“A federal appeals court on Monday disqualified President Trump’s former personal attorney Alina Habba from serving as U.S. attorney for New Jersey. … Habba was appointed to the post on an interim basis in March, a designation that could last for 120 days. Trump then nominated her for the permanent post in June, but the Senate never acted on her nomination, which the president eventually withdrew. A federal judge ruled in August that Habba was acting without legal authority for about two months, at that point. Her actions since July 1 may be considered void, U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann wrote at the time.” (12/01/25)
“Heavily armed gangs attacked Haiti’s central region over the weekend, killing men, women and children as they set fire to homes and forced survivors to flee into the darkness. [The rival “police” gang] made emergency calls for backup, asserting that 50% of the Artibonite region had fallen under gang control after the large-scale attacks targeting towns including Bercy and Pont-Sondé. … Guerby Simeus, a Pont-Sondé official, told The Associated Press by phone on Monday that he had confirmed nearly a dozen deaths, including a mother and her child and a local government employee. … Many survivors fled to the coastal town of Saint-Marc, where hundreds of angry people on Monday demanded that the government [gang] take action against [rival] gangs who have repeatedly attacked Haiti’s central region.” (12/01/25)
“Guinea-Bissau’s military rulers have banned protests and strikes as they tighten control ahead of a high-level visit by West Africa’s ECOWAS bloc that is seeking to restore constitutional order following last week’s coup. The military government, which seized power in what some West African leaders have termed a ‘sham’ coup, announced late on Sunday that all demonstrations, strikes and activities regarded as threats to peace and stability were prohibited. The directive also ordered public institutions, ministries and state secretariats to reopen and resume operations. The announcement followed protests in Bissau on Saturday, where hundreds, primarily youths, demanded the release of detained opposition leaders and the publication of presidential election results.” (12/01/25)
“Amazon and Google introduced a co-developed multicloud networking service designed to help customers establish private, high-speed connections between the companies’ cloud platforms. The initiative responds to rising demand for uninterrupted connectivity at a time when even brief disruptions can trigger significant business losses. The launch comes shortly after a major Amazon Web Services outage on Oct. 20 that brought down thousands of websites, including widely used consumer apps. Analytics firm Parametrix estimates the incident will cost U.S. businesses between $500 million and $650 million.” (12/01/25)
We’re only $1,382.16 away from our goal of $5,501 (not bad math — supporter GL has pledged to “match funds” for half of that, once we’ve raised the first $2,750.50).
Once we’ve hit our goal, I shut up about money entirely for the remainder of 2025, and mostly (just the occasional “we’re reader-supported” mention) until NEXT year’s year-end fundraiser.
Another “the sooner the better” reason to donate NOW: GL usually pays his pledges in Bitcoin, which happens to be down from record highs right now. If we get his Bitcoin while that’s the case, we’ll make bank when it goes back up (which I expect it to do before the end of the year).
Please support the freedom movement’s daily newspaper, and have a great day!
“The Indian government has instructed smartphone makers to pre-install a state-owned cybersecurity app on all new devices in a bid to tackle online scams and other crimes, according to reports. The November 28 order – the existence of which was reported by Reuters news agency and Indian media on Monday, three days after it was privately sent to manufacturers – gives the companies 90 days to ensure that the app, Sanchar Saathi or ‘communication companion,’ is pre-installed on new mobile phones, with a requirement that users cannot disable it. The directive of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) also requires phone companies to push a software update for installing the app on devices already in circulation, the reports said.” (12/01/25)
“Hong Kong officials said Monday that their investigation into a deadly blaze that killed at least 151 has revealed some of the netting that covered scaffolding used in renovations was not up to fire-safety codes, as a wave of public sympathy and support was met by government moves to stifle criticism. Wednesday’s blaze, which took until Friday to fully extinguish, started on the lower-level netting covering bamboo scaffolding around one building in the high-rise Wang Fuk Court complex. It then swept inside as foam panels placed over windows caught fire and blew out the glass. Winds carried flames from building to building that all were covered in scaffolding and netting, until seven of eight were ablaze. Initial tests of the netting showed it was up to code, but subsequently investigators collected 20 samples from all areas, including higher floors, and found seven failed safety standards …” (12/01/25)
“Hundreds of state workers at the Minnesota Department of Human Services publicly excoriated Gov. Tim Walz for allowing ‘a massive fraud’ scandal to unfold under his watch and retaliating against their whistleblowers. Over $1 billion in taxpayers’ money was fleeced by dozens of scammers in Minnesota’s Feeding Our Future fraud scandal, the largest known COVID-19 fraud case in the country. ‘Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota. We let Tim Walz know of fraud early on, hoping for a partnership in stopping fraud but no, we got the opposite response,’ the Minnesota DHS employees’ X account, which represents over 480 staffers, chided Saturday. ‘Tim Walz systematically retaliated against whistleblowers using monitoring, threats, repression, and did his best to discredit fraud reports. Instead of partnership, we got the full weight of retaliation,’ the account charged. ‘It’s scary, isolating and left us wondering who we can turn to.'” (12/01/25)
“A long-lost painting by Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens, which was hidden for more than four centuries, sold for $2.7 million at an auction Sunday in Versailles. The painting was recently found in a private townhouse in Paris. It depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It was part of a French collection and was initially thought to be from one of the many Rubens workshops that existed at the time. The artwork was rarely valued at more than $11,500. … The painting was authenticated by German art historian Nils Buttner, known for his research on the master of the Flemish Baroque, Osenat said. Its provenance was certified through methods including X-ray imaging and pigment analysis, he added. Büttner explained before the auction that the master often painted crucifixions but rarely depicted ‘the crucified Christ as a dead body on the cross.'” (12/01/25)
“Indiana House members are expected to press forward Monday with redrawing the state’s congressional districts in Republicans’ favor, increasing pressure on their defiant counterparts in the GOP-led Senate to meet President Donald Trump’s demands. Republicans who control the House have said there’s no doubt that redistricting will pass that chamber. But the fate of any proposal remains uncertain in the Senate. Republicans control that chamber, but caucus members have resisted pressure to redistrict for months. Senate leadership recently backed off its previous intentions not to meet at all, agreeing to convene next Monday. However, it’s still unclear whether enough senators will support a new map. Republicans hold seven of Indiana’s nine U.S. House seats. Trump and other Republicans want to make the map 9-0 in the GOP’s favor, seeking to give the party two extra seats in the 2026 elections that will determine control of the U.S. House.” (12/01/25)
