Wednesday, November 17th, 2021 

A new moon of Saturn, S/2019 S 1, is announced, bringing the total known moons of Saturn to 83. (Minor Planet Center) 

Olivia Munn slams people who ‘think they know’ her relationship with John Mulaney ‘so well’ Olivia Munn spoke with the Los Angeles Times about some of the intense online reaction to her relationship with John Mulaney, which was confirmed not long after his divorce was announced. Mulaney, who went to rehab last year, revealed in September they’re expecting a baby. Speaking to the Times, Munn slammed those “incorrectly” speculating about them and wrongly believing “they know our relationship so well” when “there’s no way anyone could know what any of his relationships were or what our relationship is.” The actress didn’t go into detail to rebut specific claims, though, saying she didn’t want to “feed into” a “false narrative.” So “the only way to win,” she argued, is “to not play the game at all.”  LOS ANGELES TIMES

Quentin Tarantino is being sued for his plan to sell ‘Pulp Fiction’ NFTs Move over, Scarlett Johansson vs. Disney. It’s time for Miramax vs Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino has been slapped with a lawsuit by Miramax after announcing plans to sell NFTs based on his classic movie Pulp Fiction. The director recently revealed he’ll get in on the NFT craze by auctioning off uncut scenes from the 1994 movie as non-fungible tokens. But the film studio that distributed the movie has now hit him with a lawsuit in California, accusing him of breach of contract and copyright infringement. “Left unchecked, Tarantino’s conduct could mislead others into believing Miramax is involved in his venture,” Miramax claims. Tarantino is presumably sifting through his record collection to find inspiration for his legal defense as we speak.  THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Kirsten Dunst refers to awards as ‘shrimps’ Have you heard? Kirsten Dunst’s latest movie is “pretty shrimpy.” Dunst recounted to The Associated Press that she and her girlfriends, fashion designers Laura and Kate Mulleavy, decided it’s “corny to talk about awards.” Their solution? “We call them shrimps instead.” The Spider-Man star explained, “You go, ‘This movie’s pretty shrimpy,’ or like, ‘We deserve some shrimps for this.’ It’s fun.” Her new movie The Power of the Dog does, indeed, have quite a bit of Oscar buzz, allowing the AP interviewer to ask its director the legendary question, “Is it exciting to be back in the shrimp conversation again?” And if the film doesn’t win Best Picture, well, there’s plenty of shrimps in the sea.  THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Yellen tells lawmakers to act or U.S. could default on debts Dec. 15 Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress on Tuesday that the federal government probably will run out of ways to avoid a first-ever debt default around Dec. 15. That’s 12 days later than she predicted in October when Congress passed a stop-gap $480 billion increase in the federal debt limit. Yellen urged Congress in a new letter to act fast to eliminate any possibility of a potentially catastrophic default on the nation’s obligations. “To ensure the full faith and credit of the United States, it is critical that Congress raise or suspend the debt limit as soon as possible,” Yellen wrote in a letter to congressional leaders. Yellen has repeatedly warned lawmakers that letting the government default would probably trigger a recession. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Fauci warns of winter ‘double whammy’ from Delta variant, waning vaccine protection White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning of a possible “double whammy” from the coronavirus this winter as the highly infectious Delta variant spreads and vaccines’ protection wanes, putting “even the vaccinated people” at risk of infection. “You’re going to see breakthrough infections, even more so than we see now among the vaccinated,” Fauci said in a pre-taped interview aired Tuesday at the 2021 STAT Summit. Fauci’s statement added to concerns about a renewed rise in COVID-19 cases following a decline from the summer surge, with people preparing to gather for the holidays. He added that because immunity from vaccines decreases over time, a third shot with a booster dose might become the standard for “full” COVID-19 vaccination. ABC NEWS 

Gas prices for the United Kingdom and the European Union increase by 17% after the German energy regulator suspends the approval of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany. The regulator says that the pipeline needs to comply with German law before they can certify the €10 billion project. (BBC News) 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson states that the west will have to choose between reliance on Russian gas and supporting Ukraine amid reported buildups of the Russian military near the border with Ukraine. (The Guardian) 

Estonia summons 1,700 reservists for a snap drill, which will include installing a 40 kilometer-long razor wire barrier along its border with Russia as the migrant crisis with Belarus intensifies. (Reuters) 

The Canadian government sends the Air Force to the Pacific coast to assist with supplies after torrential rains in several parts near Vancouver suffer blocked highways. Bill Blair says that landslides and floods affected Agassiz, British Columbia, blocking the town, and is now assisted by the military. (Al Jazeera) 

The Northern Ireland Executive votes to introducing the COVID-19 vaccine passport beginning from next months, which will contain vaccination status or negative COVID-19 test result to enter bars, restaurants, or pubs. (BBC News) 

