News
Compiled by Michael Hernandez, 2-10-25
There are so many stories making up the mosaic of national/international news that we can’t cover them all every week. The biggest stories now seem to be: the Trump admin, immigration (migrants and illegals), wars, weaponization of government (the deep state) against Trump and conservatives, our nation going bankrupt, massive inflation, climate change controversy and related expenses of government, industry attempting to address these issues, the Chinese threat, drones, national security, abortion, anti-Christian hate, terrorist attacks and Los Angeles fires. Here are just a few:
Feb. 3: Fox News By Stepheny Price
Panama Pledges To End Key Canal Deal With China, Work With US After Rubio Visit
Panama’s president vowed Sunday to end a key development deal with China after meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and after complaints from President Donald Trump that the Latin American country had ceded control over its critical shipping canal to Beijing.
José Raúl Mulino, Panama’s president, said his nation’s sovereignty over the 51-mile waterway, which connects the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, will remain unchanged. But he said he would not renew a 2017 memorandum of understanding to join China’s Belt and Road global development initiative and that Panama would instead look to work more closely with the U.S.
Rubio, who was a senator representing before Trump tapped him to be America’s top diplomat, said his team is ready to push the U.S. agenda. During his visit, Rubio wrote in a post on X that “the United States cannot, and will not, allow the Chinese Communist Party to continue with its effective and growing control over the Panama Canal area.”
Trump has complained that China exerts control over the canal and charges U.S. ships six-figure premiums to cross Panama’s isthmus. The canal was built over several decades by the U.S. and completed in 1914 but handed over to Panama during the Carter administration. Trump has made regaining ownership of the Panama Canal a priority in his administration.
House Republicans introduced a bill for the United States to repurchase the Panama Canal after Trump raised concerns that the critical waterway is under Chinese control. The bill, named the Panama Canal Repurchase Act, was introduced by Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a member of the Select Committee on China and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/panama-pledges-end-key-canal-deal-china-work-us-after-rubio-visit
Feb. 4: Gateway Pundit By Cullen Linebarger
Secretary Of State Marco Rubio Strikes “The Most Extraordinary Migrant Agreement Anywhere In The World” With El Salvador
Significant news broke Monday night that could prove an absolute game-changer in President Trump’s arduous efforts to keep America safe and ship out illegal aliens. And we have one fearless leader of a small country in Central America to thank for this.
As CBS News reported, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele to urge him to do more to assist the Trump administration on its illegal immigration crackdown.
Bukele, who has become a global hero for turning El Salvador into the safest country in the Western Hemisphere thanks to his iron-fist approach to criminals, came through in dramatic fashion. Rubio said what the two agreed to is genuinely historic.
Feb. 4: Gateway Pundit By Cristina Laila
Senate Votes 54-46 To Confirm Pam Bondi As US Attorney General
The Senate voted 54-46 to confirm Pam Bondi as US Attorney General. Democrat Senator John Fetterman went rogue and voted “YEA” to confirm Pam Bondi. The Democrats gave back their time so the full Senate was able to vote Tuesday evening to confirm Pam Bondi.
Pam Bondi, Florida’s former Attorney General, vowed to keep politics out of the DOJ if confirmed as she sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee last month.
Feb. 4: Gateway Pundit By Jim Hoft
CIA Offers Buyouts To Its Entire Workforce With Generous Eight-Months Pay & Benefits Package As Trump Moves To Downsize Federal Bureaucracy
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has reportedly extended a buyout offer to its entire workforce. This follows President Trump’s proposal to encourage millions of federal workers to resign by Feb. 8 in exchange for pay and benefits lasting until September 30.
It can be recalled that a joint interim report released by the House Judiciary Committee, the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence exposed that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) colluded with Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign to discredit the Hunter Biden laptop story.
The report, titled “The Intelligence Community 51: How CIA Contractors Colluded with The Biden Campaign to Mislead American Voters,” provides new insights into the involvement of former intelligence officials in shaping public perception during the election. According to the report, 51 former intelligence officials signed a public statement on October 19, 2020, suggesting that the Hunter Biden laptop story had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”
This statement was issued shortly after the New York Post published a report detailing how Hunter Biden allegedly leveraged his father’s position for personal gain. The joint report reveals that some signatories, including former Deputy CIA Director Michael Morell and former CIA Inspector General David Buckley, were active CIA contractors at the time they signed the statement. Notably, the report indicates that senior CIA leadership, including then-Director Gina Haspel, was aware of the statement prior to its release.
Feb. 5: Gateway Pundit By Assistant Editor
White House Press Secretary Responds To Jordan Conradson On Army Recruiting Levels Reaching 15-Year Highs Under Trump
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday credited a more than decade-long high in military recruiting levels to President Trump’s strong leadership and Pete Hegseth’s proven record as somebody “who understands what it means to deploy.”
Previously, under the Biden Administration and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin consistently fell short of recruiting goals as men and women did not want to be mistreated and then sent off to die at the hands of Joe Biden.
