FBI Launches Major Investigation into Sadistic 764 Network Targeting Vulnerable Children
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has initiated a comprehensive probe into the nihilistic violent extremist network known as 764, which operates online to target vulnerable minors through social media platforms by befriending them, coercing production of sexually explicit material, and blackmailing victims into acts of self-harm, extreme violence, and further exploitation. Members engage in coordinated sextortion schemes, demanding compliance with sadistic instructions such as carving symbols into skin or harming others, while sharing child sex abuse material and gore content. The FBI is actively investigating over 350 suspected individuals connected to this loosely organized group and its offshoots, with every field office involved and significant increases in related arrests reported. Two alleged leaders were previously charged with operating an international child exploitation enterprise facing potential life sentences.
Sources: One America News, FOX News
Federal Judge Blocks West Virginia Artificial Food Dye Ban
A federal judge appointed during the Obama administration, Irene Berger, issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of West Virginia’s House Bill 2354, which prohibits specific artificial food dyes and additives deemed adulterated in foods sold within the state, after the International Association of Color Manufacturers filed suit challenging the law on constitutional grounds. The legislation, signed earlier this year, bans seven synthetic color additives, including FD&C Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and others, along with preservatives like butylated hydroxyanisole, classifying products containing them as adulterated if poisonous or injurious to health, with the broader commercial ban scheduled for January 2028, while a school nutrition provision already took effect. Judge Berger ruled the law unconstitutionally vague under the Due Process Clause because terms like “poisonous and injurious” lack clear definitions, the list of banned substances is nonexclusive, and no criteria guide enforcement, potentially allowing arbitrary application by state health officials. She rejected claims of equal protection violations, finding a rational basis in public health protection and bill of attainder arguments, noting no punitive targeting of specific entities. Governor Patrick Morrisey stated the administration disagrees with the premature ruling and will continue defending the state’s authority to safeguard citizens, particularly children, from harmful substances in the food supply.
Sources: The Post Millennial, West Virginia Metro News
Massachusetts Releases Convicted Murderers Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
Massachusetts authorities have granted parole to 39 individuals convicted of first-degree murder and originally sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. These releases follow a Supreme Judicial Court ruling in Commonwealth v. Mattis that deemed such sentences unconstitutional for offenders aged 18 to 20 at the time of their crimes, classifying them as emerging adults with immature brain development akin to juveniles. The decision made approximately 200 inmates eligible for parole consideration, with the parole board approving releases for 39 while denying 12 and leaving 159 cases pending. Examples include Allen Alston, who at age 19 murdered a taxi driver, and Roger Francis, who at age 20 shot and killed a teenager. Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz criticized the actions, stating that using youth as grounds for parole disregards victims’ suffering and societal welfare. The parole board affirmed its obligation to comply with the court while prioritizing public safety, rehabilitation, and victim input.
Sources: The Post Millennial, The Boston Herald
Democrat Congresswoman Removes Alleged FEMA-Funded Diamond Ring from Holiday Photo
Florida Democrat Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick faced public scrutiny after posting a Christmas greeting on X on December 25, in which she appeared to have edited out a prominent $109,000 3.14-carat Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond ring from her left hand, a ring that matches the description in her official House portrait and that federal prosecutors allege was purchased with funds stolen from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The controversy arose following a November 19, 2025, federal indictment charging her and her brother Edwin Cherfilus with 15 counts, including theft of government funds, money laundering, and illegal campaign contributions, for allegedly conspiring to retain and launder a $5 million FEMA overpayment made in 2021 to their family-owned Trinity Health Care Services due to a decimal error in a COVID-19 vaccination staffing invoice. Prosecutors claim the siblings routed the money through multiple accounts, using portions to fund over $6 million in loans to her 2022 congressional campaign and for personal expenditures, including the September 1, 2021, ring purchase via cashier’s check. Cherfilus-McCormick pleaded not guilty and was released on $60,000 bond on November 25, 2025.
