Tip News Daily Brief

Your Daily Brief

December 4, 2023

Good morning and happy Monday! We hope you had a wonderful weekend. Starting a new hobby can be challenging for many reasons, but a big one is that there is a good chance you will not be very good at it when you begin. But that should not deter you, according to experts and psychologists. They say it is normal to be bad at a new thing, and people should embrace that. Just because you are not excellent at something does not mean it cannot bring you joy. And besides, practice makes perfect. Or close to it. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

Sandra Day O'Connor: Dies at 93
Red Sea: U.S. warship attacked
Kennedy Center: Stars honored
AIaska Air: Buying Hawaiian Air

... and more

First time reading? Sign up here

Top Tips

Israel takes war into southern Gaza

Israel expanded its ground offensive in Gaza yesterday, moving into the southern part of the enclave as the war with Hamas reaches the two-month mark.

War resumes: Israel operated over the weekend as it had before a seven-day truce, with its focus now shifting from the north to the south, ordering civilians to evacuate from areas it says Hamas has used for military purposes. The country recalled negotiators from Qatar after it said talks with Hamas hit a dead-end regarding hostage release terms. Israel said it killed a top Hamas battalion commander yesterday in an airstrike.
U.S. pressure: Vice President Kamala Harris called on Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza, saying "too many innocent Palestinians have been killed." Israel's evacuation notices have been met with skepticism by some given the lack of cellular service and electricity in Gaza. French President Emmanuel Macron said Israel must better define its objectives, suggesting the stated goal of a complete defeat of Hamas could take a decade.
Aid and evacuations: Close to 900 people left Gaza yesterday over the border with Egypt while 100 aid trucks passed into the enclave. The United Kingdom has committed to reconnaissance flights over Gaza to assist efforts to locate the estimated 140 or so remaining hostages in the enclave.

College football's controversial postseason

The College Football Playoff field is set with elation for Alabama, Michigan, Texas and Washington and outrage at Florida State.

The matchups: No. 1 Michigan, the undefeated Big Ten champion, will play No. 4 Alabama, the one-loss SEC champion, in the Rose Bowl. Second-ranked Washington, the unbeaten Pac-12 champion, will take on No. 3 Texas, the one-loss Big 12 champion, in the Sugar Bowl. The national semifinals will be played on New Year's Day; the national title game is Jan. 8 in Houston.
FSU snubbed: Florida State blasted the CFP selection committee after it became the first undefeated power conference champion to miss the tournament after star quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending leg injury. The committee argued that Alabama is one of the nation's four best teams after it upset two-time reigning national champion Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. Texas beat the Crimson Tide in the regular season. Florida State will play Georgia in the Orange Bowl.
Last go-round: This will be the final year of the four-team playoff format. The CFP will expand to 12 teams next year. Both national semifinal games pit teams who will share leagues in 2024. Michigan and Washington will be in the Big Ten; Alabama and Texas in the SEC.

George Santos has left the building

New York Rep. George Santos was expelled from the House on Friday, ending a tumultuous tenure.

The history: The resolution to kick Santos out passed by a 311-114 margin, clearing the required two-thirds threshold. Santos is the 21st man removed from Congress, the sixth in the House and the first in 21 years. Santos, who has lied about his background repeatedly and faces 23 federal fraud charges, is the first lawmaker expelled without being convicted of a crime or a member of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
The response: Santos stormed out before the vote concluded, telling reporters “to hell with this place” and that he was no longer obligated to answer their questions. Santos has since said he will file ethics complaints against several former colleagues. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has 10 days to call a special election for Santos’ vacated seat; the election must happen within 80 days.
The impact: House Republican leadership, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, voted against Santos’ expulsion. His exit narrows the GOP’s majority in the chamber to eight seats, 221-213. The Speaker typically does not vote, so Johnson only effectively has a three-vote edge over Democrats as he angles for a formal impeachment inquiry vote against President Joe Biden. And the numbers could get worse amid rumors California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the former Speaker, could resign soon.

In partnership with Knockaround

Eyewear has never looked so good

Sunglasses are overpriced.

At the most basic level, their job is to protect your eyes and make it easier for you to see. Most are made in the same handful of factories, with the same specs.

The only meaningful measure of a good pair of sunglasses is whether or not they have UV400 protection. This rating ensures that all light rays with wavelengths up to 400 nanometers, including both UVA and UVB rays, are blocked out.

Everything else is just a luxury tax.

That’s why Knockaround sunglasses have become so popular. Priced under $50, and often under $30, all Knockaround shades feature UV400 protection.

What’s more, they look great and they’re super durable.

From the traditional look of their Premiums and Fast Lanes, to crazy collaborations and reading glasses, Knockaround has something for everyone, for every time of year.

Shop now to get a pair for yourself, or a great gift for someone else.

Please support our sponsors!

