Jan. 14, 2020: Whitman ’77 Speaks About Video Startup; Milley ’80 Addresses Iran Conflict

At last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Quibi CEO Meg Whitman ’77 announced final details for the new video-streaming service, which takes its name from the phrase “quick bites” and will produce original content in episodes that last no longer than 10 minutes. Read more at CNBC.com.
 

Gen. Mark Milley ’80, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, believes that Iranian retaliatory missile attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq were meant to cause fatalities, despite them causing no major damage or injuries. — Reuters

A New York Times profile of Fox News host Pete Hegseth ’03 highlighted the consistency and volume of his support for President Donald Trump’s foreign policy and military actions, including the killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Suleimani. — The New York Times

Retired Army Gen. David Petraeus *85 *87 analyzed the current conflict with Iran in light of his experiences commanding U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, including his interactions with Suleimani. — NPR Weekend Edition

Researchers including Zachory Berta-Thompson ’07 have used the Hubble Space Telescope to confirm their discovery of low-density “super-puff” planets. — Newsweek

“I wish I’d spent more time arguing about ‘Star Wars’ online.”

— Caption for a recent New Yorker cartoon by Rob Kutner ’94 and Jose Arroyo that shows a man on his deathbed, sharing his regrets. Actor Mark Hamill tipped his hat to the joke on Twitter.

Indya Kincannon *99 joked that she was “just the trailing spouse” when she moved to Knoxville with husband Ben Barton, a law professor at the University of Tennessee. Nineteen years later, she’s the city’s mayor. — Knoxville News Sentinel

Storied biographer Robert Caro ’57’s papers have been acquired by the New-York Historical Society, which will also produce a permanent exhibition about his work and writing process. — The New York Times

Southern Evangelical Seminary president Richard Land ’69 questioned the merits of evangelical magazine Christianity Today’s editorial calling for President Trump’s impeachment. — On Point

Karen Farrell ’09 won nearly $160,000 in an eight-game Jeopardy! winning streak, qualifying for the show’s Tournament of Champions. — Woodbridge (Va.) Patch

After Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak underwent emergency surgery, Vanna White took over hosting duties, and Sajak’s daughter, country-music singer Maggie Sajak ’16, filled in for a week on the letter-turning duties. — CBS News

Although she retired from professional running in 2016 and recently began a new job as a lawyer, Ashley Higginson ’11 qualified for February’s U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon after running the Grand Rapids Marathon in 2:43. — Runner’s World

Princeton football’s offensive coordinator Andrew Aurich ’06 was hired as the offensive line coach at Rutgers, where he’ll serve under new head coach Greg Schiano. — The Trentonian

ADDITIONAL LINKS FROM THE JAN. 7, 2020, EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Chernobyl, an HBO miniseries created, written, and produced by Craig Mazin ’92, won the Golden Globe Award for best television limited series or motion picture made for television. — The Hollywood Reporter

Marc Conner *94, the provost of Washington and Lee University, will become the eighth president of Skidmore College in July. — Albany Times-Union

Henry Rome ’13, an analyst with the Eurasia Group, says structural factors such as Iran’s concern for its economy may reduce the risk of a major regional conflict in the wake of the U.S. assassination of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani. — The Washington Post

Iranian retaliation for Soleimani’s death has the potential to be economically disruptive, according to Helima Croft *01 of RBC Capital Markets, but increases in U.S. energy production have “blunted the impact” of geopolitics in the oil market. — CNBC

Longtime civil-rights activist Lawrence Hamm ’78 announced plans to challenge incumbent Cory Booker in New Jersey’s Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate in June. — Politico

Catherine Cohen ’13’s cabaret at the Edinburgh Fringe “hit Scotland’s capital like a hurricane,” according to critic Brian Logan, who named it the UK’s top comedy show of 2019. — The Guardian

Former Princeton basketball star Brian Earl ’99, brother Dan Earl, and Penn alumnus Matt Langel, a close friend since childhood, have all become head coaches at Division I colleges. — Burlington County Times

As an “old-man project,” author John McPhee ’53 has started sharing descriptions of pieces he intended to write but passed up, including several with Princeton connections. — The New Yorker