New Year: It’s 2025 already, at least in Australia and New Zealand. The new year begin in the South Pacific and it will be about 18 hours later that the countdown takes place in New York’s Times Square. Auckland, New Zealand, was the first large city to welcome the New Year with a massive celebration. Tens of thousands flocked to the downtown for fireworks and a light show at midnight.
Hack: The Treasury Department reports that Chinese hackers got into its computer systems and stole unclassified documents. Treasury revealed the hack in a letter to Congress. It did not reveal which documents had been stolen. It said that what happened was being investigated as a major cybersecurity incident. China’s foreign ministry denies any Chinese involvement in the cyber attack and alleged that the charge against China is false and was made for political purposes.
Speaker: Congressman Mike Johnson is expected to have a fight on his hands in order to remain as Speaker of the House when the new Congress begins. Donald Trump gave his endorsement to Johnson but that was not expected to resonate with Johnson’s opponents. The 119th Congress has its first session on Friday with the Republicans in control. A speaker needs to be selected before any house business can be conducted.
Trump’s appeal: A federal appeals court in New York has thrown out Donald Trump’s appeal of his conviction in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case. The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit found that the judge in the case did not make the errors Trump’s attorneys claimed and that Trump is not entitled to a new trial. Trump’s side previously had said they’d take their appeal to the Supreme Court but it was not immediately clear whether they will ask the Supreme Court to reverse the latest appeals court ruling.
U.S. attacks: U.S. forces conducted multiple precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen yesterday and today. Navy ships and aircraft targeted a Houthi command and control facility and advanced conventional weapon production and storage facilities for missiles and drones. The U.S. military said the facilities were used in Houthi operations, such as attacks against U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. In addition, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force aircraft destroyed a Houthi coastal radar site and seven cruise missiles. There were no injuries or damage to U.S. personnel or equipment.
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Power failure: The electrical power grid in Puerto Rico has collapsed leaving at least 90% of the island without power. The cause of the failure is under investigation but it’s thought that the problem began with the failure of an underground power line. Officials say it will take up to two days to restore power to the island.
