Trump orders US withdrawal from World Health Organization
Newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the U.S. to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2020, Trump started the ball rolling toward extricating the U.S. from the United Nations agency, but President Joe Biden reversed course after taking office in 2021. “The United States intends to withdraw from the WHO. The Presidential Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations signed on January 20, 2021, that retracted the United States’ July 6, 2020, notification of withdrawal is revoked,” Trump’s order declares. TOP 5 INAUGURATION DAY MOMENTS “The Secretary of State shall immediately inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations, any other applicable depositary, and the leadership of the WHO of the withdrawal,” the order instructs. The U.S. Senate voted 99-0 on Monday to confirm Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., to serve as Secretary of State — Rubio voted for himself before resigning from the Senate. Trump’s order calls for the Secretary of State and director of the Office of Management and Budget to “pause the future transfer of any United States Government funds, support, or resources to the WHO;” “recall and reassign United States Government personnel or contractors working in any capacity with the WHO;” as well as “identify credible and transparent United States and international partners to assume necessary activities previously undertaken by the WHO.” TRUMP FAILED TO DELIVER ‘DAY 1’ PROMISE TO GRANT CLEMENCY TO ROSS ULBRICHT, FOUNDER OF SILK ROAD The WHO issued a statement on Tuesday lamenting Trump’s decision, and expressing hope that the U.S. will rethink the move. “The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization,” the globalist body noted. “We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe.” Trump signed a flurry of orders after taking office on Monday. One of them declares it U.S. policy “to recognize two sexes, male and female,” which “are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.” NANCY PELOSI SLAMS TRUMP’S ‘SHAMEFUL’ PARDONS OF JAN 6 DEFENDANTS Trump is only the second president in U.S. history to win election to two non-consecutive terms — the first was Grover Cleveland in the 19th century. Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report
2 Americans released in exchange for Taliban prisoner
Two Americans have been freed in a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Afghanistan’s Taliban in exchange for a Taliban figure imprisoned for life in California, officials said Tuesday. The family of Ryan Corbett, one American freed by the Taliban in the deal, told Fox News that he is finally on his way back home to the U.S. after being detained for more than two years ago while on a business trip. “Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives,” a statement from Corbett’s family said. Corbett’s family thanked both President Trump and former President Biden, along with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other current and former government officials. WIFE OF AMERICAN HELD HOSTAGE IN AFGHANISTAN REVEALS ‘INCREDIBLY CRUSHING’ CALL WITH BIDEN AFTER TWO-YEAR WAIT Fox News is working to confirm the identity of the second American freed in the deal. Corbett was abducted Aug. 10, 2022, after returning to Afghanistan, where he and his family lived during the collapse of the U.S.-backed government a year prior. He arrived in Afghanistan on a valid 12-month visa to pay and train staff, as part of a business venture he led aimed at promoting Afghanistan’s private sector through consulting services and lending. Corbett’s family also praised the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar, which hosted negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban over the years, “for their vital role in facilitating Ryan’s release, and for their visits to Ryan as the United States’ Protecting Power in Afghanistan.” WIFE OF DETAINED AMERICAN IN AFGHANISTAN MEETS WITH TRUMP’S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul confirmed the swap, saying two unidentified U.S. citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment in 2008 on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. He was being held in California. Mohammed was detained on the battlefield in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. The Justice Department at the time referred to Mohammed as “a violent jihadist and narcotics trafficker” who “sought to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan using rockets.” He was the first person to be convicted on U.S. narco-terrorism laws. The deal comes less than a day after President Trump was sworn in as commander in chief, succeeding former President Biden, who oversaw the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The Taliban called the exchange the result of “long and fruitful negotiations” with the U.S. and said it was a good example of solving problems through dialogue. “The Islamic Emirate looks positively at the actions of the United States of America that help the normalization and development of relations between the two countries,” it said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Can Trump really take over the Panama Canal, rename the Gulf of Mexico?
