December 17, 2023 - Sunday

[WORLD] The death of Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah is mourned by countries in the Middle East and around the world.

Many Gulf countries have set aside a period of mourning for the death of Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. He passed away at the age of 86 after a three-year reign focused on resolving internal political disputes in the oil-rich nation. His half-brother, Crown Prince Sheikh Meshaal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, has been named the new emir. Condolences have been expressed by countries such as Bahrain and Jordan. Kuwait will observe a state mourning of 40 days, with public offices remaining closed for three days.

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[NATION] The mother of a 6-year-old child who shot his teacher in Virginia has been sentenced to two years in prison for child neglect.

Deja Taylor, the mother of the 6-year-old who shot his teacher in Newport News, Virginia, has been sentenced to two years in prison for felony child neglect. Her son had used her gun to critically wound the teacher, Abby Zwerner, in January. This is the second time Taylor has been sentenced for the classroom shooting. The sentencing is harsher than what was recommended by prosecutors and sentencing guidelines. Taylor had previously been sentenced to 21 months in federal charges.

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[BUSINESS] The Powerball jackpot has reached an estimated $535 million with a $257.6 million cash value.

The Powerball jackpot continues to grow, reaching an estimated $535 million with a cash value of $257.6 million. The latest winning numbers for Saturday's drawing were 3, 9, 10, 20, 62, and the Powerball was 25. The Powerball jackpot has been increasing since October, and with no winners in the recent drawings, it is expected to climb even higher. There have been five jackpot winners in 2023 already, with three of them being among the game's largest payouts.

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[TECHNOLOGY] Intel's Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" laptops with the Arc iGPU are delivering competitive gaming performance against AMD's RDNA 3 iGPU.

The reviews for Intel's new Core Ultra "Meteor Lake" laptops are positive, with the Arc iGPU performing well against AMD's RDNA 3 iGPU in gaming. This marks Intel's comeback in the integrated graphics space and challenges AMD's dominance. The Core Ultra processors promise improved power efficiency and performance, and Lenovo has already released AI-enabled laptops powered by these processors. The AI acceleration support provided by these laptops enhances productivity and creativity, signaling a new era in AI computing.

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[SPORTS] Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell defends decision to draft rookies Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs after their impressive performance against the Denver Broncos.

Following the Lions' 42-17 victory over the Broncos, Coach Dan Campbell praised Lions GM Brad Holmes for his decision to draft tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs, despite criticism from NFL Draft experts. LaPorta and Gibbs combined for five touchdowns in the game, a rarity for rookies from the same team. Campbell's comments serve as a response to those who questioned the Lions' draft strategy.

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[SCIENCE] Dazzling display of Northern Lights likely before Christmas due to increased solar activity and multiple coronal mass ejections.

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a Geomagnetic Storm Watch, warning of increased solar activity which could result in a display of the Northern Lights. Multiple coronal mass ejections from the Sun have been observed, sending plasma particles towards Earth. The event could reach a 6 on the Kp index scale, potentially causing dancing colors of green, red, and purple to be visible. Clouds and light pollution may interfere with viewing. Previously, events of this magnitude have been seen in various parts of the United States.

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[HEALTH] The CDC warns that hospitals may need to ration care if the surge in COVID and flu cases continues.

The CDC warns that hospitals may have to ration care if the surge of COVID-19 and flu cases continues. Seventeen states are currently experiencing high levels of respiratory illness activity, and COVID-19 hospitalizations have been increasing for five consecutive weeks. Hospitalization rates are highest among older and younger age groups. The CDC also highlights the rise in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and the growing influenza and RSV activity across the country.

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[ENTERTAINMENT] Timothee Chalamet's "Wonka" is predicted to open with a charming $38 million at the U.S. box office.

Timothee Chalamet's film "Wonka" has achieved an impressive opening day gross of $14.4 million and is expected to earn $37 million to $38 million in its North American debut. The film has received positive reviews from female viewers under 18 and under 25, giving it an A+ and an A respectively. The studio intentionally didn't market "Wonka" as a musical, as test-audience focus groups generally dislike musicals, but the film's success indicates strong interest in the genre.

No sources available.