The National Weather Service warns of “potentially life-threatening conditions” from strong rip currents and powerful waves.
Justice Department Bans Bump Stocks, Devices Used In Deadly Las Vegas Shooting
New regulations will bar the sale of the accessories that enable rifles to fire faster and require current owners to turn them in or destroy them.
Trump Foundation To Dissolve Amid New York Attorney General’s Investigation
The New York attorney general’s office detailed what it called “a shocking pattern of illegality” and said the foundation’s decision to shutter was “an important victory for the rule of law.”
The Good News (And Not So Good News) About China’s Smoggy Air
According to a new report, China’s war against air pollution shows promising results. But there is evidence of backsliding as winter nears.
Trump Revives U.S. Space Command As Pence Unveils Plan In Florida
“A new era of American national security in space begins today,” the vice president said at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Republican Martha McSally Picked To Fill Senate Seat Formerly Held By John McCain
The decision comes after Republican Sen. Jon Kyl, who had been a temporary replacement after John McCain’s death in August, announced last week he would step down at the end of the year.
A New Way To Get College Students Through A Psychiatric Crisis — And Back To School
A partnership between a mental health care provider and colleges is redefining emergency mental health care on campus – helping students get needed care without losing track of their academic goals.
SpaceX And Blue Origin Scrub Rocket Launches, Dashing Hopes Of A 4-Launch Day
SpaceX had been scheduled to launch a new GPS satellite; Blue Origin was supposed to follow with its own launch for NASA minutes later. Two other launches were to follow.
Iran Has Had An Especially Bad 2018
The Trump administration hit Iran with sanctions after pulling out of the nuclear deal. That’s hurt the Iranian economy — and emboldened hard-liners.
Bill Of The Month: $43,208 For Repeat Surgery To Replace Broken Medical Device
If implanted medical devices fail, patients and their insurers usually have to pay for repairs. That financial responsibility falls to them even when the problems were solely with the devices.
Germany Agrees To Pay Kindertransport Survivors Who Escaped Nazis As Children
About 10,000 Jewish refugees under the age of 17 were relocated through the rescue operation. Most never saw their parents again. The Claims Conference estimates there are about 1,000 still living.
Sen. Cory Booker Calls For More Transparency In Medicaid Drug Decisions
Booker is introducing a bill this week in response to an investigation by the Center for Public Interest and NPR. He calls drug firms’ infiltration into Medicaid’s decision process “nefarious.”
CBS Denies Former CEO Les Moonves $120 Million Severance Package
The network explained its decision, saying “there are grounds to terminate for cause, including his willful and material misfeasance” and failure to cooperate with the company’s investigation.
Herders Vs. Farmers: A Deadly Year In Nigeria
Deadly clashes in the country’s Middle Belt have skyrocketed — and a new Amnesty International report says the government is exacerbating the crisis.
New York Motorists Vote To Shift Wreaths That Have Infuriated Them For Years
The Holland Tunnel became the subject of a fervent petition to change which letters its holiday decorations should adorn. In what could be called a Christmas miracle, the Port Authority listened.
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Celebrates His Reinstatement As ‘Triumph Of Democracy’
Seven weeks after President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe, the ousted premier got his job back. The move caps what has been a surprising showdown in the island nation.
Miss Universe Has Its First Trans Contestant — While Miss USA Stirs Criticism
“I’m showing that trans women can be whatever they want to be: a teacher, a mother, a doctor, a politician and even Miss Universe,” Miss Spain, Angela Ponce, said recently.
Google Will Spend $1 Billion For New York City Campus On Hudson River
“In fact, we’re growing faster outside the [San Francisco] Bay Area than within it,” says Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat, a senior vice president of both Google and its parent company, Alphabet.
Goldman Sachs Faces Charges In Malaysia Over Massive Corruption Scandal
The U.S. bank and two of its former bankers face criminal charges in connection with Malaysia’s 1MDB scandal, which involves billions of dollars allegedly stolen from a development fund.
Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, A Bipartisan Dealmaker, Will Retire In 2020
A former Tennessee governor and U.S. secretary of Education, the Republican is currently the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Taliban Says It Is Meeting With U.S. Officials, Amid Escalating Peace Efforts
The Islamist militants have refused to negotiate with the Afghan government in Kabul — but a Taliban spokesman said Monday that they were speaking with the U.S., along with several other countries.
2 Associates Of Michael Flynn Charged In Alleged Scheme To Smear Turkish Cleric
The men failed to register as foreign agents, prosecutors say, and they even developed a plot to disguise the ultimate origins of payments they were receiving from Turkey.
New Reports Detail Expansive Russia Disinformation Scheme Targeting U.S.
The studies for the Senate intelligence committee assess how broadly Russians wielded social media to reach millions of Americans and suppress Democratic and black voting.
Teen Girls And Their Moms Get Candid About Phones And Social Media
About half of all teens say they’ve tried to cut back on their phone use. But one of the girls we spoke with says that’s hard when “it’s obviously designed to be addictive.”
Saudi Arabia Denounces U.S. Senate’s Rebukes On Jamal Khashoggi And Yemen War
The kingdom said the Senate’s position is “based on baseless allegations and accusations” that distort the truth, and accused U.S. lawmakers of interfering in its affairs.
Green ‘Christmas Comet’ Visible In Night Sky
The comet 46P/Wirtanen just made its closest approach to Earth in centuries. No word on the whereabouts of Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Cupid, Donner or Blitzen (and Rudolph).
Israel’s Netanyahu Embraces European Leaders With Controversial Views On Holocaust
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has befriended nationalist and far-right leaders who tend to be staunchly pro-Israel. But some Israelis say he’s too lenient about their views on Holocaust history.
Here’s What Would Happen If The Government Shuts Down This Week
Even a partial government shutdown would leave some 800 thousand government workers without pay over the holidays although many would remain on the job.
Magical Photos Bring Fables From Mbomo To Life
The fables were gathered from people in the Congo Basin and illustrated with a touch of magical realism in the new book Congo Tales: Told By The People Of Mbomo.
Art Series Captures Taste And Color Of Prisoners’ First Meal After Exoneration
Artist Julie Green, who also depicts the final meals of death row inmates, is now painting first meals of exonerees. The food is celebratory, but nothing compared to all those lost years, she says.
Iraq Lays Cornerstone To Restore Al-Nuri Mosque, As Mosul Rebuilds
Iraqi religious leaders officially initiated the restoration of Mosul’s al-Nuri mosque yesterday. The mosque was destroyed as Iraqi forces reclaimed control of the city from the Islamic State in 2017.
What You Need To Know About The Affordable Care Act After Texas Ruling
A federal judge in Texas rules the ACA is unconstitutional. What does this mean for American healthcare, and who will be affected?
A Nun In India Accuses A Bishop Of Rape, And Divides The Country’s Christians
A Roman Catholic nun says a bishop raped her multiple times between 2014 and 2016. The bishop denies wrongdoing and is out on bail. Some Indian Catholics are blaming the nun for tarnishing the church.
Medical Detectives: The Last Hope For Families Coping With Rare Diseases
When Nikki and Danny Miller’s two young sons developed strange symptoms, they began searching for a diagnosis. Their odyssey ended when a team of medical sleuths solved the case.
Evangelical Writer Kisses An Old Idea Goodbye
Joshua Harris wrote I Kissed Dating Goodbye when he was 21 years old. It became the bible of the evangelical purity movement, which promotes putting off sex until marriage. His ideas have changed.
How Trump Went From ‘Tough On Crime’ To ‘Second Chance’ For Felons
President Trump’s support for legislation that would reduce sentences for drug offenses stands in stark contrast to some of his calls to crack down on criminals.