News

Summary

U.S. hospitals are routinely drug-testing pregnant women and reporting positive results—often triggered by hospital-administered medications like morphine or benzodiazepines—to child welfare agencies.

Mistakes and misinterpretations of these tests have led to investigations, child removals, and trauma for innocent mothers.

A lack of safeguards, reliance on error-prone tests, and policies mandating automatic reporting exacerbate the problem.

Advocates and experts are calling for reform, including limiting unnecessary testing and ensuring results are reviewed before reporting, as these practices disproportionately harm mothers while failing to address actual child abuse risks.

Summary

Elon Musk, the wealthiest person on Earth, faces significant conflicts of interest with the federal government across six areas tied to his business empire:

• Tesla is under investigation for autopilot safety issues and labor violations.
• SpaceX relies on billions in federal contracts while facing environmental scrutiny.
• X (formerly Twitter) is under SEC investigation for stock manipulation and data privacy concerns.
• xAI faces accusations of environmental racism and lacks AI regulation.
• Neuralink is scrutinized for unethical animal testing by the FDA.
• Musk’s cryptocurrency holdings are subject to financial oversight, including fraud and tax regulations.

Critics warn Musk’s proposed "Department of Government Efficiency" could weaken accountability and benefit his ventures by reducing regulatory oversight.

Summary

Robert Rundo, founder of the neo-Nazi “Active Club” network, will be sentenced in US federal court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to riot at 2017 California rallies.

Rundo, who fled the US in 2018, expanded his network internationally while evading law enforcement, promoting militant extremism across North America, Europe, and beyond.

Prosecutors seek a two-year sentence, citing his global influence and attempts to avoid capture, while Rundo’s defense argues for time served due to harsh conditions in foreign detention.

Experts doubt imprisonment will deter Rundo’s extremist activities.

TUCKED INTO A $895 billion Pentagon bill making its way through Congress is a little-noticed provision to further conceal the death toll in Gaza — the latest effort by U.S. policymakers to cast doubt on casualty figures reported by Palestinian health officials.

The House approved this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, on Wednesday and sent it to the Senate for a vote, despite Democratic objections over a GOP proposal to prohibit transgender children on military health insurance from receiving gender-affirming care.

The death toll provision of the must-pass bill, which passed 281-140 with 81 Democratic votes, has received significantly less attention. It would bar the Pentagon from publicly citing as “authoritative” casualty data from the Gaza Health Ministry, effectively concealing the full extent of the death toll in Gaza in the military’s public communications. The data from Palestinian authorities has been the only consistent and reliable count of the death toll out of Gaza over the last 14 months, with Israel consistently denying human rights workers access to the enclave and preventing foreign media journalists from entering.

Summary

An AP-NORC poll reveals low public confidence in President Trump’s ability to appoint qualified Cabinet members, manage spending, and oversee the military in his second term.

About 3 in 10 Americans express high confidence in these areas, while half are "not at all confident."

Republicans show more confidence (6 in 10), but it's less unanimous than Democrats' skepticism (three-quarters express doubt).

Independents remain divided, with most expressing low or moderate confidence in Trump’s leadership abilities across key responsibilities.

Summary

Chinese President Xi Jinping is unlikely to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s January 20 inauguration, citing risks and protocol concerns, experts say.

Trump extended the invitation, but analysts argue Xi would avoid being perceived as a subordinate guest and risks linked to potential U.S. policy shifts, including tariffs or Taiwan diplomacy.

Trump’s return is expected to escalate U.S.-China tensions, with Beijing adopting a cautious stance amid his selection of China hawks for key positions.

Experts predict an eventual Trump-Xi meeting but warn of a continued mix of confrontation and engagement.

Summary

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford has revived the 2020 fake electors case, filing new felony charges against six Nevada Republicans for submitting a forged certificate declaring Donald Trump the winner of the state’s election.

This follows the dismissal of the original case due to improper venue. Ford’s move aims to avoid the statute of limitations expiring while appealing the dismissal ruling.

The case is part of a broader scheme across multiple battleground states to overturn Joe Biden’s victory.

