Residents of the United Kingdom born after 2009 will be permanently barred from purchasing cigarettes under the government’s new Tobacco and Vapes Bill, a measure aimed at creating what officials call a “smoke‑free generation.”

The legislation also tightens regulations on vaping, including banning the sale of vaping and nicotine products to those under age 18 and restricting advertising, in‑store displays, free distribution, and discounting.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the bill, which is expected to receive royal assent next week, would reduce smoking rates and prevent young people from becoming addicted to nicotine, easing long‑term pressure on the National Health Service.

“Children in the U.K. will be part of the first smoke‑free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” Streeting said. “Prevention is better than cure—this reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS, and build a healthier Britain.”

The legislation builds on a law passed last year banning the sale of single‑use disposable vapes, citing concerns over youth use and environmental damage.

Under the new bill, ministers will also gain expanded authority to regulate the flavors and packaging of tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products through secondary legislation.

Republicans are investigating the Democrat fundraising arm ActBlue due to possible foreign donations, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said during an appearance on Breitbart News Daily.

The post Exclusive – Rep. Jim Jordan: We’re Investigating Democrat Fundraising Arm ActBlue for Suspicions of Foreign Donations appeared first on Breitbart.

PITTSBURGH, PA — With their second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots have officially selected marriage counselor Amy Connors out of the University of North Texas Clinical Counseling Program.

The 79-year-old former owner of the house from the "Home Alone" movie was found dead Wednesday in Illinois after being accused of having child pornography.

The post Former ‘Home Alone’ House Owner Found Dead After Being Charged in Child Porn Case appeared first on Breitbart.

The 79-year-old former owner of the house from the "Home Alone" movie was found dead Wednesday in Illinois after being accused of having child pornography.

The post Body of Former ‘Home Alone’ House Owner Found After Being Charged in Child Porn Case appeared first on Breitbart.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, hold a press briefing at the Pentagon to update on the current status of “Operation Epic Fury.”  Today is day 55 of the conflict. Secretary Hegseth outlined how the U.S. blockade of Iran in the Strait of […]

The post Pentagon Holds a Press Briefing – Secretary Hegseth and Chairman Caine Update on U.S. Military Operation Against Iran appeared first on The Last Refuge.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Upon realizing that he had somehow gotten stuck in a house with two gay dudes, local baby Christopher Ellison decided to put himself immediately back up for adoption.

While Ohio has laws preventing municipalities from passing local gun control ordinances, Senate lawmakers say gun owners need further protection of their Second Amendment rights.

State Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, introduced Senate Bill 278 last fall to let private citizens sue localities that pass gun control measures. The bill, which amends Section 9.68 of the Revised Code, allows individuals to sue for punitive or exemplary damages.

“A person, group, or entity adversely affected by any manner of ordinance, rule, regulation, resolution, practice, or other action enacted or enforced by a political subdivision” can bring civil action against the political subdivision, the bill’s text states.

Last week, the Ohio Senate passed Johnson’s bill by a 24-9 vote, sending the legislation on to the House.

During a recent episode of “The President’s Podcast,” John Fortney, communication director for the Senate Republican Caucus, described the bill as one that goes after “an unconstitutional law by a municipality.”

Fortney said he thought the Ohio Supreme Court already addressed the matter. Johnson, a guest on the program, said political subdivisions within the state are still enacting gun laws that are “contrary to the Ohio Constitution, the U.S. Constitution, and established state law.”

In 2022, Johnson had helped make Ohio a “constitutional carry” state in which gun owners may carry weapons concealed without a permit. Ohio has another law that prevents local governments from enacting gun control ordinances.

Johnson said SB 278 is now necessary to punish municipalities that ignore state law, and to help any person “that gets rung up by some silly little ordinance … and has to defend himself or herself in a court of law.”

While Ohio law prohibits subdivisions from passing anti-gun ordinances, some municipalities ignore them, Johnson said.

“A lot of places that are very liberal on gun laws and regulations and want to see a lot more [restrictions], and don’t really care about what happens to one’s rights, are passing these regulations and different silly things that are clearly unconstitutional,” Johnson said.

Thus Senate Bill 278, which now has passed the full Senate. Johnson said his bill “hopefully will help localities like Columbus understand that they’re going to have to pay a cost for doing this.”

Johnson said leaders of political subdivisions know they’re doing “something that’s blatantly illegal” by passing gun ordinances. They are even “happy to do it.”

“Well, look at the harm you caused, and we’re going to prove that in the court of law and you’re going to pay for it,” he said.

Fortney called it “amazing” that local governments keep pushing illegal city ordinances that show no regard for what the Ohio Revised Code says, much less the Second Amendment.

The Legislature is on a break until May, with primary elections taking place on May 5. The House will take up the bill when it’s back in session.

