| Need To Know |
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| Joker Pulls Box Office Heist |
| The dark anti-hero drama Joker broke box office records for the month of October despite concerns over scenes of wanton violence prominent throughout much of the film. Its estimated $93.5M at the North American box office shattered the previous October opening weekend record of $80M set by last year's Venom, and a $234M global haul made it the biggest opening for Warner Bros. in 2019. A stand-alone relative of the film universe based on DC comics - the answer to Disney's Marvel Studios - and starring Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, the film traces the origin story of the notorious supervillian The Joker. Some had criticized the film's portrayal of indiscriminate violence in the wake of an epidemic of mass shootings in the US, even stoking fears of attacks on theaters showing the film, similar to the 2012 shooting at a screening of The Dark Knight Rises. No violence was reported over the weekend. |
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| Second Whistle-Blower Emerges |
The legal team representing a whistle-blower who submitted a complaint over a call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky now represents at least one other person, the firm announced yesterday. The second whistle-blower, also from the intelligence community, has reportedly been interviewed by the inspector general but has not yet filed a formal complaint. The revelation is the latest in a saga that spiraled out of allegations that Trump pushed Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden's dealings with Ukraine (read background). Critics also contend the White House threatened $400M in military aid unless the investigations began, an allegation that launched an ongoing House impeachment probe. The new source is said to have first-hand knowledge of the administration's dealings with Ukraine - the original source relied mostly on second-hand conversations - though it is unclear whether there is any new information beyond the call transcript (read), original complaint (read), or text messages (read) released last week.
In election news, Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-VT) campaign confirmed a minor heart attack led to the presidential candidate's emergency surgery last week. |
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| Hong Kongers Defy Face Mask Ban |
Tens of thousands of people marched through downtown Hong Kong on Sunday, defying a newly announced government ban on face masks. The rallies marked the 18th straight weekend of demonstrations against what protesters say is increasing authoritarian control by the central Chinese government over the semi-autonomous region. City Chief Executive Carrie Lam invoked emergency laws on Friday - a move which analysts say will likely fuel the protests - and subway service was stopped Saturday evening. While early marches were largely peaceful, violence once again erupted later in the day with clashes between protesters and police, with unofficial reports estimating dozens of injuries. The chaos has significantly dented the regional economy - the city's richest man, Li Ka-Shing, pledged $128M to "ease the burden" on Hong Kong small businesses.
Have trouble remembering what sparked the protests? Start here. |
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| In The Know |
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| Sports, Entertainment & Culture |
| > Comedian and actor Rip Taylor dies at 84 (More) | Diahann Carroll, pioneering actress who became the first black woman to win a Lead Actress Tony Award, dies at 84 (More) |
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| > Team USA dominates 2019 World Track and Field Championships with record-tying 14 golds, 29 total medals; Jamaica finishes 2nd with 12 total medals (More) |
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| > Simone Biles gets two moves named after her, Biles and Biles II, at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Germany (More) | Watch both of her signature moves (More) |
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| Science & Technology |
| > Israeli archaeologists uncover remains of 5,000-year-old city; initial reports say unknown site appears to have been a cosmopolitan urban hub (More) |
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| > NASA begins "spacewalk bonanza" with 6-and-a-half hour battery replacement on the International Space Station; schedule has 10 walks over 3 months, including the first-ever all-female spacewalk (More) |
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| > Researchers make first known observation of use of tools by pigs; nest-building behavior points to previously unknown cognitive ability (More) |
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| Business & Markets |
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> US economy adds 136k jobs in September, slightly below expectations of 145k; unemployment rate falls to 3.5%, lowest level since 1969 (More)
> Personal computer giant HP to slash up to 9k positions representing 16% of workforce over next few years to curb costs and boost sales (More) |
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> Sources say Sackler Family - owners of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma - received up to $13B in profits from business, much larger amount than previous lawsuit figure of $4B (More)
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| Politics & World Affairs |
| > Supreme Court to consider new Louisiana abortion law that requires providers to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals; similar law was struck down in 2016 prior to Justices Gorsuch, Kavanaugh joining the Court (More) |
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| > Incumbent Prime Minister Antonio Costa's Socialist Party takes 37% of vote in Portugal national elections, Social Democrats take 28% (More) | At least 100 dead, 6,000 injured in past week after clashes between Iraqi police forces and anti-government protesters (More) |
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| > US to pull troops from Syria's northern border in advance of Turkish operation against Kurdish-led forces, a previous key ally of the US (More) |
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- Mary "Mother" Teresa Bojaxhiu |
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