Sec Def Hospital Cover-Up Rocks DC

Good morning and happy Monday! New York City's snow drought of almost two years continues. Well under an inch of snow fell in Central Park over the weekend. Parts of New York state and New Jersey did have several inches of snow, with some areas getting a foot. So the forecast was not completely wrong. Another storm is on its way across the country, but it should just bring rain by the time it reaches the Big Apple. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

• Congress: Deal to avoid shutdown agreed on

• Europe: Scramble to avoid Orban appointment

• Obama: Concerned about Biden campaign

• Audacy: Radio giant files for bankruptcy

• Golden Globes: Award winners announced

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Biden blindsided by Austin health row

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is under fire after hiding a hospital stay from President Joe Biden and other senior officials.

• What happened: Austin went into the hospital on Jan. 1 due to complications following an elective surgery and was in an intensive care unit. Biden did not find out until Jan. 4, with the Pentagon telling the public on Jan. 5. Kathleen Hicks, Austin's deputy, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken were also in the dark. 

• The response: Austin is out of the hospital and back at work. He apologized for the lack of transparency and said he fully executed his duties for the duration of his stay. The White House said Biden still has complete confidence in him. But Republicans have criticized Austin and said his actions erode trust in the Biden Administration.

• The big picture: Austin is the civilian leader of the defense department and in the presidential line of succession. The U.S. carried out an airstrike on an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq with Austin hospitalized, unbeknownst to the president. The backlash to the situation may not subside quickly.

2) Near-disaster in air

The FAA has grounded brand-new Boeing jets after an Alaska Airlines flight lost part of its main section midair on Friday night.

• What happened: An Alaska Air jetliner made an emergency landing in Oregon after a portion of the fuselage blew out minutes after takeoff. All passengers and crew survived after an emergency landing; no one was in the seats directly near the opened hole, which caused a loss of air pressure in the cabin.

• The response: The FAA has temporarily grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 aircrafts used by all commercial airlines following the incident, pending inspections. The order impacts about 170 planes worldwide. The NTSB said late last night a Portland man had located the missing fuselage plug following a call for the public to assist with the search.

• The big picture: Emergency inspections of the Boeing jets will take some time, likely leading to travel delays. The NTSB's investigation will take several months. Boeing has faced several safety challenges with its jets in recent years.

3) Elon Musk's new controversy: Drug allegations

Executives and board members at Elon Musk's companies are alarmed by the billionaire businessman's use of illegal drugs, according to a report.

• What happened: The Tesla CEO has used drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy and LSD at parties, according to The Wall Street Journal. The report, which also alleged Musk has been under the influence at events and meetings, cites people who have witnessed his drug use. Musk has publicly smoked marijuana and said he has received ketamine treatments.

• The response: Musk did not comment for the story. But his spokesman said he is regularly drug tested and has never failed. The spokesman also said the story contained "false facts," but did not elaborate.

• The big picture: Musk is the world's richest man and owns several major companies, some of which are publicly traded, with $1T in assets and thousands of employees. His use of recreational drugs could have significant ramifications for his businesses. Perhaps the most pressing: It could threaten government contracts held by SpaceX.

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Quick Tips

U.S. News

• Congressional leaders reached a tentative $1.7B deal to avoid a government shutdown. The proposed agreement would fund the government for 2024 (More)

• The White House is considering restrictions on immigration parole to secure a deal on border security and Ukraine aid with Congressional Republicans. The Biden Administration had previously told Democrats it would not make the concession (More)

• NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre will resign at the end of the month after 33 years leading the gun rights group. The NRA said he is stepping down for health reasons; the group faces a civil corruption trial in New York (More)

World News

• Charles Michel will resign as president of the European Council to run for European Parliament. His announcement has sparked fears Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban could temporarily ascend as his replacement (More)

• Iran said it arrested 11 people in connection to bomb attacks last week that injured or killed over 400. The Islamic State claimed credit for the attacks (More)

