With the southern border being effectively shut down under the Trump administration and likely to become a pivotal factor for the Republicans’ campaign messaging in 2026, Senate Majority Leader John Thune appeared on Friday alongside a handful of incumbent GOP leaders at the border wall in McAllen, Texas. “On the border today with colleagues, including [Cornyn] and future colleagues [Whatley] and [Rogers],” Thune posted to X. “Happy to report that thanks to new leadership in Washington and strong policies like the Working Families Tax Cuts, the southern border is safe and secure.” Immigration and the border were considered a top issue for voters in the 2024 election, according to a Navigator Research report, and will likely remain so in 2026. Thune brought along North Carolina Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley, and Mike Rogers, who’s running in Michigan. Rogers and Whatley are both considered frontrunners for the Republican nomination in their states. Currently, the Cook Political Report rates both races a “toss-up.” “This is the front line for law enforcement right here in the country,” Rogers said Friday. “This is the group that will stop the one rapist who rape a young lady jogging on a trail and leaving her body in a cruel and inhumane way on the trail. That stops here, on this border.” Sen. John Cornyn was also in attendance as he faces a tight primary challenge against Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. The upcoming Republican primaries could play a larger role in how the border clean-up is touted compared to the general elections. The Friday visit led to a scuffle between Cornyn’s campaign and Hunt on Friday on X. Hunt posted, “Word on the street is John Cornyn will be visiting the border on Friday for a photo-op. What’s he going to do, look at the wall he opposed?” The Texas senator’s campaign responded with a lengthy post saying that Cornyn “led the effort to secure $13B+ for federal reimbursement for state border efforts,” “voted for HUNDREDS of billions of dollars for the border wall over years” and “led many border delegations and been to the border dozens and dozens of times.” Whoever wins the primary will face off against either Rep. Jasmine Crockett or state Rep. James Talarico in the border state contest. As ICE continues its deportation efforts nationwide, apprehensions at the border have come to a near-total halt, with only 221 apprehensions on Thursday, according to data reported by Fox News. The numbers draw a sharp contrast from the height of the Biden-era border crisis, where there were sometimes daily apprehensions in the thousands. In Congress, there were major pieces of border and immigration-related legislation that ended up being signed by President Donald Trump last year, including the Laken Riley Act and the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The OBBA included billions in border security funding in addition to $13.5 billion for reimbursements to go toward states that had to pay for border crisis mitigation.

Fernando Mendoza has made a name for himself. You can call the Indiana quarterback “Heisman Winner,” “Player of the Year,” or by the nearly dozen other awards the junior has won from his record-setting season. Mendoza is using his name in this new Name, Image, and Likeness era to make millions, but he’s also using it to fight multiple sclerosis, a disease his mom Elsa has battled for 18 years. With the help of local restaurants in Bloomington, Indiana, Mendoza is raising money for MS through the National MS Society. The quarterback teamed up with BuffaLouie’s to make the “Mendoza Bros. Burger” and Gable’s Bagels for the “Mendoza Bros. Cubano.” Proceeds from both of those items go directly to the National MS Society. “My mom means the world to me,” Mendoza said on his fundraiser site. “She’s the most caring and positive person I know, and I’ll keep doing everything I can to support her and others living with MS.” Mendoza’s goal is to raise $150,000 for the foundation. He has received $144,443 so far through his campaign. In a letter penned to The Players’ Tribune, Elsa said her son has helped her not feel embarrassed about the degenerative disease. “When you have to carry me up the stairs, you’ve always kept that same spark in your eye,” Elsa wrote. “No matter what kind of state I’ve been in, or day I’ve been having, you’ve never once looked away. You’ve never once treated me like I’m embarrassing, or deficient, or anything other than someone you love and are standing by.” In the emotional letter, Elsa opened up about raising Mendoza as a young mom in Boston. She said her firstborn always felt like her closest buddy. Together, the two navigated the Miami native’s first Boston winter. All these years later, Mendoza is still helping his mom, just in different ways. “Even as my condition has gotten worse, and as our lives continue to change around that fact. You manage to make me feel like I’m still every part of myself,” Elsa said. “Like I’m still that same person you’ve been teammates with since we got through our first Boston winter together. Like I’m still that same mom.” Their bond took center stage at the Heisman ceremony in December, where Mendoza, through tear-filled