News and Headlines: In The News, Immigration, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.

In The News:

Sharyl Attkisson: Feds admit to spying on me

Attkisson said on her website the insider has identified former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as the person responsible for the surveillance.

At the time, Rosenstein was the U.S. attorney in Baltimore.

In response to the admission, Attkisson and her family have filed a lawsuit against Rosenstein and four other men allegedly involved.

The lawsuit contends the illegal surveillance was conducted against Attkisson and other U.S. citizens under a government operation based at the Baltimore U.S. Attorney’s Office.

ICE issues detainer for illegal immigrant accused of murdering 92-year-old NY woman

Reeaz Khan, 21, a Guyanese national who is in the country illegally, is accused of violently attacking and raping a woman named Maria Fuertes as she was walking home near Liberty Avenue and 127th Street around midnight on Jan. 6.

Investigators gathered surveillance footage to identity Khan as a possible suspect in the brutal attack. He was arrested Thursday night and confessed to the murder, The New York Post reported.

He appeared in court Friday where a prosecutor said Khan had told detectives that, “He fell down, his belt broke, his pants fell down and his penis fell near [the victim’s] vagina.”

D.C.’s Police Department Is Being Sued (Again) for Sexually Violating Someone During a Search

The Washington, D.C., wing of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU-DC) is suing a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer for conducting an invasive body cavity search.

Mbalaminwe Mwimanzi was watching sports at a friend’s apartment on the evening of January 15, 2019.

It was there that he endured the “baseless probes of his genitals and anus by government agents,” alleges the complaint filed by ACLU-DC at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Officer Joshua Wilson, who is being sued by Mwimanzi and the ACLU-DC, conducted the third search.

He allegedly asked another officer if Mwimanzi was searched. The officer confirmed that he was. Wilson then allegedly told Mwimanzi to spread his legs.

Man burns ‘from inside out’ in rare reaction to medication: ‘Am I going to die?’

“My eyes started to feel like they had little pieces of glass in them, it was very uncomfortable, and I was scared to touch them or rub them because it literally felt like I was going to cut my eyes,” he told the news outlet.

“I thought, ‘Is this Stevens-Johnson Syndrome?’ I can’t imagine I would actually get this but is this what this is?”

Laird’s suspicions were confirmed, and a doctor ordered him to stop taking Lamotrigine, which he had been prescribed for depression.

The medication is an anti-epileptic and can be used to treat seizures and bipolar disorder.

According to Drugs.com, patients who develop skin rash, hives, blistering, peeling or sores in or around the mouth and eyes are instructed to seek emergency medical attention.

‘Highlander’ actor Stan Kirsch dead at 51

Actor Stan Kirsch, best known for his role as Richie Ryan on the original “Highlander” TV series, was found dead at his home in Los Angeles, Fox News has learned. He was 51.

According to the Los Angeles Coroner’s office, the cause of death was listed as a suicide by hanging.

His wife, Kristyn Green, confirmed the news on Facebook by sharing a post about Kirsch’s death along with a message to followers.

Indiana man killed by police was wanted in woman’s death

Merrillville police said in a statement that McCain was a suspect in the death of Betty Claudio, a 45-year-old Gary woman whose body was found Sunday in a Merrillville hotel room.

The coroner found that she died from strangulation and ruled her death a homicide.

The manhunt for McCain in her killing led officers to the apartment complex in Gary, where he barricaded himself inside a residence, police said.

After two hours of negotiations, a Gary SWAT team sought to enter the residence to serve a warrant when police said McCain opened fire, striking the two officers. An officer returned fire, killing him.

Officials: Jet fuel lands on playground near Los Angeles

CUDAHY, Calif. (AP) — Fuel apparently dumped by an aircraft returning to Los Angeles International Airport fell onto an elementary school playground Tuesday, fire officials said.

Firefighters were assessing “multiple patients” at the school in the suburban city of Cudahy, California, the Los Angeles Fire Department public information officer tweeted.

The flight tracking website FlightAware shows that Delta Air Lines Flight 89 to Shanghai, China, departed LAX and circled back over Southern California and returned to the airport on Tuesday.

Flu leaves 4-year-old Iowa girl blind

The night of December 23, while Phillips was working her shift as an assistant manager at a Dollar General store, Jade’s father, Stephen DeLucia, tucked Jade into bed.

