CIA finds Ukraine did not target Putin residence as claim surfaces after Trump phone row

US intelligence briefs president says no evidence of drone strike on Russian leader as Moscow threats harden talks while Kyiv strongly denies the allegation

Julian E. Barnes, Eric Schmitt, Tyler Pager 

Published 02.01.26

The CIA has determined that Ukraine did not target President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia or one of his residences in an attack this week, according to US officials, rebutting an assertion Putin made in a phone call to President Donald Trump on Monday.

John Ratcliffe, the CIA director, briefed Trump on the finding, a person familiar with the matter said.

Trump has not directly acknowledged the intelligence, but on Wednesday, he posted on social media a link to a New York Post editorial that blamed Putin for standing in the way of a peace deal with Ukraine and cast doubt on the veracity of his claim that he was the target of an attack. On Monday, he had said he was “very angry” about the purported attack when Putin told him about it.

The CIA declined to comment, and the White House referred questions to Trump’s social media post.

Russia had used the claim to threaten to harden its stance in negotiations as thorny issues already appear to be hampering talks to end the war. But it has not presented any clear-cut evidence of the purported drone attack, which it said was aimed at Putin’s residence in the Novgorod region, a rural part of the country.

Instead, the finding by US intelligence officials, which was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, aligns with the Ukrainians, who adamantly denied the Russians’ allegations.

In a post on social media, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine called the claim "a complete fabrication intended to justify additional attacks against Ukraine, including Kyiv, as well as Russia’s own refusal to take necessary steps to end the war".

On Monday, even as Trump said he was angry about the purported attack, he conceded that he had no independent confirmation and that it was “possible” it had not happened.

“It’s a delicate period of time,” he said. “This is not the right time. It’s one thing to be offensive because they’re offensive. It’s another thing to attack his house.”

The episode came shortly after Trump and Zelensky met at Mar-a-Lago, the President’s private club and residence in Florida. The two leaders appeared upbeat on Sunday after meeting, though they appeared to make little progress on two of the biggest obstacles to lasting peace: security guarantees for Ukraine against future Russian aggression and Russia’s demands for Ukraine to cede significant amounts of territory.

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, said on Wednesday that he and other senior administration officials had spoken with Rustem Umerov, a top Ukrainian national security official, and other European national security officials about their efforts to end the war.

“We focused on how to move the discussions forward in a practical way on behalf of @POTUS’ peace process, including strengthening security guarantees and developing effective deconfliction mechanisms to help end the war and ensure it does not restart,” he wrote on social media, referring to Trump.

New York Times News Service

Russia hands to US what it says attempted Ukrainian strike on Putin residence

A Russian service member stands next to the remains of a drone, which, according to the Russian Defence Ministry, was downed during the repelling of an alleged Ukrainian attack on the Russian presidential residence in the Novgorod Region, in an unknown location in Russia, in this still image from a video released Dec 31, 2025.
PHOTO: Russian Defence Ministry via Reuters file

PUBLISHED ONJanuary 01, 2026 


MOSCOW — A senior Russian military chief handed to a US military attache on Thursday (Jan 1) what he said was part of a Ukrainian drone containing data he said proved that the Ukrainian military this week had targeted a Russian presidential residence.

Moscow accused Kyiv on Monday of trying to strike a residence of President Vladimir Putin in Russia's northern Novgorod region with 91 long-range attack drones. It said Russia would review its negotiating position in ongoing talks with the US on ending the Ukraine war.

Ukraine and Western countries have disputed Russia's account of the alleged attempted strike.

A video posted on the Russian Defence Ministry's Telegram channel showed Admiral Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of Russia's Armed Forces, handing to the US attache what he described as the controlling mechanism of a drone found among downed fragments.

"The decryption of the content of the memory of the navigation controller of the drones carried out by specialists of Russia's special services confirms without question that the target of the attack was the complex of buildings of the Russian president's residence in Novgorod region," Kostyukov said.

"We presume that this measure will do away with any questions and allow for the truth to be established."

The Ministry had earlier posted a statement on Telegram saying its findings would be turned over to the United States.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that US national security officials had found Ukraine did not target Putin or one of his residences in a drone strike. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

US President Donald Trump initially expressed sympathy for the Russian charge, telling reporters on Monday that Putin had informed him of the alleged incident and that he was "very angry" about it.

By Wednesday, Trump appeared more sceptical, sharing on social media a New York Post editorial accusing Russia of blocking peace in Ukraine.

