The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.5 and its epicenter was near the town of San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero near the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco, according to Mexico ’s national seismological agency. There were more than 500 aftershocks.

The state’s civil defense agency reported various landslides around Acapulco and on other highways in the state.

Residents and tourists in Mexico City and Acapulco rushed into the streets when the shaking began. Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said that one person died after suffering an apparent medical emergency followed by a fall while evacuating a building.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 21.7 miles (35 kilometers), 2.5 miles north-northwest of Rancho Viejo, Guerrero, which is in the mountains about 57 miles northeast of Acapulco.

Sheinbaum, who resumed her press briefing a short time later, said she spoke with Guerrero’s Gov. Evelyn Salgado, who told her there was no serious damage reported.

José Raymundo Díaz Taboada, a doctor and human rights defender who lives on one of the peaks ringing Acapulco, said he heard a strong rumble noise and all the neighborhood dogs began barking.

“In that moment the seismic alert went off on my cellphone,” he said, “and then the shaking began to feel strong with a lot of noise.”

He said the shaking was lighter than in some previous quakes and he had prepared a backpack of essentials to be ready to leave as the aftershocks continued.

He said he had been unable to reach some friends who live along the Costa Chica southeast of Acapulco because communications were cut.

Christian Sturdivant was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Investigators said he told an undercover FBI employee posing as a supportive confidant about his plans to attack people with knives and a hammer.

Worried Sturdivant might attempt violence before New Year’s Eve, the FBI placed him under constant surveillance for days, including on Christmas, U.S. Attorney for western North Carolina Russ Ferguson said.

Agents were prepared to arrest him earlier if he left his home with weapons, Ferguson said at a news conference. “At no point was the public in harm’s way.”

Sturdivant was arrested Wednesday and remained in custody after a federal court appearance Friday. An attorney representing him did not immediately respond to an email or phone message seeking comment. Another hearing was scheduled for Jan. 7.

The alleged attack would have taken place one year after 14 people were killed in New Orleans by a U.S. citizen and Army veteran who proclaimed support for IS on social media.

The FBI has foiled several alleged attacks through sting operations in which agents posed as terror supporters, supplying advice or equipment. Critics say the strategy can amount to entrapment of mentally vulnerable people who wouldn’t have the wherewithal to act alone.

Searches of Sturdivant’s home and phone uncovered what investigators described as a manifesto detailing plans for the attack, FBI Special Agent in Charge James Barnacle told reporters.

“He was willing to sacrifice himself,” Barnacle said.

A handwritten note found in a trashcan at Sturdivant’s home listed details of the planned attacks and the number of intended victims at a Burger King restaurant and unnamed grocery store, according to an FBI affidavit.

The note also said he would attack arriving officers and “hoped to die by the hands of police.”

Ferguson acknowledged that Sturdivant worked at a Burger King. It wasn’t clear if that was the same restaurant cited in the note. Ferguson declined to identify the targeted businesses, citing the ongoing investigation.

If convicted, Sturdivant faces up to 20 years in prison, according to court documents.

The fact that Sturdivant encountered two undercover officers while allegedly planning the attack should reassure the public, Ferguson said.

The affidavit says the investigation began last month after authorities linked Sturdivant to a social media account that posted content supportive of IS, including imagery that appeared to promote violence. The account’s display name referenced Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the former leader of the extremist group.

Some experts argue that IS is powerful today partly as a brand, inspiring both militant groups and individuals in attacks that the group itself may have no real role in.

The affidavit says Sturdivant had been on the FBI’s radar in January 2022, when he was a minor, after officials learned he’d been in contact with a suspected IS member in Europe, and received instructions to dress in black, knock on people’s doors and commit attacks with a hammer.

At that time, Sturdivant set out for a neighbor’s house armed with a hammer and a knife but was restrained by his grandfather, the affidavit says.

The FBI in Los Angeles last month announced the disruption of a separate New Year’s Eve plot, arresting members of an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group who federal officials said planned to bomb multiple sites in southern California.

Other IS-inspired attacks over the past decade include a 2015 shooting rampage by a husband-and-wife team who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, and a 2016 massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, by a gunman who fatally shot 49 people.

According to the Misquamicut Fire Department, volunteer firefighters and other emergency officials were dispatched early Thursday morning for a water rescue. Once on scene, firefighters saw a dog named Phoenix struggling and unable to move to shore in the slushy, icy water.

Members from both the Misquamicut and Watch Hill fire departments donned ice rescue suits, which help protect the body from frigid temperatures, to enter the pond and successfully rescue Phoenix. The National Weather Service reported it was 26 degrees Fahrenheit around 9 a.m. on Thursday, with the wind chill dropping the temperature to 14 degrees.

“It was the chillest dog I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Steve Howard, deputy chief of the Misquamicut Fire Department, in a phone interview on Friday. “The dog never made a sound. He was pretty chill.”

While the firefighters were evaluated for possible hypothermia, they did not require treatment. The fire departments described the incident as “a successful first call of 2026,” in a statement posted on Facebook.

Phoenix was also declared free of injuries, but Howard made sure to check in with his owner later Thursday.

“He got a little bit of extra food last night,” Howard said. “And he took a little nap.”

The incident served as a reminder to treat all ice as potentially dangerous, particularly over bodies of water, the fire department warned.

“No ice is ever safe. Our firefighters train extensively for cold water and ice rescues, but these situations are extremely dangerous,” the fire department said.

The S&P 500 rose 0.7%. The benchmark index is coming off a gain of more than 16% in 2025.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 42 points, or 0.1%, as of 10:03 a.m. Eastern. The Nasdaq composite rose 1.3%.

Markets in Europe and Asia also made strong gains. Indexes in Britain and South Korea hit records.

The gains are helping trim some of the broader weekly losses for the market, which is closing a shortened holiday week. Markets were closed Thursday for New Year’s Day.

Technology stocks were leading the market higher, especially companies with a focus on artificial intelligence, continuing the trend that pushed the broader market to records in 2025.

Nvidia jumped 2.8% and was the biggest force pushing the market higher. Apple jumped 2% and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, rose 2%. They are among the most valuable companies in the world and their outsized valuations give them more influence on the market’s direction.

Technology companies have been a major focus because of advancements in artificial intelligence technology and the potential for growth within the sector. Wall Street has been betting that demand for computer chips and other items needed for data centers will help justify the big investments from technology companies and their pricey stock values.

Tesla rose 0.8% despite reporting falling sales for a second year in a row.

E-commerce giant Alibaba climbed 4.3% and Baidu, maker of the Ernie chatbot, jumped 9.4% in Hong Kong after it said it plans to spin off its AI computer chip unit Kunlunxin, which would list shares in Hong Kong early in 2027. The plan is subject to regulatory approvals.

Crude oil prices slipped. Prices for U.S. crude oil fell 1.2% to $56.73 per barrel. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, fell 1.2% to $60.13 per barrel.

Gold prices kicked off the new year with more gains. The price of gold rose 0.7%.

Treasury yields held steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.18% from 4.17% late Wednesday. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which moves more closely with expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do, held steady at 3.48% from late Wednesday.

Marching bands, floats and throngs of spectators were soaked by one to two inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) of New Year’s Day rain at the 137th Rose Parade in Pasadena. The mercury stood at a chilly 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14.4 degrees Celsius) at the 8 a.m. start of the parade.

Across the country, in New York City, hats and gloves were as necessary as noisemakers at the city’s New Year’s Eve ball drop, where temperatures near freezing appeared to be the coldest in 10 years.

Hundreds of thousands of people gather along the nearly six-mile (10-kilometer) route in Pasadena, where the two-hour parade kicked off. Millions more watch on national television. Organizers at the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the group that organizes the parade ahead of the Rose Bowl college football game, said they made only small changes to accommodate the weather, such as the tops being up on convertibles carrying grand marshal Earvin “Magic” Johnson and other VIPs.

Rain forecasts for the Rose Parade, which had been dry for 20 years, grew all week. On Thursday, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for all California counties and a coastal flood advisory through Sunday afternoon along much of the Pacific Coast near San Francisco.

Meanwhile, residents in the areas hit hardest by last year’s devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires were under evacuation warnings.

In New York City, the sun came out ahead of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s inaugural celebration, but other areas of the Northeast and Midwest were hit by an Alberta clipper storm and trailing Arctic front that brought snow squalls and high winds.

Conditions varied widely — from snow showers to heavier squalls — from Wisconsin through northern Illinois and Michigan and into northern New Jersey, southeastern New York and New England.

About a quarter of flights were delayed out of both San Diego International Airport and Boston Logan, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.

The bodies of Spencer Tepe, 37, and his wife, Monique Tepe, 39, were found Tuesday after a welfare check at their home in the 1400 block of N. 4th Street, Columbus police said.

“Two small children were also found in the residence unharmed,” police said.

Officers found no obvious signs of forced entry, and no firearm was found at the scene, CNN affiliate WSYX reported. Police have not released any details about a possible suspect or motive and are asking the public for any information on the case.

Detectives are investigating the deaths as a double homicide, not as a murder-suicide. Their direction is not surprising, CNN Senior National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem said.

“If there’s no gun, there would have been no way to do murder-suicide,” she said. “So that’s why they excluded that relatively quickly. The other clue is, of course, the children are left safe.”

Spencer Tepe worked at Athens Dental Depot. The owner of the practice, Dr. Mark Valrose, called 911 on Tuesday morning when Tepe uncharacteristically missed work.

“He is always on time, and he would contact us if there was any issues,” Valrose told dispatchers. “I don’t know how else to say this, but we are very, very concerned. This is very out of character for him. We can’t get in touch with his wife, which is probably the more concerning thing.”

An officer responded at 9:22 a.m., but did not get an answer, WSYX reported, citing police records.

Colleagues also drove to the Tepes’ home, and one friend heard children crying inside. But no one answered the door.

The friend called police around 9:56 a.m.

“I can hear kids inside, and I think I heard one yell,” the caller said, according to dispatch audio. “But we can’t get in.”

Around 10:03 a.m., an audibly distressed man called 911.

“There’s a body,” he said.

Either of two scenarios for how the crime unfolded seems to be most likely, Kayyem said: a “stranger at the door who just happens to kill this couple, or some narrative that might explain why they were targeted.”

To help zero in on a motive, investigators will examine forensics, the possible entry of the killer, whether anything was stolen and “the history of the family or the couple to determine whether … there’s any threat to the rest of the community,” she said.

Regardless of the motive, this type of crime is “exceptionally rare,” Kayyem said.

“Given the fact that this doesn’t happen often, and there was no signs of forced entry/burglary, you’re going to look at people who they may have known or people who knew where they lived, unfortunately, and begin there,” she said.

“Maybe this was random. But the … national data suggests both how uncommon this is as well as the likelihood that there may be someone who knew them who was involved with this.”

Athens Dental Depot announced its closure for the rest of this week.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the sudden passing of our dear colleague and friend, Dr. Spencer Tepe, as well as his wife Monique,” the office posted Thursday on Facebook.

“He will be deeply missed by our team and the many patients he cared for over the years. Our thoughts and sincerest condolences are with their families and loved ones during this very difficult time.”

Tesla said that it delivered 1.64 million vehicles in 2025, down 9% from a year earlier.

Chinese rival BYD, which sold 2.26 million vehicles last year, is now the biggest EV maker.

For the fourth quarter, sales totaled 418,227, falling short of the 440,000 that analysts polled by FactSet expected. The sales total was impacted by the expiration of a $7,500 tax credit that was phased out by the Trump administration at the end of September.

Tesla stock was mostly unchanged at $450.27 in early trading Friday.

Even with multiple issues buffeting the company, investors are betting that Tesla CEO Musk can deliver on his ambitions to make Tesla a leader in robotaxi service and get consumers to embrace humanoid robots that can perform basic tasks in homes and offices. Reflecting that optimism, the stock finished 2025 with a gain of approximately 11%.

The latest quarter was the first with sales of stripped-down versions of the Model Y and Model 3 that Musk unveiled in early October as part of an effort to revive sales. The new Model Y costs just under $40,000 while customers can buy the cheaper Model 3 for under $37,000. Those versions are expected to help Tesla compete with Chinese models in Europe and Asia.

For fourth-quarter earnings coming out in late January, analysts are expecting the company to post a 3% drop in sales and a nearly 40% drop in earnings per share, according to FactSet. Analysts expect the downward trend in sales and profits to eventually reverse itself as 2026 rolls along.

Investors have largely shrugged off the falling numbers, choosing to focus on Musk’s pivot to different parts of business.

He has been saying that plunging car sales don’t matter as much now because the future of the company lies more with his new driverless robotaxis service, the company’s energy storage business and building robots for the home and factory. To make his task worthwhile, Tesla’s directors awarded Musk a potentially enormous new pay package that shareholders backed at the annual meeting in November.

Musk, already the world’s richest man, scored another huge windfall two weeks ago when the Delaware Supreme Court reversed a decision that deprived him of a $55 billion pay package that Tesla doled out in 2018.

Authorities planned to look into whether the material on the ceiling that was designed to muffle sound conformed with regulations.

The candles, which give off a stream of upward-shooting sparks, were the same type that is commonly available for parties, officials said.

Forty people were killed and another 119 injured in the blaze as it ripped through the busy Le Constellation bar at the ski resort of Crans-Montana, authorities said.

An evening of celebration turns tragic

Among the crowd was Axel Clavier, a 16-year-old from Paris, who said he felt as if he was suffocating inside the Swiss Alpine bar where moments before he had been ringing in the new year with friends and dozens of other people.

The teenager escaped the inferno, which broke out early Thursday, by forcing a window open with a table. But about 40 other partygoers died, including one of Clavier’s friends, falling victim to one of the worst tragedies in Switzerland’s history.

Many of the wounded were in their teens to mid-20s, police said.

Clavier told The Associated Press that two or three of his friends remained missing hours after the disaster.

Late Thursday, mourners left candles and flowers at an impromptu memorial near the bar. Hundreds of others prayed for the victims at the nearby Church of Montana-Station.

Pope Leo sent a telegram Friday to the bishop of nearby Sion to express condolences and pray that “the Lord will welcome the deceased into His abode of peace and light, and will sustain the courage of those who suffer in their hearts or in their bodies.”

On Instagram, an account filled up with photos of people who remained unaccounted for, with their friends and relatives begging for tips about the whereabouts of the missing.

“We have numerous accounts of heroic actions, one could say, of very strong solidarity in the moment,” Valais regional government head Mathias Reynard told RTS radio Friday. He lauded the work of emergency officials on the day after the fire but added “in the first minutes it was citizens — and in large part young people — who saved lives with their courage.”

Waitresses arrived with burning sparklers

Clavier, the Parisian teenager, said he did not see the fire start, but did see waitresses arrive with Champagne bottles topped with burning sparklers.

Two women told French broadcaster BFMTV they were inside when they saw a male bartender lifting a female bartender on his shoulders as she held a lit candle in a bottle. The flames spread, collapsing the wooden ceiling, they told the broadcaster.

One of the women described a crowd surge as people frantically tried to escape from the basement nightclub up a flight of stairs and through a narrow door.

Another witness speaking to BFMTV described people smashing windows to escape the blaze, some gravely injured, and panicked parents rushing to the scene in cars to see whether their children were trapped inside.

Gianni Campolo, a Swiss 19-year-old who was in Crans-Montana on vacation, rushed to the bar to help first responders after receiving a call from a friend who escaped the inferno. He described a scene of people trapped on the ground, severely injured and burned.

“I have seen horror, and I don’t know what else would be worse than this,” Campolo told TF1.

The severity of the burns has made it difficult to identify bodies, requiring families to hand over DNA samples to authorities. In some cases, wallets and any ID documents inside turned to ash in the flames.

Emanuele Galeppini, a promising 17-year-old Italian golfer who competed internationally, is officially listed as one of Italy’s missing nationals. His uncle Sebastiano Galeppini told Italian news agency ANSA that their family is awaiting the DNA checks, though the Italian Golf Federation on its website announced that he had died.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said 13 Italian citizens were injured and six remained missing by midday Friday. Galeppini’s name was on the missing persons list.

With high-altitude ski runs rising around 3,000 meters (nearly 9,850 feet) in the heart of the Valais region’s snowy peaks and pine forests, Crans-Montana is a major destination for international alpine skiing competitions. It’s also home to the European Masters each August.

Around 5,000 people jumped into the chilly waters near where Washington state borders Canada on New Year’s Day.

Participants braved the freezing water in an effort to break the Guinness World Record for the largest polar plunge ever recorded.

Norway currently holds the record with just over 3,000 participants.

The daring group is still waiting for confirmation from Guinness World Records as to whether or not they broke the record.

On New Year’s Eve, some employees received emails saying their positions “would not be renewed” and “therefore, your services will no longer be needed” after their contracts expire in the first days of January.

The cuts target FEMA’s Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) teams, which form the backbone of the agency’s operations during and after a disaster, and could be just the beginning of a larger effort by Secretary Kristi Noem and the Department of Homeland Security to shrink FEMA, potentially axing thousands of workers in the coming months who deploy during hurricanes, wildfires and other national emergencies.

According to two sources with knowledge of the terminations, which suddenly ousted roughly 50 CORE staff, the decision came from FEMA’s new acting chief Karen Evans — who was elevated to the role by DHS leadership after the embattled previous agency head resigned.

The notices stunned employees, who learned they would be let go within days. “Beyond cruel to be treated in such a way,” one of the workers said.

FEMA’s CORE employees are among the first federal boots on the ground during a disaster, working shoulder-to-shoulder with local officials, helping survivors and managing the crucial aid and grants that fuel recovery and rebuilding.

“FEMA can’t do disaster response and recovery without CORE employees,” a former senior FEMA official told CNN. “The regional offices are almost entirely CORE staff, so the first FEMA people who are usually onsite won’t be there. The impact is states are on their own.”

So far, DHS, which oversees FEMA, hasn’t given the agency much guidance about what comes next, leaving employees anxious about more cuts.

A DHS spokesperson denied that the department has implemented any new policy for these workers and did not address questions about this week’s abrupt terminations or the department’s broader plans to downsize the agency.

“The CORE program consists of term-limited positions that are designed to fluctuate based on disaster activity, operational need, and available funding,” the spokesperson said in a statement to CNN. “CORE appointments have always been subject to end-of-term decisions consistent with that structure and there has been no change to policy.”

Several sources told CNN that DHS has been considering letting more contracts expire as part of a push to downsize the agency, though officials have wavered on how deep the cuts will go.

CORE employees make up about 40% of FEMA’s workforce — over 8,000 people — working full-time hours on temporary contracts. Several thousand of these workers will see their contracts end in 2026.

Traditionally, CORE workers have served on two-to-four-year contracts that were almost always renewed. In 2025, DHS limited FEMA to renewing these contracts for just 180 days at a time while they considered a long-term plan to shrink the agency.

As of January 1, DHS revoked FEMA’s authority to renew those employees without approval from Homeland Security officials, according to internal documents obtained by CNN.

Now, DHS is instructing FEMA to let at least some of those contracts lapse, forcing employees to depart as their terms expire.

Under President Donald Trump’s second administration, DHS has argued for the past year that FEMA is bloated, despite a 2023 Government Accountability Office report that found the agency was facing a staffing shortfall of more than 6,000 employees—about 35% below its target level. Thousands of FEMA’s staff of about 25,000 left in 2025 due to layoffs and buyouts, deepening the shortage.

The latest cuts to CORE are part of a broader Trump administration effort to overhaul FEMA, shrink its footprint and shift more responsibility for disaster response to the states. A task force appointed by the administration – known as the FEMA Review Council – is expected to soon release sweeping recommendations, including a proposal to cut the agency’s workforce in half.

But after CNN exclusively obtained a draft of the recommendations this month, the White House abruptly postponed the task force’s final meeting, leaving FEMA’s future in limbo.

Inside FEMA and across the country, officials are sounding the alarm about the administration’s plan, warning that most states simply aren’t equipped to handle major disasters on their own.

Billions in federal funding for communities nationwide remain stuck in FEMA’s backlog, largely because of bureaucratic hurdles imposed by Trump’s DHS. With the future of federal funding up in the air, some states are already tightening their own budgets and laying off local emergency management staff whose departments rely on money from FEMA to brace for the impact.

The FEMA Review Council is expected to recommend moving some agency staff out of Washington, DC, and into other parts of the country — a move that could help fill some gaps if the CORE workforce is slashed.

Still, it likely means fewer federal boots on the ground when disaster strikes, leaving states with more responsibility for supporting survivors and navigating access to the federal resources that are still available — a bureaucratic process the Trump administration has vowed to improve.

At least eight people have been killed so far in violence surrounding the demonstrations, which were sparked in part by the collapse of Iran’s rial currency but have increasingly seen crowds chanting anti-government slogans.

The protests, now in their sixth day, have become the biggest in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations. However, the protests have yet to be as widespread and intense as those surrounding the death of Amini, who was detained over not wearing her hijab, or headscarf, to the liking of authorities.

Trump post sparks quick Iranian response

Trump initially wrote on his Truth Social platform, warning Iran that if it “violently kills peaceful protesters,” the United States “will come to their rescue.”

“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” Trump wrote, without elaborating.

Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker who serves as the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, alleged that Israel and the U.S. were stoking the demonstrations. He offered no evidence to support the allegation, which Iranian officials have repeatedly made during years of protests sweeping the country.

“Trump should know that intervention by the U.S. in the domestic problem corresponds to chaos in the entire region and the destruction of the U.S. interests,” Larijani wrote on X, which the Iranian government blocks. “The people of the U.S. should know that Trump began the adventurism. They should take care of their own soldiers.”

Larijani’s remarks likely referenced America’s wide military footprint in the region. Iran in June attacked Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar after the U.S. strikes on three nuclear sites during Israel’s 12-day war on the Islamic Republic. No one was injured, though a missile did hit a structure there.

As of Friday, no major changes had been made to U.S. troop levels in the Middle East or their preparations following Trump’s social media posts, said a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

In a letter late Friday to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the U.N. Security Council, Iran’s envoy asked the world body to condemn the rhetoric and reaffirm the country’s “inherent right to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security, and to protect its people against any foreign interference.”

“The United States of America bears full responsibility for any consequences arising from these unlawful threats and any ensuing escalation,” said Amir Saeid Iravani, Iranian ambassador to the U.N.

Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who previously was the council’s secretary for years, separately warned that “any interventionist hand that gets too close to the security of Iran will be cut.”

US signals support for protesters

Trump’s online message marked a direct sign of support for the demonstrators, something other American presidents have avoided out of concern that activists would be accused of working with the West. During Iran’s 2009 Green Movement demonstrations, President Barack Obama held back from publicly backing the protests — something he said in 2022 “was a mistake.”

But such White House support still carries a risk.

“Though the grievances that fuel these and past protests are due to the Iranian government’s own policies, they are likely to use President Trump’s statement as proof that the unrest is driven by external actors,” said Naysan Rafati, an analyst at the International Crisis Group.

“But using that as a justification to crack down more violently risks inviting the very U.S. involvement Trump has hinted at,” he added.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei recently cited a list of Tehran’s longtime grievances regarding U.S. intervention, including a CIA-backed coup in 1953, the downing of a passenger jet in 1988 and the strikes in June.

Protests continue Friday

Protests continued Friday in various cities in the country, even as life largely continued unaffected in the capital, Tehran. Demonstrations have reached over 100 locations in 22 of Iran’s 31 provinces, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. It said the death toll in the demonstrations rose to eight with the death of a demonstrator in Marvdasht in Iran’s Fars province.

Demonstrators took to the streets in Zahedan in Iran’s restive Sistan and Baluchestan province on the border with Pakistan. The burials of several demonstrators killed in the protests also took place Friday, sparking marches.

Videos purported to show mourners chasing off security force members who attended the funeral of 21-year-old Amirhessam Khodayari. He was killed Wednesday in Kouhdasht, over 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of Tehran in Iran’s Lorestan province.

Footage also showed Khodayari’s father denying his son served in the all-volunteer Basij force of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, as authorities claimed. The semiofficial Fars news agency later reported that there were now questions about the government’s claims that he served.

Iran’s civilian government under reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian has been trying to signal it wants to negotiate with protesters. However, Pezeshkian has acknowledged there is not much he can do as Iran’s rial has rapidly depreciated, with $1 now costing some 1.4 million rials. That sparked the initial protests.

The protests, taking root in economic issues, have heard demonstrators chant against Iran’s theocracy as well. Tehran has had little luck in propping up its economy in the months since the June war.

Iran recently said it was no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country, trying to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations over its atomic program to ease sanctions. However, those talks have yet to happen as Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have warned Tehran against reconstituting its atomic program.

Maduro, in an interview with Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, reiterated that the U.S. wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through the monthslong pressure campaign that began with a massive military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August.

“What are they seeking? It is clear that they seek to impose themselves through threats, intimidation and force,” Maduro said, later adding that it is time for both nations to “start talking seriously, with data in hand.”

“The U.S. government knows, because we’ve told many of their spokespeople, that if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we’re ready,” he said. “If they want oil, Venezuela is ready for U.S. investment, like with Chevron, whenever they want it, wherever they want it and however they want it.”

Chevron Corp. is the only major oil company exporting Venezuelan crude to the U.S. Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves.

The interview was taped on New Year’s Eve, the same day the U.S. military announced strikes against five alleged drug-smuggling boats. The latest attacks bring the total number of known boat strikes to 35 and the number of people killed to at least 115, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration. Venezuelans are among the victims.

President Donald Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted that the U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. The strikes began off Venezuela’s Caribbean coast and later expanded to the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Meanwhile, the CIA was behind a drone strike last week at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels, according to two people familiar with details of the operation who requested anonymity to discuss the classified matter. It was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the boat strikes began, a significant escalation in the administration’s pressure campaign on Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the U.S.

Asked about the operation on Venezuelan soil, Maduro said he could “talk about it in a few days.”

“They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don’t want thick blood pouring through my heart,” Trump, 79, said of why he takes a larger dose. “I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?”

“They’d rather have me take the smaller one,” Trump added. “I take the larger one, but I’ve done it for years, and what it does do is it causes bruising.”

Trump gave the Journal an impromptu interview after learning that the publication was doing a story on his health. The interview appeared to be one of the most extensive conversations Trump has had with journalists on his health, as scrutiny has intensified this year over his age, fitness for office and whether he’s being sufficiently transparent with his medical information.

Trump has long had bruising on his right hand, which CNN has reported predated his return to the White House. But it drew more attention after he began trying to cover it with heavy makeup and bandages and shield it from cameras with his other hand. Observers have also raised concerns about swelling in his legs and his appearing to doze during public events.

The president took to Truth Social on Friday to again comment on his health following the publication of the interview, saying White House doctors have deemed him to be in “PERFECT HEALTH.”

The interview with the Journal, and the subsequent social media post, underscore how invested the president is in defending his health after he spent much of the 2024 presidential election campaign attacking his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, for his own health issues.

Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, told the Journal that the president takes 325 milligrams of aspirin daily. According to Mayo Clinic, a low dose of aspirin, which “can help prevent heart attack or stroke,” ranges from 75 to 100 milligrams and 81 milligrams is commonly recommended. The Mayo Clinic also says that for aspirin therapy, the daily dose “is usually between” 75 to 325 milligrams.

Aspirin helps thin the blood, which can prevent clots from forming, but it also comes with the risk of excessive bleeding. In recent years, medical guidelines stopped recommending daily aspirin for many adults because the risks outweigh the benefits, and some suggest halting aspirin therapy entirely when patients are in their 70s.

Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor at George Washington University’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences who was a longtime cardiologist for former Vice President Dick Cheney, said the latest updates from Trump and his team raise more questions than they answer.

“It’s uncommon to see that kind of bruising with one aspirin a day,” Reiner said. “My question is, ‘Does the president take any medications that have not been disclosed by the White House?’”

Barbabella said Thursday that Trump “remains in exceptional health.”

“President Trump’s medical evaluations and laboratory results continue to show excellent metabolic health, and have revealed his cardiovascular health puts him 14 years younger than his age. Overall, the President remains in exceptional health and perfectly suited to execute his duties as Commander in Chief,” he said in a statement to CNN.

Across a series of events last week, Trump — who last year became the oldest president to take the oath of office — appeared with discoloration or light bruising on the back of his left hand, in addition to the more persistent bruise on his right hand that has been visible for months.

The White House has previously explained that the bruising on his right hand is due to constant handshaking along with a regular regimen of aspirin that can make such discoloration more common.

Reiner said 325 milligrams of aspirin each day is not a very high dose, but there’s no medical reason to take that much on a daily basis. When someone sprains an ankle, he said, they might get a 325 milligrams of aspirin every four hours, which would be considered a high dose.

“Aspirin has been studied in varied doses, and the reason why 81 milligrams is given to people is that’s the dose which appears to have the best combination of protection from clotting events and bleeding caused by the drug,” Reiner said. “In other words, 325 milligrams increases the bleeding risk but doesn’t increase the efficacy. So we never use that.”

“The big issue here is transparency. All of these issues just highlight how opaque The White House has been about the president’s health,” he added.

In the interview, Trump also discussed a scan he underwent in October, which he previously described to reporters as an MRI. At the time, the president gave little detail around the procedure or what physicians were seeking to explore, telling reporters they should ask his doctors.

When asked about the scan by the Journal, Trump said it wasn’t an MRI but rather a CT scan. “It wasn’t an MRI,” Trump said. “It was less than that. It was a scan.”

Barbabella said Thursday the CT scan was done “to definitively rule out any cardiovascular issues.” Last month, Barbabella released a memo saying the October medical imaging was of Trump’s cardiovascular and abdominal systems and that both showed “perfectly normal” results. In 2018, Trump had a coronary CT scan that did show some abnormalities — a steady build-up of plaque in his blood vessels, indicating moderate heart disease.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration’s transparency about testing Trump’s received, saying in a Thursday statement, “The President’s physicians and the White House have always maintained the President received advanced imaging.”

“Additional details on the imaging have been disclosed by the President himself, because he continues to be the most transparent and open president in history and has nothing to hide,” she added, while criticizing Biden.

Trump also addressed steps he has taken to treat other conditions, including swelling in his lower legs that the White House announced in July was due to chronic venous insufficiency — a common condition frequently found in older people.

Trump told the Journal he tried compression socks but “didn’t like them.” He also suggested he was not interested in taking up regular exercise.

“I just don’t like it. It’s boring,” Trump said. “To walk on a treadmill or run on a treadmill for hours and hours like some people do, that’s not for me.”

The Journal also asked the president about his appearing to doze off at recent public events and about his hearing. Trump defended himself on both scores.

During a Cabinet meeting last month, Trump closed his eyes for several seconds at a time. Similarly, during a November 6 event in the Oval Office, the president appeared to close his eyes or struggle to keep them open. But Trump told the Journal he didn’t actually fall asleep.

“I’ll just close. It’s very relaxing to me,” he said of his eyes being shut. “Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink.”

Of his hearing, Trump said he only struggled “when there’s a lot of people talking,” but otherwise downplayed any concerns.

Before and after his election, Trump questioned his predecessor’s fitness to serve, even alleging Biden was unaware of actions signed in his name using the autopen, which Biden denies. Biden dropped out of the 2024 race following a disastrous debate performance that further fueled concerns and criticism over his health and ability to serve.

Evacuation warnings were issued ahead of Thursday’s storm in parts of Los Angeles County over fears of debris flows and flash flooding like what happened during a destructive Christmas-week storm.

Though Southern California had so far avoided major problems, with just flooding on some major roads, the warnings remained in place.

Flooding was most widespread on roads in the San Diego area on Thursday morning, including on parts of interstates 5 and 8. Rescue teams with the San Diego Fire Department also had to rescue people trapped in their cars in the floodwater.

Farther north, flooding closed a part of the Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, according to Caltrans.

Flooded roads could become a familiar scene in the coming days with the state locked in a soggy pattern into early next week.

The next atmospheric river fueled-storm arrives in California late Friday into Saturday. Two more systems could then crash into the coast, one on Sunday and then another Monday into Tuesday.

Localized flooding from these storms is possible in much of the state, but more serious flooding is possible in a couple of areas.

One of those is northwest California, where a flood watch is in effect from Friday afternoon through Sunday. Southern California isn’t out of the woods either. There’s a Level 2 of 4 flooding rain threat from near Los Angeles northward to the Santa Barbara area this weekend, according to the Weather Prediction Center.

Colder air brought in by these storms will also allow snow to fall below major pass levels this weekend, including Interstate 80 through Donner Pass.

Over a foot of snow is likely at Sierra Nevada ski resorts, though exact totals remain uncertain and could make mountain travel hazardous. Some locations could see totals up to 3 or 4 feet through the weekend.

An avalanche last Friday killed a ski patroller and left another patroller injured at the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in the eastern Sierra, according to the resort. It happened after feet of snow buried the mountain range last week.

