A single winning ticket was sold for Friday's estimated $940 million Mega Millions jackpot, the fifth-largest in the game's history. The winner had the choice of taking an estimated lump sum payment of $472.5 million before taxes, or going with the annuity option. No one managed to match all six numbers for the jackpot, and the next drawing will be held on Tuesday night with an estimated $1.05 billion prize up for grabs. The Mega Millions lottery has been offering massive jackpots for the past few months.
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On November 5th, 2021, ten attendees of the Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas were killed in a crowd surge. The police report revealed that the incident was preceded by a warning from a security contract worker and occurred just moments before rap superstar Travis Scott was due to take the stage. The families of the victims are calling for justice and for better safety protocols to be put in place to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
On Friday, mutinous soldiers in Niger declared their leader the new head of state, raising concerns that it could hinder the nation's fight against jihadists and boost Russia's influence in West Africa. The White House National Security Council has expressed concern over the unconstitutional seizure of power, and warned that it could put at grave risk the continued security cooperation with the government of Niger. Russia has the opportunity to increase its influence in West Africa, as the international community watches to see how the situation in Niger develops.
The Supreme Court has temporarily intervened in a legal battle over the Biden administration's restrictions on so-called "ghost guns," reviving a regulation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that requires anyone who manufactures or assembles a firearm for personal use to obtain a serial number from the ATF and be subject to a background check before they can be sold or transferred. A group of gun owners, manufacturers and firearms advocacy organizations challenged the rule in court, but the Biden administration has sought emergency relief from the Supreme Court to put on hold the lower court's ruling while it appeals the decision. The court's decision is a temporary victory for the Biden administration, freezing the litigation until the justices decide whether to hear the case.
After 19 years of engagement, Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh and former Ferrari executive Jean Todt have tied the knot in Geneva, Switzerland. The news was first shared by Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa, who posted photos of the couple and a pamphlet with details of the occasion on Instagram. The couple confirmed the union with a message on Twitter, marking the start of a new chapter in their lives.
Democrats have pushed a Supreme Court ethics legislation through a Senate committee, which has been met with opposition from Justice Alito, who is the first member of the court to take a public stand against it. The legislation is in response to Justice Alito's interview with two Wall Street Journal writers, including one who is an attorney representing plaintiffs in a key case before the Supreme Court. Its prospects in the full Senate remain uncertain.
President Joe Biden has publicly acknowledged his seventh grandchild, Navy, who is the daughter of his son Hunter Biden and Arkansas woman Lunden Roberts. Biden and his wife Jill Biden stated that they want what is best for all of their grandchildren, including Navy, and that the matter is a family issue, not a political one. This marks the first time Biden has publicly acknowledged Navy, and serves as a reminder that the Biden family is still a family first.
A Buffalo man has been sentenced to 50 months in prison for forcibly removing the badge and radio of a Washington, D.C. police officer during the Capitol siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Judge Amy Berman Jackson noted that the attack was an assault on the institutions of democracy, and ordered the defendant to pay $1,000 in restitution to the officer.