标签： North America

In a unique fusion of presidential duty and holiday spirit, former President Donald Trump participated in one of America’s most cherished Christmas traditions. On December 24th, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) celebrated the 70th anniversary of its Santa Tracker program, receiving unexpected assistance from the nation’s highest office.

The historic program, which originated from a misprinted newspaper advertisement in 1955, has evolved into a massive volunteer operation that fields hundreds of thousands of inquiries from children worldwide each Christmas Eve. This year’s milestone event featured President Trump personally answering calls from curious children seeking updates on Santa’s global journey.

The presidential participation represents a continuation of a White House tradition embraced by multiple administrations, though each brings their distinctive style to the seasonal ritual. NORAD’s tracker combines sophisticated military technology including radar systems, satellites, and fighter jets with thousands of volunteers working through the night at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.

The program demonstrates how military infrastructure can be repurposed for heartwarming civilian engagement, bridging national security with childhood wonder. For seven decades, NORAD has provided real-time updates on Santa’s position, maintaining the magic of Christmas while showcasing American organizational capability and holiday generosity on a global scale.

As the year’s inaugural quarter concluded, a series of disparate yet significant events captured global attention. Raging wildfires inflicted severe damage across Los Angeles, marking a devastating start to the year for California residents. In the political arena, President Joe Biden formally transitioned from the White House, an event of substantial historical importance. Simultaneously, actress Millie Bobby Brown made headlines by confronting media outlets over what she characterized as bullying journalism practices.

These events, while prominent, represent merely a fraction of the quarter’s complete news landscape. To assess public awareness of global happenings, The Guardian has launched its comprehensive annual Christmas quiz. This four-part examination features 52 questions corresponding to each week of the year, challenging participants’ recollection of January through March events across politics, environmental crises, and entertainment industry developments.

Compiled by journalist Ben Fell, the quiz serves as both an entertaining challenge and a measure of news literacy. For enthusiasts seeking additional mental exercise, the publication offers access to archived quizzes from previous years, enabling comparative analysis of how global events have evolved over time.

In a dramatic legal maneuver, music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has launched an aggressive appeal seeking immediate release from prison and the complete overturning of his conviction on prostitution-related charges. His legal team filed an expedited motion with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging both the validity of the conviction and the severity of the 50-month sentence imposed by Judge Arun Subramanian.

Attorney Alexandra Shapiro presented a scathing critique of the judicial process, labeling the sentence as “unlawful, unconstitutional, and a perversion of justice” in court documents. The defense contends that Combs’ conduct did not constitute criminal activity and that Judge Subramanian improperly deviated from established sentencing guidelines. The filing further argues that the judge “flouted” new judicial standards and inappropriately considered allegations for which Combs had been acquitted by the jury, effectively acting as a “thirteenth juror” in the case.

The appeal represents the latest effort by Combs’ legal team to reduce his prison term or nullify his conviction entirely. This follows previous unsuccessful attempts, including a September motion requesting acquittal or a new trial that challenged the application of the Mann Act in his prosecution.

The original trial, which concluded this spring, featured testimony from two former partners—Cassie Ventura and an anonymous “Jane Doe”—who described coercive sexual scenarios involving male escorts. While the jury acquitted Combs of the more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, they convicted him on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

During sentencing proceedings, federal prosecutors had sought a minimum 11-year prison term, while defense attorneys argued for time served. Judge Subramanian ultimately imposed a 50-month sentence, acknowledging Combs’ philanthropic contributions but stating that “a history of good works can’t wash away your record.”

Combs faces additional legal challenges beyond this criminal case, with dozens of pending civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault, rape, and exploitation. These civil claims depict a pattern of alleged misconduct where Combs allegedly used his influence and resources to silence accusers through intimidation. The entertainer’s representatives have consistently denied all allegations, maintaining he “never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a formal state of emergency declaration for multiple southern counties following a series of destructive winter storms that have battered the region with unprecedented rainfall and powerful winds. The emergency proclamation covers Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties where communities have experienced severe flooding, dangerous mudslides, and substantial debris flows across roadways and residential areas.

The severe weather system has transformed normally dry riverbeds into raging torrents while sending walls of mud and debris through vulnerable mountain communities. Emergency responders have conducted numerous rescue operations for motorists trapped by floodwaters and residents threatened by rapidly moving mudflows that have damaged homes and infrastructure.

Meteorologists report that these storms represent one of the most significant atmospheric river events to impact Southern California in recent years, with some areas receiving over a year’s worth of rainfall in just 48 hours. The saturation of soil conditions has created particularly hazardous circumstances in recent burn scar areas where vegetation loss has increased the risk of devastating mudslides.

State emergency services have been mobilized to assist with evacuation orders, road closures, and damage assessment operations. The governor’s declaration enables affected counties to access additional state resources and federal assistance as communities begin the process of recovery and damage mitigation from the continuing severe weather pattern.

Federal investigators have identified more than one million previously undisclosed documents potentially connected to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to official statements. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, in coordination with the FBI, notified the Department of Justice (DOJ) of this substantial discovery and has transferred the materials for legal review.

The DOJ announced via social media on Wednesday that legal teams are working continuously to process the documents, stating: ‘We have lawyers working around the clock to review and make the legally required redactions to protect victims, and we will release the documents as soon as possible.’ Officials indicated that due to the enormous volume of material, the comprehensive review process may require several additional weeks before public release.

This development follows last week’s release of thousands of partially redacted documents related to federal investigations into Epstein’s sexual abuse network. Both disclosures occur under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, recently signed into law by President Donald Trump, which mandates full public disclosure of investigation materials while protecting victim identities.

The newly discovered documents emerged amid mounting criticism from bipartisan lawmakers regarding excessive redactions in previously released files. The legislation explicitly prohibits redactions based solely on potential embarrassment or reputational damage, requiring instead that the DOJ provide internal communications and memoranda detailing investigative decisions regarding Epstein and his associates.

Last week’s document release included internal FBI emails from 2019 identifying ten potential ‘co-conspirators,’ with records indicating six had received subpoenas across multiple states including Florida, New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Victims’ advocates and congressional officials continue to demand greater transparency regarding Epstein’s network of associates and the investigation’s scope.

The DOJ has committed to full compliance with federal law and presidential directives regarding document release, though the specific circumstances surrounding the discovery of these additional materials remain unspecified. This ongoing process represents one of the most significant document releases related to high-profile sexual abuse investigations in recent history.