Here are today’s top stories.
Headlines
Trump defends Huang and Hegseth at surprise White House briefing
President Trump used an unscheduled White House news briefing Monday to defend both Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. UFC chief Dana White joined him at the podium and, to laughter, turned down Trump’s joking offer to make him press secretary. Read More
Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, held senior roles at Shanghai Hexi Investment Management before becoming controlling shareholder of Singapore cloud firm Megaspeed International in 2023, a company listed as an Nvidia cloud partner that has been under U.S. investigation over alleged help getting export-restricted chips to Chinese firms. U.S. authorities have reportedly concluded she was a Chinese intelligence asset, a claim China denies. Nvidia’s board has opened an independent probe after CEO Jensen Huang, who is not related to her, acknowledged an affair while saying he supports U.S. national security. Read More
President Trump said Monday night that his mass deportation campaign has not put the same pressure on migrant farm workers and waitresses as on people he called murderers and drug dealers. He blamed dangerous people released into the country for the problem, while also insisting there "won’t be amnesty." Find out More
Politics
A House vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could come as soon as this week after Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., refiled updated articles to restart the two-day clock. The 34-page resolution has eight articles, three of them accusing Hegseth of waging war on Iran without congressional authorization. If impeached, Hegseth would be only the third Cabinet secretary in U.S. history to face that step. Source
Eighteen House races still had no projected winner nearly a week after the Nov. 3 midterms. The outstanding contests will determine the final size of the incoming Democratic House majority. See Details
California’s Proposition 40, a ballot measure to impose a new tax on billionaires, has been rejected. The defeat exposed a split among Democrats over taxing the very wealthy, even as the party posted sweeping wins nationwide. Source
U.S. News
The national average price for regular gasoline fell to about $3.98 a gallon Tuesday, the first time below $4 in nearly four months and well down from a peak of $4.56 earlier this year. Analysts expect prices to keep easing toward about $3.75 by Thanksgiving as stations switch to cheaper winter blends. See Details
The Senate voted Monday to advance a bipartisan permitting overhaul known as the American Affordability and Jobs Act, which sponsors hope to pass before January. Environmental groups including the Sierra Club and NRDC say it weakens protections and could fast-track gas-powered data centers, while supporters say it makes data centers pay transmission costs estimated at about $55 billion over 10 years. Source
Three more people have been charged in a human-smuggling case linked to the deaths of seven migrants. The new indictments widen a prosecution targeting a network that moved people from Latin America into the United States. Find out More
Business
Stocks rose Monday as investors piled back into technology shares, extending a recovery from last Thursday’s sell-off, with the Nasdaq leading the gains. Nvidia bucked the rally after its board opened an investigation into CEO Jensen Huang. Source
Anthropic’s IPO plans, including a raise of nearly $70 billion, were briefly sent to banks late Monday and then retracted. The roadshow is still expected to launch Tuesday, with pricing the following week, as markets price in roughly an 84% chance of a Federal Reserve rate hike next month. Source
The scandal surrounding CEO Jensen Huang has put a spotlight on Nvidia’s reliance on its founder, a classic "key man" risk for investors. Shares of the world’s most valuable chipmaker fell about 4% Monday after its board launched an investigation. Find out More
World News
American, Ukrainian and Russian officials began two days of talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, their first such meeting since February, with security guarantees at the center. Jared Kushner said he and envoy Steve Witkoff are seeking a negotiated settlement that may involve European countries. Ukraine insists on an immediate ceasefire first and rejects Moscow’s demands that it give up four regions and abandon NATO membership. Source
President Trump met at the White House on Monday with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, a key mediator in the Iran conflict. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two sides are not "on the verge of a breakthrough," even as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran is ready to negotiate. See Details
The African National Congress, the party of Nelson Mandela, posted its worst showing yet in South Africa’s local elections. The result extends a slide that cost the ANC its outright parliamentary majority in 2024. Source
Entertainment
Billy Joel will appear Dec. 14 at Florida Atlantic University for "An Evening of Questions & Answers … And a Little Music," his first scheduled performance since brain surgery. Tickets go on sale Nov. 12 and are limited to enrolled students. Joel canceled shows after revealing a normal pressure hydrocephalus diagnosis in May 2025. See Details
Video surfaced of comedian Dave Chappelle joking about Charlie Kirk’s assassination during a Madison Square Garden show. Erika Kirk called the joke "beyond disgusting" and criticized leftist comedians and commentators in a Sunday post on X. Find out More
Early reactions are out for "Ebenezer," Johnny Depp’s take on Ebenezer Scrooge in a new version of the Charles Dickens Christmas classic. The holiday film is being watched as a test of Depp’s Hollywood comeback. Find out More
Sports
The Buffalo Bills beat the Minnesota Vikings 23-6 Monday night in a matchup of 6-1 teams. Backup Carson Wentz started for Minnesota with Kyler Murray out with a hamstring injury and struggled badly as Buffalo controlled the ball. See Details
Jacksonville Jaguars acquired safety Jessie Bates III from Atlanta for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder, earning a B+ grade, while the Falcons got a B-minus. Bates has 28 career interceptions in nine seasons, and the NFL trade deadline arrives Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. Read More
Georgia (8-1) reclaimed the top spot in Joel Klatt’s rankings after a 42-7 rout at Ole Miss, with Indiana second and Notre Dame third. Former No. 1 Miami fell to sixth after a 31-24 loss at Notre Dame, while unbeaten UCLA and Utah sit fourth and fifth. Source
Off the Wall
Oshai Brown, a nearly 2-year-old from Grand Rapids, Mich., has earned the nickname "Toddler Woods" for his polished golf swing. One of his videos drew more than 14 million views, and Michael Jordan’s company sent him 20 pairs of shoes. Source
