikari, who was born with a brain hernia. Oe wrote about the effects of war in novels like The Silent Cry and explored his experience as the father of a disabled child in the novels A Personal Matter and A Quiet Life.

In 1994, Oe became the second Japanese author to receive the Nobel Prize in literature (the first was Yasunari Kawabata in 1968). The Swedish Academy wrote that Oe “with poetic force creates an imagined world, where life and myth condense to form a disconcerting picture of the human predicament today.”

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Around the Globe

Death toll from Tropical Storm Freddy rises to more than 60 people after the cyclone hit southern Africa for the second time in a month; per the World Meteorological Organization, Freddy is the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the southern hemisphere (More)
The International Criminal Court will open two cases of war crimes against Russian officials over the country’s invasion of Ukraine, according to multiple sources (More)
The White House announced that Australia will buy three American nuclear submarines under a new security pact with the United States and the United Kingdom (More)

On the Homefront

Man convicted of killing eight in an attack on a Manhattan bike path in 2017 will spend life in prison after jurors were unable to come to a unanimous decision yesterday in penalty phase deliberations (More)
Animal rights group PETA sent a letter to Pentagon officials urging them to halt research exposing animals such as ferrets and monkeys to pulsed radiation in attempts to recreate symptoms of Havana Syndrome in humans (More)
The Coast Guard in San Diego ended its search for missing migrants after two suspected smuggling boats were found capsized along the shoreline over the weekend (More)

Glitz & Games

Creators of the HBO series ‘The Last of Us’ are reportedly planning additional seasons to tell the story from the video game’s sequel, ‘The Last of Us: Part II’ (More)
Drake announces dates for his upcoming North American tour It’s All a Blur; the 29-date run is set to kick off June 16th in New Orleans and end on September 5th in Glendale, AZ (More)
Las Vegas Raiders sign 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year contract, per multiple reports; the move will reunite Garoppolo with Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, who served as his offensive coordinator while the two were in New England (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes in the stock market ended mixed, with the Dow and S&P 500 losing while the Nasdaq gained (Dow -0.28%, Nasdaq +0.45%, S&P 500 -0.15%)
Volkswagen Group and its battery company PowerCo will build its first overseas battery cell factory in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada; the plant will produce battery cells beginning in 2027, per the automaker (More)
Rivian is seeking an exit from its exclusive deal with Amazon in which it agreed to only provide its electric delivery vans to the online retailer, according to multiple reports (More)

Tips & Tricks

Feel Good: Researchers at the University of Nottingham have developed a device designed to reduce tics from Tourette’s syndrome; wearing it reportedly resulted in a “significant” reduction of symptoms among the individuals who tested it…including Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi
Sneak Peek: Get a glimpse of a magical world above and below water in Disney’s first official trailer of its upcoming live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, swimming into theaters on May 26th
Bump This: Dance remixers PNAU and R&B crooner Khalid team up on the new club-ready single “The Hard Way” - listen on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube
Chow Down: Pasta is a go-to meal that’s easy to whip up at home, but it can be difficult to nail that classic Italian restaurant taste - if you want to up your pasta game, try this recipe for homemade Pasta All'Amatriciana that Julia Roberts’ character famously ate in the movie Eat Pray Love
Nerd Out: General Motors is taking a page out of the Knight Rider book by reportedly bringing a ChatGPT-enabled AI assistant to its automobiles that will allow drivers to verbally communicate with their cars (unlike the sci-fi TV show, however, no self-driving capabilities or missiles will be included)
Say What: “Mexico is safer than the United States. There is no issue with traveling safely through Mexico. That’s something the U.S. citizens also know, just like our fellow Mexicans that live in the U.S.,” Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said yesterday during his daily press briefing
Life Hack: Running is thought of as a great cardio workout, but it’s not so easy if you suffer from knee pain - try out these five non-running cardio workouts that will help you burn calories without putting pressure on your knees

Tip-Offs

Listing out each state’s most affordable four-year college.

The renewed popularity of attempting to survive in the wilderness.

…and on the other hand, the 95th Oscars’ different fashion looks.

Examining India’s storied role in the origins of chai tea.

How to clear up storage space on your iPhone or iPad.

An eerie photo of a barren tree reflected in a drying lake.

…and a lush tree trunk that has taken the shape of a man.

At SXSW, Disney execs unveil a real-life lightsaber.

Looking Back…

On March 14th: United Nations forces recapture Seoul during the Korean War (1951); Vladimir Putin is reelected to a second term as Russian president (2004); theoretical physicist Albert Einstein is born (1879).

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