Arctic blast brings snow and wind to the Great Lakes and Northeast
A surge of arctic air is bringing strong winds, heavy snow and frigid temperatures to the Great Lakes and Northeast, a day after a bomb cyclone that hit the northern U.S. Tens of thousands of customers were without power early Tuesday, with Michigan hardest hit. The National Weather Service predicts snow squalls and gusty winds for the Eastern U.S. New York’s governor warned of whiteout conditions in parts of the state. In Michigan, snow piled up quickly on Monday, and high waves on Lake Superior sent cargo ships into harbors for shelter.
In escalating tensions with Venezuela, Trump says the US ‘hit’ a coastal drug loading facility
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump has indicated that the U.S. has “hit” a dock facility along a shore as he wages a pressure campaign on Venezuela. But the U.S. offered few details. Trump initially seemed to confirm a strike in what appeared to be an impromptu radio interview Friday. When questioned Monday by reporters about “an explosion in Venezuela,” the president said the U.S. struck a facility where boats accused of carrying drugs “load up.” Trump declined to say if the military or CIA was involved or where it occurred. He didn’t confirm it happened in Venezuela. The White House and Venezuela’s government did not immediately respond to a request for more details or comment.
Tatiana Schlossberg, a grandchild of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died at 35
Environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, one of three grandchildren of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died after a battle with leukemia. Her family disclosed her death in a statement released Tuesday by the John. F. Kennedy Library Foundation. Schlossberg was 35. The daughter of Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and Edwin Schlossberg, the journalist revealed she had terminal cancer in a November 2025 essay in The New Yorker. She was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in May 2024 at age 34 while in the hospital for the birth of her second child. In the essay titled “A Battle with my Blood,” Schlossberg recounted rounds of chemotherapy, stem cell transplants and clinical trials.
China flexes blockade capabilities near Taiwan on second day of military drills
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China’s People’s Liberation Army is conducting large-scale military drills around Taiwan as part of “Justice Mission 2025.” The exercises aim to deter external support for Taiwan, which China claims as its territory. Taiwanese officials report that some live rounds have landed closer to the island than before, increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait. The drills have disrupted over 150 flights and created temporary “dangerous zones.” Taiwan’s Defense Ministry detected numerous Chinese aircraft and ships near the island. China has vowed to seize Taiwan, and tensions with the U.S. and Japan have also escalated over the issue.
Israel says it will halt operations of several humanitarian organizations in Gaza starting in 2026
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel says it will suspend several humanitarian organizations for failing to meet its new rules to vet international organizations working in Gaza. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said on Tuesday that the organizations that will be banned on Jan. 1 did not meet its new requirements for sharing staff, funding and operations information. It accused Doctors Without Borders, known as MSF by its French acronym, of failing to clarify the roles of some staff that Israel accused of cooperation with Hamas and other militant groups. MSF didn’t immediately comment but other international organizations have said that Israel’s rules are arbitrary and could endanger staff.
Unleash the hounds! And terriers and lapdogs. The American Kennel Club adds 3 breeds
NEW YORK (AP) — They’re ready to embark on 2026. Three more dog breeds joined the American Kennel Club’s roster of recognized breeds on Tuesday. One of the newcomers is the Teddy Roosevelt terrier, named for the former U.S. president. Another is the Russian tsvetnaya bolonka (zviht-NEYE’-ah boh-LON’-kah). It’s a lapdog developed in Soviet-era Russia. The third is a centuries-old French hunting hound called the basset fauve de Bretagne (bah-SAY’ fohve deh breh-TAHN’-yeh). The AKC now recognizes 205 breeds. Recognition means eligibility for many U.S. dog shows and can increase a breed’s visibility to the pet-loving public.
Concerns over roads in Nigeria after crash that injured Anthony Joshua and killed 2 associates
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Tributes have been paid after the crash that injured British former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and killed two close associates. There were also growing concerns about Nigeria’s roads following the deadly crash near Lagos on Monday. Joshua was under “observation” while recovering from minor injuries following the crash, his promoter said. The high-profile accident has prompted serious concerns about road safety on Nigerian highways, where accidents are common. Experts say a combination of factors including a network of dilapidated roads, lax enforcement of traffic laws, and indiscipline by drivers, produces the grim statistics.
