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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has sharply criticized the Trump administration Tuesday over its decision to pause federal child care funds to the state after an influencer’s video went viral alleging widespread fraud there in government programs.

“This is Trump’s long game,” Walz, who was on the Democratic ticket against Trump in 2024, wrote on X. “We’ve spent years cracking down on fraudsters. It’s a serious issue – but this has been his plan all along. He’s politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans.”

The comments came as the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it was freezing child care payments to the state.

In a post on X, HHS credited the stop to allegations from a video by right-wing content creator Nick Shirley, which claimed daycare centers run by people of Somali descent in Minnesota are responsible for “potentially the largest fraud scandal in U.S. history.”

In the video, which state Republican leadership said they assisted in creating, Shirley travels to what he says are empty centers where he claims fraud is taking place, though it’s unclear when in the week Shirley was visiting the facilities, and some observers in the state say the video is not well-evidenced enough to be considered accurate factual reporting.

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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz claimed a federal decision to freeze child care funds for the state in the wake of fraud allegations was really part of the Trump administration’s ‘long game’ to punish voters in the Democratically led state (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

State officials say all the centers in the video have been visited in the past six months and fraud was not discovered.

The manager of one of the centers in the video told the Minnesota StarTribune that while children are not visible from the outside, they were in fact present when Shirley visited, but that doors to the center are locked for safety.

Despite these caveats, Republicans have quickly latched onto the claims in the video, folding them into the president and the MAGA movement’s regular demonization of Somali people and immigrant communities at large.

Vice President JD Vance claimed in an X post last week that immigrants were “stealing both money and political power from Minnesotans,” while GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer has called for the denaturalization of Somalis engaged in fraud.

Federal agencies including the FBI and Department of Homeland Security have also begun investigating allegations tied to the video.

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Federal agencies including Homeland Security have launched investigations after a right-wing content creator’s allegations of fraud at Minnesota child care centers went viral (Department of Homeland Security)

State officials have been cracking down on government program fraud in Minnesota for years, and 57 people have been convicted as part of the $300 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, which came to prominence in 2022.

In an op-ed earlier this month, Walz said the state had implemented “systematic changes” in recent years, including replacing state leaders, sending individuals to jail, hiring a former state police chief and FBI agent to oversee program integrity, and bringing in an outside firm to audit payments.

“What is not helpful is the president of the United States demonizing an entire community or pardoning someone single-handedly responsible for $1.6 billion in fraud,” Walz wrote in the StarTribune, a reference to Trump’s recent commutation of private equity executive David Gentile’s prison sentence.

“If there were a silver bullet to solve this issue, we wouldn’t be seeing similar issues in these federal Medicaid programs in red and blue states across the country — including multi-million-dollar fraud schemes in Ohio, Arizona, Nebraska, Texas and Pennsylvania,” he added.

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The president regularly disparages Somali-American people, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, whom he recently called ‘garbage’ (The Independent)

In response to Walz’s comments, a White House social media account called Walz a slur for developmentally disabled people.

Federal officials have said there’s even more wide-ranging fraud afoot in Minnesota.

This month, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, who is leading an ongoing series of fraud cases, suggested that social services fraud across 14 federally supported programs in Minnesota could top $9 billion. The governor’s office has called this “speculating” and “sensationalism,” given that the cases in question include about $11.6 million in alleged fraud.

Prior to the Minnesota video going viral, the Trump administration has cracked down on Minnesota’s Somali population, the largest in the country.

The Treasury Department is investigating business people use to wire money to family members in the country, after a report from a conservative news outlet alleged such funds support militant groups.

Trump has called for immigrants from Somalia — including his longtime critic Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar — to “be thrown the hell out” of the U.S., alleging they have “destroyed our country.”

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NEED TO KNOW

• Macyi Neeley shared a TikTok video on Tuesday, Dec. 30, detailing a past allegedly abusive relationship
• “I became someone that I don’t even recognize,” Mayci said
• The reality star tells more of the story in her upcoming memoir, Told You So

Macyi Neeley is opening up about her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault.

On Tuesday, Dec. 30, Mayci posted a TikTok video discussing her personal experience in an allegedly abusive relationship. “First and foremost, trigger warning,” she began.

She shared that for the past few weeks, she’s been tagged in several videos about domestic violence and sexual assault, “because obviously, I have experienced that, and I’m definitely an advocate for it,” before she continued with a message for other survivors.

“When you are a victim, even I know to never compare my situation to another victim, because they’re not the same,” she said. “I think one of the things I want to speak on, too, is about how women go back to their abusers. I can give my experience.”

Addressing questions about why she stayed in the relationship after her “abuser” “shoved her, choked her, and [sexually assaulted] her,” Mayci said, “Because I was being blackmailed.”

