Lakewood shooting, bitcoin surge, and the Puppy Bowl.

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Big Stories

What to know about the Lakewood Church shooting

Authorities have begun to release information about the shooting at Joel Osteen's megachurch in Houston, carried out by 36-year-old Genesse Ivonne Moreno.

• Moreno, who entered the church armed with an AR-style rifle, was confronted and killed by two off-duty officers. The shooting left two people injured, including Moreno's 5-year-old son, who entered the church with his mother. It is not clear who shot the child. Another victim, a man in his 50s, sustained a hip injury.

• Moreno had a history of mental illness and had been under emergency detention in 2016. Investigators found antisemitic writings by Moreno and noted the presence of a "Palestine" sticker on the rifle used in the shooting.

• Moreno legally purchased the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting in December. The suspect also claimed to have explosives on site during the shooting but none were found at the scene.

• Lakewood Church is regularly attended by 45,000 people, making it the third-largest megachurch in the US.

Flight attendants aren’t paid until aircraft doors close

Flight attendants are struggling with increasingly full flights and fewer staff, making managing passengers' safety and comfort more stressful than ever.

• Most airlines only pay flight attendants once the aircraft doors are closed, leaving them unpaid for significant amounts of time spent in airports and during boarding.

• Flight attendants from various airlines are picketing at airports to demand changes to their pay structure and address other concerns. Negotiations between airlines and flight attendant unions are ongoing. The unions are demanding pay for all hours worked and a 33% raise.

• Picketing could help make some noise around these issues, but flight attendants are not allowed to strike unless they get permission from the federal government. Some flight attendants have asked for and been denied the right to strike within the last year. Airlines maintain that they offer competitive wages and benefits and are committed to reaching agreements through negotiation.

The “Peak TV” era is drawing to a close

The number of new scripted series dropped by 14% last year, marking the first decrease in over a decade (excluding 2020).

• Entertainment giants are cutting back on scripted content spending due to pressure for profits. The "Peak TV" era, is coming to an end. During the “Peak” era studios were overspending on creating new content in the hopes of winning the race for more streaming subscribers.

• The decline in new scripted series is expected to continue in 2024 as major entertainment companies work to make their streaming services profitable. Studios like Paramount, Disney, and Warner Bros. Discovery don’t expect their streaming services to break even until late 2024 or 2025.

• However, investments in live sports rights are growing because they’ve proven very effective in drawing new subscribers.

Little Stories

• A powerful nor'easter is expected to hit the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions, bringing high winds, coastal flooding, and lots of snow starting Monday evening. Forecasts indicate up to a foot could fall in some areas. New York City may see at least 6 inches, while Boston could get between 8 inches to a foot. (More)

• Israeli forces rescued two hostages from a heavily guarded Rafah apartment building in the Gaza Strip early Monday. The military conducted airstrikes to cover the raid which killed more than 60 Palestinians. (More)

• Houthi rebels in Yemen launched two missiles at a ship headed for an Iranian port, causing minor damage but no injuries to the crew. Iran is a main supporter of the Houthi rebels in Yemen's ongoing conflict. The Houthis claimed the ship was American although they provided no evidence. (More)

• Bitcoin's price surged above $50,000 on Monday, reaching its highest level in over two years. The flagship cryptocurrency rose to $50,334.00, its peak since December 2021, according to Coin Metrics. Ether also spiked, climbing over 5.5% to $2,643.80. (More)

• Donald Trump’s lawyers have asked the Supreme Court to temporarily pause a lower-court ruling that dismissed his claim of immunity in a federal election interference case. The federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. last Tuesday, unanimously rejected Trump's argument that he is immune from prosecution for official acts conducted during his presidency. (More)

Extra Credit

Football is still America’s favorite sport…by far.

…and Team Ruff upset Team Fluff in the 2024 Puppy Bowl.

The Year of the Dragon in photos.

An internet sleuth spotted the US military’s secret X-37B spaceplane.