News of the Week for December 14th, 2025
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Socialized Medicine
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Abortion
Court Cases & Legislation
Florida lawmakers divided over new abortion bills
Two proposed abortion bills in Florida are generating significant debate in the state legislature. House Bill 2-89, which would allow parents to sue for damages if their unborn child dies, has already cleared two House committees and is headed for a vote. Meanwhile, House Bill 6-63, which would permit families to sue healthcare providers involved in an abortion, is still navigating the committee process.
Gun Rights
Second Amendment Roundup: Arms and the Citizenship Issue
Illegal aliens are prohibited from possession of firearms.
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
Nature Journal Retracts Climate Alarm Study After Data Errors Surface
The original paper was widely cited in many recent climate crusade efforts.
Socialized Medicine
Government in Healthcare
Hundreds quarantined as South Carolina measles outbreak accelerates
A state epidemiologist said the spike in cases came in the wake of Thanksgiving travel and a lack of vaccinations. At least 16 cases were traced to a church.
Why House Moderates Are Forcing Obamacare Subsidy Discharge Petitions
One more quick note on this week’s chaotic health care developments on Capitol Hill. As congressional GOP leaders struggle to build consensus for a legislative package that addresses rising health care costs by the end of the year or early 2026, it’s worth looking at how centrist Republican lawmakers are pitching their colleagues on discharge petitions that would trigger floor consideration of legislation to extend the expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
RFK Jr.’s Policies Didn’t Worsen the South Carolina Measles Outbreak, but His Views Did
On the menu today: You’re going to see a lot of criticism of U.S. of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy for the ongoing measles outbreak in Spartanburg County, S.C. But Kennedy was only sworn in February 13, and for most of the more than 100 South Carolinians catching measles now, their parents made their decisions about vaccinating years and years ago. Kennedy is a relatively new fan of vaccinating for measles, and this fall the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices made only one minor adjustment to the recommendations on vaccinating for measles.
Beware the MAHA/nanny-state alliance against ultra-processed food
San Francisco progressives and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have a lot in common.
Assisted Suicide Legalized in Illinois
Of course Governor Pritzker signed the assisted suicide bill. Was there ever any doubt? Assisted suicide has become part of the progressive policy agenda.
The Land of Lincoln, and Home State of the Pope, Opts for Suicide
Today, as expected, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed assisted suicide into law.
War & Terror
Report: Hegseth Gave Order to Kill Boat Operators Because They Were on a Target List
Is the Trump administration claiming the power to do what previous administrations have done: compile lists of ‘enemy combatants’ and kill them?
Trump sends shockwaves through Latin America as he hints TWO more nations are in his sights for a Venezuela-style crackdown
Donald Trump did not rule out expanding US military operations beyond Venezuela to Mexico and Colombia. The president said in a interview taped this week that he would consider using military force on two US allies in Latin America.
What China gets from Trump for buying some U.S. soybeans
The president is buddy-buddy with Xi and won’t let cyberattacks or saber-rattling get in the way.
The ‘Restrainers’ Get Their Consolation Prize
The administration’s National Security Strategy document would not create a safer world for Americans.
Russian and Chinese Bombers Fly Joint Patrol Close to Japan
Tokyo says the exercise was a show of force amid tensions with Beijing
Zelensky’s Elections Gambit
Whether it was attributable to cynicism or naïveté, Donald Trump and his subordinates have lent legitimacy to Vladimir Putin’s craven contention that Volodymyr Zelensky’s government didn’t merit Western support because it had not held an election since Russia invaded Ukraine for a second time. Trump’s functionaries seemed unperturbed by Ukraine’s constitutional proscriptions on elections in wartime or Putin’s naked contempt for the democratic process. But the argument has served as the nearest weapon to hand for Ukraine’s skeptics. Zelensky is attempting to disarm them.
Are We Extorting Nvidia or Selling Out National Security?