Harry Potter stars to reunite sans J.K. Rowling for 20th anniversary special J.K. who? WarnerMedia announced Tuesday the cast of Harry Potter will reunite, as the first movie distressingly turns 20 years old. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson will “travel back to Hogwarts for the first time” for an anniversary special in January, which will also feature director Chris Columbus and stars including Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, and Tom Felton. But The Hollywood Reporter noted one name left off the guest list: author J.K. Rowling, who reportedly won’t appear (besides in some archival footage). An appearance might have been a bit awkward considering Radcliffe is among those who have called Rowling out for her controversial anti-trans tweets. “Transgender women are women,” the actor said last year.  THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 

Retail sales surged in October despite high inflation Retail sales rose by 1.7 percent in October, a significant improvement compared to September, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. The surge, which came despite new data showing consumer confidence at a 10-year low, came as Walmart and Home Depot reported third-quarter sales that beat expectations. Consumers spent mostly on goods, including cars, electronics, fitness equipment, and other big purchases, rather than services. The data showed that despite complaints about rising gas and grocery prices, Americans are willing to pay more as they return to more normal lives with coronavirus infections down since the summer surge. “The fact is, the world shut down for the better part of 2020 and people have savings because they haven’t been out and about,” said Mark Cohen, director of retail sales at Columbia Business School. “They have a lot of disposable cash — and now that things are coming back to normal, they’re going to dispose of it.” THE WASHINGTON POST 

Lucid’s market value surpasses Ford’s before debut of its 1st EV Lucid Group’s market value shot higher than Ford’s on Tuesday after the high-end electric-vehicle startup’s leaders said reservations for its first cars had surged, sending its shares rising by 24 percent. Lucid’s stock gains brought its market capitalization to $89.9 billion, just below General Motors’ $90.9 billion. The company on Monday reported a third-quarter net loss of $524 million as it started vehicle production and hired more sales and service employees. Lucid said the reverse merger deal it used in the summer to go public raised $4.4 billion, enough to ramp up and launch its first model, the Lucid Air, in 2022. Also on Monday, MotorTrend picked the Lucid Air for its Car of the Year award, the first time a new car maker’s debut model had won the honor. CNBCTHE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Lowe’s sales beat forecasts as Americans continue fixing up homes Lowe’s on Wednesday reported better-than-expected sales and raised its full-year forecast due to sustained high demand from builders and contractors. Big-spending home-improvement professionals have been investing in tools and snapping up materials as Americans, encouraged by rising home prices, invest in sprucing up their houses and apartments. Lowes said same-store sales rose by 2.2 percent in the third quarter. Analysts had expected a 2.9 percent decline, according to IBES data from Refinitive. Larger home improvement rival Home Depot on Tuesday reported a 6.1 percent increase in sales, also beating predictions. Lowes said sales for the 2021 fiscal year should reach $95 billion, up from its previous forecast of $92 billion. REUTERS 

Biden, Democrats rally public support for infrastructure law President Biden and other Democratic leaders went on the road Tuesday to rally public support for the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill Biden signed into law this week. “This is not something abstract,” Biden said at a decrepit bridge in rural New Hampshire. “This is real. This is real stuff.” Democratic members of Congress have planned 1,000 events in November and December to publicize “what we’re doing in this package,” said the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.). The bill passed with the support of some Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Biden and Democrats are proudly touting their role, but a new ABC News/Washington Post poll found that most Americans aren’t giving Biden credit for pushing the bill through Congress.  ABC NEWS 

