Paris attacks, college football playoff, and footlong cookies.

Adam Rogers
December 04, 2023

Happy Monday! Today’s edition is 1,122 words, a 4 minute read.

First time reader? Sign up here!

Big Stories

One person died and two others were injured after a man targeted tourists in Paris near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday.

State of play: A man attacked a tourist couple with a knife, mortally wounding one. He was then chased by police and struck two other people with a hammer before he was caught. Police arrested the 26-year-old French national using a Taser stun gun.
Violent track record: The suspect had been sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 for planning another attack and was on the French security services’ watch list. He was also known for having psychiatric disorders. Police said he shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) and told them he was upset because “so many Muslims are dying in Afghanistan and Palestine” and was also upset about the Gaza situation.
Paris Olympics: The random attack has the French government concerned about security for the 2024 Paris Olympic games, which are just eight months away. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne called a meeting with key security officials for a “total review” of the current emergency measures in place for the events.

Michigan, Washington, Texas, and Alabama were selected to the College Football Playoff on Sunday.

Matchups: Michigan will face Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Washington will play Texas in the Sugar Bowl in the Jan. 1 CFP semifinals. The winner from each game will face off in the national championship on Jan. 8 in Houston.
Controversy: Florida State, who were 13-0, are the first unbeaten Power Five conference champion to be excluded from the four-team field. ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips released a statement calling out the selection committee’s process and said, “college football deserved better.” However, the committee stood by their selections and insisted that they selected the best teams since Florida State’s starting quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending leg injury mid-November.
New format: This year will be last that only four teams compete in the college football championship. Starting in 2024, 12 teams will be selected, including the six highest-ranked conference champions and the six highest-ranked remaining teams.

Muslim Americans in several swing states met in Michigan on Saturday to protest President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

Details: Muslim American leaders from Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania met in Dearborn, Michigan — home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the U.S. — to kick off the #AbandonBiden 2024 conference. "Leaders from swing states will work together to guarantee Biden's loss in the 2024 election,” the group said in a statement.
Why it matters: Arab American and Muslim American anger towards Biden’s unwavering support of Israel in their war with Hamas could hurt his re-election prospects in most of the 2024 swing states he won in 2020. These groups have voted heavily democratic in the past and significantly outnumber the amount of votes Biden won by in Georgia, Arizona, and Michigan.
By the numbers: There aren’t reliable statistics on how many are registered voters, but even small shifts of support in any of the closely contested states that Biden won in 2020 could make a difference.
- Biden won Michigan in 2020 by 154,000 votes and 278,000 Arab Americans live there.
- Biden won Arizona by 10,500 votes - 60,000 Arab Americans call it home.
- Biden took Georgia by 11,800 votes where at least 57,000 Arab Americans reside.

A recent poll suggests that some believe the American dream lies overseas and some of those U.S. citizens are moving to more affordable foreign countries. Only 36% of respondents said the American dream — defined as “if you work hard you’ll get ahead” — still holds true. (More)

Iran-affiliated hackers breached multiple U.S. organizations in the energy, food and beverage manufacturing and healthcare sectors. The hackers gained access by targeting Israeli-made electronic equipment used at all the facilities. (More)

The Los Angeles Police Department arrested Jerrid Joseph Powell for the killings of three homeless men in the past week and for a separate killing in a home robbery in San Dimas, Calif. (More)

Indonesia’s Marapi volcano erupted Sunday, sending ash more than 9,800 feet in the air and blowing hot ash clouds several miles away. There were no immediate reports of casualties. (More)

A U.S. warship and multiple commercial ships were attacked in the Red Sea. Officials didn’t disclose who was behind the attack but Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been launching a series of attacks on vessels in the area. (More)

South Korea launched its first military spy satellite into space on Friday, shortly after North Korea claimed to have put its own spy satellite into orbit for the first time. Tensions between the two rivals are on the rise. (More)

U.S. stock markets closed higher on Friday (S&P +0.59%, Nasdaq +0.55%, Dow 0.82%). (More)

Walmart became the latest company to pull advertisements from X, formerly Twitter, saying they’ve found other platforms that better reach their customers. (More)

U.S. movie theatres had a slow month, grossing about $553.6 million in November — a 12% decline from last year and more than $400 million short of pre-pandemic levels. (More)

Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans became the first player in league history to record 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first 10 seasons in the NFL. (More)

Emma Stone hosted Saturday Night Live for a fifth time, earning her a spot in the “five timers” club. At 35, she is now its youngest member. (More)

KISS played its final live show ever at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. They also announced a “new era of Kiss” in which digital KISS avatars will “perform for fans for decades to come.” (More)

Scientists at the Technical University of Denmark, University of Copenhagen and Caltech trained an algorithm with people's flavor impressions to predict individual wine preferences more accurately. The technology can also be used for coffee and beer. (More)

Genetic testing company 23andMe announced that hackers gained access to around 14,000 customers accounts in a recent data breach. (More)

Researchers rediscovered the De Winton’s golden mole in sand dunes in South Africa, a species not seen for over 80 years. The mole is completely blind, “swims” through sand and has a shimmering coat. (More)

Global tourism rebounds to pre-pandemic levels.

Halloumi cheese, camel milk, and pickles: food trends for 2024.

…and Subway plans to add footlong cookies to its menu.

Why singing to babies is good for their brains.

Your feedback helps us provide the best newsletter possible.