An Ignoble Experiment: The 7: A deadly shooting at UNLV; what Kevin McCarthy’s retirement means; a better way to grind your coffee; and more

2023/12/07

The 7: A deadly shooting at UNLV; what Kevin McCarthy’s retirement means; a better way to grind your coffee; and more

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By Washington Post Staff

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Good morning. It's Thursday, Dec. 7, and here's a reminder that you can listen to The 7 as a short, snappy podcast every morning. Find today's episode here. Now let's catch up.

Three people were killed in a shooting at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

What to know: A gunman opened fire on campus yesterday before he was killed by police, officials said. A fourth victim was critically injured but is in stable condition.
The investigation: Police said they know the identity of the gunman, but they have not yet released his name or the motive. Victims' names have also not been released.

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Four Republican presidential hopefuls sparred in a debate last night.

What happened? Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis fought for second-place behind absent Donald Trump as the Iowa caucuses draw near.
The big issues: Border security and gender-affirming care. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie criticized Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy touted conspiracy theories. (Here is a fact check.)

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Former House speaker Kevin McCarthy is retiring from Congress.

Why? He wants to "serve America in new ways," he said yesterday. The California Republican was ousted as speaker in October after a revolt by hard-right members.
What now? He'll leave office at the end of the month. But a special election to fill his seat may not happen until summer, narrowing the House Republican majority until then.
In the Senate: Republicans yesterday blocked a vote to advance a national security bill that includes billions of dollars in Ukraine aid.

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Six pro-Trump electors were charged in Nevada yesterday.

What they're accused of: Claiming to be presidential electors in 2020 and submitting certificates to Congress falsely stating that Trump won the election in Nevada.
Zooming out: Nevada is the third state after Georgia and Michigan to indict pro-Trump electors. Wisconsin electors withdrew their false claims in a settlement yesterday.
In other Trump news: The former president has been criticized this week for saying he would be a "dictator" only on "Day 1" of a second term.

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An mpox surge in Congo is worrying health experts.

What is mpox? The virus, renamed from monkeypox, causes painful lesions. Last year, a global outbreak spread among gay men largely through sexual activity.
The latest: Scientists identified sexual transmission of a type of mpox that is linked to more fatalities. It has raised concerns of another global outbreak with more deaths.

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Scientists found a better way to grind coffee.

How? Adding a spritz of water to beans before grinding reduces static in the grounds, a new paper said. That means fewer clumps and less mess clinging to the grinder.
And that's not all: The method also leads to a more consistent, stronger-tasting shot of espresso. As one scientist said: "You get more coffee out of your coffee."

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Taylor Swift was named Time magazine's person of the year yesterday.

Why? It caps a phenomenal year for the singer-songwriter. She dominated the music charts, the movie industry and the live concert scene — adding billions to the U.S. economy.
Her competition: Time picked Swift over a shortlist of candidates including Barbie, Britain's King Charles III and Russian President Vladimir Putin.