Plus: Trump Says He'll Decide In 'Next 10 Days' Whether To Bomb Iran

Good evening,

There are bitter feelings in America’s milk chocolate industry. 🍫😡

The grandson of the inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Brad Reese, criticized The Hershey Co. for changing the recipe of many of its products to use cheaper ingredients and — he argued on Linkedin in a Valentine’s Day post — damaging the Reese’s legacy. Nearly two-thirds of the Mo News audience say they’ve tasted a difference, out of nearly 16,000 people who responded to our poll Thursday.

Reese claimed that Hershey has replaced milk chocolate with compound coatings and real peanut butter with peanut butter-esque crème in multiple Reese’s products.
- “It was not edible,” Reese told the Associated Press. “I used to eat a Reese’s product every day. This is very devastating for me.”
Hershey, which purchased the Reese Candy Company in 1963, acknowledged some changes to Reese’s chocolate recipes but said Wednesday that it was in response to consumers’ demands.
- The price of cocoa has risen in recent years, leading Hershey and other candy manufacturers to experiment with using less chocolate in their products.

THE FINE PRINT: U.S. food safety standards require that products include a certain threshold of cocoa and milk to use the label “milk chocolate” on their packaging. Some companies get around this rule by giving their products other labels, such as “chocolate candy.”

So, is the company truly cutting corners? We investigated.
- Check out the difference between the “milk chocolate” labeling on Reese’s original peanut butter cups, versus the “chocolate candy” label we found on the brand’s newer, seasonal products. ⬇️🤔

Reese was right!

Sam,
Associate Producer

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🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

U.K. Police Arrest Former Prince Andrew Over Alleged Misconduct Tied To Epstein

Police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Thursday — his 66th birthday — on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The arrest follows allegations that he shared confidential information with convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein in 2010 and 2011 while serving as British trade envoy.

The former prince was “released under investigation” later the same day, which means that the probe will continue and charges could be brought at a later date. In a photo taken just after he was sent home (above), Andrew appears to be trying to avoid cameras outside the police station.

THE INVESTIGATION: Emails released in the most recent batch of U.S. Department of Justice files from Jan. 30 show the former prince and then-British trade envoy passing on reports of visits to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Vietnam, along with confidential details of investment opportunities.
- If convicted of misconduct in public office, which he is reportedly under investigated for, he could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
- The investigation appears to only be related to his financial ties with Epstein, and not to allegations of sexual abuse.
ROYAL RESPONSE: King Charles, Andrew’s older brother, responded Thursday, saying he learned of the arrest “with the deepest concern” and stressed that “the law must take its course.”
- Charles formally stripped Andrew of all of his royal titles, including “Prince” and “His Royal Highness,” last year.

Andrew’s ties to Epstein have been known for years. One Epstein accuser, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, said she was trafficked to Andrew and other British officials when she was a teenager. Giuffre died by suicide in April, years after she and Andrew reached an undisclosed settlement in a lawsuit where she accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a minor. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and said he regrets the friendship.

The Guiffre family released a statement after the arrest, saying: “Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty.”

Andrew is the first senior British royal to be arrested in nearly 400 years, but he is only the latest high-profile figure to face repercussions over connections to Epstein.

MORE EPSTEIN FALLOUT
The Epstein files have implicated other members of the British elite, including former U.K. ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson. Police are investigating whether he committed misconduct in public office by allegedly sharing sensitive government information with Epstein. Mandelson denies any wrongdoing.

The investigation — along with the former prince’s arrest — has sparked comparisons between how the U.K. and the U.S. are responding. In the U.S., most of the fallout so far has played out in the court of public opinion rather than through criminal charges.

