Friday, December 5, 2025

December 5, 2025

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Admiral says there was no 'kill them all' order in boat attack, but video alarms lawmakers . . . Lawmakers are scrutinizing a U.S. Navy operation in the Caribbean after video showed two survivors killed following strikes on an alleged drug boat. Adm. Frank Bradley told Congress he never received a "kill them all" directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, countering reports he ordered a follow-on attack. Republicans defended the mission, while Democrats raised legal and ethical concerns after viewing the footage, questioning the administration's rationale for lethal follow-up actions. Associated Press

Politics

Supreme Court Keeps Texas Maps for 2026, Boosting GOP Odds in the House . . . The Supreme Court ruled 6–3 to leave Texas' Republican-drawn congressional maps in place for the 2026 midterms, reversing a lower court decision that had struck them down. The move, prompted by Gov. Greg Abbott's appeal, preserves district lines that could deliver Republicans as many as five additional House seats. The conservative majority agreed to pause the lower court's ruling, while the three liberal justices dissented. Daily Signal

DOJ Unseals Charges Against D.C. Pipe Bomb Suspect Brian Cole Jr . . . Federal prosecutors unsealed charging documents identifying Brian Cole Jr. as the suspect in the Washington, D.C., pipe bomb case after his arrest Thursday. An FBI affidavit says Cole, a 30-year-old bail bondsman from Woodbridge, Virginia, purchased bomb-making materials—including pipes, end caps, wiring, steel wool, battery connectors, and kitchen timers—from multiple retailers between 2019 and 2020. Daily Wire

Alleged Pipe Bomber's Family Sued Trump DHS Over Illegal Immigration, Asked Biden DOJ To Address Racism

Trump admin vows to expose 'massive cover-up' involving DC pipe bomb suspect . . . The Trump administration blamed Biden for failing to catch the Jan 6 pipe bomb suspect - with Dan Bongino even alluding to a 'massive cover up.' The FBI deputy director told Fox News Thursday that the Biden administration somehow let the suspect walk free while launching partisan witch hunts. 'I don't know what the hell they were doing!' Bongino told Sean Hannity about the past administration. Daily Mail

Pirro calls suspected DC pipe bomber 'quiet,' reveals insight into his 'low-key' personal life

Grand Jury Rejects Renewed DOJ Bid to Charge Letitia James After Case Tossed . . . The Justice Department failed to secure a new indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James after a judge dismissed an earlier mortgage-fraud case due to an improperly appointed U.S. attorney. Prosecutors sought fresh charges against James and former FBI Director James Comey, but jurors declined. The outcome marks another setback for the department as it pursues cases involving prominent critics of President Trump. Associated Press

Culture

Conservatives cried 'woke' and Ken Burns made a correction in his new documentary . . . Producers of Ken Burns' six-part PBS series The Revolution have removed a disputed claim about unequal compensation for Revolutionary War hero Margaret Corbin, following criticism of historical inaccuracies. Detractors argued the documentary included modern, left-leaning interpretations, including assertions about Indigenous influence on the Founders. While those involved in the project defended much of the content, they acknowledged the Corbin error and corrected it ahead of the series' broader classroom use. Washington Times

Burns will no doubt find that most of the Founding Fathers were transgender.

Texas Takes Back Bathrooms As New Law Bans Men From Using Women's Facilities . . . Texas' Women's Privacy Act took effect Thursday, mandating that individuals use public restrooms, locker rooms, and changing areas that align with their biological sex. Lawmakers say the measure protects female privacy in multi-occupancy spaces, with sponsor Sen. Mayes Middleton calling the requirement a return to "common-sense" boundaries. The law renews debate over gender-based facility rules as Texas aligns with other states adopting stricter definitions for public accommodations. Daily Wire

National Security

No New Somali Refugees Have Entered the US Since Jan. 20, State Department Says . . . The State Department says no Somali refugees have been admitted since President Trump took office in January 2025, following an executive order pausing refugee entries. Monthly admissions data show only limited arrivals from Afghanistan, El Salvador, and South Africa during the suspension. The freeze comes as Minnesota's Somali community faces heightened scrutiny after major fraud cases, including a $250 million scheme linked to the shuttered nonprofit Feeding Our Futures. Daily Signal

Trump Pivots From NATO, warns European nations are under threat of 'civilisational erasure' . . . President Trump's new national security strategy sharply pivots U.S. policy, warning European allies of potential "civilisational erasure" and projecting that some NATO states could become majority non-European within decades. The document urges "cultivating resistance" to protect Western identity and criticizes European limits on speech and political opposition, echoing concerns raised by hard-right parties. Daily Mail

Money

Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros. in $72B Deal, Reshaping Hollywood Power Structure . . . Netflix will purchase Warner Bros.' studio and streaming assets for $72 billion, beating bids from Paramount and Comcast in a major industry shake-up. The $27.75-per-share offer gives Netflix control of Warner's iconic catalog—from Casablanca and Citizen Kane to Harry Potter and Friends—as it seeks to expand global dominance. The acquisition positions Netflix as both a premier streaming platform and a major studio force, accelerating consolidation across Hollywood. Daily Mail

ChatGPT Growth Stalls as Rivals Gain Ground in Expanding AI Market . . . ChatGPT remains the world's most widely used chatbot, but new data show its momentum slowing. Sensor Tower reports monthly mobile-app use has plateaued since summer, while industry benchmarks now place competitors like Google ahead in key AI performance metrics. The trend signals tougher terrain for OpenAI, whose breakout launch disrupted Big Tech's dominance. Washington Post

Google's Gemini 3 is now a clear step above ChatGPT and all the other major LLMs.

You should also know

NYC Mayor-Elect Mamdani to End Homeless Encampment Sweeps in Policy Shift . . . Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Thursday he will halt New York City's encampment sweeps once he takes office, reversing a high-profile Adams administration initiative. Mamdani argued the clearances failed to connect homeless residents with permanent housing and should not be considered successful. New York Post

NJ-bound plane that suddenly plunged thousands of feet likely hit by 'cosmic rays' from a whole other galaxy . . . A JetBlue A320 that dove thousands of feet in October, injuring 15 passengers, was likely struck by high-energy cosmic rays from a distant supernova, space analysts say. According to University of Surrey expert Clive Dyer, particles traveling millions of years can disrupt aircraft microelectronics by flipping digital signals or damaging hardware outright. Investigators believe such interference may have caused the abrupt altitude loss, underscoring aviation's vulnerability to rare space-radiation events. New York Post

I hate it when those cosmic rays get involved. I ordered a medium rare steak the other day, and a cosmic ray turned it medium well. Unacceptable.

Guilty Pleasures

Tapper Ridiculed After Calling Pipe Bomb Suspect as White While Airing Photo of Black Man . . . CNN anchor Jake Tapper incorrectly described pipe bomb suspect Brian Cole Jr. as a white man during The Lead, moments before his program displayed photos showing the suspect is black. Tapper had introduced Cole as a "30-year-old white man" charged with transporting an explosive device and malicious destruction. The on-air contradiction drew immediate scrutiny, highlighting accuracy lapses in a high-profile federal case coverage. Breitbart

In other news, CNN misidentified Jake Tapper as "smart."