Japan Quake, Israel Ruling, and Michelin Star Secrets

Quake Rocks Japan

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the western coast of central Japan yesterday, collapsing dozens of buildings and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate from their homes. A major tsunami warning—the country's first since a devastating 2011 tsunami that killed 20,000 and triggered a nuclear disaster—was implemented but eventually lifted without incident. Roughly 80 aftershocks hit the country throughout the day. 

It was the biggest earthquake on record for Japan's Noto Peninsula, which sits northwest of Tokyo near a hotbed of seismic activity. The area lies slightly east of the boundary between the Eurasian and Okhotsk tectonic plates (see map), with the Philippine and Pacific plates meeting a few hundred miles to the south. 

At least four deaths were reported from the quake, while officials warned of more potential seismic activity in the coming days. See photos of the damage here.

Michigan v. Huskies

The No. 1 Michigan Wolverines will face off against the No. 2 Washington Huskies in the college football national championship Monday (7:30 pm ET, ESPN), after each team won their respective semifinal games last night. It marks both teams' first appearance in the title game (and first playoff win) since the playoff format began in 2014.

The Wolverines beat No. 4 Alabama 27-20 in overtime—just the third overtime game in the 10-year playoff history. Star quarterback JJ McCarthy led Michigan on a game-tying fourth quarter drive in the final minutes, finishing the game with 221 yards, three touchdowns, and no turnovers.

The night's second game also came down to the wire, the Huskies holding off a final drive by the No. 3 Texas Longhorns near the goal line to win 37-30. Heisman finalist Michael Penix Jr. threw for 430 yards and two touchdowns, completing a whopping 76% of his passes. 

See highlights from each game here and here.

Judicial Overhaul Scrapped

Israel's Supreme Court struck down a key piece of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial reforms yesterday, ruling 8-7 against an amendment that would have barred the court from overturning laws found to be "extremely unreasonable."

Part of a package that supporters said would return power to lawmakers, the changes sparked widespread protests across Israel from January up until the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Opponents argued the reforms undercut democratic institutions in the country, putting judges under the control of politicians (see previous write-up).  

Separately, the Israeli military will begin its first drawdown of forces since the current conflict began, removing thousands of troops from central Gaza and shifting focus to the southern city of Khan Younis. See updates on the war here. 

In related news, the nearby Red Sea—where Iran-backed Houthi rebels have attacked commercial ships—is increasingly becoming a regional flashpoint. US Navy helicopters sank three Houthi vessels over the weekend, while reports suggest Iran repositioned a warship into the waters Saturday.

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