united states news

President Trump has issued an executive order directing his administration to investigate whether Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan should be designated as foreign terrorist organizations, citing alleged connections to Hamas and destabilization efforts. The order requires Cabinet officials to produce a report within 30 days and potentially impose sanctions within 45 days thereafter. Such a designation would criminalize supporting the organization, impose economic penalties, and ban members from entering the United States. The nearly century-old Muslim Brotherhood, which varies ideologically across its global branches and seeks to establish Islamic law-based governance, is already banned in several Middle Eastern countries including Egypt and Jordan, where governments view it as threatening to their stability.

The Trump administration's decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 350,000 Haitians in February 2023 threatens to separate families like Marven's, who was adopted from Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. His biological mother Guerline and sister Rochelle came to the US legally three years ago under TPS and have built lives working in Florida, but now face deportation despite gang violence in Haiti displacing a tenth of the population. While the Department of Homeland Security claims Haiti's environmental situation has improved enough for safe return, the US government simultaneously advises American citizens against traveling there due to kidnapping, crime, and civil unrest. The policy has created turmoil even among Trump supporters like Marven's adoptive mother Stacey, who opposes separating families and deporting people to dangerous conditions.

LeJuan Burt, VP of Maintenance at SMART transit, argues that public transportation is crucial for reducing Southeast Michigan's substantial carbon footprint, where drivers logged nearly 100 billion miles in 2023 and produced over 141 million metric tons of CO2. SMART buses can significantly reduce emissions by taking up to 60 cars off the road per bus, with per-person emissions dropping 37-40 percent when buses are full compared to solo driving. The transit agency has been expanding its electric bus fleet since 2022 through partnerships with DTE and Proterra, operating zero-emission vehicles powered by renewable energy from their Oakland Terminal hub in Troy. SMART is working to overcome barriers to transit adoption through on-demand services, technology upgrades, and infrastructure improvements like dedicated transit lanes, positioning public transportation as essential to Michigan's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. # Key Takeaways

The Property is Power initiative has launched two separate homeownership programs specifically designed to address historical barriers that have prevented Black families from buying homes. The first program eliminates down payment requirements entirely, accepting credit scores as low as 580 and imposing no income limits, allowing qualified families to purchase homes without upfront cash. The second is a lease-to-own pathway where a government entity purchases the home and families lease it for 12 months while building credit before assuming the mortgage. Together, these programs aim to close the racial homeownership gap by providing flexible, accessible pathways that acknowledge the systemic discrimination Black families have faced through redlining, discriminatory lending, and limited financial opportunities. # Key Takeaways

Dr. Portia Lockett shares her personal journey of navigating the holiday season after her son was murdered in December 2020, describing how formerly joyful traditions have become painful triggers. She explains that while grief remains present through empty chairs and bittersweet memories, she has learned to find "glimmers" of hope in small moments like her granddaughter's laughter, prayer, and the work of the Azal Benne Lockett Foundation helping others with burial expenses. Rather than choosing between joy and pain, she now gives herself permission to feel both emotions simultaneously during the holidays. The article concludes with seven practical tips for others experiencing grief during the holiday season, emphasizing the importance of honoring feelings, setting boundaries, and extending grace to oneself.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer acknowledges that Michigan families are struggling with rising costs and economic uncertainty, particularly as they approach Thanksgiving. She attributes much of the price increases to widespread federal tariffs implemented over the past nine months, which have driven up costs for food, healthcare, and retail goods across the state. While she cannot control federal tariff policy, the Governor highlights her administration's efforts to provide relief through state-level measures in the recently signed bipartisan budget. These measures include tax credits for working families, elimination of taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security, expanded road infrastructure investment, healthcare access protection, and free school meals for all public school students. # Key Takeaways

Detroit City Distillery is hosting two holiday-themed events at Eastern Market to celebrate the season and showcase their craft spirits. The celebrations begin November 26 with Whiskey Wonderland at their Tasting Room, featuring festive cocktails and limited-edition bottles. Two days later on Black Friday, the distillery will hold its inaugural Black Friday Market at their newer 100 Proof venue, offering exclusive merchandise and re-releasing popular bourbon varieties including Hot Honey Bourbon and a special Rouge & Gold Bourbon collaboration with Detroit City Football Club. These paired events demonstrate the distillery's commitment to small-batch, locally-sourced spirits while highlighting both their cozy traditional space and modern event venue.

A Los Angeles court has issued an unprecedented order blocking the public release of autopsy records for 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose severely decomposed body was discovered in September 2024 inside a car belonging to singer D4vd. The teenager, who had a history of running away from her Lake Elsinore home, was last seen in April 2024 and had been missing for months before her remains were found in a towed Tesla in a Hollywood tow yard. The police-requested security hold has drawn criticism from the county's chief medical examiner, who called such orders extremely rare and unhelpful to the justice system. While D4vd's representatives say he is cooperating with authorities, no arrests have been made, and the case has effectively ended the 20-year-old singer's rising career, with his tour canceled and multiple business partnerships terminated.

Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she will resign from Congress on January 5, ending her five-year tenure after a public falling-out with President Trump, who called her "a traitor" and withdrew his endorsement. The conflict arose after Greene criticized Trump's policies and pushed for releasing Jeffrey Epstein investigation files against his wishes, marking a dramatic shift from her previous role as one of his most loyal supporters. While speculation immediately emerged about a potential 2028 presidential run, Greene denied these rumors, though she hasn't ruled out pursuing Georgia's governorship or Senate seat in 2026. Political analysts suggest she may instead transition to media and podcasting to maintain her public profile, though her unpopularity beyond her congressional district may limit her statewide political viability. # Key Takeaways

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed approval for revised amendments to a controversial 28-point peace plan initially drafted by American and Russian officials, which had previously contained elements favoring Moscow's war objectives. European allies, particularly the UK, France, and Germany, reportedly produced counter-proposals that removed provisions for recognizing Russian-controlled territories, increased Ukraine's permitted military size, and preserved Ukraine's path to NATO membership. The revised framework now contains only 19 points, with the most politically sensitive issues to be negotiated directly between national leaders. Meanwhile, Russia rejected the European amendments as "unconstructive," and Russian forces launched a major attack on Kyiv's infrastructure and residential areas. The diplomatic developments come amid pressure from President Trump, who has set a November deadline for Ukraine to accept a peace deal or potentially lose American support.

On Saturday, November 22nd, the 47th Street Church of God hosted a community turkey giveaway that drew large crowds of local residents. Participants formed a lengthy queue extending around the building to receive donated turkeys before the holiday season. The charitable event served various demographics including families and elderly community members who came from different neighborhoods in the surrounding area. Dedicated volunteers distributed the turkeys to attendees, creating an atmosphere of thanksgiving and neighborly connection while ensuring each person received their donation. # Key Takeaways

A Thanksgiving turkey giveaway and resource fair took place last Saturday at the Joe and IV Jacobs Center parking lot, drawing large crowds from the community. Multiple organizations including Community Wraparound, San Ysidro Health, Chase, and several others set up booths to provide resources and support to attendees. The event distributed free turkeys and bags of food to community members, though organizers ran out of turkeys quickly due to high turnout. Local dignitaries attended the event, which aimed to help families celebrate Thanksgiving with additional food resources made possible through donor contributions. # Key Takeaways

Americans typically gain between one and six pounds during the holiday season, though experts indicate that gradual weight accumulation throughout the year poses a more significant challenge. The body's metabolism, which converts food into energy, is primarily determined by factors including muscle mass, age, height, weight, and genetics, with muscle tissue playing the most crucial role in calorie burning. Medical professionals recommend four evidence-based strategies to maintain metabolic efficiency: consuming fiber-rich foods that require more digestive energy, eating protein regularly to support muscle maintenance, engaging in strength training exercises to build lean muscle, and prioritizing adequate sleep to regulate hunger hormones. Implementing these sustainable lifestyle modifications can help people navigate holiday indulgences while avoiding unwanted weight gain.