eyes, dedicated the trophy to his mom. “Mommy, this is your trophy as much as mine. You’ve always been my biggest fan. You’re my light. You’re my why. You’re my biggest supporter. Your sacrifices, courage, love, those have been my first playbook and the playbook that I’m going to carry through my entire life. You taught me that toughness doesn’t need to be loud. It can be quiet and strong. It’s choosing hope. It’s believing in yourself when the world doesn’t give you much reason to. Together, you and I are rewriting what people think is impossible. I love you.” Mendoza said he’s using his platform to achieve his goal of “a world free of MS.” “The money raised through this campaign will help fund MS research, programs, and services so people affected by MS can live their best lives.” Mendoza is arguably living his best life right now as he gears up to take on Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinal Friday night. He credits the success he and Indiana are having this season to his mom. “To see her optimistic and positive approach with all that she’s battling has given myself no excuse for complacency throughout my life — whether it’s academics or football,” Mendoza said on a recent podcast. “To see her fight and see her struggle and then get better … it’s been so inspiring to myself.” When Mendoza takes the field against Oregon, the spotlight will shine bright on college football’s best player, and he embraces it — knowing he’s making an impact for his mom, the person he cares about most.

'$100 billion of their money'

'I can't take it anymore'

The House of Representatives took a major step toward averting another government shutdown when it passed a funding package Thursday.  But perhaps more importantly, House Freedom Caucus members influenced the process around the bill’s consideration in ways they say could help government spending in the future. The House’s “minibus” package covers three of the 12 funding areas for the federal government: Energy-Water, Interior-Environment, and Commerce-Justice-Science. Appropriators have attempted to reconcile both chambers’ priorities, and the package will be considered in the Senate next week. But fiscal hawks within the Republican party took issue with the Commerce-Justice-Science section, alleging it was full of earmarks, or lawmaker-requested funding for specific pet projects. House Republicans agreed to end the practice of earmarks under conference rules in 2011, but both Democrats and Republicans decided to revive it in the winter of 2021. One earmark in particular—$1 million in funding backed by Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for a self-described “youth-led East African recovery organization”—drew the ire of caucus members. “Earmarks are the currency of corruption, and they’re coming back in full force in these products,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told reporters Wednesday. I would be remiss if I didn’t note that I am being asked to vote on a CJS appropriations bill TODAY that I saw yesterday and that has significant grant funding & earmarks ripe for fraud, as well as millions to jurisdictions thwarting ICE – without the ability to amend it.— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) January 6, 2026 Roy also complained that he was “without the ability to amend” the package. Some top Republicans began to fear the collapse of the whole package due to earmarks. “I can’t afford to have a million dollar project jeopardize a $184 billion package of bills,” top House appropriator Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters, per Politico. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., ranking member on the appropriations committee, also told the press Wednesday she wished to rectify the situation. “It is under discussion and it will be resolved. That’s the way things go with these community projects. If there’s a difficulty, if there’s a problem, we try to work it out. Or it comes out,” said DeLauro. This is an earmark that is IN THE GOP HOUSE BILL and would have passed without a second thought if not for the current MN Somali fraud prompting questions. Earmarks are absolutely corrupt and should be banned. https://t.co/3sli1u407o— Rachel Bovard (@rachelbovard) January 7, 2026 Before the bill came up for a vote, the House Rules Committee worked to address fiscal hawks’ concerns, ultimately striking the Minnesota earmark through a “manager’s amendment.” The Freedom Caucus has two members on the committee, Roy and Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. The ‘MIRV’ Solution The rules committee also restructured the vote to allow for separate consideration of parts of the Commerce-Justice-Science bill, a practice sometimes known as a “MIRV.” The process allows House leadership to hold individual votes on separate elements of one bill, before those elements are joined again into one package that goes to the Senate. The procedure’s nickname comes from “multiple impact reentry vehicles”—ballistic missiles containing multiple warheads inside of them, each of which separates from the main vehicle and hits its target. MIRV – refers to a Cold War era missile system that deploys different warheads at different speeds, direction