Stories Speak Volumes: Dec 15-Dec 19
A Round-Up of National and International News
Compiled by
There are so many stories making up the mosaic of national/international news that we can’t cover them all every week. The biggest stories now seem to be: Israel and Iran, the Trump presidency (lawfare and judges), immigration (migrants and illegals), wars, weaponization of government (the deep state) against Trump and conservatives, our nation’s debt, massive inflation, climate change controversy and related expenses of government, industry attempting to address these issues, the Chinese threat, national security, abortion, taxpayer cuts, Ukraine peace, and hatred and violence against Christians. Here are just a few:
FBI Thwarts Anti-ICE, Pro-Palestine Group Accused of Planning New Year’s Eve Bombings In Los Angeles
December 15: Breitbart by Amy Furr
A leftist extremist group was allegedly building bombs and choosing targets for New Year’s Eve terror attacks in Los Angeles, but federal officials have foiled those plans. Four alleged members of a leftist offshoot of the group called Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF) were arrested after federal officials disrupted the credible terrorist threat that involved improvised explosive devices (IEDs), Fox News reported Monday.
In a social media post early Monday, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel detailed the case: The subjects self-identified as members of a radical offshoot of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), an extremist group motivated by pro-Palestinian, anti-law-enforcement, and anti-government ideology. They were allegedly planning coordinated IED bombing attacks on New Year’s Eve, targeting five separate locations across Los Angeles. In the days since, @FBINewOrleans arrested an additional FIFTH individual believed to be linked to this radical TILF subgroup — also allegedly planning a separate violent attack. The four suspects were charged with conspiracy and possession of a destructive device. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi also addressed the alleged plot, stating “The group also planned to target ICE agents and vehicles.”
School District Hit with Complaint After DCNF Exposed Race-Based Hiring
December 15: Daily Caller by Jaryn Crouson
Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT) filed a federal complaint on Monday against Burlington School District (BSD) after the Daily Caller News Foundation exposed its race-based hiring practices.
The Vermont district’s strategic plan promises to increase the number of staff representing the “global majority,” a code word for nonwhite, the DCNF reported in November based on an exclusive report from Defending Education (DE). PPT is asking the Department of Education (ED), Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to investigate and “hold the Burlington School District accountable” for its blatant discrimination.
BSD mentions “global majority” 13 times in its 2022-2027 plan, making its priority to attract, recruit and retain nonwhite individuals. Ironically, Vermont’s population is 90 percent white. The complaint notes that the district’s strategic plan “does not mention merit or achievement.”
Hanukkah Mass Murderer Reportedly Identified, Tied to Pakistan – Explosives Found in Addition to Firearms
December 15: Western Journal by Jack Davis
The father and son who slaughtered 15 victims in Sydney, Australia, have been identified, with reports saying they are linked to Pakistan. Naveed Akram, 24, was one of the gunmen, according to the Telegraph.
The site reported that Akram lived in Bonnyrigg, in the southwest of Sydney. That house was raided by police after the shooting, which left 15 victims dead and more than 40 people wounded. Naveed Akram was critically injured while his father was shot dead by police at the scene. The Telegraph report said that the unemployed bricklayer was originally from Lahore, Pakistan, according to unconfirmed reports. Newsweek described him as a “Pakistani national based in Sydney,” citing U.S. intelligence.
Joe Biden Welcomed 18,000 ‘Known or Suspected Terrorists’ to U.S.
December 15: Breitbart by John Binder
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has revealed that President Joe Biden’s mass migration agenda at the U.S.-Mexico border welcomed about 18,000 “known or suspected terrorists” to the United States in just four years.
The report, detailed to Congress by National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) Director Joe Kent, identified thousands of known or suspected terrorists living in American communities whom the Biden administration released into the United States interior thanks to its border policies.
These are individuals, who, under normal circumstances, would never be allowed to enter our country because of their ties to Jihadist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda. Yet, the Biden Administration not only let them into the country, in many cases, facilitated their entry into the country. Kent said Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome, which brought tens of thousands of Afghan nationals to the United States, often without having been vetted or interviewed in person, imported known or suspected terrorists as well.
Leftist Australian Government Admits Bondi Terror Attack Likely ‘Motivated by Islamic State Ideology’
December 16: Breitbart by Kurt Zindulka
Australia’s left-wing government has finally admitted that the terror attack on Bondi Beach was likely motivated by radical Islam. After initially refusing to comment on the motive for the attack in Sydney that saw 15 people killed and dozens injured at a Hanukkah celebration on Sunday, Australian police and the leftist government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese both admitted on Tuesday that the alleged attackers, Sajid and Naveed Akram, were apparently motivated by ISIS ideology.
Speaking to Australian public broadcaster ABC on Tuesday, Prime Minister Albanese said, “It would appear that this was motivated by Islamic State ideology. The ideology that has been around for more than a decade that led to this ideology of hate, and in this case, a preparedness to engage in mass murder.”
Senator John Kennedy Reads Damning Memo That Explains Why Minnesota Democrats Kept the Fraud Quiet for So Long
December 16: Gateway Pundit by Mike LaChance
Senator John Kennedy reads an internal memo from the Minnesota Attorney General’s office. They openly say they did not stop the Somalia immigrant fraud because Democrats would lose votes.
Here’s what a fraud investigator in the Attorney General’s office said. She said, “There is a perception that I’m quoting now, that forcefully tackling this issue would cause political backlash from the Somali community, which is a core voting block for Democrats.”
Education Secretary Linda McMahon Calls for Tim Walz to Resign Over Reports of Education Fraud
December 16: Breitbart by Elizabeth Weibel
Education Secretary Linda McMahon called for Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to resign over reports of massive education fraud within Minnesota’s college system. In a letter addressed to Walz on Monday, McMahon pointed out that Walz has served as the state’s governor since 2019 and that “during that time” his “careless lack of oversight and abuse of the welfare system has attracted fraudsters from around the world, especially from Somalia.”
McMahon went on to explain that 1,834 “ghost students” in the state were discovered to have “received $12.5 million in taxpayer-funded grants and loans. To stop ghost students, we at the Department of Education implemented enhanced fraud controls such as mandatory identity verification for certain first-time student applicants. Our new fraud prevention system has now blocked more than $1 billion in attempted financial aid theft by fraudsters, including coordinated international fraud rings and AI bots pretending to be students.
“Even one of your state’s top elected officials, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, has sought to take advantage of the federal taxpayer by advocating for broad student debt cancellation — which she has publicly acknowledged will benefit her directly. She borrowed tens of thousands of dollars to attend college as a politics major that she now does not think she should have to repay, despite her generous, taxpayer-funded salary.”
As McMahon has called for Walz to resign, a petition on Change.org has received roughly 4,491 signatures calling for the resignation of Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (D), Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.
Trump Declares ‘Venezuelan Regime’ A Foreign Terrorist Organization, Orders Oil Tanker Blockade
December 16: Fox News by Greg Wehner
President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered a total blockade of oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, declaring the Nicolás Maduro regime a foreign terrorist organization and accusing it of using stolen U.S. assets to finance terrorism, trafficking and other criminal activity.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump said on Truth Social. “It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before – Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.
“The illegitimate Maduro Regime is using Oil from these stolen Oil Fields to finance themselves, Drug Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Murder, and Kidnapping,” he continued. “For the theft of our Assets, and many other reasons, including Terrorism, Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking, the Venezuelan Regime has been designated a FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.”
Speaker Johnson Ekes Out Healthcare Bill Victory After House GOP Obamacare Rebellion
December 17: Fox News by Elizabeth Elkind
House Republicans passed a bill they say will lower healthcare costs for a broad swath of Americans by roughly 11%. It’s a victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has been managing deep divisions within the House GOP on the topic of healthcare as insurance premiums are set to spike across the country in a matter of weeks.
One glaring issue that remains unresolved is Obamacare subsidies, which were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic but are set to expire at the end of this year.
The legislation passed 216 to 211. Just one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., voted against it along with all House Democrats.
MELANIA Trailer Released
December 17: Red State by Bob Hoge
The 104-minute film is set to hit theaters globally on Jan. 30, 2026, appearing in theaters across North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and more. Amazon will also launch a documentary series in the coming months.
“History is set in motion during the 20 days of my life prior to the U.S. Presidential Inauguration,” the first lady told Fox News. “For the first time, global audiences are invited into theaters to witness this pivotal chapter unfold—a private, unfiltered look as I navigate family, business, and philanthropy on my remarkable journey to becoming First Lady of the United States of America.”
Trump Unveils $1,776 Warrior Dividend for Troops
December 17: Newsmax by Mark Swenson
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night a $1,776 Christmas bonus for every member of the U.S. armed forces, calling it the “Warrior Dividend.” The amount is in honor of America’s founding in 1776. “We are sending every soldier $1,776. The checks are already on the way,” Trump said.
“I am also proud to announce that … 1,450,000 military service members will receive a special — we call Warrior Dividend before Christmas a Warrior dividend in honor of our nation’s founding in 1776,” Trump said in his primetime address from the White House Diplomatic Room carried live by Newsmax.
“We made a lot more money than anybody thought because of tariffs, and the bill helped us along. Nobody deserves it more than our military. And I say congratulations to everybody.”
201 House Democrats Vote Against Blocking Medicaid Dollars for Kids’ Transgender Surgeries
December 18: Fox News by Elizabeth Elkind
More than 200 House Democrats voted against banning Medicaid dollars from funding transgender treatments for minors. The Do No Harm In Medicaid Act was introduced by Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, and received support from all House Republicans when it was put to a vote Thursday afternoon. The measure passed 215-201, with all opposition coming from Democrats. All Republicans who voted approved the bill.
