Featured Stories

Trump says the U.S. took out a 'big facility' in Venezuela amid strikes on alleged drug boats

(NBC News) President Donald Trump said in an interview with WABC radio in New York that the U.S. had “knocked out” a Venezuelan facility, a move that would be a major escalation in U.S. military strikes to counter alleged drug-trafficking by the South American country. The apparent attack follows months of U.S. military pressure, including dozens of strikes on boats in international waters. The White House has claimed that the boats carried drugs, though officials have not provided evidence.

Stephen Miller reportedly told White House that they could invoke 18th-century law to expedite deportations

(Latin Times) White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller reportedly told White House officials that the Trump administration could expedite deportations through the 18th-century Alien Enemies Act if the U.S. and Venezuela were at war, according to a new report. The revelation is part of a broader report published by The New York Times about Miller and Secretary of State Marco Rubio's leading role in the administration's escalating military campaign against regional cartels and, more specifically, the Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela.

Trump's Inner Circle Braces for a New Year's Shakeup

(Daily Beast) President Donald Trump may be plotting a radical purge of top advisers as his administration staggers into the second year of his second stint at the White House. “I think we will see some senior advisers in the West Wing leave,” CBS News’ senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs told the network Sunday. Jacobs clarified that Trump’s “main pack” of inner circle advisers—Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt—are likely to remain insulated from any cull—but said she believed other departures may be possible.

In 2025, Epstein showed MAGA who they really are

(Salon) The president has spent most of his first year in office engaged in an increasingly frantic but unsuccessful effort to block the release of the infamous Epstein files, the nickname given to the million-plus documents the Justice Department has on the investigation into the wealthy financial manager, who died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking minors. Under Attorney General Pam Bondi, the DOJ has been stalling the release of the files, which were supposed to made available to the public on Dec. 19. But Trump’s most loyal voters, the MAGA base, have developed elaborate mythologies to deny the truth about the president.

Monday's Condensed News Cartoons

Federal judge dismisses indictment against TikToker shot by ICE, citing constitutional violations

(LA Times) Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, previously told the Times that Parias had “weaponized his vehicle” and said “fearing for the safety of the public and law enforcement, our officers followed their training and fired defensive shots.” But newly obtained body worn camera footage raises questions about that claim. The video captures an ICE officer holding a gun in one hand and using the other to break open the window of Parias’ car. As the officer shouts at Parias to turn off the car, Parias raises his hands in the air and asks why he is being detained. The officer repeatedly tries to open the passenger side door, before moving the gun to his left hand, right before firing.

US Justice Department using fraud law to target companies on DEI, WSJ reports

(Reuters) The Trump administration has launched investigations into the use of diversity initiatives in hiring and promotion at major U.S. companies, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. Google and Verizon are among a list of companies that have received Justice Department demands for documents and information about their workplace programs, the report said, citing people familiar with the investigations. Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Verizon, Google, and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

Zelensky: 15-year US security guarantee part of peace proposal

(The Hill) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Monday that the United States is offering a 15-year security guarantee in the latest draft of the 20-point peace proposal to end Kyiv’s war with Russia. Zelensky, answering reporters’ questions on WhatsApp, said he would prefer the Trump administration to commit to up to 50 years to deter Russia from launching any further attacks. “I would like the guarantee to be much longer,” Zelensky said, multiple outlets reported.

Five ways to make more than a billion dollars

(Robert Reich) For many years, whenever I’ve warned that an increasing portion of the nation’s wealth is falling into the hands of an ever-smaller number of people, the moneyed interests have responded: “But that’s just the free market,” or “the free market has decided they deserve it.” Rubbish. There’s no such thing as a “free market” to begin with. Today’s so-called “free market” is the outcome of political decisions over monopolization, labor organization, private property, finance, trade, taxes, and much more. Who’s behind these political decisions? Increasingly, the same small number of ultra-rich who have gained disproportionate influence over our politics.

How ACA premium rises are affecting western Pennsylvanians

(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) At Mary Jo Cares in Natrona Heights, Ms. Armstrong said, clients over the past couple weeks have been sharing far more tales of financial strain than she and her staff have heard before. In one case, a couple relies on a single income of about $100,000. To keep the insurance they had in 2025, their premium was set to jump to $3,300 a month — roughly 40% of the household's income.