For those who accuse the Trump administration of expansionist ambitions because of the attack on Venezuela that achieved the extradition of the tyrannical dictator and faux president Nicolás Maduro, it would be instructive to remember who the real expansionist was: Maduro.
Maduro had designs on the <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/essequibo-pressure-cooker-runaway-nationalism-and-maduros-compellence-strategy">Essequibo region</a> — an oil-resource-rich territory in Guyana — which comprises two-thirds of Guyana’s territory. Despite a long-standing status quo, Maduro had laid claim to the region following the discovery of massive offshore oil deposits by an ExxonMobil-led consortium.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;Trump&#39;s capture of Maduro is IMPERIALISM! How dare he!&quot;
Maduro tried to annex something like 3/4s of the neighboring country of Guyana just last year because oil was discovered offshore. But please tell me more about the horrors of imperialism <a href="https://t.co/aGSkOscmc9">pic.twitter.com/aGSkOscmc9</a>
&mdash; Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) <a href="https://twitter.com/willchamberlain/status/2007664156686651397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In 2023, Maduro accused Guyana’s president Irfaan Ali of “hypocrisy and false victimization,” adding, “President Irfaan Ali, enough of lies and of trying to hide the historical truth that weighs on the dispute over the Essequibo territory, whose only means of resolution, as you well know, is the Geneva Agreement of 1966. The steps your government is taking violate international legality and jeopardize peace in the region.”
That was a lie; the 1966 Geneva Agreement <a href="https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%20561/volume-561-I-8192-English.pdf">stated</a> that if Venezuela and Guyana did not resolve the issue, “they shall refer the decision as to the means of settlement to an appropriate international organ upon which they both agree or, failing agreement on this point, to the secretary-general of the United Nations.”
Guyana did exactly that, as the Voice of America <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/fact-check-venezuelan-maduro-baselessly-accuses-guyana-s-ali-of-violating-treaty-of-geneva/7290690.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reported</a>.
Maduro’s strategy included referendums and legislative moves aimed at the &#8220;defense&#8221; of Essequibo, which international bodies like the OAS and CARICOM labeled illegal and a &#8220;crime of aggression.&#8221; In addition, Venezuelan naval vessels entered disputed waters near ExxonMobil’s operations.
In response to these expansionist moves, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.wsls.com/business/2025/03/27/rubio-visits-guyana-as-part-of-his-caribbean-tour-to-promote-energy-independence-and-curb-migration">issued</a> explicit, high-stakes warnings to the Venezuelan &#8220;narco-trafficking regime.&#8221; In March 2025, on a Caribbean tour to strengthen ties and promote energy independence, he stated that aggressive action by Venezuela “would be a very bad day for Venezuela,” emphasizing consequences for “adventurism” and aggression.
Rubio’s strategy included:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Military Cooperation: Signing security agreements to enhance intelligence sharing and conducting joint naval exercises between the U.S. Navy and Guyana.</li>
<li>Economic Pressure: Implementing severe sanctions and tariffs on countries that imported Venezuelan oil, aiming to dismantle the regime’s financial lifeblood.</li>
<li>Strategic Alliances: Promoting Guyana as a key partner to wean the Caribbean off Venezuelan energy, effectively neutralizing Maduro’s regional influence.</li>
</ul>
Meanwhile, Maduro’s then-vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, maintained that Venezuela would never cede its claim.

Protest In Caracas In Support Of Nicolas Maduro After Being Labelled By The US Government As The Leader Of “Cartel De Los Soles”