James Lynch reported yesterday on the Trump administration’s decision to allow the sale of Nvidia’s advanced H200 semiconductor to China, which was previously blocked by U.S. export controls. The H200 is Nvidia’s second-best chip for the generation of artificial intelligence, which the federal government sought to keep out of the hands of Chinese firms — especially because the AI technology it enables could easily have military applications. Now, however, President Trump thinks it’s completely fine to hand it over to the Chinese, provided his administration gets a 25 percent cut of the proceeds.
The U.S. continues to underinvest in defense
Congress flexes muscles by repealing Iraq AUMF and pushing Hegseth to release a second-strike video.
What China gets from Trump for buying some U.S. soybeans
The president is buddy-buddy with Xi and won’t let cyberattacks or saber-rattling get in the way.
Do we Know We Need to Fight an Offensive War in a Funnel in the Western Pacific?
…looking at the problem from a better perspective…
US Seizes Oil Tanker Off the Coast of Venezuela
US forces have intercepted and seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that marks a serious escalation of tensions between the two countries.
Leaked files ‘show US wants to persuade four nations to leave EU’
The countries seen as targets to follow Brexit are Austria, Hungary, Italy and Poland, according to leaked details of the US national security strategy
Conflicts Intensify Across the Globe
The world feels dangerously on edge at this moment.
Trump’s Ominous Decision to Sell Advanced Chips to China
On Monday, President Trump announced his latest deal that expands the federal government’s role in a private company, posting on Truth Social that “the United States will allow NVIDIA to ship its H200 products to approved customers in China, and other Countries, under conditions that allow for continued strong National Security.”
Seizure of Venezuelan Oil Strikes at the Heart of Maduro’s Grip on Power
U.S. officials said they plan to confiscate more tankers in effort to oust strongman
The Russian Cyberattack on America Is a Breakdown of Deterrence
Recently unsealed grand jury records helpfully flagged by investigative journalist Michael Weiss implicate the Russian government in the execution of hostile cyberattacks against American civilian infrastructure.
US forces seize Chinese cargo ship delivering military equipment to Iran – WSJ
The ship was boarded on the Indian Ocean a month ago, with military equipment being seized, officials revealed to the Wall Street Journal.
‘I have no husband’: Victims named after 12 killed in Bondi shooting
A beloved Rabbi has been killed and children have been shot as two men opened fire at a Jewish market event in Bondi Beach.
2 Students Killed and 9 Injured in Brown University Shooting
Hundreds of police officers were searching for the gunman after he escaped into the streets of Rhode Island’s capital, officials said.
Police Say Jewish Community Targeted in Sydney Attack That Killed 11
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the shooting on Bondi Beach a terrorist attack targeting a Hanukkah celebration. One suspect was killed and another was in custody, investigators said.
2 Students Killed and 9 Injured in Brown University Shooting
Hundreds of police officers were searching for the gunman after he escaped into the streets of Rhode Island’s capital, officials said.
Brown University mass shooting live updates: Person of interest in custody
The Providence Police Department has confirmed that a person of interest in connection with the mass shooting at Brown University on Dec. 13 is in police custody.
Trump’s China Chip Deal and the Sale of American National Security
If letting China buy precious tech is detrimental to U.S. interests, that threat is not mitigated by allowing the Treasury to grab a quarter of the income.
National
FBI Making List of American “Extremists,” Leaked Memo Reveals
Are you on Trump’s naughty list?
ICE agent arrested, held on ‘no bond’ order at prosecutor’s request
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent is under arrest and held on an order of “no bond” at the request of Hamilton County prosecutors, according to a prosecutor’s office spokesperson.
Trump Rages After Cuellar Runs as Democrat Post-Pardon
“Such a lack of LOYALTY, something that Texas Voters, and Henry’s daughters, will not like. Oh well, next time, no more Mr. Nice guy.”
Seattle Public School System Creates ‘Gender Book Kit Lessons’ for Kindergarteners
Seattle Public Schools has developed a set of “K–5 Gender Book Kit Lessons” for classroom use that includes a kindergarten lesson to introduce students to progressive ideas about the malleable nature of gender identity.
