https://apnews.com/article/russia-explosion-general-killed-sarvarov-73413ae5936609832f706ab26f864b3c
MOSCOW (AP) — A car bomb killed a Russian general on Monday, the third such killing of a senior military officer in a year. Investigators said Ukraine may be behind the attack.

Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff, died from his injuries, said Svetlana Petrenko, the spokesperson for Russia’s Investigative Committee, the nation’s top criminal investigation agency.

“Investigators are pursuing numerous lines of inquiry regarding the murder. One of these is that the crime was orchestrated by Ukrainian intelligence services,” Petrenko said.

Since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine nearly four years ago, Russian authorities have blamed Kyiv for several assassinations of military officers and public figures in Russia. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some of them. It has not yet commented on Monday’s death.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin had been immediately informed about the killing of Sarvarov, who fought in Chechnya and had taken part in Moscow’s military campaign in Syria.

Russia has blamed a series of other apparent assassinations on Ukraine.

Just over a year ago, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the chief of the military’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, was killed by a bomb hidden on an electric scooter outside his apartment building. Kirillov’s assistant also died. Ukraine’s security service claimed responsibility for the attack.

An Uzbek man was quickly arrested and charged with killing Kirillov on behalf of the Ukrainian security service.

Putin described Kirillov’s killing as a “major blunder” by Russia’s security agencies, noting they should learn from it and improve their efficiency.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/us-intelligence-indicates-putins-war-aims-ukraine-are-unchanged-2025-12-19/
WASHINGTON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence reports continue to warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to capture all of Ukraine and reclaim parts of Europe that belonged to the former Soviet empire, six sources familiar with U.S. intelligence said, even as negotiators seek an end to the war that would leave Russia with far less territory.
The reports present a starkly different picture from that painted by U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukraine peace negotiators, who have said Putin wants to end the conflict. The most recent of the reports dates from late September, according to one of the sources.

The intelligence also contradicts the Russian leader’s denials that he is a threat to Europe.
The U.S. findings have been consistent since Putin launched his full-scale invasion in 2022. They largely align with the views of European leaders and spy agencies that he covets all of Ukraine and territories of former Soviet bloc states, including members of the NATO alliance, according to the sources.
"The intelligence has always been that Putin wants more," Mike Quigley, a Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a Reuters interview. "The Europeans are convinced of it. The Poles are absolutely convinced of it. The Baltics think they're first.”
Russia controls about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including the bulk of Luhansk and Donetsk, the provinces that comprise the industrial heartland of the Donbas, parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson provinces and Crimea, the strategic Black Sea peninsula.

Putin claims Crimea and all four provinces as belonging to Russia. Trump is pressuring Kyiv to withdraw its forces from the small part of Donetsk they control as part of a proposed peace deal, according to two sources familiar with the matter, a demand that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and most Ukrainians reject.

This unexpected news comes hours after the abrupt resignation of Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino

https://www.newsweek.com/house-republicans-call-early-christmas-break-before-epstein-files-release-11234307

Republicans in the House have brought their Christmas recess a day forward—before the Department of Justice (DOJ) is scheduled to release a tranche of documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

According to a floor update released by Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the House will hold its final votes on Thursday afternoon, a change from the GOP’s previously announced schedule which would have seen these taking place on Friday.

Under the guidelines of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump on November 19, Attorney General Pam Bondi had a 30-day deadline to make publicly available all unclassified materials related to Epstein.

Newsweek has contacted the DOJ through its website and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise's D.C. office by phone outside of regular hours for comment.

There is no evidence that the early recess stems from a desire to interfere with the release of the files, or an indication that the DOJ’s deadline could be affected by the altered schedule. However, many online commentators, as well as some Democratic lawmakers, have connected the decision with GOP leadership’s past reluctance to pursue full disclosure around the Epstein case.

