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Bird flu, House speaker vote, and a pumpkin boat.
Adam Rogers
October 12, 2023
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U.S. News, Politics, & Government
U.S. raises Israel advisory to Level 3 — reconsider travel
The U.S. State Department raised its advisory for Israel on Wednesday to “Level 3 — Reconsider Travel” due to the war with Hamas. The department is exploring options to facilitate U.S. citizen travel to nearby countries. It also said that commercial flight were available for American citizens who want to leave Israel. Travel to Gaza remains a “Level 4 — Do Not Travel.” (More)
House GOP picks Steve Scalise as speaker nominee
House Republicans voted to select Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana as their nominee for speaker, but it is unclear if he can lock down the votes needed to win the role. The final vote tally was 113 for Scalise and 99 for GOP Rep. Jim Jordan — which means Scalise fell well short of the 217 votes needed to win the speakership in a full vote on the House floor. (More)
White House blasts Putin for failure to condemn Hamas
The White House issued a scalding response to Vladimir Putin’s claim that U.S. policy is to blame for the Hamas attack, saying the Russian president “has no credibility when it comes to the loss of innocent life.” Together with China, Russia is one of the only non-Muslim countries that has not condemned Hamas, despite the close relationship Putin has built with Israeli leaders. To make matters messier, Russia has grown increasingly dependent on Iran — which funds Hamas — for military drones used to attack Ukraine. (More)
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World
Israel bombs south Lebanon after Hezbollah rocket fire
Israel is now fighting battles on multiple fronts. Lebanese militant group Hezbollah launched a fresh rocket attack on Israel Wednesday, to which the Israelis responded by shelling southern Lebanese towns. Tens of thousands of troops have been deployed to the northern border of Israel to shore up defenses. Israel said they are ready and vigilant on their border if Hezbollah tries to attack. An Israeli Defense Force spokesperson also said they have detected rockets being fired from Syria, although they don’t know who is responsible. (More)
Australian journalist Cheng Lei released from China
Journalist Cheng Lei returned home to Australia after being released from three years of detention in China. She was reunited with her two children and family in Melbourne on Wednesday. The former anchor for Chinese state broadcaster CGTN was arrested in 2020, and charged with “supplying state secrets overseas.” China’s Ministry of State Security said in a statement that Ms. Cheng had been deported after serving her full sentence. It also said she pleaded guilty to the charges. (More)
Panama, Costa Rica agree to a plan to speed migrants passing through from Darien Gap
Panama and Costa Rica announced a plan to quickly bus thousands of migrants through Panama to the Costa Rican border. Large smuggling operations in Colombia that take migrants through the Darien Gap trail have overcrowded shelters in Panama. The countries hope the new plan will disrupt the smuggling networks. However, the expedited bus service will likely reduce the overall amount of time it takes for migrants to arrive at the U.S. border, which is also struggling with overcrowding. (More)
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Business & Economy
Daily stock market update
U.S. stock markets closed higher on Wednesday (S&P +0.43%, Nasdaq +0.71%, Dow +0.19%) ~ The three major averages had their fourth straight winning day as Treasury yields continue to fall. (More)
Exxon acquires Pioneer Natural Resources for $60 billion
Exxon Mobil agreed to buy U.S. rival Pioneer Natural Resources for $60 billion. The deal will make Exxon the biggest producer in the largest U.S. oilfield. The company aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions and increase oil output per well by combining its technology with Pioneer’s lower cost of operations. (More)
LVMH shares plunge after luxury giant reveals sharp slowdown in sales growth
Shares of LVMH fell as much as 8% on Wednesday after the luxury goods empire said that revenue growth in the third quarter was much slower than in the first half of the year. It also posted earnings that showed sales were returning to pre-pandemic norms, signaling an end to three years of rapid growth fueled by consumer demand. That strength has driven a 65% rise in the firm’s stock since 2020. (More)
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Sports & Entertainment
MLB Postseason update:
The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves 10-2 to go up 2-1 in the series. ~ In the second game, the Houston Astros beat the Minnesota Twins to finish out the series. They will move on to face the Texas Rangers in the American League Championship. ~ And the Arizona Diamondbacks finished off Los Angeles, sweeping the Dodgers 3-0 to move on to the National League Championship. (More)
Mary Lou Retton 'continues to fight' rare form of pneumonia in ICU
Mary Lou Retton, the first American woman to win all-around gymnastics gold at the Olympics, is “fighting for her life” with a serious illness. Retton has a very rare form of pneumonia and can’t breathe on her own. She remains an American gymnastics icon for her win at the 1984 Olympics. Having undergone knee surgery only five weeks prior, Retton needed a perfect 10 on her final vault and stuck the landing to beat Ecaterina Szabo of Romania. (More)
Disney hikes theme park prices on heels of $60 billion parks investment
Disney announced immediate price hikes on certain tickets and passes on Wednesday. Single and multiday tickets will increase anywhere from $5 to $65 at Disneyland in California. And annual passes at Disney Orlando will rise between $30 and $50. The company also had some good news. The park hopper pass will be valid all day beginning Jan. 9. Previously, attendees had to wait until 2 p.m. to switch between parks. (More)
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Science, Health, & Tech
NY officials announce legislation aimed at protecting kids on social media
New York state leaders announced two new bills to protect children’s mental health online by changing the way they are served content on social media and by limiting companies’ use of their data. The “Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act” would allow users under 18 and their parents to opt out of receiving feeds driven by algorithms designed to keep them on the platforms for as long as possible. The bill would also enable users and parents to block access to social media platforms between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. or limit the total hours per day a minor can spend on a platform. (More)
NASA reveals historic asteroid sample — and it contains key building blocks of life
NASA has released the findings from a sample that was collected from a 4.5 billion-year-old near-Earth asteroid in October 2020. The rocks and dust contain water and large amounts of carbon, as well as other organic matter that is essential for all life. The material could reveal the history of how the asteroid formed and evolved over time. (More)
Deadly bird flu detected in U.S. commercial poultry flocks in two states
Officials have detected traces of highly pathogenic bird flu in commercial poultry flocks in South Dakota and Utah. The flocks will have to be killed “or culled” to prevent further spread of the disease. These detections are the first cases of bird flu in a U.S. commercial flock since April. Migration season is just starting, and more cases are almost certain. Forced culling in commercial poultry flocks drives up the price of poultry products, especially chicken eggs. (More)
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Bonus Material
A man broke the world record for longest journey by pumpkin boat.
Check out the 2023 panoramic photo awards. (More)
How often should you wash your jeans?
San Francisco restaurants will fine brunch vomiters.