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Category: News

Department of State
January 24, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
News

Trump State Dept Orders Massive Foreign Aid Freeze.

The U.S. State Department has ordered a massive 90-day freeze on new foreign aid, with very few exceptions. This is one of the first actions of newly appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

President Donald J. Trump’s State Department has frozen new foreign aid funding for nearly all countries except for emergency food aid and military assistance to Egypt and Israel. Around one percent of the United States’s annual budget—an estimated $60 billion—is directed toward foreign aid, making it the largest foreign aid budget of any country on Earth.

Secretary of State Rubio informed U.S. embassies worldwide of the aid freeze, which relates to an executive order signed by President Trump earlier this week that halts certain foreign assistance programs. Aid groups already view the order as an immediate impediment to their work and could shut down their operations to avoid additional costs.

Abby Maxman, head of Oxfam America, released a statement criticizing President Trump and claiming that the administration is “threatening” people’s lives.

The order, most notably, does not mention Ukraine either. While the former Biden-Harris regime spent billions of taxpayer dollars to continue the Ukrainian war with Russia, President Trump has been adamant about his goal to end the conflict as soon as possible.

Both President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have tentatively agreed to meet sometime this year to begin discussions to end the conflict. However, around $3.85 billion of congressionally approved spending for Ukraine still remains available.

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The U.S. State Department has ordered a massive 90-day freeze on new foreign aid, with very few exceptions. This is one of the first actions of newly appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio. show more
January 24, 2025
History
News
Politics

RFK Jr. Praises Trump for Declassifying Files Related to His Father and Uncle’s Assassinations.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed gratitude to President Donald J. Trump for initiating the declassification of files related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. Trump signed an executive order on Thursday permitting the declassification of these documents. After signing, he instructed an aide to present the pen used in the process to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been nominated as Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), RFK Jr., the son of Robert F. Kennedy, thanked Trump for showing trust in American citizens and reversing what he views as a detrimental path toward government secrecy. He cited John F. Kennedy’s belief in the importance of transparency in a democratic society.

Kennedy Jr. criticized what he described as a “60-year strategy of lies and secrecy,” which he claims was used by intelligence officials to obscure facts regarding the assassinations, Vietnam, 9/11, the Iraq war, and COVID-19.

According to the executive order, the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General have 15-day and 45-day deadlines, respectively, to devise plans for releasing the JFK files, as well as the RFK and MLK files. The order emphasized the need for transparency over five decades after the events. It states that the American public deserves access to the full details of the assassinations without further delay.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed gratitude to President Donald J. Trump for initiating the declassification of files related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. Trump signed an executive order on Thursday permitting the declassification of these documents. After signing, he instructed an aide to present the pen used in the process to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been nominated as Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary. show more
January 24, 2025
William Upton
Immigration

State and Local Law Enforcement Will Be Deputized to Assist Illegal Immigration Crack Down.

State and local law enforcement officials will soon be deputized to assist federal immigration agents in ongoing enforcement and deportation operations across the country, according to Trump’s White Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. The deputations were announced by Miller on Friday, with the addendum that those state and local officials who stand in the way of federal action will be arrested and prosecuted under the law.

“So this is an example of how President Trump is unleashing a vast and broad array of federal statutory authorities to secure the homeland,” Miller said. He continued: “The Secretary of Homeland Security has the authority to deputize both federal law enforcement, as well as state and local law enforcement, and the National Guard to conduct immigration enforcement activities.”

Miller revealed that the Secretary of Homeland Security has already exercised the deputation authority among federal agents to aid a fury of ICE raids coordinated by White House border czar Tom Homan. He noted that local and state law enforcement will soon be deputized as well.

“The Department of Justice (DOJ) is going to aggressively use its authorities to prosecute immigration crime. Child traffickers are going to be going to jail for decades,” Miller said, adding human traffickers and sex traffickers will also spend decades—if not life—in prison. Meanwhile, the Trump White House deputy chief of staff revealed that the DOJ would also prosecute state and local officials who try to interfere with federal immigration actions.

“Local officials who violate our laws are also subject to enforcement,” Miller stated.