Ukraine has denied carrying out such an attack and described the accusation as part of a Russian disinformation campaign meant to drive a wedge between Kyiv and Washington after a weekend meeting between Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Year of the bizarre: Strange and shocking events of 2025 capture global headlines

Roundup of the year’s strangest news reveals a world full of surprises

Dildar Baykan Atalay and Gizem Nisa Demir |02.01.2026 - TRT/AA

- A look back at 2025 shows a year defined not only by global politics but by weird, unbelievable incidents that stunned audiences worldwide

ANKARA/ISTANBUL

With the new year just beginning, looking back at 2025 reveals a period marked not only by major political developments but also by a remarkable string of strange and unusual events that made headlines around the world.

From an Italian village where getting sick was forbidden to drug-addicted mice in a police evidence locker, and from a thieving monkey lured by coffee to a woman who woke up in her own coffin, these incidents provided moments of astonishment, humor, and sheer disbelief.

January

Italy bans illness while drug-addicted mice raid evidence locker

The year began with some of its most peculiar stories.

In Italy, the small village of Belcastro, with a population of 1,200 and located 28 miles (45 kilometers) from the nearest hospital, saw its local government issue an extraordinary decree: residents were instructed to avoid getting sick.

The ordinance explicitly stated that villagers should steer clear of illnesses requiring emergency medical intervention.

It urged residents to "refrain from potentially harmful behaviors, avoid domestic accidents, not go out too often, not travel or play sports, and instead rest most of the time."

Mayor Antonio Torchia described the act as a "humorous provocation" aimed at exposing the inadequacies of the regional healthcare system. He noted that the roads to the hospital posed "more risk than any disease," highlighting the perilous journey for those in need of care.

Meanwhile, in the US, the Houston Police Department in Texas reported a unique infestation.

An evidence locker containing approximately 180 tons of confiscated narcotics had become the target of mice.

Police officials said they were struggling to combat the "drug-addicted" rodents, which had consumed a significant quantity of the substances.

They emphasized the challenge of the situation, noting that the disposal of the remaining drugs must still adhere to strict environmental procedures.

February

Uninvited guest in a Dutch hotel room

In February, a guest at a hotel near the coast in Vlissingen, Netherlands received a startling surprise.

Upon entering their room, the customer discovered a seal fast asleep on the floor. The guest immediately notified hotel staff about the uninvited visitor.

After being awakened, the seal reportedly became grumpy but was safely handed over to authorities to be released back into its natural habitat.

March

Thief who swallowed earrings valued around $769,000

A brazen heist took place in the US state of Florida in March.

A thief named Jaythan Gilder posed as an assistant to an NBA basketball player to gain access to a special collection at a jewelry store. While distracting the staff, Gilder swallowed a pair of earrings valued at approximately $769,000.

He also stole a ring worth $575,000 before being apprehended shortly after. Gilder was kept under hospital supervision for days until the earrings were recovered through natural means.

Officials confirmed the jewelry was authenticated and returned to the store.

April

Man unknowingly buys his own stolen car; woodpecker 'charged' with vandalism

April brought a case of incredible coincidence in the UK.

A man named Ewan Valentine, whose car had been stolen, unknowingly purchased his own vehicle back.

After reporting the theft to the police, he found what he thought was an identical car for sale online. He didn't suspect anything initially because the license plate had been changed.

However, Valentine grew suspicious over time as he discovered personal belongings in the trunk and found his own home address saved in the car's navigation system.

Across the Atlantic in the US state of Massachusetts, a woodpecker was blamed for causing damage to more than 25 vehicles in a neighborhood. Resident Janelle Favaloro captured a photo of the avian culprit in the act.

In a social media post, she humorously reported the perpetrator: "There's a punk in our neighborhood. The punk has been identified as being 18 to 24 inches tall, dressed in black and white, and wearing a red hat."

The woodpecker primarily targeted reflective surfaces like side-view mirrors and windows. It is believed that the bird, likely in its mating season, was mistaking its own reflection for a rival. In response, some residents began covering their cars to prevent further damage.

May

Monkeys kidnap infants of another species for unknown reasons

In May, researchers from Germany's Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior made a baffling discovery on Jicaron Island, Panama.

They observed white-faced capuchin monkeys "kidnapping" the infants of another species, howler monkeys, for no apparent reason. Video evidence showed the capuchins snatching the young howler monkeys when they were isolated in the treetops.

Researchers are still unable to explain this behavior but speculate that the capuchins' parental instincts may be misdirected, leading them to "adopt" the young of another species.

June

Hungry elephant helps itself to snacks in Thai market

A wild elephant in Thailand went on a snack run in June.

The owner of a convenience store shared security camera footage of the large animal wandering into his shop. The footage showed the hungry elephant using its trunk to grab and eat snacks from the shelves.

