NEWS - FRIDAY, JANUARY 02, 2026 - NEWS
Truckers whose licenses were revoked now have 60 days to legally qualify for their licenses LA Times
VOA VIEW: They first have to be here legally.
Trump acknowledged a covert U.S. strike on Venezuelan territory in an interview with a local news outlet on the day after Christmas, setting off a scramble to clarify which target he was talking about. LA Times
The justices granted emergency appeals and set aside rulings from district judges who blocked Trump's orders from taking effect. But the court also put two important checks on his power. LA Times
PLEASE DO BUSINESS WITH THOSE WHO DO BUSINESS WITH US -- OUR ADVERTISERS.
Iranian protesters are bringing the regime to halt on Thursday over the cost of living crisis plaguing the Islamic Republic — as $1 is now worth 1.4 million Iranian rials. New York Post
Passed unanimously, California Assembly Bill 455 requires homeowners to disclose any history of thirdhand smoke or vaping residue when selling their property. New York Post
The tanker, which had been sailing to Venezuela to pick up oil, has claimed Russian protection, although the U.S. authorities say it is a stateless vessel. New York Times
VOA VIEW: A Russia problem.
In 2026, there will be journeys to the moon and Mars, new visions of the cosmos and a solar eclipse that might be worth traveling for. New York Times
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates burst into the open this week with an unusually direct confrontation that has global implications. New York Times
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reportedly agreed to give Hamas a two-month deadline to disarm. OANN
VOA VIEW: They better disarm.
THANK YOU FOR VISITING OUR WEB PORTAL. PLEASE TELL A FRIEND.
President Donald Trump called for “peace on Earth” as he entered a New Year’s Eve gala with First Lady Melania Trump by his side at his Mar-a-Lago club. OANN
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Trump administration is freezing federal child care funding to every single U.S. state after introducing a freeze on Minnesota’s program -- in response to ongoing allegations and evidence of widespread fraud. OANN
After human remains were discovered in a field, Texas police confirmed that the remains were those of missing teen Camila Mendoza Olmos -- who "died by suicide" near her home -- according to a local sheriff who announced the news on Wednesday. OANN
From Sydney to Paris to New York City, crowds rang in the new year with exuberant celebrations filled with thunderous fireworks or light shows, while others took a more subdued approach. Washington Times
VOA VIEW: A lot of optimism.
YOU can speak out and be heard by having your own "Column" - Visit the "Public Opinion" Section above.
The Trump administration has told another coal-fired power facility to remain open, this time ordering the owners of a Colorado electricity-generating unit to keep it running beyond its Wednesday retirement date. Washington Times
Farmers are now learning how much aid they can expect to receive from a $12 billion package that President Donald Trump announced earlier this month. Washington Times
The Trump administration can continue to withhold Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood and other health centers that provide abortions while a coalition of mostly-Democratic states challenge the cuts, a federal appeals court ruled. Washington Times
VOA VIEW: As they should.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK ALL OUR SOURCES FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS IN MAKING US AMERICA'S NUMBER ONE NEWS INFORMATION PORTAL.
Even if it rains on the 2026 New Year's Rose Parade, local officials do not want people using umbrellas. Washington Times
Two iconic celebrations to ring in the New Year - the Rose Parade in Southern California and the midnight ball drop in New York City - are in for some rough weather. Washington Times
The one-year delay comes as President Trump has rolled back some other import duties amid affordability concerns. CBS
The levy, which would impose a new 11% tax on the gross fares paid by a cruise ship's passenger, was set to go into effect at the start of 2026. CBS
VOA VIEW: A high has been set back.
A U.S. District Court judge issued a summary judgment on Wednesday, finding that the effort to revoke the legal status of tens of thousands of Hondurans, Nepalis and Nicaraguans was unlawful CBS
VOA VIEW: The judge made a mistake.
