News From Around the Web
#10 Filing Alleges ‘Improper’ Relationship Between Fulton DA, Top Trump Prosecutor - Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman for Atlanta Journal-Constitution
District Attorney Fani Willis improperly hired an alleged romantic partner to prosecute Donald Trump and financially benefited from their relationship, according to a court motion filed Monday, which argued the criminal charges in the case were unconstitutional. The bombshell public filing alleged that special prosecutor Nathan Wade, a private attorney, paid for lavish vacations he took with Willis using the Fulton County funds his law firm received. County records show that Wade, who has played a prominent role in the election interference case, has been paid nearly $654,000 in legal fees since January 2022. The DA authorizes his compensation...
#9 OIG Report: Situation at Nation's Borders Unsustainable - Wendi Strauch Mahoney for UncoverDC
The situation at our nation's borders is "unsustainable," according to Inspector General Dr. Joseph Cuffari. The Biden administration's open border policies not only pose significant national security risks, but they are destroying the morale of those who are now managing and staffing the massive influx of illegal aliens. A series of OIG reports and OIG testimony from the Department of Homeland Security arguably show that the Biden administration is either willfully pushing open border policies or falling woefully short of enforcing the laws of the land. Call it politics or call it policy. The American border to the North and the South is officially an open invitation to cartels, illegal border crossings, and bad actors of all stripes.
#8 Jeffrey Epstein Ran Sex Blackmail Operation For Intelligence Agencies; New Evidence Suggests - Alex Gutentag and Michael Shellenberger for Public
The newly unsealed documents include powerful new evidence that Epstein and Maxwell were deliberately blackmailing people. Johanna Sjoberg, another one of Epstein’s victims, recounted that he and Maxwell had created a Prince Andrew puppet for Prince Andrew. They presented it to him and used it to guide him into taking sexual photos with Sjoberg and Giuffre.https://x.com/shellenberger/status/1744807359111925839?s=20
#7 TurboTax Faces Major Threat to Its Business - Aliss Higham
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) plans to roll out a free way to file federal taxes, much to the chagrin of tax preparation firm TurboTax. The IRS is launching a pilot plan, known as Direct File, that will offer a free way to submit taxes for U.S. workers. In December, the agency published its plans for an in-house filing system that taxpayers can use to submit their federal tax returns at no cost. The pilot will be available only to taxpayers living in Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.
#6 Ron DeSantis Hits Out at Donald Trump, Nikki Haley Ahead of Iowa Caucus: Takeaways From His Town Hall - Francesca Chambers for USA TODAY
In Iowa on Tuesday evening, DeSantis stressed his political organization has the power to beat Trump, who leads by roughly 30 points in the state and could gain traction in spite of the snowstorms sweeping through the Midwest"It's tough for me to take something from somebody that goes to another state and then says Iowa's votes need to be corrected. You know, I found that to be deeply offensive," DeSantis said at his town hall. "I've met folks here in Iowa; folks here represent the best of America and are patriotic, hardworking, God-fearing; that's what we need to engineer come back to this country."
#5 Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert's Ex-Husband Arrested, Facing Charges - CBS Colorado Staff
Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert's ex-husband has been arrested and is facing charges, CBS News Colorado Investigator Brian Maass has learned. Jayson Boebert was arrested on Tuesday, according to court records, apparently in connection with an altercation that happened Saturday with Lauren Boebert, who is currently the Republican representative for Colorado's 3rd Congressional District.
#4 NRA Chief, One of the Most Powerful Figures in US Gun Policy, says He's Resigning Days Before Trial - Associated Press
The longtime head of the National Rifle Association said Friday he is resigning, just days before the start of a civil trial over allegations he treated himself to millions of dollars in private jet flights, yacht trips, African safaris and other extravagant perks at the powerful gun rights organization's expense. Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president and chief executive officer, said his departure is effective Jan. 31.
#3 Judge Orders Deletion After Epstein Images That 'Should Have Been Redacted' Are 'Inadvertently' Released - Rando DeSoto for The Western Journal
A federal judge on Monday issued an order directing the redaction of “inadvertently disclosed” photos from publicly released records related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The New York Post reported the images featured girls and young women posing on Epstein’s infamous Caribbean island. “The Clerk of the Court is directed to strike docket entry 1332-7 in the above-captioned case because it contains inadvertently disclosed images that should have been redacted. Counsel shall re-file the stricken document as soon as is practicable,” U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska said in the order.
#2 New Yorkers Last: Mayor Eric Adams Forces Students into Virtual Classes So Migrants Can Stay in School Gym - John Binder for Breitbart
On Tuesday, Adams announced that the border crossers and illegal aliens would be moved from Floyd Bennett Field, where they have been staying, to the gym at James Madison High School in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. School faculty were told to take important items with them from their classrooms and offices when they left campus on Tuesday. As a result, James Madison High School Principal Jodie Cohen notified parents, students, and faculty that they would have to go virtual on Wednesday to accommodate the border crossers and illegal aliens and their gym being turned into a migrant shelter.
#1 X Confirms 'Bitcoin ETF' Breach Was Not Of Any Of Its Systems, SEC Failed To Use 2-Factor Authentication On Phone - Tyler Durden for Zero Hedge
With fingers being pointed and blame being apportioned for the SEC screw-up, X's Safety team has provided a rather awkward statement on the results of their probe of the breach. We can confirm that the account @SECGov was compromised, and we have completed a preliminary investigation. Based on our investigation, the compromise was not due to any breach of X’s systems but rather due to an unidentified individual obtaining control over a phone number associated with the @SECGov account through a third party. We can also confirm that the account did not have two-factor authentication enabled at the time the account was compromised. We encourage all users to enable this extra layer of security.
And Now for Something Special 
'A Big Ol Blubbering Mess': Navy Veteran Tears Up Reading Comments After Café Shares His Story Online
In Pensacola, a heartwarming story has emerged about a devoted US Navy veteran known as Mr. Lee, whose daily ritual at the Scenic 90 Cafe has captured the community's admiration.Having served in the US Navy for over three decades, Mr. Lee, now in his late 80s, starts each morning with a visit to the local diner for breakfast. Kelli Gomez, a server at the café, has been attending to Mr. Lee for at least a year and shared that he enjoys sitting at the counter, regaling the staff with stories about his life, especially memories involving his wife and children. His presence at the café, always occupying the first seat at the counter, has become a consistent and cherished part of the staff's daily routine.
A Facebook post featuring a photo of Mr. Lee caught the attention of the online community, drawing focus to his helpful nature. The photo captured Mr. Lee separating coffee filters, a task he began doing after observing the staff's efforts.
