DeSantis Newsom debate, Trump gag order, and not mac and cheese.

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Big Stories

EPA rolls out proposal to replace all lead pipes within 10 years

The Environmental Protection Agency released a new proposal on Thursday that would require most U.S. cities to replace lead water pipes within 10 years.

• Why it matters: Roughly 9 million lead pipes carry water to U.S. households and are typically the biggest source of lead in drinking water. The pipes can corrode over time and expose drinkers to toxic heavy metals that can cause negative health issues. Children are especially at risk. Lead poisoning has been shown to damage their brains, cause learning problems, and affect growth and development.

• Costs and problems: The undertaking is expected to cost billions of dollars, part of which will come from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Locating which pipes need replacement is another big issue. Many cities don’t know where lead pipes have been used. One house could have safe drinking water, while the one next to it doesn’t.

• Righting wrongs: Radhika Fox, head of the EPA Office of Water, said that the health benefits of fixing the country’s pipes far outweigh the costs. The agency is determined to ensure everyone has safe drinking water in the U.S. Especially lower-income communities like those in Flint, Mich. that have already experienced a lead crisis.

DeSantis and Newsom square off in heated debate

In an unconventional event Thursday evening, Florida Governor and GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis debated California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who is not running for president.

• Views on Biden: Newsom said he would give the Biden administration an "A" grade, and pointed to the fact that the president has created more jobs than the last three administrations. DeSantis criticized the administration for allowing inflation to run wild, which has made it hard for many Americans to afford basics like groceries.

• COVID: The governors traded jabs about the failures of each other’s COVID policies. DeSantis said Newsom did “huge damage to the people of California” through lockdowns of schools and businesses. Newsom said that DeSantis reopened schools too early and pointed out Florida’s higher COVID death rate. However, the moderator cited CDC data that shows the two states had similar pandemic death rates.

• Mutual agreement: Each took a turn blaming the opposing party’s tactics for the country’s border security issues. However, both governors agreed on the need for action at the southern border.

Trump’s gag order back on

A New York appeals court reinstated a limited gag order on former President Trump in his ongoing civil fraud trial after it was temporarily lifted this month.

• Details: New York Judge Arthur Engoron issued the order in October after Trump posted on his Truth Social account about the judge’s law clerk. Trump has already been fined twice for violating the limited gag order, and his attempts to have it thrown out have been unsuccessful.

• Safety: Engoron has argued that the gag was issued to protect his staff while Trump’s lawyers have argued it is unconstitutional. According to the court filings, Engoron’s legal clerk has received dozens of threats via phone, email, and social media. And since the start of the trial, his office has received hundreds of threats as well.

• What to watch: Trump is scheduled to take the stand next month as the final witness in the trial. He and his family’s business empire are facing steep penalties, which could potentially enable the state to shut down his company and seize his New York real estate assets.

Little Stories

U.S. News

• A federal judge blocked Montana’s first-in-the-nation ban on TikTok, saying the ban "oversteps state power and infringes on the constitutional rights of users.” (More)

• United Auto Workers announced it has begun efforts to organize all 13 non-union automakers, including Tesla. Ford, GM, and Stellantis recently ratified new deals with the UAW. (More)

• Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger passed away at his Connecticut home. He was 100. (More)

World

• Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo faces a $1 billion class-action lawsuit for his role in promoting cryptocurrency-related NFTs issued by the troubled Chinese cryptocurrency exchange Binance. (More)

• Russia’s Supreme Court banned LGBTQ+ activism on Thursday, labeling the movement an extremist organization. (More)

• Two Hamas gunmen killed three people at a Jerusalem bus stop on Thursday, disregarding the agreement between Israel and the militant group to extend the pause in fighting for another day. (More)

Business & Economy

• U.S. stock markets closed mixed on Thursday (S&P +0.38%, Nasdaq -0.23%, Dow +1.47%). (More)

• X CEO Linda Yaccarino is running damage control after owner Elon Musk told advertisers who are trying to blackmail him to ‘go f--- yourself’ during a live CNBC interview. (More)

• Warren Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway, says that the Billionaire Haslam family tried to bribe around 15 executives at the Pilot truck stop chain to inflate the company's profits this year because that would force Berkshire to pay more for the Haslams’ remaining 20% stake in the company. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Lebron James’ son, Bronny James, has been cleared by doctors to return to basketball just over four months after going into cardiac arrest during a summer workout. (More)

• Police have issued an arrest warrant for Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller for allegedly assaulting a pregnant women. (More)

• The Pogues chief songwriter and lead singer, Shane MacGowan, passed away Thursday at 65. He was known for blending traditional Irish music with the raw energy of punk. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Scientists have created tiny robots made of human cells that can repair damaged neural tissue. (More)

• A recent study found that residents in big cities are significantly less likely to interact with people outside of their own socioeconomic status. (More)

• Sam Altman is officially back as OpenAI’s CEO, and the company has a new board of directors after replacing most of the board that attempted to fire Altman last week. (More)

Extra Credit

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