The owner reported that the elephant consumed about nine packs of rice crackers, a sandwich, and several bananas. Staff from a nearby national park were called to help coax the elephant out, and it eventually left the store on its own.

July

'Service with lions' at Chinese restaurant sparks investigation

An unusual dining experience at a restaurant in China's Shanxi province drew media attention in July.

The establishment was reportedly offering an afternoon tea service where, for a fee of 1,078 yuan ($154) for four people, customers could interact with lions. The service also included opportunities for patrons to pet deer and alpacas.

A restaurant employee defended the practice, claiming they had obtained the necessary permits and were "operating like a zoo."

However, the local forestry department issued a statement clarifying that close interaction between humans and such animals is prohibited and announced that an investigation had been launched into the matter.

August

Stolen WWII painting found in real estate ad; zoo asks for pet donations

A long-lost piece of art surfaced in an unexpected place in August.

"Portrait of a Lady," a painting by Italian artist Giuseppe Vittore Ghislandi that was stolen from the Netherlands during World War II, was spotted hanging on the wall of a house in a real estate listing in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Researchers from the Dutch government's cultural heritage unit said there was "no need to question its authenticity," though formal verification would be required upon recovery.

The painting was later digitally removed from the 3D tour in the online listing.

Argentine police raided the home to find the artwork, which had been missing for over 80 years. While the painting was not found, police seized weapons and carvings that could be useful to the investigation, which is now focused on charges of "concealment and trafficking of the artwork."

In Denmark, the Aalborg Zoo caused a public outcry by announcing that it would accept "pet donations" to feed its predators, such as the European lynx. An announcement on the zoo's Instagram account called on the public to donate "small pets" like chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs, as well as live horses.

The post emphasized that donated animals would be "gently euthanized" by trained staff before being used as food.

"Thus, nothing is wasted, and we ensure the natural behavior, nutrition, and welfare of our predators," the statement said.

The zoo even offered a tax deduction to owners who donated healthy horses shorter than 147 centimeters. The announcement was met with widespread public condemnation.

September

Woman scammed by fake astronaut; grandfather picks up wrong child from daycare

September saw a scam of cosmic proportions in Japan.

An 80-year-old woman on the island of Hokkaido was defrauded after meeting a man on social media who pretended to be an astronaut.

The scammer convinced her that his spaceship was under attack and he urgently needed cash to purchase oxygen. The woman sent him approximately 1 million yen (around $6,377).

In Sydney, Australia, a grandfather experienced a stressful mix-up when he went to pick up his grandchild from daycare. He was mistakenly given the wrong child and went home without realizing the error.

The child's mother discovered the mistake upon their arrival, leading to a panic. The grandfather quickly returned the child to the daycare, resolving the situation. The teacher responsible for the mix-up was suspended and an investigation into the daycare center was initiated.

October

Escaped monkey captured with a cup of coffee

A clever tactic led to the capture of an escaped monkey in the US state of South Carolina.

A spider monkey named "Ava" fled from her owner during an autumn festival in the town of Eutawville. Town officials began searching for the primate after learning she was roaming free.

Although they located Ava quickly, she refused to approach any humans. In a stroke of ingenuity, officials placed a cup of coffee on the ground to pique her curiosity. As Ava approached to investigate the coffee, authorities were able to safely capture her and return her to her owner.

November

Woman declared dead wakes up in coffin

One of the year's most shocking events occurred in Thailand in November.

A 65-year-old woman who had been brought to a funeral home for her own funeral was discovered to be alive.

Staff at the funeral home heard noises coming from her coffin and then noticed her moving. The woman's brother explained that she had been bedridden for the past two years and had stopped breathing two days earlier.

She had been transported 310 miles (499 kilometers) in the coffin for the funeral service. Upon the discovery that she was alive, the woman was immediately rushed to a hospital.

*This article is a special report compiling the most remarkable events that made headlines worldwide in 2025, based on coverage by Anadolu correspondent Dildar Baykan Atalay​​​​​​​*

*Originally written in Turkish, it was later translated and adapted into English by Anadolu correspondent Gizem Nisa Demir*

Japan PM joins fight for more female toilets in parliament

Kelly Ng

BBC

2/1/2026

AFP via Getty Images
Japan's first female leader Sanae Takaichi is among one of 58 women MPs who signed the petition for more female toilets

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is among some 60 female lawmakers petitioning for more women's toilets in the parliament building to match their growing representation in the legislature.

A record 73 women were elected into the 465-seat Lower House in October 2024, exceeding the previous high of 54 in 2009.

