Yossarian's Roost Resuscitated

Al Jazeera English

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LIVE: Israeli jets target southern Gaza; raids reported in West Bank

Al Jazeera English
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🔴 BREAKING: An attack by Israeli settlers on a water well east of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank has cut off the water supply to several Palestinian towns, according to the Jerusalem Water Authority. LIVE updates: aje.io/5equzi

BreakingPoint 360
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An Epstein VICTIM alleges there are TAPES capturing Donald Trump engaging in undisclosed activities, reigniting scrutiny over their past association. Newly released emails from Epstein's estate reference Trump spending time with victims, fueling DEBATE amid ongoing document disclosures. This BOMBSHELL claim draws White House denials as a hoax while sparking widespread speculation. #breakingpoint360 #usnews #worldnews #Epstein #Trump #EpsteinFiles #SexTrafficking

In short, 24 headlines from the last 24 hours… [breathe in, then let it out…let’s go]
1. All the president’s millions: how the Trumps are turning the presidency into riches; from a $1.5B golf resort Vietnam to a Trump Tower in the Balkans, DJT’s family lauched global dealmaking blitz since re-election
2. "You can't be ‘America First’ and ‘Pro-Russia,’” GOP Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) warns DJT as US and Ukraine hold 'very productive' meeting for peace deal in FL; Rubio says 'more work to be done' after talks
3. Newly elected GA GOP Sec JaQuon Stembridge [19yo; chair of GA Teen Republicans and GA Young Republicans member] allegedly resigns after being caught attempting to meet 14yo boy from dating app
4. DJT doubles-down calling MN Gov Tim Walz “seriously ret——d,” saying “something’s wrong with him” over Somalia refugees and state policies; Walz responded by telling DJT to release his MRI results
5. DHS Kristi Noem confirms on NBC she authorized the deportation flights to El Salvador despite court order, but denies violating it; then attacks “radical decisions” from “activist judges”
6. DJT says he’ll release his MRI results, but doesn’t knoe which body part they scanned — then pivots to brag he ‘aced’ a cognitive test, and tells the female reporter who asked about MRI that she’d be ‘incapable’ of doing the same
7. WH launches new website "Media Offender of the Week," dedicated to identifying what it calls fake news; website features a "Hall of Shame" showing CNN, MSNBC, The WaPo, and CBS News
8. DJT commutes sentence of David Gentile(59), freed just days into 7-year sentence after being convicted in 2024 Ponzi scheme defrauding 10k investors of $1.6B on fake promises of investment returns
9. DJT said he spoke with both families NG members who were shot in DC, invited them to WH; [Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died, Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, now stable per family]
10. A teen, Daniel DiDonato(18) redrew AL’s voting map using free software—and a judge picked his map ahead of professionals’ efforts to remedy voting rights violations
11. DJT gutted DHS watchdogs [oversee civil rights complaints]; 150 staff cut to 9; 550+ abuse cases stalled; oversight gone, public records scrubbed—immigrants now left at mercy of unchecked ICE brutality, says whistleblower complaint and lawsuit
12. ‘He said he didn’t do it:’ DJT confronted on Air Force 1 about reports DefSec Hegseth ordered killings of suspected drug boat crew survivors; said ’No’ to a 2nd strike bc “first strike was very lethal. It was fine”
13. DJT’s A.I. & crypto czar David Sacks (53) pushes policies while in WH benefiting Silicon Valley buddies, his 708 tech investments, aiding Nvidia $200B chip sales, military drones, stablecoins, etc; all as a “special government employee”
14. Delta Connection flight with 58 onboard skids off icy Des Moines International Airport runway, as 1,400+ US flights cancelled by winter storm, and Chicago has its snowiest Nov day in history (9”)
15. DefSec Hegseth uses Pentagon to back DJT's “retribution campaign,” targeting Dems like Sen. Kelly & Rep. Vindman; while FBI Dir. Patel warns DJT has “numerous options” to pursue Comey perjury case after judge dismissed it
16. Netanyahu seeks pardon in corruption trial from Israel's president after getting DJT’s backing as Gaza death toll hits 70K amid renewed violence and Pope Leo urges 2-state solution for Palestine
17. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) says he'll reintroduce ‘War Powers’ resolutions after report of attack on drug boat survivors following both House and Senate Armed Services committees saying they intend "oversight" into the strikes
18. DC shooting suspect was part of CIA-backed “Zero Unit,” a heavily-vetted elite squad of Afghans who took part in intense combat, and faced hardships due to visa/employment issues here in the states; Noem says he was 'radicalized' here
19. Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing begins 2wk trial today [12/1] in NC, alleging NASCAR monopoly; discovery revealed execs claimed fans “can’t read,” NASCAR tried to settle; a loss sends Mike packing, a win could force massive reforms or sale of tracks
20. Deepfake of NC state Sen. DeAndrea Salvador [34, D, youngest woman to ever serve NC legislature] used in award-winning Whirlpool advertisement in Brazil; sues Whirlpool & Omnicom after her 2018 TED Talk was altered and marketed
21. DJT crashes out on Truth Social behind TN seat up for 12/2 election that he won by 22 pts, but now in danger; backs Van Epps as GOP PACs spent $2M; attacks Dem Aftyn Behn saying she “hates Christianity” and “disdains country music”
22. “I’m never not ready to scream at the top of my lungs about racial issues:”Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams says racists, sexists, and transphobes won’t be welcome at her solo tour kicking off March 28 in ATL
23. DJT confirms talks with VZ Pres. Maduro last week; Maduro given ultimatum to flee immediately or face US action, but talks stalled over his demands for amnesty and military control; within hours DJT closed VZ airspace
24. 82yo NJ woman escapes with minor injuries after freight train hits her sedan on Route 535, pushing it nearly 500 yards; she believed she had stopped before the tracks 🙌
📌 All of these unfolded in just the last 24 hours — Nov 30, 2025.

