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

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. . .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

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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

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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

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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?

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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

Wife of Jill Biden’s Ex-Husband Found Dead Inside Delaware Home After a Domestic Dispute Call

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The 64-year-old woman married to Jill Biden’s ex-husband was found dead in her Delaware home after law enforcement responded to investigate a domestic dispute late Sunday, authorities said.

Linda Stevenson was found unresponsive on the living room floor of the Oak Hill home she shared with her husband Bill — married to the former first lady between 1970 and 1975 — around 11:15 p.m. when officers responded to a reported family clash, according to the New Castle County Police Department.

Police said she was pronounced dead at the scene despite authorities’ attempts to revive her.

“It’s still a murder investigation,” Stevenson’s grief-stricken daughter, Christina Vettori, told the Daily Mail Tuesday afternoon, before adding, “I would not like to talk at this time.”

Police, who denied claims of a murder probe, are reportedly treating the case as a “death investigation.”

“Detectives from the Division’s Criminal Investigations Unit were notified and responded to the scene to assume the investigation,” police said in a news release. (Read more from “Wife of Jill Biden’s Ex-Husband Found Dead Inside Delaware Home After a Domestic Dispute Call” HERE)

Resurfaced Video Shows How Somali Scammers Used Day Care Centers To Rip Off State

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A resurfaced 2018 video from a Minneapolis-area TV station shows how Somali scammers allegedly bilked Minnesota out of millions of dollars for services that they never provided.

Independent journalist Nick Shirley touched off a storm on social media Friday after he posted a photo of one day-care center, which displayed a banner calling it “Quality Learing Center” on X, along with a 42-minute video that went viral showing him visiting that and other day-care centers. The surveillance video, which aired on Fox 9 in 2018 after being taken in 2015, showed parents taking kids into the center, then leaving with them minutes later, according to Fox News.

“They were billing too much, they went up to high,” Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman told Fox 9 in 2018. “It’s hard to imagine they were serving that many people. Frankly if you’re going to cheat, cheat little, because if you cheat big, you’re going to get caught.”

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota was accused of engaging in “systemic” retaliation against whistleblowers in a Nov. 30 statement by state employees. Assistant United States Attorney Joe Thompson announced on Dec. 18 that the amount of suspected fraud in Minnesota’s Medicaid program had reached over $9 billion.

After Shirley’s video went viral, FBI Director Kash Patel announced the agency was already sending additional resources in a Sunday post on X, citing the case surrounding Feeding Our Future, which at one point accused the Minnesota government of racism during litigation over the suspension of funds after earlier allegations of fraud. (Read more from “Resurfaced Video Shows How Somali Scammers Used Day Care Centers To Rip Off State” HERE)

World’s Most Contagious Virus Detected at Two Major U.S. Airports

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Health officials in two states are urging travelers to be alert after separate measles exposures were reported at major U.S. airports during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

The New Jersey Department of Health announced that a traveler who passed through Newark Liberty International Airport on December 12 tested positive for measles. The individual was present in Terminals B and C, prompting a multi-agency effort to notify passengers and track potential exposures.

Measles — considered one of the most transmissible viruses in the world — spreads through airborne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours, meaning people may be exposed even after the carrier has left the area.

Authorities are asking anyone who believes they may have been exposed not to walk into a clinic or hospital without calling ahead, to avoid further spread while medical staff prepare appropriate precautions. The state says it is continuing contact-tracing efforts in coordination with local health departments.

Individuals most at risk include people who are not fully vaccinated or who have never previously had measles. New Jersey has reported 11 confirmed measles cases so far this year, according to officials.

The exposure comes as U.S. air travel hits record seasonal demand, with AAA estimating more than 8 million passengers will fly during the holiday period.

Second Case Reported at Boston Logan Airport

A separate case was identified in Massachusetts, where a visitor from Texas was diagnosed with measles after traveling through Boston Logan International Airport. State health officials said the traveler arrived on American Airlines Flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth and was in Terminal B.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has issued an alert to passengers who may have crossed paths with the individual and is conducting its own contact-tracing review.

Nationwide, measles activity remains elevated. As of December 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 2,012 U.S. cases this year.

Photo credit: Flickr

Hamas Admits Top Leaders’ Deaths, Vows To ‘Fight With Their Fingernails’

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Hamas confirmed Monday that Israeli forces have killed five senior leaders of its military wing, including longtime spokesperson Abu Obeida and the brother of October 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar.

The terror group’s new spokesman delivered the announcement in his first public address, The Jerusalem Post reported. He revealed that he “inherited” the “Abu Obeida” pseudonym, meaning “father of the worshipers,” from his predecessor.

The previous spokesperson’s true name was Huthayfa Samir Abdallah al-Kahlout, according to the outlet. An Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) strike on Gaza City took him out on Aug. 31, 2025.

The Israeli military and Shin Bet security agency confirmed the kill at the time, but Hamas refused to acknowledge the death until now.

The organization also admitted that Mohammad Sinwar, Hakham Muhammad Issa al-Issa, Mohammed Shabana and Ra’ad Sa’ad were killed by Israeli forces. (Read more from “Hamas Admits Top Leaders’ Deaths, Vows To ‘Fight With Their Fingernails’” HERE)

Journalist Who Helped Expose Jeffrey Epstein Questions Why DOJ Was Tracking Her

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Julie K. Brown — the Miami Herald reporter whose investigative work helped reopen the Jeffrey Epstein case — says she expected her name to appear in the recently released Epstein files. What she didn’t expect, however, was to find her personal flight records included among the government documents.

Brown wrote that she discovered the information while reviewing materials from the latest document release by the Department of Justice. The records appeared as part of a grand jury subpoena requesting business documents from American Airlines, which included an itinerary for flights she booked in July 2019 — just days before Epstein was arrested.

In a December 28 Substack post, Brown said the itinerary listed her maiden name, which she does not use professionally, making it clear to her that the entry referred to her specifically. She questioned why her travel details were swept into the files.

“Since the itinerary includes my maiden name — and I did take this flight — why was the DOJ monitoring me?” Brown asked in a post on X.

So far, the Justice Department has not provided a public explanation for why her information appeared in the database.

Brown’s acclaimed three-part investigation, Perversion of Justice, published in 2018, helped bring renewed scrutiny to Epstein’s earlier plea deal and the scope of his abuse network. Her reporting was widely credited with spurring federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York to bring new criminal charges in July 2019.

Epstein was later found dead in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial.

The flight record Brown uncovered showed a round trip from Austin, Texas to Little Rock, Arkansas, with a return scheduled for July 8, 2019 — the same day Epstein was taken into federal custody. Brown said she had booked and taken the trip.