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Good Morning. In today’s edition, New Zealand continues to reel from a mass shooting, the FAA’s approval of Boeing’s 737 MAX jetliners gets probed, and the U.S. changes its Syria strategy. |
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The New Zealand gunman trapped his victims in areas with few exits and no hiding places. | | A Muslim family standing across the road from the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Sunday. PHOTO: MARTY MELVILLE/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES |
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Those who did escape the massacre in the Christchurch mosques—where the death toll rose to 50—were able to do so in part thanks to the heroism of a few who rushed the shooter, slowing his rampage. Australian Brenton Tarrant was charged with murder Saturday; police said two other people detained likely weren’t involved. Investigators found he bought most of the weapons online from a firearms retailer that also has stores across New Zealand. The government there set a one-week deadline to propose a gun-law overhaul, through hurdles include the lack of a gun registry. |
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Horrific video of the attack has likely been viewed millions of times across the internet. Facebook and Google’s YouTube said they were still working this past weekend to keep it off their platforms. But the vast cloning of the footage underlines a stark reality in the era of live online broadcasting: These videos can’t be cut off. In the U.S., White House officials and Democrats clashed over President Trump’s response to the massacre. |
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Federal prosecutors and Department of Transportation officials are scrutinizing the development of Boeing’s 737 MAX jetliners, while the department’s inspector general is investigating the FAA’s approval of the plane—focusing on an antistall system implicated in the Oct. 29 Lion Air crash, which killed 189 people. Aviation authorities are looking into whether the system played a role in the more recent Ethiopian Airlines crash, which killed 157 people. Data from the two planes’ black boxes show similarities, according to Ethiopia’s transport minister, Dagmawit Moges. |
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The U.S. military is crafting plans that could keep a force of up to 1,000 in Syria, far more than the 200 peacekeepers the White House specified in February, which itself marked a retreat from the complete withdrawal President Trump ordered in December. Once the last Islamic State bastion is seized, the U.S. expects to shift its focus to withdrawing hundreds of American troops, who currently number more than 2,000. Mr. Trump recently described Syria as little more than “sand and death.” |
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From reporter Nancy Youssef: The latest plan is the result of the U.S.’s inability to reach a deal with Turkey, European allies and U.S.-backed Kurdish forces on creating a safe zone in northeastern Syria. Under the proposal, the U.S. will keep working with Kurdish fighters in Syria, despite Turkish threats to cross the border and attack the Kurds. |
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Lyft set its preliminary valuation at between $21 billion and $23 billion—$62 to $68 a share—ahead of the ride-hailing service’s roadshow to market its IPO, kicking off Monday. The final price will be set by the company and its underwriters based on feedback from investors. In a sign of Wall Street demand for Silicon Valley startups, even at the low end of the expected range, Lyft would be valued at far more than in its last private valuation—$15.1 billion early last year. |
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Median compensation for 132 CEOs of S&P 500 companies reached $12.4 million in 2018, up from $11.7 million in 2017. Gains were driven by robust profits and strong stock prices for much of the year. The median raise was 6.4%. If the trend continues for the rest of the S&P CEOs, 2018 could mark a third straight year of record pay—and a stark example of shareholder performance trailing CEO pay. A December stock-market swoon meant most of the companies finished 2018 posting sluggish shareholder returns. |
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What We’re Following | | A BNSF train meeting the overflowing Platte River in Plattsmouth, Neb., on Sunday. PHOTO: NATI HARNIK/ASSOCIATED PRESS |
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Plains Sailing: Record Midwest flooding has forced the evacuation of thousands of people and killed at least three. Bank Interest: German giants Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank confirmed they’re talking about a potential merger. 2020 Vision: In the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas zoomed across eastern Iowa this weekend, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York formally announced her bid and former Vice President Joe Biden edged closer to jumping in. See a full list of Democrats running. Put Me In, Coach: After federal indictments over admissions fraud, colleges are rethinking athletic special admissions. Connect the Dots: Fed officials aren’t sure what to do about Wednesday’s quarterly chart of their interest-rate projections. |
