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://www.npr.org/2025/12/19/g-s1-102967/eu-leaders-agree-on-ukraine-loan
European Union leaders agreed on Friday to provide a massive interest-free loan to Ukraine to meet its military and economic needs for the next two years, but they failed to bridge differences with Belgium that would have allowed them to use frozen Russian assets to raise the funds.

After almost four years of war, the International Monetary Fund estimates that Ukraine will need 137 billion euros ($161 billion) in 2026 and 2027. The government in Kyiv is on the verge of bankruptcy, and desperately needs the money by spring.

The plan had been to use some of the 210 billion euros ($246 billion) worth of Russian assets that are frozen in Europe, mostly in Belgium.

The leaders worked deep into Thursday night to reassure Belgium that they would protect it from any Russian retaliation if it backed the "reparations loan" plan but in the end the leaders did not use that option, but as the talks bogged down the leaders eventually opted to borrow the money on capital markets.

"We have a deal. Decision to provide 90 billion euros ($106 billion) of support to Ukraine for 2026-27 approved. We committed, we delivered," EU Council President António Costa said in a post on social media.

Not all countries agreed to the loan package. Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic refuse to support Ukraine and opposed it, but a deal was reached in which they did not block the package and were promised protection from any financial fallout.

https://apnews.com/article/jack-smith-congress-justice-department-d35557d525fcfe51a20d08c6abb7f71d

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers in a closed-door interview Wednesday that his team of investigators “developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that President Donald Trumphad criminally conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election, according to portions of his opening statement obtained by The Associated Press.

Smith also said investigators had accrued “powerful evidence” Trump broke the law by hoarding classified documents from his first term as president at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and by obstructing government efforts to recover the records.

“I made my decisions in the investigation without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 election,” Smith said. “We took actions based on what the facts and the law required — the very lesson I learned early in my career as a prosecutor.”

He said that if asked whether he would “prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether the president was a Republican or Democrat.”

> Thread theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpLQgT1BfL0

> https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/18/suspect-brown-university-shooting

> Brown University shooting suspect died from self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials say

A man suspected of killing two and wounding several others at Brown University has been found dead in a New Hampshire storage facility where he had rented a unit, officials said.

Claudio Neves Valente, 48, a Portuguese national and a former Brown student, was found dead on Thursday evening from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Oscar Perez, the Providence police chief, said at a news conference. Perez said as far as investigators know, the suspect acted alone.

Valente is also believed to have killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor at his Boston-area home, the AP said, citing a law enforcement official. Authorities have not formally confirmed a connection between the two shootings.

“He took his own life tonight,” Perez said at a press conference, where he identified Valente and described the chain of events that had led law enforcement to the storage facility.

Neronha said Valente was found dead with a bag, and two firearms, as well as evidence in the car “that matches exactly what we see at the scene here in Providence”.

Neronha told reporters that a person with information about the suspected shooter played a key role in finding him. After officials publicized a photo of the suspect about 24 hours ago, an individual “came forward to two Providence police officers over on the east side and said he had information that he was that person and that he had information that could help this case”.

“He blew this case right open,” Neronha said at a press conference. “He blew it open.”

Pope denounces ‘antisemitic violence’ of Sydney attack as he thanks Christmas donors
https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-sydney-massacre-hanukkah-abortion-5bd3c953c79d4e301c53ad6aa9b0782a

Pope Leo XIV on Monday denounced the “antisemitic violence” behind the Sydney Hanukkah massacre as he prayed for the victims and the “gift of peace and fraternity” this holiday season.

“We pray for those who suffer from war and violence, in particular today I want to entrust to the Lord the victims of the terrorist attack in Syndey against the Jewish community.

Conflicting with his stance on abortion, he expressed support for abortion doctors “Enough of these forms of antisemitic violence!” he said. “We must eliminate hatred from our hearts.”

At least 15 people died in the attack on Sydney’s Bondi Beach celebrating the start of the Jewish festival. Albanese called the massacre an act of antisemitic terrorism.

Leo echoed his prayers in an official telegram of condolence sent to the archbishop of Sydney, Most. Rev. Anthony Fisher.

He prayed “with renewed hope that those tempted to violence will undergo conversion and seek the path of peace and solidarity,” said the telegram signed by the Vatican secretary of state.

Leo said the evergreen fir trees that were donated by various Italian regions “are a sign of life and recall the hope that isn’t lacking even in the winter cold.”


Another sign of life, was reflected in the Nativity scene in the Vatican’s audience hall, which was donated by Costa Rica. The creche featured 28,000 ribbons representing embryos that weren’t aborted.

