South Korea's President Removed From Office

Good Friday morning! More asteroid news: Scientists have discovered the world's oldest impact crater in Australia; the massive dent in the Earth's surface is believed to be about 3.5B-years-old. Have a great weekend!

In Today’s Brief

• Ohio: Teenage hitman

• China: Honeypot avoidance

• Protests: Nationwide plans

• Intel: TSMC deal

• College hoops: Final Fours

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Tossed out

South Korea's Constitutional Court removed impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol from office.

• Catch up: Yoon threw the country into chaos in December when he declared martial law, claiming the opposition-led parliament had paralyzed the government and threats from "anti-state forces" and North Korea. Legislators voted to reverse the decree hours later and then impeached Yoon; he has been suspended since pending the court’s decision to either rubber-stamp the removal or return Yoon to office.

• The decision: Yoon cannot appeal the unanimous ruling; some questioned whether he would attempt to defy the high court. He still faces a trial on criminal insurrection charges. Police were on high alert to prevent violence between clashing anti- and pro-Yoon protesters. 

• Next steps: Prime Minister Han Duck-soo remains the acting president until a new election is held within 60 days. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is considered the favorite, but he has a scandal-plagued past. The new president will need to navigate a budding trade war with the U.S. and counter growing North Korean aggression; Yoon took a hard line against Pyongyang.

2) Wild ride

President Donald Trump's new tariffs package continues to roil the global economy.

• Steep drops: Wall Street saw its biggest losses since the start of the coronavirus pandemic yesterday when trading resumed after Trump's stunning "Liberation Day" announcements. The Dow Jones dropped over 1.6K points and was down close to 4% on the day. The Nasdaq fell over 1K points and was down just under 6%. The S&P 500 fell close to 275 points and slid almost 5%. Futures for all three major indexes were lower last night; global markets were also in freefall. Trump insisted all was "going very well" despite the rout in the markets. 

• Global outrage: World leaders continued to condemn the tariffs and many threatened retaliatory tariffs. French President Emmanuel Macron called on the European Union to pause all U.S. investment. But many countries have been restrained in terms of actual actions against the U.S. in an effort to leave the door open to negotiating with the Trump Administration.

• More confusion: Trump said he was open to talks on the tariffs schedule with all nations, contradicting claims by White House officials that the taxes are not a negotiating ploy. The baseline 10% tariffs do not take effect until tomorrow; the heavier duties kick in on Tuesday. There are also questions about the accuracy and rationale of the algorithm used to set the tariffs.

• Big picture: Trump's tariff policies have been all over the place since he returned to office. He has threatened policies only to pause or reverse them; his rationale for tariffs has also shifted frequently. So this could all calm down. Or there may be a global trade war that sends the U.S. -- and the rest of the world -- into an economic recession.

3) Risky business

An American tourist was arrested for trying to visit an uncontacted indigenous tribe in India.

• The news: Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, was apprehended after illegally sailing to North Sentinel Island, an archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. The Arizona man is accused of blowing a whistle to attract the inhabitants' attention before briefly going ashore and leaving behind a can of soda. He also collected sand samples and recorded a video before leaving.

• Catch up: The Sentinelese have had limited contact with the outside world and are typically hostile to people who approach or land on their island. They killed an American missionary who entered their land in 2018. India has outlawed travel within a certain area of the island for decades and conducts armed patrols to prevent intrusions. Little is knownabout the tribe; it is believed to be about 150 people in size.