DC pipe-bomb suspect Brian Cole Jr. has secret online life obsessing over ‘My Little Pony’
The man accused of attempting to blow up both the Republican and Democratic National Committees in Washington, DC on Jan 5. 2021 was a highly active My Little Pony fan.
“ICE Was Here”: Pope Leo-Inspired Nativity Scene Sparks MAGA Outrage
A Nativity scene missing Jesus — and marked with an “ICE was here” sign — has triggered cries of “politicizing Christmas.” The parish priest says he’s answering Pope Leo’s call to welcome stranger.
Trump asserts executive privilege to thwart Jan. 6 lawsuit
The White House said records sought in Capitol riot litigation are “clearly constitutionally protected.”
Democrat wins Miami mayor’s race for the first time in nearly 30 years
Democrat Eileen Higgins won the Miami mayor’s race on Tuesday, defeating a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump to end her party’s nearly three-decade losing streak and give Democrats a boost in one of the last electoral battles ahead of the 2026 midterms.
U.S. Plans to Scrutinize Foreign Tourists’ Social Media History
Even visitors from countries like Britain and France, whose citizens don’t need visas, would have to share five years’ worth of social media.
Johns Hopkins grad student battles union that wants her fired
A Johns Hopkins University doctoral candidate is fighting back against a union for trying to get her kicked out of her job after she requested, and won, an exemption from paying dues.
Texas Tech Says ‘No More’ DEI
Texas passed a law last year requiring higher ed institutions in the state to stop teaching the divisive, non-educational junk going under the rubric of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Many faculty and administrators wailed that academic freedom was being taken away.
Miami Falls
For the first time since the city was incorporated in 1896, Miami voters elected a woman to serve in the mayor’s office last night. Democrats may actually allow themselves to celebrate that development, too, because Miami’s new mayor is also one of their own.
Democrat flips northeast Georgia state House seat, pulling off special election upset
Democrats gained a northeast Georgia House seat during an off-year special election Tuesday in the latest sign of their growing momentum in the state.
Georgia state representative arrested, accused of fraudulently collecting almost $18K in pandemic unemployment
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta said Monday that state Rep. Sharon Henderson was arrested on two counts of theft of government funds.
When Past Meets Present: Russian California and the Monroe Doctrine
During this week’s Radio Free California podcast, cohosts David Bahnsen and myself discussed the return of the Monroe Doctrine, now offered as the logic behind the Trump administration’s decision to blow up Venezuelan drug boats and to invite that country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, to step outside.
Factors Governing Whether to Take Senior Status
As I spelled out in this Confirmation Tales post, a federal judge becomes eligible to retire from regular active service when he satisfies what is commonly known as the Rule of 80: The judge’s age in years plus his years of federal judicial service (in Article III life-tenured positions) must equal 80 or higher. Plus, he must be at least 65 and must have at least 10 years of federal judicial service. Fractional years don’t count.
Henry Cuellar will retake key spending post after Trump pardon
The Texas Democrat faced some opposition inside the House Appropriations Committee.
Indiana Senate Rejects Congressional Redistricting Effort in Major Defeat for Trump Administration
The Indiana senate rejected Thursday the Trump-backed congressional gerrymander designed to allow Republicans to capture two more House seats in what is expected to be a difficult 2026 midterm cycle.
Navy submits report on Kelly’s potential punishment over ‘illegal orders’ video
The U.S. Navy has submitted its report on the potential punishments for Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) over a recent video where he and other Democratic lawmakers told U.S. service members to disobey “illegal orders.”
Republicans spooked by string of disappointing elections
Republicans are feeling spooked by recent special elections losses and underperformances in party strongholds, as the White House ramps up President Trump’s presence on the campaign trail ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Democrats think they’ve found their 2026 message — and Miami just backed it up
In races across the country, Democrats focused on promises to make life more affordable — even as they offered contrasting approaches.
Trump’s Exaggeration of U.S. Drug Deaths Prevented by Caribbean Attacks
I noted President Trump’s whopper about how each suspected drug boat our armed forces destroy by missile strikes saves 25,000 American lives. That would compute to 575,000 saved lives (23 boats have been destroyed since September 2). In reality, total U.S. deaths traceable to illegal drugs numbered about 80,000 last year. That’s a sharp decline from the spike during the Covid era, when there were between 105,000 and 110,000 deaths each year from 2021 through 2023.
