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If you’ve been pining for a change of scenery, you’re in luck: Astronomers have found two planets that meet pretty much every requirement for supporting life.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)
1. US and Iran
Iran claims to have taken down a US military drone. The country’s elite Revolutionary Guards say the “spy drone” was shot down after it entered Iranian airspace near the Strait of Hormuz. However, no American aircraft were operating today in Iranian airspace, a spokesman for US Central Command says. Tensions between the two countries are extremely high right now. The US blames Iran for recent attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman and will send 1,000 more troops to the Middle East in response to Iran’s “hostile behavior”; Iran denies those accusations.
2. China and North Korea
A historic visit is happening today in North Korea. Chinese President Xi Jinping is meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang. It’s the first time a Chinese leader has traveled to the country in 14 years. Beyond the usual pomp and circumstance, it’s not exactly clear what will come of this two-day visit, though. Some observers believe it could spur some movement in the stalled nuclear talks between the North and the US. Xi will be in Japan next week, where he’s expected to talk about trade with President Trump.
3. David Ortiz shooting
David Ortiz was not the intended target in the shooting that wounded him. A prosecutor yesterday announced this unexpected turn in the case. The real target was Sixto David Fernandez, a friend of Ortiz who was at a table with the former Red Sox slugger at a patio bar in Santo Domingo. The suspected gunman had only a blurry photo of Fernandez, who was wearing similar clothing to Ortiz that night. The prosecutor said the lighting made the shooter confuse one for the other. The alleged mastermind of the attack has been ID’d, as well. Police say it is Victor Hugo Gomez, a cousin of Fernandez who ordered the alleged hit because he suspected Fernandez turned him in for crimes in 2011. Meantime, Ortiz’s condition was upgraded to good at a Boston hospital.
4. Refugees
Canada took in more refugees last year than the United States. Canada accepted 28,100 refugees, more than any other nation, a UN report says. The US resettled 22,900 refugees, the second-most. The US has cut down the number of refugees it takes in since President Trump’s election. In Trump’s first year in office, the US formally resettled 33,400 refugees – a 65% drop from the prior year. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken the opposite view, embracing a policy of open immigration and resettling more refugees. And today is World Refugee Day, a day to learn more about and support refugees.
5. YouTube
YouTube, under fire for how it handles children’s videos, is mulling some changes. The video platform is considering stopping videos from playing automatically after a previous video finishes. YouTube is also thinking about moving all kids’ videos off the main platform and onto YouTube Kids, a standalone app with tighter controls on content (though that would be a drastic step and probably won’t happen, a person familiar with the matter said). The Federal Trade Commission is investigating YouTube’s handling of kids’ videos, and the probe is reportedly close to completion.
TODAY’S QUOTES
“There’s not a racist bone in my body.”
Joe Biden, defending himself after his remarks about working with segregationist senators sparked a backlash from his rivals for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination
“I could see how crews could have run out of time before they could have solved the problems.”
“Miracle on the Hudson” pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, telling a House committee he understands how flight crews would have struggled during the recent Boeing 737 Max crashes. Sullenberger spent time in a simulator running recreations of the doomed flights.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Doggone it
Do Fido’s “puppy dog eyes” get you every time? You can thank evolution for that masterful manipulation move.
Generous gesture
“Jeopardy!” champ James Holzhauer donated some of his winnings from the show to a Chicago cancer walk in Alex Trebek’s name.
Lost and found
What do you do when you find a class ring that’s been missing for almost six decades? Track down the owner and return it, of course.
Another day in Hollywood
So, Russell Crowe got drunk and decided to buy a dinosaur head … from Leonardo DiCaprio. Sometimes these stories just write themselves.
Wonderful words
America has a new poet laureate. Her name is Joy Harjo, and she’s the first Native American to hold the title.
TODAY’S NUMBER
$600,000
The ransom Riviera Beach, Florida, is paying – in Bitcoins – to a hacker who weeks ago took over its computer systems
HAPPENING LATER
Powerful players
The US women’s national team, which is dominating the competition this year at the Women’s World Cup, takes on Sweden at 3 p.m. ET.
TODAY’S WEATHER
AND FINALLY
Seeing with sound
Meet Brian Bushway, the world’s best blind mountain biker. (Click to view.)