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White House on the defensive when asked how billionaire Trump can tell average Americans to limit kids' Christmas gifts

(The Independent) With an estimated net worth between $5 billion and $7 billion and a penchant for coating every surface in the White House with what he claims to be 18-karat gold leaf paint, President Donald Trump isn’t exactly an expert on personal cost-cutting. But after the uber-wealthy ex-real estate developer claimed that record-high toy prices caused by his tariffs are just fine because young girls “don’t need 37 dolls” and can make do with “two or three” instead, his official spokesperson was left scrambling when asked to defend the eyebrow-raising remarks.

Dulcinea

'We don't have a lot of time': Congress comes to terms with an all-but-certain lapse in Obamacare subsidies

(Politico) Hopes for a quick patch saving millions of Americans from sharply higher health insurance premiums have given way to expectations of a long slog on Capitol Hill. It is now all but certain that enhanced Obamacare subsidies first implemented by Democrats as a Covid relief measure will expire Dec. 31 after the Senate voted down competing partisan health plans Thursday and House GOP leaders indicated they had no plans to bring an extension up for a vote this year.

dalton99a

This holiday season isn't very merry for consumers, an AP-NORC poll finds

(AP) This holiday season isn’t quite so merry for American shoppers as large shares are dipping into savings, scouring for bargains and feeling like the overall economy is stuck in a rut under President Donald Trump, a new AP-NORC poll finds. The vast majority of U.S. adults say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for groceries, electricity and holiday gifts in recent months, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

BumRushDaShow

'Roads Will Not Be Paved': GOP Think Tank Says Trump Will Cut Off All Funding to Red State Unless It Passes New Map

(Mediaite) The GOP-aligned Heritage Foundation think tank sparked a wave of condemnation on Thursday after it posted a threat from President Donald Trump to defund Indiana if the state doesn’t pass his gerrymander. “President Trump has made it clear to Indiana leaders: if the Indiana Senate fails to pass the map, all federal funding will be stripped from the state,” wrote Heritage Action on X, adding: "Roads will not be paved. Guard bases will close. Major projects will stop. These are the stakes and every NO vote will be to blame."

KS Toronado

Friday's Condensed News Cartoons

BumRushDaShow

Mike Johnson says boat strike hit "able-bodied" survivors, operation "entirely appropriate"

(CBS News) House Speaker Mike Johnson, after viewing a video of the U.S. military's controversial Sept. 2 boat strikes and receiving a briefing from the commander who oversaw the mission, said Thursday that two initial survivors who were killed in a follow-on strike were "able-bodied," and the attacks were "entirely appropriate." He reviewed the classified video of the follow-on strike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat and was briefed by Adm. Frank Bradley on the operation.

Dulcinea

U.S. military members fear personal legal blowback tied to boat strikes

(NPR) U.S. service members — including staff officers and at least one drone pilot — are seeking advice from outside groups, fearing they could face legal consequences for any involvement in the Trump administration's lethal strikes on suspected drug boats. Over the past three months, the U.S. has blown up more than 20 vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific that the administration says were running illicit narcotics. More than 80 people have been killed in the strikes.

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

Kristi Gnome Testifies DHS Hasn't Deported Any Veterans. Seconds Later, a Kicked-Out War Hero Calls into the Hearing

(People) Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was challenged during a hearing today about her department's controversial deportation practices. Noem, 54, testified before the House on Thursday, Dec. 11, about national security threats, where she was questioned by a representative about the deportation of military veterans by the Trump administration.

highplainsdem

White House weighs tapping substitutes for Trump on the road after affordability rally veers off-script: 'He's stubborn'

(The Independent) The White House may lean on surrogates to drum up support for President Donald Trump’s economic agenda ahead of next year’s midterms, according to a new report, which comes after the president veered off script at a recent rally on affordability. While many Trump supporters are glad to see him back on the campaign trail, some allies acknowledged the president is an “imperfect messenger” when it comes to his ability to quell voter concerns about the economy, Politico reported.

BumRushDaShow

Trump officials 'conspiring to illegally intimidate' non-citizens via new VA report, lawmakers say

(The Guardian) More than 20 members of Congress are demanding answers from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and homeland security officials after the Guardian revealed the VA is compiling a report on all non-US citizens “employed by or affiliated with” the government agency that will then be shared with other federal agencies, including immigration authorities.

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Russian Drone Strike Hits Sumy Region Sports School During Children's Training

40 min ago - Dec 12, 2025 15:18 Dariia Mykhailenko Russian forces launched a targeted strike on civilian infrastructure in Shostka, Sumy region, using strike drones. The target was a sports school where children were undergoing training at the time. According ... (united24media)

FDA intends to put itsmost serious warning on Covid vaccines, sources say

41 min ago - The US Food and Drug Administration intends to put a "black box" warning on Covid-19 vaccines, according to two people familiar with the agency's plans, the latest move by President Donald Trump's health officials to undermine a vaccine that was a ... (CNN)

Trump, Clinton, Gates included in Epstein photo trove

46 min ago - Photos from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein tie the late, convicted sex offender to President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, tech billionaire Bill Gates and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. These men and others are featured in the ... (Politico)

Indiana governor says he'll help primary Republicans who defied Trump on redistricting

51 min ago - 12/12/25 9:10 AM ET Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R ) on Thursday said he would help President Trump primary Republican state lawmakers who voted against a redistricting measure backed by the leader. “I am very disappointed that a small group of misg ... (The Hill)

