GOVT shutdown, emergency landing, and a dangerous toilet.

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Big Stories

Congress strikes deal to avoid government shutdown

Congressional leaders have agreed on a spending plan to fund the federal government throughout 2024.

• Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) shared the details in a letter, stating that the plan allocates $1.590 trillion for fiscal 2024. The funding includes $886 billion for the Pentagon, with $704 billion allocated for non-defense spending. The step was crucial to avoid a government shutdown later this month.

• The agreement comes as both the House and Senate return from a holiday break, facing a two-part government funding deadline. The first part expires on Jan. 19, and the second on Feb. 2. Earlier, the House and Senate had contradicting spending bills, but with this agreement, they can work together to sort out the differences and pass appropriations before the deadlines.

• Johnson sees it as a favorable agreement, allowing Republicans to fight for conservative policy wins. President Biden supports the bipartisan framework, stating it rejects deep cuts to essential programs. He also urged Republicans to pass additional funding for Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, and border security. Democrats emphasize they won't support "poison pill policy changes" in the 12 individual appropriations bills.

Some Boeing 747 planes grounded after fuselage blowout

Federal officials have ordered the immediate grounding of some Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners following a blowout on an Alaska Airlines plane that caused a hole in the fuselage.

• The emergency exit door and panel of an Alaskan Airlines plane ripped off after takeoff three miles above Portland Friday night, forcing the crew and 171 passengers to put on oxygen masks. Officials said it was extremely fortunate that the plane hadn’t reached cruising altitude when passengers and crew might have been walking around the cabin. No one was injured during the 13-minute return to the Portland airport.

• Around 171 planes globally will be grounded until they undergo inspections which will take up to eight hours each. Alaska Airlines has inspected and cleared 18 planes, with the rest to be checked in the coming days. The plane involved in the incident was newly built, having rolled off the assembly line two months ago.

• Boeing has had several issues with its Max models in recent years. The 737 Max model faced a global grounding after fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 but made a return to service after Boeing made changes to an automated flight control system responsible for the crashes. Manufacturing flaws have also interrupted Max deliveries, and airlines are often instructed to inspect for potential issues.

Extreme weather trending in January

The storm system that hit the Northeast this weekend kicked off a series of extreme weather events that will hit the lower 48 in January.

• Parts of New England are buried under a foot of snow as the weekend’s storm winds down. However, its departure is triggering a low-pressure weather event that will cause temperatures to drop rapidly, leading to another round of heavy snowfall in parts of the Northeast.

• Meanwhile, the National Weather Service is tracking a storm developing in the Gulf that will bring blizzard conditions to parts of the Central Plains and Midwest, including St. Louis and Chicago. The same weather system is predicted to bring excess rains to the South East causing flooding in coastal regions and potentially stirring up tornadoes in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

• The upcoming Midwest blizzard will bring freezing air, possibly dropping temperatures 50°F below normal across the Plains and West. The extreme cold is likely to spread across most of the Lower 48 states in the next 10 days as well. Heavy snow is expected followed by another major storm moving from the Gulf of Mexico to the Midwest to the East Coast in mid-January.

Little Stories

• Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is facing criticism from members of Congress for the lack of transparency around his recent hospitalization. Congressional leaders from both parties are demanding answers, creating pressure on the Pentagon to cooperate. The controversy escalated after the Pentagon spokesperson revealed on Friday that Austin was admitted to Walter Reed Hospital on Jan. 1 for complications following an elective medical procedure. (More)

• The Israeli army has successfully taken down Hamas' leadership in northern Gaza, according to spokesperson Daniel Hagari. Around 8,000 militants have been killed in the region, leaving the area with unorganized militant activity without commanders. Israel will now shift its focus to destroying Hamas in south and central Gaza. (More)

• Audacy, a major radio and podcast company, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Texas to cut its debt. The restructuring plan aims to reduce its total debt from about $1.9 billion to approximately $350 million, allowing the Philadelphia-based company to address its financial challenges. Audacy is the largest U.S. radio company and owns numerous radio stations, including WFAN Sports Radio, New York’s 1010 WINS, and KCBS. (More)

• The Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 17-9, securing the NFC's No. 7 seed in the playoffs. With the win, they eliminated the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints from the postseason. The Packers will join the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Los Angeles Rams in the NFC playoff bracket. (More)

• The 81st Golden Globe Awards took place in Beverly Hills, California, launching the 2024 Hollywood awards season. Major winners included Oppenheimer, Succession, and The Bear. Despite receiving nine nominations, Barbie only secured two wins. (More)

Extra Credit

The world’s largest cruise ship is preparing for its maiden voyage.

An exploding toilet injured a man at a Florida Dunkin’.

The world’s cutest and deadliest cat joins the Utah zoo.

Cool products from other countries that should be available in the U.S.