According to authorities, a car crashed into a packed Christmas market in eastern Germany on Friday, killing at least two people, including a little kid, and injuring over 60 more. The accused driver, a Saudi Arabian physician who resided in Germany, was taken into custody, according to Saxony-Anhalt Premier Reiner Haseloff. He claimed that there was no continuous threat to the public and that the suspect acted alone. Given the severity of some of the injuries, Haseloff does not rule out more deaths. One adult and one child are among the victims, according to Haseloff. For live coverage, follow along. According to Saxony-Anhalt's interior minister Tamara Zieschang, the 50-year-old suspect first arrived in Germany in 2006. According to Zieschang, he last practiced medicine at Bernburg, whic...

Washington Just hours before a deadline that would have forced millions of federal employees, including air traffic controllers, border patrol agents, and U.S. troops, to work unpaid over the holidays, the Republican-controlled House on Friday night passed a short-term resolution to prevent a government shutdown. With one member present, the vote ended a turbulent week in the House that hinted at how the incoming Congress would handle a volatile Donald Trump in the White House come January. The vote was 366-34. The law was introduced via a fast-track procedure, which required a two-thirds vote. In order to prevent a shutdown, the proposal must now clear the Senate by 12:01 a.m. Stay tuned for real-time updates. The plan eliminates the debt limit extension that President-elect Trump had w...

Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Zepbound, announced on Friday that the Food and Drug Administration had extended the medication's approval to treat obstructive sleep apnea in obese adults. About 39 million adults in the US suffer from the illness, and this decision makes it the first medication treatment for it. The FDA has already approved Zepbound, which has the same active component as Lilly's diabetic medication Mounjaro, to treat individuals who are obese or overweight. More insurance companies who have been hesitant to pay for the pricey weight loss medications may be convinced to do so by the wider approval. According to a statement from Julie Flygare, president and CEO of Project Sleep, a nonprofit organization that promotes sleep health, OSA [obstructive sleep apnea] is significant...

Washington Just hours before a deadline that would have forced millions of federal employees, including air traffic controllers, border patrol agents, and U.S. troops, to work unpaid over the holidays, the Republican-controlled House on Friday night passed a short-term resolution to prevent a government shutdown. With a vote of 366-34, the House concluded a turbulent week that hinted at how the incoming Congress would handle a volatile Donald Trump in the White House come January. The law was introduced via a fast-track procedure, which required a two-thirds vote. In order to prevent a shutdown, the proposal must now clear the Senate by 12:01 a.m. Stay tuned for real-time updates. The plan eliminates the debt limit extension that Trump had wanted earlier in the week, includes an agricult...

A car crashed through a busy Christmas market in eastern Germany on Friday, killing at least two people and injuring over 60 more. According to a local official, the accused driver—a Saudi Arabian doctor who resided in Germany—was taken into custody. There was no continuous danger to the public, and the suspect acted alone. Given the seriousness of some of the injuries, the official, Saxony-Anhalt Premier Reiner Haseloff, did not rule out more deaths. One adult and one child are among the victims, according to Haseloff. According to Saxony-Anhalt's interior minister Tamara Zieschang, the 50-year-old suspect first arrived in Germany in 2006. According to Zieschang, he last practiced medicine at Bernburg, which is roughly 30 miles south of Magdeburg. A vehicle was seen rushing past a sizable...

Washington A government shutdown could put hundreds of thousands of federal employees at risk of losing their future paychecks just days before the busiest time of year—the holidays. While some people may have to report to work if their position is deemed important, many others will be placed on furlough. Federal workers in both situations will be paid back after the shutdown concludes, but no new paychecks will be issued until the funding deadline expires on Saturday at 12:01 a.m. ET. According to Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees union, "even though retroactive pay is legally guaranteed, bills, rent, and other financial obligations don't wait, which forces families to make a difficult choice during these holiday seasons." The U.S. Office of Pe...

Phoenix The message emanating from the center of the Trump world is unmistakable: Don't compromise as Congress tries to reach an agreement to keep the government open. Donald Trump's election triumph should serve as a reminder to Republicans and Democrats alike who attempt to thwart his agenda that they must yield, according to speakers at a meeting of conservative activists held here this week. Former Trump White House senior adviser Steve Bannon told a boisterous crowd at the Phoenix Convention Center for AmericaFest that we don't need partisanship right now—we need hyperpartisanship. Go here to watch live political coverage. "The conversation is over," Bannon declared, mocking House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) attempts to reach a bipartisan accord that would prevent a government sh...

The $10 million bounty that the United States had previously offered for de facto Syrian leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the commander of the rebel organization Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded the ouster of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month, is about to be withdrawn. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf said the decision comes after U.S. diplomats and HTS met in Damascus on Friday, during which Jolani pledged to make sure terrorist organizations in Syria do not threaten the United States and its allies. This was the first time a high-level U.S. delegation had visited the Syrian capital since the regime's overthrow. The delegation's leader, Leaf, said the talks with the interim administration were excellent, highly fruitful, and thorough, covering...

In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice, which falls on December 21st this year, is the longest night and the shortest day of the year.It marks the formal beginning of winter.The Earth's tilt on its axis is the origin of this astronomical occurrence; on this particular day, the Northern Hemisphere is inclined furthest away from the sun, resulting in less sunshine. There will be only nine hours and forty-eight minutes of daylight in York County, South Carolina, on December 21st, when the sun rises at 7:29 am EST and sets at 5:17 pm EST.At 4:20 am EST, the sun will be directly above the Tropic of Capricorn, marking the precise moment of the winter solstice. Throughout history, the winter solstice has been an important occasion for many different societies.Numerous ancient societie...

Washington Hours before a deadline that would require millions of federal employees, including air traffic controllers, border patrol agents, and U.S. troops, to work unpaid over the holidays, House Republican leaders expect to pass a revised proposal on Friday night to prevent a government shutdown. Bipartisan House and Senate leaders reached a deal just three days ago to keep the government running, but President-elect Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk sabotaged the agreement at the last minute, demanding that the debt limit be extended or eliminated to accommodate Trump's agenda for the following year. Stay tuned for real-time updates. On the House floor, a backup plan that Trump and Musk had supported was thwarted by Democrats and 38 Republicans who opposed the debt ext...