No Confirmation Of U.S. Fighter Jet Over Venezuelan Airspace, Flight Tracking Data Sparks False Alarm
Update (2144ET):
Flightradar24’s software-generated estimate of the U.S. military F/A-18E Super Hornet (RHINO51) initially showed the aircraft’s flight path entering Venezuelan airspace. The data has since shown that this was not the case.
“The black dashed line is an ESTIMATED position based on a few variables and is not the actual track, which on @flightradar24 is shown as a blue line,” X account OSINT noted.
No.
The black dashed line is an ESTIMATED position based on a few variables and is not the actual track, which on @flightradar24 is shown as a blue line. https://t.co/2FzucIEIba
The flight-tracking website Flightradar24reports that a U.S. military F/A-18E Super Hornet (RHINO51) entered Venezuelan airspace near the country’s northern coast just moments ago.
It appears RHINO51 switched off its transponder. More than 113,000 Flightradar24 users tracked the aircraft.
The U.S. military has not confirmed that the fighter jet entered Venezuelan airspace.
Here’s what OSINT folks on X are saying:
🚨✈️ Contacto cercano confirmado
F/A-18E Super Hornet (U.S. Navy)
📛 Callsign: RHINO51
📍 Trayectoria directa hacia costa norte de Venezuela (eje Curazao–Coro)
Patrón indica push táctico bajo cobertura previa AWACS (E-2D).
No es tránsito: es presencia activa y control del… pic.twitter.com/iGn9kWeOug
Hours ago, President Trump said, “It’s not only land strikes on Venezuela, it’s land strikes on horrible people that are bringing in drugs and killing our people you know If we were at war and we lost 200–300 thousand… that’s a war.”
President Trump: “It’s not only land strikes on Venezuela, it’s land strikes on horrible people that are bringing in drugs and killing our people you know If we were at war and we lost 200–300 thousand… that’s a war.” pic.twitter.com/PVMymgWaCh
Coffee is beloved for its caffeine kick and flavor, but it also helps reduce risks from chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease thanks to high levels of antioxidants and other bioactive compounds.
However, along with its nutty flavor and comforting aroma, researchers have found traces of potentially cancer-causing roasting byproducts, mycotoxins from mold, cholesterol-raising compounds, and even pesticide residues that can linger from farm to mug.
The good news is that the choices you make, from the type of coffee you buy to how you store, prepare, and drink it, can reduce these and other unwanted compounds swirling around in your favorite morning brew.
Before you pour out your cup, though, here’s what you need to know.
What Scientists Have Found in Coffee
Coffee contains high levels of antioxidants and bioactive compounds, such as phenolic acids, which studies suggest may be responsible for its health-boosting effects. However, other lesser-known compounds lurking in coffee aren’t as beneficial, and some may actually be harmful to your health.
While scientists have identified trace amounts of various compounds in coffee, the levels detected in research are generally low and do not pose significant health risks to most people. That said, the choices you make about the type of coffee you buy and how you store, prepare, and drink it can further reduce these trace substances.
Mycotoxins From Mold
Improper storage of coffee can lead to mold growth and the formation of mycotoxins, which, in high amounts, may affect kidney function and increase cancer risk, Julia Kopczyńska, microbiologist and doctoral candidate at the Polish Academy of Sciences, told The Epoch Times.
In one study, researchers found 29 different mycotoxins in 48 coffee and chicory samples they tested.
Overall, most research has shown that coffee contains low levels of mycotoxins, and scientists have found that roasting can further reduce these levels, so the overall risk for most coffee drinkers is low.
However, among potential contaminants, Brian Clark, a nurse anesthetist and founder and CEO of United Medical Education, a platform for educating medical professionals, is most concerned about mold-related toxic compounds in coffee.
He noted that people with compromised immune systems may be more sensitive to environmental toxins, such as mycotoxins, making this the compound category that warrants the most attention for vulnerable populations.
Roasting Byproducts
While roasting coffee can reduce mycotoxins, it can also lead to the formation of acrylamide, a compound that has potentially cancer-causing and nerve-damaging properties and may harm a person’s genes, one research review suggests. Acrylamide forms when processing temperatures rise above 120 degrees Celsius (248 degrees Fahrenheit).
However, most healthy adults can process small amounts of acrylamide without adverse health effects. So, it would be difficult for a person who regularly drinks coffee to exceed laboratory exposure limits and experience any neurologic and carcinogenic issues, said Clark.
How people store and brew their coffee can also impact acrylamide levels. Storing beans or ground coffee for at least a year at an average room temperature, then brewing it longer and at a lower temperature, can further reduce acrylamide levels.
The type of bean also makes a difference, as Arabica beans generate less acrylamide than other types.
Natural Coffee Oils (Diterpenes)
Natural oils in coffee, such as the diterpenes cafestol and kahweol, can raise cholesterol levels, particularly in people who drink unfiltered coffee, Kopczyńska noted.
A September review of 11 studies with more than one million participants found that moderate coffee intake (three to five cups per day) may be associated with higher high-density lipoprotein or HDL (good cholesterol) levels, while excessive intake may be associated with elevated low-density lipoprotein or LDL (bad cholesterol) and total cholesterol. Research suggests that diterpenes may influence lipid metabolism and how the body synthesizes and transports cholesterol.
However, diterpenes also have several health-promoting effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anticancer properties, Kopczyńska said.
“Reducing diterpenes is therefore most [important] for people who need to manage their LDL cholesterol levels,” she noted.
Pesticide Residues
In a September study,scientists analyzed nearly 900 coffee samples sold in Egypt for 126 pesticides and found that 21 percent of the roasted samples contained pesticide residues.
Espresso and traditional Turkish coffee brewing methods reduced pesticide residues, the scientists noted, with espresso methods generally being more effective. Despite the findings, the researchers’ risk assessments revealed that the health risks from pesticide exposure through coffee consumption are low.
The Clean Label Project, a nonprofit organization that tests products for contaminants, tested 57 coffee brands for chemicals, including pesticides and glyphosate, a widely used herbicide classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the World Health Organization in 2015. Its report found that only two of 57 coffee samples tested had traces of glyphosate.
However, 41 of the samples, including 100 percent of the organic samples, contained aminomethylphosphonic acid, a byproduct of glyphosate that breaks down more slowly and stays in the coffee beans for longer.
Children exposed to this byproduct may have an increased risk of liver and cardiometabolic disorders by the time they reach adulthood, a 2023 study suggests.
Pesticides and herbicides used on coffee plantations may have harmful effects on the endocrine and nervous systems, but residues in coffee are generally within safe limits, Kopczyńska said. However, she added that they can contribute to a person’s overall exposure from other food or environmental sources.
Your Choice of Coffee Matters
Everything from the type of coffee purchased to the package it comes in, and even what’s stirred into it, can change what ends up in a cup of joe.
Skip the Pods
While convenient, pod-type coffee, or K-cups, which come in plastic containers, can leach chemicals like phthalates (synthetic industrial chemicals) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals,” into a person’s coffee.
PFAS are linked to a host of health concerns. For example, people exposed to high levels of PFAS in their drinking water may be at higher risk for several types of cancer, a January study found.
Research published in February found that machine-brewed pod coffee had about 2.5 times more fluorotelomer sulfonates, a type of PFAS, than the same coffee brewed through a paper filter without the pod. When the scientists brewed plastic pods made from polypropylene, perfluorooctanoic acid, a type of PFAS, increased by 39 percent to 623 percent when machine-brewed compared to manual brewing.
Heat, combined with the pressure created during the brewing process, is how PFAS leaches from plastic pods into a person’s cup, the researchers noted.
Rethink Flavored Coffee
While they may be a delicious change from plain java, artificially flavored brews like French vanilla, hazelnut, or caramel can reduce coffee’s health benefits.
These flavorings can decrease beneficial chlorogenic acids—a group of polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties—and increase the levels of harmful compounds like acrylamide, compared to coffee flavored naturally, according to one study.
Reconsider Decaffeinated Coffee
Pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions, or those who are sensitive to caffeine’s effects might choose decaffeinated coffee as an alternative. However, concerns have emerged over the health effects of methylene chloride, an industrial chemical used in the decaffeination process to extract caffeine.
In July, researchers found that decaffeinated coffee may increase the risk of bladder cancer. In the study, the scientists followed more than 121,000 men and women for 36 years and found that drinking decaffeinated coffee was not associated with total cancer risk. However, men who drank the beverage had a significantly higher risk of bladder cancer than those who did not.
Think Twice About Instant Coffee
That cup of ready-to-drink coffee, which is brewed coffee that’s been dehydrated into powder or granules, is convenient on a busy morning. However, drinking instant coffee may increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration in people genetically prone to the disease, a June study found.
While many factors may play a role, the scientists noted that instant coffee’s impact on the macula may be due to inflammation and oxidative stress induced by the harmful chemicals produced during its production. They suggest that people at high risk for age-related macular degeneration should avoid instant coffee.
Be Mindful of What You Add
Although cream and sugar may make a tasty cup of coffee, adding these could undermine coffee’s health benefits.
In one study, researchers found that drinking black coffee lowered the risk of death from all causes and heart disease. However, these health benefits diminished significantly when coffee contained added sugar and cream, as these additions can contribute to a higher calorie and saturated fat intake.
Nondairy coffee creamers might not be the best choice for people who want to replace traditional cream and sugar in their coffee, either. Typically, nondairy creamers contain partially hydrogenated oils, which are high in trans fatty acids. Trans fat can raise LDL cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease.
Nondairy creamers can also contain emulsifiers such as carrageenan and mono- and diglycerides, which may alter the gut microbiome, potentially leading to intestinal inflammation and immune system dysfunction.
Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and erythritol may be more problematic. Aspartame has been linked to gut biome disruption and increased cancer risks, and erythritol may increase the risk of blood clots, a March study suggests.
Steps to Optimize Your Coffee
If a person is concerned about what’s in their coffee, Clark suggests purchasing whole beans from suppliers who control drying and storage, and storing them in airtight containers in a cool, dry location to slow the breakdown of the beans and inhibit mold growth.
“Although the acrylamide levels in coffee have not been shown to increase cancer risk, it is best to avoid instant coffee and coffee substitutes, which contain up to 300 percent more acrylamide,” Kopczyńska said. “Darker roasts also contain less acrylamide than lighter ones.”
