Incoming Archbishop backs baptism for asylum seekers, warns against politicized litmus tests

Dame Sarah Mullally told the House of Lords that churches should not be anxious about baptizing asylum seekers when clergy, trained to assess sincerity, believe a conversion is genuine. She noted many believers delay public declarations of faith until they are safe, citing global persecution of Christians, and urged caution on proposals to reject asylum claims based on post-arrival conversions. Baptism is a serious commitment, she said, not a bureaucratic cheat code. Former Home Office minister Baroness Maclean argued Christianity is being exploited to game the system and pressed for tougher policy. Mullally, a critic of the Rwanda scheme, is due to be installed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury in January. Somewhere between altar and Home Office spreadsheet, perhaps we can manage both conscience and competence.

Northern lights preview over Pennsylvania and South Jersey

Aurora borealis shimmered for night owls from Pennsylvania to South Jersey, turning Wawa runs into celestial field trips. Meteorologist Cecily Tynan says this was the trailer, and the main feature could arrive Wednesday night. Translation, eyes up after dark, the universe is doing better programming than cable news.

Fetterman: Democratic leadership is MIA during shutdown

Senator John Fetterman told Fox News that no one really knows who leads Democrats in either chamber as the government shutdown grinds on. The party’s internal tensions are now so thick you could filibuster with them. A leadership vacuum paired with legislative standstill, Washington’s most overplayed duet.

FBI arrest in alleged $45,000 assassination bounty underscores fame-over-fear culture

A TikTok video allegedly offering $45,000 to assassinate former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, posted with her photo in rifle crosshairs according to the FBI, is held up as a symptom of a culture that rewards extremity and treats notoriety as currency. The FBI’s swift arrest is necessary, but hardly sufficient without evenhanded enforcement and a renewed sense that some acts are beneath us. The fix is not a tighter speech code, it is a steadier moral compass, or consequence will keep collapsing.

Chicago train stabbing prompts manhunt and fresh scrutiny of transit safety

Police are searching for a suspect after a 27-year-old American woman was stabbed in the chest in an unprovoked attack on a Chicago train platform near the University of Illinois Chicago. The victim suffered minor injuries and is in stable condition. The suspect was last seen around 11:15 p.m. on November 8 heading north toward South Morgan Street, described as about six feet tall, roughly 73 to 81 kilograms, wearing white jeans and trainers, a brown jacket over an orange hoodie, a pink hat, and a grey backpack, and carrying a knife. The case comes amid 1,356 crimes reported at CTA stations from October 2023 to September 2024, about one every three hours, and follows the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a North Carolina train, where a suspect faces federal charges that could carry the death penalty. Spare us the podium chest-thumping, fund the basics so riders get safety, not speeches.

Republican divisions over health care deepen in the House and Senate

Republican divisions over health care deepen in the House and Senate, as the two chambers veer in opposite directions and toward a potential pileup. The House is poised to pass a Senate-crafted deal to end the record shutdown, but only the Senate side has promised a December vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. Speaker Mike Johnson, auditioning for Cat Herder-in-Chief, says he needs to “build consensus” before touching premiums—while his conference fractures into camps: moderates pushing a short-term extension with strings like income caps and cost-sharing, and conservatives chasing a bigger, slower partisan overhaul, possibly via reconciliation.

Hanging over all of it is Donald Trump, the self-proclaimed dealmaker whose engagement may be the only thing that moves House Republicans off the starting block. Meanwhile, pandemic-era subsidies are set to lapse, meaning higher premiums that could smack small businesses and swing-district GOP incumbents right before voters notice. Democrats are already gleeful about the optics. Bottom line: unless the Senate passes an extension in December and the House swallows it, Republicans’ long-running health care feud is about to collide with the calendar—and Americans’ wallets.

Labour posts manifesto on its website ahead of Rachel Reeves’s Budget tax increases

Labour posts manifesto on its website ahead of Rachel Reeves’s Budget tax increases — and then quietly buries it, swapping the prominent link for a glossy “Plan for Change” and relegating the manifesto to the digital basement. The Chancellor is signalling she may junk the election pledge not to raise income tax, arguing that keeping it would mean “deep cuts” to investment and a longer winter for growth — the “nightmare before Christmas” she says she’s trying to avoid. She insists final Budget decisions aren’t made, only that she’ll choose the “national interest” over the easy option, which is Westminster-speak for “brace yourselves.” Commentators warn her MPs will be furious, though the political calculus is clear: take the pain now, hope to offer relief before the next election. Reeves also floated easing child poverty, hinting the two‑child benefit cap could go, because children shouldn’t be penalised for family size — a nod to compassion amid the fiscal hairshirt.

Nigerian Christian Death Data and the Mechanics of Newsroom Bias

Nigerian Christian Death Data and the Mechanics of Newsroom Bias: Coverage of violence in Nigeria has morphed into a choose-your-own-statistics exercise, with left-leaning outlets citing ACLED’s count of only a few hundred Christians killed for their faith since 2020—implying most violence is indiscriminate—while right-leaning outlets lean on Open Doors and Nigeria’s Intersociety to claim thousands of targeted Christian deaths. Julie Mastrine of AllSides, on Straight Arrow News’ Bias Breakdown, dissects how those sourcing choices aren’t neutral—they’re classic “slant” and “omission.” The same partisan filter warps coverage from Gaza to Ukraine, where dueling death tolls travel with ideological passports. Mastrine’s bottom line: journalists shouldn’t dodge conflicting data; they should face it, disclose it, and let readers see the whole picture—novel, I know, but occasionally the job description still applies.

Senate Republicans link health care subsidies to abortion restrictions

Senate Republicans link health care subsidies to abortion restrictions, turning the shutdown finale into a culture-war bundle deal: the government reopens, but expiring subsidies get no rescue. Democrats say the GOP’s demand amounts to an abortion ban, setting up fresh brinkmanship where reproductive rights are the ransom note for basic health coverage.

Arrest after 'IDF' chants at London protests outside Bob Vylan concert

Arrest after 'IDF' chants at London protests outside a Bob Vylan concert: the Metropolitan Police say they’re policing demonstrations in Kentish Town and have made at least one arrest. Because nothing says night out at a gig like a surprise seminar in geopolitics on the pavement.

Waldorf Astoria to Open First Resort in Greece’s Peloponnese, Expanding Its European Portfolio

Waldorf Astoria to Open First Resort in Greece’s Peloponnese, Expanding Its European Portfolio: Hilton has signed the Waldorf Astoria Scarlet Bay under a management agreement with Royal Group Holding, marking the brand’s debut in Greece. Set on the Peloponnese—home of Ancient Olympia and views toward Spetses—the resort will offer 121 all-sea-view rooms and suites plus 13 branded-residence villas, a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis, a fitness center, a kids club, and dining from Peacock Alley to a beach club. Hilton’s Dan Wakeling calls it a milestone as the company ramps up in Greece with 60-plus hotels across eight brands, for travelers who prefer their rugged coastline with a personal concierge and an impeccably staged sunset.

Prospective Reform candidate jailed over involvement in £14m drug gang

Prospective Reform candidate jailed over involvement in £14m drug gang: Nick Pritchard, an Independent councillor recently co‑opted onto Bangor City Council and chairman of Bangor City FC, served three and a half years after a 2010 conviction at Caernarfon Crown Court for conspiring to produce cannabis and money laundering, having sourced properties for a gang behind what police called the UK’s largest cannabis farm in Bangor—11,276 plants under Operation Jade. Now pitching himself as a Reform UK parliamentary hopeful, he’s been posting hardline anti‑immigration screeds, including smears about asylum seekers, while—because irony never sleeps—a source says he’s tried to scrub his record using the EU’s right‑to‑be‑forgotten; his Facebook video has since been restricted. Pritchard did not comment.

