This is a grim story, on the President and his Administration exerting political pressure to have an accused sex trafficker who boasts of beating and coercing women freed. Gift link.

How a Manosphere Star Accused of Rape and Trafficking Was Freed

Barred from leaving Romania, Andrew Tate courted powerful figures on the American right, from Tucker Carlson to Barron Trump. Then an extraordinary...

#trump #uspol #crime

This story is hard to believe, even by 2025 standards. The U.S. government spent more than a year trying to extradite a Belarusian woman to the U.S. for trial on having smuggled sensitive aviation equipment into Russia. Now she’s on trial, but the Trump administration is trying to deport her. Favor for Putin? https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/12/10/extradition-deportation-belarus-russia/ #uspol #russia

I recommend reading this piece by Michele Serra in La Repubblica on the false dilemma of Europe choosing between peace and freedom.

la Repubblica

Pace o libertà, dilemma europeo

#uspol #eu #europe #democracy

Gata Sports Tours is at a new stadium (for Gata): Estadi Johan Cruyff, watching Barça Femení take on Benfica in Champions League. Barça up 3-1 at minute 59. We’re also wondering when “Sweet Caroline” became standard in Spanish ⚽️ - we’ve been at 7 matches, 5 home teams, and all or almost all have played it. #championsleague #fcbarcelona #benfica

Doblete para Koundé dentro de nada. Ahora 2-1 Barça. #championsleague #barca

Not a good start for Barça here in its first Champions League match back at Camp Nou. Down 1-0. They really need to at least tie tonight. #barça #ChampionsLeague

This by Sherrilyn Ifill is outstanding: a must-read and must-act upon piece on the direness of the threat to democracy. And yes, we’ve been sounding the alarms but the level of attacks is intensifying.

Is It Too Late?

No. But We Must Better Understand the Nature of the Battle

#uspol #democracy

Hmmm, Jared Kushner is part of Paramount’s (Trump bud-Ellison owned Paramount) would-be hostile takeover of Warner Brothers. And investment firms from Saudi, Qatar and Abu Dhabi are all silent partners. Nothing fishy at all, I’m sure 🙄 https://www.axios.com/2025/12/08/jared-kushner-paramount-warner-bros-netflix #corruption #uspol #trump

Don’t normalize Trump’s dehumanizing words and actions. Doing so is complicity.

Trump’s Dehumanization Campaign Is Becoming Normalized

A president who calls immigrants “garbage” is dangerous enough. A country that grows desensitized to it is even more frightening.

#uspol #trump #immigrantsmakeamericagreat