Day: December 18, 2025
NFL star Puka Nacua’s brother accused of taking Lakers player’s car in West Hollywood
Samson Nacua, the brother of Rams star Puka Nacua, was arrested for allegedly stealing Lakers player’s SUV in West Hollywood with an accomplice.
Common dental health issue may hint at more dangerous medical condition
New research reveals strong links between gum disease and heart problems. Plaque buildup in gums may signal increased cardiovascular risk for patients.
Scandal leaves International Criminal Court grasping for legitimacy amid probe of Israel
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan faces explosive sexual assault allegations while pursuing Israeli arrest warrants, raising questions about institutional credibility.
201 House Democrats vote against blocking Medicaid dollars for kids’ transgender surgeries
House Democrats largely oppose bill banning Medicaid funding for transgender treatments for minors, with only four crossing party lines in the 215-201 vote.
Joy Behar demands invoking 25th Amendment against Trump over mocking plaques under Biden, Obama portraits
Joy Behar called for the 25th Amendment to be used against President Donald Trump on “The View” over his new White House plaques targeting former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
NYC rabbi urges Mayor-elect Mamdani to condemn ‘globalize the intifada’ phrase in wake of Sydney attack
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch urged New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” following the deadly antisemitic attack at Sydney, Australia.
Trump to hand out $2.6B in ‘warrior dividends’ — and the surprising pot he’s pulling the money from
President Donald Trump announces housing supplement for 1.4 million military members funded by the “big beautiful bill,” crediting tariffs for generating revenue.
Putting God back in ‘degraded’ US Chaplain Corps: Hegseth axes pagan codes and New Age guides
Earlier this week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that he would be overhauling yet another aspect of the military: the Chaplain Corps.
On Tuesday, Hegseth explained a directive that will effectively overhaul the United States Chaplain Corps, “the spiritual and moral backbone of our nation’s forces” that, for hundreds of years, “ministered” to the “souls” of American servicemen and women, as he explained in the video.
‘In an atmosphere of political correctness and secular humanism, chaplains have been minimized, viewed by many as therapists instead of ministers.’
Hegseth recounted the long history of the Chaplain Corps, which dates back to 1775, when George Washington himself established it. The “weakening” of this important institution has become “a real problem for our nation’s military,” Hegseth said.
“Sadly, as part of the ongoing war on warriors, in recent decades its role has been degraded,” Hegseth said in the video. “In an atmosphere of political correctness and secular humanism, chaplains have been minimized, viewed by many as therapists instead of ministers. Faith and virtue were traded for self-help and self-care.”
Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
As evidence of the New Age influence in the military, Hegseth referred to the United States Army’s Spiritual Fitness Guide, which mentions “God” only once and “virtue” not at all, even as 82% of the military identify as “religious.”
Hegseth ordered the elimination of this “unacceptable and unserious” Spiritual Fitness Guide and the simplification of the Faith and Belief Coding System, an “overly complex” classification system of over 200 different beliefs.
The Faith and Belief Code was apparently expanded in March 2017. The expansion went into more detailed distinctions among Protestant denominations, and it included alternate belief systems like “Magick and Spiritualist,” “Wicca,” “Pagan,” “New Age Churches,” “Humanist,” and “Heathen.”
Hegseth promised more changes in the near future, saying that there will be a “top-down cultural shift” in the military that puts “spiritual well-being on the same footing as mental and physical health.”
“We are going to make the Chaplain Corps great again,” he posted on X.
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Haitian pair busted for allegedly using their mini-stores as fronts for $7M SNAP fraud scheme
Two Haitian men have been accused of using their small Boston-based retail stores as a front for a $7 million food stamp fraud scheme.
The United States Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts announced charges against 74-year-old Antonio Bonheur and 21-year-old Saul Alisme. Authorities arrested both men on Wednesday and charged them with one count of food stamp fraud, which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
‘The fraud was shocking and glaring.’
Court documents revealed Bonheur is a naturalized U.S. citizen, and Alisme is a Haitian citizen with lawful permanent residence in the U.S.
Bonheur owned Jesula Variety Store, a 150 square-foot retail space, and Alisme owned Saul Mache Mixe Store, a 500 square-foot location. Both establishments were located in Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood.