Maduro Was The Real Expansionist Threat — Not The Trump Administration

Donald Trump

Guyana

Marco Rubio

Nicolas Maduro

Oil and Gas

Venezuela

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) has launched a sweeping investigation into alleged systemic fraud and misuse of federal funds in Minnesota’s social services programs. The inquiry is scheduled to begin on January 7, 2026. This initial session will feature testimony from Minnesota state lawmakers, including Republican Reps. Kristin Robbins, Walter Hudson, and Marion Rarick, who claim that their prior warnings about fiscal misconduct were ignored by state leadership.
The investigation targets a &#8220;heist&#8221; of taxpayer dollars that has occurred during the administrations of Democrat Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison. Chairman Comer has formally invited both Walz and Ellison to testify on February 10, 2026, <a href="file:///The%20press%20release%20stated">accusing</a> them of being &#8220;asleep at the wheel or complicit&#8221; in the disappearance of billions of dollars. To support the probe, the Committee has requested Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and scheduled transcribed interviews with various state officials.
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This congressional action coincides with an aggressive federal crackdown led by the Trump administration. Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-uncovers-another-400-million-in-suspected-minnesota-fraud">announced</a> the suspension of 6,900 Minnesota borrowers linked to approximately $400 million in potentially fraudulent pandemic-era loans. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Human Services has frozen all childcare payments to the state following allegations of widespread fraud at daycare centers. Federal investigators are also probing schemes involving fraudulent autism diagnoses and the &#8220;Feeding Our Future&#8221; program, which allegedly diverted funds intended for hungry children.
Critics, including House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minnesota-congressman-says-walz-administration-squashed-fraud-probe-to-appease-somali-voting-bloc">allege</a> that state leadership intentionally stifled investigations to maintain political support within specific immigrant communities. Reports suggest that Minnesota’s social programs may have lost as much as $9 billion to fraud since 2018.
While Governor Walz has defended his record and characterized the investigations as politically motivated attempts to justify funding cuts, Chairman Comer maintains that Congress has a duty to ensure accountability. The Committee’s ultimate goal is to expose the failures that allowed these &#8220;criminal actors&#8221; to exploit taxpayer-funded programs and to implement rigorous safeguards against future theft.

MixCollage-02-Jan-2026-11-43-AM-3696

House Oversight Launches Investigation Into Multibillion-Dollar Minnesota Fraud

Fraud

House Oversight Committee

James Comer

Keith Ellison

Minnesota

Tim Walz

Newly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has moved with immediate and controversial speed to strip away the pro-Israel infrastructure established by his predecessor, Eric Adams. While Mamdani framed his sweeping executive orders as a &#8220;fresh start&#8221; following the Adams&#8217;s indictment, critics and international observers, including Israel’s Foreign Ministry, have <a href="https://www.jns.org/mamdani-axes-all-adams-executive-orders-in-past-15-months-including-those-defending-jews/">characterized</a> the moves as a calculated expression of Mamdani&#8217;s long-standing hostility toward the Jewish state.
Within hours of taking office, Mamdani signed an <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/content/dam/nycgov/mayors-office/downloads/pdf/executive-orders/2026/eo1-prior-executive-orders.pdf?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">executive order</a> revoking all mayoral directives issued after September 26, 2024. This action effectively axed several key protections for the Jewish community and measures aimed at strengthening ties with Israel:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>IHRA Definition: He scrapped the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) <a href="https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definition-antisemitism">definition of antisemitism</a>, a tool used by more than 30 countries to identify anti-Jewish hate, particularly when it targets Israel&#8217;s right to exist.</li>
<li>Anti-BDS Measures: He <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/zohran-mamdani-nyc-antisemitism/2026/01/02/id/1240493/">lifted</a> Executive Order 60, which barred city entities from boycotting or divesting from Israel.</li>
<li>Safety Buffers: He revoked directives aimed at creating protest-free zones around houses of worship, a move previously intended to protect synagogues from targeted demonstrations.</li>
</ul>
Mamdani’s early actions align with a political history defined by intense opposition to Israel. As a student, he founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and as a state legislator, he sponsored the &#8220;Not on Our Dime&#8221; Act, which sought to strip New York charities that provide aid to Israeli causes of their tax-exempt status.
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His rhetoric has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leaked-docs-reveal-dsas-anti-israel-strategy-under-mamdanis-watch">equally severe</a>. Mamdani has:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Referred to Israel’s military operations as &#8220;genocide.&#8221;</li>
<li>Refused to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.</li>
<li>Linked the NYPD to the Israel Defense Forces through disparaging metaphors, claiming the &#8220;boot of the NYPD&#8221; is &#8220;laced by the IDF.&#8221;</li>
<li>Publicly praised members of the Holy Land Foundation, who were convicted of funneling millions of dollars to Hamas terrorists.</li>
</ul>
While Mamdani claims he will keep the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, the removal of the IHRA definition and the lifting of anti-boycott rules signal a fundamental shift. Internal documents from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) suggest a broader agenda to use Mamdani’s office to divest city pensions from Israeli bonds and terminate NYPD cooperation with Israeli security forces. For many in New York’s Jewish community, these first 24 hours represent the beginning of an era defined by the institutionalization of anti-Zionism at City Hall.

