- Tip News
- Posts
- Nature Gone Wild At National Park
Good Wednesday morning. Forget Christmas in July; what about Halloween in July? You can already buy Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins online, and they are expected to hit stores early this year. Have a great day!
In Today’s Brief
Biden: Address tonight
Brazil: Cocaine sharks
Trump: Will debate Harris
Apple: Foldable iPhone
Celine Dion: Olympics return
... and more
First time reading? Sign up here
Top Tips
1) Hot spring summer
Some visitors at Yellowstone National Park caught an unexpected show.
What happened: There was a surprise eruption yesterday in Biscuit Basin, which sits a few miles north of Old Faithful Geyser. The hydrothermal explosion sent dirt, rock, steam and water shooting out of the ground and into the sky, likely after water quickly switched to steam and expanded.
Minimal damage: Videos taken at the time of the eruption indicate several dozen parkgoers were in the vicinity, but no one was injured. The boardwalk built to protect people from the dangerous and fragile grounds was damaged. The National Park Service closed the area due to safety concerns after the explosion.
Big picture: Yellowstone and U.S. Geological Survey officials stressed the explosion does not indicate a volcanic eruption is imminent. While these incidents are rare, they are not unprecedented. Yellowstone saw similar events in 1989 and 2009 and had a smaller one earlier this year.
2) Hit the road
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned following her disastrous public hearing while alarming new information about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump was revealed.
Stepping down: Cheatle was initially defiant in the face of immense bipartisan pressure, but she gave in yesterday amid growing outrage. Deputy Director Ronald Rowe Jr. will be the acting director; President Joe Biden said he plans to appoint a new permanent leader soon. Lawmakers have begun work on a bill that would make the USSS director role one that requires Senate approval.
The latest: Pennsylvania's top cop told the House Homeland Security Committee that two local officers left a position with a sightline on gunman Thomas Crooks' perch to search for the 20-year-old after he was identified as a suspicious individual. State Police Commissioner Christopher Paris also confirmed Crooks fired eight shots and said a local cop's confrontation with Crooks happened minutes, and not seconds, before he fired on Trump. Paris said the USSS was informed of on-site reports about Crooks before the shooting.
Next steps: FBI Director Christopher Wray will deliver testimony before the House Judiciary Committee today (it was scheduled prior to the incident). Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will create a bipartisan task force to investigate the assassination attempt. The USSS reportedly asked Trump to stop holding outdoor rallies.
3) Unexpected undercard
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of (a rather preoccupied) Congress.
The speech: Netanyahu will aim to reassert his domestic leadership and reemphasize Israeli's ties to the U.S. as the war against Hamas in Gaza heads toward its 10th month. Capitol Hill will be largely shuttered today in anticipation of mass protests; many Democrats will boycott the address.
Strange timing: The prospect of a Netanyahu visit has been controversial for months. But its potency is greatly diminished following the double-whammy of the assassination attempt on former President Trump and President Biden's decision to stand down for Vice President Kamala Harris. The war, and the Biden Administration's support, still drive internal strife inside the Democratic Party.
Meetings and calls: Netanyahu will have private meetings with Biden, Harris and lawmakers during his visit. He is also expected to trek to Mar-a-Lago and sit down with Trump, who has been critical of Israel's war approach at times and had a falling-out with Netanyahu after the 2020 election.
Record breaker: This will be Netanyahu's fourth time addressing a joint session, pushing him past late former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill for the most by a foreign leader.
