Education Department Forgives $4.5 Billion in Student Loans for over 200,000 Borrowers

The Department of Education (DOE) on Wednesday announced the forgiveness of another $4.5 billion in student loans for over 200,000 borrowers at Ashford University, in one of the department’s final moves of the Biden administration.

President Joe Biden and his administration have attempted to clear out a massive amount of student loan debt for Americans who are still paying off their loans after 20 years, though some efforts have been curbed by the courts. However, they have successfully forgiven loans for over 5 million borrowers over the past four years.

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FDA Bans Cancer-Linked Food Dye Ahead of RFK Jr’s Confirmation Hearing

Candy store

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday it will ban Red No. 3, a common artificial food dye linked to cancer.

The dye, which the FDA banned for cosmetics and topical drugs in 1990 after it was found to promote tumor growth in rats, is widely used in hundreds of products ranging from candies to ADHD medications. The move precedes the Senate’s decision on confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an opponent of food dyes, as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

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Five Immigration Bills Tennessee Lawmakers Could Consider During Special Session

ICE Arrest

Governor Bill Lee on Wednesday announced a special legislative session for the Tennessee General Assembly to pass the governor’s school choice initiative, the Education Freedom Act, as well as disaster relief for citizens in East Tennessee still recovering from Hurricane Helene, and to “consider public safety measures related to illegal immigration to ensure the state is prepared for federal policy implementation.”

Lee did not specify what public safety measures lawmakers would consider in the special session, which is set to convene January 27, but five bills related to illegal immigration have already been introduced to the General Assembly by Republican lawmakers.

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Study: Nearly 400 Million Christians Persecuted Globally, Islamism and Communism Main Drivers

Breitbart   The Christian aid organization Open Doors published its annual World Watch List – a ranking of the most dangerous places in the world to practice the Christian faith – on Wednesday, which found that 380 million Christians around the world face severe persecution. Christian persecution – which Open Doors defines as “any hostile action toward a person or community motivated by their identification with the person of Jesus Christ” – is particularly prevalent in countries with widespread Islamist terrorism or run by communist regimes. Of the top ten countries on the World Watch List, Islamic radicalism is the driver of persecution in eight of them, while the other two, North Korea and Eritrea, are under the yoke of communist regimes. Of the 380 million Christians facing persecution, in many cases including deadly attacks, 310 million of them are in the top ten nations on the list. Half of these countries are in Africa and three are in the Middle East. Afghanistan is in South Asia; North Korea is an outlier in the Far East region, though bordering the number 15 country on the list, its longtime patron China. READ THE FULL STORY                 …

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Trump Pushing Ramaswamy to Fill Vance’s Senate Seat in Ohio

Washington Examiner   President-elect Donald Trump is quietly pushing entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to fill the Senate seat vacated by Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, three sources familiar with the matter confirmed to the Washington Examiner.  Ramaswamy previously took himself out of the running for the position last year after Trump and Vance won the November election, instead accepting a position from the president-elect to co-lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency. However, Ramaswamy’s name has been floated as a contender in recent days and is in advanced conversations, sources told the Washington Post.  Vance resigned from his seat Friday ahead of his swearing-in Monday. Under Ohio law, Gov. Mike DeWine must appoint a replacement to fill the seat for the next two years before holding a special election in 2026, which will decide who will serve until Vance’s term expires in 2029.  READ THE FULL STORY                       

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Transportation Department Sues Southwest Airlines, Fines Frontier for Chronically Delayed Flights

CBS News   The Transportation Department is stepping up enforcement of persistent flight delays with a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines and a fine against Frontier Airlines. The agency said the U.S. District Court lawsuit it filed in California on Wednesday alleges that Southwest illegally operated chronically delayed flights and disrupted passengers’ travel plans. It says it’s seeking “maximum civil penalties.” “Airlines have a legal obligation to ensure that their flight schedules provide travelers with realistic departure and arrival times,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “Today’s action sends a message to all airlines that the department is prepared to go to court in order to enforce passenger protections.” READ THE FULL STORY                 

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Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs Says Potential Gubernatorial Campaign by Sen. Marsha Blackburn Would Take Him ‘Out of the Mix’

Glenn Jacobs and Marsha Blackburn

With Governor Bill Lee ineligible to seek a third term in 2026, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said this week that Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is the only potential candidate whose candidacy would ensure he would not enter the race before later endorsing the senator should she decide to launch a campaign for governor.

During his Sunday appearance on “Tennessee This Week,” Jacobs said he was flattered to be included among potential gubernatorial candidates before stating that Blackburn is the only hypothetical candidate whose decision would stop him from entering the race.

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Americans for Prosperity – Tennessee Releases 2025 Legislative Agenda

Americans for Prosperity – Tennessee (AFP-TN) released its 2025 Legislative Agenda, calling on state lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly to pass legislation focused on three topics during this legislative session.

