12.27.2018

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All your news in a single email. We scour 100+ sources so you don't have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business, and more - all packaged in a 5-minute read below.
Need To Know.
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(Partial) Shutdown.
A partial shutdown of the US federal government that began last Friday is likely to extend into January, according to a number of officials. The news came as President Trump said he would refuse to sign any funding bill that did not include a $5B request from the administration to fund the extension of a wall along the US-Mexico border. The Senate had previously passed a short-term bill that would provide funding through February 8th (without funding for a wall), but the package stalled in the House once it became apparent that Trump no longer backed it. With Democrats set to assume control of the House on January 3rd - Republicans will still control the Senate - a protracted standoff may be in the works. The shutdown only affects about 25% of the government (by total funding) - the rest, including the Defense Department, was given a full year of funding last fall. 

In separate news, Trump visited troops stationed at Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq yesterday, his first trip to a war zone during his presidency. 
Tsunami Devastates Indonesia.
The death toll from a tsunami that caught Indonesian villages off guard on Saturday has risen to at least 430, according to officials. Nearly 1,500 people were injured and 21,000 evacuated to higher ground following the incident. Most tsunamis originate from undersea earthquakes which displace large amounts of water and cause giant waves to ripple away from the center (tsunamis 101). Officials say Saturday's tsunami was caused by undersea landslides set in motion by an eruption (see video) on the volcanic island of Anak Krakatau. Despite sitting on the so-called "Ring of Fire" - a seismic zone that traces the Pacific Ocean where a number of tectonic plates meet - the country still has an outdated warning system. 

Today is also the 14th anniversary of a magnitude 9.1 earthquake in the Indian Ocean which triggered the deadliest tsunami on record, killing over 230,000 people in 14 countries. 
Historic Market Surge.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained over 1,086 points (or 4.95%) yesterday, the largest single-day gain for the Dow in terms of points. The surge follows six straight days of pre-holiday losses, during which the Dow dropped over 2,000 points. Riding news of strong holiday sales and a rise in oil prices, other markets followed suit with the S&P 500 gaining over 116 points (+4.96%) and the Nasdaq adding 361 points (+5.8%). The recent downturn had almost pushed markets into "bear" territory (what is that?), though recent interest rate raises by the US Federal Reserve reflect a belief that the US economy remained strong.
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In The Know.
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Sports, Entertainment & Culture.
> US box office breaks all-time high in 2018 with $11.3B in sales; Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War led the way with over $678M each (More)
> Sigi Schmid, Major League Soccer's all-time winningest coach, dies at 65 (More)
> Kevin Spacey formally charged with felony indecent assault and battery stemming from 2016 alleged sexual assault of teenager (More) | Spacey gets backlash after posting video on Twitter as charges were announced (More)
Science & Technology.
> Top journal Nature ranks 2019's emerging trends in science and tech (More)
> SpaceX ends year with company's first-ever national security-related launch (More) | CEO Elon Musk reveals details on prototype meant for travel to Mars (More)
> Japan withdraws from International Whaling Commission, will officially resume commercial whale hunting in 2019 (More)
Business & Markets.
> US holiday retail sales up 5% this year, strongest performance in six years; online sales up 19% (More)
> Oil surges 8%, biggest daily increase in past two years (More)
> Amazon has record holiday season, nets "tens of millions" of new Prime subscriber (More)
Politics & World Affairs.
> Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to step down on Jan. 1st, a month earlier than expected; current Deputy Secretary Patrick Shanahan will serve as interim chief (More)
> Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg undergoes surgery to remove cancerous tumors in lung (More)
> California manhunt underway for man who shot and killed police officer east of the Bay Area yesterday (More)
Our Best of 2018.
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Hey 1440 readers - 

As we move towards the end of the year, we wanted to take a minute to say thanks for being a reader. We've had a great year - and we hope you have too. 

And while we know you love starting the day with 1440, we couldn't help but notice that some of you really love our Etcetera section. Like really, really love it. So as our thanks to you, we've compiled the most-clicked links from the year. 

You determined this list, from the world's hairiest baby, to 20 secrets your TSA agent is keeping from you, to why you should teach your kid to swear. Without further ado, we present: 

The 101 Most Interesting Internet Links of 2018

Enjoy! 

Drew (and the 1440 team)
Editor-in-Chief
In Depth.
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The Great NFL Heist.
The Ringer | Bryan Curtis. 25 years ago, Rupert Murdoch and Fox paid $1.6B for rights to the NFL's National Football Conference games, wresting it away from CBS. Fox - then a fledgling network struggling to be taken seriously - then bought a slew of talent, created the pregame show, and used the platform to launch a television empire. (Read)
The Relentlessness of Modern Parenting.
New York Times | Claire Cain Miller. At the same time as many families in middle America sense opportunity diminishing, parenting has become more expensive and time-consuming than ever. Increased economic anxiety may be driving more and more intensive parenting, with parents pushing children harder at younger and younger ages. (Read)
Etcetera.
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15 charts showing how the world got better during 2018
Over 70% of Americans consider religion to be important to their daily lives
How some Washington, DC bars are celebrating the shutdown.
Check out the year's best wedding photos.
Ugh Millennials: The death of the family Christmas card was greatly exaggerated
Want to be a successful CEO? Consider getting a dog
...In related news, Snapchat just rolled out photo filters for your pooch.
The newest work from street artist Banksy is under 24-hour protection.
Clickbait: Frenchman sets off to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a barrel
Historybook: HBD Louis Pasteur (1822); HBD actress Marlene Dietrich (1901); Soviet Union invades Afghanistan (1979); Benazir Bhutto assassinated (2007); RIP Carrie Fisher (2016).
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"I don't want life to imitate art. I want life to be art."
- Carrie Fisher
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