“Israel’s parliament has extended an order allowing the government to shut down foreign broadcasters operating in the country. The legislation, passed by 22 votes to 10, expands temporary powers introduced during the Gaza war to shutter outlets seen as a threat to national security. It allows the government for the next two years to cease operations of a foreign outlet even in peace time and without the need for a court order. Originally dubbed the ‘Al Jazeera Law,’ the powers were used to shut down the Qatari-owned channel’s offices and block its broadcasts in May 2024.” (12/23/25)
“The Justice Department on Tuesday released a third batch of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, including some that have references to President Donald Trump. The Justice Department, which [was legally required to release the files by last Friday] under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, acknowledged the Trump appearances in a post on social media, and said some include ‘untrue and sensationalist claims.’ ‘The Department of Justice has officially released nearly 30,000 more pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already,’ the department said in a post on X.” (12/23/25)
“Bitcoin was falling in holiday-thinned trade, with the cryptocurrency on course to end the year lower. … With many markets closed early for Christmas Eve on Wednesday, reduced liquidity raises the potential for increased volatility. Bitcoin fell 0.7% to $87,090 and is down 7% in the year to date, LSEG data show.” (12/24/25)
“The Libyan army chief has been killed in an air crash in Turkey, Libya’s prime minister has said. Gen Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad and four others were on board a Falcon 50 aircraft flying out of the Turkish capital, Ankara. In a post on X, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said signal with the business jet was lost at 20:52 local time (17:52 GMT) – about 42 minutes after it took off from Ankara’s airport. The Tripoli-bound jet had issued an emergency landing request before contact was lost.” (12/23/25)
“Obamacare subsidies that have dominated the conversation on Capitol Hill are set to expire after Congress failed to act, but a cohort of bipartisan senators are quietly working to find a solution for when lawmakers return next year. It has engulfed Congress since September and played a starring role in the longest-ever government shutdown. And both Republicans and Democrats tried, and failed, to pass their partisan plans to either extend or replace the Biden-era enhanced tax credits. They are guaranteed to expire, and millions of Americans who use the subsidies are set to experience hikes to their out-of-pocket costs for healthcare that can vary widely depending on the state. Still, some in Congress haven’t given up on the issue.” (12/23/25)
No, it’s not “happy holidays” because we’re afraid to say “Merry Christmas.” Merry Christmas! But we’re aware that among our thousands of readers, some celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or other “winter holidays,” and hope they’re happy too. As for those of you who just welcome a winter break with no need for a holiday, enjoy!
THANK YOU to TMM, whose $100 donation yesterday brings our year-end fundraiser total to $2,453.84!
We’re less than $300 short of reaching our goal … and need YOUR help to get there. Once we’ve reached $2,750.50, supporter GL will “match funds” for the other half. But if we don’t get there, then so far as I know the “matching funds” offer goes away. And we’ve only got a week.
In other words, YOUR $296.66 is OUR $3,047.16. And I’ll be honest … we could really use that money.
PLEASE SUPPORT THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT’S DAILY NEWSPAPER:
We generally run very short editions between Christmas and the New Year — not because we don’t want to bring you the content, but because it tends to be a period of “slow news days” and lots of commentary and podcast sources take time off. But we’ll bring you SOMETHING every non-holiday weekday.
Let me mention once again …
PLEASE SUPPORT THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT’S DAILY NEWSPAPER:
“A NASA safety panel has criticized space agency officials for how they handled the busted Starliner mission that left two astronauts stranded on board the International Space Station (ISS). A new report highlights a wave of uncertainty that lurked behind Boeing’s unfortunate saga, casting doubt over whether NASA can properly address safety concerns with future missions like Artemis. For months, NASA and Boeing officials reassured the press that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams could depart the ISS on board the faulty Boeing spacecraft. Given the severity of the situation, however, NASA should have immediately declared the incident as a mishap to prompt an investigation with the agency’s safety office, according to a new report by NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP).” (12/23/25)
“Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Houthi group have reached an agreement to free detainees, according to the United Nations, with officials from both sides putting the number at thousands. In a statement on Tuesday, the UN envoy on Yemen Hans Grundberg said the prisoner swap deal came after nearly two weeks of talks in Muscat, the capital of Oman, a mediator in the conflict between the government and the Houthis that began in 2014. … The war in Yemen has been largely frozen since 2022, but tensions have risen in recent weeks as the separatist Southern Transitional Council made military advances in the country’s eastern governorates of Hadramout and al-Mahra. Overall, the conflict has killed tens of thousands people and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.” (12/23/25)
“The U.S. economy expanded at a surprisingly strong 4.3% annual rate in the third quarter, the most rapid expansion in two years, as consumer and government spending, as well as exports, all grew. U.S. gross domestic product from July through September — the economy’s total output of goods and services — rose from its 3.8% growth rate in the April-June quarter, the Commerce Department said Tuesday in a report delayed by the government shutdown. Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast growth of 3% in the period. However, inflation remains higher than the Federal Reserve would like. The Fed’s favored inflation gauge — called the personal consumption expenditures index, or PCE — climbed to a 2.8% annual pace last quarter, up from 2.1% in the second quarter.” (12/23/25)
“Japan’s beloved former Emperor Akihito marked his 92nd birthday Tuesday as his heart condition stabilized, palace officials said, following health concerns earlier this year. Akihito, the father of Emperor Naruhito, was diagnosed in May with insufficient blood flow to the heart muscles but has been in stable condition since he started a new medication in July, the Imperial Household Agency said in a statement. … Akihito, who has held the title of emperor emeritus since his abdication in 2019, was to celebrate his birthday with his family and receive guests, including Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Known for his efforts to make amends for Japan’s wartime past, Akihito repeatedly prayed this year for its victims and the survivors who faced hardships as he marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.” (12/23/25)
