Good morning. It's Tuesday, Jan. 14, and we're covering the kick-off of Cabinet nominee confirmation hearings, a projected rise in dementia cases, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.
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Confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees begin today, with the Republican-controlled Senate evaluating more than a dozen key nominations this week. While more than 1,000 political appointee positions require a Senate confirmation vote, high-profile Cabinet nominees must first undergo confirmation hearings.
Today's hearings include former Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) for Veterans Affairs secretary and Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense. Collins, an Air Force Reserve chaplain, will likely face questions about improving veterans' healthcare. Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran and former Fox News host, may be questioned over sexual assault allegations. Meanwhile, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum's (R) hearing for secretary of the interior—initially intended for today—was postponed to Thursday due to delayed paperwork.
If approved by the respective Senate committees, nominees will require 50 votes from the full Senate for confirmation. With Republicans holding a 53-47 majority, most nominees are likely to be confirmed. See this week’s full schedule here. |
Roughly two in five US adults over the age of 55 will develop some form of dementia during their remaining life span, according to a new large-scale analysis published yesterday. The findings imply the number of newly diagnosed cases will double from around 500,000 to about 1 million annually by the year 2060.
Dementia is an umbrella term for a number of neurodegenerative conditions that cause loss of cognitive abilities, including Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases (see list). Researchers pointed to an aging US population as the primary driver—roughly a quarter of Americans are projected to be 65 or older by 2060—but also cited issues like poor diet and lack of exercise.
Women, who live on average five years longer than men, had a 48% chance of developing symptoms (compared to 35% for men), while Black Americans and people possessing a gene that helps carry lipids and cholesterol in the bloodstream ranged between 45% and 60%.
Alzheimer's accounts for about two-thirds of all dementia cases. Learn more about the disease here. |
Trial Over Yoon's Fate Begins |
South Korea's impeachment trial of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol began and swiftly adjourned Tuesday afternoon local time after Yoon refused to appear in court. The Constitutional Court reconvenes Thursday and must determine whether to uphold parliament's impeachment vote from last month or reinstate Yoon's presidential powers.
The trial stems from Yoon's controversial, short-lived declaration of martial law in December, which led to hundreds of troops storming the National Assembly and sparked widespread protests (see visual timeline). Yoon faces criminal charges of abuse of authority and has remained secluded in his heavily guarded residence in Seoul since Dec. 14. Yoon has also evaded an arrest warrant—the first time such action has been taken against a sitting president.
Yoon did not attend the trial's opening hearing because of security concerns. The court has scheduled five sessions between today and Feb. 4, which will proceed in Yoon's absence if necessary. The court must deliver a final ruling by June; at least six of the eight current justices must agree for the impeachment to be upheld. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> The 2025 Grammy Awards to proceed as planned Feb. 2, with the telecast serving as a fundraiser for wildfire relief efforts (More) | Country music star Carrie Underwood tapped to perform at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration (More) |
> English author Neil Gaiman faces new allegations of sexual assault by four women (More) | Sean "Diddy" Combs accused in lawsuit of 2000 rape of a 16-year-old (More) |
> Academy Awards nominations announcement pushed to Jan. 23 as voting process delayed due to wildfires (More) | ... and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, delays premiere of her Netflix lifestyle show (More) |
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> Biden administration proposes rules on exports for advanced AI computer chips; select group of nations will have full access while countries like China, Iran, and Russia will face heavy restrictions (More) |
> New NASA study suggests roughly one-third of supermassive black holes—those up to billions of times the mass of the sun—are hidden from view by gas and dust (More) | All the best resources on black holes from 1440 Topics (More) |
> Bioengineered male mosquitoes deliver toxic venom proteins during mating, shortening the life span of disease-spreading female counterparts; only female mosquitoes bite and transmit pathogens (More) |
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🚀 1440 Business & Finance: This week, we're taking a deep dive into the dynamic world of startups. Sign up here to join! |
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 +0.2%, Dow +0.9%, Nasdaq -0.4%) as investors rotate out of tech stocks (More) | Moderna shares close down nearly 17% after company slashes 2025 sales forecast by $1B, partly due to declining demand for its COVID-19 vaccine (More) |
> Robinhood to pay $45M to settle charges with the US Securities and Exchange Commission over data breach, record-keeping, and other violations (More) |
> Johnson & Johnson to acquire psychiatric drug developer Intra-Cellular Therapies in roughly $15B deal; if completed, deal would be largest biotech merger since 2023 (More) |
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> Judge allows partial release of special counsel Jack Smith's investigative report related to President-elect Donald Trump's 2020 election interference case; report could be released as soon as today (More) |
> National Weather Service issues "particularly dangerous situation" red flag warning for Los Angeles area, advising high winds could cause fires to intensify through tomorrow (More) | Palisades Fire has burned over 23,000 acres and is 14% contained as of this writing; see map of fires burning in Southern California (More) |
> Israel and Hamas reportedly nearing deal for ceasefire in Gaza and release of hostages following a breakthrough in Qatar-led negotiations; both sides reviewing details of the plan, which haven't been made public (More) | See war updates (More) |
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> How a Would-Be Bomber Rebuilt His Life
The Walrus | Michelle Shephard. Imprisoned for his role in a Toronto terror plot, a convicted terrorist starts the challenging path of redemption after being granted parole. (Read)
> What Happens When the Beef Goes Bad?
Public Books | Austin McCoy. Last year’s "rap beef" between Kendrick Lamar and Drake highlights a form of capitalist gain that primarily profits the executives overseeing the record labels rather than the artists themselves. (Read) |
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