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Lead: On Jan. 3, 2026, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that California’s law barring open carry in counties with populations above 200,000 violates the Second Amendment. The decision, issued by two judges with one dissent, said the policy effectively prohibits open carry in urban areas that house roughly … Read more

Lead: On Sunday, Jan. 3, 2026, North Korea launched several ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area toward the sea off its east coast at about 7:50 a.m. local time, South Korea’s military reported. The launches mark Pyongyang’s first publicly reported ballistic tests in two months and coincided with South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung’s state visit … Read more

Lead: On Jan. 3, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told CBS Evening News that the United States’ military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro is the “exact opposite” of the 2003 Iraq invasion. U.S. forces captured Maduro and, according to reports, brought him to New York on Saturday to … Read more

Lead Leonardo DiCaprio will not attend the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala on Saturday night after travel disruptions left him unable to depart St. Barts. The actor was to receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award for his role in One Battle After Another. Organizers said restricted airspace and unexpected flight groundings prevented his … Read more

Evangeline Lilly, the 46-year-old actor known for Lost and Marvel’s Ant-Man films, announced on January 1, 2026, that medical scans show she has sustained brain damage after a fall she described earlier in 2025. Lilly said the injury followed a fainting episode in which she hit her face on a boulder and that subsequent testing … Read more

Lead Steven Anthony Lawrence, the former child actor best known as Bernard “Beans” Aranguren on Disney’s Even Stevens (22 episodes, 2001–2003), posted on Instagram on January 3, 2026 that he was dismissed from a Universal Studios Hollywood role after reporting a suspected pedophile around children. He shared a photo of his work ID propped against … Read more

In Tallahassee on Jan. 3, 2026, No. 6 Duke edged Florida State 91-87 in a tightly contested ACC matchup. Sophomore guard Isaiah Evans scored a career-high 28 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and sank two late free throws to secure the win. Duke improved to 13-1 overall and 2-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference; Florida State … Read more

In the Week 18 regular-season finale at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Saturday night, the Seattle Seahawks built an early lead over the San Francisco 49ers in a high-stakes NFC West showdown. Seattle opened with a drive that stalled at the 1-yard line, then struck on a 27-yard rushing touchdown by Zach Charbonnet to … Read more

The Panthers’ season came down to a single turnover and a tiebreaker scenario after a 16–14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Saturday at Raymond James Stadium. A fourth-quarter mishap — Rico Dowdle slipping and flipping the ball back toward Bryce Young, who failed to secure it — allowed Tampa Bay to drain clock and … Read more

South Korea’s military reported on 3 January 2026 that North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile toward the East Sea (Sea of Japan), a move also detected by Japan’s defence ministry. The launch follows a string of tests and high-level factory visits by leader Kim Jong-un in the weeks before the Workers’ Party’s Ninth Congress. … Read more

The San Francisco 49ers finalized their inactive list ahead of the Week 18 primetime matchup against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night at Levi’s Stadium. With gameday rosters capped at 48 active players, the team confirmed that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and tackle Trent Williams will not play, while tight end George Kittle is active … Read more

Lead On Jan. 3, 2026, a surprise nighttime U.S. operation captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, an action President Trump announced he would follow by “running” Venezuela and using U.S. forces to guard its oil resources. The raid proceeded without explicit congressional authorization, drawing cheers from many House and Senate Republicans and sharp objections from top … Read more

Lead: Earlier this year Aircela demonstrated a compact device that captures carbon dioxide from ambient air and, using water and electricity, produces a usable liquid fuel. The company says the unit can generate up to one gallon of synthetic gasoline per day and is small enough for rooftop, home or small industrial installation. The prototype … Read more

Jan 3, 2026 — In Detroit, the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 for their fourth straight victory. Bryan Rust and Yegor Chinakhov struck in the first period to build an early lead, and Rickard Rakell and Connor Dewar added empty-net goals late to seal the game. Sidney Crosby recorded two assists, extending … Read more

Tony Dokoupil will anchor the CBS Evening News on Saturday evening from the network’s San Francisco station, two days earlier than his scheduled debut, a change reported amid news of a U.S. operation related to Venezuela and its leader Nicolás Maduro. The network says Dokoupil’s official launch remains set for Monday from CBS’s New York … Read more