To reduce diterpene intake, Kopczyńska suggests switching to filtered coffee, which contains roughly 30 times less diterpenes than French press or other unfiltered methods.
She also advises people to buy organic coffee, if possible, to minimize cumulative pesticide exposure.
Though organic coffee is grown without synthetic pesticides or herbicides, which can significantly reduce exposure to these chemicals, even organic beans may have traces of pesticide residues due to environmental contamination.
By carefully choosing the type of coffee and being mindful of storage and brewing practices, a person can significantly reduce the presence of unwanted chemicals in their coffee, long before it reaches their morning cup.
At least 11 Palestinians have died in storm-hit Gaza from cold and collapsing buildings within the last 24 hours. Two children – nine-year-old Hadeel Hamdan and an infant, Taim Khawaja – died from cold in Gaza City on Friday, according to medical sources.
Another child, eight-month-old Rahaf Abu Jazar, died in Khan Younis on Thursday after rainwater leaked into her family’s tent during overnight storms. Five people were killed when a damaged house in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, collapsed under floods and strong winds. Several others were injured.
Two more deaths occurred when a wall collapsed on tents of displaced Palestinians in the al-Rimal neighborhood, west of Gaza City. One further death from a crumbling wall was reported in al-Shati refugee camp, north Gaza.
Overall, at least 13 buildings – already partly damaged from Israeli bombing – collapsed due to heavy rain and strong winds, according to the Gaza-based Government Media Office. Some people remain trapped under the rubble, with others wounded.
Meanwhile, over 27,000 tents of displaced families have been destroyed or swept away by floods and strong winds. More than 250,000 displaced people have been affected by rain, floods, and collapsing shelters.
Over 4,300 distress calls have been made across the Gaza Strip since the storm began earlier this week, the Ministry of Interior and National Security said. Despite limited resources, the ministry said search-and-rescue civil defense teams, along with police, are doing their best to help people.
Storm Byron hit Palestine and Israel earlier this week and is expected to continue into Friday. Its impact has been devastating in the Gaza Strip, where nearly 1.5 million people live in tents, while most of the remaining 700,000 reside in partially destroyed buildings.
After two years of relentless bombing that damaged or destroyed around 92 percent of all residential buildings, Israel has blocked the entry of tents and mobile homes into the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.
Storm Byron hits Gaza as nearly 1.5 million Palestinians shelter in flood-prone camps with little protection. Aid groups say Israel’s restrictions on vital shelter materials have left families exposed. Al Jazeera’s @vpietromarchi explains ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/JhZk11zZye
The move violates the terms of the ceasefire agreement signed in October, which stipulated that Israel must allow 300,000 tents and mobile homes into Gaza.
Ahead of the storm, humanitarian workers and health officials warned of “catastrophic consequences” for displaced people if shelters are not allowed into Gaza.
Flight Tracking Data Appears To Show US Fighter Jet Over Venezuelan Airspace
The flight-tracking website Flightradar24reports that a U.S. military F/A-18E Super Hornet (RHINO51) entered Venezuelan airspace near the country’s northern coast just moments ago.
It appears RHINO51 switched off its transponder. More than 113,000 Flightradar24 users tracked the aircraft.
The U.S. military has not confirmed that the fighter jet entered Venezuelan airspace.
Here’s what OSINT folks on X are saying:
🚨✈️ Contacto cercano confirmado
F/A-18E Super Hornet (U.S. Navy)
📛 Callsign: RHINO51
📍 Trayectoria directa hacia costa norte de Venezuela (eje Curazao–Coro)
Patrón indica push táctico bajo cobertura previa AWACS (E-2D).
No es tránsito: es presencia activa y control del… pic.twitter.com/iGn9kWeOug
The black dashed line is an ESTIMATED position based on a few variables and is not the actual track, which on @flightradar24 is shown as a blue line. https://t.co/2FzucIEIba
Hours ago, President Trump said, “It’s not only land strikes on Venezuela, it’s land strikes on horrible people that are bringing in drugs and killing our people you know If we were at war and we lost 200–300 thousand… that’s a war.”
President Trump: “It’s not only land strikes on Venezuela, it’s land strikes on horrible people that are bringing in drugs and killing our people you know If we were at war and we lost 200–300 thousand… that’s a war.” pic.twitter.com/PVMymgWaCh
UBS Outlines Three Reasons For Sober Revolution Crushing Spirits Market
There are just thirteen days until Christmas. Friends and family are gathering; eggnog, spiked with bourbon, dark or spiced rum, or cognac, is flowing, and Christmas music fills homes, restaurants, and bars, blaring from speakers tuned to holiday playlists.
But this Christmas season, like the last few, the spirits market in North America is extraordinarily weak and, according to UBS analysts led by Zuzanna Pusz, unlikely to rebound in 2026.
Pusz outlined three main drivers behind these structural headwinds: generational shifts as Gen Z drinks less and adopts healthy habits; substitution from GLP-1 drugs and legalized cannabis, including Delta-9 THC beverages; and severe wholesaler overstocking that has left the industry flooded with inventory, the worst seen in years.
