"Affordability!": Trump Calls For Temporary 10 Percent Cap On Credit Card Interest Rates

President Trump said on Jan. 9 that he would call for a one-year cap on credit card interest rates of 10 percent, potentially starting later this month, though its enforcement may depend on Congress.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said that Americans are being “ripped off” by credit card companies that charge interest rates between 20 and 30 percent, and vowed his administration will put an end to it.

“AFFORDABILITY! Effective January 20, 2026, I, as President of the United States, am calling for a one year cap on Credit Card Interest Rates of 10%,” the president stated.

The cap’s proposed start date coincides with the anniversary of Trump’s second-term inauguration and, if implemented, would fulfill his 2024 election campaign pledge.

Who could have seen that coming?

As Bloomberg reports, card-lending has become highly lucrative with JPMorgan saying that in 2024 the net yield on its more than $200 billion in card loans was 9.73%. That drove the bulk of the $25.5 billion of revenue for its card services and auto unit, though the bank also had about $7 billion of charge-offs tied to cards.

Banking associations, including the Bank Policy Institute, issued a joint statement on Jan. 9 saying the 10 percent cap on credit card interest rates would reduce credit availability and adversely affect families and small business owners who rely on credit cards.

“We share the president’s goal of helping Americans access more affordable credit,” the groups said in a joint statement late Friday.

“At the same time, evidence shows that a 10% interest rate cap would reduce credit availability and be devastating for millions of American families and small business owners who rely on and value their credit cards, the very consumers this proposal intends to help.”

“If enacted, this cap would only drive consumers toward less regulated, more costly alternatives. We look forward to working with the administration to ensure Americans have access to the credit they need,” the statement reads.

A credit union trade group called a potential cap “devastating” for its members.

“Institutions will not be able to offer credit cards to most consumers at a 10% rate,” said Scott Simpson, the president of America’s Credit Unions.

“A 10% cap would mean the end of credit cards for most consumers except those who need them the least,” said Matthew Goldman, founder of Totavi, a consulting firm to electronic-payment and other financial technology companies. For example, “those with very good credit.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/trump-calls-temporary-10-percent-cap-credit-card-interest-rates

Russia On Paris Ukraine Summit: Western 'Peacekeeping' Troops Would Be "Legitimate Combat Targets"

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday repeated its long-standing objection to troops from NATO countries deploying to Ukrainian territory as part of a potential future peace deal, as Ukraine and its Western backers continue to push the idea.

"The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns that the deployment of military units, military facilities, warehouses, and other infrastructure of Western countries on Ukrainian territory will be classified as foreign intervention, posing a direct threat to the security of not only Russia but also other European countries," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"All such units and facilities will be considered legitimate combat targets of the Russian Armed Forces," Zakharova added. Her statement came after the UK and France signed a "declaration of intent" committing to lead a troop deployment to Ukraine.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the declaration "paves the way for the legal framework, under which British, French and partner forces could operate on Ukrainian soil," though the document is lacking in details on what the force would actually look like.

The declaration was signed after Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a gathering of the so-called "coalition of the willing," referring to the countries willing to send troops to Ukraine. US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also attended the meeting.

While the US hasn’t committed to sending troops, it has signaled its willingness to provide air support and other types of assistance for European troops in Ukraine.

Zelensky’s office said in a statement on the coalition of the willing gathering that Ukraine "values the United States’ readiness to support forces tasked with preventing a recurrence of Russian aggression."

Meanwhile some rare EU voices are belatedly urging more muscular diplomacy and not confrontation:

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-reacts-paris-ukraine-summit-western-peacekeeping-troops-would-be-legitimate

Americans are demanding the arrest of Mayor Jacob Frey and Tim Walz after they incited a VIOLENT MOB going hotel-to-hotel in Minneapolis, stalking out where they think ICE was staying to break inside

Send in the NATIONAL GUARD!

https://x.com/i/status/2010022898199896511

🚨Deranged Leftist openly threatens shooting ICE agents😳:

“We have to show up with guns! “There’s no other way around it! I don’t care if I don’t have a Minnesota carry permit!”

“It’s the last time I show up to face these guys without a weapon!”

“The time for niceties is over! The time for peace is over!”

