Biden DHS’s purchase of weapon linked to Havana Syndrome attacks leads House Republicans to demand answers
The Biden administration purchased a pulsed energy weapon suspected of being the type that may have caused “Havana Syndrome” which caused a series of mysterious ailments for U.S. diplomats and government workers in Cuba. The weapon was bought at the end of the Biden administration and has since been tested by the Pentagon, Fox News has learned. House Republicans are demanding answers amid reports of the purchase of the device. In a letter to Homeland Security Kristi Noem, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., is asking for information on the procurement process for the weapon, its costs and the findings associated with its year-long testing related to Havana Syndrome, officially known as Anomalous Health Incidents (AHI). HAVANA SYNDROME ‘PATIENT ZERO’ REJECTS INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY FINDINGS THAT FOREIGN ADVERSARY ‘VERY UNLIKELY’ “The device in question is described as capable of producing pulsed radio waves and containing Russian components, though it is supposedly not entirely Russian in origin,” the letter states. “Following HSI’s successful acquisition of the device, it was reportedly transferred to DoW, which spent more than a year testing the device and its capabilities.” Some U.S. intelligence agencies have said a foreign adversary could be behind the mysterious ailment. Fox News Digital previously reported that Adam, a former government employee whose identity Fox News agreed to protect, is considered to be “Patient Zero.” He was first attacked in December 2016 while living in Havana on assignment. During his time on the Caribbean island, Adam experienced multiple attacks and described pressure to the brain that led to vertigo, tinnitus and cognitive impairment. HAVANA SYNDROME: FOREIGN ADVERSARIES’ MICROWAVE WEAPONS CAPABILITIES EXPLAINED BY PHYSICIST “While assessments from the Intelligence Community (IC) do not conclusively identify the factors causing AHIs or any foreign actor responsible, an assessment from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) presented a majority view concluding that it was ‘very unlikely’ that a foreign actor ‘used a novel weapon or prototype device to harm even a subset of the U.S. Government personnel,’ with five out of seven agencies agreeing with that assessment,” Garbarino wrote in his letter. “However, two agencies dissented from the majority view and assessed that there was a chance that foreign actors may have developed some sort of ‘novel weapon or prototype device’ that could have harmed U.S. personnel,” he added. However, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released the report and held a background call with reporters on Friday explaining that new reporting “led two components to shift their assessments about whether a foreign actor has a capability that could cause biological effects consistent with some of the symptoms reported as possible AHIs.” “This shift consequently led two IC components to subtly change their overall judgment about whether a foreign actor might have played a role in a small number of events,” the agency said. Fox News’ Liz Friden contributed to this report.
Trump admin relaunches key council after Biden admin shuttered it: ‘Ignorance and arrogance’
Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum reinstated the National Coal Council, comprised of dozens of stakeholders from energy firms, utilities, governmental and tribal interests, saying that no industry affects Americans’ lives more. The council, which will be chaired by Peabody Energy CEO Jim Grech and Core Natural Resources chairman Jimmy Brock, cut its proverbial ribbon at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus four years after then-President Biden dissolved the decades-old consortium. “It’s crazy that this Coal Council was disabled,” Wright said, calling it a “combination of ignorance and arrogance.” IN 2026, ENERGY WAR’S NEW FRONT IS AI, AND US MUST WIN THAT BATTLE, API CHIEF SAYS Burgum spoke to the importance of the coal industry to not just the local economies – like those in his own state of North Dakota – where the mineral is extracted, but across national security, economic and commercial fields. “No industry that does so much and means so much to every American,” he said. “But the regulatory red tape onslaught going into this industry was like no other. And so if you’re standing here today and your company is providing reliable, affordable, American, secure-base-load-dispatch of power, you’re a hero to me,” Burgum said. Wright added that people must only look at history to see what happens to societies that squander their coal reserves if they have them. He said that while much of the world was still relying on woodburning for energy, England had such a booming industry during the Glorious Revolution of 1707 that it comprised 50% of its energy industry. The rest of the world did not hit 50% coal power until 1900, when it finally surpassed wood, Wright continued. BURGUM CALLS CALIFORNIA A ‘NATIONAL SECURITY RISK’ AS ENERGY CHIEF WARNS BLUE STATES ARE SKEWING