Happy Saturday! Today’s edition is 696 words, a 3 minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Racist text attack

• Trump names first female chief of staff in history

• Free national park entry

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Today’s Big Story

Notre Dame Rings Again

Five years after a fire severely damaged Notre Dame Cathedral, its bells rang again on Friday morning.

• Eight bells from the northern belfry, which was partially destroyed in the fire, tolled for the first time since 2019. The ringing was part of a technical test before the cathedral’s reopening next month. Installing the bells alone took a year and a half. (Hear the bells here)

• Three new bells were also installed, including the largest one donated by the Paris 2024 Olympic Committee. Winning athletes rang it during the Olympic Games at the Stade de France. They will replace three that hung near the spire that collapsed during the fire.

• The 2019 fire devastated the cathedral, but French authorities and craftspeople are on track to complete its restoration within five years. Over 2,000 workers are involved in bringing it back to life. The reopening is scheduled for December 8.

Saturday’s Quick Hits

• Federal and state officials are investigating a wave of racist text messages sent to Black Americans across the country. The texts targeted students and adults in 14 states, including Alabama, New York, California, and Ohio. The messages addressed recipients by name and said they would be taken to a plantation to “pick cotton.“ (More)

• The Justice Department revealed a plot by an Iranian agent to kill Donald Trump. It charged an Afghan man, Farhad Shakeri, who is a known Iranian government asset. Shakeri said Iran’s Revolutionary Guard told him to set up a plan to surveil and eventually kill Trump. (More)

• New research shows that just five minutes of daily exercise can help lower blood pressure. The study used activity trackers and blood pressure monitors on over 14,000 people. Researchers recommend swapping sitting for small amounts of exercise, like cycling or walking up stairs. (More)

• President-elect Donald Trump has picked Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff, making her the first woman to hold the position. Wiles was Trump’s election campaign manager. “Susie is tough, smart, innovative, and is universally admired and respected. Susie will continue to work tirelessly to Make America Great Again,” Trump said in a statement. (More)

• Beyoncé made Grammy history on Friday, becoming the most-nominated artist ever with 99 career nods after receiving 11 for her new country album, Cowboy Carter. Other female artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift, and Chappell Roan also received nominations. Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us earned nominations for record and song of the year. (More)

• Tesla’s stock jumped over 9% on Friday, bringing its market value past $1 trillion. The stock rose about 27% this week after Donald Trump’s election win, as investors are hopeful the win could benefit Tesla. At Tuesday’s close, Tesla's market cap was around $807 billion, and its stock was up only 1% for the year. Now, it’s up about 29% for 2024. (More)

Weekly Dose of Positive

• More than 20 people in Kansas got their life savings back after a local bank lost the funds. The FBI recovered over $8 million, including money for kids’ college, retirement, eldercare, and family inheritances, by tracking down a cryptocurrency account in the Cayman Islands. (More)

• Tampa Bay Lighting owner Jeff Vinik recently sold his stake in the franchise and will give $20M in farewell bonuses to 300 full-time employees. Each worker will get an estimated $50,000. (More)

• Career Advance Colorado is offers free tuition at certain community colleges for high-demand fields like forestry, construction, teaching, early childhood education, firefighting, law enforcement, and nursing. (More)

• Retired business executive Helio da Silva created Tiquatira Linear Park in Sao Paolo by himself. Over 20 years, he planted more than 41,000 trees to turn an old, rundown area into a 3.2-kilometer-long green space between two busy roads. (More)

Extra Credit

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 How to be more present.

👅 Don’t lick cold metal objects this winter.

🏞️ National Parks are offering free entry on Veteran’s Day Nov. 11.

🏠️ Median home sale prices by US state.