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Russian space nukes, Chiefs parade tragedy and 'meaty' rice

 
Today's INTERNATIONAL story

Russian nuclear 'satellite killer' report roils Congress

What happened?
House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) on Wednesday publicly urged President Joe Biden to "declassify all information" about a "serious national security threat." Officials later said Turner's unusual, cryptic warning referred to Russia's incomplete development of a space-based nuclear weapon to destroy satellites.

Who said what?
Turner is flagging a "serious" but "medium-to-long term" threat, so there's no "cause for panic," said Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said he was "surprised" by Turner's statement, because he's "personally" briefing Turner and the other Gang of Eight lawmakers Thursday.

The commentary
If Russia were to deploy such a "satellite-killing weapon," it would violate the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, The New York Times said. And currently, the U.S. couldn't counter it. This kind of space weaponization from Russia and China is "one of the primary reasons" the U.S. Space Force was established, The Associated Press said. Russia's departure from the Outer Space Treaty could "open the floodgates" to nukes in space, said nuclear expert Steven Andreasen. And countries can use orbital nukes "for more than taking out satellites."

What next?
Russia is trying to challenge America's "space supremacy," but "the ingenuity of U.S. engineers" seems up to the task, David Ignatius said at The Washington Post. "It's a safe bet that the cycle of punch and counterpunch in space is just beginning."

 
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Today's NATIONAL story

Shooting at Chiefs victory rally kills 1, injures 21

What happened?
One woman was killed and at least 21 people injured Wednesday when gunfire broke out near the end of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl victory parade in their Missouri hometown. Police said three suspects are in custody.

Who said what?
"We are truly saddened by the senseless act of violence," the Chiefs said. The tragedy "cuts deep into the American soul" and "should move us, shock us, shame us into acting" before more families are "torn apart," President Joe Biden said. "Parades, rallies, schools, movies," said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. "It seems like almost nothing is safe."

The commentary
This was just the "latest sports celebration in the U.S. to end in gun violence," following last year's blighted festivities for the Denver Nuggets and Texas Rangers, The Associated Press said. Missouri is among the states with the "highest rates of gun deaths and firearm ownership," The Washington Post said, and "some of the weakest gun-control laws."

What next?
"There's a lot of work ahead," said Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves, including sorting out the perpetrators and their motives.

 
 
Today's SCIENCE Story

Scientists create 'meaty' rice for eco-friendly protein

What happened?
Korean scientists said Wednesday they've invented a new hybrid food, consisting of beef muscle and fat cells grown inside grains of rice. The experimental "meaty" rice was developed to be an affordable and eco-friendly source of protein.

Who said what?
Integrating animal cells into rice could eventually "ensure a sufficient food supply" for "underdeveloped countries, during war, and in space," said the researchers at South Korea's Yonsei University.

The commentary
The "microbeef," as the researchers call it, "seems to be an early success" nutritionally and maybe taste-wise, too, Ed Cara said at Gizmodo. Its "odor profile" indicates a "rich flavor" with "notes of beef and almond."

What next?
This hybrid food research "holds promise for the development of healthier and more climate-friendly diets in future," said Neil Ward at Britain's University of East Anglia. But "while data on cost and climate impact look very positive, a critical test is around public appetite for these sorts of lab-developed foods."

 
 

It's not all bad

Last summer, an Alaska Airlines flight attendant named Amber received an urgent request from a passenger: Could she help keep some eggs warm? The rare Chilean flamingo eggs were headed to Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo from Zoo Atlanta when their incubator broke. Amber raced to the galley and filled rubber gloves with warm water that she then wrapped around the eggs. When the eggs hatched months later, the zoo honored Amber by naming a flamingo after her granddaughter, Sunny.

 
 
Under the radar

Billions of cicadas are expected to make an appearance on the East Coast and in the Midwest this April as two broods of the insect emerge. Making an emergence this year are Brood XIX, or the Great Southern Brood, which emerges every 13 years, and Brood XIII, or the Northern Illinois Brood, which emerges every 17 years. "It's rare that we see this size of double-brood emergence," Jonathan Larson, an entomologist and assistant professor at the University of Kentucky, told CNN. 

While double-brood convergences aren't rare, these two broods haven't emerged together in more than 200 years, and they will not again for another 221 years. 

While the emergence will be the "most macabre Mardi Gras that you've ever seen," said Larson, the cicadas themselves are essentially harmless. They emerge to breed and die promptly after. The broods also consist of multiple species of cicadas. "The outcome of this will produce hybrids, and only the cicadas and Mother Nature know what the outcome will be," Mike Raupp, a professor emeritus at the University of Maryland's entomology department, told BBC. 

Geographically, the broods of cicadas may only see minor overlap. Areas in central Illinois are most likely to see both broods emerge around the same time. "If you're lucky enough to live in an area where these things are going on, get your kids out there," Gene Kritsky, a professor emeritus of biology at Mount St. Joseph University, said to NPR

 
 
On this day

February 15, 1965

Canada officially adopts its iconic maple leaf flag during a ceremony in Ottawa, the capital. Debate over the creation of an official Canadian flag intensified in the early 1960s — when the U.K.'s Union Jack was still the official flag — and George Stanley's red-and-white design was eventually chosen. February 15 is now celebrated as Flag Day across Canada.

 
 
TODAY’S newspaperS

Thursday's New York Post captures two of the day's biggest stories on its front page. "Nukes in space," the tabloid teases for new U.S. intelligence about Russia developing a space-based nuclear anti-satellite weapon. The shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade is the "super parade horror." The Washington Post has more details on the "Russian 'space threat,'" while The Kansas City Star has local reporting on the Chiefs rally tragedy.

► See the newspaper front pages

 
 
Tall tale

Holy dance party!

A loud protest is taking place over a silent disco. Canterbury Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in England, will soon host four sold-out '90s silent disco events, where revelers will wear headphones as they dance and listen to artists like the Spice Girls and Eminem. More than 2,000 people have signed a petition calling this "profane." The cathedral argues it's a "joyous" way to get young people inside the building.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Catherine Garcia, Justin Klawans, Harold Maass and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: NASA Conceptual Image Laboratory; Jamie Squire / Getty Images; Ania Todica / 500px / Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images