Viola Fletcher, the oldest known survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, passed away at 111 years old, leaving behind a powerful legacy of testimony and advocacy. Throughout her extraordinarily long life, she refused to let America forget the destruction of Greenwood's Black Wall Street, testifying before Congress to demand reparations and co-authoring a memoir to preserve her story. Her resilience extended beyond survival—she worked as a wartime welder and housekeeper into her eighties, built a foundation promoting community opportunity, and in 2021 became a Ghanaian citizen alongside her brother in a historic embassy ceremony. Tulsa's mayor acknowledged her death as a significant moment for a city still grappling with its violent racial history, praising her determination to illuminate a path forward through her unwavering pursuit of justice. # Key Takeaways

Porter Elementary School hosted a Thanksgiving food distribution event last Saturday organized by Mandate Impact and a community member known as "Mama B," who annually celebrates her birthday by giving away food to families in need. One hundred pre-registered families received laundry baskets filled with groceries and frozen turkeys through a drive-through system. The distribution had to operate as a drive-through partly because the school's auditorium, where supplies were stored, has been without electricity for over a month, affecting regular school activities. Volunteers Drs. Leonard and Michelle Thompson, along with Mama B, spent months collecting donations and preparing for the successful event that provided holiday meals to all registered families.

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held an hour-long phone conversation focused primarily on trade relations, during which Trump agreed to visit Beijing in April and extended an invitation for Xi to visit the United States later in the year. The discussion also covered sensitive topics including Russia's war in Ukraine, fentanyl trafficking, and Taiwan's status, with Xi emphasizing that Taiwan's reunification with China is central to China's post-war vision. This call follows their October meeting in South Korea, which resulted in a tariff truce where the US halved certain tariffs from 20% to 10% and pulled back threats of additional 100% tariffs, while China delayed rare earth export controls. Both nations characterized the call positively, with China stating the bilateral relationship has maintained a steady and positive trajectory that benefits both countries and the international community.

Tatiana Schlossberg, a 35-year-old member of the Kennedy family, recently published a powerful essay in The New Yorker revealing her terminal diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which doctors discovered after she gave birth to her second child in May 2024. Her particularly rare subtype of the disease, affecting only 1-2% of AML patients, has proven resistant to standard treatments including bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy, and experimental CAR-T cell therapy, leaving her with less than a year to live. In her essay, she criticized her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current Health Secretary, for cutting nearly half a billion dollars in research funding for mRNA technology that could advance cancer treatment. Medical professionals say her essay has effectively highlighted both the urgent need for increased cancer research funding and the reality that aggressive cancers can strike anyone, regardless of age, health status, or access to top-tier medical care.

A federal judge dismissed criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, determining that the prosecutor appointed to charge them was illegally selected for the position. Judge Cameron Currie ruled that Lindsey Halligan, a former White House aide chosen by Trump who lacked prosecution experience, was appointed after the legally allowed timeframe had expired for interim attorney designations. Both defendants had maintained their innocence and characterized the charges as politically motivated retribution from President Trump, who has publicly attacked them on social media. The White House announced plans to appeal the dismissal and stated the cases could potentially be refiled since they were dismissed without prejudice.

