Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison under the city's national security law, marking the harshest punishment yet under the controversial legislation, according to BBC World. The sentence, handed down for colluding with foreign forces, has drawn criticism from rights groups who view it as a severe blow to freedom in the region.
The 78-year-old Lai, a British citizen, is the most prominent of the hundreds arrested under the law, which China imposed after large-scale protests in 2019. The law, which China defends as essential for the city's stability, has been criticized for its broad scope and impact on civil liberties. Hong Kong's leader expressed satisfaction with the sentencing, according to BBC World. Lai's family has raised concerns about his health.
In other news, a federal judge ruled that California could not prohibit federal law enforcement agents from wearing face masks unless the state amended the law to apply to state agents as well, the New York Times reported. Judge Christina A. Snyder of the Federal District Court in Los Angeles issued a preliminary injunction against the mask ban, citing its unconstitutionality. However, the judge allowed the state to enforce a separate law requiring all law enforcement officers, including federal ones, to display visible identification.
Meanwhile, in Wilder, Idaho, a federal raid in October has shaken the community's sense of security, according to the New York Times. The town, which had prided itself on comity between its white farmers and growing Hispanic population, experienced a disruption when federal agents swarmed the La Catedral Arena, a local gathering place.
Also, reports indicate that college students across the United States are claiming disabilities to gain special accommodations, prompting pushback from education experts, as reported by Fox News. At schools like Brown and Harvard, over 20 percent of undergraduates are registered as disabled, with Amherst reaching 34 percent. A Harvard professor criticized the situation, stating that diversity is prioritized over merit.
In sports, United States skier Lindsey Vonn provided an update after her crash during the alpine ski women's downhill at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics resulted in a leg fracture, Fox News reported. Vonn, who was already skiing with a torn ACL, needed to be airlifted off the mountain. She posted on Instagram that her "Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would."
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