Politics

Bloomberg News reports: The world’s 500 richest people got vastly richer in 2024, with Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang leading the group of billionaires to a new milestone: A combined $10 trillion net worth. An indomitable rally in US technology stocks played a key role in turbocharging the trio’s wealth, as well as the fortunes of Larry Ellison, …

The New York Times reports: A sweeping blackout hit Puerto Rico early Tuesday morning, plunging nearly all of the island into darkness on New Year’s Eve. As of 10:20 a.m. Eastern, only 13 percent of Puerto Rico’s 1.4 million utility customers had power, according to the tracking page of Luma Energy, which supplies power to the U.S. territory. The company …

Politico Europe reports: Chancellor Olaf Scholz hit back at tech billionaire Elon Musk for attempting to influence the outcome of Germany’s snap election on Feb. 23 by endorsing the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD). “You, the citizens, decide what happens in Germany,” Scholz said in a New Year’s address to be broadcast Tuesday, according to a text circulated in …

Roll Call reports: On average, Congress will continue to be much more religious than the nation as a whole, with around 95 percent of lawmakers across both the Senate and House identifying with a religious faith. The rest either are nonreligious, did not specify a religion or did not share their faith affiliation. In contrast, a survey conducted by the …

Axios reports: A South Korean court approved an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk-Yeol on Tuesday morning local time, Yonhap News Agency first reported. The warrant related to Yoon’s brief martial law declaration this month that sparked widespread protests and shocked allies would mark the first time one has been issued for an incumbent president in South Korea, per …

The Associated Press reports: The world population increased by more than 71 million people in 2024 and will be 8.09 billion people on New Year’s Day, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Monday. The 0.9% increase in 2024 was a slight slowdown from 2023, when the world population grew by 75 million people. In January 2025, 4.2 births and …

Politico reports: The House Ethics Committee closed investigations into at least four members Monday for violating campaign finance rules. The investigations involved Reps. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), Wesley Hunt (R-Tex.), Ronny Jackson (R-Tex.), Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) and “other confidential matters that have been under review.” The committee declined to disclose further details on those cases. In a statement, Jackson hailed the …

The Washington Post reports: Memorial services for former president Jimmy Carter are expected to span several days and include public events in Atlanta and Washington. Carter’s state funeral will be held Jan. 9 at 10 a.m. inside Washington National Cathedral after a procession from Georgia and a ceremony in which his body will lie in state in the Capitol, according …

Via press release from the White House: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed on January 9, 2025, as a mark of respect for James Earl Carter, …

Roll Call reports: When newly elected senators are sworn in Jan. 3 at the Capitol, one member won’t be there: Republican Jim Justice says he’ll serve out his term as West Virginia governor and postpone joining the Senate until his gubernatorial successor is inaugurated on Jan. 13. Justice said he wanted to avoid a scenario under which the state would …

The Hill reports: President-elect Trump offered his complete and total endorsement of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Monday, days before a House vote on Friday to elect a new Speaker. “Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!” …

Austin’s ABC affiliate reports: Gov. Abbott’s office released a full statement on Sunday shortly after news of Jimmy Carter’s passing. In the statement, Abbott said Americans owe Carter gratitude for his service as the 39th president of the United States and extended prayers and condolences to the entire Carter family. But Abbott mistakenly extended condolences to Jimmy Carter’s late wife, …

The Times of Israel reports: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was awake and recovering after a successful prostate removal surgery at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, his office said in a statement late Sunday evening, adding that the premier had been moved to an underground, fortified recovery ward. “The surgery ended successfully without complications,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in …

The Daily Beast reports: Former President Jimmy Carter left one last parting gift for president-elect Donald Trump after his death at 100 on Sunday. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the American flag should fly at “half-staff for 30 days at all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United States and its territories and possessions after …

Via press release from Bill and Hillary Clinton: Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others-until the very end. From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as President to protect …

The Washington Post reports: Memorial services for former president Jimmy Carter are expected to span several days and include public events in Atlanta and Washington. Afterward, the 39th president will be buried in a private ceremony in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, the Carter Center said Sunday. There will be a state funeral in Washington. The date and arrangements remain …

The Washington Post reports: Azerbaijan demanded Sunday that Russia admit responsibility for the incident that led to the crash of a passenger plane on Christmas Day, killing 38 people, and pay compensation to the government and affected families. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in televised remarks that the national carrier’s plane, which was supposed to land in Grozny, the capital …

Sen. Bernie Sanders writes for Fox News: It’s hard to miss. Our country is rapidly evolving into two Americas. One America consists of less than a thousand billionaires who have an unprecedented amount of wealth and power and have never ever had it so good. The other America, where the vast majority live, consists of tens of millions of families …

The New York Times reports: President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Saturday apologized for the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane this past week, breaking the Kremlin’s three-day silence on the accident that claimed the lives of 38 people. He did not explicitly acknowledge Russia’s responsibility for the crash. The Kremlin said in a statement that Mr. Putin “offered …

Axios reports: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Congress on Friday that “extraordinary measures” will be necessary as early as Jan. 14 unless Congress acts to raise or otherwise suspend the debt ceiling. President-elect Trump has voiced support to abolish the debt limit despite some of his supporters historically opposing action to raise the debt ceiling during Democratic administrations. The debt …