Women from Ohio embarked on a grueling 36-hour bus journey to Washington D.C. to participate in a "Remove the Regime" protest opposing the Trump administration, making stops in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland to pick up passengers. The protesters, motivated by concerns about reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ protections, immigrant rights, and threats to social safety net programs, joined a three-day action that included rallying at the Lincoln Memorial dressed as Handmaids from the dystopian novel. The demonstration occurred during a particularly contentious week when Trump made derogatory comments toward a female reporter, prompting many protesters to incorporate pig-themed imagery into their signs and costumes. For some participants like Judy Routhier, this marked her 72nd protest since February, while others like Deann Ragsdale were attending their first public action despite longstanding opposition to Trump's policies. The grassroots movement, connected to the 50501 organization, attracted primarily women who depend on government assistance programs or have family members who do, and they left Washington energized to continue organizing in conservative areas of Ohio. # Key Takeaways

The Pentagon announced it is investigating Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain, for alleged misconduct after he appeared in a video with five other Democratic lawmakers who have military backgrounds encouraging service members to refuse unlawful orders. Kelly learned about the investigation through a Pentagon social media post and stated he would not be intimidated from holding the administration accountable. President Trump had previously accused Kelly and the other lawmakers of "seditious behavior, punishable by death" in response to the video, though he later walked back those comments. Because Kelly is a military retiree, he remains subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which allows the Pentagon to potentially recall him to active duty for court-martial or impose administrative measures. # Key Takeaways

The Trump administration initially pressured Ukraine to accept a Thanksgiving deadline for a peace deal that heavily favored Russian demands, prompting urgent negotiations in Geneva involving Ukrainian, US, and European officials. Ukraine strongly resisted the original proposal, which critics suggested could have been written by the Kremlin itself. Through intensive Sunday negotiations, European allies helped produce a significantly revised 19-point framework that removed many pro-Russian provisions, including automatic veto on NATO membership, mandatory territorial concessions, and war crimes amnesty, while potentially including security guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5 protections. Despite this progress toward terms Ukraine might eventually accept, Russia shows little willingness to compromise given its current military confidence and territorial gains, leaving the actual prospects for peace uncertain. # Key Takeaways

The California State Senate has a new leader as Senator Monique Limón became the first Latina to serve as President pro Tempore, officially taking office in November with a formal ceremony planned for January 2026. Governor Gavin Newsom made several key announcements, including appointing Paulette Brown-Hinds, publisher of Black Voice News, to the California Transportation Commission and allocating nearly $250 million toward community health programs and manufacturing job creation. However, California faces significant fiscal challenges with an anticipated $18 billion budget shortfall projected for 2026-2027, driven by rising spending commitments and dependence on volatile revenue from high-income earners and tech companies. Additional uncertainty comes from the Trump administration's decision to cut federal Housing First program funding, which threatens California's homelessness strategy, while a federal court blocked Texas's redistricting plan that had aimed to create more Republican seats.

NBA coach Chauncey Billups appeared in Brooklyn federal court alongside approximately 30 co-defendants to plead not guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy related to an alleged mafia-connected illegal poker ring. Federal prosecutors claim Billups served as a prominent figure who attracted victims to rigged poker games that used sophisticated cheating equipment including X-ray tables and marked card-reading contact lenses. The judge set Billups' bond at $5 million and imposed travel restrictions, while scheduling a trial to begin around September of next year. This gambling scandal, which also involves other NBA figures and a separate betting fraud case, has significantly disrupted professional basketball and resulted in Billups being placed on leave from his position with the Portland Trail Blazers. # Key Takeaways

A media scholar draws parallels between 19th-century abolitionist journalism and contemporary debates over historical memory, particularly regarding President Trump's executive order targeting certain historical materials about slavery. Before the Civil War, abolitionists fought against pro-slavery propaganda by compiling extensive documented evidence of slavery's brutality, including eyewitness accounts, official records, and plantation owners' own advertisements in newspapers. Their methodical approach to exposing injustice through verified facts helped establish early investigative journalism techniques and influenced works like "Uncle Tom's Cabin," though ultimately it required civil war to end slavery. The author argues that preserving difficult historical evidence, such as the photograph "The Scourged Back," remains essential today to prevent historical whitewashing and ensure past injustices are neither forgotten nor repeated.

