An Ignoble Experiment: NASA's historic moon mission enters final leg of its journey

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Friday 12.02.22

Tesla delivered its first electric Semi trucks to customers this week, five years after the prototype was first unveiled. And considering the automaker's fascination with distinct designs, the truck's unusual interior comes as no surprise. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.

By Alexandra Meeks

Trump

Former President Donald Trump was dealt a major defeat after a federal appeals court on Thursday halted the special master review of documents seized from his Mar-a-Lago estate. The ruling removes a significant obstacle to the Justice Department's investigation into the mishandling of government records from Trump's time in the White House. The panel specifically reversed the order that appointed a special master, or third-party attorney, to sort through thousands of documents found at Trump's home to determine what should be off limits to investigators. The court said the judge should not have intervened in the first place. Trump's legal team has not decided whether to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court but is weighing the option.

Rail strike

The Senate on Thursday passed legislation to avert a rail shutdown following a grave warning from President Joe Biden that a strike would cause economic turmoil. The final vote in the Senate was 80 to 15 and the measure is now headed to the president's desk to be signed into law. Without congressional action, a rail strike could have begun as early as December 9, causing product shortages, spiking prices and halting factory production. It could have also disrupted commuter rail services for millions of travelers a day as well as the daily transportation of thousands of carloads of food and farm products, among other items, according to a collection of business groups. Union leaders, however, are not pleased with the deal brokered by the White House, arguing it did not meet workers' demands for paid sick leave.

Student loans

President Biden's student loan forgiveness program will remain blocked for now, the Supreme Court announced Thursday, but the justices agreed to hear oral arguments in the case in February, with a decision expected by June. The program would offer up to $20,000 of debt relief to millions of borrowers, but due to a long list of legal challenges, the government stopped taking applications nearly two weeks ago and no debt has been canceled thus far. About 26 million people had already applied to the program before it was frozen. "President Biden will keep fighting against efforts to rob middle-class families of the relief they need and deserve," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement, welcoming the Supreme Court's decision to hear the case.

China protests

Chinese authorities are using cellphone data to track down protesters who demonstrated against the government's Covid-19 restrictions, according to a recording of a phone call between a protester and police heard by CNN. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the streets of major Chinese cities over the weekend, calling for an end to the stringent tests and lockdowns. Some also decried censorship and called for the removal of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Since then, protesters have received phone calls from the police inquiring about their participation. Some protesters have also been told to report to police stations for questioning and to sign a written record about their involvement in the demonstrations.

NASA

NASA's historic moon mission has entered the final leg of its journey. The agency's Orion spacecraft, the core of the Artemis I mission, is making a final pass by the moon before heading home to Earth. The capsule has spent the past 15 days traveling into deep space and making an unprecedented trek beyond the moon. On Monday, its view will offer glimpses of notable lunar sites, including lava beds that astronauts explored during the Apollo era. From there, the capsule will fire up its engines and make its way back to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego on December 11. The overall goal of Artemis I is to test the spacecraft to its limits before attempting to send humans back to the moon in 2024.

Elon Musk suspends Kanye West's Twitter account
Kanye West's Twitter account was suspended early this morning after Elon Musk said it violated the platform's rules on inciting violence. CNN could not confirm which specific tweet prompted West's suspension. However, on Thursday evening, West -- who has legally changed his name to Ye -- tweeted an altered image of the Star of David with a swastika inside. The tweet follows a series of antisemitic comments made by West in recent months.

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Pantone's 2023 Color of the Year revealed

This striking color was selected because it "promotes optimism and joy," the company said.

Harrison Ford returns as titular hero in new 'Indiana Jones' trailer

Jones is back for another adventure, despite thinking that his risk-taking days have "come and gone." Watch the new teaser trailer here.

Scientists create 'baby' wormhole as sci-fi moves closer to fact

Remember that mind-bending scene at the end of "Interstellar?" Well, scientists appear to be making progress on wormholes -- a rupture in space and time -- or a bridge between two remote regions in the universe.

Get ready for a more intimate look into the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Netflix has shared a glimpse of the couple's forthcoming docuseries, "Harry & Meghan." Watch the short clip that's making people eager for its release.

Germany knocked out of World Cup

At varying points of the two extraordinary Group E games, fans of Spain, Japan, Costa Rica, and Germany all thought that their countries might be on their way to the knockout phase. Then, Japan stormed back to win 2-1 and top the group.

The world's largest active volcano is erupting for the first time in nearly 40 years. Where is it located?

A. Japan

B. Hawaii
C. Washington
D. Wyoming

Take CNN's weekly news quiz here to see if you're correct!

21+ years

That's how much time has passed since 9/11 -- the tragic day in 2001 when nearly 3,000 people were killed in terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. More than two decades later, a new report has revealed that then President George W. Bush pushed back against knowing about a domestic terror threat prior to the attacks and the notion that his administration could have prevented it from happening.

Vive la France and God bless America.

-- President Biden, raising a toast to French President Emmanuel Macron Thursday during a lavish state dinner at the White House. The dinner marked the return of a tradition that has not been seen since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Advisers to the president told CNN the dinner was part of the US effort to revitalize ties with France, a key American ally.

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The 41 best holiday gifts our editors have ever given or received

Getting just the right holiday gift can feel like a lot of pressure. And not to brag, but we are pretty great at giving gifts. Read on to see the best gifts we've ever given and received and what makes them so special.