Democrat Zohran Mamdani becomes the first Muslim mayor of New York City

Mamdani’s First Act As NYC Mayor: Dismantle Pro-Israel Policies

antisemitism

Israel

Jews

New York

New York City

Politics

Zohran Mamdani

The geopolitical landscape of the Horn of Africa shifted significantly this week as the United States signaled a move toward the formal recognition of Somaliland, which holds a key strategic location in an increasingly dangerous corner of the globe.
The rationale for the United States to recognize Somaliland and elevate it to a primary ally rests on three pillars: strategic necessity, moral clarity, and the rewarding of proven governance.
A high-level U.S. military and diplomatic mission met with the Somaliland&#8217;s in its capital city of Hargeisa before conducting a strategic tour of the Berbera port and air base alongside Somaliland&#8217;s military leadership. These meetings focused on finalizing security partnership agreements, a step interpreted as the precursor to full U.S. diplomatic recognition.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 BREAKING: The President of the Republic of Somaliland hosted 🇺🇸U.S. Africa Command General Dagvin Anderson and U.S. Deputy Ambassador Justin Davis in Hargeisa for high-level talks on Horn of Africa and Red Sea security. The delegation then flew with Somaliland officials,… <a href="https://t.co/ldh3EkMXsc">pic.twitter.com/ldh3EkMXsc</a>
&mdash; REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND (@RepOfSomaliland) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepOfSomaliland/status/2006757599589568629?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As the Red Sea corridor becomes increasingly contested by Houthi militants and Iranian influence, Somaliland’s Berbera port offers a vital &#8220;safe zone&#8221; for global trade. For the U.S. military, Somaliland provides a crucial hedge against the over-reliance on Djibouti, which now hosts a Chinese military base.
Unlike the federal government in Mogadishu, which has struggled for decades to contain the al Shabaab terrorist group despite billions in American aid, Somaliland has successfully secured its 500-mile coastline and kept extremist groups at bay through indigenous stability.
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The case for recognition is a pragmatic application of the principle of &#8220;rewarding success rather than subsidizing failure.&#8221;
While Somalia has absorbed more than $10 billion in aid—often lost to corruption and warlord networks—Somaliland has built a functioning, self-reliant state. It meets all criteria of the Montevideo Convention&#8217;s definition of a state: a defined territory, a stable population, and an effective government that provides security and conducts peaceful, democratic elections. Recognition allows the United States to formalize defense cooperation with a partner that already behaves like an ally, rather than maintaining the &#8220;diplomatic fiction&#8221; that Mogadishu governs the territory.
Somaliland has demonstrated its alignment with Western interests by partnering with Taiwan and receiving formal recognition from Israel in late 2025.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Somaliland National Army Captain:🎖️
“To the people and leadership of Israel: Thank you for standing on the right side of history. Thank you for recognizing the potential and success that many who once called themselves our brothers and sisters chose to ignore. Thank you for… <a href="https://t.co/tTBWOvjKL8">pic.twitter.com/tTBWOvjKL8</a>
&mdash; REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND (@RepOfSomaliland) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepOfSomaliland/status/2006757896080732370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As one social media pundit <a href="https://x.com/amuse/status/2006732999165890624">pointed out,</a> U.S. recognition would also serve as a &#8220;useful diagnostic&#8221; against domestic political interests—such as those of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) —who favor the Mogadishu-led status quo.
By recognizing Somaliland, the United States shifts its policy toward reality, signaling that sovereignty is earned through responsibility and democratic consent. This move secures a reliable partner at a global chokepoint, while offering a model of success for the rest of the region.

SOMALIA-SOMALILAND-ISRAEL-DIPLOMACY

The Berbera Breakthrough: Why The U.S. Should Move Toward Recognizing Somaliland

Global Politics

recognition

Somaliland

World

The situation surrounding Zohran Mamdani’s swearing-in as New York City mayor has produced an unusual quirk on social media: he has inherited the official @NYCMayor account along with all of the tweets posted under former Mayor Eric Adams — including Adams’s pro-Israel messaging. Because the account name and profile have now been updated to reflect Mayor Mamdani, those older tweets remain publicly visible under his name, even though they were written before he took office, creating a jarring and sometimes humorous mismatch between past content and the new mayor’s positions.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The NYC Mayor’s Twitter account is now under Mayor Mamdani’s name, but unlike the White House accounts, prior tweets are not archived or clearly attributed to past administrations. 
As a result, there are tweets still visible that are jarring when they appear under Mayor… <a href="https://t.co/lxgbmrEmY1">pic.twitter.com/lxgbmrEmY1</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/2006655497668276386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
For the record, Mamdani condemned Netanyahu when he appeared at UN and accused him of genocide. NYC needs to update its social media management.
&mdash; Rowan Scarborough (@RoScarborough) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoScarborough/status/2006669387227697654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This contrasts sharply with how official White House social-media accounts are handled during a presidential transition. As <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/01/20/so-what-happens-to-the-potus-twitter-account-now/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">The Washington Post</a> explained in 2017 when Donald Trump assumed office, institutional federal accounts such as @POTUS, @WhiteHouse, @FLOTUS, @VP, and @PressSec transfer to the incoming administration with their followers but not their content. The outgoing administration’s tweets are archived under separate, clearly labeled accounts (such as @POTUS44 for Barack Obama), while the new administration begins with a clean slate. This system prevents confusion about who authored past posts and preserves a clear public record.
New York City, however, treats @NYCMayor as a continuous government communications tool rather than a time-limited account tied to a specific mayor. The account is owned and managed by the City of New York through the Mayor’s Office of Digital Strategy under city social media policy. That means the account is not reset or archived when a new mayor takes office. Instead, it functions as a running institutional record spanning multiple administrations.
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As <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/zohran-mamdani-x-account-eric-adams-new-york-mayor-israel-netanyahu-11293251?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Newsweek</a> has noted, the account has existed since January 2009 and now contains an extensive archive of posts from successive mayors. The result is that tweets written by Eric Adams remain fully visible even though the account now bears Mamdani’s name — a structural difference from federal account-transition practices that highlights how state and local governments often follow their own conventions when managing digital public records.

NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Holds Press Conf. On Political Opponents

Mamdani’s Official X Account Flush With Pro-Israel Posts

Eric Adams

General

Twitter

By the end of 2025, the United States experienced what appears to be the largest single-year decline in homicides on record, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/us-poised-end-2025-largest-year-drop-homicides/story?utm_social_handle_id=28785486&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn&amp;utm_social_post_id=638612823&amp;id=128646976">according</a> to preliminary nationwide data.
Figures compiled from more than 550 law enforcement agencies indicate murders fell by roughly 20% compared with 2024, surpassing previous year-over-year declines. While final federal crime statistics have not yet been released, analysts say the scale of the drop is unprecedented in modern American crime reporting, occurring alongside a shift toward more aggressive federal law enforcement intervention.
Despite the national improvement, violent crime remains heavily concentrated in major metropolitan areas, many of which are Democrat-run and have historically struggled with high crime rates. According to the <a href="https://majorcitieschiefs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/MCCA-Violent-Crime-Report-2025-and-2024-Midyear-2.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Major Cities Chiefs Association</a>, in the first half of 2025, 2,800 homicides were committed in major cities. While cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and Baltimore are seeing progress, they started from a baseline of extreme violence. For instance, Chicago’s homicide rate is down 30% this year, but this follows years of rampant bloodshed that peaked in 2021. Furthermore, certain Democrat-led cities have bucked the national trend entirely; Atlanta, Columbus, and Philadelphia reported increases in categories like rape, robbery, or aggravated assault, highlighting the persistent volatility in these jurisdictions.
President Donald Trump has moved aggressively to combat this urban crime through a series of decisive executive actions and federal surges. Upon taking office in January 2025, the administration prioritized public safety by restoring the federal death penalty for those who murder law enforcement and reinstating the 1033 Program, which provides local police with &#8220;unfettered access&#8221; to surplus military equipment. The administration also established Homeland Security Task Forces in all 50 states to dismantle gangs and drug trafficking networks.
A centerpiece of this strategy was the declaration of a &#8220;crime emergency&#8221; in Washington, D.C. In August 2025, the president deployed the National Guard and federal agents to assist local police, essentially taking operational control to stabilize the capital. Local officials have credited this federal &#8220;force multiplier&#8221; with helping D.C. reach its lowest homicide count in eight years.
By combining these tactical surges with the &#8220;Ending Crime and Disorder&#8221; initiative—which targets the root causes of urban instability like open-air drug use—the administration has sought to impose a national standard of safety. As the year ends, the &#8220;law and order&#8221; approach is being cited as a primary driver in ensuring that the historic decline in violence is not just a temporary fluctuation, but a permanent restoration of safety.

Crime Scene at Night: Crime Scene Investigation Team Working on a Murder. Female Police Officer Briefing Detective on the Victim’s Body. Forensics and Paramedics Working. Cinematic Shot

