Rory Callum Sykes, a British-born former child actor, was found dead at his family’s home in Malibu that burned down from the massive wildfires that broke out this week.
Sykes is known for his appearance on the Australian TV series Kiddy Kapers and for his inspirational story dealing with cerebral palsy and as a result, had extreme difficulty walking and taking care of himself.
Nonetheless, Sykes inspired many with his tenacity through many surgeries & therapies in order to improve his ability to walk and restore his sight.
It was the news that Sykes had died at his home in Malibu that really drove home just how devastating and horrific the wildfires in southern California are and the death toll is likely to climb when the situation is finally under control and investigators begin searching burned homes.
Malibu is one of the many affluent communities in southern California that were devastated by raging wildfires driven by hurricane-force winds.
The news of Sykes's death was confirmed by his mother, Shelley Sykes, who also starred in the 1998 reality series.
Sykes confirmed in a statement on X, “It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yesterday."
Sykes claimed in her post, "I couldn’t put out the cinders on his roof with a hose because the water was switched off by Las Virgenes Municipal Water. Even the 50 brave firefighters had no water all day."
Sykes claimed that she was “heartbroken” by her son’s death, describing him as a “true humanitarian," who was an inspiration to many. Yet this is just one of many tragedies that have occurred as a result of these devastating fires.
So far, the multiple wildfires that broke out have been some of the most destructive in California history and hundreds of firefighters are still battling to save billions of dollars in real estate.
So far, the death toll stands at 11 people, with the confirmed death toll expected to rise in the coming days. Some fires are under control but other fires are still stubbornly burning despite the winds slacking.
The wildfires in Los Angeles were exacerbated by a water shortage as many fire hydrants went dry due to the system not being prepared for such demands. Further complicating the situation, multiple major reservoirs in southern California were empty further stretching water supplies.
Los Angeles and other cities simply were not prepared for a devastating wildfire despite years of warnings from insurance companies and other observers.
Northern California is where most of the big fires happen but there is a clearer distinction between the wet and dry seasons. Meanwhile in southern California, there simply hasn't been enough rain and the conditions were dry with fuel loads high from multiple past wet seasons.
State and city governments were criminally unprepared for a wildfire event that many predicted and in the aftermath of this horrible tragedy, those responsible must be held accountable for the destruction and loss of life that could have been prevented.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has confirmed that he will "absolutely not" be appointing himself to replace Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL).
During an event in Jacksonville, Florida, on Friday, media asked DeSantis if he was planning on appointing himself to Rubio's seat and leaving his place in Florida's governor's mansion.
Rubio has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be his secretary of state and it's up to DeSantis to name Rubio's replacement.
DeSantis told reporters, "Absolutely not. It's funny, you know, these people write these things … and anytime they're talking about anything I'm doing, they're just making it up, right?"
DeSantis appears content with remaining in Florida after a failed presidential campaign in the 2024 GOP primary. The sentiment is that DeSantis isn't ready for national politics and needs to stay in Florida for a few more years.
DeSantis was emphatic in his statement that he would not replace Rubio and didn't mince words in calling out media rumor mills that suggested he was planning on leaving for the Senate.
DeSantis continued by saying, "I mean, they'll talk to someone because [they'll] say, 'Oh, someone familiar with the governor's thinking.' Understand, that means they don't know what the hell they're talking about. That means somebody is saying, 'Well, I know how the governor thinks. He's probably saying this.' So they try to do grist for the mill."
Essentially, there was never any solid indication of DeSantis appointing himself and it was pure rumor peddling by the mainstream media.
DeSantis ended off by saying, "I was never in consideration for that. Trust me, we're doing well here, and we're going to continue to do that. And so, it was never something that I considered."
DeSantis's failed presidential campaign did genuine damage to his stock nationally and he seems to understand that fact. DeSantis was seen as a rising star prior to the GOP primary and some still see him that way but he needs to keep up the good work in Florida.
Under DeSantis's watch, Florida has become a successful state that has attracted thousands of new migrants from failing blue states. If he can continue pushing Florida to succeed until his term is over, he will be in a great position to run in 2028.
