A nasty late-season storm flooded roads and killed four people in the Northeast as wind gusts of up to 70 mph knocked out power for hundreds of thousands from Virginia to Maine. Some schools canceled classes, and airports in Boston and the New York City area canceled scores of flights. |
Surf's way up in Mattapoisett, Mass., yesterday. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP) |
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2. ELECTION DENIER DENIED |
Mark Meadows, Donald Trump's former chief of staff, can't move his election fraud trial out of Georgia state court, a panel of federal appellate judges ruled, because he's no longer a federal official and, anyway, his job duties "[did] not include altering valid election results in favor of a particular candidate."* *If only he had been hired as chief of overturning election results. DEFAMATION: Rudy Giuliani is still talking about two former Georgia election officials, and they want him to stop. Ruby Freeman and Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, who won a defamation judgment against the Donald Trump ally, is seeking a court order that would bar Giuliani from continuing to repeat his lies about their involvement in the 2020 election. |
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Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law sweeping new powers authorizing police to arrest migrants crossing the U.S. border illegally and allowing judges to order them out of the country. Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility and this new law giving a state that authority will undoubtedly face legal challenges. |
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Pope Francis has allowed priests in the Catholic church to bless same-sex relationships as long as the ceremonies aren't treated like weddings. It's a big change for the church, which in 2021 said same-sex blessings were wrong because "God cannot bless sin." The new policy still regards same-sex relationships (and unmarried heterosexual couples who have sex) as "irregular" and sinful. |
A vicar blesses the relationship of Christine Walter (center) and Almut Muenster in a Catholic service in Munich, Germany, in 2021, before the Vatican allowed it. (Felix Hoerhager/dpa via AP, File) |
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Google will pay $700 million in a deal made with state attorneys general to settle allegations it had suppressed competition against its Android app store. The agreement, which includes several other concessions, was reached in September but only announced late yesterday — a week after a federal jury ruled against Google in another case. SOUTHWEST SETTLEMENT: Southwest Airlines agreed to pay $140 million to settle a federal investigation into its 2022 meltdown that stranded more than 2 million travelers over the holidays. The government said Southwest broke federal law by not notifying customers in time when their flights were disrupted, prevented customers stuck at the airport from finding flights or hotels because the airline understaffed customer service, and issued refunds that were delayed, incomplete or both. |
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JONATHAN MAJORS: A jury found the actor guilty of assault and harassment of his then-girlfriend in March. He faces up to a year in jail at his sentencing in February. Shortly after the verdict, Marvel and Disney dropped him from all upcoming projects. |
Jonathan Majors leaves the courtroom yesterday. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) |
YOUTUBE MOM: Former parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke pleaded guilty to abusing and starving two of her six children. Attorneys for Franke — whose YouTube videos advocated harsh discipline, including withholding food — said she was brainwashed by her business partner, a relationship counselor who faces similar charges. |
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A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked the removal of the Confederate Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, where work to remove it had begun earlier in the day. A group called Save Arlington, which is affiliated with Save Southern Heritage Florida*, said it has evidence that removing the memorial will disturb gravesites, which the cemetery denies. *In case you're wondering what kind of group Save Southern Heritage Florida is, it celebrates the date of Lincoln's assassination as "John Wilkes Booth Day." |
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Indigenous students from tribes whose land was turned into the state of Wisconsin will be able to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison for free, the flagship university announced. Public universities in California, Minnesota, Michigan, Maine and Oregon have created similar programs for indigenous students, who make up just 1% of post-secondary students in the U.S. |
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Who should you tip and how much? The head of the Etiquette School of New York shared her recommendations for hairstylists, personal trainers, babysitters, teachers, dog walkers and newsletter writers. We might have added that last one ourselves. (The greatest tip you can give us is suggesting Need2Know to a friend!) |
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10. HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: YOUR DOG |
Your dog may not know what a holiday is, but they do know that you love them, so they will absolutely be delighted if you give them any of these toys, snacks, squishy beds and treat-dispensing puzzles that Parker the dog and his friend, Marissa Silva of The Toy Insider, brought by to show us. Please resist the temptation to get your dog that cute hoodie unless you know that they like to wear human-style clothes. Many dogs do not! |
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Keep the Oscars and Grammys — we're here for the I Love My Librarian Awards. This year's 10 winners, chosen from submissions by local patrons, include librarians who advise entrepreneurs, teach tech skills to refugees and asylum-seekers, help students with research projects and more. |
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