“Two theme parkgoers were trapped more than 100 feet in the air for more than 30 minutes this week after a roller coaster in Texas malfunctioned. The Circuit Breaker roller coaster at the Circuit of the Americas near Austin unexpectedly stopped at the first drop, leaving Matthew Cantu, 24, and Nicholas Sanchez, 20, dangling at a 90-degree angle Wednesday night, KXAN-TV reported, citing a publicist representing the two men. ‘For more than 30 minutes after the ride stopped, family members reported receiving no clear updates, while witnesses said staff provided conflicting explanations, including comments that the riders ‘weren’t strapped in currently,’’ the publicist’s news release said, People magazine reported. ‘A sensor triggered a ride delay,’ the Circuit of the Americas told Fox News Digital in a statement Saturday. ‘It was resolved, and the ride proceeded without incident.'” (12/20/25)
“Waymo halted service in San Francisco as of Saturday at 8 p.m., following a power outage that left approximately 30% of the city without power. The autonomous cars have been causing traffic jams throughout the city, as the vehicles seem unable to function without traffic signals. ‘We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing services given the broad power outage in San Francisco,’ Suzanne Philion, a Waymo spokesperson told SFGATE via email Saturday night. ‘We are focused on keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need to do their work.’ Pedestrians posted videos on X Saturday of Waymo cars stuck at intersections with their lights flashing. The widespread power outage is affecting around San Francisco 130,000 customers and began as early as 9:40 a.m. in parts of the city.” (12/20/25)
“Last week, I reported on concerns that House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was discouraging support for a bipartisan discharge petition to finally advance the exceedingly popular policy of ending congressional stock trading. Discharge petitions signed by a majority of House members get a guaranteed floor vote. The speculation was that Jeffries would rather keep the concept of a trading ban alive for campaigning (and maybe protect Democrats who want to keep trading) than take advantage of the ongoing rebellion against House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to make tangible progress. I would say this is wholly confirmed now. The Democratic leadership is filing their own discharge petition on a stock trading ban, countering one from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) that has 74 signatures, including 15 Republicans, more than enough for a House majority if all Democrats sign on.” (12/19/25)
“Two students were murdered by an unknown monster at Brown University over the weekend and the odds are pretty high you don’t know their names. I don’t blame you; you don’t have to, and, unless you knew them, you have no real reason to. But I bet you know the names of some of those left-wing gun control students who’ve formed anti-Second Amendment groups and have gone on to become progressive cable news celebrities. Seems odd, doesn’t it? Until you realize that not all victims are created equally. It’s a deviant sect on the left that only cares about people’s well-being if those people agree with them; everyone else is disposable. Unless, that is, Democrats can use their deaths to advance their agenda, then they’ll pretend to care.” (12/18/25)
“Over the past week, Romania has been rocked by protests against corruption. Like many of its neighbors, the Eastern European nation has seen similar uprisings for more than a decade. This time, however, many protesters have appealed to people’s better angels. They lean toward affirming principles of governance rather than merely opposing evil acts. One chant favored during the protests, for example, is ‘Justice, no corruption’. Another is ‘Integrity, not complicity’. One protest sign reads: ‘Respect for honest magistrates’. In the midst of the demonstrations – which focus on a media report that some judges helped officials avoid trials on corruption charges – hundreds of judges and prosecutors signed an open letter. It supports whistleblowers inside the judicial system who, despite threats of punishment, bravely expose wrongdoing. ‘Truth and integrity must not be penalised but protected,’ the letter stated.” (12/17/25)
“Trying to accelerate Ukraine’s entry into the European Union makes sense as part of the U.S.-sponsored efforts to end the war with Russia. But there are two big obstacles to this happening by 2027: Ukraine isn’t ready, and Europe can’t afford it. As part of ongoing talks to end the war in Ukraine, the Trump administration had advanced the idea that Ukraine be admitted into the European Union by 2027. On the surface, this appears a practical compromise, given Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s concession that Ukraine will drop its aspiration to join NATO. However, the idea of accelerated entry for Ukraine has not been met with widespread enthusiasm in Europe itself. Diplomats in Brussels dismissed the notion as ‘nonsense: There needs to be an appetite for enlargement that isn’t there’. There are two big problems with Ukraine’s rapid accession, the first being readiness and the second cost.” (12/18/25)
“The Senate on Wednesday confirmed billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator on Wednesday, placing him atop the agency after a monthslong saga where President Donald Trump revoked his nomination as part of a feud with tech billionaire Elon Musk. Isaacman, who has promised to bring a business-minded approach to the space agency, was confirmed in a bipartisan vote, 67-30. He will take over after an unusual confirmation process upended by the Republican president’s oscillating and at times tumultuous relationship with prominent tech leaders who backed his campaign, most notably Musk, the Tesla CEO who is a close ally of Isaacman. Trump picked Isaacman last year but withdrew the nomination in May after feuding with Musk over the administration’s policies on issues such as electric vehicles and the performance of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.” (12/17/25)
“In the year I was born, 1938, the White Christian males who ruled the sports world considered their various games and pastimes as definers of righteousness, crucibles of character, and a preparation for dominance in business and war. Anyone who played but didn’t look like them was an interloper, clearly operating with some kind of performance enhancers. That was made clear in a book published that very year by one of the premier sportswriters of his time, Paul Gallico. … he declaimed that the ‘colored brother’ was so good at boxing because he ‘is not nearly so sensible to pain as his White brother.’ … ; that New York Yankee slugger Babe Ruth, ‘like all people who spring from what we call low origins … never had any inhibitions’; and that the reason basketball ‘appeals to the Hebrew … is that the game places a premium on an alert, scheming mind and flashy trickiness, artful dodging, and general smart aleckness.'” (12/18/25)
“President Donald Trump’s newly released National Security Strategy breaks the mold of White House strategy documents being a product of an elite policy consensus. From the outset, the document declares that America’s foreign-policy establishment ‘went astray’, overextending the nation abroad and ignoring the wishes and instincts of ordinary citizens. The document presents its ‘America First’ approach as a strategy grounded in the will of We the People. Conveniently, we now have a clear picture of what the American people actually think when it comes to our most pressing national security challenges. Our Reagan National Defense Survey, released just days before the strategy, offers one of the clearest assessments of public attitudes toward national defense, foreign policy, allies and adversaries.” (12/18/25)
“NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope got a rare look at the aftermath of two cosmic collisions — and helped scientists solve a decades-old mystery. Many years ago, scientists saw a dense, bright spot near a young star called Fomalhaut. They thought it could be a planet and continued to track it. But in 2023, Hubble’s pictures revealed something strange. The bright spot had vanished — and a new one had appeared — a sign that it wasn’t a planet after all. Scientists had stumbled on the dusty debris from two cosmic crashes. Massive space rocks slammed together to create clouds of dust that were thick enough to masquerade as planets. Over time, the remains spread out and eventually disappeared altogether. Scientists think the space rocks involved in the collision were at least 37 miles (60 kilometers) wide. It’s rare to capture such clashes on camera, especially since theories suggest they only happen in the same vicinity about once every 100,000 years.” (12/18/25)
