Source: USA Today
“Jimmy Kimmel isn’t going anywhere, despite his show’s recent suspension and antagonistic interactions as of late with President Donald Trump. The ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ host has signed a one-year extension with ABC, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY on Dec. 8. His late-night show will stay on the network through May 2027.” (12/09/25)
Source: Politico
“An interview with President Donald Trump.” (12/09/25)
Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker
“Trump first announced his massive tariffs on ‘Liberation Day,’ which was April 2. This was supposed to be the beginning of the United States rebuilding its manufacturing capacity. Since Liberation Day, the economy has lost 60,000 manufacturing jobs, factory construction is down at least 5 percent, and inflation has risen to 3.0 percent. It is also clear that businesses and consumers here have paid Trump’s tariffs, not foreigners as Trump seems to believe. Import prices have risen since Liberation Day. These are the price of the goods we import before Trump imposes his tariffs. If exporters are eating the tariffs, then the import price index should have fallen considerably. The data show this is not true. That is all pretty much textbook on what to expect from a set of ill-considered tariffs designed by a president who knows next to nothing about economics.” (12/09/25)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/12/09/trump-gives-the-country-an-economics-lesson-on-tariffs/
Source: spiked
by Hugo Timms
“While few people really think scrolling through social media is the best use of kids’ time, there are good reasons why the Labor government’s plan should and will almost certainly fail. First of all, Labor does not seem to be remotely confident in its own ability to enforce it. … A second, and more significant, problem for the Australian government is that parents are far from unified in support of the ban. In fact, some polls suggest that more than 50 per cent oppose it. Probably this is because they do not want the government telling them how to raise their children. … It won’t be bad news if the Australian government does fail, something it does most of the time, anyway. Not least because the social-media ban, while couched in terms of compassion, is part of a broader push for internet censorship, not just for children, but for adults, too.” (12/09/25)
Soute: WWL 4 news
“A convenience store manager in Kenner locked a group of Border Patrol agents out as they approached the store on Saturday. In a cell phone video he took of the incident, the group appears to be with the [gang’s top shot-caller], Gregory Bovino. ‘You want some chicken? You ain’t getting it here, bro,’ Wayne Davis can be heard taunting the agents through the door. Davis is an assistant manager of the Brother’s convenience store in Kenner where the incident happened. He said he was helping a customer when he saw two unmarked SUVs speed into the parking lot and stop in front of the store. Agents came out wearing Border Patrol vests. … Davis locked the door from behind the counter as the agents approached. … ‘I’m not going to let them do what they think they can do,’ he said, ‘because they can’t.'” (12/09/25)
Source: Yascha Mounk
“Jill Lepore on Why We Should Amend the U.S. Constitution.” (12/09/25)
Source: Cobden Centre
by Dr. Frank Shostak
“It is held by a popular thinking that a growing economy requires a growing money supply in order to provide support to economic growth. The idea that the money supply must grow in order to support the growth rate of an economy gives the impression that money is the means of sustenance that sustains economic activity. However, money’s main function is to fulfill the role of the medium of exchange. Money does not sustain economic activity. The means of sustenance are provided by the saved consumer goods.” (12/09/25)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2025/12/does-a-growing-economy-require-increase-in-money-supply/
Source: National Public Radio [US state media]
“Trump Offers Farmers $12-Billion Bailout To Offset Pain From Trade War.” (12/05/25)
Source: Common Dreams
by Norman Solomon
“Ten years after Donald Trump first ran for president, he stands at the helm of Titanic America. How did this happen? No factors were more pivotal than the outlooks and actions of the Democratic Party leadership. Scrutinizing them now is vital not only for clarity about the past. It also makes possible a clear focus on ways to prevent further catastrophe. Here’s the actual history that corporate Democrats pretend didn’t happen: 2016: Hillary Clinton offers more of the status quo. Her allies in the Democratic Party pull out all the stops so she can win the party’s presidential nomination. With a big assist from the Democratic National Committee, she prevails over the strong primary challenge from Bernie Sanders, but her campaign trail goes downhill from there.” (12/09/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/corporate-democrats-made-trump-possible-timeline
Source: NDTV [India]
“Carmaker Stellantis is teaming up with Estonia-based ride-hailing platform Bolt to deploy driverless vehicles across Europe, with plans to begin on-road trials in 2026, the companies said on Tuesday. The collaboration will integrate Stellantis'[s] purpose-built autonomous vehicle platforms with Bolt’s ride-hailing network, which serves more than 200 million customers in over 50 countries, including 23 member states of the European Union. Deployment will be phased from prototypes and pilot fleets to progressive industrial scale-up, with an initial production target in 2029, the joint statement said.” (12/09/25)