“The Trump administration on Friday was blocked from freezing roughly $10 billion in federal funding for child care and social services in five Democratic-led states, a federal judge ordered. Judge Arun Subramanian decided that the administration must release funds for three social service programs that serve low-income families and individuals with disabilities for the next two weeks, despite President Trump’s efforts to withhold the funds. … The suit, filed Thursday evening in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that the freeze was triggered by viral misinformation, political rhetoric and public threats from Trump and top officials, not by fraud findings.” (01/10/26)
Source: The American Conservative
by Jennifer Kavanagh
“Simply put, the turn in U.S. foreign policy toward the Western Hemisphere does not represent (so far) the long-awaited transformation that America First ‘restrainers’ have hoped for. Instead, it is yet another manifestation of the same old American pattern: the addition of new military commitments without shedding old ones. We cannot praise the administration’s military activity in Latin America as somehow better than expending resources in the Donbas or the deserts of the Middle East — because under Trump, the United States is doing these things too.” (01/09/26)
“A once well-regarded Bay Area chef has been indicted by a federal grand jury after allegedly attempting to rob three banks in a single day. Valentino Luchin, 62, was arrested in September after hitting three banks, San Francisco police said. According to police, Luchin passed notes to bank workers demanding cash. He allegedly robbed a bank on the 1100 block of Grant Avenue of $300 and stole about $2,500 from a Bank of America on Stockton Street. He also attempted to rob a bank on the 400 block of Columbus but failed to walk away with any money. … He has pleaded not guilty to charges of bank robbery and attempted bank robbery. … Before his legal troubles, Luchin worked as the executive chef at Rose Pistola in San Francisco. He then opened Ottavio in Walnut Creek, serving as both the owner and the head chef. But the restaurant closed in 2016, sending Luchin into a tailspin of financial woes.” (01/11/26)
“Vaughn, an Arkansas man with a severe intellectual disability, spent decades in prison for a murder he did not commit. He was finally released on Friday.” (01/09/26)
“The United States has seized another tanker in its campaign to control the flow of oil to and from Venezuela. The Olina was seized overnight in the Caribbean Sea, an operation conducted by the Coast Guard and Joint Task Force Southern Spear, two U.S. officials told NBC News. … It’s the fifth tanker seized by the U.S. in recent weeks, and comes days after American forces in the North Atlantic took control of the Bella 1, a Russian-flagged tanker that fled the American blockade and led a weekslong chase.” (01/09/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“As the eyes of the world watch negotiations over Kiev’s future, and the ‘special military operation’ that was intended to last ten days nears the end of its fourth year, Russia is carefully deepening its economic ties outside of the West’s sphere of influence. In this sense, the deal signed between the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Indonesia — Southeast Asia’s largest economy, and the world’s 17th largest ($1.4 trillion) — on December 22nd is emblematic of an ongoing structural realignment pursued by Russia in the last year. …. an attempt by Russia to turn away permanently from Europe and the West as its main trading partners.” (01/09/26)
“Iranians staged their biggest protests yet of an almost two week movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, chanting slogans including ‘death to the dictator’ and setting fire to official buildings, videos showed Friday. Internet monitor Netblocks said authorities had imposed a total connectivity blackout late Thursday …. AFP verified videos of crowds of people, as well as vehicles honking in support, filling a part of the vast Ayatollah Kashani Boulevard late on Thursday. The crowd could be heard chanting ‘death to the dictator’ in reference to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei …. Several videos said protesters had set fire to the entrance to the regional branch of state television in the central city of Isfahan. It was not immediately possible to verify the images. Flames were also seen in the governor’s building in Shazand, the capital of the Markazi province in central Iran, after protesters gathered outside, other videos showed.” (01/09/26)
