Michigan’s newly elected lawmakers will be sworn in Wednesday in Lansing, officially kicking off the 2025 legislative session. The day marks a shift in state politics as Republicans reclaim control of the Michigan House of Representatives after two years of Democratic leadership.
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.
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.
In a historic move, Pope Francis appointed Sister Simona Brambilla as the first woman to head a major Vatican office. Brambilla, an Italian nun, will serve as prefect of the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, responsible for overseeing the Catholic Church’s religious orders worldwide.
The Biden administration is reallocating over $100 million in military aid originally earmarked for Israel and Egypt to Lebanon. The funding aims to support the implementation of a ceasefire agreement brokered between Israel and Hezbollah. The State Department outlined the plan in notices sent to Congress on January 3.
In a controversial move during its final weeks, the Biden administration’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finalized a rule Tuesday that will prevent medical debt from appearing on credit reports. The regulation, estimated to impact 15 million Americans and $49 billion in medical debt, also bars creditors from using medical information in lending decisions.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) announced Monday that its iconic "Royal Rumble" event will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in January 2026. This decision marks the first time the marquee premium live event will take place outside of North America, sparking disappointment among fans who view the Royal Rumble as a distinctly American tradition.
Former President Jimmy Carter was honored Tuesday in a brief ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda, where his body will lie in state until his funeral on Thursday. Carter, who passed away on December 29 at the age of 100, is remembered as a member of the Greatest Generation, a dedicated public servant, and a humanitarian who continued his service long after leaving the presidency.
A Gallup poll released Tuesday found that President Joe Biden is ranked as the second-worst president in American history, surpassed only by Richard Nixon. Despite efforts by Biden and his aides to frame his presidency as one of historic significance, the data paints a starkly different picture.