As for who will end up replacing Rubio in the Senate, the latest a replacement will be named is January 20th, the day of Trump's inauguration as the 47th President of the United States.
DeSantis explained, "I told people we would [fill Rubio's seat] in the first half of January, and I think we're probably on course to do that, but clearly we will have somebody in place ready to go on Jan. 20. I think it's important."
Another announcement will likely come in the next week ahead of Trump's inauguration as it's critical that the GOP have its full Senate complement while nomination hearings are underway.
President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced to an unconditional discharge with no penalty in the financial document fraud case against him after the U.S. Supreme Court decided Thursday not to step in to block Friday's sentencing hearing.
"After careful analysis, this court determined that the only lawful sentence that permits entry of judgment of conviction is an unconditional discharge," Merchan said Friday. "At this time, I impose that sentence to cover all 34 counts."
Merchan had signaled that he did not plan to impose any jail time on Trump, which factored into the Supreme Court's decision. The discharge means he will also not have any probationary period or requirements.
Trump said the Supreme Court decision was a "fair" one.
The vote was 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voting with the three liberals on the court.
The sentence makes him officially a convicted felon. Merchan said that his status as incoming president was the reason for the discharge and wished Trump "Godspeed" in his second term in office.
Trump addressed the court before the sentencing, once again saying that the trial was a "witch hunt" and should never have happened.
His lawyers said he will still appeal the conviction, and the discharge preserves the right for him to do so.
Despite the lack of punishment, having 34 felonies on his record is still a black mark that he doesn't want or feel he deserves.
Having a prior criminal record could make any further convictions more serious for him and lead to harsher sentences.
Trump is set to take office on January 20 as the first convicted felon ever to do so, but the charges were without a doubt politically motivated as he said.
In one of the great ironies of the last two years, the criminal indictments against Trump actually helped him in the polls and may have played a major part in the success of his candidacy.
Supporters and some objective observers felt that he was being railroaded and that prosecutors were attempting to prevent his re-election, and those views made his support stronger.
It was good to see such tactics by Democrats fail, and gives great hope for our democracy going forward.
The nomination of former Wisconsin Representative Sean Duffy for Secretary of Transportation has unexpectedly garnered support from Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, who has declared his intention to back the candidate, as Breitbart News reported.
In his X post, Fetterman announced the news and detailed a friendly meeting between the two lawmakers, where they discussed infrastructure safety and made a lighthearted reference to their respective football teams.
“I enjoyed meeting @SeanDuffyWI and expect to vote YES on his nomination,” Fetterman tweeted, adding a light-hearted touch to the political discourse by mentioning their discussion on football. “We agreed on many things, especially appreciating him quietly acknowledging the Steelers are better than the Packers.”
Sean Duffy, the nominee for Secretary of Transportation under Donald Trump, had previously posted, prompting this statement. Duffy had already said how much he had enjoyed talking to the PA lawmaker.
The nominee commented, saying “I enjoyed talking to @SenFettermanPA today! We didn’t quite agree on football, though lots to commiserate over lately in the NFC and AFC playoff races. We both know that safe roads and bridges in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin aren’t a partisan issue, but are a safety need for all Americans.”
On Tuesday, Fetterman of Pennsylvania spoke with FOX News' Special Report' anchor Bret Baier, who asked Fetterman why meeting with Trump's nominees for cabinet positions is "controversial."
"I'm open to hear from everyone, and I don't know why that's controversial," Fetterman said.
"And I also would like to remind everyone on the Democratic side, that's the way democracy works. Trump won, and now they're going to run the table, and so they get to pick those kinds of people, and if you don't have to agree with all of it, but I want to find a way to work together on a bunch of them."
I enjoyed talking to @SenFettermanPA today! We didn't quite agree on football, though lots to commiserate over lately in the NFC and AFC playoff races. We both know that safe roads and bridges in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin aren't a partisan issue, but are a safety need for all… pic.twitter.com/QFwqLxybko
— Sean Duffy (@SeanDuffyWI) January 8, 2025
Fetterman and Duffy's conversation highlights the possibility of bipartisan cooperation on infrastructure issues; both states are concerned about their outdated transportation networks.