Colorado Governor Shoots Down Trump Pardon of Tina Peters

1 hr ago - Published Dec 12, 2025 at 03:57 AM EST updated Dec 12, 2025 at 03:58 AM EST Colorado Governor Jared Polis rejected President Donald Trump’s declaration that he has granted former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters a “full pardon” saying it ... (Newsweek)

Republican-led House votes to overturn Trump executive order on bargaining rights

2 hrs ago - The House approved a measure Thursday to reinstate collective bargaining rights to federal workers, a step toward restoring labor union protections for nearly 1 million federal employees. The rare bipartisan vote, 231-195, marks the first time the Ho ... (NBC News)

'It's a black hole': Civil rights office at Department of Education veers from original mission

2 hrs ago - PUBLISHED Dec 12, 2025, 5:00 AM ET A little-known civil rights office in the Department of Education that helps resolve complaints from students across the country about discrimination and accommodating disabilities has been gutted by the Trump admin ... (CNN Politics)

Germany accuses Russia of 2024 cyber-attack and disinformation

2 hrs ago - Germany has accused Russia of a cyber-attack on air traffic control and attempted electoral interference, and summoned the Russian ambassador. A foreign ministry spokesman said Russian military intelligence was behind a "cyber-attack against German a ... (BBC)

Federal judge issues order to prohibit immigration officials from detaining Kilmar Abrego Garcia

3 hrs ago - Updated 8:22 AM EST, December 12, 2025 BALTIMORE (AP) -- A federal judge ordered Friday that U.S. immigration officials could not detain Kilmar Abrego Garcia, hours after his release from immigration detention. Abrego Garcia was appearing Friday morn ... (AP)

U.S. Senate Democrats likely to block Halligan's nomination, Semafor reports

3 hrs ago - December 12, 2025 5:40 AM EST Updated 2 hours ago Dec 12 (Reuters) - Virginia's Democratic senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner are likely to block U.S President Donald Trump's nomination of Lindsey Halligan as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of ... (Reuters)

Trump officials 'conspiring to illegally intimidate' non-citizens via new VA report, lawmakers say

4 hrs ago - Fri 12 Dec 2025 05.00 EST Last modified on Fri 12 Dec 2025 05.44 EST More than 20 members of Congress are demanding answers from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and homeland security officials after the Guardian revealed the VA is compiling a ... (The Guardian)

Skydiver dangles at 15,000 feet after parachute catches on plane's tail in Australia

4 hrs ago - MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian accident investigators on Thursday released dramatic images of a skydiver’s parachute becoming entangled on an airplane’s tail, leaving him dangling at 4,500 meters (15,000 feet.) The skydiver, Ad ... (AP World News)

National Democrats invest in Nebraska 2026 statehouse races

4 hrs ago - By: Juan Salinas II - December 11, 2025 6:23 pm LINCOLN — Nebraska’s officially nonpartisan Unicameral is in the crosshairs of the national Democrats for 2026. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the party’s national arm tha ... (Nebraska Examiner)

White House on the defensive when asked how billionaire Trump can tell average Americans to limit kids' Christmas gifts

4 hrs ago - 12h With an estimated net worth between $5 billion and $7 billion and a penchant for coating every surface in the White House with what he claims to be 18-karat gold leaf paint, President Donald Trump isn’t exactly an expert on personal cost-cut ... (msn/The Independent)

Mike Johnson says boat strike hit "able-bodied" survivors, operation "entirely appropriate"

5 hrs ago - December 11, 2025 / 8:22 PM EST House Speaker Mike Johnson, after viewing a video of the U.S. military's controversial Sept. 2 boat strikes and receiving a briefing from the commander who oversaw the mission, said Thursday that two initial survivors ... (CBS News)

Bessent resets financial watchdog with deregulatory mandate

5 hrs ago - 12/11/2025 11:42 AM EST Updated: 12/11/2025 06:52 PM EST Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday announced an overhaul to the structure of a panel of financial regulators and how it monitors emerging threats to financial stability, as part of hi ... (Politico)

Crypto fraudster sentenced for 'epic' $40bn stablecoin crash

5 hrs ago - A former crypto entrepreneur who was behind two digital currencies that collapsed and lost an estimated $40bn (£29.9bn) has been sentenced by a New York judge to 15 years in prison for an "epic" fraud. Do Kwon, a South Korean national, was co-f ... (BBC)

House panel advances kids safety bills despite Democratic opposition

6 hrs ago - 12/11/25 5:37 PM ET A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee advanced a slate of 18 kids’ online safety bills to the full panel Thursday despite Democratic opposition to key legislation that could complicate the effort down the line. While lawm ... (The Hill)

Federal Reserve reappoints all regional bank presidents after Trump officials float changes to the process

6 hrs ago - Dec. 11, 2025, 5:31 PM EST The board of the Federal Reserve System said Thursday that it had reappointed all regional Fed bank presidents, just days after the Trump administration began suggesting that it wanted to make major changes to the reappoint ... (NBC News)

Justice Department is investigating handling of Adam Schiff mortgage fraud probe led by Ed Martin and Bill Pulte

6 hrs ago - Updated Dec 11, 2025, 4:58 PM ET PUBLISHED Nov 20, 2025, 12:46 PM ET The Justice Department is investigating whether people impersonated federal agents in mortgage fraud probes of prominent Democrats, a development that could complicate efforts to pr ... (CNN Politics)