The Supreme Court rejected President-elect Donald Trump's request to halt proceedings in his New York business records case.  |
- The Supreme Court rejected President-elect Donald Trump's request to halt proceedings in his New York business records case, removing a barrier to his sentencing scheduled for Friday.
- Top officials within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) worry that if their crimes against their own people are fully exposed, the backlash at home and internationally could undermine or even topple the regime, according to a source within the highest echelons of the Chinese government.
- All five of the living presidents honored President Jimmy Carter at the state funeral in the National Cathedral in Washington.
- Trump plans to sign nearly 100 executive orders as soon as he takes office.
- After the news: How to spend 24 hours in Rome.
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☀️ It's Friday. Thank you for reading Morning Brief. |
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The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Jan. 2, 2025. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) |
The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected President-elect Donald Trump's request to halt proceedings in his New York business records case, removing a potential barrier to sentencing scheduled for Jan. 10. The brief order noted that Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh would have granted the application. The court offered two reasons it said it refused to grant the application. "First, the alleged evidentiary violations at President-elect Trump's state-court trial can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal," a note on the Supreme Court's docket read. "Second, the burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect's responsibilities is relatively insubstantial in light of the trial court's stated intent to impose a sentence of 'unconditional discharge' after a brief virtual hearing," After the Supreme Court's decision, Trump wrote on TruthSocial that he appreciated the "time and effort of the United States Supreme Court in trying to remedy the great injustice done to me." "For the sake and sanctity of the Presidency, I will be appealing this case, and am confident that JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL," Trump wrote. Trump's application to the Supreme Court was submitted on Jan. 8 and argued that "the prospect of imposing sentence on President Trump just before he assumes Office as the 47th President raises the specter of other possible restrictions on liberty, such as travel, reporting requirements, registration, probationary requirements, and others—all of which would be constitutionally intolerable under the doctrine of Presidential immunity." New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has indicated that he wouldn't impose a punishment including incarceration. He denied Trump's request to halt proceedings as did two state appeals courts this week. (More) More Politics |
- Trump is expected to undergo sentencing in his criminal business records case just 10 days before his inauguration.
- Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said on Jan. 9 that he will meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, becoming the first Senate Democrat to meet with the incoming president.
- A federal appeals court rejected a bid to block the public release of special counsel Jack Smith's report on Trump's efforts to challenge the 2020 election result.
- A federal judge on Jan. 9 scrapped the Education Department's attempt to expand Title IX protections to people who identify as transgender, finding that the 2024 rule is illegal.
- Elon Musk, whom Trump tapped to lead a task force to slash government spending, has downsized an ambitious goal of cutting at least $2 trillion from the federal budget.
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U.S. Military Body Bearers carry the flag-draped casket bearing the remains of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter from the Washington National Cathedral following his state funeral. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images |
President Jimmy Carter was honored with an official state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9. The invitation-only service, attended by dignitaries and members of Carter's family, began at 10 a.m. ET. All five living presidents, including former President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden, and President-elect Donald Trump, attended. Carter died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100—the longest-living former president in U.S. history. Biden, who was tearful throughout the service, had been asked by Carter in late 2024 to deliver a eulogy at his funeral. Biden served in the Senate during Carter's presidency and was the first senator to endorse his White House bid. "Jimmy Carter's life story … [is] of a man who was at once driven and devoted to making real the words of his Savior, the ideals of this nation, the story of a man who never let the tides of politics divert him from his mission to serve and shape the world. The man had character," Biden said. "As you all know, around the world, through it all, he showed us how character and faith start with ourselves and then flows to others." As the political leaders entered the cathedral, Obama shook hands with everyone except for Trump and his wife, Melania, but sat next to the president-elect and chatted with him while others took their seats. Following the service, which lasted for several hours, Carter and his family members will fly from Joint Base Andrews for his final trip back home to Georgia. (More) More U.S. News |
- As four massive fires engulf Los Angeles, critics are blaming the government for putting lives, homes, and businesses at risk.
- The Southern California wildfires that have killed at least five and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate the area are expected to leave lasting economic damage of more than $150 billion, a new report suggests.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused Trump of politicizing the ongoing wildfire crisis after the incoming president blamed his leadership for the fires currently raging through the Los Angeles area.
- A wave of layoffs swept across industries in 2024, with job cuts hitting a 15-year high, excluding pandemic year 2020.
- JPMorgan Chase is the latest major financial institution to leave the UN-backed climate banking pledge.
