Senate Democrats, Once Again, Thwart GOP Push for Obamacare Reforms as Subsidies Teeter on Expiration
On December 11, Senate Democrats, joined by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), defeated a Republican proposal by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) in a near party-line vote, blocking a measure to replace expiring Obamacare enhanced premium subsidies with targeted funding for health savings accounts—$1,000 annually for individuals aged 18-49 and $1,500 for those 50-65 earning up to 700% of the federal poverty level, paired with requirements to purchase bronze or catastrophic plans on exchanges—while incorporating fiscal safeguards such as reduced federal Medicaid payments to states covering undocumented immigrants, citizenship verification for eligibility, prohibitions on taxpayer-funded gender transition procedures, and Hyde Amendment protections against abortion funding via HSAs; the Democrat counterproposal, advancing a three-year extension of the Biden-era subsidies set to lapse at year’s end amid warnings of premium spikes for over 20 million Americans, drew Republican opposition for lacking reforms to address fraud and escalating costs, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), signaling openness to bipartisan negotiations before Congress recesses next week, underscoring the partisan impasse over sustainable health care policy as the deadline looms.
81 Percent of Somali Households in Minnesota Rely on Welfare Programs
New data from the Center for Immigration Studies, drawing on a decade of Census Bureau American Community Survey records from 2014 to 2023, indicates that 81 percent of households headed by Somali immigrants in Minnesota depend on at least one form of taxpayer-funded welfare, encompassing 27 percent on cash assistance such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Security Income, 54 percent utilizing food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and 73 percent enrolled in Medicaid for medical coverage. This rate climbs to 89 percent among Somali-headed households with children, contrasting sharply with native-born American households where only 21 percent access any welfare, including 6 percent on cash aid, 7 percent on food stamps, and 18 percent on Medicaid. The analysis further reveals that 52 percent of children in Somali immigrant homes live in poverty compared to 8 percent in native-headed homes, with nearly 40 percent of Somali adults lacking a high school diploma and almost 60 percent reporting limited English proficiency, even after a decade of residency, underscoring persistent economic challenges amid Minnesota’s Somali population growth from zero in 1990 to nearly 80,000 residents today.
Sources: Breitbart, The Center for Immigration Studies
18,000 Confirmed Suspected Terrorists Entered the United States Under Biden
In testimony before the House Homeland Security Committee, Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, revealed that 18,000 known or suspected terrorists have entered the United States during the Biden administration, posing a persistent threat to national security due to inadequate border vetting over the past four years. Kent, who previously served as a Green Beret and CIA officer, defined these individuals as those directly linked to terrorist activities or their associates, noting that standard immigration protocols would have barred their entry. Yet, Biden-era policies permitted their admission and, in numerous instances, actively facilitated it. He underscored the paramount risk: the uncertainty surrounding the identities of millions who crossed amid open-border measures, including those encountered at ports of entry and the southern border, as well as potential gotaways evading detection.
Sources: The Washington Times, Breitbart
Democrat Downplays National Guardman’s Murder as Mere “Accident” Amid Immigration Failures
During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on worldwide threats, ranking Democrat Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi drew sharp rebukes from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and fellow lawmakers after labeling the November 26, 2025, shooting death of West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and the critical wounding of Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe in Washington, D.C., as an “unfortunate accident.” The suspect, Afghan refugee Rahmanullah Lakanwal, carried out the targeted attack near the White House against the Guardsmen, who were deployed under President Trump’s directive to bolster federal law enforcement and combat urban crime; Lakanwal had entered the U.S. through the Biden-era Operation Allies Welcome program, with his asylum application ultimately approved under Trump administration processes following initial vetting lapses. Noem forcefully corrected Thompson, declaring, “You think that was an unfortunate accident? It was a terrorist attack. He shot our National Guardsmen in the head,” while emphasizing the Biden administration’s failure to enforce annual asylum check-ins and due diligence on thousands of such entries. Thompson shifted to calling it an “unfortunate situation” and pressed Noem on responsibility, even floating perjury accusations before conceding he did not pursue them, as CBS News confirmed the final approval occurred under Trump; Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) erupted in objection, labeling the remarks “effin’ disrespectful” to the murder victims and calling for decorum, though Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) ruled it an invalid point of order. The exchange highlighted ongoing congressional debates over immigration vetting, with Noem advocating a full travel ban on high-risk nations and Republicans renewing calls for reforms to prevent such tragedies stemming from prior administration policies.