ATTENTION TALK SHOW HOSTS: We are honored that many radio talk show hosts use our Web Portal for their "show prep." We would appreciate your occasional mention of our site to your audience. Thanks!
The average cost of a conventional 30-year U.S. mortgage continues to edge down, while rates on other home loans fell to less than 5.5%. CBS
President Trump, who loves to golf, has floated the possibility of redoing the district's courses. CBS
Trump promised retribution after Colorado refused to release Tina Peters, who was convicted by a state court last year. CNBC
ADVERTISEMENT: If you want to advertise your business or Web Site, send us an email by clicking on "Contact" above. It could be the best business decision you make.
More than 8.3 million workers are expected to benefit from minimum wage hikes in 19 states including Arizona, California, Michigan, New Jersey and New York. CNBC
VOA VIEW: The price of everything will go up - the states fault.
President Donald Trump had signed a bipartisan bill requiring the DOJ to publicly release unclassified records from its Epstein investigations by Dec. 19. CNBC
A military operation targeted drug trafficking vessels on Dec. 31, resulting in five deaths during a kinetic strike against reported narco-terrorists. FOX News
Dead birds along Florida's Space Coast spark fears of a possible avian flu outbreak. Samples were sent for testing as wildlife officials monitor the situation. FOX News
Former special counsel Jack Smith denied targeting President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential election while testifying on Dec. 17. UPI
SNAP users in five states face limits what they can buy that take effect Thursday. At least 18 states are implementing new rules beginning in 2026. UPI
The nation's new jobless claims were fewer than 200,000 for the week ending on Saturday, marking the third straight week that new jobless claims fell. UPI
VOA VIEW: The claims are going down.
The start of Chile's new cherry export season is delivering strong results in the U.S., where exporters are pursuing a strategy to expand consumption. UPI
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold hearings over fraud in Minnesota's social services programs starting next week. UPI
VOA VIEW -- Is the opinion of "Voice of Americans", which is a private entity not affiliated in any way with the United States government or any of its agencies. The opinions expressed here, in whatever medium or format, are not necessarily the opinions of the ownership or advertisers of this web site - 0415.
P.O. Box 10307
New Orleans, LA 70181
(504) 888-8255
COMMENTARY OF THE DAY
By
Robert Namer
Voice Of America
©2018 All rights reserved
An executive order that could soon be signed by President Donald Trump would thwart states’ artificial intelligence laws by launching legal challenges and withholding federal funding, according to a draft of the order obtained. Makes sense.
The draft surfaced shortly after Trump publicly called for a single federal standard on AI “instead of a patchwork of 50 State Regulatory Regimes.” The draft order would give Attorney General Pam Bondi 30 days to establish an “AI Litigation Task Force” whose sole task is to challenge state AI laws.
Those challenges would be issued “on grounds that such laws unconstitutionally regulate interstate commerce, are preempted by existing Federal regulations, or are otherwise unlawful in the Attorney General’s judgment,” the draft says. The order also directs Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to notify states with contested AI laws that they are ineligible for funds under the federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment program. BEAD is a more than $42 billion program that has allocated funding to all U.S. states and territories.
The order, which was first reported by The Information, is not yet finalized. A White House official told CNBC that any discussion around it is just speculation until it is officially announced. As written, the EO would be a major win for the burgeoning AI industry, whose leaders — including Sam Altman’s OpenAI, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and other Silicon Valley titans — oppose an inconsistent state-by-state policy approach.
It would be just as big a blow to state lawmakers across the country who have sought to pass bills that would place guardrails on the nascent technology. New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores, who co-sponsored a state AI safety bill, in a statement to CNBC called the draft EO “a blank check to Donald Trump’s tech billionaire backers who’ve already made a fortune on — and now stand to profit exponentially more from — allowing unconstrained AI to wipe out jobs, destroy our kids’ brains, and drive electricity bills through the roof.” Bores, a Democrat who is running for Congress, this week became the first target of a well-funded super PAC backed by AI industry leaders.
