Donald Trump typed in all-capital-letters on his social media platform Sunday to announce he has decided against testifying again at his New York civil fraud trial. He was scheduled to take the stand today, but he posted on Truth Social that he had "already testified to everything & have nothing more to say." If you believe Trump when he says he has "nothing more to say," then you haven't been listening. GIULIANI CASE: A trial beginning today will determine how much former New York City Mayor Rudi Giuliani must pay to two Georgia election workers whom he accused of fraud after the 2020 election lost by former President Donald Trump. Giuliani has already been found liable for defaming the women, who were threatened and harassed after he and other Trump allies falsely accused them. |
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The storms destroyed homes in Clarksville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski) |
NORTHEAST DELUGE: New York City's mayor activated its flash flood emergency plan as the National Weather Service issued flash flood watches until Tuesday in parts of the Northeast from New Jersey through southern New England. Gusts of 50 mph were also forecast. Happy Monday, fellow mass-transit commuters. Don't forget your umbrellas. |
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President Joe Biden will try this week to bridge gaps between Democratic and Republican senators over GOP demands to expand expedited deportations and to restrict asylum and a presidential power called humanitarian parole. Biden said he's willing to make concessions if Republicans pass a $110 billion package comprised mostly of military aid to Ukraine and Israel. |
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Regulators warned parents to take away a toy made of small magnetic balls that have been linked to the deaths of seven children, five in the U.S., and 2,400 hospitalizations between 2017 and 2021. The powerful magnets are stronger than toy regulations allow and, if more than one is ingested, they can bind to each other in the stomach and block, twist or perforate a child's intestines. |
Some companies have refused to recall the toy. (XpressGoods/Consumer Product Safety Commission) |
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Students, lawmakers and religious leaders gathered at a Jewish temple in Philadelphia on Sunday to denounce antisemitism on college campuses and in their communities. The rally was held in the wake of the University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill's resignation amid heavy criticism over her testimony on the issue before the House last week. |
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Elon Musk reinstated the X account of InfoWars host Alex Jones, ending the conspiracy theorist's five-year ban for abusive behavior. For years, Jones called the mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school a hoax — for which he may have to pay more than $1 billion to parents of children who died. We're not marketing experts, but this seems like a bad way to keep the few advertisers X still has. |
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Many people with disabilities oppose a Census Bureau proposal to change its definition of disability, which would lower the U.S. count of people considered as disabled from 14% of the population to 8%. The agency said the new definition and survey questions will align the U.S. with international standards, but disability rights advocates said it could result in fewer resources for people with disabilities. |
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Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani signed what is believed to be the largest contract in sports history: a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Arguably baseball's best two-way player ever, the 29-year-old has the potential to bring in more viewers and advertisers from around the world. "He's the kind of guy who attracts millions of eyeballs, and not just from the U.S.," said one observer. |
Ohtani said "let's shake on it" to the $700 million deal. (Giphy) |
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9. CHRISTMAS SHIPPING DEADLINES |
Sending packages for Christmas? Krish Iyer of Shipstation told us when we need to drop them off with our carrier (and what time in the day). He also weighed in on when to combine gifts in one box and when we should package things separately. |
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Gatorland Orlando wants your help naming a baby alligator born with leucism, an extremely rare genetic variation that makes her all white but without the pink eyes of a gator with albinism. She is just the seventh-known living leucistic alligator, joining two others living at the park. |
We humbly submit the name Pinky. (Ken Guzzetti/Gatorland via AP) |
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Special Monday Edition One thing we love: Belting out showtunes with friends at Marie's Crisis Café. One thing we hate: When we forget to include Love Hate Ate on Fridays. One thing we ate: A slice at Two Boots Pizza. (We recommend the Earth Mother, named for Bette Midler.) |
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