Good Morning! Today’s edition is 902 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Researchers may have found the cause of lupus

• New IRA rules

• Northern lights seen across the US

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Big Stories

Mexico Takes Action Against Sexual Abuse

• After President Claudia Sheinbaum was groped in public by a man in Mexico City, outrage over the incident pushed her administration to unveil a sweeping plan to combat sexual abuse nationwide.

• The proposal, led by Women’s Secretary Citlalli Hernández, includes mandating prison time for sexual assault in all 32 states, training officials, and launching awareness campaigns in schools, workplaces, and public spaces. “There is a president who protects you,” Hernández told women nationwide.

• Mexico has a deep-rooted gender violence crisis. Seven in 10 women have experienced abuse, and more than 25,000 cases of sexual harassment were reported this year. On average, 10 women are killed every day, often in gender-motivated attacks known as femicides.

Lupus Study

• A Science Translational Medicine study found that Epstein-Barr, a virus carried by roughly 95% of people, may cause lupus by reprogramming immune cells to attack the body’s own tissue. Researchers say the discovery could finally explain the disease’s origins after decades of uncertainty.

• The study found that lupus patients have 25 times more Epstein-Barr–infected B cells than healthy people. The virus appears to cause these cells to produce antinuclear antibodies that target the body’s own cells, triggering inflammation, fatigue, and organ damage.

• The finding opens paths for drugs that target infected B cells, and adds urgency to developing an Epstein-Barr vaccine, which could prevent lupus and other autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis.

Toxic Gas Leak

• A leaking tanker truck spewing anhydrous ammonia forced mass evacuations overnight in Weatherford, Oklahoma (pop. 12,000), after fumes spread from a hotel parking lot. About 30 people were hospitalized, including four in critical condition.

• Hazmat teams and the National Guard went door-to-door in gas masks and told people to move to shelters or stay inside. Schools closed, and nursing homes were evacuated. Officials said the leak likely stemmed from a faulty valve or seal on the parked truck.

• Air quality is improving, though cleanup could take days. Anhydrous ammonia, a toxic farm fertilizer, can cause severe burns and respiratory distress. Similar ammonia leaks happened in Mississippi last week and in Illinois in 2022, which killed five.

Quick Stories

US News

• The DOJ is suing California’s Governor Newsom for redrawing congressional districts before the 2026 elections, claiming the state used race to favor Hispanic voters through illegal gerrymandering. (More)

• Congress passed a bill ending the record shutdown but slipped in a ban on THC products like hemp seltzers, reversing their 2018 legalization despite Senator Rand Paul's protest. (More)

• Oklahoma's governor stopped Tremane Wood's execution Thursday, giving him life without parole instead, matching what his brother got for the same 2001 murder. (More)

World

• France marked 10 years since ISIS attacks killed 132 people at Paris cafés, a concert hall, and a stadium. (More)

• Libyan officials smuggled $20 billion worth of cheap government fuel abroad for private profit between 2022 and 2024, with some fueling Sudan's civil war, a new report found. (More)

• Germany settled a heated debate by requiring young men to register for military service in 2026, but keeping it voluntary unless not enough people sign up. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed lower on Thursday (S&P -1.66%, Nasdaq -2.29%, Dow -1.65%). More tech stock sell-offs drove the market down, while investors turned more pessimistic about the interest rate outlook. (More)

• US foreclosures rose 19 percent from last October, marking eight straight months of increases, though they remain well below historic averages. (More)

• The IRS raised Roth IRA contribution limits to $7,500 for 2026, up from $7,000, and increased income thresholds, with single filers now able to contribute up to $168,000 and married couples up to $252,000. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Major League Soccer will shift to a summer-to-spring season starting in 2027, aligning with international leagues to improve global competitiveness and transfer market access. (More)

• Shohei Ohtani won his fourth MVP award Thursday, becoming the first player to win unanimously four times and joining Barry Bonds as the only players with more than three MVPs in baseball history. Aaron Judge won the MVP in the American League. (More)

• Baylor athletic director and College Football Playoff chairman Mack Rhoades left both roles after the school received allegations against him Monday that don't involve students or NCAA rules. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• People over 70 who listen to music often cut their dementia risk by 39 percent, while instrument players saw a 35 percent drop, a study of 11,000 Australians found. (More)

• A review of 154 studies found that venting anger doesn't help and can make you angrier, while calming down through deep breathing or yoga actually works better than exercise. (More)

• Russia's first humanoid robot, AIdol, face-planted onstage and broke into pieces during its debut this week while Rocky music played. (More)

Extra Credit

Alligator rescue in Boston.

The best cities to visit for Thanksgiving.

See photos of the northern lights dazzling across America.

Why Europe’s winters are milder than in the US.