Sources: The Washington Examiner, The Post Millennial
Fani Willis Faces Damaging Campaign Finance Allegations
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis stands accused of involvement in a large-scale Democrat money laundering operation through the use of straw donors, known as Smurfs, to funnel funds into her campaign and those of other party figures. Georgia records show Willis received over $2.8 million in contributions from more than 72,000 small donations averaging under $40 each, with 83 percent lacking donor names or addresses due to state rules exempting identification for gifts below $100. Analysis of federal and state data identifies ten such fictitious donors responsible for nearly $1.8 million to Willis alone, often elderly individuals whose contribution patterns match those linked to prominent Democrats, including Gretchen Whitmer, Kamala Harris, Raphael Warnock, and others. These patterns, totaling over $9 million across dozens of Smurfs, when combined with prior findings, indicate a coordinated scheme exploiting anonymous small donations to launder larger sums while evading disclosure requirements. Prior ethical concerns, including Willis’s hiring of an unqualified special prosecutor who received substantial taxpayer funds, compound questions about accountability in her office.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, The Georgia Record
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Mortgage Rates Decline Amid Buyer-Friendly Housing Market
The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 6.18 percent for the week ending December 24, marking the lowest level since late October and a decline from 6.21 percent the prior week. This rate stands 0.86 percentage points below the 2025 peak of 7.04 percent reached in mid-January, according to data from Freddie Mac. The housing market currently favors buyers, with home sellers outnumbering buyers in many areas, including Austin, Texas, identified as the strongest buyer’s market among the 50 most populous U.S. metropolitan regions last month.
Sources: The Epoch Times, FOX Business
LAFD Alterations Undermine Accountability in Palisades Fire Report
The Los Angeles Fire Department revised its after-action report on the devastating Palisades Fire multiple times across seven drafts before releasing the final version on October 8, 2025, with changes that downplayed departmental shortcomings in preparation and response. Critical language highlighting that the failure to fully staff and pre-deploy resources ahead of forecasted hurricane-force Santa Ana winds did not align with established red flag procedures was removed and replaced with assertions that deployments exceeded standard matrices. Sections labeling issues as failures were rephrased to primary challenges, references to violations of national firefighter safety guidelines were deleted, and details about crews waiting over an hour for assignments were excised. A passage noting the need for mandatory recalls to fill positions, as in prior years, was eliminated in favor of emphasizing fiscal responsibility. The January 7, 2025, fire burned 23,448 acres, destroyed approximately 6,800 structures in Pacific Palisades, and claimed 12 lives, marking it as one of Los Angeles’ most destructive wildfires. Even with revisions, the final report acknowledged constraints from limited resources, leadership deficiencies, and communication problems, yet the alterations raised serious concerns about transparent self-assessment essential for preventing future tragedies.
Sources: Spectrum News, MyNews Los Angeles
New York Persists in Advancing Transgender Prison Housing Legislation
New York legislators continue to push forward the Gender Identity Respect Dignity and Safety Act, a bill sponsored by State Senator Julia Salazar across multiple sessions, including introductions in 2021, 2023, and the current 2025 session under number S1049, which was recently amended and reintroduced to the Senate Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction. This legislation mandates that incarcerated individuals be housed in correctional facilities based on their self-attested gender identity unless they opt out, prohibiting denials of such placements grounded in biological factors like chromosomes or genitals, sexual orientation, or complaints from other inmates. The bill imposes strict timelines for placement decisions, limits disciplinary transfers, and allows appeals with potential damages, features designed to facilitate gender-aligned housing while referencing similar policies enacted in California through legislation and litigation elsewhere. Despite federal efforts under President Trump’s executive order to restrict males from women’s prisons, New York’s ongoing legislative activity demonstrates a commitment to prioritizing self-identified gender in inmate housing statewide.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, New York State Senate
Massachusetts Mayor’s Limited English Proficiency Sparks National Concern
Lawrence, Massachusetts Mayor Brian DePeña, a Dominican Republic native who immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s and settled in Lawrence in 1989, requested a Spanish translator during his testimony at a Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission hearing regarding the decertification of former police chief and political ally William Castro, who faced revocation of his credentials after an improper police chase and filing a false report. The judge denied the mayor’s request to use his personal assistant as translator, citing the inability of the court and opposing counsel to verify accurate bidirectional translation since neither spoke Spanish, raising concerns about potential mistranslations affecting the proceedings. This incident occurred in a city where over 82 percent of residents are Hispanic or Latino, according to recent census data, and it prompted widespread reaction, highlighting expectations for English fluency among American public officials after nearly four decades of residency.
