đ°Treasury Secretary States Federal Government Loses Hundreds of Billions Annually to Waste, Fraud, Abuse
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that between five percent and ten percent of the federal budget is lost each year to waste, fraud, and abuse. He referenced Government Accountability Office estimates of annual fraud losses ranging from 233 billion to 521 billion dollars, based on fiscal years 2018 through 2022. Bessent noted that improper payments, including but not limited to fraud, totaled about 2.8 trillion dollars since fiscal year 2003. For fiscal year 2024, agencies reported an estimated $162 billion in improper payments across 68 programs, with 75% concentrated in 5 major areas, including Medicare and Medicaid. He emphasized that recovering these funds could support national priorities without additional debt.
Sources: US Treasury Dept, ZeroHedge
đŹBill Clinton Defies Congressional Subpoena in Epstein Probe
Former President Bill Clinton failed to appear for a scheduled sworn closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee on January 13, 2026. The committee issued the subpoena as part of its bipartisan investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Chairman James Comer stated that contempt of Congress proceedings against Clinton will move forward next week. Clintonâs attorneys challenged the subpoenaâs legality in a letter, describing it as invalid, unenforceable, and lacking a valid legislative purpose. The subpoena originated from a unanimous bipartisan committee vote. No accusations of wrongdoing have been made against Clinton in this matter.
đ§Minnesota, Twin Cities File Lawsuit to Halt Federal Immigration Enforcement Surge
Minnesota, along with Minneapolis and St. Paul, filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration on January 12, 2026. The action seeks a temporary restraining order to stop Operation Metro Surge. This ICE operation deployed over 2,000 immigration officers to the state and resulted in more than 2,000 arrests since December. The lawsuit claims the surge is arbitrary and capricious. It alleges political targeting of Minnesota in violation of the First Amendment. The filing follows the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good by an ICE officer on January 7, 2026. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons described the lawsuitâs allegations as completely false and baseless.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal, FOX News
âTrump Indicates Potential Veto of Affordable Care Act Subsidies Extension Bill
President Donald Trump stated he might veto legislation to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies if it reaches his desk. He made the comment to reporters aboard Air Force One on January 11, 2026. The enhanced tax credits, originally enacted under the American Rescue Plan in 2021 and extended through the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, expired at the end of 2025. The House passed a bill to restore the subsidies for three years, with 17 Republicans joining Democrats in the vote. The Senate has not yet acted on the measure, though it previously rejected a similar proposal.
Sources: The Epoch Times, Reuters
đ¸House Republicans Coalesce Around Proposal to Ban Individual Stock Purchases by Members of Congress
House Republicans have rallied behind the Stop Insider Trading Act introduced by Representative Bryan Steil, chairman of the Committee on House Administration. The legislation prohibits members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing individual stocks issued by publicly traded companies while in office. Existing holdings remain permitted, and diversified investment funds face no restrictions. The bill requires public presale disclosure notices filed seven to 14 days before any sale, with increased penalties for violations, including fines of $2,000 or 10% of the investment value, whichever is greater, and potential profit forfeiture. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and Representatives Anna Paulina Luna, Chip Roy, and Mike Lawler have publicly endorsed the measure. Committee markup is scheduled for Wednesday, with leadership committing to a House floor vote after it advances.
Sources: The Hill, FOX Business
đď¸Supreme Court to Hear Challenges to State Bans on Biological Males in Female Sports
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on January 13, 2026, in two consolidated cases, Little v. Hecox from Idaho and West Virginia v. B.P.J., concerning state laws that prohibit biological males from competing on female school sports teams. Idahoâs Fairness in Womenâs Sports Act and West Virginiaâs Save Womenâs Sports Act base team designations on biological sex to preserve fairness, safety, and equal opportunities for female athletes, citing inherent physical advantages of biological males. Twenty-seven states currently maintain similar protections. Legal experts anticipate the Court will uphold the state laws, likely determining that transgender status does not constitute a suspect or quasi-suspect class under the Equal Protection Clause and that Title IX, enacted in 1972, permits sex-separated sports based on biological distinctions rather than gender identity. These predictions draw parallels to the Courtâs recent ruling in United States v. Skrmetti upholding Tennesseeâs restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors.
Sources: ZeroHedge, SCOTUS Blog
âď¸DOJ Terminates First Assistant in Eastern District of Virginia US Attorneyâs Office
The Department of Justice terminated Robert McBride, the first assistant and second-ranking official in the US Attorneyâs Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, after he declined to lead the prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey following a judicial dismissal of the case and after reports that he conducted private meetings with federal judges in the district without the knowledge of US Attorney Lindsey Halligan. A grand jury had previously indicted Comey in September on charges of false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding, but a federal judge dismissed the case in late November on grounds that Halliganâs appointment violated the Appointments Clause of the Constitution. McBride, a 64-year-old career prosecutor and former Navy lawyer who had recently taken a prominent role in the office amid questions about Halliganâs authority, informed top Justice officials that managing both the office and the Comey prosecution would prove difficult.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, Yahoo News
đłď¸Oregon Begins Addressing 800000 Inactive Voter Records After Years of Inaction
Oregonâs Secretary of State has issued directives to resume routine cleanup of voter rolls by canceling approximately 160000 long-inactive registrations that met removal criteria before 2017 and updating confirmation card language to restore regular maintenance processes. The state maintains roughly 800000 inactive voter records, which represent about 20 percent of total voter rolls and stem from undeliverable mail, non-responses to notices, and lack of participation in federal elections since the removal process paused in 2017. Inactive voters do not receive ballots, and these records remain separate from the approximately 3 million active registrations. Multiple lawsuits from organizations and federal entities have highlighted the backlog, prompting action to ensure accurate and up-to-date voter records in compliance with federal and state law.