“It’s time for the BULLET BOX!”

“By any means necessary!”

This is your mind on: Mainstream Media, CNN, Washington Post, NYTs, MSNBC, The View, and Democrat Party leadership lies. 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

https://thegatewaypundit.com/2026/01/deranged-leftist-openly-threatens-shooting-ice-agents-mn/

Does anyone remember a single J-6er (who spent years in prison), making these kinds of threats?

@PamBondi

@FBIDirectorKash

#MinnesotaNice

https://x.com/i/status/2010037957286060312

Southeast Asian country first to block Musk’s Grok over deepfake porn

Indonesia has temporarily restricted access to xAI’s flagship chatbot amid growing criticism

Indonesia has blocked Elon Musk’s Grok AI over growing concerns that the chatbot facilitates the creation of deepfake pornographic content.

The move by the country’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs makes the Southeast Asian nation the first to temporarily ban access to the AI tool.

Grok has come under scrutiny globally after reports emerged that the chatbot can generate erotic deepfakes from photographs, including images of minors. Some regulators have since opened inquiries into sexualized content produced by the app, which was developed by xAI.

Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, enforces strict rules banning material deemed to be obscene.

“The government views non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and citizens’ security in the digital space,” Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid said, describing the misuse of AI to create fake pornography as a form of “digital-based violence.”

Hafid added that Grok’s future in Indonesia, one of the world’s largest social media markets, will depend on X’s willingness to implement robust content filters and adhere to ethical AI standards. Officials from X have been summoned for talks.

On Thursday, the European Commission ordered X to preserve all documents and data related to the Grok chatbot until the end of 2026. The precautionary move, taken under the EU’s Digital Services Act, is intended to prevent the loss of evidence amid concerns over potentially illegal content.

In the UK, The Telegraph reported earlier this week that X could face a possible block over pornographic content generated by Grok. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reportedly referred the issue to media regulator Ofcom, with options said to include a full ban.

Earlier this month, French prosecutors opened a probe into the alleged spread of sexually explicit deepfakes generated by Grok after hundreds of people reported their photos had been digitally “undressed.”

Musk’s AI venture has faced mounting controversy since the launch of Grok 4 in July 2025, with critics pointing to extremist rhetoric, a political bias and sexualized features as evidence of inadequate safeguards. Experts warn that poorly moderated AI tools risk exposing users, particularly children, to harmful content.

https://www.rt.com/news/630783-indonesia-block-musk-grok-porn/

House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Victoria’s Secret Billionaire Les Wexner, Epstein’s Top Client

Wexner helped turn Epstein into the power player he became.

Back on Wednesday (7) the House Oversight Committee voted to subpoenas billionaire Les Wexner related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

Wexner is the former CEO of Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works, and was one of Epstein’s largest clients.

Forbes calculates that Wexner and private equity billionaire Leon Black, together, accounted for around 75% of the half a billion in fee income Epstein made from 1999 to 2018.

Wexner eventually said that he was ‘embarrassed’ by his associations with Epstein, and has denied any wrongdoing in his associations with Epstein.

NBC News reported:

“Wexner, the former CEO of Victoria’s Secret, had a lengthy relationship with Epstein dating to the 1980s and hired him to manage his personal finances.

In a 2019 letter to his Wexner Foundation, Wexner said he cut ties with Epstein after Epstein was accused of sexually abusing minors in Florida. After they parted ways, ‘we discovered that he had misappropriated vast sums of money from me and my family’, Wexner said. ‘I deeply regret having ever crossed his path’, he added.”

A spokesman for Wexner said he will ‘cooperate fully with any governmental inquiry into Epstein’.

“Wexner’s name was mentioned in a 2019 FBI email about possible co-conspirators that was made public as part of the ongoing release of Epstein files by the Justice Department. A representative for Wexner previously told The Columbus Dispatch newspaper in Ohio that prosecutors informed Wexner’s attorney at the time that he was ‘neither a co-conspirator nor target in any respect’ to the investigation.

