News From Around the Web
#1 ‘Trump Gold Card’ Launches, Offering Expedited Immigration Pathway With a $1 Million Fee - Samantha Waldenberg for CNN, Erbak, Alt Bright, The Desi Buzz, Scrolla Africa, and SASSYCHICK on X
President Donald Trump on Wednesday officially launched his “gold card” visa, a new immigration pathway that will allow foreigners to pay $1 million to expedite their visa application, or have companies pay $2 million to sponsor a foreign worker they want to bring into the US. “Very excitingly, for me and for the country, we’ve just launched the ‘Trump Gold Card,’” the president said at a White House roundtable event. The visa website, trumpcard.gov, launched Wednesday afternoon and includes a link of the official application, promising “U.S. residency in record time.” “For a $15,000 DHS processing fee and, after background approval, a contribution of $1 million, receive U.S. residency in record time with the Trump Gold Card,” the official website reads...
#2 US Seizes Sanctioned Oil Tanker off Coast of Venezuela, Trump Says - Reuters, Wall Street News, CGTN Europe, Sky News/Totius, Melanie D'Arrigio/Rekkr, and Owen Gregorian on X
The U.S. has seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, a move that sent oil prices higher and sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Caracas."We've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening," said Trump, who has been pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down...
#3 House GOP Moderates Revolt Against Johnson on Health Care With New Discharge Petition - Caitlin Yilek for CBS News, Craig Caplan, Meredith Lee Hill, Emily Brooks, Michael Leonard, and Washington Report/Politics and Poll Tracker on X
Republican moderates in the House revolted against leadership on Wednesday as they seek to force a vote on expiring health insurance premium tax credits — an issue that could have major political ramifications for the party in next year's elections. Facing an end-of-year deadline, Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania introduced a discharge petition to try to bring a bill to the floor that would extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies by two years. A handful of GOP moderates quickly signed on. The move is the latest rebellion by rank-and-file Republicans to force votes on issues that leadership would rather avoid...
#4 Trump Threatens to Primary Indiana Republicans Ahead of Key Redistricting Vote - Aaron Pellish for Politico, Nellie Federber, Doug Bell, Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith, Newsweek and TIME on X
President Donald Trump threatened electoral consequences for Indiana Republicans who defy his demand that the state redraw its congressional map to secure more seats for the GOP — singling out a state senator who could help block the effort on Thursday. Trump raged at Indiana Senate Republican leader Rodric Bray in a social media post late Wednesday, saying he would back primary opponents for those who stand in the way of an effort to preserve the GOP House majority in the midterms...
#5 Desantis Unveils Plan to Spend $117 Billion in Final Budget Proposal - Phillip Stucky for SPECTRUM NEWS 13, Eric Daugherty, Ron DeSantis, Anastasios Kamoutsas, and Ted Veerman on X
The governor highlighted expenditures for education, including $1.56 billion for teacher pay increases across the state. Other educational line items included $30.6 billion for the overall K-12 budget, with an additional $1.7 billion earmarked for early childhood education. Comparatively, DeSantis’ proposal for last year’s budget called for $29.7 billion for the K-12 system and $465.8 million for Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten initiatives. DeSantis also announced a plan to spend $4 billion on the state’s university system. Additionally, he highlighted planned pay increases for state law enforcement, and he hopes to extend the current recruitment bonus program, which pays out $5,000 for new recruits...
#6 Luxury Cars and Private Villas: See How Minnesota Fraudsters Spent Millions Intended for Hungry Kids - Jonah Kaplan and Michael Kaplan for CBS News, ange, Wall Street Apes, Lou Raguse, Alpha News, Papa Hemingway, and Dodge Burdwell on X
Luxury cars, private villas, and overseas wire transfers: CBS News obtained dozens of files and photos that reveal how Minnesota fraudsters blew through hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars as part of one of the biggest COVID-era fraud schemes. The files document a spending spree in which defendants, many of Somali descent, took taxpayer money meant to feed hungry children and used it to buy cars, property, and jewelry. Videos show them popping champagne at an opulent Maldives resort. In a text message, one defendant boasts: "You are gonna be the richest 25-year-old InshaAllah [God willing]."The documents feature exhibits from a recent federal trial, many of which are being made public by CBS News for the first time. The exhibits include...
#7 Erika Kirk Pushes Back at Online Conspiracy Theories About Husband’s Death - Joseph A. Wulfsohn for Fox News, BREAKING NEWZ Alert, FBR/Lori Love, Tom H, Allie Beth Stuckey/randomac, and Tee Ragsdale on X
Erika Kirk, the widow of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, fired back at conspiracy theorists who’ve leveled a series of unfounded accusations about the assassination of her husband. "Can I have one thing? Can my children have one thing?" Kirk said on Wednesday’s "Outnumbered." "We will be building the most beautiful memorial for my husband at Turning Point USA. And it will be for the world to see. And it will be spectacular... But can I have one thing?" she continued. "Can my babies have one thing where we hold it sacred, where my husband is laid to rest, where I don't have to be worried about some secular revolutionary coming and destroying my husband's grave while my daughter is sitting there praying? One thing."
#8 USDA Launches New Regenerative Pilot Program to Lower Farmer Production Costs and Advance MAHA Agenda - USDA.Gov, Gunther Eagleman, Dept. of Agriculture, Michael Thomas of Sharon, Farm Policy, Tractor Report, and PaEnvironmentDigest on X
Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, alongside U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced a $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program to help American farmers adopt practices that improve soil health, enhance water quality, and boost long-term productivity, all while strengthening America’s food and fiber supply. Building off the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy released in September, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is also investing in research on the connection between regenerative agriculture and public health, as well as developing public health messaging explaining this connection...
#9 House Democrat Files Impeachment Article Against RFK Jr. - Scott Wong for NBC News, The HighWire/Rep. Haley Stevens, /Sarah Gallagher/Andrew Solender, Afi James, WKRG, and The Beacon on X
Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens, who is running for an open Senate seat in Michigan, formally introduced an article of impeachment Wednesday against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., though it has virtually zero chance of advancing through the Republican-controlled House. She had vowed to do so in September, arguing that his actions and public remarks had jeopardized public health, increased the cost of health care, and cut important medical research programs. The New York Times first reported that Stevens had filed the article...
#10 Georgetown Professor Sprints Away, Tries to Assault OMG Cameraman After He’s Caught on Hidden Camera Calling Black Conservatives “Coons” - Cristina Laila for The Gateway Pundit, James O'Keefe, Siraj Hashmi, and Andrew Quackson on X
A Georgetown professor was caught on hidden camera calling black conservatives “coons” and saying he “works with stupid white people.” Jonathan Franklin, a Georgetown professor, went on an undercover date with James O’Keefe, and when he realized he was talking to O’Keefe, he flipped out. O’Keefe’s disguise? A pair of glasses. Franklin called black podcast host Candace Owens a “sellout” and conservative Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas “coons.” “I work with stupid white people,” Franklin said. Franklin actually trashed James O’Keefe while he was on the undercover date with O’Keefe. “Well, the thing is, I actually am James O’Keefe,” James said as he removed his glasses...
