Congratulations, It’s Still On Fire
Department of War Crimes
Rubio Smiles for the Cameras While the Bigger Story Gets Ignored
This Ground News aggregation highlights coverage of Marco Rubio participating in a signing ceremony with Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez Lezcano—but the framing varies wildly depending on the outlet. Some treat it as routine diplomacy and photo-op foreign policy, while others note what’s missing: meaningful scrutiny of U.S. influence in Latin America, corruption concerns, and whose interests these agreements actually serve. It’s a textbook example of how “normal” diplomatic news can be laundered into harmless optics while real power dynamics stay offstage.
Foreign Policy
Energy, Russia & Elections: U.S. Foreign Policy Throws Europe a Curveball
Recent developments show U.S. foreign policy reshaping trans-Atlantic tensions around Russia, energy, and electoral politics. Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán—long friendly with Moscow—hailed the Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy as affirming Europe’s “decline” and backing closer U.S.–Hungary ties, including an exemption from oil and gas sanctions. Meanwhile, EU states are formalizing a phase-out of Russian gas by 2027 and freezing €210 billion in Russian assets to support Ukraine, moves opposed loudly by Hungary and Slovakia and reflecting deep EU fractures over Russia policy. The U.S. is also pushing Brussels to ease methane reporting on U.S. gas exports, complicating climate and trade dynamics. These energy debates are feeding broader political contests over Russia’s role in European elections, alliances, and security strategies.
Healthcare
It’s Not Too Late—But Republicans Are About to Break Obamacare Again
The Bulwark warns that unless Congress acts quickly, a simple, temporary fix to Affordable Care Act premium subsidies will expire—triggering sharp premium hikes for millions of Americans. The solution is straightforward and already proven to work, but GOP lawmakers are signaling they’d rather let costs spike than give Democrats a win or keep health care affordable. This isn’t a policy puzzle; it’s a political choice. And families will pay the price if Congress does nothing.
The Resistance
Democracy Hurts—That’s How You Know It’s Working
Jack Hopkins argues that the discomfort many Americans feel about democracy right now isn’t a flaw—it’s the point. Democracy is messy, slow, and emotionally unsatisfying because it forces compromise, accountability, and shared power instead of domination. The piece pushes back on the seductive appeal of “strongman efficiency,” reminding readers that the urge for comfort and certainty is exactly what authoritarian movements exploit. If democracy feels frustrating, it’s because no one is supposed to get everything they want.
“Day Four” Is the Point: Why a General Strike Actually Works
Charlotte en France lays out a blunt, strategic case for a general strike—and why endurance matters more than spectacle. The argument is simple: real leverage doesn’t happen on day one. It happens when workers hold the line long enough to disrupt profits, logistics, and political timelines. “Day Four” is when elites panic, because that’s when systems start breaking and concessions become cheaper than repression. This isn’t fantasy or cosplay activism—it’s a reminder that collective labor power still scares the hell out of those at the top.
Economy
Same Story, Different Realities: How the Media Is Framing This Moment
This Ground News roundup tracks how the same political story is being covered across left-, center-, and right-leaning outlets—revealing sharp differences in emphasis, framing, and omissions. While the underlying facts may overlap, the narratives diverge in ways that shape public understanding and outrage. The takeaway isn’t “both sides are the same.” It’s that media ecosystems actively filter reality, and knowing how a story is framed is now as important as knowing what happened.
Holiday Pain: Americans Say Prices Are Up Across the Board
A new Navigator Research poll finds that as the holidays approach, an overwhelming majority of Americans report rising costs across essentials—groceries, housing, utilities, and health care are all climbing, with many saying prices are up “a lot.” Most people are cutting back on saving, leisure spending, and holiday gifts, and many are carrying debt or turning to “buy now, pay later” plans just to make ends meet. By a 21-point margin, voters blame President Trump and congressional Republicans more than Democrats for these cost pressures. Inflation isn’t an abstract worry—it’s forcing real sacrifices this season.
America’s Gestapo
ICE Keeps Escalating—and Migrants Keep Paying the Price
Migrant Insider reports on yet another alleged ICE assault, adding to a growing pattern of aggressive, unchecked behavior by immigration enforcement officers. This dispatch underscores how routine violence, intimidation, and lack of accountability have become baked into the system—not as “isolated incidents,” but as a feature of enforcement-first policy. While officials deflect and delay, migrants are left injured, traumatized, and without meaningful recourse. The cruelty isn’t accidental. It’s operational.
Cheeto Von Schitzenpantz
Trump Sues the BBC for $5 Billion—Yes, Billion
This Ground News aggregation tracks coverage of Donald Trump suing the BBC for $5 billion, claiming defamation over a Panorama documentary. Supportive outlets frame it as righteous pushback against “biased media,” while critical reporting points out the obvious: the staggering dollar amount, the high bar for defamation claims, and Trump’s long history of using lawsuits as intimidation rather than a path to truth. Whether the case goes anywhere or not, the goal is clear—chill journalism, dominate headlines, and turn accountability into spectacle.
Crypto, Trump & Conflicts: The Grift Finds a New Wrapper
This Ground News aggregation examines reporting on a Trump-linked media deal with a cryptocurrency firm—raising fresh questions about conflicts of interest, transparency, and influence-peddling. While friendly outlets frame the partnership as innovation or savvy deal-making, more critical coverage flags the obvious problem: when political power, media reach, and speculative finance collide, accountability usually loses. The details vary by outlet, but the pattern is familiar—blur the lines, cash in early, and let regulators clean up the mess later.
