EU: Privacy for the powerful, surveillance for the rest, as proposed tech regulation goes too far

Protecting kids is a weak pretext for total digital surveillance. What's worse, the EU's monitoring exempted its own politicians from scrutiny. Their privacy matters, but not yours. Last month, we lamented California's Frontier AI Act of 2025. The Act favors compliance over risk management, while shielding bureaucrats and lawmakers from responsibility. Mostly, it imposes top-down regulatory norms, instead of letting civil society and industry experts experiment and develop ethical standards from the bottom up. Perhaps we could dismiss the Act as just another example of California's interventionist penchant. But some American politicians and regulators are already calling for the Act to be a "template for harmonizing federal and state oversight." The other source for that template would be the European Union (EU), so it's worth keeping an eye on the regulations spewed out of Brussels.

BEST OF THE WEB: New memos reveal how corruption probe into Clinton Foundation was killed: 'We were told NO by FBI HQ'

Drip, drip, drip: A newly-declassified timeline exposes how the FBI's investigation of the Clinton Foundation was hamstrung by DOJ leaders while the inquiry into Trump-Russia collusion hoax marched forward. This isn't the first tranche of evidence pointing to political interference. A top Republican senator has provided Just the News a timeline written by FBI investigators laying out the repeated political obstruction those agents faced from their own bosses and the Justice Department during the 2016 election and beyond as they probed whether Hillary Clinton engaged in a pay-to-play corruption scheme involving her family foundation. "Field agents were frustrated. But HQ would not let it go forward," the newly-released and lengthy investigative timeline reveals. "We were trying to explore the [Clinton] Foundation, and we were told 'NO' by FBI HQ." Not the first timeline showing interference Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley made the records produced to him by FBI...

Aristocracy, Meritocracy, Technocracy, and Revolution

All human societies have informal social classes or formal social castes that separate groups of people within the same community. Generally speaking, notions of aristocracy and hereditary nobility started on the battlefield. Warrior chiefs of clans became minor kings after killing more rivals without dying themselves. Rather than remaining in a constant state of tribal conflict, the chiefs of other clans bent the knee and became lesser lords. Because kings and lords prefer their heirs to be kings and lords, too, bloodlines afforded children the social status that their ancestors had earned on the battlefield. A ruling king who provided security and stability earned deference from those under his protection. Over time, tribes combined to become nations. Chieftains cooperated to form royal courts. And the heirs of warrior chiefs adopted customs and traditions that symbolically separated those who rule from those who are ruled.

Europe is about to commit financial self-immolation: Its leaders know it

Italy's decision to stand with Belgium against the confiscation of Russian sovereign assets is not a diplomatic footnote. It is a moment of clarity breaking through the fog of performative morality that has engulfed Brussels. Strip away the slogans and the truth is unavoidable: the seizure of Russian sovereign reserves will not change the course of the war in Ukraine by a single inch. This is not about funding Ukraine, it is about whether sovereign property still exists in a Western financial system that has quietly replaced law with cult-like obedience. That is why panic has entered the room.

Trump and Western Europe divided

The new US National Security Strategy, published on December 5, reflected the growing divide between Trump and Europe. According to CNN, the document sharply criticized European governments for their support of Ukraine and accused "European officials who hold unrealistic expectations for the war" of derailing the peace process. "A large European majority wants peace, yet that desire is not translated into policy, in large measure because of those governments' subversion of democratic processes," the document states. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz immediately replied that European countries do not need US help to "save democracy in Europe." On December 9, in an interview with Politico, Trump further criticized European countries, saying that they are "weak" and "decaying" because of their immigration policies. In a number of other speeches, the US president argued that European countries are moving in the wrong direction. Such statements have caused confusion in European capitals,...

The Ukrainian negotiations are dragging on

Peace negotiations in Ukraine are hampered by the Zelensky administration's resistance. The administration is attempting to buy time, first through legal means, then military action, and finally, political maneuvering. However, the contacts made suggest what this peace will look like. Peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are dragging on. Clearly, the Russian side, confident of victory, intends to liberate what remains of the Donbas as soon as possible, while the Ukrainian side refuses to concede anything. Europeans from the EU and the UK are holding numerous meetings, almost one a day, with the sole obsession of continuing the war, with or without the United States. Two new events have changed the game: Washington is considering leaving NATO and the Ukrainians are accepting the idea of ​​selling their country.

Fire still raining down on Gaza

Trump's elusive peace deal was an excellent ploy to quietly continue with the final occupation plan. Bomb after bomb There is no peace for Gaza. Trump's elusive peace plan - or should we say his gigantic real estate plan to make money off the suffering of the people? - was an excellent ploy to quietly continue with the final occupation plan. The occupation has convinced international public opinion that the violence in Gaza has ceased, when in reality entire families continue to be wiped out in total silence. The world remains silent, perhaps only because something called a "truce" has been proclaimed, an excellent move of infowarfare. What cannot be seen from the outside is that, day after day, the Israeli army is expanding its grip on the territory of Gaza. It advances slowly, taking over a street, then a neighborhood, then entire areas — silently redrawing the map while the international community celebrates a fictitious calm. The war is not over; it has simply taken on another...