• Big picture: Polyakov faces up to five years in prison; he is a YouTuber who previously visited Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. A charity that advocates for tribal people said social media influences like Polyakov have become "a new and increasing threat" to uncontacted peoples like the Sentinelese, endangering all involved.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• An Ohio woman allegedly tried to hire a high school student to kill her husband. The woman worked in an unspecified role at a Columbus-area school; she denies accusations she offered $2K for the contract killing (More)

• Tennessee workplace safety officials said a plastics company was not responsible for worker deaths during Hurricane Helene. Six people were swept away in floods at a factory near the North Carolina border; the state said the company gave employees ample time to evacuate the facility (More)

• Oregon's Crater Lake will be closed for an extended period starting next year. The National Park Service will cut off legal access to the nation's deepest lake until 2029 due to a construction project; visitors can view the lake from afar but only scientists will be permitted to approach it (More)

World News

• U.S. government personnel in China are now banned from romantic or sexual relationships with Chinese nationals. The policy, quietly established by the Biden Administration in January, also applies to family members and contractors with security clearances (More)

• Bulgaria's government survived a parliamentary no-confidence vote led by a pro-Russian party. The motion was driven by plans to adopt the Euro as the national currency next year, almost two decades after joining the European Union (More)

• A $2.4B lawsuit accuses Meta of inflaming violence in Ethiopia during a civil war. The filing was made in Kenya; moderators for the Ethiopian version of Facebook were located in the neighboring African nation at the time of the allegations (More)

Political News

• There will be over 1K rallies nationwide tomorrow protesting President Trump and billionaire advisor Elon Musk. The Hands Off! movement plans to have events in all 50 states, making it the largest single-day demonstration since the president returned to office (More)

• New Hampshire Rep. Chris Pappas will run for Senate next year after fellow Democrat and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen announced her retirement. Former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra will run for governor in the state; the Democrat has also served in Congress and been Health and Human Services Secretary (More | More)

• The Pentagon's Inspector General will investigate Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's role in Signalgate. Trump fired several National Security Council officials after a meeting with conspiracy theorist and far-right activist Laura Loomer (More | More)

Business & Markets

• Intel has tentatively agreed to a joint chipmaking venture with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. TSMC will have a 20% stake in the new company and operate Intel's U.S. factories (More)

• Capital One's $35B takeover bid for Discover received Justice Department approval. The proposed merger of the financial services giants still faces reviews by the Federal Reserve and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (More)

• Stellantis will temporarily lay off 900 workers at five U.S. plants, citing uncertainty over the impacts of President Trump's new tariffs on car imports. The automaker has also paused operations at production facilities in Canada and Mexico (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• The NCAA men's and women's basketball Final Fours are this weekend. The women's national semifinals are tonight in Tampa with the title game on Sunday; the men's semis are tomorrow in San Antonio followed by a Monday night title game (More | More)

• Grey's Anatomy was renewed for a 22nd season. The ABC series is the longest-running scripted primetime show in network history; it is also the longest-running primetime medical drama ever (More)

• CBS will simulcast the MTV Video Music Awards for the first time. The annual event will be held Sept. 7 at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York; both networks are owned by Paramount Global (More)

Quick Hitters

• Feel Good: Melanie Barratt, a 49-year-old Paralympic champion, became the first blind woman to swim the English Channel. And she did it about two hours quicker than expected!

• Be Safe: Tony's Chocolonely Inc. has voluntarily recalled some of its products. The move came after consumers complained about finding "small stones" in their chocolate bars.

• Go Deep: The safety videos airlines play before takeoff tend to be elaborate and often include celebrity cameos. And yes, the production costs are probably worth it for the carriers.

• Take Note: Ronald McDonald has virtually disappeared from all McDonald's marketing in the last decade. Here are the reasons why.

• Life Hack: The best way to cut down on clutter is to throw things out. Experts say you will never regret getting rid of these things.

Watch This

The first trailer for the upcoming The Naked Gun reboot starring Liam Neeson was released. The film hits theaters on Aug. 1.

Links

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• Tattoos are an unreliable marker of gang membership 🚨

Looking Ahead …

The United Kingdom will host the 2035 Women's World Cup. FIFA said Great Britain made the only "valid" bid for the event after a joint effort by Morocco and Portugal failed to materialize. England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will all host games.

Question of the Day — Friday Trivia

Yesterday’s results:

Did you get a RealID yet?

• Yes (60%)

• No (40%)