Tip News Daily Brief

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November 22, 2023

Good morning, and happy Wednesday! Geoffrey Holt did not appear to have much. But looks can be very deceiving. When the mobile home community groundskeeper passed away at 82 earlier this year, he left behind a big surprise. Holt gifted his small hometown of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, nearly $4M. While he did not own a car or a computer, Holt was a savvy investor. We are off tomorrow, so have a wonderful Thanksgiving. See you Friday!

In Today’s Brief

IRS: Postpones rule change again
Taiwan: Opposition coalition fails
NHL: Global tournament in 2025
OpenAI: CEO Sam Altman is back

... and more

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Top Tips

Israel, Hamas strike temporary deal

Israel and Hamas have agreed to terms on exchanging hostages and prisoners while instituting a temporary war halt.

The deal: Israel’s cabinet signed off on a pact that will see at least 50 hostages — women and children — released by the militant group. Israel is expected to release Palestinian prisoners as well. There will also be a temporary four-day halt to the war in Gaza and the Red Cross is expected to get access to remaining hostages.
Long road: Talks have been going on for six weeks, almost as long as the war. Qatar brokered the deal. The U.S. was also involved in negotiations. The agreement is also expected to deliver more humanitarian aid than has been available into the enclave during the pause. The goal is 400 trucks daily once the fighting is paused.
No ceasefire: The United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the war will continue after the short-term truce period comes to an end.

Binance CEO out after felony guilty plea

Binance founder Chengpeng Zhao will resign as CEO after he and his company, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, pleaded guilty to violating U.S. anti-money laundering laws.

The details: Zhao pleaded guilty to failing to maintain adequate measures to prevent money laundering. He will pay a $50M fine and step down as CEO as part of his plea agreement, which comes weeks after rival and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was convicted of fraud. Binance was fined over $4B and will enter compliance and sanction programs. It will also have an independent monitor for three years.
DOJ claims: The Department of Justice said Binance allowed child abusers, cybercriminals and terrorists to abuse its platform. DOJ also said Binance profited off illegal transactions between U.S.-based users and people in sanctioned countries like Iran and Russia.
The future: Richard Teng is Binance's new CEO. DOJ officials are expected to seek prison time for Zhao. His felony plea carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, but any sentence would likely be much shorter. The plea deal terms could allow Zhao to return as CEO eventually.

JFK assassination anniversary today

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated 60 years ago in Dallas.

Infamous day: Kennedy was shot by alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza. He was pronounced dead at Parkland Hospital and Vice President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as his replacement. Oswald was killed by local club owner Jack Ruby two days later at an arraignment hearing.
Nation's take: Sixty-five percent of Americans believe Oswald did not act alone in killing Kennedy, according to a recent Gallup poll. Those numbers are on par with a 50th-anniversary survey taken in 2013. Only 29% believe Oswald was solely involved, the same result as Gallup's initial poll immediately after the assassination. The new poll found 20% of Americans believe the federal government was involved in the assassination, an uptick from 10 years ago.
Family challenge: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called on President Joe Biden to release all documents related to his uncle's assassination. "What is so embarrassing that they're afraid to show the American public 60 years later?" he said in a statement. The White House has previously said 99% of documents related to Kennedy's death are available to the public.

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U.S. News

The Internal Revenue Service has postponed a rule change on filers who receive business income on payment apps. It is the second straight year the rule has been deferred (More)
One person died and several are missing after a large landslide in Alaska. Numerous homes were destroyed and officials fear more landslides could occur after heavy rains (More)
Utah House District 2 elected Republican Celeste Maloy in a special election last night. The victory gives the GOP a nine-seat House majority (More)

World News

A proposal for Taiwan’s major opposition parties to share a presidential ticket in January’s elections has fallen through. It increases the odds the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which advocates for independence from China, will maintain power (More)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has attempted to assassinate him at least five times since it invaded his country in 2022. Zelensky compared surviving the plots to having repeated bouts of COVID-19 (More)
North Korea said it successfully launched a spy satellite into space on its third attempt. The unverified claim would violate United Nations sanctions against the country (More)

Entertainment & Sports

The NHL will reportedly hold a tournament featuring national teams from the U.S., Canada, Finland and Sweden in 2025. The professional hockey league has not participated in an international team event since the 2014 Winter Olympics (More)
The Rolling Stones announced they will go on tour in 2024. They will play 16 cities in the U.S. and Canada after Hackney Diamonds was their first new album in 18 years (More)
An Abu Dhabi-backed consortium helmed by former CNN and NBC boss Jeff Zucker is poised to take control of the UK’s Telegraph newspaper. The deal could encounter government regulatory challenges (More)

Business & Markets

The Federal Reserve signaled it does not have immediate plans to cut interest rates. That led major indexes to close lower (Dow -0.18%, Nasdaq -0.59%, S&P 500 -0.20%).
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was reinstated days after his surprise ouster. He had agreed to join Microsoft after his firing (More)
Home sales in the U.S. remained at a 13-year low in October due to high mortgage rates and prices and low inventory. Analysts believe it could be the worst year in three decades (More)

Recommended Reading! 10 years worth of tech news happened in the last few days … and this section just scratches the surface of what’s going on with OpenAI, Microsoft, and the complete upheaval in the world of AI. If you like newsletters (it appears you do!), we recommend subscribing to Techpresso — there’s no cost, and it’s very similar to Tip News, only it keeps you up-to-date on the biggest stories in tech. One of the best newsletters out there, and a friend of Tip. You can click this link right here to subscribe instantly.

Tips & Tricks

Sneak Peek: Warner Bros. has released a trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Jason Mamoa returns as the DC Comics superhero for the second film in the franchise, where he will fight to defend his family against a new enemy.
Deep Dive: A secretive domestic surveillance program that tracks over a trillion phone records annually, even if people are not suspected of a crime, has drawn the attention of Congress. Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden has sent an inquiry to the Department of Justice about the legality of the little-known Data Analytical Services program.
Chow Down: Bacon has very high approval ratings. So does cornbread. So why not throw them together? This recipe for upside-down bacon cornbread sounds delicious and is the perfect Thanksgiving side dish tomorrow.
Go Green: Humans have found an unlikely ally in the battle against climate change – the wildebeest. Their grazing and annual migration cuts down on the grass and plants in the Serengeti, which means that region of Africa absorbs more carbon than it releases.
Detective Work: There are many theories about the identity of famed street artist Banksy, but no definitive proof. A recently unearthed BBC interview may be a breakthrough in the case, though, as it seems he revealed his first name 20 years ago.
Be Safe: Dogs across the country are being stricken by a mysterious infectious respiratory illness that has baffled veterinarians. Here is what owners need to know about identifying symptoms and how to protect their pets.
Hot Goss: Cara Delevingne, one of Taylor Swift's close friends, has given Travis Kelce her seal of approval. The model said she is rooting for the duo and that the pop star's relationship with the NFL standout is "very different."

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Tip-Offs

Just stay the heck away from these 17 dangerous foods.

... and it's not easy to fix an accidental $7K tip at a Subway.

One family delegates Thanksgiving tasks like the NFL draft.

A look back at almost 100 years of Thanksgiving Day parades.

A Dutch retiree accidentally discovered how bats procreate.

... while bamboo could transform the construction industry.

Look up, you may see meteor showers for the next few weeks.

Two Chicago TV stations were hijacked 36 years ago today.

Looking Ahead …

Here is a quick rundown of tomorrow's key holiday TV times (all Eastern):

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, 8:30 a.m. on NBC.
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions, 12:30 p.m. on FOX.
Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. on CBS.
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. on NBC.

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