Tip News Daily Brief

Your Daily Brief

December 21, 2023

Good morning and happy Thursday! The next few days are hectic for everyone, from last-minute shopping to school concerts to holiday parties. There is a good chance many of you will be ordering out for food in the coming days. And if you happen to live in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, you are in luck: A recent NetCredit analysis says that is the cheapest city in America to get takeout. The cheapest state? Texas. And, unsurprisingly, prices are the highest in Alaska and Hawaii. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

Congress: Historic inaction in 2023
EU: Approves migration reforms
College hoops: Pac-2 find home
Toyota: Recalls over 1M vehicles

... and more

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Top Tips

OpenAI rolls out safety standards

OpenAI has introduced its plan to protect against artificial intelligence-related threats amid antitrust scrutiny and calls for ethical restrictions.

The plan: The ChatGPT-creating company has revealed a framework it says will examine its models and assess risk levels in several areas. It will then use the scores to determine when the technology is suitable for release. The framework will also include added security measures and form an advisory group. OpenAI's governing board can veto executive decisions on technology if deemed necessary.
Government oversight: Microsoft is OpenAI's biggest investor. Those ties have experienced increased scrutiny following OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's controversial ouster and subsequent return after Microsoft briefly hired him. The Federal Trade Commission is now investigating the Microsoft-OpenAI relationship. United Kingdom officials are also examining the situation.
The ethics: Pope Francis called for a worldwide treaty agreeing to ethical limits and standards for AI technology earlier this year. The European Union passed its own AI legislation earlier this year. But there has been no significant effort in the U.S. to regulate the technology. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner responded to the Pope's comments by saying more study must be done before advancing major agreements.

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UN Security Council punts on Gaza again

The United Nations Security Council dragged its feet for a third straight day, delaying a vote on Israel's war against Hamas.

Rescheduled again: A vote on a resolution calling for a suspension in fighting and more aid to the enclave is set for today after being postponed three times. The U.S. is still deciding how it will vote, causing the delay. Council officials have attempted to draft a resolution that the U.S. would approve or abstain. The U.S. vetoed the first attempt at a ceasefire resolution earlier this month. American officials have criticized Israel recently, but appear hesitant to sign onto a resolution that would be a rebuke. Language related to a stop to fighting and UN aid mechanisms remain sticking points.
Biden pumps brakes: President Joe Biden said he is pushing for Israel and Hamas to institute the second extended ceasefire of the war and exchange hostages and prisoners. But he cautioned there is no sign such a deal is imminent. Israel has reportedly told Qatar it is open to a week-long pause if Hamas turns over at least 40 of the roughly 120 hostages still in captivity. Hamas leadership is in Egypt, another mediating state, which is viewed as a signal the militant group is open to negotiating again.
Other news: Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated the U.S. wants to see the war shift to a "lower intensity" stage. Israel said it is close to defeating Hamas in northern Gaza. Israel and Cyprus are close to a deal that would facilitate aid arrivals for the enclave by sea. The Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry says 20K have been killed during the war.

Xi to Biden: China, Taiwan will reunify

Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to President Biden that his country will reunify with Taiwan.

The comments: Xi delivered the blunt message to Biden during their mid-November meeting in San Francisco. Xi reportedly told Biden that China would prefer to peacefully reunify with Taiwan. The Chinese asked Biden to make a statement supporting their reunification push, but the White House refused. Xi also told Biden there is no timetable for reunification, pushing back on U.S. military assessments he aims to take control of the island nation by the end of the decade.
The history: The Republic of China's government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after the Communist Party won the country's civil war on the mainland. The United Nations recognized Taiwan until 1971, when the current Chinese government was recognized. The U.S. has had a One China policy since 1972 after former President Richard Nixon established diplomatic relations with the Chinese government. The U.S. acknowledges China's stance that Taiwan is part of its nation and does not officially recognize Taiwan. However, it does support the Taiwanese and maintains strategic ambiguity as to whether it would defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion. Biden has previously said the U.S. would defend Taiwan, but those comments were walked back.
The reaction: The National Security Council declined to comment on news reports while officials downplayed the incident. Xi has been vocal about reunification in the past; his comments to Biden were not a policy change. But Xi's comments were notable given the circumstances. The Biden-Xi summit was designed to reduce tensions between the countries. Biden previously said he warned Xi about interfering in Taiwan's upcoming elections, where the pro-independence ruling party is favored to maintain control of the government.