Senate President Rob McColley, a Republican and Vivek Ramaswamy’s pick for lieutenant governor, also has spoken about the importance of SB 278.

“This is not a violation of home rule; home rule is still alive in the state of Ohio,” McColley told reporters. “In this case, offering more avenues for damages allows for a stronger deterrent,” McColley said.

The Ramaswamy-McColley ticket for governor was endorsed last week by the Buckeye Firearms Association. On X, McColley posted clips and pictures of Ramaswamy speaking about that endorsement and promoting the Second Amendment.

Michael Jackson was an oddball, for sure, but in both abuse cases, the parents behind the accusations were scheming monsters, as were the so-called “journalists” who covered the stories.  

The post Nolte: Ignorant Critics Slam Michael Jackson Biopic For Ignoring Child Abuse Accusations appeared first on Breitbart.

Republicans in Tennessee's House and Senate passed legislation this week allowing the use of lethal force to protect property.

The post Tennessee Republicans Pass Bill Allowing Lethal Force for Protection of Property appeared first on Breitbart.

Morphing numerous bills into one giant legislative package is often a recipe for wasteful spending, but an anti-fraud measure from Senate DOGE Caucus Chairwoman Joni Ernst aims to save taxpayers $240 billion.

In January, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., requested that Ernst, an Iowa Republican, draft a legislative package to prevent fraud cases similar to Minnesota’s $9 billion welfare scandal.

This week, she released the Protecting American Taxpayers Act, which packages 17 anti-fraud bills introduced over the last year into one bill.

Although overcoming a Democrat filibuster is a challenge to passing legislation, Ernst anticipates bipartisan support for her measure.

“This is a package of a lot of different commonsense proposals,” Ernst told The Daily Signal. “Leader Thune wanted this package to include bills that had Democratic co-sponsors.”

One specific bill included in the anti-fraud omnibus is legislation by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which strengthens whistleblower protections for government contractors.

While the welfare fraud scandal in Minnesota and hospice fraud in California have gained significant attention, fraud has been a longstanding problem in federal programs, according to the Government Accountability Office.

The federal government loses between $233 billion and $521 billion per year to fraud, according to a GAO analysis of budget years 2018 through 2022. The GAO also found that since 2003, improper payments have totaled about $2.8 trillion.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, chaired by Vice President JD Vance. The task force aims to work with every agency to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within federal benefit programs.

Republicans sponsored Peters’ measure and the 16 other bills rolled into Ernst’s package. Several bills also gained Democrat co-sponsors, including Ernst’s legislation from last year to claw back unused federal spending for the COVID-19 pandemic, which had reached more than $65 billion.

About $1.4 billion in federal money is stolen through fraud, Ernst said.

“I started my elected political career as a county auditor, and it’s still amazing to me that the federal government can’t adhere to basic accounting practices that state and local governments do,” Ernst said.

Ernst’s package includes her bill requiring tax dollars hidden in budget line items listed as “Other Transaction Agreements” to be fully disclosed. Another proposal would extend statutes of limitations for COVID-19 fraud cases to ensure criminals are caught and held accountable. The package would further prevent anyone convicted of defrauding the Small Business Administration from getting future SBA loans.

There are also national security-related proposals in the package that could save money.

The bill includes a provision banning federal funds from going to countries under U.S. travel bans or arms embargoes. It also prohibits cash assistance to Afghanistan to prevent Taliban access. Another provision in the bill would require individuals who want to conduct international wire transfers to certify that they do not receive public assistance.

On Thursday, Republican Sens. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, John Cornyn of Texas, Jon Husted of Ohio, Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania, and James Lankford of Oklahoma issued statements in support of Ernst’s legislation.

The White House Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, stopped making headlines after its efforts to trim the budget. But Ernst said the Senate DOGE Caucus is still very engaged in fighting waste, fraud, and abuse. She was also glad to see the White House take a whole-of-government approach to fighting fraud with the Vance-led task force.

“We are thankful the vice president is the fraud czar,” Ernst said.

She noted that, occasionally, the “star power” of Elon Musk or video footage from online figure Nick Shirley is needed to draw attention to the problem of fraud.

“I’ve been working on fraud, waste, and abuse for 12 years since I was in the Senate. But sometimes we felt like we were spinning our wheels and the American people weren’t paying attention,” Ernst said. “Elon Musk gave star power to fighting waste, fraud, and abuse. Then Nick Shirley caught government waste on video, exposing what was happening to the American people.”

Two rounds of materials testing revealed the presence of cotton from East Turkistan, the occupied Uyghur homeland, in Labubu dolls.

The post Studies Find Viral Chinese ‘Labubu’ Toys Use Cotton from Uyghur Slave Region appeared first on Breitbart.