MightyMeat

The stage is shrinking just weeks ahead of the first contests of 2024, as four of the Republican Party’s contenders gather soon in Alabama for their fourth presidential primary debate. The candidates set to take the stage Wednesday night are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Skipping, as he did the first three clashes, is former President Donald Trump, the dominant front-runner in national and early-state primary polling less than six weeks from Iowa’s January 15 caucuses. Here are four things to watch for in Wednesday night’s debate in Tuscaloosa, which starts at 8 p.m. ET on NewsNation: Race to be the Trump alternative continues: With Trump absent, the GOP primary debates have played out as a battle to become the party’s top alternative to the former president. That fight, polls show, is now primarily between DeSantis and Haley. Is Christie a roadblock or a helpful rival for Haley? Haley and Christie both served as Republican governors, leading South Carolina and New Jersey, as two of the party’s brightest stars long before Trump commandeered the GOP. As they stand together on the debate stage as rival presidential candidates on Wednesday night, the fresh dynamic of their relationship may offer important clues for the next chapter of the race. In the first three Republican debates this year, Christie and Haley have largely avoided any confrontations with each other, but is a collision coming in New Hampshire? General election landmines: Abortion has long loomed as a potential general election landmine for the GOP in this post-Roe world – a reality that explains Haley’s careful navigation of the issue, avoiding any commitments to enact a federal ban. But in recent days, another potential landmine has emerged: health care, the issue Democrats successfully rode to massive 2018 midterm election victories. Haley vs. Ramaswamy, part four: Ramaswamy, the bombastic entrepreneur, dominated the first debate with his frequent interjections and barbs aimed at onstage rivals – including a memorable exchange with Haley on foreign policy. That aggressiveness won Ramaswamy a short-lived bump in the polls. But longer term, it’s been Haley who emerged from that skirmish and others in the second and third debates on top.

FBI Director Christopher Wray delivered a full-throated defense of a powerful spy authority on Tuesday, invoking the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and warning lawmakers that a watered-down surveillance program could leave the agency paralyzed to respond to threats. “What could anybody possibly say to victims’ families if there was another attack that we could have prevented if we hadn’t given away the ability to effectively use a tool,” Wray told lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Because let’s not fool ourselves. That’s what’s at stake with the reauthorization,” he said. Wray escalated his rhetoric as Congress this week considers legislation that would add privacy protections for American information collected under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which expires at the end of the year. The House Judiciary Committee is set to consider a reauthorization bill Wednesday that would insert a warrant requirement when it comes to information on Americans, with certain exceptions. The House Intelligence Committee is scheduled to mark up its own reauthorization bill Thursday, which has not yet been released but is expected to have a different level of privacy provisions. Section 702 allows the U.S. government to collect digital communications of foreigners located outside the country. But the program also sweeps up the communications of Americans and allows the FBI to search through data without a warrant using information such as an email address. Wray’s testimony follows a letter to senators Monday from the Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that said Section 702 should not be allowed to lapse, and that a warrant requirement would “severely undercut” use of the authority to warn of terrorist attacks and malicious cyber activity.

The Israeli army announced that, since the beginning of the war on October 7, it has destroyed around 400 underground tunnels of the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Many tunnels were under hospitals, schools and homes, the Israeli armed forces announced today. The Gaza Strip has a population of approximately 2.2 million people. Some of the tunnels are reinforced with concrete and electrified. On average they are 2 meters high and 1 meter wide, but some are also large enough for vehicles. To withstand Israeli airstrikes, some are tens of meters deep. According to Israel, many entrances to these tunnels are in residential buildings or mosques. The Israeli military says it has discovered a Hamas tunnel on the site of Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest. The discovered well leads to a tunnel about 55 meters long and 10 meters deep, the military said at the weekend.

