Good morning. It's Monday, Nov. 30, and a weekend assassination has dramatically escalated tensions in the Middle East. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Top Iranian Scientist Killed

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, believed to be the top scientist behind Iran's military nuclear program, was killed Friday as he was driving east of the capital city of Tehran. No group has claimed responsibility, but the style of the attack—a truck filled with explosives forced Fakhrizadeh's car to stop, with five gunmen reportedly opening fire on the car—has led many to suspect Israel's Mossad intelligence service. The elite group—specifically its Kidon unit—has a history of such incidents, including a string of four high-profile attacks between 2010 and 2012, two of which involved magnetic bombs attached to cars.

Some speculate the attacks were meant to undermine the possibility of a reconstituted nuclear deal with Iran. The US exited the deal in 2018 but President-elect Joe Biden has signaled a willingness to reengage. 

The attacks also follow reports of a high-level meeting between officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia, potentially foretelling a dramatic power shift in the region.

200,000 Daily Cases

New daily cases of COVID-19 in the US surpassed 200,000 for the first time Friday, a figure that has doubled in the past three weeks as the coronavirus continues to surge across the country. Experts say the rise can't be attributed to increased testing, which has only risen by about 20% over the same timeframe. Hospitalizations have also hit a record high, passing 91,000 over the weekend (see data).

Case numbers are expected to be erratic in the wake of Thanksgiving, with fewer people getting tested over the holiday break, but a potential boom looming as travelers return home. Officials said Wednesday—Thanksgiving Eve—was the busiest air travel day of the pandemic. 

On a positive note, the first distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine in the US is drawing closer. United Airlines has reportedly begun moving shipments of Pfizer's vaccine to strategic locations across the country in anticipation of emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. A government panel votes tomorrow on recommendations for which groups should be given priority access, and the FDA will consider authorization during a Dec. 10 meeting.  

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio abruptly reversed school closures, announcing a phased reopening beginning with the youngest students starting Dec. 7. Studies increasingly suggest schools—particularly with younger students—likely aren't transmission hot spots.

The US has reported almost 13.4 million total cases as of this morning, with 266,875 deaths. See rolling averages here and here. 

Boko Haram Attack

At least 110 people were killed in Nigeria over the weekend after the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram attacked a village near the city of Maiduguri. International human rights groups described a gruesome scene, with attackers targeting farmers and fisherman. A number of women and children were believed to have been kidnapped.  

One of the largest extremist groups in Africa, Boko Haram terrorized the northeastern region of the country, with conflict spreading into neighboring Niger and Chad (see background). While activities peaked in 2014, the group is responsible for more than 37,000 deaths and 2.5 million displaced residents, including the much-publicized kidnapping of 276 school-aged girls six years ago. The weekend's attacks appeared to coincide with local elections that had been previously delayed due to extremist violence. 

Separately, more than 30 people were killed in twin suicide bombings in Afghanistan; the Taliban has so far denied involvement.  

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller becomes first woman to play in a Power Five college football game; Fuller is also goalkeeper for Vanderbilt’s SEC Championship soccer team (More) | Cleveland Browns’ Callie Brownson becomes first female position coach in NFL history (More)

> British bodybuilder and actor David Prowse, best known for portraying "Star Wars" villain Darth Vader, dies at 85 (More)

> Former boxing greats Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. fight to a draw in exhibition bout (More) | YouTube personality Jake Paul knocks out former NBA player Nate Robinson in second round of Tyson-Jones undercard fight (More)

Science & Technology

> Researchers link certain types of immune responses in expecting mothers to an increased risk of schizophrenia in children; study suggests immune cells interfere with the development of a class of embryonic neurons (More)

> Early Earth resembled modern-day Venus, new research suggests, with our planet's surface covered in magma roughly 4.5 billion years ago (More)

> Study pinpoints regions of the brain where serotonin, known as a mood-stabilizing hormone, promotes the behavioral characteristics of patience (More)

Business & Markets

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> US stock markets up on holiday-shortened trading day Friday (S&P 500 +0.2%, Dow +0.1%, Nasdaq +0.9%) as S&P and Nasdaq end the week at all-time highs (More)

> Black Friday sees roughly half as much foot traffic as last year, online spending up 22% representing second-highest e-commerce revenue day in US history behind 2019’s Cyber Monday; today’s Cyber Monday expected to set record (More)

> Tony Hsieh, who founded Zappos—which sold to Amazon for $1.2B in 2009—and then focused on building the technology ecosystem of Las Vegas, dies at 46 in a house fire (More)

Art investing platform Masterworks reported a sale of their Banksy masterpiece resulting in a 32% annualized return to investors (nearly double the S&P total return over the same period). Learn how Masterworks provides access to the $1.7T art market to all investors, and add art to your portfolio today. 1440 readers can skip the 25,000-person waitlist.* #Ad

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Politics & World Affairs

> Wisconsin recount in two counties finishes, President-elect Joe Biden gains 87 votes (More) | Federal appeals court rejects Trump campaign's challenge to Pennsylvania election results, with unanimous opinion written by a Trump-appointed judge; campaign says it will appeal to the Supreme Court (More) | President Trump gives first interview since the election (More)

> President-elect Joe Biden fractures foot while playing with dog, will wear a protective boot (More) | Biden announces all-female communications team (More)

> Protests in France erupt over proposed bill that would limit ability to record police; legislation still being debated in parliament (More)

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ETCETERA

Racecar driver miraculously walks away from a horrific crash.

The world's loneliest elephant is finally going home.

America's most expensive ZIP codes.

The Danish mayfly is the 2021 Insect of the Year.

Visualizing a map of Earth using only population density.

Handy chart lets you know what to call your distant relatives. 

Watch Utah wildlife use an animals-only overpass.

Underwater photos capture the stunning beauty of humpback whales.

Mysterious metal monolith disappears from the Utah desert.

Clickbait: Zombie minks return from the dead in Denmark. 

Historybook: Winston Churchill born (1874); Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" is released, becomes bestselling album in history (1982); Exxon and Mobil merge to form one of world's largest companies (1999);  HBD model Chrissy Teigen (1985); RIP President George H.W. Bush (2018).

"Truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it. Ignorance may deride it. Malice may distort it. But there it is."

- Winston Churchill

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