News of the New Year
Zander's Weekend Facts #151 - Sunday, January 5, 2025
Here’s a recap of the top news headlines from the past couple of weeks:
Jimmy Carter: Former President Jimmy Carter passed away on December 29 at age 100, the oldest living former president in American history. Carter was the 39th president who served from 1977 to 1981. After serving as president, Carter founded the Carter Center, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, and was known for his work with Habitat for Humanity, having helped renovate over 4,400 homes. Carter’s funeral procession began on Saturday in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. Carter will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday and Wednesday before a funeral on Thursday morning at the Washington National Cathedral.
Congress: Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) won the vote to remain Speaker of the House on Friday after intense negotiations among fellow Republicans. Johnson initially did not have the votes, with three Republicans voting against Johnson. Johnson was able to swing two of the votes towards himself, allowing the speaker to win after one round of voting. The election of a speaker will allow Congress to move forward in certifying the 2024 presidential election results on Monday.
Terrorist Attacks: Two terrorist attacks took place in the United States on New Year’s Day. In New Orleans, a man from Texas drove a truck through a crowd partying at the city’s iconic French Quarter, killing fourteen people. Police killed the suspect and said that he was inspired by ISIS. In Las Vegas, a member of the U.S. Army died in an apparent suicide after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside of the Trump International Hotel. Both vehicles were found to have been rented on the Turo platform, but there is currently no indication the events were connected.
Trump Defamation: President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to be sentenced in the criminal hush money payment case in New York on Friday. Trump’s appeal of the case was denied last week. Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the case back in May. Judge Juan Merchan indicated in a ruling on Friday that he will sentence Trump to an “unconditional discharge” that will allow Trump to avoid prison time, fines, or probation. The sentencing will occur just 10 days before Trump is set to be inaugurated for his second presidential term.
U.S. Steel: President Joe Biden moved to block the acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japanese company Nippon Steel on Friday. Biden had previously vowed to block the deal while on the campaign trail before he withdrew from the 2024 presidential election. Biden noted that he blocked the deal for national security reasons. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, however, did not come to a consensus in December when investigating any national security risks. President-elect Donald Trump has also expressed opposition to the deal.
Winter Storm: A major winter storm, potentially the largest to hit the U.S. in over a decade, is set to swamp millions with heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures. Snowfall, which will total over one foot in some areas, is set to extend from the Ohio Valley to the Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. metro areas in the mid-Atlantic through Monday. Areas south of the heaviest snowfall will receive dangerous levels of ice, with ice amounts over 0.25 inches possible. Cold air is also projected to pound the eastern U.S., with temperatures dropping as much as 30 degrees below average for some on Tuesday, leading to what could be the coldest January for the U.S. in 14 years.
Alcohol Warnings: The Surgeon General issued an advisory that warned of the dangers alcohol poses on Friday. Dr. Vivek Murphy issued a statement that noted that alcohol is the third leading cause of cancer in the U.S. after tobacco and obesity. The advisory called for the inclusion of a cancer risk warning on the warning label that alcoholic beverages contain. Any warning label change would need to be approved by Congress. The Surgeon General noted that alcohol is responsible for 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the U.S., higher than the 13,500 annual alcohol-related traffic crash fatalities.
Presidential Medals: President Joe Biden handed out his final presidential awards last week. On Thursday, Biden rewarded the Presidential Citizens Medal to 20 people, including Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who served as the heads of the House Committee that investigated the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. On Saturday, Biden issued the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, to 19 people including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, chef José Andrés, and basketball hall-of-famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
What Zander’s been reading
With the calendar turning to a new year, many new laws were adopted in states across the country. Take a look at the new laws 2025 brings for your state below, as well as a USA Today article compiling the most notable changes.
Check out this week’s featured articles:
USA Today - Eggs, guns, gym memberships: Which new laws are going into effect in 2025?
