Jimmy Carter: 1924-2024

Good Monday morning. If you want to drink a $95 bottle of melted Canadian iceberg water, there is a place to get it. Have a great day.

In Today’s Brief

• Wyoming: Land deal

• Congo: Mystery solved

• West Virginia: Senate delay

• Debt ceiling: Yellen warning

• Greg Gumbel: Dies at 78

... and more

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Top Tips

1) 'Simple decency'

Former President Jimmy Carter died yesterday. He was 100.

• The news: Carter, the longest-living president in history, passed away in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family. He had been in hospice care since February 2023. Carter was predeceased by his wife Rosalynn, who died last year at 96 after 77 years of marriage, and is survived by their four children and their families.

• In office: Carter was a Naval Academy graduate and was governor of Georgia before being elected president in 1976, being swept into office on the heels of Watergate. But the Democrat lost in a landslide to Ronald Reagan in 1980 after a single term plagued by the Iranian hostage crisis, energy shortages and other upheavals. But he also helped broker peace between Egypt and Israel.

• True legacy: Carter became a respected statesman after leaving the Oval Office. He wrote over two dozen books, became the highest-profile supporter of Habitat for Humanity, worked to eradicate diseases and pursued other human rights endeavors. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for the work of his Carter Center.

• Big picture: President Joe Biden said Carter represented "simple decency," leading a chorus of domestic and world leaders honoring the late president. Carter will receive an official state funeral in Washington; there will also be public observances in Atlanta. He will be buried in Plains.

2) Plane tragedy

A South Korean commercial airline crash landed yesterday, killing almost everyone on board.

• The news: A Jeju Air flight from Bangkok skidded off the runway at Muan International Airport, which is about 180 miles south of Seoul. It then slammed into a concrete fence and caught fire. Two crew members survived, but the other 179 people on board the Boeing 737-800 jet died.

• Potential causes: The plane may have had a bird strike. The jet's landing gear also failed to deploy. The plane's black box and flight data have been recovered, but an investigation will likely take months. Officials said the extent of the blaze has made identifying victims difficult

• Big picture: The incident is the deadliest airline disaster of 2024 and one of the worst in South Korean history. It comes as the country continues to be mired in political crisis following the impeachments of President Yoon Suk Yeol and Acting President Han Duck-soo following the former's failed martial law declaration. Choi Sang-mok, the now-acting president and prime minister, took office two days before the crash.

3) Holding call

President-elect Donald Trump thinks he can save TikTok -- or at least wants to try.

• The news: Trump filed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to delay the popular social media app's imminent ban in the U.S. The president-elect told the high court he believes he can strike a deal to keep TikTok online while addressing any national security issues presented by the platform.

• Catch up: President Biden signed a law in April that calls for TikTok to become prohibited on Jan. 19 unless ByteDance, the platform's Chinese parent company, divests its U.S. business. The law's constitutionality is now being challenged. The appeals process has reached the high court; a hearing is scheduled for Jan. 10 with an expedited decision expected soon after.

• Big picture: Trump once called for TikTok's ban, but has since softened his stance. He does not take an opinion on the law's First Amendment implications or merits; the filing only asks the Supreme Court to give his administration time to examine the situation and find a political solution by staying the law before it takes effect.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• Grand Teton National Park is getting bigger. The state of Wyoming sold a $100M square-mile parcel to the National Park Service, ending threats to develop the land (More)

• The oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor died at age 105 of pneumonia. Warren Upton was also the last surviving USS Utah sailor; there are now only 15 living survivors of the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941 (More)

• A dozen people were injured and three firefighters hospitalized after a Florida passenger train collided with a fire engine. The truck may have been responding to an emergency call near Delray Beach; it was unclear if the track's guardrail was down before the incident (More)

World News

• World Health Organization officials said the "mystery disease" plaguing the Democratic Republic of the Congo is likely a combination of known maladies. Covid-19, the flu, malaria, other respiratory infections and acute malnutrition were all mentioned; 48 people have died, mostly young children (More)

• Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized for the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight. But he stopped short of admitting the plane was downed by anti-missile fire over Kremlin airspace, killing 38 of 67 people on board (More)

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent successful prostate removal surgery. He was recently diagnosed with a urinary tract infection from a benign enlarged prostate; he will be hospitalized for several days (More)

Political News

• West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Senator-elect, will delay his swearing-in. The Republican will wait until Jan. 13 to avoid a complicated succession scenario that would see the state have four governors in 10 days (More)

• Retiring New Hampshire Rep. Annie Kuster said she wants to "set a good example" by exiting at 68. The Democrat criticized colleagues who "stay forever" in an interview with The Boston Globe (More)

• Outgoing Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips accused the Democratic Party of being "totally devoid of leadership." He mounted a controversial primary challenge against President Joe Biden earlier this year; Phillips said the party needs a "comprehensive turnaround" in an interview with Politico (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed lower on Friday. The Dow Jones managed to avoid a fourth consecutive losing week despite dropping over 300 points (Dow -0.77%, Nasdaq -1.49%, S&P 500 -1.11%).

• Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the U.S. could default on its debts in mid-January without Congressional action or "extraordinary measures" from her department. The federal debt ceiling may be reached as soon as Jan. 14 after President-elect Trump failed to secure an increase in the recent government funding bill (More)

• Big Lots announced an investment deal to keep hundreds of distribution centers and stores open and prevent layoffs. Gordon Brothers Retail Partners will buy the troubled discount retail chain, which recently said it would close all locations after declaring bankruptcy; its assets will then be dispersed to other retailers (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• Longtime sports broadcaster Greg Gumbel died at 78 of cancer. Cablevision and HBO founder Charles Dolan died at 98; actress and model Dayle Haddon died at 76 of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning (More | More | More)

• The Batman 2 has been delayed again. Script delays have pushed the highly-anticipated film's release date to the fall of 2027; Robert Pattinson will reprise his role as the Caped Crusader (More)

• Scottie Scheffler will miss the start of the upcoming PGA Tour season. The world's No. 1 golfer cut his hand while cooking Christmas dinner and had minor surgery, but should return to play well before The Masters in April (More)

Quick Hitters

• Fun Stuff: There is a good chance you have been doing something simple very wrong. And you are not alone, as evidenced by this list of everyday mistakes.

• Upward Mobility: A law in India allows indigenous communities to apply for ownership of government-controlled land they stake a historic claim to. The legislation has lifted villages out of poverty.

• Go Deep: Sleep quantity is often tied to good health, but some people operate just fine with little rest. Scientists have determined these "natural short sleepers" are genetically wired to do so.

• Take Note: Make sure you check this out before finalizing your menu for tomorrow night. Some dishes are considered bad luck on New Year's Eve, including ones that are natural fits for celebratory occasions.

• Life Hack: Floors can take a beating during this time of year. Here are some helpful tips on removing scuffs caused by dirt, feet, furniture and anything else.

Watch This

America's success story is a rather improbable one.

Links

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• $1.1M of cocaine was found in the Washington state wilderness 🪵

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• Mental health awareness has taken big steps forward ☺️

• Norovirus cases are on the rise 🦠

• All the companies that declared bankruptcy in 2024 📉

Looking Ahead …

Next year is going to be another exciting year for space exploration. Here is a rundown of the missions and studies planned for 2025.

Question of the Day

Friday’s results:

Have you ever won $1K or more playing the lottery?

• No (90%)

• Yes (5%)

• No, but I have won at casinos (5%)