Category: News
Trump Media Shares Pop After Announcing Digital Token Distribution With Crypto.com
Trump Media Shares Pop After Announcing Digital Token Distribution With Crypto.com
Trump Media shares are volatile this morning, popping before paring gains, after the company announced plans to distribute a new digital token to its shareholders through a partnership with Crypto.com, expanding the company’s push into blockchain-based shareholder engagement.
Under the proposal, each ultimate beneficial owner of DJT stock is expected to become eligible to receive one digital token for every whole share owned, with the distribution anticipated to begin in the near future.
Trump Media indicated that token holders may receive rewards periodically throughout the year, including potential benefits or discounts connected to the company’s products and services such as Truth Social, Truth+, and Truth Predict. Additional details about the distribution structure and timeline are expected to be released in the new year.
Trump Media CEO and Chairman Devin Nunes said the company views the initiative as a new model for shareholder engagement and transparency, citing the advantages of blockchain technology and improving regulatory clarity.
“We look forward to utilizing Crypto.com’s blockchain technology and improving regulatory clarity to implement this first-of-its kind token distribution, reward Trump Media shareholders, and promote fair and transparent markets.”
With this move, Trump Media joins a growing group of public companies that have explored digital tokens as tools for investor engagement. The announcement reflects a broader trend among corporations seeking new ways to ntegrate blockchain technology into mainstream financial markets.
The token initiative adds another layer to the investment narrative surrounding DJT stock, which has remained one of the most closely followed and actively traded names since Trump Media became publicly listed.
By introducing token-based rewards tied directly to equity ownership, the company is offering shareholders potential additional value beyond traditional stock appreciation.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/31/2025 – 10:25
Bulgaria to become the 21st country to join the euro, deepening EU ties despite fears
SOFIA, Bulgaria — On New Year’s Day, Bulgaria becomes the 21st country to join the euro currency union, furthering its integration into the European Union. But the historic milestone arrives amid political instability and skepticism among ordinary people fueled by fears of price rises.
Supporters of switching to the euro from the old currency, the lev, are praising the move as one of the greatest achievements since the 1989 transition from a Soviet-style economy to democracy and free markets. They hope it will make the country more attractive for investors and strengthen its orientation toward wealthier Western Europe.
But many people are uneasy, in a country where corruption is rife and trust in the authorities is low. One fear is that merchants will round prices up or otherwise use the changeover to worsen inflation, at a time when inflation has rebounded to 3.7%.
An EU Eurobarometer poll from March showed that 53% of 1,017 people surveyed opposed joining the eurozone, while 45% were in favor. A separate Eurobarometer poll, taken between Oct. 9 and Nov. 3 on a similar sample, showed that about half of Bulgarians opposed the single currency while 42% were in favor. The margin of error was about plus or minus 3.1 percentage points for the March poll.
Some welcome the euro, others are wary
The government successfully completed the euro adoption process by beating inflation down to 2.7% earlier this year to comply with EU rules and win approval from EU leaders. But clearing that hurdle was followed by a new chapter of political chaos. The government resigned after less than a year in office amid nationwide anti-corruption protests. This left the country without a regular budget for next year and is hampering plans for long-overdue structural reforms and decisions on use of EU support funds. A new election — the eighth in five years — is expected to be held next spring.
Nevelin Petrov, 64, said he welcomed the euro. “Bulgaria is a full member of the European Union, and its rightful place is alongside the other developed and democratic European nations,” he said. “I am convinced that the adoption of the euro will contribute to the long-term prosperity of our country,” he said.
Others, like Darina Vitova, who runs a pedicure salon in Sofia, said things were moving too fast although she welcomed the change “in principle.”
“The standard of living and incomes in our country are far from those in the richest European countries, while prices here are rising and life for the average person will become more difficult,” she said. She acknowledges that when heading to the beaches in neighboring Greece, it will be more convenient to pay with the same “pocket money” she uses at home.
Bulgaria, with its 6.4 million people, is one of the poorest members of the 27-country European union. The average monthly wage is 1,300 euros ($1,530).
Countries that join the EU commit to the euro, but actually joining can take years and some members are in no hurry. Poland in particular has seen strong economic growth since joining the EU in 2004 without adopting the euro.
Pro-Russian politicians have fanned discontent
Opponents of joining have fed fears that the changes will allegedly lead to more poverty and loss of national identity. Social media has spread disinformation such as false claims that the euro could lead to confiscation of bank accounts. Nationalist and pro-Russian groups exploit these fears.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has said that countries have experienced a slight, transient rise in prices of 0.2%-0.4% right after joining. Price rises can be more apparent than real, as cafe and hairdressers may put off printing new menus and price lists ahead of the change, so that increases are only delayed, not caused by the euro.
Anti-euro rallies in May and September were organized by the pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party but remained smaller than the mass protests that toppled the government. While the anti-euro protests were supported by older people based on economic anxiety, the mass protests that toppled the government appeared to represent a younger electorate fed up with corruption and eager to integrate with Europe.
