The so-called "Peace Negotiations" between US "envoys" Trump's billionaire real estate investor pal, Steve Witkoff, and Trump's billionaire son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Putin's Muscovite kleptofascist cronies is looking a lot like a get-acquainted process before some mega-huge investment deal. These negotiations included Kurill Dmitriev taking Witkoff and Kushner on a walk through central Moscow ahead of their meeting with Putin, and plans now are formalizing a proposed framework that would involve U.S. businesses, potentially including Witkoff and Kushner's firms, in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine and economic revitalization of Russia through joint ventures. Russia has reportedly expressed a preference for U.S. businesses, rather than European ones, to be involved in such economic projects as a way to secure long-term peace. This is part of ongoing discussions about a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Read more
The US has halted the processing of all immigration applications linked to 19 countries already subject to a travel ban, according to an internal official memo seen by BBC partner CBS News. Immigration agents have been told to "stop final adjudication on all cases", and pause naturalisation ceremonies for migrants on the cusp of gaining citizenship. Read more
Four people have been arrested in South Korea for allegedly hacking more than 120,000 video cameras in homes and businesses and using the footage to make sexually exploitative materials for an overseas website. Police announced the arrests on Sunday, saying the accused exploited the Internet Protocol (IP) cameras' vulnerabilities, such as simple passwords. Read more
What Happens Next Will Be Ugly and Dangerous.
Longtime Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) was reportedly considering a run for Congress in Texas if the Supreme Court upholds new district maps in California. The new map approved by California voters would eliminate Issa's San Diego-area seat if the Supreme Court upholds it. On Monday, Punchbowl News reported that Issa was eyeing a seat near Dallas if the ruling does not go his way. In a recent statement, Issa insisted he would run again regardless of what the court decides.
Trump revealed he'd had the MRI scan over two weeks after the exam, while talking to reporters on Air Force One en route to Japan. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One during a Nov. 14 trip, he again did not say what had been scanned, and said the testing was "standard." "I have no idea what they analyze, but whatever they analyze, they analyze it well, and they said that I had as good a result as they've ever seen," he said. Speaking to reporters Sunday, the president again said he had "no idea" what was scanned. "What part of the body? It wasn't the brain because I took a cognitive test and I aced it," he said, before saying he would release the records. Leavitt read the new memo from the doctor during her daily briefing Monday, and said it shows how transparent the administration is.
We hear a lot about the canaries in the coal mine these days. But we were reminded last week that dead canaries are littered all around us. We never imagined that death could undo so many. 1 Read more
How the Trumps are turning the presidency into riches A crusading prosecutor in the Balkans comes under pressure to drop a big case.
Vietnamese villagers learn they are to be evicted. A convicted crypto kingpin in the Gulf receives a pardon. Read more
After Dummkopf Trumpf provided a $40 billion bailout package of hard-earned American taxpayer funds to rightwing Argentinian President Javier Milei, the failed libertarian formally launched the "Isaac Accords" on 29 Nov. This initiative is supposedly aimed at strengthening political, economic, security, and cultural cooperation between Israel and Latin America.
Corruption, lawlessness, and evil inside Trump's inner circle.
An alliance of active-duty and retired agents FBI agents issued a damning 115-page report branding the FBI a "rudderless ship" that is all f---- up' under the mismanagement of Director Kashyap Pramod Vinod Patel. The dossier, A Pulse Check of the First Six Months of Kashyap Patel's leadership, will be presented to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees this week.
Less than two weeks after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, President Joe Biden traveled to Israel and held Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an embrace. The image captured the solidarity Americans felt with Israelis after they suffered such horrific violence. It also symbolized a political and governing reflex within the Democratic Party. During the Biden presidency, it was shorthanded the "hug Bibi" strategy " the idea that smothering Mr. Netanyahu with unconditional support would give the U.S. leverage to influence his actions. Read more
The Old State Saloon in Eagle, a suburb of Boise, Idaho, is rewarding snitches who collaborate with ICE: "Anyone who helps ICE identify and ultimately deport an illegal from Idaho gets FREE BEER FOR ONE MONTH at Old State Saloon!" The small-town watering hole added that it "may award multiple months to one person if multiple illegals are deported."
Rixi Moncada, candidate of Honduras' ruling Liberty and Restructuring Party (LIBRE), won Sunday's presidential election. This is according to exit poll data from Poll HN, published on the LIBRE party's Facebook page. According to the table, Moncada received 38.06% of the vote. Salvador Nasralla of the center-right Liberal Party of Honduras is second with 32.40%. Nasri Asfura of the conservative National Party of Honduras is third with 23.38%.
...and thieves
President Donald Trump on Sunday said he's invited the family of a National Guard member fatally shot last week to the White House, saying he spoke to her parents and they were "devastated." U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died after the Wednesday shooting in Washington, D.C., while her seriously injured colleague, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, remained in critical condition.
