Former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz announced he will not be returning to Congress, opting instead to support President-elect Trump’s administration from outside the House. His withdrawal from consideration as Attorney General, following allegations of sexual misconduct which he denies, preceded this decision. Gaetz cited the difficulties of simultaneously addressing Senate concerns and building the Department of Justice, ultimately endorsing Pam Bondi as his replacement. He attributed his difficulties partly to political maneuvering within the Republican party.
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Following the October 7th massacre near Mefalsim, Israeli forces, guided by intelligence from multiple agencies, eliminated five Hamas and PIJ operatives responsible for the attack. This included high-ranking commanders such as Jihad Mahmoud Yehia Kahlout and Muhammad Riyad Ali Okel. The strikes, conducted in Beit Lahiya and Deir al-Balah, targeted terrorist infrastructure and prioritized minimizing civilian casualties through precautions like aerial surveillance and evacuation warnings. The IDF emphasized the importance of verifying information from reliable sources, noting past inaccuracies in Palestinian media reports.
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Following a Russian hypersonic missile attack on a Ukrainian military facility in Dnipro, emergency NATO-Ukraine talks are scheduled. The attack, utilizing the experimental Oreshnik missile, represents a significant escalation, prompting heightened security measures in Kyiv and fueling fears of a decisive phase in the conflict. Russian President Putin justified the strike as retaliation for Ukrainian attacks using Western-supplied weapons, while Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán echoed Moscow’s claims of potential US involvement. Concurrent with the Dnipro strike, Iranian-made Shahed drones targeted a Sumy residential area, resulting in casualties.
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To expedite the confirmation process of other judicial nominees, a deal was struck between Senate Republicans and Democrats, resulting in the postponement of votes on four of President Biden’s appellate court nominees. This agreement allows for the swift confirmation of seven district court judges next week and six more in December, bringing Biden’s total confirmations closer to President Trump’s first-term total of 234. The four postponed nominees, including Adeel Abdullah Mangi, who would have been the first Muslim American appellate judge, lacked sufficient support for confirmation. Despite concerns from liberal groups, the deal prioritized a larger number of district court judge confirmations.
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A Dublin High Court jury found Conor McGregor liable for raping Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018, awarding her €248,603.60 in damages. McGregor, who maintained the encounter was consensual, will appeal the verdict. Hand’s case against another man involved in the incident was dismissed. The substantial damages reflect both the physical and psychological harm Hand suffered, including PTSD and the loss of her job and home.
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Trump Won Less Than 50 Percent. Why Is Everyone Calling It a Landslide?
Trump’s victory, while significant, didn’t achieve a majority of the popular vote. This raises the question: why the “landslide” narrative? The perception of a landslide victory seems to stem from several interconnected factors.
One contributing factor is the historical context. A Republican hasn’t won the popular vote in two decades, making Trump’s win, regardless of the margin, a notable event for the party. This rarity inflates the perceived significance of the victory.
Furthermore, the initial election night reporting played a crucial role in shaping public perception. Early vote counts showed a significant lead for Trump, fueled by a comparatively slower count of Democratic votes.… Continue reading
Seventeen-year-old testimony detailing a second sexual encounter, involving another adult woman, emerged during a civil deposition related to a lawsuit against Matt Gaetz. This revelation, along with four Republican senators’ opposition, led to Gaetz withdrawing his nomination for Attorney General. His subsequent resignation from Congress, intended to preempt an ethics investigation, proved unsuccessful, leaving him without a political position. Despite President-elect Trump’s supportive words, Gaetz’s future prospects appear uncertain.
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Ukraine claims Russia recently fired a new missile, boasting a flight time of 15 minutes and a speed exceeding Mach 11. This claim immediately sparks debate, raising questions about the novelty and strategic implications of this alleged feat.
The speed itself, while impressive at over 8,000 mph, isn’t entirely unprecedented in the world of ballistic missiles. Existing technology, like the US Minuteman II missile from 1965, achieved speeds well in excess of Mach 11, reaching approximately Mach 22 at its peak. This suggests that the speed, while notable, may not represent a genuinely groundbreaking technological advancement.
The context of this missile launch is crucial.… Continue reading
Ukraine’s proven reliability as a borrower, coupled with a robust debt repayment strategy, makes current financial aid a fiscally sound investment for its partners. Preventing Ukraine’s defeat through timely funding is economically cheaper than shouldering the costs of prolonged conflict and refugee support. While Ukraine is increasing domestic revenue, substantial external financing remains crucial for both wartime needs and the extensive post-war reconstruction. The IMF advocates for increased tax revenue, including a VAT increase, to support this, alongside initiatives like the G7’s US$50 billion plan. Despite the war’s impact, Ukraine’s economy is projected to recover, with GDP growth forecast to reach 4% in 2024.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood