Can America Train Doctors?

 

Watch: This Is Just Absolutely Insane

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

In an incredible Senate hearing meant to address the dangers of abortion pills sold online without proper oversight, a Democratic witness turned the spotlight on herself by refusing to acknowledge that only women can get pregnant.

Dr. Nisha Verma, an OB-GYN tapped by Democrats, evaded direct questions from Republicans, prioritizing “identities” over scientific fact. This exchange highlights how insane woke ideology has infiltrated even medical testimony, undermining protections for women and enabling potential abuse through lax regulations on chemical abortions.

The hearing exposed real risks, like men coercing women into abortions by easily obtaining pills online—no in-person checks required. Yet Verma couldn’t—or wouldn’t—affirm basic truths, leaving observers questioning how such “experts” hold medical licenses in the first place.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee convened on Wednesday to examine the safety of mifepristone, the abortion pill increasingly distributed via mail and telehealth.

Republicans highlighted cases of coercion, including one where a male physician forced pills on his girlfriend after she refused a spiked drink. Senators also shared stories of abusive partners exploiting online access to these drugs, with one staffer nearly ordering pills under a male name like “Michael” to prove the point.

But it was an unbelievable exchange between Senator Josh Hawley and Dr. Nisha Verma that garnered all the attention. Verma serves as a senior advisor to Physicians for Reproductive Health, an organization advocating for abortion access. She’s a board-certified OB-GYN and abortion provider who has testified before Congress previously.

According to her profile, Verma is also a medical school professor, but her reluctance to address straightforward biology raises serious doubts about her adherence to evidence-based medicine. It’s a stark example of ideology trumping science.

The fireworks started when Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) pressed Verma on the risks of men obtaining abortion pills to harm women. “Can men get pregnant?” Moody asked.

Verma responded, “I treat people with many identities.”

Unsatisfied, Hawley (R-MO) took over, repeatedly seeking clarity. “Can men get pregnant?” Hawley demanded.

“I’m not sure what the goal of the question is,” Verma replied.

Hawley clarified: “The goal is to establish a biological reality. Can men get pregnant?”

Verma doubled down: “I take care of people with many identities.”

Hawley persisted: “Can men get pregnant?”

“Again, as I’m saying-” Verma began, before Hawley interjected: “You said science and evidence should control. Can men get pregnant? You’re a doctor, I think.”

“Science and evidence should guide medicine,” Verma said.

Hawley pushed: “Do science and evidence tell us that men can get pregnant?”

“I think yes-no questions like this are a political tool,” Verma answered, calling Hawley’s line of questioning “polarizing.”

Hawley fired back: “It is not polarizing to say that women are a biological reality and should be treated and protected as such; that is truth.”

He later added that it “is deeply corrosive to science, to public trust and yes, to constitutional protections for women as women” not to acknowledge that only biological females can get pregnant.

This isn’t the first time leftist witnesses have twisted biology in abortion hearings.

But Verma’s evasions stand out as particularly egregious.

Boogie Nights

 

Trump Threatens To Invoke Insurrection Act As Left-Wing Chaos In Minneapolis Spreads

Update (1024ET):

In response to overnight left-wing chaos, what can only be described as the Democratic Party's "George Floyd 2.0" attempt, President Trump wrote on Truth Social about the very real possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act.

"If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don't obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State," Trump warned.

The warning from Trump comes after left-wing nonprofits and far-left militant groups mobilized in the metro area in the last week after a "legal observer" was shot and killed. These left-wing groups have been positioned to mount a pressure campaign against federal agents, seeking to disrupt deportation operations targeting criminal illegal aliens (or the Democrat Party's future voting bloc). 

The Insurrection Act would allow Trump to deploy active-duty military forces or federalize the National Guard within the Democratic-run state to restore order as Democrats allow left-wing groups to go rogue. The act has not been invoked since the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

This is a legal nuclear option to restore order after left-wing rioters last night looted federal vehicles, stole weapons and ammunition, and after an incident in which an ICE agent shot an illegal during a violent confrontation with the agent.

