NASA Pushes Back Moon Missions

Good Friday morning. This cool map shows where America grows its Christmas trees. Have a great weekend!

In Today’s Brief

• California: Tsunami warning

• Congo: Mystery plague

• DOGE: Capitol meeting

• Waymo: Miami expansion

• Eras Tour: The end

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Moon block

NASA has delayed its lunar return yet again.

• What happened: The Artemis II mission, scheduled for a late 2025 takeoff, has been pushed back to no earlier than April 2026. The flight will take three American astronauts and one Canadian astronaut on a trip around the moon and back.

• The reasoning: NASA said it needs extra time to ensure the safety of the heat shield used on the Orion crew capsule. Engineers discovered damage after an uncrewed spacecraft returned to Earth in late 2022; NASA said it has determined the cause and can adjust re-entry procedures to prevent it.

• Big picture: NASA is now aiming for mid-2027 for Artemis III, which will be the first crewed Moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. That mission will use SpaceX's Starship. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated billionaire Jared Isaacman, who has flown two private space missions with Elon Musk’s company, to be the next NASA administrator.

2) Third parties

A reported Trump policy proposal is meeting resistance from other countries in the region.

• The news: Incoming administration officials are said to be preparing a list of third-party countries as landing spots if a deported migrant's home nation refuses to accept them. The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Grenada and Panama are reportedly among the countries in the mix.

• Key context: The first Trump administration made a deal with Guatemala to accept U.S. asylum seekers regardless of nationality; legal challenges to the program are still pending. But the Bahamas has already rejected the premise while Mexico and Panama said they will only accept their citizens.

• Big picture: Several nations -- including China, Cuba and Venezuela -- typically resist receiving repatriated migrants, a hurdle for federal officials. Mexico has also signaled it will push back on non-citizen migrants being pushed into its country despite previously agreeing.

3) The day after

Police appear to be closing in on a suspect in the stunning assasination of a health insurance executive in New York.

• The latest: UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson's killer remained at large as of last night. But the NYPD released two photos of a man it deemed a "person of interest" from a nearby hostel's security camera; both images showed his face. Cops also said the man used a fake New Jersey driver's license to check into the hostel and was in the city for over a week prior to the murder, arriving via Greyhound bus.

• Key terms: Cops reportedly believe the words “defend," "deny" and "depose" were on the three gun casings found at the scene. They believe Thompson's murder was targeted and this could be proof it was motivated by an insurance-related grievance. The words are similar to the title of a book criticizing the health insurance industry.

• Big picture: The idea the killer is a professional assassin is losing steam. Police have been unable to find the killer's getaway e-bike and backpack, but they reportedly have located a burner phone they believe belongs to him, as well as food-related evidence near the scene. Cops are also investigating whether the murder weapon was a modern version of a rare World War II-era gun.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• A major earthquake sparked a brief West Coast tsunami warning. A 7.0 quake hit west of Ferndale, California, a coastal town about 130 miles from the Oregon border; tremors were felt in San Francisco (More)

• The Memphis Police Department discriminated against Black people, according to a Department of Justice report. A civil rights probe into the agency found officers used excessive force and violated numerous laws; the city said it has already made reforms (More)

• An infamous Colombian drug lord was released from federal prison after serving a 25-year sentence. Fabio Ochoa Vasquez was a top official in Pablo Escobar's Medellin cartel and was once considered a billionaire; he will likely be deported (More)

World News

• The Democratic Republic of Congo is grappling with a mysterious flu-like illness. Almost 400 people have gotten sick with close to 80 deaths; infectious disease experts have expressed concern due to frequent interactions between humans and wildlife in the region (More)

• Syrian rebels captured the city of Hama, the nation's fourth-largest. The insurgency is expected to push south toward Homs; it is currently about 135 miles outside of Damascus as dictator Bashar al-Assad's forces struggle to repel the offensive (More)

• French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to name a new prime minister within days. PM Michel Barnier resigned after losing a non-confidence vote but will stay on as a temporary caretaker; Macron vowed he will serve the remainder of his term, which ends in 2027 (More)

Political News

• Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy visited Capitol Hill. The men discussed their planned Department of Government Efficiency with Congressional Republicans, but reportedly were light on specifics and faced tough questioning (More)

• The House GOP blocked a Democratic push to release the Matt Gaetz ethics report. The resolution was redirected to the House Ethics Committee; the panel could still eventually disclose its probe into the former Florida member and failed Attorney General nominee (More)

• Close to 100 ex-U.S. intelligence and security officials called for a closed-door Senate hearing into former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence. They allege her past comments have generated doubt she can effectively advise him and other government officials (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed lower yesterday. The Dow Jones dropped almost 250 points ahead of today's November jobs report (Dow -0.55%, Nasdaq -0.18%, S&P 500 -0.19%).

• Waymo plans to expand to Miami. The Alphabet-owned robotaxi service will fully launch in the city in 2026; it currently has 150K paid rides per week across the Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco markets and is moving into Atlanta and Austin (More)

• A federal judge blocked Boeing's plea deal in a fraud case tied to the fatal crashes of two jets. A diversity and inclusion provision was cited for the rejection; the Department of Justice and the aerospace giant could appeal or present a reworked agreement (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• Taylor Swift's Eras Tour will conclude this weekend after almost two years. The pop star will play three concerts in Vancouver starting tonight; it is the highest-grossing tour in history with close to 150 shows onm five continents (More)

• A Scrubs reboot is in the works at ABC. Talks with the original cast of the popular sitcom have begun; series creator Bill Lawrence is attached to the project, but will not be the showrunner (More)

• The WNBA's Toronto expansion franchise will be named the Tempo. The team's logo was widely panned after its reveal; the club is scheduled to begin play during the 2026 season as the league's 14th member (More)

Quick Hitters

• Feel Good: A bride's wedding venue burned down the morning of her ceremony, and that was only the start of her bad luck. But then everyone rallied and salvaged the special day.

• Viral Trend: Zany food products are racking millions of social media views. But there is one problem: None of them are real.

• Go Deep: When a television show becomes a hit in America, it is often replicated in global markets. Here is a fun look at what it's like to play the Colombian Walter White or the Indian Chandler Bing.

• New Idea: Money does not grow on trees. But a plant prevalent in Africa has emerged as a sustainable alternative for tissues and, yes, toilet paper.

• Diet Hack: A simple meal swap could have a significant impact. Studies have found eating plant-based proteins correlates with better heart health.

Watch This

Two words that can change America.

Links

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Looking Ahead …

McDonald's announced it will bring the Snack Wrap back next year. The fast-food chain previously discontinued the popular menu item because it slowed kitchen operations.

Question of the Day — Friday Trivia

Yesterday’s results:

Which Mexican chain restaurant is your favorite?

• Chipotle (35%)

• Other (31%)

• Taco Bell (16%)

• Qdoba (8%)

• Moe's (6%)

• Del Taco (4%)