Wednesday 12.04.24

A history of lead in gasoline may be behind tens of millions of mental health conditions in the US, according to new research. Cars ran on gasoline containing lead starting in the 1920s, and the US did not begin phasing out the substance until the 1980s — after substantial evidence of harm over the decades — according to the Energy Information Administration. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and on With Your Day.
 

By Andrew Torgan

South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, lawmakers and people attend a rally to condemn the South Korean president’s surprise declaration of martial law. (Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

South Korea

South Korea has been plunged into political chaos in the hours since the country’s embattled president declared martial law but was forced to lift the decree amid widespread condemnation. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in an unannounced late-night TV address on Tuesday, accusing the country’s main opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and anti-state activities. But soon after, lawmakers forced their way past soldiers into parliament and voted to block the decree. Since then, six opposition parties have submitted a bill calling for Yoon’s impeachment. The main opposition Democratic Party, meanwhile, said it plans to file treason charges against the president, as well as the defense and interior ministers.

Gender-affirming care

The Supreme Court will dive headfirst into the politically fraught issue of transgender rights today when it hears a challenge to Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors in the highest-profile case of the fall. Attorneys for the Biden administration and transgender youth in Tennessee will press the justices to declare the 2023 law an unconstitutional form of sex discrimination, while the state’s lawyer plans to argue that lawmakers were justified in restricting medical care for residents under the age of 18. The conservative-majority court will examine the law at a critical time for transgender Americans. Since 2020, Republican-led states around the country have passed a wave of laws regulating the lives of trans Americans, with a particular focus on minors. Depending on how the court rules, similar prohibitions on gender-affirming care — and, potentially, other laws targeting transgender people — would be at risk of falling altogether or receiving a powerful endorsement from the high court.

Pete Hegseth

President-elect Donald Trump’s choice of Pete Hegseth to run the Defense Department is in jeopardy as some key GOP senators raise questions over whether he’s fit for the job. The pressure is forcing Trump’s team to maneuver behind the scenes to avoid a second Cabinet pick from collapsing amid a possible Republican revolt, all while alternate names for Defense secretary begin to emerge should Hegseth falter. No Republicans have said they would not support Hegseth, but even some of the GOP senators closest to Trump, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, are now wondering whether Hegseth can survive the tightrope walk to confirmation — sending an ominous signal for the incoming White House. Hegseth, who has denied any wrongdoing, is under intense scrutiny amid a series of misconduct allegations, including a sexual assault allegation from 2017, which he has denied and in which no charges were filed.

Middle East

As strikes conducted by both sides strain a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah less than a week since it went into effect, Israel’s defense minister on Tuesday threatened to directly target the Lebanese state should the agreement fall apart. Monday was the deadliest day since that agreement brokered by the US and France came into force, with Israeli strikes killing nine in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah fired at Israeli-occupied territory, citing Israeli truce violations. “If we return to war, we will act with strength, go deeper,” said Israel Katz during a visit to Israeli troops near the Lebanese border. Were the ceasefire to collapse, he said, “there will no longer be any exemptions for the State of Lebanon.” 

Voyager 1

NASA engineers have successfully restored contact with the deep-space probe Voyager 1, and the spacecraft is operating normally after its dwindling power supply caused a weekslong blackout. The issue began in October when the aging probe automatically switched from its primary X-band radio transmitter and began relying on a much weaker S-band radio transmitter to communicate with its mission team. The farthest spacecraft from Earth, Voyager 1 is currently exploring uncharted territory about 15.4 billion miles away. After some clever problem-solving, NASA was able to switch Voyager 1 back to its X-band transmitter and receive its daily stream of data again starting in mid-November. Launched weeks apart in 1977, Voyager 1 and its twin probe, Voyager 2, continue to defy the odds and explore space more than 47 years after they lifted off.

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Queen Bey is officially the GOAT
Beyoncé has been named the greatest pop star of the 21st century by Billboard, ahead of Taylor Swift at No. 2 and Rihanna in third. Billboard based the decision "on her full 25 years of influence, impact, evolution.”

Frontier Airlines introducing ‘first class-style’ seats
The no-frills carrier is getting into the premium seating game with what it’s referring to as “first class-style” seats. Frontier says the “luxurious, spacious seats” will be available in late 2025.

Drone image of young sharks hunting fish wins photo competition
See the striking image of fish being attacked by sharks in the shallow waters of the Maldives, which has claimed the top prize in this year’s Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition.

Ed Sheeran will be first-ever Western artist to perform in Bhutan
The Grammy-winning musician will perform in the landlocked Buddhist monarchy of about 700,000 people located between China and India.

Ohio State and Miami tumble in College Football Playoff rankings
After suffering shocking upsets to unranked opponents on Saturday, Ohio State and Miami dropped in the penultimate CFB rankings ahead of conference championship week.

563,000

That's how many people were reported missing in the US in 2023, according to the FBI’s Crime Information Center. The largest subgroup of missing persons — 125,390 — includes those who may have left voluntarily, the center’s data shows.

The Constitution provides the President with broad authority to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States … but nowhere does the Constitution give the President the authority to rewrite history.

— District Judge Mark Scarsi, who oversaw Hunter Biden’s tax case, wrote in a five-page order Tuesday that some of the “representations contained” in President Joe Biden’s statement announcing his son's pardon “stand in tension with the case record.” Scarsi specifically took issue with Biden’s rationale that his son’s tax problems were all caused by his struggle with alcohol and drug addiction.

Pregnant woman calls 911 when her car brakes stop working
A 911 dispatch in Illinois received a call from a pregnant woman whose brakes had stopped working mid-drive. See how police kept her from driving into a nearby lake.