Killing the penny was just the start. Trump is rewriting the rules on America’s coins
The next signs of the nation’s political divide might be jingling in your pocket next year.
Mother of Karoline Leavitt’s Nephew Tells CNN That ICE Arrested Her Without a Warrant and Took Her Away in Unmarked Car
During a Friday appearance on CNN, the mother of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s nephew, Bruna-Caroline Ferreira, said that the ICE officers who arrested her last month as she was driving to pick her son up from school did not present a warrant and took her away in an unmarked car.
This US citizen went on his lunch break and ended up in a chokehold by a masked federal agent and detained, video shows
Mubashir had just stepped outside into the snowy Minneapolis winter weather to take his lunch break when he says he saw a masked federal officer running toward him “at full speed.”
Another Week, Another Grand Jury Declines to Indict Letitia James
It has been widely reported that, for the second time in a week, a federal grand jury in Virginia as rebuffed the Trump Justice Department’s attempt to reindict New York Attorney General Letitia James on mortgage fraud charges.
Why more American seniors are getting high
No age group is taking up cannabis faster
Judge says Comey evidence was wrongfully retained, creating hurdle for new charges
Prosecutors must return evidence seized from a key figure in the dismissed criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey, but the U.S. Department of Justice can seek a new warrant for the information, a federal judge has ruled.
Did Laura Loomer just help pick the next leader of NASA?
There are easily hundreds of experts on our space program and on the national and economic security threats posed to our nation via the People’s Republic of China. And yet, it is a totally unexpected, often controversial voice that might finally break through the disinterest, ignorance and special-interest clutter to finally point out the growing danger of China forcefully dominating the “final frontier.”
German far-right lawmaker calls for US-German nationalist alliance at MAGA gala
A senior German far-right lawmaker called for an alliance between U.S. and German nationalist parties at a MAGA gala on Saturday where he was being honored, buoyed by a new U.S. security strategy praising Europe’s patriotic parties.
GOP Rep. Wesley Hunt Slams NRSC Staffer Over ‘Racist’ Comment
“It is both surprising and deeply disheartening,”Hunt said.
Economy & Taxes
Majority of Americans say tariffs hurt their family’s financial situation, are spending more on groceries and utilities: Poll
About 7 in 10 Americans are spending more on groceries compared to last year.
Trump is proposing a $12B aid package for farmers hit hard by his trade war with China
President Donald Trump is planning a $12 billion farm aid package, according to a White House official — a boost to farmers who have struggled to sell their crops while getting hit by rising costs after the president raised tariffs on China as part of a broader trade war.
China’s Manufacturing Is Booming Despite Trump’s Tariffs
U.S. pressure has only cemented its rival’s status as the world’s indispensable factory floor, sending its trade surplus above $1 trillion
New poll paints a grim picture of a nation under financial strain
Rising costs are crushing Americans — and they’re running out of room to adjust.
How tariffs hit the brakes on America’s booming e-bike industry
Rad Power Bikes saw its pandemic-era growth spurt blunted by import duties, overproduction and slowing demand. Now a spate of battery fires adds to its challenges.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell Says U.S. May Be Drastically Overstating Jobs Numbers
The country could be losing 20,000 jobs a month, Powell said, a concern that was part of the decision to cut interest rates
Populism won’t help U.S. workers. Here’s what will
Protection, nationalism, and government intrusion won’t fix the U.S. economy. Doing that will take removing the barriers to upward mobility.
Another Dumb Rate Cut
The Federal Reserve voted today to cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point for the third consecutive meeting. Rates will decline from the apparently too-high level of 3.75–4 percent to a slightly milder 3.5–3.75 percent.
