Tuesday, November 25, 2025

November 25, 2025

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Federal Judge Tosses Charges Against James Comey, Letitia James . . . Charges against former FBI Director James Comey and NY Attorney General Letitia James were dropped Monday, as a federal judge rules that prosecutor Lindsey Halligan was illegally serving as an interim US attorney. Bill Clinton-appointed Judge Cameron McGowan Currie said, "Because Ms. Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will grant Mr. Comey's motion and dismiss the indictment without prejudice." The judge dismissed charges against James using the same rationale. Daily Wire

Why Letitia James and James Comey Aren't Out of the Legal Woods

DOJ will appeal a judge's ruling to toss charges against Comey and James

Politics

Trump launches "Manhattan Project" for AI . . . President Trump Monday signed an executive order marshaling the federal government behind a massive research project to develop AI. "In this pivotal moment, the challenges we face require a historic national effort, comparable in urgency and ambition to the Manhattan Project that was instrumental to our victory in World War II and was a critical basis for the foundation of the Department of Energy and its national laboratories," the order states. Daily Wire

We are creating a new species that will make Einstein look like a moron. There need to be discussions at the highest level about safety issues, and there's not much evidence this is occurring. Responsible people who helped develop AI say there is a reasonable chance it will kill us. And we need to collaborate with the Chinese on it, even as we stay ahead of them. We worked with the Russian communists on containing nuclear weapons, we can do this with the equally duplicitous CCP. I'm not for regulating business, but this is not just business. We wouldn't have put Sam Altman in charge of our nuclear weapons.

Court Signals its Support for Trump in AP Press-Access Fight . . . A federal appeals court panel appears inclined to back President Trump in his dispute with The Associated Press over its removal from key White House areas. The AP was barred earlier this year after declining to adopt the term "Gulf of America" in its stylebook. During arguments before the D.C. Circuit, judges pressed the outlet's attorney as the administration's strained relationship with the media resurfaced, raising questions about presidential authority over press access. The Hill

Federal Efficiency Drive Continues Despite Reports of DOGE's Demise . . . Rumors of the Department of Government Efficiency's shutdown are premature, according to Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor, who says his comments were misinterpreted. While the Musk-era initiative no longer operates as a single department, Kupor insisted its core mission—cutting waste, streamlining regulations, and reshaping the federal workforce—remains intact. DOGE's X account recently touted narrowing or eliminating 78 federal contracts worth $1.9 billion. Washington Times

Culture

WNBA star throws cold water on trans narrative . . . WNBA star Sophie Cunningham says not only can NBA men beat WNBA women, they could have done so when they were in eighth grade. "If you are a professional football player, basketball player, really any sport … to me, if you're in that elite level group, yeah, you should be able to beat the girls. I'm not surprised by that," she said. "Men are just stronger, bigger, athletic. They just are a different build. So if you put them up against females, I'm like, well, yeah they're gonna win, duh." Daily Wire

No doubt she's in big trouble now for saying the sun rises in the East.

University of Minnesota Lab Promotes Materials Framing "Whiteness" as a Public Pandemic . . . A University of Minnesota–Twin Cities webpage from its Culture and Family Lab urges visitors to confront what it calls a "Whiteness Pandemic," offering resources aimed at "halting and reversing" its influence. The site, housed within the Institute of Child Development, argues that Americans—particularly White adults—should engage in continuous self-reflection and "re-education" to develop what it describes as a healthier racial identity. Fox News

National Security

Department of War to investigate Sen. Mark Kelly over video . . . The Department of War will review "serious allegations of misconduct" against Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz, one of the Democrats who released a video calling on service members to defy orders if they think they are illegal. "The Department of War has received serious allegations of misconduct against Captain Mark Kelly, USN (Ret.). In accordance with the Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. § 688, and other applicable regulations, a thorough review of these allegations has been initiated to determine further actions, which may include recall to active duty for court-martial proceedings or administrative measures," a DoW statement read. Daily Signal

International

Revised U.S.–Ukraine Peace Plan Drops Territorial Concession Demand . . . A newly revised peace framework crafted by U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators is gaining traction in Kyiv after removing several provisions Washington previously viewed as Moscow's "maximalist" demands. The updated 19-point plan no longer requires Ukraine to cede parts of the Donbas that Russia has failed to seize over more than a decade of conflict. Territorial questions would instead be settled later in direct talks between President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to sources familiar with the discussions. New York Post

US brought in Kremlin insider to help it craft peace proposal . . . As Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner worked in Miami on Trump's new plan for peace in Ukraine, they brought in Kirill Dimitriev, a Kremlin envoy who is close to Putin. He insisted that Ukraine could never join NATO – the cornerstone of Putin's rationale for invading in the first place – and that Russia should get the territory it was demanding. Witkoff and Kushner came to the conclusion that despite years of war and only incremental gains, Russia still held the military advantage. Wall Street Journal

Beijing Propaganda Escalates, Floats Nuclear Strikes in Clash With Japan . . . China has intensified its propaganda campaign against Japan after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would threaten Japan's security. A CCP-aligned outlet, Guancha, accused Tokyo of reviving militarism and claimed war would be "legally justifiable," even outlining nuclear missile strikes against Japanese military and industrial sites. Washington Times

Money

Campbell's Soup executive allegedly calls company products 's--- for poor people' . . . A lawsuit accuses Martin Bally, the company's vice president and chief information security officer, of making the offensive comments during a meeting in November 2024. "We have s--- for f---ing poor people. Who buys our s---? I don't buy Campbell's products barely anymore," the voice allegedly belonging to Bally can be heard saying. "Bioengineered meat — I don't wanna eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3-D printer," Bally allegedly says, belittling Campbell's soup ingredients. Fox Business

You should also know

Mob Rampage in Queens Leaves Residents Injured, Car Torched . . . A late-night mob overran a quiet Queens neighborhood early Sunday, assaulting a couple and setting a car ablaze after drivers gathered to perform illegal stunts on residential streets. The attack in Malba began when a homeowner confronted the group, prompting roughly a dozen assailants to beat him and injure his wife. Local officials called the violence a near-fatal escalation, while residents described the scene as a chaotic breakdown of public safety. Just the News

It's just the beginning.

Sanctuaries Promote Turkey "Adoptions" as Alternative Thanksgiving Tradition . . . While most turkeys face the holiday table, "Gus"—pardoned in 2023 and now living at a Colorado sanctuary—spends Thanksgiving week receiving hugs and attention from staff. He's part of a rising trend in which animal sanctuaries encourage families to symbolically adopt turkeys instead of eating them, offering photos, certificates, and occasional visits in return for donations. The growing movement promotes lifelong care for rescued birds and a gentler twist on the traditional feast. Associated Press

Guilty Pleasures

Michelle Obama's Slimmer Look Fuels Speculation Over Weight-Loss Drugs . . . Michelle Obama's noticeably leaner appearance in new behind-the-scenes photos from an Annie Leibovitz shoot has triggered online speculation that she used popular weight-loss medications such as Ozempic or other GLP-1 drugs. The 61-year-old former first lady shared the images on Instagram, prompting widespread chatter about her rapid change in physique. Though the claims are unfounded, the episode highlights growing public scrutiny around celebrity use of medical weight-loss treatments. New York Post

Without Ozempic, there's basically two types of diets. Ones that don't work, and ones that don't last.