“My abuser would threaten to get me kicked out of my university because they had a strict honor codes,” she explained, adding that her former partner threatened to send photos of her drinking alcohol to the university in an attempt to have her expelled.

She also pointed to “Stockholm Syndrome” as another reason she stayed in the relationship.

“The abuser can maybe be holding financials over their head,” said Mayci. “Could be isolating them, periods of good behavior and bad behavior. It’s like this toxic cycle where these small things that happen at the beginning of the relationship, they’re like, maybe a small red flag. Those become your everyday life when you’re in these relationships, and you don’t even notice them after a while.”

“Lack of self-esteem” was another reason Mayci said she felt drawn back to her alleged abuser, adding that often victims “stay because they don’t feel like they have any other option.”

Mayci shared how being in an abusive relationship changed her perspective.

“There’s so much more psychological abuse and so many mental aspects of this that I can’t even put into words that make you feel so crazy when you’re going through it. My entire personality changed. I became an angry person. I became someone that I don’t even recognize. Before I was ever in an abusive relationship, I would look at it and be like, ‘Yeah, get out,’ ” Mayci continued.

“Filming through it while pregnant, and then going through it, doing a reunion postpartum, it hasn’t been super fun, especially because I actually haven’t been able to share my story of DV or SA on the show,” said Mayci, who announced her pregnancy with husband Jacob, in February.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Mayci, who details her experience in her memoir Told You So, ended by telling other survivors, “If you are a victim, this triggering for you, I see you, I hear you, I’m with you, and I love you guys, and thanks for listening.”

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star’s book, Told You So, will be published on Oct. 7 and is now available for preorder.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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A body has been found in the frantic search for a Texas teen who mysteriously vanished from her home on Christmas Eve.

Camila Mendoza Olmos, 19, was last seen on a neighbor’s surveillance camera leaving her San Antonio neighborhood just before 7am Wednesday, prompting a week-long search as authorities warned she could be in ‘imminent danger.’ 

On Tuesday, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said that a body, along with a firearm, had been found in a field ‘very close to Camila’s home,’ according to My San Antonio News. 

The body was discovered around 4:45pm near the Burning Bush Landscaping Company at Bent Cyn and FM 1560, just a few hundred yards from her home in an area of tall grass, according to My San Antonio News.

Sheriff’s deputies and FBI agents found the body during a renewed search of the field, which they had decided to re-comb due to the dense brush. 

However, Sheriff Javier Salazar said the medical examiner has yet to confirm the identity of the remains, as well as the cause and manner of death.

‘But we hope to expedite that process to get the community answers,’ Salazar said.

He added that he hopes the medical examiner will release answers regarding the identity within the next day or two. 

A body has been found in the frantic search for Texas teen, Camila Mendoza Olmos, 19, who mysteriously vanished from her home on Christmas Eve

Olmos was last seen on a neighbor’s surveillance camera leaving her San Antonio neighborhood just before 7am Wednesday, where footage captured her rummaging through her car

On Tuesday, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said that a body, along with a firearm, had been found in a field ‘very close to Camila’s home’ 

As for the firearm, Salazar confirmed that authorities are not suspecting foul play at this time and are considering self-harm as a possibility, according to the outlet. 

‘We developed some information that there may have been some suicidal ideations on Camila’s part,’ the sheriff said.

‘Undiagnosed, as far as we can tell,’ he added. ‘It sounds like this was a young person going through a very tough time in her life, going through some emotional issues.’

The discovery comes one week after the college student vanished from her mother’s driveway on Christmas Eve morning, where she had been living while attending nearby Northwest Vista College with hopes of becoming an orthodontist.

Olmos’ childhood friend Camila Estrella said their last conversation was a day before her disappearance, when they planned to go dress shopping for her boyfriend’s family event. 

Estrella told the New York Post that Olmos’ parting words were, ‘Bye Cami, I love you.’ 

Her sudden disappearance immediately prompted urgent pleas from her family, with authorities recognizing the area she vanished from as a human-trafficking corridor. 

On the morning of her disappearance, KENS obtained surveillance footage showing Olmos near her car with the lights on, wearing only a hoodie and pajama shorts. 

 As for the firearm, Sheriff Javier Salazar confirmed that authorities are not suspecting foul play at this time and are considering self-harm as a possibility 

Salazar said the medical examiner has yet to confirm the identity of the remains – as well as the cause and manner of death – but hopes there will be answers in the next day or two

Her disappearance  prompted urgent pleas from her family, with authorities recognizing the area she vanished from as a human-trafficking corridor (pictured: a map inside the Olmos home unfurled to show the surrounding area of the San Antonio family home)

Investigators said the footage shows Olmos searching inside the car for an unidentified item before the video abruptly ends. 

They said it is unclear what she was searching for. Police believe she took only her car keys and possibly her driver’s license when she left home. 