The House Oversight Committee has already received thousands of records from Epstein’s estate under a congressional subpoena as part of its own investigation. It also subpoenaed former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in addition to former Justice Department officials.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/01/house-oversight-committee-subpoenas-victorias-secret-billionaire-les/

Former Michigan Democrat Party Treasurer Tracy Kornak Allegedly Caught Embezzling From an 87-Year-Old Brain-Damaged Woman — Why Is AG Dana Nessel Protecting Her?

https://youtu.be/mIeUIxdaMsQ

TS won't load for me

REPORT: MAGA-World Figures Aid Major Corporate Mergers, Avoiding Anti-Trust Scrutiny.

A $1.6 billion merger between Compass and Anywhere Real Estate was approved by the Department of Justice (DOJ) without a full antitrust investigation, despite objections from enforcement staff, according to reports. Senior DOJ officials allegedly overruled internal calls for an in-depth review after Compass retained Trump-aligned attorney Mike Davis, who argued the company’s case directly to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s office. Those officials concluded that potential competition concerns could be addressed without launching a formal probe, allowing the deal to close far more quickly than initially expected.The Justice Department’s antitrust division, led by Trump loyalist and populist figure Gail Slater, had pushed for a detailed examination of whether the merger would reduce competition in local real estate markets. That effort ultimately failed after intervention from higher-ranking officials. As The Wall Street Journal noted, “Davis previously assisted Hewlett Packard Enterprise to reach a $14 billion deal with the Justice Department that allowed it to acquire rival Juniper Networks but caused a fight within the department over his involvement.”Davis is a well-known figure in Trump-world legal circles. A former Senate aide and founder of the Article III Project, he has been a vocal defender of Trump. He has also been described as a politically connected operator with close ties to Republican legal and lobbying networks.The Compass-Anywhere merger creates one of the most powerful firms in the U.S. residential real estate market. Analysts estimate that Compass will oversee nearly 20 percent of total home sales volume nationwide, with a market share potentially exceeding 30 percent in major cities, including Chicago, New York, and San Francisco.The deal has drawn renewed attention to the influence of lobbyists and former Trump administration officials now working in Washington’s corporate advocacy world. Several former Trump White House aides have moved into K Street lobbying roles, representing clients seeking favorable treatment from federal regulators. Other reporting has highlighted pressure campaigns by lobbyists and political allies aimed at persuading senior Justice Department officials to scale back or bypass aggressive antitrust enforcement.A Justice Department spokesman said the approval does not prevent future action, noting that regulators may still pursue enforcement if anticompetitive effects emerge after the merger.

https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/01/09/report-maga-world-figures-aid-major-corporate-mergers-avoiding-anti-trust-scrutiny/

Minneapolis Council: ICE Isn’t Getting Bad Guys, ‘They Are the Bad Guys’

On Friday’s “CNN News Central,” Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley responded to a question on what should replace ICE if it is abolished as she wants by stating that “This was used as a wedge issue to divide Americans, thinking that these immigrant — law enforcement agents are going to go out and get the bad guys off the streets. No, they are the bad guys.”

Co-host Sara Sidner asked, “[Y]ou have called for abolishing ICE entirely. But we have seen polling from the American people who have said, look, they did put Donald Trump in office, in part, because they were concerned about immigration, they wanted better immigration enforcement. Immigration consistently polled as the second most important issue behind the economy. So, if you want to abolish ICE, what should replace it, in your mind?”

Wonsley responded, “We have not always had ICE. And, in fact, the billions of dollars that [are] going to ICE right now absolutely [need] to be rerouted towards supporting our communities. Right now, we have working-class families who are struggling to make rent, who have lost their jobs since this administration has taken power. We have residents who’ve lost access to critical social services that have been defunded in the efforts to uphold this violent agency that’s separating families and that’s also doing it indiscriminately. Let’s make it very clear, this has nothing to do about immigration. This was used as a wedge issue to divide Americans, thinking that these immigrant — law enforcement agents are going to go out and get the bad guys off the streets. No, they are the bad guys. And they are targeting residents indiscriminately. It does not matter if you’re an immigrant. It does not matter if you’re a U.S. citizen. You can be shot, killed in a residential area on a random weekday morning, as what took place here. So, I’m really hoping that this incident and the many other incidents that [have] transpired since ICE agents have continued to wage this work of cruelty across various cities, I’m hoping Americans and residents of different cities are seeing that this was a blatant lie sold to the American people to distract us from the fact that they are depriving us of the resources that we need to cover our basic necessities, to make sure that we have a standard quality of life that’s accessible to everyone. That is what they’re trying to distract us away from with this whole illusion of them using immigration as a tool to remove criminals off the streets. They are the criminals. They are the ones murdering civilians. And they should be held responsible, traditionally and nothing less.”

