“The federal government spends $750 billion annually on contracts with private businesses. A lot of contracts start with a solicitation, which asks vendors to explain how they would complete the contract and why the government should hire them. Solicitations are a roadmap, so if too many billion-dollar contracts don’t get us where we want to go, part of the problem is solicitations that send us down the wrong path.” (12/08/25)
“A bomb explosion killed more than 30 people and wounded 20 others in eastern Congo following a dispute between the Congolese army and a pro-government militia, despite a deal signed in Washington and touted as a major step toward peace in the country. Residents and civil society leaders told The Associated Press that the FARDC, the Congolese army’s acronym, and Wazalendo, which has been helping the army combat the insurgents, clashed before they felt the blast in the town of Sange in South Kivu Sunday evening. … The explosion came less than a week after a U.S.-brokered peace agreement was finalized in an attempt to stop the ongoing war between the Congolese armed forces and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group in the eastern part of Congo.” (12/08/25)
“In late October, the Federal Reserve adjusted its target interest rate downward. The decision was reached with some dissent, showing a divergence of economic perspectives among the Federal Reserve’s members. Soon afterward, some Fed officials voiced divergent views about what to do in December. Due to the recent government shutdown, key economic data, including inflation reports, unemployment statistics, and GDP growth numbers, were delayed or canceled, thereby complicating the Federal Reserve’s ability to make informed decisions based on comprehensive data. However, even if the Fed had all the necessary data, it would once again face a fundamental problem: the same twelve people, examining lagging data, are expected to set a rate of short-term credit that affects borrowing costs for the entire economy.” (12/08/25)
Source: Rutherford Institute
by John & Nisha Whitehead
“We now live in a nation where constitutional rights exist in theory, not in practice. Yet what good are rights on paper when every branch of government is allowed to ignore, circumvent, chip away at or hollow them out in practice? Two hundred and thirty-four years after the ratification of the Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791, the safeguards meant to shield ‘We the people’ from government abuse are barely recognizable. In ways the Founders could scarcely have imagined — and would never have tolerated — the safeguards meant to restrain government overreach have become little more than empty platitudes.” (12/08/25)
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by James Bovard
“The Trump administration effectively condemned the downtown Washington, D.C., headquarters of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), portraying it as unfit for federal workers. HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced: ‘It is time to turn the page on the Weaver Building and relocate to a new headquarters that prioritizes the well-being of HUD employees and properly reflects the passion and excellence of our team.’ HUD posted a video exposing the ramshackle condition of its existing headquarters in D.C. and touting its new much fancier offices in Alexandria, Virginia. The video took its title from Secretary Turner’s promise of ‘The New Golden Age of HUD.’ And if you believe HUD will have a Golden Age, I have some bridge in Brooklyn I will sell you at a fire sale price.” (12/08/25)
“President Trump’s former personal lawyer Alina Habba stepped down as acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey on Monday. Habba was recently disqualified from the role last week after an appeals court found that she was serving unlawfully. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X the Justice Department will seek further review of the ruling and is ‘confident’ the decision will be reversed. Habba said Monday she will continue to serve as Bondi’s senior adviser for U.S. attorneys.” (12/08/25)