The pragmatic approach to government exhibited by Fetterman—a Democrat—in supporting a Republican nominee demonstrates a focus on the interests of the community rather than party lines.
Many people in political and social circles have taken issue with Fetterman's outspoken position on Duffy's nomination.
While some see it as a welcome diversion from the heated political climate, others worry about what it could mean for party allegiance and campaign tactics.
The incoming administration's legislative agenda may see increased bipartisan cooperation as a result of this engagement.
On Tuesday, a federal judge temporarily halted the release of Special Counsel Jack Smith's report regarding his investigations into President-elect Trump's alleged 2020 election interference and alleged improper retention of classified records, which have since been suspended.
Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, co-defendants of Trump, submitted an emergency motion to prevent the purportedly imminent publication of Smith's final report, as Politico reported.
Aileen Cannon, the U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida, rendered a decision in favor of Nauta and De Oliveira in order to "prevent irreparable harm."
Cannon indicated that Smith is "temporarily enjoined" from participating in "releasing, sharing, or transmitting the Final Report or any drafts of such Report outside the Department of Justice."
The order will remain in effect for a period of three days following the announcement of a resolution by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
It is customary for special counsels to publish a final report that outlines the results of their investigation and elucidates any prosecution or declination decisions they have made.
Given Trump's status as president-elect and the Justice Department's long-standing policy against bringing criminal charges against a seated president, the prosecution decision in Smith's case is immaterial.
The report would initially be reviewed by the office of Attorney General Merrick Garland, as is customary.
On Monday, Trump's attorneys wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland, imploring him not to disclose Smith's report, a two-volume document that they were permitted to examine in Smith's office over the previous three days.
Trump's attorneys stated in the letter to Garland that the release of a public narrative of the evidence Smith gathered in the classified documents case and the federal election conspiracy case regarding Trump's attempt to subvert the 2020 election would illegally interfere with the presidential transition and be little more than a political attack.
They argued that the administration of Trump should be responsible for determining whether or not Smith's findings should be disclosed. Additionally, they urged Garland to terminate Smith's employment promptly, as he is scheduled to conclude his term by the time of Trump's inauguration.
“Because Smith has proposed an unlawful course of action, you must countermand his plan and remove him promptly,” Trump’s lawyers wrote.
On Tuesday, attorneys for Trump's co-defendants announced that the president-elect would soon seek to formally intervene in court regarding the matter.
Smith and the Justice Department jointly responded on Tuesday morning, stating that Garland had not yet rendered a decision regarding the report's public dissemination and would not do so until at least January 10.
Smith stated that he had not yet transmitted the classified documents report to Garland and would not do so until at least Tuesday afternoon.
Soon-to-be First Lady Melania Trump is happy to have billionaire businessman Elon Musk hanging around Mar-A-Lago on a daily basis, according to a source that gave an exclusive to People.
“Melania is glad to have a babysitter for Donald, and she will find some kind of project to team up with him herself if he stays around,” the source said, and others agreed she hasn't minded having Musk there keeping her husband busy.
"Melania has her own life and isn't bothered by political dealings her husband has with others," the source said. "But so far, she has no issues with Musk."
She has her own stuff going on and is glad to see that her husband also does, sources agreed.
“Melania is in good spirits and does her own thing, and is not bothered one way or the other by Musk hanging around,” a social source told People.
“For the most part, she is not involved with subjects her husband is discussing with Musk or anyone else hanging around him. Right now, Trump has a lot of people wanting things from him. She is all too aware of that.”
Melania will have her own duties as First Lady, which will keep her busy along with taking care of her college-age son Barron in New York.
Musk has reportedly sat in on phone calls with world leaders and weighed in on White House staffing decisions, as well as playing golf and dining at the famous Trump resort.
Trump has used the resort as something of a political headquarters since his campaign began, and continues to do so during the transition.
Musk also spent New Year's Eve with the Trumps, which shows how close their relationship has become.
Of course, Musk has been nominated by Trump to head a new office in his administration: the Department of Government Efficiency.
Melania sees the relationship as a net positive.
