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Head Start providers relieved but cautious after judge halts DEI ban
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the administration's DEI ban for the duration of a lawsuit, and Head Start providers report relief alongside continued caution after months of application rejections and funding disruptions.
CPI inflation report due Tuesday may show a slight uptick
Forecasters expect the December Consumer Price Index to show a 2.7% year-over-year increase, with core CPI also at 2.7%; some economists say November's reading may have been understated because BLS price collection was delayed by the government shutdown.
Notre Dame adds four transfers but no defensive tackle yet
Notre Dame announced four transfer commitments — Quincy Porter, Keon Keeley, DJ McKinney and Jayden Sanders — while still seeking at least one defensive tackle.
Roborock highlights AI robotics at CES 2026
At CES 2026 Roborock unveiled the Saros Rover, a wheel-leg robot vacuum demonstrated climbing stairs, and also showcased new autonomous lawn mowers while announcing a multi-year partnership with Real Madrid.
CN Guidance welcomes Arnie, a facility dog from America's VetDogs to support community wellness.
CN Guidance & Counseling Services has added Arnie, a 4-year-old facility dog from America's VetDogs, to its team to support clients and staff through animal-assisted therapy, while the nonprofit continues to provide mental health and substance use services across Long Island including a 24-hour community crisis center.
UK brings law into force to criminalize non-consensual deepfake nudes
The UK is bringing a provision of the Data Act into force this week that makes creating or requesting non-consensual intimate deepfake images a criminal offence, and the government says it will treat the offence as a priority under the Online Safety Act. Ofcom has opened a formal investigation into X over deepfakes generated by the Grok chatbot and is expected to set a timeline for that inquiry.
Flu season is declining but remains severe
CDC data show flu cases and wastewater signals are falling in early January after a record-high December, but the season has caused roughly 180,000 hospitalizations and 7,400 deaths and remains driven largely by an H3N2 subclade called K.
Jersey City secures $1 million federal grant to build first of six recreation centers
Jersey City received a $1 million American Rescue Plan grant to build the Bayside Community Center in Greenville, the first of six planned recreation facilities under a 2024 city ordinance. Additional public meetings are scheduled for 2026 to gather resident input before construction begins.
Subsidies are not health care reform
The pandemic-era expansion of ACA premium subsidies expired at the end of 2025, reducing the federal share of premiums for affected enrollees from about 88% to about 83%. The piece argues that subsidies ease household costs in the short term but do not address the underlying drivers of rising health care prices.
L.A. Reid settles sexual assault lawsuit ahead of trial
L.A. Reid and former music executive Drew Dixon have reached a settlement in a lawsuit alleging Reid sexually assaulted Dixon in 2001; the trial had been scheduled to begin Monday and the terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Wake County Animal Center will close for repairs for more than a month
Wake County Animal Center in Raleigh will be closed from Jan. 16 through March 2 for repairs and maintenance; animal control services will continue but the shelter building will be closed to the public.
Will Smith helped document a new anaconda species
Will Smith joined a 2022 National Geographic expedition that collected a scale sample from a 16–17-foot green anaconda; analyses announced in 2024 identified the northern green anaconda (Eunectes akayama) as a distinct species.
Anker's new home backup combines battery, solar and generator power
Anker introduced the Solix E10, a modular home backup system that integrates battery storage, solar input and a smart fuel generator; preorders begin Jan. 12 and official sales start Feb. 4.
Tractor Supply opens 2,400th store in Aiken
Tractor Supply opened its 2,400th store in Aiken, South Carolina, featuring a 3,000-square-foot Garden Center and marking one of four new early-2026 openings; the company donated $2,400 to Aiken Equine Rescue at the grand opening.
Pandora Satellite Acquires Signal After Vandenberg Launch
Mission controllers received full acquisition of signal from NASA's Pandora satellite on Jan. 11 after liftoff from Vandenberg; Pandora will observe at least 20 known exoplanets to study their atmospheres using visible and near-infrared measurements.
House Democrats ask judge to block Noem's revived ICE visit rule
House Democrats asked a federal judge to block DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's reinstated seven-day notice requirement for congressional visits to ICE detention facilities, saying it conflicts with a prior court stay and federal spending law. They asked the court to order DHS to explain the new policy and to hold an emergency hearing.
Anthropic introduces Claude Cowork for AI agents
Anthropic released Claude Cowork as a research-preview feature in the Claude macOS app that lets Claude access a user folder to read, edit, or create files; it is currently available to Claude Max subscribers and Anthropic warned of safety risks, including possible file deletion and prompt injection attacks.
NASA's newest telescope Pandora will help verify Earth-like signals
Pandora launched from Vandenberg into a polar Sun-synchronous twilight orbit and will observe 20 preselected exoplanet systems to help separate stellar signals from planetary atmospheres and support James Webb Telescope observations.
Mars sample return program faces cancellation after House budget vote
The U.S. House appropriations minibus states it does not support the existing NASA‑ESA Mars Sample Return program; the bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
BBB Iowa launches multilingual chat for customer support
The Better Business Bureau serving Greater Iowa has added real-time chat support in French, Spanish and Mandarin on its website as part of a national effort to offer consistent multilingual access across BBB markets.
Trump to host Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the White House Thursday
A senior White House official said President Trump will meet Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the White House on Thursday; Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
Malaysia and Indonesia block Grok over sexually explicit images
Indonesia and Malaysia announced temporary blocks on Grok after reports that the chatbot produced sexually explicit images of real people.
Democrats should reject tech influence to rebuild trust, Warren says
Sen. Elizabeth Warren told the National Press Club that Democrats should curb tech-sector influence and pursue populist, affordability-focused policies after the 2024 defeat.
Assisted living safety: Gov. Healey promises immediate action after commission report
After the Gabriel House fire that killed 10 residents, the Assisted Living Residences Commission unanimously approved its final report. Gov. Maura Healey announced she will begin implementing most of the report's regulatory and administrative recommendations and the commission also urged legislative action.
ADHD drugs work by affecting reward and wakefulness, study finds
A new Cell study using brain scans from nearly 5,800 children found that stimulant medications like Ritalin and Adderall increase activity in brain reward and wakefulness regions rather than attention circuits, and the drugs helped children with ADHD and those who slept less than recommended.
Mammoth fossils in a museum were later identified as whale bones.
Two bones held for more than 70 years as woolly mammoth remains at the University of Alaska Museum of the North were radiocarbon-dated and identified by isotope analysis and mitochondrial DNA as belonging to a minke whale and a North Pacific right whale.
Indiana football adds former Alabama receiver Shazz Preston from transfer portal
Indiana announced the commitment of Tulane wide receiver Shazz Preston via his Instagram post; Preston had 43 catches for 723 yards and four touchdowns last season.
USE.com highlights exchange utility as presale gains momentum
USE.com announced an ongoing presale that emphasizes the USE token’s role in a centralized exchange, including trading fee discounts, staking participation and priority Launchpad access, and said the presale will follow a staged pricing framework.
Meta urges Australia to reconsider under-16 social media ban after blocking over 500,000 accounts
Meta says it removed nearly 550,000 accounts it believed belonged to under-16s around the time Australia’s Online Safety Amendment Act 2024 took effect; the company urged the government to engage with industry and proposed age verification tools.
The Sims 4 adds Coach fashion collection for free
Starting January 13, The Sims 4 will add a free Coach Collection that includes nine Coach-inspired in-game items.
