President-elect Donald Trump has blamed California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) for the state's devastating fires, stating that if he had signed a key declaration, more water would flow into areas affected by the flames.
Investor Kevin O'Leary announced that he partnered with an initiative seeking to acquire TikTok. The announcement comes as the social media platform is set to be banned across the United States later this month.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will soon name a successor to Sen. Marco Rubio, who is poised to become secretary of state in the incoming Trump administration. Reports suggest that Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is the leading candidate for the Senate appointment.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Tuesday that the company is ending its third-party fact-checking initiative, replacing it with a user-driven “Community Notes” model. The decision comes after years of criticism over the program’s alleged suppression of conservative voices and promotion of left-leaning agendas.
President-elect Donald Trump filed an emergency request with the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to halt a sentencing hearing in New York, arguing it would disrupt the presidential transition and harm national security. Trump’s defense team contends the sentencing, scheduled for Friday, undermines the institution of the presidency just days before his January 20 inauguration.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass traveled to Ghana on Tuesday as part of a U.S. delegation attending the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama, sparking frustration as her city faced devastating wildfires. The taxpayer-funded trip, led by Shalanda D. Young, director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, also included U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Virginia E. Palmer and Frances Z. Brown, a senior director for African affairs.
Intelligence sources from the U.S. and Israel estimate that only about 20 of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, remain alive. This figure, shared during ongoing negotiations in Qatar, includes civilians and female Israeli soldiers but excludes male soldiers, whose inclusion might slightly increase the count.
Haiti continues to spiral into chaos, with more than 5,600 people killed in 2024 as gangs tighten their grip on the nation. A U.N. report released Tuesday highlights a 20% rise in killings compared to 2023, alongside over 2,200 injuries and nearly 1,500 kidnappings. Gang violence has displaced more than 700,000 people, leaving many in overcrowded, unsanitary shelters.
