Newsletter Feb 24, 2021

Tiger Woods suffered major injuries to his legs in a one-car crash Tuesday in California. Now many are wondering if and when he will play golf again.

3 Things

Tiger rescue: The greatest golfer of his generation came dangerously close to seeing his life and career disappear in a major single-car accident in California early Tuesday morning.
Woods was driving a Genesis GV80 on a hilly section of road near Rancho Palos Verdes, where he was in town competing in the Genesis Invitational. He lost control of the vehicle and flipped several times before coming to rest off the road in a wooded area.
"I will say that it's very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive," said the first deputy to respond to the scene.
Rescue workers were able to pry Woods from the vehicle using special extraction tools. He suffered compound fractures to both legs and was rushed to the hospital to undergo emergency surgery.
Woods was reported to be in stable condition following the surgery but there was no immediate word on his recovery timetable. Fans and loved ones are wishing him a speedy recovery, but it's still unclear if the extent of his injuries will end his legendary career.
Woods had just undergone a series of back and neck procedures. He was amid a comeback trying to return to his long-held position of the world's top-ranked golfer, but this incident could spell the end of his illustrious career that includes 15 major championships.
GET THE LATEST ON WOODS' CONDITION AND PROGNOSIS

Cruz to nowhere: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz can't seem to get out of his own way these days, compounding his ill-fated vacation getaway to Cancun with his bizarre behavior since returning to the States.
Recapping an embarrassing week for Cruz, he was busted aboard a flight to the sunny tourist resort while the Texans he represents dealt with freezing weather, power outages and ruptured water pipes.
Once news broke about "Flyin' Ted's" trip, he immediately booked a return flight and blamed the idea on his daughters. He posed for photo ops helping the relief effort, but Texans weren't buying it.
On Tuesday, it was back to being the same surly senator that folks love to hate. He lashed out at leaked text messages between him and his wife, pointing the finger at dirty politics instead of at himself: "Here's a suggestion, just don't be [expletive]. Treat each other as human beings, have some degree, some modicum of respect."
To add to his battered public image, Cruz was captured on camera texting during the Senate hearing with former Capitol Police chief Steven Sund about the Jan. 6 riot. Social media once again pounced on Cruz in a week in which he probably should've stayed in Cancun.
SEE HOW THE CRAZY WEEK FOR CRUZ GET EVEN CRAZIER

Best buddy reboot: President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took Tuesday to mend strained relations between the two countries, and the early results were promising.
"The United States has no closer friend than Canada," Biden said before the virtual meeting between the neighboring world leaders. "We have a robust agenda today and we're all best served when the United States and Canada work together and lead together."
That level of cooperation was sorely lacking during the Trump administration, when the former president seemed to butt heads often with the Canadian PM. Trudeau even took a not-so-subtle jab at Trump before getting down to business with Biden on several key issues, including COVID-19 policies and the Keystone XL Pipeline.
"US leadership has been sorely missed over the past, uh, past years," Trudeau said in a thinly veiled shot at Biden's predecessor.
The two discussed a wide range of issues but agreed on one key point of the U.S.-Canada relationship: they need each other. The meeting was the precursor to more detailed talks in the future, but it appears the North American neighbors have kissed and make up.
SEE THE POINTS OF CONTENTION IN US-CANADA RELATIONS

Battle of billionaires

Yesterday we told you about the "Musk Effect," the magic touch that Tesla CEO Elon Musk possesses over the stock and cryptocurrency markets. On Tuesday we learned about the "Musk Counter-effect," when his wheeling and dealing backfire and his net worth takes a major hit.

Musk lost his position as the world's richest individual after Tesla stock dropped by 20% in February. Tesla's price closed at $714.50 Monday, its lowest since Sept. 23, 2020, and bitcoin fell from an all-time high of $57,000 on Sunday to only $48,000 on Tuesday -- a 16% dip in two days.

That might not seem so bad unless you consider Tesla's recent purchase of $1.5 billion in bitcoin. Along with some other factors in Musk's myriad investments, it all adds up to a $15.2 billion drop in his overall net worth.

Musk surpassed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos as the world's wealthiest man in January, but Bezos reclaimed the title this month -- $186 billion to $183 billion (but who's counting?). Musk might be able to make up for lost ground as Bezos has announced he is stepping away from Amazon, but the high risk-reward games Musk is playing can easily go boom or bust.

FIND OUT WHO'S WINNING THE BATTLE BETWEEN BILLIONAIRES

Man's oldest friend

The unbreakable bond between man and dog appears to be more deeply rooted than initially thought. It's no wonder so many Americans treat their fur babies like members of the family since the relationship between humans and canines dates back to the continent's earliest settlers.

A new study shows that the history of dogs in North America date back to the arrival of the first humans, who are believed to have crossed the frozen land bridge of the Bering Straight from Siberia to Alaska. A femur bone first thought to belong to a bear turned out to be an early dog of Asian descent dating back more than 10,000 years -- about the same time period the human migration to North America was taking place.

"Because dogs are a proxy for human occupation, our data help provide not only a timing but also a location for the entry of dogs and people into the Americas," said one scientist with the University of Buffalo.

It seems dogs were tailing along with humans long before both made their way to the New World. DNA analysis shows an undeniable link between the two species, proving that man's best friend is also one of his oldest.

SEE THE LONG-RUNNING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MAN AND DOG

Herb Garden State

New Jersey's referendum to legalize recreational marijuana use in the last election took a big step toward becoming a reality Tuesday when Gov. Phil Murphy signed three laws making it the latest state to embrace weed.

In addition to paving the way for legal marijuana sales and use, Murphy's new laws also address the antiquated system that has criminalized pot to the point of ruining the lives of those who have been arrested for simple possession. New common-sense legislation will finally nip that in the bud.

â€œAs of this moment, New Jerseyâ€™s broken and indefensible marijuana laws which permanently stained the records of many residents and short-circuited their futures, and which disproportionately hurt communities of color and failed the meaning of justice at every level, social or otherwise â€” are no more,â€ Murphy announced as he signed the bills into law.

The Garden State still faces several issues before clearing the path for legal weed sales but Tuesday's actions mean it will happen sooner than later. A state suffering from the pandemic could get some relief soon.

FIND OUT WHEN NEW JERSEY WILL START SELLING LEGAL WEED