A federal judge appointed by Donald Trump has ordered President Biden to stop auctioning off border wall parts, in a blow to the lame duck president's scramble to undermine Trump's immigration plans.
The Biden administration said it would abide by the ruling, which bars the sale of border wall materials for 30 days, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said.
The order came after Paxton requested a hearing to determine whether Biden is in violation of a previous injunction requiring the administration to use statutorily obligated funds on border wall construction.
Paxton's move followed reports that the Biden administration is scrambling to sell unused border wall parts before Trump returns to office.
As part of the court's ruling, Paxton won the right to access documentation proving the Biden administration's compliance with the May injunction.
“We have successfully blocked the Biden Administration from disposing of any further border wall materials before President Trump takes office,” Paxton said in a statement.
“This follows our major victory forcing Biden to build the wall, and we will hold his Administration accountable for illegally subverting our Nation’s border security until their very last day in power, especially where their actions are clearly motivated by a desire to thwart President-elect Trump’s immigration agenda,” he added.
Trump's lawyer John Sauer urged the judge to stop Biden, arguing his actions would undermine the executive authority of the incoming president, who has pledged to restore border security.
“If the current Administration is selling off border-wall materials at rock-bottom prices, imposing financial losses on the United States in an attempt to defeat the pro-wall policy of President Trump, it is unlawfully encroaching on the incoming Administration’s exercise of the Executive Power,” Sauer said.
The reversal of Trump's hardline immigration policies led to the largest influx of immigrants in American history, with an average of 2.4 million per year on Biden's watch. Biden moved on day one of his presidency to cancel the construction of Trump's southern border wall.
Biden's immigration moves faced fresh scrutiny in December after the Daily Wire obtained footage of unused wall parts being transported on flatbed trucks. The administration has reportedly been selling the material at severe discounts on an auction site, GovPlanet.
Trump hailed the judge's ruling as a "crucial win" after calling Biden's effort to scrap the parts "criminal."
“It’s very expensive, and now it’s about double the price of what it would have been six years ago, and the administration is trying to sell it for five cents on the dollar, knowing that we’re getting ready to put it up,” he added.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Researchers at the University of Haifa's Zinman Institute of Archaeology uncovered a rare hoard of some 160 coins, which belonged to King Alexander Jannaeus, the second king of the Hasmonean dynasty, during a dig that took place during the Hanukkah season.
Alexander Jannaeus, whose Hebrew name was Jonathan, ruled over the kingdom of Judea from 103 to 76 B.C.
A descendent of Jewish royalty, King Jannaeus was the son of John Hyrcanus and grandson of Simon the Hasmonean, the brother of Judah Maccabee, and great-grandson of Mattathias who led the revolt against the armies of Antiochus.
That famous revolt, which broke out in 167 B.C., led to, among other things, the rededication of the Temple which Jews now celebrate every year during the holiday of Hanukkah.
The excavation was led by Dr. Shay Bar, Dr. Yoav Farhi, and Dr. Mechael Osband who made their exciting discovery on Friday morning.
Dr. Bar said, "We believe that the coins were discovered at a way station, which we didn't know about until this excavation. The site included a purification mikvah, a pool and other buildings and was located along the Tirzah River Valley on the main road that leads to the Sartaba fortress which was built by King Jannaeus."
Dr. Farhi, who is a curator at the Eretz Israel Museum, said it appears at first glance that all the coins are the same. Each coin has an eight-pointed star and an inscription reading "King Alexander, Year 25" in Aramaic, while the other side of the coin has an anchor in Greek that reads, "[Coin of] King Alexander." Researchers assess the style of this coin was prevalent in 80/79 B.C.
The finding is extremely rare as very few coin hoards belonging to Alexander Jannaeus have been discovered and this marks one of the largest coin hauls of its kind ever uncovered in Israel.
Archaeological discoveries are one of the best ways of rebutting allegations of Jewish colonization of Israel, as they frequently reveal the thousands-year-old Jewish presence in the Holy Land.
In July 2024, for example, a rare coin from the period of the Great Revolt against Rome, minted in 69 A.D. was found to be embossed with the words, "For the victory of Zion."
"All of our students and volunteers were very excited to find this Hasmonean relic, especially during Hanukkah. This gave the holiday an added sense of significance, especially during this difficult time for the Jewish people. I hope that people will be drawn to visit this place and it will become a protected archaeological heritage site in Israel," Dr. Bar said.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
In what officials have described as a "major incident," Congress has been warned that Chinese hackers infiltrated work stations at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
A report from Just the News said the situation developed on Dec. 8 when a Chinese-backed agent used a stolen key to remotely access work stations and unclassified documents.