The circumstances of the individual cases vary, and some could have been involved in drug smuggling, the official said. US officials are still collecting information about what the Americans were doing in Venezuela and at the time of their detention, the official added.

Trump administration officials believe that the Maduro regime is detaining the Americans to build leverage against the US, the official said, as the pressure campaign against the Venezuelan leader — including the US strikes on drug boats, a CIA strike on Venezuelan port facility and recent oil blockade — has intensified in recent months.

The tactic mirrors that of Russia, Venezuela’s longtime ally, which has detained numerous Americans on Russian soil in recent years to use as leverage in Moscow’s tense relations with the US.

The New York Times was first to report on the recently detained Americans.

The State Department did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Trump administration officials have resisted saying that they are actively seeking regime change in Venezuela but have accused Maduro of being illegitimate and a narco-trafficker. The administration has been increasing pressure on Maduro, including the “blockade” of sanctioned oil vessels and other financial tactics.

In December the State Department announced two sets of sanctions against Maduro’s family members, targeting three of Maduro’s nephews, his sister-in-law and other relatives.

Also in December, the US conducted its first strike on a land target in Venezuela, hitting a port facility in a CIA drone strike, CNN reported.

“It is clear that the current status quo with the current Venezuelan regime is intolerable for the United States,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a December press conference when asked about comments from the White House chief of staff that Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.”

Venezuela holds hundreds of people as political prisoners, according to human rights activists, some of whom were detained in the aftermath of a 2024 election in which Maduro claimed victory but that independent observers said was undemocratic.

Dozens of people were released from a Venezuelan prison on Thursday, Venezuelan rights groups said.

None of them are American, according to Alfredo Romero, the head of rights group Foro Penal.

Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn in at a decommissioned subway station below City Hall just after midnight, placing his hand on a Quran as he took his oath as the city’s first Muslim mayor.

After working part of the night in his new office, Mamdani returned to City Hall in a taxi cab around midday Thursday for a grander public inauguration where U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor’s political heroes, administered the oath for a second time.

“Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously. We may not always succeed, but never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try,” Mamdani told a cheering crowd.

“To those who insist that the era of big government is over, hear me when I say this: No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives,” he said.

Throngs turned out in the frigid cold for an inauguration viewing party just south of City Hall on a stretch of Broadway known as the “Canyon of Heroes,” famous for its ticker-tape parades.

Mamdani wasted little time getting to work after the event.

He revoked multiple executive orders issued by the previous administration since Sept. 26, 2024, the date federal authorities announced former Mayor Eric Adams had been indicted on corruption charges, which were later dismissed following intervention by the Trump administration.

Then he visited an apartment building in Brooklyn to announce he is revitalizing a city office dedicated to protecting tenants and creating two task forces focused on housing construction.

‘I will govern as a democratic socialist’

Throughout the daytime ceremony, Mamdani and other speakers hit on the theme that carried him to victory in the election: Using government power to lift up the millions of people who struggle with the city’s high cost of living.

Mamdani peppered his remarks with references to those New Yorkers, citing workers in steel-toed boots, halal cart vendors “whose knees ache from working all day” and cooks “wielding a thousand spices.”

“I was elected as a democratic socialist and I will govern as a democratic socialist,” Mamdani said. “I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed ‘radical.’”

Before administering the oath, Sanders told the crowd that most of the things Mamdani wants to do — including raising taxes on the rich — aren’t radical at all.

“In the richest country in the history of the world, making sure that people can live in affordable housing is not radical,” he told the crowd. “It is the right and decent thing to do.”

Mamdani was accompanied on stage by his wife, Rama Duwaji. Adams was also in attendance, sitting near another former mayor, Bill de Blasio.

Actor Mandy Patinkin, who recently hosted Mamdani to celebrate Hannukah, sang “Over the Rainbow” with children from an elementary school chorus. The invocation was given by Imam Khalid Latif, the director of the Islamic Center of New York City. Poet Cornelius Eady read an original poem called “Proof.”

In addition to being the city’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani is also its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. At 34, Mamdani is also the city’s youngest mayor in generations.

Free child care and bus rides

At the watch party on Broadway, onlookers stood shoulder to shoulder gazing up at several jumbotrons and singing and dancing to stave off the cold, with some passing out hot cocoa and hand warmers. Many described feeling as though they were witnessing history.

Among them was Ariel Segura, a 16-year-old Bronx resident, who had arrived five hours earlier to secure a place near the front of the crowd.

“I’m out here fan-girling a politician, it’s kind of crazy,” he said, wiping away tears as Mamdani concluded his speech. “Now it’s time to hold him accountable.”

In a campaign that helped make “affordability” a buzzword across the political spectrum, Mamdani ran on a focused platform that included promises of free child care, free buses, a rent freeze for about 1 million households and a pilot of city-run grocery stores.

Mamdani insisted in his inaugural address that he will not squander his opportunity to implement those policies.

“A moment like this comes rarely. Seldom do we hold such an opportunity to transform and reinvent. Rarer still is it the people themselves whose hands are on the levers of change. And yet we know that too often in our past, moments of great possibility have been promptly surrendered to small imagination and smaller ambition,” he said.

But he will also have to face the everyday responsibilities of running America’s largest city: handling trash and snow and rats, while getting blamed for subway delays and potholes.

In his speech, Mamdani acknowledged the task ahead, saying he knows many will be watching to see whether he can succeed.

“They want to know if the left can govern. They want to know if the struggles that afflict them can be solved. They want to know if it is right to hope again,” he said. “So, standing together with the wind of purpose at our backs, we will do something that New Yorkers do better than anyone else: We will set an example for the world.”

Quick rise to power

Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, an academic and author. His family moved to New York City when he was 7, with Mamdani growing up in a post-9/11 city where Muslims didn’t always feel welcome. He became an American citizen in 2018.

He worked on political campaigns for Democratic candidates in the city before he sought public office himself, winning a state Assembly seat in 2020 to represent a section of Queens.

Now that he has taken office, Mamdani and his wife will depart their one-bedroom, rent stabilized apartment in the outer-borough to take up residence in the stately mayoral residence in Manhattan.

The new mayor inherits a city on the upswing, after years of slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent crime has dropped to pre-pandemic lows. Tourists are back. Unemployment, which soared during the pandemic years, is also back to pre-COVID levels.

Yet deep concerns remain about high prices and rising rents.

In opening remarks to the crowd, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez praised New Yorkers for choosing “courage over fear.”

“We have chosen prosperity for the many over spoils for the few,” she said.

Dealing with Trump

During the mayoral race, President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if Mamdani won and mused about sending National Guard troops to the city.

But Trump surprised supporters and foes alike by inviting the Democrat to the White House for what ended up being a cordial meeting in November.

“I want him to do a great job and will help him do a great job,” Trump said.

Still, tensions between the two leaders are almost certain to resurface, given their deep policy disagreements, particularly over immigration.

Several speakers at Thursday’s inauguration criticized the Trump administration’s move to deport more immigrants and expressed hope that Mamdani’s City Hall would be an ally to those the president has targeted.

Mamdani also faces skepticism and opposition from some members of the city’s Jewish community over his criticisms of Israel’s government.

Still, Mamdani supporters in Thursday’s crowd expressed optimism he’d be a unifying force.

“There are moments where everyone in New York comes together, like when the Mets won the World Series in ’86,” said Mary Hammann, 64, a musician with the Metropolitan Opera. “This feels like that — just colder.”

The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee released on Wednesday a transcript and video of a closed-door interview Smith gave about two investigations of Trump. The document shows how Smith during the course of a daylong deposition repeatedly defended the basis for pursuing indictments against Trump and vigorously rejected Republican suggestions that his investigations were politically motivated.

“The evidence here made clear that President Trump was by a large measure the most culpable and most responsible person in this conspiracy. These crimes were committed for his benefit. The attack that happened at the Capitol, part of this case, does not happen without him. The other co-conspirators were doing this for his benefit,” Smith said, bristling at a question about whether his investigations were meant to prevent Trump from reclaiming the presidency in 2024.

“So in terms of why we would pursue a case against him, I entirely disagree with any characterization that our work was in any way meant to hamper him in the presidential election,” he added.

The Dec. 17 deposition was conducted privately despite Smith’s request to testify publicly. The release of the transcript and video of the interview, so far Smith’s only appearance on Capitol Hill since leaving his special counsel position last January, adds to the public understanding of the decision-making behind two of the most consequential Justice Department investigations in recent history.

Trump was indicted on charges of conspiring to undo the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, and of willfully retaining classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Both cases were abandoned after Trump’s 2024 election win, with Smith citing Justice Department policy against the indictment of a sitting president.

Smith repeatedly made clear his belief that the evidence gathered against Trump was strong enough to sustain a conviction. Part of the strength of the Jan. 6 case, Smith said, was the extent to which it relied on the testimony of Trump allies and supporters who cooperated with the investigation.

“We had an elector in Pennsylvania who is a former congressman, who was going to be an elector for President Trump, who said that what they were trying to do was an attempt to overthrow the government and illegal,” Smith said. “Our case was built on, frankly, Republicans who put their allegiance to the country before the party.”

Accounts from Republicans willing to stand up against the falsehood that the election had been stolen “even though it could mean trouble for them” created what Smith described as the “most powerful” evidence against Trump.

When it came to the Capitol riot itself, Smith said, the evidence showed that Trump “caused it and that he exploited it and that it was foreseeable to him.”

Asked whether there was evidence that Trump had instructed supporters to riot at the Capitol, Smith said that Trump in the weeks leading to the insurrection got “people to believe fraud claims that weren’t true.”

“He made false statements to state legislatures, to his supporters in all sorts of contexts and was aware in the days leading up to Jan. 6th that his supporters were angry when he invited them and then he directed them to the Capitol,” Smith said.

“Now, once they were at the Capitol and once the attack on the Capitol happened, he refused to stop it. He instead issued a tweet that without question in my mind endangered the life of his own vice president,” he added. “And when the violence was going on, he had to be pushed repeatedly by his staff members to do anything to quell it.”

Some of the deposition focused on Republican anger at revelations that the Smith team had obtained, and analyzed, phone records of GOP lawmakers who were in contact with Trump on Jan. 6. Smith defended the maneuver as lawful and by-the-book, and suggested that outrage over the tactic should be directed at Trump and not his team of prosecutors.

“Well, I think who should be accountable for this is Donald Trump. These records are people, in the case of the senators, Donald Trump directed his co-conspirators to call these people to further delay the proceedings. He chose to do that,” Smith said. “If Donald Trump had chosen to call a number of Democratic senators, we would have gotten toll records for Democratic senators.”

The communications between Trump and Republican supporters in Congress were an important component of the case, Smith said. He cited an interview his office did with Mark Meadows in which Trump’s former chief of staff referenced that Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican and current chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, had been in touch with the White House on the afternoon of the riot.

“And what I recall was Meadows stating that ‘I’ve never seen Jim Jordan scared of anything,’ and the fact that we were in this different situation now where people were scared really made it clear that what was going on at the Capitol could not be mistaken for anything other than what it was,” Smith said.

Smith was also asked whether his team evaluated former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s explosive claim that Trump that grabbed at the steering wheel of the presidential SUV when the Secret Service refused to let him go to the Capitol after a rally at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021.

Smith told lawmakers that investigators interviewed the officer who was in the car, “who said that President Trump was very angry and wanted to go to the Capitol,” but the officer’s version of events “was not the same as what Cassidy Hutchinson said she heard from somebody secondhand.”

Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America’s biggest city, placing his hand on a Quran as he took his oath.

“This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said in a brief speech.

The private ceremony, administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political ally, took place at the old City Hall station, one of the city’s original subway stops that is known for its stunning arched ceilings.

In Mamdani’s first remarks as mayor, he said the old subway station was a “testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health and the legacy of our city” as he announced the appointment of his new Department of Transportation commissioner, Mike Flynn.

The new mayor then closed: “Thank you all so much, now I will see you later,” he said with a smile before heading up a flight of stairs.

Mamdani will be sworn in again, in grander style, in a public ceremony at City Hall at 1 p.m. by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor’s political heroes. That will be followed by what his office is billing as a public block party on a stretch of Broadway known as the “Canyon of Heroes,” famous for its ticker-tape parades.

Mamdani now begins one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics as one of the country’s most-watched politicians.

In addition to being the city’s first Muslim mayor, Mamdani is also its first of South Asian descent and the first to be born in Africa. At 34, Mamdani is also the city’s youngest mayor in generations.

In a campaign that helped make “affordability” a buzzword across the political spectrum, the democratic socialist promised to bring transformative change with policies intended to lower the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities. His platform included free child care, free buses, a rent freeze for about 1 million households, and a pilot of city-run grocery stores.

But he will also have to face other responsibilities: handling trash and snow and rats, while getting blamed for subway delays and potholes.

Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, an academic and author. His family moved to New York City when he was 7, with Mamdani growing up in a post-9/11 city where Muslims didn’t always feel welcome. He became an American citizen in 2018.

He worked on political campaigns for Democratic candidates in the city before he sought public office himself, winning a state Assembly seat in 2020 to represent a section of Queens.

Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, will depart their one-bedroom, rent stabilized apartment in the outer-borough to take up residence in the stately mayoral residence in Manhattan.

Mamdani inherits a city on the upswing, after years of slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent crime has dropped to pre-pandemic lows. Tourists are back. Unemployment, which soared during the pandemic years, is also back to pre-COVID levels.

Yet deep concerns remain about high prices and rising rents in the city.

He’ll also have to deal with Republican President Donald Trump.

During the mayoral race, Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if Mamdani won and mused about sending National Guard troops to the city.

But Trump surprised supporters and foes alike by inviting the Democrat to the White House for what ended up being a cordial meeting in November.

“I want him to do a great job and will help him do a great job,” Trump said.

Still, tensions between the two leaders are almost certain to resurface, given their deep policy disagreements, particularly over immigration.

Mamdani also faces skepticism and opposition from some members of the city’s Jewish community over his criticisms of Israel’s government.

The new mayor and his team have spent the weeks since his election victory preparing for the transition, surrounding Mamdani with seasoned hands who have worked inside or alongside city government.

That included persuading the city’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, to remain in her position — a move that helped calm fears in the business community that the administration might be planning radical changes in policing strategy.

This means that millions of Americans will likely have to shell out more — in some cases, a lot more — for coverage in 2026 or go uninsured. They could also try to find less expensive policies, though those usually involve tradeoffs.

Extending the beefed-up subsidies has been at the center of several battles on Capitol Hill in recent months. Democratic lawmakers refused to fund the federal government last fall unless the subsidies were renewed, leading to a record-long shutdown that only ended in mid-November with an agreement to hold a vote in the Senate on the matter. Both Democratic and Republican health care bills failed to pass the chamber in mid-December.

Moderate House Republicans fought with their leadership last month over temporarily extending the more generous assistance. Four of them ultimately decided to go nuclear and back the Democrats’ proposal.

Here’s what you need to know now:

Did all premium assistance disappear?

No! Only the enhanced premium subsidies enacted by the Biden administration as part of a 2021 Covid-19 relief package have expired.

The original subsidies, which are in the 2010 landmark health reform law, continue to be available. They limit monthly payments for the benchmark plan to no more than about 10% of enrollees’ household income for those earning less than 400% of the federal poverty level, or about $62,600 for an individual and $128,600 for a family of four.

But the enhanced subsidies made Obamacare coverage much more affordable, which helped draw a record 24.3 million people to sign up for 2025 policies. Lower-income Americans were able to enroll in policies with $0 or near $0 monthly premiums, while those in the middle class became eligible for help for the first time. Four out of five consumers were able to find 2025 plans for $10 or less a month.

Some Americans may also qualify for extra help from their states. Ten states provide eligible residents with additional state-funded subsidies that could blunt some of this year’s premium increase.

California, for instance, has allocated $190 million to replace the enhanced subsidies for many of its lowest income enrollees for 2026, said Jessica Altman, executive director of Covered California, the state-run exchange. However, that doesn’t come close to the $2.5 billion in federal enhanced subsidies that Golden State enrollees received in 2025.

In Massachusetts, residents with incomes below 400% of the federal poverty level qualify for longstanding state subsidies that will provide some additional aid, though most enrollees will still see their premiums rise, said Audrey Morse Gasteier, executive director of the Massachusetts Health Connector.

Nationwide, enrollees’ annual premium payments are expected to spike by more than $1,000 — or 114% — due to the lapsing of the enhanced subsidies, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group.

