(CNN) A day after part of a missile fired by the United States hit their village, landing just meters from its only medical facility, the people of Jabo in northwestern Nigeria are in a state of shock and confusion. Not long after the impact in Jabo, Trump declared on Thursday that the US had carried out a “powerful and deadly strike” against ISIS militants in the region, who he accused of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries!” But Trump’s explanation has left villagers scratching their heads. While parts of Sokoto face challenges with banditry, kidnappings and attacks by armed groups, villagers say Jabo is not known for terrorist activity and that local Christians coexist peacefully with the Muslim majority.

(The Guardian) As 2025 draws to a close with Trump struggling to stay awake at meetings, the prevailing image is of a driver asleep at the wheel. Opinion polls suggest that Americans are turning against him. Republicans are heading for the exit ahead of congressional contests next November that look bleak for the president’s party. The polls suggest that groups who moved towards Trump in 2024 – including young voters and Latino voters – are now deserting him and returning to the Democratic fold, animated by jobs, inflation and healthcare.

(Raw Story) You know how you’ve been listening to all the chatter about the expiring of the Affordable Care Act premium subsidies on Dec. 31 with about 25 percent of your attention? Well, it may be time to engage the other 75 percent. Brace yourself, because this thing really is about to happen, devastating a giant swath of Americans. It isn’t just some amorphous issue afflicting the lower class. No, ladies and gentlemen, it’s about to hit home for you too. The result of this expiration isn’t going to be abstract, gradual, or theoretical. It will instead be immediate, personal, and devastating for the millions who will be losing their health insurance almost overnight and millions more whose premiums will skyrocket.

(Washington Post) When Sen. Bill Cassidy announced in February that he would vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary despite concerns about his skepticism of vaccines, the Louisiana Republican said he had secured a commitment from Kennedy to testify before the committee Cassidy chairs once a quarter if asked. But Kennedy has not come before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee since May — and he’s hardly the only administration official who has frustrated senators by failing to show up.

(The Hill) Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is calling on the Trump administration to pause its plan to raise national park entrance fees, calling the move “discriminatory.” Wyden is among a group of five senators who sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. In November, the Department of the Interior announced a new fee structure, which will charge non-residents $250 for an annual national park pass. The passes will cost $80 for United States citizens and residents. According to Wyden’s office, this is the first time the U.S. is requiring proof of residency to access public lands. The new fee structure also requires non-residents ages 16 and up, who do not have an annual pass, to pay $100 to enter 11 of the most visited parks in the country.

(Mediaite) An Afrikaner who came to the U.S. after President Donald Trump claimed the country would be a safe haven for people like him has been held in federal detention for months since his arrival. Benjamin Schoonwinkel came to the U.S. in September, believing he would be protected after Trump’s many statements to that effect. But on arriving at an Atlanta airport, he was detained and handcuffed by the U.S. border agents whom Schoonwinkel told he was seeking asylum. The South African man was transferred to a federal detention facility within two days and has remained there ever since. After leaving behind a life of relative comfort on the word of Trump, he now sleeps on a metal bunk bed.

(Raw Story) Utah voters are coming forward to allege that Republican operatives are lying to trick people into signing a petition to put repeal of the state's anti-gerrymandering law on the ballot, reported The Salt Lake Tribune on Friday. It's the latest saga in a years-long war the Utah GOP has fought over Proposition 4, which was passed by voters in 2018. Several Utahns came forward to tell reporters about the underhanded tactics allegedly used to trick them into signing the petition, when they in fact support Proposition 4.

(The Guardian) A Kentucky congressman singled out by Donald Trump on Christmas as a “lowlife” after co-authoring a law requiring the federal government to release all of its Jeffrey Epstein files says the president attacked him for keeping a commitment to “help victims”. Thomas Massie then successfully sought donations for his run for another term in the 2026 midterm elections against an opponent that Trump – his fellow Republican – has already endorsed.

(NPR) A federal judge this week canceled the trial of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran man who was mistakenly deported, and scheduled a hearing on whether the prosecution is being vindictive in pursuing a human smuggling case against him. Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw, Jr. wrote in Tuesday's order that Abrego Garcia had enough evidence to hold a hearing on the topic, which Crenshaw scheduled for Jan. 28.

(Daily Beast) The number of Americans who say they have no religious affiliation has reached an all-time high, according to a massive running study. Data from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) shows that 28 percent of Americans identify as “religiously unaffiliated,” up from 16 percent in 2006. A significant fall-off in religious affiliation among younger people has fueled the rise.