Author: CNN

CNN
 — 

Here’s a look at the life of Tim Pawlenty, former Republican governor of Minnesota.

Birth date: November 27, 1960

Birth place: St. Paul, Minnesota

Birth name: Timothy James Pawlenty

Father: Gene Pawlenty, a truck driver

Mother: Virginia “Ginny” Pawlenty

Marriage: Mary (Anderson) Pawlenty (1987-present)

Children: Mara, 1996; Anna, 1993

Education: University of Minnesota, B.A., Political Science, 1983; University of Minnesota, J.D., 1986

Religion: Evangelical Christian

Opposes abortion and same-sex marriage.

His mother died of ovarian cancer when he was 16.

Worked at an Applebaum’s grocery store to put himself through college and law school.

1989-2000 – Attorney at Rider, Bennett, Egan & Arundel law firm.

1990-1992 – Serves on Eagan City Council in Minnesota.

January 5, 1993-January 6, 2003 – Member of Minnesota House of Representatives, from District 38B, Eagan.

1999-2003 – Minnesota House Majority Leader.

2000-2002 – Vice president of WIZMO, an internet consulting company.

2001 – Plans to run for US Senate in 2002, but receives a call from Vice President Dick Cheney asking him to step aside for fellow Republican Norm Coleman.

January 6, 2003-January 3, 2011 – Serves two terms as Republican governor of Minnesota. Elected on November 5, 2002.

January 2007 – Senator John McCain’s (R-AZ) presidential exploratory committee announces Pawlenty will co-chair McCain’s presidential campaign if McCain runs.

September 4, 2008 – Speaks at the Republican National Convention.

June 2, 2009 – Announces he will not run for a third term as governor.

January 13, 2011 – Begins tour for his book, “Courage to Stand: An American Story,” traveling to key election states New Hampshire and Iowa.

March 21, 2011 – Announces the formation of a presidential exploratory committee, via a Facebook video.

April 12, 2011 – On CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight” Pawlenty says, “I’m running for president. I’m not putting my hat in the ring rhetorically or ultimately for vice president. I’m focused on running for president.” Pawlenty’s campaign says the comments were not an official announcement.

May 23, 2011 – Officially announces his candidacy for president, during a town hall-style meeting at the State of Iowa Historical Building in Des Moines.

August 14, 2011 – Drops out of the presidential race.

September 12, 2011 – Endorses Mitt Romney for president and joins Romney’s campaign as national co-chair.

September 20, 2012 – Pawlenty announces he is stepping down as national co-chairman of Romney’s presidential campaign to take a job as president and CEO of the Financial Services Roundtable, a Washington, DC-based lobbying group. His new role formally begins November 1.

April 5, 2018 – In a video announcement, Pawlenty officially declares himself a candidate for Minnesota governor.

February 6, 2018 – Announces his March resignation from the Financial Services Roundtable (which later merges to become the Bank Policy Institute).

August 14, 2018 – Loses in the Republican gubernatorial primary to Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson.

CNN
 — 

Here’s a look at the life of former Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross Jr.

Birth date: November 28, 1937

Birth place: Weehawken, New Jersey

Birth name: Wilbur Louis Ross Jr.

Father: Wilbur Louis Ross Sr., a lawyer

Mother: Agnes (O’Neill) Ross, a teacher

Marriages: Hilary (Geary) Ross (October 9, 2004); Betsy (McCaughey) Ross (December 7, 1995-August 2000, divorced); Judith (Nodine) Ross (May 26, 1961-October 1995, divorced)

Children: with Judith Nodine: Jessica and Amanda

Education: Yale University, A.B., 1959, Harvard University, M.B.A., 1961

He was called the “King of Bankruptcy,” as he built new companies from the assets of defaulted ones.

Ross was known for investing in distressed companies in a wide range of industries including auto parts, steel, textiles and financial services.

1976-2000 – Works for the investment bank Rothschild Inc. During his tenure, he becomes a top bankruptcy adviser.

January 1998 – Pledges $2.25 million towards then-wife and Lt. Governor Betsy McCaughey Ross’ campaign for governor of New York. He withdraws the funding in September and files for divorce in November.

2000 – Purchases a small fund he started at Rothschild and opens his own private equity firm, WL Ross & Co. LLC.

2002 – Establishes the International Steel Group (ISG), with himself as chairman of the board, through a series of mergers and acquisitions starting with Bethlehem Steel Corp.

December 2003 – ISG goes public.

2004 – Forms the International Coal Group (ICG) after purchasing the assets of Horizon Natural Resources in a bankruptcy auction.

October 2004 – Merges ISG with Mittal Steel for $4.5 billion.

January 2, 2006 – Twelve miners are killed after an explosion at a West Virginia mine operated by an ICG subsidiary. Families of the dead and Randal McCloy, the lone survivor, sue ICG and WL Ross claiming negligence. All of the lawsuits are settled by November 2011.

April 2010 – Purchases a 21% stake in Richard Branson’s Virgin Money. In November 2011, Ross helps Branson fund a successful bid for the British bank Northern Rock.

August 2, 2010 – During an interview with Charlie Rose, Ross states that he’s fine with higher taxes on the wealthy as long as the government puts the money to good use.

