Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,188 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• PTSD psychedelic therapy for veterans

• NBA Cup tips off tonight

• The benefits of “fart walks”

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Big Story

Haiti Gang Violence

Haiti’s main airport shut down after gangs shot at a Spirit Airlines flight attempting to land in Port-au-Prince.

• A flight attendant was injured, and the plane had to land in the Dominican Republic. The shooting is assumed to be part of gang efforts to disrupt travel. Major airlines, including Spirit, JetBlue, and American Airlines, suspended flights to and from Haiti.

• Gangs now control most of Port-au-Prince, according to the UN. An attempt by the UN and Kenyan police to curb the violence has been unsuccessful due to a lack of funds and personnel problems. Experts worry that continued gang control will lead to more violence, displacement, and hunger in Haiti.

• Meanwhile, Haiti swore in a new interim prime minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, who promised to bring peace and hold long-overdue elections. He replaced Garry Conille, who was dismissed by a council set up to restore order but now faces corruption accusations and infighting.

Big Story

Trump Adds to his Team

President-elect Trump has begun building out his administrative team.

• Trump says Tom Homan will serve as “border czar.” Homan was the acting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director during Trump’s last term. He was a former Border Patrol agent and has pledged to run “the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.”

• Context: Under Trump, Homan made fewer deportations than the directors during President Obama's terms. Homan averaged 299K annually, while Obama’s directors averaged 380K — the most in history. (See table 39 DHS records)

• He also picked attorney and former Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Trump said, “he will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will unleash the power of American businesses while maintaining the highest environmental standards.”

• Elise Stafanik will be the UN ambassador. She was elected to the House in 2014, the youngest woman ever to win a congressional seat. She is a strong supporter of Israel and led the questioning during congressional hearings over antisemitism at US campuses this year.

• Stephen Miller is a long-time immigration adviser to Donald Trump and will be the deputy chief of staff for policy. Miller influenced Trump's immigration policies during his first term and also played a major role in Trump's 2024 campaign.

Big Story

PTSD Psychedelic Therapy

Veterans are advocating for psychedelic therapy, like ecstasy and magic mushrooms, to help with PTSD.

• Many veterans struggle with mental health issues and seek alternative treatments as traditional therapies sometimes fall short. Psychedelics can alter the mind and help with PTSD symptoms but have been hard to research due to legal restrictions.

• The FDA initially fast-tracked research on an ecstasy-based PTSD treatment in 2017 but recently rejected it, citing safety concerns and trial issues. However, the VA began supporting psychedelic research this year, and Congress has pushed the Pentagon to study the therapies.

• Despite the FDA’s rejection, state-level support has grown. Oregon and Colorado now allow therapeutic use of psychedelic mushrooms.

• The company behind the rejected ecstasy-based therapy plans new trials, which could take a few years. The VA said it will consider funding them.

Quick Stories

U.S. News

• Harriet Tubman, the first woman in US history to lead an armed military operation, was posthumously promoted to brigadier general during a Veterans Day ceremony in Maryland. Governor Wes Moore honored Tubman at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park. Tubman led a Civil War mission that freed over 700 enslaved people. (More)

• An Indiana jury convicted Richard Allen in the murders of two teenage girls who disappeared while hiking in Delphi in 2017. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 20, and Allen could serve 130 years in prison. (More)

• A Disney Cruise Line ship helped the US Coast Guard rescue four people from a sinking catamaran 265 miles off Bermuda Sunday. The new ship was heading to Port Canaveral for its maiden voyage when it was diverted to help. (More)

World

• Italian judges have ordered the transfer of seven men from an Albanian immigration center to Italy. The order overrides an agreement between the governments of Italy and Albania, which requires asylum seekers to remain in Albania until Italy approves their claims. (More)

• Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu admitted for the first time that he greenlit the exploding pager operation that killed dozens of Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and Syria. (More)

• A Church of England bishop has urged Archbishop Justin Welby to resign after a report criticized his handling of child abuse claims against John Smyth. The report said Welby “could and should” have reported Smyth’s abuse in 2013, instead of waiting until 2018. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Monday (S&P +0.10%, Nasdaq +0.06%, Dow +0.69%). The Dow closed at a record high above 44,000 as stocks continued their post-election rally. (More)

• The US highway safety agency is investigating engine failure complaints affecting up to 1.4 million Honda and Acura vehicles, including the Honda Pilot, Odyssey, and Ridgeline, and the Acura MDX and TLX. (More)

• FTX is suing Binance, claiming $1.8 billion was “fraudulently transferred” to the rival firm in 2021 when FTX bought its stock back. FTX alleges its Alameda Research arm funded the buyback despite being insolvent and shouldn’t have been allowed to proceed with the purchase. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Tom Cruise is hanging off a plane again. The new trailer for “Mission: Impossible 8 — The Final Reckoning” just dropped, and the 62-year-old is still doing all his own stunts. It’s scheduled for release on May 23, 2025. (More)

• The 2024 NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament bracket was released Monday. The first round begins Nov. 16. See the complete 64-team bracket, schedule, and first-round matchups. (More)

• The NBA Cup in-season tournament tips off tonight. Every team will compete for a place in the knockout round in December. Last year, the Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural event. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• A malnourished emperor penguin was found on a beach in Denmark, Australia, about 2,200 miles north of its usual Antarctic home. It is the first recorded sighting of an emperor penguin in Australia. (More)

• Apple may end production of its pricey Vision Pro headset ($3,499) by year’s end due to low demand. Reports suggest Apple is pausing development of a Vision Pro 2 to focus on a more affordable version that could connect to an iPhone. (More)

• SpaceX launched 24 new Starlink satellites into orbit from Florida and successfully landed the Falcon 9 rocket at sea. About eight minutes after launch, the rocket's reusable first-stage booster landed on SpaceX's droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. (More)

Extra Credit

📷️ Check out these incredible photos of Jupiter from the Juno spacecraft.

🐒 25 monkeys recovered, 18 are still on the run.

⌛️ Study finds missed work deadlines lead to harsher judgment.

🚶 The science and benefit of “fart walks.”