U.S. to buy enough Pfizer COVID pills for 10 million people The Biden administration plans to buy 10 million courses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill to help treat infected people and reduce severe illness and death from the coronavirus, The Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing two people with knowledge of the deal. As the two sides negotiated final details for the $5 billion purchase, Pfizer asked federal regulators to authorize the five-day antiviral treatment with the pill, Paxlovid. The drug, which Pfizer has agreed to license so it can be produced around the world, would join a pill developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics as the second oral treatment to help newly infected people avoid hospitalization. Health officials hope COVID drugs will help reduce the pandemic’s toll by protecting people from severe symptoms. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Biden, Xi agree to explore arms control talks President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to take steps to renew nuclear-arms control talks, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday, a day after the two leaders held a virtual meeting. If the arms control talks happen, they will be one of just a few concrete achievements coming out of the more than three-hour discussion, which covered trade, Taiwan, and a host of other issues that have contributed to rising tensions between the two superpowers. The U.S. and China also announced Tuesday they would ease restrictions on foreign journalists. China last year expelled several U.S. reporters. Under the deal, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times will be able to send journalists back to China. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Frustrated migrants in Belarus clash with Polish border forces Hundreds of frustrated Middle Eastern migrants in Belarus stormed a border checkpoint and clashed with Polish security forces. Some of the migrants said they were pushed by Belarusian officials to press toward the border fence, where some of the people seeking entry into Poland threw stones and debris at border guards, who responded with water cannons and tear gas. “I am angry. Everyone is angry. This is the last thing we could do. There is no other solution if we ever want to get to Europe,” said Rawand Akram, a 23-year-old Iraqi Kurd. Tuesday’s confrontation came after a month-long impasse. European officials have accused the government of Belarus’ authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, of luring refugees to the border with the promise of passage to Europe in a bid to destabilize Poland and neighboring countries.  THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Retail sales surged in October despite high inflation Retail sales rose by 1.7 percent in October, a significant improvement compared to September, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. The surge, which came despite new data showing consumer confidence at a 10-year low, came as Walmart and Home Depot reported third-quarter sales that beat expectations. Consumers spent mostly on goods, including cars, electronics, fitness equipment, and other big purchases, rather than services. The data showed that despite complaints about rising gas and grocery prices, Americans are willing to pay more as they return to more normal lives with coronavirus infections down since the summer surge. “The fact is, the world shut down for the better part of 2020 and people have savings because they haven’t been out and about,” said Mark Cohen, director of retail sales at Columbia Business School. “They have a lot of disposable cash — and now that things are coming back to normal, they’re going to dispose of it.” THE WASHINGTON POST 

New York City announces Times Square New Year’s event is back New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that the city will bring back its famous Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration at “full strength” in a sign of a return toward pre-pandemic life. One hitch: Anyone who wants to be there to watch the ball drop at midnight in person must be vaccinated against COVID-19. “We want to welcome all those hundreds of thousands of folks, but everyone needs to be vaccinated,” de Blasio said. “Join the crowd, join the joy, join a historic moment as New York City provides further evidence to the world that we are 100 percent back.” The famous event was scaled down last year due to the pandemic. It will be de Blasio’s last New Year’s Eve celebration as mayor as he prepares to leave after eight years in office and possibly run for governor. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Las Vegas man who made vote-fraud claim pleads guilty to voting twice A Las Vegas man who claimed he had evidence of fraud in the 2020 presidential election pleaded guilty Tuesday to voting twice in the election. Last November, Donald “Kirk” Hartle told a local TV station, KLAS, someone cast a ballot for his wife, Rosemarie Hartle, who died of breast cancer in 2017. The Nevada Republican Party publicized the case, tweeting that “this isn’t the only case of a deceased person voting in NV.” State officials investigated and found Hartle had cast his late wife’s ballot, and his own ballot, too. Hartle agreed to plead guilty to avoid serving prison time. Judge Carli Kierny told Hartle his “cheap political stunt” backfired and showed “our voting system actually works because you were ultimately caught.” KLAS 

 

Tuesday,  November 16th, 2021 

Pfizer and the Medicines Patent Pool sign a global licensing agreement that will allow Pfizer’s experimental COVID-19 oral drug Paxlovid to be manufactured under a royalty-free license in 95 low and middle-income countries. (The Wall Street Journal) 

Researchers at the American cybersecurity firm Mandiant report that the Belarusian government has ties to the hacker group Ghostwriter, which was accused of targeting various German politicians and ministries in September and has since been accused of launching misinformation campaigns against Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Ukraine. (RFE/RL) 

The Mexican Secretariat of National Defense announces that Rosalinda González Valencia, the wife of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera “El Mencho” Cervantes, is re-arrested. González was previously detained in 2018 for allegedly running the finances of the cartel, but was released on bail. (BBC News) 

The impeachment against Chilean President Sebastián Piñera is defeated in the Senate, after the motion fails to meet the minimum two-thirds threshold in a vote. (Bloomberg) 

Bannon vows to fight contempt charges Steve Bannon surrendered Monday to face federal contempt charges for his refusal to comply with subpoenas issued by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack by a mob of former President Trump’s supporters. Bannon, a former Trump strategist who no longer worked in the White House when the insurrection occurred, was released pending his trial. He faces two counts of defying a House subpoena seeking documents and testimony. If convicted, he could get from 30 days to a year in jail on each charge, plus a fine of up to $100,000. Bannon was defiant as he left the courthouse, saying the Justice Department was going after the “wrong guy this time.” “I’m telling you right now, this is going to be the misdemeanor from hell for Merrick Garland, Nancy Pelosi, and Joe Biden,” Bannon said. U.S. Magistrate Robin Meriweather required Bannon to surrender his passport and report weekly to court authorities until his trial. USA TODAY 

Russia carries out a direct-ascent anti-satellite weapon test on the defunct Soviet spacecraft Kosmos 1408, creating a cloud of debris that threatens the International Space Station. (SpaceNews) 

