Judge threatens to boot Trump from court

A judge threatened to bounce Donald Trump out of his defamation trial. King Charles and Kate Middleton are both undergoing medical procedures. And the freeze that has been gripping much of the nation will ease its hold.

👋 Hey, hey! Laura Davis here. It’s Wednesday! Ready for the news? Let’s go.

But first: The end of punny signs. 🛑 Because we can't ever have any fun these days, federal officials are banning funny electronic messages on highway signs.

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Trump, heckling and threats in the courtroom

A federal judge threatened to kick former President Donald Trump from the courtroom Wednesday after he ignored warnings to keep silent during testimony by writer E. Jean Carroll during a civil defamation trial. Trump traded snips with Judge Lewis Kaplan after Carroll's lawyers complained that the jury could hear him disparaging the former advice columnist's testimony. 👉 Here's the latest from the courtroom.

What is the trial about? Carroll, 80, claims Trump, 77, raped her almost 30 years ago. The trial will determine what, if any, damages Trump might owe Carroll after he publicly denied her allegations in 2019 when he was president. In May, a federal jury found Trump liable for defaming and sexually abusing Carroll.

A couple of royal medical procedures

Princess Kate has been admitted to the hospital for a "planned abdominal surgery," Kensington Palace announced Wednesday. The Princess of Wales, 42, underwent a "successful" surgery on Tuesday and was expected to be in the hospital 10 to 14 days before returning home to recover. Also headed for some sick days is King Charles III, 75, who will be treated for an enlarged prostate, the palace said Wednesday. The king's public engagements will be postponed for a brief period of rest as he heals. 🩺 Here's what we know about King Charles. And what we know about Kate.

• All this royal health news ignites gossip. But here's why you should mind your business.

Real quick

• Eagles center Jason Kelce addresses retirement rumors.

• Swingers are going public. Are we ready for it?

• Tesla owners say batteries won't charge amid brutally cold temps.

• Is there going to be a government shutdown? Congress is running out of time.

• Phoenix family fears hit-and-run victim targeted for being transgender.

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So long, subzero temps! 

If you're sick of the bitter cold, there is some good news on the horizon: Next week looks to be significantly milder nearly coast to coast. In fact, about 90% of the nation should see normal to above-normal temperatures by the middle of next week, according to AccuWeather. But before that, we have to endure more cold: After a slightly milder Wednesday, a new surge of colder air is forecast to drop south through the end of the week. After that, temperatures will be 8 to 14 degrees above normal in the Plains and the Midwest next week, forecasters said – a far cry from the brutal, record-cold temperatures those regions have experienced this week. ☃️ Here's the full weather outlook.

Houthis added back to global terrorist list

After waves of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Biden administration Wednesday relisted Iranian-backed Houthis as a “specially designated global terrorist” group. Since last Thursday, the Pentagon, with initial military support from Great Britain, has launched three attacks on sites used by the Houthis to target and launch missiles at commercial and naval ships in the Red Sea. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the Red Sea attacks "fit the textbook definition of terrorism" in a statement announcing the return of Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, to the terrorist list. 👉 What to know about the designation.

👉 Live updates: 2 hostages were killed after being featured in Hamas video, kibbutz says.

A break from the news

• 🧊 Don't slip! How to make DIY deicer.

• 😷 What to do if someone in your house has COVID.

• 🛋️ Refresh your decor: Top 10 trends of 2024.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com. This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: E. Jean Carroll, Donald Trump trial, King Charles, Kate: Wednesday's news