| Tuesday 12.31.19 Well, it's the last 5 Things newsletter of 2019. Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve, and we'll drop something special in your inbox tomorrow to kick off 2020. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. By AJ Willingham | | | Australia wildfires About 4,000 people were trapped on a beach in southeast Australia earlier today as wildfires swept across the region. Residents and tourists in Mallacoota, in the state of Victoria, gathered on the shore under a soot-blackened sky as part of a previously agreed-upon evacuation plan. Conditions on the beach got so bad, some people fled to the sea on their boats. As the day wore on, a change in weather patterns gave evacuees some reprieve, and some people were able to return to their homes. However, the situation in the town is still dangerous. Elsewhere in the region, officials are worried for isolated neighborhoods where supplies and evacuation opportunities are scarce. Weather conditions are supposed to improve over the next 24 hours, but may worsen again by Friday, meaning no end in sight for the scourge of wildfires that have plagued Australia for weeks. | | | Nissan The saga of embattled former Nissan head Carlos Ghosn has taken an unexpected turn. The fallen auto titan appears to have fled Japan and has holed up in Lebanon. Ghosn was due to face trial in Japan for a litany of charges involving alleged mismanagement of Nissan's money. The move has surprised pretty much everyone, including Ghosn's lawyers and the French government (Ghosn holds both French and Lebanese citizenship). Ghosn says he isn't avoiding trial, as it may appear he's doing, but rather escaping what he calls a rigged and discriminatory Japanese justice system. Ghosn was first detained in Japan in November 2018 and has been out on bail since a second jail stint this April. The Lebanese government has said it will support Ghosn in his attempts to seek a fair trial. | | | Russia We're learning more about a mysterious weekend call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian government was the first to break the news about the call when it published a statement and readout saying the two leaders discussed items of mutual interest, and Putin thanked Trump for information provided by the US that helped foil a terrorist attack in St. Petersburg. It took the White House a full 24 hours -- until yesterday -- to confirm the call. It doesn't seem like that big of a deal on its surface, but keep in mind the entire impeachment issue revolves around President Trump's calls with foreign leaders. It's kind of a sore spot. However, Putin appears to have nothing but warm feelings for Trump right now: In a holiday message, the Russian leader invited Trump to Moscow in the coming year and voiced his hope that the two countries could work on their relationship. | | | Opioids | | | Tik Tok | | | People are talking about these. Read up. Join in. | | | Like clockwork Say congrats to the three US scientists who won a Nobel Prize for their work on our biological clocks. Maybe they can help us get more sleep. | | People all over America and abroad have decided they want to let me know now, while I'm alive, about the impact that I've been having on their existence. They have come out and they have told me, and my gosh, it makes me feel so good. | | | | Should auld acquaintance be forgot... Everybody, sing along! And since "Auld Lang Syne" is a thoroughly Scottish work, the bagpipes are just a nice culturally accurate touch. (Click here to view) | | | | |
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