WATCH:

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State and local law enforcement officials will soon be deputized to assist federal immigration agents in ongoing enforcement and deportation operations across the country, according to Trump's White Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. The deputations were announced by Miller on Friday, with the addendum that those state and local officials who stand in the way of federal action will be arrested and prosecuted under the law. show more
January 24, 2025
William Upton
News

Hamas Releases More Israeli Hostages as Part of President Trump’s Ceasefire Deal.

Hamas is set to release more Israeli hostages taken during its barbaric October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks against the Jewish state as part of a ceasefire agreement negotiated by President Donald J. Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. Early reports indicate at least four female Israeli soldiers will soon be transferred to Israel in exchange for the aid and release of several Palestinian prisoners.

Karina Ariev, Danielle Gilboa, Naama Levy, and Liri Albag are believed to be the four women set to be released by the Islamist terrorist group as the Gaza conflict continues its de-escalation. Hamas has stated that all four of the hostages are alive. Tragically, a number of the hundreds of hostages taken deep into Gaza by Hamas following the October 7 attacks have perished in the custody of their captors in the over 500 days the terror group has held them.

The exchange of hostages, prisoners, and humanitarian aid will be the second just instance between Israel and Hamas since the ceasefire was established just days before Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. Previously, Trump warned that if Hamas did not come to the table and reach a deal before he took office, “all hell would break out” in the Middle East.

Trump’s public and private pressure on Hamas and Israeli leaders is largely credited for securing the ceasefire.

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Hamas is set to release more Israeli hostages taken during its barbaric October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks against the Jewish state as part of a ceasefire agreement negotiated by President Donald J. Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. Early reports indicate at least four female Israeli soldiers will soon be transferred to Israel in exchange for the aid and release of several Palestinian prisoners. show more
January 24, 2025
William Upton
Lawfare

Trump Drops Biden Govt Charges Against Doctor Who Exposed Clandestine Transing of Kids.

President Donald J. Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) is moving to dismiss the federal prosecution initiated by the Biden government against Texas doctor and whistleblower Eithan Haim. Last summer, the Biden DOJ filed charges against Dr. Haim after he exposed a Texas hospital’s clandestine program administering puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and other sex-change operations on minors.

“The United States, appearing through its undersigned attorneys, and the defendant, Eithan David Haim, hereby move this Court for an order dismissing the Second Superseding Indictment and all open counts with prejudice,” the filing reads.

In 2023, Haim had alerted several media outlets, including City Journal, that the Texas Children’s Hospital transgender medicine program included minor children among its patients, despite the hospital publicly stating otherwise. The ensuing controversy led the Texas state legislature to ban transgender medical procedures from being conducted on minors altogether.

Following the disclosure, the Biden government sent federal agents to Haim’s residence to question him and inform him he was under federal investigation. Nearly a year later, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tina Ansari indicted Haim on four felony counts for violating federal HIPAA statutes.

In response to the charges, Haim’s attorney insisted that the doctor went to great lengths to comply with HIPAA standards, even in his leaks to the media, redacting any patient-identifying information from the documents he provided reporters. The Biden government’s persecution of the medical whistleblower drew outrage from activists who oppose the medical community’s negligence regarding the radical and controversial transgender procedures.

Image by Gage Skidmore. 

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President Donald J. Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) is moving to dismiss the federal prosecution initiated by the Biden government against Texas doctor and whistleblower Eithan Haim. Last summer, the Biden DOJ filed charges against Dr. Haim after he exposed a Texas hospital’s clandestine program administering puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and other sex-change operations on minors. show more
January 24, 2025
News
TECH

Zuckerberg’s Meta Boosts A.I. Investment to $65 Billion in 2025.

Meta Platforms Inc. plans to allocate between $60 billion and $65 billion to artificial intelligence (AI) investments in 2025, a 65 percent rise from the approximately $38 billion to $40 billion spent in 2024. CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the focus on expanding Meta’s data center infrastructure as a critical step to support the company’s AI technology development.

“This is a massive effort, and over the coming years it will drive our core products and business, unlock historic innovation, and extend American technology leadership,” Zuckerberg writes in a post on Facebook—one of several social media platforms owned by Meta. Data centers, crucial for supporting AI applications and services, are becoming increasingly vital to Meta’s operations across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The investment in these facilities is intended to enhance the computing capabilities needed to advance AI products and algorithms.

