Cheat Sheet - Why Jared Diamond’s New Book Is Completely Wrong

Today: Israel Conducts Airstrikes on Syria , David Fincher, Beau Willimon & Kate Mara On Netflix's 'House of Cards' , Giffords to Senate: 'Be Bold' January 30, 2013 COUNTERPOINT 1. Savaging Primitives Geography professor Jared Diamond's buzzy new book, The World Until Yesterday, argues that "modern" industrialized people should learn from "traditional" tribal peoples, because they show how everyone lived until a few thousands years ago. Nice try, writes Stephen Corry—Diamond is both factually and morally wrong. Read it at The Daily Beast ESCALATION 2. Israel Conducts Airstrikes on Syria This really isn't good. Regional security officials report that Israel conducted an airstrike on Syria. Though the target was not disclosed, the strike reportedly happened near the border with Lebanon. The officials said that Israel was planning to hit a shipment of weapons going to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The shipment allegedly contained powerful SA-17 missiles. Read it at Associated Press STREAM THIS 3. Inside Netflix's First New Show Netflix is jumping into the original programming arena with a remake of the BBC miniseries 'House of Cards,' all 13 episodes of which will be available for streaming on Friday. The Daily Beast's Jace Lacob talks to David Fincher, Beau Willimon, and Kate Mara about the adaptation, their characters' twisted dynamic, and more. Read it at The Daily Beast GUN REFORM 4. Giffords to Senate: 'Be Bold' In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday on gun violence, former representative Gabrielle Giffords pleaded with Congress: "Do something." Still recovering from the horrific shooting in Tucson, Ariz.—which ended the lives of six, and almost her own—Giffords admitted "speaking is difficult." But as the nation grapples with the issue of gun control, she said her experience was too important not to share. "Violence is a big problem. Too many children are dying; too many children," she said. "We must do something. It will be hard. But the time is now. You must act. Be bold. Be courageous. Americans are counting on you." Read it at The New York Times Wild Weather 5. Storms Tear Through the South Tornado warnings were issued in Tennesee and Kentucky this morning, and three tornadoes had been reported by 4:35 a.m. Severe-weather warnings are in effect for the areas between New Orleans and Jacksonville, Fla., in the south and between Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the north. More than 13,000 people lost power when the storms tore through Memphis and four inches of rain fell over three hours. Downed power lines caused a grass fire in Arlington, Tenn. The storms are part of an unusual weather pattern this year fueled by winds blowing unseasonably warm air from the Gulf of Mexico into cold air coming over the plains from Canada. "It's not a normal weather pattern for this time of year," one expert said. Read it at NBC News GOING DOWN U.S. Economy Shrank in Fourth Quarter Economic output fell by 0.1 percent. WELCOME TO WASHINGTON William 'Mo' Cowan Tapped for Senate To replace John Kerry. TELL-ALL Tuiasosopo Comes Clean About Hoax Says he was "deeply, romantically in love" with Te'o. UM, WHAT? Jason London Arrested Allegedly defecates in police car. SPOKESPERSON NO-NO Alicia Keys Betrays BlackBerry? Tweets from her iPhone. GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET Culture Beast Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. 'Too Many Children Are Dying' Former Representative Gabrielle Giffords delivered a brief but moving statement to open the Senate Judiciary Committee Gun Violence hearing, challenging them to be bold. More Videos The Gay Boy Scouts by Tricia Romano I Surfed a Monster Wave by Andy Jacobsohn The Rise of Fan Armies by Tricia Romano

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