Not Great, Fed
John Puri doesn’t hold back when it comes to his verdict (“stupid”) on the Fed’s decision to cut interest rates at a time when they were not particularly high in the first place — and when inflation seems stuck at around 3 percent
China’s Electrification Mirage
The vast bulk of China’s electricity production still comes from fossil fuels
Trove of Critical Minerals Uncovered in the Utah Desert
Mineral production company Ionic says it discovered 16 different rare earth and critical minerals that will help the U.S. compete with China
Trump Tariffs: Tracking the Economic Impact of the Trump Trade War
President Trump has imposed International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs on US trading partners, including China, Canada, Mexico, and the EU. In addition, he has threatened and imposed Section 232 tariffs on autos, heavy trucks, steel, aluminum, lumber, furniture, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and copper, among others.
The Eerie Parallels Between AI Mania and the Dot-Com Bubble
Bulls deny that there’s a 1990s-style bubble in AI. There are a few striking similarities, and some notable differences.
International
Europe’s Censors Put a Price on Dissent
The $140 million fine on X marks a new phase in the EU’s effort to police speech.
Americans Shocked by ’60 Minutes’ Report on German Speech Policing
A 60 Minutes segment on Germany’s approach to policing online speech has ignited fierce debate on both sides of the Atlantic after it aired in the U.S. on Sunday. Critics have called the country’s laws “Orwellian,” while defenders insist they are necessary to prevent hate-fueled violence.
Japanese blackjack-based RPG’s Steam version banned in Germany, China and Saudi Arabia for “bikini armor crimes”
Publisher Rideon Japan recently announced that the Steam port of Brave x Junction was banned in Germany, China and Saudi Arabia.
Former Honduran President Pardoned by Trump Has Arrest Warrant at Home
Interpol is urged to arrest Juan Orlando Hernández, who was serving a 45-year prison sentence in the U.S. for drug trafficking
Opinion
No, the Pipe Bomb Conspiracy Theories Were Not Close Enough
A few folks responded to Friday’s Morning Jolt with the contention that because the January 6 pipe bomb suspect was unidentified for the entirety of the Biden administration, and then caught after less than a year of Trump returning to office, it was ipso facto evidence that he Biden administration “sat on” the suspect, or was “protecting” him, or that FBI deputy director Dan Bongino had been close enough when he and his podcast guest Darren Beattie in February concluded, “the January 6 scandal, the hoax of January 6, and specifically the hoax of the pipe bomb seems to implicate in some fashion Kamala Harris herself.”
Twitter is Rotting the Right’s Brain
I got online this weekend and so much of the conversation was about Europe and the Islamification of Europe. Until the college football playoff rankings came out, giving people something else to argue about, it was all about Europe.
The Online Right’s Conspiracy Faction Keeps Getting Crazier
On the menu today: The latest question from the “I’m just asking questions” crowd is, “Is Charlie Kirk really dead?” I wish I were making that up, but I am not. Unfortunately, a new survey from the Manhattan Institute indicates that the GOP is made up of two factions; the smaller but still sizable faction of new Republicans is not only not all that conservative in their policy preferences — in fact, on issue after issue, they’re pretty progressive — but significant numbers believe that 9/11 was an inside job, that stories of the Holocaust are exaggerated, and that the moon landing was faked. Read on.
Johnson’s Career Crisis & The House G.O.P. Exodus
Serving in the House—even when your party controls that chamber, the Senate, and the Oval Office—just ain’t what it used to be. The 119th Congress has been divided and demoralized, and is on track to be the least productive in recent memory. Now, frustrated G.O.P. members are running for the exits before things get worse.
The case for a conservative reformation
Something has gone terribly wrong inside the conservative movement. We read it online, we hear it in conversations with young conservatives, and we see it in the way our movement’s leaders now speak and act. What began as a promising populist revival has metastasized into something corrosive: a grievance-driven, conspiracy-infused hostility that is hollowing the foundation of principled conservatism from the inside out.
I’ve Said Enough, So…
I’ve said enough critically these last few days about the Trump Administration, so I’ll just call your attention, without commentary, to the fact that the President is going to permit NVIDIA to sell advanced AI chips to China that are more powerful than anything China can currently produce. The deal is structured so that the U.S. government will get a kickback from NVIDIA, which just goes to prove Vladimir Ilich Lenin correct: “The Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them.”
