President Joe Biden bans offshore oil and gas drilling in areas around the U.S.

On Monday Jan.6, President Joe Biden released a statement permanently banning offshore oil and gas drilling across most of the U.S. coasts countering Trump’s plan to expand drilling across the U.S. His ban acts in the Gulf of Mexico, Oregon, Washington and a part of the Pacific coast. These 625 acres of land are now banned from allowing private companies to lease 

“My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs.” Biden said in his statement.

Biden’s ban is under The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act of 1953, this allows U.S. presidents to remove places from leasing and drilling.

According to BBC, “The law does not grant presidents the legal authority to overturn prior bans, according to a 2019 court ruling. It means a reversal would likely require an act of Congress, which is now controlled by Trump’s Republicans.The law also does not allow presidents to revoke any areas already leased for offshore drilling.”

President Elect, Donald Trump, has already stated that he will revoke the ban as soon as possible. Trump used his famous slogan “Drill, Baby, Drill” supporting his plan to expand oil and gas drilling across the U.S. when he was inaugurated at the end of the month.

According to Politico, “It’s ridiculous. I’ll unban it immediately,” Trump said in an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, hours after the announcement by Biden’s Interior Department.”

Trump asks for his sentencing in the New York hush money case to be postponed just days before his sentencing

President-elect Donald Trump is seeking for his sentencing to be postponed. His sentencing is scheduled for Friday, Jan 10, which is only 10 days before the presidential inauguration. 

According to Reuters: Trump’s lawyers said, “By repeatedly admitting evidence of President Trump’s official acts during the trial, the trial court violated principles of presidential immunity that this court enumerated.”

Trump’s lawyers back up this request by saying that if he officially becomes a felon, it will create obstacles in his presidential term.

According to The New York Times, Trump’s lawyers wrote, “‘The prospect of imposing sentence on President Trump just before he assumes office as the 47th president raises the specter of other possible restrictions on liberty, such as travel, reporting requirements, registration, probationary requirements, and others – all of which would be constitutionally intolerable under the doctrine of presidential immunity,’”

There’s not much time left to sentence Trump – once he’s in office, he cannot face prosecution. His odds of avoiding his sentencing is unclear. The district attorney is more likely to claim that the court does not have jurisdiction yet, since Trump has not exhausted his appeals in the state court.

The New York appeals court ended up denying his application

According to ABC News, the filing said, “The President-elect is, by definition, not yet the president. The president-elect therefore does not perform any Article II functions that would be burdened by ordinary criminal process involving the President-elect,”

Former President Jimmy Carter Dead at 100: How The United States Planned To Make Him Memorable 

On Sun. Dec 29th. 39th U.S President Jimmy Carter died at the age of 100. His funeral is set to be held in his home state Georgia as well as Washington D.C.  

According to Reuters News, the funeral in Georgia took place on Jan. 4. State funerals are national tributes that are traditionally reserved for heads of states, according to a schedule released by the U.S military. 

Current U.S. President, Joe Biden has also paid tribute to Jimmy Carter by directing that Jan. 9 will be a national day of mourning throughout the United States for Carter, the White House said in a statement. 

According to Reuters News, a motorcade took Carter through his hometown and to Atlanta. Stops at the state capitol and then ended at the Carter Presidential Center where he laid in repose until he was flown to Washington on Tuesday Jan. 7.

Jimmy Carter’s former Vice President Walter Mondale, who passed away in 2021 left behind a “posthumus eulogy” for Carter called “ We Kept the Peace,” according to CBS News. The eulogy was written in 2015 after Carter, who was 90 years old at the time, announced to the public that he had Brain Cancer. The eulogy talked about issues that both Carter and Mondale faced as President and Vice President were ahead of their time. 

“The most was climate change. Yeah, I mean Carter staked his presidency on environmental regulation, on deregulation of industries, on conservation,” Ted Mondale said, according to CBS News. 

The eulogy also gave insight on what Mondale and Carter’s relationship was like post-presidency. 

“Today we join in sadness to honor our dear friend, President Carter, for his extraordinary years of principled and decent leadership, his courageous commitment to civil rights and human rights.” Said Ted Mondale, according to CBS News. 

Trump’s Triumph: Congress Completes Certification of 2024 Election Results

On Monday, Jan. 6, The United States Congress came together to certify the results of the 2024 election. After Donald Trump’s victory in November, Vice President Kamala Harris certified the election results smoothly without a mob forcing them to postpone the certification. 

