Daily Briefing: A Wisconsin man faked his death
A kayaker from Wisconsin accused of faking his own death and fleeing the country might not face significant jail time if he returns home. Israel's security cabinet is set to approve a U.S. cease-fire plan with Hezbollah. We have all the Black Friday deals you can shop already.
?????♀? I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Uh-oh!! The final Mercury retrograde of 2024 is here.
The case of the missing kayaker
Ryan Borgwardt, a 45-year-old married father of three, was initially reported missing in August after kayaking on Green Lake, a natural inland lake about 100 miles northwest of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. An extensive search involving underwater drones, towable submersible sonar, divers and three K-9 cadaver teams did not turn up Borgwardt’s body after 54 days.
What happened: Following the investigation, authorities revealed Borgwardt had in fact staged his disappearance.
Need more detail: Authorities found that his name had been checked by Canadian law enforcement on Aug. 13 and showed he had a second passport after reporting his first passport as lost. Prior to his disappearance, investigators found Borgwardt took out a life insurance policy and communicated with a woman from Uzbekistan. Last week, authorities announced that they had made contact with Borgwardt — who is now believed to be in Eastern Europe.
Here's what legal experts say could happen to Borgwardt next.
Wait — what's a tariff again?
The context: Tariffs are taxes on merchandise shipped to the U.S. from other countries. Tariffs are paid by importers, not by the countries from where the goods are shipped. Importers typically pass those costs along to consumers by raising the price of each product, making them more expensive.
Why we're talking about tariffs: President-elect Donald Trump said that on Jan. 20, in one of his first executive orders as president, he would levy a 25% tariff on all products arriving from Mexico and Canada. Trump said in another Truth Social post that he also would levy an additional 10% tariff on top of existing tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States.
What Mexico, Canada and China say: Officials on Tuesday criticized the imposition of the tariffs on all three of the America's largest trading partners.
The impact on your wallet: Trump's decision to use tariffs in what he said would fight illegal immigration and drugs could be a double-edged sword. Economists warn that slapping tariffs onto products shipped into the United States could drive up inflation and interest rates and result in higher consumer prices.
More news to know now
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What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Israel poised to approve cease-fire with Hezbollah
Israel is poised to approve a U.S. plan for a cease-fire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah on Tuesday, a senior Israeli official said. The move makes a path for an end to the war which has killed thousands of people since it was ignited by the Gaza conflict 14 months ago. The plan requires Israeli troops to withdraw from south Lebanon and Lebanese army troops to deploy in the border region - a Hezbollah stronghold - within 60 days. Read more updates from the Middle East.
Walmart rolls back DEI under pressure
Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, is the latest company to make changes to its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives under pressure from a conservative activist. The retail giant said it would not renew a racial equity center it created following the 2020 murder of George Floyd and it would no longer participate in an annual benchmark index from LGBTQ+ advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign. The move marks a shift for corporate America.
Today's talkers
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A newly discovered planet is one of the youngest.
Are you ready for Black Friday?
Black Friday has changed a lot since the days of extreme post-Turkey Day crowds at the shopping mall. Now, thanks to shifting consumer trends, sales once reserved for a single day or the weekend after Thanksgiving have expanded into the weeks leading up to and after the holiday, giving consumers more chances to develop their holiday shopping plan of attack and nab more deals. Here is our guide to Black Friday, including when and where to shop popular deals.
USA TODAY has all the Black Friday prep you need now:
Which one is really better for your dollar: Cyber Monday or Black Friday?
If you're looking for great cookware prices, here's your guide.
These are the 10 best deals for booklovers.
The best dog bed, the most-hype beauty tech and a useful raincoat: Here are the most popular early sales to shop right now.
Amazon's Black Friday sale is already live! Get the best deals on Kindle, PlayStation and Apple.
Photo of the day: Peach and Blossom breath a sigh of relief
Minnesota-born turkeys named Peach and Blossom were the latest in a long line of lucky birds to be pardoned by the commander-in-chief in an annual Thanksgiving tradition dating back to 1989.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump, tariff, Mexico, China, Canada, Israel, Hezbollah, DEI, Black Friday, Thanksgiving: Daily Briefing