WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump, who views his 2024 triumph as confirmation of a voter yearning for disruption, is set to begin his second term by presenting an unusual slate of nominations to the Senate for influential executive branch jobs. However, what level of disturbance will America's cooling saucer accept? By successfully blocking Trump's nomination of far-right former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., for attorney general because to claims of sexual misconduct and doubts about his qualifications, the soon-to-be Republican-led chamber is already demonstrating its limitations. Republicans can lose no more than three votes to confirm nominees without needing some bipartisan support because the Senate will be divided between 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats in the upcoming session. Vi...

According to a prosecutor who spoke to Reuters, a Malaysian court on Monday ordered the government to release rainbow-colored timepieces and accessories manufactured by Swatch Group that were seized for LGBTQ rights-celebrating designs last year. In Muslim-majority Malaysia, homosexuality is prohibited, and rights organizations have expressed concern over the country's increasing intolerance of the LGBTI population. Due to the inclusion of the abbreviation LGBTQ on the timepieces, Malaysia seized 172 rainbow-colored watches from the Swiss watchmaker's Pride line from 16 stores in May 2023. Subsequently, the government outlawed all LGBTQ references on Swatch watches, boxes, wrappers, accessories, and other products, citing concerns that they could undermine public interest and morality. In ...

After Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, it seemed only natural that births would increase and abortion rates would decline. Conversely, last year saw a rise in abortions and a historic low in the nation's fertility rate. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that advocates for access to abortion, the number of abortions performed in the United States in 2023 exceeded one million, the most in ten years. Preliminary data indicates that abortion rates so far this year have not changed significantly from the final six months of 2023. Diana Greene Foster, a reproductive health researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, stated that the post-Dobbs world wasn't as horrible as we had anticipated. Before Dobbs, abortions were actually prohibit...

Ahead of his murder trial next year, the family of a woman who was shot dead by a former New Mexico police officer has negotiated a $20 million deal with the city where he worked. The city claimed in a statement on Monday that Felipe Hernandez, a Las Cruces police officer, killed 45-year-old Teresa Gomez last year, saying that his acts "on the morning of Oct. 3, 2023, were so severe that charges were brought against Hernandez." Hernandez was dismissed from the police department after being charged with second-degree murder in January. His trial is set on June 2, 2025, and he has entered a not guilty plea. The incident, which was caught on body camera, occurred after Hernandez witnessed Gomez and a passenger sitting in a parked car in what he called "public housing" and asked them about tre...

An army of ethnic minorities fighting alongside a powerful rebel coalitionFollowing a year-long conflict along the Myanmar-China border, the ruling military in Myanmar has declared its readiness to negotiate with the junta. Late on Monday, the Ta ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) made a choice that comes as a strong shock.As the military, which Beijing has traditionally viewed as a guarantee of stability, rapidly deteriorates, China applies pressure on rebels. Since the military overthrew an elected government in 2021 under the leadership of democratic hero Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar has been in upheaval. This led to a resistance movement that started out as nonviolent demonstrations and eventually turned into a multifront armed struggle. The TNLA claimed in a message posted on its offici...

The recently authorized Cadillac F1 team, which places a well-known American automaker with racing partner Andretti Global on the grid in 2026, will have former Formula 1 world champion Mario Andretti as a director on the board. The journey was arduous and protracted. The business side of Formula One rejected Andretti Global's bid in early 2024. However, the racing team is finally getting its chance, albeit under the GM and Cadillac brands, when investor Dan Towriss took over the company from his son, Michael Andretti, and GM increased its obligations. In an interview with NBC News, a jubilant Mario Andretti talked about realizing his dream and his position on the new team, which involves technical and driver selection advice. Before 2028, when it intends to have a Cadillac power unit, he ...

In a major campaign pledge that could significantly affect trade, President-elect Donald Trump declared on Monday that his incoming administration would impose new taxes on imported products from China, Canada, and Mexico. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that he intends to apply a 25% tariff to goods coming from Canada and Mexico, citing the ongoing fentanyl problem as justification for the idea. "On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders," Trump stated in a tweet. "This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!" Addit...

The Philippines' Manila Following his estranged vice president's statement that he would be slain if she were dead, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promised Monday to retaliate against what he described as reckless and concerning threats against him. Marcos did not name his running mate, Vice President Sara Duterte, in a forcefully worded video address to the country, but he did state that such illegal schemes should not be disregarded. The daughter of fiery former President Rodrigo Dutertes claimed on Saturday that she had given an assassin instructions to kill Marcos, his wife, and the lower house speaker if she were slain, marking a dramatic turn in the bitter feud between Marcos and the influential Duterte family. During an online news conference, she was answering a questi...

Instead of anticipating stress-free travel this week, Americans set out with hope as storms, snow, delayed flights, and strike action are all predicted during what may be the busiest holiday travel period on record. Much of the country might see travel congestion due to two large storm systems that could dump snow and rain on major towns and communities. Since Friday, bad weather has caused 17,000 flights nationwide to be canceled or delayed. By Monday night, flight tracker FlightAware reported 60 cancellations and 3,760 delays, with San Francisco being the most impacted transportation hub. Travel into and out of the US is included in those figures. Over the course of the week, much more disruption is anticipated. After voting to go on strike Friday, service employees at Charlotte Douglas ...