A man allegedly murdered his wife and made it look like a suicide. Matheau Moore, 51, stands trial in Delaware County, Ohio. Wife Emily Noble, 52, was last seen on her birthday: May 24, 2020. She was reported missing the next day. Her body turned up in tragic and grisly fashion the following Sept. 16. She was found hanging from a tree in a wooded area near her home. There was reportedly a 20-inch USB cord around her neck. There were multiple injuries to her head and neck. Authorities determined that this was homicide. Noble was so badly decomposed authorities had to use dental records to identify her. Prosecutors argue Moore killed her and staged the hanging. He faces charges of murder and felonious assault. Moore’s previous wife Lisa Pedersen told WBNS in a June 2021 report that he once choked her when she was pregnant with their first son. It was New Year’s Day 2001, she said. They had been married three months. “He came over, and he did, for some reason, he ended up, yeah, putting his hands around my neck,” she reportedly said. “And he started to choke me.” It was the only time he put a hand on her, and they kept in touch throughout the years, Pedersen said. Though they maintained contact, she noted that he, contrary to contemporaneous media reports, claimed to be participating in the search for Noble. “Once the details were made clear to me, I started to lean toward his guilt,” she said. Both of their sons are now dead, according to WBNS. One of the children reportedly died at 17 by hanging in a park the summer before Noble’s disappearance.

Hunter Biden sent his father, President Joe Biden, monthly payments from the bank account he used to receive money from Chinese business associates, newly released bank records show. House Oversight Committee James Comer shared a video Monday on Twitter revealing redacted bank records containing direct payments to Joe Biden from Hunter Biden’s Owasco P.C. bank account. (RELATED: ‘Coordinated Campaign’: Jim Jordan And James Comer Deliver Scathing Fact Check To Hunter Biden’s Attorney) “Today, the House Oversight Committee is releasing subpoenaed bank records that show Hunter Biden’s business entity, Owasco PC, made direct monthly payments to Joe Biden. This wasn’t a payment from Hunter Biden’s personal account but an account for his corporation that received payments from China and other shady corners of the world,” Comer says in the video. The payments appear to have taken place beginning in September 2018, the bank records show. “Payments from Hunter’s business entity to Joe Biden are now part of a pattern revealing Joe Biden knew about, participated in and benefited from his family’s influence peddling schemes.”

The French in Michigan and their presence in the upper Great Lakes region from 1534 to 1760 saw several critical milestones in the area’s exploration, fur trade, and military conquest. The French were drawn to the region by the abundant natural resources, including the vast fur-bearing animal populations, and sought to establish a dominant presence there. The first significant milestone was the arrival of Jacques Cartier in 1534, who explored the St. Lawrence River and claimed the area for France. This was followed by establishing French trading posts and settlements along the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes, including the creation of Fort de Buade in 1654 near present-day St. Ignace, Michigan. The French also made significant efforts to explore the region, including the expeditions of French missionaries such as Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Hennepin. These explorers helped increase knowledge of the region’s geography, flora, and fauna and established meaningful relationships with Native American tribes, including the Huron, Ottawa, and Ojibwe. However, the French presence in the region was not without conflict. The competition for control of the fur trade and territory between the French and the British was a significant factor in the military conflicts throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, including the Seven Years’ War. Despite the efforts of the French military, the Articles of Capitulation in 1760 saw the surrender of French forts in the region, including Fort Michilimackinac, to the British. The French first stepped foot in what is now Michigan at Sault Ste. Marie in 1668. French explorer Father Jacques Marquette and fur trader Louis Jolliet arrived in the area as part of their expedition to explore the Mississippi River and establish a French presence in the region. Sault Ste. Marie became a center of the fur trade in the Great Lakes region and a hub for French exploration and settlement in the area. René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was a French explorer and fur trader who played a significant role in the exploration and colonization of North America in the late 17th century. He is best known for expediting the Great Lakes region and the Mississippi River Valley. La Salle’s first expedition was in 1669 when he led an exploratory mission to the Great Lakes region. During this expedition, La Salle claimed the region for France and named it “La Louisiane.” He also discovered the Mississippi River and sailed to the Gulf of Mexico, opening up the region for further exploration and settlement. In 1679, La Salle led another expedition to establish a French settlement at the mouth of the Mississippi River. He founded the settlement of Fort Saint Louis, which was the first European settlement in the Mississippi River Valley. However, the settlement was short-lived, and La Salle was killed by one of his own men in 1687. Despite his untimely death, La Salle’s expeditions and discoveries had a major impact on the exploration and colonization of North America.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Commercial ships came under attack Sunday by drones and missiles in the Red Sea and a U.S. warship there opened fire in self-defense as part of an hourslong assault claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officials said. The attack potentially marked a major escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Mideast linked to the Israel-Hamas war as multiple vessels found themselves in the crosshairs of a single Houthi assault for the first time in the conflict. “We’re aware of reports regarding attacks on the USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available,” the Defense Department told The Associated Press. The Carney is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer that’s already shot down multiple rockets the Houthis have fired toward Israel so far in the war. It wasn’t damaged in the attack and no injuries were reported on board, said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss early details of a military operation.

Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the Moon and is one of the most iconic events in the history of space exploration. Here are some key facts about the Apollo 11 mission: Mission Objectives: Apollo 11 was launched by NASA on July 16, 1969, with the primary objective of landing astronauts on the Moon and returning them safely to Earth. The mission aimed to demonstrate the capabilities required for lunar exploration. Crew: The Apollo 11 crew consisted of three astronauts: Neil Armstrong: Mission Commander Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin: Lunar Module Pilot Michael Collins: Command Module Pilot Lunar Module: The Lunar Module, named "Eagle," separated from the Command Module in lunar orbit. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended to the lunar surface in the Lunar Module while Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit. Lunar Landing: On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin piloted the Lunar Module to a successful landing on the Moon's surface in the region known as the Sea of Tranquility. First Steps on the Moon: On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon. He famously declared, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Activities on the Moon: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin conducted various experiments, collected samples of lunar soil and rocks, and planted the American flag on the Moon's surface. They spent about two and a half hours outside the Lunar Module. Return to Earth: After spending approximately 21 hours on the lunar surface, the Lunar Module's ascent stage rejoined the Command Module in lunar orbit. The astronauts then began their journey back to Earth. Splashdown: Apollo 11 successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969. The crew was recovered by the USS Hornet. Historic Achievement: Apollo 11 was a historic achievement and a major milestone in the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union. It demonstrated American technological prowess and fulfilled President John F. Kennedy's goal of landing a man on the Moon before the end of the decade. Scientific Contributions: The mission brought back valuable scientific data, including lunar rock and soil samples, which provided insights into the Moon's history and the solar system's formation. Apollo 11's success marked the beginning of a series of lunar missions and was a significant moment in human history. It remains an iconic event, with Neil Armstrong's first step on the Moon being one of the most memorable moments in the 20th century.

The uncrewed Roscosmos ISS Progress 86 cargo spacecraft launched to the International Space Station from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Dec. 1 on a Soyuz booster rocket. Progress is filled with almost three tons of supplies and cargo and docked to the Poisk module after a two-orbit rendezvous. The resupply spacecraft will remain docked to the space station for approximately six-months. SpaceX is targeting Friday, December 1 at 10:19 a.m. PT for a Falcon 9 launch of the Korea 425 mission to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about 15 minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live. There are a total of 25 spacecraft on board this mission, including KOREA's 425, Space BD’s ISL48, SITAEL’s microHETSat, D-Orbit’s ION SCV Daring Diego, York Space Systems’ Bane, and PlanetIQ’s GNOMES-4. This is the 17th flight of the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-1, Crew-2, SXM-8, CRS-23, IXPE, Transporter-4, Transporter-5, Globalstar FM15, ISI EROS C-3, and seven Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

On Wednesday, a U.S. military aircraft carrying six individuals crashed into the ocean in western Japan, resulting in the death of at least one crew member. The condition of at least two others rescued from the waters remains unclear. Japan’s coast guard reported discovering what appeared to be wreckage from the tilt-rotor V-22 Osprey and confirmed one fatality approximately 2 miles from Yakushima island. Local fishing boats in the area located three individuals in the waters nearby, with their conditions yet to be determined, according to a representative from a local fisheries cooperative. Simultaneously, another Osprey from the incident landed safely at the island’s airport on Wednesday afternoon.

The tech billionaire Elon Musk has come to define innovation, but he can also be a lightning rod for controversy; he recently endorsed antisemitic remarks on X, formerly known as Twitter, which prompted companies to pull their advertising. In his interview, Musk discusses his emotional state and why he has “no problem being hated.”

Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearing on gun violence crisis

The Israeli army announced that, since the beginning of the war on October 7, it has destroyed around 400 underground tunnels of the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Many tunnels were under hospitals, schools and homes, the Israeli armed forces announced today. The Gaza Strip has a population of approximately 2.2 million people. Some of the tunnels are reinforced with concrete and electrified. On average they are 2 meters high and 1 meter wide, but some are also large enough for vehicles. To withstand Israeli airstrikes, some are tens of meters deep. According to Israel, many entrances to these tunnels are in residential buildings or mosques. The Israeli military says it has discovered a Hamas tunnel on the site of Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest. The discovered well leads to a tunnel about 55 meters long and 10 meters deep, the military said at the weekend.

