News From Around the Web
#1 DOJ Charges Southern Poverty Law Center With Fraud for Paying White Supremacist Groups $3M to ‘Stoke Racial Hatred’ - Josh Christenson for New York Post, The Gateway Pundit, U.S. Department of Justice, Andy Ngo, The Post Millennial, The Hill, and Katie Daviscourt on X
The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that a grand jury indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center for making fraudulent payments of millions of dollars to members of the Ku Klux Klan and other neo-Nazi organizations. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a news conference that the 11-count indictment filed in an Alabama federal court alleged the left-wing nonprofit had in the past decade paid at least $3 million to eight members of the far-right groups. One leader of the 2017 Unite the Right protest in Charlottesville, Va., received roughly $270,000 over an eight-year period. Neither that person nor others were identified in the 14-page indictment...
#2 Trump and DeSantis Discuss Appointment to Key Administration Position - Jack Davis for The Western Journal, Ryan Saavedra, David J Harris Jr, Tosca Austen/in the dark newz, The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show, and News Now on X
A new report said outgoing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is hoping to land a job in the Trump administration. A report from Axios suggested that DeSantis has initiated conversations with President Donald Trump, adding that Trump seems willing to find a role for DeSantis. The Florida Republican cannot seek another term, which means that his eight years as Florida governor end in January. The Axios report, which was based on sources it did not name, said DeSantis has suggested multiple places where he could fit. The report said DeSantis had an interest in the post of attorney general, which became open when Trump parted ways with Florida native Pam Bondi. Other spots of interest for DeSantis included Secretary of War, currently held by Pete Hegseth, and a spot on the U.S. Supreme Court if a justice retires...
#3 Gavin Newsom Hit With Humiliating New York Times ‘Bestseller’ Asterisk - Annie Gaus for New York Post, Matthew Nelson, Kevin Dalton, Libs of TikTok (community note), Washington Free Beacon, and American Ground Radio on X
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s status as bestselling author is officially in doubt. Revelations that his PAC, Campaign for Democracy, spent $1.6 million buying up copies of his book, has led to the New York Times slapping an asterisk on the ranking of his memoir, noting bulk purchases. Newsom’s listing “Young Man in a Hurry” on the New York Times bestseller list includes a “dagger” symbol, which is meant to indicate that sales were inflated by institutional buys, instead of through word-of-mouth and rave reviews. The California governor, who boasted of selling 100,000 copies of the memoir, has bought around two-thirds of those copies through his PAC as part of a push for donations...
#4 Steak ‘N Shake Hires First Chief MAHA Officer for Real Food Revolution - The Dallas Express, Steak 'n Shake, MAHA Action, Breanna Morello, Keith, and Rachel - WRITESIDE BLONDE ® on X
Steak ‘n Shake announced Tuesday the hiring of its first Chief MAHA Officer, a new executive position focused on improving nutritional integrity, ingredient transparency, and the overall healthiness of its menu items. Michael Boes will fill the role at the classic American burger chain, which has approximately 350–400 company-operated and franchised locations across the United States. The move continues the company’s recent efforts to emphasize real ingredients in its Steakburgers, homemade milkshakes, and beef tallow fries. “Customers should never have to choose between taste and health,” Boes said. “When restaurants commit to both, they serve better food, and they build lasting trust.” Steak ‘n Shake stated that the appointment marks a major step in restoring the original spirit of American fast food: food that is simple, real, and delicious. The company stressed that burgers, fries, and shakes should be made from real ingredients families know and love...
