Houthi shipping attacks turn deadly

Plus the 'Rust' armorer is guilty of manslaughter and the US is No. 1 in oil [View this email in your browser]( [Brand Logo]( Houthi attack, 'Rust' conviction and a quiet oil boom   Good morning, Tonight President Joe Biden gives his State of the Union speech, his biggest stage to tout his accomplishments during a high-stakes election year. One thing you probably won't hear him brag about is the oil and gas boom that has unfolded quietly on his watch — so quietly, senior Republican lawmakers are evidently unaware. But the record oil production has helped keep U.S. gas prices down, even as Yemen's Houthis make the world's busiest oil tanker route a dangerous, now deadly, seaway. And a reminder: your free trial of these newsletters will come to an end on Monday. If you like what you've seen so far, [please do sign up]( to keep receiving them. Peter Weber The Week Digital     Today's INTERNATIONAL story Houthi missile kills 3 sailors in Gulf of Aden What happened? Iran-backed Houthi militants killed three crew members on a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned commercial ship carrying steel from China to Saudi Arabia through the Gulf of Aden. Wednesday's missile strike on the MV True Confidence also wounded four members of the international crew, from India, Vietnam, the Philippines, Nepal and Sri Lanka. These were the first fatalities of the Yemeni militant group's months of attacks on ships in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, purportedly in support of embattled Palestinians. How we got here The sailors' deaths are the "sad but inevitable consequence of the Houthis recklessly firing missiles at international shipping," Britain's embassy in Yemen said. "They must stop." The "reckless attacks by the Houthis have disrupted global trade" and supply chains, and now they've killed "international seafarers simply doing their jobs," U.S. Central Command said. The commentary A U.S.-led task force "has been shooting down as many of these missiles and drones as it can," but "the Houthis seem to have an inexhaustible supply of them," the BBC said. Now that these attacks "have turned deadly there are bound to be calls to step up retaliation." The U.S. and U.K. have been hitting Houthi targets for weeks, The Associated Press said, but the Houthis clearly remain "capable of launching significant attacks." What next? "The U.S. obviously is going to continue to take action," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.   Advertisement by Betterment [Betterment is the automated investing app that puts your money to work](   Today's Culture story 'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter What happened?A jury in Santa Fe on Wednesday convicted Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the weapons supervisor on the New Mexico set of "Rust," of involuntary manslaughter for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. Hutchins was shot by actor Alec {NAME} during rehearsal. The jury acquitted Gutierrez-Reed, 26, of evidence tampering. Who said what? Gutierrez-Reed, who allegedly brought live ammunition on the set, showed an "astonishing lack of diligence," prosecutor Kari Morrissey said in closing arguments. "This was a game of Russian roulette every time an actor had a gun with dummies." Defense lawyer Jason Bowles said {NAME} and "Rust" producers made Gutierrez-Reed a "scapegoat" because she was "the least powerful person" on the chaotic, low-budget set. Juror Alberto Sanchez said the armorer's job was "to check those rounds and those firearms," and she failed. The commentary The trial "provided a glimpse of what's to come when {NAME} goes to court" in July to face involuntary manslaughter charges, The Washington Post said. What next? Bowles said Gutierrez-Reed will appeal the verdict, which carries a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.   Advertisement by Betterment [Betterment is the automated investing app that puts your money to work](   Today's ENERGY Story How the US quietly became the world's top oil producer What happened? In President Joe "Biden's America," Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) tweeted Wednesday, the federal government "chooses energy dependence over energy DOMINANCE AND INDEPENDENCE." In reality, net oil imports are dropping and "the U.S. produces more crude oil than any other country on the planet," Marketplace said. The commentary The U.S. becoming the world's top oil producer "would've sounded absurd just a decade ago," especially because "we're producing all that oil with far fewer rigs," thanks to drilling innovations, Marketplace said. "No president has overseen energy production like Biden has," but he "isn't bragging" about it, Jim Tankersley said at The New York Times. Record oil and gas production has "strengthened Biden's hand in foreign policy" and it "helps reduce energy costs" at home, but "all that production has brought Biden grief from environmental groups" and "young progressive voters." What next? Biden "loves to talk about" the solar and wind power surging under his watch, the Times said. But it's a "tough balancing act," said Ryan Cummings, a White House economist who created a never-published 2023 chart showing America's energy boom. "You want to reduce emissions, but you need a bridge to get there."     