The next morning, the family was ready to leave the house to spend Christmas Eve with Phillips’ parents. But Jade hadn’t yet woken up.

When her father went to check on her, Jade was lying in bed, unresponsive. And her body was burning hot.

When they arrived at Covenant Medical Center, Jade’s body started shaking uncontrollably, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

She was having a seizure.

Students charged with shouting racial slurs sue UConn

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Two University of Connecticut students arrested for shouting a racial slur outside a campus apartment complex sued the school Tuesday, citing free speech rights as they fight officials’ attempts to remove them from school housing.

They are seeking undisclosed damages and a halt to the disciplinary hearings.

They also allege school officials are violating the terms of a 1990 federal consent decree issued in another UConn student free speech case that bars the school from enforcing policies that interfere with First Amendment rights, when the speech doesn’t involve violence or the threat of violence.

NSA finds major security flaw in Windows 10, free fix issued

The National Security Agency has discovered a major security flaw in Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system that could let hackers intercept seemingly secure communications.

But rather than exploit the flaw for its own intelligence needs, the NSA tipped off Microsoft so that it can fix the system for everyone.

Microsoft released a free software patch to fix the flaw Tuesday and credited the intelligence agency for discovering it. The company said it has not seen any evidence that hackers have used the technique.

Second Privately-Funded Border Wall Goes Up At Record Pace

The second private wall built by We Build The Wall’s contractor, Fisher Industries, using private funds, is going up at a record pace after winning a court case against the project last week.

KRGV shows the progress and gets some surprising reactions from locals.

Trump administration starts returning migrants deep into Mexico to combat border crisis

Officials say the migrants being returned are all Mexican nationals from non-border Mexican states who typically have either recently illegally entered the U.S., or who had gone through the court system but were ruled to be deportable by an immigration judge.

The plan marks a departure from past practice of releasing migrants at the border.

The idea would be to make it harder for repeat offenders to try and cross the border again if they are returned hundreds of miles away.

Officials say returning people closer to their hometowns is better for them as well, and allows them to receive services from the Mexican government.

DHS says it plans to run two flights a week starting at the end of January and expects to return about 250 migrants a week.

Politics:

Bernie Sanders’ Radical Agenda Would Double Government Size, Increase Spending by over $60 Trillion

Sanders’ lofty proposals to cancel student loan debt, take on big corporations, and address what he considers the climate change “crisis” has resonated with younger voters who are growing weary of capitalism, dismissing the benefits critics say they routinely reap from it.

Sanders’ radical agenda, however, comes with a hefty price tag — a point that has largely remained unaddressed throughout Sanders’ presidential campaign.

While the presidential hopeful has lightly addressed the costs of some of his individual proposals, such as Medicare for All, which he admitted will result in tax hikes on middle class Americans, he has yet to release a comprehensive analysis on how much all of his proposals, combined, will grow the federal government in terms of size and spending.

It is a question even CNN has refused to ignore, admitting in an analysis by Ronald Brownstein that Sanders’ agenda would “at least double federal spending over the next decade.”

It would also “increase the size of government far more than any modern Republican president, including Ronald Reagan, has sought to cut it,” according to Larry Summers, the former chief White House economic adviser for former President Barack Obama.

House Democrat: We’ll Keep Investigating Trump-Russia Conspiracy After Impeachment

Appearing Tuesday on MSNBC, House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) vowed Democrats will continue to investigate President Donald Trump over possible ties to Russia after the Senate impeachment trial concludes.

A partial transcript is as follows:

CRAIG MELVIN: What did your caucus accomplish by holding those articles of impeachment for this long?

McConnell sets stage for impeachment trial launch, warns ‘both sides’ could call witnesses

The GOP leader, in remarks to reporters Tuesday, also shot down the notion — floated by the president but later amplified by Democrats — that the Senate could vote to dismiss the case.

And he warned those calling for new testimony that Republicans could have the chance to call witnesses, too, as he set expectations for proceedings to start in the coming days and formally launch next week.

“We will be able to go through some preliminary steps this week … which would give us the ability to start the actual trial next Tuesday,” McConnell told reporters, while once again stating that he has the votes to pass the so-called “organizing resolution” that would lay out the framework for the trial.