What should consumers do if they want 2026 coverage?

Shop!

Many Affordable Care Act enrollees allow themselves to be automatically renewed into the same plan year after year. But it’s more important than ever for consumers to log onto their exchange, update their estimated income and check out available plans. They can also get in touch with an enrollment navigator, insurance broker or agent to discuss their medical needs and budget to see what policies might work for them.

The phones have been ringing off the hook at the Covering Florida navigator program this enrollment season, said director Xonjenese Jacobs. It had already received more than 1,750 calls by mid-December, compared to around 500 to 750 calls at that time in 2024.

Those whose premiums have skyrocketed beyond affordable levels could explore whether other insurers offer less expensive options or whether plans with higher deductibles and out-of-pocket costs have more reasonable premiums. They can check whether policies with narrower doctor networks or more restrictive HMO plans would reduce their monthly tab.

If consumers can’t afford any Obamacare policies, Covering Florida navigators also help them review alternatives to Affordable Care Act policies, such as short-term plans. But the navigators want to make sure that people consider plans that meet their medical needs since these alternatives typically don’t offer the comprehensive benefits and protections available in ACA policies.

More clients, however, are saying they have to forgo coverage for 2026 because of the higher premiums. In these cases, the navigators point them to federally qualified health centers that have sliding scale prices, Jacobs said.

“People are talking to you in real time while they’re literally trying to figure out what their next steps are going to be for their life,” she said.

“They’re saying, ‘I have to have this coverage.’ Or in some instances, they’re like, ‘I feel like it’s important for me to have health insurance, but I can’t afford this, so I need to figure out how I can make sure I continue to take care of my health care needs,’” Jacobs continued.

Covered California sent enrollees notices that included details about their current policy and subsidy amount but also listed another plan on the exchange with a lower premium so they could see that they have options, Altman said.

“Most people in Covered California … have plans available to them that cost less than the plan they have today,” she said.

While consumers should seek help if they feel they need it, they should also be aware of scams, said Devon Trolley, executive director of Pennie, Pennsylvania’s Affordable Care Act marketplace. Aware that people are concerned about premium hikes, fraudsters may try to push skimpier plans or fake coverage.

How is enrollment being affected?

The lapse of the subsidies is already taking a toll, say state exchange leaders. More people had been waiting to explore their options and to pick a plan in the hope that Congress would act before year’s end.

Several directors told CNN that new enrollment is down, terminations are up and more people are switching to less expensive plans, particularly bronze plans, which have lower premiums but higher deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. (Obamacare plans typically have four metal tiers, ranging from bronze to platinum.)

At Your Health Idaho, the number of new customers fell 22% from 2024, while twice as many customers terminated their coverage, Pat Kelly, executive director of the state-run exchange, told CNN in mid-December. People who disenrolled cited affordability at three times the rate of prior years.

Also, about 59% of enrollees selected bronze plans for 2026, compared to about 49% for 2025.

“Any time you see a shift in the metal tiers, from gold and silver to bronze, it’s a pretty good indicator of affordability concerns,” Kelly said, noting that open enrollment ended on Monday.

In New York, consumers are flocking to the New York State of Health website, call center and navigators, but a smaller share are actually selecting plans, Danielle Holahan, executive director of New York State of Health, the state’s exchange, said. In 2024, 70% of those found eligible for coverage went on to enroll. Last year, the figure was 64%.

“There’s a lot of shopping and there’s less enrolling,” she said.

New sign-ups are also down considerably in Pennsylvania and California. Overall, the 21 state-based exchanges have seen an 18% decrease in new customers to 210,500 through November 22, according to data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The federal exchange, healthcare.gov, which handles enrollment for 30 states, has experienced a slight uptick in such consumers to 739,000 through November 29, according to CMS, which did not respond to a request for comment.

Exchange leaders consider new enrollments a better indicator than returning consumers or total sign ups, in part because many states saw big jumps in enrollment for 2025 so they expect to see a larger number of returning customers.

Also, existing customers who are automatically reenrolled into 2026 policies may opt to end their coverage by not making premium payments. Those who actively enrolled may try to make some initial payments but find they can’t afford it and drop their policies.

Already, the share of Pennsylvania enrollees effectuating their 2026 coverage by making their first month’s payment was 10 percentage points lower than a year earlier, Trolley said in December.

Several exchange directors told CNN they won’t have a good handle on 2026 enrollment — and the impact of the subsidy lapse — until April at the earliest. (Consumers who stop paying their premiums remain covered for three months before their policy is terminated.)

“There’s going to be a lot of coming and going,” Morse Gasteier said. “Particularly with respect to terminations, that may not be a clear picture right away.”

What if Congress extends the subsidies this year?

The leaders of state-based exchanges told CNN that they will be able to update their systems if Congress acts in January, though it may take time. A straightforward extension of the enhanced subsidies would be the quickest to implement. But if lawmakers make changes — such as setting an income limit or requiring minimum premium payments — it could take more time.

The state exchanges would let consumers know about the enhanced subsidy renewal and allow them to come back to sign up for coverage or to switch plans, leaders told CNN.

Massachusetts’ exchange could update its systems and notify consumers in about 15 days if Congress extends the enhanced subsidies with no changes in January, Morse Gasteier said, noting it has a “plan on a shelf.” The marketplace had to make changes to premiums and subsidies in 2021, when the enhanced subsidies were enacted.

Similarly, it would only take New York a week or two to adjust premiums and issue notices if the enhanced subsidies were simply extended, Holahan said. But the bigger challenge would be convincing those who terminated their coverage or opted not to sign up because of the premium spike to return to the exchange to look again.

“If we’ve lost them … getting them back, telling them that things have changed, it will be an uphill climb,” she said. “But we will do everything we can to outreach to them.”

Authorities said the blaze broke out in the early hours of New Year’s Day at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, one of Switzerland’s most exclusive locales.

Here’s what we know.

What happened?

Gaetan Lathion, spokesperson for police in the canton of Valais, said the “fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana.” He said about 100 people were inside at the time.

The venue lies at the very heart of the luxury ski resort, just a short walk from the bottom station of the lift that takes skiers up into the mountains. It has two bars, a dedicated shisha smoking area and a capacity of 300 people, with terrace space for 40, according to its website. Photos from inside the venue show a dark, cavernous space with a large, brightly lit bar at its center. It was not immediately clear which part of the bar was affected by the fire.

While the investigation is in its early stages, police have ruled out a terror attack, saying the tragedy is being treated as a fire.

Prosecutor Béatrice Pilloud said at a press briefing Thursday morning that it was too soon to determine its cause and that the investigation would “take a lot of time.”

Two witnesses told CNN affiliate BFMTV that the devastating fire was caused by sparklers placed in champagne bottles.

“There were waitresses carrying champagne bottles with sparklers on them, and they carried them close to the ceiling, which caused it to catch fire,” one eyewitness said.

“One waitress was standing on another waiter’s shoulders, and the bottle and the flames were just a few centimeters away from the ceiling,” the other reveler added.

“Once the ceiling was on fire, within about 10 seconds the entire nightclub was on fire,” the first eyewitness said. “We all ran out screaming and when we turned back, there were flames.”

Both witnesses said there were at least 200 people inside the establishment.

Another eyewitness recalled hearing people shouting as the fire tore through the bar. “There were people screaming, and then people lying on the ground, probably dead. They had jackets over their faces,” local resident Samuel Rapp told Reuters.

He continued: “Then I received videos where people were trying to get out, but they were trampling over each other, so it was hard to get out through the exit. And there were people shouting, saying, ‘Help me. Please help us.’”

People present initially described the fire as an “explosion,” a state council member said earlier Thursday during the press briefing.

Valais State Council member Stephane Ganzer, identified as a former firefighter, said: “The fire spread and, as it developed, caused a widespread explosion.”

Police have released footage from inside the venue after the fire, which appears to show the terrace area of Le Constellation. Chairs and benches can be seen in disarray, suggesting the panic of partygoers as they attempted to flee the blaze.

Large crews from the emergency services immediately responded. Operations are ongoing and the area has been closed off, with a no-fly zone in place over Crans-Montana, police said.

How many people lost their lives?

Swiss authorities have not yet given an exact number for those killed, saying it was “too early.” Police said in the press briefing Thursday morning that “dozens” were presumed dead and that the victims were likely of different nationalities.

Italy’s foreign ministry said approximately 40 people died in the blaze, citing Swiss police. The foreign ministry added in a statement that the victims could not be immediately identified due to severe burns.

Video from Reuters showed red and white police tape blocking access to the scene on Thursday. White forensic tents can be seen outside the bar as investigations into the fire continue.

President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin said the incident represented a “tragic loss that touches the whole country and far beyond,” as he offered his condolences to the victims and their families.

New Year’s Day was the first day of Parmelin’s one-year term as head of state; he postponed a traditional address to the nation out of respect for the victims of the fire.

French President Emmanuel Macron also offered his condolences to the bereaved, saying Switzerland has “the full solidarity of France and our fraternal support.”

Where are the injured being treated?

The huge number of people injured in the tragedy has overwhelmed the local medical system in the Valais canton, with patients being transported to hospitals across the country and abroad.

Speaking earlier on Thursday, State Council president Mathias Reynard said that the intensive care unit and the operating room at the Valais hospital were full.

Swiss public service broadcasters have reported that patients have been transported to hospitals in Geneva, Zurich, Lausanne and other major cities.

Switzerland has two specialized centers that treat patients suffering from major burns – one in Lausanne and one in Zurich, according to official information.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that the Niguarda Hospital in Milan was set to receive several patients as well.

Italy’s foreign ministry said Thursday afternoon that 15 Italian nationals were in hospital after being injured in the fire. It added that “as many” Italians remain unaccounted for following the disaster.

France’s foreign ministry said two French nationals were among the injured and had been “immediately taken into care by emergency services.”

Consular teams were in contact with Swiss authorities in case other French nationals were affected, the statement added.

Where is Crans-Montana?

The Crans-Montana resort is popular with foreign tourists. According to its official website, it welcomes around 3 million visitors a year, with roughly a fifth coming from abroad – most from France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.

It is famed for its year-round sunshine, which it owes to its position on a south-facing plateau in the Rhone Valley. The area – 1,500 meters above sea level – offers sweeping Alpine vistas stretching from the Matterhorn to Mont Blanc, one of Europe’s highest peaks.

Tourists are drawn by its understated glamor, with high-end shopping and fine dining as well as extensive ski slopes and a lively apres-ski scene.

With a small population of around 15,000, the area is said to have a close-knit community as well as being a low-key place for celebrities to go skiing, golfing and dining.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

U.S. Southern Command, which oversees South America, did not reveal where the attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday occurred. Previous attacks have been in the Caribbean Sea and in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

A video of Tuesday’s attack posted by Southern Command on social media shows three boats traveling in a close formation, which is unusual, and the military said they were in a convoy along known narco-trafficking routes and “had transferred narcotics between the three vessels prior to the strikes.” The military did not provide evidence to back up the claim.

The military said three people were killed when the first boat was struck, while people in the other two boats jumped overboard and distanced themselves from the vessels before they were attacked. Southern Command said it immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate search and rescue efforts.

Southern Command’s statement did not say whether those who jumped off the boats were rescued.

Calling in the Coast Guard is notable because the U.S. military drew heavy scrutiny after U.S. forces killed the survivors of an attack in early September with a follow-up strike to their disabled boat. Some Democratic lawmakers and legal experts said the military committed a crime, while the Trump administration and some Republican lawmakers say the follow-up strike was legal.

U.S. forces attacked two more boats on Wednesday, killing five people who were allegedly smuggling drugs along known trafficking routes, Southern Command said in a separate statement. It did not provide evidence of the alleged trafficking or reveal the body of water in which the attacks occurred. Videos posted with the statement on social media showed a boat in the water and explosions.

The latest attacks bring the total number of known boat strikes to 35 and the number of people killed to at least 115 since early September, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted that the U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.

Along with the strikes, the Trump administration has built up military forces in the region as part of an escalating pressure campaign on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the United States.

Meanwhile, the CIA was behind a drone strike last week at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels, according to two people familiar with details of the operation who requested anonymity to discuss the classified matter.

It was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the U.S. began strikes in September, a significant escalation in the administration’s pressure campaign on Maduro’s government.

Owners of Lots of Love Farm said the 3-year-old wallaby was found Tuesday night near the Walmart where he was last spotted.

“If this just didn’t become the best night ever! With the help of some really cool kids and a really cool dad. We caught Rex at the Walmart!! He is home safe and sound! Thank you, everyone, you’re all amazing. He must really like Walmart,” said Lots of Love Farm in a Facebook post.

Caitlyn Evangelista and her mother, Michelle, were out looking for Rex when they spotted something moving near a retention pond.

“I screamed like, ‘Stop, I think I see it.’ And then, you know, I tried to get a closer look, and I saw that you know, it was a wallaby,” she recalled. “I was just like, I couldn’t believe it. Like, there’s no way we just found this thing. It’s been lost for hours.”

They immediately called the farm and, in the meantime, a group of young men pulled up to help.

“They were like, ‘Were you out looking for the wallaby?’ and we’re like, ‘Yeah, he’s right here.’ They had a net in their car, but the owner was afraid that the wallaby would get scared, so the owner got food out of his pocket,” said Michelle Evangelista. “They were able to catch it by its tail and hold onto it.”

Klarissa Harper of Franklinville was among the shoppers who saw Rex on Monday in the Walmart parking lot.

“I was just picking up milk for my little brother. My mom sent me here,” Harper said. “And I’m leaving the parking lot, and I look over, and something’s hopping in front of my car.”

Harper said she immediately grabbed her phone, thinking she must be seeing things. “I couldn’t contain my excitement,” she said

Ron Layden owns Lots of Love Farm, which is a petting zoo and animal sanctuary located about a half-mile away from the Walmart. He said Rex had been moved to a different enclosure because of the cold, but “the cage didn’t get all the way shut.”

The Evangelistas are relieved the wallaby is back home safe and sound.

“I mean, everyone in town has been out, you know, looking for it and has been concerned,” said Michelle. “I’m just so happy that we were able to spot it.”

The three bodies were discovered Monday evening along the Devil’s Backbone Trail at Mount Baldy, which rises more than 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) east of Los Angeles, according to a statement from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

The department said it received a call around 11:30 a.m. Monday from someone reporting that a hiker had tumbled 500 feet (150 meters) down a remote mountainside. The caller had hiked to an area with cellular service and provided GPS coordinates to rescuers.

A helicopter crew spotted the injured hiker and two other people, but strong winds prevented the aircraft from landing. A second landing attempt hours later was also unsuccessful because of winds.

A medic was eventually hoisted down from a helicopter and found three people dead around 7:30 p.m., the sheriff’s statement said. Their identities were not released as of Tuesday, and the cause of the deaths wasn’t immediately known.

Southern California had been buffeted by strong Santa Ana winds, with isolated gusts reaching 70 mph (112 kph) in some areas.

The deaths occurred in the wilderness near where actor Julian Sands died three years ago. Sands, who starred in “A Room With a View” and “Leaving Las Vegas,” was reported missing after setting off on a solo hike in January 2023. His body was found five months later.

Malaysia’s Transport Ministry said Wednesday that a search vessel, the Armada 86 05, arrived at a designated search area with two autonomous underwater vehicles.

The location of the search area was not disclosed in the statement. It said the vessel had prepared for the search in Fremantle Port in Western Australia.

The government did not specifically mention Ocean Infinity, the company that helmed a previous search and had long been slated to lead the new one. But the craft that the government specified by number has been widely identified by maritime and aviation websites as belonging to Ocean Infinity.

Earlier in December, the Malaysian government said that the Texas-based marine robotics firm would begin searching targeted areas of the seabed under a renewed “no-find, no-fee” agreement.

Ocean Infinity has confirmed it was resuming the search for MH370 but refused to comment further, citing the “important and sensitive nature” of the operation.

Ocean Infinity previously searched the seabed in 2018, under a similar contract but found no trace of the plane. The company has said it has since upgraded its technology and refined its analysis. Its CEO Oliver Plunkett said last year the firm was working with multiple experts and had narrowed the search zone to what it believes is the most probable crash site.

Earlier this year, Ocean Infinity briefly restarted seabed search operations in a new 15,000-square-kilometer (5,800-square-mile) area of the southern Indian Ocean after receiving approval from Malaysia, but the effort was suspended in April because of poor weather.

