Monday, January 8th, 2024

MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024

Good Morning! On this date in 1835, President Andrew Jackson paid off the U.S. national debt, the only time in history that America’s debt was zero. (See National Debt Clock)

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Defense Secretary’s ‘Emergency’ Roils D.C.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized last week and out of touch for days without notifying the White House, the National Security Council, or the media that he was having emergency care.

Austin’s absence has spiraled into a Washington D.C. drama, as officials struggle to answer who knew about Austin’s still-unexplained medical situation. It’s unclear why no one at the Pentagon informed the White House.

The Pentagon is facing backlash from the media as well. One veteran defense correspondent says he’s “NEVER heard of a top Pentagon leader disappearing” for an entire week.

First Private Moon Launch Set for Today

The first-ever commercial moon mission was expected to launch early this morning at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

United Launch Alliance‘s Peregrine moon lander is catching a ride into orbit on its Vulcan Centaur rocket—its first ever launch. If the 2 AM launch went as planned, video will be available here.

The mission, the first of two commercial moon missions planned for this winter by private companies, will carry scientific payloads for NASA in preparation for the agency’s manned Artemis moon landing later this decade.

It will also carry some private payloads, including memorial burial capsules. These have drawn criticism from the Navajo Nation, which says delivery of human remains to the moon would desecrate a sacred space.

NFL Games Claim 93 of Top 100 Network Shows

NFL football games completely dominated network TV this year, claiming 93 of the year’s top 100-rated broadcasts. Five years ago, the NFL had only 61 of the top-watched shows, as these charts show.

Outside the NFL, the rest of the top 100 included three college football games, the Oscars, the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, the State of the Union address, and the Super Bowl lead-out.

For advertisers, the data shows that only sports can reliably deliver a mass audience. Monday Night Football had its highest ratings in 17 years, and the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day games set an all-time viewership record.

Notable for their absence on the Top 100 list are any regular network TV shows. The season premiere of CBS’s “60 Minutes” was the highest-ranking non-sports program at No. 136.

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➤ Michigan Republicans voted to oust Kristina Karamo as the state party chairman, but Karamo said she considered the vote “unauthorized” and wouldn’t step down. (More)

➤ House and Senate leaders have agreed on a topline spending level of $1.59 trillion, a first step in averting a government shutdown. $886 billion is already set as Pentagon funding. (More)

➤ California expanded its state health care coverage to cover “medically necessary” sex-change surgeries for illegal immigrants. Analysts say the expansion could cost taxpayers an estimated $3.1 billion. (More)

➤ At least 80% of the jokes told by late-night TV hosts are aimed at conservatives, according to a new media study. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel targeted conservatives the most, followed by CBS’s Stephen Colbert. (See Study)

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➤ The NFL playoff teams are now set following Sunday’s final day of regular season play. The wild-card playoffs begin next Saturday, and here are the teams involved. (See Playoff List).

➤ The Houston Texans clinched the AFC South title Saturday over the Indianapolis Colts, who failed to convert a last-minute fourth-down conversion when running back Tyler Goodson dropped a critical pass. (See Video)

➤ The Denver Nuggets stunned the Golden State Warriors with a 4th-quarter comeback to overcome an 18-point deficit, winning in the last second with a three-point shot by Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic. (See Shot)

Market Report Previous Week

▲	NASDAQ Natl. Assoc. of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations	14,524.07	+0.09%
▲	SPX S&P 500	4,697.24	+0.18%
▲	DJI Dow Jones Industrial Average	37,466.11	+0.07%
▼	BTC Bitcoin	$43,452.0	–1.16%
▲	IMVT Immunovant, Inc.	$42.78	+10.00%

➤ The U.S. government ordered airlines to ground more than 170 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes for inspections after a piece of the aircraft blew out in the middle of an Alaska Airlines flight. (More)

➤ Total job gains in 2023 were reduced by 439,000 after matching real employment against the preliminary estimates. The majority of jobs created were government jobs. (More)

➤ European supermarket Carrefour pulled all Pepsi products off its shelves, from soft drinks to Lays chips, “due to unacceptable price increases.” The move affects over 9,000 stores across four countries. (More)

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➤ Coal miners in North Dakota unearthed a 7-foot-long mammoth tusk that had been buried for at least 10,000 years and perhaps as long as 100,000 years. (See Photos)

➤ A photographer on the beach in Sydney captured video of a neon-blue bioluminescent wave shining at night, an electrical light caused by emission from living organisms. (See Video)

➤ The London Zoo starts each year by counting its animal residents to ensure it hasn’t lost a lion or mislaid a marmoset. The census process can be a little odd. (See Photos)

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➤ 75% of wine drinkers experience headaches, facial flush, digestive issues, hives, or congestion. Sulfites and histamines in the wine cause these issues, and you can remove 95% of them with a portable purifier called The Wand. (Video)

➤ The college football national championship game is tonight at 7:30 ET. The Michigan Wolverines are favored by 4.5 points over the Washington Huskies. (More)

➤ New TV programs streaming this week include a Kevin Hart heist movie and a Dan Aykroyd-hosted series on our favorite drinks: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and soda. (See TV Lineup)

➤ Donald Trump will be in federal court Tuesday as his lawyers argue that he should have immunity from prosecution for his actions taken while president. (More)

➤ A tornado ripped through Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Saturday, taking out power lines and damaging boats as it rolled dramatically through the city and a marina. (See Video)

➤ A retired postman whose shed was mysteriously tidied up every night set a camera to catch the culprit. The video showed a Ratatouille-style mouse coming out to store pegs, nuts, and bolts in a tray. (See Video)

➤ Archaeologists in Kazakhstan discovered two gold ornaments in a 1,500-year-old tomb that feature the earliest-known depictions of the “great khan” who ruled the region for three centuries. (See Photos)