It's Been Reported

FBI Shocker: Agent Told Boss Biden Laptop Could Be Russian Disinformation, But Team Knew Otherwise (Just the News) — The FBI agent who ran the bureau’s Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF) during the 2020 election admitted in Congressional testimony that he advised his leadership that Hunter Biden’s laptop could be part of a Russian disinformation campaign, apparently unaware his team already knew that the FBI had obtained and corroborated the computer as “real,” according to interview transcripts reviewed by Just the News. Retired FBI Special Agent Bradley Benavides' account to the House Judiciary Committee comes as congressional investigators gather mounting evidence that the government's early efforts to identify and block alleged misinformation in politics have been so haphazard as to inject inaccurate, speculative, or incomplete information themselves into the public domain. Benavides served as the very first FBI section chief for the Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF), a new entity created during the 2020 election to issue warnings to other bodies in government and the private sector about possible foreign misinformation or disinformation. See full story	Iranian National With Terror Ties Caught Crossing U.S. Northern Border Illegally (End Times Headlines) — An Iranian national with links to terrorism attempted to cross illegally into the U.S. via the northern border, officials announced this week -- coming amid ongoing concerns about the potential for those with terror ties to enter via the border. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a release this week that it has removed the Iranian, who is also a permanent resident of Canada, a national security priority and wanted for assault, back to Canada. The unnamed man had tried to enter legally in October at the port of entry in Niagara Falls, but was refused entry by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and turned back to Canadian border officials. He was then arrested two days later trying to enter illegally between the ports of entry near the Whirlpool Bridge port of entry. He was served with an expedited order of removal in November and was removed to Canada earlier this month based on a Safe Third Country agreement between the two countries. See full story
MLB Great Steve Garvey Looks To Revive 'heartbeat' Of California 'for All The People' With Senate Run (Fox News) — California Senate candidate and baseball legend Steve Garvey, who helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series in 1981, is looking to bring stability to a "dysfunctional Washington" and is brushing off his opposition in his mission to do that. Garvey, in an interview with Fox News Digital, outlined why he entered the race as a Republican candidate and dismissed opponents in the race who he said only want to represent half of the state. "Earlier this year, I wondered, 'Let's see who I can get behind in California that I can support, that had my values and my commitment to this country,' and I couldn't find anybody. You know how strongly liberal [California has become] over the years and generations," the Major League Baseball great recalled. "I woke up one morning and decided to see if there's a pathway to run for the U.S. Senate." See full story	MTG’s Home ‘Swatted’ On Christmas With Fake Emergency Call (Just the News) — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene reported her home was “swatted” Monday on Christmas with a fake emergency call, as she praised police for their professionalism as they responded to the latest in dangerous pranks targeting the Georgia Republican. “I was just swatted. This is like the 8th time. On Christmas with my family here. My local police are the GREATEST and shouldn’t have to deal with this,” she wrote on the X social media platform. A spokesperson for the Rome, Ga., police told The Hill that multiple calls were made through a crisis hotline in both Rome, N.Y., and Rome, Ga., requesting emergency services to Greene’s home. “While en route to the address, personnel with the Rome (GA) Police Department coordinated with Greene’s security detail to ensure her safety as well as determine that there was in fact no emergency at the address,” the spokesperson said. See full story
Forty Convicted Murderers Among The 56 Inmates Pardoned By Louisiana Gov On His Way Out The Door (Amer Wire News) — Ongoing pardons from an outgoing Democratic governor amounted to the release of 56 inmates, the majority of whom were convicted murderers. Louisiana’s Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry may have his work cut out for him when he is sworn in as the next governor of the Bayou State following term-limited incumbent John Bel Edwards’s farewell clemency tour. Documenting the pardoning spree that stretched back to Oct. 1, 2023, KNOE reported that 56 inmates had been pardoned thus far, 23 of whom were finalized between Dec. 13 and 19. Of the total, 40 were convicted murderers. In a recent interview conducted with NOLA.com, where Bel Edwards remained convinced he would have beaten Landry had state law permitted him to run for a third term, the outgoing governor spoke to the per capita rate of incarceration in Louisiana, the highest in the nation. See full story	'This Is War': Graham Isn't Playing Around With NY Bill Requiring Chick-Fil-A To Open On Sunday (Amer Wire News) — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has declared “war” over a New York State bill that’d effectively punish Chick-fil-A for being closed on Sundays. The proposed bill, the Rest Stop Restaurant Act (A08336), would require restaurants and other food providers situated at public rest stops and transportation facilities (think airports) to be open seven days a week. “While there is nothing objectionable about a fast food restaurant closing on a particular day of the week, service areas dedicated to travelers is an inappropriate location for such a restaurant,” the bill reads, according to local station WNBC. “Publicly owned service areas should use their space to maximally benefit the public. Allowing for retail space to go unused one seventh of the week or more is a disservice and unnecessary inconvenience to travelers who rely on these service areas,” it continues. See full story
The Economics Of Unused Gift Cards (The Hustle) — Every year, Americans spend billions of dollars on gift cards. But what happens to the money when the cards aren’t redeemed? The most desired item on wish lists this past holiday season wasn’t a pair of Airpods, a Nintendo Switch, or a Baby Yoda plush toy. For the 13th straight year, the present of choice was the gift card. In 2019, Americans purchased an estimated $171B worth of these plastic cash substitutes, ranging from $500 prepaid Visa cards to grandma’s annual $25 Cheesecake Factory “nibble.” Gift cards are so popular that they account for 55% of the average shopper’s entire annual gift budget. See full story	Family Uses Apple AirTag To Locate Stolen Luggage From A North Carolina Airport To Suspect's Home (Fox News) — A family vacation took a detour for a Miami family after their luggage was stolen while traveling for Christmas break, but thanks to technology, they were able to recover their stolen property. "I wanted justice," Catherine Gavino told Queen City News on Tuesday. Gavino and her family were traveling from the Miami area to the Carolinas through Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, where the crime took place. When the family landed in Charlotte on Friday afternoon, they told FOX 46 Charlotte that they were unable to find one of their suitcases at the baggage claim. However, thanks to Catherine's new Apple AirTag, the search began for the stolen luggage. See full story
Tesla Robot Goes Haywire On Engineer In Texas Factory: 'Trail Of Blood' (Fox News) — A Tesla engineer was reportedly a victim of a bloody attack by a robot at a factory near Austin, Texas. Recent reports revealed a 2021 injury report that claims a robot designed to move aluminum car parts pinned the engineer against a surface and dug its metal claws into his back and arm, according to witnesses who spoke to The Information in a story published last month. After another worker hit an emergency stop button, the engineer maneuvered his way out of the robot’s grasp, falling a couple of feet down a chute designed to collect scrap aluminum and leaving a trail of blood behind him, one of the witnesses told The Information. See full story	Scientists ID Mystery Killer Of Decapitated Seals Found On California Beaches Since 2016 (Fox News) — Scientists have cracked the case of scores of decapitated seals found on northern California beaches since 2016. Noyo Center for Marine Science's Sarah Grimes investigates marine mammal deaths, and told The Mercury News she suspected a responsible culprit, but needed proof. "It was so gruesome," Grimes told the Bay Area newspaper. "I was like marine mammal CSI, seeing all the dead pups with their heads torn off, and I’m like, ‘What the heck did that?’" The headless bodies were found in MacKerricher State Park, where a student at University of California Santa Cruz caught the guilty party in the act. See full story
Deadly Nepal Plane Crash Likely Caused By Basic Pilot Error, Report Finds (Fox News) — A January plane crash in Nepal that killed 72 people – including two Americans and two lawful U.S. permanent residents – was likely caused by its pilots mistakenly cutting the power, according to a report by government-appointed investigators released on Thursday. The deadly decision resulted in an aerodynamic stall and then the Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara plummeted into a gorge in the foothills of the Himalayas. The January 15 crash was the country’s most deadly airline disaster in 30 years. There were 72 people on the twin-engine aircraft, an ATR 72, including two infants, four crew and 15 foreign nationals. There were no survivors. See full story	Over 100 People Rescued From Breakaway Piece Of Ice On Minnesota Lake BEMIDJI, Minn. (Fox Weather) — Over 100 people in northern Minnesota were rescued after becoming stranded on a large piece of ice that was afloat on a lake near the town of Bemidji. A public information officer with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office said the incident happened on Upper Red Lake, which is more than a three-hour drive from Duluth. Typically, the lake is one of the premiere sites for ice fishing, but a warm start to winter has meant the top layer of ice is thinner than usual and more susceptible to winds. Before emergency crews arrived, the sheriff's office said at least four anglers fell into the water as bystanders attempted to use a canoe to rescue those trapped on the sheet of ice. See full story