The Associated Press reports: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart’s Thursday to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asks her not to deport Venezuelans without criminal records as ordered by Trump. “I respectfully request, within all applicable rules and regulations, that you assess all options available to ensure that Venezuelan nationals without criminal records are not forcibly returned to one of the most repressive …

“People are using Medicaid in the wrong way. They might have a way to make money, but they don’t tie it in with their health insurance so essentially Medicaid is part of a nanny state. “You know, the vast majority of people in this country get their insurance by working for it and they are proud of it and might …

Reuters reports: Panama President José Raúl Mulino said on Thursday the U.S. was spreading “lies and falsehoods” after the State Department claimed U.S. government vessels would be able to pass through the Panama Canal without paying. The comments were likely to exacerbate tensions between the two countries after the U.S. had cited progress on military cooperation and confronting alleged Chinese …

Forbes reports: One of the workers at Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency most involved in the agency’s access to the Treasury Department’s payment system reportedly resigned Thursday after racist social media posts tied to him surfaced—the latest in the line of controversy and criticism surrounding DOGE. Marko Elez, one of the two primary DOGE emissaries embedded in the Treasury …

Florida’s Mid Bay News reports: Police charged Aaron Craig Gleason with lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under the age of 12 by a person over the age of 18 on Tuesday. Okaloosa County Jail records show that Gleason remains in jail and has been denied bond. Profiles on LinkedIn and Facebook with the names A.C. Gleason and Aaron …

The Guardian reports: Benjamin Netanyahu gave Donald Trump a “golden pager” during their meeting in Washington DC this week, in an apparent reference to Israel’s deadly attack against Hezbollah in Lebanon last year. In photos circulating online, the golden pager can be seen mounted on a piece of wood, accompanied by a golden plaque that reads in black lettering: “To …

The Washington Post reports: Records obtained by The Post show that several members of Musk’s DOGE team — some of whom are in their early 20s and come from positions at his private companies — were given “administrative” access to OPM computer systems within days of Trump’s inauguration last month. That gives them sweeping authority to install and modify software …

Salt Lake City’s Fox affiliate reports: The Unified Police Department said surveillance footage failed to back up recent claims made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who said a driver had swerved at them last month. UPD officers were originally sent to assist the ICE agents with a traffic stop in Murray on the morning of Jan. 26. When …

From the transcript of today’s exchange: HARRY DUNN: You’re damn right I’m upset. BRANDON FELLOWS: Yeah, well you should be. You should probably control your emotions. DUNN: You know what? You know what? I’m glad you’re recording. FELLOWS: Let’s take a breath. DUNN: No. You are a lot more tough now that you don’t got 10,000 of your thugs out …

CNN reports: The FBI is preparing to disband a team of specialists charged with combating foreign threats to US elections. The shuttering of the FBI Foreign Influence Task Force and planned reassigning of team members follows a directive from incoming and newly sworn in US Attorney General Pam Bondi dissolving the team. “To free resources to address more pressing priorities, …

“The last time I checked in with the Office of Personnel Management, there was more than 40,000 individuals – federal workers – who had accepted the buyout program. We expect that number to increase – and that alone, that 40,000 – we expect it to increase. It’s going to save the federal government tens of millions of dollars. And we …

“They told me I could do it via Skype. And I said, what are we doing? And they said, the prayer breakfast. I said, I’ve been there every year. I’m not doing it via Skype. Instead, I’m going to be there. It’s not that far. You know, it’s like about two minutes down the road. In fact, it was easier …

The Des Moines Register reports: Exposing minors to an “obscene performance” would be a crime under a bill winding through the Iowa Senate that critics fear could discourage drag shows and spur lawsuits against venues offering LGBTQ pride programming. The legislation, Senate File 116, would make knowingly exposing anyone younger than 18 to such a performance an aggravated misdemeanor, as …

Bloomberg News reports: A federal judge has temporarily delayed the Feb. 6 deadline for millions of federal workers to decide whether to accept the Trump administration offer to resign with the promise of months of full pay, as a fight over the lawfulness of the buyout push goes forward. US District Judge George O’Toole announced at a brief hearing on …

The Christian Post reports: International House of Prayer Kansas City’s disgraced founder Mike Bickle used predatory tactics and spiritual manipulation to sexually abuse at least 17 females, including minors, according to the findings of an independent investigative report. One victim claims she was so gaslit by Bickle he made her read Psalm 51 after sexual encounters. The 68-page report, Investigation …

Mediaite reports: Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) joined in spreading the latest MAGA-world accusation against USAID on Wednesday, but it was quickly revealed that the claim was grossly misrepresented and that Boebert herself was engaged in the same practice she was raging about. Boebert shared a Politico report on the many false allegations Elon Musk has spread against USAID and captioned …

Chicago’s ABC affiliate reports: The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago claiming “sanctuary” policies interfere with federal immigration enforcement. The suit, listing Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, Cook County, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, …

The stupid lying is utterly endless: American billionaire Elon Musk, the owner of X platform and newly designated special government employee, shared a fake video claiming that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Hollywood celebrities to boost the popularity of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The video mentions several American celebrities who visited Ukraine and allegedly received multi-million-dollar payments …

Montgomery’s ABC affiliate reports: A local youth group volunteer from Troy was arrested last month on child pornography charges. Pike County District Attorney James Tarbox says Samuel Andrew McCall was arrested on Wednesday, January 29, and charged with one count of Possession of Child Pornography with Intent to Disseminate. McCall was arrested by state agents after an investigation with the …

The Moscow Times reports: A well-known St. Petersburg musician fell to his death from the window of his 10th-floor apartment during police searches over his alleged donations to the Ukrainian military, media reported Thursday. Vadim Stroykin faced up to 20 years in prison if charged and convicted of participating in a terrorist organization for his alleged support of the Ukrainian …