Good morning. It's Wednesday, Dec. 16, and the Northeast United States is about to become a winter wonderland. Have feedback? Let us know at hello@join1440.com.

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NEED TO KNOW

Winter Storm Gail

Winter Storm Gail will begin rolling through the Northeast US today, likely becoming one of the most significant winter weather events in the past five years. The storm may eclipse all of last year's snowfall in many major cities in a single pass. New York City saw just under 5 inches during the 2019-20 winter season, while Washington, DC, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, both saw under 1 inch total. The current system is expected to drop at least 8 inches or more in spots stretching from West Virginia to Maine (see snowfall probability). 

Gail is a nor'easter, a type of storm that occurs when cold and dry Arctic air coming down from Canada meets warm and moist air near the coast, creating a powerful mix capable of dump precipitation from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast.

Live in the Northeast? Check out updates here.

Cyberattack Fallout

The list of victims of a sweeping cyberattack grew yesterday, as the State and Homeland Security Departments, and the National Institutes of Health, confirmed breaches. They join the Treasury and Commerce Departments as victims of what appears to be the largest hack of US federal agencies in history. 

While not yet confirmed, analysts believe the Russian-backed hacker group APT29—also known as Cozy Bear—is behind the attack. The group first infiltrated software giant SolarWinds, which serves 300,000 customers, including the US military, the Pentagon, NASA, 425 companies in the Fortune 500, and more. Malicious code was then implanted into a general software update, acting as a Trojan Horse for any company that downloaded it. Experts believe the group may have had access to some organizations for as long as nine months; SolarWinds estimates 18,000 customers were exposed.

See a deep dive on the malware used in the attack.

'Twitter Killer' Sentenced to Death

A Japanese court sentenced Takahiro Shiraishi, one of the country's most infamous serial killers in recent years, to death yesterday. Known as the "Twitter Killer," the 30-year-old Shiraishi was charged with the murder of nine people—eight suicidal women he lured via the social media platform, and one of the victim's friends who suspected Shiraishi of the killings.

Aside from the brutal nature of the killings—dismembered body parts, including severed heads, were found in his apartment—the case became a flashpoint for the country's suicide epidemic. Suicide is the leading cause of death in teens and young adults, and Japan saw more deaths by suicide in October alone than total COVID-19 deaths to date. Lawyers for Shiraishi also sparked backlash for arguing he was guilty of "murder by consent"—meaning the victims requested their deaths—a claim Shiraishi ultimately refuted. 

Executions in Japan are typically done in secret, with little advance notice to the prisoner, and carried out via hanging.  

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

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> Sundance Film Festival announces 2021 lineup of 72 feature films, including 38 from first-time directors; virtual festival will air on Sundance’s streaming platform from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3 (More)

> Fashion mogul Peter Nygard arrested in Canada on nine counts of racketeering and sex trafficking charges; the Finnish-Canadian designer will be extradited to the US (More)

> Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time reigning NBA MVP, signs five-year, $228M supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks (More) | What is a supermax contract? (More)

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Science & Technology

> Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective, US advisory panel finds; clears the way for emergency approval as early as this week (More) | The US has reported more than 16.7 million cases and almost 303,900 deaths as of this morning; see rolling averages (cases, deaths)

> Genetically engineered pigs approved by US regulators for use for hypoallergenic meat, drug development, and medical uses like organ transplants (More) | How pigs aid in lung transplants (More)

> Study suggests Martian dust storms create electrical discharge that dynamically alters the planet's surface; has implications for scientific plans of future Mars missions (More)

Business & Markets

> US stock markets up (S&P 500 +1.3%, Dow +1.1%, Nasdaq +1.3%) as Nasdaq reaches new all-time-high (More)

> European Union’s executive arm proposes legislation that could see tech giants pay billions in fines if they fail to stop the spread of illegal content; laws could also threaten to break up tech companies to reduce potential anticompetitive actions (More) | Facebook will lift its postelection ban on political ads in Georgia starting today ahead of Jan. 5 Senate runoff races (More)

> MacKenzie Scott, author and ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announces $4.2B of charitable gifts to nearly 400 organizations in the last four months (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) formally congratulates President-elect Joe Biden in floor speech following Electoral College vote (More) | Watch speech (More) | Biden to tap Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary (More) | ... and former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm for energy secretary (More)

> International Criminal Court declines to bring charges against China over its treatment of Muslim minority Uighurs in its western Xinjiang province; hints it may reconsider in the future (More) | See China's documented history of human rights violations in the region (More)

> Paris trial for those accused of supporting the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attacks ends today, with verdicts expected for 14 people (More)

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ETCETERA

The year the Earth stood still—a photo essay.

The year 2020 in 20 charts.

Banksy's new painting is sneezing over a building.

Seven times Airbnb was rejected by investors.

The Hubble Telescope releases dozens of new images.

Explore a catalog of news and magazine illustrations from artist Max Guther.

Watch beetles fly into poles in slow motion (it's for science).

Treasure hunter takes five years in prison for 500 gold coins.

Clickbait: A two-day pay-it-forward chain at a Minnesota Dairy Queen.

Historybook: Ludwig van Beethoven born (1770); Boston Tea Party occurs (1773); Author Jane Austen born (1775); Anthropologist Margaret Mead born (1901); World War II’s Battle of the Bulge begins (1944).

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

- Margaret Mead

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