Tip News Daily Brief

Your Daily Brief

December 16th, 2022

Good morning, and happy Friday! Did you hear that thousands of secret JFK records were released yesterday? President Biden ordered the release of just under 13,000 documents, including some from the CIA’s personality file on Lee Harvey Oswald that the agency maintained both before and after the attack on JFK…and, if you’ve got the time, you can check them out for yourself.

In Today’s Brief

Ukraine: Kherson without power
Harvard: First president of color
Drew Brees: Returns to Purdue
Donald Trump: Releases NFTs

...and more

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Political status of Puerto Rico

The House of Representatives passed legislation yesterday that would establish a process for the people of Puerto Rico to decide their future political status.

The bill–titled the Puerto Rico Status Act–cleared the House with a tally of 233-191, with 16 Republicans voting in favor. If enacted, the measure would schedule a vote on whether residents wish to become the 51st American state, an independent country, or remain sovereign in free association with the United States. If voters on the island approved it, the proposal would commit Congress to accept Puerto Rico as the nation’s 51st state through a binding referendum.

Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. As the bill moves on to the Senate, each of its three choices would end Puerto Rico’s status as a territory, under which its residents are U.S. citizens but have no vote in presidential elections nor any voting representation in Congress.

First Harvard president of color

Harvard University has named Dr. Claudine Gay as the 30th president of the school, replacing current President Lawrence Bacow beginning on July 1st, 2023.

According to an announcement in the Harvard Gazette, the Harvard Corporation–the school’s principal governing board–elected Gay to the presidency yesterday, along “with the consent of the University’s Board of Overseers.” In a video discussing her new position, Gay said, “If my presence in this role affirms someone’s sense of belonging at Harvard, that is a great honor.”

A political scientist, Gay obtained her B.A. in economics from Stanford University before joining Harvard’s faculty in 2006 as a government professor. She became a professor of African and African-American studies at Harvard in 2007 and went on to earn her Ph.D. from the university in 1998. Gay will be the first person of color and the second woman to hold the role of Harvard’s president.

White House Covid tests

The Biden administration yesterday reinstated its program to make free Covid-19 test kits available to all households in the United States.

In a press release on the White House website, the Biden administration wrote that it has "acted with its limited existing funding to add more at-home Covid-19 tests to the nation’s stockpile and support this round of ordering ahead of continued increases in Covid-19 cases.” As part of the program, U.S. households can obtain four free at-home tests, regardless of how many tests a household has ordered previously. The tests will be mailed out starting December 19th.

As of yesterday evening, the government website and its U.S. Postal Service counterpart were accepting orders after stopping in September due to a lack of funding from Congress. According to a White House official, the administration redistributed funding left from the American Rescue Plan to purchase more at-home tests.

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Around the Globe

At least two people died in the second consecutive day of Russian attacks on the Ukrainian city of Kherson this week; according to Kherson's regional governor, the entire city was left without power from shelling on infrastructure located in the city’s port (More)
A 14-year-old boy lost his life when he was struck by a car in the southern French city of Montpellier as crowds celebrated France’s victory in the World Cup semifinal, according to local authorities (More)
The Bank of Mexico raised its key interest rate by 50 basis points to a record 10.50%; the decision follows four consecutive hikes of 75 basis points each and comes one day after the U.S. Federal Reserve announced its own 50-basis point rate hike (More)

On the Homefront

Three men convicted of aiding a plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020 were handed down prison sentences; Joseph Morrison and his father-in-law Pete Musico were given 10 and 12 years, respectively, while Paul Bellar was given a minimum of 7 years (More)
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation yesterday banning the sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in retail pet stores throughout the state; the new law is set to take effect in 2024 (More)
An engineering firm accused of bearing responsibility for lead-contaminated water found in Flint, Michigan between 2014-15 has settled a lawsuit with four families for an undisclosed amount (More)

Glitz & Games

Former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees has reportedly joined the football coaching staff of Purdue University, his alma mater, on a short-term basis (More)
DC Studios has dropped Henry Cavill as Superman less than two months after the actor announced his return to the role (More)
Hulu has ordered the animated comedy series Standing By from Ally Pankiw and Schitt’s Creek co-creator and star Dan Levy (More)

Business & Markets

Stocks traded lower following Wednesday’s rate hike announcement, with the Dow Jones closing down over 760 points (Dow -2.25%, Nasdaq -3.23%, S&P 500 -2.49%)
Ford has reportedly increased the price of its F-150 Lightning’s base model to $56K; the base model of the electric pickup truck was originally priced at $40K when it was announced this year, and Ford has now increased its price a total of three times (More)
Uber Eats has partnered with Oakland-based AI firm Cartken to launch a robot delivery service in Miami, Florida, that will allow for customers’ Uber Eats takeout orders to be delivered via autonomous robots (More)

Tip & Tricks

Bump This: Ignore the cold outside and pretend you’re on a beach somewhere in South America as you jam out to Prince Royce’s new single “Otra Vez” - listen on Apple Music and Spotify
Chow Down: To start your morning off with something light, delicious, and nutrient-dense, check out this recipe for warmed crunchy seed porridge that’s filled with sunflower, pumpkin, chia, hemp, flax, and poppy seeds
Go Deep: Read about the first study on the effects of vitamin D in the brain, in which researchers discovered that participants who had higher levels of vitamin D in their brains experienced higher cognitive function than their counterparts as they age
Cash Grab: Former President Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that he has dropped an NFT trading card collection featuring himself dressed up in a variety of costumes, such as a Yellowstone sheriff and a superhero complete with six-pack abs (maybe it’s just us, but now doesn’t seem like the best time to get into NFTs…)
Say What: “I was an emotional drunk. I got more emotional and erratic the longer I drank. I don’t think I was mean, exactly, but I could be belligerent, petulant,” actor Sam Worthington said regarding his journey to sobriety in an interview ahead of the release of Avatar: The Way of Water in which he returns as Jake Sully, 13 years later
Hot Goss: After rushing the Hollywood Bowl stage and attacking comedian Dave Chappelle at a live comedy show in May, 24-year-old Isaiah Lee was sentenced to 270 days in county jail over the incident
Life Hack: Believe it or not, our morning habits can influence how well we sleep when it’s time for bed hours later - check out this 10-minute cardio routine to knock out in the morning that’s sure to help you sleep better at night

Looking Back…

On December 16th: The Boston Tea Party takes place in Boston Harbor to protest a tax on tea (1773); WWII’s the Battle of the Bulge commences (1944); James Cameron’s science-fiction thriller Avatar is released internationally (2009); American author Philip K. Dick is born (1928).