Good morning! The weekend edition is 688 words, a 3 minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• LA fires continue to burn

• Retired police dog saves missing person

• Ranking Canada as the 51st state

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Today’s Big Story

Trump Hush Money Sentencing

President-elect Donald Trump received no punishment in his hush money case, allowing him to take office for a second term without facing jail time or fines.

• Manhattan judge Juan M. Merchan chose a rare "no-penalty sentence" to respect Trump's upcoming presidential legal protections, though Trump is now the first president with a felony conviction. He appeared virtually for the sentencing.

• The case stemmed from allegations that Trump falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign. Daniels alleged a past affair with Trump, which he denies.

• Other criminal cases against Trump have either stalled or been dismissed. Federal investigations into classified documents and election interference have ended, and the state-level Georgia election interference case remains uncertain.

• Trump continues to dismiss the allegations and plans to appeal, calling the legal challenges politically motivated.

Saturday’s Quick Hits

• Ohio State will face Notre Dame for the national title after defeating Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl. The Buckeyes' defense shined, with Jack Sawyer forcing and recovering a fumble late in the fourth quarter. Sawyer ran it 83 yards for a touchdown, sealing the win. (More)

• The Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles have killed at least 10 people, and damaged or destroyed over 9,000 buildings. The Palisades fire affected 5,300 structures and the Eaton Fire took another 4,000 to 5,000. These estimates, based on aerial infrared technology, are preliminary but could make this one of the most destructive fire events in the city's history. (More)

• Edgar Maddison Welch, known for the 2016 "Pizzagate" conspiracy attack on a Washington, D.C., pizza restaurant, died after being shot by police in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Police say Welch pulled a gun during a traffic stop, prompting officers to fire. Welch had gained notoriety for storming Comet Ping Pong with an assault rifle, believing false claims that it housed a pedophile ring. (More)

• Actor Alec Baldwin has filed a lawsuit in Santa Fe, alleging malicious prosecution, civil rights violations, and defamation in the case of the fatal 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the "Rust" film set. This follows the dismissal of involuntary manslaughter charges against him earlier this year. The suit claims evidence was mishandled intentionally by prosecutors and investigators. (More)

• Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a third term amid controversies surrounding the disputed July election. While Venezuela's electoral authority declared him the winner, final counts remain unpublished. The outgoing Biden administration increased the reward for Maduro's capture on drug trafficking charges to $25 million. (More)

• A major winter storm caused over 3,000 flight cancellations and 4,000 delays across the Southern US on Friday. At Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, a Delta Air Lines Boeing 757-300 stopped takeoff due to an engine issue. Passengers were evacuated via emergency slides, with four reporting minor injuries. (More)

Weekly Dose of Positive

• Actress Kristen Bell donated $100,000 to help people pay off medical bills, partnering with influencer Quentin Quarantino. Bell’s donations included $20,932 for a third grader battling leukemia and $24,182 for another leukemia patient. (More)

• A suburban lot in Adelaide, Australia, has been transformed into a village of ten tiny homes to support young people transitioning out of the child and family protection system. (More)

• A retired UK police dog, Bear, saved a missing person during a walk. Bear was rehabilitating after tumor surgery when he led his owners into deep brush, where he found the fallen man. (More)

• After three rounds of chemotherapy, 2-year-old George became the youngest patient treated with experimental nanoknife technology. The method uses electrical currents to target and neutralize tumor sections. George was recently declared cancer-free. (More)

Extra Credit

🦎 Florida residents put on notice about falling iguanas.

🧠 Why your brain deletes your childhood memories.

🤖 Your next robot vacuum could have arms and legs.

🇨🇦 How Canada would rank as the 51st US state.