Start your week smart: Hostages released, drone attacks in Russia, Derek Chauvin, Oscar Pistorius, holiday shopping

By CNN

Published November 26, 2023 7:04 AM

CNN

By Andrew Torgan and Daniel Wine, CNN

(CNN) — You may not recognize the name Garrett Morgan, but you’ve likely seen his handiwork several times a day. Morgan is the inventor of the three-position traffic signal — a 100-year-old innovation that has saved an untold number of lives.

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

The weekend that was

• Israel has been given a new list of hostages set to be released today in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and an American is expected to be among them. It would be the third such exchange since a truce between Israel and Hamas began on Friday. Follow live updates.
• Russia has foiled at least 20 Ukrainian drone attacks over the past day, including on Moscow, officials said, a day after it launched its largest drone attack against Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Moscow’s mayor said there were no injuries or damage.
• Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was convicted in the 2020 murder of George Floyd, was stabbed in a federal prison in Arizona, the office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has confirmed. Chauvin is listed in stable condition.
• Oscar Pistorius will be released on parole in January, prison authorities announced, drawing criticism from Reeva Steenkamp’s mother, who said she did not believe the South African athlete had been rehabilitated since he murdered her daughter almost 11 years ago.
• Whether they jostled through brick-and-mortar stores or toggled between browser tabs and virtual carts, holiday shoppers were eager to participate in Black Friday this year. Both in-store and online retail sales increased year-over-year unadjusted for inflation.

The week ahead

Monday
You survived Black Friday only to find yourself facing Cyber Monday, a marketing event with an origin story that dates back to the days of AOL dial-up internet access. Back then, the only way to shop online after Thanksgiving without waiting long periods of time for pages to load was to use your office computer with its faster connection — and hope your boss didn’t catch you.

Tuesday
November 28 is Giving Tuesday, a global celebration of generosity and a yearly reminder that you can make a difference in your community or around the globe. To learn more about how to participate, check out this list of ideas.

Wednesday
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter will be buried at the Carter family residence in Plains, Georgia, one day after memorial services in Atlanta. Carter, who as first lady worked tirelessly on behalf of mental health reform and professionalized the role of the president’s spouse, died November 19 at the age of 96.

Thursday
The UN Climate Change Conference — known as COP28 — kicks off in Dubai. With time quickly running out to prevent fossil fuel pollution from causing irreversible harm, discussions between global leaders, negotiators, climate advocates and industry representatives have shifted to how the world should adapt to more deadly heat waves, stronger storms and a catastrophic rise in sea levels.

Tesla is slated to begin deliveries of its highly anticipated (and frequently delayed) Cybertruck electric pickup truck. Unveiled back in 2019 during a demo that went spectacularly wrong, the Cybertruck was originally expected to go into production in 2021 and be priced under $40,000. The new truck will allow Tesla to compete in the lucrative electric pickup market, which includes Rivian’s R1T, the Ford F-150 Lightning and the GMC Hummer EV pickup. The automaker is expected to announce the actual pricing for the vehicle during an event at its Gigafactory near Austin, Texas.

Friday
December 1 is World AIDS Day, a global movement to unite people in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

One Thing: Cloud computing
In this week’s One Thing podcast, CNN’s Clare Duffy and Rachel Ramirez examine how artificial intelligence could help in the fight against climate change — while also possibly contributing to the problem. Listen here.

Photos of the week

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

What’s happening in entertainment

In theaters
The second major concert film of the year opens Friday when “Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé” hits the big screen — taking viewers behind the scenes of her sold-out, 56-show tour across Europe and the US.

Fans of the OG kaiju will get an early holiday present when Godzilla stomps his way into theaters yet again. “Godzilla Minus One” is the 38th film to follow in the giant footsteps of 1954’s “Godzilla” — a series recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest continuously running film franchise in history.

What’s happening in sports

At a glance …
The NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament continues with the final night of Group Play wrapping up on Tuesday with eight games. The Knockout Round begins December 4, and the final is December 9.

It’s championship week in college football, with top teams squaring off next weekend for bragging rights in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC and other conferences.

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!

In lieu of CNN’s weekly news quiz, take our special Thanksgiving Quiz to test your knowledge about the holiday’s facts and foods! How will you fare?

Play me off …

‘Dance With Me’
It’s Thanksgiving weekend, so it’s a great time to serve up some of The Leftovers … (Click here to watch)

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