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Los Angeles County has announced a program to cancel $2 billion in medical debt for residents.

Defense attorneys for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and codefendant Michael McClain are set to begin presenting their case Wednesday in a corruption trial that has captured significant attention. The trial, which involves 23 counts of bribery, racketeering, and official misconduct, centers around the alleged "Madigan Enterprise" scheme in which utilities like ComEd and AT&T Illinois allegedly provided no-work jobs and contracts to individuals loyal to Madigan in exchange for favorable legislation in Springfield.

California lost 156,300 jobs in the first half of 2024, according to the latest federal quarterly payroll data, contradicting Governor Gavin Newsom’s optimistic claims about job growth in the state. While Newsom’s office had highlighted preliminary job survey data, which often overestimates employment numbers, the finalized payroll data shows a starkly different picture. In January, California’s payroll data counted 18,037,900 jobs, but by June, that number had dropped to 17,881,600, reflecting a significant job loss.

The Pinellas County Commission has approved a $312.5 million bond issue to finance its part of a new $1.3 billion stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. The 5-2 vote, which was delayed twice, allows the county to move forward with selling the bonds, contingent on the Rays meeting their obligations under the deal. The approval follows the St. Petersburg City Council’s earlier vote to approve its $287.5 million share of the project on December 6.

Attorney General Merrick Garland is under scrutiny from Congress as Republican lawmakers ramp up investigations into his Department of Justice (DOJ) over an alleged coverup tied to the Crescent Dunes solar energy project in Nevada. The project, which received hundreds of millions in federal grants during the Obama administration, has been plagued by technical failures, financial troubles, and environmental concerns. Now, questions are being raised about the DOJ’s involvement in a qui tam lawsuit that was abruptly dismissed after initially being supported by the government.

Members of Congress are “still in the dark” about the growing number of drone sightings across the Garden State and surrounding areas, according to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who is demanding answers from the government. Greene expressed concern over the unidentified drones flying over the Northeast, stating that the American public deserves transparency. Despite numerous requests for a classified briefing, she revealed that members of Congress remain uninformed. She criticized the Biden administration for downplaying the issue, claiming officials are offering vague explanations, such as attributing the sightings to airplanes, helicopters, or stars. “No one is buying it,” Greene declared, urging the government to “come clean.”

Incoming trade advisor Peter Navarro has reassured Americans that the tariffs planned for President-Elect Donald Trump's next term will not lead to inflationary pressures. Speaking with CNBC, Navarro pointed to the significant tariffs imposed on Chinese imports during Trump’s previous term, such as steel, aluminum, dishwashers, and solar panels. Despite fears that these tariffs would drive up prices, Navarro emphasized that they had no discernible impact on inflation. He also dismissed past warnings about inflation, recalling how critics had predicted economic chaos during Trump’s first term, only to see those fears prove unfounded.

First Lady Jill Biden recently announced that she has taught her last class at Northern Virginia Community College.

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is considering a major expansion of GPS monitoring for illegal immigrants not held in federal detention, according to sources...

Argentinian President Javier Milei, a staunch supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration next month, marking a historic first for a foreign leader.