Berniegirl No More
Hedgesgurl
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Nov 26
Oh hey. I know we tried to kill you with this bomb that didn’t go off, but can you please send it back so we can fix it and then drop it on you again? 😐😒
Quote
Global Insight Journal
@GlobalIJournal
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Nov 26
🇺🇸🇱🇧 Reports: The United States is demanding that Lebanon return the GBU-39B precision-guided bomb that was found and did not detonate in Beirut, fearing its advanced technology could fall into the hands of China, Russia, or Iran.

Bryan Patrick Dolan
Sales are way down from last year. Ask anyone who works in retail.
19m
Reply
Rubia Garcia II
Bryan Patrick Dolan exactly.. so the data appears like yeah, we spent more.. but the quantity, the volume - is down.

In short, 24 headlines from the last 24 hours… [deep breath in, then let it out…let’s go]
1. Megyn Kelly shares torture fantasies on boat strikes in Caribbean; saying she not only wants targets killed, but "suffer…I would like Trump and Hegseth to make it last a long time, so that they lose a limb and bleed out”
2. DJT sanctioned 9 staff members of the International Criminal Court [including 6 judges & chief prosecutor] for pursuing investigations into US & Israeli officials; ICC president vows to resist despite sanctions & threats
3. 19yo college student [in US since 7yo] was deported ‘in shackles’ to Honduras the day after being transferred to TX, DESPITE court order, while attempting to board plane to visit her parents for Thanksgiving
4. DJT fires 8 NYC immigration judges in what union calls a “Monday afternoon massacre;” part of nationwide purge aimed at accelerating deportations and targeting perceived “lenient” judges
5. WH confirms 'double-tap' boat strike, says Admiral Bradley acted “within authority” and “in self defense;” Hegseth says Admiral made the decision, angering service members who feel Hegseth is throwing him “under the bus”
6. “Get the hell out of Washington,” Sen. Thom Tillis [R-NC] says as several GOP, including Sen. Cassidy [R-LA] and Sen. Justice [R-WV], join demands for answers after WH defends drugpin pardons and boat strikes
7. Post-Kirk killing, Kash Patel refused to leave plane without right-sized FBI jacket; a new 115p report calls FBI under Patel 'rudderless' and 'paralyzed by fear’— plummeting morale over polygraphs & mismanagement
8. “There will be hell to pay!”; DJT threatens Honduras over election results, implying election is rigged if preferred candidate [Asfura; of the same party as ex-Pres that DJT just pardoned] doesn’t win; demands officials resume counting
9. Wounded DC NG shooting victim shows positive signs of recovery as profile of suspect emerges; after service in elite CIA-trained unit, shooter allegedly struggled to adapt in US; his commander recently died, financial problems bc of no job
10. Pretrial testimony shows accused CEO shooter Luigi Mangione was on “constant watch” to avoid “Epstein-style situation;” as his lawyers fight to get notebook and gun evidence tossed bc police had no warrant & failed to read him his rights
11. Landlords in Baltimore held liable for hiring convicted sex offender with violent criminal record who then attacked 2 tenants and set them on fire in 2023; jury gave victims $21.5M
12. Son of El Chapo set to change not guilty plea → guilty; admits luring Sinaloa partner Zambada García from Mexico to turn into US Feds, as well as trafficking cocaine, fentanyl, heroin & meth; prosecutors push for 10yrs
13. 3rd Circuit affirms disqualification of Alina Habba as acting US Atty in NJ, ruling AG Bondi’s maneuver to skirt appointment rule —again — was unlawful after a defendant challenged Habba’s authority
14. Martin Kulldorff, chair of RFK Jr.’s controversial vaccine panel, leaves after pushing anti-vax policies that abandoned research; he’ll join HHS as chief science officer, the department’s “in-house think tank”
15. TSA announced it screened record 3.1M travelers Sun., marking the agency’s busiest day ever; then said beginning 2/1 they will charge $45 fee for passengers without new Federal REAL IDs
16. WH physician says DJT underwent ‘preventative’ MRI on heart and abdomen — all was ‘perfectly normal;’ except ex-WH cardiologist says, it’s “weird… there really is no ‘preventative’ cardiac MRI”
17. Indiana GOP releases map that eliminates BOTH Dem HOR seats as at least 9 IN GOP were targets of swatting [false emergency call, pizza delivery, etc], amid public pressure to support redistricting from DJT; House to vote this week, Senate on 12/8
18. Starbucks will pay ~$35M to 15K+ NYC workers to settle labor claims it denied them stable schedules & arbitrarily cut hours; affected workers will get $50/week worked from July ’21 - July ’24, totaling thousands for some
19. P. Diddy lawyers send cease‑and‑desist to Netflix over new 4-part doc series produced by longtime rival 50 Cent [series drops today]; features footage Diddy recorded of himself just before his trial
20. Bitcoin, which soared to a record $126,210.50 on Oct. 6 according to crypto trading platform Coinbase, slid more than 7% to below $85,000; a decline of 33% in just 8 weeks
21. Treas. Sec. Bessent on X says dept. is investigating allegations that MN tax dollars were diverted to terrorist org Al-Shabaab, “under the feckless mismanagement of the Biden Administration and Governor Tim Walz"
22. Costco becomes largest company to sue DJT seeking refund of IEEPA tariffs [meant for national emergencies, not trade]; joins Revlon, Kawasaki, Yokohama Tire; SCOTUS ruling on tariffs pending
23. DJT revokes accreditation for ~3K trucker training centers (warns 4K more) over noncompliance with federal standards; could block 200K drivers—including refugees, asylees, DACA recipients—from getting licenses
24. SCOTUS hears $1B VA music piracy case: Sony Music wants Cox Communications held liable for users illegally sharing 10K+ copyrighted songs; most Justices appeared skeptical

