Good Morning! On this date in 1913, the first-ever crossword puzzle ran in the New York World newspaper. It was so new it didn’t even use concepts like “across” and “down.” See if you can solve it. (See Crossword Puzzle)
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Updated census data shows blue states declining in population and red states gaining. Texas is adding the most residents, and New York and California are losing the most, though California remains the nation’s most populous state.
The five states showing the biggest growth after Texas were Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina. The Top 10 list is here.
Across the country, 42 states gained population in 2023, including some that lost ground in 2022. Only eight lost population. For a look at shifts state-by-state, see this color-coded map.
Congress Exits With Few Laws Passed
Congress heads into holiday recess this week having passed fewer laws than any Congress since 1989: 24 in total, and four of those are still awaiting President Biden’s signature.
Reasons for the gridlock vary but essentially come down to an almost even split between the parties in both chambers, with a GOP-controlled House facing off against a Democrat-controlled Senate. Few bills could get through both.
The last few legislatures passed upwards of 70 laws.
Bahamas-Bound Cruise Arrives in Canada
Cruise ship passengers heading from Brooklyn to the Bahamas for a warm Christmas vacation were instead rerouted to Boston and Canada with one day’s notice of their destination change.
The MSC Meraviglia was forced to reroute due to the big storms that struck the East Coast Monday. The day before departure, passengers were given a choice between heading north or receiving credit for a future cruise.
It’s unknown how many passengers canceled, but for many, the trip had been planned for months and cost thousands of dollars. The ones who stayed are expected to arrive today at Port St. John, Canada, where the temperature is in the low 30s.
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➤ Donald Trump’s lawyers asked the Supreme Court to delay consideration of his appeal on presidential immunity to allow a lower court to decide first. Special Counsel Jack Smith has asked the Court for an expedited hearing. (More)
➤A federal judge ordered the Biden administration to stop removing barbed wire from the Texas border until a court decides whether the state of Texas had the authority to block migrants with a barrier. (More)
➤New York has created a state-wide commission to study potential reparations for residents of African descent, the second state after California to do so. The new commission will report its findings in 2025. (More)
➤ The judgewho on Monday blocked the removal of a Confederate statue from Arlington National Cemetery reversed himself Tuesday, approving the removal after ensuring no graves would be disturbed. (More)
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➤ Memphis Grizzliesstar Ja Morant scored 34 points, including a game-winning layup at the buzzer, to celebrate his return to the NBA after a 25-game suspension. (See Video)
➤ Speaking of buzzer-beating shots, Chattanooga guard Trey Bonham drilled a game-winning, buzzer-beating three-pointer from half-court against Gardner-Webb. (See Video)
➤ New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is off the injured reserve list but now indicates he won’t play again this season now that the Jets are out of postseason contention. He says he’ll play in 2024. (More)
Market Report 12/20/23
▼
NASDAQ Natl. Assoc. of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
14,777.94
–1.50%
▼
SPX S&P 500
4,701.19
–1.41%
▼
DJI Dow Jones Industrial Average
37,082.39
–1.27%
▲
BTC Bitcoin
$43,682.0
+3.23%
▼
ARGX argenx SE
$338.91
–25.12%
➤ Big Stock Move: Argenx shares fell 25% Monday after the pharmaceutical company reported failed late-stage trials of an auto-immune drug. (More)
➤ Federal Express stock sank 10% Wednesday following weak quarterly results caused partly by reduced demand for its services by its biggest customer, the U.S. Post Office. (More)
➤ A hefty 50% tariff set to hit American whiskey sold to Europe was avoided in a new agreement that puts the scheduled tariff off until March, 2025, a major boon to U.S. whiskey distillers. (More)
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➤ Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Most Americans will see only eight or nine hours of daylight, as this list of 40 cities details. (See list)
➤ Britain’s highest court ruled that patents can only be granted to humans and not to artificial intelligence “inventors.” A creator of AI software had applied for patents in the name of the software itself. (More)
➤ A photographer captured an image of a strikingly shaped interplay of light and crystals in the sky, producing what he called a “cosmic chalice.” (See Image)
➤ Roughly 20%of Americans ages 65 and older were employed in 2023, nearly double the share of those who were working at that age 35 years ago, according to a Pew Research study. (See Survey)
➤ A new poll of Black Americans shows a significant drop in support for President Biden. He was backed by 63% of that demographic, but he carried Black voters by more than 90% in 2020. (See Poll)
➤ Nearly three-quarters of all Americans consider themselves “spiritual” in some way, and 83% believe people have an inner soul or spirit, a new survey on religion and spirituality shows. (See Study)
➤ A dramatic video shows a Michigan police officer rescuing a trapped woman from a fiery pickup truck. The officer is being hailed as a life-saving hero. (See Video)
➤ Minnesota finalized the design of its new flag after reviewing more than 2,000 public submissions. The flag sports a single star on two shades of blue to symbolize the state’s vast waterways. (See Flag)
➤ An adorable border collie named Swiffer entertained Indiana Pacers fans by jumping rope double-dutch style while two other dogs held the jump ropes. (See Video)
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Census: Blue States Down, Red States Up
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