The Malaysia Airlines plane disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing on March 8, 2014. Satellite data later showed the aircraft veered from its planned route and flew south toward the remote southern Indian Ocean, where investigators believe it crashed. There has never been an explanation for the course change.

A costly and protracted multinational search effort failed to locate the aircraft, though pieces of debris believed to be from the plane later washed up along the East Africa coast and on Indian Ocean islands. No main wreckage or bodies have ever been recovered.

The manner of death was ruled to be suicide, the sheriff’s office said.

An open-field search on Tuesday led investigators to the remains in an area located “a few hundred yards” from Mendoza Olmos’ home, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference, adding that it was too early to identify the remains at the time.

Officials had not suspected foul play, the sheriff said, and the body had “indicators” of self-harm.

Officials were preparing to announce that another missing teen had been found safe when a call about the body came in, Salazar said.

Body found in a previously canvassed area

Officials had been aware of and looking for a firearm belonging to one of Mendoza Olmos’ relatives that was missing, Salazar said. A firearm was recovered near the body Tuesday, but police haven’t processed it yet, the sheriff previously said.

Dozens of volunteers helped in the search over the holiday, and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office had said she could be in imminent danger.

On Tuesday, a joint force team of Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deputies and FBI agents were conducting an open field search of an area they had checked once before, when they found a body about 10 minutes into their search, the sheriff said.

“Due to high brush, we made a conscious decision to head back out there and check again,” he explained.

The body was found on property belonging to a local landscape materials company, which said they are “deeply saddened” by the discovery and asked for “privacy and compassion for all involved as this matter is handled,” they wrote on Facebook Tuesday evening.

The company said they are cooperating with law enforcement throughout the investigation.

Asked previously why his office believed she might be in imminent danger, Salazar told CNN on Monday, “there’s some information I can’t divulge … due to the sensitivity of it.”

“We consider imminent danger to be anything from self-harm all the way through someone actually kidnapping Camila, and all of those possibilities exist at present,” Salazar said on Monday, noting that the missing woman had previously spoken of suicide. “We can’t rule anything out at this point in the investigation.”

Members of the community had lined up with maps and a drone to try to solve the mysterious disappearance.

“I thought I would find her like other times, walking, and we would come home together,” Rosario Olmos said in Spanish to CNN affiliate KENS after her daughter had gone missing the day before.

“I miss her. Daddy’s waiting for her at home,” her father, Alfonso Mendoza, had told CNN affiliate KSAT.

Last seen on neighborhood cam

Mendoza Olmos was last seen on a neighbor’s surveillance camera just before 7 a.m. on Christmas Eve outside her house. After she was seen looking inside her vehicle, the footage ends, according to the sheriff’s office, and there is no clear sign of where she went.

“As a Ring camera, it stops when it stops detecting motion,” Camila Estrella, one of Mendoza Olmos’ best friends, told CNN affiliate WOAI. “That’s all we saw of her, just opening the back of her car door. … We have nothing to trace her with.”

Family members and investigators say they’re not sure why she was looking inside the car. Since the vehicle was left behind, they believe she left the neighborhood on foot.

The sheriff’s office released a second video Monday showing what investigators believe is the last confirmed sighting of the teen. Dash-cam footage shared by a driver on their way to work around 7 a.m. on Christmas Eve shows a pedestrian believed to be Mendoza Olmos walking northbound on Wildhorse Parkway, between Shetland Wind and Caspian Spring.

Police urged residents to share any available video that could help aid in their search.

Teen left behind cellphone, iPad and car

The trail left for investigators to follow is confusing. Mendoza Olmos appears to have had her car keys with her when she disappeared, even though she didn’t take the car.

“One of the things that was very strange in this case is that the young lady left behind her cellphone,” Salazar told CNN.

The teen also left behind an iPad, according to police.

The notice of Mendoza Olmos’ disappearance was issued as a CLEAR Alert. In Texas, that requires investigators to believe that the missing person “is in imminent danger of bodily injury or death” or the disappearance is “involuntary such as an abduction or kidnapping,” according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The CLEAR Alert was discontinued on Tuesday.

Her mother told CNN affiliate KWEX she doesn’t think her daughter would voluntarily leave with a stranger.

“Cami’s not like that,” Olmos said. “Cami is very careful.”

Without a cellphone to monitor her movements, investigators had been looking for other evidence of where Mendoza Olmos may have gone, Salazar told CNN.

“The FBI and Homeland Security have been helping us out with intel gathering,” he said on Monday. “Things like outbound flights, border crossings, things like that.”

Authorities in Nuevo León, Mexico – where Mendoza Olmos has some family – have even put out a missing persons flyer about the teen, according to a post on the missing persons division of the Nuevo León Attorney General’s office Facebook page and her aunt, Celia Nora Olmos Sánchez, who lives locally.

As the news of Mendoza Olmos’ disappearance spread across the community, the search efforts have grown more intense.

“We’ve gone day and night, scraping our legs, not eating, just helping,” Estrella told WOAI.

Local investigators were working “basically around the clock” to find Mendoza Olmos, according to Salazar, and her mother asked for prayers that her holiday will end with joy.

“Please bring her back to us, or if my girl is watching, come back. That’s what we’re asking for,” Olmos told KWEX.

“She has a family that loves her,” Olmos added. “She has a life to live.”

Extreme cold with near-zero degree wind chills descended upon parts of Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin, forecasters said Tuesday, even as utilities worked to restore power to thousands of customers after heavy snow and strong winds pummeled parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes and the Northeast this week.

The cold front follows a system that barreled across the Midwest and parts of the Great Lakes with strong winds and a mix of snow, ice and rain. Forecasters said it intensified quickly enough to meet the criteria of a bomb cyclone, a system that strengthens rapidly as pressure drops.

Nick Korstad, who lives in the Big Bay Point Lighthouse on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Lake Superior, called the storm the strongest he has seen since he moved there in 2018, with gusts up to 75 mph (121 kph) rattling the house as waves pounded the cliffs below. The storm knocked out power for about 40 hours, darkening the lighthouse beacon and forcing him to rely on oil lamps and fireplaces.

“When winds reach this magnitude, the entire house rumbles, the windows flex and you can feel the pounding of the waves against the sandstone cliff,” Korstad said Tuesday.

Wisconsin’s forested Northwoods region will see temperatures drop as low as minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 23 degrees Celsius), said Cameron Miller, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Wisconsin.

“On New Year’s Eve wind chills could be down to the negative 20-25 degree (minus 29-minus 32 degrees Celsius) range there,” Miller added.

Nationwide, about 60,000 customers were without power Tuesday.

Frigid air will spread across much of the eastern two-thirds of the country, the weather service said, powering the lake-effect “snow machine” in areas downwind of the Great Lakes.

In New Jersey, an animal shelter scrambled to line up foster homes for at least 30 dogs after snow damage to some of its kennels. Snow from a weekend storm apparently tumbled from a neighboring roof onto roofing that covered rear sections for some of the roughly 125 kennels at the Associated Humane Societies’ shelter in Newark, social media manager Olivia Gonzalez said.

Repairs can’t begin until the animals move elsewhere. “We definitely need to band together and move these dogs out of this building as quickly as possible,” she said. After a social media appeal, two dogs were settled in foster households, though six new stray dogs came into the shelter, Gonzalez said.

Snow totals in parts of western and upstate New York could reach up to 3 feet (0.9 meters) this week, forecasters said. Strong winds on Monday knocked down trees and power lines across the region.

Video posted on social media showed people struggling to walk in the wind. Just south of Buffalo in Lackawanna, Diane Miller was blown off the front steps of her daughter’s house and landed in some bushes. She wasn’t seriously hurt.

“I opened her door and the wind caught me, and I went flying,” Miller told WKBW-TV.

On the West Coast, strong Santa Ana winds with isolated gusts topping 70 mph (112 kph) brought down trees in parts of Southern California where recent storms had saturated the soil. With more rain expected, LA County issued evacuation warnings to go into effect Wednesday for residents near burn scars left by this year’s devastating wildfires. Law enforcement went door-to-door telling residents to be prepared to leave if ordered to do so.

Rain on New Year’s Day could potentially soak the Rose Parade in Pasadena for the first time in about two decades.

Extreme winds hampered an air rescue attempt on Monday in mountains east of Los Angeles where three hikers were found dead.

Cold is the norm this time of year in Alaska — but it’s been “unusually cold for unusually long for December” in Fairbanks, said weather service meteorologist Jacob Troyke. Temperature readings late this month have plunged as low as minus 48 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 44.4 degrees Celsius). Extreme cold and the potential for ice fog prompted sponsors to postpone a New Year’s Eve fireworks show hosted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the university said.

Road crews have struggled to keep up with the snow in Juneau, Alaska’s capital. The city shattered a December monthly snowfall record of 54.7 inches (1.4 meters) set in 1964, receiving more than 63 inches (1.6 meters) so far.

That variant, known as “subclade K,” led to early outbreaks in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada. In the U.S., flu typically begins its winter march in December. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported high or very high levels of illness in more than half the states.

The CDC estimated there have been at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths from flu so far this season. That includes at least eight child deaths — and is based on data as of Dec. 20, before major holiday gatherings.

Some states are particularly hard-hit. New York’s health department said the week ending Dec. 20 marked the most flu cases the state had recorded in a single week since 2004: 71,000.

It’s far too soon to know if this flu season will be as severe as last winter’s.

But it’s not too late to get a flu shot, which health experts say can still prevent severe illness even if someone gets infected. While this year’s vaccine isn’t a perfect match to the subclade K strain, a preliminary analysis from the U.K. found it offered at least partial protection, lowering people’s risk of hospitalization.

According to the CDC, only about 42% of adults and children have gotten a flu vaccination so far this year.

What is subclade K flu?

The flu virus is a shape-shifter, constantly mutating, and it comes in multiple forms. There are two subtypes of Type A flu, and subclade K is a mutated version of one of them, named H3N2. That H3N2 strain is always harsh, especially for older adults.

Subclade K’s mutations aren’t enough of a change to be considered an entirely new kind of flu.

But they’re different enough to evade some of the protection from this year’s vaccine, said Andrew Pekosz, a virus expert at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Will subclade K make people sicker?

The CDC said it’s too soon to know how severe this season will be.

Flu seasons dominated by any version of H3N2 tend to be bad, with more infections overall and more people becoming seriously ill. But Hopkins’ Pekosz cautioned it will take time to tease apart whether this subclade K version simply spreads more easily or also is more dangerous.

That question aside, the CDC notes there are some prescription medicines to treat flu — usually recommended for people at high risk of complications. But they generally need to be started a day or two after symptoms begin.

Who needs a flu vaccine?

The CDC and major medical societies all recommend a flu vaccine for just about everyone age 6 months and older. Despite lots of recent misinformation and confusion about vaccines, the flu recommendations haven’t changed.

Flu is particularly dangerous for people 65 and older, pregnant women, young children and people of any age who have chronic health problems, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease and weak immune systems.

The vaccines are brewed to protect against three influenza strains. Despite concern over that new H3N2 variant, they appear to be a good match against H1N1 and Type B flu that may also circulate this year, Pekosz said.

There are shots for all ages, as well as the nasal spray FluMist for ages 2 to 49. For the first time this year, some people may be eligible to vaccinate themselves with FluMist at home.

South Pacific countries were the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks stuck midnight in Auckland 18 hours before the famous ball drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks.

Defiant celebration in Australia after worst mass shooting

Australia’s east coast welcomed 2026 two hours after New Zealand. In Sydney, celebrations were held under the pall of Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years. Two gunmen targeted a Hannukah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, killing 15 and wounding 40.

A heavy police presence monitored the thousands who thronged to watch a fireworks show centered on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Many officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the event.

An hour before midnight, massacre victims were commemorated with a minute of silence. The crowd was invited to show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns urged Sydney residents not to stay away through fear, saying extremists would interpret smaller crowds as a victory.

“We have to show defiance in the face of this terrible crime,” he said.

Indonesia and Hong Kong hold subdued events

In Indonesia, cities scaled back festivities in solidarity with communities devastated by floods and landslides that struck parts of Sumatra island a month ago, claiming more than 1,100 lives.

The capital, Jakarta, held subdued celebrations with a program centered on prayers for victims. Concerts and fireworks on the tourist island of Bali were replaced with a cultural event featuring traditional dances.

Hong Kong was ringing in 2026 without the usual spectacle over iconic Victoria Harbor after a massive fire in November killed at least 161 people. The facades of landmarks were turning into countdown clocks presenting a light show at midnight.

Temple bells rang across Japan, and some people climbed mountains to see the year’s first sunrise. Others were eating noodles in a traditional wish for long life because of the noodle’s shape. In South Korea’s capital, Seoul, a bell tolling was held at the Bosingak Pavilion.

Displaced Gazans hope for end to war

Palestinians in Gaza said they hope the new year brings a definitive end to the war between Israel and Hamas that has battered the enclave for two years, as negotiators push for progress into the ceasefire’s challenging second phase.

“We hope that it will be a good year for our people in Palestine,” said Faraj Rasheed, noting that thousands continue to live in harsh conditions in tent camps.

Others described 2025 as a year of loss. “The war humiliated us,” said Mirvat Abed Al-Aal, displaced from the southern city of Rafah.

Berliners celebrate in snowfall

Tourists and Berliners marked the end of 2025 by taking selfies and making snowmen in front of the German capital’s cathedral and the iconic Brandenburg Gate. The Berlin TV Tower was nearly invisible thanks to the falling flakes and fog.

Quieter celebrations in Greece and Cyprus

Greece and Cyprus were turning down the volume, replacing traditional fireworks with low-noise pyrotechnics, light shows and drone displays in capital cities. Officials said the change is intended to make celebrations more welcoming for children and pets, particularly animals sensitive to loud noise.

Additional security in New York City

Police in New York City will have additional anti-terrorism measures at the Times Square ball drop, with “mobile screening teams.” It is not in response to a specific threat, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

After the ball drops it will rise again, sparkling in red, white and blue, to mark the country’s upcoming 250th birthday.

Zohran Mamdani will take office as mayor at the start of 2026. Two swearing-in ceremonies are planned, starting with a private ceremonial event around midnight in an old subway station.

But for generations of business leaders, the 95-year-old has also served as something else: a teacher.

Buffett’s combination of success and sagacity has made him one of the most famous investors in the world, “on the Mount Rushmore of business leaders in our country,” Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks said. And through his advice-packed investor letters, his hourslong quote-fest annual meetings, his choices at work or in his personal life, Buffett has taught CEOs and executives around the world how to run their businesses and, in many cases, their lives.

Buffett, who’s spent much of his life among the top 10 richest people in the world, is stepping down Wednesday as head of conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway; protégé Greg Abel will take the reins Thursday.

As the iconic investor steps down from his post, several business leaders told CNN about the lessons Buffett leaves behind.

‘Predicting rain doesn’t count’

As a journalist, I’ve covered countless earnings reports. None were as fun as Berkshire Hathaway’s, in large part because Buffett remains among the business world’s top communicators.

He said what he meant, and he never used a 10-cent word if a one-cent word would do. And he was flat-out funny in a way that made covering him a hoot.

“What I’ve always admired about Warren Buffett, and (his late business partner) Charlie Munger for that matter, is their use of plain English and plain language to explain difficult concepts,” Steve Hafner, the CEO of Kayak, said. “It takes a lot of skill to take a complex issue and just split it to the bare minimum.”

Their dry wit made “their shareholder letter one of my favorite reads,” he added.

Some gems among those shareholder letters:

• “It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked.”
• “Predicting rain doesn’t count; building arks does.”
• “I’ve reluctantly discarded the notion of my continuing to manage the portfolio after my death – abandoning my hope to give new meaning to the term ‘thinking outside the box.’”

‘Our favorite holding period is forever’

One theme among the CEOs who spoke to CNN: Buffett’s legendary patience. Buffett was known to sit on ginormous piles of cash at Berkshire, waiting for the right opportunity to invest. And when he did invest, he was in it for the long haul: “our favorite holding period is forever,” he wrote to shareholders in 1989.

Investor, podcaster, entrepreneur and former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci wrote to Buffett 30 years ago, saying he was buying Berkshire shares for his daughter.

“And since she was one and a half years old with a life expectancy of 84 years, she had 82 and a half years left in which to hold her stock,” Scaramucci said.

“He wrote back very quickly and said that was a manifestation of short-termism. His own intention was to hold the stock for a hundred years.”

‘I will be ruthless’

Yes, Buffett was a shark who made billions of dollars off Goldman Sachs, among the most hardcore capitalists on the planet.