Analyst says euro adoption is a strategic plus
Anti-euro disinformation spread by pro-Russian politicians and social media aim “to reduce support for the European Union, NATO and Ukraine,” said Dimitar Keranov, program coordinator for engaging Central Europe at the German Marshall Fund in Berlin.
Bulgaria’s European integration “is not in Moscow’s interest at all, so if it can somehow polarize society and weaken support for the European Union that’s what it tries to achieve,” he said.
Euro adoption is another way to combat Russian influence, he said: “The further Bulgaria advances in its European integration, the harder it becomes for Russia to influence the country.”
Petar Ganev, an analyst at the Sofia-based Institute for Market Economics, says that that by stepping down the outgoing government has sent a signal of uncertainty to foreign investors.
“Instead of capitalizing on euro adoption as a strong and positive signal to the international community—investors, debt holders, and those investing in Bulgarian assets and economic activity—we risk sending the opposite message,” Ganev said in an interview with the Associated Press.
Ganev believes that eurozone membership should be regarded as an opportunity, an additional mechanism to address corruption and the rule of law, although it alone cannot resolve Bulgaria’s chronic cycle of elections and political fragmentation and instability.
Economic impact may be slight
Local economists think that joining the euro will not bring dramatic changes to Bulgaria’s economy. That is because the lev has been pegged since 1999 to the euro by law, at a fixed rate of 1 lev for every 51 euro cents.
The lev and the euro will be in dual use for cash payments for the whole month of January, but people will receive only euros in change.
McHugh reported from Frankfurt, Germany. Valentina Petrova in Sofia contributed to this report
The Final Battle?: Iran Protests Spread As Prices Surge, Currency Hits Record Low
The Final Battle?: Iran Protests Spread As Prices Surge, Currency Hits Record Low
Various Iranian opposition channels on X, Telegram, and other social media have said ‘live fire’ has been used by Iranian security forces in ongoing crackdown efforts against the tens of thousands of citizen demonstrators who have taken over the streets of several cities and locales of the past days.
Such allegations, especially hurled at elite IRGC forces, are somewhat typical when protest movements have flared up in past years – and there have been prior examples in these of demonstrators and police alike being wounded or killed by gunfire. Live fire by Iranian security forces is a typical early allegation when unrest kicks off like this.
So far this round of anti-government unrest, which began Sunday by shopkeepers in Tehran as the rial has plunged to record lows against the dollar, has witnessed plenty of riot control measures – but no independent confirmation of gunfire on the crowds in the streets. It started when Tehran shopkeepers in the Jomhouri area and near the Grand Bazaar shuttered their stores and has since spread to the college campuses.
One thing is clear – it is growing by the hour as the movement has spread to several other cities on Tuesday, and now after three consecutive days is gong from the shop and business districts to the universities. Regional news sources say protests have hit at least ten universities across the Islamic Republic, including seven in Tehran.
Prior protest movements have really taken off once the youth get involved on a large scale. This current round, largely economically driven, could become the biggest yet – given it is tapping into a multitude of demographics.
With fast-moving protests gaining more steam, things are set for clashes with police and potentially even military operatives, given Iran’s prosecutor general has newly pledged a “decisive response” if protests spiral into violence. State media has quoted the official, Mohammad Movahedi-Azad, as saying that while peaceful protests are legitimate, any attempt to create insecurity would draw a harsh reaction.
But he already pointed the finger at the potential for external interference: “Any attempt to turn economic protests into a tool of insecurity, destruction of public property, or implementation of externally designed scenarios will inevitably be met with a legal, proportionate and decisive response,” warned Movahedi-Azad. This has been a common allegation in past uprisings, and not without precedent.
🔴 JUST IN — On the third night of their anti-regime, pro-Shah, pro-@PahlaviReza uprising, Iranians in Nurabad, Fars Province, chanted: “Khamenei is a murderer, and his rule is illegitimate.” pic.twitter.com/XmX88EhDOL
— Shayan X (@ShayanX0) December 30, 2025
And now the issue of ‘external interference’ or hidden hand is ultra sensitive given that Iran and Israel are still in a tense showdown and de facto state of conflict, going back to the 12-day June war which saw Iranian cities and nuclear sites get pummeled by Israeli and American bombs.
But Israeli intelligence has raised the temperature from the outside, which is at the very least a form of psychological warfare. CBS writes:
His comments came days after the Mossad intelligence agency of Iran’s arch-foe Israel posted on social media that it was “with you on the ground,” in a message to Iranian protesters. Posting on its Persian-language X account, the spy agency encouraged Iranians to “go out into the streets together.“
Of course, the most obvious form of ‘external interference’ remains the years-long US and European sanctions regimen. This has not only brought entire Iranian sectors to their knees – from banking to energy to auto to even commercial aviation – but it appears to be unleashing the kind of societal anger and perhaps eventual instability which was intended in the first place.
