Good morning. It's Friday, Feb. 21, and we're covering the end of an era for a longtime US lawmaker, the world's largest artificial reef, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here.
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Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) announced yesterday that he will not seek an eighth term in the Senate next year, almost a year after his decision to relinquish the top role in the upper chamber's GOP. The announcement came on the Kentucky lawmaker's 83rd birthday and prompted several state politicians to express interest in replacing him.
McConnell was first elected to the Senate in 1984, eventually becoming Republican leader in 2007. His 18-year tenure as a Senate party leader is the longest in US history. A thorough knowledge of Senate history and rules helped form McConnell's reputation as a master tactician, using procedural tools and a no-holds-barred approach to cut down Obama-era regulations, pass generational tax code reform, and reshape the federal judiciary via hundreds of confirmations. The end of his decadeslong career was marked by a rise in populism in the GOP under President Donald Trump, as well as a series of medical episodes involving mental lapses and falls.
Elsewhere in the Senate, former terrorism prosecutor Kash Patel was narrowly confirmed as FBI director in a 51 to 49 vote, with two Republicans voting against. |
Bon Voyage SS United States |
The SS United States, a historic 990-foot ocean liner, has begun its final journey from Philadelphia to become the world's largest artificial reef off Florida's Gulf Coast.
Tugboats are guiding the largest passenger ship built in America, nicknamed "the Big U," to Mobile, Alabama, where the crew will remove hazardous materials, including fuel. The process will take at least a year. The ship—more than 100 feet longer than the Titanic—will then continue its journey before resting roughly 180 feet underwater and 20 miles off the coast of Okaloosa County, Florida. The ship will sit upright on the seafloor, becoming a habitat for marine life. The voyage follows a legal battle and decades of decay while the vessel has been anchored in Philadelphia since 1996.
The SS United States ferried four US presidents and hosted numerous celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, and Grace Kelly. It set transatlantic speed records and completed roughly 800 crossings until its retirement in 1969 as air travel took off. See its history here. Explore the ship here (w/video). |
World Cup Kiss Conviction |
Former Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault yesterday for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without consent after the 2023 Women's World Cup final. Spain's High Court fined Rubiales $10,434 and ordered him to stay at least 200 meters from Hermoso and not communicate with her for a year. Rubiales and three codefendants were acquitted of a separate coercion charge for allegedly pressuring Hermoso to declare the kiss consensual.
The incident occurred during the medal ceremony following Spain's victory in Sydney. Hermoso, who plays in the Mexican soccer league and for Spain's national team, stated the kiss "tarnished" one of the happiest days of her life, while Rubiales claimed it was consensual. The Spanish penal code classifies a nonconsensual kiss as sexual assault. The scandal led to Rubiales' resignation and a three-year FIFA ban.
The case sparked a widespread debate about sexism in sports. A 2024 study found that 10.9% of US athletes have experienced unwanted sexual contact, with only 10.7% of those affected filing formal reports. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Amazon MGM Studios gains creative control over James Bond film franchise (More) | Netflix to invest $1B in Mexico's cinema and television industry over next four years (More) |
> San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama to miss rest of regular season due to blood clot in his shoulder (More) | MLB to experiment with automated ball-strike challenge system during spring training (More) |
> Canada tops Team USA 3-2 in overtime to win 4 Nations Face-Off title (More) | PGA Tour leaders, including Tiger Woods, meet with White House officials to discuss possible merger with Saudi-backed LIV Golf (More) |
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> Rare genetic disorder known as spinal muscular atrophy treated in the womb for the first time; patient, now 2 years old, shows no signs of the progressive neurodegenerative disorder (More) |
> Researchers outline method to measure consciousness in animals; approach combines anatomical features with behaviors to compare with what is known about humans (More) | See longer essay on topic (More) |
> Inhalable gene therapy to treat cystic fibrosis begins trials in Europe; treatment delivers healthy copies of the gene responsible for mucus buildup in the respiratory and digestive tracts (More) |
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In partnership with Med-X |
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> US stock markets close down (S&P 500 -0.4%, Dow -1.0%, Nasdaq -0.5%) as investors question economic outlook amid looming tariffs (More) |
> Amazon surpasses Walmart in revenue for the first time, bringing in $187B in Q4 (More) | Walmart shares close down over 6% after retailer says profits will slow for current fiscal year despite earnings and revenue rising for the quarter (More) |
> OpenAI tops 400 million weekly active users, up 33% in less than three months, with paid business users crossing 2 million; user growth comes amid competition from China's DeepSeek model (More) |
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> IRS begins laying off roughly 6,700 employees, or over 6% of the agency's workforce; those who have worked for less than one or two years are primarily affected (More) | Federal judge rules Trump administration can proceed with mass government layoffs (More) |
> New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) decides against removing New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) from office amid corruption case fallout, instead seeks increased oversight of City Hall (More) |
> Hamas returns bodies of four people, including two child hostages who were the youngest abducted in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack; Israel says one of the bodies does not belong to a known hostage (More) |
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> Meet the Shop Cats of Hong Kong
Huck | Isaac Muk. A residential area in Hong Kong known for its seafood shops is littered with cats. These feline guardians protect the shops from rodents and serve as bonding ties for the community, giving residents something to worry about and adore. (Read)
> When the Nest Never Empties
Maclean's | Claire Gagné. Astronomical housing costs and stagnant wages have led to almost half of Canadian twenty-somethings living at home with their parents in recent years, an upward trend that has been decades in the making. (Read) |
> Dissecting the iPhone
WIRED | Staff. On average, we check our phones more than 100 times a day. Understand how each piece in an iPhone makes it a marvel of modern engineering and creates a highly addictive device. (Watch)
> The German Botanist Who Transformed India’s Landscapes
Empire | William Dalrymple, Anita Anand. Follow the exceptional story of Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, a German horticulturist who revolutionized India’s gardens and urban planning. (Listen) |
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