Zuckerberg states that Meta aims to possess over 1.3 million graphics processing units by the end of the year. GPUs are key components for AI processes, and the tech industry currently faces a supply shortage due to the surge in demand. Major tech firms such as Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are competing intensely to acquire GPUs from suppliers like Nvidia in the escalating race to advance AI technology.

In related developments, President Trump announced a collaboration between OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle called Stargate. The organization plans to invest at least $100 billion in U.S. data centers and potentially aim for a total investment of $500 billion over four years.

Recently, Meta disclosed plans to construct a substantial new data center in Richland Parish, Louisiana, covering over four million square feet, a size Zuckerberg remarked could encompass a sizable portion of Manhattan.

Image by Anthony Quintano. 

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Meta Platforms Inc. plans to allocate between $60 billion and $65 billion to artificial intelligence (AI) investments in 2025, a 65 percent rise from the approximately $38 billion to $40 billion spent in 2024. CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the focus on expanding Meta’s data center infrastructure as a critical step to support the company’s AI technology development. show more
January 24, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Immigration

Trump Gives Green Light to Deport Upwards of 1.5 Million Illegals Paroled Under Biden.

President Donald J. Trump has given the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) the green light to review the cases of around 1.5 million illegal immigrants, opening the door to their possible deportations. Under former President Joe Biden, these individuals were granted parole status through programs like Temporary Protected Status (TPS), the CBP One app, and CHNV (Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela) immigration flights. 

Shortly after being inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, Trump shut down the CBP One app, turning away all the migrants who registered with the app in an attempt to enter the country. The CHNV flights were also stopped. Meanwhile, acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman signed a memo this week that will allow for the rapid removal of recently arrived illegal immigrants if they fail to meet initial standards or claim asylum.

The new memo is part of President Trump’s much broader plan to secure the southern border, which includes increasing deportation numbers and speeding up the process of deportations overall. Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants entered the U.S. through the CBP One app or the CHNV Parole Program under the Biden-Harris government. Some, like Haitian national Kenol Baptiste, were later arrested for murder and other serious crimes.

Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, announced this week that ICE has already arrested 1,300 illegal immigrants across the country. He told the media that many of those arrested were wanted for serious crimes that include murder and the rape of children. Mass deportations are also a popular policy among Americans, with polling taken prior to Trump’s election victory showing that a majority of Americans support such a policy.

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President Donald J. Trump has given the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) the green light to review the cases of around 1.5 million illegal immigrants, opening the door to their possible deportations. Under former President Joe Biden, these individuals were granted parole status through programs like Temporary Protected Status (TPS), the CBP One app, and CHNV (Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela) immigration flights.  show more
January 24, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Crime
Immigration

Illegal Immigrant Deportation Flights Are Underway.

President Donald J. Trump has already begun deporting illegal immigrants back to their home countries, announcing that deportation flights out of the United States have begun. The Trump White House announced flights on Thursday, just days after border czar Tom Homan revealed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids are underway.

“Just as he promised, President Trump is sending a strong message to the world: those who enter the United States illegally will face serious consequences,” the Trump White House announced in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. The announcement was accompanied by a photo of illegal immigrants boarding U.S. military aircraft, which will return them to their country of origin.


Reports suggest that the first deportation flights will be heading to Guatemala. One C-17 military aircraft took off from Biggs Army Air Field, Texas, Friday, while another took off from Tucson, Arizona. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has sent 1,500 troops to the southern border to join the 2,500 already there as part of the new administration’s effort to prevent illegal crossings.

Shortly after being inaugurated on Monday, President Trump shut down the notorious El Paso border checkpoint, which saw a flood of illegals enter under former President Joe Biden. Along with securing the border, the Trump administration has made it clear the large-scale deportations of illegal immigrants will continue to ramp up in the coming weeks.

Yesterday, border czar Tom Homan stated ICE had arrested over 1,300 illegal immigrants, some of whom were wanted for serious crimes ranging from murder to child rape. According to Homan, ICE is currently targeting illegals wanted for serious crimes, saying they are deporting “the worst first.”

Image by The White House.

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President Donald J. Trump has already begun deporting illegal immigrants back to their home countries, announcing that deportation flights out of the United States have begun. The Trump White House announced flights on Thursday, just days after border czar Tom Homan revealed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids are underway. show more
Microplastics Cancer
January 24, 2025
Health
News

This Country’s Drinking Water Is Contaminated With ‘Forever Chemicals,’ Study Finds.