Celebrities of Welsh heritage making their mark worldwide

Celebrities of Welsh heritage making their mark worldwide include Lily Allen, bringing a confessional comeback album—co-written with Chepstow’s Violet Skies—to a sold-out Cardiff date; Adele, the chart-dominating icon with a Welsh father; and indie-pop favorite Syml, who chose a Welsh name to honor birth parents he discovered at 18. BAFTA winner Joanna Scanlan learned Welsh on S4C and now stars with Luke Evans in ITV’s The Party; Kylie Minogue proudly hails half her roots from Maesteg and calls her grandparents nain and taid; Damian Lewis flies the “London Welsh” flag; Paul Whitehouse, born in Glamorgan, is set to haunt Hogwarts as Filch; and Cardiff-born Tom Ellis keeps smoldering from Miranda to Lucifer. With a diaspora topping three million, Cymru once again proves itself the land of stage, song, and—judging by this lot—unfairly good genes.

ESPN personality urges liberal viewers to stop complaining about his interview with Trump

ESPN personality urges liberal viewers to stop complaining about his interview with Trump: Broadcasting from the USMC’s Parris Island for Veterans Day, Pat McAfee preemptively told irritated liberal viewers to take a deep breath—of course he’d interview the Commander-in-Chief, he said, and yes, partly because “he is hilarious.” Trump used the spot to tout faster, cheaper veteran healthcare, claim a 92% VA approval rating, and promise veterans would be “taken care of like never before,” punctuated by an exchange of “Oorahs” with Marines. He also marked the day with remarks at Arlington National Cemetery and a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In a network often dinged for leaning left, McAfee’s message was basically: it’s Veterans Day, it’s the president, it’s an interview—not an ideological loyalty test.

Disney Announces ‘Zootopia 2’ Screening Sweepstakes

Disney Announces ‘Zootopia 2’ Screening Sweepstakes, offering fans a shot at an advance screening on Saturday, November 22, at 12 p.m. at AMC Cherry Hill—because nothing says “exclusive” like watching talking animals before the internet spoils the plot.

Body Found in Norristown Trash Can Identified

Officials say the victim was an unhoused, undocumented man estimated to be 40 to 49 years old. The investigation continues, and authorities have not released his name.

Infant Botulism Outbreak Spurs Expanded Baby Formula Recall

Health officials say a botulism outbreak that began in August has sickened at least 15 infants across 12 states. The related baby formula recall has been widened, and families are urged to check lot numbers and follow public health guidance.

Ryanair Scraps Paper Boarding Passes Starting Wednesday

The airline will shift to digital-only boarding on Wednesday, November 12, saying more than 80 percent of its 207 million annual passengers already use its app. For the remaining holdouts, translation, download the app or enjoy a very quiet standoff at the gate.

Montreal’s E-Buses Cost Less Than Diesel, Even in Deep Winter

Electric buses use more energy in the cold but still cost less to operate than diesel. The STM plans to electrify its network by 2040, adding about 140 e-buses a year. Score one for plugs over pumps, even when February turns the city into a freezer aisle.

South Carolina High Court Rejects Final Appeal in 2004 Triple Murder Case

The state Supreme Court unanimously denied Stephen Bryant’s last bid to overturn his death sentence, clearing the way for a Friday execution by firing squad in Columbia. Justices said new evidence about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and childhood trauma would not have changed the outcome, citing planning and calculation in the crimes. He may still seek clemency from the governor.

Speaker Scolds David Lammy Over Commons Timekeeping

After the Deputy Prime Minister’s address overran, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle blasted the shifting requests as “foolish” and warned departments to ask for extensions instead of winging it. The 10 minute rule is not a suggestion, and no, making the Chair look like the punchline is not a parliamentary sport.

Air Travel Disruptions Will Linger After Government Reopens

As the Senate advances legislation to end the record shutdown, travelers should not expect airports to snap back to normal immediately. Washington may have found the on switch, but the flight schedule will need more than a ceremonial high five to recover.

Kīlauea eruption sends lava 1,000 feet into the air for five hours

Kīlauea eruption sends lava 1,000 feet into the air for five hours, because subtlety is for extinct volcanoes. On Sunday, Hawai‘i’s most restless overachiever blasted lava fountains topping 1,000 feet for nearly five hours, glazing almost 80% of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor—about a 3,300-foot-wide sheet of fresh rock, according to the USGS. It’s the 36th episode since this streak began Dec. 23, 2024, though not the height champ; Episode 35 still holds the crown at 1,500 feet. Consider it a fiery encore with the curtain nowhere near closing.

