2023

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, passed away at 100 years old on December 29, 2024, in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

Starting January 1, a new California law, Assembly Bill 2017, will eliminate overdraft fees at state-regulated banks.

The U.S saw an 18% increase in homelessness this year, largely due to a lack of affordable housing and natural disasters, NBC News reported.

BioNTech has entered into two separate settlement agreements with the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the University of Pennsylvania regarding royalty payments for its COVID-19 vaccine.

A recent regional poll conducted by CB Consultora Opinión Pública reveals that Argentine President Javier Milei is the most popular head of state in South America, with an approval rating of 51.8%—the highest in the region and the only one exceeding 50%.

Wikipedia’s 2023-2024 annual budget report has revealed that over $50 million of its $177 million budget was allocated to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This revelation has sparked widespread criticism, with calls for users to stop donating to the platform until it disbands its “woke” policies. Among the critics is Elon Musk, owner of X and co-head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), who has voiced strong disapproval of Wikipedia’s editorial practices and its perceived left-wing bias.

A religious liberty group, Christian schools, and families from those schools are challenging a Minnesota law that bans certain Christian colleges and universities from participating in the state's Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program. The law, passed in 2023, excludes religious institutions that require students to sign a faith statement, a ruling that Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing the plaintiffs, calls "disgraceful."

President Joe Biden vetoed a bill that would have added 66 new judges to federal courts. The bill previously received bipartisan support.

President-elect Donald Trump's incoming chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, sent a letter to Disney CEO Bob Iger, promising to hold the company accountable for prioritizing its content over others that may be more trusted by the American people.

Seattle's City Council will begin the new year by seeking a replacement for the District 2 position, following the resignation of Councilmember Tammy Morales. Morales, who represents neighborhoods like Rainier Beach, Beacon Hill, Columbia City, and the Chinatown/International District, announced that she would step down next month, citing mental health concerns. She stated that the pressures of her role had negatively impacted both her mental and physical well-being.