The TSA is ramping up security at airports across the country after admitting to multiple protocol lapses that allowed a man to get through a checkpoint with two box cutters.  The move comes as passengers are expected to flood airports ahead of Thanksgiving in 10 days.   

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  After projected wins in close contests in Nevada and Arizona over the weekend, Democrats will retain their majority in the Senate for the next two years.  Retaining control of the Senate is a huge boost for President Joe Biden and opens a clear path for Senate Democrats to reject bills passed by the House — meaning they can set their own agenda.  However, control of the House is still up for grabs as Republicans appear to be closing in on the 218 seats that would give them a majority.  Those results could take several more days as election workers continue to count votes in key races that have yet to be declared.   

  Three people were killed and two others were wounded in a shooting on the University of Virginia’s main campus in Charlottesville on Sunday.  The campus was placed on lockdown and the suspect — identified as a student at the school — remains at large, university president Jim Ryan said in a statement today.  Authorities said multiple police departments are actively searching for the suspect, who is listed on the university’s athletics website as a 2018 football player. University officials urged everyone on campus to seek security immediately.  “We’ve all received multiple shelter-in-place texts and it’s scary,” UVA Vice President Robin Hadley said in an email to the UVA student body, adding that the situation remains active.   

  A pair of vintage military planes collided mid-air at the Wings Over Dallas air show on Saturday, killing six on board.  In video footage of the crash, which Dallas’ mayor described as “heartbreaking,” the planes can be seen disintegrating in the sky and then hitting the ground within seconds before bursting into flames.  More than 40 fire departments responded to the scene at Dallas Executive Airport after the World War II-era planes — a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra — went down.  The investigation is ongoing, but officials said it will be challenging because none of the planes were equipped with a flight data recorder, often known as a “black box.”

The video shows moments before the plane crash during the air show

  Former President Donald Trump repeatedly told former White House chief of staff John Kelly that he wanted the IRS to investigate his political enemies, Kelly told The New York Times.  Former FBI Director James Comey and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, both fierce Trump critics, were eventually singled out by the IRS for an intensive tax audit.  The Times noted earlier this year that the odds of a person being selected for the audit are about one in 30,600 — raising questions about how two of Trump’s most visible critics were both chosen.  The IRS previously denied any “politically motivated audit” in a statement to CNN.  However, the head of the IRS asked a watchdog to investigate the decision to conduct the audits.   

  President Biden is meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping today for their first face-to-face meeting since Biden took office.  The stakes for the talks are high and could have long-lasting consequences for the world’s most important bilateral relationship.  However, expectations for the meeting are low amid rising US-China tensions.  Locked in an intensifying great power rivalry, the US and China disagree with each other on almost every major issue, from Taiwan, the war in Ukraine, North Korea, technology transfer to the shape of the world order.  According to an American official, the main goal of the meeting is not to reach agreements, but to better understand each other’s priorities and reduce misunderstandings.

Hear what Biden and Xi had to say in their first meeting as heads of state

  ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ opens record for November   

  The highly anticipated Marvel film excelled at the box office this weekend.  Critics also give it two thumbs up.   

  Banksy unveils mural in Ukrainian city liberated from Russians   

  People assumed that the mysterious street artist was in Ukraine.  His mural in a liberated city confirms this.   

  There is a 30-year waiting list for these beef croquettes   

  These Kobe beef croquettes are apparently so delicious, people are willing to wait three decades for an order.   

  Dolly Parton receives a $100 million prize from Jeff Bezos   

  The country music legend and longtime philanthropist received a massive grant from Bezos and his longtime partner.   

  Plus-size models say they were barred from a Los Angeles salon   

  Two models took to social media in frustration, saying it’s not the first time they’ve faced size discrimination as curvy women.   

  $50.9 billion   

  That’s the net worth of Elon Musk’s compensation package as CEO of Tesla, making it the largest for anyone on Earth from a publicly traded company.  Musk is headed to court this week to defend his massive pay package as questions continue to swirl about Tesla’s executive compensation plans.  Meanwhile, Musk is also facing another busy week as the new owner of Twitter – where internal chaos has brought one of the world’s most influential social networks close to the brink.   

  “We take our responsibility to keep everyone safe very seriously.”   

  – Carnival Australia president Marguerite Fitzgerald issued a statement after about 800 people on Carnival’s Majestic Princess cruise ship tested positive for Covid-19.  Cruise operators escorted those infected from the ship to Sydney, Australia and advised them to complete a five-day isolation period.  At least three other cruise ships in Carnival’s Princess fleet had cases earlier in the pandemic.

Very cold temperatures across much of the US 02:21 – Source: CNN

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	This transgender ballerina raises the bar
   This transgender ballerina raises the bar   

  It’s Transgender Awareness Week, an annual celebration that highlights the issues faced by transgender people.  Watch this inspiring video about a ballerina who danced as a man from the age of five until she came out as a woman at 17.  (Click here to see it)