Donald Trump’s commutation of former Republican Representative George Santos’s seven-year prison sentence, less than a year after his conviction for crimes including fraud and theft. An article from The Independent confirms the commutation, noting that Trump justified the action by claiming Santos was mistreated and possessed the “Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!” The second source, a Reddit thread from r/politics, captures the highly critical public reaction to the news, with numerous commenters interpreting the commutation as brazen political corruption, suggesting it sends a message that crimes are forgivable if committed by a Republican loyalist. Many of the public comments also speculate that this action serves as a precursor for future controversial pardons, such as that of Ghislaine Maxwell. Both sources highlight the explicit political nature of the decision, given Trump’s direct comments linking the commutation to Santos’s party loyalty.

A Medium article argues that America is collapsing due to systemic racism and white supremacy, exacerbated by the election of Donald Trump. It also contends that the "whitelash" against Barack Obama's presidency fueled Trump's rise and subsequent dismantling of DEI initiatives. This piece also highlights the historical context of slavery and ongoing racial injustices as foundational to the current crisis, expressing a complex range of emotions including both a sense of justified anger and cautious hope for a better future. The piece includes responses from other readers expressing similar sentiments.

UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano is a mixed martial arts event scheduled for January 18, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The main event features a lightweight title bout between Islam Makhachev and Renato Moicano, replacing the injured Arman Tsarukyan. The co-main event is a bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov. The event will be broadcast on ESPN+ PPV, with prelims on ESPNEWS and ESPN+. Several other fights across various weight classes comprise the undercard.