Historic Drop In U.S. Homicides As 2025 Sees Largest One-Year Decline

Homicide

Trump Administration

In a viral video, a Maine school board member confronted the board after he learned students could be suspended for referring to their classmates by their biological sex rather than their chosen gender identity.
Josh Tabor, who was elected as a write-in candidate for the North Berwick section of the <a href="https://www.rsu60.org/board-budget">Maine School Administrative District</a> following his two-week campaign, had the following exchange with members of the school board:
Tabor: Just for clarification, is this the policy that’s used: if a student misuses a pronoun, they are suspended?
School board member: An intentional, yeah, that’s part of the definition of bullying.
Tabor: So if I raise my daughters to, if the person is a female, appears to be a female, to use she pronouns, and that student says, “no, I want to be something else” will my child be suspended for that?
School board member: Oh, yeah. That would be harassment.
Tabor: When I heard that students are being suspended because they are using the wrong pronoun, I was aghast. I didn’t realize that. … One is biological facts, it’s actually XX chromosome, XY chromosomes. Those are facts. We can’t change those. It doesn’t matter what our opinion is. We can’t change those things.  Those are immutable facts. And I’m wondering…my question is, are we suspending students for immutable facts? That’s what I’m asking.
School board member: Not for making a genuine mistake. If someone is doing sort of what you’re sort of doing here, and sort of trying to attack somebody because you don’t agree with it, that’s very different and I think that’s what they’re talking about is, I’m going to keep saying it, because I know it bothers you, then yes, this policy should apply.
Tabor: I think that you are out of line by assuming that I am attacking anybody.
School board member: Then I don’t know what you mean.
Tabor: I’m asking a general question.
School board member: I think it’s been answered. I think if you accidentally do it, and somebody corrects you, fine, it’s not an issue.
Another board member:  I mean, think about the other kids. So what is your goal here? That they’re allowed to be dead-named?
Tabor: I do not believe it is harmful to speak the truth.
School board member: You don’t think it’s harmful to be called something you don’t identify with?
Tabor:  I don’t think it’s harmful to speak the truth.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Students are being suspended in Maine schools for not using preferred pronouns
Berwick and Lebanon Maine Schools confirm the suspension policy
“Just for clarification, is this the policy that&#39;s used if a student misuses a pronoun, they are suspended?”
“An intentional, yeah”… <a href="https://t.co/m5ThmvsnWl">pic.twitter.com/m5ThmvsnWl</a>
&mdash; Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) <a href="https://twitter.com/WallStreetApes/status/2006557661886820467?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is concerning. <a href="https://twitter.com/CivilRights?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CivilRights</a> has been investigating similar policies in other jurisdictions as well. <a href="https://t.co/Wp6pkqzn9q">https://t.co/Wp6pkqzn9q</a>
&mdash; AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) <a href="https://twitter.com/AAGDhillon/status/2006732483057037766?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
Tabor explained in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/61572848167987/videos/josh-tabor-how-he-won-his-school-board-seatmsad-60berwick-lebanon-as-a-write-in-/685803680579781/">another forum</a> what prompted him to run for the board:
<blockquote>
I had a conversation with my dad. He said, “Are you going back into education?’ I said, “Hell, no. That place is a viper pit. All they do is ruin everything they touch.” I firmly believe that, and I’m in it still.
This is what my father said to me; wise words from a very wise man. He said, “Josh, you’re a firecracker; you’ve been a firecracker your whole life. I want you to think about the effect a firecracker has on the outside of a box: It makes a loud bang and a little small mark; you can have an effect from the outside. But I want you to think about the what a firecracker does if it’s on the inside of the box.”
“And I went, ‘Damn, Dad.’ Because he was right.
</blockquote>

JetBlue To Open First Lounge At New York’s JFK Amid Premium Push

Viral Clash: Maine School Board Member Questions Policy Treating ‘Misgendering’ As Bullying

Maine

Transgender

What was intended to be a night of celebration turned into a scene of unimaginable horror early Thursday morning, as a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/switzerland-ski-resort-fire-live-intl-hnk">massive fire</a> tore through a crowded nightclub in the elite Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana. Authorities say dozens of people are presumed dead, and approximately 100 others have been injured, many of them critically, after a blaze <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/01/world/switzerland-ski-resort-fire">gutted</a> the popular venue &#8220;Le Constellation&#8221; during a New Year’s Eve party.
The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. local time in the heart of the exclusive Alpine haven, known for its panoramic views of the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. Witnesses described a chaotic and terrifying scene that unfolded in mere seconds. According to accounts provided to CNN affiliate BFMTV, the tragedy may have been sparked by pyrotechnics. Witnesses reported seeing waitresses carrying champagne bottles topped with lit sparklers; in one instance, a server was reportedly standing on another’s shoulders to reach the crowd. The flames reportedly licked the ceiling, igniting the interior almost instantly.
&#8220;Within about ten seconds, the entire nightclub was on fire,&#8221; one survivor recalled. &#8220;We all ran out screaming.&#8221;
The Swiss government launched a massive emergency operation, mobilizing 150 medical personnel, 40 ambulances, and 10 helicopters. The influx of casualties was so great that local operating theaters reached capacity, necessitating the use of three specialized jets to airlift severe burn victims to Zurich.
Swiss President Guy Parmelin, who began his term on Thursday, postponed his scheduled New Year’s address to the nation. &#8220;What should have been a moment of joy turned into a night of mourning,&#8221; he stated, acknowledging the international impact of the disaster given the resort&#8217;s status as a global tourist destination.
Prosecutor General Beatrice Pilloud confirmed that while the cause is under investigation, officials have ruled out terrorism. A no-fly zone has been established over the area to facilitate recovery efforts and forensic identification.
As the sun rose over the Valais Alps, images from the scene revealed the grim aftermath: a charred building skeleton, its furniture and debris destroyed. For now, the glamorous streets of Crans-Montana remain cordoned off as investigators begin the grim task of identifying the victims and returning them to their families.

