Florida Federal Judge Green-Lights Publication of Epstein Grand Jury Testimony

/0 Comments/in , /by

A Trump-appointed federal judge in Florida has ordered the public release of grand jury transcripts from the first federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of underage girls, which took place during the mid-2000s.

That investigation ended without any charges. In 2007, however, federal prosecutors in Florida did indict Epstein, who managed to obtain a plea deal, copping to relatively minor charges of procuring a person under 18 for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute. He was given an 18-month sentence in the Palm Beach County Jail—with daytime work release—and served about 13 months.

Back in July, a different judge, at the request of the Trump administration, had declined to demand release of records from the earlier investigation. On Friday, however, US District Judge Rodney Smith, whom Trump appointed to the bench in 2018, stated that the Epstein Files Transparency Act that President Donald Trump signed into law on November 19, “overrides” rules that prohibit the public disclosure of “unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials”—including grand jury transcripts.

This same law compels the Department of Justice, federal prosecutors, and the FBI to release, by mid-December, materials they collected during their investigations into Epstein going back at least as far as the mid-2000s Florida case. The DOJ has not yet announced a timeline for making the information publicly available. (Read more from “Florida Federal Judge Green-Lights Publication of Epstein Grand Jury Testimony” HERE)

CDC Issues Travel Alerts as Untreatable Tropical Virus Spreads Across Several Countries

/0 Comments/in , , /by

U.S. health officials are urging Americans traveling abroad to be on high alert as multiple countries report growing outbreaks of chikungunya, an untreatable mosquito-borne virus that has surged across parts of Asia, the Caribbean, and southern China.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced new Level 2 travel advisories for Cuba, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Guangdong Province in China. The alerts encourage travelers to take enhanced precautions, especially because there is currently no antiviral treatment for chikungunya.

Although no treatment exists for the disease itself, officials note that chikungunya is preventable through vaccination, which is strongly recommended for anyone visiting outbreak-affected regions.

Chikungunya typically begins with fever and intense joint pain, and some patients also experience headaches, rashes, muscle aches, or swelling. Symptoms usually begin three to seven days after a mosquito bite, and most people recover within a week. However, severe cases can lead to months or years of debilitating joint pain. In the most serious situations, the virus can cause organ damage or even be fatal, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO data from October 3 shows that worldwide, between January and September 2025, there were 445,000 suspected and confirmed chikungunya cases and 155 deaths.

Several countries are reporting significant spikes:

Bangladesh: Roughly 700 suspected cases were identified in Dhaka during the first nine months of 2025.

Guangdong Province, China: Officials have logged 16,000 locally transmitted cases, marking the largest outbreak ever recorded in China.

Cuba: From January through late September, 34 confirmed cases prompted public health measures to contain spread.

Sri Lanka: Between January 1 and mid-March 2025, 150 confirmed cases were recorded, with infections peaking in June.

With no treatment available and outbreaks growing, U.S. health agencies stress the importance of preventing mosquito exposure. Travelers are being encouraged to:

Use insect repellent consistently

Wear long sleeves and pants

Stay in screened or air-conditioned buildings

Consider receiving the chikungunya vaccine before travel

As outbreaks continue to evolve, officials say updated information will be provided to help travelers assess their risks before heading abroad.

Photo credit: Flickr

Socialist Mayor-Elect Taps Armed Robbery Felon for Public Safety Role

/0 Comments/in , /by

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has chosen a formerly incarcerated rapper to serve on his City Hall transition team as he prepares to take office in New York City Jan. 1, according to reports.

The controversial selection comes as Mamdani, who won November’s election on a progressive platform, assembles his transition team.

Mamdani’s appointment of Mysonne Linen, 49, was announced in a Nov. 26 Instagram post from Until Freedom, a New York City–based social-justice organization, where Linen is a leader.

Linen is featured in the social media post alongside Tamika Mallory and Angelo Pinto.