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/01/10/minneapolis-council-ice-isnt-getting-bad-guys-they-are-the-bad-guys/

USDA Stops Minnesota’s ‘Handouts to Thieves’ over Fraud Allegations: ‘Enough Is Enough!’

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins warned Minnesota’s Democrat leaders on Friday their “handouts to thieves” are at an end, her announcement coming amid news about rampant fraud in the state.

In a social media post, Rollins said President Donald Trump’s administration uncovered massive fraud in Minnesota and Minneapolis which resulted in billions of dollars being “siphoned off by fraudsters.”

She wrote:

Enough is enough! The Trump administration has uncovered MASSIVE fraud in Minnesota and Minneapolis—billions siphoned off by fraudsters. And those in charge have ZERO plan to fix it.

Today, @USDA is SUSPENDING FEDERAL FINANCIAL AWARDS to Minnesota and Minneapolis, effective immediately, until sufficient proof has been provided that the fraud has stopped. No more handouts to thieves! Time to drain the Minnesota swamp and put American taxpayers first.

In her letter to Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Mayor Jacob Frey (D), Rollins said, “The widespread and systemic fraud associated with federal benefit programs in the State of Minnesota and the City of Minneapolis demonstrate an inability to handle federal resources without additional oversight and accountability measures in place.”

She also mentioned the $250 million “Feeding Our Future” scheme and alleged scams involving the Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program and daycare centers.

“While the full extent of fraud in Minnesota is not yet known, it is clear that, under your leadership — or lack thereof — fraudsters can take advantage of federal funds and the American taxpayer with impunity,” she added. “This necessitates federal action to protect taxpayer dollars until adequate safeguards can be established.”

https://x.com/SecRollins/status/2009755310718648629

A Somalian man named Mohammed took the podium in Maine to deliver a warning to Democrats

If you keep talking about the fraud taking place, the entire voting community will abandon Democrats

He actually says this, DEPORT THEM ALL

‘Somalians came out in droves, demanding the city NOT investigate one of their own, Iman Osman’

“My name is Mohamed. I'm speaking today on behalf of the Somali community in Lewiston. Some of you sitting here today, we voted for you. We elected you to protect our community interests, not creating division or go after one elected member from our community. This narrative, if this narrative continues, our community will be forced to re-examine our relationship or political relationship, including our relationship with the Democratic Party and who will be voting in the future.”

The Somalian man they are demanding they stop investigating is the Somalian refugee named Iman Osman who will be sworn into the Lewiston Maine City Council even though he’s under investigation for fraud and lied about his address to run for the seat

He’s

• Charged will stealing firearm

• Provided a false address to run for seat

• Lied about the address and reasoning

• Address given was condemned and raided for drugs

• He also currently sits on Lewiston School Board

https://x.com/i/status/2008915354345689368

The Israeli plant is calling for more protests in Iran

Iranian Crown Prince calls for more days of protests in Iran, to prepare for a ‘revolution victory'

Referring to the Islamic Republic's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Pahlavi said, “I am certain that he has seen these images from his hiding place and trembled in fear.”

“I ask all of you today and tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday (January 10 and 11), this time, from 6 p.m., to come to the streets with flags, images, and national symbols and claim public spaces as your own,” the statement read.

“Our goal is no longer merely to come to the streets; the goal is to prepare for seizing the centers of cities and holding them.”

Pahlavi also encouraged workers and employees in key sectors of the economy to begin a ‘nationwide strike’ to add pressure on the regime, and addressed members of Iran's security forces who had joined the protests with strategic instructions.