Potential invocation of the Insurrection Act represents a significant shift in the federal civil-military posture of the Trump administration, as left-wing orgs mount a fight. Perhaps it's time for the Trump administration to leave flank these orgs and begin an assault across the funding networks within the nonprofit world.

*   *   * 

The killing of the left-wing activist (legal observer) by an ICE agent in Minneapolis has become the catalyst that Democratic Party-aligned dark-money-funded NGOs and militant far-left groups have been waiting for to spark street chaos, hoping to shift public sentiment toward defunding ICE. This is an informational war that Democrats are seeking to win, and in doing so, they need riots - think of it as "George Floyd 2.0"...  

Overnight, social unrest emerged in the seemingly lawless sanctuary city of Minneapolis when street protests by left-wing groups quickly accelerated into riots and looting of at least one federal vehicle that had a long rifle and ammunition inside.

More footage:

Instead of demanding that criminal illegal aliens leave, Democrats who run the metro area have posted on the city's official X account, demanding that ICE agents leave the town.

In a separate incident, Homeland Security said an ICE agent shot an illegal in the leg after the "subject began to resist and violently assault the officer." Then the agency said the officer was "ambushed and attacked by two individuals, the original subject got loose and began striking the officer with a shovel or broom stick..."

Good Morning America

 

New Game

 

How BRICS May Deliver Structural Shock To US Dollar System

Authored by Pepe Escobar,

The oligarchy that really controls the Empire of Chaos has hit the panic button, as the structural contours of Hegemony seriously wobble.

The petrodollar is one of the key features of this Hegemony: a recycling machine channeling non-stop buying of US Treasuries then spent on Forever Wars. Any player even thinking of diversifying from this infernal machine is met with asset freezes, sanctions – or worse.

At the same time, the Empire of Chaos cannot demonstrate raw power by bleeding itself dry in the black soil of Novorossiya. Dominance requires ever-expanding – plundered – resources, side by side with that non-stop printing of US dollars as a reserve currency to pay for astronomic bills. Additionally, borrowing from the world works as imperial financial containment of rivals.

But now a choice becomes imperative – an inescapable structural constraint. Either keep astronomical spending on military dominance (enter Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion budget for the Department of War.) Or keep ruling the international financial system.

The Empire of Chaos cannot do both.

And that’s why, when the math was done, Ukraine became expendable. At least in theory.

Against the weaponization of the US Treasury bond system – de facto monetary imperialism – BRICS incarnate the strategic choice of the Global South, coordinating a drive towards alternative payment systems.

The straw that broke the steppe camel’s back was the freezing – actually stealing – of Russian assets after the expulsion of a nuclear/hypersonic power, Russia, from SWIFT. Now it’s clear that Central Banks everywhere are going for gold, bilateral deals and considering alternative payment systems.

As the first serious structural shock to the system since the end of WWII, BRICS is not overtly trying to overturn the system – but to build a viable alternative, complete with large-scale infrastructure financing bypassing the US dollar.

Venezuela now illustrates a critical case: Can a major oil producer survive outside of the US dollar system – without being destroyed?

The Empire of Chaos has ruled, “No”. The Global South must prove it wrong. Venezuela was not that critical on the geopolitical chessboard as it represented just 4% of China’s oil imports. Iran in fact is the crucial case, as 95% of its oil is sold to China and settled in yuan, not US dollars.

Iran though is not Venezuela. The latest coordinated intel op/terror attacks/regime change attempt on Iran – complete with a pathetic mini-Shah refugee in Maryland – miserably failed. The threat of war, though, remains.

BRICS Pay, The Unit, or CIPS?

The US dollar now represents less than 40% of global currency reserves – the lowest in at least 20 years. Gold now accounts for more global foreign exchange reserves than the euro, the yen and the pound combined. Central Banks are stockpiling gold like crazy, while BRICS accelerates the test of alternative payment systems in what I previously defined as “the BRICS lab”.

