Bob Dole's funeral, tragedy in Mexico, Biden on late-night TV: 5 things to know Friday

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'Hero of democracy': Funeral for Bob Dole at National Cathedral, followed by WWII Memorial service

The funeral for Sen. Bob Dole will be held at the Washington National Cathedral on Friday, a day after President Joe Biden and congressional leaders honored the Senate’s longest-serving GOP leader as he lay in state at the U.S. Capitol. Biden hailed Dole as “a hero of democracy" during Thursday's memorial service. Dole, a Kansas lawmaker and decorated World War II veteran who left an indelible mark on the nation’s history, died on Sunday at 98. Biden, former Sens. Pat Roberts and Tom Daschle and Dole's daughter, Robin Dole, are expected to give tributes at his funeral. Following the service, Dole's motorcade and casket will head to the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall to honor his life and service.

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Dozens dead, scores injured in truck crash in southern Mexico

A cargo truck carrying up to 200 people tipped over and crashed into the base of a steel pedestrian bridge in southern Mexico on Thursday, killing at least 53 people and injuring at least 54 others, authorities reported. Survivor Celso Pacheco of Guatemala said there were migrants mostly from Guatemala and Honduras aboard and estimated there were eight to 10 young children. He said he was trying to reach the United States, but now expected to be deported to Guatemala. Rescue workers who first arrived said that some people who had been aboard the truck when it crashed – some bloodied or bruised – had fled into surrounding neighborhoods for fear of being detained by immigration agents. The number of people aboard is not unusual for migrant smuggling operations in Mexico, and the sheer weight of the load — combined with speed and a nearby curve — may have been enough to throw the truck off balance, authorities said.

An injured migrant woman is moved by rescue personnel from the site of an accident near Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas state, Mexico, Dec. 9, 2021. Mexican authorities say at least 49 people were killed and dozens more injured when the truck carrying the migrants rolled over on the highway in southern Mexico.
An injured migrant woman is moved by rescue personnel from the site of an accident near Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas state, Mexico, Dec. 9, 2021. Mexican authorities say at least 49 people were killed and dozens more injured when the truck carrying the migrants rolled over on the highway in southern Mexico.

Tributes paid to former NFL wide receiver Demaryius Thomas

Tributes were being paid Friday to former NFL wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who was found dead in his suburban Atlanta home on Thursday evening. He was 33 years old. "Preliminary information is that his death stems from a medical issue, and our investigators currently have no reason to believe otherwise," Roswell, Georgia, police spokesman Tim Lupo wrote in an email to USA TODAY Sports early Friday. Thomas earned five straight Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl ring during a prolific receiving career spent mostly with the Denver Broncos. Family members were notified by the Roswell police at about 9 p.m. EST that they had found Thomas in a shower at his home. LaTonya Bonseigneur, a first cousin who grew up with Thomas, told The Associated Press the family believes he died from a seizure.

FILE - Houston Texans wide receiver Demaryius Thomas speaks after the team's NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Nov. 4, 2018, in Denver. Thomas, who eared five straight Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl ring during a prolific receiving career spent mostly with the Broncos, has died at the age of 33. Thomas was found dead in his suburban Atlanta home Thursday night, Dec. 9, 2021, said Officer Tim Lupo, public information officer for the police department in Roswell, Ga. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Ghislaine Maxwell's sex-abuse trial could resume after attorney falls sick

The sex-abuse trial of Ghislaine Maxwell could resume Friday after the judge sent jurors home Thursday because an attorney on the case had gotten sick. U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan told the jury in Manhattan federal court that an attorney was "ill and has to get care." She did not identify the attorney, but said there was no reason to believe the illness was related to the coronavirus. The government had been expected to finish presenting its case by the end of the week and the judge suggested that closing arguments might occur on Dec. 20 if the defense presentation next week only lasts a day or two.

In this sketch, Ghislaine Maxwell, seated left, speaks to her defense attorney Christian Everdell prior to the testimony of "Kate,"during the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, Monday, Dec. 6, 2021, in New York. Maxwell 's family have written to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland requesting that authorities stop using four-point restraints to shackle her hands, waist and feet when she is moved from a holding cell to the courtroom, and that she receive a food pack and a bar of soap each day. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Williams)

Biden to make first late-night TV appearance as president

President Joe Biden is getting ready for his first late-night TV appearance since taking office. He'll appear virtually on NBC’s "The Tonight Show" with comedian Jimmy Fallon on Friday. Biden has made two previous appearances on the show, bantering with Fallon a week before he became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president and toward the end of his eight years as vice president in 2016. The president is suffering from a steep drop in the polls and has been under pressure to engage more with the media. He has been traveling around the country to promote a $1 trillion infrastructure law and rallying public support for a separate social welfare and climate bill that has stalled in the Senate.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bob Dole's funeral, Mexico tragedy: 5 things to know Friday