Inauguration

Democrat Amy Acton, who defeated Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio's gubernatorial race, has outlined plans for her first day in office ahead of her Jan. 11 inauguration. She pledged three executive orders targeting corruption, focused on conflicts of interest between state agencies, political appointees, and the private businesses and lobbyists they interact with, including a new anti-corruption task force and stricter rules on the "revolving door" between regulators and industry. Acton later plans tax relief for working families, including expanded earned income and child tax credits. Her agenda's success depends on cooperation from a Statehouse where Republicans retain a majority but lost their supermajority, limiting their ability to override her vetoes.

The equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson in New Orleans' Jackson Square, installed in 1856, commemorates his 1815 victory at the Battle of New Orleans, the last major engagement of the War of 1812. The square, formerly Place d'Armes, was renamed in Jackson's honor in 1851 and later redeveloped under Baroness de Pontalba's beautification efforts.

Sculptor Clark Mills built the statue depicting Jackson atop a rearing horse, an engineering feat since the bronze mass stands unsupported and has survived more than a century of storms. However, it was not the first of its kind: Mills created an earlier, identical statue in Washington, D.C., which holds the distinction of being the first American-made equestrian statue and the first anywhere to show a horse balanced solely on its hind legs. Mills later produced two more copies, in Nashville and Jacksonville. Despite being a replica, the New Orleans version drew massive crowds at its 1856 unveiling and remains a defining symbol of the French Quarter.

Arizona Republican lawmakers say they remain unsatisfied with Attorney General Kris Mayes' conclusion that no criminal charges will be filed over allegations that Gov. Katie Hobbs' administration engaged in a pay-to-play scheme. The claims center on whether Hobbs' office granted Sunshine Residential Homes, a group home operator, a special rate increase after the company donated more than half a million dollars to Hobbs' inauguration and the state Democratic Party.

At a Capitol news conference, GOP leaders including Senate President T.J. Shope and Sen. David Farnsworth argued the AG's finding of no crime doesn't resolve whether taxpayer money was misused or the process was fair, citing a former Department of Child Safety deputy director who questioned the rate hike's justification. Hobbs' office and Sunshine Residential dismissed the news conference as election-year political theater, noting the two-year investigation found no wrongdoing. Separate reviews by the state Auditor General and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office remain ongoing, keeping the controversy alive ahead of the 2026 election.