“Spain’s Attorney General Álvaro García Ortiz went on trial Monday over allegations of leaking confidential information in an unprecedented and politically charged case that looms large over Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s left-wing government. … García Ortiz is accused of having leaked an email to journalists from a lawyer who was representing the partner of Madrid’s influential regional leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso, one of Spain’s main opposition leaders. García Ortiz has denied the charges and has received public support from Sánchez on more than one occasion.” (11/03/25)
“Public health officials in San Francisco said no ‘immediate action’ is needed to protect public safety after airborne plutonium was detected in the city. In 2024, the radioactive substance Pu-239 was detected in the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, which was used as a repair shipyard for the U.S. Navy for nearly 30 years. The plutonium was detected in an air filter in November 2024, but the San Francisco Health Department said in a letter to Navy officials that it was not alerted until last month. … Pu-239 has a half-life of over 24,000 years and can stay in the body for decades even if ingested or inhaled in small amounts, potentially increasing the risk of developing cancer.” (11/03/25)
“The head of the Food and Drug Administration’s drug center abruptly resigned Sunday after federal officials began reviewing ‘serious concerns about his personal conduct,’ according to a government spokesperson. Dr. George Tidmarsh, who was named to the FDA post in July, was placed on leave Friday after officials in the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel were notified of the issues, HHS press secretary Emily Hilliard said in an email. Tidmarsh then resigned Sunday morning. … The departure came the same day that a drugmaker connected to one of Tidmarsh’s former business associates filed a lawsuit alleging that he made ‘false and defamatory statements,’ during his time at the FDA. The lawsuit, brought by Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, alleges that Tidmarsh used his FDA position to pursue a ‘longstanding personal vendetta’ against the chair of the company’s board of directors, Kevin Tang.” (11/02/25)
“The U.S. military has carried out another lethal strike on alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Saturday. Hegseth, in a social media post, said a U.S.-designated terrorist organization allegedly operated the vessel but did not name which group was targeted. He said three people were [murdered] in the strike. It’s at least the 15th such strike carried out by the U.S. military in the Caribbean or eastern Pacific since early September. The U.S. military has now [murdered] at least 64 people in the strikes.” (11/02/25)
“Hundreds of riot police separated opponents and loyalists of Serbia’s autocratic president, Aleksandar Vučić, in central Belgrade on Sunday as political tensions boiled after a year of anti-government protests. Several thousand people faced off on both sides of the police cordons, with officers in riot gear standing in rows between shouting crowds who threw bottles and flares at each other. Tensions in Belgrade soared a day after tens of thousands of people joined a huge rally in the northern city of Novi Sad which marked the first anniversary of a train station disaster there that killed 16 people and triggered a youth-led movement demanding political changes, challenging Vučić’s firm grip on power.” (11/02/25)
“Leaving his home in Ontario to work at a food bank Thursday morning, Carlos Jimenez pulled over to warn a group of federal agents that they should wrap up their stop of a car quickly because school-age children would soon gather there to take the bus, his lawyers said Sunday. In the following moments, the attorneys said an ICE officer shot Jimenez, a U.S. citizen and father of three, from behind. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said at the time that Jimenez had ‘attempted to run officers over by reversing directly at them without stopping’ and that the shots were ‘defensive.’ Jimenez, 25, was charged in federal court with assault on a federal officer. A judge released him on bond Friday.” (11/02/25)
“U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that, for now, he is not considering a deal that would allow Ukraine to obtain long-range Tomahawk missiles for use against Russia. Trump has been cool to a plan for the United States to sell Tomahawks to NATO nations that would transfer them to Ukraine, saying he does not want to escalate the war. … Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed the Tomahawk idea when they met at the White House on October 22. Rutte said on Friday that the issue was under review and that it was up to the United States to decide.” (11/02/25)
“A widely used crypto market sentiment indicator has remained in uncertain territory despite improved clarity on trade relations between US and China. It comes as US President Donald Trump reached a trade deal with China this week. However, some crypto analysts suggest the announcement could soon have a positive impact on the crypto market. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index, which measures overall crypto market sentiment, posted a ‘Fear’ score of 37 on Sunday, up 4 points from its ‘Fear’ score of 33 on Saturday. The slight uptick comes as the White House released a comprehensive statement outlining the trade agreement reached between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.” (11/02/25)
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is considering hiring private bounty hunters to locate immigrants across the country, according to a procurement document reviewed by The Intercept. Under the plan, bounty hunters may receive ‘monetary bonuses’ depending on how successfully they track down their targets — and how many immigrants they then report to ICE. According to the document, which solicits information from interested contractors for a potentially forthcoming contract opportunity, companies hired by ICE will be given bundles of information on 10,000 immigrants at a time to locate, with further assignments provided in ‘increments of 10,000 up to 1,000,000.'” (11/02/25)
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