Good Morning! Today’s edition is 935 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Menopause warning update

• Same-sex marriage case

• Health benefits of singing

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Big Stories

Arctic Blast Hits US

• The season's first major Arctic blast moved across the eastern two-thirds of the US on Monday, bringing 4-8 inches of snow to the Great Lakes and Appalachian regions and record low temperatures across the Southeast.

• Lake-effect snow warnings were issued around Lake Erie, with some areas expecting up to a foot of snow. Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin were under winter weather advisories, and a multi-vehicle crash closed Interstate 40 in Tennessee after snow made roads slippery.

• Freezing temperatures were forecast from Texas and Oklahoma to Alabama and Georgia, prompting local governments to open heated shelters. Wind chills near zero were expected in Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota. In Florida, growers rushed to harvest crops as temperatures dropped from near 80 degrees the day before.

Mail-In Ballot Case

• The Supreme Court agreed Monday to consider whether federal law bars states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day. The case pits Republican-led Mississippi, which allows ballots received within five business days to be counted, against the Republican National Committee and Mississippi's Republican Party.

• If the RNC prevails, it would upend election laws in at least 17 states that count ballots received after Election Day if postmarked on time. Many laws were designed to ensure overseas military members have their votes counted. Mississippi appealed after the 5th Circuit ruled ballots must be received by Election Day. A ruling could apply to the 2026 midterms.

• The RNC argues federal law requires votes to be received by Election Day based on history and tradition. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch counters that states have broad authority over elections, and federal law doesn't prevent receiving ballots after Election Day if already cast.

FDA Removes Menopause Warning

• The FDA announced Monday it will remove black box warnings about breast cancer, heart attack, and stroke risks from menopause hormone therapy medications. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the warnings are based on outdated science and have discouraged women from taking treatment for symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings.

• The warnings stemmed from a 2002 clinical trial that detected increased risks. The trial used a progesterone formulation not commonly used today and focused on older women, though most start therapy in their 40s or 50s. Recent studies found no increased risk with current formulations.

• The FDA is adding a recommendation to start treatment in women younger than 60 or within 10 years of menopause onset. Risk information will still appear on package inserts.

Quick Stories

US News

• The Supreme Court rejected Kentucky clerk Kim Davis's appeal over refusing same-sex marriage licenses in 2015, keeping the $100,000 penalty against her and leaving marriage equality law untouched. (More)

• President Trump pardoned Rudy Giuliani and 76 others accused of trying to overturn the 2020 election, but the pardons are symbolic since none were convicted of federal crimes. (More)

• The Senate passed a bill to fund the government and end the longest US shutdown in history with a 60-40 vote, sending it to the House. (More)

World

• Hannibal Qadhafi, son of late Libyan leader Moammar Qadhafi, was freed from a Lebanese prison after 10 years without charges over a 1978 cleric's disappearance when he was 3 years old. (More)

• UK lawmakers are investigating Chinese government interference at British universities after Sheffield Hallam blocked a professor's research on Uyghur forced labor. (More)

• France freed former President Nicolas Sarkozy from prison after 20 days, releasing him pending appeal of his five-year sentence for taking Libyan money to fund his 2007 campaign. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Monday (S&P +1.54%, Nasdaq +2.27%, Dow +0.81%). Stocks rose after Senate lawmakers took a critical step toward a deal to end the government shutdown. (More)

• Warren Buffett, 95, released a Thanksgiving farewell letter Monday expressing gratitude for being alive as he prepares to hand Berkshire Hathaway's CEO role to Greg Abel at year's end. (More)

• Trump proposed 50-year mortgages to cut monthly payments by $233, but experts say buyers would pay 40% more interest and build equity much more slowly, calling it a bad fix for affordability. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Michael Jackson's "Thriller" returned to the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 after Halloween, making him the first artist ever with top 10 hits across six decades, breaking Andy Williams' five-decade record. (More)

• Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin won Major League Baseball's Rookie of the Year awards (More)

• The Giants fired coach Brian Daboll after their second historic late-game collapse this season, joining only the 2004 Seahawks as teams to twice blow 10-point leads with under four minutes remaining. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• A study found personalized vitamin D3 treatment cut the risk of a second heart attack in half by tailoring doses to each patient's blood levels, unlike previous studies using standard doses that showed no benefit. (More)

• Blue Origin postponed its New Glenn launch until Wednesday due to weather, delaying NASA's first Mars mission since 2020 and another try at landing the reusable booster that failed in January. (More)

• Scientists are studying whether foods like whey protein, cinnamon, and fiber can mimic Ozempic's appetite control by triggering the same gut hormones, offering a cheaper alternative for some people. (More)

Extra Credit

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