Wishing all my Patriot Factor blog followers and readers a very 

Happy New Year!

May America's 250th Birthday celebration now begin!

 

 

 The 'Patriot Factor' will return on Monday, January 5, 2026 unless there is BREAKING NEWS..  

Ukraine–Russia at a crossroads: How the war evolved in 2025 and what comes next 

President Trump spent much of 2025 personally engaging both Russian and Ukrainian leaders in effort to negotiate settlement

Morgan Phillips/ Fox News  

President Donald Trump spent much of 2025 attempting what had eluded his predecessors: personally engaging both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an effort to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. From high-profile summits to direct phone calls, the administration pushed for a negotiated settlement even as the fighting ground on and the map changed little.

By year’s end, the outlines of a potential deal were clearer than they had been at any point since Russia’s full-scale invasion, with U.S. and Ukrainian officials coalescing around a revised 20-point framework addressing ceasefire terms, security guarantees and disputed territory. But 2025 also made clear why the war has proven so resistant to resolution: neither battlefield pressure, economic sanctions nor intensified diplomacy were enough to force Moscow or Kyiv into concessions they were unwilling to make.

The Trump administration’s push for a deal... The year began with a high-profile fallout last February between President Donald Trump, Vice President

Frustrated by the pace of talks after promising to end the war on "Day One" of his presidency, Trump initially directed his ire toward Zelenskyy before later conceding that Moscow, not Kyiv, was standing in the way of progress. Read more and see video here. 

Trump backs Netanyahu after rumors of friction, talks tough on Iran: ‘We’ll knock the hell out of them’

Steven Nelson / NEW YORK POST 

President Trump gave gushing praise to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday — denying reported friction with his counterpart and vowing to “knock the hell out of” Iran if it rebuilds its nuclear program.

“I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we’re gonna have to knock them down. We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them,” Trump said while welcoming Netanyahu to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla.

“But hopefully that’s not happening. I heard Iran wants to make a deal. They want to make a deal that’s much smarter. You know, they could have made a deal the last time before we went through a big attack on them, and they decided not to make a deal. They wish they made that deal.”

Trump said the men would focus on about five major issues, including the implementation of the Trump-brokered October peace deal in Gaza and Israeli relations with the new Syrian government.

It Was Already Gonna Happen, but What Fetterman Said About Trump Will Lead to a Primary Challenge

Matt Vespa / Townhall Tipsheet

 

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was already likely to face a primary challenge for not kowtowing to party leadership and for telling it how it is on the Hill. His party got creamed nationwide in the 2024 elections. There’s a reason for that, something he’s been saying in the media for years. You can wallow in adolescent tantrums, Democrats—it still won’t erase why Democrats got pummeled last year. Fetterman has become a surprise of sorts, bucking his party in some crucial showdowns. The Pennsylvania liberal is staunchly pro-Israel and was not pleased at all with the tactics used during the Democrat-induced government shutdown.

 

Again, Fetterman’s mantra is ‘we lost, let’s learn and act like it,’ meaning there are some battles his party must concede, whether on spending or on appointments. One thing he can’t stand is his party’s denigration of Trump supporters. Fetterman hails from an area where Trump’s message resonated; these people are not Nazis. The former Braddock mayor is also sick of the ‘autocrat’ narrative. It didn’t work then, and it certainly didn’t work in 2024.

lhan Omar’s Somaliland stance slammed as Minnesota fraud scandal deepens

Michael Rubin says billions in fraud losses highlight contrast with breakaway region's stability, democratic institutions

Emma Bussey / Fox News

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s defense of Somalia’s territorial claims and her opposition to the recognition of an independent Somaliland has been criticized as authorities ramp up investigations into alleged mass fraud in her home state.

One analyst argued the corruption scandal allegedly involving Somali communities in Minnesota is relevant when contrasting failures in Somalia and the stability of Somaliland, an autonomous region that Omar has opposed recognizing.

Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, claimed highlighting the difference between the two regions "mattered."

