Tip News Daily Brief

Your Daily Brief

July 5th, 2023

Good morning, and happy Wednesday! We hope you had a relaxing Independence Day–we sure did. In other news, a little over a week after the alleged mutiny in Russia, Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin seemingly resurfaced and appeared to hint that his fighters will soon return to the front lines of the war in Ukraine. When they will do that remains to be seen, and we’ll let you know as soon as anything happens.

In Today’s Brief

Weather: July 3rd breaks heat records
Philadelphia: Shooting suspect in custody
Barbie: Banned in Vietnamese theaters
Meta: Launching Twitter rival tomorrow

...and more

First time reading? Sign up here

Top Tips

West Bank attack in Jenin

The Israeli military deployed hundreds of soldiers and launched air strikes using drones on the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, leaving at least 12 Palestinians dead throughout the two-day assault.

In terms of scope, the attack marks one of the largest assaults on a West Bank city in nearly 20 years. The Israel Defense Forces said it launched the attack to target “terrorist infrastructure” in Jenin, which is known as a militant stronghold. Meanwhile, at least eight people were injured in a car-ramming attack on a bus stop in Tel Aviv, which the militant group Hamas claimed was a response to the Jenin raid.

Israeli forces reportedly began withdrawing from Jenin last night. At least 130 Palestinians–including militants and civilians–have died from attacks in the West Bank this year, according to the United Nations. Over the same period, nearly 30 Israelis have been killed in attacks within the West Bank and in Israel.

Suspected cocaine in the White House

A white powder found inside the White House on Sunday was identified by Washington D.C.’s fire department and emergency services as cocaine after running preliminary tests, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service, confirmed that the “white, powdery substance” was discovered by members of the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service conducting routine rounds. President Biden and his family were at the Camp David residence in Maryland when the Secret Service found the substance in the West Wing, which prompted an emergency evacuation of the White House.

The West Wing is attached to the executive mansion where President Biden lives. It houses the Oval Office, the cabinet room and press area, and offices and workspaces for the president's staff. It also houses the offices of the vice president, the White House chief of staff, the press secretary, and hundreds of other staff who have access.

Reigning hot dog-eating champs

Joey Chestnut ate 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes to take home the men’s title of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest for a record 16th time, and Miki Sudo downed 39.5 dogs to clinch the women’s title for the 9th straight time.

In the men’s bracket, Geoffrey Esper took second place with 49 hot dogs, and Australia’s James Webb came in 3rd with 47. Sudo took home last year’s women’s title with 40 hot dogs and holds the women’s world record for eating 48.5 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

On July 4th each year, the contest challenges eaters to polish off as many franks and buns as they can in under 10 minutes. It takes place each Independence Day in Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, at the site of the first-ever Nathan’s Famous hot dog stand. The top eater in each category takes home $10K and also receives the Mustard Belt.

In partnership with Babbel

How to travel like a boss

You know you've always wanted to impress that cute French bartender or order tapas like a pro in Spain. Well, now you can make those dreams a reality with Babbel! Say goodbye to boring textbooks and hello to fun games, podcasts, and videos.

Thanks to the expertise of 150 linguists, Babbel's unique approach uses scientifically proven methods to help you start speaking a new language in as little as 3 weeks. Plus, their bite-sized, 10-minute lessons are perfect for anyone with a busy schedule. You can learn on-the-go and fit it into your day faster than you can say "adiós" to your monolingual days.

With 14 languages to choose from, Babbel has got you covered whether you want to impress your crush in Dutch or make small talk with locals on your next trip to Germany. And let's be real, who doesn't want to feel like a total boss while exploring new cultures?

Don't wait any longer to start your language journey. Sign up for Babbel today and get up to 60% off your subscription with the 4th of July sales. The world is waiting for you.

Please support our sponsors!

Quick Tips

Around the Globe

July 3rd was the hottest day ever recorded in terms of global averages, according to data from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction; the average global temperature reached 62.62 degrees Fahrenheit, surpassing the August 2016 record of 62.46 degrees (More)
Russian investigative journalist Yelena Milashina was beaten by masked men after flying into the Russian republic of Chechnya; she described being forced out of a car, hit with plastic pipes, and having her head shaved and doused in green dye not far from the airport (More)
A missile struck a car park of a residential building in Kharkiv, leaving at least 43 people injured, including 12 children; Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said there were only residential buildings in the area where the missile hit (More)

