Daily Briefing: Banned from Colorado's ballot

In a historic ruling, the Colorado Supreme Court barred Donald Trump from the state's primary presidential ballot. Chilling details have emerged of what hostages kidnapped by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 faced at the hands of their captors. COVID-19 cases are on the rise again with the latest variant, JN.1, circulating as the holidays approach.

👋🏾 I'm Jane, Daily Briefing author. Thirteen thousand people watched a chair fall in New Jersey. Here's why this story has legs.

Now, here's Wednesday's news.

Donald Trump disqualified from Colorado's primary ballot

A divided Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday declared former President Donald Trump ineligible for the White House under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause and removed him from the state’s presidential primary ballot. It's the first time a court has embraced a theory that he disqualified himself from a second term by attempting to overturn the 2020 election.

"President Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president," the state court wrote in an unsigned opinion. "Because he is disqualified, it would be a wrongful act under the election code for the secretary to list him as a candidate on the presidential primary ballot."

• The decision from a court whose justices were all appointed by Democratic governors marks the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment has been used to disqualify a presidential candidate.

• The Colorado court, which voted 4-3, said it would stay its own ruling until early January, giving Trump time to appeal to the Supreme Court. Trump is almost certain to do so, which would put a historic question before the nation's highest court.

• Broadly at issue is the wording of the Constitution's insurrection clause and whether Trump incited an insurrection when his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Hostages in Gaza were sexually assaulted. Chilling details emerge

At gunpoint, she is dragged by her long brown hair into the vehicle. That is the last time, captured in a video taken on Oct. 7, that Naama Levy, 19, was seen alive. She is among 17 female hostages still held by Hamas somewhere in Gaza. Their families fear the worst. There is mounting evidence of rape, sexual violence and mutilation during the Hamas attacks in Israel on Oct. 7. But sexual assault appears not to have been confined to that day. Two Israeli doctors and an Israeli military official confirmed to USA TODAY that some released hostages revealed they suffered violent sexual assaults in captivity. Read more

• U.N. Security Council vote on Gaza resolution delayed; most U.S. voters disapprove of Biden's handling of war.

More news to know now

• Atmospheric river aimed at SoCal: Flooding alerts for millions, thanks to El Niño.

• Arizona house fire tragedy: 5 kids dead after dad left to shop for Christmas gifts, food.

• "Thank you for being my friend": The pure joy that was NBA Hall of Famer Dražen Petrović.

• For subscribers: Family decries deadly violence migrants face in Juárez on journey to U.S.

• On today's The Excerpt podcast, the state Supreme Court rules Donald Trump is disqualified from the 2024 primary ballot in Colorado. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Earthquake in northwestern China kills at least 131 people

Survivors of an earthquake mourned the dead and endured frigid cold in temporary shelters Wednesday in the remote mountains of northwest China. Houses caved in and crumbled in a Monday night earthquake that killed at least 131 people and injured more than 900. It was the nation’s deadliest quake in nine years. The U.S. Geological Survey said it was a "notable quake" and gave a preliminary magnitude of 5.9. But Chinese authorities put the earthquake at a 6.2 magnitude, according to Xinhua News Agency.

New COVID variant JN.1 is on the rise: What to look out for

COVID cases are on the rise again. A long list of COVID-19 variants and mutations have developed since the virus arrived in the U.S. over three years ago. The latest COVID variant, dubbed JN.1, is one such mutation currently making its way across the nation and several other countries. Like other circulating strains, it descends from omicron but appears to be more contagious than some other COVID forms, as indicated by its rapid spread. Read more

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• From Reviewed: 5 tips for preventing a kitchen fire over the holidays.

• Why is my dryer not drying clothes fast enough? These easy hacks might help.

'The Voice' crowns Huntley its Season 24 champion

Virginia vocalist Huntley was crowned the winner of Season 24 of NBC's "The Voice." The Team Niall singer and 16-year-old Team Reba singer Ruby Leigh went head-to-head for the title. Huntley joined musical forces with Horan for an earnest acoustic rendition of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan during Tuesday's finale. Huntley said ahead of his win: "(Niall) showed me that I can be myself in this industry ... I can be my goofy Huntley self, and I love that." Read more

Photo of the day: Remembering the legacy of Sandra Day O'Connor

Sandra Day O'Connor, the gritty ranch girl who became the first female Supreme Court justice and one of the nation's most powerful women, was remembered during a funeral service Tuesday at the Washington National Cathedral. Hundreds paid their respects to her on Monday as she lay in repose at the Supreme Court with dozens of her former staffers, clerks and current justices on hand. Read more

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Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colorado ruling, Hamas hostages, China earthquake, The Voice: Daily Briefing