January 15th, 2025

• ​Ceasefire deal at 'closest point yet' as details of hostage and prisoner releases reportedly revealed
• Hamas OKs draft agreement of a Gaza ceasefire and the release of some hostages, officials say
• Israel to release 50 Palestinian prisoners including 30 serving life sentences for each female soldier hostage
• 'There's been a handshake': Trump signals breakthrough in hostage deal - Senior Israeli officials confide to Israel Hayom that the talks are gaining momentum, driven by Trump's ambition to secure an achievement before entering the White House
• Arab official: Trump envoy swayed Netanyahu more in one meeting than Biden did all year
• How Trump's 'salty' envoy may have forced Israel's hand on hostage deal - 'Aggressive businessman' Steven Witkoff shakes up year-long negotiations and the pressure is on Netanyahu to agree ceasefire with Hamas
• The Gaza Cease-fire and Hostage Deal Is the Same One From Eight Months Ago. Why Did Netanyahu Accept It Now? He wanted to be pressured just ahead of Trump's inauguration
• Ben-Gvir boasts of blocking Gaza hostage deal 'time and time again'
• Ben Gvir says he repeatedly foiled hostage deals, urges Smotrich to help him stop this one
• In Knesset, Likud MK shouts at hostage's father over deal: 'Your son will be stuck in Gaza'
• After months of agony and rage, hostage families hold out hope despite 'roller coaster' negotiations
• Amid emerging deal, medical experts warn released hostages face complex issues
• Israelis head to streets to rally for and against brewing hostage deal
• Blinken to unveil Gaza 'day-after' plan in speech sparking division within Biden admin - Secretary wants plan to be blueprint for post-war management of Gaza, but some US officials fear window to give such a speech closed after Nov. and that it could harm hostage talks
• Blinken's Mideast speech interrupted by anti-Israel protesters who accuse him of facilitating Gaza 'genocide'
• Almost 100 strikes located in Gaza 'humanitarian zone', BBC Verify analysis suggests
• Estimated Gaza Toll May Have Missed 25,000 Deaths, Study Says
• Trump's defense secretary pick: 'I support Israel killing every last member of Hamas'
• ICC prosecutor objects to Israeli appeal of Netanyahu, Gallant arrest warrants - Will the end of the war and Trump's ascension get the ICC to back down?
• Pro-Hezbollah imam picked for Trump inauguration - Husham Al-Husainy, who refused to call Hezbollah a terrorist organization, appears in an inauguration program among four religious leaders scheduled to speak following Trump's Jan. 20 address
• Sen. Ted Cruz says on podcast U.S. airlines should begin flying again to Israel
• Major European airline dashes hope of quick return to Israel
• 6 said killed as IDF launches first strike in Jenin since PA began terror crackdown
• Couple, out for walk after overnight sirens, find chunk of Houthi missile on their roof
• After striking Houthis, Israeli pilots say air force 'is ready to attack Iran now'
• Israel uncovers Iranian plot to lure businessman to Dubai under pretext of interview
• Iran is stepping up attempts to kidnap or harm Israelis abroad, Israeli authorities warn
• Azerbaijan thwarts Iranian-led plot to assassinate Jewish leader
• Pager-style? Iran claims Israel 'rigged' nuclear centrifuges
• Senior Iranian official accuses Israel of placing explosives in centrifuge equipment
• Iran's FM says European countries appear serious about reviving nuclear deal
• Anti-Iranian Axis Taking Shape in Syria Could Erode Israel's Standing With U.S. - As Trump seeks a quieter Middle East ahead of the new administration, Turkey and Saudi Arabia's involvement in Syria's reconstruction is detracting from Israel's exclusivity as a U.S. ally and could affect normalization with Riyadh
• Escalating tensions between Israel, Turkey fueled by changing regional landscape
• Unexploded ordnance in Syria killing children at 'alarming' rate, UN warns - Over 100 kids killed or injured in last month, UNICEF reports, as explosives litter country after almost 14 years of civil war; tens of millions of dollars needed to clear them
• Lebanon's new PM says he will extend state authority across entire country
• 'Deeply Alarming' - Kuwait and Indonesia Top List of World's Most Antisemitic Countries, Global Survey Shows
• Survey Shows 46% Of Adults Worldwide Hold Antisemitic Views
• Harvard antisemitism task force co-chair talks about post-Oct. 7 'petrified anger'
• Major shift at ICC as pro-Israel judge poised for presidency - First African female ICJ judge Julia Sebutinde, who rejected South Africa's genocide claims, poised for presidency
• In reset of ties, UK and Iraq sign mega-deal on infrastructure, security, migration - Starmer is eager to remake relations with a host of capitals, from Beijing to Brussels, and anxious to seal deals to boost Britain's ailing economy
