All On Board Survive Toronto Plane Crash

Good Tuesday morning. A baby seal keeps popping up on the streets of New Haven, Connecticut. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

• Minnesota: Stolen statue

• Europe: No consensus

• California: Gubernatorial bid

• Meta: Cable project

• 4 Nations: Final set

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Miracle up north

A Delta Air Lines jet flipped upside down while landing at Toronto's Pearson Airport, but there were no fatalities.

• The news: All 80 people -- 76 passengers and four crew members -- on board the regional jet from Minneapolis survived the wreck. Officials reported 17 injuries, but said most were minor. The handful of critical injuries were said to be non-life-threatening. The plane did catch fire, but video footage indicated it remained largely intact.

• More details: How or why the plane turned over was not immediately clear. There were heavy winds and snow at the time of landing, but communication between the pilot and air traffic control were regular before the crash. Seat belts were credited for protecting the plane's occupants.

• Big picture: The incident is the latest high-profile commercial airline issue in recent weeks. But plane overturns are extremely rare and experts cautioned against considering this crash part of a pattern. The plane's right wing appeared to be torn off; that may have caused the turnover.

2) 'Complex clinical picture'

Pope Francis remains hospitalized as concerns about his health grow.

• The news: Vatican officials said the pontiff is in stable condition at Rome's Gemelli Hospital and continues to do some work. But Francis has been diagnosed with a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection that presents a "complex clinical picture," and there is no timeline for his discharge.

• More details: Francis, 88, will begin a new course of treatment, the Vatican said. He had part of his lung removed after suffering from severe pneumonia as a younger man in his native Argentina. Doctors have reportedly ordered him to take "complete rest," preventing him from his weekly Angelus prayer last Sunday for just the second time in his papacy.

• Big picture: Politico reported Francis "was told in no uncertain terms" that he could die if he put off treatment. The outlet also reported the pontiff had begun considering how to protect his legacy and influence the selection of his successor upon his death.

3) Treasure in trash

A Welsh man is determined to recover a $770M fortune lost in a literal sea of trash.

• The story: James Howells owned a computer hard drive containing 8K bitcoins. The hard drive was then accidentally thrown away at a landfill in Newport, a city located in southern Wales.

• The effort: Howells has been trying to recover the bitcoins for over a decade. He has mounted unsuccessful legal efforts against the city -- which owns the landfill -- seeking access to the site or hundreds of millions in damages. Howells has assembled a team prepared to search for the hard drive and offered to give Newport a portion of the loot if recovered. But the city's council claims such an endeavor would be environmentally damaging.

• The news: Howells is planning one final bid to the United Kingdom's Court of Appeal. But he also has a backup plan. Newport has announced its plans to close the landfill; he is trying to line up investors to help buy the site and then excavate.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• A Minnesota man was arrested after trying to sell pieces of a stolen statue for scrap metal. A bronze depiction of author F. Scott Fitzgerald was recently stolen from outside his former St. Paul school; a replacement will likely cost $25K (More)

• The alleged leader of a cult-like group tied to several murders was arrested in Maryland. Officials said the so-called Zizians are connected to the recent killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont (More)

• A Missouri man pleaded guilty in the 2023 shooting death of an unarmed Black teenager who accidentally rang his doorbell. Andrew Lester, 86, struck a plea deal for lesser assault charges before a trial; prosecutors will seek a five-year prison sentence (More)

World News

• An emergency summit of European leaders ended with no consensus on sending future peacekeeping troops to Ukraine. U.S. and Russian officials will begin talks on ending the Kremlin's invasion today in Saudi Arabia (More | More)

• A man considered the first openly gay Muslim imam was killed in South Africa. Muhsin Hendricks was ambushed and fatally shot by two masked men while sitting in a car; officials said the incident is being probed as an assassination (More)

• Singapore's opposition leader was convicted of lying to parliament. The Workers' Party's Pritam Singh could be banned from standing in upcoming elections; the People's Action Party has ruled the Asian city-state for over 60 years (More)

Political News

• Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco will run for governor in California. The immigration hardliner could emerge as the top Republican candidate in the 2026 race thanks to past praise from President Trump; Democratic Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig is reportedly considering a Senate run in the state (More | More)

• Four top aides to New York City Mayor Eric Adams resigned in protest. They allege the embattled Democrat struck a quid pro quo with the Justice Department, having his federal corruption case dismissed in return for supporting the Trump Administration's immigration policies (More | More)

• Demonstrators held protests against Trump and billionaire Elon Musk nationwide. The "Not My Presidents Day"events were organized in various cities by 50501, a grassroots effort to oppose the president's agenda (More | More)

Business & Markets

• Meta plans the world's longest underwater cable project. The Facebook parent company wants to connect the U.S., Brazil, India, South Africa and other regions with a 31K mile-long cable that is longer than the Earth's circumference (More)

• Southwest Airlines will cut 15% of its corporate workforce, or close to 2K employees. CEO Bob Jordan said the "unprecedented" layoffs are necessary amid an effort to slash over $500M in costs by the end of next year (More)

• Alibaba CEO Jack Ma attended Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting with tech leaders. The billionaire's past criticisms of the government spared a regulatory crackdown; his presence suggests Beijing may move toward a more business-friendly approach (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• Canada and the U.S. will meet in the final of the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off. The game is Thursday night in Boston; the American squad defeated the Canadians last weekend in pool play (More)

• Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special pulled in just under 15M viewers. It was NBC's most-watched primetime entertainment broadcast in five years and the second-biggest of this year behind the Grammy Awards (More)

• Paquita la del Barrio died at 77. The famed Mexican bolero and ranchera singer had a fatal heart attack; she was known for her feminist work and biting lyrics (More)

Quick Hitters

• Feel Good: A stuffed bunny was left behind at Pittsburgh International Airport. A longtime staffer launched a successful social media campaign to return it home.

• Be Well: Air pollution's adverse effects are not solely respiratory. Even brief exposure can reduce a person's ability to focus on everyday tasks.

• Go Deep: Afghanistan's women's cricket team was in danger when the Taliban returned to power. A former Australian national team member helped orchestrate their harrowing escape.

• Take Note: Preparing a nutritious plate is only part of the battle. Many are now advocating food sequencing, or strategically eating items for maximum benefits.

• Life Hack: Not everyone is comfortable in social settings, but that can change if someone puts their mind to it. Here are the key ways to tell you are becoming more confident and outgoing.

Watch This

How to salvage the memories stuck on your old VHS tapes.

Links

• How U.S. food prices have surged since 2021 📈

• Mike Trout is changing positions after a run of injuries ⚾️

• Why water is different colors in different places 🌊

• Don't have a lead foot in these states 🚨

• Jeff Gordon wants a Days of Thunder sequel 🍿

• What to drink when you have a cold 🤧

• A new look at the asteroid everyone is talking about ☄️

• Over 60K people are missing in Ukraine 🇺🇦

• Cannabis cocktails bid to supplant alcoholic ones 🍸

• Martin Van Buren had a heck of a toilet 🚽

Looking Ahead …

So much for coffee going to closers. Artificial intelligence-powered agents may soon prove far more persuasive than even the best human salespeople. 

Question of the Day

Yesterday’s results:

How do you prepare your taxes?

• I use a CPA or service (58%)

• I do them myself (42%)