Beyond Times Square: A giant Peep, a wrench, a crab. A look at the weirdest NYE drops.

New York’s Times Square may get much of the attention with its ball drop on New Year’s Eve, but there’s some pretty unique action elsewhere.

For sure, Times Square deserves its spotlight because travelers from near and far converge at the “crossroads of the world” to see the nearly 6-ton sphere drop at One Times Square. This year’s ball has more than 32,000 LED modules capable of creating more than 16 million colors.

Even though the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball eclipses all other events – it’s the centerpiece of several New Year’s Eve TV broadcasts – other cities have some of their own beloved, and weird, traditions.

USA Today

Colorado governor says responsibility of social media restrictions ‘belongs with parents, not the government’

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) suggested in a Sunday interview he would not back state-imposed restrictions on children’s social media use, saying that responsibility, instead, should lie with the parents.

“I think the responsibility belongs with parents, not the government,” Polis said when asked in an interview on NBC News’s “Meet the Press” whether he would be open to more restrictions on social media in his state.

“I have a 12-year-old and a nine-year-old. We don’t allow them on social media yet. We’ll be having the conversation with our 12-year-old son soon, and in an appropriate way, allowing him to access that,” Polis said. “But I think really, fundamentally, the state can’t be the parents for kids.”

The Hill

How new FDA rule allowing gay, bisexual men to give blood is making donation more inclusive

This year, the FDA announced it would no longer be issuing blanket bans due to sexual orientation and instead screen potential donors on their risk of contracting and transmitting HIV, with the policy going into effect in August.

ABC News

U.S. seizes illegal e-cigarettes, but thousands more are launching

Federal officials are seizing more shipments of unauthorized electronic cigarettes at U.S. ports, but thousands of new flavored products continue pouring into the country from China, according to government and industry data reviewed by The Associated Press.

Honolulu Star Advertiser

U.S. border officials on track to process over 300,000 migrants in December, the highest monthly tally on record

U.S. immigration officials along the southern border are on track to process more than 300,000 migrants in December, an all-time monthly high that will likely include record numbers of families traveling with children, according to internal government data obtained by CBS News.

The extraordinary number of migrant arrivals this month is the most dire juncture yet of a three-year-long crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border that has strained resources in small and large U.S. communities, left countless of migrants in limbo, prompted lawmakers to consider drastically limiting asylum and created a major political vulnerability for President Biden as he seeks reelection.

CBS News

Biden fast-tracks work authorization for migrants who cross legally

As Senate Republicans push for hardline border measures in negotiations with the White House, the Biden administration is quietly working to improve its signature “legal pathway” to solve a problem that has confounded Democrat-led cities receiving tens of thousands of migrants: getting fast work permits for those who cross lawfully.

“CBP One always had the possibility that people could apply right away for work authorization,” Lenander said. “But they didn’t have folks on the ground; the process wasn’t literally, physically right there.”

USA Today

Trump Targets Women Who Served in His White House Speaking Out Against Him

ABC aired an interview Sunday with three former White House staffers who testified before the Jan. 6 committee, and Trump was not pleased

Rolling Stone

What does Trump’s name on the Michigan ballot mean for Arab and Muslim voters?

“Biden’s policies have been horrendous on the Middle East. Trump or Haley would be even worse,” Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of Emgage, a Muslim voting advocacy group, told The New Arab.

He says that for Biden to win re-election, in Michigan and in other states with widespread frustration over US support for Israel’s indiscriminate war on Gaza, he will need to make major changes in his positions as soon as possible.

The New Arab

American democracy has overcome big stress tests since the 2020 election. More challenges are ahead

“Voters have stepped up to defend our democracy over the past few years,” said Joanna Lydgate, chief executive officer of States United, which tracks those who refuse to believe in the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election. “State and local officials have done a tremendous job in protecting our free and fair elections.”

AP News

Voting Rights Act faces new wave of dire threats in 2024

A victory in 2023 in Alabama after a supreme court ruling may be short-lived as three cases pose a dire threat to voting rights

The Guardian

In a year marred by ethics scandals, 4 Supreme Court rulings let marginalized Americans down

The U.S. Supreme Court spent much of 2023 embroiled in scandal as a slew of reports exposed the ethical lapses of two of its most senior justices. But as the high court faced harsh criticism and sharper scrutiny, it delivered a spate of controversial rulings that let many Americans down.

Salon

These Are The Abortion Stories You Don’t Hear After Roe v. Wade

In this reported op-ed, Danielle Campoamor explores why telling all kinds of abortion stories — particularly the mundane — is important in helping achieve reproductive justice.

Teen Vogue

Trump’s top GOP rivals say they would pardon him ‘in the best interest of the country’

Just before 2024 caucuses and primaries begin, Donald Trump’s top Republican rivals are making sure voters know they would pardon him if they’re elected president.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley have given their clearest answers in recent days on why they would pardon Trump, who faces dozens of charges in four criminal trials.

“I think we got to move on as a country and, you know, like Ford did to Nixon, because the divisions are just not in the country’s interest,” DeSantis told reporters Friday in Iowa.

A day earlier, Haley said pardoning Trump would be “in the best interest of the country.”