"The corruption exposed in Minnesota mirrors the governance failures that have plagued Somalia for decades," Rubin told Fox News Digital.

"Somaliland has charted a different course entirely, relying on internal accountability rather than international assistance and that distinction matters right now," he said.

Minnesota was engulfed in controversy after revelations that fraud losses across multiple government programs since 2018 could total billions of dollars, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Read more and see video here.  

Zelensky says US offering Ukraine 15-year security guarantee in latest peace plan

Samuel Chamberlain / NEW YORK POST

 

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters Monday that the US is currently offering Ukraine a 15-year security guarantee in the latest draft plan to end Russia’s long-running invasion.

Zelensky, answering questions via WhatsApp one day after his high-stakes meeting with President Trump at the latter’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla., said he had told Trump that Kyiv would like the guarantee to be extended for up to 50 years.

“I raised this issue with the president. I told him that our war is still going on, and it has been almost 15 years,” Zelensky said.

“Therefore, we would really like the guarantees to be longer. I told him that we would very much like to consider the possibility of 30, 40, 50 years. And that would then be a historic decision by President Trump.”

According to the Ukrainian president, Trump said he would “think about” the request.

The exact form of the security guarantees have not been made public, but Zelensky said Monday they would include monitoring for violations of any cease-fire as well as some sort of “presence” by the US and European nations. Read more here.

Wishing all my 'Patriot Factor' blog followers and readers 

of the Christian faith a very  Merry Christmas. Enjoy this most special and beautiful of days with  your family and close friends. 

  

 The  'Patriot Factor' will return on Monday, December 29th 

Brown U. janitor says he warned campus security about suspicious visitor twice in weeks leading up to mass shooting

David Propper / NEW YORK POST

A Brown University custodian spotted depraved gunman Claudio Neves Valente pacing school hallways and peering into classrooms nearly a dozen times in the weeks before his mass shooting — and alerted campus security twice about the suspicious figure, a new report said.

Derek Lisi, who has worked at the elite school for 15 years, told the Boston Globe he “knew something was off with” the mass shooter before the sicko opened fire in a lecture hall, killing two students, Dec. 13.

While Lisi said he twice told the same security guard about a suspicious person lurking around the same building in the days leading up to the horror, it’s unclear if any action was taken by the guard or campus officials.

“He’d been casing that place for weeks,’’ looking into classrooms and “circling the hallways,’’ Lisi told the outlet of Neves Valente.

“I thought it was someone trying to steal something. Every time he saw me, I think he thought I was security, because he would always walk away.’’

“I said, ‘Something’s off with this guy, so I gotta say something,’ ” Lisi said. Read more and see video here.

Trump Administration Terminates Offshore Wind Farms Over National Security Concerns

Dmitri Bolt / Townhall Tipsheet 

 

The Department of the Interior announced on Monday that leases for all large-scale offshore wind farms will be paused, due to national security concerns, as the turbine blades can create radar interference, which can create "clutter" obscuring legitimate targets and generating false targets.  

The five leases that will be paused include: Vineyard Wind1, Revolution Wind, CVOW, Sunrise Wind, and Empire Wind.

DOI stated that the pause will "give the Department, along with the Department of War and other relevant government agencies, time to work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects."

"Today, we are sending notifications to the five offshore wind projects that are under construction," Secretary Burgum said. "Their leases will be suspended due to national security concerns. During this time of suspension, we'll work with the companies to try to find a mitigation, but we completed the work that President Trump has asked us to do. The Department of War has come back conclusively, that the issues related to these large offshore wind programs create radar interference that creates genuine risk for the U.S., particularly related to where they are in proximity ot our East Coast population centers." See X and video here.

A Reminder of How Deep Chinese Infiltration Is on Our Campuses - and It Goes Beyond Chinese ‘Students’

Erik Durneika / RedState  

 

In November, President Trump reiterated his support for allowing 600,000 Chinese nationals to study at American universities over the next two years, an idea he first announced in August. His statement rightly drew criticism from conservatives. 

