1757		Robert Francois Damiens makes an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate King Louis XV of France.
1863		Union General Henry Halleck, by direction of President Abraham Lincoln, orders General Ulysses Grant to revoke his infamous General Order No. 11 that expelled Jews from his operational area.
1896		Utah becomes the 45th state of the Union.
1902		France offers to sell their Nicaraguan Canal rights to the United States.
1904		The U.S. Supreme Court decides in the Gonzales v. Williams case that Puerto Ricans are not aliens and can enter the United States freely, yet stops short of awarding citizenship.
1920		The Negro National League, the first black baseball league, is organized by Rube Foster.
1923		The Paris Conference on war reparations hits a deadlock as the French insist on the hard line and the British insist on Reconstruction.
1935		President Franklin D. Roosevelt claims in his State of the Union message that the federal government will provide jobs for 3.5 million Americans on welfare.
1936		Billboard magazine publishes its first music Hit Parade.
1941		On the Greek-Albanian front, the Greeks launch an attack towards Valona from Berat to Klisura against the Italians.
1942		Japanese forces begin the evacuation of Guadalcanal.
1951		UN forces abandon Seoul, Korea, to the Chinese Communist Army.
1952		The French Army in Indochina launches Operation Nenuphar in hopes of ejecting a Viet Minh division from the Ba Tai forest.
1969		Spain returns the Ifni province to Morocco.
1970		A 7.7 earthquake kills 15,000+ people in Tonghai County, China.
1972		Rose Heilbron becomes the first female judge to sit at the Old Bailey in London, England.
1974		President Richard Nixon refuses to hand over tape recordings and documents that had been subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee.
1975		The Khmer Rouge launches its newest assault in its five-year war in Phnom Penh. The war in Cambodia would go on until the spring of 1975.
1976		The Ulster Volunteer Force kills six Irish Catholic civilians in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The next day 10 Protestant civilians are murdered in retaliation.
1979		Ohio officials approve an out-of-court settlement awarding $675,000 to the victims and families in the 1970 shootings at Kent State University, in which four students were killed and nine wounded by National Guard troops.
1990		Over 300 people die and more than 700 are injured in Pakistan’s deadliest train accident, when an overloaded passenger train collides with an empty freight train.
1999		Jesse “The Body” Ventura, a former professional wrestler, is sworn in as populist governor of Minnesota.
1999		The euro, the new money of 11 European nations, goes into effect on the continent of Europe.
2004		NASA Mars rover Spirit successfully lands on Mars.
2004		Mikheil Saakashvili is elected President of Georgia following the Rose Revolution of November 2003.
2007		Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) becomes the first female speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
2010		Burj Khalifa (Khalifa tower) officially opens in Dubai, UAE. At 2,722 ft (829.8 m) it is the world’s tallest man-made structure.

What is the 10th Amendment? The 10th Amendment is about the powers of the Federal Government, the States, and the People. It is also referred to as the Privileges or Immunities Clause. Summary of the 10th Amendment Summary: The 10th Amendment states that any powers that the Constitution does not give to the US government, belong to the states and the people, excluding powers that the Constitution says the states cannot have. The Powers of the Federal Government, the States, and the People George Washington was the first American President who served in office from April 30, 1789, to March 4, 1797. One of the key events during his presidency was the ratification of the 10th Amendment to the Constitution. The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights, which includes the 10th amendment, was ratified (meaning approved) on December 15, 1791.

3 January 1994

References

Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar, Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau.|(2005). Milestones, The Star, 3 January.

Restoration of South African citizenship, announced on 15 December 1993 by the South African parliament led by President F.W. de Klerk, became effective four months before the first South Africa non-racial polls of 27 April, 1994. More than seven million people in the former homelands, forced to accept citizenship of their various homelands, regained their South African citizenship.  The Restoration and Extension of South African Citizenship Act No 196 of 1993 was part of a package agreed upon by the CODESA negotiating team.

Source: sahistory.org.za

 The new laws going into effect in Washington on Jan. 1, and how they may impact you.

Expanded protections under Paid Family and Medical Leave (HB 1213)

Starting in 2026, workers will receive job protection after 180 days on the job, instead of the current requirement of 12 months and 1,250 hours worked. The law also lowers the employer size threshold for those protections. In 2025, the current threshold for those protections. The measure also aims to prevent employees from taking separate blocks of protected leave under both the federal Family and Medical Leave Act and the state program. The update creates a process that allows employers to count FMLA leave at the same time as state PFML for job-protection purposes. State officials are expected to release guidance on notice requirements by late 2025.