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/doj-redacted-names-of-politically-exposed-individuals-in-epstein-files-report/
The Department of Justice redacted the names of government officials and “politically exposed individuals” in its latest release of files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Department of Justice posted documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act on its website Friday afternoon in accordance with the midnight deadline set by the statute signed into law by President Donald Trump last month.

Many viewers reacted with disgust over the amount of blacked-out information within the almost four thousand files, despite Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s claim that the administration was attempting to protect “every single victim.”

However, a recent report on the document dump from Fox News Digital notes that the redactions were put in place to protect more than just Epstein’s victims and accusers.

“The Justice Department redacted the names and identifiers of victims. Fox News Digital has learned that the same redaction standards were applied to politically exposed individuals and government officials,” read the report.

Fox News Digital also attached a letter from Blanche addressed to members of Congress regarding the review process of files.

Blanche claims that blacked-out information included any evidence that could jeopardize pending investigations and any information deemed to be in the interest of national defense or foreign policy. Further information could be redacted if it fell under legally protected privilege.

Information that may pertain to Attorney General Pam Bondi’s recently opened investigation into Epstein’s past associations could seemingly be redacted under these restrictions.

This crucial distinction relating to the information actually released comes amid a wave of outrage over the lack of transparency in the files.

Financial advisors’ confidence in both the equity markets and the U.S. economy fell in November, and a growing number say the future isn’t looking so bright either.

Current sentiment around U.S. economy fell five points, or almost 5% from the previous month. Likewise, advisor sentiment in the stock market fell nine index points, or 7%. The index has been dropping monthly since the summer and is 12% lower than the 12-month high reached in July.

Prospects for the U.S. economy in the year ahead continued to turn negative among advisors. Some 42% of advisors see a less healthy economy by the end of next year. That’s the highest percentage of advisors to express such a view all year. In June, only 21% of advisors took that view.

Likewise, optimism in the future of the markets is on the decline.

Many advisors believe the stock market, particularly large cap tech, is significantly overvalued. Respondents frequently cited bubbles, stretched valuations and excessive concentration as risks that could trigger a correction.

Almost one in three (35%) of advisors anticipate a decline in the state of the market 12 months from now. However, that number has risen for the fifth consecutive month; in April, only 18% of advisors shared the sentiment.

Inflation remains one of the most frequently mentioned concerns. Even where markets appear strong, many believe underlying economic conditions for everyday Americans remain fragile.

Several advisors who offered their opinions alongside the survey pointed to weakening job reports, a softening labor market and concerns that AI-driven layoffs will complicate the Fed’s decisions and pressure the broader economy. Some respondents fear that concentrated corporate gains mask underlying employment risk. Others raised concerns about sector-specific slowdowns (e.g., agriculture), which could add to future economic strain.

https://www.wealthmanagement.com/ria-edge/asi-advisors-views-on-markets-economy-dims

https://usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/18/trump-kennedy-center-takeover-white-house/87829719007/
WASHINGTON ‒ The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington is now known as the the "Trump-Kennedy Center," according to the White House.
The Kennedy Center's board of directors voted unanimously on Dec. 18 to rename the national music and cultural institution after President Donald Trump, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

The board, which Trump chairs, is made up of members handpicked by the president. Yet an official name change appears to require action from Congress. A law passed in 1964, months after President John F. Kennedy's assassination, established the construction of "a building to be designated as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts." The law did not grant the board authority to change its name.

One month into his second term in office, Trump terminated the Kennedy Center's board and installed himself as the new chairman while tapping several political allies as new board members. Trump chose Ric Grenell, his envoy for special missions, as the center's president.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-hangs-plaques-mocking-biden-obama-white-house/story?id=128492648
President Donald Trump has installed plaques underneath portraits of presidents at the White House, using them to insult and make unfounded claims about some of his predecessors including Joe Biden and Barack Obama -- the latest in a series of controversial White House changes under Trump.

