Senate gunman, orca attack, and a thrift store skull.

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US News, Politics, & Government

Move over, Florida: Retirees are flocking to Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has been named the top place to retire in 2024, according to U.S. News & World Report. Pennsylvania took seven of the top 10 spots. Florida had only three cities in the top 20, with Daytona Beach in the top 10. Factors like expensive housing and increased extreme weather risks were cited as reasons for Florida's fall in rankings. New York City rose eight places to sixth, driven by quality healthcare and overall desirability, while California remained undesirable due to housing affordability. (More)

Senate offices briefly locked down as police arrest armed man

Parts of the Capitol complex briefly went on lockdown as law enforcement arrested a man with a gun near the Senate offices. This incident occurred amid heightened security concerns on Capitol Hill, as there has been a rise in local crime and incidents of violence against lawmakers. Capitol Police do not believe there is a continued threat, and they were searching the suspect's belongings as part of an ongoing investigation. (More)

Man charged in murder-for-hire of FSU law professor convicted on all counts

Charles Adelson, the man charged in connection with the 2014 murder of his former brother-in-law, Dan Markel, was found guilty of murder, conspiracy, and solicitation. Adelson faces a mandatory life sentence for the first-degree murder conviction. Adelson's ex-girlfriend Katherine Magbanua and hitmen Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera are already serving prison time for their roles in Markel's murder. Prosecutors noted that the investigation into Markel's death is ongoing. (More)

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World

Darfur refugees report new spate of ethnically driven killings

There has been a new surge in ethnically-driven killings in Sudan's West Darfur, as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took over the main army base in El Geneina. Witnesses reported killings by Arab militias and RSF forces targeting the Masalit ethnic group. Efforts to secure a ceasefire have failed. More than six million people have been displaced and over 500,000 people have crossed borders into Chad to escape the violence. (More)

Birthday gift grenade kills Ukraine army chief aid

A hand grenade given as a birthday gift exploded and killed a close aid to the head of Ukraine's armed forces Valery Zaluzhny. Major Hennadiy Chastyakov, 39, had returned home with presents from his colleagues and was opening them with his son when the grenade exploded. Chastyakov was killed, and his 13-year-old son was seriously wounded. While initially described as a "tragic accident," some have speculated whether it was an attack targeting Gen Zaluzhny himself. (More)

Biden tells Bibi 3-day fighting pause could help secure release of some hostages

President Biden has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a three-day ceasefire in the conflict with Hamas to facilitate the release of hostages. The proposal involves Hamas releasing 10-15 hostages while using the three-day pause to verify the identities of all hostages and deliver a list of names of the people it is holding. At least 240 people were kidnapped during the recent Hamas attack. However, Netanyahu expressed distrust of Hamas' intentions and believes a shorter pause is all that is needed to release such a small number of hostages. (More)

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Business & Economy

Daily stock market update

US stock markets closed higher on Tuesday (S&P +0.28%, Nasdaq +0.90%, Dow +0.17%) ~ The S&P and the Nasdaq rose yesterday to notch their longest winning streaks in nearly two years. (More)

WeWork files for bankruptcy

WeWork, once a highly valued coworking space startup, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to massive debt and the impact of the pandemic. WeWork's stock plummeted over 99%, from a peak valuation of $47 billion to just $45 million before the filing. The company plans to renegotiate leases and debt while maintaining operations. WeWork's struggles began with a failed IPO in 2019, revealing losses and leadership issues. Increased competition, remote work trends, and financial challenges have since plagued the company. (More)

Starbucks increases US hourly wages and adds other benefits for non-union workers

Starbucks is raising pay and benefits for most US hourly workers following record sales, but unionized workers won't receive some of these perks due to ongoing tensions between the company and the Workers United union. The company will increase wages, with a 3-4% raise for those with four years or less of service, and a 5% increase for those with five or more years. However, the latter is subject to negotiation with Workers United, making it unavailable to unionized stores. Starbucks' move contradicts a previous National Labor Relations Board ruling that said the company acted illegally when it raised pay only for non-union members. (More)

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Sports & Entertainment

No. 20 Colorado stuns top-ranked defending champion LSU in season opener

The defending national champion LSU women's basketball team was defeated 92-78 by No. 20 Colorado in the season opener in Las Vegas. Colorado's hot shooting, led by Frida Formann and Aaronette Vonleh, helped seal the victory, with Formann making seven 3-pointers. Colorado's zone defense held LSU’s lethal offense in check most of the game. The loss serves as a reality check for LSU, which cruised their way to a national title last year. (More)

Los Angeles Rams signing quarterback Carson Wentz

The Los Angeles Rams have signed quarterback Carson Wentz to serve as a backup for the injured Matthew Stafford. Stafford sustained a thumb injury and hasn’t played in the last two games. Wentz, who was with the Washington Commanders in 2022, had been released in February. Wentz previously played for the Philadelphia Eagles and was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 2021. (More)

Nintendo is making a live-action Zelda movie

Nintendo is continuing its big screen ventures with a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. The release date hasn’t been announced but Nintendo revealed it is co-financing the project with Sony. This development follows earlier rumors of a live-action Zelda series for Netflix that did not materialize. (More)

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Science, Health, & Tech

Orcas sink another boat in Europe after a nearly hour-long attack

A pod of orcas off the coast of Morocco attacked and sank a mid-size sailing yacht. The orcas bombarded the vessel for nearly an hour and caused major water leaks. Despite assistance from the Moroccan Navy, the boat eventually sank as it entered the port of Tanger-Med in Morocco. This incident marks the fourth time in the last two years that orcas from this region have sunk a vessel. The orcas' aggressive behavior towards boats in the Strait of Gibraltar has been attributed to learning from one another, and some of the animals have become more daring and efficient in their attacks. (More)

Oldest black hole discovered dating back to 470 million years after the Big Bang

Scientists have identified the oldest known black hole, formed 13.2 billion years ago. The discovery, confirmed through observations by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and Chandra X-Ray Observatory, challenges previous theories about the existence of supermassive black holes at the dawn of the universe. The black hole is a 10 times larger than the one in the Milky Way and is believed to have formed from massive gas clouds in a merging galaxy. (More)

Congenital syphilis jumped tenfold over the last decade

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a tenfold increase in congenital syphilis cases over the last decade, with a total of 3,761 cases in 2022. Most of the cases could have been prevented with better access to testing and treatment. The rise affected all regions and racial groups, with the highest rates among American Indian and Alaska natives, Black, and Hispanic parents. Lack of testing during pregnancy and inadequate prenatal care were common factors. (More)

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Bonus Material

The most expensive US zip codes.

Why is the sky blue?

The most popular dog name in each US state.

An anthropologist found a human skull in a Florida thrift store.