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South American Crime Ring May Be Targeting Sports Stars
Your unbiased daily news brief
James Kratch
November 21, 2024
Good Thursday morning. This is a fascinating compilation of the American traditions many believe will eventually disappear. Have a great day.
In Today’s Brief
Texas: Trump offer
Baltic Sea: Chinese suspicion
Gaetz: Ethics impasse
Nvidia: Revenue leap
WNBA: Expansion bid
... and more
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Top Tips
1) International incidents
A South American crime ring may be targeting professional athletes.
The news: ABC News reported detectives in several states are probing a wave of high-profile home burglaries involving sports stars. While local culprits have not been ruled out given the players' very public work schedules, authorities believe the crimes may be tied to international groups.
The incidents: Kansas City Chiefs stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes have had their homes broken into in Kansas and Missouri, respectively, in recent weeks. Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis' Wisconsin home was also burglarized, as was Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley's Minneapolis home.
Big picture: Evidence in each incident is still being pieced together. But the break-ins reportedly has similarities to South American crime rings that have targeted residential homes and retail stores in wealthy communities in California, Colorado and elsewhere.
2) Battlefield reversal
President Joe Biden has taken another controversial step to boost Ukraine.
What happened: The Pentagon will supply Ukrainian forces with anti-personnel landmines as they try to slow advancing Russian forces. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the U.S. reversed its policy on the weapons after the Kremlin changed its battlefield tactics, relying more on troop pushes given Ukrainian success with drone attacks on armor. The change comes after Biden gave Kyiv the green-light to use long-range U.S. missiles in Russian territory.
The pushback: Humanitarian organizations and anti-landmine groups have criticized the U.S. decision. Human Rights Watch called it "a "shocking and devastating development." Landmines are not illegal under international law, but over 160 countries -- including Ukraine -- is a signatory to a 1997 treaty banning their use. The U.S. is not a signatory.
Key context: Ukraine has maintained its application of the treaty was not guaranteed in occupied territories dating back to Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. The Pentagon said its landmines are "non-persistent" and no longer detonate once they lose a charge after a set period; they will also be deployed away from populated areas and only in Ukrainian territory. But some critics say the landmines still pose a danger to civilians.
Big picture: NATO members are growing concerned about Russian escalation following Biden's policy shifts (the United Kingdom has also reportedly signed off on its long-range missiles striking Kremlin territory). But the moves come as Biden is trying to give Ukraine a chance to regain momentum in the waning days of his presidency.
3) Bathroom ban
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson took a stand on Capitol Hill's latest controversy.
Catch up: South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican, generated controversy by calling for transgender women to be barred from bathrooms that match their gender identity. She acknowledged her call was a response to incoming Delaware Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride, who will be the first openly transgender member of Congress.
The news: Johnson announced "all single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings ... are reserved for individuals of that biological sex." But he also said "it is important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol."
Big picture: Johnson, who had previously side-stepped the furor, did not explain how his rules would be enforced. McBride and Democrats have criticized the rules, but she said she would respect them. Mace has said her stance is informed by her experiences as a rape victim. She has since proposed a bill that would ban transgender women from facilities that align with their gender identity in all federal buildings.
Quick Tips
U.S. News
Texas has offered 1.4K acres to build federal deportation facilities. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham made the proposal for the plot of land along the southern border near Rio Grande City in a letter to President-elect Donald Trump (More)
An undocumented migrant was found guilty in the high-profile murder of a Georgia college student. Jose Ibarra was convicted on 10 charges and faces life in prison without parole; the death of Laken Reilly became a national story and a presidential campaign topic (More)
Four New York college students were arrested for raising antisemitic posters. A fifth University of Rochester student is under investigation; campus police said the suspects will face felony criminal mischief charges, but the alleged crimes currently do not meet hate crime criteria (More)
World News
A Chinese cargo ship may have been involved in the alleged sabotage of two Baltic Sea communications cables. The vessel is being monitored by the Danish Navy; it recently left a Russian port and was near the cables when the incidents occurred (More)
Australia and Turkey are battling to host a key United Nations climate summit in 2026. The question of limiting global heat is expected to dominate COP31, Brazil is already set to host COP30 next year (More)
Mali's military junta fired the country's prime minister and government. The West African nation has been under military control since 2020; the junta has refused to follow through on a 2022 pledge to hold elections and transition back to civilian control (More)
Political News
The House Ethics Committee did not reach an agreement on releasing its reports into former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz after votes on party lines. The group is expected to meet again next month and could still open its findings regarding the attorney general nominee, who was investigated for sexual misconduct and drug abuse (More)
Ohio Rep. Marcy Kaptur has secured re-election, extending her tenure as the House's longest-serving female member. The Democrat, 78, will begin her 22nd term next year representing the Toledo-anchored 9th Congressional District (More)
President-elect Trump nominated former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to be U.S. Ambassador to NATO. The ex-U.S. attorney and college football player's foreign policy views are unknown, but he has expressed support for Ukraine in the past (More)
Business & Markets
Major indexes closed mixed yesterday. The S&P 500 was flat while awaiting Nvidia's Q3 earnings report; the artificial intelligence firm's revenue nearly doubled (Dow +0.32%, Nasdaq -0.11%, S&P 500 +0.00% | More)
FTX co-founder Gary Wang avoided prison time for his role in the cryptocurrency exchange's collapse. The former technology chief cooperated with the government; Archegos Capital Management founder Bill Hwang received an 18-year prison sentence following a fraud conviction (More | More)
Ford will lay off roughly 4K workers in Europe by 2027. The automaker will reduce its workforce in the region by about 14%; the cuts are driven by slowing electric vehicle demand and competition from Chinese rivals (More)
Entertainment & Sports
Cleveland has launched a formal bid for a WNBA expansion team, 21 years after the city's Rockers folded. The group is led by Dan Gilbert, who owns the NBA's Cavaliers; the league needs one more franchise to hit its goal of 16 teams in 2028 (More)
Gabriel Macht will reprise his Harvey Spector role in the upcoming Suits spinoff. He is slotted to play the corporate attorney in a three-episode arc on Suits: LA, which will premiere in late February on NBC (More)
A ex-Virginia football player pleaded guilty to the 2022 murders of three former teammates. A fourth player and a student were wounded in the on-campus incident; the man faces life in prison and will be sentenced next year (More)
Quick Hitters
Feel Good: A Michigan high school's cheerleaders visited an assisted living facility to perform with a 97-year-old alumna, 80 years after she had helped found the team.
Take Note: Getting a breath of fresh air can feel refreshing for a reason. Researchers say it is possible to absorb nutrients and vitamins from natural air.
Go Deep: A man traveled from Egypt to Japan without stepping on a plane. Here is how he pulled it off and trekked almost 29K miles in nine months.
True Devotion: A woman died from injuries suffered in a fall when it took too long to reach a doctor from her village in rural India. Her widower then spent 22 years manually carving through a mountain to create a shorter route to the closest hospital.
Cooking Hacks: You can rescue hardened brown sugar by placing a whole lemon inside its airtight container; here are several more smart kitchen tips.
Watch This
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Looking Ahead …
Project Hyperion has launched an international design competition and is calling on concepts for massive multi-generational spaceships that could sustain and transport humans on long-haul space journeys. The winning pitch will get a $10K prize.