🎧News Brief: Biden Vows Support for Ukraine Following Russian Drone Attack; House Democrats Targeted With Thanksgiving Bomb Threats; Eggs Recalled for Salmonella Risk

President Joe Biden speaks to reporters as he visits the Nantucket Fire Department in Nantucket, Mass., on Nov. 28, 2024. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, we have some impactful stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s going on.

President Joe Biden weighs in following a deadly drone attack in Ukraine, a number of House Democrats receive alarming threats on Thanksgiving Day, and a big box warehouse retailer pulls a very common food staple from its shelves—we’ll tell you why.

Also, the Christmas buying rush is now underway, and a world-famous cathedral reopens 5 years after a devastating fire.

We have a great deal of ground to cover and we begin here. In a show of support, President Joe Biden says the United States will stand by Ukraine and its people. More now on this developing story.

Biden Vows Support for Ukraine Following Russian Drone Attack

Biden is criticizing Russia for what he describes as a “horrific” aerial attack, and he says the assault highlights both the urgency and the importance of supporting the Ukrainian people against Russian aggression.

The outgoing president told the Ukrainian people that “the United States stands with you,” and that it, alongside more than 50 other countries, are in support of Ukraine’s “fight for freedom.”

In case you’re not aware, earlier this week, Russia launched a massive drone attack that targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which left more than a million Ukrainian households without electricity.

Biden said that the United States has been working for months to help Ukraine strengthen “the resilience of its energy grid” ahead of the winter season, and that the Pentagon continues to “surge” needed weapons to Ukraine, including artillery, rockets, and armored vehicles.

The president also noted that earlier this year, at his direction, the United States began “prioritizing air defense exports” to Ukraine.

So you know, earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia will continue to respond to ongoing strikes on its territory by Western-made long-range missiles and that they’re already selecting additional Ukrainian targets.

He also says Russia might continue to use its new Oreshnik missile, which was deployed for the first time last week and which Putin says is too fast to be intercepted.

We’ll press ahead now and one of our nation’s most celebrated holidays is behind us, but sadly, on Thanksgiving, several government leaders were targeted with deadly threats, and here’s what we’ve learned.

House Democrats Targeted With Thanksgiving Bomb Threats

Lawmakers say that the homes of four members of Congress—all Democrats from Connecticut—were targeted by bomb threats on Thanksgiving Day.

Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) said she was notified early in the day by local police, who told her about a threatening email which claimed that a pipe bomb had been placed in her mailbox.

She said that a number of law enforcement agencies were notified, that no bomb or explosive materials were discovered, and that the scene was eventually cleared.

In another incident, Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said that he was notified about a bomb threat which targeted his home, where he was celebrating Thanksgiving with his family.

He thanked several police forces for a “swift and thorough response,” and said that no evidence of a bomb was found.

A third member of Congress, Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), also said that police officers went to his home following a threat, but they did not find any explosive materials on his property.

It’s unclear if the threats targeting the Connecticut lawmakers are connected or not, and so far, no arrests have been made.

In case you’re not aware, earlier this week, several of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees were also targeted by similar bomb threats.

We’ll move along now and address a very serious health concern regarding a food staple, its link to a serious illness, and a multi-state recall. More now on what you need to know.

Eggs Recalled for Salmonella Risk

New York-based Handsome Brook Farms is pulling more than 10,000 cartons of eggs from Costco shelves following concerns that the items might be contaminated with the salmonella bacteria.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced the recall of the “Organic Pasture Raised 24-Count Eggs,” which are sold under the Kirkland Signature brand name.

The eggs were sold in 25 Costco stores across five states, including Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, and so far, no illnesses linked to the recalled eggs have been reported.

Handsome Brook Farms initiated the recall after some eggs that were kept out of distribution were found to have entered the supply chain, and they say that the eggs should either be thrown out or returned to Costco for a full refund.

So you know, there have been a number of recent food recalls over fears of salmonella contamination, including one outbreak dealing with eggs which impacted a dozen states and resulted in 34 hospitalizations.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and individuals with weakened immune systems. People who are infected with the bacteria often experience fever, nausea, and abdominal pain, among other issues, and it can lead to even more severe illnesses.

By the way, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year, more than 1 million people in the United States get infected with salmonella.

We’ll make the switch now to consumer news and with Christmas less than a month away, shopping is in full swing and this year, holiday spending could hit a staggering amount.

Shoppers Kick Off Christmas Buying Rush

The National Retail Federation (NRF) says that a record number of more than 180 million shoppers will visit stores and log on to websites between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday, as the Christmas shopping season gets off to a booming start.

One federation executive says that the five-day period remains the busiest time for retailers, even though some companies are now starting their holiday campaigns weeks before Thanksgiving.

The organization recently predicted that this year, holiday spending could nearly reach $1 trillion dollars, a significant jump from 2023.

The NRF’s president and CEO pointed to a “fundamentally healthy” economy, a strong job market, and wage growth as significant factors in the traditional spending spree.

You should know that online commerce is expected to account for a record share of total holiday spending, and Adobe Analytics predicts nearly $250 billion will be spent online in November and December. Additionally, more people than ever are expected to make their purchases using their mobile phones.

One Adobe analyst says that discounts are the driving force behind the increased spending, and that shoppers are making their purchases earlier to take advantage of the bargain prices.

By the way, a recent Gallup survey revealed that this year, Americans estimate they will spend an average of more than $1,000 each on Christmas gifts.

Finally today, a centuries old European landmark that was destroyed by a catastrophic fire has been rebuilt and a week from tomorrow, Dec. 8, visitors will once again be able to visit a world-renowned cathedral.

New-Look Notre Dame Cathedral Unveiled 5 Years After Fire

Yesterday in Paris, France, the reconstructed Notre Dame Cathedral was unveiled to the world, more than five years after it was severely damaged by a devastating fire.

French President Emmanuel Macron took a two-hour televised tour of the restored 12th-century building, and during his visit, he thanked the 1,300 workers who helped repair the national monument.

Macron called their efforts “the project of the century.” He said that the burning of the cathedral was a “national wound,” and that the repair team was its “remedy.”

The president’s office says that people from all around the world rallied to help repair the historic structure, and that they donated nearly $900 billion to the cause.

In case you’re not aware, Notre Dame attracted millions of visitors each year before the fire engulfed its spire and most of the roof, forcing the landmark to shut its doors to the public. The exact cause of the blaze has never been established, though French authorities have said it was probably an accident.

The restored masterpiece will reopen to the public a week from tomorrow, and around 15 million people are expected to visit Notre Dame every year.

And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re gonna call it a wrap for the Saturday edition of the Epoch Times News Brief.

So you know, you’re always encouraged to share your thoughts, comments, or suggestions with the News Brief crew and please reach out to us via email—we’re at [email protected]. You can also leave comments for us on the Epoch Times app, which you can download for free on either the App Store or Google Play.

Don’t forget the News Brief Motto: We’re portable, affordable, and always on-demand. Anywhere you go, we’re happy to tag along.

And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote and this one comes to us from pop star Taylor Swift who said:

“No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.”

By the way, if Swift writes a song about you, you may have done something wrong.

For all of us here at the Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.

The Epoch Times News Brief program is written each day by David Ross.

Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.

Enjoy the remainder of your day and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of the Epoch Times News Brief.

For now, let’s all continue to watch out for one another and have an absolutely superb day today. Bye for now.