June 2011 – Arch Coal, Inc. acquires ICG for $3.4 billion.

September 2011 – WL Ross is one of five US and Canadian companies that purchase a 34.9% stake in the Bank of Ireland. Ross’ share is reportedly 9.3%.

March 21, 2016 – Nexeo Solutions, a chemical distribution company, announces their merger agreement with WL Ross Holding Corporation. The merger is valued at nearly $1.6 billion.

August 24, 2016 – The Securities and Exchange Commission announces that WL Ross will pay a $2.3 million fine for failing to properly disclose fees it charged.

November 30, 2016 – Ross announces in a CNBC interview that President-elect Donald Trump has asked him to serve as his commerce secretary.

February 27, 2017 – The Senate confirms Ross as commerce secretary by a 72-27 vote. He is sworn in the next day.

November 5, 2017 – The New York Times reports that Ross has financial ties to a shipping company whose clients include a Russian energy company co-owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s son-in-law. Another customer of the shipping company is Venezuela’s state-run oil company, which has been sanctioned by the US government. The information comes from the Paradise Papers, a release of 13.4 million leaked documents.

November 7, 2017 – Two days after the Paradise Papers are released, Forbes reports that Ross inflated his net worth to be included in the magazine’s annual list of the world’s wealthiest individuals. His name is removed from the magazine’s website. An investigation by the magazine reveals that Ross has likely been providing inaccurate financial information since 2004. Ross claims that the magazine overlooked trusts for his family while tallying his fortune.

March 2, 2018 – During an appearance on CNBC, Ross says the Trump administration’s steel and aluminum tariffs won’t hurt consumers. He holds up a can of Campbell’s soup as he explains that the price of soup will go up less than a penny due to the tariffs.

March 26, 2018 – Ross announces that a citizenship question will be added to the 2020 census.

July 12, 2018 – Ross admits to “errors” in failing to divest assets required by his government ethics agreement and says he will sell all his stock holdings. The admission comes after the Office of Government Ethics took Ross to task for what it said were inconsistencies in his financial disclosure forms.

September 21, 2018 – A federal judge rules that Ross must sit for a deposition in a lawsuit regarding his department’s decision to include a question about citizenship in the 2020 census. The US Supreme Court later blocks the deposition.

December 19, 2018 – The Center for Public Integrity reports that Ross failed to sell a bank stock holding within the required time frame after his 2017 confirmation and subsequently signed ethics documents indicating the holding had been sold.

February 15, 2019 – Ross’ financial disclosure form is rejected by the Office of Government Ethics. Ross later releases a statement saying, “While I am disappointed that my report was not certified, I remain committed to complying with my ethics agreement and adhering to the guidance of Commerce ethics officials.”

June 27, 2019 – The Supreme Court issues a 5-4 ruling that blocks the citizenship question from being added to the census.

July 17, 2019 – The House votes to hold Ross in criminal contempt over a dispute related to the citizenship question on the census. Attorney General William Barr is also held in contempt. Ross releases a statement in which he dismisses the vote as a political stunt. “House Democrats never sought to have a productive relationship with the Trump Administration, and today’s PR stunt further demonstrates their unending quest to generate headlines instead of operating in good faith with our Department.”

July 18, 2020 – A department spokesman says that Ross has been hospitalized for “minor, non-coronavirus related issues.” On July 27, the Commerce Department says Ross has been released from the hospital.

September 28, 2020 – Ross announces that he intends to conclude the 2020 census on October 5. This is more than three weeks earlier than expected and against the October 31 court reinstated end date. Ross asks Census Bureau officials if the earlier date would effectively allow them to produce a final set of numbers during Trump’s current term in office, according to an internal email released the following day as part of a lawsuit.

October 13, 2020 – The Supreme Court grants a request from the Trump administration to halt the census count while an appeal plays out over a lower court’s order that it continue. The Census Bureau announces that the count is ending on October 15.

July 19, 2021 – According to a letter made public from Commerce Department Inspector General Peggy Gustafson to Democratic lawmakers, the Justice Department decides to decline prosecution of Ross for misrepresentations he made to Congress about the origins of the Trump administration’s failed push to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

CNN
 — 

Here’s a look at the life of Chuck Schumer, the US Senate majority leader and Democratic senator from New York.

Birth date: November 23, 1950

Birth place: Brooklyn, New York

Birth name: Charles Ellis Schumer

Father: Abe Schumer, exterminator

Mother: Selma (Rosen) Schumer

Marriage: Iris Weinshall (1980-present)

Children: Jessica, Alison

Education: Harvard University, A.B., 1971; Harvard Law School, J.D., 1974

Religion: Jewish

He was valedictorian at James Madison High School in Brooklyn and received a perfect 1600 score on the SAT test. He edited his high school newspaper, and at one point considered pursuing a career in chemistry. His parents encouraged him to go to medical school, but he opted for law school instead.

He funded his Harvard education by selling class rings while in school.

For more than three decades, Schumer shared an aging row house in Washington with Congressional colleagues, including Dick Durbin and George Miller. He lived in the row house during the week and returned to his family home in Brooklyn on weekends.

Writer/actress Amy Schumer is his second cousin, once removed.

1975-1980 – New York state assemblyman.

1981-1999 – US representative from New York 9th District (formerly 10th District and 16th District).

1987-1988 – Sponsors the Fair Credit and Charge Card Disclosure Act, which requires credit card companies to list detailed information about fees and interest rates when soliciting new customers. The credit card disclosures are nicknamed “Schumer Boxes.”

1993-1994 – Sponsors the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which requires background checks and a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases. Sponsors the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, meant to prevent the government from interfering with an individual’s right to express his or her faith. Also, cosponsors the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, a measure that provides funding to expand police departments, increases prison capacity and allows judges to impose longer sentences for violent crimes. The crime bill includes an assault weapons ban, prohibiting the sale of certain types of military-style semi-automatic rifles for 10 years.

1998 – Wins election to US Senate.

2004 – Wins reelection to the US Senate.

2004 – Leads an unsuccessful push to renew the assault weapons ban.

2005-2008 – Chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

2007-2008 – Introduces the Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act, requiring registered sex offenders to give law enforcement their email addresses and social media accounts so their online activity can be tracked.

2007-2010 – Chairs and vice chairs the US Senate’s Joint Economic Committee.

2009 – Cosponsors the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act, broadening the definition of hate crimes to include acts of violence against individuals based on their actual or perceived gender, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

2009-present – Serves on the US Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.

2010 – Wins reelection to US Senate.

2011-present – Chairman of the US Senate’s Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.

2013 – Works on immigration reform as a member of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight.” The group’s bill, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, passes the Senate. The House, however, declines to vote on the package, which creates a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

August 3, 2015 – Holds a joint press conference with his cousin, actress and comedian Amy Schumer, to announce gun control legislation promoting stricter state background check laws. The press conference takes place 11 days after a deadly mass shooting at a screening of Schumer’s comedy, “Trainwreck,” in Louisiana. Schumer’s bill, the Fix Gun Checks Act of 2016, stalls in the Senate.

August 6, 2015 – Expresses his opposition to the nuclear deal with Iran in a statement. He says that he is concerned about a 24-day delay for inspectors to access facilities and other limitations on inspections.

November 8, 2016 – Wins reelection to the US Senate.

November 16, 2016 – Senate Democrats choose Schumer to succeed Harry Reid as leader in the chamber.

January 3, 2017 – On his first day as Senate minority leader, Schumer tells CNN that Senate Democrats plan to hold President-elect Donald Trump accountable but will also work with him if he supports legislation that is true to the Democratic Party’s principles.

March 2, 2017 – Schumer calls on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign in the wake of a report that Sessions met with the Russian ambassador to the US during the presidential campaign, contradicting his testimony during his Senate confirmation hearing. Sessions does not resign but recuses himself from involvement in the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

September 6, 2017 – Schumer meets with Trump and other congressional leaders in the Oval Office. During the meeting, Trump agrees to endorse a plan to attach hurricane relief money to a three-month extension of the debt ceiling that was proposed by Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

January 19, 2018 – Schumer meets with Trump at the White House to discuss a deal that could avert a looming government shutdown. Schumer offers to increase military spending and fully fund border security measures in exchange for a pledge to protect beneficiaries of the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). Trump ultimately rejects the deal. The failed negotiations lead to a brief shutdown that White House officials label the “Schumer Shutdown.”

June 27, 2018 – Schumer introduces a bill, the Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act, that would decriminalize and regulate marijuana at the federal level.

November 11, 2018 – Schumer says that Democrats may combine a must-pass spending bill with a measure protecting the Robert Mueller special counsel investigation into Russian election meddling.

November 10, 2020 – Schumer is reelected as a Senate party leader.

January 20, 2021-present – Senate majority leader.

July 14, 2021 – Schumer and a group of other Senate Democrats introduce draft legislation that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level by striking it from the federal controlled substances list.

November 8, 2022 – Wins reelection to the US Senate.

CNN
 — 

Here’s a look at the 2024 presidential candidates and key dates in their campaigns.

Republican Candidates

Donald Trump – 45th president of the United States
Primary Campaign Committee – Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc.
Website – https://www.donaldjtrump.com/
November 15, 2022 – Trump announces that he will seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, aiming to become only the second commander-in-chief ever elected to two nonconsecutive terms.

Nikki Haley – Former governor of South Carolina and former US ambassador to the United Nations
Primary Campaign Committee – Nikki Haley for President Inc.
Website – https://nikkihaley.com/
February 14, 2023 – Haley announces in a video that she will run for president in 2024.

Vivek Ramaswamy – Entrepreneur and author
Primary Campaign Committee – Vivek 2024
Website – https://www.vivek2024.com/
February 21, 2023 – Ramaswamy announces that he’s running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Perry Johnson – Businessman
Primary Campaign Committee – Perry Johnson for President
Website – https://www.perryjohnson.com/
March 2, 2023 – Johnson announes his candidacy to a group of supporters.

Asa Hutchinson – Former governor of Arkansas
Primary Campaign Committee – America Strong and Free
Website – https://www.asfpac.com/
April 2, 2023 – Hutchinson announces that he’s running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination during an interview on ABC News.

Larry Elder – Conservative talk radio host
Primary Campaign Committee – Elder for President 24
Website – https://www.larryelder.com/
April 20, 2023 – Elder tells Tucker Carlson on Fox News that he is running for president in 2024.

Tim Scott – Senator from South Carolina
Primary Campaign Committee – Tim Scott for America
Website – https://votetimscott.com/
May 22, 2023 – Scott announces that he’s running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in an address at his alma mater, Charleston Southern University.

Ron DeSantis – Governor of Florida
Primary Campaign Committee – Ron DeSantis for President
Website – https://rondesantis.com
May 24, 2023 – DeSantis announces that he’s running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in an event on Twitter’s audio platform with Elon Musk.

Chris Christie – Former governor of New Jersey
Primary Campaign Committee – Chris Christie for President, Inc.
Website – https://chrischristie.com/
June 6, 2023 – Christie announces that he’s running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination at a New Hampshire town hall event.

Mike Pence – Former US Vice President
Primary Campaign Committee – Mike Pence for President
Website – https://mikepence2024.com/
June 6, 2023 – Pence announces that he’s running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in a launch video.
October 28, 2023 – Pence suspends his campaign for president.

Doug Burgum – Governor of North Dakota
Primary Campaign Committee – Doug Burgum for America
Website – https://www.dougburgum.com/
June 7, 2023 – During a speech in North Dakota, Burgum announces he will seek the Republican nomination for president.

Francis Suarez – Mayor of Miami, Florida
Primary Campaign Committee – Suarez for President, Inc.
Website – https://www.itstimewegetstarted.com/
June 15, 2023 – Suarez announces that he’s running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in a campaign video.
August 29, 2023 – Announces that he is ending his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Will Hurd – Former Texas congressman
Primary Campaign Committee – Hurd for America
Website – https://www.willbhurd.com/
June 22, 2023 – Hurd announces his candidacy on “CBS Mornings.”
October 9, 2023 – Announces that he is ending his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Democratic Candidates

Marianne Williamson – Author and activist
Primary Campaign Committee – Marianne Williamson for President
Website – https://www.marianne2024.com
March 4, 2023 – Williamson formally announces that she’s running for president in 2024, her second bid for the White House following an unsuccessful campaign in 2020.

Joe Biden – 46th President of the United States
Primary Campaign Committee – Biden for President
Website – https://joebiden.com/
April 25, 2023 – Biden announces his 2024 reelection campaign.

Dean Phillips – Member of Congress from Minnesota
Primary Campaign Committee – Dean 24, Inc.
Website – https://www.dean24.com/
October 27, 2023 – Formally launches his presidential campaign.

Independent and Third Party Candidates

Robert F. Kennedy Jr – Environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist
Primary Campaign Committee – Team Kennedy
Website – https://www.kennedy24.com/
April 19, 2023 – Kennedy launches his bid for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination.
October 9, 2023 – Announces his independent candidacy for president, officially ending his effort to win the Democratic primary in favor of a general election bid.

Cornel West – Scholar
Primary Campaign Committee – Cornel West for President
Website – https://www.cornelwest2024.com/
June 5, 2023 – Announces he will run for president as a candidate for the People’s Party.
October 5, 2023 – Announces he will run as an independent candidate in the 2024 presidential election, abandoning his campaign for the Green Party’s nomination.

Jill Stein – Physician
Primary Campaign Committee – Jill Stein for President 2024
Website – https://www.jillstein2024.com/
November 9, 2023 – Announces she plans to seek the Green Party’s nomination for the White House in 2024.

CNN
 — 

Here is a look at the life of singer and actress Barbra Streisand.

Birth date: April 24, 1942

Birth place: Brooklyn, New York

Birth name: Barbara Joan Streisand

Father: Emanuel Streisand, a teacher

Mother: Diana (Rosen) Streisand Kind

Marriages: James Brolin (July 1, 1998-present); Elliott Gould (March 21, 1963-1971, divorced)

Children: with Elliott Gould: Jason Emanuel Gould

Changed her name from Barbara to Barbra.

Her father died when she was 15 months old.

Has suffered from severe stage fright.

Nominated for 46 Grammy Awards and has won eight.

Nominated for nine Primetime Emmy Awards and has won four.

Nominated for five Academy Awards and has won two.

Nominated for two Tony Awards, and has received a special Tony Award.

1962 – Makes her Broadway debut in “I Can Get It For You Wholesale.”

1962 – Signs a contract with Columbia Records.

1963 – Her debut album, “The Barbra Streisand Album,” is released and wins her two Grammy Awards.

1964 – The Broadway musical “Funny Girl,” in which Streisand plays Fanny Brice, debuts.

1965 – Her television special, “My Name Is Barbra,” airs. It earns Streisand an Emmy Award and a Grammy Award for the accompanying album.

April 14, 1969 – Wins the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film “Funny Girl.”

1970 – Receives a special Tony Award.

1973 – The film “The Way We Were” opens.

March 28, 1977 – Receives the Academy Award for Best Original Song, for the song “Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born)” from the movie “A Star Is Born.”

1983 – Streisand’s directorial debut, “Yentl,” opens.

1986 – The Streisand Foundation is established.

1991 – “The Prince of Tides” opens, a film in which Streisand produces, directs and acts.

1995 – Receives a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

2008 – Receives the Kennedy Center Honors.

September 2014 – Streisand’s new album, “Partners,” is released and goes to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart. This makes her the first artist to have a No. 1 album in each of the past six decades.

November 24, 2015 – Is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

February 2018 – Variety magazine releases an interview in which Streisand reveals that two of her dogs are clones of her deceased dog Samantha, who passed away in 2017.

November 2, 2018 – Streisand’s album, “Walls,” is released. Streisand says the album embodies her feelings about Donald Trump and his presidency.

July 7, 2019 – Streisand reunites with her “A Star Is Born” co-star Kris Kristofferson on stage at London’s Hyde Park for a sold-out crowd of 65,000 – the biggest audience she’s performed for since a Central Park performance for 150,000 in 1968, according to Variety.

October 18, 2021 – Streisand funds The Barbra Streisand Institute at UCLA. The institute’s goal involves “solving societal challenges” and will focus on four areas the artist and activist is most passionate about.

November 4, 2022 – “Live at the Bon Soir,” a live album originally intended to be Streisand’s 1962 debut, is released for the first time.

November 7, 2023 – Streisand’s memoir, “My Name is Barbra,” is published.

Editor’s Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get the latest news in aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel developments.

CNN
 — 

It’s one of the main draws that brings visitors to Iceland, for a float in its milky-blue, comfortingly warm waters.

But the world-famous Blue Lagoon geothermal pool has closed for a week because of the current seismic activity around the site.

The site is part of southwest Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula – a thick finger of land pointing west into the North Atlantic Ocean from capital Reykjavik. As well as the Blue Lagoon, the peninsula is also home to Iceland’s main airport, Keflavik International.

Iceland is one of the most active volcanic areas on the planet. Rather than having a central volcano, the Reykjanes Peninsula is dominated by a rift valley, with lava fields and cones.

According to the Icelandic Met Office, around 1,400 earthquakes were measured in the 24 hours leading up to around midday on Thursday November 9, with another 800 in the first 14 hours of Friday. Seven of Thursday’s were of a magnitude of four or above – and all of these were on the peninsula, between Eldvörp, near the airport, and Sýlingarfell, a mountain just to the east of the Blue Lagoon.

The most severe quake registered 4.8 west of Þorbjörn, a mountain roughly a mile south of the Blue Lagoon, at just before 1 a.m. on Thursday.

“It is the largest earthquake since the activity began on October 25th,” the Met Office wrote in a bulletin on Thursday.

“While the accumulation of magma continues, seismic activity can be expected on the Reykjavík Peninsula because the magma intrusion causes increased tension in the area.”

Tremors can be felt from as far away as Reykjavik, a spokesperson for the local tourist board told CNN.

In the previous 24 hours, 1,200 earthquakes were measured, mostly in the same area and at the same depth – around five kilometers (three miles) below ground level. “It is likely that seismic activity will continue, and be episodic in intensity, while magma accumulation is ongoing,” the wrote on November 8, adding that “uplift continues in the area.”

By Friday, the area was still active, with around 800 quakes already measured since midnight, according to a 2 p.m. local time bulletin from the Icelandic Met Office. A “dense swarm” of quakes started at 7 a.m., culminating in a 4.1 magnitude quake near Sýlingarfell shortly before 2 p.m..

However it was also at pains to point out that an eruption isn’t necessarily imminent. “The fact that there are now larger earthquakes than before in the area does not necessarily mean an increased rate of magma accumulation,” said Thursday’s Met Office bulletin.

Friday’s bulletin warned that earthquakes of up to 5.5 magnitude “can be expected” as magma accumulation continues below ground. However, they noted, “At this stage, there are no indications that magma is forcing its way to the surface.”

The Reykjanes Peninsula has now been coded yellow – one above the rest of the country’s green – for eruption risk.

According to a statement from Visit Reykjanes, the local tourist board, the current activity is similar to that preceding last year’s eruption of Fagradalsfjall, around 8.5 miles southwest of the Blue Lagoon. Fagradalsfjall has erupted every year since 2021. The latest eruption took place from July 10 to August 8, 2023. When hiking trails were reopened in August, visitors were warned not to walk on the still “steaming hot” lava.

“There is no way of accurately predicting whether, where, or when this could result in a volcanic eruption or the possible size of such an eruption,” Þuríður Aradóttir Braun, manager of Visit Reykjanes, told CNN.

“This continuing course of events is very similar to the lead-up to the three previous eruptions in Reykjanes Peninsula in 2021, 2022, and 2023 but it could also fade away similar to the events we had in 2020.

“On one hand we are witnessing an amazing real-time natural event that might only happen once in a lifetime. On the other, it is a big event in nature that we cannot control. We have to respect it and give it space. Volcanic activity is a fact of life in Iceland, and Icelanders have learned to live with its drawbacks and considerable advantages, such as geothermal energy.

