Good Morning! On this Leap Day in 1892, St. Petersburg, Fla., was incorporated, with a population of 300. It’s called “The Sunshine City” and holds the world record for most consecutive days of sunshine — 768 days. (See Photos)
For Flyover readers with a romantic inclination, it’s worth noting that Leap Day in America is a notable wedding day for couples (though not so much in Greece, as you can read in our Et Cetera section below). Have a happy Leap Day, everyone!
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Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky announced Wednesday that he would step down as the Republican leader in the Senate this November.
McConnell, the longest-serving caucus leader in history, took office in 1985 and plans to serve out his current term, which ends in 2027.
McConnell was sometimes emotional in his address but did not offer any specific reasons for the timing of his decision, except for the death of his wife’s youngest sister.
“To serve Kentucky, has been the honor of my life; to lead my Republican colleagues has been the highest privilege,” McConnell said.
Texas Wildfire Now Larger than Rhode Island
The Smokehouse Creek wildfire, the second-largest fire in Texas history, has consumed more than 500,000 acres of land, homes, and businesses since Monday, causing power outages and forcing evacuations across several counties.
The fire has expanded to more than 1,300 square miles, larger than the state of Rhode Island, and has spread to parts of neighboring state Oklahoma. For details, video, and a fire map, click here.
Texas Governor Greg Abbot issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties and activated several state emergency response resources to help fight the blaze.
No deaths have been reported, but numerous schools have closed, and some have reopened as emergency shelters for those who lost homes or escaped the fire.
Google Calls Its ‘Woke’ AI Tool ‘Unacceptable”
Google CEO Sundar Pichai told employees that the “politically correct” responses given by the company’s Gemini AI platform were “unacceptable” and that Google was working non-stop to fix it. His full memo is here.
The Gemini tool was suspended after it refused to show images of white males and instead placed people of color into historically inaccurate contexts. It did no better with text answers.
Asked if it was OK to misgender a trans celebrity if it stopped a nuclear apocalypse, it replied that misgendering would “never” be acceptable. It also said there was no clear answer on whether Elon Musk posting memes was worse than Hitler killing millions.
Pichai called the issues “problematic” and admitted “they have offended our users and shown bias.”
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➤ The SupremeCourt agreed to decide whether Donald Trump has immunity from criminal charges for his actions while in office. The justices will hear the appeal in April while Trump’s election interference trial remains on hold. (More)
➤ Donald Trump and President Biden won Tuesday’s Michigan primaries by wide margins, but Biden lost 13% of his vote and at least one delegate to “Uncommitted,” a protest vote from left-wing voters angry about Gaza. (More)
➤President Biden had an unscheduled two-hour physical at Walter Reed Hospital on Wednesday. Biden did not undergo a cognitive test but was found to be mentally fit, according to White House officials. (More)
➤ A new report says $12 million a year has been spent on Secret Service protection for former Trump administration advisers John Bolton and Robert O’Brien, who were said to be under threat from Iran. (More)
If you’re over the age of 50, male or female – top doctor reveals the best protein to restore bone density, soothe long joint pain and regain mobility.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and is critical for maintaining youthful function and appearance of the skin, hair, nails, lean muscle and so much more.
➤The Cleveland Cavaliers‘ Max Strus beat the buzzer on a last-second shot from beyond half-court to beat the Dallas Mavericks 119-118 Tuesday night. (See Video)
➤The unranked BYU basketball team ended No. 7 Kansas’ 19-game home winning streak Tuesday and picked up their first win over the Jayhawks in more than 60 years. (More)
➤The Carolina Hurricanes scored a third-period goal off the face visor of Stefan Noesen Tuesday to beat the Minnesota Wild 3-2. (See Video)
Market Report 02/28/2024
▼
NASDAQ Natl. Assoc. of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
15,942.93
–0.58%
▼
SPX S&P 500
5,069.76
–0.17%
▼
DJI Dow Jones Industrial Average
38,932.61
–0.10%
▲
BTC Bitcoin
$60,350.49
+5.75%
▲
LFST LifeStance Health Group, Inc.
$8.71
+30.00%
➤ Big Stock Move: LifeStance Health stock jumped 30% Wednesday on strong 4th quarter revenue growth by the behavioral health service, exceeding expectations. (More)
➤ Apple ended its electric car project after nearly a decade without producing a vehicle. The company says it’ll shift resources toward artificial intelligence development. (More)
➤ The FAA gave Boeing 90 days to develop a comprehensive plan to address quality-control issues and produce “profound improvements” to its process after a series of issues with its planes. (More)
➤Elon Musk announced 2025 as the target date for releasing the long-awaited Tesla Roadster. Musk says the car has a range of 620 miles and can hit 60 mph in 1.9 seconds. (More)
➤ A white dwarf star 63 light-years from Earth bears a metallic scar that astronomers say is the leftovers of a planet it consumed. (See Video)
➤ Researchers say porpoises foraging for eels in murky water may be the cause of millions of seafloor divots in the North Sea and not methane deposits as previously believed. (See Photo)
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➤ Nearly half of Americans say they support a national 16-week ban on abortion, and 27% strongly support it, according to a YouGov poll. (More)
➤ A new Pew Research report shows most Americans have heard of weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, and just over half approve of their use for obese people — but not for people just trying to lose a little weight. (See Survey)
➤ National approval of how Congress is “handling its job” has fallen to its lowest point since 2015, a new Gallup poll shows. Only 12% of Americans approve of the way Congress is working. (See Results)
➤ Comedian Richard Lewis, a longtime stand-up comic and recurring character on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” died at age 76 of a heart attack. He revealed he had Parkinson’s disease last year. (More)
➤ Photographers at the 2024 World Aquatics Championship in Doha, Qatar, captured stunning shots of athletes competing for medals. (See Photos)
➤ Today is Leap Day, and some countries have interesting traditions: Germans decorate birch trees, British women propose to men, and the Greeks say it’s a bad luck day for marriage or divorce. (More Traditions)
Sen. Mitch McConnell to Step Down in November
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