#5 Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Resigns Minutes Before Hearing on Whether She Should Be Expelled - Scott Wong and Kyle Stewart for NBC News, Eric Daugherty, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna/Jake Sherman, Libs of TikTok, Jack, and Ted Cruz/Bill Melugin on X
Embattled Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., resigned on Tuesday, moments before the House Ethics Committee was set to consider whether to recommend she be expelled from Congress. Last month, the Ethics panel found her guilty of 25 ethics violations stemming from allegations that she stole federal relief funds and used some of the money to fund her political campaign. Her criminal trial is expected to begin in February 2027, and she complained that it was a "dangerous path" for the Ethics panel to weigh her expulsion before her day in court. She has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty...#6 Rep. Cory Mills Says He Won’t Resign From Congress Amid Ethics Probe Into Misconduct Allegations - Melanie Zanona and Raquel Coronell Uribe for NBC News, Meet the Press, LovelyMSNet/Mother Jones, Doctor of Truth, John Galt (Because Someone Has To Be), CoryMillsisaFRAUD/Roger Sollenberger, and Mediate on X
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., struck a defiant tone Tuesday in saying he has no plans to resign over a House Ethics Committee investigation and bipartisan pressure for him to leave Congress. “If someone can give me a good reason, I’d be more than happy to listen to it. But until we can do that, absolutely not, no — I don’t plan to resign. We’re going to seek re-election,” he told reporters at the Capitol. Mills said he is complying with the Ethics Committee's probe and has turned over documents, but that he has no sense of whether the panel is close to wrapping up the investigation it began in November...#7 Hospice Fraud Hearing Exposes Toll of Suspected Scams: “The American People Are Demanding Answers” - Laura Geller for CBS News, MJTruthUltra/Kimo Wasabi, Michael E. Gates, Attorney/Nick Shirley, LTO Larsson, Mario Nawfal, CleanLiving Forum on X
Lawmakers are demanding answers and looking for recommendations on how to crack down on hospice fraud, a problem costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. At a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday, representatives on both sides of the aisle agreed they need more accountability to protect the Medicare hospice programs, which have been raided by fraudulent operators who often use fake or stolen names to bill for end-of-life care. "We are holding this hearing because the American people are demanding answers about the theft of their tax dollars and their Medicare benefits. To the fraudsters: your time operating in the dark is way over," House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, a Republican from Missouri, said...
#8 Virginia Voters Back Redistricting Amendment After Months of Legal and Political Battles - Markus Schmidt for Virginia Mercury, The New York Times, NBC10 Boston, Daily Caller, Geiger Capital, and Craig Caplan on X
Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment allowing mid-decade congressional redistricting, a move expected to dramatically reshape the state’s political map and potentially shift its congressional delegation from a closely divided 6-5 split to a heavily Democratic-leaning 10-1 advantage. By 8:50 p.m., the measure passed by a vote of 50.7-49.3% out of 2.5 million ballots cast, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections, clearing the way for lawmakers to redraw district lines outside the traditional once-a-decade census cycle. The winning margin continued to increase throughout the night as more votes were tallied. Supporters argued the amendment gives Virginia flexibility to respond to aggressive redistricting efforts in several Republican-led states at the urging of President Donald Trump, while critics warned it opens the door to partisan gerrymandering and undermines long-standing constitutional guardrails...
#9 Flu Vaccine No Longer Mandated for US Troops, Hegseth Says - Ben Finley and Konstantin Toropin for Federal News Network, Election Wizard, New York Post, WQOW 18 News, John E Tiffany, and THE TRADESMAN on X
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that the U.S. military will no longer require all American troops to get the flu vaccine, citing “medical autonomy” and religious freedom. “The notion that a flu vaccine must be mandatory for every service member, everywhere, in every circumstance at all times is just overly broad and not rational,” Hegseth said in a video posted on social media. He said American service members are free to get the flu vaccine but will not be forced to “because your body, your faith, and your convictions are not negotiable.” Hegseth’s directive does allow for the military services to request to keep the vaccine requirement in place, according to a memo enacting the policy posted online. It says the services have 15 days to make those requests...
#10 Trump Media Company Replaces CEO, Ex-Congressman Nunes After Stock Plunge - Bernard Condon for AP/ABC News, Filtered News, Jeffrey Levy, Michael Johnson, Diane Toucan, and Scarlett & Carter's BaPa on X
The Trump business behind Truth Social is replacing a former congressman and big supporter of the U.S. president as the leader of the social media platform after a stock collapse that wiped out billions in investor wealth. Devin Nunes, a former California congressman in Donald Trump's first term, is being replaced temporarily by digital media executive Kevin McGurn as chief executive officer. The company, Trump Media & Technology, didn't give a reason for Nunes's leaving or provide a timeline for his permanent replacement. After soaring shortly before Trump's re-election in November 2024, stock in the company plunged 67%, wiping out more than $6 billion in investor wealth...