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Journal Reports: Personal Finance Does it pay to get married? Among many effects of the 2017 tax overhaul was an easing of the so-called marriage penalty—the tax-bill increase couples may experience if they start filing jointly. Read our roundtable with three experts. Elsewhere in our Journal Report, experts debate financial issues: Should all college admissions become need-blind? Should your tell your teenage children how much you make? Is it time for active investing to make a comeback? Do most people need a broker when selling their home? |
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Trending Stories at WSJ.com | | Baseball fans want to watch the game but always have their stats and other info at the ready. Intel’s True VR app is an analytics lover’s paradise. PHOTO: INTEL |
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The future of sports watching is interactive, immersive and intense, writes the Journal’s David Pierce. (Read) Major heart-health organizations now say most healthy people shouldn’t take aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or cardiovascular disease. (Read) Used cans are piling up at scrapyards because U.S. aluminum companies are turning fewer of them into new metal, another indication of the economic challenges facing recycling. (Read) |
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What Else We’re Reading Breaking News: Dutch police say a number of people have been injured in a shooting on or near a tram in the city of Utrecht. (CNN) Some states looking to profit from the new world of legal sports betting are grappling with whether to allow it online or only in person. (Associated Press) U.S. casino operators Eldorado Resorts and Caesars Entertainment are in the early stages of exploring a merger. (Reuters) |
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Today’s Question and Answer In response to our question about the Connecticut Supreme Court ruling that a gun manufacturer could be sued: Roger Knudsen, Ohio For guns with only one purpose—killing people—it’s high time to get them out of business. Deborah Ross, Pennsylvania Gun manufacturers should not be held responsible for behaviors of consumers. Should food packagers be held responsible for an obese person who gets diabetes? Should candy makers be responsible for consumers' dental bills? Richard Spaulding, New Jersey I’ve always felt that this kind of court ruling was needed for gun-control advocates to make real headway in seeing responsible actions by this industry. When gun manufacturers risk being sued for millions, we’ll see them sing a different tune about the free flow of semiautomatic guns and over-the-top ammo. I think this will compel them to be better citizens, wanting to show that they’ve taken every reasonable action to prevent wrongful shootings (revisit smart guns?). Of course, their first approach will be to continue the fight in the courts. If we want changes that really lessen shootings, we must hope that courts will uphold this ruling. Rich Irwin, Ohio I consider this an attempt to get the gun industry to stop advertising weapons, in the same way cigarettes don’t advertise. The problem is weapons have the Second Amendment, do not cause addiction by their use, and do not cause users to get sick. Moreover, current legislation restricts weapon ownership to those considered mentally fit and responsible. I suspect this will wind up at the Supreme Court, especially if this is a novel legal argument. Terri DeWitt, Kentucky So Remington could be held legally responsible for its marketing practices? Following the logic of this, I would anticipate that the next lawsuits will involve McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King as well as Ford and GM; the fast-food industry because their marketing practices apparently cause obesity and the car manufacturers because their marketing practices apparently cause death by DUI. Whatever happened to personal responsibility?! Question for tomorrow’s 10-Point: Going back to our article above, should you tell your teenage children how much money you make? What about adult children—or other family members, friends and even coworkers? What do you think is appropriate? Email us your comments, which we may edit before publication, to 10point@wsj.com, and make sure to include your first and last name and location. |
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| The 10-Point was the name given to the news column that runs on the front page of The Wall Street Journal. Today’s newsletter was curated and edited by Eleanor Miller (eleanor.miller@wsj.com) in collaboration with Editor in Chief Matt Murray. Let us know what you think by replying to this email. Editor’s note: The 10-Point is now a WSJ member benefit. If you receive our flagship newsletter and are not yet a member, we’ll continue sending it to you for now. To ensure you don’t miss out, we invite you to join us and enjoy the full breadth of scoops, analysis and great storytelling from our journalists around the globe. |
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