Authorities noted that her car was still parked at the residence, suggesting she left on foot. From that point, she was never seen again.   

Olmos’s family said she normally goes for morning walks but always takes her phone, insisting it was out of character for her to leave without telling them where she was going. 

Her mother, Rosario Olmos, told KENS 5 that they had been sleeping together that morning. She said Camila got up, and about an hour and a half later, she did too – but there were no signs of her daughter, except for her car. 

‘I called her cell phone, but the cell phone was there on the bed and it was turned off,’ her mother told the outlet.

‘I put it to charge and went out to look for her,’ she added. ‘I thought I would find her like other times – walking – and we would come home together.’ 

On Sunday, Sheriff Salazar told ABC News that authorities were ‘not ruling out that this case may take us outside the borders of the continental United States.’

While withholding some specifics of the case, Salazar said the evidence collected so far suggested the teenage girl was in ‘imminent danger.’ 

He also revealed that Olmos had recently experienced a romantic breakup, but said it was amicable and that everyone close to her was cooperating with the investigation. 

Salazar made it a personal mission to ensure she had not been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, noting it was a ‘concern’ that had crossed his mind, despite Olmos being a US citizen.   

Beyond that, investigators said all possibilities remained on the table, including the chance she was kidnapped or fell victim to human trafficking. 

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security immediately assisted with the desperate search, including monitoring border crossings and international travel. 

Meanwhile, the sheriff’s office deployed drone teams, search dogs and cadets to continue scouring the area around Olmos’s suburb. 

On Tuesday morning, searchers continued scouring local fields and ditches for the teen while her family clung to hope, even while acknowledging that the chances of finding her alive was growing slimmer each day. 

‘I’m going to tell you something,’ her mother, Rosario told the Daily Mail Monday morning. ‘Giving up is not an option.’ 

The night before she went missing, Olmos, who had completed her fall semester in mid-December, was at home cooking and unwinding with her mother.

The two were close, often sharing a bed despite each having their own room in their spacious two-story brick home. 

Olmos’s mother said she awoke early on Christmas Eve wearing baby blue pajama shorts, a black North Face hoodie, and white sneakers. The neighbor’s camera later captured her rummaging through her car in that same outfit. 

Then, as if in a flash, her image disappeared from the video footage, leaving no clue where she went. 

That changed on Monday, when Salazar released new evidence: dashboard camera footage that, while blurry, appeared to show someone matching her description walking alone northbound on Wildhorse Parkway, just a few blocks from her home.

Salazar stated that authorities were considering all possibilities, including suicide, and that she had been dealing with depression, ‘undercurrents of suicidal ideation,’ and self-harm in the months prior to her disappearance. 

Olmos and her boyfriend, Nathan Gonzales, broke up in the fall when he moved out of town for college. 

‘She had lost weight, her grades were down and she was feeling low from the break-up with the boyfriend,’ her father, Alfonso Mendoza, a trucker who lives a block from his ex-wife, told the Daily Mail.

Although Rosario acknowledged that school and grades had been stressing her daughter out, she disputed that she was facing serious mental health challenges. 

‘People talk. But they don’t know my daughter like I do,’ she said, noting that Cami’s recent breakup was mutual and respectful.

‘It ended on good terms, in a lovely way,’ she said, and ‘wasn’t something she was depressed about.’ Nathan had been actively helping in the search for his ex.

Additional extended family members from California and Mexico rushed to Rosario’s side after learning of their loved ones disappearance. 

Both friends and volunteers spent Wednesday through Sunday scouring nearby neighborhoods, vacant lots and creeks for the daughter Rosario calls her ‘princess,’ her ‘dream.’

Rosario revealed that she was unable to sleep each night, wondering if her daughter was ‘out there somewhere hungry and cold in the late December wind and rain.’  

A flood of tips has come in since Wednesday, including one on Sunday from a psychic who told Rosario that Cami is alive and in a one-story home on a gravel road.

‘I don’t know what to believe,’ the mother told the Daily Mail.

Frank Trevino, 69, a retired insurance salesman, has organized search parties helping families find missing loved ones in the San Antonio area for 25 years and was especially drawn to Olmos’s case.

As he told it, the teen’s death stands out from other disappearances because ‘we have so many questions and so little to go on.’ 

His hunch was that her beauty and small stature of 5ft 4in and 110lbs may have made her a target. 

‘If they see a young woman who is alone and would not be a problem if she fought back, that makes her vulnerable to human trafficking,’ he said. 

While human trafficking was among investigators’ theories, a person close to the search told the Daily Mail that Olmos did not seem to have the kind of social media presence that usually lures in traffickers.

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From the neon lights of Seoul to the waterfalls of El Salvador, from the ancient vinyards of Georgia to the UK’s first spacesport, there is a lot to choose from when it comes to travel in 2026



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At least one person has been killed and around 30 passengers have been injured after two trains taking tourists to Machu Picchu in Peru crashed.