But he was a shark with ethics.

“From Warren Buffett, I’ve learned that excellence really is a discipline,” said Larry Restieri, CEO at wealth management firm Hightower. “Set a clear direction, stay true to your principles and execute patiently.”

Buffett racked up a net worth around $150 billion, according to Bloomberg, but he always emphasized honesty and integrity.

And he expected the same from every single person who worked with him: “Lose money for the firm and I will be understanding. Lose a shred of reputation for the firm, and I will be ruthless,” he once testified before Congress.

‘A vast collection of possessions ends up possessing its owner’

Buffett famously loves flying private. He is a Cadillac fan. He is uber-wealthy, and he makes no apologies for it.

But he has also decided to pass on some of his massive riches. Buffett, along with Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, created the Giving Pledge in 2010 for the world’s richest people to promise “to give the majority of their wealth to charitable causes in their lifetime or wills.”

Marcel Arsenault, the CEO of Real Capital Solutions, is one of the people who signed that pledge. “Warren inspired me to think beyond monetary success,” he told CNN.

In a letter explaining his commitment, Buffett wrote: “Too often, a vast collection of possessions ends up possessing its owner.”

But giving doesn’t have to be about piles of cash.

“When you help someone in any of thousands of ways, you help the world,” Buffett wrote in 2025. “Kindness is costless but also priceless.”

U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said in a statement on X that 11 missions were carried out over the past 10 days and followed initial strikes against IS weapons sites and infrastructure on Dec. 19, which hit 70 targets across central Syria.

In the operations since, the U.S. military and other forces from the region, including Syria, killed at least seven IS members, captured others and eliminated four weapons caches, U.S. Central Command said.

“We will not relent,” Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads the command, said in the statement. “We are steadfast in commitment to working with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat posed to U.S. and regional security.”

Targets ranged from senior IS members who were being closely monitored by military officials to lower-level foot soldiers, according to a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.

The official said a growing collaboration between the United States and Syria’s relatively new government meant that U.S. forces were able to attack IS in areas of the country where they previously did not operate. Syrian forces were the driving force behind some of the missions against the militant group this year, the official added.

The official compared the growing cooperation to that between the U.S. and Iraq in fighting IS a decade ago and said the goal, like in Iraq, is to ultimately hand over the effort fully to the Syrians.

The latest operations followed a Dec. 13 ambush that occurred near the ancient city of Palmyra while American and Syrian security officials had gathered for a meeting over lunch. Two members of the Iowa National Guard and a civilian interpreter from Michigan were killed, while three other U.S. troops and members of Syria’s security forces were wounded.

The gunman, who was killed, had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard and recently had been reassigned because of suspicions he might be affiliated with IS, Syrian officials said.

The initial retaliatory strike on IS targets in Syria, which included fighter jets from Jordan, was a major test for the warming ties between the U.S. and Syria since last year’s ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad.

President Donald Trump said Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack.”

The price for a single 30 minute e-ride will now go up to just over $17. That is 240% higher than the cost of a ride in 2019.

The company said it attributes the new prices to rising tariffs, insurance costs, field staffing and service vehicles.

Citi Bike officials said they have previously covered the extra expense of tariffs in 2025, but can no longer do so.

The new prices are set to go into effect Jan. 28.

The Constellation Ball, as it has been named, is the ninth ball to usher in the new year at the famous Midtown Manhattan intersection. It measures 12.5 feet in diameter and weighs just over 12,000 pounds.

The ball features 5,280 circular Waterford crystals in three different sizes — 1.5-inch, 3-inch and 4-inch — as well as LED light pucks. The shape of the crystals is a departure from the triangular ones seen on previous balls since 1999.

“Each new crystal size features a unique design that celebrates the Ball’s spirit of eternal positivity,” reads a statement from the event’s organizers One Times Square.

Michael Phillips, president of Jamestown, the firm that owns and operates One Times Square, said the ball “is meant to represent interconnectedness, wholeness, and the cyclical nature of tradition, celebrating the eternal relationship between the past, present, and future.”

The ball drop is an integral part of New Year’s Eve celebrations for those who gather in Times Square, as well for people watching on television.

At 11:59 p.m. a dazzling ball glides slowly down a pole, while attendees — and millions of people tuning in from home — count down from 60. At the stroke of midnight, the crowd erupts into a cacophony of sound, often pulling their loved one in for a ceremonial kiss.

The Times Square ball first dropped in 1907, and it came into being thanks to Jacob Starr, a Ukranian immigrant and metalworker, and the former New York Times publisher, Adolph Ochs. The latter had successfully drawn crowds to the newspaper’s skyscraper home in Times Square with pyrotechnics and fireworks to celebrate the forthcoming year, but city officials banned explosives from being used after just a few years of the festivities.

So Ochs commissioned Starr, who worked for sign-making firm Strauss Signs (later known as Artkraft Strauss, a company at which Starr served as president), to create a new visual display.

Over the past century, that display, and symbol of the New Year, has evolved from an iron and wood cage adorned with light bulbs to a dazzling technicolor crystal sphere.

The concept was based on time balls, nautical devices that had gained popularity in the 19th century. As time-telling became more precise, ship navigators needed a standardized way to set their chronometers. Each day, harbors and observatories would raise and lower a metal ball at the same time to allow sailors to synchronize their instruments.

Both Ochs and the New York Times’ chief electrician, Walter Palmer, have been credited with the idea, allegedly inspired by the downtown Western Union Building, which dropped a time ball each day at noon. But Starr’s granddaughter Tama Starr, who joined Artkraft Strauss in 1982 and now owns the business, said in a phone interview that she believes it was her grandfather who came up with the concept of the ball being lowered and lit up with the new year numerals at midnight.

“The idea was to … have it illuminated with the brand-new electricity that had just come up to the neighborhood,” said Tama, who for many years served as foreperson at the Times Square ball drop. “And it was lowered by hand … starting at one minute to midnight, and that was the way it was done for many years.”

“It was an adaptation of an old, useful thing,” she added. “It was instantly popular. People just loved it.”

Though Manhattan had been partially illuminated by electricity since the early 1880s, the US National Park Service (NPS) notes that half of American homes were still lit by gas lights and candles until the 1920s. The sight of a glimmering ball lowering down from the dark skies would have seemed otherworldly.

When the ball reached the parapet with a sign displaying the numbers of the year, “the electrician would throw the switch, turning off the ball and turning on the numbers at the same time,” Tama said. “So it looked like the ball coming down transformed into the set of numbers.”

All of Times Square got in on the theatrics. In the first year, waiters in nearby restaurants and hotels wore battery-powered “1908” top hats that they illuminated at the stroke of midnight.

“It looked like magic to people,” said Tama.

‘A minute outside of time’

There have been seven different Times Square balls since that first descent, from a 700-pound iron structure fitted with 25-watt light bulbs, to a lighter aluminum frame after World War II, to a “Big Apple” during the administration of the city’s former mayor Ed Koch.

In 1995, when the ball got a glitzy update with rhinestones, strobe lights and computer controls, traditional signmakers were no longer needed — which meant that Artkraft Strauss, the company that had brought the ball to Times Square, was no longer needed either.

Nonetheless, Tama remembers her years as the timekeeper on the roof of One Times Square fondly.

When the last minute of the year arrived, workers lowered the ball using a complex pulley system.

In performing this ritual year after year, Tama sees an intrinsic link between the countdown, which she calls “a minute outside of time,” and the making of New Year’s resolutions.

“When you’re concentrating really hard, time seems to slow down,” she said. “It felt like the longest minute in the world. It felt like you had time to wash your hair, call your mother, change your life. You really can change your life in one minute — you can decide to be different. You can decide to be kinder and better.”

The prime minister spent Wednesday morning meeting with evangelical leaders at his hotel before heading to the Shul of Bal Harbour, located at 9540 Collins Ave., to attend the event.

Netanyahu met with lawmakers, Jewish and community leaders, and local students at the event.

As a result, Collins Avenue was closed to vehicular and foot traffic between 93rd and 96th streets, with nearby streets also facing impacts, Surfside officials said.

Street parking was already off limits at 6 a.m., as police prepared to shut down the roadway; those closures began at around 10 a.m.

In preparation for the road closure, Surfside officials said, trucks started to be turned around by 86th and 87th streets at around 8 a.m.

7Skyforce hovered above bumper-to-bumper traffic along Collins Avenue near the synagogue, late Wednesday morning. Cars were forced to turn around as the roadway remained closed.

Some passersby who spoke with 7News were happy with Netanyahu’s appearance.

“Very excited to see, very nice to see him out and about this morning,” said Ben Garner. “A very exciting New Year’s Eve.”

“It is wonderful, it’s unbelievable, it’s a dream, and it seems like it’s going to be better for Israel ad better for Hamas,” said a man.

Some residents were not as happy to see the prime minister, as a group of pro Palestine supporters gathered to protest against Netanyahu.

Deputies broke up a small confrontation that broke out between demonstrators and supporters.

The high-profile visit comes just days after Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, which has since been characterized as a strong display of unity.

“There’s very little difference in what we’re looking at and where we want to be, where we want to go,” Trump said Monday.

During that meeting, the president vowed to rebuild Gaza “as quickly as we can,” but only if Hamas disarms.

“They’re going to be given a very short period of time to disarm, but if they don’t disarm — as they agreed to do, they agreed to it — then there’ll be hell to pay, for them, and we don’t want that,” said Trump.

Israeli officials maintained they won’t withdraw more troops from Gaza until Hamas demobilizes.

Trump pushed back when asked whether Netanyahu is stalling.

“Israel’s lived up to the plan, 100%,” he said.

Israeli media reported that Netanyahu is expected to fly back to Israel Thursday afternoon.

The roads around Surfside have since been reopened.

The first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the U.S. began strikes in September marks a significant escalation in the administration’s months-long pressure campaign on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government. The strike has not been acknowledged by Venezuelan officials.

President Donald Trump first made reference to the operation in an interview Friday with John Catsimatidis on WABC radio in New York, saying the U.S. had knocked out some type of “big facility where ships come from.”

In an exchange with reporters Monday as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump added that the operation targeted a “ dock area where they load the boats up with drugs.” But the president declined to comment when asked whether the attack was conducted by the military or the CIA.

The CIA and White House officials also declined to offer further comment on the matter. CNN first reported on the CIA’s involvement in the operation. Col. Allie Weiskopf, a spokesperson for Special Operations Command, which oversees U.S operations in the Caribbean, said in a statement that “Special Operations did not support this operation to include intel support.”

The strike escalates what began as a massive buildup of U.S. personnel in the Caribbean Sea starting in August, which has been followed by at least 30 U.S. military strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. More recently, Trump has ordered a quasi-blockade aimed at seizing sanctioned oil tankers coming in and out of Venezuela.

Trump for months had threatened that he could soon order strikes on targets on Venezuelan land. He’s also taken the unusual step of publicly acknowledging that he had authorized the CIA to carry out covert action inside Venezuela.

“I authorized for two reasons, really,” Trump replied. “No. 1, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America,” he said in October as he confirmed to reporters his approval for the CIA to act. “And the other thing, the drugs, we have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela, and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come in through the sea.”

All the while, Trump has repeatedly said Maduro’s days in power are numbered. The Venezuelan leader and members of his inner circle have been under federal indictment in the United States since 2020 for narcoterrorism and other charges.

Maduro has denied the charges. The U.S. Justice Department this year doubled to $50 million the reward for information that leads to his arrest.

The Venezuelan president made no mention of the CIA operation during an hourlong speech Tuesday at an international leadership school for women.

Storms caused Christmas week flooding, mudslides and other miseries across the region. Now comes a 90% chance of rain Thursday in Pasadena, according to the National Weather Service.

“We try not to say that word around here,” joked Candy Carlson, a spokesperson for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the organization behind the 137th Rose Parade, which precedes the Rose Bowl College Football Playoff game.

On New Year’s Eve in New York City, forecasters are predicting temperatures in the low 30s, which is not unusual, when the ball drops in Times Square. Light rain is possible in Las Vegas, where several casinos will be shooting fireworks from rooftops.

During Nashville’s Big Bash, a New Year’s Eve event at a park, temperatures will be in the low 30s when an illuminated music note drops at midnight in the Tennessee city. New Orleans will be in the 40s for a free concert and fireworks along the Mississippi River.

At the Rose Parade, it has rained only 10 times in the parade’s history — and not since 2006, Carlson said.

Rare wet weather is unlikely to keep floats, marching bands, entertainers and others from participating. Carlson said people riding on floats will have rain gear if necessary, and tow trucks will be standing by in case of mechanical problems.

Spectators will need to prepare, too. Umbrellas are not allowed in parade seating areas that require tickets, though the ban doesn’t cover people who simply line up along the nearly 6-mile (9.6 kilometer) route. Curbside camping — no tents — begins at noon Wednesday. Rain also is predicted that day.

“Last year’s parade theme was ‘Best Day Ever!’ and six days later it was the worst,” said Lisa Derderian, spokesperson for the city of Pasadena, referring to the devastating Eaton wildfire in Los Angeles County. “We want to start the new year on a high note. Hopefully Mother Nature cooperates with the weather.”

Jordan Wilmore, 24, wants to become the tallest police officer in Texas. He wants to become an officer in general, but he didn’t pass his exam by one point.

So Wilmore’s area chief contacted O’Neal, who is a certified peace officer. Without hesitation, the basketball icon stepped in to mentor him.

“I mean, I’m really thankful for him helping me out, and being there, and being like a mentor for helping me out through this,” Wilmore said.

O’Neal is sponsoring Wilmore’s academy journey and even promised to help him get a custom cruiser when he passes that exam.

Monday’s meeting of the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines happened as the Trump administration has been giving considerable attention to childhood vaccine policy.

“MRNA technology poses more risks than benefits,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.

This year, the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Kennedy, recommended changes to vaccines for COVID-19, hepatitis B and measles.

“Starting in 2025, there have been more than 1,900 confirmed measles cases in the United States, which is the largest annual number since 1992. Most cases have been in people under 18 years of age,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention representative Jonathan Duffy said.

HHS officials said they plan to revamp the entire childhood vaccine schedule in the new year, aligning U.S. policy more closely with other countries like Denmark, resulting in fewer shots.

At Monday’s meeting, CDC officials emphasized the importance of immunizations for children.

Duffy expanded on the benefits of early childhood vaccinations.

“The last basically 30-year period from 1994 to 2023, which CDC estimated that vaccination of children born during that time prevented more than 500 million illnesses, avoided more than 1 million deaths,” he said.

Data from the European Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Denmark does not vaccinate children against hepatitis A, chickenpox or RSV, the leading cause of hospitalization in infants.

Critics argue that the administration chose Denmark because it administers fewer vaccines than any other Western country.

James Campbell is the Vice Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Infectious Diseases.

“You’ve seen this brazen attempt to sow fear and distrust in vaccinations that have saved countless lives,” he said.

The final announcement on changes to the childhood vaccine schedule is expected in the new year.

The monks entered Georgia on Saturday, traveling through Troup County and spending the night in Hogansville before continuing toward Coweta County and metro Atlanta. Local law enforcement agencies, including the Troup County Sheriff’s Office and the Hogansville Police Department, escorted and assisted the group as they moved through the area.

According to Hogansville police, more than 500 people gathered to greet the monks as they arrived at their campsite, many lining the roads from West Point to Hogansville to show support for their message of peace, kindness, and compassion.

A 120-day journey for peace

The monks began their walk on Oct. 26 in Fort Worth, Texas. When CBS News Atlanta spoke with Venerable Pannakara, he said the group had been walking for more than 60 days and still had nearly two months remaining before reaching Washington, D.C.

“We are walking for peace, loving kindness, and compassion to all people,” Pannakara said. He explained that the goal of the journey is to encourage individuals and communities to cultivate peace within themselves as a step toward peace in the wider world.

The monks acknowledged the physical toll of the journey, describing blistered feet and injuries along the way, but said the support they have received from communities across the country has helped sustain them.

“We have been receiving a lot of love and support from the communities,” Pannakara said, adding that the encouragement reinforces why they believe this is “the right time” to carry out the walk.

The walk spans roughly 2,300 miles over 120 days and includes a loyal canine companion, Aloka, who travels alongside the monks.

Support — and contrasting views — along the route

As the monks moved through Georgia, they encountered a range of reactions. Many supporters joined portions of the walk or gathered along roadways to offer food, water, and words of encouragement.

CBS News Atlanta also spoke with Billy Ball, a former pastor affiliated with Grace Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia, who said he came out to share a Christian perspective on peace.

