TikTok's Reckoning May Be Here

Good morning and happy Friday! Zoo Atlanta has announced its own version of March Madness: A bracket competition with a multi-round vote to determine the name of its newborn baby rhino. Have a great weekend!

In Today’s Brief

• Texas: Wildfire cause revealed

• UK: Snap election still on table

• No Labels: Full steam ahead

• Aldi: $9B expansion plan

• Mike Tyson: Stunning comeback

... and more

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Top Tips

1) TikTok trouble

Outraged social media users lit up the Capitol Hill switchboard yesterday, but to no avail.

• What happened: A House committee unanimously advanced a bipartisan bill to force TikTok's Chinese parent company to divest the app. If ByteDance does not comply, the platform -- which many say is a serious national security threat -- could be banned in the U.S.

• The pushback: The legislation was unanimously advanced after TikTok rallied users to call their representatives in protest. The company claimed a ban is pre-determined and it would stifle the free speech of 170M American users and damage businesses and careers.

• Big picture: The House could hold a full vote next week, and the White House has indicated that President Joe Biden would sign the bill. The clock is clearly ticking on ByteDance and the country's fastest-growing social media app.

2) Pier pressure

The U.S. will construct a temporary port in Gaza to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery into the war-torn enclave.

• The plan: Biden announced the move during his State of the Union address last night after it was leaked to the press earlier in the day. A maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza will supplement aid deliveries by air and land. Ships will dock on the Mediterranean Sea coast to deliver food, medicine, water, and other assistance.

• Wet feet: Biden pledged he would not send troops into Gaza. Administration officials said the military can build the port without entering the enclave. The port will be operational in several weeks.

• Big picture: Biden is taking action to get more aid into Gaza as Israel faces criticism for limiting the flow of assistance -- and as the president faces sustained pressure inside his party for his support of the Israelis' five-month war against Hamas.

3) What about Bob?

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s independent presidential bid is garnering renewed interest as focus shifts to the general election.

• Ballot access: Kennedy is closing in on access in close to 10 states including Arizona, Georgia and Nevada — all swing states. And if he pursues the Libertarian nomination -- he and the party have flirted with the idea -- he will have automatic access across the nation.

• The polling: Kennedy's numbers have varied in various national polls, but he has approached or exceeded 15% in some. That is the threshold for third-party candidates to participate in presidential debates, although President Biden has not committed to participating this fall.

• Big picture: Kennedy has stumbled with a handful of controversies and gaffes, but he could be a factor with two unpopular major party candidates. Democrats fear he could swing the election to former President Donald Trump, but polls indicate he also takes votes from the GOP.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• Xcel Energy said its power lines appear to have sparked the largest wildfire in Texas state history. The Smokehouse Creek fire has burned 1.7K miles, destroying homes and livestock (More)

• A New York judge ordered the names of jury members in former President Trump's upcoming Stormy Daniels hush money trial be kept secret. Jury selection will begin on March 25 (More)

• Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson was demoted by the Navy due to misconduct while serving as the White House doctor. Jackson retired as a rear admiral; he has since been bumped to captain (More)

World News

• UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak refused to rule out a snap general election in May. Sunak would need to dissolve Parliament by March 26 for the vote to coincide with local and mayoral contests (More)

• A U.S. Army intelligence analyst is accused of selling national defense secrets to China. Sgt. Korbein Schultz allegedly received $42K for documents related to Taiwan and other sensitive information (More)

• A man murdered a mother, four children and their family friend in Ottawa, Canada. The alleged killer and the family are Sri Lankan nationals; the woman's husband survived the knife attack (More)

Campaign News

• No Labels will likely move forward with fielding a presidential candidate. The group is expected to vote to launch a campaign today, but will not choose candidates yet (More)

• Indicted New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez has reportedly decided not to seek re-election. Menendez has refused to resign despite facing close to 20 bribery and obstruction charges (More)

• The Biden Administration will give former President Trump intelligence briefings once he secures the GOP nomination. Trump faces federal prosecution for mishandling classified information (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed higher yesterday. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 both rose to record closes (Dow +0.34%, Nasdaq +1.51%, S&P 500 +1.03%).

• Aldi announced a $9B plan to open 800 new U.S. stores by 2029. The German grocer said it wants to add stores in the Midwest and Northeast while expanding in the West (More)

• Nationwide Building Society has struck a $3.7B deal to buy Virgin Money. The proposed merger would create the UK's second-largest mortgage and savings group (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• Former world heavyweight Mike Tyson will fight YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul this summer outside Dallas. Netflix will carry the event; Tyson will be 58 and has not fought in 19 years (More)

• The Academy Awards are Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Oppenheimer is the heavy favorite to win Best Picture; the film will likely garner several acting honors as well (More)

• Mayim Bialik and Jim Parsons will reprise their The Big Bang Theory roles on the series finale of Young Sheldon. The episode will air May 16; the plot involvement of the Amy Farrah Fowler and Sheldon Cooper characters is unknown (More)

Quick Hitters

• Real Heroes: A Chicago bus driver and passenger saved over a dozen lives. They pulled 14 people out of two burning homes in the middle of the night earlier this week.

• Critical Thinking: An elephant at the Oakland Zoo received a hollowed pumpkin full of frozen coconut water. He used trial and error to get his treat.

• Be Safe: Sargento brand cheese is now included in the ongoing listeria outbreak recall. The cheese maker said the supplies were y sold to business customers.

• Go Deep: There are many examples of identical twins that turned to crime. Is it nature or nurture? Or both?

• Life Hack: Spring is right around the corner. Here is a rundown on how to finally get your garage organized.

• 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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Looking Ahead …

The U.S. women's soccer national team will play Brazil in the inaugural W Gold Cup final on Sunday night in San Diego. The tournament crowns the champion of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Question of the Day

Yesterday’s results:

Will you watch the State of the Union?

• No (73%)

• Yes (27%)