As United States President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term on Monday, he repeated his wishes to acquire the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico in his inaugural speech. Trump has spoken about the canal and the Gulf of Mexico previously. On Monday, he signalled he was serious about moving ahead with both those ideas – and soon. But as powerful as the US president is, can Trump really take over the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico? And what would that involve? ‘Manifest Destiny’: What did Trump say during his inauguration? During his inaugural address, Trump voiced dreams of American territorial expansion. While unfurling plans of space exploration, he invoked the 19th-century expansionist doctrine of “Manifest Destiny” which decrees that the US is destined to expand territorially. “We are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” he said, his ambitious tone punctuated with pauses to contain his excitement. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who Trump defeated in the 2016 election to first come to power, burst out laughing in the audience behind him as he finished the sentence. Advertisement Trump lauded former US presidents including Republican William McKinley, who was president from 1897 to 1901. He also acknowledged former President Theodore Roosevelt Jr, the Republican who held office from 1901 to 1909. He issued an executive order for Alaskan Mount Denali to be renamed Mount McKinley after the former president. The mountain’s name was changed from McKinley to Denali by former Democrat President Barack Obama in 2015, reflecting the name that the Indigenous Alaskan people and residents have been using for the mountain. To Roosevelt, he attributed the construction of the Panama Canal, a man-made waterway on the Panama Isthmus, linking the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. The canal was built mostly by the US between 1904 and 1914, under Roosevelt’s supervision. Trump said the canal had “foolishly been given to the country of Panama” by the US. He added: “We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made, and Panama’s promise to us has been broken. “Above all, China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.” Trump has had a contentious history with Panama. In 2018, Trump had to surrender his name from the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Panama after a dispute with the majority hotel owner. On Monday, Panama President Jose Raul Mulino rejected the claims Trump made in his inaugural address. “On behalf of the Republic of Panama and its people, I must reject in a comprehensive manner the words outlined by President Donald Trump regarding Panama and its canal, in his inaugural speech,” he said in a statement translated by news agencies. “There is no presence of any nation in the world that interferes with our administration.” Advertisement Who owns the Panama Canal? The government of Panama owns the 82km (51 mile) canal. Panama was handed ownership of the canal on December 31, 1999, under a 1977 treaty signed by former US President Jimmy Carter and former Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos. Under the treaty, the US government relinquished control of the canal by the year 2000. The treaty grants the US the authority to maintain and operate the canal. Ships from any country can traverse the canal. The treaty does not have a clause allowing the US to take over ownership of the canal. The treaty decrees that the fees to transit the canal must be “just, reasonable, equitable, and consistent with international law”. “The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated. American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape, or form. And that includes the United States Navy,” Trump said during the inaugural address. In 2023, the Panama Canal was affected by drought conditions in Central America. Traffic traversing through the waterway has reduced by 29 percent in the past fiscal year. Between October 2023 and September 2024, 9,944 vessels traversed the canal, compared with 14,080 in the year prior. Panama President Mulino said that the tariffs which have hiked the fee for the canal “are not set on a whim” in late December 2024, after Trump had first talked about acquiring the canal. China does not own the canal. Although, CK Hutchison, a Hong Kong-based corporation, has run two of the canal’s ports, located on the Caribbean and Pacific entrances, since 1997. In his December statement, Mulino also said that China does not own the Panama Canal, and “every square metre of the Panama Canal and the surrounding area belongs to Panama and will continue belonging [to Panama]”. Advertisement Can Trump take the Panama Canal? An article published by Washington, DC-headquartered think tank Atlantic Council on Monday said one way Trump could “take back” the canal is by increasing US investment in it, and by investing in the businesses that directly and indirectly operate the canal. Trump has not specified how he would go about taking the canal, but he has not ruled out the possible use of military or economic force for territorial expansion. He has also talked about wanting to acquire Greenland and Canada since he has been voted in. The canal accounts for an estimated 2.5 percent of global sea trade and 40 percent of all US container traffic. If Trump takes the Panama Canal, “that would be a breach of the UN Charter, the governing document that has framed international relations since the second world war,” according to Al Jazeera’s James Bays. This is because the canal is part of Panama, a sovereign country. How many people died building the Panama Canal? During his inauguration, Trump said the US “lost 38,000 lives in the building of the Panama Canal”. In an August 2023 interview, Trump told conservative host Tucker Carlson, “So we built a
Video: What Gaza doctors are saying about the ceasefire
[unable to retrieve full-text content] The ceasefire in Gaza has brought respite for doctors after 15 months of relentless work helping casualties of war.