Fifteen Armenian soldiers are killed and 12 more captured by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces during border clashes, amid mutual recriminations before a Russian-brokered ceasefire is agreed at 7 pm local time. (JAMnews) 

Judge drops gun charge against Rittenhouse, jury starts deliberations Kenosha County, Wisconsin, Circuit Judge Bruce Schroeder on Monday dropped the gun possession charge against Kyle Rittenhouse shortly before lawyers gave closing arguments in the teen’s trial for fatally shooting two men and wounding another during a protest sparked by the police shooting of a Black man last year. Rittenhouse had faced a misdemeanor charge for illegal possession of the AR-15-style rifle he used to kill Joseph Rosenbaum and Kyle Huber and wound Gaige Grosskreutz, but Schroeder said the law on rifle possession could be interpreted to mean that people who are 17 years old, as Rittenhouse was at the time of the killings, can legally carry firearms unless they are short-barreled rifles. It was not Schroeder’s first controversial decision. Before the trial started, he faced criticism for barring prosecutors from calling Rosenbaum and Huber “victims,” but allowing the defense to call them “rioters” and “looters.” The jury starts deliberating Tuesday. NEWSWEEK 

Gas prices for the United Kingdom and the European Union increase by 17% after the German energy regulator suspends the approval of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany. The regulator said it needed to comply with German law before certifying the €10 billion project. (BBC News) 

California pump prices hit record high California gas prices rose to a record high of $4.682 per gallon on Monday, according to the American Automobile Association. Monday’s prices were six-tenths of a cent above a record set Sunday when AAA reported that pump prices in the state had edged above the previous record of $4.671 per gallon set nine years ago. The average price nationwide reached $3.415 on Monday. AAA blamed Northern California rainstorms for reducing production capacity, creating a temporary supply crunch. “Drivers are paying $1.50 more per gallon than a year ago,” Doug Shupe, a spokesperson for AAA, told CNN. “It means the person who has the typical midsize sedan with a 14-gallon size fuel tank, they’re paying $21 more to fill up that tank today than last year.” CNN 

South Korea reports a new single-day record of 495 critical cases of COVID-19. (Yonhap News Agency) 

Russia authorizes Pfizer to conduct clinical trials for its experimental COVID-19 drug named Paxlovid, where the trials will continue until March 2023. (The Hill) 

The number of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine supplied worldwide surpasses two billion. (Medical Xpress) 

Pfizer and Medicines Patent Pool sign a global licensing agreement that will allow its experimental COVID-19 oral drug Paxlovoid to manufactured and grant royalty-free license in 95 low and middle-income countries. (The Wall Street Journal) 

Japan detects the H5N8 bird flu strain at a farm with about 11,000 egg-laying chickens in Izumi in Kagoshima Prefecture. (Reuters) 

President Rodrigo Duterte orders the lifting of the distinct mandatory usage of face shields under areas under Alert 3 and below that presently includes the National Capital Region. The policy is retained under places under Alert 5 and areas being retained under granular lockdown. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) 

A peer-reviewed study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine announces that an Argentinian woman has allegedly been “functionally cured” of HIV by her own immune system. If confirmed, she would be only the second individual in history whose own immune system successfully destroyed the disease without any form of stem-cell transplantation. (USA Today) 

Migrants at a temporarily closed checkpoint in Kuźnica throw stones at Polish border guards, while attempting to destroy the border fence to break through the Belarus–Poland border. The guards respond with water cannons and tear gas in an attempt to disperse the mob. The Polish ministry accuses the Belarusian military of aiding the attacks along Poland’s borders. (BBC) 

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson states that the west will have to choose between reliance on Russian gas and supporting Ukraine amid reported buildup of the Russian military near the border with Ukraine. (The Guardian) 

Princess Charlene of Monaco swiftly cancels all her activities, including those of Monaco’s national celebrations, due to ill-health, according to the princely palace. The Princess is said to be suffering from “deep fatigue”. (Reuters) 

Britney Spears gets ‘my first glass of champagne’ after being freed from her conservatorship It’s official: Britney Spears is free. A judge on Friday finally ended the pop star’s conservatorship after 13 years, and on Monday, Spears wrote on Instagram that she had an “amazing weekend” and felt like she was “on cloud 9 the whole time.” In fact, Spears said she “actually got my first glass of champagne” to celebrate and declared she’ll be “celebrating my freedom and my B day for the next two months !!!!!!!!!!!” Spears also commented on videos of her elated fans outside the court, writing, “What a sight seeing so many people celebrating my victory.” She didn’t reveal what else might be next for her, though TMZ reported she “wants to go back in the studio.”  TMZ 