One of the scenarios being directly proposed to BRICS, and designed as an alternative to cumbersome SWIFT, which does at least $1 trillion in transactions a day, features the introduction of a non-sovereign, blockchain-based trade token.

That’s The Unit.

The Unit, correctly described as “apolitical money”, is not a currency, but a unit of account used for settlement in trade and finance between participating countries. The token could be pegged to a commodity basket or a neutral index to prevent domination by any single country. In this case it would work like the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), but within a BRICS framework.

Then there’s mBridge – not part of the “BRICS lab” – which features a multi-central bank digital currency (CBDC) shared among participating central banks and commercial banks. mBridge includes only five members, but that includes powerful players such as the Digital Currency Institute of the People’s Bank of China and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Other 30 countries are interested to join.

mBridge tough was the inspiration behind BRICS Bridge, still being tested, which aims to speed up a range of international payment mechanisms: money transfers, payment processing, account management.

It’s a very simple mechanism: instead of converting currencies into US dollars for international trade, BRICS countries exchange their currencies directly.

The New Development Bank (NDB), or the BRICS bank, established in Shanghai in 2015, should be the key connectivity node of BRICS Bridge.

But that, for the moment, is on hold – because all the NDB’s statutes are linked to the US dollar, and that must be reassessed. With the NDB integrated into the broader financial infrastructure of BRICS member-nations, the bank should be able to handle currency conversion, clearing, and settlement under BRICS Bridge. But we’re still very far away from that.

Where Have The Flowers Gone

 

Ukrainians Fight Back: Family, Friends, & Neighbors Start Standing Up For Men Being Dragged Off To War

Via Remix News,

In Ukraine, ongoing forced conscription and violent practices by the military are provoking civilians to finally resist in unprecedented fashion: passersby, neighbors, and family members are blocking the recruiters’ path as they try to drag civilians off the streets.

Forced conscription is causing increasing fear and distrust among civilians, reports Magyar Nemzet, but many are also no longer standing idly by: More and more footage shows passersby, neighbors, and family members stepping in when the TCK recruitment authorities show up.

People are now openly confronting the authorities, with a few lucky ones escaping conscription. Sadly, other videos show men being forced into vehicles by recruiters or beaten to death.

This past summer, József Sebestyén, a Hungarian from Transcarpathia, died during his forced conscription. The Ukrainian authorities tried by all means to cover up his case.

In the video, recorded in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, a crowd of civilians surrounds a police car in which a man has been placed. In the recording, people can be heard protesting, standing in front of the car, and preventing the vehicle from leaving the scene.

Ukrainians are fed up with war and even more fed up with having to see their loved ones die for it. They are now openly speaking out against family members, friends, and neighbors being dragged away.

In another scene in Lviv, a woman unsuccessfully worked to stop recruiters from forcibly conscripting her son, and they drove away while she screamed.

A similar scene took place in Ungvár when TCK men pushed a young boy into their van, with locals intervening.

Double Agent

 

Immigrant Secret Service Agent Leaks JD Vance's Travel Details

Authored by Ken Silva via Headline USA,

Journalist James O’Keefe published a shocking report Tuesday about how a Secret Service agent assigned to Vice President JD Vance’s security detail leaked details about his travels to one of O’Keefe’s undercover reporters.

Furthermore, the agent, Tomas Escotto, only became a citizen in 2018, he voted for Joe Biden for president in 2020, and he “hates ICE,” according to O’Keefe’s report, which comes on the heels of a man attacking Vance’s Cincinnati home with a hammer earlier this month.

Escotto, who may have broken the law with his leaks, has reportedly been placed on administrative leave and has had his security clearance revoked.

