United States: Retail and farm reporting show real Christmas tree demand increased this season as tariffs raised artificial tree prices and weather events affected supply nationwide. Michigan farms expect about two million trees and $45 million revenue this year; Vermont reports 3,495 production acres. Tariffs on Chinese imports average 47.5...
Washington — House Democrats on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released 14 photos and videos showing Jeffrey Epstein’s private island compound and said they received banking records from JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank this week. The images depict bedrooms, a chalkboard with redacted names and words including “deception”...
Raleigh, N.C. — Former governor Roy Cooper filed on Dec. 3 to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, marking high-profile entry in the 2026 contest. State election records show Cooper filed a day after Republican Michael Whatley, who secured President Donald Trump's endorsement...
Washington — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday a proposal to roll back Biden-era federal fuel economy standards, reducing required fleetwide average fuel efficiency to about 34.5 miles per gallon by model year 2031. The White House and NHTSA said the change would lower vehicle purchase costs, preserve U.S. auto jobs,...
Washington House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan subpoenaed former special counsel Jack Smith on Wednesday, demanding documents and a closed-door deposition tied to Smith's prosecutions of President Donald J. Trump. Jordan’s letter dated Dec. 3 directed Smith to produce materials by Dec. 12 and to appear at a closed...
Washington Senate Democrats will force a vote next week on a three-year extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits to prevent widespread premium increases, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Thursday. The move follows a deal to reopen the government that secured a vote and warnings from the...
Washington — President Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned Representative Henry Cuellar and his wife, ending a multiyear federal legal case that began with an FBI search in 2022 and culminated in a 2024 indictment. The Justice Department had accused Cuellar of accepting roughly $600,000 tied to an Azerbaijan state‑linked energy...
Washington. The Pentagon inspector general completed a review this week finding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the Signal messaging app to share details of a planned strike in Yemen risked U.S. personnel and could have violated department policies. Lawmakers reviewed the classified report in a secure facility after the...
Rosen Law Firm alerted investors who bought Stride Inc. securities between October 22, 2024 and October 28, 2025 to a January 12, 2026 deadline to seek lead-plaintiff status in a filed class action. The suit claims Stride misled investors about products and services to public and private schools, school districts,...
Washington. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss a U.S.-backed Ukraine peace proposal. Advisers and negotiators reviewed options but reported no territorial compromise, with the Kremlin saying parts of the plan were unacceptable and U.S. officials preparing follow-up talks with Ukrainian...
