‘Something positive’: Hundreds brave cold to celebrate MLK Jr. with Lexington march

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Hundreds marched through bitter cold and wind in downtown Lexington Monday to celebrate the legacy of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.

Lexington-area residents said showing up Jan. 19 was particularly important given the current political climate, citing limits on the teaching of diversity, equity and inclusion principles in schools.

Prosperitie Holloman, who was joined by her husband Steven pulling their two children in a wagon, said her 10-year-old didn’t know much about King because schools are afraid to teach about him. “So, we’re here because we need to teach him,” Holloman said. “He needs to understand that for Black people, we had to fight for our freedom, people died for our freedom.”

Sen. Reggie Thomas, D-Lexington; Mayor Linda Gorton; and Rocky Adkins, senior adviser to Gov. Andy Beshear, marched alongside others in the front. The demonstration often features political figures like the governor and local officials.

—Lexington Herald-Leader

Miami Beach nightclub apologizes after influencers seen partying to Kanye's 'Heil Hitler' song

MIAMI — Miami Beach nightclub Vendôme has apologized for a “deeply offensive and unacceptable” video circulating online, which appears to show a group of popular and controversial influencers partying to Kanye West’s antisemitic song, “Heil Hitler.”

People took to social media platforms over the weekend including Instagram, TikTok and X about “how this requested song came to be played during a bottle parade,” according to Vendôme’s social media post.

In a video captured inside a van, influencers Andrew Tate, Tristan Tate, Nick Fuentes, Clavicular, Sneako, Myron Gaines and Justin Waller appear to be blasting West’s song while arriving to a nightclub, according to footage posted on social media.

West’s song is banned in Germany and major music platforms in America took steps to remove or ban the song due to its messaging.

—Miami Herald

As EPA ponders Clean Water Act, activists say business eclipsing environment

The long-term health of the ocean off the coast of Southern California, and the health of the region’s freshwater streams and rivers and lakes, soon could hinge on the Trump administration’s definition of a single word: ditch.

The Environmental Protection Agency is in the midst of sorting out which of the “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS – the creeks, streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, wetlands, oceans, and, yes, in a few cases, ditches – should still be protected from pollution by the Clean Water Act of 1972.

At least some of the proposed new rules could result in more pollution in Southern California’s vast network of paved flood control channels, which soon could be viewed by the federal government as “ephemeral ditches.” That, in turn, could translate into a dirtier Pacific and dirtier rivers and creeks.

Though details of the EPA’s proposals are complex and filled with legalese, the agency’s broader goal is pretty simple. In November, when it initially posted its water proposals, the EPA wrote: “When finished, this WOTUS rule will help accelerate economic prosperity while protecting vital water resources.”

—The Orange County Register

Trump’s Gaza peace board faces rewrite calls after messy start

U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace has got off to a rough start: questioned by Europe, criticized by Israel and celebrated by friends of the Kremlin.

France’s Emmanuel Macron, for one, has come right out of the gate to decline an invitation that was also extended to strongmen such as Belarus’ autocratic leader Alexander Lukashenko. Several liberal democracies are squirming, uncertain how to respond and not wanting to offend Trump. They don’t have long to decide.

Trump wants the full constitution and remit of the committee signed in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter. But some elements of the small print have left invitees wondering whether to accept.

Trump is demanding that nations pay $1 billion for permanent membership of the board, Bloomberg reported, a condition since confirmed by the White House. That has blindsided world leaders and left many bewildered, according to people familiar with the matter.

—Bloomberg News