Most Americans Say Their Political Side Is Losing More Often than Winning

Wednesday, February 14th, 2024

Today’s newsletter is: 798 words; 3 min. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

KNEAD TO KNOW

French authorities uncovered a vast Russian disinformation campaign in Europe. Authorities uncovered 193 websites that are part of “Portal Kombat,” which is also targeting Germany and Poland.

The Consumer Price Index rose 3.1% in January, slightly lower than the 3.4% rise in December. Core CPI, which excludes energy and food costs, rose 3.9% on the month, matching December’s figure.

Democrat Tom Suozzi defeated Republican Mazi Pilips in the special election to fill the seat vacated by disgraced former New York Rep. George Santos. Suozzi’s win will certainly impact the closely divided House, where Republicans hold only a narrow majority.

The man who leaped over the bench and attacked a Nevada judge in a viral courtroom video has been indicted for attempted murder. The defendant’s foster mother and older sister told reporters he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but court records show he was found competent to stand trial.

QUICK BITES

Most Americans Say Their Political Side Is Losing More Often than Winning

A new survey by the Pew Research Center found 71% of U.S. adults say their political side has been losing more than winning on the issues that matter to them, a 15-percentage-point increase from 2020.

• Why it matters: According to Pew, the sentiment isn’t new, as a majority of adults have expressed the view that their side is losing more than winning since 2016 (I wonder what happened that year). 

Nearly Half of the World’s Migratory Species Are in Decline

A new report by the U.N.’s Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (who named this thing?) found 44% of migratory species worldwide are in decline, and nearly 20% of the 1,200 migratory species monitored by the U.N. are threatened with extinction.

• Most threatened: The report found monitored fish populations are of “particular concern,” as nearly all (97%) are threatened with extinction and are decreasing in population abundance.

Standard Blood Tests Can Help Predict Heart Attacks

A new study by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden found the results of standard blood tests can be used to identify molecules linked to the risk of a first heart attack, potentially speeding up the identification of risk factors that other studies have taken years to uncover.

• What to know: The researchers developed a simple online tool anyone can use to find out their risk of a heart attack within the next six months by sharing their LDL-C and HDL-C levels (along with other physical information like age, height, and smoking status).

PROOFED DISCOVERIES

Here Are Three New Underwater Discoveries Proving None of Us Really Know What Lurks Beneath the Sea

There’s no level of vulnerability quite like what you feel the moment an unknown sea creature brushes against your leg while you’re enjoying the waves.

• If the water is shallow and clear, your fears can be allayed instantly, as most sea creatures to worry about are large enough to see coming and the smaller ones are probably more scared of you anyway.

But the truth is that only 5% of the world’s oceans have been explored and charted, meaning everything else – especially the deep stuff – is largely unknown.

• So, since that figure alone probably isn’t scary enough, let’s dive into (pun not intended) three new discoveries that really drive home the point that none of us know what’s ready to kill us hiding beneath the waves.

Three discoveries:

Last month, a new study detailed a massive underwater canyon in the eastern Mediterranean Sea that formed some 6,000 years ago.

• The 33,000-foot-wide (10 km) canyon is sitting around 1,640 feet deep, precisely where Cthulhu would live if given the choice.

Last week, researchers announced the discovery of four underwater mountains (known as “seamounts” to nerds and oceanographers) just sitting there off the coast of South and Central America.

• The tallest is more than 1.5 miles high (3x taller than the Burj Khalifa), which is more than enough to house an army of Trench monsters.   

Finally, a new study found a half-mile long stone wall in the Baltic Sea that could be Europe’s oldest known “megastructure.”

• The structure was constructed 10,000 years ago and likely helped ancient hunters trap deer, which sounds a lot like what an elaborate human death trap would look like after 10,000 years underwater

OVEN-FRESH STATS

• 81% - The year-over-year increase in shoplifting reports in Los Angeles in 2023, according to new data from the Los Angeles Police Department. 

• $10 billion - How much American consumers lost to fraud in 2023, a 14% increase from the year prior and the first time fraud losses have eclipsed the $10 billion benchmark, according to new data from the Federal Trade Commission.

• $185.6 million - The amount of money wagered on the Super Bowl in Nevada casinos, the most bet on a Super Bowl in any state’s history, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

• 54 seconds - The total amount of time Taylor Swift was shown on screen during the Super Bowl, representing less than 1% of the total game time and nearly a minute longer than Taylor has ever spent thinking about any grown man who was upset by it.

EXTRA SCHMEAR

Long Video. Learn about the 19th-century portrait that contained a huge secret: For 100 years, the rare image of an enslaved child was removed. (10 min) 

Short Video. Learn how 23andMe fell from a $6 billion valuation to become a penny stock. (6 min)

Fun Video. What happened to the teenage boy staple, Axe body spray?  (7 min)

Good Read. A long read on why the letter “R” is so weird. (2,541 words; 14 min)

Neat List. Check out Taco Bell’s eight new menu items (and pick which ones you’ll let ruin your next morning on the porcelain throne).

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Written by Ryan Wittler