Trump Uses Veto for First Two Times in Second Term

/1 Comment/in , , /by

President Donald Trump used the veto for the first two times of his second term on two bills, one called the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act and the other called the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act.

In a press release from the White House regarding Trump’s veto of the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) Act, it was explained that the AVC “is a water pipeline currently being built to provide municipal and industrial water to communities in southeastern Colorado.”

The press release went on to explain that the project for the pipeline — which was “originally authorized as part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project in a bill,” signed by former President John F. Kennedy — was supposed to be “initially funded by the Federal Government, but repaid by local users, with interest, over a 50-year period.”

The press release added that “the current bill would not have the Federal Government extend the repayment period”:

The Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) is a water pipeline currently being built to provide municipal and industrial water to communities in southeastern Colorado. It was originally authorized as part of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project in a bill signed by President Kennedy in 1962. For decades it was unbuilt, largely because the AVC was economically unviable. Under the original plan, the costs of the project were to be initially funded by the Federal Government, but repaid by local users, with interest, over a 50-year period following completion of construction. But participants were unable to comply with that repayment obligation.

(Read more from “Trump Uses Veto for First Two Times in Second Term” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

The Biggest Parental Rights Fights Of 2025 — And What Parents Face Next

/0 Comments/in , /by

Parents faced dozens of challenges in 2025, from school policies hiding details about their own kids from them to technology taking over the classroom. Here are some of the biggest parental rights fights of the year, and a look at what parents can expect next in 2026.

American Parents Coalition (APC) is releasing a new guide for parents as they prepare to once more take on the bad policies still pervading schools as we head into 2026. In the organization’s latest Lookout, first shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation, the parental advocacy group outlines 2025’s biggest wins for parents — and what they should keep an eye on next year.

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has signed several executive orders protecting children, including Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling, Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports and Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation. These orders have helped safeguard against radical school policies to some extent, though many administrators and state officials have continued to defy federal directives, instead finding new ways to continue their radical policies or just maintaining them openly.

Notably, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Maine after Democrat Gov. Janet Mills refused several requests to comply with the president’s ban on men competing in women’s sports. The DCNF has also exclusively reported on several universities and school districts facing federal complaints after secretly admitting they will not follow the directives.

In response to such offenses, APC launched an interactive map logging these incidents for parents to stay up-to-date as battles over implementation, and refusals to comply, continue in 2026.

Parents won a major victory at the Supreme Court in June. Mahmoud v. Taylor secured the right to opt children out of lessons with content that is inappropriate or conflicts with a family’s religious beliefs.

Despite the win, parents still face a powerful opponent: teachers unions. While these groups claim to have kids’ best interests at heart, in reality, they more often try to shield classroom activities from parents. Some of these unions have sued the Trump administration in order to keep left-wing ideology embedded in schools and prevent the dismantling of the education department. Others have confidently claimed that “all children” in the country “belong” to them. (Read more from “The Biggest Parental Rights Fights Of 2025 — And What Parents Face Next” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

National Guardsman Labeled ‘Domestic Extremist,’ Forced Out for COVID Vaccine Refusal

/0 Comments/in , /by

A former Maine National Guardsman was hit with faulty accusations of being a “domestic extremist” and pushed out of his job for not taking the COVID-19 vaccine, with the state organization defying a federal correction order to reinstate him.

Maj. Michael Gary was likely the first U.S. service member to preemptively apply for a religious accommodation for the COVID-19 vaccine in December 2020, over a year before Reserve and National Guard members were expected to be vaccinated.

“Nobody has corrected me on this. I believe I’m the first guy in the nation to submit a religious exemption in the COVID era,” he told Breitbart News on Monday. “Mine was December 1 of 2020, before the shot came out.”

According to Gary, his chain of command in the Maine Army National Guard (MEARNG) was “all about” protecting his First Amendment rights when he first applied for an exemption.

“They supported me 100 percent… And then, of course, the shot came out, and over time, my chain of command soured on me.” (Read more from “National Guardsman Labeled ‘Domestic Extremist,’ Forced Out for COVID Vaccine Refusal” HERE)

Trump Calls for ‘Peace on Earth,’ Vows to ‘Get to the Bottom’ of Minnesota Fraud at Glittering Mar-a-Lago New Year’s Eve Bash

/0 Comments/in , /by

President Trump called for “peace on Earth” before ringing in the new year with first lady Melania Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club Wednesday — and vowing to “get to the bottom” of Minnesota’s multibillion-dollar fraud scandal.

The president, wearing a tuxedo, briefly spoke to reporters outside the club’s ballroom, with Melania standing by his side in a stunning silver dress at the lavish estate in Palm Beach, Fla.

“Peace on Earth,” Trump said in response to a question about his 2026 resolution, before heading in for the New Year’s Eve bash.

Inside the packed ballroom, Trump told guests the country is “doing great.”

“We’re back. We’re strong,” he added.

The president then vowed to “get to the bottom” of allegations of rampant welfare fraud in Minnesota. (Read more from “Trump Calls for ‘Peace on Earth,’ Vows to ‘Get to the Bottom’ of Minnesota Fraud at Glittering Mar-a-Lago New Year’s Eve Bash” HERE)

Congress Breaks Record For Doing The Least

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Republican-led Congress set several records in 2025, though not all of them were achievements lawmakers would be keen to celebrate.

With fewer than 40 bills signed into law as of Dec. 22, the House and Senate posted the lowest legislative output in the first year of a new presidency in modern history, according to data from C-SPAN and Purdue University, The Washington Post reported.

The House logged the fewest votes of any first session in a two-year Congress this century, with just 362 votes taken. That total is barely half the number recorded in 2017, President Donald Trump’s first year in office, when Republicans controlled the chamber.

Even with little legislative output, the Senate conducted more roll-call votes than in any other odd-numbered year in the 21st century — 659 in total — with nearly six in ten devoted to moving forward President Donald Trump’s executive and judicial nominees.

Republicans have been particularly active in using the Congressional Review Act, a tool rarely employed since its 1996 passage but increasingly used by recent GOP majorities. Their efforts have targeted 22 Biden-era regulations, including rules on fossil fuel production, gas-powered vehicles and overdraft fees. (Read more from “Congress Breaks Record For Doing The Least” HERE)

Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani Sworn In on Quran as NYC’s 112th Mayor

/0 Comments/in , /by

. . .A triumphant Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office to become the Big Apple’s mayor just moments into the New Year — kicking off an uncharted era with a proud socialist at the helm of the nation’s largest city.

The 34-year-old Queens state assemblyman was sworn in on a Quran as the city’s 112th mayor — and its second-youngest — by state Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday morning below City Hall Park in a grand, abandoned old subway stop with his wife, artist Rama Duwaji, by his side.

“This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said after swearing to faithfully discharge his duties as mayor and paying the $9 filing fee in cash.

Mamdani also wished New Yorkers “both inside this tunnel and above” a happy New Year.

“I cannot wait to see everyone tomorrow as we begin our term,” he said. (Read more from “Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani Sworn In on Quran as NYC’s 112th Mayor” HERE)

Trump’s Deputies Freeze Child Care Payments to Minnesota amid Alleged Somali Fraud

/3 Comments/in , /by

President Donald Trump’s deputies are freezing federal payments to child care businesses in Minnesota amid growing evidence of mass fraud by Somali-owned daycare centers.

“We’re committed to holding bad actors accountable, regardless of rank or office,” said a X video from Jim O’Neil, deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “Anyone who is involved in perpetrating this fraud against the American people should expect to be prosecuted.”

The Minnesota freeze is also intended to pressure other states to check for fraud in their federally funded services — especially within the ethnic enclaves created by long-standing federal policy of mass migration.

The freeze is politically powerful because it will force the state’s legitimate operators to demand state investigations into the apparently massive fraud by Somali operators. The fraud is evidently hidden by the imported, self-serving, clannish Somali culture of “amoral familism,” which is very different from U.S.-style citizenship, which emphasizes reciprocal rights and duties in a shared society.

The fraud has been quietly described in many news outlets over the last few years. However, Democrats suppressed public recognition of the mass fraud by their political allies until last week, when independent journalist Nick Shirley posted a series of man-on-the-street videos showing empty child care centers.

(Read more from “Trump’s Deputies Freeze Child Care Payments to Minnesota amid Alleged Somali Fraud” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

IRS Giving Out Major Tax Break for Certain Expenses in 2026

/0 Comments/in , , /by

People who use their cars for work will be able to deduct more money per mile on their taxes in the new year.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced this week that the standard mileage rate for business driving will increase by 2.5 cents per mile. Additionally, vehicles used for medical purposes will decrease by half a cent, which the agency said reflects “updated cost data and annual inflation adjustments.”

