News

Food will become less colorful, hurricane-force winds fueled wildfires in California, and a musician announced a historic residency. Take the quiz from last week here to see how much you know about the news this week.

Hong Kong The majority of people in China and the United States mostly learn about each other's nations from the media and their governments. At least for the time being, they are now learning directly from one another. Following a surge of American users creating accounts in recent days, there is a noticeable buzz on the Chinese social media site RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) in Chinese. As the short-form video app faces a U.S. ban due to worries about ties between Beijing-based ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, and the Chinese government, the self-described refugees are looking for a substitute. According to NBC News, TikTok says it will shut down when the ban goes into force on Sunday unless it gets clear guarantees from the Biden administration, which ha...

Washington During his first term, Donald Trump made no secret of his contempt for the State Department, calling it the "Deep State Department," a moniker that suggested a group of career diplomats were undermining his foreign policy objectives. Trump may have devised a loophole in the new term that begins Monday, giving a number of special envoys authority over any missions he assigns them. The arrangement aligns with Trump's overarching objective of appointing individuals he believes are committed to his agenda to key government positions. However, detractors argue that the rapidly expanding network of ambassadors, special envoys, and foreign policy experts raises the possibility of redundancy, which could mislead foreign capitals about who is actually in charge. Three new officials in ...

Washington Those who worked for Donald Trump in the first administration are giving advise about a must-have item for visitors to Washington as Republicans prepare for new positions in the second Trump administration. Most people hope they will never use it, and it's neither a fashionable apartment nor an article of clothes. Five former senior administration officials and longtime Washington advisers said that incoming administration staffers are being cautioned to consider the risk of an expensive legal defense and to think about buying a type of legal insurance that would cover them if necessary. Many now consider this protection to be a necessary part of doing business after former Trump aides were hauled before grand juries and congressional committees over the previous eight years. ...

HOUSTON Ashtian Barnes, 24, was shot and killed in the driver's seat after a routine traffic stop on a Texas highway turned deadly in a matter of seconds. A Supreme Court lawsuit that might make it easier or harder to hold police officers accountable for using excessive force is now centered on what transpired during those seconds and the minutes before the April 2016 incident. The case is being heard on Wednesday. The oral argument at the high court is the most recent stop in a more than eight-year journey for justice for Barnes' sole son, a Black man, according to Janice Hughes, 55, the mother of Barnes who brought the civil rights petition at the heart of the case. I don't want my son to be a victim of this. I must make it obvious that he was never a suspect. With her two daughters an...

Washington Wedam Minyila has always associated hospital rooms with excruciating suffering. He said, "I feel like someone is sticking a knife into me." Wedam, 19, who has sickle cell disease, briefly allowed himself to believe what his doctors had been telling him for months: This visit might be the first step toward a cure. This was on a recent December morning. He was able to begin seeing a future free from severe pain because he was among the first people in the world to receive commercial medication for the hereditary illness. On the day of his admission to Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., for his stem cell collection—the first significant step in the ground-breaking sickle cell gene therapy process—he declared, "I choose to partially believe it." However, that also...

Riots in the streets of Washington during Donald Trump's first inauguration sparked counterprotests around the world that drew millions of people, including what was thought to be the largest protest day in American history. Four years of loud protests against a president whose win was viewed as a fluke were sparked by the turnout. This year, hundreds are anticipated to attend protests in support of King and against Trump ahead of Trump's second inauguration, which falls on Monday, Martin Luther King Day. However, following his second victory—the first time Trump has won the popular vote—the ferocious intensity of the anti-Trump Resistance movement cooled to a smolder, and their numbers are anticipated to be significantly lower than they were eight years earlier. Trump has become more conf...

Excitation for the forthcoming high school soccer season has been sparked with the announcement of the South Carolina High School Soccer Coaches Association's 2025 preseason rankings. Local teams are getting ready to show off their skills in hopes of winning a state championship, with the first official practices starting on February 3. Top programs in the state, including a few from York and Lancaster counties, are highlighted in the rankings. Here's a closer look at the preseason positioning of local teams. Boys Rankings Boys in Class 5A Division IRiverside 1. JL Mann 2. Ashley Ridge 3. Clover 4. Wando 5.6. The Bluff at River7. James Island Mauldin89. Stratford10. Byrnes Division II Boys, Class 5A1. Catawba Ridge 2. Hillcrest 3. Fort Mill4. Ford Nation5. Greenville Chapin67. TL Hanna ...

By Carolina Weather Authority's Mike Griffith Some of the lowest temperatures of the season are expected this week, so residents around the region should brace themselves for a blast of Arctic air. Furthermore, while it's not a given, there's a chance that we might see a few flurries between late Tuesday and early Wednesday. Some places might be fortunate enough to get a little dusting or even flurries. The Bitter Cold Moves In Tuesday Morning: Temperatures could drop as low as 15 , kicking off a week of frigid mornings. Thursday Morning: Expect the coldest temperatures of the week, with lows plunging to around 12 . Each morning will feel bitter, so take precautions to stay warm. Tips to Stay Safe in the Cold Protec...

It might be difficult to have a positive relationship with money. We live in a world where spending is expected of us all the time, with little consideration for saving or fully comprehending the consequences of our decisions. Reaching our financial objectives may also be hampered by our friends, family, and loved ones. These three obstacles could be preventing you from succeeding financially. You're not a wolf; you're a sheep. The natural tendency is to follow the herd. As we go through life, it provides little to no opposition and is comfortable. It can be quite harmful when it comes to money. Imagine having to make a choice. You have received an invitation from your buddies to join them on their trip to Las Vegas. Everyone is offering suggestions for where to stay and what to do once yo...