Barack Obama was not the first US president to pursue regime change in Venezuela. The administration of George W. Bush (2001–2009) was implicated in the 2002 coup attempt against then-President Hugo Chávez, with allegations of prior knowledge, meetings with opposition leaders, and tacit US support for the plot, including initial recognition of the short-lived interim government led by Pedro Carmona.

en.wikipedia.org +1

While the Bush administration denied direct involvement, declassified documents and investigations revealed CIA awareness of the coup plans and US funding for opposition groups via programs like the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

en.wikipedia.org

Obama's administration (2009–2017) continued and escalated pressure on Chávez's successor, Nicolás Maduro, through sanctions, denunciations, and support for opposition elements—culminating in a 2015 executive order declaring Venezuela a national security threat and imposing targeted sanctions.

obamawhitehouse.archives.gov +1

However, these efforts built on precedents set under Bush, rather than initiating them.Prior to 2002, US-Venezuela relations were generally positive during the second half of the 20th century, with no documented regime change attempts against Venezuelan governments.

en.wikipedia.org

Tensions arose primarily after Chávez's 1999 inauguration, but the first clear US-backed push for ousting a leader occurred under Bush.

In short, the prosecution against Luigi Mangione may be unraveling at pretrial evidentiary hearings in NY as the judge decides which key evidence will be allowed at trial. Let me explain...⬇️
Quick recap...
Luigi (27) is accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in NY last year. After a 5-day manhunt, police got a tip that a potential suspect was at a McDonald’s in PA.
They pulled up already convinced Luigi was their guy — like, 100% sure — according to his lawyers at a hearing yesterday where Judge Gregory Carro began weighing whether the gun, the backpack, the ammo, the notebook, and several alleged statements should all be thrown out as a result of the interaction that followed.
And if that happens, the state’s case takes a nosedive.
So, why would the judge even consider it?
Well, he may not have any other choice.
For the 1st time, the judge heard the actual call that kicked this whole thing off—a McDonald’s manager in Altoona, PA, calling 911 at 9:14a bc customers thought a man in the lobby “looked like the CEO shooter from New York.”
She calmly described a masked man in a black jacket and tan beanie sitting near the bathrooms with a pharmacy bag.
That call triggered the police response that led to Luigi’s arrest.
According to arguments and testimony in court, police walked in and immediately started interrogating Luigi — before figuring out whether he was actually the suspect and long before giving any Miranda warnings.
They cornered him, questioned him about why he was in NY, demanded his ID, warned him about giving a fake name; then stood him up and put him in cuffs.
At that point, he was absolutely not free to leave, but at no point was mirandized.
[Legal Note, just FYI: Miranda warnings are legally required when 2 conditions are met:
1. Interrogation — police ask questions reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response; and
2. Custody — the person is not free to leave.
If BOTH are true, statements are inadmissible unless Miranda was given.]
Then came the moment that’s now threatening the entire prosecution: an officer went straight for Luigi’s backpack.
No warrant.
No consent.
No exigent circumstances.
She simply opened it and searched it.
Inside, she found a gun, ammo, and a notebook; the pages of which prosecutors now allege is his entire motive and confession.
And suddenly, when that officer finds the weapon in the bag, she blurts out that she was “checking for bombs."
[As IF she were a bomb expert. As IF, if that WERE the case - IMHO - SHE would open it and NOT evacuate the McDonald’s? call the bomb squad? etc.]
That excuse came out of nowhere, and the court filings make it sound like she knew it. Bc according to filings and testimony, another officer on the scene immediately said, “we probably need a search warrant for that.”
[And uh… YEAH! DUH! Anyone who has watched Law & Order knows that!]
And YET… instead of listening to that officer, police took the bag back to the precinct and kept digging through it.
It wasn’t until 7… THAT IS SEVEN… hours later — yes, smh... 7 hours after the 1st illegal search, and LONG after they already knew exactly what was inside — that they FINALLY bothered to get a search warrant.
A step that, in a case like this, could have been done in less than an hour — IF THAT!
That’s why his defense now says EVERYTHING inside — the gun, the ammo, the notebook, the ENTIRE BACKPACK basically— must be suppressed.
And suppression isn’t just a “technicality.”
If the search was unconstitutional, the judge is legally required to toss the evidence.
Added to that, the defense is also trying to suppress all of Luigi’s alleged statements — not just from the McDonald’s scene, but from the 10 days between his arrest on Dec 9 and his transfer to NY on Dec 19.
And yesterday’s testimony on those statements wasn’t much better for prosecutors.
Two corrections officers from SCI Huntingdon took the stand, and their accounts raised even more red flags.
One officer claimed Luigi randomly “blurted out” that he had a backpack with a 3D-printed gun, ammo, and foreign currency — yet admitted he never wrote it down, never reported it, and only mentioned it after the Manhattan DA contacted him a month later. The defense openly questioned whether he simply picked up those details from the news.
The 2nd officer testified that he spoke with Luigi for hours about healthcare, media coverage, and 3rd-world medicine — but insisted he “didn’t remember” what he said, only what Luigi supposedly did. He also acknowledged he never memorialized any of these conversations either, only telling prosecutors when they came asking.
All of it bolsters the defense argument that every statement from that 10-day window is unreliable and should be suppressed.
So far, 5 witnesses testified yesterday, with many more expected this week.
These hearings will continue for several days, and once testimony ends, Judge Carro will have to decide which evidence survives and which is out.
And that ruling is everything.
Bc if the backpack evidence and Luigi’s alleged statements get thrown out, the prosecution loses its strongest links tying Luigi Mangione to the murder.
And just like THAT 🫰— their entire case could go up in smoke before trial even begins.
A trial date has not been set.
Hope this helps.
Sources in comments.
~Ms. G, J.D. ⚖️

