Wednesday, November 30
It is Wednesday, November 30. Here are today’s top stories.
Senate passes same-sex marriage bill
The Senate passed a bill that would protect the right to same-sex and interracial marriage in a 61-36 vote. 12 Republicans voted with all Democrats to support the bill.
The bill is expected to easily pass the House before it goes to President Biden’s desk.
Biden said he looked forward to signing it and said, “Americans should have the right to marry the person they love.”
Views of Mauna Loa’s lava eruptions
A helicopter took footage of lava eruptions on the summit of Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano. It showed a hellish landscape with fountains of lava shooting up before trickling down the summit. Scientists said some of the fountains were about 160 feet tall.
Authorities said the lava flows do not pose any threat to any communities at this time, but said people driving on a highway near the lava flows should be careful. The last time Mauna Loa erupted was in 1984.
Oath Keepers founder guilty of seditious conspiracy
Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers, received a guilty verdict from a jury on his charge of seditious conspiracy for his role in the Jan 6. Capitol riot.
Sedition, in simple terms, is when there is a violent rebellion against a government. The crime of seditious conspiracy dates back to the Civil War.
Prosecutors said Rhodes led an effort to oppose the transfer of presidential power and to overturn Joe Biden’s election victory.
Rhodes faces up to 20 years in prison.
There were four other people who faced similar charges. One of them was found guilty of seditious conspiracy, while three of them were found not guilty. All five people were found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress.
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Kraft facing $5M lawsuit over length to melt cheese
A woman in Florida is suing Kraft Heinz Foods Company with an allegation that Velveeta's microwavable Mac and cheese takes longer than three and a half minutes to prepare, which is longer than what is advertised.
The woman said the 3 and a half minutes doesn’t account for the time it takes to remove the lid and sauce pouch, add water, microwave, and stir.
Kraft said the lawsuit is frivolous and that it would strongly defend against the allegations.
Hakeem Jeffries elected House Democratic leader
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was elected by his fellow Democratic members of Congress to become the House Minority Leader in the new term in 2023. This means Jeffries will be the leader and the “voice” for House Democrats in the same way that Nancy Pelosi was for the past 20 years.
Jeffries is the first Black leader of a party in Congress. He said he wants to find common ground with Republicans — who will control the House in the new term — but said that they are prepared to “oppose their extremism where we must.”
We can expect to see a lot of political clashes between Jeffries and Republicans’ leader in the House, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif) in 2023 and 2024.
French baguette added to UNESCO world heritage list
UNESCO officially added the French baguette as a part of its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. It was to recognize the unique method and skill required to make the bread as a part of human culture.
A delegation from France celebrated the vote by holding baguettes up in the air.
UNESCO has about 600 other items on its list, which includes Arabic coffee, Neapolitan pizza, and the “Mediterranean diet.”
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.axios.com/2022/11/29/senate-protect-same-sex-marriage-bill-passes
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/29/us/politics/same-sex-marriage-bill-senate.html
https://www.foxnews.com/us/hawaii-mauna-loa-eruption-stunning-video-shows-lava-spewing-air
https://www.axios.com/2022/11/29/stewart-rhodes-oath-keepers-trial-jan-6
https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/28/business/florida-kraft-velveeta-mac-and-cheese-lawsuit/index.html
https://www.axios.com/2022/11/30/hakeem-jeffries-house-democratic-leader-election
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/french-baguette-added-to-un-world-heritage-list/