“Two journalist unions have filed a legal complaint in France against Israel for allegedly obstructing the work of French journalists in the Palestinian territories, including by denying access to Gaza, they said Tuesday. Israel has not allowed international journalists into the blockaded Palestinian territory since the start of the war in October 2023 against Palestinian militant group Hamas, except when embedded with Israeli forces. … It is the latest of several such complaints linked to the Gaza war in France, where the authorities have jurisdiction in the case of an alleged breach of rights or crime against a French citizen.” (12/02/25)
“Rick Pazdur, the FDA’s top drug regulator, told staff Tuesday he submitted his resignation to the agency, an abrupt departure weeks after he was convinced by Commissioner Marty Makary to take the post to help bring stability to an agency reeling from months of upheaval, according to four people familiar with the decision granted anonymity to discuss the move. … Pazdur in recent weeks clashed with Makary over the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher program, according to media reports. That program — which aims to speed final review of drugs that address health priorities, pose a transformative innovative impact, address an unmet medical need, help onshoring efforts or increase affordability — was also criticized by Pazdur’s predecessor, George Tidmarsh.” (12/02/25)
“Bulgaria’s government said Tuesday it is withdrawing a controversial budget proposal after protests against it drew tens of thousands of people and saw clashes between police and protesters. Opposition and business groups have warned that plans for higher taxes, increased social security contributions and spending increases could hurt investment and expand the shadow economy as the country prepares to join the eurozone at the start of next year. The government first promised to withdraw the draft for thorough revision after protests last week, but later refused to do so, sparking protests in the capital, Sofia, and other major cities Monday night. Organizers said that 50,000 people attended the protest in Sofia.” (12/02/25)
“The U.S. Justice Department is seeking dismissal of a lawsuit that fired former federal prosecutor Maurene Comey brought against it, saying she didn’t properly follow administrative complaint procedures before suing. The argument was in court papers filed Monday prior to a Thursday hearing in Manhattan federal court. In September, Comey sued the department, the Executive Office of the President, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, the Office of Personnel Management and the United States. The lawsuit said her July firing was based on political reasons, including that her father is former FBI Director James Comey. President Donald Trump fired James Comey in 2017.” (12/02/25)
“Air travelers in the U.S. without a REAL ID will be charged a $45 fee beginning in February, the Transportation Security Administration announced Monday. The updated ID has been required since May, but passengers without it have so far been allowed to clear security with additional screening and a warning. The Department of Homeland Security says 94% of passengers are already compliant and that the new fee is intended to encourage travelers to obtain the ID. REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that meets enhanced requirements mandated in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.” (12/01/25)
“Police arrested prominent Tunisian opposition figure Ayachi Hammami at his home on Tuesday to enforce a five-year prison term on a conviction for conspiracy against state security, his family told Reuters. An appeals court handed down jail terms of up to 45 years last week to dozens of opposition leaders including Hammami, business figures and lawyers on charges of conspiracy to overthrow President Kais Saied. Critics called the sentences a sign of Saied’s increasingly authoritarian rule. … The opposition says the charges are fabricated and aim to crush Saied’s critics through the judiciary.” (12/02/25)
“NBA legend Michael Jordan is suing Nascar, the biggest US motorsports company, accusing it of operating an illegal monopoly that has caused financial harm to a team he partly owns. On Monday, he sat in the front row of the courtroom for the first day of the lawsuit’s trial, listening to emotional testimony from Denny Hamlin, the three-time champion in the Daytona 500 and a co-owner of Jordan’s team, 23XI racing. Jordan and Hamlin, along with Front Row Motorsports, are accusing Nascar of illegally making hundreds of millions of dollars by stifling opportunity. Nascar CEO Jim France, who inherited the stock car racing business from his father, Nascar’s founder, denies any wrongdoing. Jordan’s 23XI and Front Row Motorsports, which is led by fast food franchise owner Bob Jenkins, brought the lawsuit in October 2024. The trial in Charlotte, North Carolina, is being presided over by Judge Kenneth Bell.” (12/02/25)
“Authorities detained three suspects and raided the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the College of Europe as part of a probe into suspected fraud related to EU-funded training for junior diplomats. The searches — conducted at the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and approved by the investigating judge and Belgium’s Federal Police — were conducted at the EEAS in Brussels, in buildings of the College of Europe in Bruges and at private homes, according to a statement from the EPPO. Belgian authorities are investigating the European Union Diplomatic Academy, a training program for junior diplomats across EU countries. The raids were first reported by Euractiv.” (12/02/25)
“U.S. prison officials released former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández after U.S. President Donald Trump pardoned him, Hernández’s wife revealed Tuesday. Trump announced his plans to pardon Juan Orlando Hernández in a Truth Social post Friday. A U.S. court convicted Hernández in 2024 of trafficking drugs to the United States and sentenced him to 45 years in prison and an $8 million fine. … Both Democratic and Republican members of Congress denounced Trump’s plan to pardon Juan Orlando Hernández given his crackdown on drug trafficking linked to immigration.” (12/02/25)
“Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers was banned for life Tuesday from an academic society in the latest fallout over recently released emails showing he maintained a friendly relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after the disgraced financier pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor. The American Economic Association, a nonprofit scholarly association dedicated to economic research, said it had accepted Summers’[s] resignation and banned him for life from ‘attending, speaking at, or otherwise participating in’ its events. ‘The AEA condemns Mr. Summers’ conduct, as reflected in publicly reported communications, as fundamentally inconsistent with its standards of professional integrity and with the trust placed in mentors within the economics profession,’ the group said in a statement. A spokesperson for Summers didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.” (12/02/25)
