LAS VEGAS, USA — Lego unveiled its Smart Brick and Smart Play platform at CES 2026, announcing a March 2026 rollout. The Smart Brick contains sensors, an accelerometer, a miniature speaker, color recognition and wireless charging, and pairs with snap-on Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures to trigger lights, sounds and...
Washington, U.S. forces attempted to seize the Marinera, a Russian‑flagged oil tanker formerly known as Bella‑1, after a more than two‑week pursuit this week, officials said publicly and privately. The operation, carried out by Coast Guard units and military personnel near Iceland on Jan. 7, followed U.S. sanctions on the...
Minneapolis — The Department of Homeland Security said on Monday that a Hilton-branded hotel canceled reservations made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after staff identified an 'influx of GOV reservations' linked to DHS. DHS posted screenshots of emails dated Jan. 2 this week stating the property would not allow...
ORLANDO, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis said Monday Florida is awaiting Department of Homeland Security approval to open a third immigration detention center in the Panhandle and is considering a fourth. Officials constructed a remote South Florida site called Alligator Alcatraz and use Baker Correctional Institution, dubbed Deportation Depot, to...
Oklahoma City — AEM's 2025 lightning report shows Oklahoma led the United States in lightning flash density, averaging 73 flashes per square mile, while Florida registered 72.9 flashes per square mile. Kay County, Oklahoma, recorded the highest county rate at 123.4 flashes per square mile. AEM's Earth Networks Total Lightning...
Washington — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday issued a letter of censure to Sen. Mark Kelly and initiated proceedings to potentially reduce Kelly’s retired Navy rank and pay after Kelly appeared in a November video urging service members to refuse illegal orders. The Pentagon said Kelly was informed and...
United States, Multiple companies announced corporate and clinical developments this week, including conversions, leadership changes, financing, trial updates and adoptions. Advanced Flower Capital completed its conversion to a business development company, Casella installed a new CEO, and Corvus scheduled Phase 1 cohort results; several firms declared January distributions; Archrock proposed...
Atlanta, Ga. Gov. Brian Kemp set a March 10 special election after Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned, leaving Georgia's 14th Congressional District vacant at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2026. State officials said qualifying will begin with a $5,220 qualifying fee and an initial runoff set for April 7 if...
Washington — The Senate unanimously agreed to temporarily display a plaque honoring law enforcement who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack after the House declined to hang the commemorative marker required by a 2022 law. Senators Jeff Merkley and Thom Tillis sponsored the resolution directing the Architect...
Montgomery, Alabama, forecasts show unseasonably warm conditions across the Southeast this week, with highs reaching the 60s and 70s and overnight lows in the 40s and 50s. Morning fog and mostly cloudy skies are expected with light southwest winds. Temperatures climb through Wednesday and Thursday before a cold front approaches...
