To call the latest Jeffrey Epstein file dump a dud is a bit of an insult to duds. The makers of "Waterworld" and "Ishtar" probably sent the D.C. lawmakers who pushed for it a bouquet of flowers along with their condolences. Meanwhile, the people behind "E.T.: The Video Game" for...

The dance titans embraced a whole new sound on this all-conquering Fat Of The Land anthem and they never looked back

The Federal Bureau of Investigation released an alert on Dec. 19 warning that phony text messages and AI are being used to scam people in the orbits of high-level government officials in the United States. “Since at least 2023, malicious actors have sent text messages and AI-generated voice messages — techniques known as smishing and vishing, respectively — that claim to come from a senior U.S. official to establish rapport with targeted individuals,” The FBI wrote in an announcement. The bureau released a similar Public Service Announcement in May. It’s becoming increasingly common over the past two years for people to be duped by fake officials, including those from the Cabinet, Congress, and even the White House, according to the alert. “Malicious actors are impersonating senior U.S. officials via text and AI-generated voice messages and targeting their contacts, including family members,” the FBI wrote in a recent tweet on the issue. The alert noted that they will typically want to talk about policy or the news before getting them to another platform to continue the scam. “In this scheme, actors reach out to victims and engage them in a brief conversation on a topic they are knowledgeable about. They quickly request to move the discussion to a secondary, encrypted messaging app,” the agency added. When the “malicious actor” is able to move the conversation to an encrypted messaging software, like Signal or Telegram, they then might be asked to give away sensitive information like a passport, a code that would allow access to the “victim’s contact list,” and even “wire funds to an overseas financial institution under false pretenses.” As for the contact list request, it allows scammers to target others within that individual’s circle. However, the FBI recommended that people take extra steps to verify whether or not a message is legitimate, like cross-checking phone numbers and other ways the person contacted. The bureau acknowledged that the recent developments in AI have added an extra roadblock for people to identify these scams. “AI-generated content has advanced to the point that it is often difficult to identify. When in doubt about the authenticity of someone wishing to communicate with you, contact your relevant security officials or the FBI for help,” the announcement stated. Different types of AI scams have been increasing, CBS News reported in October, as the technology rapidly develops.

A controversial 60 Minutes segment on Trump’s immigration policy was mysteriously pulled from broadcast but has now leaked online, raising serious questions about media censorship and journalistic independence. Network Censorship Sparks Controversy CBS’s 60 Minutes made the stunning decision to pull a prepared segment examining President Trump’s immigration policies just before broadcast. The last-minute editorial decision has ignited fierce debate about whether the network succumbed to political pressure or internal bias. This represents another troubling example of mainstream media’s willingness to suppress stories that might present conservative policies in a fair light, undermining their credibility with American viewers. https://twitter.com/CalltoActivism/status/2003307383066653144 Leaked Content Reveals Network Concerns Despite CBS’s attempt to bury the story, the controversial segment has surfaced online this week, allowing viewers to see what the network didn’t want them to witness. The leaked footage provides insight into the editorial process and raises questions about what specifically triggered the network’s decision to spike the piece. For conservatives who have long suspected media manipulation, this incident provides concrete evidence of how news organizations control narratives by selectively censoring content. Journalistic Independence Under Fire The 60 Minutes controversy highlights a broader crisis in American journalism where editorial decisions appear increasingly driven by political considerations rather than news value. This incident follows a pattern of mainstream media outlets suppressing or downplaying stories that don’t align with their preferred narratives. The willingness to pull completed segments demonstrates how far some news organizations will go to avoid presenting information that challenges their audience’s preconceptions or supports conservative viewpoints. Media Credibility Crisis Deepens This latest scandal further erodes public trust in traditional news sources, particularly among conservative Americans who have witnessed years of biased coverage. The fact that the segment leaked online despite network censorship shows how difficult it has become for media gatekeepers to completely control information flow in the digital age. Americans deserve transparent journalism that presents all sides of important policy debates, not selective reporting designed to advance political agendas at the expense of factual accuracy.

In Atlanta, what began as an emergency helping hand to the community has been extended to a Christmas giveaway, where 100 families received free meals, gifts, and more. The Santa’s Workshop event held on Monday surprised dozens of Midtown Atlanta families with new toys, bikes, and even electronics: to support outdoor play and school work. […] The post Atlanta Restaurant Provided for 100 Families During the Shutdown, Now Throws Christmas Giveaway for Them appeared first on Good News Network.