One opposition lawmaker, Yasuko Komiyama, said there were often "long queues in front of the restroom... before plenary sessions start", and quoted another MP who said she had "given up" going to the toilet before a session began.

There is one female toilet with two cubicles near the plenary chamber, though the entire building itself has nine female toilets with 22 cubicles.

There are a total of 12 men's toilets with 67 stalls and urinals across the building, according to local media reports.

The current situation is "often inconvenient" because female staff and visitors also share the toilets, said Ms Komiyama from the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party.

"I want to raise my voice and prepare myself for the day when women hold more than 30% of [parliamentary seats] in the future," she wrote in a post on Facebook.

Japan's parliament building was built in 1936, a decade before women were given the right to vote in 1945. The first women were appointed to parliament in 1946.

The parliament building is a sprawling three-storey structure, with a central portion that is nine storeys high. The building occupies 13,356 square metres (143,800 sq ft), the equivalent of about two football pitches, with a total floor area of 53,464 square metres.

"If the administration is serious about promoting women's empowerment, I believe we can count on their understanding and cooperation," Komiyama said, according to Japanese media.

Chair of the Lower House committee Yasukazu Hamada has "expressed a willingness" to consider the proposal for more women's toilets, said an Asahi Shimbun report.

The Japanese government earlier set a target of having 30% of leadership roles across all sectors of society held by women by 2020, but at the end of that year the timeframe was quietly pushed back by a decade.

Women currently hold nearly 16% of the seats in the Lower House and about a third – or 42 out of 125 seats – in the Upper House.

Takaichi, who became Japan's first female leader in October last year, had pledged to raise female representation in her cabinet to levels comparable to Nordic countries, which hold the top spots in terms of female leadership.

But she has appointed just two other women to her 19-member cabinet.

In Japan, the dearth of women's restrooms extends beyond the legislative chamber.

Long lines in front of women's public restrooms are a common sight nationwide.

Former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had said his government would look into "enhancing women's restroom facilities" to make Japan a society where "women can live their lives with peace of mind".

Trump welcoming 'loyalists with little expertise' for commission on DC projects

The entrance to the "Art and Ideals: President John F. Kennedy" exhibition at the recently renamed Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 29, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Alex Henderson 

January 01, 2026

In predominantly Democratic Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump is putting his stamp on a wide range of projects — from a lavish White House ballroom that will replace the recently demolished East Wing to renaming the Kennedy Center the Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. And according to Washington Post reporters Dan Diamond and Jonathan Edwards, Trump White House officials are "moving to install Trump-aligned appointees to a commission charged by Congress with reviewing Washington's public art and national memorials."

In an article published on New Year's Day 2026, Diamond and Edwards note that Trump's allies are "seeking members likely to clear the way for" his "controversial ballroom and other projects."

"The White House is expected to invite past Trump appointees to rejoin the Commission of Fine Arts, according to three people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss those plans," the Post journalists explain. "Trump officials have described the move as returning former members to uncompleted four-year terms that were cut short by the Biden Administration, the people said. It is not yet clear whether those former members — architectural critic Justin Shubow, developer and designer Rodney Mims Cook Jr., sculptor and painter Chas Fagan, landscape architect Perry Guillot and architect Steven Spandle — would accept the invitation."

Diamond and Edwards report that according to Post sources, the commission is prioritizing loyalty to Trump over experience.

"White House officials have also considered appointing Trump loyalists with little formal arts expertise, according to one of the people and another who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations," the Post journalists note. "The commission faces intensifying scrutiny over the president's building agenda, which includes a proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom addition to the White House that is now the subject of a legal challenge."

Diamond and Edwards add, "Beyond the ballroom, the commission is expected to review future projects that would shape Washington's landscape, including a planned triumphal arch."

Read Dan Diamond and Jonathan Edwards' full article for The Washington Post at this link (subscription required).

Neuroscientist shatters MAGA’s testosterone claim

Alex Jones at The People's Convention in Detroit on June 16, 2024 (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)

Alex Henderson

January 01, 2026

ALTERNET

In the Manosphere, a variety of anti-feminist ideologies — from PUAs (pickup artists) to MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way) to incels — often accuse feminists and progressives of trying to make men less masculine. And a conspiracy theory pushed by Infowars' Alex Jones and others on the far right claims that the left, in its quest for political dominance, is using soy products to decrease men's testosterone and make them weak and passive. "Soy boys," Jones contends, are effeminate progressive males and the result of a leftist war on masculinity.

But neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky, in an article published by the New York Times on New Year's Day 2026, stresses that high levels of testosterone aren't necessarily synonymous with masculine traits.

