Day: January 30, 2026
‘Nothing Less Than Holocaust Inversion’: Prominent Holocaust Scholars Denounce Israel-Bashing Nonprofit Named After Holocaust Survivor
More than 100 prominent Holocaust and genocide scholars are sounding the alarm on an “extremist” Israel-bashing nonprofit named after a Holocaust survivor who coined the term “genocide,” according to a letter obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. Exploiting the survivor’s name while accusing the Jewish state of genocide, the letter’s leader said, is “nothing less than Holocaust inversion.”
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Former Harvard History Chairman Boasts of Transforming It From ‘White Male Affinity Group’
A former chairman of the Harvard History Department, Sidney Chalhoub, is out with a piece criticizing the Harvard History Department of the early 1990s as a “white male affinity group” and praising its transformation into today’s veritable United Nations, with “faculty native to more than fifteen countries around the world.”
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Dr. Oz exposes alleged fraud in Los Angeles — so Gavin Newsom calls for investigation into his ‘racially charged’ claims
The head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services posted a video exposing alleged government funding fraud in Los Angeles, and the Democratic governor instead opened an investigation into the “racially charged” allegations.
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz posted a video on his Instagram account showing businesses in Van Nuys that he suspected were fronts for criminal activity and fraud.
‘Given the historic sensitivities involved, we are taking these allegations seriously. Any and all acts of hate have no place in California.’
“What we have learned, there’s roughly $3.5 billion of fraud taking place here in Los Angeles, in hospice and home care,” Oz said. “It’s run, quite a bit of it, by the Russian-Armenian mafia; you notice the lettering and language behind me.”
He called L.A. County the “epicenter” for health care fraud in America.
“Criminals have corrupted the system so much that fraud is now almost expected,” he added. “President Trump has made it clear: We will not tolerate the patient harm or taxpayer funded theft any longer. More to come.”
However, the targeting of Armenian business owners by Oz, who is Turkish-American, led many to believe they were being racially discriminated against.
Rather than look into the claims of fraud, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said he would investigate Dr. Oz.
“Our office is reviewing reports that Dr. Mehmet Oz targeted the Armenian American community in Southern California recently — making racially charged claims of fraud outside Armenian-owned businesses, including a popular bakery,” he posted on social media.
“Given the historic sensitivities involved, we are taking these allegations seriously,” he added. “Any and all acts of hate have no place in California.”
RELATED: Entire board of directors at charter school resigns after allegations of massive fraud scheme
Newsom was referring to hostility between Armenians and Turkish people over the 1.5 million Armenians that were killed beginning in 1915 by the Ottoman Empire, which is now Turkey.
Dr. Oz fired back at the governor.
“If there were a real defense for California’s fraud crisis, we’d hear it. CMS and law enforcement will keep doing the actual work: going after fraudsters, period.”
Garen Janbachian with the Armenian National Committee of America told KNBC-TV that the community was outraged that Oz was singling them out, and they denied allegations of fraud.
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Pipe-bomb prosecutors ‘reckless’ for insinuating Brian Cole’s family was involved, attorney says
The defense team for Jan. 6 D.C. pipe-bomb suspect Brian Cole Jr. accused the U.S. Department of Justice of being “reckless” by insinuating that Cole’s sister and grandmother were somehow involved in the crime.
Defense attorney J. Alex Little filed an 11-page rebuttal of the DOJ’s recent 39-page opposition memo, which seeks to prevent Cole’s release from jail pending trial.
‘It is an unjustified deprivation of liberty.’
Oral arguments on the question were held before U.S. District Judge Amir Ali on Jan. 28. The judge said he would issue a ruling later. On Jan. 16, Judge Ali denied an emergency motion for Cole’s release from custody. The judge set a status hearing for Feb. 27.
Cole was arrested Dec. 4 on a criminal complaint alleging that he planted pipe bombs behind the Democratic National Committee building and near the Republican National Committee building between 7:54 p.m. and 8:16 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2021. In January 2026, he was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with two explosives-related crimes.
‘Resorts to insinuation’
Near the end of its Jan. 23 memo opposing Cole’s release from jail pending trial, the DOJ mentioned that Cole’s sister texted her mother that she was going into D.C. on Jan. 5, 2021. Brittany Cole texted her mother that her grandmother cautioned her there could be protests.
“Unable to identify an actual, present threat, the government resorts to insinuation. It closes its response by suggesting that Mr. Cole’s sister and grandmother may have been involved in the charged conduct,” Little wrote.
“Its proof? Text messages showing that Mr. Cole’s sister — a club promoter who frequently works in Washington D.C. — told her mother she was going to the city, and that her grandmother had warned it might be crowded,” he wrote.
The DOJ memo also mentioned that Cole sent texts to his mother in the days leading up to Jan. 6. There was no mention of the content of those messages. Little said this reference baselessly suggested something nefarious.
