New guidance from a team of health experts around the world proposes expanding the definition of obesity beyond the popular body mass index (BMI) measure.
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Political News Compilation - Weekend Updates - Jan. 4 & 5 , 2025
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Higher Social Security payments are coming for millions of people from a bill that Biden is signing
By FATIMA HUSSEIN
Updated 5:28 PM CST, January 5, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Sunday signed into law a measure that boosts Social Security payments for current and former public employees, affecting nearly 3 million people who receive pensions from their time as teachers, firefighters, police officers and in other public service jobs.
Advocates say the Social Security Fairness Act rights a decades-old disparity, though it will also put strain on Social Security Trust Funds, which face a looming insolvency crisis.
The bill rescinds two provisions the Windfall Elimination Provision
and the Government Pension Offset that limit Social Security benefits for recipients if they get retirement payments from other sources, including public retirement programs from a state or local government.
“The bill I’m signing today is about a simple proposition: Americans who have worked hard all their life to earn an honest living should be able to retire with economic security and dignity — that’s the entire purpose of the Social Security system,” Biden said during a signing ceremony in the White House East Room.
“This is a big deal,” he said. ...
READ THE FULL STORY - AP
Trump invites House Republicans to Mar-a-Lago ahead of inauguration
President-elect Donald Trump is set to host several groups of House GOP lawmakers in Florida next weekend.
www.nbcnews.com
GOP congressional leaders set the stage to move on Trump’s agenda | CNN Politics
Donald Trump and his GOP allies in Congress have recently shared some of the first details of their ambitious agenda — sweeping tax cuts, border security and raising the debt limit — which they hope to muscle through in the first 100 days of the president-elect’s term.
www.cnn.comAs he prepares to leave office, Biden urges incoming Democratic lawmakers to reach across the aisle
The new slate of roughly 30 Democratic lawmakers arrive prepared to be in the minority in the executive and legislative branches.
apnews.com
Thune has privately told Trump that Hegseth has the votes to be confirmed as Defense Secretary, sources say
When asked for comment, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader John Thune said "two things we don't discuss publicly: Whip counts and private conversations with the president."
www.cbsnews.com
Trump rounds out White House team with four new picks - Washington Examiner
Trump made four picks for his White House staff on Saturday night, three of whom served in his first administration.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Biden signs Social Security Fairness Act into law
President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law Sunday, marking what is expected to be one of the last major pieces of legislation of his presidency.
Pro-Israel Dem could tip scales in key Senate committee as Middle East war continues
Sen. Jacky Rosen, a new Democrat assigned to a key Senate committee, could bolster support for Israel in the new Congress.
Lawmakers brace for Trump's promised Jan. 6 pardons. Some are urging restraint
More than 1,250 have pleaded guilty or been convicted after trials in connection with Jan. 6, with more than 650 receiving prison time ranging from a few days to 22 years.
apnews.com
Hamas says it’s ready to free 34 captives under ceasefire deal, reports say
Israeli and Hamas officials are holding talks in Qatar in renewed push to secure ceasefire deal.
Sen. Adam Schiff says the New Orleans attack shows Kash Patel shouldn’t lead the FBI
Schiff told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that it was an “easy” decision to vote against Patel, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI.
www.nbcnews.com
Russia ‘getting what it deserves,’ Ukraine says, after launching counterattack in border region | CNN
Ukraine has launched a counterattack in the southern Russian border region of Kursk, warning that Russia is “getting what it deserves.”
www.cnn.com
'Is it realistic to deport everybody?' Top Senate Republican on Donald Trump's mass deportation promises
Senate Majority Leader John Thune also said in an interview Sunday that he's willing to stand up to President-elect Donald Trump when they disagree.
www.usatoday.com
Trump appears with Italian Prime Minister Meloni at his Florida club
Meloni follows Argentina President Javier Milei, who became the first world leader to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago after his Election Day victory in November.
apnews.com
Winter Storm Blair latest: Millions hit by huge winter storm as seven US states declare state of emergency
A state of emergency has been declared in seven states, with the storm set to bring the coldest temperatures in over a decade.
www.bbc.com
Ukraine presses attacks in Russia's Kursk region
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will urge allies to boost his country's air defenses at a meeting this week in Germany.
apnews.com
Nancy Pelosi says violence of Jan. 6 "didn't end that day"
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday the violence of Jan. 6, 2021, "didn't end that day," accusing president-elect Donald Trump of stoking continued violence in the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol.
www.cbsnews.com
Joe Biden sits down with USA TODAY's Susan Page for exclusive interview about his legacy, 2024 election
Susan Page, USA TODAY's Washington Bureau chief, exclusively interviewed outgoing President Joe Biden about his legacy, the 2024 election and more.
www.usatoday.com
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How climate whiplash contributed to the severity of the California fires
Hydroclimate whiplash -- the rapid shift between wet and dry conditions -- likely contributed to the severity of the wildfires in Southern California, experts say.
Continue reading...'Clear vision': Conservatives rally around Hegseth after 'crushing' fiery confirmation hearing
Reactions poured in on social media and elsewhere as Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth was grilled by Democrats on Capitol Hill following a tense confirmation hearing that often got personal.
"Pete Hegseth is crushing it," Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer posted on X. "It is refreshing to hear someone relentlessly focus on warriors and lethality, without playing Washington’s word-salad game of forcing nominees to talk like social workers who run government agencies."
"The Senate likes to claim that hearings as serious...
Continue reading..."Pete Hegseth is crushing it," Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer posted on X. "It is refreshing to hear someone relentlessly focus on warriors and lethality, without playing Washington’s word-salad game of forcing nominees to talk like social workers who run government agencies."
"The Senate likes to claim that hearings as serious...