Ball told CBS News Atlanta that while he believed the monks’ intentions were sincere, he felt compelled to express his belief that peace ultimately comes through Christianity. His comments reflected a theological disagreement but did not disrupt the walk, which continued peacefully through the area.

Billy Ball, a former pastor affiliated with Grace Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia, says he came out to share a Christian perspective on peace. CBS News Atlanta

A message focused on unity

Despite differing viewpoints encountered along the way, the monks have emphasized that the walk is not about politics or religious conversion, but about encouraging reflection, compassion, and unity.

Law enforcement agencies that accompanied the group echoed that sentiment in social media posts, describing the walk as a reminder of the importance of respect and understanding within communities.

The monks are expected to continue their journey through metro Atlanta in the coming days before heading north toward Washington, D.C., where they plan to conclude the walk.

More information about the Walk for Peace is available through the group’s public social media pages.

Firefighters arrived Sunday night at a two-story home near Stanley that was mostly engulfed in fire, with flames showing through the attic, the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services said in a news release.

Dennis Hamlin, 75, and Mary Lou Hamlin, 69, were found outside the home, suffering from catastrophic injuries, officials said. Dennis Hamlin later died from his injuries at a hospital, officials said.

Mary Lou Hamlin was taken to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Burn Center in Winston-Salem, where she was being treated Monday, officials said.

The fire caused the structure to collapse. The cause is under investigation.

Stanley is located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of Charlotte.

The home is owned by a company called Won One Real Estate that lists Denny Hamlin as its manager, according to local property tax records and a business document filing with the North Carolina Secretary of State’s Office.

Representatives for Hamlin had not responded to requests for comment as of Monday evening.

Hamlin is one of the marquee drivers in NASCAR’s top circuit, having won 60 NASCAR Cup Series races, including the Daytona 500 three times.

The 45-year-old driver for Joe Gibbs Racing has yet to win a Cup points championship. He fell short of the title during this season’s final race in Arizona last month.

Weeks earlier, Hamlin said his father — who nearly went broke with financial sacrifices to try to get his son into NASCAR — was battling a serious illness, and that he didn’t have much time left to live.

“I know for a fact this is my last chance for my dad to see it. I don’t want him going and never getting to see the moment,” Hamlin told The Associated Press.

Hamlin also mentioned his dad in emotional testimony this month at the start of a federal antitrust trial against NASCAR brought in part by 23XI Racing, which is owned by Hamlin and Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. NASCAR, 23XI Racing and another race team reached a settlement during the trial before jurors ever deliberated.

Blustery winds were expected to add to the chill, with low temperatures dipping below freezing as far south as the Florida panhandle, the National Weather Service said.

The wild storm hit parts of the Plains and Great Lakes this week with sharply colder air, strong winds and a mix of snow, ice and rain, leading to treacherous travel. Forecasters said it intensified quickly enough to meet the criteria of a bomb cyclone, a system that strengthens rapidly as pressure drops.

Kristen Schultz, who was heading home to Alaska, said it took her four hours to get to the Minneapolis airport on Tuesday.

“Just give yourself plenty of extra time and that way, even if things go smoothly, you don’t have to be stressed out,” she said, “and you’re ready in case things don’t go so smoothly.”

Nationwide, more than 115,000 customers were without power Tuesday morning, around a third of them in Michigan, according to Poweroutage.us.

As the storm moves into Canada, the frigid air trailing behind it will spread across much of the eastern two-thirds of the country, the National Weather Service said, powering the lake-effect “snow machine” in areas downwind of the Great Lakes.

Some areas in western and upstate New York saw a foot or more of snow Monday and their totals could reach up to 3 feet (91 centimeters) this week, forecasters said. Strong winds on Monday, including an 81 mph (130 kph) gust in Buffalo, New York, knocked down trees and wires across the region, the weather service said.

“At this point, the worst does seem to be over, and we are expecting conditions to improve especially by later today,” said Andrew Orrison, a weather service meteorologist.

Videos on social media show people struggling to walk in the windy conditions and a waterway in downtown Buffalo clogged with tree branches and other debris stemming from a windblown surge from Lake Erie.

Just south of Buffalo in Lackawanna, Diane Miller was caught on video being blown off the front steps of her daughter’s house and landing in some bushes. She wasn’t seriously hurt.

“I opened her door and the wind caught me, and I went flying,” Miller told WKBW-TV.

Whiteout conditions were still possible in some areas, forecasters said, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned people in impacted areas to avoid unnecessary travel.

The fierce winds on Lake Erie had sent water surging toward the basin’s eastern end near Buffalo while lowering water on the western side in Michigan to expose normally submerged lakebed — even the wreck of a car and a snowmobile.

Kevin Aldrich, 33, a maintenance worker from Monroe, Michigan, said he has never seen the lake recede so much and was surprised Monday to spot remnants of piers dating back to the 1830s. He posted photos on social media of wooden pilings sticking up several feet from the muck.

“Where those are at would typically be probably 12 feet deep,” or 3.6 meters, he said. “We can usually drive our boat over them.”

Dangerous wind chills across parts of North Dakota and Minnesota plunged as low as minus 30 F (minus 34 C) on Monday. And in northeast West Virginia, rare nearly hurricane-force winds were recorded on a mountain near Dolly Sods, according to the National Weather Service.

On the West Coast, strong Santa Ana winds with isolated gusts topping 70 mph (112 kph) brought down trees in parts of Southern California where recent storms had saturated the soil. Downed powerlines forced the shutdown of a freeway north of Los Angeles for several hours on Monday. Wind advisories had expired by evening, but blustery conditions were expected through Saturday, along with thunderstorms.

Rain on New Year’s Day could potentially soak the Rose Parade in Pasadena for the first time in about two decades.

The strike, which was announced by U.S. Southern Command on social media, has brought the total number of known boat strikes to 30 and the number of people killed at least 107 since early September, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration.

The military said the vessel “was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” though it did not provide evidence to back up the claim.

In a video of the strike posted to social media, a boat is seen moving through water before being struck by two explosions.

President Donald Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted that the U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.

Along with the strikes, the Trump administration has built up military forces in the region as part of an escalating pressure campaign on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the United States.

Trump, when asked by reporters Monday about “an explosion in Venezuela,” said the U.S. had “hit” a dock facility along a shore where boats accused of carrying drugs “load up.”

“There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” Trump said while meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida. Trump, the White House and the Pentagon have provided no other details.

In December, the Trump administration also launched a new tactic by seizing two sanctioned oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela and pursuing a third. As a result, some sanctioned tankers began to divert away from the South American country.

Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. operations is to force him from power. Trump for months has suggested that he may conduct land strikes in Venezuela or possibly another country.

The Trump administration has been faced scrutiny from lawmakers over the boat strike campaign. It grew amid revelations that the first attack in early September involved a follow-up strike that killed two survivors clinging to the wreckage of a boat after the first hit.

When she was out past the time it normally takes to complete the walk, her parents became concerned, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a social media post.

Distressed, the father turned to parental controls on the teen’s cellphone and tracked her location to a secluded and partially wooded area in Harris County, about 2 miles from their home in Porter – less than 30 miles outside of Houston.

The father followed the location into the woods.

When he arrived, he found his daughter and her dog inside a maroon pickup truck with a partially nude stranger inside.

The father helped his daughter escape the truck and contacted authorities who were able to, with the help of eyewitnesses at the scene, locate the truck and identify the driver as 23-year-old, Giovanni Rosales Espinoza, also from Porter, although the family told CNN affiliate KHOU they didn’t know him.

The teen and her family have not been publicly identified at this time.

The rescue underscores the growing popularity of parental-tracking tools – from smartphone location sharing to dedicated safety apps – as research shows children are getting smartphones at younger ages and more families are turning to these layers for added peace of mind.

An investigation revealed the suspect threatened the victim with a knife, abducting her from the street, according to Montgomery County detectives.

Espinoza was taken into custody without incident and charged with aggravated kidnapping and indecency with a child, according to inmate arrest records.

Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle complimented his deputies and detectives for their work to apprehend Espinoza and assured the community the department is committed to keeping families safe.

“Christmas is a day meant for joy, but this man chose to shatter that joy by targeting a child,” Doolittle said.

Espinoza is currently being held without bond at Montgomery County Jail. It’s unclear if he has an attorney at this time.

SSgt. Ruben Tala, stationed at Travis Air Force Base, was traveling with his family through the Sierra corridor shortly after 8 a.m. when he saw an SUV spin out of control.

“During that time, I mean, I think it’s the adrenaline kicking in,” Tala said.

The SUV was teetering hundreds of feet above the ground. Video shared with KCRA shows Tala gripping the driver’s side door as the vehicle dangled over the edge.

“I thought about my wife and my daughter. What if there’s a family in that car? Somebody has to help,” Tala told KCRA.

As Tala worked to stabilize the situation, other good Samaritans stopped and joined the rescue effort. Together, they were able to help the driver and his wife reach safety. The woman was visibly shaken and clutching the couple’s two dogs.

Highway 50 is known for hazardous winter driving conditions, particularly during storms, when snow and ice can make the roadway treacherous even for experienced drivers.

Tala said the gratitude from the family left a lasting impression. One detail, he added, stood out to him afterward.

“It’s funny too, because one of their dog’s names is Luna, which is my daughter’s name,” he said. “I was like, how’s that a coincidence, right?”

Tala and his wife, Yvett, share a 22-month-old daughter and were on their way to the snow for the holiday when the crash unfolded.

“SSgt Tala and Yvett’s quick action and courage are a direct reflection of our Core Value of Service Before Self,” Lt. Col. Jason Christie, 60th Force Support Squadron commander, said in a statement.”We’re so proud to have them as our teammates and witness them ready to help anyone in need.”

State District Judge Tony Graf said public transparency was “foundational” to the judicial system before ordering the release of details from the Oct. 24 closed hearing. Attorneys for media outlets including The Associated Press had argued for access because they said it was also the first time Robinson’s lawyers suggested a ban on cameras in the courtroom.

Prosecutors have charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem. They plan to seek the death penalty. Robinson has not yet entered a plea.

In a 97-page transcript released later Monday, attorneys for Robinson argued that widespread videos and photos of him shackled and in jail clothing could create bias against him among potential jurors. Defense attorney Richard Novak said prohibiting cameras would be “very easy” for the court to enforce and could help curb visual prejudice.

“We’re not litigating this case in the press,” Novak said during the Oct. 24 hearing.

The transcript contained limited redactions to remove discussions of security protocols in the closely watched case. Graf also ordered the release of an audio recording of the hearing, again with redactions.

Robinson was not present in court Monday and appeared via audio feed from the Utah County Jail.

Graf has not ruled on the defense’s suggestion to ban cameras, but he has implemented other limitations.

Days after the closed-door hearing, Graf ruled that Robinson could wear civilian clothes in pretrial hearings but must also wear restraints to ensure the safety of court staff and Robinson himself. Utah court rules require defendants who are in custody to be restrained or supervised at all times unless otherwise ordered.

Graf also prohibited media outlets from publishing photos, videos and live broadcasts that show Robinson’s restraints to help protect his presumption of innocence before a trial.

The judge briefly stopped a media livestream of a hearing earlier this month and ordered the camera be moved after Robinson’s attorneys said the stream showed the defendant’s shackles. Graf said he would terminate future broadcasts if there were further violations.

Lawyers for the media wrote in recent filings that an open court “safeguards the integrity of the fact-finding process” while fostering public confidence in judicial proceedings. Criminal cases in the U.S. have long been open to the public, which the attorneys argued is proof that trials can be conducted fairly without restricting reporters.

In a separate ruling Monday, Graf denied a request from attorneys for the media who sought to intervene in the case. The judge said members of the press do not need to be formal parties in the proceedings to access court records.

Prosecutors are expected to lay out their case against Robinson at a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 18.

U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Zelenskyy at his Florida resort on Sunday and insisted that Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to a peace settlement.

Negotiators are still searching for a breakthrough on key issues, however, including whose forces withdraw from where in Ukraine and the fate of Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, one of the 10 biggest in the world. Trump noted that the monthslong U.S.-led negotiations could still collapse.

“Without security guarantees, realistically, this war will not end,” Zelenskyy told reporters in voice messages responding to questions sent via a WhatsApp chat.

Ukraine has been fighting Russia since 2014, when it illegally annexed Crimea and Moscow-backed separatists took up arms in the Donbas, a vital industrial region in eastern Ukraine.

Details of the security guarantees have not become public, but Zelenskyy said Monday they include how a peace deal would be monitored as well as the “presence” of partners. He didn’t elaborate, but Russia has said it won’t accept the deployment in Ukraine of troops from NATO countries.

Trump and Putin discuss peace efforts by phone

Trump on Monday had “a positive call” with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X. The two leaders had also spoken shortly before Trump’s talks with Zelenskyy on Sunday as the American president tries to steer the countries toward a settlement.

Later, to reporters, the U.S. president similarly characterized the call as “a very good talk” and said “we have a few very thorny issues, as you can imagine” in the negotiations to end the war.

“If we get them resolved, you’re going to have peace,” he added.

Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Trump is pushing Ukraine to seek a comprehensive peace agreement and not demand a temporary respite for its military through a ceasefire. Putin has insisted on a full settlement before any truce.

In Monday’s call, Putin told Trump that Ukraine attempted to attack the Russian leader’s residence in northwestern Russia with long-range drones almost immediately after Trump’s Sunday talks with Zelenskyy.

The attack “certainly will not be left without a serious response,” Ushakov said, adding that Moscow will now review its negotiating position.

Zelenskyy denied the Russian claim of an attack, describing it as an attempt to manipulate the peace process. He said it was “another lie” and came about because Moscow is unnerved by progress in peace efforts.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Ukraine launched an attack on Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region overnight from Sunday to Monday using 91 long-range drones.

“I don’t like it. It’s not good,” Trump said of the alleged attack on Putin’s home, confirming the Russian leader informed him of it during their call Monday morning.

Russia claims its forces are advancing

As indications suggest negotiations could come to a head in January, before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-blown invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, Putin on Monday claimed that Russian troops are advancing in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine and are also pressing their offensive in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.

Putin has sought to portray himself as negotiating from a position of strength as Ukrainian forces strain to keep back the bigger Russian army.

He emphasized at a meeting with senior military officers the need to create military buffer zones along the Russian border. “This is a very important task as it ensures the security of Russia’s border regions,” Putin said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Kyiv’s allies will meet in Paris in early January to “finalize each country’s concrete contributions” to the security guarantees.

Trump said he would consider extending U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine beyond 15 years, according to Zelenskyy. The guarantees would be approved by the U.S. Congress as well as by parliaments in other countries involved in overseeing any settlement, he said.

Zelenskyy said he wants the 20-point peace plan under discussion to be approved by Ukrainians in a national referendum.

However, holding a ballot requires a ceasefire of at least 60 days, and Moscow has shown no willingness for a truce without a full settlement.

Ukrainians doubt Putin’s sincerity

On the snowy streets of Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, people were skeptical about the chances of peace.

One military veteran who uses the call sign Sensei, in keeping with the rules of the Ukrainian military, said Putin’s record in power shows he can’t be trusted. Sensei joined the military in 2022 and was wounded that year during the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Now, he said, almost nobody from his company is still alive.

“But all these sacrifices, they are not in vain, because we need to prove … that we exist, that we are, that we have the right to our existence, to our territory, to our culture, to our language,” the 65-year-old veteran told The Associated Press.

Denys Shpylovyi, a 20-year-old student who was home for the holidays, said Trump’s willingness to accept Putin’s arguments has put Zelenskyy in a difficult situation.

“But I’m thankful for some progress. They are speaking, and maybe someday there will be hope,” he said.

Oleh Saakian, a Ukrainian political scientist, said it was a good sign that Zelenskyy is managing to build a relationship with Trump, although he noted that “nothing has been adopted yet, nothing has been signed yet.”

“I don’t see these negotiations bringing us closer to real peace, because they are based on equality between the aggressor and the victim, they are based on complete disregard for international law, and … disregard for European security,” he said.

Trump initially seemed to confirm a strike in what appeared to be an impromptu radio interview Friday, and when questioned Monday by reporters about “an explosion in Venezuela,” he said the U.S. struck a facility where boats accused of carrying drugs “load up.”

“There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” Trump said as he met in Florida with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “They load the boats up with drugs, so we hit all the boats and now we hit the area. It’s the implementation area. There’s where they implement. And that is no longer around.”