“We are proud that Until Freedom leaders have been chosen to serve on Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team on committees for public safety and criminal justice respectively,” the post reads. (Read more from “Socialist Mayor-Elect Taps Armed Robbery Felon for Public Safety Role” HERE)

Experts Warn Your Preferred Sleep Position Could Be Harming Your Health in Multiple Ways

/0 Comments/in , , /by

The way we lie down in bed could pose health risks beyond just a sore back, according to experts. Your go-to posture can cause pain, reflux, snoring and even nerve symptoms that show up the next morning.

“What we care about is if someone is comfortable in their sleep position. Oftentimes we sleep in certain ways because of comfort,” Shelby Harris, clinical psychologist and behavioral sleep specialist, told Fox News Digital.

The way we sleep can often leave us uncomfortable, however. When sleeping in awkward positions, our bodies lie motionless in that position overnight, adding stress not only to our nerves, but to our muscles and ligaments as well.

Nerve damage is a concern when people sleep in positions that involve bending or tucking the arms — dubbed the “T. rex position” on social media. Health experts point out that when arms go numb at night, that’s often related to nerve compression.

A 2023 review of cubital tunnel syndrome, in which people experience symptoms of numbness and shooting pain in their forearms, specifically warns that sleeping with the elbow sharply bent or tucked under a pillow can increase pressure on the nerve and worsen symptoms. (Read more from “Experts Warn Your Preferred Sleep Position Could Be Harming Your Health in Multiple Ways” HERE)

Jury Decides Stabbing White People Is Okay If They Use A Racial Slur

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A Portland jury acquitted a man who admitted to stabbing a stranger after video captured the victim using a racial slur in the aftermath of the attack.

Multnomah County prosecutors charged Gary Edwards, 43, with second-degree assault for the July 7 knife attack on Gregory Howard Jr. near the Union Station MAX stop, according to Oregon Live. Edwards faced five years and 10 months in state prison under Oregon’s Measure 11 sentencing law.

Edwards testified he acted in self-defense after Howard yelled the slur at him. Howard denied using the word before the stabbing.

Transit cameras showed Edwards approaching Howard from behind with a fixed-blade knife as Howard sat on a bench. Howard jumped up and pushed Edwards when he saw him. The two scuffled briefly before Edwards stabbed Howard in the shoulder.

Defense attorney Daniel Small told jurors the key evidence came later, when security officers recorded Howard shouting the racial slur on body cameras.

“What other than racism could explain why Mr. Howard perceived hatred, animosity and aggression from a complete stranger,” Small asked the jury. (Read more from “Jury Decides Stabbing White People Is Okay If They Use A Racial Slur” HERE)

Whistleblower Claims Somalians Committed Mass Medicaid Fraud In Maine

/0 Comments/in , /by

A Somali-owned company may have defrauded Maine in a manner similar to schemes that ripped off at least $1 billion from Minnesota, a whistleblower told NewsNation Monday.

Christopher Bernardini, a former “billing guru” at Gateway Community Services, said that the company falsified documents to obtain payment from Maine’s Medicaid program for services to low-income and disabled clients, NewsNation reported. Abdullahi Ali, the owner of the company, reportedly ran for office in Jubaland, a region of Somalia, and boasted about funding a militia there, according to The Maine Wire.

“I have a passion for helping people and I thought that we were doing the right thing this whole time,” Bernardini told NewsNation, later adding, “When I had clients calling me to tell me their staff hadn’t shown up and I was told to bill those hours anyway. It just got worse and worse until I started really putting up a stink.”

Bernardini told NewsNation that an electronic monitoring system intended to track field staff was manipulated to make it appear the clients were visited when staff actually failed to show up.

Gateway Community Services received $28.8 million in Medicaid funds from Maine, according to documents obtained by The Maine Wire via a Freedom of Access Act request. (Read more from “Whistleblower Claims Somalians Committed Mass Medicaid Fraud In Maine” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Toddler Among Victims as Pepper-Spray-Wielding Thieves Injure 21 at Major Airport

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Police arrested a 31-year-old man Sunday at a London airport following a robbery in which 21 people — including a 3-year-old child — were pepper-sprayed and required medical treatment, officials said.