Adele opens up about her divorce and weight loss in Oprah interview Adele opened up about her divorce in a CBS special on Sunday, telling Oprah Winfrey she’s “embarrassed that I didn’t make my marriage work.” When Winfrey asked if there’s a specific moment when she realized things weren’t working, she recalled taking a magazine personality quiz with her friends. One of the questions asked for “something that no one would ever know about you,” and Adele says she shocked her friends by admitting, “I’m really not happy.” The “Hello” singer also told Winfrey she lost around 100 pounds after working out to deal with her anxiety, and while she feels “bad” if this “made anyone feel horrible about themselves,” it’s “not my job to validate how people feel about their bodies.”  VULTURE 

Miles Teller shows up in Taylor Swift’s new music video after vaccine controversy Miles Teller stars in Taylor Swift’s new video, and some Swifties aren’t taking it all too well. On Monday, Swift dropped a Blake Lively-directed “I Bet You Think About Me” music video, which stars Teller as her ex. It wasn’t clear when the video was shot, but his appearance raised eyebrows after The Daily Mail reported in September that Teller’s series The Offer was shut down when he contracted COVID-19 after allegedly not being vaccinated. “I’m a little confused as to why she went with Teller who doesn’t exactly have a great reputation,” one fan wrote on the Taylor Swift subreddit, while another said, “I can’t believe she chose to work with someone like that.” Was Aaron Rodgers not available?  VARIETY 

Kristen Stewart is developing a ‘gay ghost-hunting reality show’ Kristen Stewart hopes to transition from possibly taking home an Oscar to making a gay ghost-hunting show, as all Academy Award-winners should. A New Yorker profile on Stewart, who could win Best Actress for playing Princess Diana in Spencer, reveals she’s “developing a gay ghost-hunting reality show with a friend.” Stewart described the show as a “paranormal romp in a queer space,” adding, “Gay people love pretty things. So we are aiming for a richness.” The Twilight star previously told the Los Angeles Times she’s never personally had any paranormal encounters but did get some “spooky, spiritual feelings” working on Spencer, suggesting there were “moments where I kind of got the sign-off” from Princess Diana herself.  THE NEW YORKER 

‘House of Gucci’ dialogue coach thinks Lady Gaga’s Italian accent ‘sounds more Russian’  Lady Gaga didn’t exactly nail her House of Gucci accent, according to a House of Gucci dialogue coach. Gaga stars as Patrizia Reggiani in the movie, and she told British Vogue she spoke with the Italian accent she adopted for the movie for nine months. But dialect coach Francesca De Martini admitted to The Daily Beast, “I feel bad saying this, but her accent is not exactly an Italian accent, it sounds more Russian.” De Martini says she was brought on the movie to specifically work with Salma Hayek on her accent and was “surprised” to find “there wasn’t a dialogue coach on set.” Well, if Gaga ends up winning an Oscar, we know who she won’t be thanking.  THE DAILY BEAST 

Biden signs bipartisan infrastructure bill into law President Biden on Monday signed the more than $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. The package was pared down from Biden’s original proposal to spend $2.3 trillion to upgrade the nation’s roads, bridges, ports, power lines, and broadband internet, but Biden said the version that passed showed that Republicans and Democrats can work together for the good of the nation. “America’s moving again, and your life’s going to change for the better,” Biden said. Biden said the upgrades would help America compete with China and other nations in emerging industries. The law contains $550 billion in new funds, including $66 billion for Amtrak and other rail lines, $65 billion for broadband, $47 billion for responding to wildfires and increasingly frequent storms, and $7.5 billion for electric-vehicle charging stations. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Biden administration proposes Chaco Canyon drilling ban The Biden administration on Monday proposed banning new oil and gas drilling projects for 20 years in and around Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico. The area is rich in oil and gas, but it’s also a sacred tribal site. Biden announced the move at the White House Tribal Nations summit where he also signed an executive order telling his Cabinet to come up with a strategy to improve public safety, health, education, and justice for Indigenous Americans. He also promised that his administration would work with tribes to incorporate their “tribal ecological knowledge into the federal government’s scientific approach.” “No group of Americans has created and cared more about preserving what we inherited than the tribal nations,” Biden said. “We have to continue to stand up for the dignity and sovereignty of tribal nations.”  THE WASHINGTON POST 

