Education Department forgives $4.5 billion in student loans for over 200,000 borrowers
The Department of Education on Wednesday announced the forgiveness of another $4.5 billion in student loans for over 200,000 borrowers at Ashford University, in one of the department's final moves of the Biden administration.

Hunter Biden artworks worth ‘millions of dollars’ destroyed in LA fires
A trove of nearly 200 artworks by Hunter Biden has been destroyed — one of the casualties of the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles.

LAFD chief prioritizes DEI while resources, payroll burn
Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has been pushing DEI on firefighters, even as the city struggles with basic tasks like paying them correctly.

LA Mayor Karen Bass failed to deploy highly trained $1M crisis response team to help wildfire victims
A crisis response team reporting to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) — with hundreds of trained volunteers and a nearly million-dollar budget — languished on the sidelines for a week as the city endured its most devastating natural disaster ever.

Official handpicked by Mayor Bass to oversee LA Fire Department put on leave over alleged bomb threat
About a week before Christmas, FBI agents raided the home of Brian Williams, the deputy mayor of public safety in Los Angeles, on suspicion that he had called in a bomb threat at Los Angeles City Hall.

NYC home covered in dozens of ‘no-parking’ signs, at least 51 security cameras puzzles neighbors: ‘They’re crazy’
The homeowners — reportedly two Brooklyn doctors — have been making it crystal clear that no one dare block access to their East 15th Street property since they moved in around October 2023.

National security agencies warn Trump inauguration is 'attractive potential target' for threats
Those with "election-related grievances" may see the event as "their last opportunity to influence the election results through violence."

Trump Reportedly Urges Vivek Ramaswamy To Fill Open Ohio Senate Seat
Governor Mike DeWine, who will select the next Ohio senator, met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago last week.

The Law That Disarmed Trump Is Unfair, Illogical, and Constitutionally Dubious
Unless Trump successfully challenges his 34 felony convictions on appeal, he will suffer a lifelong penalty that should trouble civil libertarians across the political spectrum.

Trump nominees move forward, but most contentious picks still face tough fights
Among the candidates most likely to face tough opposition now are Director of National Intelligence-designate Tulsi Gabbard and Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Marco Rubio slams 'liberal world order' during fiery confirmation opening statement
"Across the West, governments censor and even prosecute domestic political opponents," Rubio added. "Meanwhile, radical jihadists openly march in the streets and drive vehicles into our people."

Rubio Breezes Through Confirmation Hearing, Pledges To Confront Iran's Nuclear Program and Combat the CCP
Rubio drew bipartisan praise from his former colleagues as he pledged to confront Iran’s accelerating nuclear program and provide Israel with the support it needs to finish decimating Tehran’s terror proxies.

Rubio calls for concessions to be made by Ukraine and Russia to end war
The U.S. needs to be “realistic” and, unlike the Biden administration, have an “end goal” in mind for the fighting.

Grassley Calls On Bondi To Ensure Political Weaponization Of The DOJ ‘Never Happens Again’
“The impact of this political infection in our once-storied law enforcement institutions is catastrophic. By every metric, the Biden-Harris Justice Department conduct has failed to live up to our country’s ideals,” Grassley said.

Pam Bondi lays a land mine for Adam Schiff during confirmation hearing
"I won't play politics ... like you did leaking your colleague Devin Nunes' memo."

Doug Burgum To Lay Out How American Energy Dominance Can Unlock ‘World Peace’
Burgum will lay out his vision for bringing on a new era of American energy dominance in the opening remarks of his Thursday morning confirmation hearing, according to a copy of his prepared remarks obtained by the Daily Wire.

Senate Dems’ hypocrisy exposed during tense confirmation hearing with Russell Vought
Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno blasted "hypocritical" Democrats for not showing any outrage when President Biden ignored a Supreme Court decision to prevent his federal student loan debt cancellation program.

Biden warns of oligarchy forming in US during White House farewell speech
“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden, a mouthpiece of the elite, said.

