“The protective shield built around the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site in Ukraine can no longer do its job to confine radioactive waste as a result of a drone strike earlier this year, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The New Safe Confinement (NSC) at Chernobyl, which was ‘severely damaged’ by the drone strike in February, has ‘lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability,’ the IAEA said in a Friday statement. Ukraine accused Russia of carrying out the February 14 strike at Chernobyl, which the Kremlin denied.” (12/06/25)
“Idaho bar owner Mark Fitzpatrick said his saloon has been flooded with both praise and outrage after a promotion offering ‘free beer’ to anyone who helps Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) identify and deport an illegal [sic] immigrant went viral. The Old State Saloon’s promotion, which was posted Nov. 29 on X, was viewed nearly 8 million times. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also reposted it, generating both excitement and online attacks, including threats to burn down the business and kill its outspoken owner.” (12/06/25)
“A federal judge on Friday ordered the grand jury transcripts in convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s trial be unsealed. The move comes after Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Trump signed in November despite his initial opposition.” (12/05/25)
“Elon Musk’s social media company X was fined 120 million euros ($193.3 million Cdn) by EU tech regulators on Friday for breaching online content rules, the first sanction under landmark legislation that once again drew criticism from the U.S. government. While X did not respond to an emailed request for comment, Musk replied ‘Bulls–t’ under a European Commission post about the fine. He also reposted several messages criticizing the decision and wrote, ‘Freedom of speech is the bedrock [of] democracy. The only way to know what you are voting for.’ … EU regulators said X’s DSA violations included the deceptive design of its blue checkmark for verified accounts, the lack of transparency of its advertising repository and its failure to provide researchers access to public data.” (12/05/25)
“Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz on Friday warned Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz the state could lose federal Medicaid funding unless it restores ‘the integrity’ of its program. In a post on X, Dr. Oz claimed more than $1 billion had been stolen through a massive Medicaid fraud scheme carried out by ‘bad actors’ within Minnesota’s Somali community, alleging some of the funds ‘may have even made its way to the Somalian terrorist group (al-Shabab).’ ‘Our staff at CMS told me they’ve never seen anything like this in Medicaid — and everyone from Gov. Tim Walz on down needs to be investigated, because they’ve been asleep at the wheel,’ Oz said.” (12/07/25)
“The deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Friday that the court’s investigation into the invasion of Ukraine cannot be halted by peace talks but could be deferred by the U.N. Security Council. ‘If we have an ongoing investigation, then we will follow our own regulatory framework,’ deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan told The Associated Press. … The court has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and five others over their alleged involvement in war crimes in Ukraine. The Kremlin has repeatedly said that it doesn’t recognize the jurisdiction of the court and considers the warrant null and void.” (12/05/25)
“A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled that certain evidence linked to an ally of former FBI Director James Comey is temporarily off limits to the Justice Department in its efforts to renew a prosecution of the ex-director following the dismissed criminal case. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said the DOJ may not use information pertaining to Daniel Richman. ‘Upon consideration of Petitioner Daniel Richman’s Motion for Temporary Restraining Order, the relevant legal authority, and the entire present record, the Court concludes that Petitioner Richman is entitled to a narrow temporary restraining order to preserve the status quo while the Court evaluates his Motion for Return of Property and awaits full briefing and argument from the parties,’ the ruling reads.” (12/06/25)
“A federal judge has expanded on the remedies decided for the Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Google, ruling in favor of putting a one-year limit on the contracts that make Google’s search and AI services the default on devices, Bloomberg reports. Judge Amit Mehta’s ruling on Friday means Google will have to renegotiate these contacts every year, which would create a fairer playing field for its competitors. The new details come after Mehta ruled in September that Google would not have to sell off Chrome, as the DOJ proposed at the end of 2024.” (12/06/25)
“At least 25 people, including tourists, were killed in a fire at a popular nightclub in India’s Goa state, the state’s chief minister said Sunday. The blaze occurred just past midnight in Arpora in North Goa, a party hub. Goa’s chief minister Pramod Sawant said most of the dead were the club’s kitchen workers, as well as three to four tourists. Six were injured and are in stable condition, he said. The fire occurred due to a gas cylinder blast and has been extinguished, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting local police. All the bodies have been recovered. It said at least 100 people were on the club’s dance floor when the fire broke out and several rushed to the kitchen below in the chaos and got trapped along with staff.” (12/06/25)
“Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday at an annual summit and agreed to diversify mutual economic ties, as the United States presses India to revise its decades-old partnership with Russia. The 23rd Russia-India Summit comes at a pivotal moment as the U.S. pushes for a Ukraine peace deal while seeking global cooperation. It will test New Delhi’s efforts to balance relations with Moscow and Washington as the nearly four-year war in Ukraine grinds on.” (12/05/25)