Film crew members narrowly approve deal averting strike Film industry crew members have approved two contracts with Hollywood producers, averting the chance of a strike that could have halted TV and film productions across the country, union leaders said Monday. The deals passed 56 percent to 44 percent in a system similar to the Electoral College in U.S. presidential races. But the margin in the popular vote among members of the 36 local unions of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees was razor-thin, with 50.3 percent voting yes and 49.7 percent voting no. In their last vote, 98 percent of union members supported giving their leaders authority to call a strike. Union leaders reached the three-year deal with producers a month ago, two days before a strike deadline. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Biden and Xi pledge better communication after virtual summit President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to improve communication between the U.S. and China after discussing a wide range of issues in a three-and-a-half-hour virtual meeting Monday. The leaders of the world’s two biggest economies covered topics that included human rights, climate change, trade, and Taiwan, as well as geopolitical tensions over Afghanistan, North Korea, and Iran. The meeting did not yield any breakthroughs. Biden raised concerns about human rights abuses in China, and about Beijing’s “unfair trade and economic policies,” the White House said. Xi warned that the U.S. was “playing with fire by supporting Taiwan,” which China views as a rebel province. But both sides called for calm and cooperation: “It seems to me we need to establish some common-sense guardrails,” Biden said. Xi said he was ready to push relations between the two countries, which have been tense, “in a positive direction.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Judge rules Infowars’ Alex Jones liable in Sandy Hook defamation lawsuits Connecticut Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis ruled Monday that conspiracy theorist and Infowars host Alex Jones is liable for all damages in the defamation lawsuits the families of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting filed against him for claiming that the massacre was a hoax. Jones — who has since acknowledged that the shooting really happened — and entities he owns failed to turn over financial and web analytics data in “callous disregard of their obligation” in the discovery process, Bellis said. She found them liable by default for withholding the information “the plaintiffs needed to prove their claims.” The ruling “shows just how unwilling Mr. Jones was to have his conduct exposed to the light of day in front of a jury,” said lawyer Chris Mattei, who represents Sandy Hook families. The defendants plan to appeal. HARTFORD COURANT 

Liverpool taxi driver praised for quick response to bomber Liverpool, England, Mayor Joanne Anderson on Monday credited the driver of a taxi that burst into flames outside a hospital with preventing a worse disaster. The driver, identified locally as David Perry, fled the vehicle and locked the alleged bomber inside after spotting explosives. “The taxi driver, in his heroic efforts, has managed to divert what could have been an absolutely awful disaster at the hospital,” Anderson said. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the driver’s “incredible presence of mind and bravery.” The driver picked up the passenger about a 10-minute drive from the Liverpool Women’s Hospital. As the taxi arrived at the facility’s drop-off area, the passenger detonated a homemade bomb, killing himself and injuring Perry, who was treated and released from a hospital. BBC NEWS 

Three suicide bombers blow themselves up near a police station and the entrance of Parliament in Kampala, killing three people and injuring 33 others. The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks. (Reuters) 

Judge denies defense request to remove Jesse Jackson from courtroom in Arbery case A judge on Monday denied a request to remove the Rev. Jesse Jackson from the courtroom made by the lawyer of one of the three white men on trial in the killing of Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery. Lawyer Kevin Gough, who represents defendant William “Roddie” Bryan, said Jackson is “an icon of the civil rights movement” whose presence could influence the jury in a case where race has been a focus. Jackson was sitting in the back of the courtroom with Arbery’s parents. “How many pastors does the Arbery family have?” Gough said. “We had the Rev. Al Sharpton here earlier, last week.” Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley said he would not “single out any particular individual or group of individuals as not being allowed to be in this courtroom as a member of the public.” He added: “If there is a disruption, you’re more than welcome to call that to my attention.”  NBC NEWS 

Myanmar releases U.S. journalist Danny Fenster Myanmar on Monday released American journalist Danny Fenster, who was held for a half-year by the Southeast Asian nation’s military junta and was sentenced to 11 years on Friday with the possibility of another 40 years on murky allegations. Fenster promptly left the country with Bill Richardson, the former U.S. diplomat who helped negotiate Fenster’s freedom. “This is the day that you hope will come when you do this work,” said Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Fenster told reporters on a stopover in Qatar that he had been “arrested and held in captivity for no reason.” He said he was not “starved or beaten.” It was not immediately clear whether the U.S. promised the junta anything in exchange for Fenster’s release. The military has cracked down on pro-democracy protesters since a February coup. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Monday,  November 15th, 2021 

The death toll from yesterday’s mass shooting at a military post near a gold mine in Inata, Soum Province, Burkina Faso, increases to 32, including 28 gendarmes and four civilians, making the attack the deadliest against security forces in the country. (Reuters) 

Yesterday’s taxi explosion in Liverpool, England, that killed bomber Emad Al-Swealmeen and injured the driver outside the Liverpool Women’s Hospital, is declared a terrorist incident by police. Mayor Joanne Anderson says that the driver locked the bomber inside the vehicle after noticing that the bomber was wearing an explosive device. (BBC News) 

Three al-Shabaab members escape from a maximum security prison in Kenya, including one of the perpetrators of the 2015 Garissa attack, in which 148 people were killed. (Reuters) 

U.S. President Joe Biden signs the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law. (The Washington Post) 

Merritt, British Columbia, Canada is evacuated after severe flooding inundated the city of about 7,000. Several highways throughout southern British Columbia were also washed out by heavy rain, leaving at least 10 people stranded. (CBC) (CBC) 

