Tip News Daily Brief

Your Daily Brief

March 21st, 2023

Good morning, and happy Tuesday! It’s time for the Tip News weekly brain tickler: see if you can spot the five empty bottles floating in the sea around three dolphins. It took our team’s resident puzzle master just seven seconds to spot all five. No, that’s not a typo...and the Guinness Book of World Records has been contacted. Let us know how long it takes you!

In Today’s Brief

France: Macron survives no-confidence
Dallas: High school shooting
DWTS: Julianne Hough to co-host
Starbucks: New CEO starts early

...and more

First time reading? Sign up here

Top Tips

American hostage freed

U.S. hostage Jeff Woodke was released yesterday after spending over six years in captivity in Africa, according to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

Woodke’s release comes after Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger earlier this month. According to multiple reports, Woodke was kidnapped at gunpoint in October 2016 from his home in Abalak in Niger’s Tahoua region, about 220 miles from the country’s capital of Niamey. Now 61, Woodke reportedly served as a humanitarian aid worker in Niger for 32 years.

Biden administration officials said no ransom was paid and no concessions were given to captors but didn’t identify the group believed responsible for holding Woodke in captivity. French journalist Olivier Dubois was also released yesterday and emerged from the same plane as Woodke that landed at a Niamey airport, where they were handed over to American and French authorities. Dubois, 48, had been kidnapped in Mali in 2021.

More layoffs at Amazon

Amazon announced yesterday that it plans to lay off another 9K employees in addition to the 18K jobs the company cut in January.

In a memo sent to employees, CEO Andy Jassy wrote that “given the uncertain economy in which we reside, and the uncertainty that exists in the near future, we have chosen to be more streamlined in our costs and headcount.” Per Jassy, the cuts will impact those in Amazon’s AWS cloud unit, Twitch gaming division, advertising, and PXT (experience and technology solutions) arm. Earlier this month, the company paused construction of its second headquarters, dubbed HQ2, in Virginia.

Amazon is one of the world’s largest employers, with around 1.5M employees worldwide. It is the latest tech company to announce a second round of job cuts, behind Twitter and Facebook parent company Meta. According to recent data, 503 tech companies have laid off roughly 140K employees so far in 2023.

UN climate report

The UN released a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) yesterday regarding progress in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and the supposed methods available to do so.

According to a press release, the IPCC’s report is a synthesis of six reports on global temperature changes compiled since 2018. The report’s authors wrote: “More than a century of burning fossil fuels as well as unequal and unsustainable energy and land use has led to global warming of 1.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.” Per the IPCC, this has caused “more frequent and more intense extreme weather events.”

Under the Paris Agreement of 2015, 193 nations plus the EU committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to theoretically limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The IPCC–which is made up of “hundreds of leading scientists,” according to the UN–claims that in order to achieve that goal, greenhouse gas emissions will need to be cut by almost half by 2030.

In partnership with annmarie

Spring has sprung

Spring is finally here, and it’s the perfect time to refresh your skincare routine with the Annmarie Clean Skincare set. This powerful bundle includes four of Annmarie’s best-selling products that work together to cleanse, nourish, and protect your skin, giving you a radiant and glowing complexion for the new season.

The Aloe Herb Cleanser gently removes impurities while leaving your skin feeling soft and hydrated, perfect for a fresh start to the day. The Anti-Aging Serum and Facial Oil are packed with antioxidants and vitamins to brighten and protect your complexion from environmental stressors like the sun and wind.

And now, for a limited time, our friends at Annmarie Skincare are offering a special discount to celebrate the first day of spring. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to give your skin the gift of clean, nourishing skincare and welcome in the new season with a fresh and glowing complexion.

Click here to get the Annmarie Gianni Clean Bundle and enjoy a bonus of their popular Antioxidant Lip Balm. This entire set is under $20 right now so you can start your spring off right!

Please support our sponsors!