Sources: Oregon Live, FOX News
đ§§Marxist Network Funds Pro-Maduro and Anti-ICE Protests
The Peopleâs Forum, a New York socialist nonprofit, organized pro-Maduro protests in multiple cities after NicolĂĄs Maduroâs U.S. capture and coordinated nationwide anti-ICE demonstrations, including actions tied to a Minneapolis shooting and Los Angeles riots in June 2025. The ANSWER Coalition, co-founded by Marxist Brian Becker, mobilized protests across over 100 cities for both causes. The Party for Socialism and Liberation and CodePink also participated in these efforts. All groups share Marxist ideology with documented sympathy for Chinese communist positions. Primary funding traces to U.S.-born billionaire Neville Roy Singham, now in Shanghai with CCP ties, who has channeled millions through shell companies and donor-advised funds to these organizations. Congressional probes by the House Oversight and Ways and Means Committees examine these financial flows for possible Foreign Agents Registration Act violations, with ongoing efforts to subpoena Singham and seek asset freezes.
Sources: The Epoch Times, The New York Post
đ¨Michigan County Clerk Reports 239 Noncitizens in Jury Pool Over Four-Month Period
Macomb County, Michigan, Clerk Anthony Forlini announced that an internal review identified 239 noncitizens summoned for jury duty in the 16th Judicial Circuit Court from early September to early January based on random selections from the Michigan Secretary of Stateâs driverâs license database. Of these individuals, 14 had been registered to vote at some point, with records showing four had participated in elections, including one who voted multiple times. Forlini described the presence of noncitizens in jury pools as occurring at an alarming rate due to un-flagged citizenship status in state records and called for improved verification measures such as database cross-checks. No instances were confirmed of noncitizens actually serving on a jury.
Sources: FOX2 Detroit, The Detroit News
đUK, Germany, France Discuss Joint NATO Arctic Mission Amid Trump Greenland Claims
The United Kingdom, Germany, and France are engaged in discussions to establish a joint NATO mission in the Arctic, led by Germany, focused on enhancing regional security against Russia and China. This initiative follows President Trumpâs statements emphasizing the strategic necessity of U.S. control over Greenland, including through negotiation or other means if required. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that any U.S. attack on Greenland, a territory under Danish sovereignty, would undermine NATO and the international order. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul plans to address Arctic security responsibilities within NATO during upcoming talks with U.S. officials.
đ¤ŻTaiwan Reports China Integrated Party, State, Military, & Private Sector in Cognitive Warfare Campaign
Taiwanâs National Security Bureau determined that China conducted comprehensive cognitive warfare against Taiwan throughout 2025 by integrating resources from the Chinese Communist Party, government agencies, military units, and private information technology and marketing companies. This government-civilian partnership aimed to exacerbate internal divisions within Taiwan, weaken the populationâs will to resist, influence alliesâ willingness to support Taiwan, and build support for Beijingâs positions. The bureau documented a significant increase in fake online accounts and disinformation pieces compared to the previous year, with operations involving bot networks, AI tools, and targeted narratives to manipulate public opinion.
Sources: The Epoch Times, The Taipei Times
đ°ď¸Iranians Use Starlink to Circumvent Nationwide Internet Blackout
Iranians access Elon Muskâs Starlink satellite internet service to bypass a government-imposed nationwide communications blackout that began on January 8, 2026, amid a deadly crackdown on protests. Non-satellite connectivity has fallen to about 1% of normal levels according to NetBlocks data. Three individuals inside Iran reported ongoing Starlink usage despite the service being banned, with one user in Western Iran aware of dozens of others connected and service remaining active in border towns, cities, and patchy across regions. NetBlocks founder Alp Toker confirmed access persists though reduced and disrupted. The high cost of terminals and monthly fees limits broader adoption.
Sources: Reuters, The Guardian
đFrench Farmers Drive Hundreds of Tractors into Paris to Protest EU-Mercosur Trade Deal
French farmers mobilized approximately 350 tractors into central Paris on January 13, 2026, driving along the Champs-ĂlysĂŠes and gathering near the National Assembly and Arc de Triomphe to oppose the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement. The deal, approved by most EU member states despite opposition from France and others, allows increased imports of agricultural products such as beef from South American countries, which farmers argue creates unfair competition due to lower production costs and standards. This action followed an earlier protest on January 8, 2026, when tractors overran police checkpoints to reach landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe. The protests highlight concerns that the agreement threatens European agriculture by flooding markets with cheaper imports.
Sources: The UK Telegraph, Breitbart
â ď¸U.S. Treasury and State Depts Three Muslim Brotherhood Branches as Terrorist Organizations
On January 13, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood as Specially Designated Global Terrorists for providing material support to Hamas. The U.S. Department of State designated the Lebanese Muslim Brotherhood, also known as al-Jamaa al-Islamiyah, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist while also designating its Secretary General, Muhammad Fawzi Taqqosh, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. These branches continue to promote incitement and glorify terrorism that threatens U.S. interests and those of its allies. The Egyptian branch has coordinated with Hamas on terrorist activities against Israel. The Jordanian branch has manufactured rockets, explosives, and drones for Hamas and facilitated recruitment. The Lebanese branch has reactivated its al-Fajr Forces, which launched rockets into Israel in coordination with Hezbollah and Hamas, and maintained a covert military training camp with Hamas militants. These actions represent the first steps in an ongoing effort to deprive Muslim Brotherhood chapters of resources used to engage in or support terrorism.
Sources: US State Dept, Legal Insurrection