Moscow: The analysis of some of the photos and images of the U.S. astronauts landing on the Moon using neural networks showed they are fake, Vladimir Putin was told at “Artificial Intelligence World Tour" in Moscow, and the Russian President found it interesting. The video of the analysis result and conversation of the Russian President with the Data Research Department of Sberbank, Nikolai Gerasimhen, at the Moscow AI event is now viral. “It (neural networks) thinks almost everything in this photo is fake”, Gerasimhen is heard explaining to Putin in the video shared by the Russian news agency, Sputnik, which is now being widely shared on different social media platforms. At the same time the AI analysis did not find any fault with the photos captured by Chinese lunar rover. “Meanwhile it (the AI analysis) raises no particular questions about this photo taken by a Chinese lunar rover”, Putin is told. China's unmanned lunar mission named Chang’e is a series of lunar probes launched by the China National Space Administration starting with the launch of Chang’e 1 in October 2007. “It believes this one is fake?” Putin is seen in the video first touching the wing of his nose and then asking after a brief pause while pointing at the Apollo 11 images displayed on a screen. “Yes. Look this is red", Putin was told. Sberbank President German Gref who is seen accompanying Putin in the video then said, "This is what Google’s neural network thinks, not our analysis. So there will be no bias." Google is the American Tech and IT giant. “It’s surprising, but it does believe so. The neural network has analysed a lot of data including light and dark contrast, etc and then it believes the photo is synthetic”, Gerasimhen explained to Putin further at the Moscow World IT event. “Very interesting”, the Russian President shook his head and said. US, NASA yet to comment Neither the United States nor its space agency NASA have so far commented on the video. The United States had on July 20, 1969 announced the success of its Apollo 11 Moon Mission, declaring Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin are the first to land on the lunar surface. Since their launch, various AI tools have shown “wrong” results and “false and misleading information” during analysis. This is not the first time when questions are raised about the success of the US Moon Mission. In May this year, Elon Musk, American spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX founder and CEO of popular social media platform X, sparked a debate by his tweet about the US Moon Landing. “They simulated the moon landing with a computer" Musk wrote, tagging a picture of CGI technology from the last century but without directly mentioning the US Apollo Moon Mission.

A man allegedly murdered his wife and made it look like a suicide. Matheau Moore, 51, stands trial in Delaware County, Ohio. Wife Emily Noble, 52, was last seen on her birthday: May 24, 2020. She was reported missing the next day. Her body turned up in tragic and grisly fashion the following Sept. 16. She was found hanging from a tree in a wooded area near her home. There was reportedly a 20-inch USB cord around her neck. There were multiple injuries to her head and neck. Authorities determined that this was homicide. Noble was so badly decomposed authorities had to use dental records to identify her. Prosecutors argue Moore killed her and staged the hanging. He faces charges of murder and felonious assault. Moore’s previous wife Lisa Pedersen told WBNS in a June 2021 report that he once choked her when she was pregnant with their first son. It was New Year’s Day 2001, she said. They had been married three months. “He came over, and he did, for some reason, he ended up, yeah, putting his hands around my neck,” she reportedly said. “And he started to choke me.” It was the only time he put a hand on her, and they kept in touch throughout the years, Pedersen said. Though they maintained contact, she noted that he, contrary to contemporaneous media reports, claimed to be participating in the search for Noble. “Once the details were made clear to me, I started to lean toward his guilt,” she said. Both of their sons are now dead, according to WBNS. One of the children reportedly died at 17 by hanging in a park the summer before Noble’s disappearance.