On this day March 7, 1876 Alexander Graham Bell received a U.S. patent for the telephone. The patent officially covered an "apparatus for transmitting vocal or other sounds telegraphically" by using air vibrations. Bell made his telephone operational three days later. Some critics say he stole the idea for the device from another inventor, Elisha Gray.     TODAY’S newspaperS ['Big boys do cry']( Nikki Haley dropped out of the Republican presidential race (and Dean Phillips quit the Democratic race), meaning the "repeat election" matchup between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump begins "in earnest," The Washington Post and The New York Times say on Thursday's front pages. The Times also weighs in on Eagles center Jason Kelce's tearful retirement announcement: "Big boys do cry. Just ask the Kelce brothers." ► [See the newspaper front pages](     It's not all bad The Worcester Public Library in Massachusetts found the purr-fect way to get people back in: During March Meowness, patrons with fines for lost or damaged books can bring in a photo or drawing of a cat and have their library cards reactivated. Hundreds of people have already taken advantage of the opportunity to get their borrowing privileges restored, Jason Homer, the library's executive director, told The New York Times. No cat? No problem. Homer said photos of any "ungovernable animal" are accepted.     Under the radar [Centuries after Salem, witch hunts persist]( The Salem Witch Trials ended in 1693, but religious witch hunts remain a common global occurrence. Women are the predominant targets, though men and children are also persecuted. The hunts are most prominent in African countries but are also common in parts of Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.  As in Salem, modern witch hunts involve the trial and violent punishment of the accused. "Victims are often burned alive," The New York Times said. They can also be "beaten to death" or "stoned or beheaded, as has been reported in Indonesia and sub-Saharan Africa." In many countries in the developing world, witchcraft is "associated with the power of nature," and the accused are “said to be able to control natural events," said National Geographic. As a result, witchcraft is "sometimes seen as the cause" of illnesses, particularly in places with "poor medical care or few educational opportunities." In Zambia, where the World Health Organization estimates 25% of pregnant women are infected with HIV/AIDS, people are "accused of spreading HIV/AIDS through witchcraft.” Witch hunters are hired to kill the accused with a "poisonous tea." In Tanzania, albino people are in danger due to a prevalent belief their "arms, legs, skin and hair" have "special magic in them," National Geographic said. Action from the authorities can be effective in stopping witch hunts. In South Africa, there has been an "educational campaign in schools and workplaces about science, medicine and HIV/AIDS" to try and deter them, National Geographic said. Still, "more than 1,000" accused witches are killed worldwide each year, said Scientific American.     Tall tale Escape (bath)room Trapped inside a medieval tower at Britain's Cambridge University, Dr. Krisztina Ilko used eyeliner and cotton swabs to pick the lock and set herself free. Ilko was stuck in a windowless bathroom, and no one could hear her calls for help. She hatched an escape plan, pushing down on the door latch with the eyeliner and using the swab as a hook. Seven hours later, when the door finally opened, it was "exhilarating," Ilko told the BBC.     Later today This afternoon's Evening Review will introduce you to North Carolina's outrage-igniting GOP gubernatorial nominee and also highlight seven fresh and delicious recipes to try out as spring blossoms. Who says you can't have it all? Thanks for reading, Peter     Morning Report was written and edited by Catherine Garcia, Justin Klawans, Harold Maass and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek. Image credits, from top: Courtesy of US Central Command; Luis Sánchez Saturno — Pool / Getty Images; Allison Dinner / Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images   © Future US, Inc • [theweek.com]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Privacy Policy]( The Week is published by Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036.