In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> 2024 College Football Playoff begins tonight with No. 7 Notre Dame taking on No. 10 Indiana (8 pm ET, ABC/ESPN); see first-round schedule and predictions (More)

> Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto to depart after 28 years; Cavuto was with the cable news network since its inception in 1996 (More)

> Slim Dunlap, singer-songwriter and The Replacements guitarist, dies at 73 (More) | Megan Thee Stallion files petition for a restraining order against rapper Tory Lanez, alleging harassment by Lanez from prison; Lanez is serving a 10-year sentence for shooting Megan in 2020 (More)


Science & Technology
> Google releases test version of its reasoning AI model; company says it displays high-level comprehension of complex problems in math, physics, coding, and more (More)

> James Webb Space Telescope detects supermassive black hole dating to 800 million years after the start of the universe; object is 400 million times the size of the Sun but has become nearly dormant (More)

> Bioengineers develop bacteria that eat carbon dioxide, can convert the carbon from common chimney smoke into precursors for new chemical products (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.1%, Dow +0.0%, Nasdaq -0.1%); Dow narrowly ends longest losing streak in 50 years (More) | Chipmaker Micron shares close down 16% on weaker-than-expected guidance in steepest drop since March 2020 (More)

> US economy grew at 3.1% annualized pace in Q3, stronger than previously estimated (More) | US existing home sales rose 6.1% year-over-year in November, the biggest annual gain since 2021; median home price is $406K, up 4.7% from a year ago (More)

> Amazon workers strike across seven US delivery facilities over labor contract; locations include four in California and one each in New York, Georgia, and Illinois (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Georgia appeals court removes District Attorney Fani Willis from state's stalled 2020 election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump; court cites "appearance of impropriety" given Willis' romantic relationship with the special prosecutor (More) | See timeline of the case (More)

> Federal Aviation Administration temporarily bans use of low-flying drones in 21 New Jersey towns, including near power substations, military installations, and airports; order authorizes use of government force to shoot down drones and is in effect until Jan. 17 (More) | See previous write-up (More)

> Food and Drug Administration updates 30-year definition of "healthy" packaged foods; rule sets limit on the amount of sugar that can be included, requires one or more of the following: fruit, vegetables, grains, dairy, or protein (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS