The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has delivered a setback to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, rejecting President Joe Biden’s effort to solidify protections for Dreamers.
Attorneys General from 20 states are calling on the U.S. Senate to quickly confirm three nominees proposed by President-elect Donald Trump for key national security positions. The nominees include Governor Kristi Noem (R-SD) for Secretary of Homeland Security, Pam Bondi for Attorney General, and Kash Patel for FBI Director. The officials emphasize the urgency of assembling a strong national security team given current challenges.
On January 16, 2025, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) reintroduced the bipartisan "No Tax on Tips Act," aiming to exempt gratuities from federal income taxation.
Incoming officials in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration are reportedly crafting a sanctions strategy aimed at expediting a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to Bloomberg, the plan includes options to pressure Moscow while managing global oil market stability amid existing sanctions on major producers like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.
Edwin Castro, the historic $2.04 billion Powerball winner, has reportedly lost one of his multimillion-dollar homes in the recent Los Angeles-area wildfires.
The prolonged legal ordeal for Alfredo Luna, a former decorated police officer and Marine veteran, concluded on January 13th with the dismissal of charges against him by the Riverside County District Attorney in California. Luna’s case, initiated in 2021 following the events of January 6th, has been fraught with controversy and accusations of procedural overreach.
As President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas approach the conclusion of their tenure on January 20, Mayorkas' border policies remain a significant point of contention. Reports indicate that by then, approximately 1.5 million illegal migrants will have entered the U.S. through parole programs established under Mayorkas' leadership.
South Korea’s Constitutional Court was forced to adjourn its first impeachment hearing for President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday after he failed to attend, citing security concerns. Yoon, impeached in December following his abrupt imposition of martial law, faces charges of insurrection and is subject to an arrest warrant, further complicating the political turmoil.
France’s birthrate fell to its lowest level since the end of World War I, with only 663,000 babies born in 2024, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE). This marks a 2.2% decline from the previous year and the lowest recorded births since 1946. The fertility rate also dropped to 1.62 children per woman, well below the 2.1 replacement level needed to maintain population stability.