As is typical with O’Keefe’s journalism, Escotto was apparently catfished by the undercover female reporter—meeting her on the dating app Tinder. Footage shows Escotto spilling the beans about his job to the reporter during a dinner date. He later texted her photos of sensitive locations, as well as details of Vance’s travel plans—telling the reporter in on Dec. 26 that the vice president would be in Ohio for four to five days before traveling to Florida for the weekend.

Escotto even sent images from Air Force Two at one point.

O’Keefe said typically he gives the government a day or two to respond to his forthcoming reports. But in this case, he worked with the Secret Service and agreed to redact information that could compromise Vance’s security.

Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew Quinn issued a statement in response to O’Keefe’s reporting.

“The U.S. Secret Service has no tolerance for any behavior that could potentially compromise the safety, privacy or trust of our protectees,” he said.

“This incident is under investigation and the employee involved has been placed on administrative leave with his clearance suspended and access to agency facilities and systems revoked. The U.S. Secret Service has also issued an order for all personnel to retake the agency’s required anti-espionage training… The U.S. Secret Service deeply apologizes to the Vance family for this violation of their trust and privacy.”

Quinn also reportedly issued an internal memo about the matter, complaining about O’Keefe’s tactics.

The Danes Are Freaking Out

 

Denmark Vows 'More Permanent' Military Presence On Greenland In Face Of Trump Takeover Threats

"Update(1145ET): The Greenland and Denmark delegations are at the White House where they are meeting with Vice President J.D. Vance. Denmark's defense minister is seeking to convince the Trump administration that a more robust joint NATO presence on the resource-rich, large island of Greenland is all that's needed - and not a full US takeover. By day's end we'll see whether Trump finds this very convincing.

POULSEN: 2026 GREENLAND MILITARY DRILL TO HAVE PERMANENT NATURE

DENMARK DEFENCE MINISTER SAYS WE WILL HAVE A MORE PERMANENT PRESENCE ON GREENLAND GOING FORWARD

SWEDEN PRIME MINISTER: SOME OFFICERS FROM THE SWEDISH ARMED FORCES ARRIVE IN GREENLAND TODAY

DENMARK, GREENLAND OFFICIALS MEET WITH VANCE AND RUBIO

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Vivian Motzfeldt are meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

Hours ahead of the meeting, a report in NBC finally put a firm dollar figure to a potential purchase:

The United States could have to pay as much as $700 billion if it were to achieve President Donald Trump’s goal of buying Greenland, according to three people familiar with the cost estimate.

The estimate was generated by scholars and former U.S. officials as part of planning around Trump’s aspiration to acquire the 800,000-square-mile island as a strategic buffer in the Arctic against America’s top adversaries, these people said. It attaches a price tag of more than half the Defense Department’s annual budget to Trump’s national security priority, which has stoked anxiety across Europe and on Capitol Hill amid his rhetoric about seizing Greenland since he ordered a U.S. military raid to capture Venezuela’s president and his wife.

As Polymarket has noted, Trump's offer to acquire Greenland - if this proves an accurate figure - would higher than the entire GDP of Denmark.

* * *

President Trump said early Wednesday on Truth Social that anything less than full American control of Greenland would be "unacceptable" - and even cited its necessity in erecting the new Golden Dome missile defense system.

"The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!" Trump wrote.

The statement was issued just ahead of Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio's meeting with officials from the large far northern island and NATO member Denmark at the White House. 

"Militarily, without the vast power of the United States, much of which I built during my first term, and am now bringing to a new and even higher level, NATO would not be an effective force or deterrent – Not even close! They know that, and so do I," Trump continued. 

"NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” he asserted, adding that "anything less than that is unacceptable."

Trump has repeatedly unsettled the EU and NATO of late by declining to rule out the use of force to take control of the strategically important, resource-rich island. Because Denmark is a member of both organizations, the territory benefits from many of their collective security guarantees.

Denmark's foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and Greenland's foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, originally outright rejected talks with Rubio. However, the meeting is now be held in Washington after Vance asked to participate and subsequently offered to host the discussions. So now they will face down Vance.