Morgan Geyser, a 23-year-old woman who was convicted of stabbing a classmate 19 times in 2014 when she was 12 years old, was recaptured by Illinois police after escaping from a Wisconsin group home. Geyser and her accomplice had committed the attack because they believed they needed to appease an internet horror character called Slender Man to prevent him from harming their families. She had been serving a 40-year sentence in a mental hospital but was granted conditional release to the group home in July before removing her monitoring bracelet and fleeing. Police found her sleeping at a truck stop outside Chicago with a male companion, where she initially refused to identify herself but eventually told officers to search her name online because she had "done something really bad."

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania conducted seven studies with over 10,000 participants to examine how learning through large language models like ChatGPT compares to traditional Google searches. The experiments consistently showed that people who used AI chatbots to learn about topics developed more superficial understanding and produced shorter, less useful advice than those who navigated web links themselves. This difference persisted even when researchers controlled for the information presented and the platform used, suggesting the problem stems from LLMs transforming learning from an active to passive process. The researchers emphasize that while LLMs have legitimate uses for quick factual queries, people should strategically choose traditional search methods when seeking to develop deep knowledge, and future tools should incorporate "healthy frictions" to encourage more active engagement with source material. # Key Takeaways

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has downplayed the urgency of resuming trade negotiations with the United States, stating talks will restart when appropriate despite strained relations with President Trump. The trade discussions stalled after Trump objected to an Ontario advertisement featuring Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs, though he has not yet implemented a threatened additional 10% levy on Canadian goods. With three-quarters of Canadian exports going to the US and no current trade deal in place, Carney is pursuing alternative partnerships to reduce Canada's economic dependence on its southern neighbor. He recently announced progress toward trade agreements with India and the United Arab Emirates, though these efforts have drawn criticism given both nations' controversial records. Canada currently faces significant US tariffs including 50% on metals and 25% on automobiles, which Ottawa is attempting to reduce.

Chadwick Boseman was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an emotional ceremony on Thursday, which was designated as "Chadwick Boseman Day" in Hollywood. The beloved actor, who passed away in 2020 at age 43 following a private battle with colon cancer, was remembered by close colleagues including Viola Davis, Ryan Coogler, and his widow Taylor Simone Ledward Boseman. Speakers celebrated Boseman's remarkable talent, leadership qualities, and the profound impact he had on those around him both personally and professionally. Throughout his career, Boseman portrayed iconic figures including T'Challa in "Black Panther," Thurgood Marshall, James Brown, and Jackie Robinson, leaving behind a powerful legacy in film and television.

The Detroit Department of Transportation has secured a $50.8 million federal grant to purchase 53 new hybrid buses that will replace aging diesel vehicles in the city's fleet. This funding announcement coincides with newly approved union contracts that significantly increase compensation for both DDOT mechanics, who will earn up to $34.50 hourly, and bus operators, who received a $6 per hour wage increase. The improvements are part of the broader DDOT Reimagined initiative designed to transform a transit system previously plagued by delays and unreliable service into a more efficient operation serving over 150,000 daily riders. Combined with previous federal grants for 76 buses, Detroit will have replaced 44% of its entire bus fleet with new vehicles by 2027.

A new LendingTree analysis reveals that childcare costs in the United States have reached crisis levels, with infant care exceeding average rent in 11 major metropolitan areas and care for two children surpassing rent in 85 cities nationwide. The financial strain has intensified due to a federal government shutdown that has cut funding to 140 Head Start programs serving 65,000 preschoolers, forcing at least 20 programs to close and affecting nearly 10,000 children. Nationally, full-time infant care averages $1,282 monthly compared to $1,716 for rent, but childcare costs have surged over 30 percent between 2020 and 2024 due to educator shortages and childcare deserts. In Washington D.C. specifically, families with two young children face particularly severe burdens, paying an average of $3,854 monthly for childcare—71 percent more than the region's average rent. # Key Takeaways