Casey Wasserman, a Hollywood talent agent, announced he will sell his agency after backlash over flying on Epstein’s plane (2002) and exchanging flirtatious messages with Epstein’s convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. The news followed singer Chappell Roan and soccer star Abby Wambach cutting ties with him. Wasserman remains head of the 2028 LA Olympic organizing committee, but the LA mayor is calling on him to resign.
Kathryn Ruemmler, former Obama White House counsel, resigned from her post as chief legal officer at Goldman Sachs after emails showed she referred to Epstein as an “older brother” and “Uncle Jeffrey” while advising him and receiving expensive gifts from him.
Brad Karp said he would step down from his position as the chairman of the major law firm Paul Weiss after documents revealed he sought Epstein’s help securing his son a job and praised him after a 2015 dinner.
New York Giants owner Steve Tisch is under NFL review for crude 2013 email exchanges with Epstein.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem resigned last week as head of Dubai’s largest port. Emails revealed years of communication with Epstein, including crude exchanges about women.

🚨 ONE THING WE’RE FOLLOWING

Trump Gives 10-Day Window For Iran Deal — Says “Bad Things” Will Happen Otherwise

President Trump gave Iran a 10-day warning before potential military action during his opening remarks at the inaugural "Board of Peace” meeting Thursday in Washington, D.C. While the focus of the meeting was on the next stage of the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, the elephant in the room was potential U.S. military action against Iran.

Trump reiterated that Iran should make a deal on its nuclear program or “bad things will happen.”

“Now, we may have to take it a step further — or we may not. Maybe we’re going to make a deal. You’re going to be finding out over the next, probably 10 days,” he said.

WHAT WE’RE FOLLOWING
The U.S. has built up its military forces in the region — to levels not seen since the 2003 invasion preceding the Iraq War. NBC News reports that Trump could authorize a range of covert actions, including potential “decapitation” strikes targeting Iran’s leadership — up to and including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Clues from recent history: Back in June, the U.S. also urged diplomacy before eventually joining Israel in strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities during its 12-day war with Tehran. Then, Trump initially said he would take two weeks to decide whether to bomb Iran’s underground nuclear enrichment facility at Fordow; but within days, B-2 bombers carried out the strike.
- Iran is estimated to still have about 2,000 ballistic missiles in its stock pile.

This time around, U.S. and Israeli officials tell Axios a military operation against Iran would likely be a massive, weeks-long campaign.

HELP IS ON THE WAY?
Trump told anti-regime protesters in Iran last month that “a lot of help [was] on the way,” warning Tehran there would be consequences for killing peaceful demonstrators.

Some estimates place the death toll from the anti-regime crackdown in the tens of thousands.

⏳ THE SPEED READ

🚨NATION

Poop in the Potomac: White House, Maryland governor spar over historic sewage spill (MO NEWS)
Giant banner of Trump hung at Justice Department HQ (MO NEWS)
Trump administration broadens ICE powers to detain refugees (THE HILL)
Trump calls his Board of Peace ‘most prestigious ever’ despite key allies declining to join (MO NEWS)
Arts Commission approves Trump ballroom plans, despite public comments that were “overwhelmingly in opposition” (CBS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

Sudan atrocities are ‘hallmarks of genocide’, UN says (BBC)
Former South Korean president receives life sentence for imposing martial law in 2024 (AP)
More than 1,000 Kenyans lured to fight for Russia in Ukraine war, report says (GUARDIAN)
Macron begs France to reject political violence after killing of far-right activist (POLITICO)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

Amazon overtakes Walmart to lead the world in sales (CNN)
OpenAI and Anthropic’s rivalry on display as CEOs avoid holding hands at AI summit (CNBC)
NASA rehearses moon launch again after repairing its rocket (NBC)
Playing Tetris reduces intrusive trauma memories, research finds (EURO NEWS)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Ski Mountaineering makes Winter Olympics debut, crowns 1st winners (TODAY)
‘Toy Story 5’ Trailer debuts: Buzz Lightyear and a balding Woody reunite to rescue kids from electronics (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)
Bono lambasts ICE, Putin, Netanyahu, and more as U2 release first collection of new songs since 2017 (GUARDIAN)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… Team USA’s Hilary Knight has even more to celebrate after winning gold — she’s engaged to longtime girlfriend and fellow Olympian Brittany Bowe! 💍

The Winter Games have played a pivotal role in their relationship: Bowe and Knight first met during the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, before having their first date and falling in love at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

“Olympics brought us together,” Knight wrote on IG. “This one made us forever.” ❣️

Epstein Fallout Escalates: Former Prince Andrew Arrested In U.K.