Belgium: Cops raid EU foreign service in fraud probe

Source: Politico

“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)

https://www.politico.eu/article/belgian-cops-raid-eu-foreign-service-in-fraud-probe

Thomas L. Knapp

American-Led Regime Change Is Usually Disastrous

Source: Foreign Policy
by Ellen Knickmeyer

“The United States is the world leader in regime change, toppling 35 foreign heads over the past 120 years, by one reckoning. It’s a record built on a dangerous combination of unparalleled military might, a large group of perceived enemies — and a sunny self-confidence that has repeatedly proven mistaken. … Regime change and other strong-arm interventions rarely go as planned, but some of those that Trump is threatening, such as going ‘guns-a-blazing’ into Nigeria, with its armed extremists and ethnic and sectarian divides, seem like obvious disasters. But past failures should remind Americans of how catastrophic the consequences of hubris can be — both on an individual human scale and a national one.” (12/01/25)

https://archive.is/poBYX

Thomas L. Knapp

Trump pardons former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández

Source: United Press International

“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)

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/12/02/honduras-president-pardon/3971764689334/

Thomas L. Knapp

Academic society bans Larry Summers for life over his close ties to Jeffrey Epstein

Source: SFGate

“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)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/academic-society-bans-larry-summers-for-life-over-21219473.php

Steve Trinward

How Will the US Government Pay the National Debt?

Source: Independent Institute
by Craig Eyermann

“Between August 8 and October 21, 2025, the U.S. government’s total public debt outstanding increased by more than $1 trillion, reaching a total of $38 trillion. One month later, the national debt had risen to $38.3 trillion. … Divided equally, that works out to be $284,125 for each of the country’s 134,800,000 households. That amount is about what the typical house for sale costs in Kentucky, which the government is borrowing to pay for the equivalent of over 47,500 such houses per day. If you’re like most American households, you probably can’t afford the cost of borrowing to own an extra home in Kentucky. In truth, neither can Uncle Sam. And yet, the national debt continues to grow as if the U.S. government can afford to buy a town’s worth of houses every day. Elected officials and bureaucrats need to do more to get the government’s fiscal house in order.” (12/01/25)

https://www.independent.org/article/2025/12/01/government-pay-national-debt/

Thomas L. Knapp