Daily Briefing: Those aren't birds

Mysterious drone sightings haven't gone away, and neither have the calls for answers. Hundreds of people gathered at the Wisconsin Capitol for a public vigil following a deadly school shooting. The man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare's CEO earlier this month is facing upgraded murder charges.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. We are all this bear preparing for hibernation.

What we know about a spree of US drone sightings

Since last month, reports of uncrewed aerial vehicles have escalated across several eastern states including New Jersey, New York and Maryland.

Umm...what?! Anxiety among residents in the region have fueled lawmakers to press the federal government to understand why the drones are being spotted in such frequency.

• The government says not to worry. Federal authorities have reassured the public that the objects don’t appear to be operating nefariously, while the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security clarify many sightings appear to be not drones at all.  
• Yet, there are impacts. Drone presence has led to a delayed medevac helicopter rescue in New Jersey, a New York airport runway closure and two arrests in Boston.
• Yep, that's not a bird. But it also might not be a drone. Numerous theories have emerged about who or what the reported drone sightings could be, ranging from UFOs to foreign government surveillance. And there is the distinct possibility that the unidentified flying object you took for a drone could be something else entirely.

...Whatever you think of them, don't point lasers at unrecognized aircrafts.

A Wisconsin community grieves

At vigils across Madison Tuesday night, residents gathered together to mourn and begin to process Monday's shooting at Abundant Life Christian School, which killed a student and a teacher and left several others injured. Some were closely tied to the school community. Some were not. But they were united in deep pain over the tragedy that had unfolded.

More news to know now

• A study was retracted years after it set off an infamous COVID-19 treatment scandal.
• Congress avoided a serious government shutdown – for now.
• Jill Biden is leaving her teaching post.
• Two men were charged with sending Iran sensitive tech.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

What the new charges in shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO mean

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month, is facing upgraded murder charges in New York, officials announced on Tuesday. Mangione, 26, was charged with one count of first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism and two counts of second-degree murder, including a count of murder in the second degree as an act of terrorism. He is expected to appear in court Thursday morning in Pennsylvania for a preliminary hearing on his charges, followed by an extradition hearing. Read more

How Elon Musk and SpaceX changed this corner of Texas

Rents and property taxes in South Texas are on a steep rise. Skilled workers from California and Florida are descending to the region to fill high-paying jobs once promised to locals. Why? Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, has poured more than $3 billion into the ever-expanding rocket-producing venture of SpaceX, perched in a river delta about 22 miles east of Brownsville. And with President-elect Donald Trump about to take office, how SpaceX's relationship with the federal government plays out in South Texas remains to be seen. Read more

Today's talkers

• The "Yellowstone" director breaks down that finale.
• You (and your kids) will love "Mufasa."
• It's about to get painfully cold outside.
• Chappell Roan's parents sang "Pink Pony Club" in the backseat just like everyone else.
• We ranked college football coaching hires from best to worst.

'English Teacher' star accused of sexual assault

Brian Jordan Alvarez, the creator and star of the acclaimed comedy series "English Teacher," has been accused of sexual assault. In a Vulture report published Tuesday, Jon Ebeling, Alvarez's former collaborator and co-star on "The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo," alleged that Alvarez assaulted him more than eight years ago while they were shooting a scene for the web comedy series. In a statement provided to Paste BN, a spokesperson for Alvarez said that his "interactions with Jon Ebeling were always entirely consensual." Read more

Photo of the day: Paris Hilton on the Hill

Paris Hilton visited Capitol Hill on Tuesday while supporting the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which passed the Senate unanimously and is set for a floor vote in the House of Representatives before Congress breaks for the holidays.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.