House to Vote on Impeachment, Brawling Referees, and a Stowaway Prairie Dog
RJ Hamster
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2023
Good Morning! On this date in 1577, British adventurer Francis Drake set out on an epic three-year circumnavigation of the world aboard the ship “Golden Hind.” His world map 450 years ago was not that far off our own. (See Map)
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House Republicans passed a resolution approving a vote to authorize a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. A floor vote on the resolution is expected today.
The floor vote is expected to be very close. With George Santos no longer in Congress, the GOP majority is only three votes, assuming all members are present and Democrats vote no.
House Speaker Mike Johnson says he has the votes. If approved, the measure gives legal authority to the ongoing investigation into Biden’s activities. An actual vote to impeach the president would require a separate process and wouldn’t take place until next year.
Study: How Americans Feel About Their Wealth
A new report on “Everyday Wealth in America” found inflation is the top concern for Americans overall, but for affluent Americans, the biggest worry is the current political environment. “Affluent” is defined as having assets over $500,000.
The 2023 Edelman Financial Engine study (See It Here) showed that only 14% of Americans feel wealthy, and two-thirds say they’d need $1 million to feel rich.
The problem? Roughly one-third of all respondents see credit card debt as the biggest barrier to building wealth, and a quarter feel “emotionally burdened” by what they put on credit. And 25% say social media makes them feel worse about their finances.
Unlike a typical robo-caller, none of Ashley’s responses are canned or pre-recorded. Instead, like ChatGPT, she’s capable of having thousands of different one-on-one conversations at the same time.
Daniels is trying to unseat GOP Rep. Scott Perry. Her campaign says Ashley is programmed to be fact-based when asked questions about either candidate. Currently, there are no rules against using artificial intelligence this way.
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➤ The Supreme Court agreed to expedite a decision on a petition to take up the question of presidential immunity. The justices gave Donald Trump’s lawyers until next Wednesday to respond to the petition. (More)
➤ CNN announced plans for a GOP debate in Iowa on Jan. 10, but Nikki Haley hasn’t agreed to participate, and Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy are unlikely to meet CNN’s poll number qualifications. (More)
➤ New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu will endorse Nikki Haley in his state’s GOP primary. Sununu has said he was looking for an alternative to Donald Trump. (More)
➤ Policearrested a New Hampshire man who threatened to kill presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. The man responded to a campaign text invitation by saying he would “blow” Ramaswamy’s “brains out.” (More)
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➤ Monday Night Football showcased two games simultaneously, and both ended with last-minute upsets. The Titans rallied in the 4th quarter for a 28-27 win over the Dolphins, and the Giants beat the Packers 24-22. (See Videos)
➤ Shohei Ohtani, baseball’s $700 million man, will reportedly defer 97% of his annual salary to allow his new employer, the L.A. Dodgers. His deferred $680 million would be paid between 2034 and 2043. (More)
➤ A Colorado basketball tournament for 4th graders was interrupted by a sprawling fistfight among the adult referees, who were suspended and removed from the premises. (See Video)
Market Report 12/12/23
▲
NASDAQ
Natl. Assoc. of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
14,533.40
+0.70%
▲
SPX
S&P 500
4,643.70
+0.46%
▲
DJI
Dow Jones Industrial Average
36,577.94
+0.48%
▼
BTC
Bitcoin
$41,253.0
-0.08%
▼
ORCL
Oracle Corporation
$100.81
-12.44%
➤ Big Stock Move: Oracle stock dropped 12% Tuesday after the company missed quarterly revenue targets in three operating segments. (More)
➤ Ford will cut planned production of its all-electric F-150 Lightning in half, from 3,200 vehicles a week to 1,600, citing a need to match production to reduced customer demand. (More)
➤ Hasbro announced plans to lay off 900 more employees in the face of weak toy sales. That brings the total number of layoffs at the company to 1,900, about 30% of its workforce. (More)
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➤ A federal judge upheld Texas’ ban on using TikTok by state employees, including university faculty, rejecting a First Amendment argument in favor of data protection and privacy concerns. (More)
➤ Researchers have developed a virtual reality headset for lab mice to test their response to virtual threats. They say getting the animals to work with a mouse-sized headset isn’t easy. (See Video)
➤ A group of scientists is lobbying for more representation of worms, fungi, and microorganisms in phone emojis. Scientists say vertebrates are over-represented, and adding new emojis would help raise awareness of biodiversity. (More)
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➤ TV producer Normal Lear died last week at 101, and he had one piece of advice for living a long, fulfilling life. It has to do with the moment between what’s over and what’s next. (See Advice)
➤ A recent study showed a link between creative activities and positive emotional health. By a large margin, the No. 1 activity was listening to music. (See List)
➤ There’s wisdom in noticing the marvelous in the natural world. Enjoy this video of starlings swooping in breathtaking murmuration across the Italian sky. (See Video)
➤ Thai airport officials busted a tourist who attempted to smuggle two otters and a prairie dog out of the country by stuffing them down his underwear. (See Video)
➤ Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton sent out an unusual black-and-white family Christmas card this year with absolutely no royal trappings, like a regular family at “JC Penney,” as one fan noted. (See Card)
➤ Another year-end roundup of best photos is out, this one collecting the best entertainment industry photos of 2023. (See Photos)
