Sen. Kevin Cramer is urging Congress to reauthorize and modernize the Export-Import Bank by Dec. 31. He says the move would help the United States compete with China in global energy markets and protect more than 45,000 U.S. jobs.
Key Facts
Sen. Kevin Cramer is calling on Congress to act on the Export-Import Bank.
Cramer wants Congress to reauthorize the bank by Dec. 31.
He is also calling for the bank to be modernized.
Cramer says the changes would help the United States compete with China in global energy markets.
Cramer says the changes would protect more than 45,000 U.S. jobs.
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A federal judge ruled that the Justice Department unlawfully fired Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor in Manhattan, in July 2025. Judge Jesse Furman reinstated her retroactively and ordered the Trump administration to pay her back wages through Dec. 20, when she accepted another job.
Key Facts
Furman said Comey's firing violated the Civil Service Reform Act and the constitutional separation of powers.
Comey had worked as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan since 2015.
The Justice Department said Attorney General Pam Bondi directed Comey's removal and that Todd Blanche later ratified it.
Comey said she received no explanation for her dismissal and alleged that she was fired because President Trump dislikes her father, James Comey.
The Justice Department said Comey had received outstanding performance ratings from 2019 through 2024.
The Trump administration argued that the president had authority under Article II to remove her and that Congress could not restrict the removal of federal prosecutors.
Furman rejected the administration's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit and ruled that the federal court could hear the case.
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Disney parks have scheduled several attraction refurbishments and closures for 2027, with the longest listed shutdowns at Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. Walt Disney World’s Carousel of Progress is expected to reopen in late spring 2027 after updates to its scenes and voice cast.
Key Facts
Walt Disney World’s Carousel of Progress has been closed since July 6, 2026, and Disney expects it to reopen in late spring 2027.
Disney plans to add Jamie Lee Curtis and Bryan Cranston to the Carousel of Progress voice cast and update its 1980s scene.
Disneyland Paris’s Crush’s Coaster closed on September 7, 2026, and is expected to remain closed until summer 2027.
Disney says the Crush’s Coaster work includes replacing parts of the track and upgrading operating, sensor, and communications technology.
At Tokyo Disneyland, Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions is scheduled to close January 6 through March 31, 2027.
Other Tokyo Disneyland closures include Peter Pan’s Flight, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, and Mickey’s PhilharMagic.
At Tokyo DisneySea, Journey to the Center of the Earth is scheduled to close January 8 through March 8, 2027.
Both sections of the Tokyo DisneySea Electric Railway are scheduled to close January 8 through February 10, 2027.
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A France 24 arts program reports that U.S. rapper Macklemore is holding charity stadium shows to raise money for Palestine. The episode also covers music releases and news, including John Legend’s album “Muse” and the debut album by French band Chest.
Key Facts
The program focuses in part on Macklemore’s charity stadium shows to raise funds for Palestine.
Jennifer Ben Brahim hosts the arts24 music program.
John Legend has released his 11th album, “Muse.”
“Muse” is John Legend’s first collaboration with Pharrell Williams, described in the article as a close friend.
French band Chest has released its debut album, “Happy, Broken.”
The article describes Chest’s sound as a blend of punk, shoegaze and industrial techno.
The episode also discusses music by Queens of the Stone Age and Sampa the Great.
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Israeli bulldozers demolished factories and nearby buildings in Hebron after a shooting attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian attackers. The demolitions, military closures and evacuations disrupted local businesses and residents; one factory owner estimated his family’s losses at 60 million shekels ($19 million).
Key Facts
The factories belonged to Sufyan al-Qawasmi’s family and produced ceramics and marble.
The family’s businesses employed more than 70 people and exported goods to Israel.
Al-Qawasmi said he received no warning and could not remove most of the stock before demolition.
He estimated that 1,300 square metres of property was destroyed and losses reached at least 60 million shekels ($19 million).
The demolition also destroyed a three-storey house and other commercial facilities nearby.
Israeli forces closed Hebron’s entrances, conducted raids and arrests, and evacuated more than 3,000 Palestinians from their homes.
The Hebron Chamber of Commerce and Industry says the city accounts for about 42 percent of Palestinian GDP and has more than 23,000 economic establishments.
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Block’s AI model Dessa can hold natural-sounding, real-time conversations, including interruptions and laughter. The article describes possible uses in media and customer service, while warning that convincing AI voices could enable scams and impersonation in politics and national security.
Key Facts
Block says Dessa was trained only on recorded human conversation.
Dessa can listen and speak at the same time, interrupt, laugh, and murmur.
The model is a research preview, and the article says its demonstrations were hand-picked.
Natural-sounding AI voices could lower production costs in media and make automated services easier to use.
The article notes that AI voice technology may threaten jobs for actors and customer service workers.
The FBI has warned that scammers use AI to improve fraudulent messages, and the article warns that voice imitation could make phone scams more convincing.
The article cites a past impostor who used an AI imitation of Marco Rubio’s voice to contact foreign officials and U.S. public figures.