As the analyst explained:
Three key reasons for continued weakness of US Spirits
The expert discussed several factors behind the continued US Spirits challenges, which in his view are: (1) a generational shift, with Gen Z moving away from alcohol and adopting different drinking habits compared to previous generations (e.g., the “1:1 rule,” i.e. alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks all night); (2) the impact of GLP-1 usage and cannabis legalisation, including the rise of Delta-9 THC drinks; and (3) the persistent issue of overstocking, driven by wholesale commitments, which prevents normalisation even as consumer demand softens (e.g., the holiday season so far is said to have been disappointing, with current inventory levels among the worst seen in years).
Apparently, there’s no bottom in sight for the spirits market:
US Spirits market unlikely to see a material improvement
As part of last week’s 4th US Luxury Field Trip (see more), we held our regular meeting with an experienced industry consultant to gain insights into the dynamics of the US Spirits market, which is relevant for LVMH (Buy, W&S ~7% of EBIT and the US ~34% of divisional sales). Similarly to the past three years, during which the expert was rightly significantly more cautious on a potential rebound in the market, the meeting reiterated the uncertain growth outlook for 2026. Looking beyond, the expert stressed increasing evidence that in the mid to long term the US Spirits market may not return to historical levels of +MSD growth and instead stabilize at +LSD. That said, he sounded more positive on the cognac category, which in his view seems to have bottomed out, with trends expected to improve from here and the category likely being flattish in the US next year, which we believe would be positive for LVMH’s Hennessy.
However, the outlook for cognac shows stabilization:
Cognac likely to hit bottom in 2025
Despite the overall cautious outlook for the US spirits market in 2026, the expert’s tone on cognac sounded the most positive in years. In his view, the category is finally bottoming out as cognac begins to attract new customers, thus addressing one of the industry’s biggest challenges, i.e., its inability to “speak” to younger generations. This is why he expects performance to be broadly flat in 2026, compared to the wider spirits market still trending down low single digits. For LVMH specifically, the speaker highlighted an interesting collaboration with Bad Bunny aimed at recruiting new consumers and expressed admiration for the strong performance of LVMH’s champagne despite challenging category conditions (UBS +1.5% organic sales growth for W&S in 2026).
As we have outlined this year, a sober revolution has swept the country:
This week, the lingering allegations over the marital history of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) took an ominous step when Border Tsar Tom Homan publicly acknowledged that the government is looking into the matter.
Rep. Omar has long denied that she married her brother to gain his entry into the United States, but the allegation has continued to rage on the Internet and among her critics.
The question is whether this is a substantive case of fraud or defamation.
Homan stated that he was investigating whether Omar committed immigration fraud, but also noted that the statute of limitations has been an issue.
“I just got advised by a fraud investigator the other day on that. I asked the question, can we review the files? You know, there was immigration fraud involved. The statute of limitation became an issue in the last four years when this was first brought up…Pulling the records now, pulling the files, and we’re looking at it. But this fraud investigator, who I know personally, one of the best fraud investigators in HSI, Homeland Security Investigations, said there’s no doubt he’d review the file. So, I’m running that down this week as a matter of fact, and we’ll see.”
According to her congressional biography, Omar came to the United States with her family in the 1990s. As I have previously noted, the election of a young immigrant to Congress is genuinely remarkable and commendable.
The questions arose regarding her marriage to Ahmed Elmi in 2009. Elmi was back in the news this week with postings highlighting his lifestyle as a “dirty dandy.” Critics charged that he is actually her brother. The couple divorced in 2017, and no DNA evidence has been offered to support the claim that they are siblings.
President Donald Trump and others have been ratcheting up the rhetoric against Omar and the Somali population in Minnesota. Many of us have objected to some of the attacks on Omar as offensive. As I have previously written, the call for foreign-born U.S. citizens to “go back to their own country” has been made for decades against foreign-born U.S. citizens. However, such attacks are generally protected speech.
The allegation against Rep. Omar is not opinion, but a statement of fact.
Many news organizations have referred to the allegation as “debunked” and “unsupported.”
In defamation, truth is a defense. The truth of the matter, however, has never been easy to establish. In fairness to Rep. Omar, a person should not be in a position of having to “prove a negative.” It is not her obligation to prove that she is not a fraud or that she did not marry her brother. Her critics have never produced compelling evidence to support the claim.
Despite years of such statements by various people, Omar has never sued for defamation. It is a curious omission, since a successful lawsuit would dramatically reduce such claims, and even as a public official she could likely show actual malice in many of her critics.
Conversely, such litigation would also expose Omar to a lengthy discovery process regarding her family’s immigration history and related family issues.
I have taught defamation for over three decades, and it is rare for such an allegation to linger without some legal action by the subject. On its face, this would be a strong defamation case if the allegation is false.
The allegation would fall into one of the “per se” categories of defamation. Under the common law, these per se categories of defamation allow for presumed damages and include: (1) disparaging a person’s professional character or standing; (2) alleging a person is unchaste; (3) alleging that a person has committed a criminal act or act of moral turpitude; (4) alleging a person has a sexual or loathsome disease; and (5) attacking a person’s business or professional reputation. The language differs among the states, but the Omar allegation would constitute a criminal act as well as an attack on her character and reputation.
