Arthur, the World’s Most Famous Aardvark, Is Launching a Podcast Series

Reuters
At UN, brother of Hamas hostage urges action against terror
The brother of an Israeli man held hostage in the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants Hamas criticized the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday for inaction and urged it to "send a resonating message that terror will never prevail." Michael Levy's brother Or was taken hostage and Or's wife was killed when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Levy was the first person from a hostage family to brief the 15-member Security Council, which has met dozens of times on the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza over the past 14 months.
USA TODAY
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz says he 'often sent funds' to girlfriends
Gaetz's statement came after news outlets reported the House Ethics Committee would release its investigative report on the former Congressman.
CBS News
What we know about the Madison, Wisconsin, school shooting
A student opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin on Monday, authorities said in a shooting that left two people and the suspected shooter dead and others injured.
Reuters
Trump must maintain vital fentanyl progress with China, White House says
While it is important to keep pressure on China to help further reduce U.S. fentanyl deaths, the incoming Trump administration must be careful to maintain the progress President Joe Biden has made with Beijing on the issue, the head of the White House's drug-control policy said on Wednesday. China is the dominant source of chemical precursors used by Mexican cartels to produce fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that kills tens of thousands of Americans annually.
Reuters
UN torture expert visits Israeli scenes of Oct 7 Hamas attack
KIBBUTZ BE'ERI, Israel (Reuters) - The United Nations' senior expert on torture visited the Israeli kibbutz communities attacked on Oct. 7, 2023, for the first time on Wednesday to offer support to families of Israelis abducted by Hamas fighters to the Gaza Strip. Alice Jill Edwards, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment, spoke to Reuters as talks gained momentum in Egypt and Qatar on a ceasefire deal and a release of hostages and Palestinians detained by Israel. Hamas fighters killed some 1,200 people and seized more than 250 hostages, of whom 100 remain captive, Israel says.
Yahoo Finance
Nissan, Honda merger talks: not a shocker given the 'stark reality' of the auto business
Nissan and Honda are in talks to merge, as first reported by Japan’s Nikkei news agency. Bloomberg reports the two Japanese giants pushed their merger talks forward as Taiwan’s Foxconn, the maker of devices like the iPhone and others, approached Nissan about a stake. And just this morning Japan’s Yomiuri news outlet reports a memorandum of understanding with regards to a merger could be signed as early as December 23rd.
CNN
Astronauts who flew to space aboard Starliner face additional delay
NASA announced that it is delaying its Crew-10 launch, a move that will keep astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams in space even longer.
Yahoo Finance
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff on a $1 trillion opportunity and optimism for Trump 2.0
Salesforce is wasting no time going all in on digital agents as tech leaders warm up to incoming President Donald Trump.
CNN
Winter solstice: The shortest day and longest night of the year
Winter solstice is the shortest day of year, longest night of the year and the official first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Find out about the science and traditions behind the solstice.
CNN
America’s first severe case of bird flu confirmed in Louisiana
A patient in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a severe case of H5N1 bird flu, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, the first such case in the United States.
CNN
Here’s what’s in the government funding agreement
House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a spending bill late Tuesday that would avert a government shutdown if it is passed by both the House and Senate before funding runs out on Saturday.
CBS News
Prominent pro-Putin ballet star Sergei Polunin says he's leaving Russia
Ukrainian-born ballet phenom Sergei Polunin was rewarded for backing Putin's attacks on his native country, but he appears to have fallen from Moscow's graces.
USA TODAY
Can Planned Parenthood be stripped of Medicaid funding? Supreme Court to weigh in
The Supreme Court is wading into another dispute in the abortion wars in conservative states.
Politico
Florida hits alleged would-be Trump assassin with state charges
The charges were related to a traffic accident during the police pursuit against Ryan Routh.
Associated Press
Sarkozy's court defeat: a look at the legal cases involving France's former president
France’s former President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose conviction in a corruption case was made definitive by France's highest court Wednesday, has been involved in a series of legal proceedings in recent years. Another trial is to open next month over alleged Libya financing for his 2007 presidential campaign. Sarkozy, 69, who was France's president from 2007 to 2012, has denied any wrongdoing.
CNN
California squirrels are eating another rodent for the first time, new study finds
A study reveals the first evidence of California squirrels eating voles. Experts explain why this phenomenon is critical to future behavioral discoveries in animals.
Time
Exclusive: New Research Shows AI Strategically Lying
Experiments by Anthropic and Redwood Research show how Anthropic's model, Claude, is capable of strategic deceit
Yahoo News
What you should — and shouldn't — do if you win the Mega Millions jackpot, according to an expert
There's still a chance for one lucky winner to score the Mega Millions jackpot, which has climbed to $825 million. Here's what you should — and shouldn't do — with your winnings, according to an expert.
USA TODAY
Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy want Congress to reject deal that would prevent government shutdown
If Congress doesn't pass a funding plan by the end of the week, there will be a government shutdown.
NBC News
Immigration advocates gear up to fight Trump promises in places that voted for him
In red states and border counties, lawyers are preparing for war against deportation policies that many relatives and neighbors support.

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