Federal judge accepts redrawn Georgia congressional and legislative districts

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge is accepting new Georgia congressional and legislative voting districts drawn by Republican lawmakers. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones on Thursday rejected claims that the new maps didn’t cure illegal vote dilution and should be rejected. Jones says he can’t interfere with legislative choices, even if Republicans moved to protect their power. The maps were redrawn in a recent special legislative session after Jones in October ruled that a prior set of maps illegally harmed Black voters.

Recall of nearly 5 million portable blenders under way for unsafe blades

(AP) — BlendJet is recalling about 4.8 million of its portable blenders over laceration and fire hazards after receiving dozens of injury reports. According to a notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the now-recalled BlendJet 2 Portable Blenders can overheat or catch fire. And their blender blades can also break off during use. Regulators urged consumers to stop using the recalled BlendJet 2 Portable Blenders immediately and contact BlendJet for a free base unit replacement. The Benicia, California-based company maintained its voluntary recall impacts older Blender 2 blenders — and that BlendJet 2 blenders currently available for purchase through the company’s website and retail partners are not affected.

US applications for jobless benefits rise but labor market remains solid

(AP) — More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but not enough to raise concern about the labor market or broader economy. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims rose to 218,000 for the week ending Dec. 23, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week ups and downs, fell by 250 to 212,000. Overall, 1.88 million Americans were collecting jobless benefits during the week that ended Dec. 16, an increase of 14,000 from the previous week. Weekly unemployment claims are a proxy for layoffs.

World population up 75 million this year, topping 8 billion by Jan. 1

(AP) –The world population grew by 75 million people over the past year and on New Year’s Day it will stand at more than 8 billion people. That is according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday. The worldwide growth rate in the past year was just under 1%. The growth rate for the United States in the past year was 0.53%, about half the worldwide figure. The U.S. added 1.7 million people and will have a population on New Year’s Day of 335.8 million people. If the current pace continues through the end of the decade, the 2020s could be the slowest-growing decade in U.S. history.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard out of prison years after getting boyfriend to kill her mother

(AP) — Gypsy Rose Blanchard has been released from prison on parole years after she persuaded an online boyfriend to kill her abusive mother. A spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Corrections says the now-32-year-old Missouri woman was released early Thursday from the Chillicothe Correctional Center. Blanchard’s case sparked national interest after reports emerged that her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, essentially kept her prisoner, forcing her to pretend for years that she was suffering from cancer and other serious illnesses.