The defendants deny wrongdoing, calling the charges politically motivated.

Summary

The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, the largest independent Black Protestant denomination, reaffirmed its ban on same-sex marriage at its 2023 General Conference, frustrating Rev. Jennifer S. Leath, a long-time advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Leath, a self-identified "quare" pastor and academic, has fought for two decades to challenge the denomination's stance, which she argues alienates LGBTQ+ members.

Despite setbacks, including the rejection of a key proposal for open debate, she remains committed to reforming church policies.

On Wednesday, the U.S. was one of just a handful of countries to vote against a resolution in the UN General Assembly this week calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, despite the Biden administration’s supposed renewed efforts to obtain a ceasefire before Donald Trump is in office.

The resolution, which also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, passed the assembly 158 to 9, with 13 abstentions. Italy and Germany, which have previously abstained from similar votes, voted for a ceasefire for the first time, leaving the U.S. one of the only major world powers to not approve of a ceasefire resolution.

An electronic traffic message board — normally the forum for messages like “right lane closed ahead” — had been reprogrammed with an ominous message.

“One less CEO,” the sign, at the corner of southbound Aurora and Dexter Way, said, “many more to go.”

Summary

Reddit is removing posts linking to Luigi Mangione’s manifesto, citing its longstanding policy against content related to violent acts.

The manifesto, tied to the suspected killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has sparked online fascination and debate.

While Reddit allows discussion of the manifesto within its rules, posts linking to its full text—shared on Substack by journalist Ken Klippenstein—are being removed, angering users.

Critics accuse Reddit of selective moderation, as some sympathize with Mangione’s frustrations over the U.S. healthcare system, which has come under renewed scrutiny after the incident.

World-leading scientists have called for a halt on research to create “mirror life” microbes amid concerns that the synthetic organisms would present an “unprecedented risk” to life on Earth.

The international group of Nobel laureates and other experts warn that mirror bacteria, constructed from mirror images of molecules found in nature, could become established in the environment and slip past the immune defences of natural organisms, putting humans, animals and plants at risk of lethal infections.

Many molecules for life can exist in two distinct forms, each the mirror image of the other. The DNA of all living organisms is made from “right-handed” nucleotides, while proteins, the building blocks of cells, are made from “left-handed” amino acids. Why nature works this way is unclear: life could have chosen left-handed DNA and right-handed proteins instead.

The fresh concerns over the technology are revealed in a 299-page report and a commentary in the journal Science. While enthusiastic about research on mirror molecules, the report sees substantial risks in mirror microbes and calls for a global debate on the work.

Three more accusers have filed sexual assault lawsuits against Sean “Diddy” Combs alleging they were drugged with spiked drinks and then raped by the rapper and music mogul in incidents dating as recently as 2022.

The new lawsuits, first reported by TMZ, were filed separately through a New York lawyer by anonymous plaintiffs. The suits allege that the plaintiffs went to parties with Combs, in two cases in hotels and the third at his mansion in the Hamptons, where he gave them alcoholic drinks after which drinking they quickly passed out and came to when he was raping them.

Combs has denied all the allegations and pleaded not guilty. His lawyers told TMZ that the three new lawsuits were “full of lies”. They added: “We will prove them false and seek sanctions against every unethical lawyer who filed fictional claims against him.”

Less than a week after NBC news reported the aggressive way the company went after collecting debts, placing liens on their homes. How strange they suddenly reversed this?

Summary

Elon Musk has called homelessness a “lie” and “propaganda,” claiming advocacy groups profit from maintaining high homelessness rates.

Partnering with Donald Trump, Musk is pushing for drastic federal budget cuts targeting programs for vulnerable populations, including food stamps and healthcare.

Trump’s plan includes forcing unhoused individuals into treatment or institutionalization.

Critics argue these approaches criminalize homelessness while ignoring root causes like lack of affordable housing.

Homelessness in the U.S. has reached record levels, with 650,000 people affected in 2023, prompting calls for evidence-based solutions over punitive measures.