Warren promises to cancel student loan debt using executive powers

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Tuesday that she would take executive action to cancel most student loans, vowing to sidestep Congress to accomplish a progressive goal that faces stiff opposition from Republicans and even some moderate Democrats.

Warren detailed a sweeping new strategy to provide student debt relief to 42 million Americans on “day one” of her administration — which she said could be achieved through a presidential directive under existing law.

Both Warren and her chief progressive rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), have advocated major student loan debt relief plans but Warren took that campaign promise a step further as Democrats head for a clash Tuesday night in the last debate before the Iowa caucuses.

Warren’s new plan for executive action would require the Education Department to drastically expand its interpretation of the power it has to wipe out federal student loans under the Higher Education Act.

The Education Department has long had the power to “compromise” or waive student loan debt, but it has mostly done so only in limited cases to write off or settle the debts of defaulted borrowers who are unlikely to repay.

Correcting The Myths of Socialist Sweden | Aron Flam & Henrik Jönsson | INTERNATIONAL | Rubin Report

Commentary/Opinion: Dave Rubin of The Rubin Report talks to Aron Flam (Swedish Comedian) and Henrik Jönsson (Swedish Entrepreneur) about the myth of Socialism in Sweden.

Democratic candidates like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have always extolled the virtues of democratic socialism of Scandinavia in countries like Sweden, Denmark, and Finland.

Henrik Jönsson tells the real story of Sweden and how it’s wealth was created by laissez-faire policies that were initiated after WWII and that Sweden’s large welfare state actually forced Sweden to have to devalue their currency in the 1990s and 30% of wealth was lost in the process.

How Communist Ideology Infiltrated America’s Security Agencies & Fueled Spygate—Diana West

Commentary/Opinion: Why does Diana West believe that communist ideology has infiltrated America’s intelligence agencies?

After looking into key figures involved in the Spygate scandal, what information did Diana West uncover about their ideological beliefs?

How is Donald Trump a “counter-revolutionary” president, in West’s view?

In this episode, we’ll sit down with Diana West, a journalist and author of “The Red Thread:

A Search for Ideological Drivers Inside the Anti-Trump Conspiracy.”

#Expose2020: Sanders Campaign Part 1; Field Organizer “F**king Cities Burn” if Trump Re-Elected

(Des Moines, IA) A Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign Field Organizer, Kyle Jurek, was secretly recorded bragging about his extreme left-wing fringe views, calling for violence and death to those who oppose Sanders’ radical policies.

Kyle Jurek, who works out of the Sanders campaign Iowa office, has been paid at least $9,775 since starting in his official campaign role.

Project Veritas Action Fund’s undercover journalists secretly recorded Jurek’s statements for months; recording footage on multiple occasions where he lashes out against Sanders’ Democratic opposition, President Trump’s supporters, and others.

The recordings give insight into the mentality of many Sanders staffers and what they truly believe.

In the video, Jurek details his expectations for the 2020 Presidential election and emphatically states that cities will “burn” if President Trump wins re-election.

White House confirms members of Trump’s impeachment defense team

White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump attorney Jay Sekulow lead the president’s defense team;

John Roberts reports from the White House.

Social media companies’ political ad policies…

Social media companies are updating and revising their political ad policies.

One platform that’s received backlash is Facebook, which is standing firm on its position to not fact-check politicians’ statements.

Sara Fischer, Axios media reporter, joined CBSN to break down what she’s learned from Democratic and Republican campaign strategists.

Warren, Sanders abandon truce as feud intensifies hours before Iowa debate

The salvos between the two contenders and their campaigns bring gender back into the spotlight and open up Sanders to sexism allegations – after the Vermont senator early this cycle survived controversy over claims of sexual harassment by some of his male staffers on his 2016 presidential campaign.

And they come as Sanders has enjoyed a resurgence since suffering a heart attack in October while Warren’s seen slippage in her once-hot poll numbers and fundraising figures.

Together, the situation has progressive leaders on edge and pleading for a cease-fire once more between the two candidates.

World News:

Rockets Fired at Military Base Holding American Soldiers in Iraq: Officials

Katyusha rockets were fired and were “targeting the Taji training camp,” according to an afternoon statement from the Iraqi Security Media Cell, which falls under the responsibility of the Iraqi Prime Minister’s office.

