Tip News Daily Brief

Your Daily Brief

December 8, 2023

Good morning and happy Friday! If you ever considered buying part of a national park, you must wait at least a few more months. Wyoming state officials punted on a controversial proposal to auction off land within Grand Teton National Park. They plan to revisit the 640-acre plot next fall after allowing for more public discussions. Have a great weekend!

In Today’s Brief

Texas: Judge approves abortion request
Gaza: Israel may flood Hamas' tunnels
Oppenheimer: Theater release in Japan
Elon Musk: Asks Supreme Court for help

... and more

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Biden pushing for Ukraine aid compromise

President Joe Biden has signaled he will work with Republicans to hammer out a last-minute spending bill that addresses border security and sends aid to Israel and Ukraine.

State of play: The GOP has said it will not allow more aid to Ukraine without stricter border security measures. The Senate voted down a $111B package on Wednesday -- a bill Biden said must pass before the end of the year. His administration is reportedly open to new asylum restrictions and an expanded and expedited deportation process. Congressional negotiators have also discussed a limitation on asylum claims, and some Republicans have asked to reduce illegal immigration by half.
Ukraine in need: While the deal would send money to Israel for its war with Hamas, Biden's urgency lies with Ukraine. The White House has warned it is close to running out of funds to send the Ukrainians, who have experienced recent adversity in their war with Russia. Officials in both countries have warned a lack of aid could lead to a Russian victory. The proposed bill would send Ukraine $61B; the Pentagon recently signed off on a $175M drawdown from its inventory for Ukraine. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre accused the GOP of "playing chicken" with national security yesterday.
Next steps: The timeline is tight. Congressional negotiators have restarted talks, but the House is scheduled for holiday recess starting Dec. 14 and the Senate is on a similar schedule. It is also unclear if Biden will go as far as the GOP wants on the border. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman said Democrats should engage in "a reasonable discussion" about border security, drawing flak from colleagues.

Campus antisemitism outrage continues

The controversial congressional testimony of three university leaders during a hearing on antisemitism continues to generate outrage.

Catch up: Presidents from three elite institutions -- Harvard's Claudine Gay, Penn's Elizabeth Magill and MIT's Sally Kornbluth -- all refused to directly confirm whether calls for Jewish genocide violated their schools' codes of conduct. They were addressing the House Education Committee about the rise in antisemitic and anti-Arab rhetoric and violence on campuses since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
Heavy criticism: The leaders have received fierce national and local blowback, including from the White House, and calls to resign. Gay and Magill have since attempted to clarify their comments. Penn's board of trustees called an emergency meeting after Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a non-voting member of Penn's board, said a "serious decision" should be made about Magill's future. Penn's Wharton Business School's board has called for Magill's resignation. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, said the "lack of moral clarity is simply unacceptable.
Financial implications: Ross Stevens, a Penn graduate, told the school yesterday he will pull a $100M gift to the university if Magill remains in place. He has previously redirected another $100M gift to another school to Penn policies. Other top Wall Street donors at the Ivy League schools have demanded resignations. Universities were already facing fundraising issues due to antisemitism on campus before the hearing.

U.S. wades into South America conflict

The U.S. military pledged a joint military exercise with Guyana yesterday as the small South American country faces an annexation threat from neighboring Venezuela.

The issue: Venezuela has threatened to annex the disputed Essequibo region, representing about two-thirds of Guyana's territory and about 15% of its population. The area has always been in e, but Guyana has controlled it for over a century. Tensions have increased in recent years after ExxonMobil discovered oil in the area. Venezuelans voted to claim the region in a referendum last week, defying an International Court of Justice order. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claims the region was unfairly awarded to Guyana.
U.S. plans: The State Department said U.S. military planes would fly over Guyana yesterday with the Guyanese. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Guyana has full sovereignty over the region. The United Kingdom has also pledged support for Guyana. Brazil has sent military reinforcements to its northern border, which it shares with both countries. Brazil and the U.S. have called for a peaceful resolution, while the ICJ has said Venezuela cannot change the status quo until the dispute is heard in its court.
Next steps: Maduro has said he wants state-owned companies to explore and obtain natural resources in the region immediately and has even presented a new map of his country. It is not clear how he plans to exercise his claimed jurisdiction. Most regional experts do not believe he would launch an armed conflict. Guyana has said its military is ready to defend its sovereignty.

