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Should National Guard Help School in Chaos?
Your unbiased daily news brief
James Kratch
February 21, 2024
Good morning and happy Wednesday. Hollywood saw a somewhat remarkable announcement yesterday: Sony will make four separate-but-interconnected biopics about the members of The Beatles, all directed by Sam Mendes and scheduled for 2027 releases. And Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison have granted full life and music rights to the projects. Let it be and have a great day!
In Today’s Brief
Kansas City: Two more parade arrests
Cybercrime: Global gang taken down
Biden: Focus on Trump’s “crazy sh-t”
Walmart: Buys TV maker in streaming play
College football: Playoff format tweaked
... and more
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Top Tips
1) Boots on the ground
A push for the National Guard to restore order at a Massachusetts high school has sparked controversy.
What happened: Four members of the Brockton School Committee want reservists deployed to the city's high school to serve as substitute teachers and hall monitors. Truancy and violence has become an issue at the school; 11 students were reportedly arrested after a large fight last week. The school also faces staffing shortages.
The response: Mayor Robert Sullivan, a board member, opposes the proposal but did send it to Gov. Maura Healey with the committee at a 4-4 deadlock. Healey said she is committed to student safety and has spoken to local officials, but did not say whether she would consider activating troops.
Big picture: The committee members said there is precedent after the National Guard was at the school for COVID-19 purposes. Brockton has over 4K students; it is the largest high school in Massachusetts and one of the biggest in the country.
2) 'Shadow war'
NATO is grappling with potential Russian covert operations on alliance soil.
In Estonia: Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said her country halted a Kremlin influence plot and arrested 10 people. The operation allegedly vandalized a government official's car and several monuments. Kallas said more attacks were planned and Russia is waging "a shadow war" against democracies.
In Spain: Police believed Maxim Kuzminov, a Russian helicopter pilot who flew into Ukraine last summer and defected, was killed near Alicante last week. Kuzminov was shot before attackers drove over his body; a burning car was found in the area. The incident has sparked speculation following past Russian assassinations on foreign soil.
Big picture: Russian President Vladimir Putin has appeared emboldened by the seeming loss of Western interest and momentum in supporting Ukraine. Russia has also taken another American prisoner -- Ksenia Karelina, a dual Russian-American citizen now charged with high treason.
3) Mind control
Elon Musk has made a bold claim about Neuralink's first human implant trial.
How it works: Neuralink says a robot installs a computer chip on the portion of the brain that controls movement. The chip then records and sends brain signals to an app. The initial goal is to control a mouse or keyboard with only thoughts.
The update: Musk said the person appears to have fully recovered from their implant procedure and can control a computer mouse by thinking. The person's identity is unknown, but the company's eligbility criteria called for people who have limited function in all four limbs due to a spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease).
The reaction: Many remain skeptical. Other companies doing similar research appear farther along than Neuralink, which has offered few details. Musk has been accused of misleading the public about the company's progress.
Quick Tips
U.S. News
Kansas City police charged two men with murder after the shooting death of a woman at the city's Chiefs Super Bowl parade. The men are hospitalized; two juveniles were previously charged (More)
Alabama's Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos are considered children under state law. The decision could have wide-ranging impacts on the in-vitro fertilization industry (More)
AccuWeather said there are "serious and growing concerns" about this year's Atlantic hurricane season. Atlantic Ocean waters are historically warm and the La Nina weather pattern will return (More)
World News
A global law enforcement team disrupted the Lockbit cybercrime gang with arrests and indictments. The United Kingdom's National Crime Agency led the effort; the Department of Justice and FBI also participated (More)
Quebec has asked Canada's federal government for $1B to handle an influx of asylum seekers. The province currently hosts 55% of the country's migrants (More)
A Haitian judge charged 50 people in late President Jovenel Moise’s 2021 assassination. Moise's widow and the country's former prime minister are among the indicted (More)
Campaign News
President Biden's campaign plans to focus on former President Trump's rhetoric. The president reportedly told senior staff he wants to take aim at "crazy sh-t" said by Trump (More)
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will stay in the GOP presidential race after her home state primary on Saturday. Haley trails Trump by 20-plus points in all recent polls (More)
Biden's re-election operation raised $42M in January and reported $130M in cash. Those numbers trail Trump's haul as an incumbent at this point in 2020 (More)
Business & Markets
Major indexes closed lower yesterday as trading resumed after Presidents Day. Concern the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates in response to hot inflation numbers is beginning to bubble (Dow -0.17%, Nasdaq -0.92%, S&P 500 -0.60%).
Walmart will buy Vizio for $2.3B. The acquisition is a bid to expand the retailer's ad business using the TV maker's streaming offerings (More)
FuboTV has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery over the companies' planned joint sports platform. The television streaming services says the venture will suppress competition and harm consumers (More)
Entertainment & Sports
The College Football Playoff has adjusted its expansion format. The top-5 conference champions and seven at-large teams will qualify for the 12-team tournament (More)
Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's involuntary manslaughter trial begins today in New Mexico. The outcome could dictate how prosecutors proceed with criminal charges against actor Alec Baldwin after the on-set shooting death of the film's cinematographer (More)
The Washington Nationals are no longer for sale. The billionaire Lerner family shopped the MLB club for two years; they reportedly rebuffed a $2B offer last year (More)
Quick Hitters
Feel Good: A Kentucky woman always wanted children. And now she has six after adopting a family of sisters out of foster care after taking a leap of faith.
Be Safe: Jeep has recalled 200K vehicles due to a software issue with the defrosting system. Wranglers produced in 2021-24 and Grand Cherokees from 2022-24 are impacted.
Go Deep: Sojourner Truth is one of American history's most remarkable figures. The civil rights pioneer is finally getting her due.
Take Note: Ever heard someone say they can feel the weather in their bones? The idea humidity and temperature changes cause joint pain appears to be bunk.
New Idea: Scientists have invented a biosensor that could revolutionize food safety. The device detects aging byproducts in meat and ensure freshness.
Be Well: Pop quiz: What’s the body’s most abundant protein? The answer: Collagen. NativePath's Certified Grass-Fed Collagen Powder is made from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows and contains 18 grams of protein per suggested serving. Start incorporating it daily to support skin elasticity, joint health, bone strength, and muscle growth and maintenance.*
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Watch This
The Oxford Union has uploaded video of Tom Hanks' December lecture on acting, and it is worth checking out.
Links
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Meet the first scholarship college cornhole players 🧢
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You now need your passport to use Tinder in the UK 🤳
Scientists have found the universe's brightest black hole 🔭
Check out old photos of presidents relaxing at home 🏠
The NFL likely buried audio of Travis Kelce's super meltdown 🏈
Everything you want to know about Girl Scout cookies 🍪
Looking Ahead …
The Supreme Court will hear a case in April that could change how local governments handle homelessness. At issue in Grants Pass v. Johnson: Can cities arrest or fine people for sleeping outside if they lack shelter?