• London Underground workers have called off a planned strike. Their labor union said enough progress was made on contract negotiations to avoid a work stoppage (More)

Campaign News

• Former President Barack Obama expressed concerns about President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign during a private lunch between the two. Obama reportedly believes the campaign needs more autonomy from the White House (More)

• The Supreme Court will hear an appeal on former President Donald Trump's Colorado ballot ban. Oral arguments have been scheduled for Feb. 8 (More)

• Embattled Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert has been accused of assaulting her ex-husband. Boebert recently said she will seek reelection in a different district after drawing a well-funded Democratic opponent (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed higher on Friday, but their nine-week winning streak still ended after losses earlier in the week. The S&P 500 enjoyed the biggest gain (Dow +0.07%, Nasdaq +0.09%, S&P 500 +0.18%).

• Audacy, the parent company of over 200 radio stations including Los Angeles' KROQ and New York's WFAN and 1010 WINS, will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company said a deal with debt holders will reduce its $1.9B debt by about 80% (More)

• A trial for Berkshire Hathaway’s lawsuit against the Haslam family was abruptly canceled after a settlement was reached; BH accused the Haslams of offering bribes to inflate the value of their remaining stake in a chain of truck stops (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• Barbie was among the Golden Globes winners at last night’s awards show. Host Jo Koy’s opening monologue was largely panned on social media (More)

• Michigan will play Washington for the college football national title tonight in Houston. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN; Michigan is a 4.5-point favorite (More)

• David Soul, who starred as Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson on 1970s detective show Starsky & Hutch, died last Friday at 80. Soul also had successful career as a pop singer (More)

Quick Hitters

• Feel Good: A waitress at a restaurant in New York's Theatre District served a table headed to see Merrily We Roll Along. She mentioned she wanted to see the pricy Broadway show. The diners ensured it happened, leaving her a $500 tip and a note urging her to use it for a seat in the orchestra.

• Be Safe: Charcuterie meats sold at Sam’s Club locations have been recalled for salmonella contamination. At least two dozen people have become sick after eating the meat; people have gotten sick in 14 states and the packages were shipped to at least eight.

• Go Green: Researchers estimate 1B gallons of waste water are produced by distilleries each year. And they believe they have developed a way to repurpose that byproduct of whiskey production into clean energy, pairing the water with nanoscale material to create green hydrogen.

• Self Care: Public health officials have declared loneliness an epidemic-level concern, warning about the mental and physical impacts of isolation. There are different types of loneliness, too, according to experts. Having close family and friends does not preclude you from feeling lonely, and here are some ways to help yourself.

• Life Hack: Many people deal with dry skin, especially in winter. And it is not a vanity issue; doctors say it can lead to well-being issues. The good news: The best ways to treat dry skin also help prevent it.

Watch This

Hulu has released a trailer for Death and Other Details, an upcoming film about a locked-room murder on a cruise ship starring Violett Beane and Mandy Patinkin.

Links

• Examining what that teen beating Tetris says about humankind 🕹️

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• Safe parking lots are being created for people who live in vehicles 🚗

• Meet the Ukrainian judge who also shoots down Russian drones 🇺🇦

• People think gigantic shadow aliens are running amok in Miami 👽

• Scientists discovered a new alligator-like lizard species in Mexico 🐊

• A man ran 242 freestyle marathons on five continents last year 🏃

• Mary Lou Retton breaks her silence after serious health issues 🏅

• Tennis star Rafael Nadal will miss the Australian Open due to injury 🎾

Looking Ahead …

Iraq said it has begun the process of removing a U.S.-led international military coalition from its country. The announcement comes after U.S. airstrikes against a militia with ties to Iran -- an operation Iraq protested vehemently. There are about 2.5K U.S. troops in Iraq and about 900 in neighboring Syria.

Question of the Day

Last week’s results:

Will you watch the Golden Globes?

• No (88%)

• Yes (7%)

• It depends on whether Bills-Dolphins is a good game (5%)