DOJ racing the clock to enshrine 'woke' policing rules, lawyer says, as judge hears Breonna Taylor reform case
FIRST ON FOX: A Kentucky judge declined to immediately sign a police reform consent decree forged by the Justice Department and city of Louisville during a hearing one courtroom participant described as a hasty attempt by the Biden administration to hamstring President-elect Donald Trump.
The Monday hearing was one of at least three instances of ongoing litigation in which the Biden administration is seeking to enshrine progressive policing policies in their 11th hour in a difficult-to-reverse manner.
Federal Judge Benjamin Beaton refused to be a...
Continue reading...The Monday hearing was one of at least three instances of ongoing litigation in which the Biden administration is seeking to enshrine progressive policing policies in their 11th hour in a difficult-to-reverse manner.
Federal Judge Benjamin Beaton refused to be a...
Five takeaways from Trump defence pick Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing
For more than four hours, Hegseth faced questions about his ability to run the defence department, including its three million employees and massive budget.
Continue reading...Iran ‘never' plotted to kill Trump during campaign, Iran's president tells NBC News
Iran “never” plotted to assassinate Donald Trump during last year’s U.S. election campaign, President Masoud Pezeshkian told NBC News’ Lester Holt in an exclusive interview in Tehran.
Asked about the reported plot against Trump outlined by U.S. authorities, Pezeshkian said: “This is another one of those schemes that Israel and other countries are designing to promote Iranophobia. ... Iran has never attempted to nor does it plan to assassinate anyone. At least as far as I know.”
Holt then asked Pezeshkian: “You’re saying there was never an Iranian...
Continue reading...Asked about the reported plot against Trump outlined by U.S. authorities, Pezeshkian said: “This is another one of those schemes that Israel and other countries are designing to promote Iranophobia. ... Iran has never attempted to nor does it plan to assassinate anyone. At least as far as I know.”
Holt then asked Pezeshkian: “You’re saying there was never an Iranian...
5 takeaways from Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing
Pete Hegseth was met with a friendly reception from Senate Republicans at his hearing Tuesday before the Armed Services Committee, who signaled they would get behind President-elect Donald Trump’s embattled nominee to be secretary of defense.
Hegseth came into the hearing with a cloud of controversies hanging over his nomination, including allegations of excessive drinking and sexual assault, which he has denied, and past remarks that women shouldn’t serve in combat, which he has since walked back.
But after he was questioned for more than four...
Continue reading...Hegseth came into the hearing with a cloud of controversies hanging over his nomination, including allegations of excessive drinking and sexual assault, which he has denied, and past remarks that women shouldn’t serve in combat, which he has since walked back.
But after he was questioned for more than four...
Top Democrat presses Hegseth on supporting accused war criminals that Trump pardoned
Pete Hegseth told senators “restrictive rules of engagement” have “made it more difficult to defeat our enemies” as Democrats suggested he undervalued the laws of war.
Continue reading...WATCH: Mom crushes 'Squid Game' season 2 gonggi challenge
Yeban Youn and his family watched the newest season of "Squid Game.” After they watched the characters on the show play gonggi, mom Soo Youn showed her kids her talent.
Continue reading...WATCH: LA residents share what they lost in fires in emotional video series
Kalina Silverman's @makebigtalk video series documenting how residents have been impacted by the fires has raised more than $1.2 million for those featured in her videos.
Continue reading...New Jersey to stockpile abortion pills ahead of Trump's return to office
Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said during his state of the state address he’s planning to build up a supply of medication used in abortions ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's second administration
Continue reading...Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg to attend Trump's inauguration
Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are expected to attend Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20, two sources told CBS News.
According to Forbes, they are the three richest people in the world, worth an estimated $850 billion combined.
CNBC was first to report their plans to attend the president-elect's inauguration.
Musk, the world's richest man, has been tapped by Trump, along with businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, to head up a new temporary agency known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
Amazon, which is run by...
Continue reading...According to Forbes, they are the three richest people in the world, worth an estimated $850 billion combined.
CNBC was first to report their plans to attend the president-elect's inauguration.
Musk, the world's richest man, has been tapped by Trump, along with businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, to head up a new temporary agency known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
Amazon, which is run by...
GOP tax leaders: US small businesses could pay more tax than small businesses do in China if Trump cuts expire
Republicans on the House Ways & Means Committee, the House's chief tax writing committee, pointed out during a Tuesday hearing that if Congress lets President-elect Trump's tax cuts from his first term expire, millions of small businesses in the United States will see a top tax rate that is higher than what small businesses in communist China pay.
Tuesday's hearing launched debate in the new Congress over how to handle Trump's expiring tax credits, key provisions of which are slated to expire later this year. Among those key provisions is a new...
Continue reading...Tuesday's hearing launched debate in the new Congress over how to handle Trump's expiring tax credits, key provisions of which are slated to expire later this year. Among those key provisions is a new...
'Thank you Ron': Trump praises DeSantis over Florida immigration push
President-elect Trump is giving a shoutout to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for pushing a special legislative session to implement Trump's expected immigration crackdown.
Continue reading...California wildfires prompt House Republican talks on conditioning aid: 'A pound of flesh'
As wildfires rage in California, Republicans in Washington have begun discussing whether to condition federal aid on changes to policies they blame for the blazes.
"It’s part of the discussion right now," Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital. "People are unwilling to just stroke a check for something that, quite honestly, they still have a lot of questions. And obviously, the fires are still burning, so we don’t even know what the total is going to be at the end of the day."
The Los Angeles area has been grappling with multiple...
Continue reading..."It’s part of the discussion right now," Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital. "People are unwilling to just stroke a check for something that, quite honestly, they still have a lot of questions. And obviously, the fires are still burning, so we don’t even know what the total is going to be at the end of the day."
The Los Angeles area has been grappling with multiple...