It is part of an escalating effort to target what the Trump administration says are boats smuggling drugs bound for the United States. It moves closer to shore strikes that so far have been carried out by the military in international waters in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

The U.S. military said it conducted another strike on Monday against a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people. The attacks have killed at least 107 people in 30 strikes since early September, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration.

Trump declined to say if the U.S. military or the CIA carried out the strike on the dock or where it occurred. He did not confirm it happened in Venezuela.

“I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say who it was. But you know it was along the shore,” Trump said.

Trump first referenced the strike on Friday, when he called radio host John Catsimatidis during a program on WABC radio and discussed the U.S. strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats.

“I don’t know if you read or saw, they have a big plant or a big facility where they send the, you know, where the ships come from,” Trump said. “Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So, we hit them very hard.”

Trump did not offer any additional details in the interview.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or one of the U.S. military’s social media accounts has in the past typically announced every boat strike in a post on X, but there has been no post of any strike on a facility.

The Pentagon on Monday referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a message seeking more details. The press office of Venezuela’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s statement.

Trump for months has suggested he may conduct land strikes in South America, in Venezuela or possibly another country, and in recent weeks has been saying the U.S. would move beyond striking boats and would strike on land “soon.”

In October, Trump confirmed he had authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. The agency did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Monday.

Along with the strikes, the U.S. has sent warships, built up military forces in the region, seized two oil tankers and pursued a third.

The Trump administration has said it is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels and seeking to stop the flow of narcotics into the United States.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has insisted the real purpose of the U.S. military operations is to force him from power.

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in an interview with Vanity Fair published this month that Trump “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro ‘cries uncle.’”

But some people may not realize that Tamiflu isn’t the only option.

Other flu treatments are available in the United States. These alternatives sometimes fly under the radar, in part because some are targeted for specific populations. But Xofluza, a one-dose pill, is approved for people 5 years and older – and can be a strong alternative for some people who may otherwise be prescribed Tamiflu.

Antiviral medications tend to work best when started within two days after symptoms begin, so having easy access to treatment options is key for treating the flu most effectively.

To treat flu this season, there are four antiviral drugs recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tamiflu or oseltamivir, Xofluza or baloxavir, Relenza or zanamivir, and Rapivab or peramivir.

Tamiflu is used to treat flu in people ages 2 weeks and older, and to reduce the chance of getting the flu in people 1 year and older. The medicine is administered in liquid form or capsules, and typically must be taken twice daily for five days when used for flu treatment. When used for prevention after exposure, it is typically taken once daily for 10 days. Available as a generic or under the trade name Tamiflu, it may cost about $50 or less without insurance. The most common side effects include nausea and vomiting.

As another option, Xofluza is administered as a single-dose tablet and approved for ages 5 and older. It can be used to treat or prevent the flu, and it may cost nearly $200 without insurance, but eligible patients can use coupons to lessen costs. The most common side effects include diarrhea and vomiting.

“The most common complaint I hear about is vomiting from Tamiflu,” Dr. Ari Brown, a pediatrician based in Texas and author of the Baby 411 book series, said in an email. She referenced a 2023 study that showed about 18% of people experience vomiting with Tamiflu versus 5% with Xofluza.

The study also found that about 5% of people get diarrhea with Xofluza compared with none taking Tamiflu. “I’ve also had a few pediatric patients experience moodiness with Tamiflu, which is reported in the literature,” she said.

The “biggest difference” between Tamiflu and Xofluza is that Xofluza can stop viral shedding in one day while Tamiflu may take about three days, Brown said.

That means the rest of the household may have less exposure to the flu and fewer people may come down with it, but “both antivirals will help reduce the duration of the misery by a couple of days,” Brown said. For instance, with treatment, some people may experience five days of flu symptoms instead of seven.

Rapivab is one of the other prescription medications approved to treat flu. The drug is approved for ages 6 months and older, given once as an intravenous infusion by a health care provider. It may cost up to about $1,000 without insurance, and the most common adverse reaction in adults tends to be diarrhea.

Lastly, Relenza is the other recommended flu medication. It is inhaled in powder form, and typically administered using an inhaler device twice a day for five days. The prescription drug is approved to treat flu in ages 7 and older, and for preventive use in ages 5 and older. It may cost up to about $90 without insurance. Side effects include allergic reaction, dizziness or irritation of the nose, and it is not recommended for people with breathing problems, such as asthma.

‘Xofluza is rising in popularity’

Among the recommended flu treatments, Tamiflu tends to be the go-to flu medication for most patients. But Xofluza is becoming more widely used, Brown said.

However, it may not always be available in pharmacies, recommended by providers or covered by insurance.

“I suspect it is region-dependent,” Brown said about access to treatment.

“When one part of the country has surging flu cases, there is higher demand. We have not encountered this issue in Austin,” she said. For instance, this flu season, she has only had one Xofluza prescription that she needed to send to a different pharmacy because the first pharmacy was out of stock.

But overall, “Xofluza is rising in popularity over Tamiflu,” Brown said.

“One dose. Fewer side effects. More insurances are covering the cost of it now and manufacturer coupon makes it less expensive than in previous years,” she said, adding that she prefers it for her patients. “But all of the factors above–cost, ability to swallow a pill, availability can impact that decision.”

Another factor that may impact decisions: There is a growing concern about the influenza virus developing resistance to Xofluza.

“This is more in the minds of the practitioner – and I think it has been one of the reasons it hasn’t been used more frequently – the influenza virus can develop resistance to baloxavir, to Xofluza, during the course of treatment,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

“That happens sometimes around 10% of the time, so it’s not trivial. And that’s why I think the longer-term Tamiflu continues to be favored – that and the side effect of diarrhea,” he said. “So, Tamiflu tends to be recommended more frequently, despite the fact that you do have to take it for five days.”

Xofluza resistance has appeared to occur even more frequently in younger children, Dr. Tim Uyeki, chief medical officer of the influenza division at the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a call earlier this month of the CDC’s Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA).

“This emergence of baloxavir resistance is associated with a longer duration of symptoms,” Uyeki said during the call. “Fortunately, transmission of a baloxavir-resistant virus from person to person has been very, very limited. It’s been reported, but it appears to be very uncommon and there’s no circulation of baloxavir-resistant viruses or oseltamivir-resistant viruses in the general population.”

National influenza experts discussed on the COCA call that Tamiflu or oseltamivir is preferred for treating hospitalized patients and people with progressive illness.

Xofluza is not recommended during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, for outpatients with complicated or progressive illness, severely immunosuppressed people or hospitalized patients, because of the lack of information on its use for these groups.

But there are situations for which Xofluza may be preferred.

“For a patient with known or suspected influenza B, baloxavir has much greater efficacy against influenza B compared to oseltamivir,” Uyeki said during the call, adding that the medication is “generally well tolerated.”

“A single dose of baloxavir is not associated with many side effects and fewer side effects compared to oseltamivir,” he said. “For patients, I think every patient would prefer a single oral dose of baloxavir versus five days, twice-daily of oseltamivir treatment.”

At the end of the call, Uyeki added that researchers should continue studying the potential benefits of treating flu patients with a combination of antiviral medications, especially those with severe disease.

“I think we need more data for treatment of influenza in hospitalized influenza patients, so severe influenza,” he said. “And for that we need more data for a combination antiviral treatment, for example oseltamivir-plus-baloxavir.”

Its expansion once seemed limitless. It was even a joke. In 1998, an Onion headline read “New Starbucks Opens In Rest Room Of Existing Starbucks.” A few years later, comedian Lewis Black riffed that he’d gone to the “end of the universe” in Houston, where he saw one Starbucks directly across the street from another.

But Starbucks is now struggling, and its strategy of saturating urban areas to draw coffee drinkers on their way to work in the morning has backfired amid competition, the rise of remote work and rising costs.

So CEO Brian Niccol, hired last year from Chipotle to revive Starbucks, no longer wants its stores to be right next to each other. Starbucks is closing roughly 400 stores nationwide that are concentrated in large metro areas as part of its $1 billion restructuring plan.

Starbucks closed 42 locations in New York, or 12% of its total in the city. It recently lost its top spot as the largest chain in Manhattan to Dunkin’, according to Center for an Urban Future, a New York City think tank that tracks chain openings and closings.

Starbucks also reportedly closed more than 20 locations in Los Angeles this year; 15 in Chicago; seven in San Francisco; six in Minneapolis; five in Baltimore; and dozens more in other cities.

Niccol is trying to reposition Starbucks again as a “third place” between home and work.

The chain reviewed its more than 18,000 stores in the United States and Canada, and “closed locations that were underperforming or unable to meet our brand standards,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in an email. The company plans to open stores and remodel others in 2026, including in major metros like New York and Los Angeles, “featuring refreshed designs and elevated experiences that reflect the Starbucks brand.”

Victim of its success

In many ways, Starbucks pioneered the business model that’s now responsible for its struggles.

Before Starbucks, people couldn’t fathom paying more than two bucks for a cup of coffee, let alone have any concept of a latte.

But now Starbucks is closing urban locations in part because it’s been swamped by competition from niche coffee shops, smaller chains such as Gregory’s and Joe’s Coffee, and a wave of smoothie, bubble tea and other beverage shops.

“Urban America has seen a dramatic increase in competitive coffee shop openings that eat away at the store’s volume,” said Arthur Rubinfeld, the mastermind of Starbucks’ real estate and design strategies alongside CEO Howard Schultz during the 1990s and again from 2008 to 2016. Rubinfeld now runs Airvision, a consultancy for consumer brands.

Starbucks’ sales have stagnated in recent years, and closing a lagging cafe can also juice sales at another one nearby that’s “larger, more accommodating and close enough for the loyal customer,” Rubinfeld said.

Starbucks, which started in a hip part of Seattle, is now in its 50s and sees more room to grow and profit in the suburbs, analysts say. It’s expanding drive-through stores in suburbia, where labor, rent and other operating costs are lower than the most expensive cities in the country.

Remote work and homelessness

Other pressures have also led Starbucks to shutter cafes in cities.

New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco lost population after the pandemic in 2020, reducing their market sizes, although these cities have started to reverse losses since 2023.

And remote work has dealt a permanent blow to Starbucks in many central business districts that relied on huge numbers of office workers commuting every day, with the company closing locations in the ground floors of several downtown office buildings in Los Angeles as a result, said Catherine Yeh, the director of market analytics at CoStar Group.

And the company has also grown weary of being the public restroom provider of choice for many American cities.

“The mental health crisis in the country is severe,” former CEO Schultz said in 2022. “There is an issue of safety in our stores, in terms of people coming in who use our stores as a public restroom.”

Starbucks ended its policy this year that let anyone hang out at its stores or use the bathroom without making a purchase, and it posted signs outside stores banning panhandling, consuming alcohol and vaping.

‘Tougher slog’

The closures are part of Niccol’s attempts to revitalize Starbucks following years of slumping sales, strategy missteps and a revolving door of chief executives.

The chain is trying to win back customers looking to sit down for a cup of coffee by renovating 1,000 stores — 10% of its company-owned US locations — with chairs, couches, tables and power outlets over the next year.

But the turnaround under Niccol is taking longer than some investors hoped. Shares of Starbucks (SBUX) have dropped around 6% this year.

Remodels may help Starbucks’ turnaround, but improving operations in stores is a bigger hurdle for the company, said Sharon Zackfia, an analyst at William Blair.

Starbucks is serving customized drinks at the same place to two different sets of customers — people who want to grab their coffee and go and others who want to sit down and linger — and it’s struggling to satisfy these competing demands.

“It’s not an easy thing to fix,” Zackfia said. “It’s been a tougher slog than many expected.”

Authorities on Monday identified the two New Jersey men as Kenneth Kirsch, 65, and Michael Greenberg, 71. Witnesses told police that the two helicopters they were piloting Sunday were flying close together just before they crashed in a farm field near the airport in Hammonton, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Philadelphia.

Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel said in a statement that Kirsch, of Carney’s Point, was pronounced dead at an area hospital after being flown there, while Greenberg, of Sewell, died at the crash site.

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board were examining the accident site on Monday and determined the debris field is about 100 yards (91 meters) long and contains parts of the main rotors and tail rotors, a spokesperson said. Both helicopters are expected to be removed from the site Tuesday and taken to another location for further review.

A preliminary report is expected in about 30 days, the NTSB said.

Friel said rescuers responded to a report of an aviation crash at about 11:25 a.m. Sunday. Video from the scene shows a helicopter spinning rapidly to the ground. Police and fire crews subsequently extinguished flames that engulfed one of the helicopters.

The Federal Aviation Administration described the crash as a midair collision between an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and Enstrom 280C helicopter near Hammonton Municipal Airport. Only the pilots were on board.

Kirsch and Greenberg both received their private pilot licenses in 2014, FAA records show. They often stopped at the Apron Cafe next to the airport for breakfast before flying, said the restaurant’s owner, Sal Silipino.

Silipino said Kirsch and Greenberg ate at the cafe shortly before the crash. Patrons watched the helicopters take off from the airport and were stunned when the aircraft fell from the sky, he said.

“It was shocking. Still shaking to see that happen,” Silipino said. “They were just at our café having breakfast. They’re regulars. They come in every week or every other week. They fly in together. They seem to be very nice people. They were also very kind to the workers and staff and all.”

He said the helicopters’ flights appeared to begin without incident.

“I saw one go down and then I saw the other one go down and there was little bit of disbelief. It’s like, is that really happening?,” Silipino said.

FAA records show Kirsch was the registered owner of one of the helicopters, while the other aircraft was registered to M&M Charter LLC of Mountville, Pennsylvania. Contact information for M&M Charter could not be immediately found Monday.

Hammonton resident Dan Dameshek told NBC10 that he was leaving a gym when he heard a loud snap and saw two helicopters spinning out of control.

“Immediately, the first helicopter went from right side up to upside down and started rapidly spinning, falling out of the air,” Dameshek told the TV station. “And then it looked like the second helicopter was OK for a second, and then it sounded like another snap or something … and then that helicopter started rapidly spinning out of the air.”

Hammonton is a town of about 15,000 people located in Atlantic County in the southern part of New Jersey. The town has a history of agriculture and is located near the Pine Barrens, a forested wilderness area that covers more than 1 million acres (405,000 hectares).

Investigators will likely first look to review any communications between the two pilots and whether they were able to see each other, said Alan Diehl, a former crash investigator for the FAA and NTSB.

“Virtually all midair collisions are a failure to what they call ‘see and avoid,’” Diehl said. “Clearly they’ll be looking at the out-of-cockpit views of the two aircraft and seeing if one pilot was approaching from the blind side.”

Although it was mostly cloudy at the time of the crash, winds were light and visibility was good, according to the weather forecasting company AccuWeather.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. (5 a.m ET) on a busy stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, which connects Ogun to the commercial center of Lagos, police reported.

Joshua, who has family ties in Ogun, sustained only “minor bruises,” but Boluwatife said two other occupants in the vehicle with him, including the driver, were killed. Those who died were foreign nationals, Ogun officials said.

“Anthony Joshua is well and responding to treatment,” Babaseyi Boluwatife, a spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, told CNN.

Joshua previously held three of the four major world championship belts in boxing and secured a gold medal in the super heavyweight category at the 2012 Summer Olympics while competing for Great Britain.

The fatal crash happened just over a week after he achieved a knockout win against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in their heavyweight bout in Miami on December 19. Joshua broke Paul’s jaw during the fight.

“Life is much more important than boxing,” Paul posted to X. “I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also extended his sympathies, wishing Joshua a speedy recovery and calling him a “source of national pride.”

The highway on which the crash occurred has recently been identified as the most dangerous road in Nigeria, with more than 600 fatalities over a period of 27 months, according to statistics reported by local media.

According to a statement from Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Joshua was traveling in a Lexus SUV that collided with a parked truck while attempting to overtake.

It said preliminary findings indicated that the Lexus Jeep, “which was suspected to be traveling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor,” lost control while overtaking and crashed into the stationary truck at the side of the road.

The agency added, “The primary causes of the crash being excessive speed and wrongful overtaking constitute serious traffic violations and remain among the leading causes of fatal road crashes on Nigerian highways.”

A video showing Joshua being rescued from the wreckage has been circulating on social media. The boxer, born to Nigerian parents in Watford, near London, has stayed connected to his roots.

The Joshuas have a prominent presence in Sagamu town, in Ogun, with their lineage spanning multiple generations. Joshua embraces his Nigerian heritage, which he visibly honors with a tattoo of Africa – specifically highlighting Nigeria – on his right shoulder.

Joshua could not immediately be reached for comment.