The statement didn’t elaborate on how many rockets were fired or who was responsible.

“No Coalition troops were affected by this small attack at Taji Base,” said Army spokesman Myles Caggins in a statement.

The Taji camp, located about 50 miles north of the capital, is one of several in Iraq that house U.S.-led coalition forces that were deployed to defeat the ISIS terrorist group, which has ruled over swaths of Iraq and Syria.

Israeli police raid ‘cult’ headquarters, find women and children held like slaves

A raid on a residential complex in Jerusalem has uncovered a “cult”-like group where dozens of women and children were being held against their will – including some girls who had their fingers placed into fires to “make them understand what hell is,” Israeli police say.

The operation, which was carried out in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood Monday, resulted in the arrests of the alleged ringleader and his eight female accomplices.

They are suspected of isolating some 50 women in the complex, along with children ranging in age from 1-5, and keeping them out of contact with their families and the outside world.

New Video Shows Two Iranian Missiles Hit Ukrainian Plane

The New York Times has verified security camera footage on Tuesday that shows, for the first time, that two missiles hit Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 on Jan. 8.

The missiles were launched from an Iranian military site around eight miles from the plane.

The new video fills a gap about why the plane’s transponder stopped working, seconds before it was hit by a second missile.

Burundi: More than 4,000 mass graves uncovered

The commission, set up in 2018 to shed light on ethnic tensions, says it has identified 142,505 victims.

Commission chairperson Pierre-Claver Ndayicariye presented the report to parliament of the landlocked African country.

“Many more mass graves are yet to be found because people who know about them are afraid to talk or are traumatised,” he said.

Blast and huge fire at Spanish chemical factory

The blast at the factory south of the port city of Tarragona was probably the result of a chemical accident, Catalonia’s civil defence agency said.

It urged residents of Tarragona and a number of nearby towns to close windows and doors and stay indoors.

It is not clear if there have been any injuries after Tuesday’s incident in La Canonja municipality.

Galapagos volcano eruption spews lava on uninhabited island, photos show

The La Cumbre volcano, one of the youngest and most active in the Galapagos archipelago, began erupting Sunday night on Fernandina Island, Ecuador’s Galapagos National Park said.

Images of the volcanic blast showed a cloud of smoke and lava spilling from the shied-type volcano that tinged the sky orange and red. The lava was seen flowing down toward the Pacific Ocean.

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake followed by 29 aftershocks were recorded before the eruption, AFP reported, citing the Ecuadorian Geophysical Institute.

Luxurious plane will be returned to Mexico after a year on sale in the US where it piled up $1.5m in maintenance costs

López Obrador said on Tuesday the Boeing Dreamliner will be returned to Mexico after a year on sale in the United States, where it piled up about $1.5m in maintenance costs.

Bought by his predecessor Enrique Peña Nieto, the jet was reconfigured to carry only 80 people – albeit with a full presidential suite with a bedroom and private bath.

López Obrador said potential buyers had been unable to obtain financing for the purchase.

Among the ideas López Obrador is now entertaining to sell it to a consortium of companies for executive incentive programs, rent it out or barter it for needed goods.

China sinkhole swallows bus, leaves at least 6 dead, several missing

The road collapsed beneath a bus stop outside a hospital in the city of Xining, in Qinghai province, one of China’s poorest regions. At least four people were still missing and 16 others were hospitalized.

Video footage on social media showed some nearby pedestrians falling in while others scrambled for safety as the hole spread and gradually swallowed the bus.

An explosion was seen inside the hole, possibly a result of the rupture of gas or electricity lines.

Commentary/Opinion:

Bernie vs Warren Showdown, The Wall Is Going Up, Jessica Yaniv Loses It | Ep 512

The Trump Administration is making major progress in securing our southern border. Miller has 5 recent, huge border security wins.

Then, are Bernie and Warren falling out of commie love? As the primaries eek ever closer, the two campaigns start making the attack personal.

Finally, Jessica Yaniv, the transgender woman who tries to bully estheticians into waxing her scrotum, was recently caught on camera confronting a reporter. Miller has the play-by-play.