Source: NBC News

“President Donald Trump said Sunday that the proposed $72 billion merger between Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery ‘could be a problem’ because of the amount of market share the resulting company would have. … Trump said he would consult ‘some economists’ before the deal get his stamp of approval. ‘I’ll be involved in that decision, too,’ he said. Historically, presidents have not often gotten involved in antitrust approvals when companies seek to merge. Neither Netflix nor Warner Bros. own any broadcast stations, so the deal would not require approval by Federal Communications Commission. However, it may still require approval by the Justice Department’s antitrust division.” (12/07/25)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-says-netflix-warner-bros-deal-problem-will-involved-approval-rcna247923

Source: SFGate

“Twelve former FBI agents fired after kneeling during a 2020 racial justice protest in Washington sued Monday to get their jobs back, saying their action had been intended to de-escalate a volatile situation and was not meant as a political gesture. The agents say in their lawsuit that they were fired in September by Director Kash Patel because they were perceived as not being politically affiliated with President Donald Trump. But they say their decision to take a knee on June 4, 2020, days after the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, has been misinterpreted as political expression. The lawsuit says the agents … became outnumbered by hostile crowds they encountered and decided to kneel to the ground in hopes of defusing the tension, the lawsuit said.” (12/08/25)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/12-fbi-agents-fired-for-kneeling-during-racial-21230699.php

Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]

“China’s annual trade surplus in goods has topped $1 trillion for the first time, with plunging exports to the United States amid a tariff war more than compensated for by shipments to other markets, new data shows. Figures released by China’s General Administration of Customs on Monday showed the trade surplus for the first 11 months of the year hit $1.08 trillion in November, as exports climbed 5.9 percent year-on-year that month, reversing a 1.1 percent decline the month prior. The leap came despite a continued slump in exports to the US, which fell 28.6 percent to $33.8bn last month, the data showed.” [editor’s note: As Don Boudreaux occasionally reminds us, exports are the price paid for imports. Consumers in a country “enjoying” a “trade surplus” are getting a worse, not better, deal – TLK] (12/08/25)

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/12/8/china-trade-surplus-tops-1tn-for-first-time-amid-pivot-to-counter-us-lull

Source: The Guardian [UK]

“Thailand has launched airstrikes along its disputed border with Cambodia after both countries accused each other of breaching a ceasefire deal brokered by Donald Trump. Four Cambodian civilians and at least one Thai soldier have been killed in the renewed clashes, which have forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Thailand’s military said airstrikes were launched after one of its soldiers was killed and four others wounded in fighting along the countries’ tense border on Monday morning. The Thai air force said it was striking military targets in several areas and accused Cambodia of mobilising heavy weaponry and repositioning combat units. Cambodia’s defence ministry blamed Thailand for the escalation.” (12/08/25)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/08/thailand-airstrikes-disputed-border-cambodia