Fire In Bar At Swiss Ski Resort Of Crans-Montana Kills Dozens

Tragedy In The Alps: Dozens Presumed Dead In Swiss Ski Resort Fire At New Year’s Party

Fire

Ski Resort

Switzerland

In a move that has sparked intense criticism for its timing and lack of transparency, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie quietly <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15423337/San-Francisco-mayor-sneaks-reparations-bill-just-Christmas-black-resident-city-5-MILLION-taxpayer-cash.html">signed</a> the city’s highly controversial Reparations Bill just two days before Christmas.
The ordinance establishes a dedicated reparations fund, creating a legal framework to address what they deem to be historical systemic harms against the city’s black community, including a proposal that could eventually grant eligible residents lump-sum payments of $5 million.
The timing of the signing — tucked away during the peak of the holiday season — has been characterized by critics as a calculated attempt to avoid public scrutiny and bypass the inevitable backlash associated with such a divisive policy.
San Francisco journalist Erica Sandberg and conservative activist Richie Greenberg were among the first to sound the alarm, with Sandberg <a href="https://ericasandberg.substack.com/p/city-leaders-owe-san-franciscans">noting</a> the hypocrisy of making such a &#8220;unilateral decision&#8221; that appears fundamentally at odds with general public sentiment.
The bill stems from the 2023 report by the African American Reparations Advisory Committee (AARAC), which outlined over 100 recommendations. Beyond the $5 million payments, the plan suggests debt forgiveness, city-funded homes for $1, and a guaranteed annual income of $97,000 for qualifying black residents.
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While the Mayor’s office emphasized that the bill currently allocates no taxpayer dollars and serves only as a &#8220;structure&#8221; for future city or private funding, the legislative move signals a massive potential shift in city policy. In 2023, the Hoover Institution <a href="https://www.hoover.org/research/cost-san-franciscos-reparations-proposal-nearly-600000-household">estimated</a> the cost, “presented on a per-household basis, will be nearly $600,000 per non–African American San Francisco household.”
Lurie defended the quiet signing by citing the city&#8217;s dire financial situation, noting a looming $1 billion budget deficit that prevents immediate funding. He suggested that the city &#8220;stands ready&#8221; to facilitate private donations instead. However, the &#8220;sly&#8221; nature of the passage has reignited concerns regarding the city&#8217;s history of financial mismanagement.
Critics have <a href="https://thevoicesf.org/broken-dreams/#:~:text=Tinisch%20Hollins%2C%20director%20of%20the,a%20shell%20compan">pointed</a> to the &#8220;Dream Keeper Initiative&#8221; — a similar program plagued by allegations of &#8220;grift and cronyism&#8221; — as a cautionary tale of how such funds can be mismanaged by local officials. Even the local NAACP expressed skepticism, calling the $5 million figure &#8220;arbitrary&#8221; and warning that the Mayor’s quiet endorsement of the framework may be providing residents with &#8220;false hopes&#8221; while avoiding the difficult public debate such a massive proposal requires.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie Speaks On City Hall Steps At Domestic Violence Awareness Month Rally

San Francisco Mayor Sparks Outrage With Christmas Eve Signing Of Reparations Bill

San Francisco Mayor Sparks Outrage With 'Quiet' Christmas Eve Signing Of Reparations Bill

