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.
On Tuesday’s CNN NewsNight, host Abby Phillip dismissed the notion that Meta’s adjustments to its fact-checking and content moderation policies were necessary, questioning the demand for increased free speech on platforms like Facebook. Phillip argued that the changes appear tailored to align with a “Trump-focused narrative” rather than addressing genuine user concerns.
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.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed any notion of forgiving Russian President Vladimir Putin during a podcast interview with Lex Fridman, citing atrocities committed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy labeled Putin a child murderer and rejected the possibility of a peace deal involving forgiveness.