The collision involved a train coming from the famed archaeological site and a train headed there in the early afternoon near Qoriwayrachina, also an archaeological site, according to the company operating the railway.

The person who was killed was a railway worker, Jhonathan Castillo Gonzalez, a captain with the police department in the nearby city of Cuzco, said.

Image:
Emergency workers at the scene. Pic: AP

He said that train services along the line connecting Machu Picchu with Cuzco were suspended after the accident.

Authorities have not shared details regarding the cause of the crash.

Footage shared by local media showed train carriages with broken windows and dented sides, which were stuck on tracks set between a forest and a rock wall.

Image:
Injured people were loaded into ambulances. Pic: AP

Around 1.5 million people flock to Machu Picchu every year, most of whom arrive by train.

The archaeological site was built by the Incas in the 15th century and served as a sanctuary for the Inca emperors.

Machu Picchu is known for its dry-stone brick walls and its three primary structures, including the Temple of the Sun.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

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Even while on holiday at his Florida resort, Donald Trump has refused to take a break from his unrelenting war on wind energy.

Late Tuesday, the US president posted an image of a dead bird beneath a turbine on social media, accompanied by the lament: “Windmills are killing all of our beautiful Bald Eagles!”

The post was immediately amplified by an official White House account on X with more than a million followers.

Unfortunately for Trump’s effort to sow outrage among American patriots at what he proclaimed to be an image of the national bird laid low, closer inspection reveals the photograph does not show a bald eagle and was not taken in the United States. The image actually shows a falcon that was killed at a wind farm in Israel eight years ago.

In his rush to post the image on his social media platform, Trump overlooked a pair of visual clues that might have given him pause. The first is that the bird is missing the distinctive markings of a bald eagle. The second is that the turbine blamed for its death appears to have Hebrew writing on it.

A quick survey of Israeli wind farms blamed for bird deaths reveals that the image in question was indeed taken by Hedy Ben Eliahou, an employee of Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority, and was featured in a 2017 report in Haaretz, the Tel Aviv news outlet.

Had Trump, or someone working for one of the 18 US intelligence agencies that report to him, traced the image back to its source, he would likely have been gratified to read that the Israeli parks and nature department shares his concern that wind energy comes at the cost of bird deaths. “Wind turbines cause significant damage to bird and bat life in Israel, beyond the level deemed tolerable by nature authorities,” Haaretz reported.

The newspaper added that Israeli wind turbines kill about two dozen birds a year and concerns about the death toll at the time had prompted zoos running an eagle-breeding program to campaign against a plan to build a wind turbine farm in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, “for fear of harm to the already seriously endangered vulture population there”.

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Brazil’s jailed former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has undergone a third medical procedure over four days to treat persistent hiccups.

Doctors performed a third operation to block his phrenic nerve. The nerve is found in the neck and vital in controlling the diaphragm – which controls breathing.

The former president’s wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, shared a statement on social media confirming her husband underwent a third procedure because the hiccups “had not stopped’ since the weekend.

The far-right leader is serving a 27-year sentence after plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election.

Bolsonaro’s medical team said he would undergo further testing on Wednesday to determine where he had gastroesphageal reflux. This occurs when stomach acid flows back up into the throat and causes heartburn.

The two hiccup operations on Saturday and Monday treated Bolsonaro’s right and left phrenic nerves.

Doctors said on Tuesday they did not “believe the hospitalisation will be prolonged much longer”.

His wife, Michelle, said the ex-president’s surgeries follow “nine months of struggle and anguish with daily hiccups”.

Bolsonaro, 70, was originally admitted to hospital in the capital, Brasília, to undergo a successful double hernia surgery on Christmas Day. He was due to leave hospital on 1 January if his recovery went well.

Brazil’s Supreme Court allowed the jailed ex-president to be transferred from police headquarters where he is serving his sentence to hospital.

Prior to his hernia surgery, the former president underwent intestinal surgery in April.

Bolsonaro served as president of Brazil between 2019 and 2023. He lost the 2022 election to Brazil’s current president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

A man stabbed Bolsonaro in his abdomen at a campaign rally one month before the 2018 election, requiring surgery due to extensive blood loss. The stabbing has led to ongoing health issues for the far-right figure.

He endorsed his son Flávio Bolsonaro to run against Lula in the 2026 presidential election.

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Environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, the granddaughter of former US President John F. Kennedy, died on Tuesday at the age of 35, just weeks after announcing her terminal cancer diagnosis.

“Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts,” the family wrote in a statement posted on the JFK Library Foundation’s social media accounts.

What do we know about Schlossberg’s illness?

The late journalist revealed in an essay in The New Yorker in November that she had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, a rare and aggressive type of cancer that is mostly common above the age of 60.

