Polar Bear Dip participants welcome 2023 with chilly plunge into Charles Mill Lake

AFP
Scott Bessent a credible, safe pick for Treasury: experts
Hedge fund manager Scott Bessent is a credible, safe choice for US Treasury secretary -- and one that is likely positive for markets -- observers said Saturday following President-elect Donald Trump's highly anticipated nomination."Scott Bessent is a credible, mainstream pick for Treasury Secretary," said Jason Furman, a professor at Harvard University and former top White House economic adviser.
AFP
World approves UN rules for carbon trading between nations at COP29
New rules allowing wealthy polluting countries to buy carbon-cutting "offsets" from developing nations were agreed at UN climate talks Saturday, in a move already raising fears they will be used to greenwash climate targets.The broad idea is that countries -- mainly wealthy polluters -- can buy carbon credits from other nations that are doing better on their own emissions-cutting targets.
The Conversation
I interviewed moms with 5 or more kids − here’s what I learned about the women who are quietly going against the grain
Low birth rates aren’t just a potential economic crisis. They can tell a deeply personal story about women failing to reach their goals for motherhood.
AFP
Putin signs law letting Ukraine fighters write off bad debts
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a law that allows those who sign up to fight in Ukraine to write off unpaid debts worth almost $100,000, the government announced.Ukraine also has legislation allowing those fighting to get preferential terms for loans and in some cases to write off debts. bur/tw
Associated Press
Moscow bans adoption of Russian children to countries that allow gender transition
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed into law a bill banning adoption of Russian children by citizens of countries where gender transitioning is legal. The Kremlin leader also approved legislation that outlaws the spread of material that encourages people not to have children. The bills, which were previously approved by both houses of Russia’s parliament, follow a series of laws that have suppressed sexual minorities and bolstered longstanding conventional values.
Politico
Israeli strikes without warning in central Beirut kill at least 15 as diplomats push for cease-fire
The escalation comes after a U.S. envoy traveled to the region to pursue a deal to end months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
AFP
Thousands march against Angola govt
Several thousand Angolan opposition supporters in the capital Luanda protested against the government on Saturday in the first large demonstration since 2022's disputed vote.UNITA, a former rebel group now the second largest party in the country, invited civil society and other opposition groups to join the protest including from the United Patriotic Front.
CNN
Trump’s AG pick Pam Bondi is more conventional than Gaetz, but the agenda to disrupt the Justice Department won’t change
With his new pick for attorney general, President-elect Donald Trump has found not only a powerhouse media strategist and loyal ally, but a tenacious litigator known for her battles in court for conservative causes.
Associated Press
A look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaul
The people that president-elect Donald Trump has selected to lead federal health agencies in his second administration include a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All of them could play pivotal roles in fulfilling a new political agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans' health — from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid pick Dr. Mehmet Oz hosted a talk show for 13 years and is a well-known wellness and lifestyle influencer.
Reuters
COP29 climate summit in overtime, what are countries saying?
Country delegates at COP29 met for a plenary Saturday night to agree on some aspects of this year's negotiations, while their teams continued to work on the summit's centerpiece topic: agreeing a new target for annual climate finance. "After the difficult experience that we're having here in Baku, we need to reach some result, some outcome which is minimally acceptable in line with the emergency we are facing."
NBC News
Israel announces that West Bank settlers no longer face detention without trial
Israel’s new defense minister has said security forces would no longer apply administrative detention orders to Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank, and thus only Palestinian suspects can be held indefinitely without trial.
Yahoo Finance
Author Q&A: The 7-year-old making your money decisions
In her new book, “Feel Good Finance: Untangle Your Relationship with Money for Better Mental, Emotional, and Financial Well-Being,” Aja Evans explains how our emotions directly affect the way we manage our finances.
Reuters
Trump expected to pick Brooke Rollins to be agriculture secretary, WSJ reports
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to pick Brooke Rollins, president of the America First Policy Institute, to be agriculture secretary, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. If confirmed, Rollins would lead a 100,000-person agency with offices in every county in the country, whose remit includes farm and nutrition programs, forestry, home and farm lending, food safety, rural development, agricultural research, trade and more. Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Associated Press
Belarus grants asylum to fugitive Polish judge wanted on spying allegations
Belarus has granted asylum to a former Polish judge who faced espionage charges at home following his defection in May to the Kremlin-allied country. A decree published Friday by Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus’ autocratic president, described Tomasz Szmydt as being “prosecuted for political reasons” in Poland. Szmydt’s defection to Belarus in May trained the focus on Poland as a key target for Russian intelligence activity and ignited a bitter political row over the circumstances of his rapid ascent through the ranks of the Polish justice system.
Associated Press
Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in Barcelona
Tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in downtown Barcelona on Saturday to protest the skyrocketing cost of renting an apartment in the popular tourist destination. The lack of affordable housing has become one of the leading concerns for the southern European Union country, mirroring the housing crunch across many parts of the world, including the United States. Organizers said that over 100,000 had turned out, while Barcelona’s police said they estimated some 22,000 marched.
CNN
‘Send someone ASAP,’ Las Vegas man said on 911 call before police fatally shot him in his home
A man who was fatally shot by Las Vegas police after calling 911 during a home invasion pleaded for officers to arrive “ASAP,” fearing that a trespasser was “going to kill everybody.”
CNN
35,000-year-old saber-toothed baby cat mummy still has its fur
This week, meet a baby saber-toothed cat mummy, see the first image of a star beyond our galaxy, explore an atlas of the human body on a cellular level, and more.
AFP
Tokyo police care for lost umbrellas, keys, flying squirrels
Lost your umbrella, keys, or perhaps a flying squirrel?- Flying squirrels, iguanas - But dogs, cats and even flying squirrels and iguanas have been dropped off at police stations, where officers look after them "with great sensitivity" -- consulting books, online articles and vets for advice.
CNN
National security officials meet with US telecom execs to share intel on Chinese cyber espionage campaign, White House says
Top telecom executives met with US national security officials Friday as concerns mount over a long-running Chinese cyber-espionage campaign that has targeted some of the most senior US political figures in the country.
USA TODAY
Will it snow on Thanksgiving? Cold weather and winter storm in forecast.
A developing storm could bring a rainy and snowy holiday to the eastern half of the country, forecasters say.

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