00:00Washington cuts off the money, halting all federal child care payments to Minnesota.
00:06Why the administration says it had no choice, and how the governor says this is political.
00:11Plus, no soda pop, no candy.
00:14States moved to block sweets from SNAP, and the push to rewrite what food stamps can buy.
00:19And the death of a Kennedy at just 35.
00:22The granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy passes away.
00:26The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world.
00:34These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow News.
00:40Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli.
00:41We begin this morning with the Trump administration freezing all federal child care payments to the state of Minnesota.
00:48The move comes amid allegations of widespread fraud at daycare centers across the state that some believe totals billions of dollars.
00:56The case has been under investigation for years, but gained new attention after a video by conservative journalist Nick Shirley
01:03spotlighting the allegations in the Somali community in the Twin Cities went viral.
01:08In a post on social media, HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill said, quote,
01:12We have turned off the money spigot, and we are finding the fraud.
01:16In a separate video message, O'Neill laid out how the department plans to crack down, not just in Minnesota, but nationwide.
01:23I have activated our Defend the Spend system for all ACF child care payments across America.
01:30Starting today, we require a justification, receipt, or photo evidence before we make a payment.
01:35Second, I have just signed and sent a demand letter to Governor Walz.
01:40I required a full 360 review of these centers.
01:44This includes attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations, and inspections.
01:48Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is pushing back, accusing the Trump administration of politicizing the issue.
01:54In a post on X, Walz wrote, quote,
01:56This is Trump's long game. We've spent years cracking down on fraudsters.
02:01It's a serious issue, but this has been his plan all along.
02:05He's politicizing the issue to defund programs that help Minnesotans.
02:09HHS has also launched dedicated fraud hotlines for each state, along with the nationwide email tip line for reporting suspected child care abuse.
02:19The Federal Administration for Children and Families sends about $185 million to Minnesota each year for child care programs.
02:27The El Salvador National, living in Maryland, who was wrongfully deported in the spring, may now have momentum in court.
02:34The federal judge in Tennessee has unsealed a court order suggesting the Justice Department made Kilmar Abrego-Garcia's prosecution a top priority,
02:44only after he challenged his wrongful deportation to El Salvador.
02:49Abrego-Garcia is asking that the human smuggling charges be thrown out, arguing they amount to a vindictive prosecution.
02:56The judge says he reviewed more than 3,000 documents and found one in which a senior DOJ lawyer called the case a top priority.
03:05A grand jury indictment followed less than a month later.
03:08As a result, the January trial is now off.
03:11Judge Waverly-Crenshaw has ordered an evidentiary hearing later in the month,
03:15where DOJ lawyers will have to explain the timing of the case.
03:19Abrego-Garcia was deported in March to El Salvador's notorious Seacott prison, then returned to the United States.
03:26In June, after a court order.
03:29Despite setbacks in court, the Trump administration continues to claim he has ties to MS-13
03:34and has been involved in domestic abuse and human trafficking.
03:38Starting tomorrow, millions of Americans who rely on food assistance will face new limits
03:43on what they can buy at the grocery store, including soda or pop, candy and other sweetened foods.
03:49Five states, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia, are the first to roll out new SNAP restrictions
03:56after getting federal waivers approved.
03:59It's part of a broader push by the Trump administration, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,
04:05to steer food stamp dollars away from what officials call unhealthy choices.
04:10Supporters say the goal is simple, reduce obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases
04:15by cutting off taxpayer-funded junk food.
04:18But critics warn the rollout could be messy and confusing, especially at checkout lines.
04:23Retail groups say stores are not fully prepared.
04:26And nutrition experts argue the evidence is mixed on whether these kinds of bans actually change eating habits.
04:32The rules vary by state.
04:34Some block soda and energy drinks.
04:36Others add candy.
04:38And in Iowa, even certain prepared foods.
04:40We are ending the year with a public health milestone the U.S. has not seen in more than three decades.
04:53And it is not a good one.
04:54The number of measles cases nationwide has now passed 2,000.
04:59According to the CDC, that's the highest total since 1992.
05:04As of last week, more than 2,000 infections had been reported across nearly every state.
05:09Health officials say this is not being driven by travel alone.
05:14The vast majority of cases are domestic, and nearly all involve people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.
05:23About 1 in 10 patients has gone to the hospital, and more than half are children.
05:27The CDC also reports 50 separate outbreaks this year, more than triple what the country saw last year.
05:33Texas has been hit the hardest, with hundreds of cases tied to communities with low vaccination rates.
05:40South Carolina is also dealing with the growing outbreak, forcing hundreds of students into quarantine as schools try to contain the spread.
05:48Doctors point to a steady slide in routine childhood vaccinations.
05:52Nationwide, MMR coverage among kindergartners is now below pre-pandemic levels,
05:58even though two doses of the vaccine are 97 percent effective at preventing measles.
06:04Public health experts warn the clock is ticking.
06:07If transmission continues into the new year, the U.S. could lose its measles elimination status, something it's held since 2000.
06:14Now, to a loss that's being felt far beyond one famous family, Tatiana Schlossberg, an environmental journalist, author,
06:23and the granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy, has died.
06:27Her family announcing the news in a simple message posted Tuesday,
06:31Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts.
06:36Schlossberg revealed last month that she was battling an aggressive and rare form of leukemia,
06:40a diagnosis she received shortly after giving birth to her daughter.
06:45In a deeply personal essay for The New Yorker, she wrote about the shock of learning she was critically ill
06:50at a moment when she felt strong, healthy, and full of life.
06:55Beyond her illness, Schlossberg built a career focused on climate science and environmental accountability,
07:01writing for The New York Times, publishing a prize-winning book,
07:05and pushing readers to understand the unseen impact of everyday choices.
07:09She leaves behind her husband, George Moran, and two young children.
07:13Tatiana Schlossberg was just 35 years old.
07:17Finally this morning, I'm a hockey guy, so I love this next story.
07:20He might predate the team by half a century, but get this,
07:24Dominic Critelli stole the show, stepping onto the ice to play the national anthem over the weekend
07:29on the saxophone before a New York Islanders-New York Rangers matchup.
07:33Watch this.
07:34The 104-year-old World War II veteran played the Star-Spangled Banner in front of 18,000 fans on Saturday night.
07:42Critelli served as a staff sergeant in the Army and survived the Battle of the Bulge.
07:48Born in 1921, he immigrated from Italy at the age of eight and has been playing the sax since he was 13.
07:54For a little perspective, the Islanders didn't even exist until 1972.
07:59Critelli was 51 years old then.
08:02He told ABC News he practices about one hour a day, and the national anthem remains one of his favorite tunes.
08:09Great job. That's fantastic.
08:12All right, before we head out this morning, a little something different.
08:15Here's what we're tracking today as the world starts ringing in 2026.
08:19Celebrations kick off early.
08:20At 11 a.m. Eastern, Hong Kong welcomes the new year.
08:24Fireworks over the harbor, a city that never sleeps, officially turning the page.
08:28By 3 p.m. Eastern, it's Abu Dhabi lighting up the skies with one of the region's biggest celebrations.
08:34Then at 5 p.m. in the Holy Land, Jerusalem marks the start of the new year.
08:39At 7 p.m., London takes center stage.
08:42Big Ben, the Thames, and millions watching as Europe steps in to 2026.
08:46Those of your unbiased updates for this Wednesday, we'll see you back here tomorrow.
08:51So bottom line, I'll be fast asleep when 2025 ends, but we'll be one of the first risers in 2026.
08:58How about that?
08:59For all of us here at Straight Arrow News, I'm Craig DeGrelli.
09:01Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve.
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