As a threshold matter, Omar would face a higher standard of proof due to her status as a public official. In New York Times v. Sullivan, the Supreme Court established the actual malice standard, requiring public officials to shoulder the higher burden of proving defamation. Under that standard, an official would have to show either actual knowledge of its falsity or a reckless disregard of the truth. That standard was later extended to public figures.
Many critics are calling the “allegations” worthy of investigation. That is certainly protected. However, it is common to see people on television claim that she married her brother as a factual statement.
The publication of DNA results would disprove these allegations. (There are no allegations of an adopted status for the brother).
If such evidence exists, it would not just be conclusive but compelling for a jury. The question is why Omar has not elected to bring such a case, given the vast array of choices of potential defendants within the statute of limitations. It is a target-rich environment for a defamation lawyer.
As for the president, he has continued to raise the allegation: “If I married my sister to get my citizenship, do you think I’d last for about two hours or something less than that? She married her brother to get in. Therefore, she’s here illegally. She should get the hell out.”
However, he would not be a good target for such an action. The Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2680(h), expressly bars libel, slander, or defamation claims against the United States or a federal employee acting within the scope of their employment. It is possible to sue a government employee acting outside of the scope of their employment. However, the Westfall Act protects federal employees from personal lawsuits for torts committed within the scope of their employment and substitutes the U.S. government as the defendant under the FTCA. Since the FTCA bars liability, it works to force dismissal in cases.
Moreover, this is not just another federal employee. The President also has immunity under Article II and prevailing Supreme Court caselaw. In 1982, the Supreme Court handed down Nixon v. Fitzgerald, holding that former President Richard Nixon was immune from civil suits concerning actions within the “outer perimeter” of his official duties. In 1997, the Court ruled in Clinton v. Jones that President Bill Clinton was not immune from a civil suit filed by Paula Jones — who had accused Clinton of sexual harassment — because the case involved unofficial conduct on the part of the president.
This issue is still being litigated in the case of E. Jean Carroll, who won a significant civil award against the President in New York. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejected the applicability of the 2024 Supreme Court ruling recognizing broad criminal immunity for former presidents as inapplicable to the civil case.
These are statements being made during a presidency and can be claimed as privileged and immune by President Trump.
The same cannot be said for a myriad of pundits and commentators who have stated this allegation as fact.
In the end, such litigation would come down to truth as a defense. These critics are saying that Omar did marry her brother. Even if they did not have a good-faith basis for the assertion, proof that it was indeed true would still be a complete defense.
On the other hand, a defamation lawsuit could offer a dispositive judgment of a court on this lingering question. The question is now whether Rep. Omar will sue.
Snow Threat For Mid-Atlantic I-90 Corridor This Weekend
Ahead of next week’s return to global warming, thank you, Al Gore, for listening to our prayers in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast after weeks of below-average temperatures that felt like the Arctic. A weekend snowstorm is set to blanket the region with accumulating snow.
The NWS Weather Prediction Center published a new snowfall forecast for a weekend winter storm that stretches from the northern High Plains of Montana through the Ohio Valley, the central Appalachians, and the Northeast, including major cities from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston.
Private weather forecaster Weather Madness noted on X, “I expect an Arctic low to develop along the Arctic front, which could produce extra snow along the I-95 corridor from NYC to DCA.”
Weather Madness expects parts of the Mid-Atlantic to receive 4 to 8 inches.
Meteorologist Steven DiMartino at NY NJ PA Weather published a short video earlier that details the incoming snow threat for the Mid-Atlantic area.
Mother Nature will take out her paint brush and color in the Northeast along the coast including NYC and Boston with “blue coloring” or more than 2″ of snowfall ❄️and then just about everyone will have had snow before December 15th.
Meteorologist Ben Noll said, “A whopping 235 million people across the United States have experienced well below-average temperatures so far this December.”
Next week, much milder air from the West will erase the chill in the East.
There are signs these warmer conditions may stick around leading up to Christmas. pic.twitter.com/0AlWkQYWvp
Gov. Gavin Newsom has made reducing the homelessness crisis in California a top priority, saying the scale of the state’s efforts is “unprecedented” and calling for the continued expansion of his signature effort – Project Homekey – that has already cost $3.75 billion.
But in a state with more than 181,000 homeless individuals, or about one-third of the U.S. total, Homekey has been marred by failures and scandals, including a lack of government oversight and accountability as well as a federal investigation into allegations of fraud in Los Angeles.
Newsom, who appears to be preparing for a presidential bid in 2028, could make Homekey, which he calls a “national model,” a talking point in his campaign. The state claims the program has created almost 16,000 permanent housing units that will serve over 175,000 people. But since the state doesn’t track outcomes – whether people placed in housing saw their lives improve or if they returned to the streets – the program’s effectiveness is unclear, according to a critical 2024 state auditor’s report.
“[Our budget] is bloated with homeless spending, a bottomless pit and taxpayer boondoggle that doubles down on failure year after year,” the Republican-turned-Democrat Los Angeles Councilwoman Traci Park said at a meeting in May. “Hundreds of millions of dollars on bridge homes and Homekeys and interim housing sites, and no one can even tell us which ones are operational.”
What is clear is that homelessness in California has skyrocketed in the five years Homekey has been in place, growing by more than 20%, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. That’s an increase of some 36,000 people between 2019 and 2024.