AFP-TN’s The Volunteer Way 2025 Legislative Agenda urges state lawmakers to pass the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act as well as legislation concerning universal school choice and state-wide property taxes.

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Former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands Explains Why the U.S. Must Acquire Greenland for National Security Purposes

Carla Sands

Carla Sands, former U.S. ambassador to Denmark during the first Trump administration, said the U.S. acquisition of Greenland would be a vital national security move for America and its allies.

Greenland, the world’s largest island, is a North American island autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.

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Israel, Hamas Agree to Ceasefire in Gaza: Report

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal that will halt fighting in Gaza, resulting in the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, a source told CNN Wednesday. “The movement has dealt with this matter with full responsibility and positivity, stemming from its duty towards our steadfast and resilient people in the Gaza Strip, to stop the Zionist aggression against them and put an end to the massacres and genocide they are facing,” a Hamas senior official told the outlet.

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Clemency Request ‘Pending’ for Leaker of Trump’s and Others’ Taxes

Charles Littlejohn, Donald J Trump

The Biden administration is formally considering commuting the sentence of the convicted felon who stole and leaked incoming President Trump’s tax records along with those of thousands of other taxpayers, in the biggest tax data heist in U.S. history.

A search of the Justice Department’s pardon database reveals Charles Edward Littlejohn – who just began his five-year sentence in May – has been assigned a clemency case number. It says a petition for “commutation of sentence” was recently sought and is “pending.”

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Deaths Will Outpace Births in Eight Years, According to Dire Government Prediction

Annual deaths are expected to exceed annual births in the United States by 2033, a new report estimates.

Population growth in the U.S. is expected to stagnate between 2025 and 2055 as fertility rates continue to decline, a report released Tuesday by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found. A predicted significant decline in illegal immigration as well as many women choosing to delay motherhood are two contributing factors.

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Bitter Kamala Refuses to Invite Vances to Veep’s Residence

JD Vance, Naval observatory (V.P. residence)

Vice President Kamala Harris has not extended a formal invitation to JD Vance and his family for a tour or sit-down at the Naval Observatory, where they are scheduled to move on Jan. 20, multiple sources from both parties disclosed to CBS News.

As Vance, his wife Usha, and their three young children prepare to move into the Naval Observatory residence on Jan. 20, they will set foot in the mansion for the first time—a residence that has hosted vice presidents since the 1970s. In a bid to prepare the home for their children—all under the age of eight—the Vances, through intermediaries, reached out to the current occupants, Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, last November.

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Youngkin Urges Virginia Department of Education to Adopt Policy to Notify Parents of School Drug Overdoses Within 24 Hours

Gov. Glenn Youngkin

Governor Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday urged the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to adopt a policy requiring schools to notify parents of on-campus drug overdoses within 24 hours, which would formalize a requirement the governor previously created through an executive order in late 2023.

Drug overdoses in Virginia schools first surfaced as an issue on October 31, 2023, when the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release confirming nine students had overdosed that month. It was later determined a total of 11 students experienced non-fatal drug overdoses overdosed at the same high school over an eight-week period in 2023.

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Governor Katie Hobbs’ State of the State Speech Provokes Strong Rebuttal from Republican Legislative Leaders

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs State of the State Address 2025

Governor Katie Hobbs gave the annual State of the State speech on Monday at the opening of the 2025 legislative session. Her speech contained a considerable amount of vague statements, including conservative sounding rhetoric, attacks on the Republican-controlled legislature, and a lengthy defense of abortion. 

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Mesa) and President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope (R-Florence) provided a rebuttal afterwards. 

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Commentary: If You Care About Healthy Food, Confirm RFK Jr.

Mollie Engelhart, Robert F. Kennedy Jr

As a vegan chef turned regenerative cattle rancher, I’ve traversed the narrow divides between two worlds: the health-conscious, progressive enclaves of Los Angeles and the rugged, often misunderstood landscapes of rural Texas. For years, I lived and breathed the principles of organic farming and plant-based eating, firmly rooted in the belief that our food systems should be safe, resilient, and free from harmful chemicals. My community was predominantly left-leaning, passionate about clean water, food safety, and the dangers of over-medication. It felt like common sense.

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Music Spotlight: Noah Thompson

The one word that came to mind when I heard Noah Thompson for the first time was “unexpected.” And I believe that is part of why Thompson won American Idol in 2022. No one, including himself, expected that he could sing so well and then win the competition.

Even though he had a “tumultuous childhood” in rural Western Kentucky, where he was raised, he can always remember music being part of his life. Thompson’s dad was a musician growing up, and he instilled music in him literally from the time he was in his mother’s belly.

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Commentary: Intifada in America

Crown Heights Shrmira Attack

On the same day that an ISIS-inspired terrorist killed 15 civilians in a deadly car attack in New Orleans, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protestors marched in Times Square chanting, “There is only one solution: intifada revolution.” After a year of such scenes and with domestic terror attacks escalating, the threat from those calling to “globalize the intifada” has never been more acute.

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