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Quick Tips

U.S. News

A Texas judge has granted a pregnant woman's request for an exception to the state's abortion ban. The woman's fetus has been diagnosed with a fatal condition; it is believed to be the first court-ordered abortion in at least 50 years (More)
Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden, was indicted on federal tax evasion charges last night, alleging he lived an extravagant lifestyle while not paying taxes. The charges come after a plea deal fell apart earlier this year; he also faces gun charges (More)
A federal grand jury indicted two Russians for a hacking campaign on networks in the U.S., UK, Ukraine and NATO countries. The U.S. and UK governments also introduced sanctions on the men in tandem (More)

World News

Israel is reportedly considering a plan to flood underground tunnels in Gaza with seawater to render them inoperable. Military officials have claimed Hamas leadership is hiding in the tunnels (More)
Greece and Turkey agreed to reboot relations after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens. The NATO members have a historically adversarial relationship (More)
Armenia and Azerbaijan have begun normalizing relations after decades of conflict and hope to sign a peace treaty by the end of the year. The detente comes after Ajerbaijani foces captured the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region earlier this year (More)

Entertainment & Sports

Oppenheimer will have a theatrical release in Japan sometime next year. The film has been criticized for not addressing the impact the atomic bomb drops had on the country (More)
A Notre Dame football documentary series will launch on Peacock next year. The program recently extended its broadcast deal with NBC through 2029; the new show will resemble HBO's Hard Knocks (More)
The Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers will meet in the championship game of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. The final is Saturday in Las Vegas (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes all closed higher yesterday, shaking out of their rut this week ahead of today's much-anticpated jobs report (Dow +0.17%, Nasdaq +1.37%, S&P 500 +0.80%).
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has asked the Supreme Court to undo an SEC settlement agreement that requires a lawyer to review his company-related tweets. He argues the deal violates his First Amendment rights (More)
Amazon has launched a pilot grocery subscription program where Prime members get unlimited deliveries for about $10 a month. The program will start in Columbus, Denver and Sacramento; orders must be over $35 (More)

Tips & Tricks

Feel Good: A Texas woman who volunteers rescuing stray dogs encountered an incredible challenge: A scared dog with a plastic jug stuck around its head. Once she confirmed the dog was still able to breath and eat, it became a test of patience to corral the pooch and get the container off his head. A month and some all-night efforts later, Jughead and his pal Red are safe and in foster homes.
Go Deep: The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have become an external factor in the Gaza war, attacking and antagonizing vessels -- including U.S. military ships -- in the Red Sea. This breakdown explains who they are, the situation in their home country of Yemen and why American forces have yet to retaliate.
Bad Blood: There is a reason why Taylor Swift took aim at Kim Kardashian in her Time Person of the Year interview. The reality TV star has never apologized for releasing a deceptively edited phone call between Swift and ex-husband Kanye West in 2016. Swift would reportedly accept the apology, but only if it is made publicly. The women are said to have no relationship.
Top Secret: Yes, there is a real-life version of Q's laboratory in the James Bond films. And it recently opened its doors to the media. Go inside the HMGCC, where the United Kingdom has designed technology and tools for its spies since before World War II.
Sneak Peek: The upcoming thriller I.S.S. -- watch the trailer here -- has a simple, but terrifying, premise. American and Russian astronauts are friendly collaborators aboard the International Space Station, staying above the fray of their countries' rivalry. But when world war breaks out below them, both sides are ordered to take control of the ISS by any means necessary.
New Idea: Geothermal energy has never caught on as a popular renewable strategy for myriad reasons. But Eavor, a startup, believes it can harness the heat of the Earth's crust in breakthrough fashion. The concept: Connect miles-deep wells to create closed loops that act as gigantic radiators.'
Life Hack: Finland has been ranked as the world’s happiest country for several years running. Could its sauna culture be the reason? There are over 3M steam baths in the nation, and experts say they provide all kinds of benefits. Among them: Community, stress relief, spiritual focus and more.

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Tip-Offs

Growing full-size trees inside houses has become a hot trend.

... and scientists believe they can save the Sycamore Gap tree.

Rick Santorum's Iowa miracle in 2012 gives GOP underdogs hope.

World governments are learning it is challenging to ban smoking.

U.S Postal Inspectors have ample resources to catch mail thieves.

How a controversial British film helped inspire an American genre.

... while a BBC host apologized for giving viewers the middle finger.

Pantone has announced the color of the year for 2024: Peach fuzz.

Looking Ahead …

Today is a milestone day in Paris. The Notre Dame cathedral will re-open to the public one year from now, on Dec. 8, 2024. The house of worship has been closed since fires tore through it in 2019. French President Emmanuel Macron will tour the construction site today; officials hope to have all external repairs done in time for next summer's Olympics.

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