• North Korean soldiers in Russia resort to suicide amid capture of first POWs by Ukraine
• North Korean Troops "Blowing Themselves Up" To Avoid Capture In Ukraine
• Ukraine fires US, British missiles into Russia, launches one of largest drone attacks so far
• Ukraine Hits Deep Inside Russia with U.S. and British Missiles in Major Escalation
• Grave fears for Australian Oscar Jenkins after reports of execution by Russian forces following capture in Ukraine
• Australia warns of 'strongest possible action' if citizen killed in Ukraine
• NATO launches new naval operation in Baltic Sea after severing of cables
• When American allies' undersea cables are severed, suspicion falls on Russia and China
• 'Built extremely quickly': New China pics making experts sweat - It's long been considered the final "red flag" for Beijing's plans to invade Taiwan. Now, satellite photos have revealed a scary development
• South Korean President Derails Impeachment Hearing by Not Showing Up
• In a Second Attempt by Investigators, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Has Finally Been Arrested After Long Standoff Between Police and Presidential Guard
• Arrested South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol says he cooperated to avoid 'bloodshed'
• Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro Threatens to Invade Puerto Rico
• Puerto Rico asks Trump for help after Venezuela's Maduro threatens invasion
• Biden Will Remove Cuba From List of State Sponsors of Terrorism - The decision is the latest in a series of conflicting U.S. approaches to Cuba by different administrations
• Biden moves to lift state sponsor of terrorism designation for Cuba, part of deal to free prisoners
• Republican Fury Over Biden's Cuba Terror List Move: 'Reckless'
• From sweetheart deal to repudiation, special prosecutor cements Biden family corruption for history
• Special Counsel David Weiss's Final Report: 'Inappropriate to Discuss' More Hunter Biden Charges
• O'Keefe Media Group: Former Hillary Clinton staffer turned FBI 'spy hunter' and DOD senior advisor claims to be plotting with retired Generals to 'protect' America from Trump - "He's a sociopathic narcissist who is only interested in advancing his name, his wealth, and his fame."
• Iranian president denies assassination plots against Trump, blasts 'Iranophobia' - "We have never attempted this to begin with and we never will," he told NBC News's Lester Holt
• Washington sees 'higher-threat environment' for Trump inauguration, adds fortresslike fencing
• MSNBC's Jolly: 'Tens of Millions of Americans' Will Say 'Trump Is Not My President' on Inauguration Day
• Kamala Harris Declines Traditional Invite for JD Vance to Visit Vice Presidential Residence
• Michelle Obama Announces Without Explanation That She Will Skip President Trump's Inauguration After Missing the Carter Funeral
• Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg to sit on platform with Trump cabinet nominees at inauguration
• Legislation introduced to grant Washington, D.C. statehood - The senators echoed the district's unofficial motto, "Taxation without representation," in their pursuit of creating the 51st state
• Report: Incoming CIA head John Ratcliffe to take 'wrecking ball' to woke DEI, Pride initiatives at agency - "The mission is all he cares about. No more politicized intelligence products. No more social experiments."
• Pete Hegseth: Troops Will 'Rejoice' When They Ax Woke Nonsense
• Kirsten Gillibrand melts down over 'mean' Pete Hegseth when he emphasizes need for merit-based standards in military
• Hegseth: 'There Has Been No Accountability' for Biden's 'Disaster' Afghanistan Withdrawal
• Top Democrat Tries to Give Pete Hegseth Different Confirmation Hearing Rules than Biden DOD Pick Lloyd Austin Had
• Pete Hegseth Embarrasses Dem Leaders in Fiery Senate Showdown
• In fiery hearing, Trump's nominee Pete Hegseth grilled over women, conduct
• Sen. Markwayne Mullin Calls Out Senators for Cheating on Their Wives and Showing up to Vote Drunk While Attacking Pete Hegseth for Alleged Affairs and Alcohol Abuse
• Pete Hegseth Repeatedly Interrupted by Protesters During Confirmation Hearing
• Pete Hegseth's FBI File Comes Back as 'Unremarkable' - Dashing Democrats' Hopes of Scandal
• 'I'm not perfect': Pete Hegseth testifies on sexual assault and drinking claims
• 'You Were Still Married, Correct?' Pete Hegseth Hammered For Cheating on Multiple Ex-Wives in Wild Senate Hearing Clash
• Greg Kelly: Pete Hegseth Succumbed to Blackmail. He Can't Be Confirmed to DOD
• Noem becomes third Trump nominee to have hearing delayed because of FBI: report