at once.Legislatively, it is when the House passes what is called a “bifurcated rule”, which allows votes on diff stand alone ideas. What passes gets in the bill. 2/— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) December 20, 2024 This maneuver for Thursday’s minibus let House fiscal hawks vote against retaining the Commerce-Justice-Science section, while leadership advanced the whole package using some Democrat votes. The Commerce-Justice-Science division of the bill was ultimately approved by a 375-47 margin, with 40 Republicans and seven Democrats forming the opposition. Only three Republicans and three Democrats voted against the other division of the package, which passed 419-6. “There are some people who would like to have a separate vote. It’s not a big deal,” rules committee chair Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., told The Daily Signal Wednesday before the vote. “It’s been done before. And so we’re going to accommodate that.” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told The Daily Signal Wednesday that he preferred holding separate votes. “That’s a better situation than just, you know, jamming it all into one package,” he told The Daily Signal. A Freedom Caucus Win? House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told The Daily Signal after the vote on Thursday that he views the outcome as a victory for his caucus, which has long called for separate votes on individual appropriations bills. “We’ve already done away with what we call the ‘Christmas omnibus’ [where] you pile all 12 bills together, you work them out in a smoke-filled room, nobody has any chance to say anything about them,” Harris said. “What we did today for the first time ever is say, ‘oh, and by the way, we’re going to have a separate vote on some of the bills,'” he added. Harris also praised the stripping of the “very offensive million-dollar earmark to a Somali led organization where the brother of the organizer was arrested as a terrorist.” In Harris’ view, the process this process should be replicated in the future. “The framework we’ve laid out, especially this past week, allows us to… return to… what we call regular order: Each bill considered separately, amendments allowed on the floor—you know, the way it was when I first came here, and the way we should return to.” The legislation could still face headwinds in the Senate, though, where Paul is complaining of “billions in refugee money” in the bills. The post Is Congress Returning to ‘Regular Order’ In Funding? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A cat found in the street made a remarkable transformation in two months, purring through it all. CiceroGood Karma Pet RescueAbout two months ago, a Good Samaritan spotted an orange cat lying in the middle of the street and rushed to save him.His fur was patchy from mange, and his nose was badly congested from a severe upper respiratory infection. Too frail, the cat was in desperate need of help. The finder immediately contacted Good Karma Pet Rescue, hoping they could take him in."Our rescue was full with over 200 kitties in our care, but we just couldn't turn him away," Good Karma Pet Rescue shared. Good Karma Pet RescueThe cat, named Cicero, was in rough condition. A thorough exam revealed multiple injuries, and for a moment, the rescue team wasn't sure he would survive. "Then he started purring and making biscuits in the bed.""That small, hopeful act told us everything we needed to know: he wasn't ready to give up." And neither were they. Good Karma Pet RescueCicero's foster mom began hand-feeding him around the clock, ensuring he received every calorie his body needed. When she had to leave for work, the rescue's office manager and vet techs stepped in, continuing his feedings and surrounding him with comfort and affection."He had a village, and they were holding him up." Good Karma Pet RescueTo ease the strain on his body, a feeding tube was placed, allowing him to conserve energy and focus entirely on healing. Cicero spent most of his time resting, but the moment someone spoke to him, his purr motor roared to life, and his paws began kneading the blanket beneath him.After many days of dedicated care, Cicero was finally strong enough to stand and move around. His feeding tube was removed, and he began eating on his own. Then and nowGood Karma Pet RescueAs his appetite returned, he gained weight and energy. The crust on his face and ears cleared, and his coat grew soft and gleaming. During his recovery, the team also discovered that Cicero was mostly blind, but it didn't slow him down. He never stopped purring and soaked up every bit of love he could get."Just think how different Cicero's outcome would've been if that Good Samaritan hadn't stopped to find him help." Good Karma Pet RescueAs Cicero continued to heal, he learned to navigate the world in his own way. He played with toys, climbed cat trees with confidence, and mapped out his surroundings with ease. But more than anything, he craved human affection.When he was ready for his next chapter, the rescue brought him to their adoption center so potential families could meet him in person. Good Karma Pet RescueAlmost immediately, Cicero made himself