The French in Michigan and their presence in the upper Great Lakes region from 1534 to 1760 saw several critical milestones in the area’s exploration, fur trade, and military conquest. The French were drawn to the region by the abundant natural resources, including the vast fur-bearing animal populations, and sought to establish a dominant presence there. The first significant milestone was the arrival of Jacques Cartier in 1534, who explored the St. Lawrence River and claimed the area for France. This was followed by establishing French trading posts and settlements along the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes, including the creation of Fort de Buade in 1654 near present-day St. Ignace, Michigan. The French also made significant efforts to explore the region, including the expeditions of French missionaries such as Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Hennepin. These explorers helped increase knowledge of the region’s geography, flora, and fauna and established meaningful relationships with Native American tribes, including the Huron, Ottawa, and Ojibwe. However, the French presence in the region was not without conflict. The competition for control of the fur trade and territory between the French and the British was a significant factor in the military conflicts throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, including the Seven Years’ War. Despite the efforts of the French military, the Articles of Capitulation in 1760 saw the surrender of French forts in the region, including Fort Michilimackinac, to the British. The French first stepped foot in what is now Michigan at Sault Ste. Marie in 1668. French explorer Father Jacques Marquette and fur trader Louis Jolliet arrived in the area as part of their expedition to explore the Mississippi River and establish a French presence in the region. Sault Ste. Marie became a center of the fur trade in the Great Lakes region and a hub for French exploration and settlement in the area. René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was a French explorer and fur trader who played a significant role in the exploration and colonization of North America in the late 17th century. He is best known for expediting the Great Lakes region and the Mississippi River Valley. La Salle’s first expedition was in 1669 when he led an exploratory mission to the Great Lakes region. During this expedition, La Salle claimed the region for France and named it “La Louisiane.” He also discovered the Mississippi River and sailed to the Gulf of Mexico, opening up the region for further exploration and settlement. In 1679, La Salle led another expedition to establish a French settlement at the mouth of the Mississippi River. He founded the settlement of Fort Saint Louis, which was the first European settlement in the Mississippi River Valley. However, the settlement was short-lived, and La Salle was killed by one of his own men in 1687. Despite his untimely death, La Salle’s expeditions and discoveries had a major impact on the exploration and colonization of North America.

Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the Moon and is one of the most iconic events in the history of space exploration. Here are some key facts about the Apollo 11 mission: Mission Objectives: Apollo 11 was launched by NASA on July 16, 1969, with the primary objective of landing astronauts on the Moon and returning them safely to Earth. The mission aimed to demonstrate the capabilities required for lunar exploration. Crew: The Apollo 11 crew consisted of three astronauts: Neil Armstrong: Mission Commander Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin: Lunar Module Pilot Michael Collins: Command Module Pilot Lunar Module: The Lunar Module, named "Eagle," separated from the Command Module in lunar orbit. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended to the lunar surface in the Lunar Module while Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit. Lunar Landing: On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin piloted the Lunar Module to a successful landing on the Moon's surface in the region known as the Sea of Tranquility. First Steps on the Moon: On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon. He famously declared, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Activities on the Moon: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin conducted various experiments, collected samples of lunar soil and rocks, and planted the American flag on the Moon's surface. They spent about two and a half hours outside the Lunar Module. Return to Earth: After spending approximately 21 hours on the lunar surface, the Lunar Module's ascent stage rejoined the Command Module in lunar orbit. The astronauts then began their journey back to Earth. Splashdown: Apollo 11 successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969. The crew was recovered by the USS Hornet. Historic Achievement: Apollo 11 was a historic achievement and a major milestone in the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union. It demonstrated American technological prowess and fulfilled President John F. Kennedy's goal of landing a man on the Moon before the end of the decade. Scientific Contributions: The mission brought back valuable scientific data, including lunar rock and soil samples, which provided insights into the Moon's history and the solar system's formation. Apollo 11's success marked the beginning of a series of lunar missions and was a significant moment in human history. It remains an iconic event, with Neil Armstrong's first step on the Moon being one of the most memorable moments in the 20th century.