Watch: Top Biden official belatedly admits Ukraine war truth bombshell

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is way behind the times. On Sunday he very belatedly expressed willingness to drop Ukraine's bid to join NATO. In place of this, he's seeking robust security guarantees. Zelensky told journalists in a group chat, as reported in Financial Times: "We are talking about bilateral security guarantees between Ukraine and the United States — namely, Article 5-like guarantees ... as well as security guarantees for us from our European partners and from other countries such as Canada, Japan and others. "These security guarantees are an opportunity to prevent another wave of Russian aggression," he said. "And this is already a compromise on our part." But this should have been taken off the table all the way back in February of 2022, on the eve of the Russian invasion, or even well before. He's much too late 'offering' this 'concession' just as White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner are meeting Sunday in Berlin...

Free and Fair?

"The prison sentence made Ms. Peters, 70, a martyr for the election-denial movement, and launched a fruitless campaign by Mr. Trump's followers to win her release from state prison." — The NY Times "Election denier" is a curious term. It implies that anyone who even questions the validity of an election is not right in the head, maybe even. . . a heretic, a sociopath, a criminal, an enemy of the people! The New York Times flogs the term incessantly as a sort of talisman, to ward off suspicions (branded as evil) that US elections are anything but free, fair, and upright. Tina Peters was County Clerk in Mesa County, western Colorado, at the time of the 2020 elections, which Donald Trump won in her county by a 63-percent margin, though "Joe Biden" won the state. In May, 2021, during a so-called "trusted build" update of her county's Dominion ballot tabulation machine software, Tina Peters sought evidence that the machines were capable of being manipulated by wireless internet. She...

Mearsheimer: US diplomacy is 'going nowhere' & Ukraine is doomed

With Zelensky having much-belatedly dropped aspirations for Ukraine's NATO membership, European officials are now openly admitting what pretty much everyone knew but was afraid to say. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has newly acknowledged in fresh remarks that Ukraine's membership in the military alliance is now obviously "out of the question" - but that the European Union now needs to provide concrete security guarantees. "Now if this [Ukraine's NATO membership] is not in question, or this is out of the question, then we need to see what are the security guarantees that are tangible. They can't be papers, or promises, they have to be real troops, real capabilities," she told reporters ahead of an EU Foreign Ministers meeting.

Heavy rainfall, flooding in Musandam, Oman

Due to the continuous flow of clouds, Musandam Governorate is experiencing intermittent rains, sometimes accompanied by thunderstorms. Heavy rains were reported in the Khasab wilayat in Musandam Governorate earlier on Sunday, as indicated in the latest forecast from the National Multi-Hazard Early Warning Center, which indicated that the atmosphere of the Sultanate of Oman will be affected by a trough of low pressure accompanied by rainfall of varying intensity, including thunderstorms at times, between December 13 and 20. Sunday and Monday, December 14-15: Cloud cover and formation over Musandam Governorate with a chance of scattered rainfall, which may be thundery at times (10-25 mm). The effects will also continue over Al Buraimi, North and South Al Batinah Governorates, with a chance of scattered rainfall, including thunderstorms, at times (5-15 mm). There is a possibility of flash floods in some areas due to active northwesterly winds.

Mississippi's reading skills turnaround holds lessons for Oregon

With an approach built on "the science of reading," Mississippi has schooled Oregon. Earlier this year, the National Assessment of Educational Progress released its annual report card, including reading scores for fourth graders across the country. Reading scores at fourth grade are considered a vital bellwether for a student's educational progress. Adjusted for demographics, Oregon landed 50th — at the very bottom. Mississippi, a state some Oregonians like to deride as backward, scored at the very top. Mississippi is a state burdened by deep poverty, tightfisted public spending, and a punishing legacy of segregation. It spends $13,461 per student a year, $6,000 less than Oregon. And yet, test scores show, students across the board in Mississippi are learning to read in ways that Oregon could only hope for.

Statue of Liberty replica falls over during major storm in Brazil

This is the dramatic moment a 24-metres-tall replica of the world-famous Statue of Liberty was toppled in Brazil. The monument, installed in 2020, was knocked down in the city of Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul, in front of the Havan store on December 15 during a storm as winds reached speeds of 55mph, according to Brazil's civil defence authority Defesa Civil. But the 11-metres-high concrete base remained in tact. Dramatic footage of the incident, which appears to have been taken from a nearby building, showed the statue, in a large car park near a McDonald's, leaning forward as it eventually begins to fall. It then crashes to the ground.

