News

Axios reports: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Sunday that he’s “working to pass a bill” to give local law enforcement “more tools for drone detection” following a spate of mysterious sightings in Northeastern U.S. states. Schumer in online statements urged Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to send “special drone-detection tech” to New York and New Jersey to tackle …

Law & Crime reports: A federal judge in North Carolina appointed by former president Barack Obama has rescinded his plans to take “senior status,” making him the third Democratic appointee — and second Obama pick — to unretire on President-elect Donald Trump before he can take office and choose their replacements. Fourth Circuit Judge James Wynn Jr. announced his decision …

USA Today reports: Former President Jimmy Carter would attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in January – were it not for health issues, a spokesperson for the Carter Center told USA TODAY. The 100-year-old has been in hospice care for nearly two years. In 2015, he was diagnosed with cancer that spread to his brain. So far, the 39th president of …

NPR reports: South Korea’s parliament impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for his attempt to impose martial law eleven days ago, the first time such a measure has been imposed on the nation in more than four decades. The vote passed 204 to 85 in the 300-member National Assembly. Around a dozen ruling party lawmakers joined the opposition in voting to …

Via press release from the FDA: Riverside Natural Foods Inc. is voluntarily recalling certain batches of MadeGood granola bars due to the potential presence of a piece of metal in the product, which, if consumed, may result in a safety hazard. The health and safety of our consumers is our highest priority. This recall is being initiated as a precautionary …

Tampa’s NBC affiliate reports: A Lakeland woman was charged Tuesday after police said she ended a call to an insurance company with the words, “Delay, Deny, Depose.” In an arrest affidavit, the Lakeland Police Department said officers were contacted by the FBI on Tuesday, Dec. 10 regarding an alleged threat made over the phone. Briana Boston, 42, had reportedly placed …

Via press release from Amazon: Starting today, vehicle shoppers in 48 U.S. cities can browse, order, finance, and schedule pickup of a new Hyundai vehicle from their local participating dealer directly on Amazon. Amazon Autos offers online automotive shopping from Hyundai dealers across major metropolitan areas nationwide. We continue to add more Hyundai dealerships, and next year, we will roll …

NewsNation reports: Lawmakers say they are edging closer to a deal to keep the government’s lights on in eight days but are still trying to work out differences over disaster aid and potential add-ons to the bill. There’s some optimism in the Capitol that bill text could arrive as soon as this weekend as the Dec. 20 shutdown deadline quickly …

The Guardian reports: Elton John has hit out at the legalisation of marijuana in parts of North America, saying it was “one of the greatest mistakes of all time”. The musician, who brought his touring career to an end last year and has been sober for 34 years, has helped fellow celebrities including Eminem and Robbie Williams to recover from …

Politico reports: Sen. Bernie Sanders, former presidential candidate and leader of the progressive movement in the United States for decades, said his term starting in January would likely be his last in an interview with POLITICO. Sanders (I-Vt.) won reelection in November and has six more years in the Senate ahead of him. When asked whether his fourth Senate term …

The Washington Post reports: The House on Wednesday passed an $895.2 billion defense policy bill, after Democrats blasted the inclusion of a provision — pushed at the 11th hour by Speaker Mike Johnson — to prohibit the military’s health-care system from providing specialized treatments to the transgender children of U.S. service members. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed 281 …

The Hill reports: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is expected to keep his gavel in the next Congress after receiving glowing reviews from President-elect Trump. But if there is any kind of revolt from Johnson’s conservative detractors during the Jan. 3 Speaker vote, no Democrats will step in to save him, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) warned on Wednesday. “I …

NBC News reports: The Amazing Kreskin, the famous mentalist and frequent guest on “The Tonight Show,” died on Tuesday at age 89. Kreskin, whose real name was George Kresge, was born in Montclair, New Jersey, in 1935. He rose to fame in the ’70s through numerous TV appearances on shows including “The Mike Douglas Show,” “The Mervin Griffin Show” and …

The New York Times reports: The grocery chain Albertsons said on Wednesday that it had backed out of its $25 billion merger with Kroger and sued its rival for failing to adequately push for regulatory approval, after both a federal and state judge blocked the deal on Tuesday. The deal, which would have been the biggest grocery store merger in …

Los Angeles’s ABC affiliate reports: Firefighters are battling a brush fire in Malibu near Pepperdine University, prompting evacuations amid dangerous fire conditions due to strong Santa Ana winds. The Franklin Fire was reported just before 11 p.m. Monday in the area of Malibu Canyon Road north of Pacific Coast Highway. It started at just about 10 acres but has since …

The New York Times reports: If you owned a phone in America over the last 40 years, there is a good chance you got a call from Richard L. Zeitlin. He ran a telemarketing empire out of Las Vegas, using computers that mimicked human callers to raise money for charitable and political causes. Police and police dogs. Vietnam veterans and …

The Washington Post reports: Even before police identified a person of interest in the hunt for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, merchandise proclaiming an apparent message that police found at the scene of the shooting began appearing at craft fairs and online shopping platforms. Pint glasses, wine tumblers, sweatshirts and baseball caps emblazoned with the phrase “Deny, Defend, …

Cedar Rapids’ ABC affiliate reports: Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced a disaster proclamation in Sioux and Palo Alto Counties. This come comes as the USDA has confirmed positive cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in both of these counties. This marks the fifth detection of H5N1 HPAI in poultry within the state of Iowa in 2024. The Iowa Department …

Haaretz reports: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is testifying in his criminal trial for the first time on Tuesday, eight years after the investigations into him were first opened. He faces charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust across three different corruption cases. Netanyahu’s testimony follows years of investigations, deliberations, legal proceedings, and delays. He becomes the first sitting prime …

The Hill reports: West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin (I) and Vermont Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) have introduced a resolution to impose 18-year term limits on Supreme Court justices, which would require some turnover on the high court every two years. Specifically, their resolution calls for a constitutional amendment to institute nonrenewable 18-year terms for new Supreme Court justices, with a …