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| Hours before a scheduled execution, the governor of Oklahoma commuted Julius Jones' death sentence. President Joe Biden said he's considering a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics. And tonight's the night: a partial lunar eclipse is happening. |
| 👋 Hey! Laura here. Thanksgiving is a week away. Here's Thursday's news! |
| But first, they're counting their lucky feathers. 🦃 Meet Peanut Butter and Jelly, the turkeys Biden will pardon for Thanksgiving. |
| The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here. |
Jones granted stay of execution |
| Gov. Kevin Stitt has spared the life of high-profile death row inmate Julius Jones . Following a recommendation from the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, Stitt on Thursday granted clemency to Jones, reducing the inmate's sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The 41-year-old has been incarcerated for nearly 20 years after being convicted for the fatal shooting of Paul Howell during a 1999 carjacking. He was sentenced to death at the age of 22 but has maintained his innocence throughout. As a condition of granting clemency, Stitt ordered that Jones shall never be eligible to apply for or be considered for a commutation, pardon, or parole for the rest of his life. |
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Travis McMichael, who shot Ahmaud Arbery, says he wasn't under threat |
| The man seen on video fatally shooting Ahmaud Arbery acknowledged Thursday that Arbery did not threaten him during the chase and that he could've stopped following him before the fatal shooting . Travis McMichael also told prosecutors that he did not tell police some of the details about the pursuit that he shared in court on Wednesday. McMichael took the stand early Thursday for cross-examination after testifying for about three hours Wednesday during which he broke down while describing the final moments of his confrontation with Arbery on Feb. 23, 2020. He was the first of seven witnesses called by the defense and told the jury he wanted to share his "side of the story." The attorneys for McMichael's co-defendants, his father, Gregory, and neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan, did not present cases before the defense rested. Closing arguments are scheduled for Monday morning. |
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 | | Hundreds of pastors rally during the trial of Greg McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, and a neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan outside the Glynn County Courthouse on Thursday in Brunswick, Ga. The three are charged with the February 2020 slaying of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery. | | Stephen B. Morton, AP | |
What everyone's talking about |
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Biden considering Winter Olympics diplomatic boycott |
| Biden said Thursday he is considering a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics, which would deliver a stinging rebuke to China over its alleged human rights abuses . It's "something we are considering," Biden said when asked about a U.S. diplomatic boycott of the Games, set for Beijing in February. Biden's comment comes just days after he and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a virtual summit aimed at reducing tensions between the two countries, which have flared over the COVID-19 pandemic, trade policies, Taiwan and other flashpoints. If Biden launches a diplomatic boycott, it would almost certainly roil the U.S.-China relationship anew, and it could increase pressure on other world leaders to skip the Games as well. While U.S. athletes would still compete in the Games, no members of the Biden administration would participate in traditional events, like the opening and closing ceremonies. |
 | | President Joe Biden speaks to reporters as he prepares to depart Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. | | Evan Vucci, AP | |
Nasty weather could make a mess of Thanksgiving travel |
| A potentially disruptive storm is in the forecast for early next week for portions of the central and eastern U.S., meteorologists warned . Though forecast details are still being worked out, the storm could lead to travel troubles for millions as they head out for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. And with travel for Thanksgiving expected to reach nearly pre-pandemic levels this year, heavy snow and rainstorms forecast for the Northeast and Midwest could disrupt air travel and create major traffic delays. The outlook is still expected to evolve, so make sure to keep an eye on the weather forecast if you're doing any traveling in the coming days. |
 | | A big storm is predicted to bring major travel delays to portions of the Midwest and Northeast in the days before Thanksgiving. | | AccuWeather | |
Real quick |
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🌘 Stay up late for a lunar eclipse |
| The longest partial lunar eclipse of this century and the longest in 580 years will grace the night sky late Thursday and early Friday morning across the entire country , weather permitting. According to NASA, the eclipse will be three hours and 28 minutes. A lunar eclipse happens when the sun, Earth, and a full moon form a near-perfect lineup in space. So how can you watch it? For U.S. East Coast observers, the partial eclipse begins a little after 2 a.m. Friday, reaching its maximum at 4 a.m.. For observers on the West Coast, that translates to beginning just after 11 p.m. Thursday, with a maximum at 1 a.m. Friday. You don't need any special glasses to see the partial lunar eclipse. Just wake up, or stay up, go outside and look up! |
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 | | Stay up to catch the longest partial lunar eclipse of the 21st century | | NASA | |
A break from the news |
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| 🗣 Let's play! USA TODAY launched something really fun. It's a new and improved Crossword App! Check it out! |
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