President Donald Trump posted on social media more than 160 times last night in an unhinged spree that included a guarantee that former President Barack Obama will face a military tribunal.

Jose "Joe" Ceballos, the 54-year-old mayor of Coldwater, Kansas (a town of about 700 people in Comanche County), is facing felony charges for allegedly voting illegally as a non-U.S. citizen. A lifelong Republican and self-described Trump supporter, Ceballos won reelection on November 4, 2025, with 83% of the vote—his second term after first being elected in 2021. The charges were announced the very next day by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a prominent Republican known for his focus on voter integrity. If convicted, Ceballos faces up to 68 months in prison, $200,000 in fines, and deportation proceedings initiated by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), as he's a legal permanent resident (green card holder) from Mexico but not a naturalized citizen.Ceballos has lived in the U.S. since age 4 (over 50 years) and hasn't returned to Mexico since childhood. He applied for citizenship in February 2025, but the process is ongoing. Local residents, many of whom are staunch Republicans (Comanche County voted 80% for Trump in 2024), have rallied in his defense, calling him a hardworking community pillar who runs a cattle operation and helps neighbors without hesitation. His attorney, Jess Hoeme, argues there's no criminal intent—just a genuine misunderstanding—and believes a jury could acquit based on that.Key Details from Ceballos' PerspectiveIn his first public interview (with The Wichita Eagle on November 28, 2025), Ceballos expressed shock and heartbreak:Voting History: He's been registered to vote since at least 2006 and claims to have voted "for all the Republicans" since 1991, including three times for Trump (likely 2016, 2020, and possibly a primary). He instinctively picks candidates with an "R" next to their name and says he "probably" voted for Kobach too.
The "Honest Mistake": Ceballos, who progressed slowly in school and has described himself as naive about legal nuances, believed his green card (obtained in 1990) allowed him to vote federally and locally. He didn't realize permanent residency doesn't confer voting rights—only citizenship does. Friends corroborate this, saying his enthusiasm for America and the GOP led him to register at age 20 without grasping the rules.
Personal Impact: "I always loved Trump, this is unfair," he told reporters. Deportation terrifies him most: "I haven't seen Mexico since I was four." He worries about leaving his family, community, and ranch behind.

The Charges and Official ResponseSpecific Allegations: Three counts of "voting without being qualified" and three counts of "election perjury" for ballots cast in August 2024 (local primary), November 2023 (local), and November 2022 (general). He allegedly lied on registration forms by claiming U.S. citizenship.
Kobach's Stance: The AG, who led Trump's 2017 voter fraud commission, called non-citizen voting a "very real problem" that "cancels out a U.S. citizen’s vote." He emphasized Kansas law prohibits it outright and praised Trump's expanded SAVE program (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) for helping states flag non-citizens on rolls. Kobach wouldn't disclose the tip-off source.
DHS/ICE Position: Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin labeled it a felony: "This alien committed a felony by voting in American elections. If convicted, he will be placed in removal proceedings." They noted a prior 1995 battery conviction (misdemeanor) but focused on the voting. DHS released forms showing discrepancies in his citizenship claims.
Broader Context: This fits Trump's second-term immigration push, including mass deportations and stricter voter verification via the SAVE Act. Kobach has long amplified claims of widespread non-citizen voting, though studies (e.g., from the Brennan Center) show it's exceedingly rare.

Community and Political BacklashColdwater is reeling—friends like rancher Dennis Swayze (an 80-year-old Republican) say, "If deportation happens, Kobach will have trouble showing up here." Others call Ceballos "more American than I am" and blame the prosecution on overzealous politics. Online, it's polarized: Some MAGA voices cheer "deport him," while locals decry it as cruel. His high school teacher and mentees feel partial guilt for encouraging his civic involvement without clarifying rules.Ceballos hasn't entered a plea yet, and his team is preparing a defense centered on lack of intent. The case highlights tensions in rural America: a town that overwhelmingly backs Trump now confronts the human cost of his policies applied to one of their own.