I, too, voiced concern, outlining in a piece the risks that Chinese students at American universities pose to U.S. national security at a highly critical time when Beijing is ramping up its efforts to intimidate and influence countries.

Beijing uses its students and researchers abroad to gain access to some of the most sensitive information. However, this isn’t the only way the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) infiltrates American higher education. Other channels of CCP infiltration are just as consequential and demand swift action from our elected officials.

Joint institutes between U.S. and Chinese universities have been on the rise since the early 2000s. While they claim to promote academic cooperation, these institutes serve as an avenue for critical technology and applied research transfers to the CCP, assisting Beijing with its military buildup (see military-civil fusion strategy). Read more here.

Australian PM Anthony Albanese apologizes to Jewish community after Bondi Beach terror attack, says he feels ‘weight of responsibility’

Emily Crane / NEW YORK POST 

Embattled Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese apologized to the Jewish community Monday, a day after he was loudly booed at a vigil for the 15 killed in the Bondi Beach terrorist attack — admitting he feels the “weight of responsibility” for the hate-filled antisemitic massacre.

The embattled lefty leader — who has been widely accused of failing to curb surging antisemitic — voiced his regret after his humiliating reception from thousands of mourners marking a week since ISIS terrorists shot up a Jewish Hanukkah celebration.

“Emotions were raw, and a lot of people in the community are hurting and angry, and some of that anger was directed towards me, and I understand that,” Albanese said as he addressed the crowd’s furious reaction towards him.

“As prime minister, I feel the weight of responsibility for an atrocity that happened while I’m prime minister,” he added.

Brown University's Massive Security Failures Point Straight to the Security Chief

Jennifer Oliver O'Connell / RedState 

Is anyone else perturbed that Brown University, the Providence Police Department, and other law enforcement involved chose to take a victory lap at Thursday night's press conference instead of soberly hanging their heads in shame? As my RedState colleague Teri Christoph reported, it was a homeless man who hung around the campus and his Reddit post that broke the case wide open and assisted all involved in apprehending Saturday's shooting suspect. But if they weren't glad-handing and patting themselves on the back for this, they were sidestepping accountability for the university's careless security protocols, terrible communication skills, and overall ineffectualness in maintaining the safety and security of the university campus. Read more and see video here.

Bondi Terror Attack Survivor's Account on Baffling Police Response Will Leave You Seething

Matt Vespa / Townhall Tipsheet

 

Australia is reacting to the Bondi Beach terror attack as predicted: they’re pushing more gun control again, and they’re refusing to blame radical Islam for the attack. The kicker is that’s exactly who’s to blame. Two men, father and son, Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, opened fire on Jewish congregants who had gathered to celebrate Hanukkah on December 14. Fifteen people were killed, and at least 35 were wounded. Sajid was killed in the attack, while Naveed was wounded. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claims neo-Nazis are a greater threat—these people are just unserious. To boot, the police response was reportedly shambolic, with officers freezing as shots were fired.

 

One survivor, Vanessa Miller, described her harrowing ordeal, where she was separated from her three-year-old daughter during the attack. Pinned down, she tried to reach for an injured officer’s firearm to defend herself, but...Read more, see Xs and videos here. 

Brown, MIT shooting suspect ID’d as Claudio Neves Valente — after he’s found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wound

Zoe Hussain and Joe Marino / NEW YORK POST 

Police have identified former Brown University student Claudio Neves Valente as the gunman in both the fatal shooting at the Ivy League school and the murder of an MIT professor, while also confirming he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Valente, a Portuguese national, was found dead Thursday night following a nearly weeklong manhunt spurred by the shooting Saturday that killed two Brown students, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez announced at a press conference.

The 48-year-old former graduate student was discovered dead with a satchel and two firearms inside a Salem, New Hampshire, storage facility, where authorities carried out a search warrant around 9 p.m.

