Good morning. It's Saturday, Dec. 28, and in this weekend edition, we're covering a rise in US homelessness, the extradition of a disgraced crypto tycoon, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.
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Homelessness in the US reached the highest level this year since the federal government began keeping records roughly two decades ago. Nearly 772,000 people experienced homelessness on a single night in January, up 18% from 2023, according to federally required tallies taken across the country.
The data, released yesterday, attributed the rise to various factors, including high rents, the end of pandemic-era protections, and an influx of migrants that have overwhelmed shelters in cities like Chicago, New York City, and Denver. (However, since the tallies, migrant border crossings have dropped this year.)
Other data points include family homelessness increasing by 39% and 150,000 children experiencing homelessness, with the latter figure reflecting a 33% rise from 2023. Meanwhile, homelessness among veterans dropped 8% this year to roughly 32,000. Dallas, which made plans in 2021 to overhaul its homelessness response system, saw a 16% drop in homelessness from 2022 to 2024. In Los Angeles, which increased housing for the homeless, the rate has dropped by 5% since 2023. See all data here. |
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Azerbaijani and US officials suggest plane crash caused by weapons fire.
Russia's aviation chief claimed a Ukrainian drone attack was occurring in Chechnya as the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed (see previous write-up) was attempting to land in Grozny. The aviation chief did not confirm if Russian air defenses accidentally shot it down. Azerbaijan Airlines attributed the crash to unspecified “physical and technical interference” and has suspended flights to several Russian airports.
Fallen cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon to be extradited to the US.
Montenegro agreed to release Kwon, the cofounder of the collapsed cryptocurrency firm Terraform Labs, to face federal fraud and conspiracy charges in the US. The collapse of Terraform Labs, triggered by the 2022 crash of its TerraUSD stablecoin and its Luna sister token, caused investors to lose $40B. Kwon also faces charges in South Korea, which also sought to take custody of him.
Longtime CBS Sports broadcaster Greg Gumbel dies.
Gumbel died Friday at age 78 after a battle with cancer. His broadcasting career spanned over 50 years, during which time he became known for his work on major events like the Super Bowl and NCAA March Madness. He also served as an anchor for ESPN's "SportsCenter" and was an announcer and studio host for NBC Sports in the mid-1990s.
South Korea installs second acting president in two weeks.
Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok will take over as the country's next acting president after the National Assembly voted to impeach the previous acting president, Han Duck-soo. Lawmakers impeached Han for his refusal to fill three vacant seats on the high court; the appointments were needed for the court to rule on the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
CDC says bird flu virus likely mutated within a Louisiana patient.
Genetic analysis of the bird flu virus in a Louisiana patient showed the virus had mutated during infection to become more transmissible to humans, similar to changes seen in a patient in British Columbia. The Louisiana patient is in critical condition after being exposed to sick and dead birds from backyard flocks. According to the CDC, the overall risk to the public remains low, and there's no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
NFL Christmas Day doubleheader sets streaming record on Netflix.
Netflix's doubleheader broke records as the most-streamed NFL games in US history, with an average of 24.3 million viewers for the Ravens-Texans game and 24.1 million for the Chiefs-Steelers game. Both figures outpaced the NBA's five-game Christmas Day lineup, which averaged about 5.25 million viewers per game across its platforms.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe survives closest-ever approach to sun.
The 1,510-pound Parker probe (see overview) successfully came within 3.8 million miles of the sun on Christmas Eve and confirmed its safe status by transmitting a beacon signal back to Earth ahead of schedule late Thursday night. The milestone marks a significant achievement in NASA's mission to study the sun's corona and solar wind, with more detailed data expected to be received Jan. 1. |
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It's been a great fourth quarter for 1440's new Business & Finance newsletter, as we help our readers learn about everything from 401(k) plans to bitcoin and IRAs to the history of Macy's. Here's a flavor of what we'll tackle in the New Year:
> Warren Buffett ... and how the billionaire investor's Omaha roots shaped his philosophy.
> Startups ... and what separates successes from failures.
> Cryptocurrency ... and how it works and what the future looks like.
> The wedding industrial complex ... and the rise of a $100B industry.
... and much more. Sign up here to get these deep dives in your inbox every Thursday! |
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"Gas Station Santa" lowers gas prices before the holidays to help his California community. (More)
Arizona couple hands out free water bottles and snacks to their neighborhood's sanitation workers. (More)
Watch an OBGYN doctor offer words of affirmation to a newborn baby. (More)
Texas man creates Daddy Stroller Social Club to help fathers dealing with postpartum depression through supportive walks in the park with their kids. (More)
A couple, who met as pen pals 7,000 miles apart in 1986, celebrates 30 years of marriage. (More)
New York man reunites with biological siblings 75 years after being adopted. (More) |
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Today, we're sharing a story from reader Joanne C. in San Dimas, California.
"I'm a teacher, and it always makes me smile when I'm thought of during the holidays, especially because I work in a population where many are disadvantaged. On the last day of school, leading into winter break, one of my students brought me a small gift and then a giant box. I was curious what was in that big box! When the time came, I asked the little girl if I could open her gifts. The first little gift was obviously things that she knew I would enjoy, like an ornament and a candle. Then she was so excited she wanted me to open the big gift that was wrapped by her."
"When I proceeded to unwrap the big box, it was a box within a box within a box. It was super cute .... Along with each box was a little note attached like, 'keep going,' 'keep unwrapping,' 'you have another,' etc. It was making me laugh. I think I ended up unwrapping about 10 boxes that led to a tiny little envelope and inside that little envelope was the last little message written in second grade, phonics writing, 'You are my favorite teacher.' That melted my heart! All that effort of wrapping all these boxes in boxes to give me a sweet little message."
What act(s) of kindness did you experience this week? Tell us here. |
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"Ask yourself about the kind of life you want: What would you do day to day, and with whom, and where? Consider the life you have. Do one thing today, however small, to close the gap between the two." |
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