U.S. and world news for Jan. 4

Trump goes to Supreme Court: Lawyers for Donald Trump have filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to overturn the Colorado State Supreme Court ruling to keep Donald Trump off the presidential ballot. The Colorado court found that Trump is disqualified from appearing on the ballot because he participated in or supported the Jan. 6 insurrection. The U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment disqualifies from federal office anyone who participated in or supported an insurrection. Trump’s lawyers claim that the 14th Amendment doesn’t apply to Trump and that the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol wasn’t an insurrection. The Supreme Court has not indicated whether or when it will take up the Trump case.

Epstein documents: The first set of court documents in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case that were due to be unsealed have, in fact, been unsealed. They identify a handful of the estimated 150 prominent people who were expected to be identified as having associated with Epstein. Among those named are Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew and former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. Donald Trump also is mentioned in a narrative showing that Epstein suggested that his associates call Trump to arrange a stay at a Trump casino in Atlantic City.

Restaurant closings: TGI Fridays has announced the closing of 36 of its restaurants in various states because they’re underperforming. It also announced the sale of eight previously corporate-owned restaurants in the Northeast to former TGI Fridays CEO Ray Blanchette. TGI Fridays said that about 1,000 employees at the affected locations will be offered jobs at other TGI Fridays restaurants.

Storm approaching: As of this morning, weather forecasting models were showing that the major coastal cities of Washington, Baltimore and New York would not be receiving significant snowfall from the storm that is expected to hit late Saturday and into Sunday. Up to six inches of snow were expected for interior sections, which would include New York’s Hudson Valley. The storm is expected to affect the southern portion of the U.S. today and tomorrow before tracking into the Northeast.

Death threat: A 72-year-old Florida resident, Michael Shapiro, has been arrested on charges of threatening to kill Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell and his children. The Justice Department said that Shapiro had pleaded guilty in 2019 in another case in which he threatened to kill someone. In a statement, Swalwell called on U.S. citizens to reject what he called the choice made by MAGA Republicans to use violence instead of voting.

Hezbollah’s threat: Ismail Haniyeh, a leader of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militia has promised retaliation over the killing of top Hamas official Saleh Arouri and five others in Beirut. An Israeli drone apparently was used to create the explosion that resulted in the casualties. Haniyeh said that the deaths would not go unpunished. Hezbollah has stepped up attacks on the northern part of Israel.

Cover photo by Mike Mozart / Flickr Creative Commons