After all, who else understands a billionaire like another billionaire.
The two have a shared experience only a handful of others on the globe possess, and Musk risked much to hitch his wagon to Trump's. So far, he has not crashed and burned, but knowing Trump, it still could happen.
U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel of Japan filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration after a $15 billion acquisition deal was blocked by the administration, accusing the head of the Steelworker's union and a rival steel company of colluding to scuttle it.
Biden pretended to be "America first" about the deal, but overlooked the fact that Japan is a strong ally of the U.S.
Major U.S. steel companies need to "keep leading the fight on behalf of America’s national interests,” Biden said.
America's national interests include strong relationships with our allies, or maybe Biden's brain just isn't computing basic facts anymore.
“Nippon Steel and U. S. Steel have engaged in good faith with all parties to underscore how the Transaction will enhance, not threaten, United States national security," the companies said in a prepared statement Monday.
Nippon was poised to invest $2.7 billion into aging blast furnaces in Mon Valley, Pennsylvania and Gary, Indiana.
U.S. Steel said without that investment, it would have to pivot to cheaper non-union furnaces and move its headquarters out of Pittsburgh.
Federal regulators deadlocked over the takeover, which led Biden to halt it.
“A strong domestically owned and operated steel industry represents an essential national security priority. ... Without domestic steel production and domestic steel workers, our nation is less strong and less secure," he said in a statement.
It's the first time a merger with a Japanese company has been blocked by a U.S. president, MSN noted.
A separate suit was filed in the Western District of Pennsylvania jointly by Nippon and U.S. Steel.
It accused rival steel company Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. and its CEO, Lourenco Goncalves, in coordination with U.S. Steelworkers union head David McCall, of “engaging in a coordinated series of anticompetitive and racketeering activities” to block the deal.
It turns out Cleveland-Cliffs had offered to buy U.S. Steel in 2023 for $7 billion, but was refused.
McCall has for a long time called Nippon a “serial trade cheater” and accused it of dumping products into the U.S. market.
But Nippon may not fare any better with incoming President Donald Trump, who also opposes the acquisition.
In the final weeks of the Biden presidency, the Biden administration announced a ban on certain natural gas water heaters as part of its climate change agenda.
The new ban will remove non-condensing, natural gas-fired water heaters from the shelves by 2029 meaning that poor and elderly Americans living in smaller builders will have to shovel out more money to buy more expensive water heaters.
The regulation stipulates that the new tankless gas water heaters must use 13% less energy than today’s least efficient tankless models.
Furthermore, this regulation was released on the day after Christmas without any kind of announcement.
Clearly, President Biden didn't want Americans to notice that he had just made energy even more expensive for poor Americans so there was no announcement and the release was disguised on a day when many Americans were spending time with their families so as to attract as little time as possible.
This callous and cruel decision will cost elderly and poor Americans more upfront for energy costs for minimal savings in energy over the long term.
Matthew Agen, the American Gas Association’s chief counsel for energy, responded to the new regulation by saying, "The final rule is a violation of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), which prohibits DOE from promulgating a standard that renders a product with a distinct performance characteristic unavailable."
Hopefully, that accusation means that there will be an extensive legal battle coming to stop this regulation before it can take effect.
Agen continued by saying, "Forcing low-income and senior customers to pay far more upfront is particularly concerning. DOE’s decision to go ahead with a flawed final rule is deeply disappointing."
This decision from the Biden administration is yet another decision that will force Americans to pay more for energy in the name of combatting climate change.
Poor Americans now have to pay hundreds more for more expensive heaters to reduce emissions by some incalculably small amount. These kinds of decisions affect Americans living on fixed incomes the most while the elites will never feel the impact of these absurd regulations.
Furthermore, this regulation completely destroys Rinnai America, a company that has invested $70 million to build a 360,000-square-foot factory in Georgia to build non-condensing gas water heaters.
Frank Windsor, president of Rinnai America, told the Washington Free Beacon that, "When the rule goes into effect, all that manufacturing will basically be irrelevant. A lot of the major equipment that we've invested in will basically have to be scrapped."