COST AVERAGES With the “barbarians at the wall,” the little island country held its own thanks in part to its coal industry, he said of England and later Scotland. By present-day, the United Kingdom decided to reverse all of that progress and shutter its coal industry, along with similarly-industrious Germany. BURGUM, ZELDIN, WRIGHT: THIS IS HOW AMERICA WILL ACHIEVE ENERGY DOMINANCE With the advent of the AI race, Wright said the need for a stable, booming American coal sector is paramount. “China opened up 93 gigawatts of coal… one gigawatt [can power the entire] Denver Metro,” he said. America needs between 50 and 100 GW of additional coal power to win the AI arms race with China, Wright said in response to a question from Fox News Digital. In September, Wright’s office also announced $625 million would be put toward reinvigorating the U.S. coal industry in response to Trump’s executive order calling for such, and another directive to “strengthen the reliability and security of the U.S. energy grid.” Wright’s office said in a release that the administration has saved more than 15GW of coal-powered electricity, in part through relaunching the council. Last July, a DOE analysis found that the loss of coal-fired power plants would make grid reliability unsustainable, while also finding that 100GW more peak-hour supply is needed by 2030.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presents Nobel medal to Trump despite institute ban
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented President Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal, describing it as a historic gesture recognizing his commitment to freedom and the fight against tyranny. Machado spoke with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol Thursday, when she was asked whether she offered her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump. “I presented the president of the United States the medal … the Nobel Peace Prize, and I told him, ‘Listen to this, 200 years ago, General Lafayette gave Simón Bolívar a medal with George Washington’s face on it,” Machado said. “He kept that medal for the rest of his life. Actually, when you see his portraits, you can see the medal.” She said Lafayette gave the medal to Bolívar as a symbol of the partnership between the people of the U.S. and the people of Venezuela and their shared fight for freedom against tyranny. TRUMP PLANS TO MEET WITH VENEZUELA OPPOSITION LEADER MARIA CORINA MACHADO NEXT WEEK “Two hundred years in history, the people of Bolívar are giving back the heir of Washington, a medal, in this case the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize, as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom,” Machado said. Trump thanked Machado for the medal in a post on Truth Social on Thursday evening. “It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today,” Trump wrote. “She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!” NOBEL PEACE PRIZE RECIPIENT MACHADO PLEDGES TO RETURN TO VENEZUELA, SEES ‘ALARMING’ INTERNAL CRACKDOWN Machado’s meeting with Trump came nearly two weeks after the U.S. captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and amid lingering questions about her political future. The meeting also followed comments from Trump casting doubt on Machado leading the country rather than endorsing the Venezuelan opposition leader. “I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader,” Trump told reporters Jan. 3. “She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.” The Washington Post previously reported Trump was annoyed Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, an award he had hoped to receive and that Machado dedicated to him, though the White House said the president’s decisions were based on “realistic decisions.” KRISTI NOEM DELIVERS TRUMP’S ULTIMATUM TO VENEZUELA’S VICE PRESIDENT FOLLOWING MADURO CAPTURE OPERATION Still, Machado floated the idea of transferring the prestigious award to Trump last week during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity.” “Did you at any point offer to give him the Nobel Peace Prize?” Sean Hannity asked. “Did that actually happen?” Machado responded, “Well, it hasn’t happened yet.” “I certainly would love to be able to personally tell him that we believe — the Venezuelan people, because this is a prize of the Venezuelan people — certainly want to give it to him and share it with him,” Machado continued. “What he has done is historic. It’s a huge step toward a democratic transition.” Despite her intent, the Norwegian Nobel Institute shut down the idea last Friday. “Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others,” the institute said in a statement. “The decision is final and stands for all time.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for a reaction. Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
DHS arrests armed man with extra ammunition for alleged assault of officer at late-night Minneapolis riot
