Reporter's Super Bowl Death May Have Been Murder

Good Tuesday morning. Check out these wild photos of famous people throughout history. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

• FBI: JFK records

• Gaza: Ceasefire endangered

• Adams: Charges dropped

• Merck: Acquisition talks

• NBA: Arbitration ruling

... and more

First time reading? Sign up here

Top Tips

1) Foul play?

Louisiana police believe a reporter covering the Super Bowl could have been drugged to death.

• Catch up: Adan Manzano was found dead on Feb. 5 at a hotel in Kenner, about 14 miles outside New Orleans and in the vicinity of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The 27-year-old was a reporter for KGKC Telemundo in Kansas City and Tico Sports; he left behind a young daughter after his wife was killed in a car accident last year.

• The news: Cops have tied a "career criminal" to Manzano's final hours. Danette Colbert was seen going into Manzano's hotel room before he died; the two were reportedly spotted together elsewhere. Police then found his cellphone and credit card in her home. Colbert was arrested and charged with property crimes, but officials believe the case could grow.

• Big picture: Cops said Colbert was involved in at least two other incidents where she was accused of drugging a victim to facilitate theft. They suspect there may be more allegations of similar crimes. Toxicology reports on Manzano's body will likely take weeks.

2) Nerd war

Elon Musk has ratcheted up his feud with Sam Altman.

• The news: An investment group led by the billionaire and Trump Administration fixture has made an unsolicited offer to buy OpenAI. The group has offered $97.4B for the nonprofit that oversees the artificial intelligence giant and ChatGPT maker.

• The reaction: Altman, OpenAI's CEO, rejected the offer on X before making a facetious offer to buy Musk's social media platform for $9.74M. Musk called Altman a "swindler" in a direct response and then called him "Scam Altman" in another post.

• Catch up: Altman and Musk helped co-found OpenAI in 2015. But Musk left in 2019 and has since launched a legal and public relations campaign against Altman. Musk has accused OpenAI of antitrust violations and is trying to block efforts to turn the company into a for-profit business, arguing that goes against its founding principles. Altman wants to make OpenAI for-profit and spin off the nonprofit.

• Big picture: The Altman-Musk battle remains a fascinating subplot to the latter's political emergence leading the Department of Government Efficiency for President Donald Trump. Musk previously blasted the $500B Stargate AI project that Altman and OpenAI are part of and Trump has championed.

3) Sword fall

Romania's president resigned as the Eastern European country descended into further political instability.

• The news: Klaus Iohannis has stepped down amid parliamentary efforts by opposition parties to impeach him. He said he committed no wrongdoing and the push was pointless due to his lame-duck status, but he felt it was in the national interest to leave office and avoid a crisis inside the European Union and NATO member.

• Catch up: Iohannis has already served a maximum of two five-year terms. But his presidency was extended after Romania's Constitutional Court threw out the results of December's presidential vote. Far-right candidate Calin Georgescu surprisingly won the first round; the court then ruled his victory was the product of Russian interference and election violations.

• Big picture: Iohannis will be replaced by Senate speaker Ilie Bolojan, who will have limited powers. The presidential election has yet to be rescheduled, but Romania's coalition government has proposed a May vote. It is unclear if Georgescu, who has made conflicting statements about the Kremlin and the West, will be allowed to remain a candidate.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• The FBI has reportedly uncovered about 2.4K new records tied to President John F. Kennedy's assassination. The documents were found in the declassification review ordered by President Trump; the specific contents remain unknown (More)

• Two planes crashed into each other at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona. One person died and three were injured; Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil appears to own one of the planes, but he is not believed to have been aboard (More)

• Hawaii's high court said insurers cannot sue those blamed for Maui's 2023 wildfire. The ruling allows a $4B settlement deal to move forward; the providers had argued they should be able to take legal action to recoup policy payouts (More)

World News

• Hamas said it will delay its next hostage release, imperiling its ceasefire with Israel. President Trump threatened to halt aid to Egypt and Jordan if they do not accept Palestinians as part of his controversial pitch to clear out the enclave (More | More)