The plaques, many of which the White House said Trump penned himself, add to what the president has dubbed the "Presidential Walk of Fame" -- a portrait gallery along the West Wing Colonnade -- and describe the tenures of former commanders in chief in an overtly political way.

Trump's most recent predecessors' plaques read the most editorialized. The permanent signs are stylistically similar to the president's social media posts, with sporadic capitalizations and punctuation -- including many exclamation points.

Under Biden, depicted only by his signature written by the presidential autopen, the plaque includes claims such as "Sleepy Joe Biden was, by far, the worst President in American History," adding that he took office "as a result of the most corrupt Election ever seen in the United States" and that "Biden oversaw a series of unprecedented disasters that brought our Nation to the brink of destruction."

Trump also attacked Biden for his economic record, his climate, immigration and foreign policies, including the Afghanistan withdrawal (calling it "among the most humiliating events in American History"). He also said that because of Biden's "weakness," Russia invaded Ukraine, and "Hamas terrorists launched the heinous October 7th attack on Israel."

The plaque also cites what Trump calls Biden's "severe mental decline, and his unprecedented use of the Autopen."

Under Obama, Trump wrote: "Barack Hussein Obama was the first Black President, a community organizer, one term Senator from Illinois, and one of the most divisive political figures in American History."

DHS is posting 'jaks now on social media
https://xcancel.com/DHSgov/status/2002433055152353557

All is right with the world

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/charlotte-brewery-owner-accused-breaking-into-home-raping-child/HKIVK6LPV5HNLHQXGTNTEEZ53U/

CHARLOTTE — The co-owner of Sycamore Brewing was arrested early Thursday morning after allegedly breaking into a home and raping a girl under the age of 15.

Channel 9 found jail records showing that Justin Tawse Brigham was booked into custody on felony charges of statutory rape of a child, first-degree burglary, and indecent liberties with a child.

Before his arrest, Brigham, 44, was also listed as the co-owner of Sycamore Brewing, according to North Carolina business records. Sycamore Brewing is the largest brewery in Charlotte and one of the city’s most popular spots.

According to court documents, Brigham allegedly broke into a home in Stanfield and raped a 13-year-old girl on Wednesday.

The Stanly County Sheriff’s Office said the incident happened overnight, and the victims’ parents found Brigham in their daughter’s bedroom. Brigham was ultimately found completely undressed in a vehicle near the victim’s home. It’s not clear how Brigham first contacted the victim.

Brigham is being held in the Stanly County Jail on a $10 million bond. If he’s released, he’s not allowed to be on social media, according to court records.

Just after 1 p.m., Chopper 9 SkyZoom spotted investigators going into Brigham’s home in south Charlotte. It’s not clear what they may be looking for, but the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office confirmed a search was underway.

Sycamore Brewing’s response

Sycamore Brewing posted a statement on Instagram just after 1 p.m. Thursday saying that Justin “is divesting all of his interest and will have no further involvement” with the company.

Sycamore Brewing is also owned by Justin’s wife, Sarah Taylor. She said in the Instagram statement that she’s taking full leadership of the company effective immediately.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/president-donald-trump-moves-clear-223007954.html
President Donald Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum on Friday directing federal agencies to begin clearing government-controlled airwaves so private companies can develop next-generation 6G wireless networks, according to a fact sheet released by the White House.

In practical terms, the action is designed to free up portions of the radio spectrum currently used by federal systems so the private sector can begin planning and building faster wireless networks. The administration says the move is intended to help the United States remain competitive as other countries race to develop 6G technology.

The memorandum orders immediate planning to relocate federal systems operating in the 7.125–7.4 gigahertz band, a range the White House describes as prime spectrum for future wireless services. Federal agencies using that band will have 12 months to submit relocation plans that preserve national security operations while allowing the spectrum to be repurposed for commercial use.

The directive also calls for studies of two additional spectrum ranges — 2.69–2.9 GHz and 4.4–4.94 GHz — to determine whether they can also be cleared for full-power commercial 6G networks.