Alabama: WHNT - Several new Alabama laws going into effect on Jan. 1
Alaska: David Wright Tremaine LLP - New Minimum Wage, Paid Sick Leave, and Captive Audience Meeting Protections for Alaska Employees
Arizona: Arizona’s Family - Here are 13 new Arizona laws you should know about that take effect in 2025
Arkansas: KATV - New laws in Arkansas to take effect in 2025
California: CBS Sacramento - Hundreds of new laws in California take effect this year. Here's what to know for 2025
Colorado: 5280 - 8 New Colorado Laws Taking Effect in 2025 You Should Know About
Connecticut: WTNH - New Connecticut laws take effect Jan. 1: Here’s what to know
Delaware: Delaware Online - New laws to look out for in Delaware in 2025
District of Columbia: WUSA - New year, new laws: these six DC laws go into effect Jan. 1
Florida: Tallahassee Democrat - Social media, adult sites, scams: 9 Florida laws started Jan. 1. Here's how they affect you
Georgia: 11Alive - Here are the new laws taking effect in Georgia on Jan. 1
Hawaii: HawaiiNewsNow - New state laws to take effect in 2025: Taro, medical care, and more
Idaho: LITE FM - 4 Important New Idaho Laws That Start In 2025
Illinois: CBS Chicago - Nearly 300 new Illinois laws go into effect this week. Here are some of the most notable
Indiana: WRTV - Indiana laws that go into effect on New Year’s Day 2025
Iowa: WQAD - New Iowa laws going into effect on Jan. 1, 2025
Kansas: The Kansas City Star - What new laws start in 2025 in Kansas? No more food tax, lawmaker raises & more
Kentucky: WKYT - New laws are now in effect in Kentucky
Louisiana: KSLA - These new Louisiana laws take effect in 2025
Maryland: CBS Baltimore - These Maryland laws go into effect January 2025
Massachusetts: CBS Boston - These new laws take effect in Massachusetts in 2025
Michigan: CBS Detroit - Here are some Michigan laws going into effect in 2025
Minnesota: CBS Minnesota - Co-pay caps, ticket transparency, minimum wage bumps: Some of the new Minnesota laws taking effect on Jan. 1
Missouri: KMOV - New laws set to take effect Jan. 1 in Missouri
Montana: KAAR - New Montana Laws for 2025: Here’s What You Need to Know
Nebraska: KETV - Nebraska's new laws for January 2025 include data privacy act, minimum wage increase
Nevada: The Nevada Independent - Six new Nevada laws take effect in 2025 — what's in them?
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Bulletin - Gender transition surgery ban, bail reform, and covered bridges: The new state laws of 2025
New Jersey: Fox 5 New York - These New Jersey laws are taking effect in 2025
New Mexico: KRQE - What New Mexico laws go into effect in 2025?
New York: CBS New York - New laws to know for 2025 in New York, from minimum wage increase to paid leave for prenatal care
North Carolina: WTVD - New North Carolina laws that take effect in January 2025; Here's a list
Ohio: WTVG - New laws to take effect in Ohio in 2025 targeting schools, education
Oklahoma: KOCO - See which new laws go into effect on Jan. 1 in Oklahoma
Oregon: Central Oregon Daily - These new Oregon laws took effect Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know
Pennsylvania: WGAL - Pennsylvania sees new laws, changes go into effect in 2025
Rhode Island: WPRI - What new laws go into effect in Rhode Island in 2025?
South Carolina: WLTX - What new laws start in 2025 in South Carolina? Here's what you need to know
Tennessee: WBIR - New laws in 2025: Age verification on social media, certain websites
Texas: CBS Texas - 2025 is bringing new state laws to Texas. Here's how they will impact you
Utah: KSL - License plate changes, smartphone filters: All these new Utah laws will go into effect in 2025
Vermont: Vermont Public - New Vermont laws for Jan. 1: Minimum wage, town ethics, electric vehicle fee and more
Virginia: WRIC - New year, new Virginia laws going into effect
Washington: KING - These new laws are going into effect in Washington state New Year's Day
Wisconsin: WFRV - New Wisconsin laws in effect as of January 1; What to know
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the latest headlines from the sports world in the Sporting Club:
NFL Week 18: The final week of the NFL regular season began on Saturday as the Ravens clinched the AFC East title with a 35-10 win over the Browns. -. Today’s action begins with eight games at 1:00 pm ET, including Commanders-Cowboys, Bears-Packers, and Saints-Buccaneers. Five games, including Chiefs-Broncos and Seahawks-Rams, will be played at 4:25 pm ET. At 8:20 pm ET, the final game of the regular season features an NFC North clash between the Vikings and Lions. The winner of the game will be the #1 seed in the NFC Playoffs.
College Football Playoff: #6 Penn State-#7 Notre Dame and #5 Texas-#8 Ohio State are the two College Football Playoff semifinal matchups. Penn State took down #3 Boise State 31-14 in the quarterfinals, while Notre Dame stuffed #2 Georgia 23-10. Texas needed two overtimes to beat #4 Arizona State 39-31, while Ohio State dominated #1 Oregon 41-21. No conference champions remain in the playoff. Penn State-Notre Dame at the Capital One Orange Bowl will take place on Thursday at 7:30 pm ET. Texas-Ohio State at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic will kick off at 7:30 pm ET on Friday. Both games will air on ESPN.
NFL Playoff Picture: Just two spots in the NFL Playoffs remain up for grabs as the NFC South is the only division yet to have been clinched. In the AFC, the Chiefs, Bills, Ravens, and Texans have locked up the top four seeds, while the Steelers and Chargers have grabbed two of the three Wild Card spots. The Broncos, Dolphins, and Bengals are still alive for the final spot, with a Broncos win sending them into the Playoffs. In the NFC, the Lions-Vikings game will decide the #1 seed, with the loser placing fifth. The Eagles and Rams have locked up the second and third seeds, respectively. The Buccaneers and Falcons remain in the hunt for the #4 seed and the NFC South title, with a Buccaneers win sending them to the postseason. The Commanders and Packers have clinched the final Wild Card spots in the NFC.
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in Print return next Sunday, January 12, 2025.