BREAKING: Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100 — living longer than any president in U.S. history, serving from 1977 to 1981. His beloved wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, died in November 2023.

GREEN WATCH:  More than 120 people have been killed after a powerful earthquake struck a remote region of Tibet on Tuesday morning, with tremors felt across the Himalayas in neighboring Nepal, Bhutan and parts of northern India. The 7.1-magnitude quake struck at 9:05 a.m. local time at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and was followed by multiple aftershocks, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Africa Is Splitting Apart: A New Ocean Is Forming Faster Than Anyone Predicted:  A dramatic transformation is unfolding in Africa as tectonic forces drive the continent toward the formation of a brand-new ocean. At the heart of this shift lies the East African Rift System, a massive network of faults and fissures that is reshaping the region’s geography at an accelerated pace. With tectonic plates separating faster than previously thought, scientists are uncovering surprising details about the future of this phenomenon—but the full story of its impact on Africa’s landscape and ecosystems is even more astonishing.

SPOTLIGHT:  Jewel Rodgers appointed as first African American Nebraska poet laureate:  Gov. Jim Pillen appointed Omaha author and performer Jewel Rodgers as Nebraska's new state poet. Rodgers, 27, is the youngest and first African American person to hold that position.

MORE NEWS:  Meta said on Tuesday that it was ending its longstanding fact-checking program, a policy instituted to curtail the spread of misinformation across its social media apps, in a stark sign of how the company was repositioning itself for the Trump presidency and throwing its weight behind unfettered speech online.

FEATURE:  The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourages people to avoid large amounts of alcohol and suggests sticking to two or fewer drinks daily for men and one or fewer drinks a day for women. Yet, the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s newest Advisory suggests that even small amounts of alcohol could be harmful and may increase your risk of developing cancer.