Tuesday, November 25, 2025

A teen's 65-year prison sentence

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The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Tue Nov 25 2025

Nicole Fallert
Reporter & Newsletter Writer

Good morning!🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. Don't wait too late to thaw your turkey.

Quick look at Tuesday's news:

•	Punishments for causing deadly accidents while high vary wildly.
•	A White House plan for Obamacare subsidies was paused.
•	One of the two last known living survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre has died.

Deadly accident puts spotlight on pot and driving

When 17-year-old Luke Resecker crashed his Chevy Silverado into the minivan of a Georgia family celebrating the holidays in Texas, he essentially ended eight lives. There were the six family members killed in the catastrophic head-on collision on Dec. 26, 2023. The seventh member, a doting dad who was left paralyzed, was the sole survivor in the minivan. And then there's Resecker himself, who tested positive for THC and was recently sentenced to 65 years in prison. In exclusive interviews, USA TODAY spoke with Resecker's defense attorney and the two prosecutors who tried the case about the sentence — one of the harshest penalties ever for someone driving under the influence of marijuana.

Pentagon investigating Sen. Mark Kelly

The Pentagon announced Monday that it was investigating Sen. Mark Kelly for "serious allegations of misconduct" after the Arizona Democrat called for U.S. troops to refuse unlawful orders. Kelly was among a group of six Democratic lawmakers who put out a video directed at service members telling them they have the right not to obey orders they believe to be illegal. Kelly said "I won't be silenced by bullies."

•	Meanwhile, a judge dismissed DOJ charges against James Comey and Letitia James.

More news to know now

•	Trump will pardon Thanksgiving turkeys Tuesday at the White House.
•	It's anyone's guess if the Fed will cut rates in December.
•	Meet Genesis Mission, Trump's new AI initiative.
•	VOICES: Caregiving for my father, Rev. Jesse Jackson, showed me the real cost of care.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Trump plan for Obamacare subsidies on hold

Amid resistance from Republicans, the White House is delaying a proposal that would extend subsidies in the Affordable Care Act set to expire at the end of December, according to multiple media reports. Obamacare premiums are on track to skyrocket at the end of the year if the subsidies are not extended, putting Republicans in Congress in a dilemma to avert a major political liability ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The policy fight was at the center of the record-breaking government shutdown that ended earlier this month.

He told ChatGPT he was suicidal. His family says it helped.

In October 2024, Joshua Enneking, 26, began confiding in ChatGPT — and ChatGPT alone — about struggles with depression and suicidal ideation. His family could never have predicted how quickly ChatGPT would turn from confidant to enabler, they say in a lawsuit against the bot's creator, OpenAI. They accuse ChatGPT of giving Joshua endless information on suicide methods and validating his dark thoughts.

Today's talkers

•	The 8 best things we ate and drank on Disney's new cruise ship.
•	Use Keegan-Michael Key's travel tips.
•	See the White House Christmas Tree.
•	Column: Justin Tucker and Art Briles get their do-overs. But not the women they harmed.

Viola Fletcher, one of the last Tulsa Race Massacre survivors, dies

Viola Fletcher died Nov. 24 at the age of 111, Tulsa's mayor said. Fletcher was born in Comanche, Oklahoma, just south of Oklahoma City, and moved to Tulsa with her family during her childhood, where she witnessed the atrocity of the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921. A white mob killed an estimated 300 Black people during the tragedy and destroyed Greenwood, a thriving Black community in Tulsa. For nearly a century, the massacre was mostly forgotten. Fletcher helped to change that.

Viola Fletcher pictured during the House General Government Committee meeting at the Oklahoma Capitol on Oct. 5, 2023.

Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman

Photo of the day: Gotham FC celebrates

Gotham FC celebrated its second NWSL title in three years with a parade and ceremony Monday n New York City. Fans danced in the streets.

NJ/NY Gotham FC General Manager and Head of Soccer Operations, Yael Averbuch celebrates with the Key to the City on Monday in New York City.

Ira L. Black, Getty Images

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here . Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.