By Danya Gainor, CNN

(CNN) — US District Judge Fred Biery has ordered the release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father from immigration detention in Dilley, Texas. In the fiery opinion, Biery admonished the Trump administration’s “ignorance” of the Declaration of Independence, saying Americans today are hearing echoes of Thomas Jefferson’s 1776 grievances against “a would-be authoritarian king.”

Read the full order here.

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The post READ: District judge’s scathing opinion ordering release of 5-year-old Liam Ramos and father appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

Por Kaanita Iyer, CNN en Español

Laura F. Dogu, la nueva enviada de Estados Unidos a Venezuela, llegó a Caracas el sábado, en un momento en que la administración Trump busca reabrir la embajada por primera vez en casi siete años.

“Acabo de llegar a Venezuela. Mi equipo y yo estamos listos para trabajar”, ​​dijo Dogu en una publicación en redes sociales. La publicación incluía dos fotos de la nueva enviada bajando de un avión y caminando por la pista.

En respuesta a una solicitud de comentarios sobre cuánto tiempo permanecerá Dogu en el país, un funcionario del Departamento de Estado dijo: “Trabajará con personas del sector público y privado, así como con la sociedad civil, para impulsar el plan de tres fases del presidente y el secretario para Venezuela”.

El ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Venezuela, Yván Gil Pinto, celebró la llegada de Dogu y dijo en una publicación en redes sociales que le da la bienvenida “como parte de la agenda de trabajo” entre los gobiernos de Estados Unidos y Venezuela, “orientada a establecer una hoja de ruta para trabajar en asuntos de interés bilateral, así como a abordar y resolver las diferencias existentes a través del diálogo diplomático y sobre la base del respeto mutuo y el derecho internacional”.

Dogu es la encargada de negocios de la Unidad de Asuntos de Venezuela de Estados Unidos, que tiene su sede en Colombia.

Su llegada se produce después de que el secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, dijera durante una audiencia en el Senado el miércoles que Dogu dirigiría “en última instancia” desde Caracas y que Estados Unidos establecería una presencia diplomática en Venezuela “muy rápidamente”.

A principios de esta semana, el Departamento de Estado informó al Congreso que planea utilizar un “enfoque gradual” para reanudar potencialmente los servicios en la embajada, lo que podría incluir la apertura de una instalación temporal.

La CIA también está trabajando para establecer una presencia estadounidense permanente en Venezuela, según informó CNN en exclusiva a principios de esta semana.

Tras la captura del presidente venezolano Nicolás Maduro a principios de este mes, Estados Unidos ha buscado establecer y expandir su presencia en el país. El presidente Donald Trump dijo tras la destitución de Maduro que su administración “gobernaría” el país y ejercería control sobre su producción de petróleo.

Trump dijo el jueves que Estados Unidos “abriría” el espacio aéreo comercial sobre Venezuela, aunque técnicamente no está cerrado. El Gobierno de Venezuela, encabezado por la exvicepresidenta de Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez, ha tomado recientemente medidas favorables a Washington, incluyendo la aprobación de una reforma legal que facilitará la participación de empresas extranjeras en la industria petrolera del país.

Esta semana, Rodríguez también propuso una ley de amnistía que podría conducir a la liberación de cientos de presos políticos y anunció el cierre de un reconocido centro de detención. Las autoridades estadounidenses informaron ese mismo día que Venezuela había liberado a todos los ciudadanos estadounidenses detenidos en el país. El Gobierno de Trump ha exigido la liberación de todos los presos políticos.

Dogu es una diplomática de larga trayectoria que anteriormente se desempeñó como embajadora en Honduras y Nicaragua. Actualmente también es asesora de política exterior

PhotoMavenStock // Shutterstock

With recent fraud investigations ongoing in Minnesota and beyond — often allegedly centered on childcare businesses and other programs for needy children — followed by a new announcement of free daycares from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, taxpayers may be eager to understand where their tax dollars go.

According to the latest data from the federal government’s Office of Child Care, just over $29 billion was spent on childcare subsidies in fiscal year 2022, with money issued from both federal and state government sources over the last few years. This funding can be assigned to a multitude of categorical intents, including ensuring quality programs, staff training, administrative costs, and more.

With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked each U.S. state based on the number of federal dollars spent on subsidies to childcare centers per resident younger than five years old.