“What’s in the best interest of the country is not to have an 80-year-old man sitting in jail that continues to divide our country,” Haley said at a campaign event in Plymouth, New Hampshire. “What’s in the best interest of our country is to pardon him so that we can move on as a country and no longer talk about him.”

USA Today

From gender-affirming care bans to minimum wage increases, these new laws take effect January 1

While many Democratic- and Republican-led states passed measures to ease the effects of inflation as the economy remains a top concern for voters ahead of the 2024 election, states were split along party lines on marquee issues such as abortion rights and gender-affirming care for minors.

CNN

This basic bean soup has been served every day in the Senate for over 100 years and symbolizes why we need more flavor in Congress

This isn’t a dig at the humble hero that is a good soup, but even pantry-clearing meals on a budget need not be so bland. Consider the depth of flavor one can achieve merely by substituting stock for the water or adding a single herb. As much as this recipe could be transformed into a nourishing, delicious meal with just a few small changes, Congress would also benefit immensely from a little variation.

Business Insider

Laws banning semi-automatic weapons and library censorship will take effect in Illinois

With the calendar-page turn to 2024 on Monday comes 320 new state laws that Illinois residents will need to navigate.

Some will have a widespread effect, including a law banning semi-automatic rifles and another requiring paid time off. But others won’t have an immediate or noticeable impact, including a law that lets county governments consider a potential contractor’s participation in an approved apprenticeship program in determining the winning low bid for a project.

One law that took effect in 2019 but is still impacting tens of thousands of workers is an increase in the minimum wage. It increases to $14 an hour on Jan. 1 for non-tipped workers and will reach $15 in a year.

AP News

Biden bypasses Congress on emergency weapons sale to Israel

For the second time this month the Biden administration is bypassing Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel as Israel continues to prosecute its war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

Las Vegas Review Journal

Retirements could tip control of the House majority

A chaotic year for the House is coming to a close with more Democrats than Republicans deciding to leave the chamber, a disparity that could have major ramifications in next year’s elections.

Honolulu Star Advertiser

Special counsel: Trump immunity claim threatens democracy

Donald Trump’s bold claims that he’s immune from criminal prosecution over his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election “threaten to undermine democracy,” special counsel Jack Smith warned a federal appeals court Saturday.

Politico

The ‘Pansy Craze’ Pioneered LGBT Acceptance in America

It’s tempting to think of LGBT acceptance and allyship as a very 21st-century phenomenon, distinct from the dark ages of yore when queer communities hid themselves away from persecution. But the story of this civil rights movement began at least a century ago—before Harvey Milk, Harry Hay, or Alfred Kinsey did their pioneering work. In fact, there was a time during the Jazz Age when openly gay, flamboyant, cross-dressing men were not just accepted but lauded as stars of stage and screen: a time now known as the pansy craze.

Syncopated Times

Ohio’s Republican Governor Vetoes Bill Blocking Care for Trans Minors

Mike DeWine bucked his party, which has grown increasingly hostile to the LGBTQ community in recent years.

The New Republic

Mexico Repatriates Venezuelans to Ease US Border Migration

Mexico sent Venezuelan migrants home on two repatriation flights for the first time since January, part of a joint effort to reduce migration to the US.

The flights follow an agreement in October between Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and leaders of nine other Latin American nations that was presented to US President Joe Biden as a way to curb migration and disrupt drug traffickers.

Bloomberg

China-Taiwan ‘reunification’ is inevitable, says Xi

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday that his country would “surely be reunified” with Taiwan during his New Year’s address.

His comments are likely to further inflame tensions with Taiwan, which Beijing sees as Chinese province. The self-ruled island is set to hold  presidential elections on January 13.

Deutsche Welle

Queen Margrethe II: Danish monarch announces abdication live on TV

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II has announced her surprise abdication in a new year TV address.

She will formally step down on 14 January, which will be 52 years to the day since she became queen.

BBC

Israeli airstrikes kill scores in Gaza as war enters a new year

Heavy bombing continues, while Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has shown unparalleled ‘morality’ in its conduct in Gaza

The Guardian

The displaced Afghans making gruelling journeys to survive

More than 40 years of war, violence and poverty have created one of the world’s most uprooted populations.

AlJazeera

Israeli government approves appointment of new foreign minister

The Israeli government on Sunday approved the appointment of a new foreign minister to replace Eli Cohen, who will become energy minister as part of a pre-arranged ministerial rotation, a government statement said.

The New Arab

Kim Jong Un vows to boost North Korea’s reconnaissance and nuclear capabilities in 2024

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to launch three additional military spy satellites, produce more nuclear materials and introduce attack drones in 2024, as he called for “overwhelming” war readiness to cope with U.S.-led confrontational moves, state media reported Sunday.

PBS News Hour

UK is ready to attack Houthi rebels, says Grant Shapps

Britain is considering air strikes on Houthi rebels as the Defence Secretary warns that the UK will not hesitate to take “direct action” over their attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea.

The Telegraph

Colombia President Gustavo Petro Vows to Keep Diesel Subsidies in Place

Colombia President Gustavo Petro said his government will keep diesel subsidies in place going into the new year while allowing local gasoline costs to fluctuate in line with international prices.

“There will be no harm to truckers and public transportation as long as we will maintain the subsidies,” Petro said in a year-end speech late on Saturday. “But we will promote a policy of transforming energy to cleaner sources.”

Bloomberg