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security says it arrested a man in Minneapolis Wednesday night who assaulted a federal immigration agent while carrying a gun and box of ammunition. The incident occurred several hours after DHS says a separate agent was attacked by an illegal migrant from Venezuela with a shovel. The illegal migrant was shot in the leg, prompting riots to escalate in the city shortly after. “Last night during a riot in Minneapolis, a U.S. citizen was arrested for assaulting officers while carrying a firearm,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “The individual showed up to the protest with a gun and a box of ammunition in a bag. The individual threatened violence against law enforcement officers while pointing at his bag. TRUMP DRUG CZAR RIPS DEMOCRATS OVER ANTI-ICE RHETORIC PUTTING ‘EVERYBODY’S LIFE IN DANGER’ “After law enforcement deployed crowd control measures to calm an increasingly volatile crowd, the individual kicked a metal smoke canister at officers. He then pushed an officer, and he was arrested for assault,” McLaughlin explained. “While being arrested, he stated he had a firearm, which was located along with a box of ammunition. He was not carrying his concealed carry permit. This is not the peaceful protesting that the First Amendment protects.” Tensions in Minneapolis have been high as days of riots ravage the city and federal law enforcement officers face off with agitators. Riots began shortly after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was killed by an ICE agent during an altercation in Minneapolis last week. ICE HEAD SAYS AGENTS FACING ‘CONSTANT IMPEDIMENTS’ AFTER MIGRANT SEEN RAMMING CARS WHILE TRYING TO FLEE Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem referred to the Good as a “domestic terrorist,” alleging she used her vehicle as a weapon after obstructing ICE agents on the roadway. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told ICE to “get the f— out of Minneapolis” during a news conference after Good’s death, and Gov. Tim Walz criticized DHS, posting to X that he saw the video, and referred to Noem’s explanation of the incident as a part of a “propaganda machine.” On Thursday, President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act if people in Minnesota continue to disobey the law and endanger federal officers. “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State,” Trump posted to TRUTH Social. Should President Trump invoke the legislation signed into law in 1807, he would be allowed to send National Guardsmen into the area to stabilize control and reduce violence.
Trump rolls out ‘Great Healthcare Plan,’ urges Congress to slash costs for Americans
President Donald Trump unveiled his new “Great Healthcare Plan” Thursday, and urged Congress to create and pass legislation with the provisions included in an attempt to lower healthcare costs for Americans. The plan, which comes amid a big push from the White House to focus on affordability issues for Americans, calls on Congress to get behind a series of provisions outlined in the plan that stem largely from previous executive orders the president has signed during this term. DEMOCRATS HOLD THE GOVERNMENT HOSTAGE OVER SUBSIDIES AMERICANS DON’T WANT Specifically, the “Great Healthcare Plan” calls on Congress to codify Trump’s most “favored nations drug pricing” initiative that instructs drug companies to lower costs and keep them in alignment with what drugs in other developed countries cost, according to a White House fact sheet. Trump issued an executive order on the matter in May. The plan also aims to maximize price transparency, and require providers or insurers to take Medicare or Medicaid to “prominently post their pricing and fees in their place of business and ensure insurance companies are complying with price transparency requirements,” according to the fact sheet. 17 REPUBLICANS REBEL AGAINST HOUSE GOP LEADERS, JOIN DEMS TO PASS OBAMACARE EXTENSION The plan also calls for ending taxpayer-funded subsidy payments to insurance companies, and instead of sending those funds to eligible Americans instead — a proposal that Trump has suggested previously. “The government is going to pay the money directly to you. It goes to you, and then you take the money and buy your own health care,” Trump said in a video the White House released Thursday. “Nobody has ever heard of that before, and that’s the way it is.” It’s unclear how the federal government plans to directly distribute funds to Americans, and an administration official told reporters Thursday that the administration is open to working with Congress on that front. “These are commonsense actions that make up President Trump’s Great Healthcare Plan, and they represent the most comprehensive and bold agenda to lower health care costs to have ever been considered by the federal government,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday. “Congress should immediately take up President Trump’s plan and pass it into law.” Meanwhile, the Senate is prepared to vote on extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies, which were a sticking point during the government shutdown in October and expired at the end of 2025. The House passed extending the subsidies for three years Jan. 8.
What lies ahead for Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado?
