From a press release issued last night: Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for Humboldt County to support the emergency response to today’s 6.4 magnitude earthquake near the City of Ferndale. The earthquake has resulted in two fatalities and injured multiple people, caused power outages and damaged roads, bridges, buildings and critical infrastructure including water lines and gas …

Billings’ CBS affiliate reports: A Lame Deer pastor was arraigned Tuesday in federal court on sexual abuse charges alleged to have occurred on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Dean Alan Smith, 66, pleaded not guilty to one count of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of abusive sexual contact and three counts of abusive sexual contact …

Miami’s NBC affiliate reports: A video of a woman having an angry outburst at Miami International Airport and throwing a computer at an airline agent is quickly gaining traction as the airport anticipates another record-breaking holiday travel season. The video, posted on Only in Dade’s Instagram, shows a woman screaming in the middle of a crowded American Airlines gate on …

The Hill reports: Marijuana advocates and executives are up in arms after opposition from Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) resulted in Congress failing to pass a key cannabis banking bill, dealing a massive blow to the industry. The $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill unveiled Tuesday includes all kinds of expenditures, but it does not include the SAFE Banking Act, …

Axios reports: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington on Wednesday to meet President Biden, hold a press conference at the White House and address a joint session of Congress, a senior administration official told reporters. Zelensky had not left Ukraine since Russia launched its brutal invasion on Feb. 24. During the visit, Biden will announce another $2 billion in U.S. military aid …

Playbook reports: As Kevin McCarthy struggles to nail down the votes to be House speaker, a group of lawmakers has quietly approached No. 2 leader Steve Scalise about running should McCarthy falter, according to multiple GOP members and aides. Their message? “Steve, just be ready,” according to one member currently backing McCarthy who spoke to us late last night on …

The Associated Press reports: An Arizona judge ruled Tuesday that Republican Abraham Hamadeh can proceed with his lawsuit challenging the results of the election for attorney general, which he lost in one of the closest elections in state history. Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen ruled that Hamadeh can attempt to prove his case during a trial scheduled for …

Reuters reports: When telecoms gear makers Nokia and Ericsson leave Russia at the end of the year, their departure could steadily cripple the country’s mobile networks over the long-term, setting off a deterioration in communication for everyday Russians. Ericsson and Nokia, which together account for a large share of the telecoms equipment market and close to 50% in terms of …

The New York Times reports: Elon Musk said on Tuesday that he would resign as Twitter’s chief executive when he found “someone foolish enough to take the job,” two days after he had asked his 122 million Twitter followers whether he should step down as the leader of the social media site and a majority of respondents answered yes. Mr. …

Variety reports: It’s about to be a very Pandora Christmas at the movies. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” which opened solidly last weekend to $134 million, is poised to dominate box office charts again in its second outing. James Cameron’s sci-fi sequel on Monday added a healthy $16 million, bringing its four-day domestic tally to $150 million. Internationally, the film …

The New York Times reports: The House Ways and Means Committee voted Tuesday to publicly release the tax returns of former President Donald J. Trump, the culmination of a yearslong battle during which he defied modern tradition by keeping his finances confidential during his campaign and while in office. After debating behind closed doors for hours on Tuesday afternoon into …

From the Justice Department: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and John Gay, the Inspector General of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (the “Port Authority”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging DANIEL ABAYEV and PETER LEYMAN with two counts of conspiracy to commit computer intrusions. The Indictment charges …

CNN reports: The January 6 committee made a startling allegation on Monday, claiming it had evidence that a Trump-backed attorney urged a key witness to mislead the committee about details they recalled. Though the committee declined to identify the people, CNN has learned that Stefan Passantino, the top ethics attorney in the Trump White House, is the lawyer who allegedly …

Gainesville’s ABC affiliate reports: Former state Rep. Joe Harding, a Republican from Ocala, could go on trial in May to face charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements. Harding’s attorney, Peggy-Anne O’Connor, filed a motion Monday in federal court in Gainesville to move the trial to May. It had initially been scheduled for Jan. 11. The motion …

The Texas Tribune reports: The U.S. Education Department’s civil rights enforcement arm has launched an investigation into a North Texas school district whose superintendent was secretly recorded ordering librarians to remove LGBTQ-themed library books. Education and legal experts say the federal probe of the Granbury Independent School District — which stemmed from a complaint by the American Civil Liberties Union …

The Arizona Daily Star reports: Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson has given her attorneys 5 1/2 hours over Wednesday and Thursday to present evidence she contends will show someone interfered with both the ballot-on-demand printers and failed to maintain a “chain of custody” of about 300,000 ballots. Either of those, Lake contends, is enough to bring into question …

Axios reports: Capitol Hill is preparing to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a joint session of Congress this week, Axios has learned. This would be Zelensky’s first in-person visit to the U.S. since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. While the details are not yet finalized, U.S. Capitol Police is beefing up security for a potential Wednesday visit, multiple senior …

“There were 242 canisters of pepper spray, 269 knives or blades, 18 brass knuckles, 18 tasers, six pieces of body armor, three gas masks, 30 batons or blunt instruments, 17 miscellaneous items like scissors, needles, or screwdrivers. “Those are the people who went through the magnetometers. The report adds thousands of others purposely remained outside the magnetometers or left their …

Politico reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to continue wielding his political influence in school board races across the state after his campaign helped two dozen conservative candidates win during this year’s midterm elections. The Republican governor this week said he intends to flip more local seats from liberal to conservative-leaning education officials, taking aim at boards in areas such …

“I don’t care whether they change The Electoral Count Act or not, probably better to leave it the way it is so that it can be adjusted in case of Fraud, but what I don’t like are the lies and ‘disinformation’ put out by the Democrats and RINOS. “They said the Vice President has ‘absolutely no choice,’ it was carved …