A study released on Thursday has detected the presence of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a type of “forever chemical,” in the tap water of various towns and cities across France, including Paris. The analysis, conducted by consumer group UFC-Que Choisir and environmental organization Future Generations, found TFA in 24 out of 30 water samples.

The highest concentrations were reported in Paris’s 10th district, reaching 6,200 nanograms per liter, and in the southern town of Moussac. Bruxerolles in western France were also highlighted for their considerable levels at 2,600 nanograms per liter.

TFA is classified as a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), which is known for its persistence in the environment and links to health complications. In 20 of the 30 samples, TFA levels surpassed European regulatory limits for individual PFAS. European legislation mandates that by 2026, PFAS concentrations in drinking water should not exceed 500 nanograms per liter. NGOs are campaigning for TFA to be included in these regulations.

The groups criticized the lack of monitoring by regional health agencies in France, where TFA is reportedly “rarely — if ever — sought” in water checks. Pauline Cervan, a toxicologist at Future Generations, warned that available solutions, such as bottled water or filters, are ineffective against TFA contamination.

While other PFAS compounds remain within national guidelines—set at a 100 nanograms per liter limit—the groups argue these regulations are less stringent than those in countries like the United States and Denmark. If stricter measures akin to those implemented abroad were adopted, about 80 percent of the tested water samples would be out of compliance, according to UFC-Que Choisir’s Olivier Andrault.

Meanwhile, a legislative proposal to restrict PFAS production and sales is slated for another vote next month.

Image by Oregon State University.

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A study released on Thursday has detected the presence of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a type of "forever chemical," in the tap water of various towns and cities across France, including Paris. The analysis, conducted by consumer group UFC-Que Choisir and environmental organization Future Generations, found TFA in 24 out of 30 water samples. show more
January 24, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Health
Immigration

Indians Arranging Dangerous Pre-Term C-Sections to Beat Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Ban.

Indian women in the United States are reportedly requesting dangerous pre-term cesarean sections from doctors so they can give birth before President Donald J. Trump’s birthright citizenship ban comes into effect. Most of the women are reportedly in their eighth or ninth month of pregnancy, but several are said to be much earlier in their terms. The new birthright citizenship rules were expected to come into force on February 20, but are now subject to legal action.

Dr S. D. Rama in New Jersey reports he has taken a call from a woman just seven months pregnant to sign up for a C-section before February 20. Dr. S. G. Mukkala, an obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) who has “spoken to 15 to 20 couples” seeking pre-term C-sections, warns they can be very dangerous for both the child and the mother. “Complications include underdeveloped lungs, feeding problems, low birth weight, neurological complications, and more,” Dr. Mukkala said.

President Trump promised to end birthright citizenship during the 2024 election campaign to stop the phenomenon of “birth tourism.” The executive order carrying out this promise will make the children of both illegals and those on temporary work visas ineligible for automatic citizenship, if it survives the courts.

Democrat attorneys general have launched lawsuits to challenge the executive order, claiming it is presidential overreach. “Presidents are powerful, but he is not a king. He cannot rewrite the Constitution with a stroke of the pen,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin (D) argued.

H-1B VISAS.

Several of those looking to request pre-term C-sections are said to be in the United States on H-1B visas. H-1Bs have been a significant topic of discussion in recent weeks after tech billionaire Elon Musk advocated for the program. Critics argue it undercuts American workers, particularly in the tech sector.

Musk’s Tesla laid off thousands of workers in April of last year only to replace key positions with H-1B workers who worked for a fraction of the cost.

President Trump’s current stance on H-1Bs remains unclear, although during his first run for the presidency, he said the visas harm American workers, calling them “very bad” and “unfair.”

Image by Peter K Burian.

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Indian women in the United States are reportedly requesting dangerous pre-term cesarean sections from doctors so they can give birth before President Donald J. Trump's birthright citizenship ban comes into effect. Most of the women are reportedly in their eighth or ninth month of pregnancy, but several are said to be much earlier in their terms. The new birthright citizenship rules were expected to come into force on February 20, but are now subject to legal action. show more