"Based on available indicators, the incident has been attributed to a Chinese state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor," explained Aditi Hardikar, assistant secretary for management at the federal agency.
Officials confirmed the affected stations were taken offline and a law enforcement investigation was launched.
Fox Business said it had gotten a copy of the letter to Congress and that officials called it a "major incident."
"Once Treasury was alerted by the service provider, we immediately contacted Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and have worked with law enforcement partners across the government to ascertain the impact of this incident," a Treasury official told the publication.
"The compromised BeyondTrust service has been taken offline and there is no evidence indicating the threat actor has continued access to Treasury systems or information."
Fox Business said word of the infiltration came as state-affiliated Chinese hackers continue to pursue a campaign of espionage against the U.S., pursuing phone accounts through telecoms.
"Last week, the White House said that Chinese officials accessed Americans' private texts and phone conversations through the targeting of a U.S. telecommunications company – the ninth telecom company to be affected by Chinese hacking," the report said.
Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser, explained, "We believe it was the goal of identifying who those phones belong to and if they were government targets of interest for follow-on espionage and intelligence collection of communications, of texts and phone calls on those particular phones."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Only a day after WND revealed the odd circumstance in the U.S. House of Representatives that could produce an extended dispute over the speakership, President-elect Donald Trump has issued a no-holds-barred endorsement of the present speaker, Rep. Mike Johnson.
"Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!" Trump said on social media.
His statement said, "We are the Party of COMMON SENSE, a primary reason that we WON, in a landslide, the magnificent and historic Presidential Election of 2024. ALL SEVEN SWING STATES, 312 ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES, AND THE POPULAR VOTE BY MILLIONS OF VOTERS (Despite large scale voter fraud taking place in numerous states, including California, where votes are ridiculously still being counted, or under review!), ALL WON WITH EASE, CALM, & PROFESSIONALISM. Republicans are being praised for having run a 'legendary' campaign!'"
He continued, "Democrats are being excoriated for their effort, having wasted 2.5 Billion Dollars, much of it unaccounted for, with some being used to illegally buy endorsements ($11,000,000 to Beyoncé, who never even sang a song, $2,000,000 to Oprah for doing next to nothing, and even $500,000 to Reverend AL, a professional con man and instigator, who agreed to 'interview' their 'star spangled' candidates, Kamala and Joe). We ran a flawless campaign, having spent FAR LESS, with lots of money left over. They ran a very expensive 'sinking ship,' embracing DOJ & FBI WEAPONIZATION against their political opponent, ME. BUT IT DIDN'T WORK, IT WAS A DISASTER!!! LETS NOT BLOW THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY WHICH WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN. The American people need IMMEDIATE relief from all of the destructive policies of the last Administration."
Johnson must stand for re-election to the leadership post this week and has only a slim Republican majority in the House.
WND had reported only a day earlier that the narrow GOP margin in the House, and disagreements within the party, could create an unprecedented circumstance for the nation because of the House post.
On "Sunday Morning Futures" on the Fox News Channel, host Jason Chaffetz quoted Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram who said:
"The House absolutely, unequivocally cannot do anything until it elects a speaker, period. This also means that the House cannot certify the results of the Electoral College, making trump the 47th president of the United States on Jan. 6. What happens if the Electoral College isn't sorted out by Jan. 20? Well, President Biden is done, so he's gone. The same with Harris. Next in the presidential line of succession is the speaker of the House.
"Well, there's no speaker, so who becomes the president? If the House is still frittering away time trying to elect a speaker on Jan 20, [president pro tempore of the Senate Chuck] Grassley, likely becomes 'acting president.' I write likely because this gets into some serious, extra-constitutional turf. These are unprecedented scenarios. Strange lands never visited in the American political experience."
A "Happy Holidays" post from former First Lady Michelle Obama drew backlash from Instagram viewers after she alluded to "a difficult few months" for many of her followers.
The post focused on work done by the Obama Presidential Center during 2024, but not before going into "woe is us" territory.
“It’s been a difficult few months for so many of us," she said in the voice over, " and folks are feeling a little bit anxious and uncertain. But even during these tough times, there are plenty of reasons to stay hopeful."
View this post on Instagram
Of course, many of her followers could relate to her comments; far left Democrats fell for the party line about President-elect Donald Trump being a grave "threat" to democracy.
But others let her know in no uncertain terms that they were excited for the future, not concerned.
“We are all excited for the future!!!! Only anxieties we had were what we went through in the last four years,” one Instagram user said.
“Michelle, America is excited about what’s to come: a new horizon and prosperity for the nation. 2025-2029! No anxiety here,” another wrote.
