The House votes to avoid a rail strike; an Oath Keeper is found guilty of sedition; state employees are banned from TikTok; and the Rubik’s Cube turns 50. These stories and more highlight the morning rundown for Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022.
House votes today to avoid rail strike
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, looking at a potential railroad strike, said Monday, “I don’t like going against the ability of the unions to strike, but weighing the equities, we must avoid a strike.”
The two chambers of Congress are working together to pass legislation that would prevent a rail strike.
The railroads have been at odds with unions for months. A potential strike could take place Dec. 9. Congress is looking to get ahead of that date to prevent a loss of up to $2 billion daily in the U.S. economy.
Oath Keeper leader guilty of sedition
The verdict is in and the founder of the “Oath Keepers” has been found guilty of seditious conspiracy along with one other group member. There were a total of five members on trial.
Sedition is a charge rarely prosecuted. A trial that could set precedent for another two upcoming trials revolving around Jan. 6. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Storms carry tornadoes, hail across south
Strong winds slung debris in a dangerous weather event across the south. Storms with tornadoes and golf-ball sized hail were reported across Mississippi and Alabama.
Tornado sirens rang out at night, and residents dealt with heavy downpours, flooding, downed trees, and a loss of power.
The storm is expected to continue moving east, headed for Georgia and Florida today.
South Dakota state employees banned from using TikTok
State employees in South Dakota are now banned from using TikTok on any government devices. That includes downloading the app on mobile devices or visiting TikTok’s website on a computer’s web browser.
The new rules will affect all employees of state government agencies.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, R, signed the executive order yesterday, citing “a national security threat posed by TikTok due to its data gathering operations on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.”
Alzheimer’s drug slows cognitive decline
An experimental drug has slowed cognitive decline by 27% in Alzheimer’s patients. The Alzheimer’s Association said the drug can “change the course of the disease.”
Alzheimer’s has no cure. And while there are side effects found in this clinical study, researchers say it’s some of the most promising results yet.
There were 1,800 patients in the clinical trial. Thirteen percent of patients experienced brain swelling, 14% experienced a brain hemorrhage, while 68% saw cognitive improvements.
The FDA will decide in January whether to approve the experimental drug. It is something the Alzheimer’s Association is urging the agency to do.
Rubik’s Cube turns 50 years old
The Rubik’s Cube is turning 50 years old. The cube of many colors with twists and turns stimulating minds around the world.
There have been more than 450 million cubes sold. There are more than 43 quintillion different configurations the cube can make.
Erno Rubik, Rubik’s Cube inventor, “Probably the one of the main keys of the cube is the contradiction between complexity and simplicity.”
