Iran Vows Revenge

Good morning and happy Thursday! Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, or CRAB, is a drug-resistant superbug that plagues hospitals and nursing homes. It kills about half of patients who acquire it. But researchers believe they have finally found an antibiotic capable of defeating it. The compound zosurabalpin disrupts the bug and gives the immune system a chance to fight it off. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

• Congress: Shutdown talks underway

• Argentina: Wants Falkland Islands talks

• Nikki Haley: Boasts big fundraising haul

• Fed Minutes: Indexes down after release

• ESPN: Aaron Rodgers vs. Jimmy Kimmel

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Iran grapples with deadly blasts

A pair of explosions near the burial site of an Iranian political and military leader killed over 100 people and wounded nearly 200.

• What happened: Iranian state television claimed bombs exploded near the grave of late Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani on the fourth anniversary of his assassination in a U.S. drone strike while he visited Iraq. Soleimani was considered the second-most powerful man in Iran behind Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

• The response: Iran said the blasts, which occurred during a procession honoring Soleimani, were acts of terrorism. Khamenei vowed revenge on the perpetrators. It was the deadliest attack in Iran in several decades.

• Big picture: John Kirby, the White House's national security spokesman, said there is no reason to believe Israel was involved. No group claimed immediate responsibility. Arab separatists and Sunni jihadist groups have carried out past attacks in Iran.

2) Bomb hoaxes rattle U.S. statehouses

A wave of bogus bomb threats caused havoc in state capitols across the nation.

• What happened: A mass email was sent to at least two dozen statehouses. The message said explosives were placed inside statehouses and office buildings and would detonate in a matter of hours. But no bombs were found.

• The response: At least nine states -- Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi and Montana -- evacuated buildings. The FBI said the email appeared to be a hoax and there was no information indicating a credible threat.

• Big picture: There have been several cases of mass email bomb threat hoaxes in recent weeks, with some targeting synagogues and other Jewish institutions. Officials have also said statehouses could face more threats of violence this election year.

3) Cause of Japanese plane crash under dispute

Military and transportation officials have conflicting stories after a fiery ground collision between two planes in Japan.

• What happened: A Japan Airlines jet collided with a Japanese Coast Guard plane Tuesday on a runway at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. All 379 crew and passengers on the commercial flight evacuated safely; five of six crew members on the military flight died. The plane’s captain survived with injuries.

• The response: Japan’s transport ministry said air traffic control communication transcripts made it clear the military plane never had permission to enter the runway. But the Coast Guard said its pilot said he had received clearance to enter. Runway lights were also said to be damaged.

• Big picture: Tokyo police have launched a criminal investigation alongside aviation probes. About 100 domestic and international flights were canceled after the incident. Japan has faced warnings about air traffic staffing levels for years.

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Quick Tips

U.S. News

• Congressional leaders have made progress on talks to avert a government shutdown, according to New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader. Schumer also said a deal on border security and Ukraine aid is drawing closer (More)

• The first batch of Jeffrey Epstein documents were released by a federal court. Prince Andrew and former President Bill Clinton were among the unsealed names, but no previously unknown information was revealed (More)

• Updated forecasts point toward a major Northeast snowstorm this weekend, the region’s first in several years. Snow will likely be heaviest from New York to Boston (More)

World News

• Argentina has asked the United Kingdom to negotiate over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. The UK has controlled the archipelago for almost 200 years (More)

• Hezbollah's leader said his Lebanon-based militia group does not fear war with Israel. Hasan Nasrallah vowed punishment after an Israeli drone attack killed a top Hamas leader in Beirut (More)

• Russia and Ukraine swapped prisoners of war yesterday, the first known exchange in almost five months. The United Arab Emirates brokered the deal; about 500 prisoners were involved in total (More)

Campaign News

• Nikki Haley’s campaign said it raised $24M in Q4. The former South Carolina governor has surged in GOP primary polls, but still trails former President Donald Trump by a wide margin (More)

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. qualified for Utah's general election ballot. The independent presidential candidate's supporters have vowed to spend millions to gain ballot access nationwide (More)

• Trump has formally appealed his Colorado ballot ban to the Supreme Court. Trump was removed from the state’s ballot on 14th Amendment grounds; he is also appealing a Maine ballot ban to a state court (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed down yesterday after last month’s Federal Reserve meeting minutes indicated interest rate hikes are over, but there is no timetable for rate cuts. The Nasdaq had its fourth straight losing session (Dow -0.76%, Nasdaq -1.18%, S&P 500 -0.80%).

• Xerox announced it will cut 15% of its workforce as part of a reorganization. The layoffs will impact over 3K workers based on past filings with the SEC (More)

• Startup news organization The Messenger laid off about 10% of its newsroom and may run out of money in several weeks. The digital company’s board is reportedly open to ceasing operations (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• ESPN’s Pat McAfee apologized after New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers insinuated late-night host Jimmy Kimmel had ties to sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein during an interview. Kimmel denied Rodgers’ comments and threatened a lawsuit (More)

• Selena Gomez said she may retire from singing after releasing one more album. Gomez indicated she wants to focus on acting moving forward (More)

• Prosecutors dropped three felony sexual assault charges against Jackson Mahomes, the brother of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Jackson Mahomes will still face an unrelated misdemeanor battery charge (More)

Quick Hitters

• Life Hack: We don't have one life hack for you today, or even five. No, Buzzfeed has a new list of 124 hacks to make things easier in 2024. Among them: Using a vacuum to find lost jewelry and a toddler safety tip while at the grocery store.

• Chow Down: The Mediterranean Diet is considered arguably the world’s healthiest approach to eating. Check out some delicious snack ideas that taste good, keep you full and adhere to the program.

• Be Safe: Ford has recalled almost 113K F-150 trucks due to rollaway risk. The recall covers vehicles made between 2021 and 2023; the trucks have a defective rear axle hub bolt that could break, causing them to roll away when parked if the parking brake is not on.

• New Idea: Lab-grown meat is a growing, but still expensive, industry. But what about plants that taste like meat? Moolec Science, a United Kingdom-based company, has begun putting pig genes into soy plants to grow soybeans that taste like pork and also contain animal proteins.

• Drink Better: Data (driven) drinking. If your wines aren’t chosen for you based on an algorithm created by two MIT grads, are you even drinking? Take the Bright Cellars quiz and get custom-curated wine boxes delivered every month.*

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Watch This

Vice recently visited Maine's Mountain View Correctional Facility to examine its unique farm-to-table program, where inmates grow their own meals.

Links

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• Kanye West has worn out his welcome at his favorite Miami hotel 🏨

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• Hershey has been sued over Reese's pumpkins lacking faces 🎃

• Georgia is having issues with gigantic cannibal frogs from Cuba 🐸

• The world's deadliest (but cute!) cat has arrived at a Utah zoo 🐱

• Ryan Gosling is coy about performing I'm Just Ken at the Oscars 🛼

Looking Ahead …

UFOs will once again be a topic of discussion on Capitol Hill. The House Oversight Committee is expected to receive a classified briefing on unidentified anomalous phenomena soon, according to an Axios report. The truth is out there, somewhere.

Question of the Day

Yesterday’s results:

What are your thoughts on Mickey Mouse horror films?

• It feels like an inappropriate abuse of public domain laws (57%)

• Who cares as long as they don’t market to kids (30%)

• I find the concepts amusing and will watch them (7%)

• Congress should work to prevent similar future situations (6%)