comfortable, claiming every inch he touched. He greeted visitors with loud purrs, stretching his paws out, as if inviting them to pet him.Before long, he completely won over the hearts of a loving family. Good Karma Pet Rescue"After everything he's been through, Cicero is finally where he belongs—in the arms of his forever family. His journey is proof that changing a life doesn't always take something big. Sometimes, it's just one person, one decision, one act of kindness.""Because someone said yes, Cicero's story has a happy ending." Good Karma Pet RescueCicero has settled beautifully into his new home, strutting around as if he owns the place. He is thriving and never misses an opportunity for pets.The house hums with the steady rumble of his purrs, and wherever he goes, his happy paws knead contentedly. Cicero has found his forever homeGood Karma Pet RescueShare this story with your friends. More rescued animals at Good Karma Pet Rescue on Instagram and Facebook.Related story: Cat Found with Kittens that Don't Belong to Him, Months Later He Finally Has What He's Been Waiting for

'The Berlin Wall Moment' in Iran; US Keeps Pressure on Mullahs; Khamenei Defiant (So Far)

Don't Get Distracted From the Fraud

A Somali refugee who was sworn in as a Maine city council member earlier this week announced his resignation less than 72 hours later amid pending gun-theft charges and other troubling allegations.Iman Osman, 36, won the city council election in November to represent Lewiston City Council's Ward 5. Osman previously held a position on the Lewiston School Committee after the mayor nominated him to fill a vacancy.'The level of attacks, the vitriol, the racism, and the threats have gotten to the point where he felt like it was in the best interest of his family, his community, and the city to step aside.'The Lewiston City Council swore in Osman on Monday. However, on the same day, council members voted to initiate an investigation into him.Authorities charged Osman with crimes related to gun theft in early December after he was accused of obtaining stolen firearms belonging to two separate estates. He has denied all criminal charges and pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, the Maine Wire reported.Osman's position on the city council came under further scrutiny when he was accused of falsely listing a condemned building owned by his brother as his residence. There has been speculation that Osman listed the bogus address to secure his previous position on the Lewiston School Committee and his seat on the Lewiston City Council. Critics have raised concerns that Osman does not live in the ward he was elected to represent, which would make him ineligible to serve.Amid the ongoing controversy and the council's plan to investigate his residency, Osman submitted his resignation letter to the mayor and city council president on Thursday morning."This decision has not come lightly; it stems from my unwavering commitment to the very community I have dedicated my entire life to serving," Osman wrote in his resignation letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Maine Wire. "Last year, I ran for City Council because I believed we needed a new voice in city government," he continued. "Despite racist opposition, I defeated an incumbent to become the first Black man ever elected to the Lewiston City Council. In my time in public office, I have faced vicious personal attacks that not only target me but also seek to silence the marginalized voices I have always sought to uplift."RELATED: Somali refugee joins Maine city council despite gun charges and residency red flags Image source: Lewiston City Council YouTube screenshotOsman's resignation letter did not address any of the allegations against him."He was absolutely confident that he would have prevailed in the residency investigation introduced by the city council on Monday," Kiernan Majerus-Collins, Osman's attorney, told WMTW. "But the level of attacks, the vitriol, the racism, and the threats have gotten to the point where he felt like it was in the best interest of his family, his community, and the city to step aside.""The fact that the Trump administration is targeting Somali and Somali-Americans across the country absolutely played a role in ginning up the kind of hatred and threats of violence that ultimately forced him to conclude that he could no longer serve in public office at this time," he added.RELATED: Somali terror group cashing in on your tax dollars? Minnesota's child-care fraud whistleblowers warned about a decade ago. Council President David Chittim. Image source: Lewiston City Council YouTube screenshotSteve Robinson, the editor in chief of the Maine Wire, addressed city council members during the public comments section of Thursday's meeting. He alleged that the Wire reporter, Jon Fetherston, had received threats and experienced intimidation due to his coverage of city council matters. Fetherston has been attending city council meetings and reporting on the claims against Osman."Earlier today, [Fetherston] had vehicles driving around threatening him, intimidating him, making gun hand gestures at him. So I would just like to know what is the city council going to do about issues