An Ignoble Experiment: The 7: A spectacular volcanic eruption; why Google might owe you money; a $100,000 find at Goodwill; and more

2023/12/19

The 7: A spectacular volcanic eruption; why Google might owe you money; a $100,000 find at Goodwill; and more

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By Jamie Ross

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Good morning. It's Tuesday, Dec. 19, and if you haven't already, you should listen to our excellent podcast version of The 7. Find it here each morning. Now let's catch up.

Pope Francis will allow Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples.

The details: The Vatican approved the blessings yesterday, but said they must be kept separate from marriage. It largely reverses a ban that was formalized in 2021.
It's a milestone: The Catholic Church, which has 1.3 billion adherents around the world, has previously said that any nod to same-sex unions would be tantamount to blessing sin.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill allowing police to arrest migrants.

The details: The legislation, signed yesterday, gives state police the power to arrest migrants suspected of entering Texas illegally. It is expected to go into force in March.
Zooming out: Abbott (R) has taken increasingly strict measures to stop illegal immigration. This law will probably set up another legal battle with the Biden administration.

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An earthquake in northwestern China has killed at least 116 people.

What happened? The 6.2-magnitude quake rocked a mountainous area around midnight local time yesterday, bringing buildings crashing down on people as they slept.
The latest: A frantic rescue effort is continuing today in freezing temperatures in the remote Jishishan county. The death toll is expected to rise.

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A volcano erupted in Iceland.

The details: The eruption began last night near the town of Grindavik. Photos and video showed plumes of red smoke billowing from scorching white lava.
What now? The eruption could last up to 10 days, officials said, and it isn't clear how much damage it might cause. Grindavik's residents were evacuated last month.

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Marvel actor Jonathan Majors was found guilty in a domestic abuse case.

What to know: Majors attacked his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, in the back of a car in March. With yesterday's verdict, he faces up to a year in jail.
What now? Marvel Studios dropped Majors, who played a prominent role as Kang in its recent movies and shows. Sentencing is scheduled for February.

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Tens of millions of Americans will get a payout from Google.

Why? Google is shelling out $700 million to settle an antitrust lawsuit brought by state prosecutors over the high fees it charges app developers, a court filing said yesterday.
Who's eligible? Around 102 million consumers who made purchases on Google Play from Aug. 16, 2016, through Sept. 30 of this year. Most will receive automatic payments.

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A vase bought at Goodwill for $3.99 sold for $107,100 at auction.

Jessica Vincent with the vase. (Courtesy of Rago/Wright)

The lucky seller: Jessica Vincent, a Virginia woman who found the vase earlier this year and did some research after suspecting there was something special about it.
Why is it so expensive? It's an ultra rare piece from famous Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa. It was sold to an unidentified private art collector last week.

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Before you go … do your houseplants keep dying? Here's how to pick one that will live for decades. Plus: How to tackle mold on your walls.

And finally … test your news knowledge with The Post's daily quiz, On the Record. Click here to play. Or try our word game, Keyword.

You're all caught up. See you tomorrow.

Jamie here with something fun from The Post: Newsprint can tell you your reader type, top topics of the year and more. (That's mine up there.) You can also find out your top author — mine is … me. I guess I spent too much time looking for typos. Who's yours? Click here to find out.