|
Your Daily BriefOctober 18th, 2022 |
Good morning, and welcome to your Tuesday! Did you know that snow crabs are disappearing off the Alaskan coast…and quickly, at that? According to researchers with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the snow crab population shrank from about 8B in 2018 to 1B in 2021, and while the reasons for the fall are still being researched, the reduction has led to the cancellation of this year’s Alaska snow crab harvest for the first time in the state’s history. Anyway, here’s what we have for you:
In Today’s Brief
- Ukraine: Kyiv hit by Russian drone strikes
- Bloomberg Economics: Forecasts 100% chance of recession
- Harrison Ford: Joins Marvel
- Netflix: Launches profile transfers
- A Christmas Story: Sequel trailer released
- Top Tips: Kanye West agrees to buy Parler, student debt relief site goes live, military service puts BTS on hiatus
Kanye West enters into deal to buy social media platform Parler
Ye–the rapper formerly known as Kanye West–has entered into an agreement to purchase the social media platform Parler, according to an announcement from the company.
In the announcement on PR Newswire, Parlement Technologies–the parent company of Parler–described the pending sale as “a groundbreaking move into the free speech media space” for West, whose Twitter and Instagram accounts were recently restricted over the rapper and fashion entrepreneur allegedly making posts considered to be anti-semitic. In the same press release, West is quoted as saying, “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves.”
Nashville-based Parlement describes itself as “a guiding force in the fight against Big Tech, Big Government, censorship, and cancel culture,” and claims to have 15M registered users on its app. The terms of the deal, including the purchase price, have not been disclosed.
Biden administration launches student loan forgiveness application
After the test version of the website went live this weekend, President Joe Biden yesterday officially launched the application for student loan relief.
When President Biden announced the launch, he said that 8M borrowers had already applied for debt relief during the federal government’s soft launch period over the weekend. Under the Biden administration’s plan, individuals with income below $125K per year or households that earn less than $250K per year are eligible to qualify for up to $10K in student loan forgiveness. Individuals who received federal Pell Grants to attend college are eligible for an additional $10K in relief.
Borrowers will be able to submit applications through the end of 2023 on the program’s website, www.studentaid.gov. The site doesn’t require applicants to submit their yearly income, though it stipulates that some borrowers may receive a request from the Department of Education for additional information, including proof of income.
BTS members to serve mandatory military service in South Korea
All seven members of K-pop group BTS will serve in the South Korean military, per an announcement from Big Hit, the band’s label and management company.
BTS’ seven members had deferred starting their service after South Korea’s parliament passed a bill allowing certain K-pop artists to delay their military duties until the age of 30. The oldest, Jin, is currently 29 and will begin preparations next month, per Big Hit. The other six members of the group–the youngest of whom is 24–also plan on following through with their service. In its announcement, Big Hit said that BTS plans to go on hiatus and will come back together as a group “around 2025” after all seven members complete their service.
South Korean law mandates that all men between the ages of 18 and 28 who are considered able-bodied must serve in the military for between 18 and 21 months. According to the Hyundai Research Institute, BTS contributes roughly $3.6B each year to South Korea’s economy.