Berlin begins to implement “2G” rule that limiting access to restaurants, cinemas, bars, and cultural and entertainment venues to those who are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 amid a rising number of COVID-19 cases across Germany. (VOA) 

Latvia ends its 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and allows companies to fire employees who are unvaccinated against COVID-19. Unvaccinated people are also banned from taking their duties for parliament and entering shopping malls with a size greater than 1,500 square metres (16,000 sq ft). (Medical Xpress) 

Egypt begins to ban unvaccinated public sector employees and university students from entering workplaces and universities unless they show a negative PCR test from the previous 72 hours. (Arab News) 

US President Joe Biden holds a virtual bilateral meeting with China’s leader Xi Jinping. (AP News) 

The European Union says it will impose new sanctions on Belarus in response to the migrant crisis on the Belarus–Poland border. (CNN) 

With nearly all votes counted, the ruling Peronist government loses control of both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. This is the first time since the return to democracy in 1983 that Peronists do not have a majority in either house. (El Mostrador Chile) 

COVID cases rise again after decline from summer surge  Coronavirus cases have started rising again in parts of the U.S. following a decline from the summer surge that was driven by the highly infectious Delta variant. The trends have been most alarming in the upper Midwest, Southwest, and parts of the Northeast. Nationally, the seven-day average of new cases has edged up to about 80,000 after stalling at just over 70,000 infections per day for several weeks, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing Johns Hopkins University data. Public health officials are concerned to see progress against the pandemic stall as Americans prepare to gather for Thanksgiving. Minnesota, for example, recently saw new cases jump to more than 3,500 per day, the most since April. During a summer reprieve, the state reported just two new cases per day. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Southwest employee hospitalized after alleged assault by passenger A Southwest Airlines employee was hospitalized after a passenger assaulted her during boarding in Dallas, airline officials said Sunday. Dallas police said 32-year-old Arielle Jean Jackson boarded the New York-bound flight and started a “verbal altercation” with a flight attendant in the rear of the plane. The flight attendant told Jackson to get off the plane, and as she was leaving she allegedly punched an airline operations agent in the head. Police arrested her on an aggravated assault charge, a Dallas police spokesperson, Juan Fernandez, said Sunday. The operations agent was taken to a hospital in stable condition. “Southwest Airlines maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding any type of harassment or assault and fully supports our Employee as we cooperate with local authorities regarding this unacceptable incident,” the airline said in a statement. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Yesterday’s car explosion in Liverpool, England, that killed one person and severely injured another outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital, is declared a terrorist incident by police. Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson says the vehicle’s driver, a local cabbie named David Perry, locked a suicide bomber inside the vehicle after noticing he was wearing an explosive device. (BBC) 

The government of New Zealand vows to help islanders in Banaba, Kiribati, to access to fresh water as the island suffers from frequent droughts and depends on rainfall. (RNZ) 

With nearly all votes counted, the ruling Peronist government loses control of both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate; the first time since the return to democracy in 1983 that Peronists do not have a majority in either house. (El Mostrador Chile) 

Trump to sell controversial D.C. hotel for $375 million Former President Donald Trump’s family real estate company has reached a deal to sell the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., for at least $375 million. CGI Merchant Group of Miami is buying the hotel and plans to have it branded and managed by Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria group. The sale could be finalized in early 2022. The hotel is operated in the leased former Old Post Office building, which is owned by the federal government. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform plans to continue investigating “conflicts of interest and potential constitutional violations raised by Donald Trump’s lease of this hotel from the federal government while he was President,” adding that the matter “won’t be fully resolved by selling off this hotel.” THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Global media critical of COP26 climate deal Global media gave mixed reviews Sunday to the COP26 summit climate deal reached in Glasgow, CNBC reported. The Scottish Mail praised the “ambitious” agreement, but Scotland on Sunday was among those disappointed about the watering down of language on coal insisted on by India and China — both major coal burners. “We are still on the road to hell,” Scotland on Sunday said. The New York Times and The Washington Post noted that the summit failed to produce enough commitments necessary to limit global temperature from rising to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels, a key goal. In China, the world’s biggest carbon polluter, the state-backed Xinhua news agency noted the deal called for doubling support to help developing countries adapt to climate change. CNBC 