Blacks

Reparations

San Francisco

In 2025, executions in the United States <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/31/us-death-penalty-executions-2025#:~:text=US%20executions%20surged%20in%202025,The%20Guardian">surged</a> sharply, with 47 men put to death, marking the highest annual total in 16 years, the largest since 2009, and nearly double the number carried out in 2024.
Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas accounted for nearly three-quarters of the executions, while the number of states actively implementing capital punishment increased to 12, up from nine in 2024. Louisiana resumed executions after a 15-year hiatus, while South Carolina carried out the nation&#8217;s first firing-squad executions since 2010, using the method in three of its five killings. The Supreme Court denied all requests to stay executions throughout the year.
This spike in executions coincided with President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/restoring-the-death-penalty-and-protecting-public-safety/">executive order</a> issued on his first day back in office, declaring capital punishment an essential tool for deterring and punishing heinous crimes. The order invoked the Founding Fathers’ support for the death penalty, framed it as a moral and legal necessity, and cited its ongoing popular support. Trump’s order strongly criticized politicians and judges who have opposed or obstructed executions, specifically condemning former President Joe Biden’s 2021 federal execution moratorium and his December 2024 commutation of 37 federal death-row prisoners, labeling these actions as a defiance of the law and an insult to victims of violent crime.
The executive order directed the attorney general to pursue the death penalty in all qualifying federal cases, emphasizing the murders of law enforcement officers and capital crimes committed by illegal immigrants. It also instructed federal authorities to encourage state prosecutors to pursue capital charges, ensure that states have access to lethal injection drugs, and review incarceration conditions for those whose sentences were previously commuted. Additionally, the order called for efforts to overturn Supreme Court precedents that restrict capital punishment.
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Following these directives, the Department of Justice authorized more than 20 new federal capital prosecutions in 2025, expanding the use of the death penalty at both the federal and state levels.
The horrific details of murders committed by those executed by the state are too numerous to mention. For a few salient examples, see <a href="https://wbhm.org/2025/louisiana-executes-jessie-hoffman-by-nitrogen-gas-in-1st-use-of-death-penalty-in-15-years/">here</a>, <a href="https://www.wkrn.com/news/family-of-murdered-nashville-mom-and-daughters-wait-for-justice-after-delayed-execution-of-killer/">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/25/texas-execution-blaine-milam/">here</a>.
Famed constitutional law and political philosophy professor Walter Berns wrote, “If human life is to be held in awe, the law forbidding the taking of it must be held in awe, and the only way the law can be made awe-inspiring is to entitle it to inflict the penalty of death.” He also <a href="https://lawliberty.org/podcast/s-lerner/">stated</a>, “There is a point in the history of society when it becomes so pathologically soft and tender that among other things it sides even with those who harm it, criminals, and does this quite seriously and honestly.”

Gavel and a name plate with the engraving Death Penalty

U.S. Executions Surge To 16-Year High Amid Trump’s Support For Death Penalty

Death Penalty

California’s Department of Motor Vehicles has <a href="https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/news-and-media/california-dmv-extends-date-of-nondomiciled-cdl-action">delayed</a> plans to cancel about 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses held by individuals unlawfully living in the state, giving them an extra 60 days before the licenses are revoked. The extension follows a lawsuit from leftist immigrant advocacy groups, which argue the move is needed to protect people’s ability to work.
The DMV announced Tuesday that it is pushing back the January 5, 2026, revocation deadline to March 6.
Federal officials, led by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, blasted the Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, accusing California of ducking accountability after issuing licenses that did not comply with federal law and endangered public safety.
Duffy responded to the news by writing on X: “Gavin Newsom is lying. The deadline to revoke illegally issued, unvetted foreign trucker licenses is still January 5. California does NOT have an ‘extension’ to keep breaking the law and putting Americans at risk on the roads.  Miss the deadline, Gavin, and the @USDOT  will act — including cutting nearly $160 million in federal funding.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Gavin Newsom is lying. The deadline to revoke illegally issued, unvetted foreign trucker licenses is still January 5.
California does NOT have an “extension” to keep breaking the law and putting Americans at risk on the roads.
Miss the deadline, Gavin, and the <a href="https://twitter.com/USDOT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USDOT</a> will act —…
&mdash; Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/2006203195165462545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The potential loss of $160 million in transportation funding is on top of $40 million already withheld from California for failing to enforce federal English-language requirements for truckers. Duffy argues the state was caught ignoring rules requiring proof of lawful presence and work authorization tied to the duration of a license. Federal audits found that some licenses remained valid long after their legal status had expired, while in other cases, officials couldn’t even prove that immigration status had been checked.
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Federal scrutiny intensified after a deadly Florida crash in which an illegal immigrant truck driver made an illegal U-turn and killed three people. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said California gave &#8220;an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License” who had no “legal right” to be in the United States.
That tragedy highlighted the consequences of weak licensing safeguards. Rather than acknowledge systemic failings, Newsom’s office lashed out at Duffy online, <a href="https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/1988672753793388708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">accusing</a> him of lying — even though the DHS and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) identified serious compliance problems, forcing California to finally act.
In reality, California only began revoking the licenses after federal pressure, not out of concern for safety or the rule of law. Even now, the DMV’s  “extension” is being <a href="https://apnews.com/article/commercial-drivers-license-immigrants-california-0eb0b6849e65ae9671fc250109173f83">celebrated</a> by leftist advocacy groups, while trade associations and federal regulators stress that unvetted or ineligible drivers should never have been licensed in the first place. Trucking groups back Duffy’s push to ensure drivers are legally authorized and sufficiently fluent in English to safely operate massive commercial vehicles on American roads.
Newsom’s response, attacking the messenger rather than fixing the system, contrasts sharply with Duffy’s emphasis on enforcement, public safety, and accountability. Duffy has consistently maintained that California violated long-standing FMCSA rules and that his emergency actions were needed because the state refused to comply until penalties loomed.
Meanwhile, California officials continue to frame the conflict around worker protections instead of public safety and legal compliance — despite DHS publicly stating that California issued a CDL to a driver with “no legal right” to be in the country.
In short, the issue reflects a clear divide: Duffy is insisting on law, safety, and federal standards, while Newsom is prioritizing political messaging over serious regulatory failures that could, and already did, cost lives.