Doctors were first alerted to her condition after she gave birth to her second child in May 2024. They detected an unusually high white blood cell count, which is caused by the disease.

“During the latest clinical trial, my doctor told me that he could keep me alive for a year, maybe,” she wrote in her essay. “My first thought was that my kids, whose faces live permanently on the inside of my eyelids, wouldn’t remember me.”

The late journalist published widely in outlets including The Atlantic and Vanity Fair. In 2019, she published the award-winning book: “Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don’t Know You Have.”

She is survived by her husband, George Moran, and their two children.

Tatiana Schlossberg revealed she had been diagnosed with a rare type of blood cancer last monthImage: Amber De Vos/AFP//Getty Images

Where did Schlossberg stand on her relative, RFK Jr.?

Schlossberg, daughter of former diplomat Caroline Kennedy, joined many voices from her family in denouncing Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US President Donald Trump’s pick for health secretary.

“I watched from my hospital bed as Bobby, in the face of logic and common sense, was confirmed for the position, despite never having worked in medicine, public health, or the government,” she wrote.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former Democrat-turned-Trump supporter, has been heavily criticized for his history of promoting vaccine conspiracy theories and misinformation, including by members of his prominent Democratic family.

Before he was confirmed for the post, Schlossberg’s mother Caroline wrote a letter to US senators urging them to vote against her cousin’s nomination as health secretary, describing him as a “predator” who is addicted to power.

Team Trump: A misinformation machine?

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Edited by: Roshni Majumdar

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China fired rockets into waters near Taiwan during large-scale live-fire drills Tuesday, staging its biggest military encirclement of the island in eight months while warning “separatist” forces and outside powers.

A video released by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command showed forces firing rockets into waters north of Taiwan and bomber aircraft taking off at night as part of the encirclement.

The footage was released on the second day of the large-scale exercise “Justice Mission 2025.”

China launched the exercise Monday, surrounding Taiwan with warships, aircraft and live-fire drills as tensions rose following a record U.S. arms sale to Taipei.

CHINA SHARPENS CONFRONTATION WITH JAPAN FOLLOWING REPORTED RADAR RUN-IN

China launched rockets near Taiwan during massive live-fire drills, surrounding the island with warships, aircraft and military pressure as tensions rise. (PLA Eastern Theater Command via Reuters)

“Justice Mission 2025” includes coordinated deployments of ground forces, naval vessels, fighter jets, drones and artillery across seven maritime zones encircling Taiwan.

Tuesday’s drills included long-range live-fire exercises in waters north of Taiwan, PLA Eastern Theater Command spokesperson Li Xi said, according to state-run Xinhua News. Li said the drills achieved their intended results.

Other drills included assaults on maritime targets and anti-air and anti-submarine operations. Destroyers, frigates, fighter jets and bombers also carried out simulated strikes on maritime targets.

TAIWAN UNVEILS $40B DEFENSE SPENDING PLAN TO COUNTER CHINA MILITARY THREAT OVER NEXT DECADE

China launched rockets near Taiwan during massive live-fire drills, surrounding the island with warships, aircraft and military pressure as tensions rise. (PLA Eastern Theater Command via Reuters)

Rockets fired by Chinese forces landed inside Taiwan’s 24-nautical-mile line, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said.

Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te said Tuesday that Beijing “has continued to escalate military tension in the region, which is not the behavior of a responsible world power,” according to Focus Taiwan. He added that “Taiwan will not provoke a confrontation, nor seek conflict with China.”

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on X that 130 PLA aircraft, 14 naval vessels and eight official ships were operating around the island as of 6 a.m. local time.

“Ninety of the 130 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zone,” the statement said. “We monitored the situation and responded.”

CHINA LAUNCHES THIRD AIRCRAFT CARRIER AS XI PUSHES MILITARY MODERNIZATION AGAINST US INFLUENCE

China launched rockets near Taiwan during massive live-fire drills, surrounding the island with warships, aircraft and military pressure as tensions rise. (PLA Eastern Theater Command via Reuters)

The PLA said on X that a Chinese military drone captured aerial footage of Taipei 101, which Taiwan’s Defense Ministry described as a typical example of psychological warfare. “So close, so beautiful, go to Taipei at any time,” the PLA said in the post.

President Donald Trump said Monday that Chinese President Xi Jinping did not inform him of the drills, adding that the exercises did not concern him.

As the drills unfolded, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels were operating near the island, with some engaging in close stand-offs near Taiwan’s contiguous zone, about 24 nautical miles from shore.