Quick Tips

Around the Globe

Sri Lanka has secured a $2.9B bailout from the International Monetary Fund, according to a statement from the office of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe (More)
President Emmanuel Macron’s government survived a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly after bypassing the lower house last week to push through a bill raising the country’s retirement age to 64 (More)
Russia’s Investigative Committee opens a criminal case against the International Criminal Court prosecutor and judges who issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on allegations of war crimes (More)

On the Homefront

One student died and one was injured in a shooting at a Texas school yesterday morning; per Arlington police, a male student was arrested at the scene and charged (More)
Law enforcement doesn't expect former President Trump to be arraigned until next week in connection to a possible indictment, according to sources familiar with the matter (More)
Philadelphia announced a settlement to protesters who claimed alleged police abuse at a 2020 George Floyd rally; per Philadelphia officials, the settlement will be distributed among 343 plaintiffs (More)

Glitz & Games

Julianne Hough will serve as co-host on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ for the show’s 32nd season, replacing Tyra Banks; Alfonso Ribeiro will return as co-host and Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough are set as judges (More)
Three men were found guilty in the murder of rapper XXXTentacion that occurred outside of a Florida motorcycle shop in 2018; Dedrick Williams, 26, Trayvon Newsome, 24, and Michael Boatwright, 28, all face mandatory life sentences (More)
‘Get Out’ & ‘Nope’ filmmaker Jordan Peele’s fourth feature film receives a premiere date from Universal of December 25th, 2024 (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes in the stock market closed higher yesterday, with the Dow leading the gains (Dow +1.20%, Nasdaq +0.39%, S&P 500 +0.89%)
Netflix has 40 games slated for launch this year and 70 in development with its partners on top of the 16 titles currently being developed by its in-house game studios, according to a company announcement (More)
Laxman Narasimhan officially assumed the role as CEO of Starbucks and has replaced Howard Schultz, the company announced yesterday; the transition was initially expected to occur on April 1st (More)

Tips & Tricks

Feel Good: Meet Annie Ijpelaar and Sheila Anne Fry, two half-sisters placed up for adoption at the end of World War II whose families helped reunite them after 75 years of not knowing the other existed
Sneak Peek: Watch the action-packed official story trailer for the upcoming game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor from Electronic Arts and Lucasfilm - gamers can get their lightsabers ready on April 28th when it drops
Bump This: Soft-rock hitmakers Matchbox Twenty are back with their first single since 2012, titled “Wild Dogs (Running in a Slow Dream)” - listen on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube
Chow Down: We are what we eat, and our meals impact everything from the way we feel to the way our bodies burn energy - check out these five underrated foods to boost your metabolism and keep your alertness levels up throughout the day
Go Deep: A lot has changed in the world of shipbuilding since the RMS Titanic sank in 1912 - take a look at this graph to see how the size of the Titanic compares to the size of ships in today’s Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship fleet
Hot Goss: Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, 92, announced that he is engaged to Ann Lesley Smith less than one year after finalizing his divorce from Jerry Hall
Life Hack: A simple flight of stairs can provide an intense cardio challenge and a great alternative to going to the gym - if you’re in the mood for a different kind of exercise, try these 20-minute stair workouts to sculpt and tone your whole body

Tip-Offs

The NCAA bracket displaying the men’s Sweet 16.

Every U.S. state’s most sleep-deprived places.

…and a chart of where people over 65 work the most.

An easy explanation of the brain-like function of a CPU.

Fun facts from around the world about the spring equinox.

Seven of the best foods for cleaning out your liver.

Learn the story behind the most-seen photograph of all time.

…and what it’s like to dine at the world’s oldest restaurant.

Looking Back…

On March 21st: San Francisco’s Alcatraz prison is closed (1963); the Second Battle of the Somme began during WWI (1918); Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey publishes the first public tweet (2006); actor Gary Oldman is born (1958).

In partnership with annmarie

Time for renewal

Spring is the season of renewal, and your skin deserves a fresh start too! Annmarie Clean Skincare has got you covered with a huge discount on their bundle of best-selling products that cleanse, nourish, and protect your skin, giving you a radiant and glowing complexion for the new season.

Say hello to soft and hydrated skin with the gentle Aloe Herb Cleanser, and protect it from environmental stressors with the Anti-Aging Serum and Facial Oil, packed with antioxidants and vitamins.

These wildcrafted products are organic and free from harmful chemicals. Welcome in the new season with the entire bundle for under $20 and free shipping!

Please support our sponsors!