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- Elon Musk Starts New Tech Fight
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In Today’s Brief
Manuel Rocha: Ex-diplomat cops to spy charges
Red Sea: British ship sinks after attack
Nikki Haley: Wins first GOP primary race
Boeing: Trying to re-acquire manufacturer
F1: Max Verstappen’s dominant start
... and more
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Top Tips
1) A high-tech feud
Elon Musk has added another beef to his portfolio.
What happened: The billionaire businessman filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman last Friday. Musk says the ChatGPT-creating company has abandoned its founding mission to benefit humanity to chase profits.
Some background: Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, was an early investor in OpenAI. He says Altman and other company leaders made a pact with him for the firm to take a non-profit course. Musk alleges OpenAI has since effectively become a subsidiary of Microsoft, its biggest current investor.
Big picture: Legal experts are doubtful Musk, who has since launched a rival AI firm, will be successful. The billionaire claims the deal was memorialized in a legal filing when OpenAI launched, but it is difficult to prove oral agreements in court. OpenAI also added a for-profit division in 2019.
2) Foul play?
The death of a shipping CEO with powerful family ties is under criminal investigation in Texas.
What happened: Angela Chao, 50, was found dead on Feb. 11 after a car crashed into a pond on a ranch outside Austin. Chao led Foremost Group and was the sister of Elaine Chao, a Cabinet secretary for the last two Republican presidents, and the sister-in-law of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The ranch is owned by a corporate entity tied to Chao's widowed husband.
The probe: The Blanco County Sheriff's Office reportedly sent a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton saying the crash "was not a typical accident" and would be investigated as a crime until there is sufficient evidence to rule out a crime. Law enforcement is withholding all police reports and other documents from public release.
Big picture: The letter to Paxton states, "the preliminary investigation indicated this was an unfortunate accident." However, the tone of official statements has evolved since the initial incident, suggesting cops have shifted their thinking.
3) Gaza talks in doubt
The push for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas took a big hit yesterday.
What happened: Israel boycotted a negotiation session in Egypt after Hamas failed to provide a list of hostages still alive in Gaza and confirm the ratio of Palestinian prisoners released in return for freed hostages. Hamas did attend, but reportedly will not make any deal without a complete ceasefire.
Political pressure: Israel reportedly agreed to a six-week ceasefire if Hamas met certain conditions. Vice President Kamala Harris called on Hamas to accept an immediate ceasefire and said Israel must allow more aid into Gaza. The U.S. airdropped 38K meals into the enclave after over 100 Palestinians died in a disputed incident near an aid convoy last week.
Big picture: President Joe Biden's optimism there would be a deal by today did not become a reality. The urgent goal now is to get something done before Ramadan -- the Muslim fasting month -- begins March 10. The ongoing war has also become a domestic issue for Biden's re-election campaign.
Quick Tips
U.S. News
A former U.S. diplomat will plead guilty to charges he was a Cuban spy for decades. Manuel Rocha was an ambassador to Bolivia and had stints serving in Argentina, Cuba, Mexico and at The White House (More)
The University of Maryland has suspended most fraternities and sororities on its campus. The school sent cease-and-desist letters due to alleged, but unspecified, activities that threatened students' safety and well-being (More)
The CDC has revised its COVID-19 guidelines. People who test positive no longer need to isolate for five days; virus-related hospitalizations have not spiked where local governments had already relaxed protocols (More)
World News
A British ship has sunk in the Red Sea after being damaged in attacks by the Houthi rebels. The M/V Rubymar was a bulk carrier with 41K tons of fertilizer, sparking concerns about an environmental disaster (More)
Germany is investigating whether Russia listened in on military talks involving the war in Ukraine. A Russian state television reporter leaked audio said to be from a German video conference discussing strategy (More)
Malaysia's government said it may renew the hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. A U.S. technology firm wants to search the southern Indian Ocean on a "no find, no fee" contract (More)
Campaign News
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley won Washington D.C.’s GOP primary. Haley prevailed by 30 points over former President Donald Trump in the low-turnout contest (More)
The Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected a Democratic lawsuit seeking to reconsider the state's congressional maps. The current maps were drawn by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and approved by the GOP-held legislature (More)
Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed Haley for president. Their states will hold GOP primaries tomorrow on Super Tuesday (More)
Business & Markets
Major indexes closed higher on Friday. The S&P 500 closed above 5.1K points for the first time (Dow +0.23%, Nasdaq +1.14%, S&P 500 +0.80%).
Boeing is in talks to buy back Spirit AeroSystems, which makes fuselages for its embattled 737 Max Jet fleet. Boeing spun the company off in 2005; a repurchase would aim to eliminate production flaws (More)
NerdWallet said it did not file for bankruptcy. The personal finance company alleged a fraudulent filing appeared in a federal court document database (More)
Entertainment & Sports
Three-time reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen won the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Verstappen’s margin of victory was over 22 seconds; Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez was second; (More)
Fashion and interior designer Iris Apfel died at 102. Apfel decorated The White House for nine presidents, worked as a model and was the subject of a 2015 documentary film (More)
The NCAA has halted all investigations into name, image and likeness deals with Division-1 athletes. The move comes after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction after a lawsuit by the states of Tennessee and Virginia (More)
Quick Hitters
Fun Stuff: Who doesn't love random facts? Here are some great ones from around the internet, including an alleged bad beat for an online dating website's creator.
Be Safe: Over 100K mouthwash bottles have been recalled. Heritage Store Hydrogen Peroxide Mouthwash does not have sufficient childproof packaging, which could lead to poisoning among kids.
Throw Back: Furby toys were all the rage back in the late 1990s. And the cute dolls also sparked national security fears.
Go Deep: There is speculation the Republican National Committee could be used to pay former President Trump's legal fees. But experts say campaign finance laws likely prevent it.
Life Hack: If you want to know how to feel refreshed every morning when you wake up, emergency room doctors are good people to ask. Their jobs depend on it, and they have tips.
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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Looking Ahead …
CVS and Walgreens said they have received licenses to dispense mifepristone, a drug used for medical abortions. The pharmacies plan to sell the pill in states where it is legal in the coming weeks.