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A federal judge ruled that Maurene Comey’s July 2025 firing as a federal prosecutor was unlawful. The judge ordered her reinstatement retroactive to the firing date and back pay through December 20, 2025, when she appeared to have taken another job.
Key Facts
U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman issued the ruling Monday.
Comey worked for nearly a decade as an assistant U.S. attorney in Manhattan.
She worked on several high-profile cases, including Sean “Diddy” Combs’s trial.
Comey sued the Justice Department and other defendants after her firing.
She alleged that officials fired her because she is the daughter of James Comey or because of her perceived political views.
The judge rejected the government’s argument that limits on firing federal prosecutors unconstitutionally restrict presidential power.
The article said the Justice Department and Comey’s lawyers had been contacted for comment.
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U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled that the Justice Department unlawfully fired Maurene Comey, a former federal prosecutor. He ordered the department to provide her with back pay and rejected the Trump administration’s argument that it had constitutional authority to fire her.
Key Facts
The ruling was issued Monday by U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman.
Maurene Comey is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey.
The Justice Department terminated Maurene Comey last year.
Furman ruled that her firing was unlawful.
The judge ordered the Justice Department to provide her with back pay.
The Trump administration argued that it had constitutional authority to fire her; Furman rejected that argument.
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French President Emmanuel Macron ruled out declaring a state of emergency for now as the government sought to bring weeks of protests to a close. The demonstrations have included violence and have been driven by anger over the rising cost of living.
Key Facts
Macron headed to Marseille on Monday.
The French government sought to draw a line under weeks of protests.
The protests have been marred by violence.
Anger over the rising cost of living has fueled widespread demonstrations.
Nationwide demonstrations on October 17 escalated into rioting.
The article described the October 17 rioting as among France’s worst in years.
The article was issued on October 26, 2026.
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The Farmers’ Almanac predicts mostly typical late-November weather across the U.S. during Thanksgiving week, with regional differences and no major nationwide storm expected. Its outlook includes possible snow in parts of the North and West, mainly dry conditions in much of the East and South, and rain in the Pacific Northwest.
Key Facts
Thanksgiving week runs from November 23 through November 26, 2026.
The Almanac expects cool, mainly dry weather in the Northeast and New England, with possible flurries in northern areas and higher elevations.
It forecasts colder conditions and possible scattered snow in the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, Midwest, northern Plains, and Rockies.
The Southeast is expected to be mild and mostly dry, while the South Central region is forecast to have seasonable conditions.
The Pacific Northwest may see rain, and the Almanac forecasts cooler weather in the Southwest, with possible rain in northern California and mountain snow in parts of the interior West.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac has a broadly similar outlook but differs on some regional details, including possible rain and snow in the Atlantic Corridor and rain in the Southeast.
Farmers’ Almanac says its long-range forecasts use a confidential formula that considers factors including solar activity, tides, lunar influence, and past weather patterns.
Professional meteorologists view almanac predictions as broad seasonal guidance rather than scientifically verified forecasts.
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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s re-election has raised hopes among climate activists for continued protection of the Amazon rainforest. The article says deforestation fell by a record amount during his last four years in office, reaching its lowest level since 2019.
Key Facts
Lula won re-election as Brazil’s president.
Climate activists in Brazil and elsewhere welcomed the result as positive for the Amazon.
The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest.
Brazil is home to about 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest, according to the article’s caption.
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell by a record amount during Lula’s last four years in power.
A related report says deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon reached its lowest level since 2019.
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The article says Israelis are preparing to vote in an election it describes as highly consequential. It focuses on last-minute efforts by Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies to remain in power, but the supplied text does not describe those tactics.
Key Facts
Israeli voters are about to take part in an election, according to the article.
The article characterizes the election as one of the most decisive in Israel’s history.
The report focuses on Benjamin Netanyahu and his political allies.
It says Netanyahu and his allies are making last-minute efforts to stay in power.
Al Jazeera reporter Mohammad Saleh is identified as covering the developments.
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President Donald Trump posted a roughly 1,300-word attack on late-night host Bill Maher on Truth Social on Sunday. The post followed Maher’s interview with former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in which Maher asked about Trump’s power and the possibility of political retaliation after the midterm elections.
Key Facts
Trump called Maher a “TOTAL LOSER” and criticized the ratings of Maher’s HBO show, Real Time with Bill Maher.
Maher asked Leavitt whether Trump might seek vengeance if Republicans performed poorly in the midterms.
Leavitt defended Trump and said Republicans could outperform expectations.
Trump accused Maher of praising him privately while criticizing him on television.
Trump disputed several points Maher discussed, including claims about ballots in California, the White House briefing room and Trump’s candidate endorsements.
Trump said he would ask Republicans not to support Maher’s show.
The article says Trump has previously called for late-night shows hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers to be taken off the air or for their hosts to be fired.
Maher has dined with Trump twice during Trump’s second administration and has discussed those meetings on his show.
