In The NEWS

US strikes Islamic State in Nigeria after Trump warned of attacks on Christians.

The Defense Department carried out the deadly strike Thursday in cooperation with Nigerian authorities. The attack hit Sokoto, a predominantly Muslim state in northwest Nigeria, where the Islamic State-affiliated Lakurawa group has strongholds. The US earlier this month said it would restrict visas for Nigerians involved in violence against Christians; Nigeria's government and analysts have previously said people of many faiths are potential victims of extremist groups.




Powerful storm system slams California, East and Midwest brace for snow.

Los Angeles saw its wettest Christmas in 54 years as atmospheric rivers brought rain and snow across California this week, killing at least three people. At least 32 million remained under flood watches Friday. Meanwhile, on the East Coast and in the Midwest, about 66 million people were under winter weather alerts Friday. New York City is expected to see its largest snow accumulation since January 2022.




Stimulant ADHD medications work differently than thought.

New research finds common stimulant ADHD medications like Ritalin and Adderall mainly act on the brain’s reward and wakefulness centers, not the attention networks traditionally thought to be their main target. The study suggests the medications make tasks feel more engaging rather than directly sharpening focus, and may also mimic the brain activity of good sleep, masking sleep deprivation in kids with ADHD.




DOJ finds over 1 million more Epstein-related files it needs to review.

The Justice Department said Wednesday it has received over 1 million new documents potentially tied to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Officials said it could take weeks to review these files produced by the FBI and a New York federal court. The trove is on top of the several hundred thousand files the DOJ said would be shared in the coming weeks. To date, the DOJ has released about 40,000 Epstein documents.




Trump-backed Asfura wins Honduras presidency after disputed election.

Honduras' electoral authority declared former Mayor Nasry Asfura the winner of the Nov. 30 vote, narrowly defeating sportscaster and four-time presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla. The official count shows Asfura of the conservative National Party winning by less than one percentage point over Nasralla of the conservative Liberal Party. Nasralla has alleged fraud, saying not all tally sheets were counted.




Arkansas Powerball lottery player wins second-largest US jackpot ever.

Someone who bought a lottery ticket at an Arkansas gas station on Christmas Eve won a $1.8B jackpot. The winner can choose between a lump sum payment of $834.9M or an annuitized payout of the full prize amount over about 30 years; both options are before taxes. The largest Powerball jackpot on record was more than $2B, won in California in 2022. The odds of hitting the jackpot are roughly one in 292.2 million.




China sanctions 20 US defense companies over Taiwan arms sale.

Boeing’s defense unit and Northrop Grumman are among the sanctioned companies, as well as 10 executives, after the US announced new weapons sales to Taiwan. The move freezes any assets the companies and executives hold in China and restricts business with Chinese entities. The impact is mostly symbolic, as US defense contractors generally conduct little business in China.




Hawaii cruise passengers to face new climate change‑related tax.

A federal judge cleared the way for Hawaii’s new tourist tax, which includes an 11% levy on cruise ship passenger fares, prorated for days spent in port. The tax is the first of its kind in the US and will take effect in early 2026 to help fund climate resilience efforts like shoreline protection and wildfire mitigation. Officials estimate the tax will bring in $100M annually.