MixCollage-31-Dec-2025-09-33-AM-6389

‘Newsom Is Lying’: Duffy Slams California Over License Extension For Illegal Drivers

California

Department of Transportation

Drivers Licenses

Gavin Newsom

Sean Duffy

The New York Times rolled out another <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/us/new-college-ron-desantis-florida-conservative.html">installment</a> of its favorite genre — Ron DeSantis, Destroyer of All That Is Good™ — this time lamenting that New College of Florida, long a leftist sandbox where grades were optional, and gender theory reigned, has been rudely interrupted by a governor who thinks college should actually teach … well … college.
“At the state school, gender studies is out. ‘The Odyssey’ is required reading. A Charlie Kirk statue is coming. Has one ideological bubble replaced another?” the Times hyperventilated.
The Times paints the picture with a heavy brush: gender studies out, Homer’s “Odyssey” in, DEI dismantled, and conservative professors hired. Athletics are expanding, buildings are being repaired, enrollment is rising — but to the Times, the real scandal is that the ideological monopoly of the Left is no longer protected turf. The narrative is clear: New College used to be an enlightened paradise of “nonconformists,” until Florida Republican Gov. DeSantis staged a “conservative takeover” and imposed a curriculum centered on the Western canon.
The outlet breathlessly notes that some faculty and students bailed, others grumbled that freshmen are being forced to read a 3,000-year-old epic, and professors wonder whether there will still be “room for people like them.” The Times frames the reforms not as an attempt to restore academic rigor, but as a right-wing project creeping toward total control — repeatedly warning that the college is “moving toward the ideological right.”
Yet, <a href="https://x.com/DavidMBrowder/status/2005701914076254695">enrollment is up</a>. Faculty hiring is up. State investment is stabilizing the school. Buildings once covered in mold are now being brought back into use. In other words, the place was collapsing, and DeSantis did something about it.
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So DeSantis answered — bluntly — on X. Conservatives have complained about universities for years, he noted, but Florida actually acted. His overhaul “re-centered the college on merit, free speech, classical learning and the pursuit of truth,” ensuring New College becomes the premier public liberal arts college in America. No apologies. No hedging.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Conservatives have complained for years about leftist control of universities, but never actually did anything about it.
Our overhaul of New College in Sarasota re-centered the college on the solid intellectual foundations of merit, free speech, classical learning and the… <a href="https://t.co/6q6P7E2TCX">pic.twitter.com/6q6P7E2TCX</a>
&mdash; Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/2005683823850168614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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This is part of a broader pattern. DeSantis, re-elected in a landslide, has systematically pushed back on woke orthodoxy in education, requiring civic literacy, mandating intellectual-freedom surveys, and refusing to let classrooms become indoctrination centers. New College even began accepting the Classic Learning Test, signaling that classical education is welcome again.
To the Times, this is dangerous. To DeSantis, it’s called doing his job.
And while critics cry “authoritarianism,” the numbers tell another story: students are enrolling, the faculty has grown, and parents now have a publicly-funded option that doesn’t sneer at Western civilization. The panic isn’t about academic decline — it’s about leftists losing their monopoly.
Homer replaces ideology. Debate replaces dogma. And that, apparently, is the crime.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, holds a press conference to speak

NY Times Attacks DeSantis As Florida College Ditches Gender Studies For Classic Western Literature

Education

New York Times

Ron DeSantis

Menu

Hank Berrien