All the arguing over the second strike from a POV that the first strike was legal makes me despair for the thought processes of the American people.

Insects have declined by 75% in the past 50 years – and the consequences may soon be catastrophic.
Rachel Carson warned the world back in 1963
She was ignored and pesticide industry continue to make billions wiping out Bees and insects

"suddenly the Southern Ocean belches its accumulated heat, leading to a rate of planetary warming similar to what humanity is causing right now... the thermal burping would continue for at least a century."

In short, 24 headlines from the last 24 hours… [take a DEEP breath…let’s go…]
1. In his 2024 book, ‘The War on Warriors,’ DefSec Pete Hegseth describes in DETAIL how he instructed his soldiers in Iraq to IGNORE the rules of engagement and the military’s own legal guidance on when they were allowed to kill
2. WILD new alleged $310M lawsuit claims DJT, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates running an 'Epstein-identical' trafficking operation;’ plaintiffs allege grooming, assaults, threats, and retaliation
3. Feds investigating claims that DC shooting suspect may have been blackmailed by threats to his family into attacking DC NG; prosecutors formally charge him with murder as evidence shows he allegedly studied targets before incident
4. DJT went on wild Truth Social rage-post overnight, posting 150+ messages ranging from treason to beautiful Melania; despite hour-long posting spree that ended around 12a, DJT was back at it just before 6a
5. DJT’s USDA threatens to stop SNAP benefits in Dem-led states like CA, NY & MN that refuse immigration data requests on recipients; millions at risk as Agr. Sec. Brooke Rollins cites “fraud” & noncompliance
6. ‘I’m entitled to a personal life:’ FBI Kash Patel doubles down over claims he’s used $60M FBI jet for ‘joyrides’ with gf, UFC matches, hockey games, professional wrestling events, and hunting trips
7. DJT's crypto empire — boosted by his own deregulatory actions as president — lost ~$1B in weeks as Bitcoin crashed, wiping out ~90% of the value of DJT's meme coin and slashing his tokens and stock
8. Admiral Bradley [who Hegseth/WH said carried out ‘double-tap' strike on survivors in alleged drug boat 9/2] will give classfied breifing to House & Senate Armed Services Committee Thurs
9. ‘Hell’s frozen over:’ House GOP join with AOC and use Epstein files-discharge-peition-style manuever to force a vote on stock trading ban to prevent lawmakers from using privy info for personal financial gain
10. AZ AG Kris Mayes sues China-based company Temu, alleging violations of Consumer Fraud Act, including selling counterfeit items, refusing refunds, failing deliveries, and secretly collecting users’ phone data
11. ‘Taking the gloves off’: DJT holds Cabinet meeting from hell; DJT jumps from ‘fat drugs for fat people,’ to the President appearing to fall asleep several times, to threating strikes on any country he claims makes drugs for US
12. GOP Matt Van Epps the projected winner in TN-7 HOR special election; DJT won by 22-pts in 2024; at 86% of the vote counted (Epps - 52.4% to Aftyn - 46.5%), now a 6-pt margin in DEEP GOP district
13. DJT urges SCOTUS to shield Bayer from 67K+ Roundup cancer lawsuits, prioritizing corporate protection over victims; prior settlements and verdicts total ~$10B
14. WH to Sabrina Carpenter after she told ICE stop using her music for videos handcuffing and tackling people, calling it ‘evil and disgusting;’ WH → “We won’t apologize for deporting dangerous criminal illegal murderers, rapists, and pedophiles...”
15. Pentagon Inspector General’s ‘Signalgate’ report turned over to Congress [redacted release expected in days]; investigates DefSec Hegseth sharing highly sensitive US attack plans via unclassified Signal app
16. DJT pauses naturalization ceremonies for nationals from 19 travel-ban countries—including Venezuela, Iran, and Afghanistan—saying citizenship is a “privilege, not a right”
17. Redacted contract shows ICE to spend $7.33M on Canadian Roshel Senator armored vehicles, built to resist bullets and blasts; despite DJT's trade war and “America First” trade policy; to be fulfilled in 30 days
18. Despite lacking the legal authority, DJT claims on X that he’s terminating all Biden pardons signed with autopen, claiming they’re invalid; an act that no other sitting president has ever attempted
19. DefSec Hegseth warned by senior military officers that 'Admirals have receipts’ documenting his orders and actions as Hegseth now claims he didn’t see 2nd boat strike of survivors, they were lost 'in the fog of war’
20. ‘Wow': Newsmax analyst stuns by saying ‘everyone along the line who did it,’ should face war crime prosecution on alleged ‘double-tap’ boat strikes, as Dems threaten to force vote on War Powers if DJT attacks Venezuela
21. DJT envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Putin for 4+ hours in the Kremlin to discuss a US-backed Ukraine peace deal; talks stalled as Putin tells Europe he’s ready for war
22. Costco sues DJT for “full refund” on tariffs paid under IEEPA, saying only Congress can impose duties; if SCOTUS strikes down tariffs, $90B+ total in refunds could be owed; SCOTUS decision is expected early next year
23. DJT urges FL Judge Aileen Cannon [who tossed his indictment on the classified documents case] to keep blocking release of special counsel Jack Smith’s final report on classified docs case; has til early Jan to decide
24. San Fran files 1st-of-its-kind govt lawsuit targeting 10+ major food companies over harmful and addictive health risks linked to ultra-processed products; ~70% of US food supply is ultra-processed
📌 All that, was from the last 24 hours.
I am a historian and lawyer — you ask me when will this stop? and what can you do?
I study the past, not predict the future; but history says it ends when the People say it does. And the things we can do, are only limited by our imagination.