FBI Special Agent Ted Docks also revealed that Valente studied in Lisbon with murdered MIT nuclear science professor Nuno Loureiro, 47. The professor was killed on Monday in his $1.4 million townhouse in upscale Brookline, Massachusetts, and cops there announced late Thursday he was shot by Valente.

GOP Healthcare Plan Passes in US House: 'On to the Senate!'

Becca Lower / RedState 

 

The House of Representatives has passed the GOP plan on healthcare on Wednesday evening, by a vote of 216-211. The sole nay on the right side of the aisle was by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie (KY-4).

We'll likely have more to say going forward about the bill. But one thing the legislation does not include: any extensions of the Obamacare COVID-era subsidies so prized by the Democrats (and some Republicans), which expire on Dec. 31. (That's what the leftists claimed they were doing the kabuki theater with the Schumer Shutdown over, right?) Plus, it's something that the bill's sponsor, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-1), previously mentioned, as we wrote. Read more, see Xs and videos here,

Trump Unveils $1,776 Warrior Dividend for Troops

By Mark Swanson  / NEWSMAX                                                                                                                         

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that every active-duty member of the U.S. armed forces will receive a $1,776 Christmas bonus, unveiling what he called the "Warrior Dividend" during a nationally televised prime-time address from the White House.

Trump said the one-time payment would go to roughly 1.45 million service members and is already being distributed, with checks scheduled to arrive before Christmas. The amount, Trump said, was deliberately chosen to honor America's founding in 1776. That's just ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary,  to be celebrate throiughout the coming year.

"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 during the address, which was carried live by Newsmax from the White House Diplomatic Room.

"We are sending every soldier $1,776. The checks are already on the way," Trump said. "Nobody deserves it more than our military. And I say congratulations to everybody."

What John Fetterman Said to Chris Cuomo Is Going to Trigger Another Dem Meltdown

Matt Vespa n/ Townhall Tipsheet

 

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) is likely one of the few Hill Democrats who are sane. Meanwhile, we all felt this man was going to be a radical leftist. He’s rational and has often hurled grenades inside the tent of his own party. He’s still a committed progressive, but he’s not pro-Hamas. He understands that half the country can’t stomach most of his party’s niche social agenda, and he’s willing to work with the GOP when he can. For the Democratic Party in 2025, that’s pretty much neo-Nazism. He isn’t with his party's base on Israel, so are we shocked that he doesn’t find the liberal argument against blowing up narco-terrorists convincing? He blew apart the fledgling war crime hoax in under a minute with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo: 

"CHRIS CUOMO: Topic switch. What did you learn, Senator, that gave you any comfort that we're not heading into some kind of extended military exercise around Venezuela or in Venezuela? 

JOHN FETTERMAN: Absolutely. I- I thought- I thought it was pretty- comprehensive and of this. This idea- some things out in the media. It's kind of putting out this- the military's just...Read more, see Xs and videos here. 

RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...Podcast                                                          Here's the podcast of last nights 'LIVE' radio broadcast where RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discussed the Brown University and Australia's Bondi Beach mass shootings; as per a report Trump plans to break up the EU by ‘pulling four MAGA allies’ out of the European block; and our Christmas, Hanukkah, and Festivus message to our listeners. Listen to it on https://rspradio1.podbean.com 

New FBI Memos Drop Bombshell About the Mar-a-Lago Ransacking

Matt Vespa / Townhall Tipsheet 

 

It was the raid that clinched Donald J. Trump's Republican nomination. It was August of 2022—no one was really running for it—but it was his without question. Federal agents had ransacked his home over fears that classified materials were on the premises. It was such a grand operation with solid evidence that the president was convicted of…oh wait; he wasn’t. That special counsel probe led by anti-Trump lawyer Jack Smith got tossed along with his election interference gambit. People acted as if the nuclear codes were on the coffee table. They weren’t. Now, new FBI documents show that there was some hesitation at the agency over this operation—not everyone at the bureau thought there was no probable cause for the raid (via JustTheNews): 

Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel are preparing to turn over to Congress bombshell emails showing the FBI warned that the Biden Justice Department did not have probable cause to raid President Donald Trump‘s home at Mar-a-Lago, but prosecutors proceeded anyways, Just the News has learned. Read more, see Xs and report here.

