Good Morning! On this date in 1990, NASA “discovered” life on Earth by turning a spacecraft’s instruments on our own planet to see if analytics alone could tell whether Earth was inhabited, a test suggested by famed astronomer Carl Sagan. (See Summary)
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Hunter Biden Indicted in California
Hunter Biden has been indicted for tax fraud by a federal grand jury in California.
There are nine charges in all, and three are felony charges related to evading taxes and filing false returns.
Special counsel David Weiss is bringing the charges against Biden; he’s the same prosecutor that charged Hunter with illegally possessing a gun in Delaware.
Weiss and Biden’s legal team had previously agreed to a plea deal that would have limited the charges to misdemeanors and likely kept the president’s son out of jail, but the deal fell apart under the questioning of a federal judge in July.
After the plea deal failed, Attorney General Merrick Garland made Weiss (then the U.S. Attorney for Delaware) a special counsel, and that new status lifted geographical restrictions on Weiss’s authority, allowing him to charge Biden in California without the aid of a local prosecutor.
Hunter Biden may now face two separate criminal trials in 2024, and the tax charges in California carry the threat of serious jail time.
House Sets Formal Probe of Top Colleges
The House Education Committee launched a formal investigation Thursday into antisemitism at three top colleges after their presidents refused to directly condemn calls for Jewish genocide as “hate speech.” Here’s video of one exchange.
Committee chair Virginia Foxx called the responses “absolutely unacceptable” and threatened to use subpoenas to gather the “substantial” number of documents the House wants to see.
The college presidents —at Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and MIT—have been hit with calls for their resignations after a ferocious backlash to their testimonies. Some politicians have called for an end to their institutions’ tax-exempt status.
McDonald’s Launches New Chain for Snacking
McDonald’s is planning a new fast-food chain called CosMc’s featuring customizable drinks and treats to appeal to afternoon snackers who now go to Dunkin’s or Starbucks, a slice of the market worth $100 billion annually.
The menu ranges from coffee and tea to frappes and slushies that can be customized with extra caffeine, kombucha, or a vitamin shot. It will also include breakfast sandwiches, snacks, and ice cream. Here’s a look at the menu.
The first CosMc test location will be in Bolingbrook, Illinois, near McDonald’s corporate headquarters. The company plans to open ten others in the Midwest next year to test the concept.
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➤ Congress voted to block the Biden administration from moving forward with strict vehicle emission regulations—the new standards would have meant that 67% of new vehicles would be electric by 2032. (More)
➤Nikki Haley was the main target at the fourth GOP presidential debate Wednesday night, taking shots from both Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy, who at one point held up a handmade sign saying “Nikki = Corrupt.” (See Video)
➤The House voted to censure Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman for pulling a fire alarm in the Capitol office building to cut off debate on a bill. He became the third House member censured this year. (More)
➤ New York City Mayor Eric Adams hit the lowest approval ratings the city has recorded as he struggles with a year-long migrant crisis. A new poll shows only 26% of New Yorkers approve of Adams’ handling of immigration. (More)
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➤ Jon Rahm, one of the world’s best-known golfers, is expected to leave the PGA to captain a four-player team in the LIV league in a deal worth $300 million-$600 million, according to the Wall Street Journal and ESPN. (More)
➤ LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was named the Associated Press player of the year, well ahead of second-place Washington QB Michael Penix. Both Daniels and Penix are also finalists for the Heisman Trophy. (More)
➤ Iowa’s Caitlin Clark became the first Division 1 basketball player, male or female, to reach at least 3,000 points, 750 rebounds, and 750 assists in a victory over rival Iowa State Wednesday night. (More)
Market Report 12/7/23
▲
NASDAQ Natl. Assoc. of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
14,339.99
+1.37%
▲
SPX S&P 500
4,585.59
+0.80%
▲
DJI Dow Jones Industrial Average
36,117.57
+0.18%
▼
BTC Bitcoin
$43,384.0
–0.98%
▼
CXM Sprinklr, Inc.
$11.11
–33.47%
➤ Big Stock Move: Shares of Sprinkler, a customer-experience management firm, dropped 33% Thursday due to concerns about next year’s revenue growth. (More)
➤ The Biden administration said it would seize the patents of government-funded drugs if pharmacy companies set prices too high. The government could then let other companies develop generic versions to compete. (More)
➤ More than 750 employees of the Washington Post walked out on a one-day strike Thursday over a stalemate with management on cost cuts. The paper said it faced a $100 million loss by the end of 2023. (More)
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➤ A new laser camera can read a person’s heartbeat at a distance and indicate signs of cardio illness. Scientists say the new technology could replace doctors’ stethoscopes. (See Photo)
➤ Ferrari launched its first “four-door, four-seater” vehicle, the Purosangue, with a 7.5 liter, V-12 engine and a starting price of $400,000. It’s already sold out for two years. (See Photos)
➤ NASA released a trippy, technicolor image of Alaska’s Malaspina Glacier that makes the ice mass look like a rippling blob of paint while revealing new discoveries, including a hidden lagoon. (See Image)
➤ A Great Pyrenees dog who battled a pack of coyotes to protect his farm’s sheep and his fellow farm-dog (pregnant with the hero’s offspring), has been named a finalist in the Farm Dog of the Year competition. (See Photo)
➤ A 14-year-old girl jumped into a driverless bus rolling towards a gas station and managed to steer it away from the Mini Mart while avoiding oncoming traffic, pedestrians, and parked cars. (More)
➤ A bride’s 90-year-old grandpa sang Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” as she walked down the aisle. A video of the moment has been viewed more than 31 million times. (See Video)
➤ Brenda Lee’s 1958 Christmas hit, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, 65 years after its release. Lee released a new music video to accompany the song. (See Video)
➤ Pantone, the color brand company, has announced that “Peach Fuzz” is its 2024 Color of the Year. The news is hotly anticipated each year by the design and fashion communities. (See Color)
➤ A runaway pig named Albert Einswine led New Jersey police on a wild-hog chase for 30 minutes as police scrambled to catch it. “They’re faster than they look,” said a detective. (See Video)
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➤ Can’t think of a good Christmas gift? Try this list!
Do you plan to spend more or less on holiday gifts this year?
Hunter Biden Indicted in California
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