Sources: FOX News, The Washington Times
Senate Republicans Advance 97 Trump Nominees Past Democrat Partisan Blockade
The United States Senate, led by Republicans, on December 10, successfully advanced 97 of President Trump’s sub-Cabinet nominees through a key procedural vote, overcoming a persistent Democrat blockade that had stalled confirmations for months and marking the third such batch since the GOP invoked the nuclear option in September to lower the filibuster threshold to a simple majority for these positions. This move followed the overruling of an objection from Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and excluded Sara Carter’s nomination for director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy due to its Cabinet-level status requiring 60 votes, while including figures like former Rep. Anthony D’Esposito for inspector general at the Department of Labor and James Murphy and Scott Mayer for the National Labor Relations Board. Senate Majority Leader John Thune described the Democratic tactics as a “temper tantrum,” emphasizing the need to staff federal agencies efficiently, with final confirmation votes set for next week that would push Trump’s first-year total beyond 400, outpacing former President Joe Biden’s 350 at the same mark and underscoring the procedural reforms’ role in accelerating the administration’s priorities across government.
Sources: FOX News, The Washington Times
US Trade Deficit Hits Five-Year Low on Export Boom & Tariff Wins
The United States goods and services trade deficit contracted by 10.9 percent in September to $52.8 billion, marking the lowest monthly level since June 2020 and a decline from August’s $59.3 billion, according to Commerce Department data released Thursday, with exports rising 3.0 percent to $289.3 billion—driven by a 4.9 percent surge in goods shipments to $187.6 billion, including record-high consumer goods—while imports increased only 0.6 percent to $342.1 billion, reflecting the moderating influence of President Trump’s tariff policies that took full effect in early August to bolster American competitiveness and reshape global trade flows in favor of domestic producers. This narrowing gap, particularly evident in the real goods deficit’s 5.6 percent drop amid 4.2 percent higher real exports and just 0.7 percent more real imports, signals robust third-quarter economic momentum, as higher net exports contribute to projections of solid GDP growth around 3.5 percent annualized, underscoring the tangible benefits of an America First approach that has defied critics’ warnings of retaliatory harm to U.S. exporters.
Sources: The Epoch Times, Reuters
Judge Orders Release of Illegal Salvadoran Migrant from ICE Custody Amid Trump Deportation Efforts
A federal judge in Maryland has ordered the immediate release of 30-year-old Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia from Immigration & Customs Enforcement detention, ruling that his continued holding lacks lawful authority following his deportation to a notorious El Salvador prison in March 2025, which violated a 2019 immigration court order barring his removal due to gang persecution risks. Abrego Garcia, an illegal Maryland resident and father of three who entered the U.S. unlawfully as a teenager and illegally worked as a sheet metal worker, was returned to the United States in June 2025 to face federal human smuggling charges in Tennessee alleging a conspiracy from 2016 to 2025 to bring undocumented migrants across the border, to which he has pleaded not guilty and sought dismissal on grounds of selective prosecution. Released on bail in August 2025 after his Tennessee detention, he was promptly rearrested by ICE and held without a final deportation order, despite Trump administration officials’ public vows that he would never again be free in the U.S. and their repeated, unsuccessful attempts to deport him to third countries, including Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana, and Liberia. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2016, in her December 11, order granting his habeas petition, directed ICE to effect the release by 5 p.m. that day, allowing temporary return to his Maryland home under pretrial conditions while his legal battles continue, highlighting ongoing tensions in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement amid criticisms of procedural overreach.