"In particularly prickly corners of MAGA World," Sapolsky explains, "a low-blow way of dissing the men you despise — often left-leaning guys with a fondness for empathy, equality, even democracy — is to charge them with having low levels of testosterone. Take Elon Musk, who, a while back, reposted a screed about how 'low T' men can't think freely because they 'can’t defend themselves physically.' Or consider the 'soy boy' insult popular a few years ago in the same circles, based on the false idea that chemical compounds in soy feminize men's hormonal makeup."

However, Sapolsky — a biology professor at Stanford University in California — says that extensive scientific research isn't consistent with MAGA's "soy boy" claims.

"Beyond my own research," Sapolsky notes, "decades of data show that testosterone does not ensure dominance, nor does it act as a straightforward trigger of aggression. This may come as a surprise. Males of endless species, including us, tend to have higher testosterone levels and to be more aggressive than females; aggression and testosterone levels rise in males at puberty; and males of species that compete for territories annually show increased aggression and testosterone levels at those times."

Sapolsky adds, "Note, however, that there's some evidence that the causality could run in the other direction: Engaging in aggressive behaviors may trigger a spike in testosterone."

Sapolsky points out that "within normal ranges," testosterone levels "are not strongly predictive of aggression."

"Scientists now believe that testosterone makes people and animals more sensitive to threats to their status — to the point of perceiving threats that are imagined and amplifying the aggressive response to such threats," according to the neuroscientist. "For instance, a male impala with high testosterone may be more sensitized to challenges to his territory, attacking an interloper when it comes within 100 yards of him, instead of the usual 50…. If society is riddled with aggression, don't blame testosterone; blame us for being too prone to dole out status for aggression."

Read Robert Sapolsky's full New York Times article at this link (subscription required).

Christian leader debunks MAGA claim that America was 'intended to be a theocracy'

Alex Henderson

January 01, 2026

ALTERNET

When Vice President JD Vance spoke at Turning Point USA's recent AmericaFest 2025 convention in Phoenix, he told the MAGA crowd that the United States "always will be a Christian nation." And Vance isn't the only MAGA Republican who is claiming that there is no separation of church and state in the U.S. Constitution.

Many Christian nationalists are claiming that the Constitution was designed to be a religious document even though the First Amendment clearly states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The First Amendment promises freedom of religion, but it also forbids government to give one religion preferential treatment over another.

In an op-ed published by The Philadelphia Inquirer on New Year's Day 2026, a Baptist minister, the Rev. Michel J. Faulkner, debunks the "Christian nation" argument coming from Vance and other Christian nationalists.

"America was shaped by Judeo-Christian principles, but it was never intended to be a theocracy," argues Faulkner, who chairs of the Philadelphia Council of Clergy's board of directors. "America's unity is powerful precisely because we do not have a state religion. Faith compelled by law is no faith at all. Genuine belief cannot be coerced; it must be chosen. The Gospel advances by witness, persuasion, and sacrificial love, not by legislation or force."

The 68-year-old Faulkner has a background in both sports and religion. In the early 1980s, he played American football for the New York Jets. And he has a connection to the Religious Right: After meeting the Moral Majority's Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr. in 1985, Faulkner, a registered Republican, worked at Falwell's Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Yet Faulkner rejects the Christian nationalist claim that the U.S. government was meant to be operated as a theocracy.

"I say this as a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ: The church does not need the power of the state to fulfill its mission," Faulkner continues writes. "History shows that when the church weds itself too closely to political power, it loses its prophetic voice and relinquishes its spiritual authority. America is not the Kingdom of God, and it was never meant to be…. If we confuse America with the Kingdom of God, we will ultimately diminish both — robbing the nation of its moral responsibility and the Gospel of its eternal power."

The Rev. Michel J. Faulkner's full op-ed for The Philadelphia Inquirer is available at this link (subscription required).

Release of Jack Smith interview shows 'why Jim Jordan didn’t want public testimony': experts

Former U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith walks, on the day of a closed-door deposition as part of a House Judiciary Committee inquiry into his now-dismissed cases against U.S. President Donald Trump over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his retention of classified documents, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 17, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon

Sarah K. Burris

January 01, 2026

ALTERNET

The video of a closed-door interview with former special counsel Jack Smith was released at the end of the day, New Year's Eve, but it hasn't stopped legal analysts from walking through some of the most important details.

Elections lawyer Marc Elias couldn't help but laugh that he still "live[s] rent free in the heads of these MAGA idiots." The Smith interview took place before the House Judiciary Committee, where Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) did a large part of the questioning

Legal analyst Allison Gill, who co-hosted a podcast named "Jack" about the special counsel, noted that she understands now why Jordan wanted to bury the interview.

