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Notre Dame's Big Reveal Is Here

Notre Dame's Big Reveal Is Here

Your unbiased daily news brief

James Kratch
November 29, 2024

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In Today’s Brief

California: Meth smuggling
Georgia: EU pause
House: Primary speculation
Subway: CEO exiting
Moana 2: Record pace

... and more

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1) Back in business

The world will get a peek inside a renewed Notre Dame Cathedral today.

The news: French President Emmanuel Macron will conduct a televised tour of the revamped Paris landmark today. It will kick off a week of ceremonies and events that culminates with the official re-opening and mass on Dec. 7.
Look back: A massive fire broke out under the cathedral's roof in April 2019, destroying its iconic spire and causing significant damage. Almost $740M has spent on renovations since, with the work largely shrouded in secrecy. Almost $900M in funds to support the process were raised.
Big picture: There is some criticism with the celebration. Macron pledged to repair the cathedral within five years when the fire occurred. But while the interior may be done, scaffolding still surrounds the cathedral and much work remains.

2) Bust at sea

A multi-national effort seized over 1.4K tons of drugs.

The news: Dozens of nations participated in the six-week Orion global naval operation. Over 225T of cocaine and 128T of marijuana were seized. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said it was the biggest cocaine bust in the South American nation's history; his country's navy led the charge.
A discovery: The operation unearthed a new Pacific Ocean trafficking channel from South America to Australia. Officials said they seized highly-sophisticated semi-submersibles that can be packed with drugs and travel up to 10K miles without refueling.
Also involved: The U.S. participated in the operation. Brazil, the Netherlands, Spain and a slew of other countries and international organizations were also in the mix; reports indicated over 60 nations participated.

3) Join the club?

There is a new aspiring NATO member.

The news: President Nikos Christodoulides said Cyprus is progressing toward ending its neutrality and applying to join the military alliance. He said the Meditteranean nation could begin the ascension process once it feels its military has received the necessary equipment and training, preferably with U.S. assistance. Cyprus is in the European Union.
Current non-starter: Turkey would block Cyprus as a NATO member at this time; the Turkish government supports the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the northern part of the country and does not recognize the Cypriot government. But the United Nations is expected to revive efforts to broker peace talks between the rival factions.
Big picture: Cyprus remains a NATO longshot, although its positioning in the Mediterranean Sea would provide strategic advantages for the bloc given the nation's proximity to the Middle East. The big question is whether the Pentagon can assist Cyprus without inflamming often touch-and-go relations with Ankara.

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Quick Tips

U.S. News

A California man allegedly tried to smuggle methamphetamine-soaked clothing through Los Angeles International Airport. A stowaway snuck onto a Delta Airlines flight from New York's JFK Airport to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. (More | More)
Pro-Palestinian protesters briefly disrupted the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the second straight year. About 25 people were arrested by the New York Police Department, fewer than in 2023 (More)
U.S. Treasury officials have asked Congress to unlock Internal Revenue Service funding. They argue the agency will lose out on up to $20B without legislative intervention; the issue is derived from a blunder with a previous budget cut (More)

World News

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze suspended European Union membership talks until the end of 2028. The bloc has condemned the nation's recent parliamentary elections and called for a re-vote with international observers; the nation's politics are torn between pro-West and pro-Russia factions (More)
Australia approved a social media ban for children 16 and under. The law threatens tech giants like Meta and TikTok parent company ByteDance with fines up to $32M if they fail to keep minors off the platform (More)
Israel carried out airstrikes on a Hezbollah rocket facility in Lebanon as both sides accused the other of violating a ceasefire deal hours after it took effect. The truce is supposed to last for 60 days to allow time to facilitate a permanent deal (More)

Political News

Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton could face a 2026 primary challenge. The six-term Democrat is under fire for comments made about transgender athletes competing in youth sports; he briefly ran for president in 2020 (More)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has reportedly slowed the process to select a replacement for Sen. Marco Rubio. He is unlikely to make a pick before Christmas, but should make it early next year; Rubio will resign if approved as Secretary of State (More)
Veteran regulator Paul Atkins has emerged as a top candidate to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission, replacing the departing Gary Gensler. Jamieson Greer was nominated to be the U.S. Trade Representative by President-elect Trump (More | More)

Business & Markets

Subway CEO John Chidsey will retire at the end of the year, the latest fast food chief to step down. Carrie Walsh, an executive at the sandwich giant, will be tabbed as interim CEO (More)
Uber's subscription plan faces a federal investigation. The Federal Trade Commission is probing Uber One's enrollment and cancelation procedures; the Biden Administration has targeted onerous subscription cancelation requirements in various industries (More)
Namibia has ordered Elon Musk's Starlink to cease operations in the country. The SpaceX satellite internet unit has faced regulatory issues in Africa; Cameroon seized equipment earlier this year (More)

Entertainment & Sports

Moana 2 is expected to set a new Thanksgiving box office record. The animated Disney film made close to $58M on Wednesday and was on pace to surpass $175M this weekend; it may surpass $200M (More)
The Kansas City Chiefs will host the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL’s second Black Friday game today. The AFC West contest will kick off at 3 p.m. ET and be streamed on Amazon Prime (More)
Vito the Pug won Best in Show at the National Dog Show competition. It was the first time in at least two decades that a member of the breed won the honor; Vito now has 25 best-in-show triumphs in his career (More)

Quick Hitters

Feel Good: A Texas woman has dedicated her retirement to providing free rides to strangers in need. She was rewarded for her kindness with a new car.
New Idea: America's first "flying" electric ferry will soon be in service. It will shuttle Lake Tahoe crowds and generate zero emissions.
Go Deep: It is officially Christmas music season. Here is an in-depth look at how Mariah Carey became the undisputed queen of the genre.
Take Note: Cold plunges are having a moment right now. But new research indicates a warm bath is a better alternative for most folks, so don't feel bad about not waking up at 5 a.m. to be very uncomfortable.
Life Hack: Stop using hot water when doing laundry. Using cold water can make your clothing cleaner and reduce your utility bill.

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