No — I don’t think there is any going back to how things were.
My experience as a historian, advocate, and lawyer says too much has unraveled; too much has been revealed; and once you’ve seen the machinery up close — how fragile it is, how easily bent by bad actors, how much rot was hiding beneath the polished surface — you can’t un-see it.
So, it's something we must each ask ourselves: even IF we could return to the old “normal,” would you truly want to?
That is a question I can not answer for all of us.
It is a collective choice, made by millions of individual decisions.
All I know is that system may have looked stable, predictable, even comforting. But we now understand that so much of that comfort was built on illusions, on assumptions that turned out to be paper-thin when pushed; DJT, at very least, has proven that.
The cracks were always there; DJT didn’t create them — he just kicked hard enough to expose them.
In some ways, I feel we should be grateful.
Because he didn’t break the system so much as strip away the comforting myths that kept us from noticing it was already breaking.
He forced the country to see itself without makeup, without nostalgia, without the flattering illusion that our institutions were invincible.
DJT showed us how easily norms can be shattered, how quickly guardrails can be bent, and how fragile even a 250-year-old democracy becomes when people assume it can survive anything simply... because it always has.
So if the answer is no — if returning to the old arrangement feels like choosing blindness after finally being shown the truth — then as terrifying as this moment is, maybe it’s also the break in the pattern that has always had to come; the disruption no one really wanted, but everyone secretly sensed was inevitable, and deep down knew had to happen eventually...
We just all wished it was on someone else's timeline because of the physical and moral inconvenience of having to fight for freedoms we thought - were free.
History says that sometimes a society reaches a point where the old scaffolding simply can’t hold the weight anymore.
Institutions buckle. Norms snap. Corruption that once stayed politely out of view bursts into the light. It's no longer a dog-whistle, but a bullhorn of of entitlement and impunity — a loud, shameless declaration of everything that used to hide in the shadows.
What was once coded becomes explicit.
What was once subtle becomes spectacle.
The mask slips, and beneath it is not some new monster, but the same one that was always there, finally unmasked for the WORLD to see.
That’s the disorienting part: realizing that the danger isn't new — it’s just in your face now. More confident. Less afraid of being seen. It feels like collapse — and maybe it is, but it’s also exposure.
And exposure, my fellow Americans, is the ONLY thing that makes accountability even possible.
On Thanksgiving, I shared a fact I learned about the Giant Sequoias that I wandered through on my year-long road trip across this beautiful country in 2019. I learned they lived for thousands of years; grew taller than skyscrapers, and lived longer than empires.
But the most amazing fact I learned, was that their cones only open in fire. It’s called serotiny — a biological gamble written into the DNA of the sequoia, a strategy that says: only in the heat of catastrophe can new life begin.
Meaning, only in heat and crisis do they release the seeds - the earth must be scorched, the canopy must be cleared - and only THEN will nature allow something even more enduring to take root from the nutrients of the ash.
The forest isn’t destroyed by the flames; it is cleared, renewed, made ready for what comes next.
It is crazy when you think about it - the very thing that threatens the forest, is also the one thing that frees its future.
And, to me, that’s where America feels like it is right now — scorched, stripped down, shaken to its bare earth.
The canopy we thought would shelter us forever has been burned before our eyes, revealing vulnerabilities we didn’t want to acknowledge.
And that’s the unsettling gift in all of this: clarity to clear skies.
Clarity about who holds power and who abuses it.
Clarity about how much we had outsourced to “tradition” instead of actual law.
Clarity about how vulnerable we are to authoritarian drift, disinformation, apathy, and the slow corrosion of public trust.
It’s ugly. It’s painful. But it’s real. And you cannot fix what you refuse to even acknowledge exists.
Maybe that’s why this moment feels so brutal — because truth often arrives like a fracture. It splits things open. It exposes the soft, unprotected parts beneath the surface. And once exposed, you either mend the break with intention… or you pretend it isn’t there and let the whole structure collapse.
So, if there’s anything to salvage from this era, it might be this:
the certainty that the country we thought we had isn’t the country we actually had.
And knowing THAT difference — holding it honestly, without flinching — gives us the chance to build something sturdier than what existed before.
Not a return.
Not a rewind.
But a reckoning that clears the ground for something truer.
If the old America was the forest canopy, shading everything while hiding its own decay, then maybe this moment — as devastating as it feels — is the fire that forces the seeds open.
Maybe it is the heat that liberates what needs to grow next.
Maybe it is the uncomfortable revelation that survival and rebirth often begin in the same place.
And maybe YOU are the Giant Sequoia seeds.
Not the towering tree.
Not the ancient giant.
Not the unshakeable monument that survives centuries unchanged.
Maybe we are the seeds sealed tight inside the cone — the ones who don’t open under gentle conditions, the ones who stay dormant through years of calm, the ones who only reveal what they carry when the world around them grows hot enough to demand it.
Gratitude in moments like this, doesn’t mean approval.
It means understanding that even destructive forces can illuminate what must change.
Maybe, this is the first step of rebuilding — not from innocence, but from awareness.
Because the question, IMHO, isn’t “Can we go back?”
The real question is: Now that we know the truth, do you really want to?
Because what if the point of no return isn’t a cliff — maybe it’s a threshold; a forced confrontation with everything we ignored for too long.
And maybe what comes after isn’t restoration, but reinvention — a rebuilding, but with eyes open towards the sky this time, knowing exactly WHERE the weaknesses were, and refusing to repeat them; because history was never meant to repeat, but only rhyme as to break the pattern — not as a warning we ignore, but as a guide that shows us the shape of danger before we walk straight into it again.
Not because destruction is noble, but because sometimes the only path to something stronger requires passing through what once seemed unthinkable.
Just some thoughts, in response to some of yours.
~Ms. G, J.D.

