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Supreme Court's Monumental Year Continues

Your unbiased daily news brief

Author

James Kratch
April 16, 2024

Good morning and happy Tuesday. An endangered Bornean orangutan baby was born at Busch Gardens in Tampa over the weekend -- a critical milestone in the effort to save one of the largest ape species. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

  • Protests: Pro-Palestinian wave

  • Singapore: PM stepping down

  • Texas: Cruz foe’s big haul

  • MGM: FTC probe lawsuit

  • CBS: Billy Joel do-over

... and more

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Top Tips

1) High (court) stakes

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case with major implications for Jan. 6 rioters -- and former President Donald Trump.

  • At issue: The justices will consider Fischer v. U.S. today. The case, filed by a Jan. 6 defendant, argues federal prosecutors have improperly applied a law that criminalizes impeding or obstructing an official proceeding with corrupt intent. The statute factors in over 350 cases, including Trump's federal election interference charges.

  • The context: The law is a provision in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which was passed after the Enron financial scandal. It was applied solely in regards to evidence tampering prior to Jan. 6. But federal prosecutors have said it applies since rioters disrupted Congress' ability to certify the Electoral College.

  • Big picture: Violators can face up to 20 years in prison under the statute, a far stiffer punishment than typical for protesters who disrupt Congress. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiff, it could lead to significant legal relief for many Jan. 6 defendants and force the charges against Trump to be dismissed.

2) Strange tragedy

An Ohio man allegedly killed an Uber driver in March after they were both apparent scam victims.

  • What happened: William Brock, 81, has admitted to shooting Loletha Hall, 61, at his home about 40 minutes outside of Dayton. Police have released footage from a camera on Hall's car that shows Brock with a pistol. Brock faces three murder counts along with felonious assault and kidnapping charges; he has pleaded not guilty.

  • The backstory: Brock told cops a man called him, claimed one of his relatives was in jail and threatened him, demanding money. At the same time, the scammer or an accomplice ordered an Uber driver to go to Brock's house and pick up a package. Hall was unaware of the situation when she arrived and inquired about the order. Brock then held Hall at gunpoint and demanded to know who was behind the call. Brock took her phone and shot her three times when she attempted to flee.

  • Next steps: Brock was charged with murder because Hall was unarmed and did not threaten him. Brock also made no effort to call 911 before shooting Hall. Police are investigating the scam call and searching for those responsible.

3) Electric shuffle

Elon Musk's Tesla will see significant layoffs amid recent struggles.

  • The news: The electric vehicle manufacturer will reduce over 10% of its workforce worldwide, according to an internal memo. The cuts are believed to total about 14K jobs. It is Tesla's first headcount reduction since 2022.

  • More context: Musk said "there is nothing I hate more" than layoffs in the memo, but they were necessary to make the company "lean, innovative and hungry for the next growth phase cycle.” Two key executives also left the company.

  • Big picture: It's been a rough road for Tesla. It missed delivery projections by over 10% in Q1 and its stock price is down over 35% in the last six months. Some of the woes can be attributed to supply chain issues in the Red Sea and an arson attack on the company's Berlin factory. But EV interest is waning. And Musk's knack for controversy does not help.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

  • A wave of pro-Palestinian protests led to arrests and snarled traffic nationwide. Demonstrators blocked the Brooklyn and Golden Gate Bridges and roads near Chicago's O'Hare Airport (More)

  • The FBI launched a criminal investigation into the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. It will focus on whether the involved ship's crew knew the vessel was damaged before leaving port (More)

  • The Department of Justice will reportedly file an antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation as soon as next month. The company operates Ticketmaster, which has faced immense scrutiy for its business practices (More)

World News

  • Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will step down next month after 20 years in office. Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will replace him, becoming the fourth leader of the Southeastern Asian city-state (More)

  • Three Hungarian opposition parties have formed a strategic alliance ahead of June's European Parliament and municipal elections. The parties said they will call for a snap domestic election if a majority of voters do not support Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party (More)

  • Russian military trainers have arrived in Niger. The West African country has shifted toward the Kremlin after suspending military cooperation with the U.S. and severing ties with France (More)

Campaign News

  • Texas Rep. Colin Allred raised about $10M in Q1 for his Senate campaign. The Democrat, a former NFL player, is challenging incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz in an underdog run that has garnered national attention (More)

  • Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claims he was approached to be former President Trump's running mate. Kennedy said Trump did not ask directly, but his "emissaries" made contact (More)

  • Trump alleged an "assault on America" as jury selection began in his New York hush money trial. Reporters said Trump appeared to fall asleep during proceedings; a hearing on whether the former president has violated a gag order was set for next week (More)

Business & Markets

  • Major indexes closed down yesterday amid the ongoing Middle East turmoil and continued interest rate speculation (Dow -0.65%, Nasdaq -1.79%, S&P 500 -1.20%).

  • MGM Resorts is suing the FTC to block a probe into a widespread data hack last year. The casino operator claims it is not subject FTC rules since it is not a financial institution (More)

  • Apple's global iPhone shipments dropped 10% in Q1. The tech giant shipped only 50M units; Samsung's smartphone shipments dropped by less than 1% (More)

Entertainment & Sports

  • CBS will re-air its Billy Joel concert special after a "timing error" cut it off before it ended in the Eastern and Central time zones on Sunday night. The program will be broadcast again on Friday at 9 p.m. ET (More)

  • Iowa star Caitlin Clark went to the Indiana Fever with the top pick in last night's WNBA draft. Stanford’s Cameron Brink was the No. 2 selection by the Los Angeles Sparks (More)

  • The opening ceremonies for the Paris Olympics may move because of security concerns. French President Emmanuel Macron said they could shift from the Seine River to the Stade de France; capacity limits for the event have already been curtailed (More)

Quick Hitters

  • Real Hero: A six-year-old English girl saved her family from a house fire earlier this month. Olivia Patterson was playing with a friend where she noticed her home was ablaze; she ran in and woke up her mother and younger siblings.

  • Comeback Trail: Sandhill cranes are returning to the Lake Tahoe basin after disappearing for almost a century. The big birds -- typically four-feet tall with a seven-foot wingspan -- are often compared to dinosaurs.

  • Go Deep: Sheep are helping to drive the green economy. Farmers are paid to have their flocks graze near solar panel farms to keep surrounding grass from growing high and impact operations.

  • New Idea: Researchers at Rice University believe they have developed a skull implant that treats neurological diseases. It is no bigger than a pea.

  • Take Note: How long does wine last after opening a bottle? It depends on what you are drinking, but sooner is usually better.

  • OPTIMIZE ME: Researchers “found convincing evidence that higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, a 48% to 53% higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% greater risk of type 2 diabetes”

Want more health and wellness news? Subscribe to our brand new newsletter, Optimize Me, and start living a healthier life through diet, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness:

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Check out this incredible colorized footage from around the world in 1896.

Looking Ahead …

India's population is booming, and will continue to for decades. The world's largest democracy will have 1.7B citizens by 2075, according to a recent projection. That is almost double the anticipated population of China by then.

Question of the Day

Yesterday’s results:

Have you ever been in an earthquake?

  • Car (59%)

  • Airplane (24%)

  • Boat (a cruise) (9%)

  • Train (8%)