“Prosecutors played audio recordings Monday as they tried to show jurors that a Wisconsin judge knew what was at stake last spring when she directed an immigrant to a private door while federal agents were in the courthouse to [abduct] the man. ‘I’ll get the heat,’ Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan told her court reporter as they discussed who would assist Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, according to courtroom audio. Dugan is on trial for obstruction and concealment, an extraordinary consequence of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. There is no dispute that Dugan directed Flores-Ruiz to leave her courtroom through a private door after telling immigration agents to speak with the chief judge about trying to [abduct] him.” (12/15/25)
“Inflation looks to be sapping some of Americans’ holiday cheer as they head out to buy gifts this Christmas season, according to the CNBC All-America Economic Survey. The survey found the high cost of goods has emerged as a major factor affecting how much shoppers spend and where they spend, suggesting inflation of the past several years and the rise in import goods prices from tariffs are being felt at the checkout counter. The survey of 1,000 people nationwide, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1%, found that the high cost of goods is the top reason Americans are spending less and, in a first for the survey, the main reason they are spending more. … Overall, 41% of Americans plan to spend less this year, with 42% saying they will spend about the same and 16% saying they will spend more.” (12/15/25)
“Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino will make a decision about his future at the bureau within the next few weeks, two sources familiar with his considerations tell Fox News. The sources deny recent reports that Bongino’s office at the FBI is empty, but they say his departure is a possibility in the near future. A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that Bongino has not made any decisions about his future. Bongino’s tenure at the FBI has come under fire in recent weeks, alongside FBI Director Kash Patel. Earlier this month, a report from an alliance of active-duty and retired FBI personnel portrayed the bureau as directionless under its new leadership. Bongino and Patel pushed back on the report, however, defending sweeping reforms they say have delivered major gains in accountability and public safety.” (12/15/25)
“The European Union has adopted its latest package of sanctions, directly targeting companies and individuals accused of assisting Moscow in circumventing Western restrictions on oil exports. … Despite 19 previous rounds of sanctions, Russia has largely adapted to the measures, continuing to sell millions of barrels of oil to countries such as India and China, albeit at discounted rates. Much of this trade relies on a so-called ‘shadow fleet’ of vessels operating beyond the reach of the Western maritime industry. The new EU sanctions prohibit citizens of the bloc from conducting business with the newly listed entities and individuals. This move aims to significantly reduce their access to major shipping and insurance providers. In total, the EU has now sanctioned more than 2,600 individuals and companies.” (12/15/25)
“President Vladimir Putin is stalling efforts to end Russia’s war on Ukraine, and is testing the West with tactics that fall ‘just below the threshold of war’, the head of Britain’s MI6 spy agency said Monday. Blaise Metreweli said Putin is ‘dragging out negotiations’ on stopping the conflict, and remains determined to ‘subjugate Ukraine and harass NATO members’. ‘We are now operating in a space between peace and war,’ Metreweli said of the wider global threat landscape in her first public speech since becoming chief of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency two months ago. Metreweli accused Moscow of sponsoring cyberattacks on other countries’ critical infrastructure, drone incursions around European airports, campaigns of arson, sabotage and disinformation, and ‘aggressive activities in our seas, above and below the waves’.” (12/15/25)
“President Trump’s advisers are furious with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) for starting an anti-abortion group to spur new action on the issue, which the White House views as a loser for Republicans in next year’s midterms. ‘Clearly, Senator Hawley and his political team learned nothing from the 2022 elections, when the SCOTUS abortion ruling [overturning Roe v. Wade] resuscitated the Democrats in the midterms,’ a close Trump adviser told Axios. Trump’s lieutenants believe the move by Hawley — a vocal populist who speaks up for the working class — is part of a plan to position himself to challenge Vice President Vance for the presidency in 2028.” (12/15/25)
“Before the end of the year, the Trump administration is planning to eliminate up to 35,000 healthcare jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, a chronically understaffed agency that has already lost tens of thousands of employees to the White House’s sweeping assault on the federal workforce. The Washington Post reported over the weekend that the targeted positions (many of which are unfilled) include doctors, nurses, and support staff. A spokesperson for the VA, led by former Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), described the jobs as ‘mostly Covid-era roles that are no longer necessary’. VA workers, veterans advocates, and a union representing hundreds of thousands of department employees disputed that characterization as the agency faces staff shortages across the country. ‘We are all doing the work of others to compensate,” one VA employee told the Post. ‘The idea that relief isn’t coming is really, really disappointing.'” (12/15/25)
“The Louvre Museum closed its doors to thousands of disappointed visitors on Monday as staff launched a strike to protest working conditions at the Paris landmark, two months after a shocking robbery. Workers are demanding extra staff and measures to tackle overcrowding, adding to the woes of the world’s most visited museum just as France is gearing up for the Christmas holidays. The strike comes nearly two months after the museum was victim of an embarrassing daylight heist that saw crown jewels worth $102 million stolen.” (12/15/25)
“Two former aides to President Donald Trump during the 2020 election are in a Wisconsin court for a preliminary hearing on felony forgery charges related to a fake elector scheme. The judge postponed a preliminary hearing for a third aide amid questions about what statements the man made to prosecutors could be admitted in court. The Wisconsin case is moving forward even as others in the battleground states of Michigan and Georgia have faltered. A special prosecutor last year dropped a federal case alleging Trump conspired to overturn the 2020 election. Another case in Nevada is still alive.” (12/15/25)
“Director-actor Rob Reiner and his wife have been found dead at their home in Los Angeles, according to United States media reports. The LA Police Department said in a statement on Sunday that they were investigating the deaths of two people in an apparent homicide. … A law enforcement official cited by The Associated Press news agency said on condition of anonymity that investigators believed the pair had suffered stab wounds and that a family member was being questioned in relation to the incident. … Reiner, who co-starred in the 1970s hit CBS television comedy All in the Family, directed several well-known movies, his filmography also including The Princess Bride and Stand by Me. Aside from his Hollywood career, the New York native, son of the late comedy writer and actor Carl Reiner, was well known for his political activism.” (12/15/25)