“Each of these 28,000 colored ribbons that decorate the scene represent a life saved from abortion thanks to the prayer and support provided by Catholic organizations to many mothers in need,” Leo said.

He thanked the artist for the message urging that “life is protected from conception."

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https://www.ft.com/content/bee83769-fa41-4d18-9dc2-4a46130c72a8

Wall Street economists have warned that November’s US inflation report, which showed a sharp decline in price growth, was flawed because of missing data in the wake of the recent government shutdown.

US consumer prices rose 2.7 per cent in November from the same period the previous year, according to official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The figure was well below expectations in a Bloomberg poll of 3.1 per cent and September’s rise of 3 per cent.

Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, was 2.6 per cent, compared with expectations of 3 per cent.

The report comes after the recent government shutdown halted data collection for a six-week period, forcing the BLS to scrap its October release and estimate many prices rather than using observed data from surveys.

“You’ve got to take it with a grain of salt,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG US.

She added: “Things that should be going up are going down and things that should be going down are going up. So it’s confusing and it doesn’t quite square with prices that we’ve observed.”

Inflation had remained stubbornly elevated in recent months, providing a political issue for President Donald Trump as voters grow frustrated with a worsening cost-of-living crunch.

>https://www.ft.com/content/bee83769-fa41-4d18-9dc2-4a46130c72a8

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.

BREAKING: President and WEED HERO Trump the REPUBLICAN just reclassified MARIJUANA from Schedule I to Schedule III placing it alongside Tylenol with codeine, he did it before any democrat ever did despite them promising it for years to their stupid voter base.

“Marijuana can be legitimate in terms of medical applications when carefully administered.”

“Prescription painkillers have legitimate uses but also can do damage.”

“I promised to be the president of common sense. That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

He took a democrats forever promise away and actually did it.
Time to enjoy some Magajuana

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/18/politics/trump-marijuana-reclassification-executive-order

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/world/europe/finland-scandal-beauty-queen-china-racist.html
Finland’s prime minister apologized on Wednesday to China, South Korea and Japan in an effort to quash a growing racism scandal in the country.

Over the past few days, lawmakers in Finland’s most prominent anti-immigration party have posted pictures of themselves pulling back their eyelids, apparently in support of a Finnish beauty queen who was stripped of her crown last week for making a similar gesture.

“I sincerely apologize for recent offensive social media posts by individual members of Parliament, which do not reflect Finland’s values of equality and inclusion,” Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said in a Chinese-language statement posted on social media on Wednesday by the Finnish Embassy in China.

Finland’s embassies in South Korea and Japan shared similar statements on social media.

The controversy began this month when pictures surfaced on social media of Sarah Dzafce, Finland’s representative to the Miss Universe pageant, pulling her eyelids back at a slant, according to Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest newspaper.
Ms. Dzafce apologized in an Instagram statement last week.

“One of the most important things for me is respect for people, their backgrounds and differences,” she said, adding, “I take responsibility for my actions and will learn from this.”

The Miss Finland Organization then stripped her of her title, saying in a statement that her comment was “offensive, harmful and completely against the values” of the pageant.

Why come every time there's a terrorism, I assume the LGBT is invloved?

5th person arrested in NYE bombing plot is a ‘trantifa’ Marine vet out to ‘recreate Waco’ on ICE: complaint
https://nypost.com/2025/12/16/us-news/5th-arrest-made-in-turtle-island-liberation-front-nye-bombing-plot-idd-as-transgender-ex-marine/

The fifth person arrested over an alleged New Year’s Eve bombing plot by a far-left terrorist group is a transgender Marine veteran who wanted to “recreate Waco” on ICE agents, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday.

Micah James Legnon, 29, was arrested in Louisiana on Saturday after being tied to chats with suspected members of the far-left terrorist group Turtle Island Liberation Front as they allegedly plotted to plant pipe bombs on businesses and then ICE agents, according to the FBI investigation.

Legnon — who went by “Kateri TheWitch” and “DarkWitch She/Her” in chat groups — appeared to be planning an attack in New Orleans to coincide with others attacking southern California, the complaint alleged.

Legnon shared pictures of assault rifles and body armor — and federal agents “found sniper training manuals, SWAT training manuals, assault rifles, and multiple rounds of ammunition” in a raid on the suspect’s home in New Iberia, the complaint said.

Legnon also posted a story on Facebook on Dec. 4 that called Border Patrol agents “masked f–ks,” the complaint alleged.

“S–t time to recreate Waco tx with these f–kers. F–k ice,” the extremist wrote, which the FBI took as a threat to recreate the 1993 massacre by David Koresh’s Davidians that ended with four agents and more than 70 civilians killed, the complaint noted.