📣 Axios PM: Forgotten history

Plus: SBF's terrible day | Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Instagram   Axios PM By Mike Allen · Dec 13, 2022 Today's PM — edited by Justin Green — is 433 words, a 1.5-minute read. ⚽️ Half of the World Cup final is set: Argentina sailed by Croatia with a 3-0 win that started with a goal from Lionel Messi. Tomorrow is France vs. Morocco. 🖊 Please join Axios' Hope King, Sara Fischer and Eleanor Hawkins virtually at 5:30 p.m. ET tomorrow for an Axios Communicators event featuring former Disney CCO Zenia Mucha, Ankler Media CEO Janice Min, Spotify's Dustee Jenkins and more. Register here to attend virtually.     1 big thing: SBF's awful day U.S. Attorney Damian Williams speaks to the media in Manhattan today. Photo: David "Dee" Delgado/Reuters Sam Bankman-Fried has suffered a rough day, directly challenging his characterizations of himself as well-meaning but in over his head. The SEC filed civil charges against him, alleging he "built a house of cards on a foundation of deception" to defraud investors. The U.S. government filed eight criminal charges — ranging from wire fraud to illegal campaign contributions, alleging that Bankman-Fried's wrongful conduct started as early as 2019. His successor at FTX told Congress that what he discovered upon taking the helm is "plain, old-fashioned embezzlement." A lawyer for Bankman-Fried said he is "reviewing the charges with his legal team and considering all of his legal options." The bottom line: We're looking at "one of the biggest financial frauds in American history," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams alleged at a press conference this afternoon. Go deeper: See the charges     2. Pic du jour Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Mauna Loa as seen from the air yesterday near Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. It has greatly reduced lava output and volcanic gas emissions, and the main flow is totally inactive, the U.S. Geologic Society said.     A message from Instagram Explore 30+ Instagram tools helping teens have positive experiences     Instagram's tools can help parents keep their teens safe on social media, help teens see less sensitive content and help them spend less time on our platform. Because teens' experiences on Instagram should be positive and supportive. Explore our tools and set them up today.     3. Catch up quick A worker clears cars of snow in Orem, Utah. Photo: George Frey/AFP via Getty Images That time of year again: Over 15 million people were under winter weather advisories this morning, with the Upper Midwest and northern and central Plains at risk from the worst hazards. Go deeper. Good news for American consumers: Inflation slowed in November, the latest clue that the worst of it may be behind us. Go deeper. President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, codifying federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriage. Go deeper.     🇲🇽 4. Forgotten history Poinsettia plants at San Marco's greenhouse in Xochimilco, Mexico City. Photo: Claudio Cruz/AFP via Getty Images   Poinsettias are native to Mexico, with their Aztec and Mayan names roughly translating to "leathered flower" and "fire flower," Axios Latino co-author Marina E. Franco reports. It wasn't until the first Spanish settlers arrived in Mexico in the 16th century that the flower they called "flor de nochebuena," or Christmas Eve flower, was used to decorate nativity scenes. In the early 19th century, a U.S. ambassador to Mexico named Joel Roberts Poinsett sent samples to friends back home. It spread throughout the U.S. and across Europe under the name poinsettia. Among the poinsettia's early propagators were the Ecke family, who made the plant smaller and mass-marketed it as a "California Christmas flower." Mexican growers have to pay fees to grow and sell most varieties of the plant, thanks to breeder's rights fees owned in the U.S. and abroad. Go deeper.     A message from Instagram Set up supervision on Instagram to help keep your teen safe online     Parents have support when it comes to keeping their teens safe on Instagram. They can see who their teen follows, who follows them and any reports their teen shares once supervision on Family Center is set up. Explore Family Center and set it up today.   Thanks to Sheryl Miller for copy editing today's PM. Are you a fan of this email format? Your essential communications — to staff, clients and other stakeholders — can have the same style. Axios HQ, a powerful platform, will help you do it.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: