Nova Newsletter
December 3, 2025
☕ Good morning. 1,733 words for you today - 9 minute read.
The Spotlight
1. Dells Give 6.25 Billion Dollars To Jumpstart Trump Accounts
Susan and Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies. Amy E. Price/Getty Images
Michael and Susan Dell pledged 6.25 billion dollars to help fund “Trump Accounts” for millions of American children ahead of the program’s 2026 launch.
Takeaways
Trump Accounts will provide investment accounts for all U.S. citizen children born from January 2025 to January 2029.
The Treasury will seed each new account with 1,000 dollars, while the Dells will fund 250-dollar deposits for at least 25 million older children.
The gift more than doubles the couple’s lifetime philanthropy, previously totaling 2.9 billion dollars.
Michael Dell’s 148-billion-dollar net worth makes him the world’s 11th richest person.
The Dells said their investment aims to boost opportunity, confidence and long-term financial stability for young Americans. Their support fills a major funding gap for children born before the Treasury’s eligibility window.
Dell previously joined business leaders at the White House when President Trump promoted the proposal.
A massive philanthropic infusion now accelerates one of Trump’s signature economic programs for families. Read More
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2. Russia and U.S. Signal Possible Return to Nuclear Testing
Washington and Moscow are signaling possible nuclear test resumptions, shaking global security norms and raising alarm among nonproliferation experts.
Takeaways
Trump said he ordered new U.S. nuclear testing, citing other countries’ programs.
Putin warned Russia would take “reciprocal measures” if any treaty signatory tests.
Experts say renewed tests could aid China or India, widening global nuclear risks.
Treaty monitoring gaps persist, especially for ultra-low-yield experiments.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty remains unenforced despite 187 signatories and 178 ratifications, leaving major powers unconstrained. The U.S. never ratified it; Russia ratified then revoked it in 2023.
The treaty’s Vienna-based organization operates 307 monitoring stations, but analysts warn hydronuclear tests can evade detection, creating a verification blind spot.
The White House has not clarified the type of tests considered. U.S. officials say any planned tests would be subcritical, producing no nuclear explosion.
The next signals from Washington and Moscow will determine whether the global norm against testing holds. Read More
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3. Costco Sues U.S. to Protect Possible Tariff Refunds
A Costco in a shopping complex in Reno, Nevada, pictured on April 18, 2025. William Hale Irwin/Sipa USA/AP
Costco filed suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade to secure potential tariff refunds ahead of a major Supreme Court ruling on Donald Trump’s tariff authority.
Takeaways
Costco says Trump’s tariff actions created uncertainty over whether companies can reclaim overpaid duties.
Customs and Border Protection denied Costco extra time to finalize tariff calculations, risking full refunds.
Dozens of companies have filed similar suits, including EssilorLuxottica, Kawasaki and Revlon.
Supreme Court justices showed skepticism over Trump’s use of the 1977 emergency powers law.
Costco, which logged 275.2 billion dollars in revenue last fiscal year, argues that without legal protection, it could lose refunds even if the Supreme Court rules the tariffs unlawful.
Justices heard arguments on November 5 but have not given a decision timeline. Businesses are bracing for a ruling that could reshape presidential trade authority. Read More
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Quick Headlines
An Altadena man got a big surprise when he found a 500-pound bear had made the narrow crawl space under his home a den for the winter.
A 500-pound bear has been living in the crawl space beneath an Altadena man’s house for over a week, forcing authorities to consider capture and relocation as the animal roams in and out daily. Residents say nearby wildfires may have displaced local wildlife, complicating safety efforts. Read More
Judge Sarah West overturned Abdifatah Yusuf’s conviction for allegedly stealing $7.2 million from Minnesota Medicaid, citing circumstantial evidence despite prosecutors detailing lavish spending including $1 million transferred to personal accounts. The state Attorney General has filed an appeal. Read More
The Supreme Court is reviewing whether Cox Communications can be held liable for users’ copyright violations after a jury awarded music labels over $1 billion, with Cox arguing it acted against infringing users and less than 1% of customers violated copyrights. Decision expected this summer. Read More
White House physician Dr. Sean Barbabella reported that President Trump’s October cardiac and abdominal scans were “perfectly normal,” showing no arterial narrowing or organ issues, confirming overall excellent health. Tests were preventative and part of routine executive evaluation. Read More
Prada Group completed a $1.375 billion cash deal to buy Milan rival Versace, aiming to relaunch the brand under Prada heir Lorenzo Bertelli while leveraging Italian manufacturing and growth potential. Versace generated 20% of Capri Holdings’ 2024 revenue before the sale. Read More
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, convicted of conspiring to smuggle 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S., was released from a West Virginia prison after a presidential pardon by Donald Trump, drawing bipartisan criticism. Hernandez served nearly four years before his release. Read More
Deep Dive
4. U.S. Travelers Face $45 Fee Without REAL ID Starting February
A Real ID sign is displayed as travelers wait to go through security check point at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, May 23, 2025. Nam Y. Huh/AP
Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID will be charged a $45 fee beginning February, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday.
