“A politician has been shot dead and another wounded in a shooting inside the parliament of the [Republic of] Abkhazia. Abkhazia’s state news agency Apsnypress cited the health ministry as saying Vakhtang Golandzia had died of wounds sustained in a shooting at the parliament building on Thursday. … Apsnypress said the interior ministry had identified another lawmaker, Adgur Kharazia, as the suspect in the shooting, and that he had fled the scene. Its report did not give any indication as to a motive.” (12/19/24)
“President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he will strengthen the United States’ climate target by aiming to cut planet-warming pollution 61-66 percent by 2035, in a move that his successor is certain to disregard. The new goal marks an increase over Biden’s 2021 pledge to slash greenhouse gases 50-52 percent by 2030 over 2005 levels, but is a downgrade from what modelers say would have been possible under a future president who acts aggressively to slow rising temperatures. President-elect Donald Trump has indicated the opposite. Instead, the target will likely be jettisoned after Trump takes office, reflecting his promises to expand fossil fuel production and dismantle Biden’s climate agenda.” (12/19/24)
“A Chinese national was arrested Thursday on charges of acting as an illegal agent for Beijing when serving as the campaign manager for an unnamed politician elected to a city council in Southern California two years ago. The arrest of Yaoning ‘Mike’ Sun, 64, came at a time of rising concerns that the Chinese government has cultivated a network of operatives to influence local elections in the U.S. to install politicians who are friendly to Beijing and can help promote Chinese interests. … Sun is accused of conspiring with Chen Jun, who was sentenced to 20 months last month for acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government. Chen, 71, also a Chinese national, pleaded guilty in July to using Chinese money to bribe federal agents to undermine the anti-Beijing spiritual group Falun Gong. The charge against Sun shows that Chen also conspired to interfere with local elections.” (12/19/24)
“France said Thursday that Burkina Faso released four French nationals it had detained for a year, following negotiations mediated by Morocco. France’s Elysee Palace said in a statement that President Emmanuel Macron thanked Morocco’s King Mohamed VI for mediating discussions that led to their release. Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called it a ‘humanitarian initiative’ and lauded its own role in mediating between the two countries. France’s Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu posted on X that the detainees were armed forces members. The four French nationals were arrested in Ouagadougou in December 2023 on what Jeune Afrique and French media reported as espionage-related charges.” (12/19/24)
“The Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against CVS Pharmacy charging that the establishment became a ‘pill mill’ for those illegally filling prescriptions for opioids without a legitimate medical reason. The department said CVS violated the Controlled Substance Act from 2013 to the present for illegally filling prescriptions and seeking reimbursement from federal healthcare programs.” (12/19/24)
“The Bank of England on Thursday ended its last meeting of the year with a decision to leave interest rates unchanged, after U.K. inflation rose to an eight-month high. Analysts had widely expected a rate hold at the December meeting, as policymakers remain concerned with stubborn services inflation and wage growth. The BOE has already taken its key rate from 5.25% to 4.75% this year in two quarter-percentage-point moves. In a deviation from expectations, three members of the Monetary Policy Committee voted to reduce rates, while six were in favor of a hold. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast only one member would vote to cut.” (12/19/24)
“The Superior Court of the District of Columbia issued a ruling on Wednesday denying a motion from the Libertarian National Committee and its Chair, Angela McArdle, to dismiss a derivative lawsuit brought against them earlier this year by former Region 7 Representative Beth Vest. The case will now proceed to the next stage of litigation. … Vest originally filed the lawsuit in May while she was still representing Region 7, accusing McArdle of multiple breaches of fiduciary duty, including mismanagement of party resources, self-dealing, and failure to uphold the organizational mission. The complaint details allegations that McArdle diverted party assets, allowed non-transparent decision-making processes, interfered with state affiliates’ autonomy, and excluded LNC members, including Vest, from key decisions. The filing further claims that McArdle appointed her life partner, Austin Padgett, as Fundraising Director without proper processes, despite his lack of experience.” [editor’s note: As a “derivative” lawsuit, is not “against” the LNC, but rather an attempt to defend the LNC from the illicit actions of some of its members – TLK] (12/19/24)
“A U.S. citizen who helped the Chinese government set up a secret, illegal ‘police station’ in Chinatown to track and harass dissidents has pleaded guilty to federal charges. Chen Jinping, 61, could face anywhere between no prison time and five years behind bars as well as the possibility of losing his U.S. citizenship after admitting his role in the brazen Chinese spying scheme. He will be sentenced in Brooklyn Federal Court on May 30. Jinping, of Manhattan, and Lu Jianwang, 61, of the Bronx, were busted last year as federal authorities also charged dozens of officials with China’s Ministry of Public Security, or MPS, with running online operations to harass and troll dissidents and disrupt their Zoom meetings.” (12/18/24)
“White House aides covered up President Biden’s apparent mental decline from Day 1 of his presidency, shielding the aging commander-in-chief from the public and even rearranging his schedule after scatterbrained performances, an explosive report revealed Thursday. The lack of access to the nation’s oldest-ever president has been well known in Washington — with Biden hosting the fewest large press conferences in modern history and frequently descending into gaffes at the podium when he appeared — but how much the White House made up for the haziness had until now been hidden, according to aides, Democratic lawmakers and donors who spoke with the Wall Street Journal. Presidential staff formed a tight shell around Biden, 82, right after he took office amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with staff immediately limiting his in-person interactions in January 2021.” (12/19/24)
“A series of intense airstrikes shook Yemen’s rebel [sic]-held capital early Thursday, shortly after a Houthi missile targeted central Israel. It wasn’t immediately clear who launched the strikes on Sanaa, which the Iranian-backed Houthis have held for over a decade. Houthi-controlled media reported the strikes, but offered no immediate information on casualties nor damage. American forces have launched a series of strikes on the Houthis over nearly a year due to Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea corridor. … But on Thursday, a U.S. military official said the attacks weren’t carried out by the Americans, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing strikes.” (12/19/24)