“We have an excellent team around us, monitoring and informing at any given time.”

She emphasized that the earthquakes are in a “relatively isolated part of Iceland” but said that visitors to the peninsula “might need to adjust their day itinerary.”

If an eruption occurs, warnings will be sent to any cellphone in the area – including foreign ones.

The Blue Lagoon’s pool, spa, hotels and restaurants closed on November 9 and are scheduled to reopen at 7 a.m. on November 16, according to a statement on the website, which continues: “The primary reason for taking these precautionary measures is our unwavering commitment to safety and wellbeing.”

A spokesperson for the site told CNN: “Although the level of uncertainty has not been elevated by the Icelandic authorities during this seismic period, the primary reason for these precautionary measures is our unwavering commitment to prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of our guests and staff.”

Any visitors with bookings will receive a full refund. Guests with reservations through November 15 have already been contacted, they confirmed.

Other tour operators near Mount Þorbjörn have also suspended activities until at least November 16, according to the local tourist board. One road has been closed, and access to the Elvörp geosite has been halted.

The closures will be reevaluated on November 16, according to a notice from the tourist board.

According to the BBC, a representative from the Icelandic Civil Protection Agency has been sent to Grindavik, the town 2.5 miles south of the Blue Lagoon, to “prepare for a potential evacuation of the town” in the event of “magma appearing to rise to the surface.”

RÚV, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, has set up a livestream of the area, including the Blue Lagoon.

Lea Gestsdóttir Gayet, head of public relations and communications at Business Iceland, told CNN: “We must emphasize that seismic activity is part of Icelandic life, and even though Icelanders have adapted to the unique natural terrain, our priority is always the safety of our guests and local communities. The temporary closure of the Blue Lagoon is a precautionary measure due to the recent seismic activity. We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to provide updates from the local authorities.”

CNN has contacted the Icelandic Met Office and the Icelandic Civil Protection Agency for comment.

CNN
 — 

Here’s some background information about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.

November 22, 1963
– 11:37 a.m. – Air Force One arrives at Dallas’ Love Field with the President and his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, Texas Governor John B. Connally Jr. and his wife, Idanell Connally. Vice President Lyndon Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird Johnson, arrive in a separate plane. It is a campaign trip for the coming 1964 election, although not officially designated as such.

During a 10-mile tour of Dallas, the President and Mrs. Kennedy and the governor and Mrs. Connally ride in an open convertible limousine. The motorcade is on the way to the Trade Mart where the President is to speak at a sold-out luncheon.

– 12:30 p.m. – As the President’s limousine passes the Texas School Book Depository, shots are fired from a sixth-floor window.

President Kennedy and Governor Connally are both wounded and are rushed to Parkland Hospital.

Wire services report three shots were fired as the motorcade passed under Stemmons Freeway. Two bullets hit the President and one hit the Governor.

Emergency efforts by Drs. Malcolm Perry, Kemp Clark and others are unsuccessful at reviving the president. Governor Connally’s injuries are critical but not fatal. From one bullet, he sustains three broken ribs, a punctured lung and a broken wrist. The bullet finally lodged in his left thigh.

– 12:36 p.m. – The ABC radio network broadcasts the first nationwide news bulletin reporting that shots have been fired at the Kennedy motorcade.

– 12:40 p.m. – The CBS television network broadcasts the first nationwide TV news bulletin also reporting on the shooting.

– 1:00 p.m. – Kennedy is pronounced dead by Parkland Hospital doctors, becoming the fourth US president killed in office.

– 1:07 p.m. – News of the shooting causes the New York Stock Exchange to halt trading after an $11 million flood of sell orders.

– 1:15 p.m. – Lee Harvey Oswald kills Dallas Police Patrolman J.D. Tippit approximately 45 minutes after the assassination.

– 2:00 p.m. – A bronze casket carrying the President’s body, accompanied by Mrs. Kennedy and the Johnsons, leaves Parkland Hospital for Air Force One.

– 2:15 p.m. – Oswald, a 24-year-old ex-Marine, is arrested in the back of a movie theater where he fled after shooting Tippit.

– 2:39 p.m. – Johnson is sworn in on the runway of Love Field aboard Air Force One. Federal Judge Sarah T. Hughes, of the Northern District of Texas, administers the oath of office. Witnesses include Jacqueline Kennedy and Johnson’s wife.

– 5:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. ET) – Air Force One arrives at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. The coffin bearing the President’s body is taken by ambulance to Bethesda Naval Hospital for an autopsy. The flag-draped coffin is taken to the East Room of the White House early the next morning following the autopsy.

– 7:15 p.m. – Oswald is arraigned for the murder of Tippit.

November 22-25, 1963 – Major television and radio networks devote continuous news coverage to ongoing events associated with the President’s assassination, canceling all entertainment and all commercials. Many theaters, stores and businesses, including the stock exchanges and government offices, are closed through November 25.

November 23, 1963 – Oswald is arraigned for the murder of the president.

November 23, 1963 – Johnson designates November 25 as a day of national mourning.

November 24, 1963 – As Oswald is being transferred from the Dallas city jail to the county jail, nightclub owner Jack Ruby shoots and kills him. The shooting is inadvertently shown live on TV. Ruby is immediately arrested.