“A difficult few years from the damage the Biden administration has caused!” still another commenter said. “Things have never looked better since Trump won the election! The people have the power! Not even all those celebrities could change that!”
“We are certain it won’t be worse than your husband’s administration or the Biden administration,” another person said. “That we are CERTAIN.”
The outgoing Joe Biden administration has been responsible for inflation at 40-year highs that has driven prices up for many of the things average Americans need and want.
Between the economy and immigration, many Americans were fed up with the way things have been.
It's why Donald Trump got elected over Biden's vice president, Kamala Harris.
It wasn't even close; now Trump has to deliver on his promises of making everything right that Biden messed up. If he can do that, he may gain the respect of the American people--even some that have been dead set against him for the last eight years.
Dr. Gary Linkov recently highlighted Melania Trump's alleged extensive use of facial surgeries, amounting to over $200,000, in a detailed video breakdown.
According to reports, Dr. Gary Linkov analyzes the evolution of Melania Trump's facial features over decades, attributing changes to multiple cosmetic surgeries.
Dr. Linkov's YouTube video starts with a photo of Melania from 1987, at age 17, to discuss her original facial features such as her eyebrows, eyes, and the natural shape of her nose and lips.
He compares this early image to one from 1998, when Melania was 28, suggesting a nose job may have been done in the intervening years.
He notes significant changes in the shape and contour of her nose.
The video meticulously tracks changes from 1999 to 2024, with Dr. Linkov pointing out the likely rhinoplasty indicators like the elevated tip of her nose and changes in nasal structure over time.
By 2004, Linkov comments on the increased fullness of Melania’s cheeks, suspecting cheek implants rather than less invasive fillers, based on the extent of change observed.
Further along, in 2019, he discusses alterations in the downturn of her lips, common in aging faces, suggesting possible interventions like botox injections or facelifts to combat these effects.
Dr. Linkov elaborates on various procedures that might have been used to maintain Melania’s youthful appearance, including specialized treatments like DAO muscle botox injections and the grin lift technique.
Throughout the video, he estimates the costs for each procedure, concluding that Melania's total expenditure on facial surgeries could be over $200,000.
This analysis not only sheds light on Melania Trump's potential surgical history but also reflects on the broader implications of cosmetic surgery within celebrity culture.
The mention of other family members also undergoing cosmetic procedures suggests a family-wide inclination towards maintaining aesthetic standards through surgery.
This detailed examination by Dr. Linkov offers insights into the lengths public figures might go to uphold a particular image, sparking discussions on the societal expectations of beauty and aging.
Overall, Dr. Linkov's video provides a critical look at the substantial financial and physical lengths some public figures undergo to alter and maintain their appearances through cosmetic surgery.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) doesn't seem to be ending his year on a high note, and that was especially the case in the opinion of many Republicans, given how he handled the spending bill debacle.
According to Breitbart, the results of a straw poll at AmericaFest, which was recently held in Phoenix, Arizona, revealed that Johnson's popularity within the conservative movement has plummeted.
Results of the poll were posted by Charlie Kirk, founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, and they were definitely not the results Johnson and his office were hoping for.
Johnson clearly hurt his reputation in his perceived failure to negotiate a good spending bill while trying to pass one that was packed with excessive spending for pet projects and pork.
The people at AmericaFest certainly spoke, and according to the poll, they did not speak highly of Johnson, as the current Speaker only received 22% support.
EXCLUSIVE — Every year, we conduct a straw poll of attendees at AmericaFest to check the pulse of the conservative grassroots. We just got the results of this year's straw poll, and here are the highlights:
-71% of respondents STRONGLY support primary challenges to Republican… pic.twitter.com/T16yo2CJD0
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) December 27, 2024
Most attendees, at 62%, disapproved of his performance as House Speaker -- a position he's held now for roughly a year. Johnson was the last one standing after the ouster of Kevin McCarthy, and early on, was cheered on by most of the party.
Breitbart noted:
The straw poll also asked attendees, “Do you think Mike Johnson should remain Speaker of the U.S. House?”
Most, 58.8 percent, said that he should not remain Speaker, and only 13.7 percent believe he should remain Speaker. Over one-quarter, 27.5 percent, remain unsure:
The results of the straw poll lined up with recent results of formal polls that show Johnson's popularity as Speaker is in the ditch.
His numbers have steadily declined since taking the gavel, which happened as a result of his bad decisions with certain bills.
There was no shortage of opinions on Johnson's performance as Speaker across social media.
"This reflects the sentiment of all real Americans," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Weak Mike has got to go. He negotiated a rotten deal, and defended it."
It'll be interesting to see if Johnson is able to maintain his grip on the leadership come the next Speaker election. Doubtful, many say.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
PALM BEACH, Florida – President-elect Donald Trump reacted to Sunday's death of former President Jimmy Carter at the age of 100 by saying, "We all owe him a debt of gratitude."