Sources: The Daily Wire, Legal Insurrection
Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan Panders to Somali Community by Wearing a Hijab
Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, a non-Muslim who identifies as Catholic, appeared in a video wearing a hijab while addressing the Somali community at the Somali Carmel Market in Minneapolis. She began her remarks with the greeting “Assalamu alaikum,” introduced herself as the state’s lieutenant governor, and expressed honor in being present. Flanagan emphasized that the Somali community forms an integral part of Minnesota’s fabric, citing her long-term friendship with a Somali individual named Nimco spanning nearly 25 years. She encouraged residents to support Somali-owned businesses and immigrant neighbors through shopping, assured the community of widespread backing during uncertain times, and pledged ongoing solidarity while committing to reciprocate the friendship shown to her. This appearance occurred amid ongoing investigations into significant taxpayer-funded fraud schemes linked to elements within Minnesota’s Somali community, which have resulted in billions of dollars allegedly diverted.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller
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Trump Orders Airstrikes Against ISIS in Nigeria
On December 25, President Trump directed U.S. forces to conduct powerful and deadly airstrikes against ISIS terrorists in northwest Nigeria’s Sokoto State, targeting militants responsible for viciously killing primarily innocent Christians at unprecedented levels. Trump announced the operation on Truth Social, stating that he had previously warned the terrorists to cease their slaughter or face severe consequences, and emphasized that under his leadership the United States will not tolerate radical Islamic terrorism. U.S. Africa Command confirmed the strikes were executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities, resulting in multiple ISIS terrorists killed. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth affirmed the action fulfilled Trump’s prior demands to end the killings of Christians, expressed gratitude for Nigerian cooperation, and indicated more operations may follow. The strikes followed recent attacks on Christian communities, including church invasions and school abductions, amid broader anti-Christian violence in the region.
Japan Approves Record Defense Budget
Japan’s cabinet has approved a record defense budget exceeding 9 trillion yen, approximately $58-64 billion depending on exchange rates, for fiscal 2026 beginning in April, marking a significant increase to bolster strike-back capabilities and coastal defenses with long-range cruise missiles, upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles, and unmanned aerial, surface, and underwater systems amid heightened regional tensions with China. This approval advances the nation’s five-year defense buildup program aimed at reaching 2 percent of GDP in military spending, reflecting a prudent response to growing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific through enhanced deterrence and self-reliant capabilities while maintaining alliance commitments.
Sources: The Epoch Times, AP News
Poland Intercepts Russian Reconnaissance Aircraft on Christmas
On Christmas Day, Polish fighter jets scrambled to intercept a Russian reconnaissance aircraft operating over international waters in the Baltic Sea near the borders of Polish airspace. The jets visually identified the surveillance plane and escorted it away from Poland’s area of responsibility without any violation of sovereign airspace occurring. Concurrently, dozens of objects crossed into Polish territory from Belarus overnight, prompting the temporary closure of airspace over the northeastern Podlaskie region for civilian flights as a precautionary measure. Polish authorities assessed that the mass scale of these incursions, combined with their timing during the holiday season and ongoing Russian activity in the region alongside similar recent events in neighboring countries, pointed to potential deliberate provocation amid heightened NATO eastern flank vigilance since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Iran Escalates Tensions by Seizing Oil Tanker in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval forces seized a foreign-owned oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on December 26, accusing it of illegally smuggling more than 25,000 barrels of fuel. Authorities detained 16 crew members whose nationalities remain undisclosed, while the vessel’s flag and specific details were not revealed by Iranian officials. The Strait of Hormuz serves as a critical global energy chokepoint through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil transits annually. This action follows a similar seizure in November of a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker and occurs amid ongoing U.S. sanctions targeting Iran’s shadow fleet under President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign to restrict oil revenues funding terrorism and nuclear activities.
Sources: The Washington Times, Euro News
Russia Strengthens European Deterrence with Hypersonic Missile Deployment in Belarus
Russia is positioning nuclear-capable Oreshnik intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missiles at a former airbase near Krichev in eastern Belarus, enabling extended strike capabilities across Europe in response to Western military advancements. Satellite imagery from Planet Labs, analyzed by American researchers Jeffrey Lewis and Decker Eveleth, reveals rapid construction starting in early August 2025, including a fenced military-grade rail transfer point for missile delivery and a camouflaged concrete launch pad, features consistent with Russian strategic missile bases. Researchers assess 90 percent confidence in mobile Oreshnik launchers being stationed there, with the site accommodating up to three launchers. President Vladimir Putin has confirmed plans for deployment in Belarus during the second half of 2025 to counter U.S. intermediate-range hypersonic missiles planned for Germany, while Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated the first missiles have arrived and up to ten could be based there. Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin described the move as a defensive response to aggressive Western actions, noting it maintains regional balance amid expiring arms control agreements.
Sources: The Straits Times, Investing.com