At approximately 21:00 local time on Monday, November 20, 2023, a destructive landslide, produced by intense rainfall, occurred roughly 18 km (11 miles) outside Wrangell, Alaska, on the Zimovia Highway. This event resulted in the deaths of at least three individuals, including a child, with three more reported missing. Active rescue efforts continue in the face of the landslide, which extended over approximately 152 meters (500 feet), destroying three homes and prompting urgent evacuations in the area. Following the landslide, Alaska State Troopers and local search teams launched a comprehensive rescue operation but concerns about the safety of the rescuers and the unstable conditions led to a temporary suspension of the search efforts. However, these efforts were soon resumed. On Tuesday, amidst the ongoing search, a woman was found alive and immediately transported to a hospital. The same day, two adult casualties were discovered by a drone operator and subsequently recovered from the debris. As of Tuesday night (local time), the focused search for two children and one adult remains underway, with teams, including canine units, combing through the debris, steadfast in their mission to find the missing. The landslide has prompted a significant response from local and state authorities. Wrangell Borough Manager Mason Villarma reported that 20 to 30 people were evacuated or asked to leave the area for their safety. Accommodations for those displaced were arranged at the Stikine Inn and Sourdough Lodge. In response to the disaster’s scale, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy declared a state of emergency in Wrangell. The Department of Public Safety has advised against entering the slide area, emphasizing the ongoing risk of additional landslides. The Zimovia Highway has been closed from the 6-Mile marker onward, affecting local access and leaving the community beyond the landslide cut-off. There is currently no timeline for when these residents may return to their homes. The landslide also disrupted power supply, leaving approximately 75 homes without electricity between the 9 Mile marker and the end of Wrangell’s highway system. Wrangell Public Schools have been closed, but Evergreen Elementary School will offer support services.

The FBI is investigating a vehicle explosion that occurred Wednesday at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing between the U.S. and Canada. The vehicle was heading from the U.S. to Canada and was going in the direction of the border officer building, sources told Fox News' Alexis McAdams. All bridges were closed in the area, and all government buildings were evacuated, according to sources. Sources tell Fox News' Alexis McAdams that the incident was being treated as a possible attack. Fox News' Alexis McAdams was told by sources that the explosion was so big and fierce, that authorities first thought it was a terrorist attack.

Elon Musk on Monday made good on his promise to sue Media Matters, filing a federal lawsuit that accuses the left-leaning watchdog group and one of its reporters of doctoring images in an article that showed ads for major corporations next to posts depicting hate speech on X, Musk’s social media platform formerly known as Twitter. In a complaint filed in a Texas federal court, lawyers for X argued that Media Matters “knowingly and maliciously manufactured side-by-side images depicting advertisers’ posts” on X. The lawsuit alleges that the images and the media promotion of that research were done with the intention “to drive advertisers from the platform and destroy” X, citing “a blatant smear campaign” against the company over the last year. Musk’s lawsuit is the latest of his battles with regulators, advocates and advertisers, which have pointed to a rise in hate speech on the platform since he bought it last October and hollowed out its content moderation staff. The tech billionaire also sued the Center for Countering Digital Hate in August after it reported a rise in hate speech on the platform. Musk also threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League a month later amid an ad slump for which he placed blamed on the group’s “pressure on advertisers.” The lawsuit on Monday comes as Musk and X, facing specific allegations that they endorsed and promoted antisemitic content on the platform, try to quell a recent exodus of advertisers. The complaint contends that an internal investigation found that Media Matters used accounts for its research that bypassed “X’s ad filter for new users” and followed only accounts “known to produce extreme, fringe content” and “accounts owned by X’s big-name advertisers.” The complaint further alleges that Media Matters “resorted to endlessly scrolling and refreshing its unrepresentative, hand-selected feed … until it finally received pages containing the result it wanted: controversial content next to X’s largest advertisers’ paid posts.” Shortly after Musk filed his lawsuit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has in the past aligned himself with the tech mogul, announced that his office would open a probe into “potential fraudulent activity” by Media Matters. In a statement after the lawsuit, Carusone said that “this is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully X’s critics into silence. Media Matters stands behind its reporting and looks forward to winning in court.” Musk — the richest person in the world and the owner of Tesla and SpaceX — pledged over the weekend to file a “thermonuclear lawsuit” against Media Matters, a self-described “progressive research and information center” that says it monitors “conservative disinformation,” in response to the advertising boycott on X. Media Matters published a report last week alleging that X had run ads for major companies next to neo-Nazi posts, prompting companies like Apple, IBM and Disney to pull advertising from the site. That research challenged earlier claims from X CEO Linda Yaccarino, who had said that brands are now “protected from the risk of being next to” potentially toxic content on the platform. The battle with Media Matters also comes as Musk — the owner of Tesla and SpaceX, who bought Twitter last year and then rebranded it — has come under fire for what some have characterized as tolerating and, at times, encouraging antisemitism on the social media platform. Musk himself appeared to express his support for an antisemitic tweet as “the actual truth” of what Jewish people were doing amid Israel’s war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The White House starkly condemned the post, and the tweet has been seen as a precipitating factor in the advertising exodus the company has experienced over the last few days.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Communications Commission has enacted new rules intended to eliminate discrimination in access to internet services, a move which regulators are calling the first major U.S. digital civil rights policy. The rules package, which the commission ratified on Wednesday, would empower the agency to review and investigate instances of discrimination by broadband providers to different communities based on income, race, ethnicity and other protected classes. The order also provides a framework for the FCC to crack down a range of digital inequities including the disparities in the investment of services for different neighborhoods, as well as the “digital divide,” a term experts use to describe the complete lack of internet access many communities experience due to regional or socioeconomic inequality. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that Congress required the agency to adopt rules addressing digital discrimination, through bipartisan infrastructure legislation passed at the start of the Biden administration.