"I just heard of the news about the passing of President Jimmy Carter," Trump said on Truth Social.
"Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History."
"The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude."
"Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers."
Trump later added: "While I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically, I also realized that he truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for. He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect. He was a truly good man and, of course, will be greatly missed.
"He was also very consequential, far more than most Presidents, after he left the Oval Office. Warmest condolences from Melania and I to his wonderful family!"
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden issued a statement on Carter's death, saying: "Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian.
Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what's extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well.
With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us. He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe.
He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism. We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together. The love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism.
We will miss them both dearly, but take solace knowing they are reunited once again and will remain forever in our hearts.
To the entire Carter family, we send our gratitude for sharing them with America and the world. To their staff – from the earliest days to the final ones – we have no doubt that you will continue to do the good works that carry on their legacy.
And to all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning – the good life – study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith, and humility. He showed that we are great nation because we are a good people – decent and honorable, courageous and compassionate, humble and strong.
To honor a great American, I will be ordering an official state funeral to be held in Washington D.C. for James Earl Carter, Jr., 39th President of the United States, 76th Governor of Georgia, Lieutenant of the United States Navy, graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and favorite son of Plains, Georgia, who gave his full life in service to God and country.
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a joint statement about their relationship with Carter, indicating they were "proud, early supporters" of his campaign for president.
"I will always be proud to have presented the Medal of Freedom to him and Rosalynn in 1999, and to have worked with him in the years after he left the White House," Bill Clinton said.
Former President George W. Bush said on X:
"Laura and I send our heartfelt condolences to Jack, Chip, Jeff, Amy, and the entire Carter family.
"James Earl Carter, Jr., was a man of deeply held convictions. He was loyal to his family, his community, and his country. President Carter dignified the office. And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn't end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations.
"We join our fellow citizens in giving thanks for Jimmy Carter and in prayer for his family."
Barack Obama noted: "President Carter taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Who knew, but Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, is racist. And a parking lot in Lake Merritt, California. And the University of Michigan.
And "guru," milk, "Nikki Haley," math, immunology, marriage or being married, not pronouncing Kamala Harris name the way she wants, colorblindness, and Christianity.
That's all according to a report from College Fix, which researched comments and statements from America's higher education industry.
The organization said, "Racism is the intentional mistreatment of someone on the basis of their race – at least in the normal world. But in academia, racism is anything producing disparities, according to Professor Ibram Kendi."
Then it delivered a list of "people, places, actions, and other things declared racist this year by higher ed, though a few came from K-12."
It explains, "If something needs 'anti-racist' action or 'diversity, equity, and inclusion,' it follows it must be racist, or else it would not need correction."
The list includes academic disciplines: "Chemistry, Classics, Evolutionary biology, Engineering, Immunology, Math and more.
Actions finding themselves targeted for condemnation include: Accusing a black student of plagiarism, Banning DEI, Being Asian but romantically interested in white people, Course evaluations, Criticizing a black female reporter, Criticizing plagiarism, Marriage/being married, Mentioning a black female congresswoman has fake eyelashes, Murder, Not pronouncing Kamala Harris' name right and pages more on the list.
Condemned beliefs include: Being pro-life/pointing out high abortion rates for black women, Christianity, Colorblindness and Nostalgia.
Among others were Counseling, Dentistry, Geology, Medicine, Ocean sciences, Dolly Parton's free book program, Dressing as a Native American at a Kansas City Chiefs game, Paintings of British countryside, Porcelain, Fried chicken, Conservatives, Donald Trump, Nikki Haley and …
Greenhouses!
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
PALM BEACH, Florida – President-elect Donald Trump is demanding Democrats take a vote on the U.S. debt ceiling immediately, saying the extension of the ceiling is "one of the dumbest political decisions made in years."
In a statement Sunday evening on Truth Social, Trump indicated:
"The extension of the Debt Ceiling by a previous Speaker of the House, a good man and a friend of mine, from this past September of the Biden Administration, to June of the Trump Administration, will go down as one of the dumbest political decisions made in years.
"There was no reason to do it – NOTHING WAS GAINED, and we got nothing for it – A major reason why that Speakership was lost.
"It was Biden's problem, not ours. Now it becomes ours.
"I call it '1929' because the Democrats don't care what our Country may be forced into. In fact, they would prefer 'Depression' as long as it hurt the Republican Party.
"The Democrats must be forced to take a vote on this treacherous issue NOW, during the Biden Administration, and not in June. They should be blamed for this potential disaster, not the Republicans!"