Tip News Daily Brief

Your Daily Brief

December 5, 2023

Good morning and happy Tuesday! When you think about breakfast foods, you do not typically think of corn tortillas and beans and rice. But maybe you should. A longevity researcher who has spent his career studying people who live to be 100 or order has concluded this dish – made daily in a village in Costa Rica – may be the world’s healthiest breakfast. Check out his explanation, as well as the recipes. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

White House: Ukraine aid alarm
Venezuela: Guyana annex bid
Barbie: Headed to streaming
Spotify: More layoffs coming

... and more

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Retired diplomat charged as Cuban spy

A former U.S. diplomat was arrested in Miami and charged with acting as an illegal foreign agent of Cuba dating back to the 1980s.

Bombshell accusation: Federal prosecutors allege Manuel Rocha, the retired former ambassador to Bolivia, began spying for Cuba in 1981, when he joined the U.S. foreign service. The Department of Justice says Rocha, 73, engaged in clandestine activities on behalf of Cuba and lied to the U.S. government, providing false information. Rocha also had diplomatic assignments in Argentina and Cuba, but he did not work in Havana until well after his
No bail: The DOJ asked that Rocha be denied bail, claiming he is a flight risk with dual citizenship. His attorneys said Rocha will make all court appearances if given bail. A bail hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. Rocha faces three charges — acting as an illegal agent for a foreign government, conspiracy to act as foreign agent to defraud the U.S. and use of passport obtained by false statement. Prosecutors said more charges are expected.
Sting operation: Prosecutors said they targeted Rocha with a sting where an undercover FBI agent pretended to be his new Cuban handler. Rocha allegedly told the agent he was a “grand slam” agent for Cuba, praised late dictator Fidel Castro and referred to the U.S. as “the enemy.” Prosecutors also said Rocha exhibited spycraft when entering his meetings with the agent. Rocha reportedly advocated for pro-Cuba and pro-Donald Trump viewpoints as a cover persona.

Supreme Court hears Purdue Pharma case

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Purdue Pharma’s controversial bankruptcy settlement deal, with justices appearing torn on how to rule.

The situation: Purdue Pharma is the pharmaceutical company that produced painkiller OxyContin. PP struck a deal where the owning Sackler family agreed to pay up to $6B to settle thousands of lawsuits filed by states, hospitals and people affected by the addictive drug and its misleading marketing. But the agreement grants the Sacklers immunity from personal lawsuits related to their role in the opioid epidemic.
On appeal: The high court is hearing an appeal by the Biden Administration after a lower court upheld the settlement deal. At issue is whether U.S. bankruptcy law allows for the Sacklers to receive legal protection since they have not field for personal bankruptcy. There is also concern the deal would negatively impact victims. The Department of Justice does not want the Sacklers granted immunity.
Tea leaves: Justice Brett Kavanaugh, one of six conservatives on the court, expressed skepticism toward the government’s stance and said the deal is no different from similar agreements in the past. Liberal justice Elena Sagan said the Sacklers’ terms seemed preferable to usual bankruptcy proceedings. And conservative justice Neil Gorsuch expressed concern that victims who did not agree with the settlement would be prohibited from seeking personal remedy by suing the Sacklers.

Israel-Hamas war rages on

The United Nations’ lead humanitarian relief official said conditions in Gaza have become “more apocalyptic” as the Israel-Hamas war approaches its two-month anniversary.

More airstrikes: Israel said its military hit about 200 targets in Gaza from the air to back up its expanded ground operation. U.S. officials declined to say if Israel’s strikes have been more precise following American pressure to take more precaution to prevent civilian deaths. The UN said the civilian death toll has rapidly increased.
Humanitarian crisis: Close to 2M people have been displaced in the enclave, which is over 80% of its population. The Hamas-controlled health ministry claims close to 16K Palestinians have died since the start of the war. Many people are being forced to evacuate war zones for a second time as Israel shifts its operation from northern Gaza and into the southern part of the region, and most of the enclave has an internet and telecommunications blackout. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there is nowhere safe for evacuees in Gaza, while top humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths called for a ceasefire.
Investigation underway: Israel said it is investigating why soldiers were transferred away from the Gaza border days before Hamas’ initial attack that started the war. The Israel Defense Forces said it will not delay its probe until after the war ended. Israel is also investigating whether insider stock trading occurred with advance knowledge of the attack after suspicious short-selling activities involving Israeli companies before the start of the war.

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U.S. News

The Biden Administration warned Congress it will run out of aid money for Ukraine for its war with Russia by the end of the year if a $61B request is not approved. House Republicans have previously tied new Ukraine aid to border security funding (More)
The House GOP could schedule a vote to formally launch an impeachment inquiry into President Biden as soon as this week. The GOP only has a three-vote cushion in the chamber, but Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said he believes the measure would pass (More)
U.S. and Japanese military divers discovered wreckage and the remains of five crew members after an Air Force Osprey aircraft crashed off Yakushima Island last weekend. There were eight crew members aboard; the remains of six have been found so far (More)

World News

Venezuelans approved a proposal to annex an oil-rich area in neighboring Guyana and offer its inhabitants citizenship. The long-disputed Essequibo region is about two-thirds of Guyana’s national territory; the largely symbolic vote has some fearing an armed conflict between the countries (More)
The United Kingdom will toughen its immigration rules in an effort to cut net migration by 300K a year. The new guidelines raise the minimum salary a migrant must make by 33% and come as the ruling Conservative Party lags behind the opposition Labour Party in polls (More)
At least 63 people have died in Tanzania after heavy rainfall last weekend caused severe flooding and landslides. Over 100 people have been injured; the deluges have also destroyed farmland and villages (More)

Entertainment & Sports

Barbie will make its streaming debut on Max on Dec. 15. The film has grossed $1.4B so far, making it 2023's most profitable movie and the biggest box office success in Warner Bros. history (More)
Florida Sen. Rick Scott has demanded correspondence and other documents and information from the College Football Playoff after it left undefeated Florida State out of the four-team tournament. Former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other elected officials also criticized the decision (More)
Billie Eilish said she did not intend to come out as a member of the LGBTQ community in a recent interview. The artist criticized Variety for taking the angle, but added she thought it was "obvious" and that "I just didn't talk about it" (More)

Business & Markets

It was a rough day for major indexes, as they all closed lower yesterday (Dow -0.11%, Nasdaq -0.84%, S&P 500 -0.54%).
Spotify announced it plans to lay off 17% of its workforce, or about 1.5K employees worldwide. It is the third time this year the streaming giant has had layoffs; its stock went up 8% following the news (More)
The price of bitcoin eclipsed $40K yesterday and was at $42K at one point, hitting its highest level in 18 months. The rally was sparked by anticipated interest rate cuts next year and the expectation the SEC will soon approve a bitcoin-focused ETF (More)

Tips & Tricks

Sneak Peek: Warner Bros. has dropped the initial trailer for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, the latest installment in the MonsterVerse series. The film, which comes out in April, will see the two titans team up to protect Earth from a powerful new enemy.
Still Spry: Jonathan the Tortoise, the world’s oldest land animal, recently celebrated his 191st birthday. And he may actually be older, given his age is just an estimate. Jonathan, who lives on Saint Helena, a UK territory island in the south Atlantic Ocean, is still relatively active despite being blind and lacking a sense of smell.
Something Old: When Devon Lambur got engaged, her mother Beth gifted her the wedding dress she had worn almost 40 years earlier. Devon wanted her own dress for the big day, but she still put her mom’s gown to use, working with a St. Louis-based seamstress over nine months to repurpose the old dress into a pants set she wore the night before her nuptials.
Go Deep: Former President Trump’s trial on federal election interference charges is scheduled to begin in March. But as of now, the only people who will see the proceedings will be those inside a Washington courtroom. Can Trump, his political rivals and the media convince the judge to set aside decades of precedent and allow television cameras into the trial?
Dirt Dish: There is a new development in The Blind Side spat. The Tuohy family has accused former NFL player Michael Oher, who inspired the Sandra Bullock-led film and a book of the same name, of threatening to defame them if they did not give him $15M.
Big Reveal: All indications suggest CosMc’s, a McDonald’s spinoff restaurant, is close to opening in the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook, Illinois. Little is confirmed about the new place aside from the fact it is named after a former McDonald’s mascot. There have been hints the new chain will emphasize drinks and small snacks in an attempt to compete with Starbucks.
Life Hack: Does your knee hurt? Or do you want to make sure you do not deal with knee pain? Check out these stretching exercises to prevent tendinopathy, or the overuse of the tendons in your knee.

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Looking Ahead ...

Russian state media says President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates later this week. It is a notable development for several reasons. Putin rarely leaves his country, especially after the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, and he typically only visits former Soviet Union states when he does. And he is visiting the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas war. A key point for Putin: Saudi Arabia and the UAE are not members of the International Criminal Court, so they are not obligated to adhere to the ICC arrest warrant against him.

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