Originally published at: https://peakprosperity.com/good-news-friday-distilling-ban-overturned-j-street-calls-to-end-israeli-subsidies-vaccine-panel-overhauled/
Preparedness
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a 158-year federal ban on home distilling, ruling it unconstitutional as an improper exercise of Congress’s taxing power. The decision favors the Hobby Distillers Association and its 1,300 members, who argued for the right to distill spirits like vodka or whiskey for personal use or hobbies. However, the ruling may face Supreme Court review amid state law considerations. Enacted in 1868 during Reconstruction to prevent liquor tax evasion, the law imposed up to five years in prison and $10,000 fines. Circuit Judge Edith Hollan Jones wrote that the ban reduced revenue by prohibiting production altogether, unlike regulations allowing taxation on manufactured spirits. She rejected government arguments that could criminalize unnoticed home activities like remote work.
Geopolitics
Pro-Israel group J Street has called for ending direct U.S. financial subsidies for Israel’s weapons purchases, urging sales of short-range air and ballistic missile defenses on a pay-your-own basis. Citing Israel’s $45 billion annual defense budget and per capita GDP matching allies like the UK, France, and Japan, J Street argues that $4 billion yearly aid is unnecessary and counterproductive amid domestic tensions. The Zionist Organization of America condemned J Street’s stance as proving it to be an enemy of the Jewish people. The group states future sales must align with U.S. law on human rights and aid delivery, while noting mutual benefits from intelligence sharing, such as against ISIS, joint operations like Israel’s 2006 Syria strike, and 500,000 U.S. citizens in Israel.
Health
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has updated the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices charter, expanding eligibility to include expertise in toxicology, pediatric neurodevelopment, biostatistics, and recovery from serious vaccine injuries. The revisions require study of gaps in vaccine safety research, cumulative effects of shots, and vaccination schedules from other countries. Nonvoting liaison roles now include the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Independent Medical Alliance, Medical Academy of Pediatrics & Special Needs, and Physicians for Informed Consent, alongside previous groups. Critic Peter Hotez described the updates as part of a “pseudoscience disinformation campaign.” Committee members say the changes enable comprehensive risk-benefit assessments, including non-pharmaceutical interventions, addressing prior limitations.
In a rare silver lining to the conflict in Iran, war has disrupted fluoride supplies, prompting water utilities serving millions to lower levels. Baltimore reduced from 0.7 milligrams per liter to 0.4 mg/L, affecting 1.8 million residents, due to issues with an Israeli supplier. WSSC Water, serving 1.9 million people in Maryland counties, made a similar adjustment, citing hydrofluorosilicic acid shortages. Lititz, Pennsylvania, halted fluoridation temporarily. Officials emphasized temporary measures for safe water, with restoration planned. A National Institutes of Health report links higher fluoride to lower children’s IQ scores, and Health Secretary Kennedy has stated that toothpaste suffices; some localities have ended fluoridation entirely.
Lastly, the United States completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization on January 22, 2026, fulfilling President Trump’s executive order issued in January 2025.
US Politics
The Trump Department of Justice has filed a motion to vacate seditious conspiracy convictions for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, Proud Boys leaders Joe Biggs, Ethan Nordean, Zachary Rehl, and others involved in January 6 cases. The motion targets convictions for Rhodes, Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Thomas Caldwell, Jessica Watkins, Roberto Minuta, Edward Vallejo, David Moerschel, Joseph Hackett, Ethan Nordean, Joe Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Dominic Pezzola, and Jeremy Bertino, whose sentences were previously commuted but not fully pardoned. Critics, including Rep. Jamie Raskin, have called the motion “outrageous.” The U.S. Court of Appeals has suspended briefing following the filing. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro signed off on the action.
Additionally, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has referred Eric Ciaramella, the 2019 Trump impeachment whistleblower, and former Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Atkinson to the Justice Department for potential criminal investigation. Newly declassified records, including unreleased transcripts of Atkinson’s testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, indicate that Atkinson did not conduct basic due diligence and exceeded his authority by labeling President Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as an urgent concern, according to the records. The records also note indications of political bias in Ciaramella, who reportedly favored a rival political candidate, yet his claims advanced to Congress. Critics, including Sen. Mark Warner, have labeled the referrals a “desperate attempt” at political revenge. The call involved Trump urging Zelenskyy to investigate Hunter Biden’s business ties to Burisma Holdings and Joe Biden’s role in the firing of Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin.
Lastly, a new website, CourtWatch.us, tracks judges who release violent repeat offenders, using public records to document instances of rearrests, court no-shows, or pretrial release revocations. Created by X user JohnnyFSE, the free database seeks to inform citizens and promote accountability. Elon Musk praised the initiative, stating that judges releasing violent criminals who reoffend will face public scrutiny. Some have warned that the site could incite vigilantism against judges.