Biden Exits Office Promoting The Big Tech Censorship That Got Him Elected
During his fumbling Wednesday night farewell address, the Democrat commander in chief bemoaned decisions by social media companies to forgo biased, left-wing “fact-checkers” that are often used to censor users’ free speech to the benefit of Democrats.

Hunter Biden was in the Oval Office for dad’s farewell speech as prez urged Americans to ‘pay their fair share of taxes’
Last September, the first son pleaded guilty to nine tax charges — including three felonies — for dodging $1.4 million in payments to the IRS.

Biden sits on pillow to boost himself up during farewell Oval Office address
The images also show an emergency box of tissues placed to Biden’s right — invisible below his desk from the front view cameras that streamed his speech to the nation.

Jill Biden Lashes Out At Pelosi
The Washington Post published a report on Wednesday about its “exit interview” with Jill Biden, noting that the first lady has become the “keeper of the family grudges” — a nod to what she wrote in her 2019 memoir about recalling “every slight committed” against the people that she loves.

Kamala Goes Full Cat Lady In Last-Minute Snub Of Usha Vance
Harris has reportedly refused to assist JD Vance's wife with their transition to the Naval Observatory residence. Despite past norms of cooperation, Harris ignored Usha's baby-proofing concerns and left communication to her husband, Doug Emhoff, reinforcing accusations of pettiness and partisan disdain.

Devine: Self-deluded Biden is spending his last days as president showcasing all the same lies and cementing his tarnished ‘legacy’
He promised to be a standard-bearer of decency, respecter of norms and the rule of law. He presented himself as a unifier who would help the country heal. Yet behind closed doors Joe plotted and planned just two things: self-aggrandizement and vengeance.

NY Post: Why Michelle Obama is skipping Trump’s inauguration
Michelle Obama is skipping Donald Trump’s inauguration because she’s “no phony,” we’re told. While her husband appears to be playing nice with the president-elect, Michelle won’t do the same.

Raphael Warnock-Led Charity Admits It Illegally Campaigned for Stacey Abrams, Will Pay $300,000 Fine
New Georgia Project admitted 16 violations of state law.

Americans Continue Migrating From High-Tax to Low-Tax States
Increasing mobility and remote work make taxes an important consideration in where to live.

Puerto Rico asks Trump for help after Venezuela's Maduro threatens invasion
"I trust your incoming administration will swiftly respond and make clear to the Maduro regime that, under your leadership, the United States will protect American lives and sovereignty and will not bow down to the threats of petty, murderous dictators."

Defense Secretary Hid Hospitalization While on Medication That Can Affect Brain Function, Pentagon Watchdog Says
Lloyd Austin’s move posed "unnecessary" national security risks, report finds.

Trump says he’ll use Gaza ceasefire’s momentum to expand Abraham Accords
President-elect is "thrilled" with hostage deal, states his team will "continue to work closely with Israel and our allies" to ensure Gaza is terror-free, expand Middle East peace.

Biden takes credit for his administration securing ceasefire deal in final farewell address
"This plan was developed and negotiated by my team and will largely be implemented by the incoming administration," Biden said.

Even Biden insiders admit it took Trump to close the ceasefire and Israel hostage deal
Multiple insiders and officials in both Israel and the U.S. told the Post that it was Trump’s impending inauguration — combined with the efforts of his Middle East special envoy, Steve Witkoff — that finally solved a problem that had proved intractable for President Biden and his team.

Jean-Pierre blocks Kirby from briefing on hostage deal
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reportedly barred NSC spokesman John Kirby from briefing on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal, opting to keep the spotlight on herself.

Praise that Israeli hostages are coming home, but a deal that keeps Hamas in power is a bad one
The ceasefire deal between is meant to be a first step, and we don’t know what happens next, or the promises that were made behind the scenes. It is possible that Trump and Netanyahu have agreed on this move merely as a tactical prelude to additional steps.

Hamas leader touts ceasefire as a defeat for Israel while hailing Oct. 7 atrocities
Senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya vowed the terror group will neither forgive or forget, while praising Oct. 7 as a “military accomplishment” and “a source of pride for our people.”