November 24-25, 1963 – Kennedy’s flag-draped casket lies in state in the Capitol Rotunda.

November 25, 1963 – Kennedy is buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors and representatives from more than 90 countries in attendance.

November 26, 1963 – Ruby is indicted in Dallas for the murder of Oswald. He is later convicted, has the conviction overturned on appeal, and dies of cancer in 1967 awaiting a new trial.

November 29, 1963 – Johnson appoints the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy. Commonly called the Warren Commission, its purpose is to investigate the assassination.

September 24, 1964 – The Warren Report is released with the following conclusions: “The shots which killed President Kennedy and wounded Governor Connally were fired from the sixth-floor window at the southeast corner of the Texas School Book Depository.” And: “The shots which killed President Kennedy and wounded Governor Connally were fired by Lee Harvey Oswald.”

October 26,1992 – President George H.W. Bush signs the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act into law. The law directs the National Archives to establish a collection of records consisting of any materials, by any state or federal agency, that were created during the federal inquiry into the assassination.

October 26, 2017 – The US government releases more than 2,800 records relating to Kennedy’s assassination in an effort to comply with a 1992 law mandating the documents’ release. President Donald Trump keeps roughly 300 files classified out of concern for US national security, law enforcement and foreign relations. In a memo, Trump directs agencies that requested redactions to re-review their reasons for keeping the records secret within 180 days.

April 26, 2018 – Trump extends to 2021 the deadline for the public release of files related to the assassination. More than 19,000 documents are released by the National Archives, in compliance with the records law and Trump’s 2017 order.

October 22, 2021 – The White House announces that it will further postpone the release of more documents related to the assassination, pointing to the “significant impact” of the Covid-19 pandemic.

December 15, 2021 – The National Archives releases almost 1,500 previously classified documents related to the assassination.

December 15, 2022 – The National Archives releases over 13,000 previously classified documents collected as part of the government review into the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

June 30, 2023 – The White House announces the National Archives has concluded its review of the classified documents related to the assassination of President Kennedy, with 99% of the records having been made publicly available.

CNN
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Here’s a look at philanthropist and environmentalist Ted Turner, founder of CNN and Turner Broadcasting System (TBS).

Birth date: November 19, 1938

Birth place: Cincinnati, Ohio

Birth name: Robert Edward Turner III

Father: Robert Edward Turner

Mother: Florence (Rooney) Turner

Marriages: Jane Fonda (1991-2001, divorced); Jane (Smith) Turner (1964-1987, divorced. Some sources have 1988 for the divorce.); Judy (Nye) Turner (1960-early 1960s, divorced).

Children: with Jane (Smith) Turner: Beau, Rhett, Jennie; with Judy (Nye) Turner: Laura Lee and Robert Edward IV

Education: Attended Brown University, 1957-1960

Military: US Coast Guard

Won the America’s Cup with the yacht “Courageous” in 1977.

Has received two honorary Emmy Awards.

Nicknames: Mouth of the South, Terrible Ted, Captain Outrageous.

Claims his secret to success is “Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise.”

Former owner of the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks.

March 1963 – Takes over the family’s business, Turner Advertising Co., after his father’s suicide.

1970 – After turning the family business around and renaming it the Turner Communications Group, Turner purchases two independent UHF stations, in Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina, and names them WTCG and WRET, after his company and himself.

1976 – TBS becomes the nation’s first “superstation” using satellite technology to carry its signal nationwide.

June 1, 1980 – Launches CNN, the first 24-hour all-news cable network.

January 1, 1982 – CNN Headline News begins broadcasting.

August 1985 – Acquires MGM-UA Entertainment, including its library of thousands of classic films.

September 1985 – CNNI is first launched.

1986 – Creates the Goodwill Games. They are held five times, until 2000.

October 3, 1988 – TNT is launched.

1990 – Establishes the Turner Foundation with a vision toward the preservation and conservation of the environment throughout the world.

1991 – Time Magazine names Turner “Man of the Year.”

August 30, 1992 – Receives the Governor’s Award at the 44th Primetime Emmy Awards.

October 1, 1992 – The Cartoon Network goes on the air for the first time.

October 3, 1992 – Is inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.

April 1994 – Launch of Turner Classic Movies (TCM).

October 1996 – Sells Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. to Time Warner, Inc., for $7.34 billion; becomes vice chairman.

1996-2001 – Member of the Time Warner Board of Directors.

1996 – Buys the 578,000 acre Vermejo Park Ranch in New Mexico that stretches into Colorado. The ranch reportedly is one of the largest privately owned ranches in the country.

1997 – Pledges $1 billion to the United Nations to be paid out in increments over the next 10 years.

March 17, 1997 – CNN en Español is launched.

1999 – “Ted Turner Speaks: Insights from the World’s Greatest Maverick,” is published, co-written with Janet Lowe.

January 2001 – Establishes the Nuclear Threat Initiative with former Senator Sam Nunn.

January 11, 2001 – The AOL and Time Warner, Inc., merger is completed.

2001-2003 – Vice Chairman of AOL Time Warner, Inc.

