“The Democratic Party is a very old and venerable institution, and as such, it has a lot of rules, a lot of buffers, and yes, this thing of theirs, it has centers of power. You might even call them ‘families’. Now, these families, so to speak, they aren’t at war with each other, at least not usually, but they do have their own interests and priorities, and sometimes conflicts do arise. To truly understand the party, and where it is going, you have to understand the Five Families who lead it. So, let’s take a look, one by one. Which crews are in ascendency? Which are in chaos? And what will it mean for the party as it seeks to take Congress and the White House and put every agency in the country right in its back pocket?” [editor’s note: Yes, viewing the Dramacrat pols like mob bosses does clarify it a bit – SAT] (12/13/25)
“A shooting at Brown University has left at least two dead and nine injured on Saturday, Dec. 13. Two of the dead and eight of the injured have been confirmed as Brown University students. The school is still on lockdown as the shooter is not yet in custody. Providence police have released limited information about the suspected shooter – only that he is male, was wearing all black or dark clothing, and may be in his 30’s. … In what he described as the last regular update of the evening, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley emphasized that law enforcement has not received any additional credible information that there’s any ongoing threat.” (12/13/25)
“Cambodia has shut its border crossings with Thailand, as fighting continues between the two forces on Saturday despite US President Donald Trump earlier saying they had agreed to a ceasefire. The crossings will be closed until further notice, according to Cambodia’s interior ministry. Earlier, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he told Trump a ceasefire would only be possible after Cambodia had withdrawn all its forces and removed landmines. Thai officials said four soldiers were killed on Saturday, as both sides reported continued bombing and artillery exchanges. Cambodia has not been updating its military casualty figure. Cambodia’s defence ministry said that Thai fighter jets bombed hotel buildings and a bridge, while Thailand reported several civilians were injured in a Cambodian rocket attack. The four deaths on Saturday bring Thailand’s total military death toll since Monday to 15, with 270 others injured. It added that six civilians had also been injured.” (12/13/25)
“Scientists on California’s Central Coast recently spotted a giant, evasive seven-arm octopus while on a research expedition in Monterey Bay. The rare creature, called Haliphron atlanticus, was seen by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute’s biodiversity and biooptics team on Nov. 6, the institute confirmed to SFGATE via email. Prior to this sighting, scientists with MBARI had only seen the octopus four times in the past 35 years. Haliphron atlanticus was last seen by MBARI scientists in 2017, when they discovered the octopus is partial to a diet of jellyfish and gelatinous plankton. Last month, the team again witnessed the elusive animal. Led by senior scientist Steven Haddock, the MBARI team was studying marine life in the ocean’s midwater — a vast range between the water’s surface and the seafloor — when they came across Haliphron atlanticus at a depth of about 2,300 feet.” (12/11/25)
“A climate of fear reigned Saturday in Uvira, a strategic city in eastern Congo, days after it fell to the Rwanda -backed M23 group, as fighting in the region escalated despite a U.S. mediated peace deal. The Associated Press gained rare access to the city, which was the Congo government’s last major foothold in South Kivu province after the provincial capital of Bukavu fell to the rebels in February. Its capture allows the rebels to consolidate a broad corridor of influence across the east. M23 said it took control of Uvira earlier this week, following a rapid offensive launched at the start of the month. Along with the more than 400 people killed, about 200,000 have been displaced, regional officials say. On Saturday, the situation in Uvira still had not returned to normal. There was absolute silence and no traffic, apart from military jeeps circulating on the empty streets.” (12/13/25)
“Millions of Americans gathered around their kitchen tables to visit with friends and family and indulge in favorite recipes late last month. Those who could luxuriate in a long holiday weekend did just that, but not everyone got to enjoy it; about a third of the American workforce still had to get up and go to work as usual on Thanksgiving. Surprisingly, that included at least a few members of the Trump administration’s Labor Department, who spent their holiday dealing yet another crippling blow to the nation’s beleaguered coal miners. On November 26th, the Department of Labor and the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association filed a status update in an ongoing lawsuit over a long-awaited workplace safety regulation. Taken out of context, this may not sound all that exciting, but it’s actually quite devastating.” (12/11/25)
Source: Real Clear Investigations
by Ana Kasparian
“Gov. Gavin Newsom has made reducing the homelessness crisis in California a top priority, saying the scale of the state’s efforts is ‘unprecedented’ and calling for the continued expansion of his signature effort (Project Homekey) that has already cost $3.75 billion. But in a state with more than 181,000 homeless individuals, or about one-third of the U.S. total, Homekey has been marred by failures and scandals, including a lack of government oversight and accountability as well as a federal investigation into allegations of fraud in Los Angeles. Newsom, who appears to be preparing for a presidential bid in 2028, could make Homekey, which he calls a ‘national model’, a talking point in his campaign.” (12/11/25)
“As more of the Epstein files are released, reminding us of Donald Trump’s close association with Jeffrey Epstein and the young people he abused and trafficked, as well as the president’s ongoing array of misogynist insults and actions (like calling journalist Catherine Lucey ‘piggy’ and name-calling Marjorie Taylor Greene to the point where she jumped ship), what keeps coming to my mind are the sexual exploits of authoritarians throughout history. As a scholar of the New Testament and the origins of Christianity, I have a special interest in the lives of the Roman emperors — in particular, the notorious Emperor Nero. According to historians of antiquity (trigger warning here!), Emperor Nero was known to use and abuse many people, especially women, allegedly murdering two of his wives and his aunt while sleeping with a Vestal Virgin and — yes! his mother before he killed her.” (12/11/25)
“The Affordable Care Act was passed upon a mountain of lies about ‘bending the cost curve’ and phony cost estimates. Not a single Republican in the House or Senate voted for it. The subsidies Obamacare shoveled to insurance companies — that enriched them greatly — are set to expire exactly as the Democrat designers planned. This will cause premiums to skyrocket. Right on cue, Democrats label the failed Obamacare promises a ‘Republican health care crisis’. In 2019, right before President Barack Obama signed the bill, I wrote the following column in which I predicted he would be long out of office when the true bill came due, leaving others to clean up the mess. Here are excerpts: Americans overwhelmingly like their health care and their health insurance. While Americans reject Obamacare, the president and Congress insist on driving it through. Most Americans, up to 85 percent, already have health insurance and are satisfied with it.” (12/11/25)
“A judge has ordered the immediate release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly [sic] deported and brought back to the US to face criminal charges, from immigration custody. US District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland said since returning to the US, Mr Abrego Garcia was re-detained ‘without lawful authority’. The order means he can at least temporarily return to his home in Maryland. The Department of Homeland Security said the decision was ‘naked judicial activism’ and ‘lacks any valid legal basis’. The case became a focal point in the administration’s crackdown on immigration after he was deported to El Salvador in March, despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation. Judge Xinis wrote in her ruling that the government did not have a removal order, which blocks it from deporting Mr Abrego Garcia ‘at this juncture’.” (12/11/25)