Updated unemployment benefits eligibility for workers affected by strikes and lockouts (SB 5041)

Beginning in 2026, Washington will limit unemployment benefits for workers who lose work because of a strike. Striking employees will be ineligible for benefits until either the second Sunday after the strike begins or the day the strike ends. After that, they may receive up to six weeks of benefits following the standard one-week waiting period, unless the strike is later ruled unlawful, in which case the benefits must be repaid. 

Workers must also repay any benefits that overlap with retroactive wages they receive. For employers, any benefits paid to striking workers will be charged only to that employer’s experience rating, but businesses may be able to lower their unemployment tax rate by making a voluntary contribution to the state trust fund if they qualify under SB 5041. 

New minimum wage in WA in 2026

The minimum wage for Washington will increase in 2026. 

Right now, for 2025, the minimum wage sits at $16.66, one of the highest in the nation. In 2026, that number will rise to $17.13, beginning on Jan. 1.

Employers must update payroll and notice postings per Washington Labor & Industries.

WA’s new luxury vehicle tax law (ESSB 5801)

The law creates two luxury taxes on high-value vehicles and noncommercial aircraft beginning Jan. 1, 2026, including an 8% tax on the portion of a vehicle’s sale, lease or transfer price above $100,000. Commercial vehicles and those weighing more than 10,000 pounds — except motor homes — are exempt.

WA’s new B&O surtax/surcharge on very large businesses

A 0.5% temporary surcharge will apply to taxpayers with taxable income over $250 million from Jan. 1, 2026, to December 30, 2029, per the Washington State Legislature page.

Washington will also increase the business and occupation (B&O) tax rate for manufacturing, retailing, and wholesaling to 0.5% starting Jan. 1, 2027, and adjust other rate categories. Beginning Oct. 1, 2025, the B&O tax rate for services rose for businesses with gross receipts over $1 million.

The surcharge on financial institutions went into effect at 1.5% starting Oct. 1, 2025, and the advanced computing surcharge will rise to 7.5% with a $75 million annual cap beginning Jan. 1. The legislation also clarifies the B&O tax deduction for investment income.

Retail and consumer protections 

New statutes going into effect next month will include the following: 

• Service Contracts
• Solicited Real Estate
• Sodium Nitrite
• Medical Cannabis Database
• Alcohol Service in Public
• Insurance/Affordable Units
• Liquor Food Service Options
• Wine & Spirit Sales Limits
• Liquor Permits & Licensing
• Manufactured Homes/Organizations Sale
• Disability Insurer Filings
• Cannabis Advertising
• Insurance Statutes
• Cannabis Industry Agreements
• Reports of Fire Losses
• Medical Debt
• Mobility Equipment Repair
• Bail Bond Agents/Immigration

Other Tobacco Product Tax expansion 

Senate Bill 5814 will expand the definition of tobacco products in order to categorize them under the Other Tobacco Tax. Beginning on Jan. 1, this tax will also apply to products containing nicotine, whether they are produced from tobacco or synthetically. 

The OTP tax is in addition to retail sales and use, B&O, and “litter taxes” that may apply, according to Alvarez & Marsal.

Expanded leave rights for employees affected by hate crimes (SB 5101)

Updated Safety Standards for Isolated employees (HB 1524)

On Jan. 1, 2026, Washington will strengthen safety rules for employees who work alone. The law applies to hotels, motels, retail stores, security firms and property service companies that have at least one isolated worker, such as a janitor, housekeeper or security guard. The update expands what counts as an “isolated” work situation and adds new requirements for panic buttons, incluing training and record keeping. Employers who break the rules can face fines of up to $1,000 for a willful violation and up to $10,000 for repeated violations.

Updated workplace violence laws in healthcare settings (HB 1162)

Under this new Washington state law, healthcare facilities will be legally required to promptly investigate all incidents of workplace violence, rather than reviewing them on a periodic basis. Facilities will be required to annually update their workplace violence prevention plan based on data and incident analysis, implement safety improvements and report to their safety or workplace-violence committees.

Plastic carryout bag fee changes

Starting Jan. 1, Washington will increase the minimum cost of plastic film carry out bags at restaurants and retailers from 8 cents to 12 cents per bag, as part of a 2020 law aimed at reducing single-use plastics. The law encourages shoppers to bring their own bags, while the minimum charge for paper carry out bags will remain at 8 cents. 

Implemented in 2021, Washington’s single-use plastic bag ban prohibits thin, .5 mil disposable plastic bags and sets standards for thicker, 2.25 mil reusable plastic film bags. Additionally, the law mandates that both plastic and paper carryout bags contain at least 40% recycled content.

Source(s) Good Day Seattle, Washington Labor & Industries, Full information is available through the 2025 Washington Legislative session review,

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