Taunton mayor's daughter still missing, spotted Thursday in Columbus, Ohio

USA TODAY
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs bill to restrict bathroom access for transgender students
The new law will require K-12 and college students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their sex assigned at birth.
Associated Press
Agribusiness-friendly states in Brazil try to undo forest protections
Several states in Brazil are trying to rid themselves of rainforest protections, bowing to pressure from cattle ranchers and soybean growers to cut down trees and expand agriculture. Together, they manage almost 220,000 square miles (564,000 square kilometers) of conservation lands and 12,600 square miles (32,600 square kilometers) of public forests that have no protective designation, a total area roughly the size of Ukraine.
AFP
Stock markets waver as traders weigh Trump tariffs, inflation
US and European stock markets wavered on Wednesday as traders awaited key inflation data, and weighed Donald Trump's tariff threats and a political standoff in France.European stock markets fluctuated in afternoon deals on concerns Europe could be the next tariffs target for US president-elect Donald Trump.
Associated Press
Landmark fish and meat markets in London to close, ending 1,000 years of tradition
Two of London's most famous markets — one selling fish, the other meat — are set to close in the coming years, bringing an end to traditions stretching back to medieval times. On Wednesday, the City of London Corporation, the governing body in the capital city's historic hub, is set to present a bill to Parliament to bring an end to its responsibilities to operate the Billingsgate fish market and the Smithfield meat market, both of which have existed in some shape or form since the 11th century.
CBS News
3 Americans held for years in China released, White House says
Mark Swidan, Kai Li, and John Leung have been released from detention, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said.
CBS News
Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire takes hold, fueling new push for Gaza truce
As Israel and Hezbollah cease fire after a year, President Biden says Palestinians in war-torn Gaza also "deserve an end of the fighting and displacement."
Associated Press
Imprisoned Kremlin critic stands a second trial for opposing Ukraine war
Imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Gorinov appeared in court on Wednesday for a second trial for opposing Russia's war in Ukraine, an independent news site reported. The new trial against Gorinov, a 63-year-old former member of a Moscow municipal council who is suffering from a chronic lung condition, is the latest in the unrelenting crackdown against dissent that the Kremlin unleashed after sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Gorinov is already serving a prison term for public criticism of the full-scale invasion — he was the first known Russian sent to prison under a law that essentially bans any public expression about the war that deviates from the official narrative.
AFP
Opposition candidates killed in Tanzania local election
Tanzanian opposition party Chadema on Wednesday said three of its members were killed in incidents linked to local elections and accused the authorities of rigging the vote.The ruling CCM party has been accused of increased repression of the opposition in the run-up to the vote.
USA TODAY
Confession to a computer? Experts say 'AI Jesus' can't perform sacrament | Fact check
An art installation demonstrating the potential for AI to have a role in religion wasn't set up to take confession.
Reuters
Russia says it will respond if US places missiles in Japan
Russia said on Wednesday that if the United States stationed missiles in Japan, this would threaten Russian security and prompt Moscow to retaliate. Japan's Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday that Japan and the U.S. aim to compile a joint military plan for a possible Taiwan emergency that includes deploying missiles. It cited unnamed U.S. and Japanese sources as saying that under the plan, the U.S. would deploy missile units to the Nansei Islands of Japan's southwestern Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures, and to the Philippines.
NBC News
Chuck Todd: The destructive politics of 'whatever it takes'
In our society and our culture, and therefore in our politics, there is a growing comfort in the “ends justifies the means” mentality.
Associated Press
Number of Americans filing for jobless benefits falls again and hovers near 7-month lows
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week, remaining near seven-month lows. Jobless claim applications fell by 2,000 to 213,000 for the week of Nov. 23, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.
Associated Press
Russia expels two German journalists in tit-for-tat retaliation, ministry says
Russia's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it has revoked the accreditation of two employees with the German ARD broadcaster and ordered them to leave the country in what it described as a retaliation to German authorities' move targeting two journalists from Russia's state TV. Ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova told a briefing in Moscow that it may issue accreditation to other ARD employees if German authorities allow journalists from Russia's Channel One to work in Berlin.
Associated Press
The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire quiets one front but Gaza sees no end to war
For many across the Middle East, the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire came as a relief: the first major sign of progress in the region since war began more than a year ago. Palestinians had hoped that any ceasefire deal with Hezbollah would include a truce in Gaza as well. The families of people kidnapped when Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel in October 2023, meanwhile, wanted part of the agreement to include returning their loved ones.
CNN
US secures release of 3 Americans in prisoner swap with China
Three Americans who had been detained in China for years have been released from custody.
The Conversation
208 million Americans are classified as obese or overweight, according to new study synthesizing 132 data sources
If obesity trends continue on the current trajectory, more than 80% of US adults will be overweight or obese.
CBS News
Man missing since 1999 found after sister saw him in news article
A woman saw a photo of a man she believed to be her brother who was reported missing in 1999. She was right.
CNN
Turkey’s ‘mad honey’ has been folk medicine for millennia, but there’s a sting in its tail
“Mad honey,” or “deli bal” as it’s known in Turkey, is a rare and potentially dangerous delicacy with psychoactive properties. Turkey’s Black Sea region is one of only two places in the world where it’s produced.
Time
How TIME and Statista Determined the World's Best Companies in Sustainable Growth
How TIME and Statista determined the world's best companies in sustainable growth of 2025.
AFP
Egypt's search for Red Sea sinking survivors enters third day
The search operation for seven people still missing from a dive boat that capsized and sank off Egypt's east coast entered a third day on Wednesday, the governor of the Red Sea province said.The governor's office said the search operation was continuing for seven people still missing after the "Sea Story" was struck by a wave and capsized in the middle of the night on Monday.

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