Philippines Challenges Chinese Research Vessel Spotted Near Cagayan Coast 
Boeing Secures $8.6 Billion Pentagon Contract for F-15 Jets for Israel 
U.S. Appeals Court Allows Trump Administration to Enforce Medicaid Funding Ban on Planned Parenthood 
Trump and Netanyahu Diverge on West Bank Policy Amid Rising Tensions 
Trump and Zelenskiy Signal Progress Toward Ukraine Peace Deal, Donbas Still Unresolved 
Jazz Ensemble Cancels Kennedy Center New Year’s Eve Shows After Trump Renaming Sparks Backlash 
Peruvian Shamans’ New Year Ritual Predicts Illness for Trump, Fall of Maduro, and Global Political Shifts 
Najib Razak Files Appeal Against Latest 1MDB Corruption Conviction and 15-Year Sentence 
Trump–Netanyahu Talks Aim to Revive Gaza Ceasefire and Address Iran, Hezbollah Tensions 
Trump Administration Audits Somali-Origin Citizenship Cases Amid Fraud Allegations 
Zohran Mamdani Names Steve Banks as New York City Corporation Counsel Amid Clash With Trump 
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Drone Plot Against Putin as Peace Talks Face New Strain 
Ukraine Drone Attacks Target Moscow and Western Russia, Injure One Civilian 
MSF Faces Possible Ban From Gaza as Israel Enforces New Aid Registration Rules 
South Korea Prosecutor Alleges Former First Lady Kim Keon Hee Abused Power for Bribes 
U.S. Government Agrees to Review Frozen NIH Diversity Research Grants After Legal Challenge 
Global Concern Grows as Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza Deepens Despite Ceasefire 
During this time, Donald Trump has largely been out of the public and online eye following the Capitol riots. As the hours go down in his presidency, the outgoing president is reportedly set to issue his final series of pardons and sentence commutations.
Three people knowledgeable with the matter revealed to CNN that Trump is preparing to issue 100 pardons and sentence commutations as one of his final acts as president. Among those who would be granted pardons include white-collar convicts but Trump himself is not included among those who would be granted pardons. The White House met over the weekend to finalize the list of people who would be pardoned by Trump.
The outgoing president already started granting pardons by the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. However, the announcements of pardons were temporarily postponed during the days that led to and after the insurrection at the Capitol by groups of pro-Trump rioters. At those times, Trump was said to be more focused on the electoral college count. While he was initially expected to resume granting pardons following the riots, Trump put a temporary halt when he was pinned as responsible for inciting the violence.
Two major lists of people who would be pardoned were already ready to be unveiled last week and Tuesday, the day before Joe Biden’s inauguration. However, officials now expect that the last batch of pardons to be the only one, unless Trump changes his mind and decides to pardon his more controversial allies or perhaps his family members. Trump previously granted Michael Flynn a pardon prior to Thanksgiving.
Meanwhile, Trump has remained out of sight even in his last few days in office. The outgoing president is set to leave the White House in the early hours of inauguration day on January 20. Trump will not be attending Biden’s inauguration, but his vice president Mike Pence will be in attendance. Aside from being the first president to get impeached twice, Trump is also the first president in 150 years who will not attend the inauguration of his successor.
People familiar with the planning revealed to ABC that Trump is hoping to have a military-style sendoff with a parade and crowds of his supporters. However, the Pentagon has already rejected Trump’s wishes.