US Rep. Haley Stevens’ Big Pharma Ties Raise Questions on Impeachment Motive
In the ongoing saga of partisan theater, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI)—who has pocketed over $98,000 from health professionals and substantial sums from pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson during the 2023-2024 cycle, according to Federal Election Commission data—has escalated her attack on HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with formal impeachment articles introduced on December 10, charging him with betraying science and sparking health care turmoil through purported agency mismanagement and conspiracy-laden rhetoric on issues like vaccine safety and Tylenol risks. These claims, rooted in Kennedy’s push for transparency and cost-cutting reforms that challenge entrenched industry interests, come as Stevens navigates a bruising 2026 Senate bid against formidable GOP challengers, where her reliance on Big Pharma cash—totaling $33,500 from PACs in health sectors alone—mirrors the very corporate influence she purports to combat, as detailed in OpenSecrets’ campaign finance profiles. Critics, including HHS officials, label the move a desperate deflection, unlikely to gain traction in the Republican-led House, much like prior Democratic stunts against Trump appointees, underscoring how donor dollars from drug makers funding opioid settlements may be fueling attacks on reformers threatening their bottom line.
Sources: OpenSecrets.org, The Washington Examiner
Federal Union Leader Draws Six-Figure Pay While Idling in Mexico City
Records from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission reveal that Malcolm Alexander-Neal, a former risk analyst and president of the National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 325, drew a taxpayer-funded salary exceeding $200,000 in compensation and benefits in 2023 while stationed remotely in Mexico City from March 2022 to February 2025, misleading colleagues by claiming residence in Chicago. Agency logs indicate he logged only 542 hours of work between March and December 2024, falling short of the mandated 1,200 hours, with 90 percent of his emails devoted to union matters rather than CFTC duties, in violation of telework policies that prohibit operations from abroad via a Mexico City-based VPN and across 11 countries, including Lebanon and Chile. The discrepancy surfaced after his 2024 autobiography disclosed his foreign base, prompting an investigation where he first denied and then admitted the arrangement, leading to administrative leave in February 2025 and departure in July 2025; Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) condemned the conduct as taxpayer fraud and oath betrayal, calling for full repayment. This episode traces to Biden-era remote work extensions post-COVID, which critics link to union influence on federal operations.
Sources: The Washington Free Beacon, The Washington Examiner
Federal Reserve Delivers Quarter-Point Rate Cut Amid Divided FOMC Vote on Job Market Slowdown
The Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee, in a 9-3 vote at its December 10, 2025, policy meeting, lowered the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a target range of 3.50% to 3.75%, marking the third consecutive reduction this year as job growth cools and unemployment edges higher while inflation persists above the 2% target. Chair Jerome Powell, addressing the press post-decision, emphasized the move’s aim to sustain maximum employment without reigniting price pressures, noting the economy’s moderate expansion but highlighting risks from a weakening labor market exacerbated by recent government data disruptions. Dissent came from two regional presidents favoring steady rates to combat stubborn inflation and one governor pushing for a bolder 50-basis-point cut to bolster hiring more aggressively. This adjustment, bringing borrowing costs down from pandemic-era lows but still elevated from 2023 peaks, is projected to ease mortgage and credit card expenses modestly while underscoring the Fed’s delicate balance between fostering growth and curbing cost-of-living increases.
Sources: US Federal Reserve, The Epoch Times
Navy’s $448 Million AI Push with Palantir Bolsters American Shipbuilding Might
The United States Navy has committed $448 million to deploy Palantir Technologies’ Ship OS artificial intelligence platform across the maritime industrial base, targeting submarine production and beyond to slash delays, cut costs, and fortify national defense capabilities amid persistent shipbuilding bottlenecks. Announced by Secretary of the Navy John Phelan alongside Palantir CEO Alex Karp, the two-year initiative aggregates data from enterprise systems, legacy databases, and operational sources to pinpoint inefficiencies, automate workflows, and enable real-time decision-making for shipbuilders, shipyards, and suppliers. Early pilots have yielded dramatic gains, including compressing 1,850 production days to 75 for one supplier, reducing a 200-hour process to 12 seconds while boosting quality by 50 percent, and eliminating 2,500 planning days at another, as detailed by Palantir’s Mike Gallagher. This effort, initially focusing on the Submarine Industrial Base with expansion to surface ships, aligns with President Trump’s emphasis on advancing American AI to outpace adversaries and deliver superior value to taxpayers by enhancing fleet readiness and industrial capacity.