Key Findings

• New Mexico has the highest federal childcare subsidies at $1,782 per child. A total of $187.1 million in federal subsidies was spent in 2022 on behalf of 104,994 children under age five residing in the state. West Virginia had the second-highest childcare subsidies per capita at $1,651 for each of 87,469 young children.
• Federal childcare subsidies are lowest in these states. South Dakota reported the lowest subsidies per capita in 2022 at $482 spent for each of 57,246 children under five. Virginia had the second-lowest rate of subsidies at $546 per child, followed by Nevada at $564 and Minnesota at $629.
• Massachusetts and Minnesota are among the most expensive for childcare. Nationwide, the weekly median cost of childcare ranges from $108 to $462, depending on location and age of the child. Infant care is most expensive, with Massachusetts and Minnesota ranking first and second-highest in this metric at $462 and $390 per week, respectively. Toddler prices in these states come in at $409 and $348 per week, while preschoolers cost a median of $310 in Massachusetts and $309 in Minnesota.
• Median childcare is less than $150 per week in these states. Regardless of child age, weekly median childcare costs clocked in lowest in Mississippi, where a week of infant care is $119, while a week of toddler or preschooler care is $108. Alabama is the second most affordable, with infant care at $136, toddler care at $134, and preschooler care at $126 weekly. In South Dakota, the median price is $150 for infants and toddlers, and $136 for preschoolers.

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SeventyFour // Shutterstock

As a small landlord, a single bad tenant can devastate your business. Unlike large management companies with diversified portfolios and legal departments, you don’t have the financial cushion to absorb months of unpaid rent, costly eviction proceedings, or thousands of dollars in property damage.

When your livelihood depends on finding reliable tenants, the temptation to rely on gut feelings, personal preferences, or seemingly “safe” assumptions about applicants becomes dangerously strong—but these instincts often lead to illegal discrimination that can result in costly lawsuits, hefty fines, and damaged reputations.

Understanding how to screen tenants fairly while staying compliant with all applicable laws doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right tools, knowledge, and processes, you can confidently evaluate applicants, select qualified tenants, and protect yourself from legal liability, RentRedi reports.

Understanding Fair Housing Laws and Your Legal Obligations

Fair housing laws exist to ensure that all prospective tenants have equal access to rental housing regardless of their protected characteristics. These laws create a legal framework that affects every aspect of the tenant screening process, from how you advertise vacancies to the criteria you use for making rental decisions.

Federal Fair Housing Act Protections

The Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on seven protected classes:

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• Sex
• National origin
• Familial status
• Disability

These protections apply to virtually all rental housing, with very limited exceptions for owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units and single-family homes rented without a real estate agent.

It’s absolutely essential for small landlords to have a firm understanding of what constitutes discrimination under federal law. Discrimination can be intentional (disparate treatment) or unintentional (disparate impact):

Disparate treatment occurs when you deliberately treat applicants differently based on protected characteristics.

Disparate impact happens when seemingly neutral policies disproportionately affect protected groups, even without discriminatory intent.

The law covers all aspects of the rental process, including advertising, application procedures, screening criteria, lease terms, and ongoing tenant relations. Even casual comments about preferred tenant types or neighborhood demographics can create legal liability if they suggest bias against protected groups.

State and Local Fair Housing Expansions

Many states and municipalities have expanded fair housing protections beyond federal requirements, often including additional protected classes such as:

• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity
• Source of income
• Criminal history
• Immigration status

These local expansions can significantly impact your screening procedures and require careful attention to comply with all applicable laws.

Source of

Sunsweet Growers

The phrase “gut health” is coming up a lot lately online and in the wellness world. Digestive health has gone from being a niche topic to a critical element to feeling good overall: from energy levels and mood to comfort and balance.

At the same time, fiber has stepped out of the background. It’s no longer just something nutrition experts talk about; it’s something people actively say they try to eat more of. The catch? 90% of women and 97% of men in the U.S. are not meeting their daily fiber requirements. They lack clarity on how much they need, how it affects their body beyond digestion, and how to realistically incorporate it into their daily routine.

A new national survey commissioned by Sunsweet Growers explores how Americans think about gut health, fiber, and feeling good. The data shows gut health is a priority, but people still aren’t sure how to get the fiber they need.

What is fiber and why do we need it?

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in plant foods that your body can’t fully digest — but that’s actually a good thing. Instead of being broken down, fiber moves through the body undigested, helping things run smoothly and keeping your hunger and blood sugar levels stabilized. Fiber can help you feel fuller longer, support healthy blood sugar levels, and even lower cholesterol.

There are two kinds of fiber — soluble and insoluble — and both are essential to overall health. Soluble fiber slows digestion and can help lower cholesterol, and it can be found in foods like oats, beans and apples. Insoluble fiber helps move foods through the digestive tract and promote regularity, and it can be found in foods like whole grains and dark leafy greens. Many whole foods, like prunes, contain both forms of fiber.

Survey finds Americans think gut health is a core part of wellness

According to the Nutrition and Digestive Health Survey, an online survey of 1,249 nationally representative American adults fielded by YouGov on behalf of Sunsweet conducted December 18-19, 2025, most Americans see gut health as a core part of everyday wellness.

Sunsweet Growers

Findings include:

• Good digestion is rated as important by 95% of U.S. adults and sits on par with hydration (97%), vitamin intake (92%), and energy levels (91%).
• 84% of U.S. adults believe that gut health is at least somewhat associated with feeling good day to day.
• Parents are more likely than non-parents to say having good digestion is very important to their overall well-being (71% vs. 61%).

Malina Malkani, MS, RD, who has worked with Sunsweet, explains, “As both a Read more