promoearn: 'Evil walked boldly among us'

Monday, December 30

Members of the Jewish community gather outside the home of rabbi Chaim Rottenbergin Monsey, in New York on December 29, 2019 after a machete attack that took place earlier outside the rabbi's home during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah in Monsey, New York. - An intruder stabbed and wounded five people at a rabbi's house in New York during a gathering to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah late on December 28, 2019, officials and media reports said. Local police departments, speaking to AFP, declined to give the number of people injured, but a suspect has been taken into custody and a vehicle safeguarded, an NYPD spokesman said. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP) (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images) ORIG FILE ID: AFP_1NC7FS

Federal hate crime charges filed in the Hanukkah stabbing. Obama shares his favorite music. It's Monday's news.

The suspect in the Hanukkah stabbing faces federal hate crime charges. Barack Obama shares his list of favorite movies and TV. And a California gender equality law could have nationwide effects.

It's Mary with the news you need to know.

But first, let's talk discounts. You know those super-long CVS receipts? Some people actually like them.

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'Evil walked boldly among us'

Federal hate crime charges were filed Monday against a man accused of stabbing five people with a machete at a Hanukkah party this weekend at a rabbi's home in Monsey, New York. The attack follows a string of violence targeting Jewish people in New York and New Jersey in recent weeks. A handwritten journal containing references to Jews and anti-Semitism was found in the home of Grafton Thomas, 37, who is charged in the stabbing.

Less than a day after the New York attack came a shooting Sunday morning at a church outside of Fort Worth, Texas. Parishioners shot the gunman after he opened fire . "Evil walked boldly among us, but good people raised up and stopped it before it got worse," Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn said. Texas officials hailed a state law that went into effect in September allowing weapons in places of worship.

•	Opinion: This is supposed to be the season of light and peace. When that peace is shattered, we are all left in a darker place.

Yes, Obama is a fan of Lizzo

As 2019 winds down, people begin to reflect on the year's highlights. Even former President Barack Obama . After sharing his list of favorite movies and TV on Sunday, the 44th president dropped his most anticipated list of favorites Monday: music. His list spanned from Beyoncé and Bruce Springsteen to newcomers Lizzo, Lil Nas X and DaBaby. The former president's "Favorite Movies of 2019" list included documentaries, international titles and awards season contenders. Saturday, he shared his 19 favorite books, including Jia Tolentino's "Trick Mirror," Jenny Odell's "How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy" and Sally Rooney's "Normal People."

What everyone's talking about

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•	Eddie Murphy doesn't regret controversial jokes, but he cringes at some old material.

'Darkest time of my life': Missed call and text reverberate deeply

The husband of sports reporter Carley McCord, who was killed Saturday in a plane crash in Louisiana, missed her final call and text . "I don't have my phone, and she sends me a message saying she loved me," Steven Ensminger Jr. said. "One of the hardest things I'm dealing with is that I missed her text and I missed her call. It is by far the most pain, angst and terror and just darkest time of my life." Ensminger's father is LSU's offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger, and McCord was on her way to cover the LSU-Oklahoma game.

Rep. John Lewis diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer

Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and he had powerful words to share about his diagnosis. "I have been in some kind of fight – for freedom, equality, basic human rights – for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now," Lewis said. Lewis, who has served Georgia in the House of Representatives since 1987, said he'll return to Washington soon and start his treatment plan, though he "may miss a few votes" during that time. The five-year survival rate for stage 4 pancreatic cancer is very low, though there is some hope.

•	'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek says he's not courageous for cancer diagnosis.

Rep. John Lewis, civil rights icon, diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer

Real quick

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If you're unvaccinated, you're unwelcome

Seattle Public Schools are getting aggressive about vaccinations. The district posted a notice to parents that unvaccinated students have until Jan. 8 to get updated immunization records or they'll be excluded from school. The district cited state law that removes the "personal" and "philosophical" options to exempt children from the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Any students who miss days of school because of immunization requirements will have their absences recorded as unexcused. The district will offer free clinics to get students' immunization records up to date.

California chips away at the corporate boardroom boys club

Starting this week, California will require the all-male boards of publicly traded companies headquartered in the state to add at least one woman. More than 90% of the hundreds of companies comply with the law, researchers say. What will it mean outside California? Parity remains elusive. More than 300 of the top 3,000 largest U.S.-traded stocks have no women on their boards, and that could prompt other states to follow California's lead. Massachusetts and New Jersey are considering similar legislation. "It is very clear that companies haven't been willing to do this on their own," says Stephanie Sonnabend, co-founder and chair of 2020 Women on Boards. "The California law just took it to the next level."

A break from the news

•	The 100 most popular things everyone bought in 2019.
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