Shutdown averted
On the eve of closure, a financing package was enacted by the House, clearing off any uncertainty.
Early on Saturday morning, the Senate ratified the last-minute agreement to keep the government open, and hours later, President Joe Biden signed it into law.
The week’s unrest served as a glimpse of the legislative mayhem that would erupt in Washington following the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. For just three months, Congress postponed federal financing, adding to Trump’s already long list of tasks for his first 100 days in office.
Regarding the new deadline, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., stated, “I think it’s kind of stupid.” Don’t expect me to defend or explain this dysfunction.
The battle over expenditures also demonstrated Elon Musk’s political clout on Capitol Hill. Trump dismissed the notion that he had given the presidency to the internet entrepreneur in a vehement speech on Sunday.
“I can assure you that he will not be president,” Trump stated. I’m also safe. Do you understand why he can’t be? This country is not where he was born.
A suspect in German Christmas market attack ID’d as doctor with strong anti-Islamic views
Five people were killed and over 200 were injured, including many who were gravely hurt, after a car crashed into a throng at a Christmas market in eastern Germany on Friday. Among those deceased were ladies ages 52, 45, 67, and 75, as well as a 9-year-old youngster.
Five charges of murder and numerous counts of attempted murder and aggravated assault are against Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a self-described member of the liberal opposition to Saudi Arabia who has expressed strong anti-Islamic and anti-immigration sentiments. Prior to applying for asylum in Germany in 2016, Al-Abdulmohsen worked as a physician in Saudi Arabia. He has allied himself with Germany’s far-right anti-immigration party and posted inflammatory anti-Islamic content on X.
Two senior U.S. sources informed NBC News that investigators are looking into the event as possibly related to terrorism, although police have not disclosed a motive for the attack.
Parts of the U.S. will be dashing through the snow
While certain parts of the United States may not experience a white Christmas this year, they may at least experience a snowy Christmas Eve.
Rain and snow are expected in the days leading up to Christmas as a storm system moves in throughout the Northeast and Great Lakes regions. Before Christmas Eve, two to six inches of snow are predicted for the inner Northeast, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Since many places will see melting snow blankets by Wednesday, there is presently no expectation for a white Christmas.
Holiday travel is still likely to be impacted by the storms, particularly along I-95.
Uninsured while pregnant, she used a medical cost-sharing service. Her family was left in debt.
When Rachel Kaplan became pregnant last year, she had no insurance. Her doctor therefore recommended a different option: Sedera, a charity that promotes itself as a medical cost-sharing program in which members pay monthly dues that are combined and used by the organization to pay back members’ medical expenses.
However, after the birth of their baby, she and her husband requested reimbursement from Sedera, but they were turned down. The pair said that Sedera shocked them by citing a fine print guideline that declared them ineligible. The group is one of over 100 health care sharing ministries that operate in the United States, the majority of which have Christian roots.
Four families who were refused or had difficulty receiving reimbursement for pregnancy or childbirth-related charges from their healthcare sharing ministry were interviewed by NBC News. They all felt duped and cautioned other expectant families against joining.
Politics in brief
Deep state retaliation: After preparing a list of alleged deep state individuals in government, intelligence sources have voiced concerns that Kash Patel may pursue criminal retaliation if confirmed as FBI director.
Lara absent:The president-elect’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, has withdrawn from consideration for the Senate seat that Sen. Marco Rubio is anticipated to leave open, hinting at a significant announcement that will be made next month.
Trump’s Indian American allies: A sizable group of young Indian Americans, a group that is becoming more and more influential in Republican politics, are expected to stand behind him when he retakes the White House.
Court denounced: Senate Democrats who looked into purported ethical transgressions on the Supreme Court have cautioned that the court has become embroiled in a self-inflicted ethical crisis and are demanding legislative changes that the incoming Republican leadership finds objectionable.
Steve Kornacki joins a special episode of Meet the Press to examine the growing division among Americans. Sen. Raphael Warnock argues that instead of preying on each other, we need to learn how to pray with each other.
MLB Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson dies at 65
The greatest base stealer in Major League Baseball history, Rickey Henderson, passed away at the age of 65.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred referred to Henderson as the “gold standard” of leadoff hitting and base stealing in a statement on Saturday. Henderson is without a doubt the most renowned player in Oakland history, according to the Athletics.
Henderson, also known as the Man of Steal, leads all time in both stolen bases (1,406) and runs scored (2,295). After a career that was almost unmatched, ten All-Star selections, World Series titles with Oakland and Toronto, and his MLB debut at the age of 20, he played his final game in 2003 at the age of 44.
Blake Lively accuses ‘It Ends With Us’ director of sexual harassment
After she voiced her concerns, Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against her co-star Justin Baldoni from It Ends With Us, alleging that he had sexually harassed her, created a hostile work environment, and attempted to damage her reputation.
According to Lively’s complaint, Baldoni, who is also the film’s director, forced her to act completely nude during one scene and failed to close the set so that no necessary crew could pass through while Ms. Lively was largely nude. Baldoni also allegedly improvised physical intimacy that had not been discussed or practiced beforehand.
Fans’ suspicions of behind-the-scenes conflict, specifically that Baldoni was doing press apart from his co-stars, caused the movie to make news during the summer. According to Lively’s complaint, Baldoni hired a crisis communications firm to damage her reputation while the movie was being promoted.
All of the accusations, according to Baldoni’s lawyer, are wholly untrue, ludicrous, and purposefully sensational in order to cause public harm and create a media narrative.
Countdown to Christmas
Present-giving is the most delightful time of the year! A few TikTok makers have increased their material in an attempt to relieve the burden of those who are having a hard time spending money on holiday celebrations. They encourage people to ignore microtrends and concentrate on the things they use and like on a daily basis.
One content maker who posts more low-budget films stated, “I think it sometimes becomes normalized on social media that you need to have a new Christmas aesthetic every year.” However, I don’t think that’s practical for most individuals.
Overall, consumers have been more frugal with their spending this season, but young adults are occasionally treating themselves to presents. According to analysts at the consulting firm Deloitte, almost half of Gen Z and millennial customers intend to purchase gifts for themselves this Christmas season.
In case you missed it
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The 15-year-old girl who killed two people and wounded others at a private Christian school in Wisconsin had a tumultuous home life,
according to court documents obtained by NBC News.
-
Lawmakers in the United Kingdom are wrestling with a decision to fast-track legislation
aimed at preventing foreign interference in elections
as Elon Musk flexes his political muscle in support of far-right parties.
-
A missile dubbed Palestine 2 by Houthi rebels in Yemen
struck the Israeli city of Tel Aviv
early Saturday morning, marking a rare instance of a failed interception over the city.
-
The simmering threat of bird flu may be inching closer to boiling over, with experts warning
that
several indicators are
going in the wrong direction
despite efforts to contain the outbreak. -
Americans in
rural areas live shorter lives
, on average, than their urban counterparts, largely due to heart disease and strokes. That disparity is widening.
-
Police around the world are
using artificial intelligence-powered cameras
to crack down on behavior like texting behind the wheel and driving without a seat belt.
-
Bluesky is attracting millions of users fleeing Elon Musk s X platform, but
faces a tidal wave of scams, celebrity impersonation and thorny moderation issues.
-
Restrictions on gender-affirming care proposed by Republicans
could fuel a rise in eating disorders among transgender teens
denied access to care, experts have warned.
-
From brat summer to hawk tuah, NBC News rounded up some of the very demure, very mindful
memes that defined 2024
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