Israel-Lebanon Talks Resume in Rome as Ceasefire and Troop Withdrawal Remain Elusive 
Trump Administration to Launch Voluntary AI Standards for Frontier Models 
Senate Weighs Permanent Daylight Saving Time Bill as Support Remains Uncertain 
Gold Price Holds Near Record High as Cooling U.S. Inflation Offsets Fed Caution 
Gold Price Holds Near $4,000 as Middle East Tensions and Fed Rate Hike Bets Grow 
Smithsonian Rejects White House Claims of ‘Anti-American’ Bias 
IEA Warns China Rare Earth Export Curbs Could Threaten $6.5 Trillion in Global Production 
Venezuela Earthquake Health Risks Rise as Disease Monitoring Intensifies 
Trump Orders ICE to Resume Traffic Stops After Deadly Immigration Enforcement Incidents 
Australia Flags Child Safety Gaps at Apple, Meta, Google Over Online Sexual Extortion 
South Korea Raises Interest Rates to 2.75% as Inflation and Weak Won Drive Tightening 
Russia Launches Missile and Drone Attacks on Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv 
UBS Boosts China Tech Bets, Adds Kuaishou and Meituan to Focus List 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Middle East Tensions Offset Weaker US Dollar 
Trump Recommends Darline Graham for Interim South Carolina Senate Seat 
Trump to Deliver National Address on 2020 Election Intelligence, Voting Machine Security 
Trump Tells Congress Iran Hostilities Restarted, Citing New 60-Day War Powers Window 
The U.S. Transportation Department has warned Minnesota that it could lose up to $30.4 million in federal highway funding after an audit found the state had improperly issued commercial driver licenses (CDLs) to non-U.S. residents. In a letter to Governor Tim Walz, federal officials gave the state 30 days to fix the violations and revoke the licenses that do not meet federal standards.
The warning follows emergency rules issued in September aimed at tightening CDL eligibility for non-U.S. citizens after a deadly Florida crash and concerns raised in a federal review. A spokesperson for Governor Walz said Minnesota is reviewing the letter and emphasized that the state has already taken steps to comply with federal safety requirements.
The Transportation Department also announced the removal of nearly 3,000 CDL training providers from its national registry for failing to properly train commercial drivers. Another 4,000 providers were placed on notice for potential compliance issues, highlighting ongoing federal efforts to improve truck driver training and roadway safety nationwide.
This development comes amid political tension, as President Donald Trump has criticized Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee for 2024. Walz recently urged Trump to release results of a medical scan, prompting the White House to clarify that Trump’s MRI was routine and showed good cardiovascular health.
Federal scrutiny of state licensing practices is increasing. Last month, California was threatened with a $160 million funding loss unless it revoked 17,000 improperly issued CDL licenses. In October, the state also had $40.6 million withheld for failing to enforce English language proficiency rules for commercial drivers. Trump previously ordered stricter enforcement of these standards, reversing a 2016 policy that prevented inspectors from sidelining drivers solely for poor English skills.
With about 16% of U.S. truck drivers born outside the country, federal officials say consistent enforcement is essential to ensuring safety across America’s highways.