According to AP News, Harris said that Today, America’s democracy stood after presiding over the certification of her own election lost.  

Since the certification of the 2020 election and violent mob attack on the capitol, lawmakers were convened under heavy security due to them having to flee in 2020 because of the incoming intruders. Once they had finished the final vote and verdict, the Vice President had called the votes and certified the election. 

According to CBS News, More than 1,500 people have been charged with their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, and Trump has vowed to pardon many of them when he is sworn in for a second term.

Since Donald Trump lost the 2020 election he called his supporters to protest against the certification so that it could be stalled. Which then caused them to riot at the capitol and ade all lawmakers go under heavy security.  It shows a peaceful transition of power and has a hopeful future for other presidents to come.  Congress also passed a law about how the vice president and lawmakers should certify their votes. The purpose of the vote was aimed so that any other candidate could not force this outcome again and that there will be another peaceful proceeding in the future. 

Polar Vortex Disruptions Linked to Global Warming

On Tuesday, Jan. 7, it was discovered that the warming planet is causing shifts in the polar vortex, leading to cold air blasts in regions that usually don’t experience such extreme weather. These cold outbreaks, associated with the polar vortex, are becoming more frequent as global temperatures rise. The warming climate is pushing the polar vortex away from the North Pole, creating a growing threat to populations in both the United States and Asia. 

According to Associated Press News, global warming is not only raising global temperatures but also contributing to more erratic and extreme weather patterns, including cold blasts that were once less common. These cold spells are increasingly disrupting regions that typically wouldn’t experience such harsh conditions. The resulting frigid temperatures can bring serious risks, including frostbite in as little as 30 minutes, especially in high winds. Areas recently hit by heavy snow, such as Kansas to Washington, are expected to experience the worst of the cold. 

According to Woodwell Climate Research Center, disruptions in the polar vortex are happening more frequently. When these disruptions happen, cold air can be pushed either southward toward the U.S. or toward Asia. Although the polar vortex is typically found 20 miles up in the stratosphere, these disruptions are now occurring at much lower altitudes, making cold blasts more dangerous and widespread. This shift is intensifying storms, creating a growing concern for both North America and Asia. 

Cybertruck Explosion at Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas: What We Know

On the morning of New Year’s day, at 8:40 a.m., a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside of the Trump International Hotel, resulting in several people hurt and one dead. According to a tweet posted by Elon Musk on X, “the explosion was caused by very large fireworks and/or a bomb carried in the bed of the rented Cybertruck.” Before the incident, the car had been functioning properly, confirming the explosion was planned in advance.

Military officials have identified the driver as Matthew Livelsberger, a master sergeant in the Army. He rented the Cybertruck in Denver, Colorado on Dec. 28, transporting it all the way to Las Vegas before its ultimate explosion. He was the only person in the vehicle, dying upon the explosion, as well as seven other people in the nearby vicinity. 

Bourbon Street Attack

On Jan.1, Bourbon Street in New Orleans, 42 year old man intentionally drove his pickup truck into a crowd of people and killed 14 people before being shot by police. Dozens more were injured during the attack.

 According to CBS NEWS there was a black ISIS flag shown on the rear bumper of the truck. Officials called it an attack of terrorism. The FBI identified the man behind the attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar a U.S. citizen. On Jan.2, the FBI announced that “there does not appear to be evidence of any accomplices.”

 President Joe Biden had mentioned that before the attack Jabbar had posted some videos indicating that he took inspiration from ISIS. 

Texas lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said that Jabbar rented the truck on Dec.30, in the Houston area. FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said that Jabbar was shot after encountering three officers that were responding to the call. He was declared dead at the scene.  Two officers were shot at crossfire and treated at a local hospital.

Officials found weapons and two potential explosive devices in Jabbar’s vehicle. Video footage shoes Jabbar was seen putting the explosive. Law enforcement cleared and deemed the devices safe after further inspection.

Trump’s Inauguration on MLK day

Presidential-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration date is set on January 20, MLK day at Washington, the US capitol. The theme for the ceremony will be, “Our Enduring Democracy: A Constitutional Promise.” The reason for that is that the committee wants to “recognize the founder’s commitment to the future generations of Americans to preserve the continuity and stability of our democratic system of government.”