December 9, 2025
Media & Entertainment POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES

Jimmy Kimmel Extends ABC Contract Through 2027 Amid Free Speech Debate

Jimmy Kimmel will continue hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! through at least 2027 after signing a new one-year contract extension with Disney’s ABC Network. The extension, first reported by Bloomberg and later confirmed by ABC, ensures that Kimmel — already one of the longest-running late-night hosts in U.S. television history — will remain on the air […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES

Amnesty Report Alleges Severe Abuse at Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” Immigration Jail

A newly published Amnesty International report alleges severe and systemic mistreatment of migrants at Florida’s state-run Everglades detention facility—nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz”—as well as at the privately operated Krome North immigration processing center in Miami. The findings, based on interviews with detainees, advocacy groups, and an onsite visit to Krome, describe conditions that Amnesty says amount […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES

Judge Orders Release of Maxwell Grand Jury Records Under New Epstein Transparency Law

A federal judge in Manhattan has granted the U.S. Justice Department’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts and related materials from Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking case, acting under a newly enacted federal law requiring greater public access to records related to Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Paul A. Engelmayer’s ruling marks a significant, though measured, step toward fulfilling […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

DOT Waives Final Portion of Southwest Airlines Fine After 2022 Holiday Meltdown

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has waived the final $11 million portion of a civil penalty previously levied against Southwest Airlines for its massive operational breakdown during a severe winter storm in December 2022. The waiver affects part of a $35 million payment the airline owed to the U.S. Treasury under a 2023 settlement […]

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GLOBAL SPEAK

Waymo Faces Federal Scrutiny After Reports of AVs Passing Stopped School Buses

Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous ride-hailing subsidiary, is preparing to file a voluntary software recall after a series of incidents in which its driverless taxis reportedly illegally passed stopped school buses. The move follows a growing federal investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which opened an inquiry in October after a media report showed […]

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A I POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES Science & STEAM

The Growing Battle Over U.S. Datacenters: Energy Costs, Environmental Risks, and Political Fallout

A coalition of more than 230 environmental organizations has called for a national moratorium on new datacenters in the United States, reflecting intensifying concern over the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure. Groups like Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and Food & Water Watch argue that datacenters — essential for AI, cloud computing, and cryptocurrencies […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES

China’s $1 Trillion Trade Surplus: Rerouted Exports in a New Trump Tariff Era

Overview & Key Points The article reports that China’s trade surplus has surpassed $1 trillion for the first time in the first 11 months of the year, driven by stronger exports to non-U.S. markets as firms work around sharply higher U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump. In November alone, China recorded a $111.68 billion monthly […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES

Grand Jury Declines to Indict New York AG Letitia James

A federal grand jury in Norfolk, Virginia, delivered a significant setback to the Department of Justice on Thursday by declining to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James on alleged mortgage fraud charges. The decision comes only ten days after a federal judge dismissed an earlier indictment—not on evidentiary grounds, but due to the unlawful […]

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GLOBAL SPEAK

Supreme Court Allows Texas to Use Redrawn Congressional Map

Overview of the Ruling The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6–3 decision along ideological lines, granted Texas permission to use a newly redrawn congressional map that could add up to five Republican-leaning districts for the 2026 midterms. The unsigned order lifts a lower court ruling that had blocked the map due to concerns that the […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES

California Launches Portal to Report Misconduct by Federal Immigration Agents

California has unveiled a new online reporting portal that allows the public to submit videos, photos, and other evidence of alleged misconduct by federal immigration agents. The move comes as the Trump administration intensifies nationwide enforcement operations targeting undocumented immigrants, prompting several states to pursue oversight and accountability measures of their own. Overview of the […]

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