BIPARTISAN HOUSE CHINA PANEL SLAMS BEIJING’S TAIWAN DRILLS AS ‘DELIBERATE ESCALATION’

Military exercises mobilize the Chinese PLA Navy, Army, Air Force and the Chinese Coast Guards, which are deemed as a punishment to Taiwan’s call for independence. (Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“Conducting live-fire exercises around the Taiwan Strait would not only constitute military pressure on us, but could also pose broader risks to the international community and neighboring countries,” said Hsieh Jih-sheng, Taiwan’s deputy chief of the general staff for intelligence.

Taiwan placed its military on high alert and said it was prepared to conduct rapid-response exercises if the drills escalated. The ministry released video highlighting its own capabilities, including U.S.-made HIMARS systems, while the coast guard deployed large patrol ships to monitor Chinese vessels near its waters.

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China claims Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan rejects that claim, maintaining that only its people can decide the island’s future.

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Reuters contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.

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A newly unsealed court filing in the criminal case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia suggests high-level officials in President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice made the case a “top priority” after he sued the government for mistakenly deporting him to El Salvador.

Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty to human smuggling charges that were brought against him after several courts ordered the government to bring him back to the United States from a brutal prison in his home country, a legal battle at the center of the president’s mass deportation efforts.

He is asking the judge to throw out the charges on grounds of “vindictive and selective prosecution,” arguing that the administration unlawfully punished him as part of an apparent smear campaign for “having the audacity to fight back.”

Government attorneys turned over documents that Abrego Garcia’s team had hoped to expose the decision-making behind the case, which involved an incident from three years ago.

Tennessee District Judge Waverly Crenshaw had previously found “some evidence” that the case was the product of vindictive prosecution, pointing to an apparent admission from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche that the case was brought in an effort to return Abrego Garcia to the United States, which the judge said could be considered “direct evidence of vindictiveness.”

open image in gallery

A federal judge says there may have been an ‘improper motivation’ to bring charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia after federal prosecutors coordinated with Justice Department officials (Getty Images)

In a December 3 order that was unsealed Tuesday, Crenshaw went further, finding that the top federal prosecutor involved with the case may have brought charges in a “joint decision with others who may or may not have acted with an improper motivation.”

In early April, roughly two weeks after the Supreme Court unanimously ordered the government to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return after his “illegal” removal, a top official in Blanche’s office contacted several officials to talk about the Abrego Garcia case, including then-Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Rob McGuire.

That same day, McGuire received a file on Abrego Garcia from the Department of Homeland Security.

On April 30, DOJ official Aakash Singh called the case a “top priority,” according to emails shared with the court.

McGuire wrote that he did not receive “specific direction” from Blanche’s office to bring the case, but he “heard anecdotally” that Blanche and his deputy “would like Garcia charged sooner rather than later,” emails show.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, who has pushed for Abrego Garcia’s release, said he “very much” believes the case is political.

The recently unsealed emails look like a “smoking gun against the administration,” he told CNN Tuesday.

open image in gallery

Officials at Trump’s Department of Justice may have coordinated with a top federal prosecutor in Tennessee to bring charges against Abrego Garcia after the Supreme Court ordered his return from El Salvador, emails show (REUTERS)

A grand jury indicted Abrego Garcia on May 21, and he was abruptly returned to the United States in June to face allegations that he illegally moved other immigrants across the country.

ICE swiftly brought him back into custody after a judge released him from pretrial detention in his criminal case. He has since been allowed to stay out of federal detention in both his immigration and criminal cases and to live with his wife and U.S. citizen children while those legal challenges continue.

Last week, Crenshaw canceled a planned January trial and replaced it with an evidentiary hearing on Abrego Garcia’s argument that the case was unlawfully brought against him.

Maryland District Judge Paula Xinis has also ordered government officials to file a sworn declaration outlining whether the administration still plans to deport him and under what authority. Since his return to the United States, officials have tried to deport Abrego Garcia to at least six different countries, including the African nations of Eswatini, Ghana, Liberia and Uganda.

He has accepted the Costa Rican government’s offer to deport to that country, but the Trump administration allegedly denied the request after Abrego Garcia refused to plead guilty.

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Winter activities involve brisk outdoor walks, holiday travel, and cozy movie marathons. What’s the plush style I wear to stay warm and comfy through it all? You’ve probably guessed it: sweatpants.

They are the practical style I can rely on during chilly winter weather thanks to their stretchy elastic waistbands and cold-busting fabrics. And popular stores like Lululemon, Vuori, and Nordstrom are packed with options right now. You can even snag Spanx sweatpants on sale that both Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon approve of.

From sleek joggers to breathable wide-leg styles, join me in revamping my sweatpants collection and reaching peak levels of cozy this winter.