One chart lays bare the sprawling fraud network Minnesota officials missed

State data reveals how the fraud ballooned in plain sight

Amanda Macias / Fox News 

What had been a modest stream of taxpayer dollars to Feeding Our Future suddenly became a flood, surging 2,800% in a year, an abrupt spike now at the center of mounting scrutiny and oversight concerns.

The explosive growth occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the organization exploited a federally funded children’s nutrition program run by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), siphoning off money intended to feed low-income kids. It now stands as the nation's largest COVID-19 fraud case.

Data from the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor sheds light on how the scheme went unchecked for so long, finding that the MDE oversight was "inadequate" and that its failures "created opportunities for fraud."

State records chart the rise in payments and reveal how the fraud ballooned in plain sight.

According to data from the state audit, payments to Feeding Our Future began in 2019 at $1.4 million.That figure rose to $4.8 million the...Read more, see video and chart here.

House Republicans Just Dropped a Bombshell About DC Crime Rates

Jeff Charles / Townhall Tipsheet

 

The House Oversight Committee released a report on Sunday alleging that the leadership of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department fudged the district’s crime numbers to make it appear as if the department was performing better than it actually was.

The findings of the report are based on multiple transcribed interviews with commanders of D.C.’s patrol districts, including one who was placed on leave.

The report suggests MPD leaders under Chief Pamela Smith’s leadership pressured commanders to keep the “public” crime numbers low, even if that meant altering how certain offenses were labeled. D.C. has been a high-crime area for decades, and Smith wanted to make it appear that crime was declining at a faster pace.

Commanders told investigators that they were “not only pressured, but also instructed, to lower crime classifications to lesser intermediate offenses in such a way that those offenses would not be included in the DCR reported to the public.” Read more, see X and video here. 

RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!                                                                 Today Tuesday, December 16th from 7 to 8:00pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss the Brown University and Australia's Bondi Beach mass shootings; as per a report Trump plans to break up the EU by ‘pulling four MAGA allies’ out of the European block; and our Christmas, Hanukkah, and Festivus message to our listeners. On https://rspradio1.com Click LISTEN LIVE. 

 

Simply stated...

                                            Copyright © 2025 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved.                                             

Brown University shooting manhunt resets with release of person of interest

The search for a gunman in the deadly Brown University shooting remains ongoing after officials in Providence, Rhode Island, announced late Sunday that a detained person of interest would be released from custody.

 

Read updates here: https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/brown-university-mass-shooting-manhunt-gunman-12-15-2025 

Person of interest ID’d in Brown University shooting that killed two, injured 9 

Joe Marino and Ronny Reyes / NEW YORK POST

The person of interest in the deadly mass shooting at Brown University has been ID’d as a 24-year-old man from Wisconsin who served in the Army and supported statehood for DC, law-enforcement sources told The Post.

Benjamin Erickson was nabbed ​before dawn Sunday at ​a Hampton Inn in Coventry, RI, ​after an 11-hour manhunt following a gunman open​ing fire at the Ivy League institution’s Providence campus during a final-exam study session Saturday.

Erickson, who ​is originally from Wisconsin, has lived in an apartment ​in Washington, DC, since 2024, with his voter registry showing a “statehood” party affiliation, according to public records. 

He served as an infantryman in the US Army from May 2021 to November 2024, leaving the military with the rank of specialist, an Army rep told The Post.

The shooter was armed with a handgun and fired more than 40 .9mm rounds during the ​Saturday’s chaos, ​which left two students dead and nine more wounded, law-enforcement officials said. Read more and see video here.  