Despite the stores’ small footprints, they redeemed millions of dollars’ worth of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 per month. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the redeemed funds outpaced those of a nearby full-service supermarket, which redeems approximately $82,000 per month.
Bonheur was allegedly receiving his own SNAP benefits, which he used to transfer for cash at his store.
RELATED: $500 million in SNAP funds is reportedly spent on fast food because of state program
Jesula Variety Store. Image source: United States Attorney’s Office criminal complaint
Despite 70% of the stores’ SNAP transactions exceeding $95, they stocked “little legitimate food inventory,” the attorney’s office found.
“During undercover operations conducted at both businesses over the course of the investigation, SNAP benefits were allegedly trafficked for cash on four occasions from Jesula Variety Store and on two occasions from Saul Mache Mixe Store,” the attorney’s office wrote. “In each instance, the defendants themselves allegedly worked the cash registers and personally exchanged SNAP benefits for cash. Both stores were also allegedly observed selling liquor in exchange for SNAP benefits.”
Additionally, the stores allegedly sold a donated food product intended for food-insecure children overseas and not authorized for retail sale.
RELATED: Trump admin drops hammer on SNAP scammers after finding 186K dead people collecting benefits
Saul Mache Mixe Store. Image source: United States Attorney’s Office criminal complaint
“To be certain, these were not supermarkets. They were not full-service grocers. It would be a huge stretch to even call them convenience stores,” said U.S. Attorney Leah Foley during a Wednesday press conference. “There is no plausible way SNAP-eligible food could have been purchased from these stores for this long. Yet these two stores are alleged to have illicitly trafficked nearly $7 million in SNAP benefits.”
“The fraud was shocking and glaring,” she added.
Foley explained that the investigation also uncovered alleged “financial manipulations.”
“Because the stores had little legitimate inventory, and almost no lawful income, the defendants relied almost entirely on [U.S. Department of Agriculture]-funded SNAP redemptions,” Foley continued. “To conceal their fraud, they used numerous bank accounts to transfer the SNAP benefits around between the accounts they controlled to create the illusion of legitimate business activity.”
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Texas crook with 37 prior arrests gets released from jail, cuts off ankle monitor, then steals over $200K in jewelry: Cops
A Texas male with 37 prior arrests was released from jail, cut off his ankle monitor, then went on a crime spree, stealing over $200,000 in jewelry, KSAT-TV reported, citing the San Antonio Police Department and new documents.
Michael Allen Loving, 38, was arrested again Tuesday after being accused in connection with a string of recent robberies and thefts, namely from pawn shops and mall jewelry stores, the station said.
“I would say that it’s brazen that he just walks in, in the middle of the day,” said Camelia Juarez, a SAPD public information officer, according to KSAT. “He will just smash the glass, break it and take off with [the jewelry].”
More from the station:
Arrest affidavits related to Loving’s most recent arrests detail how he used that “smash and grab” technique at JCPenney at North Star Mall in October and at an EZ Pawn shop on West Woodlawn Avenue earlier this month.
The affidavits said that he stole more than $37,000 worth of gold chains from JCPenney and another $45,000-plus in jewelry from the EZ Pawn shop.
In both cases, Loving walked in and specifically asked employees to show him what he referred to as “cubans,” some of the most expensive jewelry in the display cases, the affidavit said.
Loving smashed the glass cases in both businesses, grabbed the jewelry, and ran off, KSAT said, citing the arrest affidavits.
Loving also threatened EZ Pawn shop workers with a gun, police told the station.
“After he threatened those two employees at the EZ Pawn, he went to dozens of other jewelry stores,” Juarez added to KSAT.
Juarez said Loving went on to steal more than $150,000 in jewelry from another business, the station said.
Prior to his crime spree, Loving was arrested in connection with a smash-and-grab theft at an H-E-B on South Zarzamora Street, KSAT said, adding that police said he hit someone with his car as he fled. Officers later found the vehicle abandoned and found Loving — who had removed all of his clothing, the station said.
He was soon released from the Bexar County jail with an ankle monitor — then just days later, he cut off the ankle monitor and went on his crime spree, police told KSAT.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office told Blaze News on Wednesday morning that Loving is behind bars.
Juarez said investigators believe Loving has targeted other business owners who have not yet reported crimes, the station said, adding that other potential victims should call SAPD’s Property Crimes Division at 210-207-8326.
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