Piousbox

New York City’s incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has named retired EMS chief Lillian Bonsignore to run the FDNY, and the pick has generated some legitimate skepticism from those who believe that she wasn’t picked for her qualifications. The appointment makes Bonsignore only the second woman to serve as fire commissioner and the first openly gay person to hold the position. But critics zeroed in on a far more consequential fact: she has never served as a firefighter.

Authored by Michael Zhuang via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Chinese billionaires and elites are increasingly using the United States’ permissive surrogacy system to have large numbers of children—sometimes dozens, or more—according to allegations made in Chinese media.

In the Trump administration's latest display of creativity when it comes to unloading unwanted immigrants, the United States has made a deal with the rulers of the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau, which will take 75 rejected migrants off Uncle Sam's hands in exchange for $100,000 per head. The deportees in question will be a diverse group, but they'll likely share one thing in common -- none of them are from Palau, or ever heard of it.  

Brazilian authorities are really going after some of the loyalists of imprisoned ex-President Jair Bolsonaro. In the latest, a former Brazilian police chief who fled the country after being convicted for his role in an alleged "attempted coup" linked to Bolsonaro has been arrested in Paraguay.

Authored by James K. Glassman via RealClearEnergy,

Authored by Paul D. Thacker via The DisInformation Chronicle,

Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News,

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that recent anti-war rallies in Hungary serve to explain to the public what he described as decisions being taken behind closed doors as Europe prepares for war.

With a two-month "quarantine" placed on Venezuelan oil by the Trump administration in a foreign policy move called "gunboat diplomacy," new data estimate that roughly $900 million worth of crude is currently loaded on tankers, unable to depart Venezuela due to the U.S. blockade.

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

In a chilling display of ideological censorship, a veteran teacher in Britain has been referred to the government’s Prevent counter-terrorism program simply for showing videos of President Trump to his A-level students during a lesson on U.S. politics.

China continues to signal, through overt public-facing propaganda, its readiness to challenge the U.S directly.

Recent state media have published footage showing simulated naval conflict operations in the Caribbean, followed by the release of a video showcasing a hypersonic anti-ship missile capability.

Authored by Michael Snyder via The End of The American Dream blog,

Authored by Julianne Geiger via OilPrice.com,

Turkey just took another very large, very deliberate step deeper into Russia’s energy orbit — and this time it comes with a $9 billion price tag.

Russia launched a wave of attacks on Ukraine early Saturday, killing at least one person and injuring many others, and leaving hundreds of thousands without power. Already the electricity grid has long suffered under such crippling attacks, with barely any time or necessary parts for repair.

Russia has taken the very rare step of warning its citizens from traveling to leading EU member Germany, describing that Russians have increasingly been targeted for persecution and harassment based on ethno-nationalism. 

On Thursday Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova cited recent repeat instances of "unjustified harassment" by German state authorities, under the pretext of EU sanctions imposed related to the Ukraine war.

Authored by Sylvia Xu via The Epoch Times,

Americans using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase groceries may need to adjust their shopping habits in 2026 as some states will prohibit the use of SNAP funds to purchase certain “junk foods.”

A federal judge on Monday issued a permanent injunction - ruling that California can't prevent parents from learning when their children switch genders.