Plus the Kyte Baby controversy & Biden butts heads with Bibi

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Good morning,

If you went out dancing this weekend, did you throw your hands in the air? It could be a sign of your age.

A viral TikTok says millennials and Gen Z are divided (yet again), but this time it’s about dancing with your arms in the air (and waving ’em like you just don’t care).

Gen Z is trying to tell millennials to keep their arms down cause it shows their age. Millennials say they don’t know any other way to dance and will follow the orders they were given by nearly every song for two decades:)

Have a good one 🙌

Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren (2 geriatric millennials and a Gen Zer)

🗞 DESANTIS DROPS OUT, ENDORSES TRUMP & SLAMS HALEY

After almost eight months on the campaign trail, and two days before the New Hampshire primary, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his 2024 presidential bid on Sunday. He endorsed former President Donald Trump, who is already leading Nikki Haley in polls ahead of the New Hampshire primary tomorrow.

DeSantis acknowledged “disagreements” with Trump, but suggested Haley was worse and warned that she represents the “old Republican guard of yesteryear.” The Florida governor has spent a year calling Trump ineffective and obsessed with himself, while Trump ridiculed and mocked DeSantis. That said, the two are pretty closely aligned on policy matters and the 45 year-old governor believes that reconnecting with Trump/MAGA will help his future ambitions.
A CNN poll has Trump with 50% of the New Hampshire vote and Haley at 39%. Most of DeSantis’ 6% support will likely move to Trump. A huge win Tuesday night—the DeSantis dropout could give him an extra boost—could help Trump effectively end the competition in two states. It is hard to see Haley stay in this very long if she loses by a lot in New Hampshire—where expectations have been high.

SECOND PLACE WASN’T ENOUGH
DeSantis scored a distant #2 spot in Iowa after investing heavily in the state, and his campaign has been under financial pressure — polling in single-digits in South Carolina and New Hampshire.

Inside the campaign, there were multiple leadership shake-ups and overspending on things like private planes.

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO
Over the weekend, Haley sharpened her tone on Trump. She questioned if Trump was mentally capable of being president.

Trump confused Haley with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a speech — he said Haley was in charge of Capitol security on January 6, 2021. He has also recently mixed up Biden and former President Obama.
Haley said: “When you’re dealing with the pressures of the presidency, we can’t have someone else that we question whether they’re mentally fit to do this.”
Trump maintains he has aced cognitive tests and claimed there is no difference between Haley and Pelosi on issues (there are many)—hence the confusion.

🍼 BABY BRAND UNDER FIRE FOR FIRING NEW MOM

Marissa Hughes and her husband with their baby in the NICU.

Kyte Baby, a women-owned brand that makes children’s sleepwear, is apologizing for denying an employee’s request to work remotely and then firing her while her adopted baby was in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

TAKE TWO
The founder and CEO of Kyte Baby, Ying Liu, took to social media not once, but twice to post apology videos amid customer backlash and calls for boycotts. (Her first video was ridiculed as scripted). Here’s the backstory:

Marissa Hughes, the employee, managed the company’s on-site photography studio. She asked to work remotely from the NICU— located 9 hours from her home—after her baby boy was born prematurely at 22 weeks and is fighting for his life.
Her request was denied — the company has a two-week maternity leave policy — and she was let go after refusing to leave her baby.
- Kyte Baby said she was welcome to come back and her position would be available. Hughes has declined.
Liu, who made the decision to veto Hughes’ request, says it “was a terrible decision” and vows to change the company’s policies.

SPEAKING OF WHICH, THE STATUS OF PARENTAL LEAVE IN THE U.S.
The U.S. is one of seven countries that does not have national government-mandated maternity leave — and the only rich country to not offer it.

Around the world: 29 weeks of paid maternity leave is the average.
- Dads get 16 weeks on average.
- It’s usually a % of someone’s salary and is paid for by social insurance (taxes or contributions from employers).
The research says: Between three and six months of leave is best for birth mothers — recovery time alone takes at least six weeks.

