Source: Reason
by Veronique de Rugy
“The strange new alliance between democratic socialists and nationalist populists isn’t a sign of political healing. It’s a sign that people have lost their grip on basic economics.” (12/11/25)
https://reason.com/2025/12/11/the-bipartisan-war-on-prices-is-coming-for-your-credit-card/
Source: New York Post
“Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) dropped almost $50,000 on hotels and meals in Puerto Rico in the third quarter of this year — as well as renting a San Juan venue where she was caught on tape grooving at an August Bad Bunny concert. AOC’s principal campaign committee shelled out $680.52 on July 28 to stay at the lavish Hotel Palacio Provincial, along with another $1,507.26 on Aug. 29 and a whopping $9,440,79 on Sept. 29, according to third quarter federal campaign finance filings — even as the ‘Squad’ rep on her social media accounts denounced gentrification that was taking place on the island. The ‘first-class’, ‘adults only’ Palacio Provincial boasts of being ‘situated within an historic early 19th century building’ with ‘transcendent hints of the structure’s grand colonial past.'” (12/11/25)
Source: US News & World Report
“Train services ground to a halt across Portugal on Thursday, hundreds of flights were cancelled, and schools closed as unions launched a first general strike in more than a decade, in protest against proposed labour reforms. The minority centre-right government says the proposed changes – amending more than 100 labour-code articles – aim to boost productivity and spur economic growth. But unions accuse it of tilting power toward employers at the expense of workers’ rights, despite a strong economy and low unemployment. The bill, yet to be submitted to parliament, is expected to pass with backing from the far-right Chega party. Some public transport operated due to minimum service requirements imposed by authorities, but Lisbon’s streets were noticeably quieter. While hospitals stayed open, most surgeries and appointments have been postponed as nursing staff walked out.” (12/11/25)
Source: The Dispatch
“The Illusion of Campaign Finance Reform.” (12/11/25)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/the-illusion-of-campaign-finance-reform/
Source: The Bulwark
by Mona Charen
“Again and again, Trump administration goons have insisted that they are deporting only the ‘worst of the worst … rapists, savages, monsters.’ They have even — and this is one of the most vile aspects of this government — encouraged their base to revel in the misery of their victims by releasing videos lovingly dwelling on images of people being bound and frog-marched toward the planes. The videos are titled ‘ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight.’ If their intended audience experienced a tingle of pleasure, they might want to fact check the administration’s claims. A Cato Institute report based on leaked ICE information showed that 73 percent of deportees had no criminal convictions and only 5 percent had a conviction for a violent crime.” (12/11/25)
Source: Common Dreams
by Chuck Idelson
“As the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence nears, President Donald Trump’s escalating attacks on immigrants of color has made his administration the most globally racist, hostile administration for non-white immigrants in US history, on top of its aggressively implemented racist policies in the US and around the world. In the past two weeks alone, we’ve witnessed Trump’s racist rants against the Somali community in Minnesota, the freezing of all non-white asylum bids, and denial of citizenship rights for long-time legal immigrants from non-white majority nations. These come on top of the increasingly violent assaults and deportations of mostly brown and Black people, including citizens, solely based on skin color, language, and where they work. The November 26 shooting, one fatally, of two National Guard members in Washington was the pretext for the latest intensification of Trump’s anti-non-white immigrant crusade.” (12/11/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trump-immigration-racism
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
“The Food and Drug Administration is investigating whether COVID-19 vaccines caused deaths in adults, as part of a safety review that earlier appeared to just be focused on children. The investigation, being conducted across different divisions of the FDA, comes at a time when U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is upending longstanding guidance for a wide range of vaccines. The ‘FDA is doing a thorough investigation, across multiple age groups, of deaths potentially related to COVID vaccines,’ a spokesperson said in a statement to Bloomberg Tuesday.” (12/10/25)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/12/10/covid-possible-covid-vaccine-deaths/
Source: New York Times
“FEMA Is Forcing Towns to Fend for Themselves, and Trump Opens ‘Gold Card’ Visa Applications.” (12/11/25)
Source: Cobden Centre
“I [Max Rangeley] gave this speech at the European Parliament Liaison Office in Vienna, at the European Resource Bank meeting of think tanks and academics from Europe and the US.” (12/11/25)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2025/12/speech-in-vienna-on-the-history-of-free-trade/
Source: Bitcoin.com
“A U.S. federal court in New York issued a 15-year prison sentence to Terraform Labs co-founder Do Kwon, marking one of the most significant criminal judgments tied to a crypto collapse. Kwon pleaded guilty in August to fraud and conspiracy charges stemming from the implosion of terrausd (UST) and luna (LUNA now LUNC), which erased an estimated $40 billion in market value in 2022. Prosecutors described the misconduct as fraud ‘on an epic, generational scale,’ highlighting evidence that investors were misled prior to the platform’s downfall. During the sentencing hearing, victims detailed steep financial losses, including wiped-out retirement funds. As part of his plea agreement, Kwon will forfeit more than $19 million in proceeds determined to be linked to the scheme.” (12/11/25)
https://news.bitcoin.com/us-court-hands-down-15-year-sentence-to-terraform-labs-do-kwon/