In short, 24 headlines from the last 24 hours… [deep breath in…exhale; let’s go…]
1. Video shows ICE/CBP in FL forcibly yank woman in med scrubs from car as she screams she's a US citizen; forced her on ground, handcuff her, placed her in vehicle, then released her shortly after
2. NIH funds new cat experiments despite pledge to phase them out; White Coat Waste finds $1.7M in grants; for cats to have skulls removed, strokes induced, eyes injected with viruses, spinal cords cut; imaged and dissected, then killed
3. Family of Colombian man killed by US in Caribbean strike on 9/15 files international human rights challenge as Colombia’s president warns DJT: ‘Do not wake the jaguar’ with threats of military strikes
4. WSJ Exclusive: After months of escalating discord, DefSec Hegseth forced Admiral Holsey to resign amid active Caribbean drug boat strikes after Holsey raised concerns over legality
5. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) to hold rally today unveiling articles of impeachment for DefSec Hegseth for ‘murder,’ ‘war crimes’ and reckless leaks of classified info risking US troops
6. FBI HQ pushes domestic terrorism agents to open a seditious conspiracy investigation into 6 Dem who advised military service members to defy unlawful orders
7. MyPillow founder & DJT ally Mike Lindell files to run for MN governor, teasing a 12/11 decision; says he’s 98% sure he can beat Gov. Tim Walz
8. Adm. Bradley expected to tell House & Senate Armed Service Committees today in closed-door briefing today that he believed 2 survivors from alleged drug boats were continued threat, making them legitimate targets for 2nd strike
9. IG report [to be released today] concludes DefSec Hegseth shared real-time strike plans in unsecured Signal chats [including w/ his wife and journalist]; endangered troops, refused IG interviews, and failed to preserve messages
10. Guardian Investigation reveals Dollar General & Family Dollar routinely overcharge low-income shoppers; shelf price error rates range from 12% → 88% lower than checkout from frying pans → Frosted Flakes
11. Univ. of Delaware student Luqmaan Khan(25) arrested after traffic stop with glock, 100+ rounds of ammo, ballistic plates & notebook outlining attack plans on UDPD & at least one officer by name
12. In latest effort to dismantle pollution regulations, DJT repeals Biden-era fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks; rolls back rules that mandated new cars and trucks to be more fuel-efficient
13. 1/2 of Europeans see DJT as “an enemy of Europe;” poll finds 1/2 also believe risk of war with Russia is high and 3/4’s want to stay in EU, as King Charles decries ‘Russian aggression’ in pledge on defending Europe
14. DJT pardons TX Dem Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife [charged with taking $600k in bribes]; Cuellar says he’ll stay a Dem, run again; also pardons entertainment exec who was charged by his OWN DOJ
15. Shooting is not a ‘gun problem;’ Erika Kirk at NYC conference remains steadfast 2nd Amendment supporter even after murder of husband Charlie Kirk
16. Exclusive: Secret US Veterans Affairs memo reveals plans to share data on non-citizens “employed or affiliated” with other agencies, sparking fears ICE will use it to fuel DJT’s harsh immigration crackdown
17. DJT says he’s open to releasing full video of controversial Caribbean strike in which Hegseth and/or Adm. Bradley reportedly ordered 2nd attack killing surviving crew members
18. DJT renamed US Institute of Peace building for himself hours ahead of Rwanda-Congo deal; legal battle continues over executive control after building seized/staff fired; appeal decision not expected til next year
19. More Epstein Island photos and videos released by House Oversight, showing detailed interiors of Little St. James, as Ghislaine Maxwell files a court letter saying she plans to seek release from prison
20. Border Patrol [CBP], not ICE, has been spearheading DJT’s nationwide raids as agents launch aggressive operations in New Orleans and Minneapolis, sparking fear, lawsuits, and civil-rights alarms
21. Armed volunteer Matthew Alder charged with manslaughter for firing at man assembling an AR-15 at a Salt Lake “No Kings” protest he thought a threat; fatally shooting innocent bystander Arthur Ah Loo
22. DJT asserts executive privilege to keep WH records from J6 lawsuit, attempting to block police officers’ access as they seek evidence he incited the Capitol riot and fueled violence
23. DJT’s former 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale, advised right-wing Honduran candidate Nasry Asfura, whom DJT endorsed, while also pardoning ex-president Hernández from same party, injecting chaos in a tight election
24. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) issues subpoena to former special counsel Jack Smith [led investigations into DJT]; orders him to appear at a closed-door deposition 12/17
📌 All the above unfolded in just the last 24 hours.
I want to pause—not on the headlines themselves, but on what it has felt like to live with the constant flood of the zone. We’ve been tracking these for weeks now. I repeat: this is not normal.
Each of these is its own quiet drag downward—a slow pull at the ankles, and a seep of sand and water into the spaces we once believed were solid.
It’s not just chaos folks; and it’s not a flood — it’s quicksand. And the harder you thrash to make sense of it, the faster it swallows you whole.
I know that feeling intimately.
I attempted to get into law school once and failed—publicly, painfully, in front of millions.
The more I fought to “fix” the failure, the deeper I sank. That moment could have buried me. For a while, it almost did.
But instead, it rerouted my entire life.
It put me in place to fight for the remains of the workers killed in the Hard Rock collapse—a tragedy that took lives, shook the soul of a city, and cost me my teaching career— but it taught me what real struggle against inhumanity felt like.
That battle sent me 30k miles across this beautiful country, selling everything I owned, starting again, learning to walk with intention instead of panic.
That denied dream during DJT’s first administration didn’t end anything—it just redirected everything. It brought me back to law school not when I wanted, but when I was ready. And now I’m a lawyer, writing this in the middle of his second term.
Every mile, every loss, every moment I felt myself disappearing into the quicksand is what placed me EXACTLY where I was meant to stand today here with you.
The night before the LSAT that finally got me into law school, I wrote this: “The only way out of quicksand is to slowly level up and bring your belly to the surface. This means, in order to survive, you must surrender the ego that tells you to fight, and humble yourself enough to start flat on your back.”
The next few years won’t be won through brute force.
This is not about speed or ego.
It is about humility. Patience. Strategy. And refusing to go under in silent complicity. Taking it one mile at a time, one fight at a time, day by day.
Bc survival sometimes demands surrender—not to the world, but to the wisdom that struggling blindly only sinks us faster and deeper.
Sometimes you must be still, conserve your energy, lay yourself flat, trust the balance of the world to hold you, and rise inch by inch — through daily DELIBERATE action.
So as you read the last 24 hours of headlines—and the chaos braided through them—remember: survival isn’t about fighting everything at once.
It is about letting wisdom temper your urgency, letting patience steady your breath, and forcing yourself to choose the slow, steady movements that save you, not the frantic ones that sink you.
Even flat on your back, you’re not starting from scratch — you’re rising from experience.
Breathe in… move smartly… and lift slowly out of the thickness.
Deep breath in… hold… release; then, repeat as necessary…
As always… sources & links 📌’d in the comments.
~Ms. G, J.D.