Hollywood Only Has Itself to Blame for Industry Woes
On the menu today: Parts of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) are for sale, including the film-studio portion and HBO’s properties. On Friday, the streaming giant Netflix announced a plan to purchase WBD and HBO, sending shockwaves through Hollywood and prompting predictions that the end of movie theaters is rapidly approaching. Now the deal is up in the air, as Paramount Skydance announced that it intends to make a hostile takeover and convince the WBD shareholders to vote to sell to them. On one path, WBD and HBO end up with a streaming service; on the other path, even greater consolidation of big-name Hollywood studios. Hollywood’s creative class fears the future. But if they collectively don’t like the position they’re in, they and the studio heads have no one to blame but themselves.
The Eunuch Congress
Steve Hayes invites David Drucker, Michael Warren, and The Hill Sunday host Chris Stirewalt to perform an autopsy on the remains of the two major parties.
The Plot. What Is It?
Last night in Miami, Florida, for the first time in thirty years, Democrats won the mayoral race. Now, to be fair, nationally Democrats have won Miami, including Kamala Harris. But the mayoral race has belonged to the Republicans.
Pardon Undoes a Climactic Win in Drug Prosecutions Led by a Trump Ally
Emil Bove III’s work as a prosecutor, before he was a Trump lawyer and official, helped lead to the conviction of the Honduran ex-leader whom President Trump freed this week.
A Snoop too Far
Yes, the U.S. has (or should have) the right to determine who it lets into the country, and on what terms. And yes, we live in dangerous times, but this is a snoop too far.
Congress Gets Something Right
The House-passed National Defense Authorization Act is an antidote to the administration’s unserious National Security Strategy.
Don’t listen to those who tell you America is over
What has gone wrong for Americans? To listen to an increasing number of politicians and pundits on both sides, from Tucker Carlson to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, from Nick Fuentes to Zohran Mamdani, the answer seems to be: everything.
Supreme Court showdown exposes shaky case against birthright citizenship
Supreme Court will hear challenges to Trump’s order ending birthright citizenship, testing the 14th Amendment’s guarantee for babies born in America
I stand with Nigel Farage
I have sweet memories of Christmas. My dad is proper old-school and would set up the video recorder. I don’t think we’ve ever watched the footage; I don’t know if he was even filming. But we couldn’t do anything until it was filmed. We never had loads of money, but Mum always went above and beyond. There was gold wrapping paper for presents from Santa. My family say I’m impossible to buy for now I’m better off. This year, I’ve asked for Disney princess pyjamas. Christmas is a time for me to give back.
Jimmy Lai Must Be Freed
It is an honor to be alive at the same time as newspaperman and freedom fighter Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong pro-democracy icon who has been jailed by Chinese Community Party–affiliated authorities since late 2020.
Indiana Republicans Decline to Dance to Trump’s Tune
Big news this afternoon out of Indiana, where the Indiana State Senate just voted to reject a mid-decade Republican gerrymandering map that would have made the state’s current 7–2 Republican majority into a 9–0 clean sweep. This is, of course, part of Trump’s broader nationwide push for red states to gerrymander their districts, panicked as he is about the near-certitude of the GOP losing its already-narrow majority in what looks likely to be a Democratic tsunami next year. Now, despite immense public and private pressure over the last month from the Trump administration and its allies, it’s official: The domino cascade ends in the Hoosier State.
30 Feet Over the Runway, Republicans Prepare to Crash the Plane
“Retard. Retard,” the cockpit computer scream
Uncle Sam, Shareholder
There are only downsides to the Trump administration’s push for equity stakes in private-sector businesses.
Why Isn’t Online Age Verification Just Like Showing Your ID In Person?
One of the most common refrains we hear from age verification proponents is that online ID checks are nothing new. After all, you show your ID at bars and liquor stores all the time, right? And it’s true that many places age-restrict access in-person to various goods and services, such as tobacco, alcohol, firearms, lottery tickets, and even tattoos and body piercings.