So not only is this regulation putting more burden on poor Americans but it could destroy hundreds of jobs in Georgia should Rinnai America have to shut down.
When President-elect Donald Trump assumes office, he should immediately rescind this regulation and ensure that Biden's spiteful last regulations aren't allowed to impact the American people.
Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC) fell at the U.S. Capitol on Friday shortly after the vote to confirm House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) as the next House Speaker.
Foxx, who is the chairwoman of the House Education Committee, fell on a staircase on the GOP side of the Capitol shortly after the vote leading to emergency services moving in to assist Foxx.
Foxx is an astounding 81 years old and her fall comes just weeks after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi fell on a marble staircase in Luxembourg which led to her needing hip replacement surgery.
Thankfully, Foxx wasn't that badly injured and seems to have escaped the worst outcomes that typically come from elderly people falling.
Foxx's fall, along with Pelosi's, has highlighted a growing issue of arguably ancient individuals refusing to retire and remaining in Congress long past retirement age.
Foxx reportedly fell on her face as she was seen with a bloody nose but was up and walking after the fall and was being guided by medical attendants to the Capitol physician's office.
Foxx quickly assured American that she was fine in a post to X saying, "Thank you to everyone for your prayers – just a few small cuts, and I’m doing just fine. I’m a mountain woman, and we’re tougher than a $2 steak."
While luckily Foxx is doing ok and survived with a few cuts this incident is shining the spotlight on the nation's gerontocracy problem.
Nancy Pelosi's scary fall resulted in her needing hip replacement surgery at a military hospital in Germany.
And just days before that, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who is also in his 80s, fell and sprained his wrist at the Capitol.
Congress has gotten entirely too old and the stairs at the Capitol are going to become the most dangerous place in Washington D.C. which has only amplified calls for term limits for both Representatives and Senators.
Many Americans have demanded term limits for Congress for years but these high-profile accidents could do a lot to strengthen that movement.
Foxx has been in Congress representing North Carolina's fifth congressional district since 2005. For Pelosi, the situation is even worse as she has been in Congress since 1987 meaning she has been in Washington D.C. longer than many Americans have been alive.
Mitch McConnell has been in Congress even longer serving seven terms since 1985 making the strongest case yet for term limits.
Being in Congress was never meant to be a career and yet because of the lack of term limits has led to an epidemic of individuals staying in Congress till they die. These people simply cannot possibly represent constituents above their own interests and something must be done about this situation quickly.
A new Gallup poll released on Thursday showed that Americans are mixed in their expectations for what President-elect Donald Trump might achieve in his second term in office, which begins on January 20.
The poll looked at a number of policy priorities, and predicted he'd succeed with seven while failing at the other eight.
The highest expectation for success in the poll was on immigration, which 68% said they thought he would do.
Other policies the respondents expected he would succeed at were reducing unemployment, keeping the country safe from terrorism, improving the economy, keeping the country out of war, cutting people’s taxes and reducing the crime rate.
Respondents thought Trump would not be successful at healing political divisions in the country, improving the quality of the environment, improving the healthcare system, improving race relations, improving education, substantially reducing the federal budget deficit, improving conditions for minorities and the poor, and reducing the prices of groceries and other items.
On two other items, the respondents were about even: improving the way the federal government works and increasing respect for the U.S. abroad.
In the poll, conducted between December 2 and 18, 51% said they approved of how he's handling the transition.
Of course, Republicans were markedly more bullish on Trump's policy success, while Democrats were much less so.
The main differences between the expectations of Trump now and eight years ago were that reducing prices wasn't on the list (inflation was low at the time) and most Americans in 2016 didn't believe Trump would keep the country out of war.
Trump proved in his first term that he could achieve peace through strength, and he is largely perceived now as a leader who avoids war.
If Trump 2.0 is at all similar to first-term Trump, the economy will go roaring over the next few years.
Immigration will decrease, taxes will go down, and his opponents will look to impeach him a few more times.
Before COVID hit, Trump was widely regarded as a successful president, even if the lefties and the media would never admit it.
Now he has a second chance to show America what he can do and to create a positive legacy to leave us with.