Peace In The Caucasus

Good Friday morning. Want to improve your memory? Go chew on some wood. No, really, that is what a new study suggests. Have a great weekend.

In Today’s Brief

• Trump Tower: Protest arrests

• Putin: Ceasefire games

• Mayor Pete: 2028 signals

• S&P 500: Correction territory

• MLB: Stadium drama

... and more

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Top Tips

1) End of hostilities

One of the world's longest-running conflicts is set to end.

• The news: Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to a peace deal. The agreement would end almost four decades of fighting between the neighboring former Soviet countries. The deal has not been signed and some hurdles may remain, but Armenia made significant concessions to get to this point after past attempts failed.

• Look back: There have been two wars fought over Nagorno-Karabakh, a Caucasus Mountains region in Azerbaijan controlled by Armenian separatists for years. Azerbaijan seized the territory with a lightning offensive in 2023 and most ethnic Armenians fled soon after. The conflicts began after the Soviet Union collapsed.

• More details: Armenia has agreed to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijani. Azerbaijan said Armenia must revise its constitution to remove references to supposed claims to its territory, something the Armenians deny but appear willing to do. The deal also prohibits third parties from being on the shared border, whether European peacekeeping troops or Russian forces.

• Of note: The peace deal is the latest step in Armenia's pivot away from Russia -- relations have deteriorated since the Kremlin did not intervene in the Azerbaijani operation -- and toward the West; the country is in the early stages of seeking European Union membership.

2) Business as usual

Congress will likely avert a government shutdown today after the Senate's top Democrat flip-flopped.

• The news: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would vote for a Republican stopgap funding bill, a day after he vowed to oppose the House GOP-drawn package. The bill needs 60 votes to advance; Schumer's decision will likely provide cover for the eight or so Democratic votes needed to beat tonight's partial shutdown deadline.

• The rationale: Schumer said supporting the continuing resolution was the best of two bad options. "While the CR bill is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much, much worse," the New Yorker said, claiming Democrats risked giving President Donald Trump "the keys to the city, state and country" if the government shut down.

• The reaction: House Democrats and other party members were furious with Schumer. There was immediate speculation of an effort to draft New York Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez to primary Schumer in 2028. But the decision also illustrated a reality for Democrats: They likely would have been blamed for a shutdown and dealt with the political consequences, so their leverage was limited.

3) Another air scare

An American Airlines flight caught fire at Denver International Airport.

• The news: Engine issues caused the Colorado Springs to Dallas-Fort Worth flight to be diverted. The Boeing 737 jet then landed and taxied before a blaze broke out.

• The response: Emergency slides were deployed to evacuate the 172 passengers and six crew members. A dozen people were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. The fire was eventually extinguished.

• Big picture: It is the latest on-ground commercial airline safety issue in recent weeks, and involving a Boeing aircraft atthat. But data indicates there has not been a rise in safety incidents but rather an increase in media attention when one occurs.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• Almost 100 protesters were arrested during a sit-in at Trump Tower in New York City. They were demonstrating against the recent arrest of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who the State Department is trying to deport for his role in Columbia University's Gaza protests (More)

• A fire at a pharmaceutical executive's New Jersey home is being probed as an arson attempt. No one was injured and the blaze did not cause significant damage; Bayer said the home's owner is one of its officials (More)

• NASA and SpaceX rescheduled a flight to the International Space Station for today. An equipment issue scrubbed Wednesday's attempt; he mission will return home two astronauts who have been unexpectedly stuck in space since last June (More)

World News

• Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed he agreed with a Ukraine-U.S. ceasefire proposal in principle, but indicated he would not sign on without various conditions. Intelligence analysts reportedly believe the Kremlin has no intention of agreeing to a peace deal without major Ukrainian concessions (More)

• Belgian police have launched a corruption probe regarding European Parliament officials taking bribes from Huawei. There have reportedly been several arrests; cops raided the Chinese tech giant's Brussels headquarters (More)

• The Pentagon is exploring military options to maintain U.S. access to the Panama Canal, according to NBC. Most plans involve collaboration with the Panamanian government, but U.S. Southern Command has allowed for the possibility of seizing the waterway by force (More)

Political News

• Pete Buttigieg will not run for governor or the Senate in Michigan next year. The decision is considered a signal the former Transportation Secretary will likely enter the Democratic presidential primary in 2028; he won the Iowa caucuses in 2016 (More)

• Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva died at 77 due to complications from lung cancer treatment. The Democrat served over 20 years in the House and had previously decided not to seek re-election to the reliably blue seat (More)

• The White House withdrew Dave Weldon's nomination to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The former Florida congressman reportedly lacked votes for Senate approval; he has been criticized for past comments about vaccines (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed lower yesterday. The Dow Jones dropped over 500 points; the Nasdaq and S&P 500 are now in correction territory (Dow -1.29%, Nasdaq -1.95%, S&P 500 -1.38%).

• Compass is set to expand its standing as the nation's largest real estate brokerage. The firm is in talks to buy HomeServices of America, the fourth-biggest, from Berkshire Hathaway; the Warren Buffett-led conglomerate rarely sells operating companies (More)

• Donatella Versace stepped down as Versace's creative director. She will be replaced by Dario Vitale, a former Miu Miu design director; the move comes amid reports Prada is aiming to buy the luxury fashion house from parent company Capri Holdings (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• The Tampa Bay Rays pulled out of a new stadium deal with the city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. Major League Baseball is reportedly pressuring owner Stuart Sternberg to sell the ballclub; relocation is also a possibility (More)

• Comcast extended its Olympics media rights deal through 2036, signing a $3B extension with the International Olympics Committee. The media company will also become a strategic partner; the deal adds the 2032 Winter Games in Salt Lake City and the 2036 Summer Games (More)

• There will be an Oasis reunion tour film. It will be directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, who previously created a documentary/concert film hybrid focused on LCD Soundsystem; the exact format of the project is unknown (More)

Quick Hitters

• Feel Good: Remember the teenage singer who forgot the words to the national anthem before a Portland Trail Blazers game in 2003? She got some redemption 22 years later, and the coach who helped her back in the day was there.

• True Crime: A Texas man pretending to work for a professional athlete went to a jewelry store and tried to steal over $700K in diamonds. By swallowing them.

• Go Deep: There are no billboards in space yet, but the technology exists and some firms are working to get them into the stars. Astronomers are fighting for laws to make sure it never gets used, but it will be easier said than done.

• Forever Young: Scientists studied the DNA and microbiome of a woman who died at 117 last year. They discovered her cells functioned as if they were almost 20 years younger and her gut bacteria resembled that of an infant.

• Life Hack: Spring cleaning is right around the corner (if not already underway). Here is some advice on what to fold and what to hang when straightening your closet.

Watch This

Buying a house is much harder than it used to be.

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Looking Ahead …

Nikki Glaser will return as host of the Golden Globes next year. The comedian's debut helming the awards show was well-received earlier this year; she is the only woman to host the event solo.

Question of the Day — Friday Trivia

Yesterday’s results:

Do you own any expensive art?

• No (88%)

• Yes (12%)