“Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has warned he may abandon a long-awaited trade deal between members of the South American bloc Mercosur and the European Union after key countries sought a delay. The Brazilian leader issued the threat on Wednesday after Italy joined fellow heavyweight France in saying it was not ready to commit to the pact to create the world’s biggest free-trade area. The EU had expected its 27 member states to approve the deal in time for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to fly to Brazil to sign an agreement with the host, along with Mercosur partners Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, on Saturday. ‘I’ve already warned them: If we don’t do it now, Brazil won’t make any more agreements while I’m president,’ Lula told a cabinet meeting.” (12/17/25)
“House Republicans passed a bill they say will lower healthcare costs for a broad swath of Americans by roughly 11%. It’s a victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who has been managing deep divisions within the House GOP on the topic of healthcare as insurance premiums are set to spike across the country in a matter of weeks. One glaring issue that remains unresolved is Obamacare subsidies, which were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic but are set to expire at the end of this year. The legislation passed 216 to 211. Just one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., voted against it along with all House Democrats. The bill’s passage comes hours after a group of moderate Republicans joined a Democrat-led discharge petition to force a vote on extending the subsidies for another three years.” (12/17/25)
“Ukrainian drones hit a tanker in the southern Russian port of Rostov-on-Don, killing and injuring a number of people and sparking a fire, the city’s mayor was quoted as saying early on Thursday. … Regional governor Yuri Slyusar had initially reported the Ukrainian strike on the vessel in the port and the casualties among the ship’s crew. Slyusar also said parts of a high-rise apartment block under construction were damaged in the city and two private homes burned down in a nearby town.” (12/18/25)
“The House shot down a pair of Democratic-led resolutions Wednesday designed to curtail President Trump’s strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and the administration’s ‘hostilities within or against Venezuela.’ The first resolution, brought by House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), aimed to end the boat strikes by directing the president to stop ‘hostilities with any presidentially designated terrorist organization in the Western Hemisphere’ unless authorized by Congress. … The second resolution, led by House Rules Committee ranking member Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), would direct the president ‘to remove the use of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela’ unless authorized by Congress.” (12/17/25)
“Demonstrators on the streets of Britain’s two largest cities, chanting or displaying ‘globalize the intifada’ signs or protesting in other ways that intimidate the local Jewish community, face arrest, the country’s two most senior police chiefs warned Wednesday. In a joint statement, London Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said Sunday’s terror attack targeting Jews celebrating Hanukkah on Bondi Beach in Australia had compelled them to take a tougher line. … Named for a rebellion by Palestinians during Israel’s first occupation of Gaza and the West Bank in the late 1980s, the literal translation of intifada is ‘uprising’ — but it can be interpreted as a call for violence against Jews, police said.” (12/17/25)
“President Trump addressed the nation Wednesday night from the White House Diplomatic Reception Room to tout his accomplishments in 2025 and his goals for the next three years in office. The address was about 20 minutes long. Mr. Trump touted his economic record — defending his handling of inflation and tariffs — and accused Democrats of bringing the country to the ‘brink of ruin,’ as his administration deals with widespread voter frustration over the economy. He announced the government is sending $1,776 to military service members before Christmas, which he referred to as ‘warrior dividends.'” (12/17/25)
“Myanmar’s military government has charged more than 200 people with violating the Southeast Asian country’s voting law ahead of a general election at the end of this month, keeping up pressure on opponents of the polls. Critics of the election set to start on Dec. 28 claim it will be neither free nor fair and is designed to add the facade of legitimacy to military rule that began after the army in February 2021 ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. … The new law, enacted in July, says anyone who orates, speaks, organizes, incites, protests or distributes letters to disrupt any part of the electoral process shall be punished with three to 10 years imprisonment, as well as a fine. Other offenses carry sentences up to the death penalty.” (12/17/25)
“Warner Bros Discovery on Wednesday rejected a hostile takeover bid by Paramount launched last week to trump plans by streaming giant Netflix to acquire the Hollywood giant and owner of CNN. In a statement, Warner Bros said the terms of the Netflix merger were better, while the Paramount offer ‘once again fails to address key concerns that we have consistently communicated … throughout our extensive engagement and review of their six previous proposals.'” (12/17/25)
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“Republicans are making mail-in voting a core part of their midterm battle plans — a sharp contrast with President Donald Trump’s efforts to abolish the practice as they scramble to turn out his base. … Rattled by electoral losses across the country this year and fearing a turnout slump in 2026 when control of Congress is on the line, Republican party chairs and operatives in battleground states Trump flipped by razor-thin margins in 2024 are turning to mail-in voting to keep lower-propensity voters engaged when he’s not on the ballot. They’re redoubling the 2024 efforts they ran successfully despite Trump alternating between promoting and railing against the practice — a turnabout after his vilification of mail ballots contributed to GOP losses in 2020. Now, back in office, Trump is escalating his war against mail ballots.” (12/17/25)