"Half way through the Jack Smith transcript and it’s become abundantly clear why Jim Jordan didn’t want public testimony. Jordan spends a lot of time whining about the toll subpoenas, and Jack Smith shuts him down every time," Gill wrote on BlueSky.

In the morning podcast, Gill and co-host Dana Goldberg cited an exchange between Jordan and Smith where the former probed him on specific actions he took.



"The whole time Jim Jordan had the microphone, which was a long time," Gill began, "he winged about the toll record thing where the members of Congress against the 'Speech or Debate Clause' got their phone records subpoenaed by Jack Smith, and it should be against the law. And every time Jack Smith was like, yeah, that's cool, bro, but it's not against the law, and the courts agreed. So, we did it. And if you have a problem, guess what? You make laws."

"You fix the f—— law!" Goldberg added with a chuckle.

Gill also pointed out a key point in the Smith probe about Rudy Giuliani, who Smith's team asked whether he believed his 2020 election lies. Giuliani confessed he didn't "and that neither did Donald Trump."

"The President of the United States is a criminal. Thank you for your service, Jack Smith," echoed Trump foe George Conway on BlueSky.

NBC News' justice reporter Ryan Reilly highlighted Jack Smith saying that he wouldn't be surprised if Trump told the DOJ to indict him.

MeidasTouch legal commentator Katie Phang detailed the questions about Smith's proof that Trump was the instigator of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

"The first is the evidence here made clear that President Trump was by a large measure the most culpable and most responsible person in this conspiracy," Phang explained. "These crimes were committed for his benefit. The attack happened at the Capitol, part of this case does not happen without him. The other co-conspirators were doing this for his benefit. So, in terms of why we would pressure a case against him, I entirely disagree with any characterization that our work was in any way meant to hamper him in the Presidential election."

Smith went on to confirm that the evidence they gathered showed Trump prompted the Jan. 6 attack.

"As I said, our evidence is that he in the weeks leading up to January 6th created a level of distrust," Smith said. "He used that level of distrust to get people to believe fraud claims that weren't true. He made false statements to state legislatures, to his supporters in all sorts of contexts and was aware in the days leading up to January 6th that his supporters were angry when he invited them and then he directed them to the Capitol. Now, once they were at the Capitol and once the attacks on the Capitol happened, he refused to stop it. He instead issued a tweet that without question in my mind endangered the life of his own vice president. And when the violence was going on, he had to be pushed repeatedly by his staff members to do anything to quell it. And then, even afterwards, he directed co-conspirators to make calls to Members of Congress, people who had — were his political allies, to further delay the proceedings."

 

KAKISTOCRACY

Trump allies are looting the Kennedy Center: senator

'Can't stand on that stage': More artists are canceling Kennedy Center shows due to Trump

Sarah K. Burris

January 01, 2026

ALTERNET

President Donald Trump appointed his acolytes to oversee the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and immediately began looting, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said in an interview with The Guardian.

“You float stuff and you float stuff and you float stuff until people get inured to what a stupid or outrageous thing it is that has been floated and then you pull the trigger," Whitehouse said.

As part of Trump's "renovations" of the Kennedy Center was ordering new letters to put his name on the building above Kennedy's name. Much like the Department of Defense, the name of the cultural center can only officially be changed by Congress, which established it in law. Still, the administration ordered the sign. Past appointees to the board were ousted. The new Trump board did a quick vote to change the name and within hours workers began installing Trump's name.

After Trump's moves in November, Whitehouse and other lawmakers began a formal investigation into accusations that the board were mismanaging the financials of the center.

Documents Whitehouse found it is being operated as a “slush fund and private club for Trump’s friends and political allies."

“We began to get information about mischief taking place at the Kennedy Center and we got strong enough signals that we mounted an effort to dig into it and see what seemed actually to be going on," said Whitehouse.

“It was out of that effort that the report and letter came, which basically suggested that, when the brigands took the ship, their first instinct was to loot it for their own benefit and hire their friends and put people up in fancy rooms at the Watergate [Hotel] and let favored organizations get free access and it was all part of a MAGA party atmosphere."

So far, under their leadership, the Kennedy Center has suffered from millions of dollars in losses. So, Whitehouse demanded the records from the new board chairman, longtime Trump pal, Ric Grenell.

Grenell responded alleging Whitehouse was making “partisan attacks and false accusations."

Any "financial chaos" has come not from his leadership but the previous president was “quite literally making the building fall apart."

One contract Grenell entered into was with FIFA to have exclusive use of the entire Kennedy Center from Nov. 24 to Dec. 12 for The World Cup events.


