THE BIG STORY

ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed himself during a US military raid

The elusive ISIS leader whose terror group organized and inspired horrific attacks and murders around the world, has died.

Under Baghdadi, ISIS earned a reputation for unconscionable brutality — including beheadings, terror attacks, kidnappings, and war crimes. The group uploaded atrocities to social media in an effort to recruit extremists and inspire similar attacks around the globe.

Baghdadi was the target of a US military special operations raid in northern Syria. President Donald Trump detailed how US forces cornered Baghdadi in a dead-end tunnel with three young children. He then blew himself and the children up using a suicide vest, Trump said.

Trump said he watched the operation from the White House situation room with Vice President Mike Pence and senior military and intelligence advisers, saying it felt “as though you were watching a movie.”

In a nearly hour-long speech, Trump also falsely took credit for identifying Osama bin Laden as a threat ahead of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The White House

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

A utility company shut off power to 3 million Californians as a massive fire grows

California’s Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the state’s largest utility, shut off power for the second time this week out of concern that high winds could down power lines and spark fires.

This time, the blackouts affected an estimated 960,000 customers — which amounts to nearly 3 million people —in 36 counties. This comes as tens of thousands are evacuated in Northern California due to a massive wildfire.

The Kincade fire had burned 30,000 acres as of Sunday morning, and was just 10% contained. Authorities in Sonoma country said approximately 180,000 people were ordered to evacuate.

Noah Berger / AP

SNAPSHOTS

European Union leaders agreed to extend the Brexit deadline until Jan. 31. The EU says it’s a “flextension,” aka if a deal is approved before then, the UK could leave early. The decision means the UK will not crash out of the EU without a deal this week.

Two Southwest pilots allegedly filmed a livestream of the plane’s bathroom from the cockpit. According to a lawsuit, a flight attendant says when she told a supervisor about the livestream, she was warned that if she told people about the incident, “no one would ever fly our airline again.”

Rep. Katie Hill will resign after details of her sex life were published. Hill is resigning from Congress after a conservative website published texts and photos indicating she was in a sexual relationship with a female staffer, and a male staffer. Hill, who is openly bisexual, apologized for having a relationship with the female staffer, but denied any improper relationship with the male staffer.

Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor finally addressed being sampled in “Old Town Road.” Reznor told Rolling Stone, “Having been listed on the credits of the all-time, Number One whatever-the-fuck-it-is wasn’t something…I didn’t see that one coming.” He said he turned down an opportunity to make a cameo in the music video.

IF I WERE A RICH MAN

There’s a village in Ukraine where Giuliani is the honorary mayor. That’s not the weird part of this story.

There’s a small Ukrainian village modeled after the village in Fiddler on The Roof. It’s even called Anatevka. With me so far?

The village is at the center of an aborted effort — brokered by Rudy Giuliani’s associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman — to get Giuliani to come to Ukraine for a meeting with Ukraine’s president to push for investigations that would help President Donald Trump politically.

Fruman and Parnas are currently accused of funneling money into Republican campaigns in the United States. But here’s a part of their influence campaign that has gone unnoticed: for at least two years, the pair made donations to, and solicited financial support for, Jewish charitable causes as part of an international effort to build ties with influential politicians.

The Giuliani associates’ financial support of charitable causes appears to have bought them access to conservative figures in the US and Israel, as well as businesspeople in Ukraine.

SLOW AND STEADY

These viral videos of Cinderblock the obese cat exercising are just a delight

A little over a week ago, the Northshore Veterinary Hospital in Bellingham, Washington uploaded a video of an adorable, extremely large cat named Cinderblock using one paw to move on a treadmill as part of her weight loss regimen.

Since then, Cinderblock has become a hit and a celebrity, so the vet has posted regular updates of her walking — reluctantly — on treadmills, with a look that says I sure don’t want to be here.

The vet says Cinderblock is on a “weight loss journey” as her weight is “affecting her quality of life.” Since the videos started going up, Cinderblock has many new fans on the internet cheering her on. You got this, li’l bub.

Remember you're valuable and worthy of love, regardless of your to-do list,

Elamin