Trump off Colorado ballots, Iceland Volcano, and ATM issues.

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Big Stories

Colorado Supreme Court removes Trump from state's ballot

The Colorado Supreme Court has issued a ruling preventing former President Trump from appearing on the state's ballots in the upcoming presidential election.

• Driving the news: This marks the first instance where a court has applied the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause to Trump, specifically related to his actions surrounding the January 6 Capitol riot. Colorado’s Supreme Court claimed that there is significant evidence that showed “that President Trump engaged in insurrection,” disqualifying him from serving as president under a provision in the U.S. Constitution. The court has paused the decision from taking effect until Jan. 4.

• Yes, but: The delay in the Colorado Supreme Court's decision permits Trump to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. During this delay, the ruling remains on hold, allowing Trump to either have his appeal rejected or for the federal high court to decide on his eligibility for the ballot. Trump’s campaign has already said it will appeal the ruling. If Trump's request for a review is granted, he could potentially be included in the GOP primary ballot in Colorado on March 5, despite the state court's initial disqualification ruling.

• The big picture: Approximately three dozen similar cases across the country seek to remove Trump from ballots using the largely untested insurrection clause. However, Trump has used prior legal cases against him to bolster his campaign. Despite facing multiple lawsuits, he continues to dominate the GOP polls.

Iceland volcano eruption

A volcanic eruption began on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula on Monday night, turning the sky orange and prompting the civil defense to be put on high alert.

• What happened: The eruption occurred approximately 2 miles from the town of Grindavík, with webcam videos showing magma spewing into the air for hours. Iceland's Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management confirmed the eruption and activated its civil protection emergency response. The lava flow is considered to be significant for the area.

• Catch up: In November, Grindavík was evacuated due to strong seismic activity, indicating a potential eruption. Thousands of earthquakes occurred that month, and authorities determined it was only a matter of time before a volcanic event. Iceland is located above a volcanic hot spot, and experiences eruptions every four to five years.

• Impact and concerns: The eruption is being closely monitored by authorities. Iceland's foreign minister said that there are no disruptions to flights, and international flight corridors remain open. However, there are concerns about potential damage to the town of Grindavík and a nearby power station. If the power station is affected, it could disrupt the flow of water and electricity to large parts of the peninsula. Country officials are warning people to keep a safe distance, especially tourists who are seemingly unaware of the dangers of an active volcano.

New COVID strain rises in U.S. ahead of holidays

A new COVID-19 variant called JN.1 is spreading rapidly in the U.S., accounting for 1 in 5 new infections, but agencies insist there isn’t much risk to public health.

• Big picture: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports cases have more than doubled since mid-November. COVID modeler Jay Weiland predicts JN.1 will become the dominant strain within a week. Daily new infections are around 965,000 and aren’t close to peaking.

• Seasonal norm: The emergence of JN.1 aligns with an increase in other respiratory viruses. Over four weeks, hospitalizations for influenza and RSV rose 200% and 60%, respectively, per a Dec. 14 CDC alert. Pediatric emergency department visits for pneumonia have also been increasing. However, the current situation isn’t nearly as bad as the "tripledemic" of respiratory diseases that overloaded hospitals last year.

• Risk and outlook: While JN.1 is classified as a variant of interest by the World Health Organization, it isn’t expected to post significant additional health risk. Updated COVID vaccines, developed for an earlier omicron strain, are effective against JN.1. However, vaccine rates remain low in the U.S., which could lead to increases in infections during the holiday season. Rising hospitalizations suggest a possible strain on health systems, especially in the Northeast, where the JN.1 variant is more common.

Little Stories

U.S. News

• A judge ordered the documents naming Jeffrey Epstein associates to be unsealed on Jan. 1. The list allegedly contains more than 150 names associated with the lawsuit. (More)

• A recently declassified intelligence report showed that China, Russia, and Iran tried to interfere with the 2022 U.S. midterm elections more frequently than they did in the 2018 midterms. (More)

• A Democratic pollster said that President Biden needs to change his campaign tactics because he is losing ground every month. Biden’s approval hit a record low Monday, with 34% saying they think he’s doing a good job. (More)

World

• Israeli forces raided one of the last functioning hospitals in Gaza City, according to the church that operates it. A pastor, who is one of the hospital’s facilitators, said that only two doctors, four nurses, and two janitors remained to care for injured patients without access to running water or electricity. (More)

• A 6.2 magnitude earthquake killed at least 127 and injured 700 in north-west China on Monday. The quake was the country’s deadliest for years. (More)

• Meat processing company JBS SA and three other slaughterhouses are being sued for million of dollars in environmental damages. The lawsuits claim that the companies unlawfully bought cattle raised in a protected area in the Brazilian Amazon. (More)

Business & Economy

• U.S. stock markets closed higher on Tuesday (S&P +0.59%, Nasdaq +0.66%, Dow +0.68%). (More)

• Google settled an antitrust complaint for $700 million over its Android app store. The deal includes a $630 million payout for U.S. consumers affected by alleged in-app purchase price inflation. (More)

• VW will reduce staff numbers and speed up development and production times to help cut costs by $11 billion by 2026. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Two-time major champion Angel Cabrera, who was released on parole in August for gender violence, has been cleared to play in PGA Tour events. Cabrera served two years for assaulting his partner, Cecilia Torres Mana, and faced charges from another former partner, Micaela Escudero. (More)

• Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension for brandishing handguns on social media ended Tuesday. Morant finished with 34 points and hit a buzzer-beater to give the Grizzlies a 115-113 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. (More)

• Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers said that he won’t play again this season after New York was eliminated from playoff contention. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Scientists at Anhui Normal University in Wuhu, China, recently found a new kind of hedgehog in eastern China. They discovered that this hedgehog species, part of the Mesechinus genus, is different from other hedgehogs in the region based on how they look and their genetic characteristics. (More)

• Researchers have built a robot using AI language model Chat GPT-4 that can take selfies, toss a ball, eat popcorn, and play air guitar. (More)

• A security breach at Comcast-owned Xfinity has exposed the personal data of nearly all the internet provider's customers, affecting 35.8 million people. The breach revealed customer data including names, contact information, account details, birthdates, and partial Social Security numbers. (More)

Extra Credit

2023’s biggest moments in pictures, via USA Today.

Princess Diana’s dress sells at auction for nearly $1.15 million.

Mark Zuckerberg is building a bunker in Hawaii.

Four ways ATMs can ruin your day and how to prevent them.