Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,001 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Menendez brothers resentencing

• Bird flu found in raw milk

• “Demure” is the 2024 word of the year

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Big Story

Trump’s Federal Cases Dropped

Special Counsel Jack Smith decided to drop two federal criminal cases against Donald Trump due to Justice Department rules that prevent sitting presidents from being prosecuted.

• The cases involved Trump’s handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Charges against Trump’s co-defendants in the classified documents case remain active.

• Trump’s legal battles were once seen as significant threats to his chances at re-election. Now, his upcoming return to the White House shields him from criminal scrutiny.

• Trump’s team celebrated the decision to drop the cases as a win for the rule of law, while Trump continued to label the investigations as politically motivated. He has promised to fire Jack Smith once in office.

Big Story

E-cigarette Study

A new study found that even nicotine-free e-cigarettes can immediately impact blood vessels.

• Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania tested 31 healthy smokers and vapers, ages 21 to 49, using MRIs before and after they used regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes with nicotine, and e-cigarettes without nicotine.

• Blood flow in the femoral artery, which supplies oxygen to the lower body, slowed significantly after all types of smoking or vaping. The study found that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes caused the most noticeable effects, but nicotine-free e-cigarettes also reduced oxygen levels in the blood and slowed blood flow.

• Dr. Marianne Nabbout, who led the study, warned that the effects of chronic vaping could lead to long-term vascular disease. She advised against smoking or vaping altogether to avoid potential harm.

Big Story

Menendez Brothers Resentencing

A judge in Los Angeles delayed the decision to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez until January.

• The Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 for killing their parents in 1989 and sentenced to life without parole. They are seeking resentencing based on new evidence supporting claims of childhood sexual abuse by their father, Jose Menendez.

• Key new evidence includes a 1988 letter Erik wrote to his uncle about the abuse and testimony from Roy Rossello, who alleges he was also sexually abused by Jose Menendez. The new evidence could have countered prosecution claims that there was no proof of abuse.

• California Governor Gavin Newsom has said he won’t decide on clemency until the new district attorney reviews the case. Meanwhile, prosecutors recently recommended reduced sentences based on the brothers' good behavior and rehabilitation in prison.

Quick Stories

U.S. News

• Damian Williams, the top federal prosecutor in New York who oversaw the convictions of Ghislaine Maxwell, Sen. Robert Menendez, and Sam Bankman-Fried, will step down next month as President-elect Trump said he plans to replace him. (More)

• President Biden began his final holiday season in the White House by pardoning two turkeys, Peach and Blossom. President Lincoln is believed to have been the first president to pardon a turkey in 1863. (More)

• A Florida woman, Susan Lorincz, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting her neighbor, Ajike "AJ" Shantrell Owens, through a closed door. Lorincz was convicted of manslaughter with a weapon in August. (More)

World

• A tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea on Monday in rough waters, leaving 16 people missing, according to Egyptian officials. Rescuers saved 28 passengers near Marsa Alam, with some airlifted for medical care. (More)

• A DHL cargo plane crashed in Lithuania, killing one of the four people onboard. It was scheduled to land at a nearby airport, and there was no distress when it communicated with the on-ground controllers. (More)

• A violent brawl erupted in Serbia's parliament Monday as opposition MPs disrupted Prime Minister Miloš Vučević's budget speech, blaming the government for a Novi Sad railway station collapse that killed 15. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Monday (S&P +0.30%, Nasdaq +0.27%, Dow +0.99%). The S&P and Dow hit new records on Monday as investors reacted favorably to President-elect Trump’s choice for Treasury secretary. (More)

• Macy's reported better-than-expected third-quarter sales but delayed its full earnings release after finding that an employee deliberately hid up to $154 million in expenses over several years. (More)

• California Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to reinstate electric vehicle rebates if the Trump administration ends federal EV tax credits. Newsom's proposal would revive the state's Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, which ended in 2023. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• MLS conference finals have been set with the LA Galaxy taking on the Seattle Sounders and Orlando City vs the New York Red Bulls. Both games will be played on Saturday, Nov. 30. (More)

• The Blue Man Group will end its off-Broadway New York run in February 2025 after over 17,000 performances in 30+ years. Its Chicago run will also conclude on January 5, but the show will continue in Las Vegas, Boston, and Berlin. (More)

• Alyssa Naeher, the only goalkeeper with shutouts in both World Cup and Olympic finals, announced her retirement from international soccer. She will play her final matches with the USWNT in England on Saturday and the Netherlands on Dec. 3. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Rocket Lab set a launch turnaround record, completing two Electron missions within 24 hours. The launch operator conducted missions from both hemispheres, utilizing its pads in New Zealand and Virginia. (More)

• California has issued a recall on a batch of raw, unpasteurized milk sold in the state. Health officials found bird flu virus during testing, but no illness has been linked to the milk yet. (More)

• Thousands of Microsoft 365 users globally experienced problems with Outlook and Teams on Monday. Microsoft deployed a fix but said the restarts were taking longer than expected. (More)

Extra Credit

📖 “Demure” is Dictionary.com’s 2024 word of the year.

🌎️ Netherlands towers above all in the world’s top 20 tallest countries.

💰️ A coin from California’s gold rush era sold for $1.4M.

🏖️ Visit one of America’s 50 best beaches.