A federal grand jury charged Brian Cole Jr. with two explosives-related charges, alleging he planted pipe bombs on Capitol Hill on Jan. 5, 2021. FBI, Prince William County photos
The DOJ said Cole’s sister texted their mother at 4:17 p.m. Jan. 5, writing: “I’m going to dc…Grams said it may be crazy out there so I was just letting you know.” The sister “sent a text message to the defendant a few hours earlier, at approximately 12:39 p.m. on Jan. 5,” the DOJ memo read.
“That is not evidence of involvement. Nor is it evidence of dangerousness,” Little countered. “It is family checking in with each other. The government’s decision to publicly imply, with no factual basis, that these private citizens are connected to domestic terrorism is reckless and reveals how little actual evidence it has that Mr. Cole poses a continuing danger.”
Brittany Cole provided an affidavit on Jan. 27 stating that her job as a concert promoter took her to D.C. that afternoon and that her trip had nothing to do with Jan. 6 or the crimes her brother is accused of.
‘Unable to identify an actual, present threat, the government resorts to insinuation.’
“As part of my work, I routinely had meetings and would attend events in the Washington D.C. area,” she wrote. “I attended these meetings and events as a networking event for my work and the nightclubs I marketed before.”
Tim Lauer, director of external affairs at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, told Blaze News, “When a defendant claims he should be released into the custody of his family, there will inevitably be a court discussion about the appropriateness of that release.”
For nearly a month, the two sides in the pipe-bombs case have argued whether Cole should be held behind bars until trial. The government insists that Cole is so dangerous that no combination of supervision or monitoring could adequately protect the public.
The DOJ said Cole had purchased other items besides the alleged bomb-making components used for the pipe bombs. This included a pressure cooker on July 25, 2020, a funnel and canning jar on Jan. 28, 2021, nails on Feb. 10, 2021, four alarm clocks and duct tape on March 28, 2020, and three analog wristwatches in 2020 and 2021.
Little said the pressure cooker was purchased to cook meals and was not some kind of bomb component.
“Mr. Cole explained during his interrogation that he bought it for the house for cooking, and there is no evidence it has ever been used for anything else,” Little wrote, noting that “millions of Americans own pressure cookers.”
Police walked right past DNC pipe bomb to first look under a bush where bomber sat 17 hours earlier. Photos by U.S. Capitol Police
“The government’s inclusion of this item in a list of purported ‘bomb-making components’ is the kind of innuendo that pervades its argument — suggestive without context but unsupported by any actual evidence,” Little said.
In numerous filings with the court, the DOJ said Cole “used beaker sets to conduct another science experiment to create potassium chlorate,” a chemical “oxidizing agent commonly used in explosives.” This experiment was done sometime after Jan. 5, the DOJ said.
Little said the DOJ “has the timeline wrong.”
‘There is significant evidence of the defendant’s continued interest in bomb-making.’
“This experiment occurred years before the charged conduct, not after,” Little wrote. “During his interview, Mr. Cole described the experiment in detail: He used beakers and got bleach on the carpet. The government’s own discovery confirms that the beakers the government describes were purchased in 2018.”
Cole’s mother, Delicia Cole, provided an affidavit stating, “In or before 2018, while living in my home, Brian attempted a science experiment to create homemade ‘rocket fuel.’” Her son’s attempt to make rocket fuel “was an innocuous science experiment without any ill intent,” Delicia Cole wrote.
Little said the DOJ has provided no forward-looking evidence of Cole being a danger to society. He said his client is willing to be placed under the strictest release conditions, including home detention and GPS monitoring.
“Mr. Cole’s alleged conduct occurred more than five years ago. He has done nothing dangerous since,” Little wrote. “He has no criminal history, strong community ties, and family — including a retired law enforcement officer — willing to ensure his compliance.”
‘Deprivation of liberty’
Given Cole’s willingness to submit to comprehensive release conditions, Little said that continued detention of his client “is not the ‘carefully limited exception’ the Constitution requires — it is an unjustified deprivation of liberty.”
The DOJ cited Cole’s alleged history of purchasing bomb-making components, his alleged confession, and a nearly five-year effort to avoid law enforcement as factors showing he is a danger to society and must remain in custody.
“There is significant evidence of the defendant’s continued interest in bomb-making, and there are concrete reasons to doubt that the defendant will abide by release conditions or that a third-party custodian will effectively monitor him,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones wrote in a memo opposing Cole’s release.
“On this record, and given the statutory presumption of detention, there is clear and convincing evidence that no combination of conditions will reasonably assure the community’s safety if the defendant is released,” Jones wrote.