Blackfish BYOB: King Salmon Tasting Nov. 11–13; Thanksgiving Dinners to Enjoy at Home

Blackfish BYOB: King Salmon Tasting Nov. 11–13; Thanksgiving Dinners to Enjoy at Home — Blackfish BYOB is running a four-course King Salmon tasting Nov. 11–13 for $68 per person, with Chef Chip Roman nudging you toward a silky, medium-bodied Pinot Noir to match the fish’s sweetness and grill-char. Expect crudo with corn chow-chow and ponzu, duck fat–poached salmon with farro, chicory and Béarnaise, miso-glazed salmon with cider vierge, apples and Brussels sprouts, and an almond–tangerine cake with Manjari chocolate to seal the deal. Reserve online, or take it to go for $136 per couple by calling 215.680.2030—BYOB means your Pinot can be as luxe or as “weeknight” as you like. And if you’d prefer to outsource gratitude, Blackfish is also offering Thanksgiving meals to enjoy at home: order by 11/25 at noon (or until sold out) for pickup on 11/26 from noon to 6 p.m.

Trump’s proposed tariff dividends face legal and political hurdles

Trump’s proposed tariff dividends face legal and political hurdles: President Donald Trump wants to bankroll “at least” $2,000 per person with tariff revenue, but the idea is already tangled in legal and logistical roadblocks—and even some on the right aren’t buying it. For now, the dividends look theoretical, the skepticism very real.

18 injured in people-mover crash at Dulles International Airport

18 injured in people-mover crash at Dulles International Airport, after a mobile lounge hit a dock Monday afternoon at Washington Dulles (IAD), sending 18 people to the hospital.

Snow, ice, and record-breaking cold push south as winter weather grips the U.S.

Snow, ice, and record-breaking cold push south as winter weather grips the U.S., with a surge of arctic air spilling across two-thirds of the country and locking in a deep freeze from the Plains to the Gulf. Record lows greeted early risers Tuesday from the Carolinas to the Gulf Coast; Montgomery, Mobile, Atlanta, and Savannah all woke at or below freezing. Chicago, remembering what winter is, sits under its first winter storm warning in nearly two years, with several inches down and lake-effect bands still stacking; parts of Indiana saw nearly a foot. The same blast now drives east, chilling the Southeast and dropping even Florida into the 30s and 40s. Expect the polar plunge through midweek before a grudging warm-up.

MPs urge release of penguins allegedly confined to London aquarium basement

MPs urge release of penguins allegedly confined to a London aquarium basement, with 75 cross-party members asking Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds to relocate 15 gentoo penguins they say have spent 14 years without daylight or fresh air at Sea Life London Aquarium. The campaign, buoyed by a 37,000-strong petition, has celebrity backup: Feargal Sharkey challenged Merlin’s new CEO to “swap places,” and Chris Packham called the exhibit a blight on London’s attractions. Merlin Entertainments—co-run by Blackstone, Canada’s CPPIB and Lego’s Kirkbi—rebuts the “basement” claim, saying the birds live on the ground floor in a climate-controlled habitat with filtered fresh air, designed with penguin specialists and audited by groups including Global Humane Society and the International Zoo Veterinary Group. The company adds that releasing penguins raised in human care into the wild isn’t safe, but says it’s listening. In short: Parliament versus private equity over 15 tuxedoed tenants—one side crying “un-British,” the other swearing it’s a penguin penthouse.

Lewisham Council Pays For Procrastination, Barely

A Lewisham resident won her case with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and received £100 for the significant time and trouble of chasing a delayed complaint. Translation, hours of life spent wrangling bureaucracy netted the price of a modest grocery run. A handy reminder to councils that delay has a cost, even if it is the bargain-bin kind.

Antarctic Glacier Sprints Seaward, Reform UK Trips Over Its Climate Line

On the Antarctic Peninsula, Hektoria Glacier shed eight kilometers of ice in two months, the fastest modern retreat on record, according to research in Nature Geoscience co-authored by Swansea University’s Adrian Luckman. He calls the pace unprecedented, another grim milestone since Larsen B collapsed 23 years ago. Former Swansea West MP Geraint Davies praised Swansea’s scientists and blasted Reform UK’s stance, from skepticism and scrapping net zero to cheerleading more oil and gas, mocking wind power, friendly fossil-fuel donations, and talk of adapting rather than stopping warming. Adapt to what exactly, the coastline’s new forwarding address. Antarctica has not read the culture war script, and the ice does not care about slogans.