Bessent expects taxpayers will see 'very large' tax refunds early next year

Treasury Secretary Bessent says retroactive tax provisions in OBBBA will boost refund season

Eric Revell/  FOXBusiness 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said American households will see "very large refunds" in the tax filing season early next year following policy changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).

Bessent spoke to NBC10 Philadelphia on Tuesday ahead of an event touting the Trump administration's economic policies and said American taxpayers could see sizable refunds following the enactment of the OBBBA.

The treasury secretary noted that the tax law included retroactive provisions for policies that will impact what taxpayers owe on this year's earnings, which could boost the size of refunds.

"The bill was passed in July. Working Americans didn't change their withholding, so they're going to be getting very large refunds in the first quarter," Bessent told NBC10. "I think we're going to see $100 [billion]-$150 billion of refunds, which could be between $1,000 and $2,000 per household." Read more and see video here.

 Wishing all my "Patriot Factor" blog followers and readers 

of the Jewish faith  a very Happy Hanukkah. 

(חַג אוּרִים שָׂמֵחַ )

Minnesota judge’s ‘highly unusual’ decision tossing $7.2 million fraud verdict draws mounting scrutiny

Former federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy said Judge Sarah West's ruling seemed 'untenable'

By Michael Dorgan / Fox News 

Lawmakers and the legal community are raising questions after a Minnesota judge took the uncommon step of overturning a unanimous jury verdict in a massive $7.2 million Medicaid fraud case, a move experts say is rarely seen in white-collar prosecutions.

The ruling, handed down late last month by Hennepin County Judge Sarah West, comes as Minnesota is engulfed in a series of major welfare and human services fraud scandals that have drawn national attention and shaken confidence in the state’s oversight systems.

West’s decision has triggered broader doubts about Minnesota’s resolve to prosecute white-collar and welfare fraud at a time when billions in public funds could be vulnerable.

JaneAnne Murray, a University of Minnesota law professor who studies criminal procedure, said she was surprised by the decision.

"It is highly unusual for a judge to reject a jury’s verdict in any case, much less a white-collar one, where issues of intent will almost always be circumstantial," Murray told Fox News Digital. Read more and see video here. 

What do we know about the oil tanker seized by the US off the Venezuela coast?

The Skipper, a tanker sanctioned by the US in 2022, is thought to have been carrying 1.1m barrels of Venezuelan oil

Jonathan Terushalmy and Edward Helmore / The Guardian  

 

The U.S. has seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, a move that sent oil prices higher and sharply escalated tensions between Washington and Caracas.

 

"We've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening," said Trump, who has been pressuring Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down.

 

Asked what would happen with the oil, Trump said: "We keep it, I guess."

In response, the Venezuelan government in a statement accused the U.S. of "blatant theft" and described the seizure as "an act of international piracy". It said it would denounce the incident before international bodies.

 

Trump has repeatedly raised the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. The seizure is the first of a Venezuelan oil cargo amid U.S. sanctions that have been in force since 2019. It is also the Trump administration's first known action against a Venezuela-related tanker since he ordered a massive military buildup in the region. Read more here.

FDA Reviewing Deaths Potentially Linked to COVID Shots

James Morley III / NEWSMAX 

 

The Food and Drug Administration is looking into whether COVID-19 vaccines were tied to any deaths, government officials announced this week.

The FDA is "doing a thorough investigation, across multiple age groups, of deaths potentially related to COVID vaccines," Andrew Nixon. a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement.

Manufacturers report that the FDA is also reviewing the safety of RSV immunizations.

COVID-19 vaccines were deployed in late 2020 under emergency use authorization. Less than a year later, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine became the first to receive full FDA approval.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized COVID-19 vaccines and has narrowed recommendations for who should receive them.

Last month, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced that 10 children died as a result of COVID-19 vaccination.

RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!                                                               Today, Friday, December 12th from 7 to 8:00pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss U.S. forces rightfully seize Venezuelan oil tanker; the FDA finally reviewing deaths potentially linked to Covid vax; Amnesty International releases a report accusing Hamas of having committed "crimes against humanity;" and our 'Off the Cuff' segment. Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click LISTEN LIVE starting at 6:50pm EST, show begins at 7pm EST.

Fed cuts interest rates for third straight time amid uncertainty over labor market, inflation 

Fed's third interest rate cut comes despite inflation remaining above policymakers' 2% target

Eric Revell / FOXBusiness 

 

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced its third interest rate cut of the year as policymakers moved forward with the cut to support the labor market despite elevated inflation. 

Fed policymakers voted to lower the benchmark federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a new range of 3.5% to 3.75%. The move follows rate cuts of that size in September and October, which were the first of the year.

Policymakers have been tracking economic data showing a slowdown in the labor market in recent months as companies adjust to shifts in trade and immigration policy. Meanwhile, inflation has trended higher as tariff-related price hikes filter through the economy.

Those dynamics have put the Fed in a difficult spot as it looks to fulfill its dual mandate goals of stable prices in line with the 2% long-run target for inflation as well as promoting maximum employment.

Marco Rubio claims ‘progress’ towards Ukraine-Russian peace deal — but says only Putin can end the war

Victor Nava / NEW YORK POST

Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued Tuesday that “progress” had been made towards ending the nearly four-year-long war in Ukraine – and suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin is the main obstacle that remains.

“What we’re trying to see is if it’s possible to end the war in a way that protects Ukraine’s future that both sides could agree to,” Rubio told Fox News host Sean Hannity, after the Kremlin rejected the Trump administration’s latest plan to end the bloodshed.

“I think we’ve made some progress, but we’re not there yet,” the secretary of state continued.

When asked how confident he was in the prospect of peace, Rubio deflected and put the onus on Putin.

“It’s hard to tell about confidence level on it, because ultimately the decisions have to be made, in the case of Russia, by Putin alone,” the top US diplomat said. “Not his advisors, Putin."

 

“Only Putin can end this war on the Russian side.”

Trump warns Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro his ‘days are numbered,’ prez won’t rule out ground invasion 

Ronny Reyes / NEW YORK POST  

President Trump warned in a new interview that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s “days are numbered” and refused to rule out sending US ground troops to depose the left-wing leader.

The president stressed in the sitdown with Politico released Tuesday that Maduro could not be allowed to stay in power as the administration cracks down on South American drug trafficking, but declined to tip his hand about what the US could or would do to cause regime change.

When reporter and “The Conversation” podcast host Dasha Burns asked how far Trump was willing to go to oust Maduro, the president merely responded, “I don’t want to say that.”

“But you want to see him out?” Burns followed up. “His days are numbered,” Trump affirmed.

Trump blamed the Caracas regime for sending “drug dealers” into the US, including members of the notorious gang Tren de Aragua.

 “I want the people of Venezuela to be treated well,” he told Burns “I want the people of Venezuela, many of whom live in the United States, to...Read more and see videos here.

Scott Jennings Hammers Dems on the Obamacare Disaster They Created

Amy Curtis / Townhall Tipsheet 

Earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dropped a nuke on Democrats over the affordability crisis they created. She was focused on inflation and wages, but there's another affordability crisis of the Democratic Party's making: health insurance.

More than a decade ago, Democrats forced Obamacare on us, promising it would lower costs by $2,500 for families. Instead, it created a fiscal shell game where the real cost of premiums was hidden behind massive taxpayer subsidies. Now that the COVID-era subsidies are sunsetting and the real cost of insurance is looming, Democrats are blaming Republicans for the mess they created.

Scott Jennings is having none of it. He went on CNN and placed the blame right where it belongs: at the feet of Chuck Schumer and the rest.

"First of all, Republicans don't believe in inflicting pain on people the way Democrats do. Democrats shut down the government and deliberately inflicted pain on federal workers, our military, and other people. That's their plan," Jennings said. Read more, see X and video here.