Monday, December 15, 2025

December 15, 2025

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

At least 15 killed in Australia Hanukkah massacre . . . A father and son allegedly carried out a deadly antisemitic attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach, killing 15 people in a nation unaccustomed to mass shootings. The father died at the scene; his Australian-born son survived. The massacre followed months of ignored antisemitic violence, prompting the government to rush new gun laws as critics fault officials for failing to act sooner. Associated Press

Yes, let's blame the guns instead of antisemitism and those who are behind it.

Holocaust Survivor Murdered By Jihadists While Shielding Wife During Beach Mass Shooting

For Australia's Jews, Bondi Shooting Feels Tragically Inevitable . . . What began with graffiti after the 2023 Hamas attack has spiraled into a national crisis. After thousands of antisemitic attacks, Australia's intelligence chief now calls Jew-hatred a top threat. That warning turned grimly real when a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach was shot up, killing at least 12. Jewish communities say fear has replaced faith in government protection. Reuters

Hero disarms gunman . . .

Politics

Mamdani win sparks Muslim political surge . . . Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's upset victory is energizing a new wave of Muslim candidates nationwide. Activists tied to protest votes over the Israel-Hamas war are now launching bids in Michigan and beyond, while a North Carolina lawmaker eyes Congress and a Senate race heats up in Detroit. Supporters call it representation; critics see foreign-policy grievance politics moving from the streets straight onto the ballot. The Hill

Meet 5 Radicals in Mamdani's Transition Team

California's golden myth goes broke . . . Once sold as America's fiscal role model, California is sliding back into deficit chaos. Despite sky-high taxes and billionaire ZIP codes, the state is staring at another multibillion-dollar shortfall. Years of unchecked spending and rosy projections have collided with reality, exposing a structural budget mess. Gov. Gavin Newsom's promises of discipline ring hollow as the Golden State proves glamour can't cover chronic mismanagement. Fox News

House GOP moves to counter Obamacare . . . House Republicans are teeing up a health care vote to showcase an alternative to Obamacare as subsidy expansions near expiration. Speaker Mike Johnson says the plan targets the real drivers of soaring costs, expanding access and choice without funneling more taxpayer cash to insurers. The push aims to blunt Democratic attacks by arguing reform—not bigger subsidies—is the path to affordable care. Washington Times

Culture

How the Left Weaponizes Christmas Against Trump . . . Catholics in Massachusetts are turning the Christmas story into an immigration protest, swapping reverence for provocation. A parish nativity scene replaced the Holy Family with a sign reading ICE was here, implying enforcement agents would deport Jesus. Critics say Trump opponents are weaponizing faith to score political points. Daily Signal

National Security

ISIS attack kills Americans, Trump vows payback . . . President Trump promised severe retaliation after an ISIS gunman killed two U.S. soldiers and an American civilian interpreter in Syria. The attack also wounded three Syrian troops and struck a volatile region outside full government control. Trump said Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa is furious over the assault, signaling a coordinated response as Washington frames the strike as a direct act of terror against U.S. forces. Washington Examiner

What are the chances the Syrian president is furious because more Americans weren't killed?

International

Zelensky Offers to Give Up NATO Dreams, But Does Not Budge on Territorial Concessions . . . In Berlin, Ukraine's president signaled he's willing to drop NATO ambitions if the West delivers ironclad security guarantees. But he flatly rejected U.S. pressure to surrender territory to Russia. With American and European officials huddled for talks, Zelenskyy framed the shift as realism, not retreat—seeking alliance-level protection without the alliance, while refusing to trade land for peace.

Police In Germany Arrest Five Foreign Nationals For Planning Terrorist Attack On Christmas Market

New 'Hate Speech' Bill Targets Canadians' Freedom of Speech and Religion . . . Left-wing lawmakers in Ottawa are moving to strip religious protections from Canada's hate-speech laws. A proposed amendment to Bill C-9 would erase exemptions allowing Canadians to cite faith or scripture in good faith. Liberals and Bloc leaders call it a crime-fighting tool, but critics warn it opens the door to prosecuting beliefs. Conservatives say the bill turns vague hate laws into a direct threat to free expression and religious liberty. Daily Signal

Money

China growth masks deep cracks . . . China's headline growth is holding up, but the engine is lopsided. Exports are carrying the load while consumers pull back, investment slumps, and the property sector keeps sinking. Retail sales have slowed for six straight months, and recent investment drops rank among the worst on record. The IMF warns Beijing is too big to lean on exports without stoking global trade tensions. Wall Street Journal

You should also know

FBI fumble reignites Brown manhunt . . . The Brown University shooting probe unraveled after authorities freed the FBI's touted person of interest, forcing a renewed manhunt nearly 30 hours after the attack that killed two. Police now admit the evidence points elsewhere, rattling public trust. The reversal mirrors earlier missteps by FBI Director Kash Patel, whose premature announcements have fueled criticism that rushes for credit are undermining confidence in high-stakes investigations. Daily Mail

Brown security lapses under fire . . . Brown University is scrambling to explain why emergency sirens stayed silent and student alerts lagged nearly 20 minutes during Saturday's shooting. The failure follows no-confidence votes by campus police who've warned about weak emergency protocols. School officials blamed chaos on the ground, saying officers first learned of the attack by spotting fleeing students. Washington Free Beacon

Brown shooting victim was GOP student leader . . . The first confirmed victim of the Brown University shooting was Ella Cook, a sophomore and vice president of the school's College Republican club. Her death was announced at her Alabama parish, where she was remembered for deep community service. The killing adds a grim political dimension to the campus attack, raising fresh questions about safety, targeting, and failures by university officials now under scrutiny. New York Post

Hollywood legend Rob Reiner, wife slain in brutal double murder . . . Grim details are emerging after filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found stabbed to death inside their Los Angeles mansion. Investigators say the couple, ages 78 and 68, died from severe knife wounds following a reported argument at home. Police are questioning a family member and treating the case as a double homicide. No arrests have been made, deepening shock across Hollywood. Daily Mail

A look back at Rob Reiner's live

Doctor accused in forced abortion plot . . . An Ohio surgical resident is facing six felony charges after allegedly drugging his pregnant girlfriend with abortion pills while she slept. Hassan-James Abbas, 32, had his medical license suspended before a grand jury moved to indict him. Prosecutors say he abducted, deceived, and illegally obtained abortion drugs, then tampered with evidence—turning a trusted physician into the accused architect of a secret abortion. Breitbart

JetBlue flight near Venezuela avoids 'midair collision' with US Air Force tanker . . . A JetBlue flight from Curaçao was forced to halt its climb after narrowly avoiding a U.S. Air Force refueling tanker. The pilot blamed the military aircraft for crossing directly into the flight path without an active transponder, triggering alarms over midair safety. The close call comes as U.S. military operations intensify in the Caribbean, raising questions about coordination in increasingly crowded skies. Associated Press

Guilty Pleasures

Biden library hits fundraising wall . . . Joe Biden's presidential library is off to a slow start, with filings showing zero new donations in 2024 and just $4 million carried over from his inauguration. The foundation won't disclose 2025 totals, but admits serious fundraising is only now beginning. With no site announced and cash scarce, questions are mounting about whether Biden's library can stand on its own—or at all. New York Times

Maybe he could open a bookstore instead of a library.

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