Heralded Ex-Secret Service Agent Dies At 93

Good Tuesday morning. Mars once had "vacation-style" beaches, according to a new study. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

• Utah: Fluoride ban

• Japan: Supports Mongolia

• AP: Motion denied

• Apple: $500B investment

• NBC: Anchor exits

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Clint Hill: 1932-2025

The Secret Service agent who jumped into President John F. Kennedy's limousine after he was shot has died.

• The news: Clint Hill passed away last Friday at his home in California at 93. A cause of death was not announced. The North Dakota native and Army veteran will have a private funeral service in Washington at a later date.

• Catch up: Hill was assigned to protect First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963 in Dallas. He was in a car behind the presidential vehicle when the first shot was fired. He rushed toward the car and jumped into it, trying to shield the president and his wife from gunfire. Hill was celebrated and honored for his actions.

• After the assassination: Hill eventually became assistant director of the USSS, but guilt and trauma over his inability to save Kennedy's life forced him into early retirement. He felt responsible and convinced himself he could have done more, but concluded he was not at fault later in life. He wrote several books and eventually returned to the site of the assassination. "Clint Hill was more than a hero -- he was a man of profound humility, dedication, and unwavering integrity," former Secret Service Director Lew Merletti said in a statement.

2) Just steal it

The American West is seeing train robberies again. A unique type of treasure is the target.

• The news: At least 10 trains have been robbed in Arizona and California dating back to last March. All but one of the incidents saw thieves steal shipments of Nike sneakers. The combined value of the heists is approaching $2M; some of the stolen shoes have yet to hit the market.

• The blueprint: Thieves sneak onto freight trains headed East and hide until the routes hit the Mojave Desert or other remote areas. They then steal the desired goods when the train stops -- either a scheduled pause or an emergency halt caused by sabotage -- and either load them into waiting box trucks or hide them off the tracks until pickup crews arrive.

• Big picture: Officials said the tactics involved in the heists suggest transnational criminal groups based in Mexico are responsible. But railroad cargo theft was up 40% last year with at least 65K incidents leading $100M in losses.

3) War and peace

President Donald Trump made a surprising claim on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

• A reversal? The Kremlin said last week it would not accept NATO troops in Ukraine, even as post-war peacekeepers. But the president said yesterday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would support European peacekeepers in Ukraine after the war ends.

• Key context: France -- whose president, Emmanuel Macron, visited Trump yesterday at the White House -- has signaled it would be willing to send personnel to Ukraine, as has the United Kingdom. But those countries are NATO members. If Trump is taken literally: Austria and Switzerland have substantial armies and are not NATO members, so those nations could thread the needle.

• Other news: Trump declined to call Putin a dictator after lobbing the accusation against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The U.S. voted against a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling Russia the aggressor in its invasion. Trump said he expects to strike a rare earth minerals deal with Ukraine soon.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• Utah may become the first state to ban fluoride in public water systems. Pending legislation would not allow cities or communities to opt for the cavity-preventing mineral that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spoken out against (More)

• A Texas man allegedly planned a "mass casualty event" against police in Corpus Christi. The FBI said the suspect was plotting an attack similar to the 2016 ambush of cops in Dallas, where five officers were killed and seven injured (More)

• A fishing boat sank off the coast of New York City; three people died and a fourth is presumed dead. The Coast Guard ended its search for the final missing person; two survivors are hospitalized in critical condition and stable condition (More)

World News

• Japan will give Mongolia's air force an $8.7M radar system. It is the first time Tokyo has offered security assistance to the East Asian nation, which is landlocked by China and Russia and seeks ties with the West and its allies (More)

• A British politician will serve 10 weeks in jail after punching a constituent. Mike Amesbury, a member of the House of Commons, could now face a recall petition; he has already resigned from the ruling Labour Party (More)

• The Democratic Republic of the Congo said Rwandan-backed rebels have killed 7K people so far this year. The M23 militia's campaign in the eastern part of the country has displaced an estimated 450K people (More)

Political News

• A federal judge declined the Associated Press' emergency First Amendment motion to regain access to some presidential events. The Trump Administration partially banned the news organization for refusing to include "Gulf of America" in its style guide; another hearing will be held next month (More)

• Confusion over Elon Musk's email ultimatum to federal workers continues. Administration officials and agency leaders told employees to disregard the order to detail their performance under risk of termination, but the billionaire DOGE leader reiterated his threats while President Trump appeared to endorse the action (More | More)

• Conservative podcast Dan Bongino will be the FBI's deputy director. Democrats have blasted the controversial selection of the former Secret Service agent and ex-Fox News personality; the appointment does not require Senate approval (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed mixed yesterday. The Dow Jones saw a slight uptick; the Nasdaq dropped over 200 points (Dow+0.08%, Nasdaq -1.21%, S&P 500 -0.50%).

• Apple will spend $500B in the U.S. and add 20K new jobs over the next four years. The technology giant's investment is part of its effort to limit pending tariffs on Chinese imports and potentially secure duty exemptions (More)

• Starbucks will lay off 1.1K workers and eliminate hundreds more vacant positions as part of a restructuring. The coffee chain will also slash 30% of its menu to improve operations (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• Lester Holt is stepping down as NBC Nightly News anchor. The 65-year-old newsman will exit the program this summer after a 10-year run and continue as Dateline's host; no successor has been announced yet (More)

• R&B singer Roberta Flack died at 88 after a battle with motor neuron disease. She was known for hits Killing Me Softly With His Song and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (More)

• The Philadelphia Eagles will reportedly visit the White House if invited. A British newspaper reported the Super Bowl LIX champions had decided not to attend the traditional championship team celebration in Washington (More)

Quick Hitters

• Fact Check: Are wireless headphones bad for your brain? Here is what the experts say. Hint: You probably don't need to toss your AirPods.

• True Crime: The FBI alleges a woman, currently in custody in Mexico, carried out a "romance scam on steroids" that has left at least three older men dead. The suspect is accused of drugging the victims and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

• Go Deep: Sandwiches have become wildly expensive. And we are all probably to blame. Here is a look at why a simple lunchtime staple has become gourmet and pricy.

• History Lesson: The city of Cleveland hosted a charity event in 1986, releasing 1.5M balloons in the air to set a world record. How did it go? That depends on who you ask.

• Life Hack: Being good at small talk does not take much effort. This simple technique can be the key to a great conversation.

Watch This

The vast London Tideway Tunnel is designed to keep the River Thames clean.

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Looking Ahead …

Hundreds of rare movie posters will go on auction next month, including one from the 1931 Frankenstein film that is expected to fetch at least $250K. There are fewer than 10 of those known to be in existence.

Question of the Day

Yesterday’s results:

Creamy or crunchy peanut butter?

• Creamy (50%)

• Crunchy (41%)

• I don’t eat peanut butter (9%)