Recruiting has been hampered by COVID-19 vaccine requirements, an increasingly woke military atmosphere where trans solider are given special privileges while Christian soldiers were persecuted, bases hosting drag shows, and leaders with a history of anti-white statements. However, since President Trump won the 2024 election, Americans have been inspired to serve.
Feb. 6: Breitbart By Pam Key
Homan: ‘We Will Seek Prosecution’ Of Any Mayor Or Governor Who Impedes Deportations
Border czar Tom Homan said Thursday on Fox News Channel’s “The Faulkner Focus” that he would “seek prosecution” of any mayor or governor that impeded their mass deportation operation. Homan said, “I think the American people, they gave President Trump a mandate. It’s immigration, the border security, immigration enforcement’s number one, and we’re going to keep President Trump’s promise. I looked at the numbers this morning, ICE has already arrested just short of 12,000 people in this country, vast majority are criminals, public safety threats. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
He continued, “And for any mayor or governor who doesn’t want public safety threats removed from the communities, I find it hard to believe that. But we’re going to do it, with or without them. If they’re not going to help, get out of the way. But don’t cross that line. Do not impede our operations. Do not knowingly conceal or harbor an illegal aliens because we will seek prosecution. We’re going to do what the President promised the American people.”
Feb. 6: Fox News By Jackson Thompson
NCAA Officially Bans Trans Athletes From Women’s Sports One Day After Trump Signs Executive Order
The NCAA has officially changed its gender eligibility policies to ban all biological males from women’s sports one day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to address the issue. The governing body of college sports announced on Thursday afternoon its new participation policy for transgender student-athletes. “A student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team,” the new policy reads. The new policy still allows biological females to compete on men’s teams.
Feb. 6: Gateway Pundit By Jim Hoft
President Trump: “Billions Have Been Stolen At USAID And Other Agencies – This Could Be The Biggest Scandal Of Them All – Democrats Can’t Hide”
US President Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday that “billions of dollars have been stolen at USAID and other agencies.” Trump added, “This could be the biggest scandal of them all, perhaps the biggest in history. Democrats can’t hide from this one. Too big, too dirty.” President Trump is referring to the billions of dollars allocated by USAID that never made it to people in need. Other resources from USAID made it to NGOs who were organizing the invasion of America.
Feb. 6: Red State By Teri Christoph
Trump Administration Cancels All Media Contracts After Politico’s $34 Million Scandal
In the wake of the revelation that $34 million was transferred from taxpayer wallets into the coffers of far-left media outlet Politico, the Trump administration has ordered the General Services Administration (GSA) to terminate all media contracts for which the GSA currently pays. Included in the list of outlets affected are the aforementioned Politico—whose “Pro” product has gotten particular scrutiny—plus Bloomberg and the BBC. Axios, another far-left media outlet, obtained a copy of a memo sent to the GSA by an unnamed Trump administration official directing the agency to do two things:
- Pull all contracts for Politico, BBC, E&E (Politico sub) and Bloomberg
- Pull all media contracts for just GSA – cancel every single media contract today for just GSA only.
Feb. 7: Red State By Mike Miller
‘Wrong Side Of History’: California Defies Trump, Will Still Let Trans Athletes Compete In Girls’ Sports
“One day, the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) board will look back and realize they chose to be on the wrong side of history.” Those are the stark words of California Family Council (CFO) Outreach Director Sophia Lorey, who told Fox News Digital on Thursday that California’s announced intent to defy President Donald Trump’s “No Men In Women’s Sports Executive Order,” which he signed on Wednesday, made her feel “disgusted.”
As Fox News Digital reported on Friday, California officials will not fall in line with Trump’s order to stop so-called “transgender” athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. “Competing” used in this context is a disgrace, but I digress. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, CIF said it will continue to follow the no-longer-Golden State’s law that allows athletes to participate as whichever gender they “identify.” Might I add: with zero consideration for the health and safety of actual girls and women.
Feb. 8: Breitbart By Olivia Rodeau
Grenell Calls Out Bass-Appointed L.A. Fire Recovery Chief For $500K 3-Month Salary: ‘Gross, Offensive’
Ric Grenell, President Donald Trump’s Envoy for Special Missions, slammed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s (D) fire “recovery czar” for his large three-month salary of $500,000 paid by charity groups.
Bass announced former L.A. police commissioner Steve Soboroff as the head of the rebuilding efforts following the devastating fires that destroyed homes and businesses and claimed at least 29 lives over a three-week period. Soboroff will be “paid $500,000 over three months, with funding coming from charitable groups,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
Feb. 9: Breitbart By Joel Pollak
Steve Soboroff Agrees To Work For Free, After $500,000 Salary Exposed
Los Angeles “Chief Recovery Officer” Steve Soboroff said Saturday night that he would work for free, after coming under fire for earning $500,000 for three months of work, even though his salary was to have been paid privately.
———————————–
Michael Hernandez, from California is co-founder of the Citizens Journal—Ventura County’s online news service. He is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor. Mr. Hernandez can be contacted at
[email protected] and is editor of the weekly “Stories Speak Volumes.”
