*By Chloe Aiello*
Stock markets and the federal government will close on Wednesday as the U.S. marks a national day of mourning for George H.W. Bush, the 41st president.
Bush died at his home in Houston Friday night. He was 94.
President Trump has also ordered that flags on public grounds fly at half-staff for 30 days as a show of respect for the late president, who will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol before a Wednesday funeral service at Washington National Cathedral. Later, Bush will be memorialized in Houston and buried at his presidential library in College Station, Texas.
Trump's relationship with the Bush family has been marked by animosity since his bitter campaign against Jeb Bush for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. As president, Trump has mocked the elder Bush for his famous "thousand points of light" philosophy that called for a national campaign of volunteerism.
Despite his strained relationship with the Bush family, the White House said Trump will attend the state funeral with his wife, Melania. Trump also celebrated Bush's legacy in statements after his death.
"President George H.W. Bush led a long, successful and beautiful life. Whenever I was with him I saw his absolute joy for life and true pride in his family. His accomplishments were great from beginning to end. He was a truly wonderful man and will be missed by all," [he wrote on Twitter.](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1068826073775964160)
Bush's influence on American politics far transcended his one term as president. The patriarch of a political dynasty, he fathered another president, his son George W. Bush, and a two-term governor and presidential candidate, Jeb Bush. His foreign policy legacy included presiding over the over the end of the 40-year Cold War and navigating the delicate political climate that followed, including the collapse of the Soviet Union. He also united a coalition of more than 30 countries to end the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's Iraq during the first Gulf War. His decision not to remove Hussein from power laid the groundwork for the 2003 invasion of Iraq by George W. Bush.
George H.W. Bush's long career in public life began with his decorated service as a Navy pilot in WWII. That was followed by more than four decades in government, including as a congressman from Texas, ambassador to the United Nations, U.S. envoy to China, director of the C.I.A., and vice president to Ronald Reagan.
George W. Bush issued a statement late Friday confirming his father's death, just eight months after the death of his wife of more than 70 years, Barbara Bush.
"Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro, and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear Dad has died. George H.W. Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for. The entire Bush family is deeply grateful for 41's life and love, for the compassion of those who have cared and prayed for Dad, and for the condolences of our friends and fellow citizens," the 43rd president wrote.
In recent years, Bush suffered from numerous health problems, including Parkinson's disease that kept him wheelchair bound and a bout of severe pneumonia in 2013. Following his wife's April funeral, Bush was hospitalized with a severe blood infection. Still, the former president remained active late into his life ー famously celebrating his 90th birthday in 2014 with a tandem skydive.
Many U.S. consumers say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for holiday gifts in recent months, according to a a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A contributing factor is the unusually high import taxes the Trump administration put on foreign goods. While the worst-case consumer impact that many economists foresaw from the administration’s trade policies hasn’t materialized, some popular gift items have been affected more than others. Most toys and electronics sold in the U.S. come from China. So do most holiday decorations. Jewelry prices have risen due to the cost of gold.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to block states from regulating artificial intelligence. He argues that heavy regulations could stifle the industry, especially given competition from China. Trump says the U.S. needs a unified approach to AI regulation to avoid complications from state-by-state rules. The order directs the administration to draw up a list of problematic regulations for the Attorney General to challenge. States with laws could lose access to broadband funding, according to the text of the order. Some states have already passed AI laws focusing on transparency and limiting data collection.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
House Republicans in key battleground districts are working to contain the political fallout expected when thousands of their constituents face higher bills for health insurance coverage obtained through the Affordable Care Act. For a critical sliver of the GOP majority, the impending expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits after Dec. 31 could be a major political liability as they potentially face midterm headwinds in a 2026 election critical to President Donald Trump’s agenda. For Democrats, the party’s strategy for capturing the House majority revolves around pinning higher bills for groceries, health insurance and utilities on Republicans.