like that, where someone who is conducting routine, basic journalism is facing threats of intimidation and gun violence," Robinson stated. Fetherson previously told Blaze News that it is "obvious" that Osman is lying about his residency."On the very first night of him being sworn in as a city councilor, Mr. Osman took the oath of office and swore to defend the Constitution, yet he then voted on the matter of whether the council should investigate his own residency instead of recusing himself, casting a 'no' vote," Fetherston told Blaze News. "In my almost 40 years of elected office and/or reporting, I have never seen a bigger blow to democracy and disrespect of the election process than what has occurred with Iman Osman and how 'leadership' in Lewiston has handled this situation."When reached for comment, City Council President and Ward 6 Councilor David Chittim told Blaze News that members unanimously voted on Thursday to discontinue the investigation into Osman's residency."His resignation effectively removed him from the council's purview," Chittim explained, adding that per the Lewiston City Charter, the city council is required to fill the vacancy by appointment. When asked about the alleged harassment against a Maine Wire reporter, Chittim replied, "Last night the council heard allegations that a reporter for the Maine Wire has been harassed. I do not know how or whether the council will respond to these allegations."The city's communications director and the mayor did not respond to a request for comment.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held a press conference on Friday to address the rampant fraud in Minnesota that has exploded in headlines over recent weeks."I am optimistic that we are going to put an end to this waste, fraud, and abuse, that we are going to have recoveries for the American people, and that we are going to hold people accountable, set an example, and make sure that federal aid gets to the people it was intended for and not to these fraudsters," Bessent stated.He hammered the state's left-wing leaders, including Gov. Tim Walz (DFL), for forcing residents to endure their "egregious negligence" and allowing taxpayer-funded welfare fraud to "spiral out of control.""Billions of dollars intended for hungry children, housing for disabled seniors, and services for children with special needs, were diverted to people who cheated the system — some of whom are not even American citizens," Bessent continued. Minnesota fraudsters stole at least $300 million in taxpayer funds intended for children in need, the secretary estimated.He announced that the Treasury Department is actively investigating these issues, confirming that some of the funds could have been transferred out of the country to terrorist organizations, such as Somali-based al-Shabaab.RELATED: Somali terror group cashing in on your tax dollars? Minnesota's child-care fraud whistleblowers warned about a decade ago. President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty ImagesBessent assured the American people that President Donald Trump and his entire administration are committed to "restoring accountability" and putting Minnesota "back on the right track."In response to the pervasive fraud schemes, Bessent announced several new initiatives, including investigations into money service businesses that may have transferred funds overseas, a geographic targeting order for Hennepin and Ramsey Counties that lowers the reporting threshold for overseas transfers to $3,000, and a new IRS task force to investigate COVID-era fraud. Additionally, he noted that the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issued an alert to financial institutions to help them identify and report fraud tied to federal child nutrition programs. The Treasury Department is also training Minnesota law enforcement officials on how to detect such schemes. "We will not let the incompetents and recalcitrants of Governor Walz stop law enforcement from holding these perpetrators accountable," Bessent declared. The new protocols placed on Minnesota will serve as a "genesis and a launching pad" for a national rollout.RELATED: Bessent delivers bad news to Somalis on welfare: No more wire transfers to the homeland Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty ImagesA reporter pressed Bessent about Walz's potential role in the state's failure to identify and stop the fraud."We are actively pursuing all leads to see the level of involvement, whether it's limited to just negligence and incompetence, or is something more than that," Bessent responded. When asked whether Somali government officials directed their citizens to relocate to Minnesota to exploit vulnerable systems, or whether the fraudsters were acting on their own, Bessent replied, "We do not know the depth, breadth, and collusion in this financial calamity that Governor Walz has allowed to have happen.""Was this directed from overseas? Is it an endogenous flourishing of these fraudsters that Governor Walz allowed to grow right here in the backyard and take advantage of hardworking people of Minnesota? We'll see. ... We will get to the bottom of it," he continued. — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!