Comfy Sweatpants for Winter

• Writer Pick: Alo Muse Sweatpants, $118; aloyoga.com
• Automet Fleece-Lined Sweatpants, $25 (orig. $30); amazon.com
• Celeb-Worn: Spanx AirEssentials Wide-Leg Pants, $69 (orig. $118); spanx.com
• Lowest Price: Amazon Essentials Straight-Leg Sweatpants, $12; amazon.com
• Lululemon Scuba Oversized Jogger, $69 (orig. $118); shop.lululemon.com
• Vuori Performance Jogger, $94; vuori.com
• Alo Accolade Straight-Leg Sweatpants, $138; aloyoga.com
• Athleta Forever Fleece Jogger, $62 (orig. $89); athleta.gap.com
• Lululemon Loungeful Classic-Fit Sweatpant, $79 (orig. $118); shop.lululemon.com
• Nike Phoenix High-Waist Sweatpants, $70; nordstrom.com

Alo Muse Sweatpants

People

After receiving the Alo Muse sweatpants and matching hoodie as a Christmas gift three years ago, they’ve become my go-to for everything from traveling and errands to lounging on the couch and casual lunch dates. The waffle-knit fabric feels buttery soft and warm without making me overheat. The adjustable drawstring allows me to customize the fit, and the side pockets keep my hands cozy. The cuffed hem also traps in heat and gives the pants a jogger appearance that looks good with sandals, sneakers, and boots.

Automet Fleece-Lined Sweatpants

Amazon

These $25 sweatpants are lined with fleece, which is ideal for cold weather because the fabric is made with lifted fibers that create an insulating layer. The baggy silhouette means you can wear the pants over a pair of shorts if you need to, say, layer up before heading to the gym for a workout. One Amazon shopper ordered multiple pairs and said that the pants maintain their quality after multiple washes.

Spanx AirEssentials Wide-Leg Pants

Spanx

We thought the fabric of these Spanx pants was silky-soft and draped nicely when we tried them, while Oprah has once said that wearing them “feels like a hug.” The knit material is breathable and offers four-way stretch to optimize comfort. You can snag the pants in petite, tall, and regular lengths as well as sizes XS through 3XL. They’re even on sale right now in select colors, but sizes are going fast.

With temperatures only continuing to dip, now’s the time to upgrade your loungewear with these cozy sweatpants from Amazon, Athleta, and Nike below.

Amazon Essentials Straight-Leg Sweatpants

Amazon

Lululemon Scuba Oversized Jogger

lululemon 

Vuori Performance Jogger

Vuori

Alo Accolade Straight-Leg Sweatpants

alo

Athleta Forever Fleece Jogger

Athleta

Lululemon Loungeful Classic-Fit Sweatpant

lululemon

Nike Phoenix High-Waist Sweatpants

Nordstrom

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By SONYA GUGLIARA, US REPORTER

Published: 23:05 GMT, 30 December 2025 | Updated: 23:15 GMT, 30 December 2025

The federal government has ceased all child care payments to Minnesota amid the Democratic state’s ongoing daycare fraud scandal. 

Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Jim O’Neill announced on Thursday that funding has been frozen and demanded that Governor Tim Walz audit the centers allegedly involved. 

‘We have turned off the money spigot and we are finding the fraud,’ O’Neill declared in his statement. 

The move from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the division of the HHS that handles child care, comes after independent journalist Nick Shirley shared footage of an apparently empty Minnesota daycare.

The facility has reportedly received millions in taxpayer funds, leading Shirley to claim that Minnesota has allowed for the ‘largest fraud in US history’ to go unchecked.

‘You have probably read the serious allegations that the state of Minnesota has funneled millions of taxpayer dollars to fraudulent daycares across Minnesota over the past decade,’ O’Neill wrote. 

O’Neill said he has activated the ‘spend defend system for all ACF payments,’ meaning that all payments going forward across the country will require proof and reasoning before the money is allocated. 

He added that he and ACF Assistant Secretary Alex Adams have identified the people involved in the scheme that Shirley allegedly unveiled. 

Independent journalist Nick Shirley shared video from an apparently empty daycare in Minnesota

Footage of the facility, featuring a misspelled sign as ‘Quality Learing Center’, sparked outrage among lawmakers

The HHS has demanded that Governor Tim Walz (pictured with his wife, Gwen) audit the centers allegedly involved in the fraud scandal

In another effort to combat money funneling under the guise of childcare, a ‘fraud-reporting’ hotline and email address have been set up.

‘Whether you are a parent, provider, or member of the general public, we want to hear from you,’ O’Neill wrote. 

The Minneapolis facility that Shirley highlighted notably featured a misspelled sign, which the business named Quality ‘Learing’ Center instead of Quality ‘Learning’ Center.

This is a developing story… 

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All child care payments to Minnesota are FROZEN amid daycare ‘fraud’ scandal as Tim Walz is targeted in huge crackdown

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Justin Hood has reached the World Darts Championship quarter-finals after beating Josh Rock 4-0, earning £100,000 prize money and hinting he may finally open his dream Chinese restaurant

Justin Hood can achieve his dream of owning his own Chinese restaurant(Image: PA)

Breakout World Darts Champions star Justin Hood could realise his dream of owning a Chinese restaurant after netting £100,000. The 32-year-old has emerged as this year’s cult hero and is into the quarter-finals after cruising past Josh Rock.

