Good Morning! Today’s edition is 905 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Trump pardons Honduran ex-president

• Poop speed

• Rage bait

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Big Stories

Tennessee Special Election

• Republican Matt Van Epps won Tennessee's 7th Congressional District special election Tuesday, but Democrats significantly narrowed the GOP margin in a district Trump carried by 22 points last year. Van Epps led by just 7.5 points with 93% counted, a major shift in the reliably conservative district.

• Republicans spent over $3.5 million defending the seat, with MAGA Inc. investing $1.7 million and Trump holding two rallies for Van Epps. Democrats spent nearly $2 million backing state Rep. Aftyn Behn.

• Both parties claimed victory. Republicans said voters "rejected the Democrats' entire radical platform." Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin called the narrowed margin "historic overperformance" and "a flashing warning sign for Republicans heading into the midterms."

Dell Family Funds Trump Accounts

• Tech billionaires Michael and Susan Dell will donate $6.25 billion to fund 25 million additional “Trump Accounts” for children who missed the eligibility window for the new federal program. Each account will receive $250 and primarily target kids aged 10 and under.

• The gift expands a major provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill, which gives $1,000 government-funded investment accounts to babies born from Jan. 1, 2025, through 2028, with parents allowed to contribute up to $5,000 annually. Nearly 80% of children aged 10 and under across most US ZIP codes are expected to qualify for the Dell-funded deposits, according to nonprofit Invest America.

• Trump Accounts are designed as long-term investment vehicles, restricted to low-cost index funds and convertible to IRAs at age 18. Financial planners say compound growth could turn maximum yearly contributions into roughly $191,000 by adulthood.

Former Honduran President Pardon

• Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was released from prison on Monday after President Trump pardoned him. Hernández was sentenced to 45 years in 2024 for taking bribes from drug traffickers to help move 400 tons of cocaine through Honduras to the United States.

• Trump called the conviction 'a Biden administration set-up' and said the people of Honduras thought Hernández was framed. However, the federal judge who sentenced him said trial evidence proved he used Honduras' police and military to protect the drug trade while portraying himself as an anti-drug crusader.

• Honduras' Attorney General said his office will seek justice, suggesting Hernández could face charges at home.

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Quick Stories

US News

• Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R) filed a petition to force a vote on banning Congress members from trading individual stocks, bypassing House leaders who've ignored the bipartisan bill with over 100 supporters. (More)

• San Francisco sued 10 food giants, including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, alleging they knowingly sold addictive ultraprocessed foods that cause obesity and diabetes, driving up the city's healthcare costs. (More)

• Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, shot near the White House, is improving after an attack that killed fellow National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom. (More)

World

• Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Putin to push a revised Ukraine peace plan, but recent Russian battlefield victories have strengthened Moscow's demands for Ukrainian territory and concessions. (More)

• India told phone makers to preload an undeletable government app for tracking stolen devices, but critics warn it could enable surveillance, while the telecom minister contradicted the order by calling it voluntary. (More)

• Five development banks assembled a $6.7 billion aid package for Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa caused $8.8 billion in damage, with $662 million in emergency funds released immediately and reconstruction loans following. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Tuesday (S&P +0.25%, Nasdaq +0.59%, Dow +0.39%). Stocks rose as bitcoin and tech gains helped traders recover from the previous day's losses. (More)

• Prada completed its $1.4 billion purchase of Versace, with Prada heir Lorenzo Bertelli taking over as chairman to boost the struggling brand's performance after disappointing sales. (More)

• Boeing's stock jumped 8% after executives said plane deliveries will rise next year, generating billions in cash flow while the company recovers from safety issues and years of losses. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• LSU coach Lane Kiffin is allowing assistant Charlie Weis Jr. to return to Ole Miss as offensive coordinator for the College Football Playoff after Weis initially followed Kiffin to LSU this week. (More)

• Erling Haaland became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals, scoring his milestone in just 111 games for Manchester City and breaking Alan Shearer's 30-year-old record of 124 games. (More)

• Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" won best film at the Gotham Awards, while Iranian director Jafar Panahi won three awards despite being sentenced to prison in his home country. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Research analyzing thousands of people found that poop speed dramatically changes gut bacteria, with slow transit linked to metabolic and inflammatory diseases, while affecting how treatments like probiotics work. (More)

• Scientists found tryptophan, a nutrient your brain uses to make serotonin, in samples from asteroid Bennu. It is the first time this fragile amino acid has been detected in space rocks. (More)

• Scientists found a way to recharge aging human cells by using tiny particles that trigger healthy cells to share their energy-producing mitochondria with damaged neighbors, potentially treating various diseases. (More)

Extra Credit

Twenty disturbing holiday cards.

The Krusty Krab is coming to Burger King.

A fugitive inmate ordered an Uber to escape from authorities.

“Rage bait” among 2025 words of the year.