Welsh Steel On The Line, Lib Dems Want Budget To Deliver Heat Not Soundbites

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are demanding urgent Budget measures to keep Welsh steel alive, citing electricity costs about 40 percent higher than in France and Germany and support delayed until 2027, an extra £14.5 million next year alone. With potential new EU tariffs as soon as next year, exports from Port Talbot, Celsa in Cardiff, Shotton, Trostre, and Llanwern could take a hit. After a Port Talbot visit with Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper, MP David Chadwick accused Labour and the previous Conservative government of hobbling the sector on energy and trade and risking the 2027 electric-arc transition before it begins. Their plan is simple and overdue, bring forward energy support now, secure steel pacts with the EU and US, use procurement to prioritize UK steel, and fix pricing by decoupling power from gas while investing in renewables and the South Wales grid. Warm words do not smelt steel, policy and cheaper electrons do.

Senate cracks shutdown stalemate, bill heads to the House

After six weeks of political chicken, the Senate passed a measure 60 to 40 to keep the government open, with Democrats pressing Republicans to negotiate on extending health care tax credits. The bill now goes to the House, where leaders can either keep the lights on or drag out the cliffhanger for one more ratings bump.

Australia’s Black Friday sprint, how to dodge the fake deals

As the weeks-long sales blitz accelerates toward November 28, Australia’s consumer watchdog has retailers on notice for the usual smoke and mirrors. Think storewide promos that exclude half the store, countdown clocks that seem to invent time, fine print doing the heavy lifting, and before-versus-after prices that forget what before means. The ACCC has fined multiple offenders, including Kogan in 2019, which got hit for hiking prices before a supposed 10 percent discount. The aim is to stop rigged bargains that pressure shoppers and reward the shifty. Smart play, screenshot prices ahead of time, confirm exact models, read the exclusions, and if you get misled, file an ACCC complaint. Receipts win arguments, screenshots win faster.

German authorities track movements of Christian Brueckner amid monitoring concerns

Christian Brueckner, 49, a convicted rapist and child sex offender who is a suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, has reportedly been moving through woodland and along rail lines since his September release, sometimes sheltering under a tarpaulin after hotels and shelters turned him away. Local reports say he was removed after trying to pitch a tent near a nursery, and police tasked with monitoring him briefly lost track at a makeshift camp. A court has lifted the requirement that he remain in Germany, clearing the way for travel within days. His electronic ankle tag is reportedly malfunctioning and would not work outside the country, and authorities are said to be preparing a new identity at significant public expense. The situation underscores a serious tension, a high-profile suspect under minimal constraints, a monitoring system that does not function across borders, and public safety concerns that do not stop at the frontier.

Supreme Court looks coolly at contractor shortcut in GEO Group v. Menocal

During arguments, justices from Clarence Thomas to Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan questioned the idea that Yearsley creates immunity from suit rather than a defense on the merits. The thrust, lawful execution of authorized instructions may be protected, alleged wrongdoing is not. Brett Kavanaugh noted the federal government is opposing GEO, which blunts claims of systemic doom. Samuel Alito floated giving contractors the same immediate-appeal privileges that ICE or its officials might receive, but the room sounded sparse for that view. Paired with a similar reaction in Hencely v. Fluor, it looks like a rough term for contractors trying to skip trial via magic words. Translation, you can follow orders, you still have to show up in court.

Families sue Camp Mystic over deadly Texas flooding

Families of nine campers and counselors who died in severe summer flooding have filed lawsuits alleging the camp failed to evacuate in time. The suits seek accountability for decisions that they say left loved ones in harm’s way. The matter is a sobering test of preparedness, duty of care, and responsibility when disaster strikes without mercy.

Republican Lawmaker Encounters Heated Crowd at Town Hall

Republican Lawmaker Encounters Heated Crowd at Town Hall: Before heading back to Washington to vote on ending the government shutdown, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks met a decidedly unenchanted audience in Keosauqua, where boos greeted her defense of Medicaid changes in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and her support for Trump’s tariffs—because nothing rallies a room like promising skinnier healthcare and pricier imports.

