“A federal judge has rejected for now Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ‘s bid to gain more spending power in the state’s race for governor, upholding campaign finance rules that some Republicans argue give certain candidates an unfair advantage. Raffensperger’s independent political action committee, Safe Affordable Georgia, filed a federal lawsuit in December asking permission to raise unlimited funds for his campaign. One of his opponents in the GOP primary, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, has been able to do that under a 2021 state law that created leadership committees like the one he chairs, which can raise unlimited funds for candidates. Attorneys for Safe Affordable Georgia argued current law violates Raffensperger’s First Amendment rights by subjecting him to different rules than his opponent and requested that the limits for his committee be waived during the ongoing campaign.” (01/29/26)
“French lawmakers on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill seeking to end the notion of ‘marital duty’ after criticism from women’s rights groups about how it ignores the idea of sexual consent in marriage and marital rape. The text – backed by more than 120 MPs in the lower house National Assembly – clarifies in the civil code that cohabitation does not create any obligation for spouses to have sexual relations. The cross-party bill will now have to go through the Senate upper chamber. The French civil code lists four duties attached to marriage – fidelity, support, assistance and cohabitation – but it does not mention sexual obligation.” (01/29/26)
“The average life expectancy in the United States hit a record high of 79 in 2024, a report from the Centers for Disease Control said Thursday. The average 79-year mark is an increase of more than a half year over 2023. The National Center for Health Statistics ‘Mortality in the United States, 2024’ report found that the age-adjusted death rate decreased by about 3.8%. … The increase in life expectancy was greater for males than for females, up 0.2 compared to 0.1. The average life expectancy for a female born in 2024 is 81.4 and for a male it is 76.5. Average life expectancies also increased for every race and ethnicity recorded.” (01/29/26)
“A raging Illinois teen has been accused of stabbing a pregnant mother to death and knifing her pet dog during a Facebook Marketplace meetup — then setting her home ablaze, according to authorities and reports. Nedas Revuckas, 19, has been hit with a slew of charges for allegedly murdering 30-year-old Eliza Morales in her suburban Downers Grove apartment unit on Monday evening, according to police. … Revuckas faces first-degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child, armed robbery, aggravated arson, and animal cruelty charges in connection with the tragic killing, according to court records.” (01/29/26)
“U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said Thursday that immigration officials have ceased their ‘enhanced operations’ in the state, the site of a [gang activity] surge and more than 100 [abductions] since last week. Collins, a Republican, made the announcement after saying she had several direct communications with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. ‘There are currently no ongoing or planned large-scale ICE operations here,’ Collins said in a statement. ‘I have been urging Secretary Noem and others in the Administration to get ICE to reconsider its approach to immigration enforcement in the state.’ The announcement came after President Donald Trump seemed to signal a willingness to ease tensions in Minneapolis after a second [murder] by federal immigration agents.” (01/29/26)
“Deutsche Bank’s offices in Frankfurt and Berlin have been raided by officials as part of an inquiry into money laundering. In a statement, the Office of the Federal Prosecutor said it was conducting an investigation, involving the Federal Criminal Police Office, into ‘unknown individuals and employees’ at Germany’s largest bank. It said Deutsche Bank had ‘maintained business relationships in the past with foreign companies’ which were suspected of ‘having been used for money laundering purposes as part of further investigations.’ … German media reported that the case carries possible links to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, a claim his lawyers say is ‘entirely false and inaccurate.'” (01/29/26)
“A federal appeals court ruled late Wednesday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it ended legal protections that gave hundreds of thousands of people from Venezuela permission to live and work in the United States. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that found Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem exceeded her authority when she ended temporary protected status for Venezuelans. The decision, however, will not have any immediate practical effect after the U.S. Supreme Court in October allowed Noem’s decision to take effect pending a final decision by the justices.” (01/29/26)
“The Trump administration is hosting senior defense and intelligence officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia for talks on Iran this week as President Trump considers military strikes, two U.S. officials and two other sources with knowledge told Axios. Trump has ordered a U.S. military buildup in the Gulf to prepare for potential military action. Israel, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region have been on high alert for days in anticipation of a U.S. strike. The Israelis came to D.C. to share intelligence on possible targets inside Iran. The Saudis, meanwhile, are highly concerned about a potential regional war and are trying to help broker a diplomatic solution.” (01/29/26)
“Roberto Vannacci, an MEP and former general, is preparing to launch his own political party, which would formalize a break with Matteo Salvini’s League and potentially reshape the Italian far right. He announced the launch of the new party on Instagram on Wednesday. Vannacci had already registered the name and logo of the movement, Futuro Nazionale (National Future), on Jan. 24, according to trademark filings. His new project is being described by Italian media as an attempt to build an Italian version of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and create a new force that would sit to the right of Salvini.” (01/29/26)
“Venezuela’s legislature on Thursday approved opening the nation’s oil sector to privatization, reversing a tenet of the self-proclaimed socialist movement that has ruled the country for more than two decades. The National Assembly approved the overhaul of the energy industry law less than a month after the brazen seizure of then-President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military attack in Venezuela’s capital. The bill now awaits the signature of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who proposed the changes in the days after U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration would take control of Venezuela’s oil exports and revitalize the ailing industry by luring foreign investment.” (01/29/26)
