Newsletter Dec 20, 2023

Quick Six

Colorado appeals court rules Trump cannot appear on ballot
An appeals court in Colorado on Tuesday ruled Donald Trump cannot appear on the state's presidential primary ballot because of his involvement in the attack on the Capitol in January 2021. The decision, which Trump's campaign immediately said it would appeal, could upend the 2024 presidential election, in which the former president is the runaway leader for the Republican Party nomination. The ruling comes after a group of voters challenged an earlier one that January 6 did not preclude his running again.
SEE THE LIKELY FATE OF THE RULING IN SUPREME COURT

Yemen's Houthi rebels vow to continue campaign in Red Sea
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said Tuesday they would not halt attacks on Red Sea shipping in solidarity with Gaza despite the US forming a new maritime protection force. The flurry of drone and missile attacks threaten to upend global trade, with major shipping firms halting traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb strait. "Even if America succeeds in mobilizing the entire world, our military operations will not stop ... no matter the sacrifices it costs us," senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said.
THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF ATTACKS ON GLOBAL TRADE

US housing market in position for a boom or a bust in 2024
The new year will find the US housing industry in the middle of opposing trends. Depending on which one prevails, the market could be in for a boom or bust. On one side is declining mortgage rates. The 30-year rate, which hit 8% a few months ago, dropped to 6.64%. On the other hand, a slowing economy could push the jobless rate higher and disqualify buyers from getting mortgage.
SEE THE PROS AND CONS OF A MIXED HOUSING MARKET

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Markets

DJIA	37,557.92	0.68%
S&P 500	4,768.37	0.59%
Nasdaq Composite	15,003.22	0.66%
Japan: Nikkei 225	33,219.39	1.41%
UK: FTSE 100	7,638.03	0.31%
Crude Oil Futures	73.58	1.53%
Gold Futures	2,053.10	0.05%
Yen	144.02	0.13%
Euro	1.10	-0.05%
* As of market close

Meta charged with mishandling war posts

Meta's independent oversight board on Tuesday criticized the social media titan of removing posts that showed human suffering in the Middle East conflict. The board, set up by Meta in 2020 as a supreme court of sorts for the social media titan, overturned two post removal decisions, and urged the company to respond more quickly to changing circumstances in the war between Hamas and Israel. One of the videos showed Palestinians, including children, being injured or killed.

SECOND VIDEO SHOWS ISRAELI WOMAN BEGGING FOR LIFE

Spain, Germany surpass 50% energy goals

Spain and Germany's shares of electrical generation from renewable sources surpassed 50% for the first time in 2023, Spain said that "50% of the electricity generated was of renewable origin, a figure which in 2023 is up from 42% last year," making Spain the second European country outside of Scandinavia to reach this target for the first time this year. Germany saw renewable power generation climb to 53% in 2023, up from 44% in 2022, according to preliminary data released Monday.

SOLAR POWER HELPING EU NATIONS REACH ENERGY GOALS

Paris Games shaping up to be a pricy affair

Paris hoteliers were up in arms Tuesday over a government plan to triple the tax paid by visitors on nights at hotels when the capital hosts the 2024 Olympics. The tourist tax in Paris now varies from 0.25 euros ($0.27) a night to five euros ($5.5) a night for luxurious establishments. The government plans to triple the fee as part of its 2024 budget, which it plans to ram through parliament without a vote before Christmas.

EX-OLYMPIC HERO CALLS OUT EXTRAVAGANT TICKET PRICES

Extra point

Name the only continent and country to cross into all four hemispheres.

Tuesday's answer: In addition to the Republic of Texas, the Vermont Republic is the only other US state to once be a nation. Though not recognized by the British government nor the Continental Congress, Vermont considered itself an independent country from 1777 to 1791.

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