The standard mileage rate is an IRS-set figure, which is expressed in cents per mile, that is used to calculate the deductible costs of using a personal vehicle for business purposes when filing federal income taxes. Self-employed individuals, gig workers, freelancers, and small businesses who use personal vehicles for business can claim the standard mileage deduction on their tax returns. However, the standard mileage rate is also calculated for vehicles used for medical purposes, moving purposes for active duty members and for charity work.

Overall, starting Jan. 1, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car, van, pickup or panel truck will be 72.5 cents per mile driven for business use, 20.5 cents per mile driven for medical purposes, 20.5 cents per mile driven for moving purposes for certain active-duty members of the Armed Forces and certain members of the intelligence community. But the rate per mile driven in service of charitable organizations will remain at 14 cents, the IRS said.

The aforementioned rates apply to fully-electric and hybrid automobiles, as well as gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. If taxpayers are using a leased vehicle, the standard mileage rate must be applied for the entire lease period, including renewals. (Read more from “IRS Giving Out Major Tax Break for Certain Expenses in 2026” HERE)

Before You Make Any Lofty New Year’s Resolutions, Go Clean Your Room

/0 Comments/in , /by

Long before Jordan Peterson was telling young men to “make their bed,” wise matriarchs were imposing this “rule for life” on their households for ages. It’s a good rule, but particularly this time of year, as we enter 2026 and start thinking about lofty goals and resolutions. I’d suggest — just as your mother might have — before deciding on any big changes, to start with your bedroom.

The New Year presents itself as a chance for us to turn the page, to change the things we don’t like about ourselves, and that can be overwhelming — to the point that many people don’t even make New Year’s resolutions for fear of failing at them or forgetting about them by MLK Day. Only 31 percent of American adults even planned to make a New Year’s resolution in 2025, according to a YouGov poll.

So before you pledge to run a marathon or make some other seismic change come January, the first thing you should do is make your bed. This is the best way to ward off the sense of being overwhelmed or fear of failure for two reasons. The first is the practical benefits.

Leila Marie Lawler, the anti-feminist, mother of seven, describes this concept in practical terms. She writes clear and encouraging instructions for stay-at-home moms with lots of children on how to keep a “reasonably clean house” (a difficult task), but I think her counsel is helpful for anyone overwhelmed by all the things we need to do on a given day, not just housewives.

Lawler explains that some people think getting your life together should start in the kitchen. A sink full of dishes is quite paralyzing in itself after all, and the kitchen tends to collect more clutter due to more traffic, especially in big families. But Lawler is right to ask, “If you start in the kitchen, will you ever leave?” The answer is no. In a few hours, you’ll start making another meal in there, and you’ll be back at square one. (Read more from “Before You Make Any Lofty New Year’s Resolutions, Go Clean Your Room” HERE)

How Many Chinese Visa Holders Have To Be Charged Before Trump Stops Importing Them Into Our Universities?

/0 Comments/in , /by

How many Chinese nationals with access to America’s university system have to be prosecuted before President Trump shuts off their ability to attend such institutions?

It’s a question worth asking given the recurring nature of these individuals being charged by U.S. officials for alleged actions that could harm the security and national interests of the United States.

On Friday, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that Youhuang Xiang, a J-1 visa holder and post-doctoral researcher from China, has been “charged with smuggling Escherichia coli (E. coli) into the U.S. and making false statements about it.” Xiang was conducting post-doctoral research at Indiana University.

“This is yet another example of a researcher from China – given the privilege to work at a U.S. university – who then allegedly chose to take part in a scheme to circumvent U.S. laws and receive biological materials hidden in a package originating from China,” the FBI director said in an X post.

According to the Washington Examiner, “The Food and Drug Administration says certain types of E. coli can be life-threatening, leading to kidney failure or the development of high blood pressure, in addition to contaminating meat and crops.” In addressing the latter point, Patel said that such biological materials could “inflict devastating disease to U.S. crops and cause significant financial loss to the U.S. economy.”

(Read more from “How Many Chinese Visa Holders Have To Be Charged Before Trump Stops Importing Them Into Our Universities?” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr