Another Win For 'Greater Idaho' Push

Good morning and happy Thursday. Bark Air, a new airline that caters to canines, will make its maiden voyage today. The public charter service will only operate in four cities at launch -- London, Los Angeles, New York and Paris -- and tickets start at $6K a pop (dog and person). But the company hopes to add more routes and get the price down over time. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

• Bird flu: New case confirmed

• Bangkok: Air turbulence aftermath

• Haley: Voting for Trump

• Inflation: Fed is concerned

• Graceland: Claim withdrawn

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Secession succession

The long-shot effort to redraw state lines in the Pacific Northwest keeps chugging along.

• The news: Thirteen counties in Oregon have now approved a ballot measure calling to secede from the state and join Idaho. Crook County became the latest on Tuesday, reigniting calls for Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and the state legislature to engage the "Greater Idaho" movement.

• Why is this happening? Advocates say Oregon's eastern border should move about 200 miles west to account for the cultural divide between the rural, conservative part of the state and the more urban, liberal part. The plan would also aim to eventually incorporate parts of northern California into Idaho. 

• Big picture: Similar efforts have occurred before; parts of northern California and southern Oregon previously proposed forming a new state called Jefferson. But the electoral progress is new. The road remains long though; any secession would require the approval of the Idaho and Oregon legislatures, plus Congress.

2) Battleground worries

Half of swing state voters are concerned November's election will lead to violence.

• The numbers: A poll commissioned by Bloomberg and Morning Consult found that 49% of voters have some level of fear about political violence. The concern level is equal among Democrats and Republicans and higher among independents. About 60% are worried about misinformation and just under half fear foreign interference.

• Overall poll: Former President Donald Trump currently has a four-point lead on President Joe Biden across seven swing states, according to the outlets. The poll has Trump up 44% to 40% with independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. garnering 7%. Only 4% of respondents said they did not know who they would vote for.

• State by state: Trump leads Biden head-to-head in Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Biden is up in Michigan and the candidates are tied in Nevada. When Kennedy and other candidates were included, Trump takes the lead in Nevada -- the only state where Kennedy seems to have a major impact either way. All other states were mostly unchanged.

3) Snap and pray

The United Kingdom will head to the polls earlier than expected as the Tories hope for a miracle.

• The news: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for a surprise snap general election. The vote will be held July 4 after King Charles granted Sunak's request to dissolve Parliament. Sunak technically had until mid-December to set a late January 2025 election, but the expectation prior to yesterday was an election would happen this fall.

• The stakes: The decision is a colossal gamble by Sunak. But then again, he doesn’t have much to lose. His Conservative Party has trailed the opposition Labour Party by 20-plus points in recent polls; some surveys have had the right-wing Reform UK party vying to push the Tories into third. But inflation has receded faster across the pond than in the U.S. and Sunak's Rwanda immigration plan has finally launched. His strategy seems to be seizing on some good news and hoping to catch Labour and leader Sir Keir Starmer off-guard.

• Big picture: Labour has not controlled the UK government since 2010. Polls suggest the party will easily win control of the House of Commons. But a hung parliament, where no party gets a majority, is not out of the question. Labour would likely still be favored to form a coalition government in that scenario. The Conservatives need a lot to go right -- and even then, Sunak may still be out of a job.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• The nation's second human bird flu patient has been documented. A Michigan dairy farm worker has been infected, according to the CDC; the overall risk to people is still believed to be low (More)

• The family members of Uvalde school shooting victims reached a $2M settlement with the Texas city. The group said it will now sue dozens of state law enforcement officers and the school district (More)

• Only about half of U.S. adults are trained to perform CPR or stop serious bleeding, according to an Ohio State University study. Just over 50% of respondents said they know how to stop someone from choking; researchers said basic first aid can prevent an estimated 40% of accidental injury deaths (More)

World News

• Twenty Singapore Airlines passengers remain in intensive care after their flight hit severe turbulence. Several dozen remain hospitalized in Bangkok, where the London to Singapore flight was diverted (More)

• Ireland, Norway and Spain recognized the state of Palestine. Israel condemned the decision and recalled its envoys from each country; the European nations said they want to help facilitate a two-state solution (More)

• North Korea has begun publicly displaying Kim Jong Un's portrait. Observers say it is a sign the dictator wishes to boost his stature and be seen as an equal to his late grandfather and father, who preceded him in power (More)

Campaign News

• Former South Carolina Gov. and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said she will vote for former President Trump. She did not fully endorse him after a bruising Republican primary race; Haley called on Trump to engage her supporters (More)

• FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is proposing new rules governing the use of artificial intelligence in political advertising. Ads produced with AI would require disclosures; internet and social media content would not be impacted (More)

• California state legislator Vince Fong won a special election to complete former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy's term. Fong beat fellow GOP candidate and Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreau by 21 points; the two will compete again for a full term in the 20th Congressional District this fall (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed down yesterday. Minutes from the last Federal Reserve meeting indicated the central bank is concerned about the lack of progress on inflation (Dow +0.51%, Nasdaq -0.18%, S&P 500 -0.27%).

• Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has acquired an activist stake in Buzzfeed. The pharmaceutical entrepreneur now owns just under 8% of the digital media company; he will push for strategic shifts (More)

• Amazon will update its Alexa voice assistant technology with generative artificial intelligence. The tech and retail giant is expected to institute a monthly subscription fee separate from Amazon Prime (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• A lending company withdrew its foreclosure claim on Graceland after a Tennessee judge granted Elvis Presley's granddaughter an injunction blocking an auction. Actress Riley Keough alleged the firm was fraudulently claiming an outstanding $3.8M loan (More)

• TNT is reportedly on the verge of losing its NBA broadcast rights after over 30 years. The league is expected to strike media deals with Amazon, Disney and NBC; Warner Bros. Discovery does have matching rights (More)

• Richard Foronjy died at 86. The character actor had roles in Carlito's Way, Midnight Run and Serpico; he started his career after serving a lengthy prison sentence for armed robbery (More)

Quick Hitters

• Fun Stuff: Pretty much anything can be made into a sport these days. SpoGomi, or competitive trash collecting, has become popular in Japan.

• Be Safe: There are over 800 species of ticks around the world, and they will be outside with us all summer. Make sure you are protecting yourself from Lyme disease and other deadly conditions the bugs carry.

• History Lesson: U.S. officials proposed Operation Fantasia during World War II. The concept: Spook Japanese soldiers by slathering foxes with radioactive paint.

• Chow Down: If you are going to get cooking tips, you might as well go to the best. Check out this rundown of kitchen advice from Top Chef contestants.

• Life Hack: Research indicates the experience of awe can alter our perception of time. Here is how you can work to bring more of it into your life.

• 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:

Watch This

Duct tape is pretty incredible stuff.

Links

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Looking Ahead …

The first manned flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft has been delayed indefinitely. Saturday's planned takeoff was scrapped due to a persistent helium leak from the capsule's propulsion system. There is no timetable for when it may be ready to go.

Question of the Day

Yesterday’s results:

Do you like lobster?

• Yes (70%)

• No (30%)