Monday Briefing: Jimmy Carter dies at 100

Plus, a deadly plane crash in South Korea

View in browser|nytimes.com December 30, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering the death of Jimmy Carter and a plane crash in South Korea. Plus: Falun Gong's money engine. Jimmy Carter in 2007. He was the longest-living president in American history. Damon Winter/The New York Times Jimmy Carter has died at 100 Jimmy Carter, who from 1977 to 1981 served as the 39th president of the U.S., died yesterday at his home in Plains, Ga. At 100, he was the longest-living president in American history. Here's our obituary. Carter was a lifelong farmer who worked with his hands building houses for the poor well into his 90s. He grew up on a peanut farm and served in the Navy before serving as governor of Georgia. In 1976, with Walter Mondale as his running mate, he secured the presidency, winning the popular vote with 50.1 percent and securing 297 electoral votes. (Read about a life that started in Georgia and expanded to the world.) His death sets the stage for the first presidential funeral since 2018. Such occasions traditionally prompt a cease-fire in America's fractious political wars, as the nation's leaders pause to remember and bid farewell to one of their own. Post-presidential career: Carter lost his bid for re-election to Ronald Reagan and left office as one of the most unpopular commanders in chief in modern times. But rather than vanish from view or focus on moneymaking, he established the Carter Center to promote peace, fight disease and combat social inequality, and he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. For more: Carter was a disciplined man of integrity and rock-solid values, and his life offers countless lessons for leaders everywhere, members of The Times's Editorial Board write. "It was a very terrible responsibility." In a never-before-seen interview from 2006, Carter discussed his time as a Cold War president and his legacy. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, who died last year, were married for 77 years, longer than any other couple who lived in the White House. Read about their relationship. The Jeju Air flight exploded after it slammed into a wall at the end of a runway. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times 179 killed in South Korea plane crash A passenger plane crashed while landing at an airport in South Korea yesterday morning, killing 179 of the 181 people onboard, officials said. It was the worst aviation disaster involving a South Korean airline in almost three decades. The plane, a Boeing 737-800, was operated by Jeju Air and had taken off from Bangkok. It was landing at Muan International Airport, in southwest South Korea, when it crashed around 9 a.m. local time. Two crew members were rescued from the aircraft's tail section, but by yesterday evening all other passengers and crew had been confirmed dead. Officials were investigating what caused the tragedy, including why the plane's landing gear appeared to have malfunctioned, whether birds had struck the jet and if bad weather had been a factor. What's next: The crash is the first major test for Choi Sang-mok, South Korea's acting president, who was appointed interim leader on Friday after the previous acting president was impeached. He said that the country would observe a weeklong mourning period. People taking cover last week in Ashkelon, Israel, during an attack from Yemen. Amir Cohen/Reuters Israel faces intensifying Houthi attacks The Houthis, the Iranian-backed militia that is an ally to Hamas and that controls much of northern Yemen, have recently escalated a campaign against Israel. For the past week, the group has launched ballistic missiles toward the country almost nightly, setting off sirens and sending Israelis fleeing into bomb shelters in their pajamas. Israel is struggling to stop those attacks, analysts say, because of a lack of precise intelligence on the whereabouts of the group's leaders and weapons stores. The militia appeared undeterred even after Israel's war planes on Thursday carried out their fourth and most brazen round of retaliatory strikes in Yemen. Hezbollah: Over decades, Israeli intelligence compiled methodical intelligence on the Lebanese militia, culminating in the assassination of its feared leader in September. Read more about how Israeli spies penetrated the group. Related: Palestinians and human rights organizations say the humanitarian situation is getting more dire. Here's a closer look at the crisis in the Gaza Strip. The war with Hezbollah emptied Israel's north. But caviar harvesters, who can lose a decade of work if they miss a single day, have been forced to stay behind. MORE TOP NEWS Aziz Karimov/Getty Images Kazakhstan: The leader of Azerbaijan called on Moscow to accept responsibility for the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet last week. Germany: Elon Musk doubled down on his support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party. Myanmar: The Rohingya Muslim minority has long been targeted by the military. Now pro-democracy rebels are attacking the group. Georgia: The country inaugurated a former soccer star who is a conservative critic of the West as president. Ukraine: As Russia encroaches further on the country's east, a branch of the police is evacuating those who remain — mostly people who are older, disabled or poor — from the front lines. Russia: Marc Fogel, an American teacher serving a 14-year prison sentence in Russia, has been designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained, the State Department said. Commodities: Wholesale coffee prices are trading near a 50-year high because of shortages related to extreme weather and increased global demand. Kenya: An underground congregation led and attended by L.G.B.T.Q. people in Nairobi has been forced to move 10 times in 10 years. It has survived as a sanctuary. SPORTS NEWS Soccer: Nottingham Forest maintained its 83-year record of having homegrown players on the squad by including Zach Abbott on the bench against Everton. Golf: Scottie Scheffler will have surgery to remove glass fragments from his hand. Tennis: Iga Swiatek says she is "not expecting" the World Anti-Doping Agency to appeal her suspension. MORNING READ Sophie Park Has a thirst for craft beer finally run dry? After decades of meteoric success, this year was the first time since 2005 that more breweries closed than opened in the U.S., amid a general decline in beer drinking. Lives lived: Michel del Castillo, a Franco-Spanish writer who wrote wrenching accounts of a childhood spent in World War II concentration camps, died on Dec. 17 at 91. CONVERSATION STARTERS Safe travels? Despite urgent warnings by their governments, some venturesome tourists are still making their way to Afghanistan. Around the world: Read 13 of our favorite international dispatches from 2024. Hamptons tragedy: On Instagram, Candace Miller showed the world a glittering life. Her husband died deep in debt, leaving her an extraordinary mess to untangle. ARTS AND IDEAS The New York Times How Shen Yun tapped religious fervor to make millions Over the past decade, the dance group Shen Yun Performing Arts has made money at a staggering rate. By the end of last year, it had more than a quarter of a billion dollars, an extraordinary sum for a nonprofit dance group from Orange County, N.Y. Shen Yun is operated by Falun Gong, the persecuted Chinese religious movement, and its success flows in part from its ability to pack venues worldwide — while exploiting young, low-paid performers with little regard for their health or well-being. But it is also a token of the power that Falun Gong's founder, Li Hongzhi, has wielded over his followers. Read more here. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Bryan Gardner for The New York Times Cook: This luxurious sheet-pan paneer tikka comes together in under 30 minutes. Watch: Let Pamela Anderson pick your next movie. Resolve: Try these five approaches to eating and drinking in 2025. Read: Here are 20 new books we're looking forward to in January. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. Have a great Monday. — Natasha Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018