Hood, currently ranked 86in the world, made history during an afternoon session when he became the first player to nail 11 consecutive doubles without missing, before finishing with 75 percent. His flawless performance led to a 4-0 victory over the Northern Irishman.

Now, with his place in the last-eight confirmed and a match against Gary Anderson on the horizon, Hood can finally afford to open his own Chinese restaurant.

READ MORE: Darts news: Luke Littler fires shot at Ally Pally crowd as star is left ‘heartbroken’READ MORE: Stephen Bunting slams abuse of his young son Toby and ‘negative comments’ from trolls

The 32-year-old was a long shot at 1,000/1 in the pre-tournament odds but has already bested Nick Kenny, sixth-seed Danny Noppert, Ryan Meikle and Rock. He is now just two wins away from the final, with his next challenge coming up on New Year’s Day.

Hood, who quit his job as a hotel porter to pursue his darting dream, only qualified for the Q School, where players eye a tour card, earlier this year.

However, for ‘Happy Feet’ , opening a Chinese restaurant has always been his dream.

He’s often joked about spending the record-breaking £1million prize money on his own eatery if he were to win.

But now, what once seemed like a far-fetched dream could soon become a reality.

When asked if the prize money at Ally Pally was life-changing, he responded with a nonchalant “Yes and no. I don’t live above my means.

It was an emotional moment for Justin Hood(Image: Getty Images)

“It’s nice to have it in the bank, but I just get up there to throw darts. The money’s a massive bonus – I want that trophy now.

“No timeline yet. You’ve got to pay double. We’ll look into it after the Worlds. Half price? Get in. Every game’s unknown for me. I’ll go back, probably have a Chinese – maybe two or three. But seriously, I’ll treat it the same as every other game: practise, eat good food, and get ready.”

Luke Littler, the current world number one, made his debut at the World Championships and quickly became a fan favourite due to his love of kebabs. The then 16 year old Warrington-born darts prodigy became a running joke, with fans expecting him to indulge in his favourite dish after each match during the 2024 tournament, where he eventually lost in the final to Luke Humphries.

Before his fourth-round triumph over Rocky, Hood said: “I haven’t looked into it (the finances) properly yet.

“We might be out of business in a week, the amount of food I eat. I wanted to stay in London over Christmas because the Chinese around here are top-notch. I love eating it all the time.”

After Anderson’s 4-1 victory over Van Gerwen, Hood is set to face the former world champion on New Year’s Day, hoping to secure a spot in the semi-final.

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The UAE says it’s withdrawing all ‘counterterrorism’ units from Yemen after a Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes on a port in southern Yemen. Riyadh has accused the Emiratis of shipping weapons and military vehicles to aid Yemen’s separatist movement, an accusation Abu Dhabi denies.

Published On 30 Dec 202530 Dec 2025

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A man and two of his companions are dead after high winds prevented rescue crews from responding to a report of an injured hiker near a southern California mountain trail, the San Bernardino county sheriff’s department announced on Monday.

The three bodies were discovered Monday evening along the Devil’s Backbone trail at Mount Baldy, which rises more than 10,000ft and sits just east of Los Angeles, according to a statement from the San Bernardino county sheriff’s department.

The deaths occurred near where actor Julian Sands died three years ago. Sands, who starred in A Room With a View and Leaving Las Vegas, was reported missing after setting off on a solo hike in January 2023. His body was found five months later.

And in January 2023, the same month Sands went missing, another 15 hikers either got lost, were injured or died on the mountain.

The department said it received a call at about 11.30am on Monday from someone reporting that their 19-year-old friend had tumbled 500ft (150 meters) down a remote mountainside. The caller had hiked to an area with cellular service and provided GPS coordinates to rescuers.

A helicopter crew spotted the injured hiker and two other people but strong winds prevented the aircraft from landing. A second landing attempt hours later was also unsuccessful because of winds.

A medic was eventually hoisted down from a helicopter and found all three people dead at about 7.30pm, the sheriff’s statement said. Their identities were not released as of Tuesday and the cause of the deaths wasn’t immediately known.

That same day, the San Bernardino sheriff’s department announced that it rescued two other hikers – two men, ages 18 and 31 – from another trail on Mount Baldy. One of the hikers was hurt after falling more than 100ft from the trail.

In October, three hikers were rescued near the same trail where the deceased hikers were found. The San Bernardino sheriff’s department said that three 20-year-old men were hiking near the Devil’s Backbone when they took a wrong turn, got lost and were unable to keep moving on the mountain. All were rescued without any injuries.

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