• At least 55 people died when a bus plunged off a bridge in Guatemala City. The vehicle fell about 65 feet and crashed into a polluted ravine, becoming partially submerged in wastewater; there were reportedly some survivors (More)

• The Cook Islands will sign a strategic partnership agreement with China. The South Pacific nation has been closely connected to New Zealand for decades, reigniting concerns about Beijing's ambitions in the region (More)

Political News

• The Justice Department instructed federal prosecutors to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. President Trump issued a full pardon to former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich after commuting his corruption sentence during his first term (More | More)

• Former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel was appointed Ohio's new lieutenant governor. He led Ohio State to a national title and was the president of Youngstown State University; Tressel replaces Jon Husted, who took over Vice President J.D. Vance's Senate seat (More)

• Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr, a Republican, will run for Senate next year. Sen. Mitch McConnell's seat is up for re-election; the former GOP leader has not yet announced his retirement (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed higher yesterday. The Nasdaq jumped almost 200 points (Dow +0.38%, Nasdaq +0.98%, S&P 500 +0.67%).

• Merck is in talks to buy SpringWorks Therapeutics, a U.S. drugmaker specializing in cancer and rare disease treatments. The German healthcare giant said no deal is in place; SpringWorks has a $4B market value (More)

• President Trump ordered 25% tariffs on aluminum and steel imports, effective March 4. The president said there would be no exemptions, but then suggested he is considering a carveout for Australia (More | More)

Entertainment & Sports

• The Minnesota Timberwolves' planned ownership transfer must resume, an arbitration panel ruled. Majority owner Glen Taylor tried to halt a deal to cede control to billionaire Marc Lore and ex-MLB star Alex Rodriguez; the NBA owners still must sign off (More)

• Super Bowl LIX was likely the most-watched in history despite its lopsided score. Fox has projected 126M U.S. viewers saw the Philadelphia Eagles romp over the Kansas City Chiefs (More)

• Fox Corp. acquired Red Seat Ventures. The digital media company notably produces video podcasts hosted by ex-Fox News personalities Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Bill O'Reilly; it will be a standalone property under the Tubi Media Group umbrella (More)

Quick Hitters

• Fun Stuff: Starlink satellite dishes are supposed to bring high-speed internet to remote areas. They also double as $500 heated beds for cats.

• Thank Goodness: A suspicious object was spotted during a playground renovation in England. Officials have since discovered 176 World War II-era bombs under the park -- some that still had a charge -- and expect more to be found.

• Go Deep: A replica of The Simpsons' home was built in Nevada in 1997 and awarded in a sweepstakes. It became a headache for everyone associated with it.

• Real Hero: An elderly man was struggling to cross the street amid fierce winds in Cape Town, South Africa. A taxi driver raced out of his cab to save the day.

• Life Hack: Sleeping on the job may not be a bad thing. Multiple studies have found a workday snooze can enhance focus and memory, among other benefits.

Watch This

India's new $3B mega-dam changes the weather.

Links

• NASA is digging in on the 2032 asteroid ☄️

• Egg purchasing limits are starting to take hold 🥚

• A river in Argentina has turned crimson red 🔴

• School phone bans don't necessarily work 📴

• This tiny-but-hungry bug turns waste into fertilizer 🦟

• Origins of the 'Guess Who?' board game 🙋‍♂️

• Earth's inner core may have changed shape 🌍

• FERPA is not a student loan cheat code 🧑‍💻

• Liechtenstein is set for its first female prime minister 🇱🇮

• That is one way to lose your job 💨

Looking Ahead …

Travis Kelce's NFL future remains in question after the Kansas City Chiefs' ugly Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. But if the future Hall of Fame tight end decides to retire and join girlfriend Taylor Swift in the entertainment world full-time, what would his Hollywood future look like?

Question of the Day

Yesterday’s results:

Should the U.S. have a sovereign wealth fund?

• Yes (59%)

• No (41%)