Takeaways
Fee targets noncompliant passengers as DHS reports 94% of travelers already carry REAL IDs or accepted alternatives.
REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued ID created after 9/11 to meet enhanced security requirements.
Fee covers verification through TSA’s Confirm.ID system, valid for 10 days, but does not guarantee boarding.
Alternative IDs include passports, military IDs, tribal IDs, and digital IDs via Apple, Google, and Samsung Wallet.
The REAL ID Act was enacted in 2005 to standardize state-issued identification after the Sept. 11 attacks. Its rollout was repeatedly delayed from the original 2008 target, and the updated IDs are marked by a white star in a yellow circle in most states.
TSA allowed travelers without REAL IDs to fly with additional screening, but the new fee is intended to push compliance. The agency initially proposed an $18 fee but raised it to $45 after cost projections for the Confirm.ID system exceeded expectations.
Travelers can pay the fee online before arrival or at the airport, though in-person processing may take up to 30 minutes. TSA emphasizes that payment does not guarantee identity verification, and travelers may still be denied boarding.
The move signals a tightening of domestic air travel security while balancing convenience, as most passengers already meet compliance but a small minority could face significant disruption. Read More
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On Our Radar
5. Megan Thee Stallion Wins Defamation Case Against Blogger
Megan Thee Stallion attends the 2024 Planned Parenthood Of Greater New York Gala, April 16, 2024, in New York. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
A federal jury found blogger Milagro Cooper liable for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and promoting an altered sexual depiction in a lawsuit filed by Megan Thee Stallion.
Takeaways
The jury ordered Cooper to pay 75,000 dollars in damages to Megan Pete.
Cooper was accused of helping spread false claims tied to the 2020 shooting by rapper Tory Lanez.
Pete testified that Cooper ran a targeted harassment campaign across social media.
Cooper admitted receiving payments from Lanez’s father but denied acting on Lanez’s behalf.
Pete said Cooper amplified attacks portraying her as unstable and dishonest. Jurors saw posts where Cooper claimed Megan was not shot, contradicting Lanez’s 2022 conviction for felony assault.
Cooper said she respected the verdict and was relieved it was not a multimillion-dollar judgment.
A high-profile ruling now reinforces the legal risk of publishing damaging misinformation. Read More
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6. Diddy Warns Netflix Over Alleged Stolen Footage
Sean Combs’ legal team sent Netflix a cease and desist in Los Angeles, urging the streamer to halt its upcoming docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning.
Takeaways
Combs’ lawyers say Netflix used “stolen footage” filmed days before his 2024 arrest.
Director Alexandra Stapleton says the team obtained the material legally.
The doc is produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, a longtime adversary of Combs.
Combs is serving a four-year federal sentence and faces about 70 civil lawsuits.
Combs’ spokesperson says the disputed footage came from the mogul’s decades-long effort to document his own life. His team says neither Combs nor his lawyers were given an advance screener.
Netflix points to the director’s statement asserting full rights to all footage and noting that Combs’ camp declined multiple requests for comment.
Combs has previously sued media companies over similar claims and signals he may pursue new legal action.
More disputes are likely as the docuseries premieres. Read More
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8. 🎉 This day in history
Willis Carrier
On This Day — December 3
Carrier Advances Modern AC, 1911 – Willis Carrier presents his groundbreaking “Rational Psychrometric Formulae” to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, laying the scientific foundation that makes modern air conditioning possible.
Attempt on Bob Marley’s Life, 1967 – Gunmen open fire during concert rehearsals in Jamaica, injuring Bob Marley and others in an attack that heightens political tensions ahead of his planned peace-themed performance.
First Human Heart Transplant, 1967 – Dr. Christiaan Barnard performs the world’s first human-to-human heart transplant in Cape Town, marking a historic leap in medicine even though patient Louis Washkansky survives only 18 days.
9. Poll
Life Hack of the day
🖍️ 🩶 Use Chalk on Silver
Want to keep your silver jewelry shining longer? Store a piece of chalk alongside it. The chalk absorbs moisture, which helps slow down tarnishing. It’s an easy, low-cost way to protect your favorite pieces
That’s your morning brief. Now go show someone how smart you are. 🧠
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