Board Votes Kennedy Center to Be Renamed ‘Trump-Kennedy Center’
December 18: Fox News by Ashley Carnahan
The Kennedy Center’s board voted unanimously to rename the institution to the “Trump-Kennedy Center” in recognition of what the administration has described as President Donald Trump’s efforts to save the building over the past year, Fox News Digital confirmed.
Vice president of public relations Roma Daravi told Fox Digital Thursday that the unanimous vote “recognizes” Trump’s work to pull the center out of financial straits while working to also update the building originally constructed in the 1960s, until its opening in 1971.
The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name the institution The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction,” Daravi told Fox News Digital Thursday.
Magnitude ‘Cannot Be Overstated’: Feds Say Minnesota Fraud May Be More Than $9B
December 18: Fox News by Andrew Mark Miller
In a Thursday press conference, federal authorities in Minnesota announced new charges in the fraud scandal that has grabbed national headlines and spoke on the scope of the crisis, saying that it goes beyond what has previously been reported.
“Minnesotans and taxpayers deserve to know the truth of the fraud,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson told reporters at a press conference. “The fraud is not small. It isn’t isolated. The magnitude cannot be overstated. What we see in Minnesota is not a handful of bad actors committing crimes. It’s staggering industrial-scale fraud. It’s swamping Minnesota and calling into question everything we know about our state.”
Thompson explained that 14 programs have been identified as containing fraud and those programs have cost taxpayers $18 billion overall since 2018.
President Trump Gives Federal Workers 2 New Holidays Around Christmas
December 18: New York Post by Ryan King
The president took executive action Thursday to ensure that federal workers get Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas off from work. The overture comes after federal workers had a rough couple of weeks during the record-breaking 43-day government shutdown that ended last month. Under Trump’s executive order, agency and department heads can still require certain federal employees to show up to work on Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas. While presidents can designate one-time holidays for federal workers, it is generally up to Congress to pass a law to establish a permanent national holiday.
Recently, the Trump administration adjusted the National Park Service’s free entrance days, erasing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the list. At the same time, the Park Service added Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, the 110th Birthday of the National Park Service, Constitution Day, and Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday to the list of free entrance days. It also made Flag Day free.
Kristi Noem Suspends Diversity Visa Lottery After Brown U. Shooter Identified as Migrant
December 19: Breitbart by Neil Munro
Homeland Security Chief Kristi Noem has suspended the long-established “Diversity Visa” lottery program after the revelation that the Brown University shooter was a beneficiary in 2017. “This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country,” Noem announced late Thursday, adding: “At President Trump’s direction, I am immediately directing USCIS [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.”
The killer, Claudio Neves Valente, was a Portuguese national who won the lottery in 2017. He allegedly killed two people — a Portuguese nuclear scientist and a conservative activist.
The suspension spotlights the administration’s policy of reducing migration to prod Wall Street dollars and elite attention to go towards the task of growing ordinary Americans’ productivity and wealth.
Homeless Man’s Reddit Clues Cracked the Brown University Shooting Case
December 19: Breitbart by Lucas Nolan
A homeless man, known only as John, has been credited with providing crucial information that led to the identification of the suspect in the Brown University shooting with information he originally posted to Reddit. Federal officials say he is now entitled to the $50,000 reward.
Authorities confirmed that John’s information originally posted to Reddit was the clue that cracked the case wide open during a Thursday press conference. The shootings, which occurred just two days apart, left the nation in shock. Two students at Brown University were killed, and an MIT professor was gunned down shortly after. This information was a game-changer for investigators, as they previously had no details about a vehicle connected to the shooter.
Jury Quickly Convicts Judge Who Helped Illegal Migrant Escape ICE
December 19: Breitbart by Neil Munro
A Milwaukee jury has convicted the pro-migration judge who smuggled an illegal migrant out of her courtroom and away from waiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan now faces up to five years in jail for obstructing an official proceeding when she escorted illegal migrant Eduardo Flores Ruiz out of her courtroom. Flores Ruiz had already been deported and so faced jail for sneaking back into the United States.
(Editor’s Note: May everyone have a Merry Christmas! Stories Speak Volumes will not post next Friday, Dec. 26. We look forward to returning the first week of 2026. Have a blessed holiday!)
Mike Hernandez is co-founder of the Citizens Journal–Ventura County’s online news service and writes for CitizensJournal.net and MountainTopMedia.com. He is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor, writer of “Prayer Over News Daily” and edits the weekly “Stories Speak Volumes” and other columns. Mr. Hernandez mentors citizen journalists with trainings held every other month (on Saturdays at Shasta Bible College and online) and can be contacted at MikeHernandezMedia.com.