"Estimates provided by Whitehouse show this will cost the Center $5,038,444 in losses from direct rental fees, programming rescheduling, labor, food and beverage and other services. Multiple events were cancelled or rescheduled to accommodate FIFA," The Guardian report said.

Grenell claimed FIFA was paying for the expenses in lieu of a rental fee.

Whitehouse questioned the claim, saying nothing in the documents confirms Grenell's promises.

FIFA has been “brown-nosing Trump relentlessly and giving him comical peace trophies to butter him up and at the same time getting free access to the Kennedy Center," Whitehouse said about his concerns.


The PR person for the Kennedy Center claimed FIFA was giving more than the $5 million-plus in rental fees.

But the contract shows rental discounts have already been given to conservative groups.

The report cited a NewsNation deal, where the network scored a $19,820 discount for it's town hall. The American Conservative Union Foundation got a $21,982.60 discount as they hosted a CPAC event titled The Christian Persecution Summit. The Guardian reported that the contract file specifically cites “waived costs from OOP” (the Office of the President).

There's another contract paying $15,000 a month to Grenell’s former colleague. There are no details on the contract. Grenell swears his contract was "covered" by a donation.


In May, the Kennedy Center began paying $10,833.33 to Kari Lake's husband, Jeff Halperin to do "social media capture/editing" services.

There have also been hefty expenses on luxury entertainment and hospitality for "staff and associates." That's when Grenell billed the Kennedy Center for $27,185 for rooms at the luxury Watergate Hotel. Then there are dinners and lunches, champagne service and more for staff who also worked for Grenell's political organizations.

“If they weren’t paying the proper ordinary Kennedy Center rates, they’re being given a benefit and those benefits seem only to be going towards groups that are affiliated with Trump and MAGA. It’s basically a direct way to use this public facility to put money into the pockets of groups that are allied," said Whitehouse.

All of this is happening while the Kennedy Center is over budget amid falling ticket sales and major acts canceling shows. Grenell blamed the previous administration.


Whitehouse fears it's just the tip of the ice berg.

"I don’t think you can underestimate the importance of narrative enhancement to the MAGA movement. They will lie their way through very obvious facts to protect a narrative," he said.

Read the full report here.

Tax the Rich, Say Mamdani, Sanders, and NYC Inauguration Crowd

“For too long in our city, freedom has belonged only to those who can afford to buy it,” said the new mayor. “Our City Hall will change that.”


US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) swears in Zohran Mamdani as New York City mayor as Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, hold a Quran at City Hall on January 1, 2026.
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Jessica Corbett
Jan 01, 2026
COMMON DREAMS


“Tax the rich. Tax the rich. Tax the rich.”

The chants broke out at City Hall in New York on Thursday as US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) addressed the crowd before swearing in Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who campaigned on a platform that prioritized NYC’s working class.

“Demanding that the wealthy and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes is not radical. It is exactly the right thing to do,” declared Sanders—who endorsed Mamdani even before his June primary victory over former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and “the billionaire-backed status quo.”

The 34-year-old mayor on Thursday described Brooklyn-born Sanders—50 years his senior—as “the man whose leadership I seek most to emulate, who I am so grateful to be sworn in by today.”

During the afternoon inauguration ceremony—which followed an early morning swearing-in at the abandoned subway station beneath City Hall—Mamdani also called for taxing the rich as he reiterated the agenda that secured him over 1.1 million votes in November.

“Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously. We may not always succeed, but never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try,” he said. “To those who insist that the era of big government is over, hear me when I say this: No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives.”




“Here, where the language of the New Deal was born, we will return the vast resources of this city to the workers who call it home,” Mamdani vowed. “Not only will we make it possible for every New Yorker to afford a life they love once again, we will overcome the isolation that too many feel, and connect the people of this city to one another.”

The mayor said that “the cost of childcare will no longer discourage young adults from starting a family, because we will deliver universal childcare for the many by taxing the wealthiest few. Those in rent-stabilized homes will no longer dread the latest rent hike, because we will freeze the rent.”

“Getting on a bus without worrying about a fare hike or whether you’ll be late to your destination will no longer be deemed a small miracle, because we will make buses fast and free,” he continued. “These policies are not simply about the costs we make free, but the lives we fill with freedom. For too long in our city, freedom has belonged only to those who can afford to buy it. Our City Hall will change that.”

The ceremony also featured remarks from another early Mamdani supporter, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), as well as the swearing-in of Jumaane Williams for a third term as New York City’s public advocate and Mark Levine, the new comptroller.

“New York, we have chosen courage over fear,” said Ocasio-Cortez, whose district spans the Bronx and Queens. “We have chosen prosperity for the many over spoils for the few. And when the entrenched ways would rather have us dig in our feet and seek refuge in the past, we have chosen instead to turn towards making a new future for all of us.”




