“Israel has identified the remains of the hostage it received from Hamas on Wednesday as Thai agricultural worker Sudthisak Rinthalak, the prime minister’s office said on Thursday. The body of Israeli police officer Ran Gvili, the last of the living and deceased hostages to be returned, is still in Gaza. The handover of the last hostages’ bodies in Gaza would complete a key condition of the initial part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the two-year Gaza war. Rinthalak’s body was transferred from Gaza by the Red Cross, and was handed over to the Israeli military to be sent for forensic identification, a statement from the prime minister’s office said.” (12/04/25)
“President Donald Trump has asserted executive privilege to prevent courtroom adversaries from accessing evidence in a long-running lawsuit that accuses him of stoking violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Justice Department disclosed Trump’s secrecy claim Wednesday in a hearing related to that five-year-old lawsuit, brought by police officers injured while attempting to repel the violent mob that day. The officers say Trump’s incendiary remarks to a crowd of supporters — and his direction that they march on the Capitol — fueled the riot that nearly derailed the transfer of power from Trump to Joe Biden and left 140 officers injured. Trump’s decision to assert privilege adds to a concerted push to rewrite the story of his bid to subvert the 2020 election.” (12/03/25)
“The Trump administration has signed the first in what are expected to be dozens of ‘America First’ global health funding agreements that will prioritize combating infectious diseases in countries deemed to be aligned with the president’s broader foreign policy goals and positions. The five-year, $2.5 billion agreement with Kenya was signed Thursday by Kenyan President William Ruto and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to replace a patchwork of previous health agreements that had traditionally been run by the U.S. Agency for International Development for decades until the Trump administration dismantled it earlier this year. The elimination of USAID as a separate agency sparked widespread criticism and concern in the global health community as its immediate impact resulted in the defunding of multiple hundreds of programs focused on the developing world, including cuts to maternal and child care, nutrition and anti-HIV/AIDS programs.” (12/04/25)
“Russian President Vladimir Putin has said recent talks with United States negotiators over ending the war with Ukraine were ‘very useful,’ while doubling down on the maximalist demands and territorial designs that are standing in the way of a solution. In advance of a trip to New Delhi on Thursday, Putin told India Today TV that he planned to seize control of Ukraine’s [former, seceded] eastern Donbas region by force, confirming Kremlin reports that no consensus had been reached in the previous day’s talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. ‘It all boils down to this: either we will liberate these territories by force, or Ukrainian troops will leave these territories and stop fighting there,’ he said in comments from the interview that were carried by state news agency Tass on Thursday.” [editor’s note: He’s been trying unsuccessfully to secure the Donbas region “by force” for nearly four years now – TLK] (12/04/25)
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is moving Theresa Michele, longtime director of the office of non-prescription drugs, to a new role, a federal official said on Wednesday. The move comes a day after FDA’s drug evaluation chief, Richard Pazdur, announced his decision to retire, marking another high-profile departure in a long list of changes in the agency under U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Michele has been leading the over-the-counter drugs division since 2015, overseeing the development, review and regulation of products such as pain relievers and flu medications. The federal health official said the agency is reimagining Michele’s previous office to focus more on affordability.” (12/03/25)
“The UN General Assembly on Wednesday (Dec 3) urged Russia to immediately and without conditions return the Ukrainian children ‘forcibly transferred.’ Member states voted 91 to 12 in favour of a resolution demanding their immediate and unconditional return. Meanwhile, 57 countries abstained from voting, and Russia rejected the move outright. The resolution ‘demands that the Russian Federation ensure the immediate, safe and unconditional return of all Ukrainian children who have been forcibly transferred or deported.’ It also urges an end to the indoctrination of Ukrainian children. … Ukraine says at least 20,000 children have been taken since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Only about 1,850 have made it back. … Russia, meanwhile, insists it moved some children to safety from active combat zones. Its deputy UN envoy, Maria Zabolotskaya, dismissed the resolution as “full of mendacious accusations,” arguing that votes in favour only fuel division.” (12/04/25)
“Bitcoin extended a tentative rebound on Wednesday, climbing to a two-week high as traders look for signs that the wider crypto market may be regaining its footing after a prolonged selloff. The original cryptocurrency rose as much as 2.6% to about $93,965, its highest intraday level since Nov. 17. Ether gained more, rising more than 4%, as Ethereum undergoes a network upgrade called Fusaka that aims to make the blockchain faster and more efficient. Other smaller tokens were mixed. The digital assets market remains on shaky ground after a bruising selloff that began in early October, just days after Bitcoin hit a record of over $126,000. Since then, more than $1 trillion in crypto market value has been wiped out.” (12/03/25)
“India’s government revoked an order on Wednesday that had directed smartphone makers such as Apple and Samsung to install a state-developed and owned security app on all new devices. The move came after two days of criticism from opposition politicians and privacy organizations that the ‘Sanchar Saathi’ app was an effort to snoop on citizens through their phones. … While the order for it to be installed universally was revoked, the government continued defending the app on Wednesday, saying the intent had been to ‘provide access to cybersecurity to all citizens,’ and insisting that it was ‘secure and purely meant to help citizens.'” (12/03/25)
“U.S. private payrolls unexpectedly declined in November, the ADP employment report showed on Wednesday. Private employment decreased by 32,000 jobs last month after an upwardly revised 47,000 increase in October. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast private employment rising by 10,000 jobs after a previously reported 42,000 rebound in October. The ADP report is jointly developed with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. The monthly estimate has historically diverted [sic] from the government’s private payrolls count produced by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS will release the closely watched employment report for November on December 16.” (12/03/25)
“The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday subpoenaed former special counsel Jack Smith to have him testify during a closed-door hearing on Dec. 17. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, wrote Smith on Wednesday to inform him of the subpoena as the committee investigates Smith’s and the Biden administration’s efforts to prosecute President Donald Trump. … Smith’s investigation of Trump ended when the Supreme Court in July 2024 ruled that presidents have broad immunity against prosecution for actions taken while in office, including the matters being investigated by Smith.” (12/03/25)
