San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has signed legislation establishing a city-administered reparations fund for Black residents, marking a significant—though legally cautious—step in the city’s long-running effort to address the harms of past discriminatory policies. The measure, approved unanimously by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and signed by the mayor last week, creates a formal…
The reported capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on Saturday, January 3, 2026, marks one of the most consequential—and legally fraught—actions in modern international relations. The arrest of a sitting head of state of a sovereign country by another state raises profound questions under international law, U.S. constitutional law, and long-standing norms…
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he directly told President Donald Trump that he opposed the U.S. military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, raising concerns about international law, regime change, and the legal implications of the operation. Speaking on Saturday, January 3, 2026, Mamdani confirmed that he spoke with Trump by phone after…
New immigration restrictions ordered by President Donald Trump officially took effect on January 1, significantly tightening U.S. entry rules for travelers from several countries and reshaping the H-1B skilled worker visa program. According to updated guidance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), individuals from seven countries—Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan,…
Federal authorities say they have disrupted an alleged New Year’s Eve terror plot after arresting and charging an 18-year-old North Carolina man with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. In a statement released January 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice announced…
Authorities in Nigeria have charged the driver of former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua following a highway crash that killed two of the boxer’s close associates and left Joshua injured, police confirmed. Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was arraigned on Friday, January 2, 2025, before the Sagamu Magistrates’ Court in Ogun State in connection with the…
A professional violinist has filed a civil lawsuit in California accusing actor and musician Will Smith and his management company of sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and retaliation stemming from Smith’s 2025 concert tour. Brian King Joseph filed the complaint on December 30 in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, naming Smith, 57,…
A leading U.S. immigration lawyer is warning immigrants and legal practitioners to brace for a tougher, slower and less forgiving immigration system in 2026, citing emerging policy signals and enforcement trends already visible in 2025. Akua Poku, principal attorney at AK Poku Law and a U.S.-based immigration specialist, says the coming year is likely to…
On January 1, 2026, several U.S. cities witnessed historic mayoral swearings-in, featuring multiple firsts for women and minority representation in municipal leadership. In Detroit, Mary Sheffield was sworn in as the city’s 76th mayor, becoming the first woman and first Black woman to hold the office in Detroit’s 324-year history. The 38-year-old former Detroit City…