A Chinese tennis star accused a top official of sexual assault. Then she disappeared.
 NOVEMBER 22, 2021 THE BIG STORY
Experts warn that Kyle Rittenhouse's acquittal might inspire more far-right extremist violence  Kyle Rittenhouse is comforted by his lawyer as he was acquitted of all charges in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Nov. 19, 2021. AP Images On Friday, a jury acquitted 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse of five felony charges, after he killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and seriously wounded Gaige Grosskreutz during a protest over police brutality against Black Americans. That same day, his fans celebrated online. Far right extremists held him up as "the hero we've been waiting for" and called him a "saint" — a title they often give to racially motivated mass murderers and right-wing terrorists.
Rittenhouse's acquittal comes as the Department of Justice and the FBI have said the top threat facing the US comes from racially or ethnically motivated violent domestic extremists. According to experts on terrorism, history shows that moments like this, punctuated with acquittals like his, are often followed by more violent acts.
"It has never taken more than a whisper of approval to fan the flames of militant right action, and the Kenosha acquittal is a shout," one historian said.
Meanwhile, the parents of Anthony Huber, one of the two men killed by Rittenhouse, argued the verdict brought "no justice" for Huber, or the two other men shot by Rittenhouse. At the same time, some Republican lawmakers and candidates have publicly celebrated Rittenhouse's acquittal and offered him congressional internships. STAYING ON TOP OF THIS
A Chinese tennis star accused a top official of sexual assault. Then she disappeared.  Peng Shuai at the Australian Open in January 2020 Xinhua News Agency / Xinhua News Agency / Getty Images Peng Shuai, a former world No. 1–ranked doubles player who has won championships at Wimbledon and the French Open, shared online that she was sexually assaulted by one of the Chinese Communist Party's most prominent people: Zhang Gaoli, a former vice premier of China and previous member of the party's Politburo Standing Committee.
Her allegation of sexual assault — which, as Peng acknowledged in her post, has not been independently corroborated by others — was the first to be raised publicly against someone who had been so senior in China's government.
SNAPSHOTS  Who can get a COVID-19 booster in the US right now? Some experts are warning that there could be another COVID wave coming this winter, with one epidemiologist describing being unvaccinated as "hanging out in the wind."
Top Justice Department officials were told there were "no credible threats" hours before the Capitol riot, according to an internal email. The Justice Department will continue to release records about the insurrection to BuzzFeed News on a rolling, monthly basis.
Adele got Spotify to stop shuffling albums by default. "This was the only request I had in our ever changing industry! We don't create albums with so much care and thought into our track listing for no reason," Adele wrote in a tweet.
A RECONCILIATION (BILL) MOVES TO THE SENATE
House Democrats have passed the Build Back Better Act. Now it's the Senate's turn. After months of negotiations, the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act, the Democrats' far-ranging social program and climate change bill.
It's a major leap forward for a package that includes practically every major social and environmental action Democrats plan to pass this year. It includes universal prekindergarten, four weeks of paid family leave, $3,600 per year child tax credits, and hundreds of billions of dollars toward combating climate change.
But now, the bill goes to the Senate, where passage is far from a sure thing.
Democrats are using a special congressional process known as budget reconciliation to pass the bill through the Senate without any Republican votes. Under reconciliation, a bill can be passed with a simple majority without a filibuster but faces other constraints in how it must be designed. Any changes the Senate makes would eventually need to be agreed to by the House, and it's possible that getting everyone on the same page will take weeks. "KINGS ARE MADE, KINGS ARE CROWNED"
Inside the most political episode of Succession so far  Connor and Willa (Justine Lupe) share a moment at the conservative summit. Macall Polay/HBO Succession viewers have become accustomed to seeing the government exert influence on family company Waystar Royco. But the show's most recent episode marks the first time we've seen such a naked exploration of how the Roys — and the Murdoch family, on whom they're based — influence government.
"You do get the feeling that the real power — as we all know — resides with the people who control all the money and many of our so-called leaders are just dutiful servants obeying their masters," Alan Ruck, who plays Connor Roy, told BuzzFeed News in an interview.
Ahead of the latest explosive episode of Succession, reporter David Mack spoke to Ruck about when the show does and doesn't mirror real life. The actor said he genuinely believes that the wealthy and powerful gather to make decisions that alter the course of the country. "I absolutely think that it's true," he said. "Kings are made, kings are crowned, and some rise and some don't. It just depends on who they know." Don't feel bad about seeking out alone time this week, Alexa 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Alexa Lee and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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