Homekey has been touted by officials as a more cost-effective way to house the homeless. By hiring developers to convert excess motel and hotel rooms and other existing structures into permanent housing, the costs are two to three times lower than building new units, according to the auditor’s report.
But with huge contracts available to developers and very little oversight of their activities, some of that cost savings was lost to fraud, according to federal prosecutors. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California launched a fraud and corruption task force to find out where the money went, and in October filed criminal charges involving two developers who allegedly defrauded the system.
In one case, Cody Holmes, the former CFO of developer Shangri-La Industries, allegedly falsified bank records to obtain $26 million in Homekey funds, only to siphon off more than $2 million to pay his own credit card bill, Essayli told the media.
“Accountability begins today,” Essayli said. “Too often, this money has been wasted, mismanaged or outright stolen.”
A COVID Baby
Homekey began in 2020 as a FEMA-funded program to provide temporary housing in response to the COVID-19 emergency. Hotel rooms were rented to get homeless people out of encampments and shelters where the virus could spread rapidly. The high rental costs were justified to avoid mass casualties from infection. In San Francisco, City Journal reported that rooms were rented at $6,000 a month, nearly double the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment.
Before the emergency measure ended in late 2020, Newsom announced that the program would morph into a provider of permanent housing for the homeless. “We’ve long dreamed about scooping up thousands of motel rooms and converting them into housing for our homeless neighbors,” Newsom said at the time. “The terrible pandemic we’re facing has given us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy all these vacant properties, and we’re using federal stimulus money to do it.”
Under Homekey, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) began administering grants to local governments to help fund the purchase of commercial buildings to be converted into housing units. The money came from federal and state sources, including the American Rescue Plan and California’s general fund. Critics say one problem with Homekey is that it didn’t pay for the mental health and drug treatment services that most homeless people desperately need to truly benefit from housing and get back on their feet.
A 2023 study found that 66% of California’s homeless population suffers from mental illnesses. Twelve percent reported experiencing hallucinations. And 31% reported regular use of methamphetamines and 11% non-prescribed opioids. Sixteen percent reported heavy episodic drinking.
Rather than helping the homeless, Homekey units have allowed people to privately take drugs and overdose. Drug overdose was the cause of death in seven out of eight cases at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys from April 2020 through June 2021, according to L.A. agencies.
“I think local leaders knew that there was a risk in placing people addicted to hard drugs like heroin or fentanyl or meth into private rooms where no one is around to act in case of an overdose,” a former Homekey service provider from Oakland said on the condition of anonymity. “Think about how stupid it is to place an addict in a room alone where no one can administer Narcan,” a medicine that can prevent overdose death.
Homekey relied on local governments to provide mental health services, although they have a severe shortage of treatment spots, according to an L.A.-based mental health professional whose office provides services at several Homekey buildings. Social workers and therapists meet with clients assigned to Homekey units and sign them up for Medicaid, but most of them haven’t received the treatment they need, the professional said.
State officials didn’t return calls seeking comment about Homekey.
The latest version of Homekey aims to bolster mental health services. Newsom recently announced Homekey+, made possible by a $6.4 billion Behavioral Health Bond approved by voters. Half of the money is for projects that serve homeless veterans, and some of the resources will help fund other mental health services within Homekey.
Overpaying and Underperforming
Homekey’s main pitch was that it would save taxpayers money by rehabbing existing buildings rather than constructing new housing. But those calculations are based on developers charging market rates and units being occupied, which hasn’t always been the case.
L.A. County received $550 million in Homekey funds between 2021-2024, which was used to acquire 32 buildings with 2,157 rooms. An investigation by Westside Current found that 71% of units remained vacant as of May 2025 due to construction delays.
In the city of L.A., the housing authority used $48.9 million in Homekey money to acquire and complete a building that was under construction. Developer Haroni Investments was chosen to construct a 75,105-square-foot building with 127 housing units. A similar project in the area would typically cost roughly $18.8 million, according to experts who spoke to local reporters. HACLA’s purchase price of $48.9 million represents a 165% profit at taxpayer expense, the story noted.
A June 2025 memo from L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ office estimated that the building would be completed later that month. In August, city officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony even though the building was not yet finished. As of December, the LA Housing Department’s website says the building “is not yet built,” and there are no listings for available units. Requests for comment from Bass’ office have not been returned.
In addition to overspending and delays, there are allegations of fraud. One case involves homeless service provider Weingart Center Association using $27.3 million in Homekey grants to purchase a 76-unit senior living complex in L.A., which it planned to convert into housing units with additional funding from the city.
But federal prosecutors say the deal was shady and shrouded in secrecy. Steven Taylor, the real estate developer who sold the property to the Weingart Center, used fake bank statements to obtain loans and credit to buy the property for $11.2 million, just months before flipping it for a $16.1 million markup. Taylor made no improvements or renovations to the building. A contract clause ensured that his involvement would be kept secret.
While the property was in escrow, the Weingart Center submitted an application for additional Homekey funds. The application, according to prosecutors, made no mention of the pending sale involving Taylor. Bass allocated $20 million in city dollars toward the project.
Bass and Newsom celebrated the purchase as a critical tool in solving homelessness. A spokesperson with the Weingart Center said the property isn’t expected to open until next year, even though the grant agreement required it to be fully occupied by February 2025.