📍ISRAEL-HAMAS PEACE DEAL PROPOSAL

After weeks of stalled talks between Israel and Hamas, the U.S. along with Qatar and Egypt are trying to get the two to come back to the negotiating table.

The proposed plan: a 90-day deal would pause fighting so all Israeli civilian hostages could be released in exchange for hundreds of imprisoned Palestinians. It would also require Israel to withdraw troops outside cities in Gaza, stop drone surveillance inside Gaza and double the amount of aid going in, among other measures.
The next phases of the deal includes Hamas releasing Israeli soldiers and turning over dead bodies of Israelis, in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners and Israeli troops completely leaving Gaza.
And finally: A permanent ceasefire, Israel and Arab countries (like Saudi Arabia) having the normalization of relations, and creating a Palestinian state.

LITTLE MIDDLE GROUND
After about 100 Israeli hostages in Gaza were exchanged for 300+ Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, which brought a temporary ceasefire in November, diplomatic efforts have gone nowhere.

Israel is only looking for a two-week pause in fighting for a hostage-prisoner exchange.
Hamas wants to trade the 132 hostages they still hold for thousands of Palestinian prisoners, including Hamas leaders and those involved in the Oct 7 attack, and a guarantee they remain in charge of Gaza after the war.

SILENT TREATMENT
After almost four-weeks without talking one-on-one, President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally spoke on Friday.

What’s the beef: The Biden administration has forcefully pushed for a two-state solution in the region, but Netanyahu is vehemently opposed to that.

After the call, Biden said he thinks a two-state solution could still happen even with Netanyahu in power.
On Sunday, Netanyahu doubled down again on his determination not to allow an independent Palestinian state to emerge.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Trump hints at possible vice presidential pick (AXIOS)

📌 Two missing US Navy SEALs declared dead (REUTERS)

📌 Cozy relationship between Boeing and US government under scrutiny (NPR)

📌 U.S. sees over 90 weather-related deaths as dangerous cold continues (CBS NEWS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Protests against Germany’s far right gain new momentum after report on meeting of extremists (NBC NEWS)

📌 North Korea stresses alignment with Russia against US and says Putin could visit soon (AP)

📌 U.S. base in Iraq attacked after Iran vows revenge; US troops evaluated for brain injuries (EURONEWS)

📌 As Houthis vow to fight on, US prepares for long fight in Yemen (WASHINGTON POST)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Billions of cicadas will buzz this spring as two broods emerge at the same time (NPR)

📌 Latest EPA assessment shows almost no improvement in river and stream nitrogen pollution (AP)

📌 More than 580,000 beds sold at Walmart, Wayfair and Overstock recalled because they can break or collapse (CBS NEWS)

📌 Sports Illustrated thrown into chaos with mass layoffs (FOX BUSINESS)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Tara VanDerveer is now the winningest coach in college basketball history (NPR)

📌 Regina Georges collide when Rachel McAdams makes ‘SNL’ cameo to introduce Reneé Rapp (CNN)

📌 Britain’s Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, diagnosed with skin cancer (NBC NEWS)

📌 Reformed mobster indicted after he went for 'one last score' and stole Judy Garland's ruby slippers from 'Wizard of Oz' (ABC NEWS)

📌 Lions-49ers, Chiefs-Ravens to play in NFC and AFC Championship Games (ESPN)

🗓 ON THIS DAY: JANUARY 22

1984: The iconic Apple “1984” spot airs during the Super Bowl. The commercial, directed by Ridley Scott, inspires subsequent Super Bowl commercials to take things to the next level.
1973: The U.S. Supreme Court issues the Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalizes most abortions. It would be overturned in 2022.
1977: Hall and Oates release ‘Rich Girl.’
2012: Adele breaks record held by the Beatles and Pink Floyd, when her second album, ‘21,’ remains at No. 1 on the charts for 16 weeks.