German reunification was a 'takeover' - Lavrov

The Soviet Union betrayed East Germans and its own interests by trusting Western promises, the Russian foreign minister has said Germany's reunification in 1990 was carried out in a way that overwhelmingly benefited the western part of the country and amounted to a betrayal of East Germans by the Soviet Union, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. Speaking to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB on Monday, Lavrov argued that the process laid the groundwork for modern Germany's renewed militarism, which Moscow views with growing concern. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev agreed to the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic after receiving assurances that NATO would not expand further eastward - promises that were later broken. "This was a mistake and betrayal on the part of the Soviet Union, when almost half a million troops were withdrawn without any compensation, and the opportunity to maintain their presence in the eastern part of...

Lightning kills mother and 4-year-old son in Ghana

A 29-year-old woman and her four-year-old son have died after being struck by lightning during a heavy rainstorm at Akyeremade, a community in the Asante Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region. The woman, identified as Victoria, was reportedly out fetching pieces of charcoal with her two sons when the lightning struck. An eyewitness said the lightning killed Victoria and her younger son instantly. Her seven-year-old son, who was with them at the time, survived the strike but sustained injuries. Despite his condition, the boy was able to explain what had happened and led rescuers to the exact location where his mother and brother had collapsed. The injured child was rushed to a nearby health facility, where he is currently responding to treatment.

Flash floods in Bolivia kill 20

Floods triggered by heavy rainfall in Bolivia over the weekend have killed at least 20 people, authorities said. Vice Minister of Civil Defense Alfredo Troche told reporters on Sunday that severe flooding struck the city of Santa Cruz after the Pirai River overflowed its banks. Many people remain missing, Troche said, adding that search and rescue operations are continuing around the clock. President Rodrigo Paz said a crisis and situation room was established at the Government Palace in the administrative capital La Paz to closely monitor developments in the affected areas. Paz said efforts are underway to declare a national state of emergency in the flood-hit regions. He warned that the effects of the El Nino and La Nina climate patterns are continuing and the country could face heavy rainfall over the next three to five months, followed by periods of drought.

EU sanctions Swiss ex-colonel for disseminating accurate information about the Ukraine-Russia war

Comment: That's the truth. Now for the spin: The EU has placed a former Swiss army officer on its sanctions list. Ex-Colonel Jacques Baud undermined the stability of Ukraine with pro-Russian propaganda and conspiracy theories The EU has added a former Swiss army colonel to its sanctions list (PDF). According to the EU, 70-year-old Jacques Baud spread conspiracy theories in connection with Russia's military invasion of Ukraine and acted as a mouthpiece for pro-Russian propaganda. The "strategic analyst" is a "regular" guest on pro-Russian television and radio programs, according to the EU executive order published on Monday. Baud has, for example, accused Ukraine of having brought about its own invasion in order to join NATO.

Bright double star V Sagittae will die sometime this century in a massive nova explosion

It will create a supernova so bright it would be visible during the day Not far from our corner of the galaxy, an extraordinary celestial drama is taking place. A white dwarf star — small, dense, and unimaginably hungry — is devouring its much larger stellar companion in a feeding frenzy unlike anything astronomers have ever recorded. This star system, known as V Sagittae, lies about 10,000 light-years away, yet it shines with such intensity that its story has captured the imagination of scientists and stargazers alike. White dwarfs are remnants of stars that have burned through their nuclear fuel. What makes V Sagittae unique is that it hasn't quietly faded into the night like most of its kind. Instead, it is locked in a deadly embrace with its neighboring star, drawing matter from it in torrents and burning with astonishing brightness. The result is an interstellar spectacle so violent and so radiant that, one day, it may light up the skies of Earth in a supernova visible even in...

New book says Israel utilized Palantir technology in its 2024 Lebanon pager attack

Claims the US tech company was involved in Lebanon attack that killed dozens and wounded thousands Palantir software was used by Israel in its 2024 pager attacks in Lebanon, according to a new book by Alex Karp, co-founder of the Palantir tech company. On 17 September, thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members, including civilians not involved in any armed activity, were detonated across Lebanon. Many showed "error" messages and vibrated loudly prior to exploding, luring Hezbollah members or, in some cases, their family members to stand close by at the point of detonation.

Trump has shattered the European liberal illusion

The liberal world order is collapsing under the weight of its own arrogance, and at the very moment Europe drowns in a self-inflicted civilizational crisis, the White House has released a national security strategy powerful enough to redefine the future of the West. Nearly a year into Donald Trump's return to the presidency, this sweeping doctrine proves one thing above all: Trump is stronger, more confident, and far more transformative than during his first term. His movement to dismantle the liberal establishment and uproot the 'deep state' is not a dream - it is an unfolding reality. And its effects are already radiating far beyond American borders. This strategy is nothing less than a funeral bell for the post-Cold War fantasy world created by globalists, technocrats, and the architects of endless intervention. Trump accepts what the previous political class refused to face: We now live in a multipolar, post-liberal age. Woke ideology has failed. Nations are back. Identity...