As NYC kicked off the new year with progressive city leadership, 2025 findings from the Bloomberg Billionaire Index sparked fresh wealth tax demands. According to the tracker, the world’s 500 richest people added a record $2.2 trillion to their collective fortunes last year. About a quarter of that went to just eight Big Tech billionaires: Jeff Bezos, Sergey Brin, Michael Dell, Larry Ellison, Jensen Huang, Elon Musk, Larry Page, and Mark Zuckerberg.

In New York, Mamdani has proposed raising the state corporate tax rate from 8.85% to 11.5% and hiking taxes for individuals who make more than $1 million a year. Achieving those goals would require cooperation from state legislators.

Mamdani acknowledged Thursday that for much of history, the response from City Hall to the question of who New York belongs to has been, “It belongs only to the wealthy and well-connected, those who never strain to capture the attention of those in power.”

In the years ahead, he pledged, “City Hall will deliver an agenda of safety, affordability, and abundance, where government looks and lives like the people it represents, never flinches in the fight against corporate greed, and refuses to cower before challenges that others have deemed too complicated.”

“Together, we will tell a new story of our city,” the mayor said. “This will not be a tale of one city, governed only by the 1%. Nor will it be a tale of two cities, the rich versus the poor. It will be a tale of 8.5 million cities, each of them a New Yorker with hopes and fears, each a universe, each of them woven together.”

'Obscene greed!' Fury as 8 billionaires pocket 25% of global wealth gains in one year

Billionaire class rakes in $2.2 trillion as Trump era supercharges extreme wealth

Jessica Corbett,

 Common Dreams
January 1, 2026 

FILE PHOTO: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk arrives to the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. Chip Somodevilla/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Led by Big Tech billionaires including Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, and Elon Musk, the world’s 500 richest people added a record $2.2 trillion to their collective wealth in 2025, Bloomberg reported as the year ended on Wednesday.

“Obscene greed! While billions of people live in poverty,” human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell responded on X—a social media platform now controlled by Musk, the richest person on Earth. “It’s why we need a global wealth tax.”

Musk—who could become the world’s first trillionaire thanks to his new controversial pay package as CEO of Tesla—is one of just eight ultrawealthy individuals who got around a quarter of all the gains recorded by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The others are Amazon founder Bezos and Oracle chairman Ellison, as well as Michael Dell, Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Jensen Huang of Nvidia, and Meta‘s Mark Zuckerberg. The previous year, Bloomberg noted, “the same eight billionaires made up 43% of the total gains.”

According to Bloomberg, the gains that brought the combined net worth of all 500 people to $11.9 trillion “were turbocharged” by the 2024 election victory of President Donald Trump. The Republican and his relatives were among the “biggest winners” of 2025, gaining at least $282 million, for a net worth of $6.8 billion.


The “winners” also include Musk, who gained $190.3 billion for a net worth of $622.7 billion; Ellison, who gained $57.7 billion for a net worth of $249.8 billion; and Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart, who gained $12.6 billion for a net worth of $37.7 billion.


After Trump’s electoral win, several Big Tech billionaires buddied up to him, with Bezos, Musk, Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai all attending his inauguration. Musk then spent several months spearheading the administration’s attack on federal workforce as the de facto leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Sharing the Guardian‘s coverage of the findings on the social media network Bluesky, British climate scientist Bill McGuire warned that “if the monstrous political-economic system that is tearing our planet, the climate, and its people apart isn’t brought to its knees—then humanity will be.”

The Guardian pointed to Oxfam International’s November statement that $2.2 trillion “would have been more than enough to lift 3.8 billion people out of poverty,” which the humanitarian group highlighted ahead of the Group of 20 Summit hosted by South Africa, whose government used its G20 presidency to push for solutions to global inequality.

“Inequality is a deliberate policy choice. Despite record wealth at the top, public wealth is stagnating, even declining, and debt distress is growing,” Oxfam executive director Amitabh Behar said at the time. “Inequality rips away life opportunities and rights from the majority of citizens, sparking poverty, hunger, resentment, distrust, and instability.”

A June 2024 report from French economist and EU Tax Observatory director Gabriel Zucman—prepared for the G20’s Brazilian presidency—estimated that a global 2% minimum tax on the wealth of 3,000 billionaires could generate about $250 billion.

As seven Nobel laureates, including Joseph Stiglitz, noted in a July op-ed published by the French newspaper Le Monde, “By extending this minimum rate to individuals with wealth over $100 million, these sums would increase significantly.”