In Other Brews…
Ex-Representative George Santos has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, apologizing for allowing ambition to cloud his judgment. Santos—who was expelled from Congress in December—admitted to lying to voters, deceiving donors, and stealing the identities of 11 people. He’s expected to be sentenced to six years in prison and $570,000 in penalties on February 7th.
A sudden and powerful storm sank an 184-foot superyacht off the coast of Sicily, Italy, early Monday. Of the 22 people on board, 15 were rescued, one was killed, and six are missing but presumed dead, including British tech billionaire Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah. Divers are battling tough conditions as they search the sunken ship.
Billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn and his company have settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission, agreeing to pay $2 million for failing to disclose billions of dollars of personal loans he took out using shares in Icahn Enterprises as collateral. The undisclosed loans were discovered and exposed by a rival investment firm last summer, sparking some high finance drama.
The FDA approved the first at-home syphilis test Friday as cases reach a 70-year high. The over-the-counter test delivers results 15 minutes after a finger prick, with further testing by a healthcare provider required to confirm a positive result. The test will boost screening for the sexually transmitted bacterial infection, which is easily cured when caught early.
7-Circle-11-K? Circle-7-11-K? Just spitballing new names after Circle K made an offer to buy 7-Eleven.News of the proposed Slurp-opoly sent shares of 7-Eleven’s parent company, a Japanese firm, up 23%, valuing the chain of convenience stores at 5.6 trillion yen ($38 billion). If the deal goes through, it would be the largest acquisition of a Japanese company ever.