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Richard Baines, 60, curator of Logan Botanic Garden, died after a falling tree struck him near his home in Mid Kelton during Storm Boelo on Sunday. Colleagues praised his work expanding the garden’s plant collection and his contributions to horticulture. The storm also caused flooding, travel disruption and power cuts, and mountain rescuers helped an injured runner in the Minigaff Hills.
Key Facts
Baines was the long-serving curator of Logan Botanic Garden near Stranraer.
He was walking near his home in Mid Kelton, outside Castle Douglas, when a falling tree struck him.
David Knott, director of horticulture at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, said Baines was known for his warmth and support for colleagues.
Baines helped expand Logan’s plant collection and led or took part in fieldwork in China, the Canary Islands and Vietnam.
Seven plant species new to science were catalogued through fieldwork in Vietnam involving Baines.
Storm Boelo brought flooding, travel disruption and power cuts to Scotland over the weekend and into Monday.
Galloway Mountain Rescue Team helped carry an injured runner off Curleywee after severe weather prevented a coastguard helicopter from reaching the area.
The OMM spokesperson said the course was closed and all competitors were accounted for before the amber wind warning began at 21:00 on Saturday.
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President Donald Trump is reportedly considering nominating his ally, former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, for UN secretary-general. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the possibility “funny” and noted that Orbán had recently been a candidate for president of the European Commission.
Key Facts
Trump is reportedly weighing Orbán as a nominee for UN secretary-general.
Orbán is a former prime minister of Hungary.
The article describes Orbán as an ally of Trump.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk mocked the reported possibility as “funny.”
Tusk said Orbán had recently been a candidate for president of the European Commission.
The article says world leaders scoffed at the reported idea.
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Voice actor Eric Bauza, known for voicing Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and other Looney Tunes characters, died at 46. His family said he died suddenly late Sunday; the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner reported hypertensive cardiovascular disease as the cause.
Key Facts
Bauza had more than 400 voice acting credits, beginning in 2001.
He voiced characters in Looney Tunes productions and in shows including “Muppet Babies” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”
Bauza won three Children’s and Family Emmy Awards between 2022 and 2025.
He grew up in Scarborough, Ontario, and developed an interest in voice acting as a teenager.
Bauza voiced Looney Tunes characters in films including “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” and “Coyote vs. Acme.”
After Warner Bros. chose not to release “Coyote vs. Acme,” Ketchup Entertainment acquired it, and it earned more than $100 million worldwide.
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Actor and comedian Billy Crystal criticized President Donald Trump’s actions involving the Kennedy Center, calling them “so selfish and so petty.” Crystal said the changes at the Washington performing arts institution amid Trump’s legal battle “really hurt.”
Key Facts
Billy Crystal has received the Kennedy Center Honors and the Mark Twain Prize.
Crystal criticized President Trump’s moves involving the Kennedy Center.
Crystal said the situation at the institution “really hurts.”
The Kennedy Center is a performing arts institution in Washington.
The article links the controversy to Trump’s legal battle.
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President Donald Trump will campaign in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Thursday, the Republican National Committee announced Monday. It will be his second visit to the state in a week as he seeks to support Sen. Darline Graham in her race against Democrat Annie Andrews.
Key Facts
The Republican National Committee announced the Rock Hill event on Monday.
Trump is scheduled to campaign in Rock Hill on Thursday.
The visit will be his second trip to South Carolina within a week.
Trump campaigned in Clemson last week.
The campaign is intended to support Republican Sen. Darline Graham.
Graham is running against Democrat Annie Andrews.
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Sixty-two former diplomats and foreign affairs officials endorsed Democrat Troy Jackson in his campaign for a Maine Senate seat. He is challenging Republican Sen. Susan Collins in an election scheduled for next week.
Key Facts
The endorsement group includes 62 former officials.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice is among the endorsers.
Former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is among the endorsers.
The article identifies Troy Jackson as the Democratic candidate.
Jackson is running against Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
The race is for a U.S. Senate seat in Maine.
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The article says shortages of transformers and specialized steel are slowing U.S. power-grid projects as electricity demand rises. It cites longer delivery times, higher equipment prices and recent increases in residential electricity prices, and argues for expanding manufacturing capacity and improving coordination among suppliers, builders and regulators.
Key Facts
The article reports that lead times for high-capacity transformers have reached as long as four years, citing analysts from PwC via pv magazine.
Wood Mackenzie data cited in the article show demand for generator step-up transformers rose 274% from 2019 to 2025, while demand for substation transformers rose 116%.
The article says transformer prices increased about 80% over five years.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported an average residential electricity price of 18.19 cents per kilowatt-hour from January through August 2026, compared with 17.03 cents during the same months in 2025.
The author describes projects where completed transmission lines and substations await transformers, delaying their use.
The author calls for expanding specialized steel and transformer manufacturing, speeding permitting and interconnection, and coordinating procurement across the supply chain.
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