In August, federal authorities arrested Taylor, who is facing nine felony counts of bank fraud and money laundering. Taylor maintains his innocence and is free on a $3.6 million bond. Bass is cooperating with the ongoing federal investigation.
The case highlights the lack of oversight into Homekey-related grants to the Weingart Center, which has been out of compliance with federally required annual audits. The most recent audit, submitted in July 2025 for fiscal year 2023, did not disclose over $50 million in federally funded Homekey grants. A 2023 fiscal audit of the Weingart Center found that it has repeatedly failed to properly document cash flows into the organization.
Calls for comment to the Weingart Center were not immediately returned. In November, the homeless service provider placed its CEO, Kevin Murray, who was previously a state senator, on leave as an independent law firm investigates the valuation of its homeless housing projects.
Homekey ran into other problems with L.A.-based developer Shangri-La Industries, which was hired to purchase and convert properties across the state. Federal prosecutors allege that the developer defrauded the HCD by misrepresenting its financial assets in order to qualify for a $26 million Homekey grant related to a housing project in Thousand Oaks. After securing the money, Holmes, the CFO, allegedly spent lavishly on himself and his girlfriend. Prosecutors say that Holmes rented a sprawling $46,000-a-month mansion in Beverly Hills, where Holmes was ultimately arrested.
Overall, the HCD awarded the Shangri-La a total of $117 million in grants for seven housing projects. The only two projects that Shangri-La managed to complete amount to 174 homeless housing units, costing the state $672,000 a pop. Holmes pleaded not guilty in November, and a trial is set for Jan. 5.
Essayli says his investigation into Shangri-La is “just the beginning” in the Justice Department’s quest to recoup billions in misused public funds for the homeless.
Newsom Rejects Accountability
By the summer of 2024, the lack of progress in reducing homelessness in California spurred Newsom to issue a threat to local leaders across the state. The governor gathered a group of reporters at a homeless encampment in the Pacoima neighborhood of L.A. so cameras could capture him picking up piles of trash.
“If we don’t see demonstrable results [in reducing homelessness], I’ll start to redirect money,” Newsom said.
But today, Californians continue to see headlines revealing more alleged fraud within the state’s prolific homeless housing programs, most of which involve the misuse of Homekey funds.
The latest example involves the nonprofit Urban Alchemy, which was awarded a $2.3 million Project Homekey contract to provide 88 designated tent spaces in a parking lot so homeless individuals can legally set up tents and access meals, bathrooms, and other services. A city inspection revealed that the lot was operating at half capacity, with only 44 bare wooden platforms on site.
One of the state audit’s main critiques centered on how officials weren’t tracking the progress of its homeless programs. California is not ensuring “that it collects accurate, complete, and comparable financial and outcome information from homelessness programs,” according to the report.
Following the audit, California’s lawmakers unanimously passed legislation requiring the Newsom administration to submit annual evaluations of the homeless programs that receive public grants. But Newsom vetoed the bill, saying it “creates an unnecessary ongoing workload for the Department without providing additional accountability or transparency to taxpayers.”
“Our state has spent billions of taxpayer dollars in recent years only to see homelessness get worse,” Republican Assemblyman Josh Hoover said in a September 2024 statement. “We will not solve this crisis and get people the help they need until we get serious about accountability.”
One year later, Newsom hasn’t lost faith in Homekey. He announced the allocation of $106.2 million toward six Homekey+ awards to pay for the development of 321 permanent supportive homes.
“No more excuses,” Newsom declared in a press release announcing the grants. “Everyone must step up to address this crisis.”
Leaked Video: Woke Elite College Held “Disgusting” Sexual Orientation Performance
Amherst College, proudly one of America’s wokest institutions, has once again outdone itself in the name of “sexual respect.”
A group of traumatized students claim they were effectively coerced into a mandatory orientation spectacle where student performers humped under blankets, moaned theatrically, and pelted the audience with condoms “like confetti,” footage leaked to the Washington Free Beacon shows.
Junior Isabella Niemi, who endured an earlier edition of the show, told the Free Beacon the “grossly sexual” skit nearly broke her impeccable rule-following streak.
“I thought about leaving 10 minutes in. I’m not someone who breaks rules or skips mandatory events, but it was disgusting enough it almost forced me to leave,” Niemi lamented.
Even some students who normally cheer the de-tabooizing of everything admitted the administration may have gone off the deep end.
“I understand that Amherst is trying to remove the taboo behind sex on campus, but this has gone way too far,” John Collier, a student at the school, said. “The way it’s forced in our faces does the exact opposite.”
On the anonymous campus app Fizz, posts ripping the performance racked up hundreds of upvotes—663 on one alone, roughly 35 percent of the entire student body, according to screenshots shared by the Beacon.
“WTFF WAS THAT SEX PERFORMANCE AT VOICES,” a user wrote.
“Seeing the Voices’ actors around campus is giving me involuntary flashbacks to the scarring experience that was the Voices of the Class of 2029,” another post said.
Every first-year was urged to attend the performance by their orientation leader. The administration advertises the event as a “lighthearted tradition” to “celebrate the humor, creativity, and individuality of your class.” The school funds the performance, and Amherst administrators work closely with the student performers, offering feedback and approving the script.