Sources: The New York Post, US Naval Institute
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It’s Not About Israel Or The Jews, It’s About Islam & Islamist Conquest
“From its inception, Islam has been less a personal spirituality than a totalitarian blueprint for conquest, as articulated in the Quran and Hadiths. Surah Al-Tawbah (9:29) commands: “Fight those who do not believe in Allah... until they pay the jizya [poll tax] with willing submission and feel themselves subdued.” This isn’t metaphor; it’s a mandate for Dar al-Islam (House of Islam) to subsume Dar al-Harb (House of War), subjugating all other peoples and religions to dhimmitude—a second-class existence of humiliation and extortion. Christians, Jews, Hindus, and atheists: all must convert, submit, or perish…”
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US Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker in Escalation Against Maduro Regime
The Trump administration has intensified its campaign against Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro by directing U.S. Coast Guard forces to seize a sanctioned oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast, marking the first direct interference with the nation’s oil exports amid a substantial naval buildup in the region, including aircraft carriers and fighter jets. Trump confirmed the operation during a White House meeting, describing the vessel as the largest ever seized and hinting at further actions, following his repeated demands for Maduro’s immediate resignation and accusations of facilitating narco-terrorism that have prompted two dozen Pentagon strikes on suspected drug boats since September, resulting in at least 87 deaths. With 55 to 90 percent of Venezuela’s oil shipments destined for China through intermediaries at discounted rates due to U.S. sanctions, the interception—whose precise location and vessel name remain undisclosed—has raised global oil prices and sparked concerns over potential blockades that could cripple Maduro’s funding sources, while underscoring the Trump team’s commitment to dismantling the socialist regime’s illicit networks. White House officials offered no immediate comment, as the move aligns with a nine-month-old 25 percent tariff on imports from countries purchasing Venezuelan energy.
Sources: The Daily Mail, Sky News
UK Shifts Military Focus to NATO Stronghold Amid Global Posture Evolution
In a pragmatic adjustment reflecting Britain’s enduring commitment to transatlantic security, the United Kingdom’s armed forces will commence scaling back overseas training exercises beginning next year, redirecting resources toward bolstering NATO operations across Europe, the Atlantic, and Arctic theaters, as outlined in a Ministry of Defence statement reported by the British Forces Broadcasting Service. Armed Forces Minister Al Carns affirmed to Parliament that while the military remains steadfast in its international obligations, this measured reorientation balances domestic and allied operational imperatives, advances modernization initiatives, and aligns with an evolving strategic landscape that prioritizes homeland defense and collective deterrence against persistent threats from adversarial powers. The Royal Navy, in particular, will curtail participation in non-regional drills over the ensuing four years, exemplified by diminished involvement in distant engagements such as last year’s Vigilant Isles 25 with Japanese forces, ensuring heightened readiness for Euro-Atlantic contingencies without forsaking core alliances.
Sources: The Washington Times, UK Defense Journal
Mexico Approves Protective Tariffs Up to 50 Percent on Chinese and Asian Imports to Safeguard Domestic Industry
Mexico’s Congress has enacted reforms to the General Import & Export Tariffs Law, imposing duties of up to 50 percent on more than 1,400 products imported from China and other Asian countries lacking free-trade agreements with Mexico, including India, South Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia, effective in 2026 to shield local manufacturing, preserve employment, and rectify persistent trade imbalances. The legislation, which passed the lower house with 281 votes in favor, 24 against, and 149 abstentions before securing Senate approval by 76 to 5 with 35 abstentions, targets key sectors such as automobiles, auto parts, textiles, apparel, plastics, steel, shoes, appliances, and footwear, with most items facing hikes to 35 percent from prior levels averaging 16 percent. President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration, holding majorities in both chambers through the Morena party, advanced the measure to foster national production and generate an estimated $3.76 billion in additional revenue amid efforts to narrow the fiscal deficit, while China’s Ministry of Commerce expressed concerns over potential harm to bilateral trade interests valued at $130 billion in imports to Mexico in 2024. This action aligns with international trade frameworks and responds to pressures, ensuring Mexico does not serve as a conduit for non-USMCA-compliant goods into North American markets.
