A New Reason To Worry About Flying

Good Friday morning. No more false starts -- you will actually need a Real ID in a few weeks, so take note if you do not have one yet. Have a great weekend!

In Today’s Brief

• Federal buyouts: Court pause

• Belgium: Gang violence

• Musk: Underwater polling

• Honeywell: Breaking up

• Golf: Trump call

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Fall guys

What goes up, must come down.

• The news: The threat posed to airplanes by falling space debris is growing, according to a new study. The probability of collision is small but growing. An incident could lead to mass casualties.

• Go deeper: The consequences of space junk making an uncontrolled re-entry and hitting another aircraft could be catastrophic, researchers at the University of British Columbia said. The rise of the commercial space industry has led to a spike in flights and re-entries; trackable space debris has doubled in the last 25 years.

• Big picture: The study concluded busy airspace areas -- like those around major airports in the Northeast -- have a one-in-four chance of being affected by an uncontrolled re-entry annually. Some airports have already been forced to halt flights due to debris issues, Space junk is also a risk to ground infrastructure, satellites and more.

2) Blurred lines

Colombia's president has a hot take.

• The news: Gustavo Petro believes cocaine should be legal. He claimed the drug is "not worse than whiskey" and global trafficking would be "easily dismantled" if cocaine was sold like wine. Petro also claimed the drug is illegal because it is produced in Latin America.

• Key context: Petro made the comments during a chaotic six-hour cabinet meeting broadcast nationally. The left-wing leader's presidency is on shaky ground. He is feuding with other government officials, rebel violence has broken out in the Catatumbo region and the diplomatic brouhaha with President Donald Trump over migrant deportation flights still lingers.

• Big picture: Colombia's government has fought against drug trafficking and cartels for decades. But the country is also the world's largest producer of the drug, generating a record 2.6K tons in 2023 according to the United Nations, and legality would lead to economic success. Cocaine deaths are up almost 40% in recent years, largely due to fentanyl tainting.

3) Super showdown

The Kansas City Chiefs are 60 minutes from history.

• The news: The two-time reigning world champions will meet the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Super Bowl LIX (6:30 p.m. ET, Fox). The game will be played at the Superdome in New Orleans; the Chiefs beat the Eagles two years ago in Super Bowl LVII. They are 1.5-point betting favorites in this year's matchup.

• At stake: The Chiefs are bidding to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls. The Green Bay Packers won three straight titles in 1965-67, but the first crown came in the NFL Championship Game with the other two in Super Bowls I and II.

• Other notes: Trump is scheduled to become the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl. Americans are expectedto place close to $1.4B in legal wagers on the game. The league believes it could be the most-watched Super Bowl in history.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• The Trump Administration's sweeping buyout offer to federal employees is on hold. A federal judge in Boston temporarily froze the plan hours before a deadline to opt in, ruling the proposal's legality must be reviewed (More)

• A melee broke out in a New Mexico courtroom during a hearing in a murder case. Three people rushed the defendant, sparking a brawl; a police officer was allegedly hit with a chair in the mayhem (More)

• Human remains were found inside a suitcase in New York City's East River. The NYPD's harbor unit recovered a torso near Governor's Island; the cause of death is under investigation (More)

World News

• A wave of gang violence has plagued Brussels in recent days. Gunfire has broken out in public areas due to turf wars involving Belgium's illegal drug trade (More)

• The U.S. seized a second aircraft linked to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The plane was seized in the Dominican Republic yesterday, four months after the initial Venezuelan government jet was taken in the same country (More)

• Israel would reportedly end the war in Gaza if Hamas cedes power and its leaders enter exile. President Trump said he wants to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran (More | More)

Political News

• Billionaire Elon Musk is unpopular with voters, according to internal Democratic polling. The Tesla CEO and DOGE leader has 51% disapproval and unfavorability ratings; the party is expected to make him a focal point of 2026 congressional campaigns (More)

• Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis is reportedly considering a gubernatorial run next year. Her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis, is term-limited; Michigan Democrats are eying ex-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (More | More)

• The Congressional Jewish Caucus was established by lawmakers. New York Rep. Jerry Nadler and Illinois Rep. Brad Schneider are the co-chairmen; the rise of antisemitism nationwide was the impetus to form the group (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed mixed yesterday. The S&P 500 eked out its third consecutive winning session (Dow -0.28%, Nasdaq +0.51%, S&P 500 +0.36%).

• Honeywell will split into three independent companies. The Charlotte-based conglomerate corporation's move was pressured by activist investor Elliott Management (More)

• All Billabong, Quiksilver and Volcom stores in the U.S. will close. Liberated Brands, the parent company of the skateboarding- and surfing-inspired clothing retailers, recently declared bankruptcy (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• President Trump is involved in talks between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. The tour is trying to strike an investment deal with the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway circuit after months of negotiations (More)

• Music executive Irv Gotti died at 54. The hip-hop producer was known for collaborations with top artists like DMX and Jennifer Lopez; the cause of death is unknown, but he suffered a stroke last year (More)

• The Pro Football Hall of Fame will induct its smallest class in 20 years. Four former players -- Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates and Sterling Sharpe — were elected after Eli Manning and others failed to earn enough support for enshrinement (More)

Quick Hitters

• Fun Stuff: Anything can happen when you put a mirror in front of a wild animal. This video captures their reactions when they see their reflections for the first time.

• Take Note: Over 140K Lexus and Toyota vehicles have been recalled. The cars have various safety issues that must be remedied; several models are impacted.

• Go Deep: Did Elvis Presley believe he was an alien faith healer? A new book about the King of Rock and Roll makes some wild claims.

• Fitness Tip: Do not despair if you are having difficulty making progress on your New Year's resolution. These smarttactics can help get things going and on track.

• Cooking Hack: Scientists have determined the best way to boil an egg. But it will take some time in the kitchen to do it right.

Watch This

How Hollywood has made up history.

Links

• The best refrigerator temperature to thwart bacteria 🦠

• Josh Allen was named NFL MVP 🏈

• Netflix's Prince documentary was canceled 📺

• What AI and the internet may do to our memory 🧠

• Math can explain why you find something to be beautiful 🧮

• Shohei Ohtani's ex-interpreter is headed to federal prison ⚖️

• Hack the Wendy's menu to make this monstrous burger 🍔

• Vital facts about blood 🩸

• Running a classroom like a corporate office 👔

• How the Los Angeles wildfires are impacting animals 🐦

Looking Ahead …

The city of Macon, Georgia, will attempt to set a new world record for the largest kazoo ensemble next month. The bid will occur at the  International Cherry Blossom Festival on March 28; organizers need around 5.2K kazoo players (at least) to achieve their goal.

Question of the Day — Friday Trivia

Yesterday’s results:

Mayonnaise: Yes or no?

• Yes (73%)

• No (27%)