Tucker Carlson on Somali scammers: “Recently, we learned that in both Minnesota and the state of Maine, they have committed… massive multibillion-dollar Medicaid fraud.”

🚨Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York City mayor.

A federal appellate court ruled Wednesday that the Trump administration must return control of hundreds of California National Guard troops to Governor Gavin Newsom, the New York Times reports.

Fire engulfs top of Vondelkerk (Vondel Church) in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Protesters have escalated unrest by torching government offices and police facilities in the city of Ramz al Arabiyya in Al Ahwaz, marking a new phase in the unrest.

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced that, under the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, forces assigned to Joint Task Force–Southern Spear (JTF-SS) carried out strikes on Tuesday, December 30, against three narco-trafficking vessels operating as a convoy in international waters. According to SOUTHCOM, intelligence indicated the vessels were traveling along a known narcotics trafficking route and had transferred illicit drugs among themselves prior to the operation. Three narco-terrorists aboard the first vessel were killed in the initial strike. Crew members on the remaining two boats reportedly abandoned their vessels, jumping overboard before follow-on engagements sank both ships. All three vessels were believed to be linked to a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO). After the operation, the U.S. Coast Guard launched search-and-rescue efforts for any survivors.

During a public address, a protester confronted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, saying: “Mr. Pezeshkian, please take ten minutes to review your debate statements. People are under immense pressure because of livelihood issues.” Pezeshkian responded, “We are also concerned about the people’s livelihoods.”

Iranian protesters set fire to a Basij base in the Chenar area of Asadabad in Iran’s Hamadan province, local reports said. The Basij, a volunteer force linked to the IRGC, is often deployed to quell unrest. Protests entered a fourth day.

Some CIA officials were reportedly frustrated by President Donald J. Trump’s recent decision to publicly take credit for a covert drone strike earlier this month on a drug-trafficking-linked facility in Venezuela. Current and former officials told the Wall Street Journal that the operation was meant to remain secret, or at least not be overtly tied to the United States. “There was near-universal dismay among former intelligence officials that President Trump chose to disclose what almost certainly was intelligence community covert action,” said Marc Polymeropoulos, a former senior CIA operations officer.

House Representative Don Bacon criticized President Donald Trump’s response to Russia’s claims of an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Vladimir Putin’s residence, saying the president and his team must first establish the facts, adding that Putin is “a well-known shameless liar.”