• Marco Rubio to Shred Globalists in Confirmation Hearing: 'Liberal World Order' Not Just a 'Fantasy,' But 'Dangerous Delusion'
• In deleted tweets, Trump's incoming AI and crypto czar argued Trump Jan. 6 rhetoric not covered by First Amendment
• January 6 Committee Chair Bennie Thompson 'Would Accept' a Preemptive Pardon from Joe Biden
• Trump has not been exonerated, special counsel Jack Smith declares in final report
• Trump would have been convicted had he not been reelected, says ex-US special counsel
• Jack Smith Report Insists Evidence Against Trump 'Sufficient' for Conviction If Not for 2024 Victory
• Trump asks appeals court to revisit $5 million E. Jean Carroll verdict
• Elon Musk poised to occupy White House office space: report
• Bannon calls Musk 'evil' and 'racist' as MAGA civil war boils over
• Trump slams Bannon: 'When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind'
• Bannon backpedals on threat to have Elon Musk 'run out' of Trumpworld over immigration fight
• SEC sues Elon Musk, alleging failure to properly disclose Twitter ownership
• Chinese officials consider allowing Elon Musk to buy TikTok: report
• TikTok says report of possible sale to Musk 'pure fiction'
• Zuckerberg plans Meta layoffs as company culls 'low-performers' faster
• Nolte: Harry and Meghan Oppose Facebook Restoring Free Speech
• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 'Deeply Concerned' by Zuckerberg's Meta Ending Its Fact-Checking Censorship, Say the Move 'Directly Undermines Free Speech'
• TikTok pushes users to sister app Lemon8 ahead of potential ban - Lemon8 could similarly face a ban under the same law that could ban TikTok
• The great social media migration: Sudden influx of US users to RedNote connects Chinese and Americans like never before
• DNC taps staffers behind 'misleading' KamalaHQ account to 'combat misinformation' - They will "combat online misinformation and respond to Trump administration actions by pushing out memes, videos and graphics."
• Billy Bush Tells Tucker Carlson ABC News Built 75 Person Unit Team Dedicated to Attacking President Trump "Get him at all costs"
• Commentary: I was in gifted classes as a kid... I believe it was a CIA program
• Texas sues Allstate alleging it illegally collected and sold users' data
• NSA Warns iPhone And Android Users - Disable Location Tracking - Hackers have compromised location aggregator Gravy Analytics, stealing 'customer lists, information on the broader industry, and even location data harvested from smartphones which show peoples' precise movements
• Arrested by AI: Police ignore standards after facial recognition matches
• AI-fabricated 'junk science' floods Google scholar, researchers warn
• Germany Authorizes Military to Shoot Down Mysterious Drones
• Expensive toy or the real deal? Meet China's new 'flying car'
• Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch two lunar probes early Wednesday morning
• China plans to build enormous solar array in space - and it could collect more energy in a year than 'all the oil on Earth'
• Total lunar eclipse March 2025: When and where to see the next 'Blood Moon' lunar eclipse
• 5.7 magnitude earthquake hits near central Mid-Atlantic Ridge
• 5.5 magnitude earthquake hits near Nichinan, Japan
• 5.2 magnitude earthquake hits the central East Pacific Rise
• 5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Laugar, Iceland
• 5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near the Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
• 5.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Kimbe, Papua New Guinea
• 5.0 magnitude earthquake hits near Vanimo, Papua New Guinea
• Powerful earthquake swarm begins in Bardarbunga caldera, Iceland
• Glacial outburst flood at Grimsvotn volcano, Iceland
• Sangay volcano in Ecuador erupts to 21,000ft
• Ruiz volcano in Colombia erupts to 19,000ft
• Ibu volcano in Indonesia erupts to 18,000ft
• Semeru volcano in Indonesia erupts to 15,000ft
• Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 15,000ft
• Reventador volcano in Ecuador erupts to 14,500ft
• Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala erupts to 14,000ft
• Lewotobi volcano in Indonesia erupts to 10,000ft
• Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi hits Mozambique after leaving 3 dead in Madagascar
• Hurricane-force winds cause widespread damage in southcentral Alaska
• LA wildfires: 'hurricane force' Santa Ana winds pose major threat to fire-ravaged city
• 'Particularly dangerous' weather warning for L.A. fires are in effect, gusts of up to 72 mph reported
• Donald Trump: LA Fire Damage Akin to Nuke Strike
• A week after L.A. firestorms began, the threat continues as the unprecedented loss sink in
• Flamethrower suspect ID'd as illegal migrant