- Two of the nation's largest unions are merging.
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Top officials within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) worry that if their crimes against their own people are fully exposed, the backlash at home and internationally could undermine or even topple the regime, according to a well-positioned source within the Party security apparatus. The officials are particularly concerned that their crimes of torture as well as the killing of Falun Gong practitioners for their organs will be exposed on an international scale, the source told The Epoch Times. The details of the crimes are so "inhuman," he said, that if they break into the mainstream of public awareness, it would prompt widespread calls for accountability. Top CCP officials may face formal investigations, prosecution, and international tribunals, which would then destabilize the regime domestically, he said. "This could lead not only to the collapse of the Party and the nation but also to the prosecution of all major CCP leaders," he said, including CCP leader Xi Jinping "in an international court." The source has access to information within the highest echelons of the CCP security apparatus. He has previously provided credible information. Reports of torture in China's prisons and labor camps surged in 1999 with the onset of the persecution of Falun Gong, a faith group the regime set out to "eradicate" after government surveys indicated some 70 million people picked up the spiritual practice, outgrowing CCP membership. Around the same time, China's transplant industry exploded. In a nation culturally reluctant to donate organs, there was suddenly an overabundant organ supply, with hospitals offering wait times as short as one week. Starting in 2006, several whistleblowers came forward to testify that the regime was killing prisoners of conscience, mainly Falun Gong practitioners, to fuel the lucrative state-sanctioned organ trade. "What the CCP fears most is the U.S. government fully backing Falun Gong and launching investigations into the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong in China; this is the CCP's Achilles' heel," the source said. (More) More World News: |
- After backing Trump's successful 2024 bid to return to the White House, Elon Musk has waded into political debates throughout Europe.
- Chinese cyberespionage group MirrorFace has been attempting to steal information on Japan's national security and advanced technology since 2019, Japan's National Police Agency said.
- Lebanon's Parliament elected army commander Joseph Aoun as the country's new president on Jan. 9, ending a more than two-year leadership vacuum and potentially paving the way for much-needed reforms and international assistance.
- Thierry Breton, the European Union's former digital policy chief, has said that the bloc's sweeping disinformation law could ban X if the social media platform fails to comply with its terms.
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✍️ Opinion: The US Electricity Crisis: Blackouts and High Prices by Anders Corr 🎤 American Thought Leaders: Will Trump's tariffs on China: work? Nazak Nikakhtar explains. 🍿 Documentary: Weird Tales From Death Valley explores the strange and mysterious history of the Death Valley. (Watch free on Gan Jing World) 🍵 Health: As the temperature drops and days become shorter during winter, these essential oils foster warmth, better sleep, and aid digestion. 🎵 Music: Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 (Listen)
📷 Photo of the Day: Destruction caused by the Palisades fires lines neighborhoods near Los Angeles, Calif., on Jan. 9, 2024. 👇
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A view of Rome, Italy. (Carlos Ibanez/Unsplash) |
They call Rome the Eternal City, and really it's the perfect name. It's a city that for centuries was the beneficiary of an empire that stretched across the known world, only enriching and enhancing the renown of its heart. Remember: There were days, long ago, when all roads led to Rome. Today, evidence of these glory days remains everywhere around town. Literally thousands of years of culture and history and architecture, so many icons to see and stories to hear. But we will do our best in this guide to see as much of an eternity as we can—in just 24 hours. Morning Head straight to the Colosseum when it opens at 8:30 a.m., hopefully with a pre-booked ticket in hand. Opened in the year 80 A.D., the Colosseum held between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators. It wasn't all blood and guts though: This place also staged dramas and other theatrical endeavors. |
The Colosseum was built between 72 A.D and 80 A.D. (Chait Goli/Pexels) |
Afternoon Head on to Vatican City and visit St. Peter's Basilica. Designed by Michelangelo, it took 800 workers less than two years to build the dome in the late 16th century. Entrance to the main part of the basilica is free. Afterwards, buy your ticket to the Vatican Museums and head to the Sistine Chapel. Visiting it is nothing short of a spiritual experience. |
Part of the Sistine Chapel, "The Last Judgment" by Michelangelo was painted between 1536 and 1541. |
Evening After such long day, it's time to grab some dinner, although, at this point, we don't recommend anything fancy. Rather, walk a block in any direction, and grab a pizza. Chances are, it'll be amazing. Read the full article by our colleague Tim Johnson here. |
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Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day. |
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