Eric Adams, a retired cop, former state senator, and outgoing Brooklyn borough president, was officially sworn in as New York City’s 110th mayor in Times Square following the New Year’s Eve ball drop.

On Friday, federal Judge James Hendrix in Texas blocked a mask and vaccine mandate in that state’s Head Start program making this the latest strike from Texas Republicans against the Biden administration. Hendrix was appointed in 2019 by President Trump.

South African police said on Monday they had charged a man with arson over a fire that caused extensive damage to the national parliament building in Cape Town, as firefighters struggled to extinguish the last remains of the blaze.