• Firefighters' Union President: LAFD Didn't Report Because It Didn't Want to Pay Overtime
• Report: 100 L.A. Fire Trucks Wait for Repair as Deadly Blazes Burn City
• Oscars 2025 on verge of being cancelled as bosses secretly plot major changes to ceremony after LA wildfires
• Art Collector Says He Lost Warhols and Harings to L.A. Fire
• Biden urges Congress to 'step up' on California aid as LA warned of 'explosive fire growth'
• 'Derelict in duty:' Speaker Johnson supports conditions for California bailout - Johnson had issued an earlier communication describing the "feckless leadership" in the state
• Johnson confirms 'discussions' on tying wildfire aid to debt limit
• MSNBC's Reid: 'Billionaire Right' Is Trying to Take California with Lies, and Deceit and by Fire
• Carolla: 'Totally Insane' for Newsom to Decry Wildfire 'Misinformation' After COVID
• Recall effort against Newsom underway in California following alleged mishandling of LA fires
• Colbert, Jon Stewart, Kimmel Ignore Democrats Controlling California; Attack Trump, GOP over L.A. Fires
• China Blames U.S. 'Political Divisions' for California Wildfire Destruction
• WSJ: California Fires Due to Bad Politics, Not Climate Change
• 'Climate Warrior' Leonardo DiCaprio Slammed for Fleeing Deadly L.A. Fires on a Private Jet
• 12 dead, over 100 missing as jade mine pond collapses, engulfing over 50 homes, Myanmar - Rescue workers described the incident by explaining how waste soil exerted pressure and forced underground sludge to overflow
• Trump Announces Formation of External Revenue Service to Collect Tariffs and Potentially Abolish Income Taxes Collected by IRS
• Spain is planning a radical fix for its housing crisis: A 100% tax on non-EU buyers - CBP Detains 78 Illegal Immigrants with Criminal Records in California's Central Valley
• HVAC worker reportedly finds explosives at Lake Meadows apartment; Chicago police bomb squad responds
• A Neo-Nazi Helped Incite U.K. Riots. Elon Musk Criticized His Sentencing - Andrew McIntyre, a British extremist who played a key role in fomenting last summer's unrest, was sentenced last week to seven years in jail
• Judge approves emergency order to close migrant gang-infested Aurora, Colorado, apartment complex - The Edge at Lowry apartments have been a hotbed of Tren de Aragua gang activity
• Andrew Tate freed from house arrest after 5 months as Romanian sex crimes probe into shamed influencer hangs by a thread
• Supreme Court to hear arguments on porn age verification law - Challengers say Texas statute violates rights of adults who wish to access sites
• Lev Tahor leader arrested in El Salvador amid major crackdown on cult - El Salvador's AG says extradition request expected soon for Eliezer Rompler, who is indicted in Israel for child abuse
• Israeli pop singer Moshiko Mor indicted in court for rape, sodomy
• Diddy Sued by Woman Alleging He Drugged and Sexually Assaulted Her When She was 16
• Sean "Diddy" Combs Insists Feds Want To "Police Non-Conforming Sexual Activity" & Freak-Off Videos Reveal His Innocence In Sex Trafficking Case
• Kanye West Is Reportedly 'Terrified' To Return to the U.S. Amid Diddy's Sex Trafficking Case
• 'The Sandman' Author Neil Gaiman Accused of Sexual Assault by Multiple Women
• Virginia LGBTQ activist, nurse practitioner pleads guilty to federal child sex crimes
• LGBTQ activist teacher in Missouri charged with child sex crimes
• House Passes Bill Banning Transgender Athletes (Bio Males) From Competing in Girl's Sports at Schools That Receive Federal Funding - AOC Melts Down on House Floor
• Only two House Democrats join Republicans to ban trans athletes from women's sports
• 'Every Pub a Parliament' Under Threat: Discussion of Transgenderism, Religion Could Be Banned in British Boozers
• Planned Parenthood Formally Accused of Breaking Federal Law to Help Kamala Harris
• Sen. Josh Hawley Calls on Trump to 'Set Moral Tone' of Administration by Repealing Biden's Pro-Abortion Policies
• Report: US will see more deaths than births over next 10 years - This comes as birth rates have hit record lows in the country in recent years
• Americans Spend More Than 12 Years of Their Lives 'Burdened by Disease' - Highest of Any Country
• Even Adults May Soon Be Vulnerable to 'Childhood' Diseases - Outbreaks among the unvaccinated are a predictable consequence of falling immunization rates. But even vaccinated adults may be vulnerable to some illnesses.
• O'Keefe Media Group Releases Evidence That Mark Zuckerberg Lied About Biden Administration Pressuring Him to Censor COVID-19 Information, Gave Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Free Ads to Pro-Vax Groups
• US Scientists Concerned "Zombie Deer Disease" May Jump to Humans
• Chornobyl dogs show no nuclear radiation-induced mutations, scientists shocked