INQToday: Task Force El Niño revived as threat of drought looms; Trump barred from Colorado ballot

Here’s a quick roundup of today’s top stories:

Marcos revives Task Force El Niño as threat of drought looms

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has revived the Task Force El Niño in anticipation of the weather phenomenon that is expected to cause drought and dry spells in different parts of the country.

Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., who chairs the task force as the head of the Department of National Defense (DND), confirmed this on Tuesday after a Cabinet meeting presided over by Marcos.

Trump barred from Colorado ballot for role in attack on US Capitol

Former President Donald Trump cannot appear on the ballot in Colorado in next year’s presidential election because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters, the state’s top court ruled Tuesday in a historic judgment that the U.S. Supreme Court will likely take up.

The 4-3 ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court makes Trump the first presidential candidate in U.S. history to be deemed ineligible for the White House under a rarely used provision of the U.S. Constitution that bars officials who have engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” from holding office.

LRT, MRT, PNR extends operating hours on Dec. 20-23

Railway services in Metro Manila will have extended hours from December 20 to 23, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Tuesday.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the extended operating hours of trains is in response to the Department of Transportation’s commitment to meet the needs of passengers during the Christmas rush.