The Israeli military carried out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on Dec. 26 in response to attacks from the group against the Jewish state, announced the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck Houthi military targets on the western and inland parts of the Arabian Peninsula country in retaliation for unmanned […]

Thousands of children in Asheville, North Carolina, who were affected by the devastation of Hurricane Helene, have received Christmas gifts from a nonprofit group. “Because of YOU, thousands of children woke up to magic at their doorstep! The joy in their eyes lit up the whole community. Over 3,000 toys found their way into little […]

Russia launched a missile and drone barrage on Christmas targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The attacks occurred in the Kharkiv, Kursk, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, and an air raid alert went off in the capital city of Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decried Russia’s attack on his country’s power grid, calling it “inhumane.” “Every massive Russian strike […]

WASHINGTON—Former President Bill Clinton was released from a Washington hospital on Dec. 24 after being treated for a fever, according to an aide. “President Clinton was discharged earlier today after being treated for the flu,” Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, Angel Ureña, wrote on X. “He and his family are deeply grateful for the exceptional care […]

WASHINGTON—The House on Dec. 19 voted down a pared-down, Trump-backed plan to fund the government with just more than 24 hours until a government shutdown begins. In a 235–174 vote, lawmakers rejected the proposal. The group voting against the bill included all but two Democrats and a slate of conservative Republicans. The bill, which advanced […]

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) won his conference’s approval on Dec. 17 to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, beating Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in an example of the ideological divide in the party. Connolly will succeed Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who will become the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, replacing […]

WASHINGTON—Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) is set to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee following a contentious race between him and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which chooses conference committee members but recommends party members for top committee posts, recommended Connolly on Dec. 16. The entire House […]

WASHINGTON—The race for top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee has showcased a divide between the moderate and progressive wings of the party. The New Democrat Coalition, a moderate congressional caucus, has endorsed Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) to lead Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, while the Congressional Progressive Caucus has backed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez […]

Daniel Penny, the man acquitted this week of criminally negligent homicide while restraining a threatening passenger on a New York subway, accepted Vice President-elect J.D. Vance’s invitation to the annual rivalry game on Dec. 14 between the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy. “Daniel’s a good guy, and New York’s mob district attorney […]

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Dec. 10 his latest round of selections for his administration. He said former Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle will be his nominee to be ambassador to Greece. Guilfoyle dates Donald Trump Jr. and was a surrogate on Trump’s 2020 and 2024 campaigns. “For many years, Kimberly has been a close […]

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) tripped and fell on Dec. 10 on Capitol Hill, suffering a sprained wrist and a cut to his face. “Leader McConnell tripped following lunch. He sustained a minor cut to the face and sprained his wrist. He has been cleared to resume his schedule,” a McConnell spokesman told The […]

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has been the target of a bomb threat, her office said on Dec. 9. Police in Rome, Georgia, were dispatched to Greene’s residence due to the threat, which her office said was “traced to a Russian IP address.” The department’s bomb squad was on the scene, according to her office. […]

WASHINGTON—U.S. Special Envoy Roger Carstens is currently in Syria in an effort to bring home journalist Austin Tice after 12 years in captivity, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Dec. 9, saying that “intensive efforts are underway.” This comes following the collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad over the weekend. Tice’s mother, […]

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) announced on Dec. 6 that she is running to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, being the second one to throw her hat in the ring to succeed Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.). In a letter to Democrat colleagues, Ocasio-Cortez, who has represented New York’s 14th Congressional District since […]

President-elect Donald Trump will be interviewed on NBC’s “Meet the Press”—his first network interview since he won the Nov. 5 election, the outlet announced on Dec. 4. The interview will air this Sunday, Dec. 8, said the network, which added that portions of the interview will air ahead of the broadcast. The program airs at […]

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley has accepted President-elect Donald Trump’s request to remain in his role. In a Dec. 4 post on Truth Social, Trump praised Whatley for doing “an OUTSTANDING and HISTORIC JOB” alongside RNC co-chair Lara Trump, the president-elect’s daughter-in-law. “He is a smart, tough lawyer who put together a completely […]

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Dec. 4 he will nominate former Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.) as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The position requires Senate confirmation. If confirmed, Long would succeed Danny Werfel. IRS commissioners serve a five-year term. Long represented Missouri’s 7th Congressional District between 2011 and 2023. He unsuccessfully ran for […]

WASHINGTON—Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced on Dec. 4 that he will step down as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee next term and endorse Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) as his successor. Nadler, who has been in Congress since November 1992, has served as the committee’s chairman and ranking member for the past seven […]

President-elect Donald Trump on Dec. 4 nominated Monica Crowley as chief of protocol—a State Department position that facilitates the visits of foreign leaders to the White House. The position, which is an ambassador-level role, requires Senate confirmation. The role consists of working on logistics such as foreign leaders staying at Blair House, which is across […]

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Dec. 4 he has chosen Adam Boehler as the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs. The role involves helping to bring home Americans who have been wrongfully detained abroad. While the State Department position does not usually require Senate confirmation, Trump said Boehler will have the rank of ambassador, which […]