Jimmy Carter Outplayed Us All 12.30.24 Ally Sammarco Dec 31 Credit: AP Good Monday evening and welcome back to another edition of Today’s American News, your source of news and analysis for the circus that is American politics and entertainment. R.I.P. President Jimmy Carter… The 39th President of the United States passed away yesterday after a long and storied life of public service. President Carter was 100 years old and died in his lifelong home of Plains, Georgia. We remember him fondly both for his work as president and for having defined the modern-day post-presidency. We’re also jealous he doesn’t have to bear witness to the incoming Trump Administration. Today's American News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. NPR profiles nine countries that eradicated a major disease in 2024… It’s not often we read such a good news story as the NPR one here. “Cape Verde and Egypt became malaria-free. Brazil and Timor Leste eliminated lymphatic filariasis, the disfiguring parasite that causes a condition commonly known as elephantiasis. Jordan became the first country to ever be certified as leprosy-free. Chad got rid of one form of human African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness. And Pakistan, Vietnam and India eliminated trachoma, which causes blindness.” Treasury Department is latest victim of Chinese hacking… It seems now that no entity, private or public, is safe from state-sponsored hacking at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. “Treasury learned of the hack on Dec. 8 through an outside vendor, BeyondTrust, which found the hacker had obtained an online key used to provide remote technical support for Treasury offices through its cloud-based service, according to a letter sent to Senate Banking Chair Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and ranking Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina,” Politico wrote. Convicted felon Donald Trump’s appeal of sexual abuse case is denied… After 34 felony convictions, cheating the taxpayers of the State of New York, mishandling classified documents, and charges of conspiracy, Donald Trump faced a smidgeon of responsibility of which his second election as president will not absolve him. Trump, who sought a retrial, challenged a civil case verdict finding him liable for sexual assault of writer E. Jean Carroll and his penalty of $5 million. That challenge was denied today by a federal appeals court. Today’s Buzz New Year’s Eve is a celebration during which millions of Americans watch TV specials. The Hollywood Reporter has a list. “Find out what and where to stream, from the star-studded 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest' and CNN's festivities with Anderson Cooper and Cohen, to 'Nashville's Big Bash' co-hosted by performer Keith Urban and more.” That’s all for this edition of Today’s American News. Thanks for reading!