Full speech: Donald Trump’s second inauguration address
In his inaugural address, President Donald Trump promised a “golden age” for the United States, casting himself as a uniter. But for a speech that heralded a bright future, it often echoed the past. Much of Trump’s rhetoric mirrored his words eight years ago, when he was first sworn in as president and spoke about a country with a failing economy and cities torn apart by crime. Trump said he had the mandate to carry out his vision for the country after winning the popular vote in an improbable political comeback that culminated in his taking the oath of office in the very building his supporters stormed four years ago in a failed attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss. “From this moment on, America’s decline is over,” Trump said, speaking in the US Capitol Rotunda. “Our golden age has just begun.” Read his full inauguration speech below: ‘Stronger, greater, and far more exceptional’ Thank you. Thank you very much, everybody. Wow. Thank you very, very much. Vice President Vance, Speaker Johnson, Senator Thune, Chief Justice Roberts, justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and my fellow citizens, the golden age of America begins right now. Advertisement From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will, very simply, put America first. Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced. The vicious, violent, and unfair weaponisation of the Justice Department and our government will end. And our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud, prosperous, and free. America will soon be greater, stronger, and far more exceptional than ever before. Current government ‘refuses to defend Americans’ I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success. A tide of change is sweeping the country, sunlight is pouring over the entire world, and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before. But first, we must be honest about the challenges we face. While they are plentiful, they will be annihilated by this great momentum that the world is now witnessing in the United States of America. As we gather today, our government confronts a crisis of trust. For many years, a radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens while the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair. We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home while, at the same time, stumbling into a continuing catalogue of catastrophic events abroad. Advertisement It fails to protect our magnificent, law-abiding American citizens but provides sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions, that have illegally entered our country from all over the world. We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defence of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders or, more importantly, its own people. Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency, as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina — who have been treated so badly — and other states who are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago or, more recently, Los Angeles, where we are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defence. They’re raging through the houses and communities, even affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country — some of whom are sitting here right now. They don’t have a home any longer. That’s interesting. But we can’t let this happen. Everyone is unable to do anything about it. That’s going to change. Trump prays with businessman Mike Stewart in Asheville on his visit to a site damaged by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, October 21, 2024 [Brian Snyder/Reuters] We have a public health system that does not deliver in times of disaster, yet more money is spent on it than any country anywhere in the world. And we have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves — in many cases, to hate our country despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them. All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly. Advertisement End of ‘America’s decline’ My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal and all of these many betrayals that have taken place and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and, indeed, their freedom. From this moment on, America’s decline is over. Our liberties and our nation’s glorious destiny will no longer be denied. And we will immediately restore the integrity, competency, and loyalty of America’s government. Over the past eight years, I have been tested and challenged more than any president in our 250-year history, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. The journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one — that, I can tell you. Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and, indeed, to take my life. Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear. But I felt then and believe even more so now that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. That is why each day under our administration of American patriots, we will be working to meet every crisis with dignity and power and strength. We will move with purpose and speed to bring back hope, prosperity,
‘Definitely worth it’: Trump supporters share their inauguration day experiences
Donald Trump supporters who attended the president’s inauguration parade at Capital One Arena in downtown D.C. on Monday shared their experiences braving the cold in the nation’s capital. Trump supporters told Fox News Digital they arrived as early as 4:30 a.m. Monday and stood for hours in the cold weather to secure a seat at the arena for the inaugural parade, noting that the line to get in had already formed by the time they arrived bright and early. Reports indicated that supporters had begun lining up as early as the night before. The parade got moved indoors amid concerns about the cold weather, but one supporter noted that it wasn’t as cold as she had expected. “This morning we got up at 4. We got on the train at 5 [in the morning] and got here, and already the line was forming,” a supporter who traveled from Texas said. “We stayed in the cold weather for five hours.” TRUMP SUPPORTERS WAIT OVERNIGHT OUTSIDE CAPITAL ONE ARENA IN FRIGID TEMPERATURES “We got here [Sunday] night, but we stayed closer to the airport just to not fight traffic,” added Kaitlin Rogers, who traveled from Delaware. “Ubered in, got here at what? 6:30 [in the morning]? Stood in line for four and a half hours.” Gina Raper, a Trump fan from North Carolina, said she arrived as early as Friday to attend Trump’s Sunday rally ahead of the formal swearing-in ceremony and “stood out all day in the rain” to secure a seat there as well. “We were there 5 o’clock yesterday morning and stood out all day in the rain. We got in, it was awesome,” said Raper. “Then we were there at, like, 4:30 or 5 this morning, all day.” TRUMP SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE INAUGURATION DAY IN DC STREETS: ‘TODAY IS A DAY OF FREEDOM’ When asked if their experience was worth braving the cold, the answer was a resounding yes. “We’re so thankful,” Raper said after gaining entrance to Capital One Arena on Saturday. “It wasn’t as cold as we thought it was going to be. It was definitely worth the wait,” added Andrea Rogers, who was traveling with Kaitlin from Delaware. “We are so happy to be here.” When asked what they hope to see out of the new Trump administration, the supporters who spoke to Fox News Digital highlighted Trump’s plans to secure the border and “rebuild” the military. One supporter said he was hoping to see the new Trump administration challenge the pharmaceutical and food industries, which are priorities of Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “Good leaders train good leaders, and he’s got the best team I have ever – well, everybody would agree, everybody in America – this is the best team,” said Raper. “Trump will fix it!” one supporter said.
