Good morning. It's Friday. Here's what's shaping the day: |
- Biden's Vow: In remarks from the White House Rose Garden, President Joe Biden promised a peaceful transition of power to the administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
- Rate Cut: The Federal Reserve followed through on a quarter-point interest rate cut on Thursday as officials continue to loosen the central bank's tight monetary policy.
- Blackout: Cuba's national electricity grid has been knocked out for the second time in two weeks, after Hurricane Rafael, a Category 3 storm, hit the island.
- Message to Trump: European leaders meeting in Budapest, Hungary, urged President-elect Donald Trump to continue U.S. support for Ukraine and avoid trade wars.
- A Christmas Film: The director behind the popular TV series "The Chosen," is now bringing the beloved children's book "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" to cinemas. Story below.
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| Written by Ivan Pentchoukov,
U.S. National Editor |
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President Joe Biden at the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington on Nov. 7, 2024. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) |
President Joe Biden on Nov. 7 promised a peaceful transition of power to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. |
- In remarks at the White House Rose Garden on Thursday, the president said he spoke with Trump on Nov. 6 to congratulate him on winning the 2024 election.
- "I assured him that I will direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition," the president said.
- "I know for some people, it's a time for victory, to state the obvious. For others, it's a time of loss. Campaigns are a conflict of competing visions, the country chooses one or the other. We accept the choice."
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Trump has won five of the seven battleground states so far to clinch 295 electoral votes and is projected to be the first Republican presidential candidate in 20 years to win the national popular vote. Vice President Kamala Harris conceded the election to Trump in a Nov. 6 speech to her supporters in Washington. She also called Trump on the same day to offer her congratulations and promised a peaceful transition. More in politics: |
- President-elect Donald Trump appointed Susan Wiles, his 2024 presidential campaign manager, as the White House chief of staff for the incoming administration.
- Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, alongside their respective former first ladies, congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his election victory.
- Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) has been diagnosed with cancer. "Cancer can be tough. But so am I. I will attack this the only way I know how—with Irish fight and humor," he said.
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A federal law that grants broad legal immunity to vaccine manufacturers does not protect AstraZeneca against a breach of contract claim brought by a woman who was injured by the company's vaccine, a U.S. judge ruled on Nov. 4. |
- The Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act protects manufacturers of vaccines during times of emergency, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Brianne Dressen sued AstraZeneca for neglecting to, as promised in a contract, cover the costs of injuries she suffered after participating in the company's clinical trial in 2020. The pharmaceutical company said it was immune from the lawsuit under the PREP Act.
- U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby disagreed, ruling on Nov. 4 in favor of Dressen and denying AstraZeneca's motion to dismiss.
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While Dressen can't sue over the injuries, she can over the breach of contract, because the legal immunity granted by the law does not cover at least some contractual claims, Shelby said. (Full Story) More U.S. news: |
The Department of Justice is reportedly looking to wind down the criminal cases against President-elect Donald Trump after his historic victory in the 2024 election. —Josh |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he has had a "productive conversation" with President-elect Donald Trump, amid concerns that Trump's return to the White House would usher in a drop in U.S. support for Kyiv in its ongoing war with Russia. |
- "Yesterday, I spoke with President Trump, as many of you did. It was a productive conversation, a good conversation," Zelenskyy said in a speech before the European Political Community Summit in Budapest, Hungary, on Nov. 7.
- During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly indicated he would move to quickly negotiate an end to the Russia–Ukraine war.
- He also raised the issue of how much the United States had committed to Ukraine compared to Zelenskyy's other Western backers.
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Trump's campaign rhetoric has fueled some concerns in both Ukraine and NATO that he would dramatically reduce support for Ukraine. In his remarks in Budapest on Thursday, Zelenskyy shared hope for continued U.S. support. "We cannot yet know what his actions will be. But we do hope that America will become stronger. This is the kind of America that Europe needs. And a strong Europe is what America needs, to my mind," Zelenskyy said. (Full Story) More world news: |
By Robin Gaster Solar and wind are rolling out rapidly in the United States. They account for about 19 percent of energy generation today, and could reach more than 40 percent by 2030. |
- This clean energy will rapidly replace coal, and many expect it will simply replace natural gas as well. But that's a mistake: In fact, solar and wind will depend on gas for decades to come.
- Today, solar and wind are relatively low cost, and prices will likely fall further. But they are not like fossil fuels—they are what's known as variable renewable energy (VRE)—meaning they only produce electricity when the sun shines or the wind blows.
- Sometimes this variation is predictable. For example, solar doesn't generate power at night, and generates less power in the winter. But some variation is unpredictable; cloud cover or wind droughts can last weeks at a time.
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These deficits are not a problem as long as wind and solar are a small percentage of electricity generation. But as they become dominant, how do we fill the gaps when the variable supply is low? (Full Column) |
Do you wake up with tightness or tension in your shoulders? This could be due to not fully relaxing your neck and shoulder muscles before sleep. Six simple neck movements can help relieve pre-bedtime shoulder tension and discomfort for better sleep. |
- Not using a pillow or lying flat on your back while sleeping can cause strain or improper posture, which can affect the neck and shoulders.
- During the day, a common neck issue arises from the tendency to tilt the head forward, especially when using phones (text neck) or sitting for extended periods at a desk looking at computer screens.
- Reducing time spent in such positions can help to maintain cervical spine health.
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Given that the head weighs about 11 pounds, tilting it forward just 15 degrees increases the pressure on the cervical spine to 26 pounds. At a 60-degree tilt, the pressure rises to 60 pounds. Such excessive strain often leads to pain at the base of the neck, near the thoracic spine, and can result in conditions such as disc herniation, degeneration, and even nerve compression. Neck discomfort or pain is often the result of muscle imbalance. Meanwhile, the neck flexors and scapular muscles tend to be weak in affected people. To effectively relieve neck discomfort, it is essential to first release tension in the tight muscles and then strengthen the weak ones. Our colleague, Amber Yang, has the full exercise instructions. |
A scene from the new film, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." (Allen Fraser/Lionsgate) |
Dallas Jenkins, the director behind the popular TV series "The Chosen," is now bringing Barbara Robinson's beloved children's book "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" to cinemas. Background: Published in 1972, Robinson's holiday classic follows the rambunctious Herdman children, six neighborhood terrors who take over the church Christmas pageant. |
- Jenkins got the idea for the film when he and his wife first read the book to their children.
- "Just a few minutes into it, my wife and I were laughing out loud, and then we got emotional a couple times," Jenkins said. "I got to the last chapter and I was weeping."
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The result is an emotional film that is heavy on nostalgia and Americana, evoking the same good-old-days feeling experienced by those who watch the holiday classic "A Christmas Story." The Cast: The movie stars Judy Greer, along with a few familiar faces from "The Chosen" and some talented child actors. Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls") serves as the narrator. Like the book, the movie will make you laugh, cry, and think. Showing: "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" opens in theaters nationwide, starting today, Friday, Nov. 8. Watch the trailer here. Get tickets here. Read the full story here. |
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Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day. |
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