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Quick Tips

U.S. News

The House and Senate have passed 22 bills so far in 2023. That is the lowest legislation tally by Congress since the Great Depression; introduced bills have a a 0.001% success rate this year (More)
Former President Donald Trump's legal team has asked the Supreme Court to refrain from ruling quickly on whether he has presidential immunity from prosecution in his federal election interference case. Special Counsel Jack Smith has asked the high court for an expedited decision to allow for a trial in March (More)
NASA's planned return to the moon will feature an international astronaut, according to Vice President Kamala Harris. The Artemis III mission is scheduled for 2025 but will likely be delayed to 2027; China has also said it plans to make a manned mission to the lunar surface by the end of the decade (More)

World News

The European Union has agreed to migration law reforms after years of negotiations. The measures, which include accelerated deportation and vetting processes, still need to be approved by the European Council; migration has become a major political issue in the bloc as more members have begun restricting movement across their borders (More)
The U.S. released Colombian businessman Alex Saab, an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in a prisoner swap. Venezuela freed 10 American prisoners and will extradite convicted defense contractor Leonard "Fat Leonard" Francis (More)
Ireland will sue the United Kingdom in the European Court of Human Rights, opposing an amnesty law for armed groups and soldiers involved in sectarian violence in Northern Ireland known as The Troubles. Irish officials say the bill denies victims justice and violates the UK's ECHR obligations (More)

Entertainment & Sports

Oregon State and Washington State are expected to be affiliate members of the West Coast Conference for at least two years. The abandoned Pac-12 schools will compete in the league, which is led by men's basketball powerhouse Gonzaga, in all sports except baseball and football (More)
A former NBA G-League player has admitted to murder, according to Las Vegas police. Chance Comanche confessed that he and his girlfriend killed a woman after luring her under the guise of a prostitution date (More)
Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig were reportedly married on Tuesday night at New York's City Hall. The film directors have been engaged since 2020 and share two children (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes all closed lower yesterday after a rough day for the markets. The Dow Jones' nine-day hot streak ended while the Nasdaq had the biggest tumble (Dow -1.27%, Nasdaq -1.50%, S&P 500 -1.47%).
Toyota is recalling over 1M vehicles in the U.S. due to a defect that could impact airbag deployment. The recall covers various models produced in 2020-22, including Camrys, Corollas and RAV4s (More)
The CEOs of Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount have begun talks about a potential merger. WBD is also open to buying National Amusements, Paramount's parent company; WBD's lack of a broadcast network would likely help a merger gain antitrust approval (More)

Tips & Tricks

Feel Good: An English school knew one of its students had a younger sister who was deaf. So before it hosted an event where kids could meet Santa Claus, they hired a special helper. The school found an elf trained in sign language to act as an interpreter for the girl as she told Santa what she wanted for Christmas.
Go Deep: A Minnesota man granted an interview from his high-security state prison to explain how he stole hundreds of iPhones and robbed the victims of thousands of dollars. His brazen scheme was frighteningly simple -- and Apple is now taking precautions to thwart similar crimes.
Sneak Peek: Check out Amazon Prime's trailer for Mr. and Mrs. Smith, a new take on the 2005 film that stars Donald Glover and Maya Erskine as strangers who join a spy agency. Part of their cover: An arranged marriage that suddenly becomes something much more than part of the job.
List Season: We will take a brief detour from end-of-year content because Variety has dropped its extremely comprehensive rankings of the top-100 television shows of all time, including a No. 1 that will certainly be polarizing to many.
Chow Down: You have enough to do over the next few days. Why make desserts complicated? You can make a bevy of holiday treats quickly and with only a handful of ingredients. Here are 10 delicious recipes to give a try.
Jet Set: The hottest Christmas present that sits atop the wish list of many rich and famous people this year? A United Arab Emirates passport. The travel credential does not grant citizenship to foreigners, but it does help recipients gain access to the country and its capital as it aims to diversify its economy and direct its massive oil wealth into other industries, like sports and media.
Throw Back: Snoopy is having a moment right now. The iconic Peanuts character has become very popular with Generation Z. The cartoon dog is huge on TikTok and his toys are selling out as his timeless appeal connects with new audiences for myriad reasons.

Tip-Offs

Icelandic police have asked people to stay away from the volcano.

Over 30% of Americans plan to get hammered on New Year's Eve.

... and Prince William is apparently a lightweight when at the pub.

Two people died after a Philadelphia news helicopter crashed in NJ.

What a woman learned about love while dating her AI boyfriend.

... while a Danish dumpster diver uses garbage for Christmas dinner.

Switzerland is considering a pilot program to legalize cocaine.

The House GOP has only released 0.4% of Jan. 6 footage so far.

Looking Ahead ...

There has been plenty of talk about the possibility of West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin mounting a third-party presidential bid, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has already announced he will run as an independent. But a broad anti-Trump coalition spanning the ideological spectrum has formed with one goal: Stopping the No Labels group from entering a major candidate into the mix.

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