Tip News Daily Brief

Your Daily Brief

August 17th, 2023

Good morning, and happy Thursday! As you’re walking out the door today consider giving a friendly greeting to your neighbors. According to data from the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index, adults in the U.S. who regularly say hello to multiple people in their neighborhood have a higher well-being than those who greet fewer or no neighbors. So go ahead and spread positive vibes around your neighborhood - it won’t just make others feel good, but also you!

In Today’s Brief

Germany: Cabinet to liberalize weed usage
Kansas: Newspaper’s seized items returned
Coldplay: Former manager files a lawsuit
Aldi: Plans to buy 400 supermarket locations

...and more

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Top Tips

Mifepristone drug ruling

A federal court of appeals ruled yesterday to keep the abortion pill Mifepristone available but placed restrictions on the drug.

The three-judge Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans overturned a lower court’s wholesale revocation of the pill’s FDA approval. Should the ruling be upheld, women would no longer be able to obtain Mifepristone through telemedicine appointments and by mail, patients would have to receive a prescription from a doctor, and they would have to have three follow-up appointments in person. The restrictions would also shorten the time when women can take the pill from 70 days to 49 days into their pregnancy.

Mifepristone, used in combination with another drug called misoprostol, is the most common method for terminating pregnancies in the U.S. In April, the Supreme Court ruled to maintain access to mifepristone while a challenge to the FDA's approval played out. The current ruling is paused from taking effect until the high court makes a decision.

Libyan militia clashes

Tripoli’s deadliest armed militia clash in a year has killed 55 people and wounded 146, according to Libyan media outlets.

Fighting began on Monday and continued through Tuesday between two militia groups, the 444 Brigade and the Special Deterrence Force. Tensions flared after Mahmoud Hamza, a senior commander of the 444 Brigade, was allegedly detained by the rival group at an airport in Tripoli, according to local media reports. Hamza reportedly was later released as part of a deal aimed at stopping the violence. According to Libya's Emergency Medicine and Support Center, 234 families had to be evacuated from frontline areas with 60 ambulances deployed and three field hospitals set up to deal with the casualties.

Since 2014, Libya has been divided between rival administrations in the east and the west, each supported by various militias and foreign governments. Last August, clashes between two other militia active in the capital killed at least 23 people.

Women's World Cup final is set

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is set to take place on Sunday, August 20th, where England’s Lionesses will face off against Spain’s La Roja for the trophy.

England defeated Australia 3-1 yesterday in their semifinals game, advancing for the first time since 1966 to the Women’s World Cup finals. After clinching the European Championships last summer, this is the second consecutive major tournament in which England has reached the final. Spain advanced to the finals after a 2-1 victory over Sweden in Auckland on Tuesday in a game where all three goals were scored in the final 10 minutes of the game. This is also Spain’s first time advancing to the women’s finals. Australia will play against Sweden for third place on Saturday, August 19th in Brisbane.

This will be the first all-European final since 2003. The 2019 Women’s World Cup Final saw the U.S. and Netherlands compete. The U.S. clinched the trophy 2-0, earning their second consecutive and fourth overall Women's World Cup title.

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Quick Tips

Around the Globe

At least 17 Niger soldiers have been killed in an attack by armed groups near the border with Mali, according to the country’s Ministry of Defence; this is the first major attack against Niger’s army in six months (More)
Germany’s Cabinet approved a plan to ease rules on cannabis; the new plan could see adults allowed to possess up to 25 grams of the drug and grow a maximum of three plants for personal use (More)
An armed group in Jaranwala, Pakistan attacked several churches and private homes over allegations that a Christian man had desecrated the Quran; the attacks prompted the government to deploy additional police forces and send in the army to help restore order (More)

On the Homefront

Raided Kansas newspaper the ‘Marion County Record’ is to have its seized items returned after officials determined that the police had "insufficient evidence" to raid its offices (More)
Ada Deer, a Native American leader from Wisconsin and the first woman to lead the Bureau of Indian Affairs, has died at age 88; Deer was a key figure in the reversing of Termination Era policies of the 1950s that took away the Menominee people’s federal tribal recognition (More)
Samuel Miele, a fundraiser for the campaign of George Santos, was indicted yesterday for allegedly impersonating a high-ranking aide to a member of the House in order to raise money (More)

Glitz & Games

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The four members of British rock band Coldplay are being sued by their former manager Dave Holmes, according to court documents recently filed in the U.K; a rep for the band confirmed that Coldplay and Holmes parted ways 12 months ago after working together for 22 years (More)
A game-worn Mickey Mantle jersey from 1958 is up for auction and has surpassed the auction price record for the late baseball player’s jersey; as of yesterday afternoon, the jersey has a bid of $3.25M (More)
SiriusXM is being sued for $150M in unpaid royalties and late fees owed under the Copyright Act by SoundExchange, the top digital royalty collection and distribution agency for the music industry (More)

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Business & Markets

Major indexes in the stock market ended lower for the second day in a row, with the Nasdaq leading losses (Dow -0.52%, Nasdaq -1.15%, S&P 500 -0.76%)
Amazon Pharmacy plans to release coupons that will automatically bring down the cost of insulin on more than a dozen insulin and diabetes care brands; with the automatically applied discount, insulin from major drugmakers will start at $35 a month, according to Amazon (More)
Aldi plans to acquire 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket locations across the Southern U.S., according to the supermarket chain; details of the deal were not disclosed, but it is expected to close in the first half of 2024 (More)

Tips & Tricks

Feel Good: On top of being nice to look at, wall murals are also shown to unite communities, share messages for social change, improve mental health, and more - check out these nine artists making their communities stronger and brighter through murals
Sneak Peek: Watch this first look into the upcoming Netflix series The Archies, which is India’s Bollywood remake of the popular U.S. teen show Riverdale
Bump This: Dream-pop artist Emitt Fenn delivers his most uptempo track ever in his spacey new single “This Way” - listen on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube
Chow Down: If you’ve never had corn on your pizza, we’re here to tell you that you’re missing out - for all you adventurous foodie types, try out this recipe for sweet corn pizza with kernels that offer a delicious contrast to the crust, creamy cheeses, and nutty basil pesto
Go Deep: Read one therapist’s account of how psychedelics such as psilocybin helped a woman overcome her alcoholism after she went to rehab for the same problem a total of 18 times
Hot Goss: Pop singer Britney Spears and her husband, Sam Asghari, have reportedly separated after 14 months of marriage after an argument that involved allegations of infidelity
Life Hack: Most people assume seasonal depression is reserved for the winter, but summertime sadness is a real thing - here are three treatments that can help boost your mood when sadness strikes during the summer

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Looking Back…

On August 17th: A 7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes near Izmit, Turkey, killing more than 17K people and leaving some 500K homeless (1999); George Orwell publishes the anti-utopian satire Animal Farm (1945); Michael Phelps becomes the first athlete to earn eight medals at a single Olympic Games (2008); actor Robert De Niro is born (1943).

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