Sources: The Epoch Times, AP News
Honduras Election Crisis Deepens as Leftist President Seeks to Overturn Results
Honduran President Xiomara Castro, facing likely defeat for her party’s candidate, escalated the country’s post-election turmoil by demanding outright annulment of the November 30 vote, branding it an “electoral coup” despite the National Electoral Council reporting over 99 percent of ballots counted and independent observers finding no evidence of systematic fraud sufficient to alter the outcome. Backed by her husband, former president Manuel Zelaya, Castro mobilized LIBRE party supporters to block major highways and surround electoral offices, actions that disrupted daily life and echoed the violent 2017 protests that left dozens dead after similar refusal to accept unfavorable results; the president’s accusations of foreign interference pointedly targeted the United States, reviving old grievances over past policy while ignoring that her own coalition had initially praised the transparency of the electronic transmission system now under attack. With conservative National Party candidate Nasry Asfura maintaining a narrow but consistent lead of roughly 1.3 percentage points over centrist Salvador Nasralla, and LIBRE’s own candidate trailing far behind in third place, the calls for annulment and street pressure risk plunging the country into prolonged instability rather than respecting the expressed will of Honduran voters as tallied under international scrutiny.
Sources: Reuters, The Straits Times
Bulgarian Citizens Persist in Demanding Accountability Amid Endemic Corruption Crisis
Thousands of Bulgarians gathered in Sofia and cities across the nation on December 10, 2025, to protest the minority government’s persistent failure to address deep-rooted corruption that hampers the European Union’s poorest member’s progress toward euro adoption on January 1, with demonstrators projecting calls for “Resignation,” “Mafia Out,” and “For Fair Elections” onto parliament using lasers as part of ongoing rolling demonstrations following the withdrawal of the controversial 2026 budget plan last week. This sixth no-confidence vote looms in parliament on December 11 against Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s coalition, formed after the October 2024 elections amid seven national votes in four years, while citizens like retiree Dobri Lakov, 64, and IT specialist Angelin Bahchevanov voiced demands for judicial reform and liberation from oligarchic influences to restore the rule of law and economic stability. Opposition leader Assen Vassilev affirmed readiness to join the eurozone regardless of governmental change, underscoring public resolve for integrity in governance as Bulgaria navigates its fiscal transition.
Sources: The Straits Times, Reuters
Congo Rebels Seize Strategic Town as U.S.-Brokered Peace Pact Collapses
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have captured the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo town of Uvira, a vital government outpost and military base on Lake Tanganyika near the Burundian border, in the most significant escalation of the protracted conflict in months, displacing over 200,000 civilians and leaving scores dead according to United Nations reports. This advance follows a lightning seizure of Goma and Bukavu earlier in the year, consolidating rebel control over the mineral-rich South Kivu province and threatening broader regional instability, even as the rebels maintain participation in Qatar-mediated talks in Doha. The incursion unfolded less than a week after Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame affirmed commitment to a U.S.-brokered peace agreement during a Washington summit hosted by President Trump, an accord now in tatters amid mutual accusations of violations, including Congolese airstrikes and Rwandan support for the insurgents. Congo’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner called for expanded U.S. sanctions on Rwandan military figures and institutions to enforce accountability, while Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe countered that Kinshasa’s failure to honor the deal and Burundi’s deployment of up to 20,000 troops alongside Congolese forces provoked the response, underscoring the fragility of diplomatic efforts in a war that has ravaged eastern Congo for decades.