On the Homefront

Some federal agencies and select U.S. officials can’t communicate with social media companies about taking down “content containing protected free speech” that’s posted on the platforms, per an order from a federal judge (More)
More than 410 flights were canceled and 2.7K were delayed yesterday due to thunderstorms that prompted the FAA to ground planes across the country; Denver International Airport saw 170 cancellations alone (More)
A shooting across four blocks in Philadelphia on Monday evening left five people dead and two others wounded; a 15-year-old boy was among the deceased and a suspect is in custody as of last night, per local authorities (More)

Glitz & Games

In partnership with Xero Shoes

‘Barbie’ has been banned from commercial screenings in Vietnam due to a scene that depicts a map with the “nine-dash line,” a representation of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Vietnam says violates its sovereignty (More)
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout suffered a fracture of the hamate bone in his left hand during Monday's game against the San Diego Padres and is on the 10-day injured list, per an announcement from the Angels (More)
Robert De Niro’s grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, who acted in A Star Is Born, passed away at age 19 in New York City; the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has yet to determine his cause of death (More)

From our partners: Live Life Feet First – Most of us are walking around in shoes that keep our feet from doing what they were made for: flexing, moving, and feeling. With flexible soles and open-toe designs, Xero Shoes let your feet move naturally while giving you the support you need to stay comfortable all day. Try Xero Shoes and see why it’s one of Shark Tank’s biggest hits to date!

Business & Markets

The U.S. stock market was closed in observance of Independence Day; stocks and commodities resume trading today
Amazon began rolling out its custom Rivian electric delivery vans in Europe, marking Rivian’s first commercial shipment of vans outside the U.S. (More)
Meta’s text-based app Instagram Threads, a product to rival Twitter, is expected to launch tomorrow, according to the App Store listing for the app showing a version ready for Apple’s iPhone (More)

Tips & Tricks

Feel Good: Meet Harrison Johnson, a 10-year-old from North Carolina who is halfway through raising $100K to ensure that the stories of those who died in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor are not forgotten by the younger generation
Sneak Peek: Liam Neeson cements his status as an edge-of-your-seat action star in the official trailer for Retribution, a film about a father who must follow a series of orders after learning his car is wired to explode
Bump This: Luke Combs’ country take on the Tracy Champman classic “Fast Car” may accomplish the rare feat of eclipsing the original version - listen on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube (if you haven’t heard it yet, that is)
Chow Down: On top of being a digestion superfood, papaya is loaded with antioxidants, enzymes like papain, vitamin C, lycopene, and more - for some supercharged gut health, try out this recipe for a papaya smoothie that’s the perfect refresher during hot summer days
Nerd Out: Check out this motorcycle powered entirely by steam that recently set a record speed of 180 miles per hour, covering 1/8th of a mile in just 3.878 seconds
Hot Goss: Singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, 29, welcomed her second baby with her husband Daryl Sabara; the couple now has two boys
Life Hack: “Humblebragging” involves trying to appear modest while at the same time boasting and singing one's own praises - here are the reasons why humblebragging in the workplace can backfire for those who engage in it, according to experts

Tip-Offs

The top 10 all-time highest-grossing music tours.

…and 10 of the world’s most peaceful countries.

Learn about the booming biz of subtitle captioning.

The science behind why our voices change with age.

See what happens when a drone launches fireworks.

…and what happens when fireworks damage your home.

Breaking down why solar flares shoot into space.

The hazy history of Nathan’s hot dog eating contest.

Looking Back…

On July 5th: The U.S. Secret Service begins operations under the Treasury Department to aid in the prevention of counterfeiting (1865); the first bikini debuts in Paris (1946); the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is certified, granting suffrage to citizens age 18 years and older (1971); soccer player Megan Rapinoe is born (1985).

In partnership with Babbel

This isn't like you remember in high school

Babbel is the real deal, and it's nothing like those snooze-fest high school classes you suffered through. With over 10M subscriptions sold, they're clearly doing something right.

Babbel is designed by 150 linguistic geniuses who know what it takes to help you start speaking a new language in as little as three weeks. Their state-of-the-art tech makes learning a new language as easy as scrolling through Instagram.

You won't find any boring lectures or endless memorization here - Babbel's got podcasts and games that will make you feel like you're chatting with locals in no time. Their lessons are short and sweet, so you can squeeze them into your busy schedule.

Say "bonjour" to Babbel, and as a special treat for Tip News readers, you get up to 60% off a subscription with their 4th of July sale. Don't miss out on this language revolution.

Please support our sponsors!