The Epoch Times

🚨 Minimum Wage to Rise in 22 States Workers in 22 states and 66 cities across the United States will get a boost in pay in 2026 as minimum wage hikes take effect. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/ssfsdl

🚨🇺🇸🇪🇺 US Warns EU The foreign trade ambassador for the United States threatened to retaliate against the European Union Tuesday following its $140 million fine against billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s X. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/0o920d

🚨 Wisconsin Supreme Court Orders State to Grant Religious Exemption A Catholic charitable organization in Wisconsin must be granted a legal exemption from the state’s unemployment tax system, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Monday, bringing to a close a years-long legal dispute that reached the nation’s highest court. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/lf7ylj

🚨 Former Harvard Morgue Manager Sentenced for Stealing and Selling Body Parts A former morgue manager at Harvard Medical School has been sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing and selling human body parts donated for scientific research, the Department of Justice said. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/5fkt3o

🚨🇺🇸 Appeals Court Allows Trump’s National Guard Deployment in DC, for Now A federal appeals court on Dec. 17 allowed President Donald Trump’s use of District of Columbia National Guard troops in the nation’s capital to continue while an appeal of a lower court order blocking the deployment plays out. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/po4ted

🚨🇺🇸 Senate Passes $900 Billion Defense Bill The Senate approved the bill in a bipartisan 77–20 vote. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/9s8l9p

🚨 4 Republicans Join Democrats on Obamacare Subsidy Extension Four Republican representatives joined an effort by Democratic lawmakers to force a vote on a clean three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/disn1u

🚨 New Evidence Released in Brown University Shooting Authorities on Tuesday shared a new video timeline and a clearer image of the suspect in the Brown University shooting, though investigators did not indicate they had moved any closer to knowing the shooter’s identity. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/3j5din

🚨🇺🇸 Trump to Meet Plane Carrying Bodies of National Guard Soldiers Killed in Syria U.S. President Donald Trump will meet the plane carrying the bodies of two Iowa National Guardsmen killed in Palmyra, Syria, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Dec. 16. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/1vonlo

🚨 Driver Found Dead Near Seattle A man who drove past warning signs was found dead early Tuesday in a car submerged in floodwaters near Seattle, officials said, in the first reported death following a week of heavy rain and flooding in the region. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/vh25q1

🚨🇺🇸 FAA Warns Airlines FAA warned that unspecified threats could pose “a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, the arrival and departure phases of flight, and/or airports and aircraft on the ground.” Read more: https://theepochtim.es/k75kqk

🚨🇺🇸 DOJ Sues Virgin Islands Police Dept The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against the Virgin Islands Police Department, alleging that unnecessary delays and requirements on gun permit applications infringe on Second Amendment rights. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/blzx2w

🚨 House Passes Bill to Restore Whole Milk to National School Lunch Program The House of Representatives on Dec. 15 passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025, which seeks to restore whole milk to America’s school nutrition programs. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/5ie8yw

🚨 ‘𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧’: 𝟔𝟓 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐰𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐧𝐠’𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚 The call comes as 12 parliamentarians recently joined more than 50 fellow lawmakers in condemning the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/h1oaok

🚨 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐫’𝐬 𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 The commission would consider giving slaves’ descendants monetary compensation, down payment assistance, debt forgiveness, and higher education aid. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/ggvnd6

🚨 𝐔𝐒, 𝐌𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐜𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐱 𝐓𝐢𝐣𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐬: 𝐄𝐏𝐀 EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agreement sets the ‘framework for tremendous steps to be made.’ Read more: https://theepochtim.es/rquut9

🚨 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐄𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝 He took aim at California, suggesting the state’s system of mailing ballots to all active registered voters is not secure. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/12i8u9

🚨 𝐅𝐁𝐈 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐫-𝐚-𝐋𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐝 The release comes as former special counsel Jack Smith is set to testify before the House on Wednesday. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/aizu42

🚨 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐧. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 ‘𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬’ 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 The investigation could lead to a court-martial. Kelly’s lawyer said it has ‘no legitimate basis.’ Read more: https://theepochtim.es/midkj5

🚨 𝐇𝐞𝐠𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭. 𝟐 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐰𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 Republicans and Democrats in Congress are split on the legality and implications of the Trump administration’s actions near Venezuela. Read more: https://theepochtim.es/8wl110