“Despite wider economic uncertainty hovering above this year’s holiday season, shoppers turned out in big numbers for Black Friday — spending billions of dollars both in stores and online. Adobe Analytics, which tracks e-commerce, said U.S. consumers spent a record $11.8 billion online Friday, marking a 9.1% jump from last year. It was a slight increase from the company’s spending estimate of $11.7 billion.” (11/29/25)
“President Donald Trump is issuing a warning to avoid Venezuelan airspace as his administration is ramping up its strikes against drug trafficking organizations. In a Nov. 29 post on social media, the president told ‘all airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers,” to keep clear of the flying areas ‘above and surrounding’ the South American country as he contemplates land strikes. Tensions are rising in the region as observers suspect the Trump administration may [attempt to] topple Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro …. The U.S. positioned its largest aircraft carrier, two guided missile destroyers, and a special operations ship near Venezuela and around 12,000 troops are stationed in the area.” (11/29/25)
“Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Israel’s president for a pardon for bribery and fraud charges and an end to a five-year corruption trial, arguing that it would be in the ‘public interest.’ … Presidential pardons in Israel have almost never been granted before conviction, with the one notable exception of a 1986 case involving the Shin Bet security service. A pre-emptive pardon of a politician in a corruption case without an admission of guilt would be precedent-setting and highly controversial. The submission on Sunday comes weeks after Donald Trump wrote to Herzog to ask him to pardon Netanyahu, who has been on trial since 2020 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, involving alleged political favours for wealthy backers in return for gifts or positive media coverage.” (11/30/25)
Thanks to subscribing contributor IH, whose $2.50 monthly donation over the weekend brings our year-end fundraiser total to $1,358.34!
I’d hoped for a bigger weekend. We’re now 2/3 of the way through the fundraiser period, but less than halfway to our goal.
We need to raise another $1,392.16 (after which supporter GL will “match funds” to get us to the final goal of $5,501) by December 31. And the sooner the better — once we hit the goal, I get to stop yammering about money entirely for the rest of the year and mostly until next October.
So please, help us over the hump by supporting the freedom movement’s daily newspaper at:
“U.S. spot bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds posted their first combined week of net inflows since late October, signaling a potential turnaround following a brutal stretch of institutional outflows. According to SoSoValue data, spot bitcoin ETFs recorded approximately $70.1 million in net inflows for the shortened trading week ending Nov. 28, which included just four trading days due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Spot Ethereum ETFs fared even better, logging roughly $312.6 million in net inflows over the same period. The positive flows mark a sharp departure from recent weeks.” (11/29/25)
“Russian authorities have outlawed Human Rights Watch as an ‘undesirable organisation,’ a label that, under a 2015 law, makes involvement with it a criminal offence. Friday’s designation means the international human rights group must stop all work in Russia, and opens those who cooperate with or support the organisation to prosecution. HRW has repeatedly accused Russia of suppressing dissenters and committing war crimes during its ongoing war against Ukraine. … The decision by the Russian prosecutor general’s office is the latest move in a crackdown on Kremlin critics, journalists and activists, which has intensified since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.” (11/29/25)
“The director of the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine division told agency staff in a memo that an internal review found that at least 10 children died ‘after and because of receiving’ the Covid vaccine. The 3,000-word memo, obtained by NBC News, was written by Dr. Vinay Prasad, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. In it, Prasad claims that agency staff determined that ‘no fewer than 10’ of 96 child deaths reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, or VAERS, between 2021 and 2024 were ‘related’ to Covid vaccination. He said the true numbers could be higher, accusing the agency of ignoring the safety concerns for years.” (11/29/25)
“Governments at a wildlife trade conference have adopted greater protections for over 70 species of sharks and rays amid concerns that overfishing is driving some to the brink of extinction. The measures, approved Friday at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora in Uzbekistan, bans the trade in oceanic whitetip sharks, manta and devil rays as well as whale sharks. It would strengthen regulations for gulper sharks, smoothhound sharks and the tope shark, which means they can be traded, but there must be proof the sources are legal, sustainable and traceable. Governments also agreed to enact zero-annual export quotas for several species of guitarfishes and wedgefishes, meaning the legal international trade will mostly be halted.” (11/29/25)
“The African Union suspended Guinea-Bissau following a military coup, saying it won’t tolerate unconstitutional changes. … Speaking to The Associated Press on Saturday evening, former president Umaro Sissoco Embaló’s chief of staff said the ousted leader traveled to the Republic of the Congo overnight and arrived Saturday morning. … Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest countries, has been dogged by coups and attempted coups since its independence from Portugal more than 50 years ago, including a coup attempt in October.” (11/29/25)
“A confident far-right Alternative for Germany set up its new youth organization on Saturday even as thousands of protesters converged on the western city of Giessen, where the party held its meeting, some of them clashing with police. A convention of the anti-immigration party, known by its German acronym AfD, started more than two hours late after groups of protesters blocked or tried to block roads in and around the city of around 93,000, delaying many delegates’ arrival. … AfD finished second in Germany’s national election in February with over 20% of the vote and is now the biggest opposition party. The party, with which mainstream parties refuse to work, has continued to rise in polls as Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition government has failed to impress voters.” (11/29/25)