Quick Tips
U.S. News
President Biden will address the nation tonight at 8 p.m. ET, his first public comments since ending his re-election bid. He returned to Washington yesterday after several days in COVID-19 isolation at his home in Delaware (More)
The U.S Army determined there were "multiple failures" before a reservist committed a mass shooting in Maine last year. Three officers were considered "derelict in their duties" for ignoring procedures related to the gunman and his mental state, according to an internal military report (More)
Several state health departments have detected an uptick of West Nile virus in mosquitoes. The number of infections nationally is down almost 80% YoY, but health officials are urging precautions against the potentially deadly virus (More)
World News
Sharks off the coast of Brazil are testing positive for cocaine. Scientists believe water containing the excrement of drug users or runoff from illegal laboratories may be responsible (More)
Over 200 people have died due to mudslides in Ethiopia. Heavy rains in a remote region of the African nation caused the disaster; children, women and rescue crews were among the deceased (More)
Hamas, Fatah and a dozen other Palestinian groups signed a "national unity" agreement brokered by China. The pact, finalized at a three-day summit in Beijing, calls for an interim coalition government in post-war Gaza (More)
Campaign News
Former President Trump said he plans to debate Vice President Harris and is open to more than one debate. President Biden and Trump had agreed to a Sept. 10 debate on ABC; the former president has expressed displeasure with the network and called for Fox News to host a debate (More)
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez will resign on August 20, about four months before his term expires. The longtime Democratic lawmaker said he will appeal his federal corruption conviction; Gov. Phil Murphy said he will appoint a short-term replacement (More)
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will mount another California gubernatorial run in 2026. The moderate Democrat finished a distant third in the state's 2018 jungle primary; current Gov. Gavin Newsom will be term-limited (More)
New polls: Harris 44, Trump 42 (Reuters); Trump 47, Harris 45 (Morning Consult); Harris 46, Trump 46 (Yahoo)*; Trump 46, Harris 45 (NPR)**
* -- Trump leads by 2 with third-party candidates
** -- Harris and Trump are tied with third party candidates
Business & Markets
Major indexes closed slightly lower yesterday. Tesla reported weaker-than-expected Q2 earnings after the bell (Dow-0.14%, S&P 500 -0.16%, Nasdaq -0.06%).
Apple will reportedly release a foldable iPhone as soon as 2026. The tech giant is said to have contracted Asian suppliers to develop the device's components; it would be the most significant design revamp since the smartphone was first released in 2007 (More)
An Israeli cyber-security firm rejected a $23B takeover offer from Google's parent company. Wiz said it will pass on a deal with Alphabet and focus on reaching $1B in revenue to facilitate an IPO; it would have been Google's largest acquisition ever (More)
Entertainment & Sports
Celine Dion will perform at Friday's opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics. The reported $2M gig will be the singer's first since she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome in 2022; Dion also sang at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta (More)
The NFL and NFLPA have had "high-level talks" about expanding the regular season to 18 games. Commissioner Roger Goodell has advocated for the extra game, which would move the Super Bowl to President's Day Weekend (More)
Andy Murray will retire from tennis after representing Great Britain at the Paris Games in singles and doubles. The 37-year-old is a three-time major tournament winner and was the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years (More)
Quick Hitters
Feel Good: People shared the best thing another person has ever done for them. Reading this rundown is an instant pick-me-up.
Take Note: Exercise is undoubtedly crucial to your health, but so are relationships. A new book examines how your friendships and social network impact your well-being.
Go Deep: Competitive eaters don't just show up to eat hot dogs in Coney Island on July 4. This first-person essay digs into what life is like when gorging is your hobby.
Green Thumb: You don't need much land to grow plants and produce. Here are a few easy steps to create a container garden.
Life Hack: How often should you wash your bedsheets? You are likely better off doing it much more frequently than currently, according to experts.
Watch This
The latest trailer for Joker: Folie A Deux is out. The film will be released in theaters on Oct. 4.
Links
Car repossessions are on the rise this year 🚗
The Olympics have inspired some incredible architecture 🏟️
Nestle has revived a legendary British candy bar 🍫
Step into an iconic American painting 🖼️
This emoji has become a digital diss 👍
When the VPOTUS wrote a hit song 🎶
These space telescope photos are stunning 📸
Seasonal depression can also happen in the summer 😔
How caffeine is removed from decaf coffee ☕️
Everything you need to know about sunscreen🧴
Looking Ahead …
The U.S. will attempt to end the ongoing civil war in Sudan. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has invited the African nation's warring factions to ceasefire talks in Switzerland next month. Saudi Arabia will also facilitate the negotiations.