Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,129 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Biden signs 50 bills

• Indian Ocean tsunami anniversary

• $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot

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Big Story

Passenger Plane Crash

An Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 people.

• Investigators believe the plane was struck by a Russian air defense system while flying near Aktau, Kazakhstan. The Embraer jet had diverted hundreds of miles from its planned route between Baku, Azerbaijan, and Grozny, Russia, possibly due to Ukrainian drone strikes in the region.

• Russia’s aviation authorities suggested that a bird strike might have caused the crash. However, preliminary findings indicate that a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system shot down the plane, with electronic warfare systems disabling its communications. Footage of the crash site shows shrapnel damage to the tail section, supporting this theory.

• The crash occurred amidst heightened tensions in southwest Russia, where Ukrainian drones have targeted areas like Chechnya and Dagestan, leading to increased Russian air defense activity.

Big Story

Bird Flu Kills Big Cats

A bird flu outbreak has struck the Wild Felid Advocacy Center in Shelton, Washington, killing 20 big cats and forcing the sanctuary into quarantine.

• The virus, HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza), was confirmed after some cats showed unknown illnesses in late November. The deaths included African servals, bobcats, cougars, Canada lynx, and other big cat species.

• The sanctuary explained that bird flu spreads through respiratory secretions, contact with infected birds, or eating contaminated food. Big cats are particularly vulnerable, with symptoms progressing quickly and often leading to death within 24 hours from pneumonia-like conditions.

• Meanwhile, related bird flu cases on the West Coast are popping up. A pet food company in Oregon recalled raw and frozen products after bird flu linked to its food killed an indoor cat. Los Angeles County is investigating bird flu deaths in four house cats that consumed recalled raw milk.

Big Story

Biden’s Bills

President Biden signed 50 bills into new laws on Christmas Eve.

• One of the new laws protects kids in treatment centers and care facilities. Paris Hilton visited Congress many times to push for this law called the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act. Both the House and Senate strongly supported it, with the Senate all voting yes and the House voting 367 to 33 in favor.

• A second new law makes colleges report any hazing incidents in their yearly safety reports. This affects all colleges that get federal money. More than half of college students deal with some form of hazing, especially in fraternities and sororities, according to NC State University.

• President Biden also made the bald eagle America's national bird. While the mighty bird has served as the nation's symbol since 1782, appearing on the Great Seal and official US documents, it wasn't officially recognized as the national bird until now.

Quick Stories

US News

• A 68-year-old member of Congress, Annie Kuster, is stepping down to make way for younger leaders. After serving New Hampshire for 12 years, she told the Boston Globe she wants to "set a better example," noting that some older politicians keep their positions forever. (More)

• For the first time since 2009, both New York City and Boston had a white Christmas. National Weather Service forecasters confirmed at least an inch of snow in Central Park on Christmas morning. It’s the fourth official white Christmas in New York since 1983. (More)

• A new Gallup poll shows only 19% of Americans think the country is moving in the right direction at the end of 2024. It's been over 20 years since half of Americans felt positive about the country's direction. The last time even 30% felt optimistic was in the summer of 2021. (More)

World

• A Palestinian TV channel reported that five of its journalists were killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces said the strike targeted "Islamic Jihad operatives posing as journalists" and claimed measures were taken to minimize civilian harm. (More)

• A new Chinese military plane was spotted for the first time on Thursday. The videos and pictures shared online show a large plane with triangle-shaped wings being followed by another Chinese fighter jet. Experts believe it has stealth capabilities. (More)

• Countries across Asia held ceremonies to honor the 227,899 lives lost in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, marking the 20th anniversary of the disaster. The 9.1-magnitude earthquake near Indonesia's Sumatra island triggered waves as high as 100 feet, devastating coastal areas in 15 countries. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed mixed on Thursday (S&P -0.04%, Nasdaq -0.05%, Dow +0.07%). The major indexes were largely unchanged in the holiday-shortened trading week. (More)

• Apple's value is nearing $4 trillion as investors get excited about its upcoming iPhone AI features. Its stock is up 16% since November, putting it ahead of Nvidia and Microsoft in the race to the milestone. (More)

• Mortgage rates have climbed higher, with 30-year loans now at 6.85%, up from 6.72% last week, according to Freddie Mac. It is the highest rate since mid-July and reflects rising bond yields, which banks use to set mortgage rates. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Toledo beat Pittsburgh 48-46 in a record six overtimes at Thursday's GameAbove Sports Bowl, led by Tucker Gleason's four passing touchdowns and one rushing score. It broke the five-overtime bowl record set just two days earlier when South Florida beat San Jose State. (More)

• The Chiefs secured the AFC's top playoff seed with a 29-10 win over the Steelers on Wednesday, finishing the season 15-1. Their record earns them a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. (More)

• Starting January 1, anyone can legally use the original Popeye and Tintin cartoons in their own stories, movies, or other creative works because the copyright protection on the characters is ending. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Medicare’s $2,000 per year prescription drug cap will kick in on Jan. 1st. The new rule comes from the Inflation Reduction Act and will help seniors who need expensive medications for cancer and other serious health conditions. (More)

• OpenAI experienced a major outage on Thursday that took down ChatGPT, Sora, and its developer API for over 4 hours. The issues started at 11 a.m. PT, and services began returning later in the day. ChatGPT had another outage earlier this month. (More)

• Scientists found the earliest known case of the bubonic plague outside Eurasia in an Egyptian mummy from about 3,290 years ago. The disease killed millions across Europe in the 14th century. (More)

Extra Credit

🐋 Killer whale who carried dead calf for 17 days gives birth again.

💰️ Mega Millions jackpot surges over $1 billion.

🍼 Mapping the cost of raising a child in each US state.

🍾 Five great US cities for NYE celebrations.