Father of Israeli-American Hostage: Trump’s Hell to Pay Statement Is ‘What Put This Into Motion’
There’s “very little doubt that what put this into motion was President Trump’s statement … about hell to pay, and that rattled cages around the Middle East, Hamas, Egypt, Qatar, and also in the Israeli government.”

Iran’s President Denies Country Has Repeatedly Tried To Kill Trump
“This is another one of those schemes that Israel and other countries are designing to promote Iranophobia,” Pezeshkian claimed. “Iran has never attempted to nor does it plan to assassinate anyone. At least as far as I know.”

Musk Said to Have Intervened to Help Free Italian Jailed in Iran
The Italian journalist was released soon after Elon Musk met with an Iranian ambassador, officials in Iran said.

WaPo: Trump considers executive order hoping to ‘save TikTok’ from ban or sale in US law
Trump has expressed a keen interest in being seen as rescuing a platform on which he’s been told he’s widely admired, leading aides to scramble for options that would allow him to deliver on his campaign promise to “save TikTok.”

Duolingo sees 216% spike in US users learning Chinese amid TikTok ban and move to RedNote
As the U.S. TikTok ban looms, over 700 million users are migrating to the Chinese app RedNote, sparking a Mandarin learning boom on Duolingo. The language app reported a 216% spike in U.S. Mandarin learners, highlighting user demand for Chinese platforms despite privacy concerns.

Javier Milei Slashes Argentina's Inflation in Just 1 Year
In December 2024, monthly (not yearly) inflation stood at 2.7%. Argentina's annual inflation rate fell to 117.8% in 2024, marking a significant drop of 93.6 points compared to the record 211.4% inflation rate of 2023.

Left-wing comic Bill Burr praises CEO murder in LA fire rant: ‘Free Luigi!’
Burr revealed that, like many people in Los Angeles, he had to evacuate after flames threatened his home. “And I think everybody did a great job. Unlike the internet,” he added, alluding to the rapacious criticism of state and local officials’ response to the fires.

Woman Scammed into Believing She Was Dating Brad Pitt Divorced Her Husband, Transferred Over $800,000
A French woman was swindled out of over $800,000 by scammers posing as Brad Pitt who made her believe she was dating him and that he needed help paying for medical care.

Judge Chastises CNN Lawyer For His Lack Of Credibility, Slinging Of Insults
Judge William Henry questioned the credibility of CNN’s lead counsel David Axelrod on Wednesday and chastised him for repeatedly referring to U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young as a “liar.”

Judge Delivers Fatal Blow To New York City’s Lawsuit Against Energy Companies
The city could not simultaneously argue that New Yorkers were aware of the relationship between fossil fuels and climate change while being allegedly misled by oil companies about their role in climate change.

'It's like getting hit by a truck': Female athletes say male players have obvious physical advantage
"Basically when girls have to play against biological men it's totally unfair because the physicality of the game is different."

FDA bans red dye No. 3 from foods
Food and Drug Administration officials granted a 2022 petition filed by two dozen food safety and health advocates, who urged the agency to revoke authorization for the substance that gives some candies, snack cakes, and maraschino cherries a bright red hue.

FDA plans 95% reduction in nicotine for cigarettes
The proposed rule would drastically reduce the level of nicotine allowed in combustible tobacco products, but it would not apply to vapes.

Tabernacle recovered by LA fire captain from burned Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Palisades Fire
“It was one of the most uplifting things,” he said. “Not everyone is religious, but they saw that and they’re like, ‘This is awesome.’ We’re doing something — at least one thing — that we can salvage for the community.”

Pentagon to test how generative AI would perform in fight with China
Can ChatGPT-like programs help the U.S. win a war in the Pacific?

NY Times: She Is in Love With ChatGPT
A 28-year-old woman with a busy social life spends hours on end talking to her AI boyfriend for advice and consolation. And yes, they do have sex.