2001-2006 – Member of the AOL Time Warner Inc., Board of Directors.

2002 – Launches the restaurant chain Ted’s Montana Grill with business partner George McKerrow Jr.

November 30, 2004 – In recognition of the 24 years Turner owned the NBA team, the Atlanta Hawks retire a number 17 jersey to honor him.

February 24, 2006 – Announces he will not seek reelection to the board of Time Warner. He receives a standing ovation on his last day, May 19.

January 10, 2007 – Partners with New Jersey-based Dome Tech Solar to create DT Solar, a renewable energy company focusing on solar power. The company is later renamed Turner Renewable Energy (TRE).

November 10, 2008 – His autobiography, “Call Me Ted,” is published.

August 2010 – Is named among 40 billionaires pledging half or more of their fortune to charity through “The Giving Pledge” campaign.

October 2011 – After four years in a row as number one, Turner slips to number two on the list of largest landowners. John Malone, chairman of Liberty Media, is now the largest landowner.

2015 – Turner makes his final payment to the United Nations and fulfills the $1 billion pledge he made in 1997.

August 23, 2016 – Turner officially transfers (after selling) ownership of his 43,000-acre property, Bluestem Ranch in Oklahoma, to the Osage Nation led by Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear. Turner writes a letter to the tribe stating, “I know that I am leaving Bluestem in the right hands, and I am grateful for the relationship we’ve been able to build with the Osage Nation.”

September 30, 2018 – Turner reveals that he has Lewy body dementia in an interview for “CBS Sunday Morning.”

April 11, 2019 – Turner is honored on the opening night of the TCM Classic Film Festival.

July 1, 2021 – Launches the Turner Institute of Ecoagriculture, Inc, a public charity and agricultural research organization. Turner also announces that he is turning over the nearly 80,000 acre McGinley Ranch to the nonprofit.

March 2022 – Armendaris Ranch, owned by Turner, is permanently protected land after an agreement is made between the federal government and the New Mexico Land Conservancy. The 315,000 acres ranch houses some 500 vertebrate species, approximately 230 desert bighorn sheep and close to a million bats. The deal will be one of the largest conservation easements in the country.

The NY attorney general’s office has rested its civil case against former President Donald Trump, his adult sons Donald Jr. and Eric, and their company. 

The trial has spanned nearly six weeks so far with testimony from a total of 25 witnesses – 24 of which were in person.

Ivanka Trump was the last witness called before the attorney general’s office rested its case. She followed testimony from her father and her brothers Donald Jr. and Eric.

Judge Arthur Engoron had already ruled before the start of the trial that Donald Trump and his co-defendants committed “persistent and repeated” fraud.

The judge is now considering how much the Trumps will have to pay in damages for the profits they’ve allegedly garnered through fraudulent business practices, including inflating Donald Trump’s worth on financial statements.

The attorney general is seeking to prove six additional claims, including falsifying business records, issuing false financial statements and insurance fraud.

The attorney general is also seeking to ban the Trumps from doing business in New York.

The trial has seen a slew of fireworks, including the judge imposing two fines on Donald Trump totaling $15,000 for violating his gag order forbidding anyone from commenting about his staff. The former president had repeatedly criticized Engoron’s law clerk.

Donald Trump attended court a total of seven days, where he attacked New York Attorney General Letitia James, the judge, and the case against him.

He did the same when he took the stand earlier this week with lengthy speeches during his testimony that sparked multiple admonishments from the judge.

Trump’s attorneys are set to begin their defense on Monday and indicated they would finish by mid-December.

CNN
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Here’s a look at the New York City Marathon.

November 5, 2023 – Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola sets a course record and wins the men’s race. Kenya’s Hellen Obiri wins the women’s race.

November 6, 2022 – Kenyan runners sweep the New York City Marathon, with Evans Chebet winning the men’s race and Sharon Lokedi winning the women’s race. Lokedi is the eighth athlete in history to win in New York on her marathon debut.

The annual 26.2-mile marathon usually attracts more than 50,000 runners and 12,000 volunteers.

Over 2.5 million spectators line the course which goes through the city’s five boroughs: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan.

The race begins on Staten Island and ends in Central Park.

September 13, 1970 – The first New York City Marathon takes place with 127 runners (55 finished). The course consists of over four laps around Central Park. The first winner is Gary Muhrcke with a time of 2:31:38. He receives a recycled bowling trophy. There is no female finisher the first year.

1971 – The first female winner of the marathon is Beth Bonner with a time of 2:55:22.

1976 – The course is changed to the streets of the city’s five boroughs. The race has more than 2,000 runners.

2000 – The race includes an official wheelchair division for the first time.

2002 – For the first time, the elite female runners start 35 minutes before the men and the rest of the runners. This allows the lead women unimpeded access to water stations and improved media coverage.

2010 – Rescued Chilean miner Edison Pena, one of 33 miners trapped underground for over two months, finishes the marathon in five hours and 40 minutes.

November 2, 2012 – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg cancels the New York City marathon due to damage from Superstorm Sandy.

June 24, 2020 – The 50th New York City Marathon, scheduled for November 1, 2020, is canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.