The Year Trump Cashed In—Again
The New Yorker lays out how Donald Trump spent the past year turning politics into profit, blending campaign activity, branding, and personal business in ways that would trigger alarms in any normal democracy. From licensing deals to fundraising structures that blur ethical lines, the piece shows how the Trump operation treats public office not as a public trust but as a revenue stream. None of this is accidental—and none of it is victimless. It’s a reminder that corruption doesn’t always look like a scandal; sometimes it looks like a business plan.
Trump May Have to Hand Over the Records He’s Been Hiding
Legal analyst Aaron Parnas reports that Donald Trump could soon be forced to turn over records he has aggressively tried to keep out of public view, as courts weigh whether his usual delay-and-deflect strategy still flies. While the outcome isn’t final, the case highlights a familiar pattern: Trump treating transparency as optional and accountability as an enemy. Even the possibility of compelled disclosure matters—because every time the courts push back, it chips away at the culture of impunity that’s protected him for years.
The “Psych-Ward Presidency” Exposed
The Bulwark calls it what it is: the Trump White House has become a chaotic, morally bankrupt operation even by modern standards—with commentary accusing the president of celebrating tragedy and flouting basic decency. In the backdrop of the Rob Reiner family’s murder, Trump’s comments drew sharp rebukes and sparked a broader critique of his leadership and rhetoric. The piece also flags internal White House revelations about chaotic staffing and strategy, painting a picture of turbulence rather than coherent governance.
Epstein Trump Pedo”Files”
3 more days until the release of the Epstein Files
BBC: Epstein’s UK Flights Carried Alleged Abuse Victims — Still No Full UK Probe
A BBC investigation reveals that nearly 90 flights linked to Jeffrey Epstein landed at or departed from UK airports between the early 1990s and 2018, and some manifested in flight logs involving British women who allege they were abused by Epstein. Yet the UK Metropolitan Police say they have not launched a full-scale investigation, nor contacted at least one British victim despite testimony that helped convict Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell. US lawyers called it “shocking” that London authorities haven’t pursued a deeper inquiry into what was, per them, a key hub in Epstein’s network. The report lands as hundreds of thousands of Epstein-related government files are set to be released under the Epstein Transparency Act.
We’re Building the EpsteinWiki—And We Need More Eyes on the Evidence
EpsteinWiki is recruiting researchers, timeline builders, document readers, and careful truth-seekers who want to help make sense of the growing Epstein document dumps. This is slow, methodical work—cataloging evidence, verifying sources, connecting dots, and documenting what powerful people would prefer stay buried. If you care about accountability, transparency, and survivor-centered truth, we need your help. No credentials required—just patience, integrity, and a commitment to facts.
👉 Join us here: https://epsteinwiki.com/become-an-epstein-sleuth/
Follow the Money: Epstein’s Scams Were Hiding in Plain Sight
A new New York Times Magazine investigation digs into the long-ignored financial side of Jeffrey Epstein’s operation—how money moved, who trusted him, and how obvious red flags were waved away for years. The reporting doesn’t claim every mystery is solved, but it makes one thing painfully clear: Epstein’s wealth wasn’t just unexplained, it was structurally protected by banks, advisors, and elite complacency. This is less about one criminal mastermind and more about a system that rewards silence, deference, and “don’t ask” economics—until the damage is irreversible.
What We Are Watching Today
- FAA Administrator Testifies on Air Travel Live
- House Education Subcmte. Examines Challenges Facing Youth Sports Live
- House Republican Leaders Hold News Conference Live
- House Democratic Caucus Leaders Hold News Conference
- Senate Democrats on Epstein File Release Deadline
- House Rules Considers GOP Health Care Plan
- Trump Remarks at White House Hanukkah Reception
Today’s Call to Action
- Call Congress about ACA subsidies
Tell your reps to extend the ACA premium tax credits now. Letting them expire is a choice—and it will spike premiums for millions. Script: “Extend the ACA subsidies. Don’t raise my health care costs.” - Pressure for Epstein transparency
Demand full release of Epstein-related records and independent oversight, including international cooperation with the UK. Silence protects predators. Transparency protects people. - Support migrant defense groups
Donate or amplify organizations providing legal defense and rapid response for migrants facing ICE abuse. Enforcement without accountability is state violence—don’t normalize it. - Boycott Trump-linked grift platforms
Do not use or promote Trump-affiliated media, crypto ventures, or fundraising funnels. Grift only works if we feed it. - Back real journalism, not intimidation lawsuits
Subscribe to or share reporting from outlets being targeted by billion-dollar bullying suits. If they’re being sued, they’re probably doing their job. - Learn how propaganda works
Use media comparison tools (like Ground News) to understand framing—then call out distortions publicly. Silence is how disinformation spreads. - Prepare for collective action
Talk to coworkers and community members about labor power, mutual aid, and sustained protest—not one-day “awareness events.” Day Four is the point. - Read Today’s Resistance Survival Guide: Apply Pressure, Not Opinions
Featured Events
Featured Petitions
- Extend the ACA tax credits — NOW!
- Tell your U.S. House representative to protect millions of acres of wild forest
- STOP the rising death toll! DEMAND USAID is restored!
- Tell Trump to Keep His Hands Off The Post Office
- Stop Trump’s violent mass deportations
Final Rally
Democracy doesn’t survive on vibes and hashtags. It survives when regular people apply pressure—loudly, repeatedly, and without asking permission. Pick one thing. Do it today. Then do it again tomorrow. 😼🔥