CNN
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Beginning next year, you may see some familiar faces on letters in your mail. John Lewis, the late civil rights trailblazer and congressman, will be honored on a new postage stamp in 2023, the US Postal Service announced Tuesday. Among several other icons, the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – affectionately nicknamed “Notorious RBG” – will also have a stamp in her honor.
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The Biden administration is facing a December deadline to terminate a public health authority, known as Title 42, that was invoked at the onset of the Covid pandemic and allowed officials to turn away migrants encountered at the US Southern border. As officials prepare for a surge of migrants ahead of the forced end of the Trump-era border policy, the Department of Homeland Security has deployed additional agents to El Paso, Texas, where thousands of migrants have been attempting to cross the border daily. Administration officials have also received a steady stream of calls from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers – as well as state and local officials – on the merits of the authority, people familiar with the matter said. The calls all echoed consistent concerns about the termination of Title 42 and what it will mean along the border in the coming weeks.
A massive storm is producing raging blizzards in the North and damaging tornadoes in the South, shuttering highways and hampering travel. According to CNN’s storm tracker, the storm system is moving east across the nation and is currently lingering over the central US. There have been at least five confirmed tornadoes in Texas and multiple others reported, officials said. The storms left a path of destruction across Oklahoma and the Dallas-Fort Worth area Tuesday, flattening homes and injuring at least seven people. In Louisiana, a child who was missing after a tornado touched down Tuesday was later found dead, authorities said. Meanwhile, nearly 10 million people – largely in the north-central US – are under winter weather warnings or advisories, with blowing snow and power outages a key concern. Another 6 million people across the Northeast will be under winter storm watches today.
About 9 million people recently received emails from the Department of Education that mistakenly said their application for student loan forgiveness had been approved. Thus far, no one has received debt forgiveness from the Biden administration’s debt relief program because it remains blocked by federal courts. While there are some borrowers who were already deemed eligible for debt forgiveness by the Department of Education, borrowers should not expect to see debt relief unless the Supreme Court allows the program to move forward. The 9 million borrowers who received the inaccurate emails last month have now started to receive new emails from the government correcting the “human error.”
The Biden administration is finalizing plans to send the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine that could be announced as soon as this week, according to two US officials and a senior administration official. Amid a barrage of Russian attacks, Ukraine has been calling for the US to send the advanced air defense system that is widely considered one of the most capable long-range weapons to defend airspace against incoming missiles, as well as some aircraft. It would be the most effective long-range defensive weapons system sent to the country, and officials say it will help secure airspace for NATO nations in eastern Europe. This comes as a Russian militia commander recently appeared on state TV calling for the use of nuclear weapons because he doesn’t believe Russia has the resources to win the war in Ukraine.
Russian commander appears to call for use of nuclear weapons
Today marks the grim 10-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. On December 14, 2012, a gunman walked into the school and opened fire, killing 20 children and six adults – 11 days before Christmas. Since then, a new school has been built for the students of a town known, now and for decades to come, as a cradle of grief – but also of untold love and quiet resilience. Some of the victims’ families have pressed for changes that might thwart another school shooting, but all agree there is more work left to be done.
Tune in to CNN’s Special Report tonight at 10 p.m. ET: “Sandy Hook: Forever Remembered” as anchor Alisyn Camerota looks back at the impacted families’ decadelong fight to enact positive change to prevent others from suffering from gun violence.
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CNN
World Cup semifinals continue today
France will play Morocco today at 2 p.m. ET in the second semifinal match of the 2022 World Cup. Morocco has already made World Cup history with a series of surprising wins and reaching the milestone as the first African nation to advance to the final four of the tournament. Now, the Atlas Lions face the best Europe has to offer – world champion France. The winner of this match will head to the World Cup final to face Argentina, which is already through after dominating Croatia with a 3-0 victory on Tuesday in Qatar.
‘Avatar’ sequel premieres in US theaters Friday
Thirteen years after the original film debuted on the big screen, the highly anticipated sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” is just days away from hitting US theaters.
Jay Leno details how his ‘face caught on fire’
The 72-year-old comedian has opened up for the first time about the accident that left him with severe burns to his face and body.
US lawmakers introduce bill to ban TikTok
Don’t worry, your favorite viral videos are (probably) here to stay. Media experts say the legislation is unlikely to go anywhere.
How often do you reuse your reusable grocery bags?
According to one shocking estimate, a cotton bag should be used at least 7,100 times to make it a truly environmentally friendly alternative to a conventional plastic bag.
‘Harry & Meghan’ is Netflix’s most-watched documentary in its first week
The English tea is piping hot … Part two will be released Thursday with a further three episodes focusing on their decision to leave the Royal Family.
17
That’s how many people on death row were informed Tuesday that their sentences will be commuted by outgoing Oregon Gov. Kate Brown after she called the death penalty “dysfunctional and immoral.” All 17 inmates will now spend life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to a statement from her office. The most recent execution in Oregon was in 1997 by lethal injection.
“Thousands of people will live longer, healthier lives.”
– Ayesha Verrall, New Zealand’s associate health minister, after the country’s Parliament passed a landmark anti-smoking bill on Tuesday, banning the sale of tobacco for the next generation. The new law is part of a wider government push to make the country “smoke free” by 2025. Violations of the new law are punishable by fines of up to NZ$150,000 (about $96,000), according to officials.
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CNN
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Perfectly trimmed grass
Watch this satisfying video of a landscaper who perfectly trims lawns and hedges. (Click here to view)
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