JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 1038

WASHINGTON, President Donald Trump addressed House Republicans at a daylong retreat Tuesday, seeking to align the party ahead of a critical midterm election year. GOP leaders convened at the Kennedy Center, whose board recently voted to rename the venue, and discussed priorities including health care and votes to extend expired insurance subsidies expected this week. Trump defended his actions, criticized opponents, and offered messaging but provided few new legislative proposals. The assembly followed reports of reduced GOP margins after the death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa and member absences, underscoring narrow House control. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Los Angeles, city officials, residents and emergency agencies marked the one-year anniversary this week of the fast-moving Palisades and Eaton wildfires that destroyed thousands of structures and killed dozens. Emergency forecasts warned of life-threatening Santa Ana winds as fires ignited in early January, rapidly expanding within hours and forcing mass evacuations. Residents report slow rebuilding, limited permits and ongoing insurance disputes; local rallies demanded accountability and faster recovery. City data shows only hundreds of rebuilding permits issued and a small fraction of homes under construction. More oversight continues. Investigations and relief efforts continue. Based on 11 articles reviewed and supporting research.

LAS VEGAS — Hyundai Motor Group this week widely showcased its next-generation Atlas humanoid robot and publicly outlined plans to integrate robots and AI into manufacturing and escalate self-driving technology verification. Executives said the company will deploy Atlas in production facilities by 2028, expand pilot production lines capable of producing up to 1,000 units, and aims to scale to tens of thousands of robots across affiliates. CEO and vice chair comments at CES 2026 also addressed autonomous driving progress and leadership changes. Companies cited include Boston Dynamics and Google Gemini for AI integration. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

ATLANTA — Federal prosecutors indicted former Georgia state representative Karen Bennett, charging her with making false statements to obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits. According to the indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Bennett applied for regular unemployment benefits in April 2020, was deemed ineligible, and then applied for PUA in May 2020, receiving $13,940. Court filings state she claimed pandemic-related quarantine prevented her from performing work, while investigators say she continued working for her company. Bennett pleaded not guilty and was released on $10,000 bail. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

WASHINGTON — U.S. officials briefed congressional leaders Monday after a military operation captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the operation and answered lawmakers’ questions during a classified session. Republicans defended the action as justified and aimed at stabilizing Venezuela, while Democrats sought more details on authority, goals and civilian impacts. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he expects elections and does not anticipate U.S. ground troops. Lawmakers sought casualty assessments. The Senate plans a war powers vote this week to limit further military action. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

Washington: President Donald Trump said Monday the United States is not at war with Venezuela and will not press for elections within the next 30 days, saying conditions must be stabilised after Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro's capture. Trump told NBC News his administration will prioritise restoring order and rebuilding energy infrastructure, possibly with US oil companies investing and receiving reimbursement. The White House named Secretary of State Marco Rubio to coordinate reconstruction and policy, and Venezuelan interim leaders have assumed local authority. Maduro has today publicly pleaded not guilty to U.S. charges. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

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 responses. Lego said the system works without screens and remains compatible with existing Lego bricks. Public company demonstrations showed Star Wars-themed sets including Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, and interactive behaviors like color changes, proximity reactions and whoosh sound effects. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

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 ICE or immigration agents to stay and later accused the operator of a coordinated refusal of service. Hilton said the property is independently owned and is investigating and later said it would remove the franchise after an investigator recorded staff confirming the ban. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

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 process detainees. Since April, joint state-federal Operation Tidal Wave has resulted in more than 10,000 detentions and about 3,000 deportations, according to officials. All 67 counties have 287(g) agreements enabling local arrests. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

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 Network used more than 1,800 sensors to detect about 88.4 million lightning flashes nationwide, equal to roughly 430 million individual pulses. Texas registered the largest total strike volume, with about 13 million strikes. Florida reported four lightning-related deaths in 2025. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.