Prioritising stability Questions about Machado’s role in Venezuelan politics emerged within hours of the US operation to remove Maduro, a leader accused of violently suppressing dissent. Machado, 58, had been living in hiding for months after the 2024 election, for fear of facing arrest. But that changed in December, when she escaped abroad to accept the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to advance Venezuelan democracy. Given her longstanding public opposition to Maduro, Machado was widely viewed as a favourite to replace him, should his government ever fall. But when Trump announced the US military operation to remove Maduro, he quickly quashed the prospect of Machado stepping into Venezuela’s presidency. “I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country,” Trump said at a news conference hours after the attack. Rather than work with Machado, Trump announced plans to cooperate with Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s vice president. She has since been sworn in as interim president. “She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again,” Trump said of Rodriguez. Maduro, who has long been accused of human rights violations, has been charged alongside his wife Cilia Flores with being part of a conspiracy to traffic drugs into the US. While Trump’s decision to topple Maduro has sparked jubilation among Venezuelans in exile, his military intervention — and quick dismissal of Machado — have raised concerns about his respect for Venezuelan sovereignty and international law. “I think [the Trump administration] basically bet on what they consider to be the most stable transition possible,” said Freddy Guevara Cortez, a former opposition member in Venezuela’s National Assembly. “They think that they can convince the same members of the Maduro regime to dismantle themselves.” Guevera Cortez, who has lived in exile in the US since 2021, emphasised that he supports Trump’s actions in Venezuela. “Obviously, we would have preferred something else, but we also understand how complex the situation is,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
Timeline of Israel’s genocide on Gaza
NewsFeed The Trump administration has announced its ceasefire plan for Gaza is now in ‘Phase Two’, following 27 months of death, displacement and destruction in Israel’s genocide. Published On 15 Jan 202615 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Fifteen former NCAA players charged in US-China basketball rigging case
Former players among those charged in alleged scheme to rig basketball games in US and China. Published On 15 Jan 202615 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Federal prosecutors in the United States have charged 20 people, including 15 former college basketball players, in what they call a betting scheme to rig National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) games. Of the defendants, 15 played basketball for Division 1 NCAA schools as recently as the 2024-2025 season. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The other five defendants were described by authorities as fixers. They include two men who prosecutors said on Thursday worked in the training and development of basketball players. Another was a trainer and former coach, one was a former NCAA player and two were described as gamblers, influencers and sports handicappers. Some individuals were previously charged in an NBA-related gambling probe. The charges, including bribery in sporting contests and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, were unsealed by federal prosecutors in Philadelphia. They accuse the defendants of conspiring to fix games from about September 2022 through February 2025. During the 2022-2023 CBA season, the individuals sought to “fix” men’s basketball games by “point shaving”, prosecutors alleged in the documents filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Point shaving is a form of cheating in which individuals try to manipulate the margin of victory. Some of those charged allegedly sought to target games at Nicholls State University, Tulane University, Northwestern State University, La Salle University, DePaul University, Robert Morris University, University of Southern Mississippi and North Carolina A&T State University. Advertisement Players at Kennesaw State University, Coppin State University, University of New Orleans, Abilene Christian University, Eastern Michigan and Alabama State University were also targeted as part of the scheme, according to the indictment. In the 70-page indictment, authorities said the fixers recruited the college basketball players with “bribe payments” usually ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game. The indictment follows a series of NCAA investigations that led to at least 10 players receiving lifetime bans this year for bets that sometimes involved their own teams and their own performances. And the NCAA has said at least 30 players have been investigated over gambling allegations. More than 30 people were also charged in last year’s sprawling federal takedown of illegal gambling operations linked to professional basketball. Adblock test (Why?)
Iran shuts down airspace, Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet International flights rerouted, several cancelled, delayed
Major Indian airlines Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet on Thursday informed of rerouting some of their international flights as Iran shut down its airspace. Iran, which is facing widespread protests against its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid growing tensions with the US.
Himachal Pradesh Tragedy: Six people burned alive after fire breaks out in ‘chula’ in Sirmaur district, one man survives
In a tragic incident from Himachal Pradesh, six people were burnt alive after a fire broke out in ‘chula’ (traditional cooking place) in remote Talangna village under the Ghanduri Patwar Circle of Nohradhar tehsil in Sirmaur district.