Biden picks former New Orleans mayor to supervise infrastructure plan President Biden has chosen former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to supervise the work to be done under the more than $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan Biden is expected to sign Monday, the White House said Sunday. Landrieu helped guide his city’s recovery after the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. He took office in 2010, when recovery efforts had stalled five years after the storm. He secured billions in federal funding for roads, schools parks, and infrastructure, and turned New Orleans “into one of America’s great comeback stories,” the White House said. His job now is to coordinate federal agencies’ work on roads, ports, bridges, airports, and broadband infrastructure. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Trump calls U.S. ‘radicalized mess’ after Bannon indictment President Trump on Sunday criticized the indictment of his former strategist Steve Bannon for contempt of Congress, saying it showed that the United States had become a “radicalized mess” under President Biden and Democrats in control of Congress. “This country has perhaps never done to anyone what they have done to Steve Bannon,” Trump said in a statement spokesperson Liz Harrington posted on Twitter. Bannon is expected to turn himself in Monday on charges related to his refusal to comply with a subpoena issued by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of Trump’s supporters. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Bannon’s indictment “without a doubt” would prompt other Trump allies to testify. ROLLING STONE 

Austria imposes lockdown for unvaccinated people Austria is imposing a lockdown Monday on anyone age 12 or older who is not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced. About 65 percent of Austrians are fully vaccinated, giving it one of the lowest rates in the European Union. Schallenberg called the rate “shamefully low.” Under the lockdown, unvaccinated people will only be allowed to leave home for limited essential activities. Police officers will make spot checks on anyone moving freely in public. Unvaccinated people already are prohibited from going to entertainment venues, restaurants, hairdressers, and other places open to the public. The move comes as central Europe is experiencing a wave of coronavirus infections. The Netherlands announced a three-week partial lockdown on Friday. CNN 

3 arrested under U.K. terror law after Liverpool taxi explosion kills 1 British authorities said Sunday they arrested three men under the U.K.’s Terrorism Act after a taxi exploded outside a Liverpool hospital, killing one person and wounding another. Police did not release the names of the suspects, aged 21, 26, and 29. Investigators could not immediately determine the cause of the blast, which occurred after the taxi pulled up outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital. “Work is still ongoing to establish what has happened and could take some time before we’re in a position to confirm anything,” Chief Constable Serena Kennedy of the Merseyside Police said, adding that police were “keeping an open mind” about the case. No details were immediately available about the victims. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Florida lawmakers to counter vaccine mandates in special session Florida lawmakers are scheduled to meet Monday to start a week-long special session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis to pass bills designed to discourage businesses and local governments from imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The Republican-dominated legislature will consider four bills imposing penalties on businesses or governments in the state requiring workers to show proof of vaccination without providing exemptions. “No cop, no firefighter, no nurse, nobody should be losing their job because of these jabs,” DeSantis said in a statement. The bills would back up rules and executive orders DeSantis has already issued. “This is a combination of policy and politics,” said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida. “DeSantis knows that Trump supporters don’t like masks or this vaccine.” REUTERS 

Biden, Xi head into virtual meeting aiming to reduce frictionsPresident Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet virtually on Monday in a bid to improve rising tensions over Taiwan, the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, and trade. It will be the first substantial meeting between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies since Biden took office in January. Both sides downplayed expectations and declined to make the agenda public. People familiar with the planning say Biden and Xi will seek agreement on several initiatives developed by bilateral working groups to find common ground. “Both sides recognize they have real differences, that they are going to compete, but it is essential to keep it peaceful,” said Winston Lord, former assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs under President Bill Clinton. POLITICO 

Sunday, November 14th, 2021 

Gunmen open fire at a military post near a gold mine in Inata, Soum Province, Burkina Faso, killing 19 gendarmes and a civilian. (Al Jazeera) 

A passenger is killed and the driver injured when a taxi explodes in front of the Liverpool Women’s Hospital in Liverpool, England. Three men are subsequently arrested under the Terrorism Act. (BBC News) 

A bomb explodes near a vehicle carrying troops in Deir ez-Zor, Syria, killing four soldiers and a general. (The New Arab) 

Two Ugandan soldiers are sentenced to death and three more receive 39-year prison sentences in Somalia for killing seven civilians during a gun battle in Golweyn, Lower Shabelle, three months ago. (BBC News) 

A 9-year-old boy, injured during a crowd crush at the Astroworld Music Festival, who had been in a medically-induced coma, dies, bringing the death toll to 10. (CNN) 

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake strikes Hormozgan Province, Iran, at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) and is felt in many southern Iranian cities. A man killed by a falling pole is the sole death reported. (Reuters) 

Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announces a nationwide lockdown for those over the age of 12 years who are unvaccinated against COVID-19, which prohibits them from leaving their homes except for essential reasons beginning at midnight, amid a record increase in new COVID-19 cases. (AP) 

The Egyptian government announces the start of clinical trials for COVI-VAX, which is the country’s first domestically-made COVID-19 vaccine. (Ahram Online) 

Peru announces that people over the age of 18 years who want to enter indoor spaces must show a proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 beginning in December, either physical or virtual vaccination cards. (AFP via Barron’s) 

Bulgarians go to the polls to elect the President and the National Assembly. (MSN) 

The End