Quick Tips

U.S. News

Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, died Friday at 93. The former centrist justice spent 24 years on the high court and was the deciding vote in many cases (More)
Hisham Awartani, a Palestinian-American college student, is paralyzed from the chest down after being shot last week in Vermont, according to his family. Awartani and two friends were shot in an incident being probed as a hate crime (More)
Former President Donald Trump’s motions to dismiss his federal election interference case were rejected Friday. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said the charges do not violate Trump’s First Amendment rights and presidents only have absolute immunity from criminal prosecution related to their office if impeached and convicted by the Senate (More)

World News

The USS Carney opened fire in self-defense in the Red Sea after it and several commercial vessels were attacked by drones. The Yemen-based Houthi rebels claimed responsibility; the militants have been active in the region since the start of the Israel-Hamas war (More)
Russian police launched a series of raids against gay clubs and other venues after the country's top court outlawed LGBTQ activism. The measure has been condemned by the UN and other human rights groups (More)
A 7.6 magnitude rocked the Philippines on Saturday night, but initial fears of a subsequent tsunami have succumbed. One person was killed and local officials reported minimal infrastructure damage (More)

Entertainment & Sports

Comedian Billy Crystal and actress and singer Queen Latifah were among this year's Kennedy Center honorees last night in Washington. Music stars Barry Gibb and Dionne Warwick were also honored (More)
Rock band Kiss played its final live concert on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. But the group announced plans to tour as digital avatars moving forward (More)
The new SAG-AFTRA deal with studios is expected to be ratified tomorrow. But the Hollywood actors union is not expected to approve the contract by a wide margin due to lingering grievances (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes all closed higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 reaching its 2023 peak and (Dow +0.82%, Nasdaq +0.55%, S&P 500 +0.59%).
Alaska Airlines announced a $1.9B agreement to purchase Hawaiian Airlines. It will pay $18 per share; Hawaiian shares closed at under $5 on Friday (More)
Meta executive Yann LeCun, the Facebook parent company’s chief scientist, said he believes artificial intelligence systems are still decades away from evolving their abilities to resembling those of human beings. LeCun made his comments at a recent internal event (More)

Tips & Tricks

Good Cause: Charlie Jeffers, a high school senior from California, believes playing with Legos as a kid helped him learn engineering and math concepts. So he created a non-profit – Pass the Bricks – to get the valuable, but expensive, toys in the hands of those in marginalized communities. Jeffers and his team collect old Legos, sanitize them and then create new sets to distribute.
Sneak Peek: Amazon has dropped the first trailer for the much-anticipated fourth season of The Boys. The initial look shows the superhero-fighting group torn apart while society is overcome by political tension and violence, much to the pleasure of the villainous Homelander.
Listen Up: Two years ago, Ashley Randele was caring for her lung cancer-stricken father when he made a shocking confession: He had robbed a bank in Ohio over a half-century prior and had lived on the run under a fake name ever since. Randele unpacks her late father’s incredible secret in Smoke Screen: My Fugitive Dad, a documentary podcast series from The Binge you can listen to on Apple, Audible, Spotify and other platforms.
Bad Service: No, it is not just you. Cell phone reception is not good, and it is getting worse thanks to congestion, resistance to new tower construction, strategy misfires and more. But there are things you can do to improve the quality of your calls.
Globe Trot: Paris will host the Summer Olympics next year. But one event will be contested on the other side of the world. Organizers have elected to hold the surfing competition on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, sending athletes nearly 10K miles away from the City of Light to the village of Teahupo'o.
Final Frontier: Forget riding waves. How about living under them? A team of six aquanauts is scheduled to enter an oceanic habitat in 2026 with the goal of establishing a consistent human presence underwater, similar to astronauts living in space stations.
Life Hack: If you – or your guest – forget to use a coaster and leave a water stain on a wooden table, do not fret. There are plenty of easy ways to remove those blemishes. This handy how-to guide tells you how simple household remedies can make things like new.

From our partners: Having trouble reading this? Knockaround’s stylish reading glasses come with +1.00 up to +2.50 magnification, in a variety of colors.

Tip-Offs

You may just need fresh air to survive King Tut's curse.

This may be the late Henry Kissinger’s final interview.

What it’s like to photograph King Charles and the Royals.

… while Parliament will debate going after Prince Harry.

Ranking the best and worst cell phone batteries by brand.

Crunching the numbers on how inflation impacts goods.

Animal shelters nationwide are battling with overcrowding.

… and a comprehsive look at George Santos’ greatest hits.

Looking Ahead …

The fourth -- and potentially final -- Republican presidential debate is Wednesday night in Alabama. There may only be three participants -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Former President Trump has already said he will not show again and it is unclear if former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will meet the RNC qualification metrics. There are no more debates scheduled after this one with the Iowa caucuses six weeks away.

In partnership with Knockaround

Spruce up your look

Sunglasses are typically boring. You can pay $200 for “name brand” shades that all look the same, or you can pay a fraction of that price, and have some fun while you’re at it.

From collaborations with professional sports teams, hit shows, and even the Grateful Dead, to building your own custom look, Knockaround - with UV400 protection built into every product - has everything you need this holiday season.

Need ski goggles? Need reading glasses? They have those too!

Shop Knockaround’s holiday gift guide right here.

Please support our sponsors!