“To the youth of Iran's Immortal Guard, and all armed and security forces who have joined the national cooperation platform, I say: Slow down and disrupt the repression machine even more so that on the appointed day, we can completely disable it.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/2009851903547445613

>>24102597

Jack Smith team approved $20k payment to informant to snitch on Trump team during Arctic Frost probe

Revelation included in tranche of new FBI memos that Director Kash Patel turned over to Congress this week that provide more clarity on the tactics and scope of the inquiry that the FBI used to try to build a case against Trump and his allies

Then-Special Counsel Jack Smith's office approved paying $20,000 in 2023 to a confidential human source for information in the controversial FBI investigation code-named Arctic Frost that probed efforts by President Donald Trump and his followers to contest the 2020 election results, according to documents obtained by Just the News.

The revelation is included in a tranche of new memos that FBI Director Kash Patel turned over to Congress this week that provide more clarity on the tactics and scope of the inquiry that agents and prosecutors used to try to build a case that Trump, his lawyers and allies had violated the law by attempting to offer the Senate alternate electors ahead of the certification of the 2020 election results that put Joe Biden into office.

Patel told Just the News that the bombshell revelation of paid snitch was the latest evidence that the Arctic Frost probe was an “egregious abuse of power and violation of the law.”

The records reveal multiple efforts by FBI supervisors to make Trump himself a "subject" of the probe, an idea that was ultimately rejected, their reliance on information in liberal media outlets to build the case as well as the sheer magnitude of major Trump figures whose phone or email records were exploited by the FBI for possible evidence of wrongdoing.

The new revelations include that the FBI obtained email records from nearly 150 figures in Trump world and that they analyzed phone data, not just on nine allies of Trump in Congress, but also on his lawyers and some of his outside advisers, like prominent TV host Steve Bannon.

Bannon's name was included in a list of at least 16 Trump associates whose long-distance phone call records were analyzed by the FBI for evidence that also included Trump's former campaign manager Bill Stepien, personal lawyers Sidney Powell, Jenne Ellis and Cleta Mitchell and the late former NYPD Commissioner Bernie Kerik, who led a team of investigators probing irregularities in the 2020 election.

One memo also showed that in addition to Trump's and Vice President Mike Pence's personal cell phones, which Just the News previously reported were obtained, the FBI also analyzed the phone calls from "more than 50 White House-issued cell phones."

But the biggest bombshell in the latest document was the revelation that the FBI had an informant that Smith's office approved for compensation for the dirt he or she shared with the FBI.

An electronic communication "documents prosecutorial approval, in the form of emailed concurrence from Counselor to the Special Counsel Raymond Hulser on 06/02/2023, of a payment for information in the amount of $20,000.00 to [name redacted] for information provided in support of captioned investigation," one memo reads.

"The payment was discussed by Raymond Hulser and Assistant Special Counsel Julia Gegenheimer with Special Counsel Jack Smith," the memo added.

https://justthenews.com/accountability/political-ethics/jack-smith-team-approved-20k-payment-informant-snitch-trump-team

50 Killed In Aleppo Battle As Kurds Vow To Defend Their Neighborhoods From Syrian Army

Clashes raged between the forces of Syria’s Islamist-led Interim Government and fighters affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh in Aleppo on January 9, with reports indicating that the death toll from the battle in the northern Syrian city has risen 50.

Escalation began at the start of the week following a round of talks in Damascus which failed to produce any progress towards the implementation of the Mach integration agreement.

Government forces began a fully-fledged military operation to capture the two neighborhoods from Kurdish fighters a day earlier. The forces managed to storm Ashrafieh, and state media reported that the neighborhood was brought under control. However, the other side said that only a part of the neighborhood was lost.

The early morning saw a temporary ceasefire declared between 3 a.m. and 9 a.m. with the government, which also sent buses to the entrance of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh claiming that an agreement was reached with the SDF to withdraw Kurdish fighters from there.

However, the stunt failed, with the general council of the two neighborhoods later issuing a statement rejecting calls to surrender.

“The appeals directed by the Damascus government forces to our people and our security forces are calls for surrender. However, our people in these neighborhoods are determined to stay and defend them,” the statement said.

In a follow up statement, the general council reiterated its stance, saying there would be no retreat from protecting the neighborhoods.

“We cannot take a single step back regarding the protection of our neighborhoods. We have made our decision to remain in our neighborhoods and defend them,” it added.

https://southfront.press/50-killed-in-aleppo-battle-as-kurds-vow-to-defend-their-neighborhoods-from-syrian-army-videos/