Start your week smart: Iranian assassination plot, Ukraine drone attack, setback in Gaza talks, markets soar, Tuskegee shooting

By CNN

Published November 10, 2024 7:10 AM

CNN

By Andrew Torgan and Daniel Wine, CNN

(CNN) — Need a little inspiration to get off the couch this Sunday? Look no further than this octogenarian who recently completed her 21st marathon!

Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

The weekend that was

• The Justice Department announced federal charges in a thwarted Iranian plot to kill Donald Trump before the presidential election. According to court documents, Farhad Shakeri is still at large in Iran. Meanwhile the final presidential projection showed that Trump will win Arizona, completing a sweep of the battleground states and bringing his total number of projected Electoral College votes to 312, compared with 226 for Kamala Harris. Follow live updates.
• Russia and Ukraine have exchanged record numbers of drone strikes, with Moscow launching a total of 145 drones – the most ever in a single nighttime attack of the war. Ukraine, meanwhile, fired an unprecedented number of drones toward Russia’s capital.
• Qatar is suspending its role as a mediator in talks between Israel and Hamas after concluding that the two sides are no longer negotiating in good faith, its foreign ministry said. Qatar, alongside Egypt, served as an intermediary for the two sides, which do not officially maintain direct contact.
• US stocks closed at record highs, notching their best week all year after Trump’s election victory. The S&P 500 briefly crossed 6,000 points for the first time ever before closing at about 5,996. The Dow rose about 260 points.
• One person was killed and several others were injured in a shooting on the last day of homecoming week at Alabama’s Tuskegee University. Social media video shows people ducking for cover at a parking lot as gunshots rang out.

The week ahead

Monday
November 11 is Veterans Day, a holiday honoring men and women who have served in the US armed forces.

Tuesday
The judge who presided over Donald Trump’s hush money trial earlier this year is expected to decide whether to wipe away Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a payment to an adult film star, or to proceed with sentencing the president-elect later this month. Judge Juan Merchan’s self-imposed deadline follows the Supreme Court’s decision this summer granting a president partial presidential immunity. If Merchan decides to wipe away the conviction, the charges will be dismissed.

Wednesday
Senate Republicans will choose a successor to Mitch McConnell, who announced in February that he would not run for leader in the next Congress, ending what will be an 18-year tenure. Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Senate GOP Whip John Thune, the two top candidates to succeed McConnell, poured millions into GOP candidates’ campaign accounts and stumped for them on the trail as part of an effort to lock up support. A third leadership candidate, Florida Sen. Rick Scott, is seen as a long shot, even though he has been in regular contact with Trump in their home state.

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability will hold a hearing on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena — more commonly known as UFOs. Three retired military veterans testified at a hearing in July 2023 that the sightings are a national security problem and that the government has been too secretive about them. One went as far as to claim that the US government has not only UFOs in its possession but also the remains of the allegedly “non-human” pilots of the craft.

Thursday
President Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to Lima, Peru, to attend the 2024 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. The 21 APEC member economies — which include China, Japan and Australia — make up nearly half of global trade and nearly 40% of the global population.

Happy birthday to King Charles III, who turns 76.

Listen in

One Thing: 🎧 How Trump sold him
In this episode of the “One Thing” podcast, CNN’s David Rind speaks to an Illinois man who was convinced to vote for Trump after years of voting for Democrats. Listen here.

Photos of the week

Check out more images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.

What’s happening in entertainment

TV and streaming
Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will face Jake Paul — the YouTuber-turned-boxer — in a highly anticipated bout that will be streamed on Netflix at 8 p.m. ET Friday. The match was originally slated for July 20 but was delayed after Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up in May. Tyson, 57, will participating in his first professional matchup since 2005. Paul, who is 30 years younger than Tyson, competed in his first boxing match in 2018.

In theaters
Thanksgiving may still be a few weeks away, but that’s not stopping Hollywood from getting into the Christmas spirit. Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans team up to rescue a kidnapped Santa Claus in “Red One.” Lucy Liu and J.K. Simmons co-star. “Red One” flies onto the big screen Friday.

What’s happening in sports

At a glance …
In the NFL, we’re now officially past the halfway point of the season. Here’s what to watch for in today’s games.

In college football, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel broke the NCAA record for total career touchdowns during his team’s win over Maryland.

In the MLS playoffs, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami were eliminated by Atlanta in a shocking first-round upset. Miami entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed and heavy favorite to win the championship.

NASCAR Hall of Famer and three-time Daytona 500 winner Bobby Allison died at the age of 86 at his home in Mooresville, North Carolina.

For more of your favorite sports, head on over to CNN Sports as well as Bleacher Report, which — like CNN — is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Quiz time!

Looking for a challenge to start your week? Take CNN’s weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 50% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

Play me off …

‘Wipe Out’
As if we needed further proof that “there’s a day for that,” Saturday is International Check Your Wipers Day — a safe driving campaign started by a company that makes — you guessed it — windshield wiper blades. (Click here to view)

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