Arrest in the Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Investigation
On December 4, 2025, the FBI arrested a suspect believed to have planted pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the evening of January 5, 2021—the night before the U.S. Capitol riot. The suspect, described in reports as a Virginia man, is expected to appear in federal court in D.C. later today for charging, though specific charges and the individual's identity have not yet been publicly released. A Justice Department news conference is scheduled to provide further details.Background on the IncidentTimeline: Surveillance footage released by the FBI shows a hooded individual, wearing a gray hoodie, black gloves, a face mask, and glasses, placing the devices around 7:54 p.m. ET. One bomb was left in an alley behind the RNC headquarters, and the other near a bench outside the DNC building, both just blocks from the Capitol.
Discovery: The bombs were not found until the afternoon of January 6, 2021, amid the chaos of the Capitol riot. The RNC device was spotted first, followed by the DNC one while then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was inside the building for meetings—she was evacuated minutes later. The diversions strained law enforcement resources during the breach.
Nature of the Devices: The FBI has described them as viable pipe bombs capable of causing serious injury or death, though they did not detonate and no one was harmed. They were constructed with materials like battery connectors, which investigators traced through subpoenas to retailers.

The InvestigationThis case has been one of the FBI's largest and most scrutinized, involving over 1,000 interviews, 39,000 video files reviewed, and more than 600 public tips. A $500,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest. The breakthrough reportedly came from reanalyzing existing evidence gathered in 2021–2022, including phone records from devices near the sites and purchase data for bomb components, rather than new leads. As recently as October 2025, the FBI was still publicly seeking tips.The nearly five-year delay has fueled criticism from lawmakers and conspiracy theories, including unsubstantiated claims of an "inside job" or FBI cover-up promoted by figures like Dan Bongino (now Deputy FBI Director). No evidence supports these allegations, and the arrest is expected to address some of them. Earlier, the FBI briefly questioned an innocent former Biden staffer, John Richter, based on a flawed lead.This development marks a significant closure to a lingering mystery from the January 6 events, though the motive remains unclear. Updates from the court appearance and news conference may reveal more about the suspect's background and the full scope of the plot.

Rubia Garcia

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I can not believe I am about to say this, but if you are in New Orleans and ANYTHING but white-passing:
STAY THE **** INSIDE!!

Texas: Starting today, a state law goes into effect restricting how people can use bathrooms in state-owned facilities. Need one elaborate?