The morning incident happened at Heathrow Airport’s parking garage when a group of four men stole a woman’s suitcase in an elevator and sprayed an irritant at her, the Metropolitan Police said.

“A woman was robbed of her suitcase by a group of four men, who sprayed a substance believed to be pepper spray in her direction,” Commander Peter Stevens said in a statement, adding that passengers in the elevator and surrounding area were also affected.

Police said the suspects then fled the elevator following the incident. They appeared to be three young men dressed in all black with their heads covered, The Associated Press (AP) reported, citing a witness.

Video captured a swarm of officers rushing to the scene of the assault, visibly carrying large firearms as they navigated the multi-story parking garage. (Read more from “Toddler Among Victims as Pepper-Spray-Wielding Thieves Injure 21 at Major Airport” HERE)

Dad Warns Parents About Troubling Find Inside Popular Water Bottle Brand

/0 Comments/in , , /by

. . .Something most people probably don’t do enough of is clean their reusable water bottles. While scrubbing them with hot water and soap is beneficial, there could still be sneaky mold hiding in places the naked eye wouldn’t catch.

Although some water bottles aren’t designed to be taken apart to clean, one worried dad is warning parents to diligently examine the bottles their kids regularly drink out of after he discovered a gross amount of mold in some of his Yeti bottles.

In a TikTok video, Jason Sullivon explained how he rotates the bottles his daughter uses each day, but noticed that they weren’t getting as clean as they should be. “I contacted Yeti to ask how to clean them properly, since they are not designed to be taken apart,” he explained in his video.

Sullivan said that Yeti advised boiling the bottles in hot water for 5-10 minutes. “After doing that, this is what they looked like when they came out,” he said while showing the camera visible mold underneath the rubber seal where the straw inserts.

“If you’re using these types of bottles, especially for children, make sure to check them regularly. There could be hidden buildup or contamination you might not notice,” he warned. (Read more from “Dad Warns Parents About Troubling Find Inside Popular Water Bottle Brand” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Zelensky Says He Still Has One Big Unanswered Question in Ukraine-Russia Peace Deal

/0 Comments/in , /by

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that one key question remains unanswered as the Trump administration works to hammer out a peace deal end the war in Ukraine.

As President Trump pushes for a cease-fire deal to end Russia’s nearly four year invasion, Zelensky maintained that the US and its allies have yet to offer clear details on what security guarantees would be granted to Ukraine to protect it from future aggression.

“There is one question I — and all Ukrainians — want to get an answer to: if Russia again starts a war, what will our partners do?” Zelensky told Bloomberg.

The main disagreements in the peace deal involve Russia’s maximalist demands that Ukraine shrink its military, totally cede the contested Donbas region and give up any hopes of joining NATO.

“There are visions of the US, Russia and Ukraine — and we don’t have a unified view on Donbas,” Zelensky said. (Read more from “Zelensky Says He Still Has One Big Unanswered Question in Ukraine-Russia Peace Deal” HERE)

‘Criminal Illegal Alien’ Mom of Karoline Leavitt’s Nephew Set to Be Released From ICE Detention

/0 Comments/in , /by

The mother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s nephew was ordered released from an immigration detention facility in Louisiana on Monday — nearly two weeks after she was nabbed in Massachusetts.

Bruna Caroline Ferreira was detained by agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement while she was en route to pick up her son from school on Nov. 26.

An immigration judge ordered her released on a $1,500 bond, even though the Department of Homeland Security labeled her a “criminal illegal alien.”

Ferreira was working toward obtaining her green card, her attorney Todd Pomerleau said. She was born in Brazil, but was previously permitted to stay in the US under the Obama-era DACA law, the lawyer added.

Pomerleau told ABC News that Ferreira is expected to be released on Monday or Tuesday.

A DHS spokesperson previously said that Ferreira had a criminal record with an arrest for battery plus an overstay on a visa that expired in June 1999. (Read more from “‘Criminal Illegal Alien’ Mom of Karoline Leavitt’s Nephew Set to Be Released From ICE Detention” HERE)