Jeffries May Force Vote on Affordable Care Act Subsidies

Jeffries May Force Vote on Affordable Care Act Subsidies: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday he’s weighing a discharge petition to force a vote on extending Obamacare’s enhanced premium tax credits—because nothing says “healthy governance” like the minority threatening to hot-wire the House rules when the majority stalls.

New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman will not run for reelection in 2026

New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman will not run for reelection in 2026, announcing at age 80 that the decision came after “tremendous thought and reflection” and discussions with her family. In a capital where clinging to a seat is a bipartisan endurance sport, she’s opting for the rare, graceful exit.

California GOP turns to the courts after Prop 50 defeat

California GOP turns to the courts after Prop 50 defeat: Hours after voters approved Prop 50 by roughly 64–36, scrapping the independent commission’s maps for a Democrat-drawn redo that could net Democrats up to five House seats, state Republicans filed a federal suit to block the new lines. The Dhillon Law Group argues the rushed process and explicit aim to “increase power of Latino voters” amount to unconstitutional, race-based gerrymandering and violations of equal protection and the Voting Rights Act, seeking a fast-track TRO and a likely sprint to the Supreme Court by Dec. 19. Newsom, eyeing 2028 and savoring the gerrymander he championed to “neutralize” Texas, offered the governor’s version of legal analysis: “Good luck, losers.” The maps are already forcing musical chairs—Ken Calvert challenging Young Kim, Marni von Wilpert targeting Darrell Issa, and others circling safer turf—while the state GOP mounts a second front against itself over $11 million in late mailers and calls for Chair Corrin Rankin to resign; she’s refusing, insisting the party “left it all on the field.”

Senate advances first of multiple votes to end record shutdown

Senate advances first of multiple votes to end record shutdown, approving initial procedural steps to reopen the government, while House Speaker Mike Johnson called representatives back to Washington—suggesting Congress may finally swap grandstanding for roll-call votes, if only briefly.

House Democrats Mobilize Opposition to Shutdown Deal

House Democrats Mobilize Opposition to Shutdown Deal: Democratic leaders are whipping votes against the bipartisan Senate bill to reopen the government, Punchbowl News reports, with House Minority Whip Katherine Clark firing off an all-caps directive—“HOUSE DEMOCRATS ARE URGED TO VOTE NO.” In other words, even the exit ramp from a shutdown is now subject to a partisan toll, because in Washington the only thing that reliably crosses the aisle is the blame.

House of Representatives Reconvenes Amid Multiple Controversies

House of Representatives Reconvenes Amid Multiple Controversies: After a 54-day hiatus that made “out of session” look like a governing philosophy, the House shuffles back to Washington, where ending a record government shutdown is somehow the easy part for Speaker Mike Johnson. He returns to tensions over his decision to shutter the chamber during the impasse—drawing public flak from Democrats and quiet panic in GOP corners—while trying to restart dormant committees, beat a looming health care deadline, and referee long-simmering fights over Jeffrey Epstein and congressional stock trading. First task: reopen the government. Second: pretend any of this resembles functional oversight.

Jenna Jameson says redemption is real, announces baptism and faith-focused life

Jenna Jameson, once one of adult entertainment’s most recognizable names, says she has “switched sides,” sharing that she was baptized and is now devoted to helping others find her Christian faith. She has spoken openly about sobriety, antisemitic attacks that pushed her off X, and a winding spiritual path that included a 2015 conversion to Judaism during a past engagement. Her representative says she is public about her walk to underscore that no one is beyond grace. A rare case where a celebrity rebrand sounds less like PR and more like a human being trying to do better.

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve adds a Chicago countdown

The 55th edition will feature a Windy City midnight moment on Dec. 31, because if any town can keep time with personality, it is Chicago, where pizza is tall and the winter air judges you. Expect confetti, fireworks, and at least one weather reporter pretending they can still feel their face.

Typhoon Fung-Wong weakens as it heads toward Taiwan

After crossing the Sierra Madre range in the northern Philippines, Fung-Wong lost strength and is tracking north toward Taiwan. Authorities are monitoring for heavy rain, rough seas, and possible localized flooding. Serious weather, eyes open, no theatrics required.

Disney debuts Taika Waititi holiday short Best Christmas Ever on Disney+

John Goodman voices Doodle in a warm, bite-sized festive short that arrives with Waititi’s offbeat charm. For once, the Mouse delivers a cozy stocking stuffer instead of a cinematic universe starter kit. Miracles, apparently, do happen.

Trump pitches tariff-funded $2,000 checks and a dent in the $38 trillion debt

Donald Trump says tariff revenues would bankroll $2,000 payments for low and middle earners, with any leftovers going toward the national debt. He called tariff skeptics “fools” and promised “massive” receipts. Bold plan to tackle a $38 trillion tab with the tariff tip jar, and yes, that clinking you hear might be consumers footing the bill at checkout.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett alleges GOP-rigged 2026 midterms via Dominion, buyer rejects claim

On Marc Elias’s podcast, Democrat Jasmine Crockett floated an evidence-free claim that Republicans will tilt 2026 races after Scott Leiendecker, a former GOP election reform advocate and Liberty Vote founder, acquired Dominion in October. She urged states to reject the machines, suggesting he could “play” with them. Leiendecker says Liberty Vote will be 100 percent American owned, independently audited, and focused on paper-based transparency, adding that the deal required dropping remaining lawsuits against several conservatives and OANN. After Dominion’s post-2020 defamation settlements with Fox News and Newsmax, the machines have become Washington’s favorite bipartisan boogeyman, apparently rigging elections for whichever pundit needs a villain this week.

Iowa chief judge charged with OWI after wrong-way scare, motorists intervene

Police say Chief Judge Adria Kester, 55, drove the wrong way on U.S. Highway 30 near Boone around 8 p.m. on Nov. 4, slumped over the wheel of a 2026 GMC Canyon Denali until a Good Samaritan climbed through a back window to stop the truck. Deputies found her unconscious, noted bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, and reported a cup smelling of alcohol. She was taken to a hospital for a blood draw, results pending, and faces an OWI first-offense charge. Kester’s attorney says she recognizes the seriousness and is cooperating. When the person who delivers courtroom lectures on responsibility needs a stranger to hit the brakes, it might be time to park the gavel and call a cab.

Conservative commentator torches Trump as weak, tells GOP to wake up on prices

The Federalist co-founder Sean Davis blasted Republicans as a party with no plan and warned of a 2026 nightmare, calling Donald Trump weak and urging a pivot to affordability as voters seethe over prices, debt, and housing. Trump waved it off as a Democratic con and boasted of a 25 percent cheaper Walmart Thanksgiving, a claim analysts say relies on a shrunken basket while grocery prices still rise. The pitch landed amid a shutdown that left federal workers unpaid and food aid halted, with an AP-NORC poll showing nearly 90 percent of Americans worried about grocery costs. Media labeled Davis’s remarks a condemnation, he called it a course correction, then undercut his own point with an ableist slur on X. After Democratic wins in California, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City, even Marjorie Taylor Greene is warning the economy could cost the GOP the House. If your message on prices is stop complaining, do not be shocked when voters go with the folks who at least acknowledge the bill.

DIY hardware: build an RP2040 dev board that actually fits your needs

A step-by-step guide walks through creating a custom RP2040 board in KiCad, from schematic to Gerbers, with USB-C, external flash, a crystal oscillator, decoupling caps, and chosen GPIOs. The layout uses an outside-in approach, define board size, place edge pins and the USB connector, then pack the internals, keeping the crystal and key caps tight to the RP2040. Routing tips include length-matching USB D+ and D− as a differential pair and other best practices for dense traces. It finishes with how to get the board fabricated and assembled at a board house. Thanks to solid docs and cheap parts, it is a very buildable first board, cue a wave of bespoke microcontrollers that finally do exactly what you want.

At least eight killed in car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort

Police say a car explosion near one of the gates of the Red Fort metro station in New Delhi killed at least eight people. Several fire engines responded to the scene. Authorities are investigating and details are still emerging.