Day: January 6, 2026
Tiny Caribbean island agrees to offload asylum seekers from US after Trump admin restricts visas
The small Caribbean island nation of Dominica has come to an agreement with the United States as the nation works to resolve some broader restrictions President Trump placed on it late last year.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced Monday that Dominica will begin accepting foreigners seeking asylum in the United States, the Associated Press reported.
‘The prime minister still has not told the Dominican public what exactly he has agreed to.’
However, many details about the deal are still unknown, including the number of asylum seekers and whether Dominica has the capacity to absorb them, according to Thomson Fontaine, the leader of the country’s main opposition party, the United Workers Party.
“The prime minister still has not told the Dominican public what exactly he has agreed to, in terms of the numbers of persons that are going to come to Dominica, where will they be housed, how will they be taken care of,” Fontaine told the AP.
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Photo by Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images
Dominica has a population of merely 72,000 people.
Skerrit did not provide details about the deal when asked by Fox News, but he did confirm that he has been in ongoing discussions with U.S. officials after the broader visa limitations were announced on December 16.
President Trump announced entry restrictions on several countries last month, including partial restrictions on Dominica. These visa restrictions went into effect on January 1.
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CDC announces massive overhaul of child vax schedule, drops numerous recommended jabs
At the time President Donald Trump took office last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was recommending that all American children get vaccines for 18 diseases, loading kids up with more than twice as many doses as their European counterparts were receiving.
As the result of an overhaul of the schedule announced on Monday, the agency is now recommending universal childhood vaccinations for only 11 diseases.
‘America will no longer require 72 “jabs” for our beautiful, healthy children.’
Trump issued a presidential memorandum last month directing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Jim O’Neill, the acting CDC director, to “review best practices from peer, developed countries for core childhood vaccination recommendations — vaccines recommended for all children — and the scientific evidence that informs those best practices.”
In the event that they found that foreign practices were superior to current domestic recommendations, Trump tasked Kennedy and O’Neill with updating the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule accordingly.
O’Neill discussed childhood vaccine recommendations and policy with health officials from various first-world nations as well as with vaccine safety experts at the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
He also reviewed a comprehensive scientific assessment that not only compared American vaccine recommendations with dozens of other first-world nations but “analyzed vaccine uptake and public trust, evaluated clinical and epidemiological evidence and knowledge gaps, examined vaccine mandates, and identified next steps.”
The CDC indicated that the assessment “found that the U.S. is a global outlier among developed nations in both the number of diseases addressed in its routine childhood vaccination schedule and the total number of recommended doses but does not have higher vaccination rates than such countries.”
O’Neill ultimately approved a corresponding decision memo from the agency heads of the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare, recommending immunization for measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilius influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus, and chickenpox for all children.
While the core schedule now recommends only these 11 — just one more than is recommended in Denmark — the CDC recommends on an individual basis: RSV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal B, meningococcal ACWAY, and dengue vaccines for “high-risk groups” and hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, influenza, and COVID-19 vaccines.
The overhaul has evidently vexed elements of the medical establishment who oversaw the precipitous decline in trust in U.S. public health.
‘This decision protects children.’
“Today’s announcement that HHS is drastically altering the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule without a transparent process or clear scientific justification represents the latest reckless step in Secretary Kennedy’s assault on the national vaccine infrastructure that has saved millions of lives. His actions put families and communities at risk and will make America sicker,” Ronald Nahass, the president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said in a statement.
Ofer Levy, director of the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, likewise questioned the transparency of the process, suggesting “not all of this was really hashed out in a discussion that was available for the public to listen to and participate in.”
O’Neill noted that these changes are part of a broader effort to regain the trust of the American people.
“One of the consequences was parents declining recommended vaccines for their children,” stated O’Neill. “Parents who think that more than 80 doses per child is too many may now consider giving their children the 10 vaccines in the international consensus of 20 nations, plus the varicella vaccine.”
Kennedy thanked O’Neill for his “leadership and bravery” and noted that “this decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health.”
“This Schedule is rooted in the Gold Standard of Science, and widely agreed upon by Scientists and Experts all over the World,” Trump stated on Truth Social.
“Effective today, America will no longer require 72 ‘jabs’ for our beautiful, healthy children,” continued the president. “We are moving to a far more reasonable Schedule, where all children will only be recommended to receive Vaccinations for 11 of the most serious and dangerous diseases.”
Trump and federal health officials emphasized both that parents can continue to give their children the vaccinations dropped from the schedule and that insurance will continue to cover them.