The second flight test of a fully integrated Starship is set to launch Friday, November 17. A two-hour launch window opens at 7:00 a.m. CT. A live webcast of the flight test will begin about 35 minutes before liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to stay tuned to our X account for updates. Starship’s first flight test provided numerous lessons learned that directly contributed to several upgrades to both the vehicle and ground infrastructure to improve the probability of success on future flights. The second flight test will debut a hot-stage separation system and a new electronic Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system for Super Heavy Raptor engines, in addition to reinforcements to the pad foundation and a water-cooled steel flame deflector, among many other enhancements. This rapid iterative development approach has been the basis for all of SpaceX’s major innovative advancements, including Falcon, Dragon, and Starlink. Recursive improvement is essential as we work to build a fully reusable transportation system capable of carrying both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, help humanity return to the Moon, and ultimately travel to Mars and beyond.

On Sunday, an Alaska Airlines flight made an unexpected diversion to Portland International Airport in Oregon following an incident involving an off-duty Alaska pilot attempting to interfere with the aircraft’s engines, officials said. Horizon Air was responsible for the operation of Alaska Airlines Flight 2059, which was en route from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco before being diverted and landing safely. It’s worth noting that pilots frequently utilize jump seats in the cockpit for their commuting needs. According to Alaska Airlines, “The jump seat occupant unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines. The Horizon Captain and First Officer quickly responded, engine power was not lost, and the crew secured the aircraft without incident.” A recorded communication from LiveATC seemed to suggest that one of the flight’s pilots reported the individual’s attempt to shut down the engines. The recording stated, “We’ve got the guy who tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit and he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue in the back now. Other than that we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked.” The flight’s pilot successfully landed the plane in Portland without any reported injuries, as confirmed by Kieran Ramsey, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Portland. Ramsey assured the traveling public that there was no ongoing threat related to this incident. The off-duty pilot involved, 44-year-old Joseph David Emerson, is now in custody and faces charges including 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and endangering an aircraft, according to records from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office. The pilots’ union refrained from immediate comment on the situation.

Destruction of depleted uranium ammunition, which the West supplied to Ukraine, has led to the appearance of a radioactive cloud, already moving towards Europe.

A man allegedly murdered his wife and made it look like a suicide. Matheau Moore, 51, stands trial in Delaware County, Ohio. Wife Emily Noble, 52, was last seen on her birthday: May 24, 2020. She was reported missing the next day. Her body turned up in tragic and grisly fashion the following Sept. 16. She was found hanging from a tree in a wooded area near her home. There was reportedly a 20-inch USB cord around her neck. There were multiple injuries to her head and neck. Authorities determined that this was homicide. Noble was so badly decomposed authorities had to use dental records to identify her. Prosecutors argue Moore killed her and staged the hanging. He faces charges of murder and felonious assault. Moore’s previous wife Lisa Pedersen told WBNS in a June 2021 report that he once choked her when she was pregnant with their first son. It was New Year’s Day 2001, she said. They had been married three months. “He came over, and he did, for some reason, he ended up, yeah, putting his hands around my neck,” she reportedly said. “And he started to choke me.” It was the only time he put a hand on her, and they kept in touch throughout the years, Pedersen said. Though they maintained contact, she noted that he, contrary to contemporaneous media reports, claimed to be participating in the search for Noble. “Once the details were made clear to me, I started to lean toward his guilt,” she said. Both of their sons are now dead, according to WBNS. One of the children reportedly died at 17 by hanging in a park the summer before Noble’s disappearance.