DML Morning Briefing, Nov. 18

Today is November 18. Below are some of the stories grabbing headlines this morning. I hope you share this briefing as doing so will make you the smartest person in the room.

1. Biden administration requests immunity for Saudi crown prince in Khashoggi killing: ‘Beyond ironic’
FoxNews–The Biden administration declared Thursday night the official standing of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince should grant him immunity in lawsuits for his alleged role in the brutal killing of a U.S.-based journalist.

The request is a controversial one after President Biden promised “consequences” on his campaign trail for Saudi officials following the 2018 death of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi’s fiancée, and Democracy for the Arab World Now filed a lawsuit against Saudi officials, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for their roles in the murder of Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Ryan Lynch: That’s the price of oil.

2. Traces of explosives found at site of Russian pipeline leaks, Sweden says
CNBC–Sweden’s prosecutor’s office said Friday that an investigation into gas leaks from two underwater pipelines connecting Russia to Germany found traces of explosives, confirming that it is a case of “serious sabotage.”

Swedish and Danish investigators are investigating a flurry of detonations on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines on Sept. 26 that sent gas spewing to the surface of the Baltic Sea.

The explosions triggered four gas leaks at four locations: two in Denmark’s exclusive economic zone and two in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone.

The Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement that “residues of explosives have been identified on several of the foreign objects seized,” according to a translation.

Ryan Lynch: It’s confirmed that there was indeed sabotage on the underwater pipelines connecting Germany and Russia. I’m doubtful we’ll ever know who was behind it. Who do you think conducting the sabotage and why?

3. Twitter could lose 75 PERCENT of its remaining 3,700 workers as hundreds resign overnight: Ruthless Elon Musk locks staff out of offices to stop potential ‘sabotage’ and trolls critics including AOC
DailyMail–Elon Musk is set to lose 75 percent of Twitter’s remaining workforce after hundreds of employees resigned overnight and more ignored the CEO’s deadline to either stay or leave.

Musk sent an email to his remaining 3,700 workers on Wednesday and gave them a 5pm ET Thursday deadline to either click a link confirming their willingness to work ‘long hours at high intensity’, or leave the company with three months severance pay.

The staff who did choose to stay have now been locked out of their offices until week.

In a message sent to Twitter staff, and seen by the BBC, the company said that office buildings would be temporarily closed and all badge access suspended until Monday.

Ryan Lynch: These people are degenerates and don’t want to work. Elon is going to do what I think he should and let them resign, walk away, or be fired. Do a massive cleaning out and then hire workers who want the same vision for Twitter as all of us. And no I don’t think Twitter is “in trouble.”

4. As Trump launches 2024 bid, potential leading nomination rivals gather at a major GOP cattle call
FoxNews–Former President Donald Trump tossed his hat into the 2024 ring this week, but that likely won’t clear the field in the battle for the Republican nomination.

This weekend, some of Trump’s best-known potential GOP rivals will gather in Las Vegas for what’s being viewed as the first major Republican cattle call in the burgeoning race for the White House.

As Fox News first reported last month, some of the biggest names in the GOP who are considered likely or possible White House contenders will be speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s (RJC) annual leadership meeting.

The confab kicked off on Thursday night at the Venetian Hotel Resort and Casino with speeches from term-limited Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and former New Jersey governor and 2016 presidential candidate Chris Christie.

Ryan Lynch: The GOP has a lot of figuring out to do before the 2024 election. I wonder what will be discussed behind the scenes at this event as well for the speeches of each of the leaders in the GOP.

5. Study claims tiny particles in the air can cause sudden heart attacks
bgr–A new study suggests that tiny particles in the air may cause sudden heart attacks. The study, which researchers published in The Lancet Public Health, notes that particles 25 times smaller than the width of a human hair can be easily inhaled. And when inhaled, these particles have been linked to a slew of health issues, including autoimmune diseases and heart failure.

The researchers tracked pollution levels in Singapore against more than 18,000 cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests between July 2010 and 2018. Based on statistical analysis, the researchers were able to connect 492 cases to high concentrations of a particle known as PM2.5. Based on these findings, the researchers believe that PM2.5 levels can lead to an increased chance of sudden heart attacks.

This study is, of course, only observation. This means that we can only speculate on what the relationship between sudden heart attacks and levels of PM2.5 pollution truly means. But, if the research does gain more traction and evidence, we could be looking at a scary indicator of what’s to come if those pollution levels continue to grow.

Ryan Lynch: Very interesting study that suggests breathing in tiny particles can cause cardiac arrest. Be vigilant when in areas or doing activities that have these particles. I’m curious to see what else will come out of this nearly decade-long study.