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- Campuses Roiled By Gaza Protests
Good morning and happy Tuesday. Sebastian Steudtner, a German surfer, believes he broke his own world record. Steudtner is awaiting certification from Guinness, but a drone system designed by Porsche (yes, the automaker) determined he caught an almost 94-foot-tall wave off the coast of Portugal earlier this year. Have a great day!
In Today’s Brief
Nursing homes: Federal staffing rule
Poland: Open to NATO nukes
Trump: Trial is underway
Markets: Nasdaq, S&P 500 end slide
Apple: Another sports splash
... and more
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Top Tips
1) Collegiate chaos
On-campus tensions related to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza continued to rise yesterday as police broke up pro-Palestinian demonstrations amid allegations of antisemitism at universities and condemnations by President Joe Biden and other lawmakers.
What happened: Close to 50 protestors were arrested at Yale after refusing to shut down a pro-Palestinian encampment. Columbia suspended in-person classes and restricted campus access after the NYPD broke up an encampment last weekend, measures it said are designed to reset the situation. Harvard Yard was also closed to the public. Encampments started at Michigan, MIT, and NYU.
The debate: Pro-Palestinian protestors claim their demonstrations are peaceful, demanding schools condemn Israel's war in Gaza and divest from companies that support the Israelis. But Jewish students have alleged antisemitic threats and violence, as well as rhetoric that is anti-Israeli and pro-Hamas. Jewish students say they feel unsafe; a prominent rabbi in the Columbia community told students they should return home indefinitely as the Jewish holiday of Passover began yesterday.
The response: Biden spoke out against campus antisemitism, leading a bipartisan chorus. Several members of Congress have called for Columbia President Minouche Shafik to resign. Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley called on Biden to deploy the National Guard at Columbia, but that seems unlikely. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, a Columbia graduate, said he can no longer support the school financially but will continue to fund the Jewish life center on campus in his name.
2) Blood movies
Entertainment companies may have unwittingly done business with North Korea.
The news: Researchers uncovered files on a North Korean internet server that suggest animators and graphic designers inside the pariah state helped create cartoon content for Amazon, HBO Max and other Western production houses and studios. The files include animations, comments and instructions related to projects such as Invincible and Iyanu, Child of Wonder.
How did this happen? There is no indication any of the companies knew North Koreans were doing the work. An expert said the companies likely hired subcontractors in China and were unaware of the arrangements.
Big picture: Almost all commercial activity between U.S. citizens and North Korea is prohibited by sanctions against dictator Kim Jong Un's regime. Federal officials have previously expressed concern North Korean workers will attempt to deceive U.S. companies, with animation highlighted as a potential industry they could exploit.
3) Respect the queue
California legislators do not want anyone cutting the airport security line, even if they pay for it.
The news: A bipartisan proposal by legislators in the Golden State's Senate targets CLEAR and other third-party airport security vendors. The bill—the first of its kind in the country—would prohibit the services from operating at airports in the state unless they utilized their own security line.
Catch up: If you subscribe to CLEAR -- it costs about $200 annually -- you can verify your identity using kiosks at airports with the service. You are then escorted straight to a TSA agent. CLEAR customers can even bypass passengers who have TSA pre-boarding clearance.
Big picture: The bill is expected to spark a political showdown chock full of heavy hitters. Six major airlines -- Alaska, Delta, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest and United -- are already lobbying against it. Flight attendants and TSA agents support the effort. TSA has not indicated whether it would facilitate special lanes for CLEAR and other vendors; Gov. Gavin Newsom has not weighed in yet.
Quick Tips
U.S. News
The Biden Administration has finalized a federal standard for nursing home staffing. All facilities that receive Medicaid and Medicare funding must provide at least 3.5 hours of care per resident per day (More)
Five people, including at least two children, were found dead at a home near Oklahoma City. Police said the deaths appear to be homicides; they have ruled out the possibility of a gas leak or drug overdose (More)
Most Supreme Court justices appeared to side with an Oregon city's right to crack down on homeless encampments. Oral arguments in Grants Pass v. Johnson focused on whether criminal penalties for unhoused people sleeping in public violate the Eighth Amendment (More)
World News
Polish President Andrzej Duda said his nation would host NATO nuclear weapons to deter Russia. Duda's comments come after the Kremlin moved nukes into neighboring Belarus last year (More)
Israel's top military intelligence leader has resigned. Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva said the failure to thwart Hamas' Oct. 7 attack was the main reason he is stepping down; he is the first senior leader to resign since the start of the Gaza war (More)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces allegations of hate speech amid the country's contentious elections. Opposition leaders have accused him of referring to Muslims as "infiltrators" during a campaign speech (More)
Campaign News
Former President Donald Trump's hush money trial is officially underway. The Manhattan District Attorney is arguing his payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels were tantamount to election fraud (More)
The Republican Jewish Coalition will back Virginia Rep. Bob Good's primary opponent. The group announced it will support State Sen. John McGuire after Good voted against aid for Israel (More)
Trump's re-election campaign plans to target conservative LGBTQ+ voters in a major outreach initiative. Former First Lady Melania Trump announced the effort at a Log Cabin Republicans fundraiser (More)
Business & Markets
Major indexes closed higher yesterday. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 were up after six-day skids (Dow +0.67%, Nasdaq +1.11%, S&P 500 +0.87%).
Kroger plans to sell an additional 166 locations as the grocery store chain works to gain approval for its planned $25B merger with Albertsons. The FTC and several states are suing to block the deal, arguing it will adversely impact consumers (More)
Express has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The clothing retail chain is expected to close almost 100 locations; brand management firm WHP Global and other investors have expressed interest in an acquisition (More)
Entertainment & Sports
Apple is close to a $1B deal for the worldwide broadcast rights of FIFA's new Club World Cup. The inaugural 32-team event is next summer; Apple already has worldwide MLS broadcast rights (More)
The late Jimmy Buffett, Cher and Peter Frampton are among this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne, The Dave Matthews Band and Foreigner are also in the star-studded class (More)
David Beckham's DB Ventures is suing a fitness company partially owned by actor Mark Wahlberg. The soccer legend alleges he was "duped" into signing an endorsement deal with F45 and did not receive $10M in promised compensation (More)
Quick Hitters
Real Heroes: Seven Good Samaritans sprung into action when they encountered a burning vehicle on I-94 near St. Paul, Minnesota. They pulled the trapped driver out, miraculously saving him without any serious injuries.
Be Safe: Greater Omaha ground beef products were recalled for potential E. coli contamination. The various products were shipped to restaurants and retail locations.
Don't Fret: The TikTok ban legislation has passed in the House and will likely sail through the Senate. But the social media app is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, if ever.
New Idea: Artists who use recordings of sounds from the natural world now have the option to give "Nature" a feature credit on streaming services, funneling royalties to conservation causes.
Life Hack: Allergy season is upon us. Here are two easy tricks to clear a stuffy nose quickly.
OPTIMIZE ME: Researchers “found convincing evidence that higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, a 48% to 53% higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% greater risk of type 2 diabetes”
Want more health and wellness news? Subscribe to our brand new newsletter, Optimize Me, and start living a healthier life through diet, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness:
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Watch This
The first trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine is out. Make sure you have headphones on before watching it.
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Looking Ahead …
Construction has begun on a $12B high-speed passenger rail line from the Los Angeles area to Las Vegas. Officials say the trains will reach speeds of up to 186 MPH -- comparable to bullet trains in Japan -- and cut the one-way trip to a little over two hours. The project is expected to be operational in 2028.