5 things to know for November 27: Covid-19, Flynn, election, Turkey, Venezuela

President Trump announced on Twitter that he had granted “total pardon” to his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn. The retired lieutenant general was a major figure in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and he admitted under oath that he was guilty of lying to the FBI while serving as an adviser to the national security. However, Flynn has since proclaimed his innocence and Trump touted him as a political symbol at rallies. Trump previously pardoned Roger Stone, another ally implicated in the investigation, and those acts of leniency are likely to color the president’s legacy in the final days of his administration. Yet this grace does not necessarily mean that Flynn’s legal obligations have ended. Flynn has admitted to lying about his lobbying for Turkey but has not been charged with the crime, and the Biden administration’s Justice Department may have more questions for him.

President Trump has said for the first time that he will step down if the Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden on December 14, boosting confidence in a peaceful transition of power – which in a democracy should be taken for granted in advance. The president also said he would travel to Georgia to support Republican Senate candidates ahead of the Jan.5 runoff election. Both races could tip the Senate majority. Meanwhile, Biden faces the test of whether to keep the Trump-era security decrees in place. He and his team will soon have to decide whether they want to maintain the Trump administration’s lockdown on highly sensitive information, like transcripts of presidential calls with foreign leaders. These calls were previously shared with a large audience with a security clearance, but the Trump administration has said it fears they may be on the run.

Hundreds of people were sentenced to life imprisonment in Turkey in a massive and high-profile case related to an attempted coup in 2016. Most of the 475 defendants received at least one life sentence and 70 were acquitted. The charges stemmed from the attempted coup that saw widespread violence and military activity in Istanbul and Ankara, the country’s two largest cities. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric living in the United States, of orchestrating the events. Although Gulen denied this, the government arrested nearly 100,000 of his supporters, and about 150,000 were dismissed from their government jobs, including in the military. Turkey has also cracked down on the news media, academics and political opposition in the years following the attempted coup, further dividing the country.

CITGO 6, a group of US oil executives arrested for corruption in Venezuela in 2017, was found guilty and sentenced to between eight and 13 years in prison. The verdicts continue a saga that began three years ago when the men received a call from the head of Venezuelan oil giant PDVSA summoning them to Caracas for a last-minute budget meeting. Upon arrival, armed, masked security guards arrested them on charges of embezzlement stemming from a never-executed proposal to refinance billions of CITGO bonds by offering a 50% stake in the company. CITGO said he was “saddened to read this result,” and a source close to the case said efforts to release the men will continue.

The goal? Keep things safe enough to make March Madness a success next year.

The ever-popular and successful The Weeknd was snubbed among this year’s nominees.

Hannibal, meet Grindelwald.

Getting a flawless precision dance number? Impressive. Do it with tin soldier hats and masks? Legendary.

Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona died Wednesday at the age of 60. Maradona is considered one of the greatest players in this game and is a household name in her homeland and beyond. Argentine President Alberto Fernandez has announced three days of national mourning after his death.

That’s the number of employees Walt Disney Co. now plans to lay off by March, an increase of about 4,000 since it first announced widespread job cuts in September. Disney has also warned that it may or may not need to cut pension and pension contributions, cut investments in television and film productions, or lay off more employees.

Alex Trebek, in a posthumous message of encouragement broadcast during the so-called “Jeopardy!” Thanksgiving episode. The beloved TV host passed away this month after battling pancreatic cancer.

If only all the decorations were going up as fast as this Rockefeller Center Christmas tree time frame. (Click here to view.)