Texas regulators overhaul oilfield waste rule for the first time in four decades
The new rule modernizes some aspects of commercial oilfield waste disposal and recycling. But rules for burying oilfield waste on private property remain limited.
Oil companies leaked less methane in West Texas, a new report says. Environmentalists are skeptical.
Methane is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere and is 80 times the potency of carbon dioxide.
Massachusetts must pay feds $2.1B after mistakenly using pandemic funds to cover unemployment benefits
Massachusetts must pay the federal government $2.1 billion over the next 10 years to resolve a debt after the state under former GOP Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration mistakenly used federal pandemic funds to cover unemployment benefits. Current Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, and her deputies released details on Monday of a settlement they reached with the outgoing Biden administration last week in which the state will repay most of the money it owed because of the error, the State House News Service reported. In 2023, Healey announced that her administration uncovered that the prior administration improperly used about $2.5 billion in federal pandemic relief funds to cover unemployment benefits that should have been funded by the state. The total liability exceeded $3 billion, including fees and interest, according to Healey’s office. Negotiations with the U.S. Department of Labor dropped the total owed to $2.1 billion over the next decade. DEM MASSACHUSETTS NOW WANTS TO LIMIT ILLEGALS IN CRIME-RIDDEN MIGRANT SHELTERS “We were dismayed to uncover early on in our term that the previous administration misspent billions of dollars in federal relief funds and that our state was facing what could have been a more than $3 billion tab to pay it back,” Healey said in a statement on Monday. “For the past year and a half, we have engaged in extensive negotiations with the U.S. Department of Labor to minimize the impact on Massachusetts residents, businesses and our economy,” she continued. “Today, we have reduced our potential liability by over $1 billion and negotiated a decade-long payment window to mitigate the impact.” The governor added that it is “incredibly frustrating that the prior administration allowed this to happen” but that the current administration is “going to use this as a moment to come together with the business and labor community to make meaningful reforms to the Unemployment Insurance system.” Payments will begin Dec. 1 and continue each year for the next decade. The agreement states that principal payments must come from the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund, which is funded by a tax on employers and is also used to cover benefits, according to the State House News Service. Interest payments will come from the state’s General Fund. Healey’s office said businesses will not face higher rates on their unemployment insurance payments through at least the end of next year, at which point rates will depend on system reforms. BLUE STATE GOV CHANGES TUNE AFTER VOWING TO FIGHT TRUMP DEPORTATION EFFORTS, NOW HOPES HE FIXES BORDER The governor vowed to pursue changes to soften the burden on employers, who already face higher costs to support an uptick of claims during the pandemic, according to the State House News Service. Healey directed state Labor Secretary Lauren Jones and Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz to “conduct a comprehensive review of the solvency of UI and assess potential reforms.” The Healey administration projected the UI Trust Fund would be hundreds of millions of dollars in debt by the end of 2028, even before taking into account the $2.1 billion in additional payments.
Mahakumbh 2025: Billionaire Gautam Adani attends world’s largest religious gathering, performs seva, WATCH here
His Adani Group and ISKCON have joined hands to serve meals to the Maha Kumbh Mela devotees for the entire duration.