“General Motors has directed several thousand of its suppliers to scrub their supply chains of parts from China, four people familiar with the matter said, reflecting automakers’ growing frustration over geopolitical disruptions to their operations. GM executives have been telling suppliers they should find alternatives to China for their raw materials and parts, with the goal of eventually moving their supply chains out of the country entirely, the people said. The automaker has set a 2027 deadline for some suppliers to dissolve their China sourcing ties, some of the sources said.” (11/12/25)
“President Trump sent an official letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog calling on him to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and claimed the corruption charges against him are ‘political lawfare.’ Trump has repeatedly intervened in Israel’s judicial system and domestic politics over Netanyahu’s ongoing trial. His letter, released on Wednesday morning by the Israeli President’s office, is the first official step he has taken on this matter. … While Israeli law allows President Herzog to pardon almost any person charged or convicted of a crime, Supreme Court rulings and other legal guidelines limit his authority. Under the current legal procedures, only a defendant or a member of his family can appeal to the president for a pardon. In all cases in recent years, Israeli defendants had to plead guilty and acknowledge wrongdoing. In addition, the Ministry of Justice usually has to weigh in and recommend a pardon.” (11/12/25)
“The International Atomic Energy Agency has not been able to verify the status of Iran’s near weapons-grade uranium stockpile since Israel struck the country’s nuclear sites during the 12-day war in June, according to a confidential report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog circulated to member states and seen Wednesday by The Associated Press. The IAEA said that the status of the near weapons-grade material ‘needs urgently to be addressed.’ According to the IAEA’s last report in September, Iran maintains a stockpile of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. That stockpile could allow Iran to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi warned in a recent interview with the AP. He added that it doesn’t mean that Iran has such a weapon.” (11/12/25)
“Google is filing a federal lawsuit against a network of foreign cybercriminals based in China that is accused of launching massive text-message phishing attacks, the tech giant told CBS News in an exclusive interview. Google said the messages are part of a criminal network called ‘Lighthouse.’ The texts look legitimate, often warning recipients of a ‘stuck package’ or an ‘unpaid toll,’ but they’re actually phishing or what’s called smishing — a type of phishing scam that uses text messages to try to trick recipients into revealing personal and sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card numbers, which are then stolen.” (11/12/25)
“More than 150 illegal [sic] migrant [alleged] sexual predators have been [abducted] in Florida as part of a massive sweep dubbed ‘Operation Dirtbag,’ Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed on Wednesday. The [alleged] sex offenders were among more than 230 illegals [sic] rounded up in the Sunshine State after being wanted for crimes including drug offenses and even murder. Others who were arrested had prior convictions for child molestation and sexual assault, according to the Department of Homeland Security.” (11/12/25)
“Back in 1793, a penny could get you a biscuit, a candle or a piece of candy. These days, many sit in drawers or glass jars and are basically cast aside or collected as lucky keepsakes. But their luck is about to run out. The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia is set to strike its last circulating penny on Wednesday as the president has canceled the 1-cent coin as the cost of making them became more than their value. President Donald Trump has ordered its demise as costs climb to nearly 4 cents per penny and the 1-cent valuation becomes somewhat obsolete. The U.S. Mint has been making pennies in Philadelphia, the nation’s birthplace, since 1793, a year after Congress passed the Coinage Act. Today, there are billions of them in circulation, but they are rarely essential for financial transactions in the modern economy or the digital age.” (11/12/25)
“The Trump administration has formally determined the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s current funding mechanism is unlawful, a move that puts the agency on track to close in the coming months when its existing cash runs out. The decision, disclosed in a court filing late Monday, marks the administration’s most direct effort yet to dismantle the consumer watchdog …. A new opinion from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, submitted in court, contends that the CFPB cannot draw money from the Federal Reserve currently because the agency is only entitled to the central bank’s surpluses and the Fed has operated at a loss since 2022. The Dodd-Frank Act, which created the CFPB, requires the Fed to transfer from the ‘combined earnings of the Federal Reserve System’ the amount that the CFPB director determines is necessary to operate the agency, with certain limits.” (11/11/25)
“Russia is ready to resume peace talks with Ukraine in Turkey, state-run TASS news agency has quoted a foreign ministry official as saying. ‘The Russian team is ready for this, the ball is in the Ukrainian court,’ TASS quoted Alexei Polishchuk as saying. Russia and Ukraine have had multiple rounds of talks in Istanbul, but those talks did not lead to any breakthrough. No meeting has been scheduled since the last meeting in July.” (11/12/25)
“China has accused the U.S. government of carrying out a cyberattack that led to the theft of over $13 billion in bitcoin, as disputes over digital assets ratchet up tensions between Beijing and Washington. According to China’s National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center (CVERC), Washington was behind the December 2020 hack that stole 127,272 bitcoin from LuBian, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency miners. The bitcoin belonged to Chen Zhi, the agency said in a report, referring to the Chinese-born Cambodian tycoon who is the founder and chairman of Prince Group. … The U.S. Department of Justice indicted Chen in October on charges of wire fraud and money laundering. The DOJ said Chen directed operations at forced labor scam centers across Cambodia under his business empire. It also announced the forfeiture of 127,271 bitcoin, the largest seizure of its kind in history for any country.” (11/12/25)
“With Congress on the brink of a deal to end the government shutdown, the Supreme Court has agreed to let the political process play out and keep in place a brief pause of a federal court judge’s ruling that ordered the Trump administration to fully fund SNAP benefits in November. About 42 million Americans rely on food aid from SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. On Friday, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson had granted a stay on behalf of the Court, blocking the lower court’s order that the administration transfer some $4 billion from other food security programs to SNAP payments. That Supreme Court stay was set to expire late Tuesday night, but will now stay in place until 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday.” (11/11/25)