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McRib fake-out? Sticky lawsuit claims no ‘actual pork rib meat’ in fan-favorite McDonald’s menu item
A class-action lawsuit filed last month is challenging McDonald’s over a cult-favorite menu item, the McRib.
The lawsuit, filed on December 23 in U.S. District Court in Chicago, alleges that McDonald’s engaged in false advertising when promoting the limited-time menu item.
‘We’ve always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them.’
The four plaintiffs in the complaint are Peter Le of Baldwin Park, California; Charles Lynch of Poughkeepsie, New York; Darien Baker of Chicago, Illinois; and Darrick Wilson of Washington, D.C.
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Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images
The complaint claims that the McRib “does not contain any meaningful quantity of actual pork rib meat — indeed, none at all.” The plaintiffs claim that the fast-food chain uses lower-quality cuts of meat instead of rib meat, including, “inter alia, pork shoulder, heart, tripe or scalded stomach.”
In December 2024, when the McRib was available, the complaint shows that the McRib was one of the most expensive individual items on the menu, even exceeding the price of a Big Mac on average.
As a result, had they “known that the McRib did not contain any actual pork rib meat, [the plaintiffs] would not have purchased the McRib or would only have purchased it for a lower price.”
In a statement obtained by CBS News, McDonald’s USA said, “This lawsuit distorts the facts, and many of the claims are inaccurate. Food quality and safety are at the heart of everything we do — that’s why we’re committed to using real, quality ingredients across our entire menu. Our fan-favorite McRib sandwich is made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the U.S. We’ve always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them.”
CBS also reported that McDonald’s denied the specific claim that the McRib contains pork hearts, tripe, or scalded stomach and that the company said the McRib has a base of 100% seasoned boneless pork.
The complaint emphasizes that the marketing for the McRib was “materially misleading” for consumers, potentially affecting their purchasing decisions.
The McRib was first introduced in Kansas City in 1981.
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California Republican suddenly dies at age 65
Update: Reports now indicate that Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa passed away after suffering an aneurysm and later a heart attack during surgery.
Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California has tragically passed away at just 65 years old, according to multiple statements from GOP lawmakers issued Tuesday morning.
LaMalfa was a fourth-generation rice farmer representing California’s 1st congressional district, an agricultural area in Northern California. LaMalfa dedicated over two decades of his life to public service, first as a state legislator and later serving in Congress from 2013 to 2026.
‘Doug brought grit, authenticity, and conviction to everything he did in public service.’
In the wake of the sudden tragedy, many of LaMalfa’s colleagues expressed shock and extended their condolences to his family on social media.
Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
“Jacquie and I are devastated about the sudden loss of our friend, Congressman Doug LaMalfa,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (Minn.) said in a post on X. “Doug was a loving father and husband, and staunch advocate for his constituents and rural America. Our prayers are with Doug’s wife, Jill, and their children.”
Republican Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, who also chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, reflected on his friendship with LaMalfa, recounting personal memories with the late congressman.
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of my colleague and close friend, Congressman Doug LaMalfa,” Hudson said in a statement. “Doug was a principled conservative and a tireless advocate for the people of Northern California. He was never afraid to fight for rural communities, farmers, and working families. Doug brought grit, authenticity, and conviction to everything he did in public service.”
RELATED: ‘It’s a death sentence’: Former Republican senator reveals tragic cancer diagnosis
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
“I cherished our time serving together on the Agriculture Committee and discussing NASCAR — he was a real gear head and motorsports fan. I will deeply miss my ‘amigo.’ Renee and I are praying for his beloved wife, Jill, as well as Kyle, Allison, Sophia, Natalie, and all his loved ones, friends and staff during this incredibly difficult time.”
The House majority now sits at 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to include Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s reported cause of death.
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Water detention basin under QC barangay basketball court uses gravity to work
The underground facility at a newly opened basketball court in Barangay Santa Monica, Quezon City that aims to lessen flooding in the area just uses gravity to operate, an engineer said.
What’s new with the andas for Traslacion 2026
The Quiapo Church has unveiled the modified andas or carriage of the image of Jesus Nazareno that will be used for Traslacion 2026 on Friday, January 9, 2026.
After failed cash-ins of ‘customer”, storekeeper loses over P30K in e-wallet
A storekeeper in Baseco in Tondo, Manila lost more than P30,000 in his digital wallet after the repeated failed cash-in attempts of his supposed customer.
What is known so far about the Swiss bar fire that killed 40
Who were the victims of the Crans-Montana bar fire in Switzerland? Why were some of them minors? What penalties could the bar owners face? How many exits were there?