Greenland and Denmark have consistently made clear that the territory is not for sale, accusing the United States of applying "unacceptable pressure" on a long-standing ally. They also point out that a 1951 bilateral agreement already permits the US to significantly expand its military presence on the island.

EU leaders have quickly come forward to voice their support for Denmark, reaffirming their commitment to its territorial integrity and the principle of self-determination. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the island "belongs to its people".

But what if the people want to take a buyout offer from the United States? Giving each citizen a huge single cash sum is actually among the more creative ideas which have been floated.

The figure of one million dollars has been something in media reports, for example, and we can imagine there are many Greenlanders that would take it.

In follow-up on Wednesday, Trump issued a second Greenland Truth Social statement, this time highlighting that even Danish intelligence last year warned of the increased threat of Russian and Chinese military presence in the Arctic. The Europeans have suddenly been downplaying this, rejecting it as a rationale for a greater US military presence.

And NATO leadership too:

NATO chief Mark Rutte has said that Greenland’s security is “non-negotiable.”

He says that all allies agree on the importance of security in the Arctic and has warned that there must be diligence from NATO towards Chinese and Russian activity in the region.

Denmark and the Europeans have pushed back against his earlier assertions like the following: "We need that because if you take a look outside of Greenland right now, there are Russian destroyers, there are Chinese destroyers and, bigger, there are Russian submarines all over the place. We’re not gonna have Russia or China occupy Greenland, and that’s what they’re going to do if we don’t," Trump has said before.

The 'fact checkers' have been quick to push back, for example in this fresh Associated Press article: "Experts have repeatedly rebuffed Trump’s claims of Chinese and Russian military forces lurking off Greenland’s coastline. Experts say Russia instead operates in the Barents Sea, off the Scandinavian coast, and both China and Russia have a presence in the Bering Sea south of Alaska."

But then there's this highly interesting thread...

Silver Is Ripping

 

Chicago Mercs Exchange Go All In

 

Money To The Dead

 

Insurrection Instruction

 

Fraudy Fraud

 

SBA Investigating $1.2 Trillion On Payments As Part Of Fraud Probe: Loeffler

Authored by Travis Gilmore and Jen Jekielek via The Epoch Times,

Federal officials are reviewing approximately $1.2 trillion in payouts to root out fraudsters, according to Kelly Loeffler, administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA).

“Federal contracting and the fraud that happens within it in Washington, D.C., around these programs are probably the worst kept secret in Washington,” Loeffler said during an interview with “American Thought Leaders” host Jan Jekielek.

She highlighted patterns of fraud impacting the government, including the widespread abuse of the SBA’s 8(a) business development programs that offer funding for small businesses, including education and child care organizations, revealed in Minnesota

“It’s a huge cost to the American people when these programs are defrauded,” Loeffler said. “So, we have a whole path, we’re cracking down on that.”

An investigation looking back 15 years will include audits—the first in the program’s 45-year history, according to the administrator.

Approximately 7,000 borrowers—representing about $400 million in fraudulent payouts—were suspended in Minnesota last year.

Fraud Spread Nationwide

Officials will next use the investigative framework “to go state by state” and identify illegitimate payouts that were “very much driven during COVID,” she said.

Businesses asked to reduce operations—or shut down entirely, in some instances—were negatively impacted during the pandemic, which Loeffler said necessitated federal intervention.

“It was devastating, and would have been even more devastating had that federal assistance not come out,” she said. “And most small businesses were legitimate and used it for good, kept their employees on the payroll, and made a huge difference locally.”

Others saw the influx of federal benefits as a chance to reap rewards, which, combined with limited oversight, led to widespread abuse of the program, she said.

“There’s a certain group of actors that saw opportunity in disaster and defrauded the government,” Loeffler said. “What we know now is they come back to the trough.”