Around the Globe
- The White House said that the U.S. will hold Russia accountable for “war crimes” hours after Russian drone attacks left at least four people dead in an apartment building in Kyiv yesterday morning; a Russian military aircraft also crashed in a residential area of the town of Yeysk in southern Russia yesterday, leaving at least four dead and injuring up to 25
- Montenegro and North Macedonia said they will not compete in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, with the two countries citing how much it will cost them to enter the competition
- Sri Lanka-born writer Shehan Karunatilaka was awarded the Booker Prize for fiction in London for his novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, which is set during Sri Lanka’s civil war; Karunatilaka is the second writer from Sri Lanka to win the Booker Prize after Michael Ondaatje, who won in 1992 for The English Patient
On the Homefront
- New model projections from Bloomberg Economics show that the United States faces a 100% chance of recession by October 2023, up from 65% for the comparable period in previous updates
- Eight employees at a unionized Starbucks store filed a lawsuit against the company in South Carolina state court, alleging that Starbucks accused them of criminal conduct; per the filing, the employees claimed the store’s manager urged police to charge them with assault and kidnapping after they presented her with a letter calling for a raise
- The Justice Department recommended a sentence of six months in jail and a $200K fine for former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, who was found guilty in July on two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to testify and provide documents to the January 6th select committee - see the DOJ’s filing here
Glitz & Games
- Harrison Ford will take on the role of General Ross, previously played by the late actor William Hurt, in Marvel’s upcoming film Captain America: New World Order starring Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson
- The Tennessee Titans have entered into an agreement with Nashville Mayor John Cooper to build a new stadium with a dome along the city’s East Bank; the 1.7M square-foot project is said to cost up to $2.2B and must be approved by Metro Council
- The Flash actor Ezra Miller pleaded not guilty to felony burglary charges in Vermont and, if found guilty, faces a maximum of 26 years in prison; the next hearing in the case is set for January 13th, 2023
Business & Markets
- Major indexes in the stock market closed higher, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq leading the gains (Dow +1.86%, Nasdaq +3.43%, S&P 500 +2.65%)
- Netflix announced that it has launched a new feature called “Profile Transfer” that lets a member on an existing account switch to a new account without rebuilding their profile as long as they pay for their own membership - see Netflix’s press release here
- Mercedes-Benz unveiled a new electric EQE SUV along with an AMG EQE SUV that costs $68K at base levels and features an expected 342 miles of battery range, according to the company - see Mercedes-Benz’s video of the car’s world premiere here
The World's Finest CBD-Infused Superfoods
The Brothers Apothecary is an Oregon-based superfood & CBD company that has won dozens of awards since opening their doors in 2016. Founded by brothers Shane and Jesse Richardson, the two have dreamt up dozens of unique infusions, marrying USDA Certified Organic Hemp with powerful superfoods including adaptogenic mushrooms, turmeric, ginkgo, and many more.
Every product combines their organic hemp with additional, nutrient-rich plants that have a long history of supporting mental acuity, relieving occasional aches and pains, and improving sleep quality.
As part of their sponsorship, they're offering all Tip News readers a free cup of tea & infused honey + 25% off, when using code TIP25. They'll also plant a tree in your name through their charitable partner, Trees for the Future!
Tip & Tricks
- Sneak Peek: Check out the teaser trailer HBO Max dropped of A Christmas Story Christmas featuring Peter Billingsley in his return to the character Ralphie from the original movie (this is great, but guys…it’s not even Halloween yet)
- Bump This: Put some inspirational pep in your step this morning with the track “Run!” from Brisbane-based indie artist Genes - listen on Apple Music and Spotify
- Nerd Out: Read about the YouTuber who made a slew of modifications to his Tesla Model S that allowed him to drive over 1,800 miles without charging (wow–we definitely should have paid more attention in science class)
- Jaw Drop: Take a look at these two images that NASA satellites captured on October 8th of autumn leaves in Adirondack Park, the largest state park in the contiguous U.S. which spans 6M acres–or one-sixth of the state of New York
- Say What: “Can’t believe there’s enough music for a collection, but here we are. I have a songbook. From In The Heights through Encanto. Wrote a foreword and everything. Overwhelmed and proud and grateful,” Lin-Manuel Miranda said in a tweet regarding the release of his new songbook that contains his compositions from In the Heights, Hamilton, Encanto, and more
- Hot Goss: Restaurateur Keith McNally has banned James Corden from his New York City establishment, calling the comedian and talk show host a “tiny Cretin of a man” and “the most abusive customer to my Balthazar servers since the restaurant opened 25 years ago” in an Instagram post (they say you can tell a lot about a person by how well they treat wait staff, so…yikes)
- Life Hack: No matter what you do for work or fun, creativity comes in all forms and often unexpected ways - here are four tips for unleashing creativity to inspire more out-of-the-box thinking
Looking Back…
On October 18th: Alaska is formally transferred to the U.S. from Russia (1867); Puerto Rico is turned over to the United States following the Spanish-American War (1898); gangster Al Capone is convicted of federal income-tax evasion and sentenced to 11 years in prison (1931); American skier Lindsey Vonn is born (1984).
Share Tip News, Earn Rewards!
Spread the word about Tip News with your friends and earn epic rewards to help you relax, reflect and renew.
Your Referral Count: 1
Click the button below to access your personal rewards hub.
Or share your personal referral link with others:
How do you like today's brief?
Copyright © 2022 Tip News Inc.
8 The Green Suite #10140 Dover, DE 19901
Want to stop receiving Tip News? Unsubscribe here.