A U.S. Capitol Police bomb robot (center) responds to the Democratic National Committee building on Jan. 6, 2021. Photos by FBI, U.S. Capitol Police
Little scoffed at the idea that his client evaded law enforcement for nearly five years.
“The government paints him as a criminal mastermind who engaged in a sustained effort to avoid apprehension. But the government’s own evidence tells a different story,” Little wrote.
While the DOJ said Cole “wiped” his Samsung cell phone more than 940 times, Little said that began 18 months after Jan. 5. “If Mr. Cole were trying to destroy evidence of the January 5, 2021, offense, one would expect the wiping to begin immediately afterward, not 18 months later,” Little said.
“The government’s own discovery shows that Mr. Cole purchased CCleaner, an application that advertises its ability to make phones and computers operate faster by cleaning out junk files,” Little wrote. “According to Mr. Cole’s interview, he understood it to be antivirus software.
“According to the government, beginning in July 2022, he started compulsively using the cleaning function — a pattern consistent with his documented OCD.”
The defense submitted an affidavit of Maryland neuropsychologist David O. Black, who said he diagnosed Cole with autism spectrum disorder, level 1, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
“Over the past several years, Mr. Cole has repetitively wiped his phone of junk files,” Black wrote. “Repetitive behavior of this nature is consistent with behavior that is often seen in obsessive-compulsive disorder.”
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‘He is no victim’: Sister of man shot by Border Patrol in Arizona tells anti-ICE protesters to stop defending him
While many on the left expressed outrage at the shooting reported near the U.S.-Mexico border by federal agents, the sister of the man shot says he’s “no victim.”
Very few details were initially available when the shooting 10 miles from the border was reported on Tuesday. One person was shot at about 7:30 a.m. and was in serious but stable condition.
‘He is no victim. He is a violent person. That’s who he always has been.’
The man was later identified as 34-year-old Patrick Gary Schlegel. Police said he had an active warrant for human trafficking when he was stopped and that two men rushed out of his truck after he drove away.
He eventually ran out of the truck and fired gunshots in the direction of a police helicopter pursuing him, which led to his getting shot and being injured in the leg and head.
Amber Schlegel, the man’s sister, told KOLD-TV Wednesday that he had placed many people in danger through his actions.
“To hear that he’s back running illegals again didn’t surprise me, but to hear that he actually fired at federal agents — that took me by surprise,” she said. “He is no victim. He is a violent person. That’s who he always has been.”
She said that she had already sought a protection order against him when he threatened her for speaking out against him.
“He’s where he should be,” she added. “Whether he recovers or not, he needs to be locked up for a very long time.”
Police said they found a handgun, a .45 pistol, and a cell phone in Schlegel’s possession.
The two men who were in his truck allegedly told police that they had paid Schlegel to bring them across the border. One claimed to have paid $8,000, while the other said he paid him $14,000.
The man is charged with assault on a federal officer and had many other previous run-ins with the law.
“Schlegel has a significant criminal history to include an active federal arrest warrant issued in 2025 by the U.S. Marshals Service for escape related to a previous smuggling conviction,” said Heith Janke, FBI special agent in charge in Phoenix.
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Justice Dept Admits to Criminal Investigation into U.S. African Development Foundation Following Judicial Watch Lawsuit
Whistleblowers’ Years-Long Efforts Vindicated (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced that, in a status conference hearing today related to its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit seeking documents regarding corruption at the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF), the U.S. Department of Justice publicly announced an ongoing criminal investigation related to the agency. This announcement comes […]
The post Justice Dept Admits to Criminal Investigation into U.S. African Development Foundation Following Judicial Watch Lawsuit appeared first on Judicial Watch.
Judicial Watch Sues Director of National Intelligence for Records on China Corruption Report
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) for records of its preparation of a congressionally mandated report on the wealth and corrupt activities of the Chinese Communist Party (Judicial Watch Inc. v. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (No. […]
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Unlike Bad Bunny, The Super Bowl Is Going All-In To Celebrate America
Bad Bunny is getting ready to perform the halftime show at the Super Bowl — arguably one of the country’s most American events — but the Puerto Rican singer doesn’t seem too fond of his roots. Bad Bunny notably didn’t stand for “God Bless the USA” at a Yankees game last fall and refused to …
White House And Senate Dems Strike Deal Ahead Of Government Shutdown
The White House and Senate Democrats have struck a deal on funding on the eve of a partial government shutdown. The deal includes separating funding for the Department of Homeland Security from five other appropriations bills, all previously approved by the House, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) office told CNN. The passage of the …
Trump Admin Hits University With Title IX Violation Over Male Athlete In Women’s Sports
San Jose State University was hit with a Title IX violation by the United States Department of Education after an investigation found that the school’s women’s volleyball team kept a male player on its roster from 2022 to 2024. The university is now saying it’s “reviewing” the Education Department’s findings. In a statement to Fox …