President Joe Biden’s administration forgave thousands of loans that were flagged as potentially fraudulent, she noted.

“They were not ever further investigated,” Loeffler said. “Those cases were closed; those loans were being forgiven.”

Federal investigators are now reviewing each loan to determine if further action is warranted.

“No more sweeping this under the rug,” Loeffler said. “We’re going to hold people accountable.”

Cross-Agency Cooperation

Fraud affects agencies across the federal government, with administrators from the Departments of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, and Health and Human Services, among others, increasing audits and review practices. Leaders are coordinating efforts to better identify problem areas and solutions.

Contracts for social and economic benefit programs funding 4,300 organizations are under scrutiny after improper payouts were discovered, according to the administrator.

“There’s a lot of fraud in those programs,” Loeffler said.

The SBA sent letters to individuals associated with the organizations last year, with responses due back this month. Anyone who fails to provide financial details and other requested information will face penalties.

“We are going to remove them from the program, and we are not going to operate programs that traffic in abuse, waste, and fraud, and we’re not going to traffic in DEI,” Loeffler said, referencing the diversity, equity, and inclusion policies that President Donald Trump has outlawed through executive action.

Investigating Debanking

Officials are also looking into debanking practices—where individuals and businesses are forced out of financial institutions for ideological or political purposes.

“We understand that debanking is a real thing in this country,” Loeffler said, highlighting SBA efforts to investigate the issue, with approximately 5,000 letters sent inquiring for more information.

Trump and Loeffler were among many other individuals who had accounts forcibly closed in recent years, she noted.

“There’s discriminatory actions that are being taken,” Loeffler said. “To use the banking system to be a choke point for disfavored political people is abjectly wrong, and the president is reversing that.”

Supporting Small Businesses

The SBA was founded in 1953 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to guide small business development by providing access to capital through guarantees to lenders, consulting services, and opportunities to procure government contracts.

Loeffler said the Biden administration deprioritized the agency while overseeing a change in workforce logistics that saw approximately 90 percent of employees working from home.

“Well, particularly in the last four years, the SBA was dormant,” she said. “So sadly, our main street job creators saw a complete absence of the SBA.”

The Skinny

 

Trump Admin Ends Temporary Protection For Somalis In US

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Trump administration has decided to end temporary protection for Somali nationals in the United States, officials said on Jan. 13.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem testifies before the House Committee on Homeland Security in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington on Dec. 11, 2025. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

“Temporary means temporary,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told The Epoch Times via email.

“Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status. Further, allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests. We are putting Americans first.”

There are 2,471 Somali nationals in the United States under the status, also known as TPS. Another 1,383 are in the country with pending TPS applications.

TPS is authorized by federal law for people from countries with conditions such as civil war that prevent the citizens from returning there safely. TPS for Somalia has been in place since 1991.

The Biden administration in 2024 extended TPS for Somali nationals until March 17, 2026. Department of Homeland Security officials at the time cited “the ongoing armed conflict and extraordinary and temporary conditions.”

“Somalia continues to experience widespread insecurity due to armed conflict involving state and non-state actors,” they wrote.

“The ongoing conflict, as well as other violence, has exposed civilian populations to ill-treatment, abuse, and displacement. Additionally, Somalia recently experienced intense flooding that damaged land and infrastructure, impeded efforts to address food insecurity, and exacerbated disease outbreaks. Significant barriers to the delivery of humanitarian aid persist.”

Noem previously terminated TPS status for nationals of multiple countries.

Federal judges have blocked some of those terminations, finding that they were arbitrary and capricious in violation of federal statute. The administration is appealing those decisions.

The ending of TPS for Somalis is the latest action by the administration in the wake of alleged fraud linked to Somali nationals.

On Jan. 7, for example, officials suspended assistance for the Somali government.

Billions of dollars were “stolen by really bad and deranged people,” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Jan. 13. He was defending how federal officers have been conducting immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, which hosts a sizeable Somali population.