Americans grappling with affordability just got a helpful boost from the Trump administration, which on Friday announced a new push to reduce health care costs.  The move helps patients get health care prices upfront rather than astronomically high surprise bills later. The new Transparency in Coverage (TiC) proposed rule will improve data structure, reduce unnecessary file size and increase usability. This will make transparency easier to analyze and more accessible to employers, researchers and innovators working to lower health care costs.  By receiving prices upfront in a clear, easy-to-use format, Americans can shop around for the best provider at the lowest cost—driving more competition and empowering patients. Friday’s move was announced jointly by the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Labor, and Treasury Department. President Donald Trump already fought hard in his first term to improve health care price transparency, and Friday’s announcement continues that momentum which continued in Trump’s February executive order. In December 2020, Trump also signed the No Surprises Act, meant to provide patients detailed upfront price information about their care. But the Biden administration delayed implementing these policies, and the American people never saw the full benefit of price transparency. Additionally, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 requires insurance companies and brokers to reveal all historical claims data and broker fees while also removing gag clauses. Hospitals must not surprise patients with bills after insurance companies refuse to pay more. Yet these regulations are rarely followed, in part due to the HHS only very rarely assessing penalties against noncompliant hospitals. Critics argue these penalties are also tiny relative to the operations of these medical giants, simply a small cost of doing business. As a result, health care costs—especially hospital prices—have far outpaced overall inflation for decades in the United States. Taxpayer health care subsidies may move money around, but they do not address the underlying rising cost problem—they simply throw more money at it (just like taxpayer-subsidized student loans, which incentivize skyrocketing tuition hikes well above inflation). There’s a simple reason health care prices skyrocket above overall inflation: no free and fair competition. Costs for hospital services in particular have seen the highest rates of inflation among major U.S. consumer goods and services, per economist Mark J. Perry.   Critics of America’s health care system argue that’s happening at hospitals, which comply with government rules on health care price transparency just 17% of the time.  This data is according to the non-profit advocacy group Patient Rights Advocate (PRA), which found less than 17% of hospitals in their published review are fully compliant with the federal Price Transparency Rule.   Imagine if car mechanics performed safety checks on only 17% of a car, restaurants only served 17% of a steak and taxis dropped riders at correct addresses just 17% of the time. Patient Rights Advocate found just 16.8% of hospitals reviewed were posting sufficient dollars and cents prices to allow consumers financial certainty when making health care decisions. The advocacy group also reported that prices within the same hospitals varied wildly, up to more than 40 times.  For example, cervical spinal fusion at the University of Kansas Hospital Main Campus ranged from a low of just $650.00 to a high of $26,100.59. Patient Rights Advocate also reported that prices across hospitals in the same state varied as much as nearly 469 times—far more than non-health care goods and services among various metro areas within a state. For example, a mammogram of both breasts in Florida ranged from a low of $32.00 at Cleveland Clinic Martin North in Stuart, Fla., to a high of $15,000.00 at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital in Gainesville, Fla. In economic terms, these wide price variations are in part due to information asymmetry, which limits negotiating power, especially for smaller entities and individual consumers.  A bipartisan legislative effort also seeks to permanently counter rising costs by improving competition through price transparency because America’s working families deserve relief from rising cost-of-living expenses. The Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, introduced by Sens. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and John Hickenlooper, D- Colo., would strengthen the requirements for hospitals to disclose their prices and empower patients to make informed choices. It would also increase the penalties and enforcement mechanisms for non-compliant health care providers. Economists and academics in a November open letter to the U.S. Senate estimated that full health care price transparency could save the U.S. economy $1 trillion annually. It will end the era of secret prices, surprise medical bills and unchecked middlemen who profit from confusion. By acting now, Trump and his allies are delivering a victory that will significantly reduce health care costs and improve affordability. Carrie Sheffield is a senior policy analyst at Independent Women’s Voice and author of ”Motorhome Prophecies: A Journey of Healing and Forgiveness.” We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Trump’s Health Care Cost Transparency Action is a Dose of Good News appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The structures were used for just a few weeks, 18,000 years ago.

The magazine’s most-read articles of the year included a deep dive on the Scopes "monkey trial," an interview with award-winning documentarians and a profile of quintuplets who found fame during the Great Depression

China's ⁠foreign ministry announced sanctions Friday targeting 10 individuals and 20 U.S. defense firms, including Boeing's St. Louis branch, over arms sales to Taiwan.