Privacy & Surveillance
Conservatives in Congress, including Representatives Tim Burchett, Lauren Boebert, and Thomas Massie, blocked a five-year extension of FISA, instead limiting it to just two weeks. Boebert cited classified briefings portraying warrants on Americans as essential. Massie referenced top-secret documents showing program abuses worsening, enabling evidence trails bypassing FISA disclosure. Burchett expressed skepticism toward FISA’s necessity. However, Congress will continue to negotiate the details of the legislation with an aim to enact a longer extension.
Environment
In Spain’s Iberian Highlands Rewilding Project, Przewalski’s horses—the world’s last non-domesticated horse species untouched by interbreeding for 6,000 years—have produced 10 foals since their reintroduction three years ago into over 1.8 million acres of “Empty Spain.” Originating from Mongolian and Chinese plains, the horses are adapting to the scrubby woodlands beyond Madrid, grazing understory growth alongside European bison, deer, and specially bred wild cattle. Project supporters say this effort helps reduce wildfire risks in depopulated areas prone to intense blazes without natural grazers. Supported by $200,000 loans from Rewilding Spain, local initiatives include safari lodges, with future plans for wolves, Iberian lynx, and vultures to restore predator-prey balance.
Additionally, blue-and-yellow macaws have returned to Rio de Janeiro’s Tijuca National Park after 200 years, released through a captive breeding program by Refauna. The 10,000-acre Atlantic Forest remnant now hosts four of the birds, which appear in local logos and souvenirs. Rescued from captivity, the macaws undergo acclimatization, including temporary aviary returns to build flight strength for daily 6-mile foraging. Their beaks aid seed dispersal for park trees, supporting regeneration of a biome reduced by 90 percent since colonial times. Accompanying reintroductions include howler monkeys, red-rumped agoutis, and yellow-footed tortoises, drawing visitors and boosting ecosystem health.
Sources
DNI Gabbard Refers Trump Impeachment Whistleblower Ciaramella, Ex-DOJ IG Atkinson to DOJ
“Newly-declassified records expose how deep state actors within the Intelligence Community concocted a false narrative that Congress used to usurp the will of the American people and impeach duly-elected President Donald Trump in 2019.”
Spain’s Rewilding Win: Przewalski’s Horses Birth 10 Foals in Empty Spain
10 foals have been born since then
U.S. Appeals Court Strikes Down 158-Year Ban on Home Distilling
A U.S. appeals court on Friday declared unconstitutional a nearly 158-year-old federal ban on home distilling
US Withdraws from WHO After 77 Years, Fulfilling Trump’s Executive Order
After 77 years, the USA is no longer a WHO member.
New Website Tracks “Woke Judges” Releasing Violent Recidivists – Musk: “Publicly Shamed!”
“This is great. At least those judges who release violent criminals who go on to hurt more people will be publicly shamed!”
RFK Jr. Revamps ACIP Charter to Spotlight Vaccine Injuries, Dissent
expanding membership criteria, sharpening the focus on vaccine injuries and opening the door to more dissenting voices.
Iran War Sparks Fluoride Shortages, Cutting Levels for Millions in US Water
Multiple water providers have lowered the amount of fluoride they add to water for millions of Americans, amid shortages stemming from the U.S.–Iran war.
Trump DOJ Seeks to Vacate J6 Seditious Conspiracy Convictions for Rhodes, Biggs, Nordean, and Others
The Trump DOJ on Tuesday filed the motion to dismiss seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members.
Blue-and-Yellow Macaws Return to Rio After 200 Years: A Carioca Dream Come True
“It’s a dream come true.”
Conservatives Block 5-Year FISA Extension, Limit It to 2 Weeks in Deep State Win
Conservatives have blocked an attempt to ram through a 5 year extension of FISA in the dead of night, extending it by only 2 weeks
J Street to Israel: Pay Out-of-Pocket for US Weapons
J Street says Israel should pay out-of-pocket if it wants US weapons
In addition to sources submitted by community members, the following were also used in the creation of this report: Fox News, Benny Johnson, New York Post, Just the News, ABC News, Daily Caller, Scott MacFarlane, @ChiefMasterRope, Good News Network, Click Petróleo e Gás, Ultima Bozza blog, The Guardian, Cato Institute, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, HHS.gov, CDC.gov, WHO.int, The HighWire, Dr. Drew, New York Times, Peter Hotez, J Street, Zionist Organization of America, @gamarub36, and @DrJayinLA.