“‘Voices of Amherst’ has been part of New Student Orientation since 2007 and is coordinated by New Student and Family Programs in Student Affairs. Each year, the script is newly written by junior and senior students using excerpts from the incoming class’s admissions essays,” the Office of Student Affairs told the Free Beacon. “The final script is reviewed and approved by staff before the performance. Funding for production comes from the Orientation budget; student performers are not paid, and Johnson Chapel serves as the traditional venue.”
In a surprising twist, Amherst College’s Office of Student Affairs pushed back against the criticism, claiming that the “Voices of the Class” performance is “not graphic.”
Amanda Vann, the college’s director of health and wellbeing education, also defended the event in a statement to the Free Beacon.
“The skits are part of our broader commitment to promoting wellbeing and sexual respect on campus,” Vann said. “They encourage conversations about topics that can sometimes feel difficult to discuss, from sexual health and communication to harm reduction and self-care. By presenting these subjects in a relatable, engaging format, the skits help students build the skills and awareness needed to care for themselves, support one another, and contribute to a healthy, respectful community.”
Linda Sun, former aide to New York governors, did Beijing’s bidding to enrich herself and her family, prosecutors said in closing arguments on Dec. 10 after a month-long trial.
In his summing-up, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Solomon described Sun, who served under both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as a “valuable asset” for New York state’s Chinese Consulate.
Sun faces allegations of acting as a Chinese agent and of bribery in connection with state contracts, among other charges. Her husband, Chris Hu, is charged as a co-conspirator.
Due to procedural delays, the jury will begin deliberating on her case on Dec. 12.
The prosecution alleged that Sun sold her access in the state government to China to “grease the wheels” and aid her husband’s seafood export business in that country.
Hu’s business was a flop in early 2016, but when a Chinese businessman with state connections stepped in, Hu’s business boomed, Solomon said.
“[Sun] did the bidding of the Chinese government so that she and her husband, Hu, could get rich,” he said.
The defense argued that the government failed to provide evidence of a clear quid pro quo agreement between Sun and Chinese Communist Party officials. The defense argued that there was no link between Hu’s business and Sun’s assistance to the consulate.
“The government wants you to assume that because Chris Hu’s business started doing well, it was connected to Linda,” said Ken Abell, Sun’s attorney, in closing arguments.
Abell said Sun’s actions were not contrary to the interests of the United States or New Yorkers. Sun’s connection with the consulate helped secure a donation of 1,000 ventilators at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
However, the government characterized Sun’s work at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as self-interested.
“As COVID-19 was wreaking havoc on New York City, she thought to enrich herself,” Solomon said.
Sun first received benefits from Chinese officials in May 2016, Solomon said. As a representative of New York state, she traveled to Jiangsu Province, China, to promote business ties with New York state, according to prosecutors. While in China, Sun allegedly met with the chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, an organization under the United Front Work Department. The chairman agreed to hire Sun’s cousin, who was looking for a job, according to prosecutors.
Almost immediately thereafter, Sun began to reciprocate, prosecutors said. In June 2016, she alerted the Chinese Consulate that Taiwan had invited then-Lt. Gov. Hochul to a banquet in Washington. Hochul ended up attending a banquet hosted by the Chinese Embassy instead, the prosecution said.
Solomon cited several other incidents in which Sun allegedly exerted her influence to thwart Taiwan from reaching the governor’s office, including blocking an invitation to Cuomo to join a banquet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in New York City and convincing Hochul’s staff to decline an invitation to visit Taiwan.
Sun’s attorney Abell said the “government left out facts that didn’t fit its narrative.” He argued that important context was not presented and that Sun, at times, had pushed back on Chinese Consulate requests.
The defense argued that Sun was just doing her job and that the Asian American community was her portfolio.
Linked to Consul
Solomon said Sun was answerable to Huang Ping, the consul general of the Chinese Consulate in New York from 2018 to 2024.
“But who’s the boss?” Solomon asked. “The people she keeps in the dark, or the people she’s reporting back to? She’s talking to her real boss, Huang Ping.”
Sun was in frequent contact with Huang, as email communications released by prosecutors show.
After assisting Huang with a welcome event for Chinese officials at John F. Kennedy International Airport, she told the consul general, “I want to eat salted duck,” according to text messages.
Sun was telling Huang that “she did her job” and should be compensated, Solomon said.
“[Sun] bragged repeatedly to her handlers [about] what a good asset she had been,” he said.
Solomon said that in communications with the Chinese Consulate, Sun did not hesitate to share the inner workings of the governor’s office, including the fact that in 2018, Cuomo was considering replacing Hochul on the ticket in the coming election.
“Did she want to be viewed as an important person in the relationship between New York state and the Chinese consulate?“ Abell asked. ”Maybe she did.”
He argued that Sun did make inappropriate comments in text messages but that they should be seen as self-promotion, not as betrayal.
Sun also revealed to the Chinese Consulate that the governor was reconsidering a trip to China in 2018 when Chinese leader Xi Jinping was getting rid of term limits, telling the Chinese officials that she spent a long time arguing on their behalf, Solomon said.
Solomon argued that revealing such internal discussions of the governor’s office is an example of Sun’s familiarity with the consulate, demonstrating which team she was really on.