Unverified clips like the below have been spreading among opposition voices, particularly ones identifying with the old Iranian Monarchy or else the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK):
BREAKING:
The city of Fasa has fallen into the hands of the Iranian people. They’re chanting “Reza Shah, bless your soul” from inside the governor’s seat of power.
Incredible.
— 𝐍𝐢𝐨𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐠 ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) December 31, 2025
This is perhaps why Iranian authorities have already tried to calm the streets by saying they will “listen”:
Since then, videos verified by BBC Persian have shown demonstrations in the cities of Karaj, Hamedan, Qeshm, Malard, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Shiraz and Yazd. Police were also seen using tear gas in an attempt to disperse demonstrators.
The Iranian government said it “recognizes the protests” and would listen “with patience, even if it is confronted with harsh voices”.
Iranian leadership also sees what happened with its ally Assad in Damascus, and how the Ba’ath government’s demise was assured by a full-on sanctions siege of economic strangulation, which was on top of a decade of proxy war.
Social media and western press accounts have floated the phrase “The Final Battle” connected with these protests:
The dawn is breaking in Persia.
Right now, as we move into 2025, the streets of Iran are witnessing a “final battle” moment. This isn’t just about inflation or the Rial hitting historic lows—it’s about the unbreakable spirit of a people who have reached the point of “nothing to… pic.twitter.com/4QYw0lS1x1
— Afshine Emrani MD FACC (@afshineemrani) December 30, 2025
In parallel, Iranian society post-June war is in a new state of angst, paranoia, and even despair. The country is on a backfoot economically, militarily, its nuclear program decimated or at least set back by years, and there’s eroding trust – especially as authorities have tried and executed dozens for alleged Israeli-links.
As is expected when protests hit Iran, the pre-1979 monarchy in exile joints in the calls for uprising:
My courageous compatriots,
Your presence in the streets across Iran has kindled the flame of a national revolution. The continuation and expansion of your presence, and taking control of the streets, is today our foremost, vital priority.
I call upon the people of Iran to join… https://t.co/6UbEqhhctm
— Reza Pahlavi (@PahlaviReza) December 30, 2025
This has already cast a shadow over these protests, threatening to divide the people in the streets. Already videos have emerged of demonstrators being shouted down by other youth, accusing them of being ‘Mossad infiltrators.’ Likely there could be pro-government ‘counter-protests’ next, as has happened in prior major protest waves.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/31/2025 – 10:05
As ACA subsidies end, St. John family sees costs go up
Eleanor Walsh and her husband will see an increase of approximately $14,300 in their health insurance in 2026 as the Affordable Care Act subsidies sunset.
Walsh, who lives in St. John, said in 2025 they paid approximately $9,100 for health insurance, and in 2026 it will increase to $23,400. To save money, they decided to switch to a different insurance plan, she said.
Eleanor Walsh at her home in St. John, Indiana, on Monday, December 29, 2025. Walsh and her husband, who underwent major surgery in November, have settled on a new high deductible, Affordable Care Act health insurance plan that costs nearly $2,000 a month. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
In November, her husband had open-heart surgery to fix an aortic valve, Walsh said. While they used insurance for the operation, they still have more than $10,000 in medical debt, she said.
“And then we get hit with this huge increase. If we would have stayed with the same policy … it would’ve cost us a little over $27,700 for the year,” Walsh, 63, said. “We actually considered — at least for me — not to have insurance until Medicare (at 65), but then my husband said, ‘We’ll be in further medical debt if something major happens to you.’”
The Walshes are both self-employed, so they don’t have employer-sponsored insurance. For 2026, their total income will be about $100,000 and their expenses will be about $88,000, excluding food and clothing, Walsh said.
A further stress for 2026 is that under their new insurance plan, they have to account for a $10,130 deductible — for each of them — before insurance pays, Walsh said.
Eleanor Walsh in her home in St. John, Indiana on Monday, December 29, 2025. Walsh and her husband, who underwent major surgery in November, have settled on a new, high deductible Affordable Care Act health insurance plan that costs nearly $2,000 a month. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
“We’re going through every expense we have,” Walsh said. “It’s going to be a rough year.”
The enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, which made coverage more affordable for low- and middle-income enrollees over the last four years, occurred when the subsidies weren’t renewed as part of the Republican-backed tax cut bill in July.
On average, the expiration will more than double what subsidized enrollees currently pay for premiums next year, according to an analysis by health care research nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.
The tax credits were at the heart of the most recent government shutdown. Democrats demanded the subsidies be extended as part of any funding deal they sign, while Republicans said they’d only negotiate on the issue once the government is funded.
Eleanor Walsh sits with her dog Walter at her home in St. John, Indiana, on Monday, December 29, 2025. Walsh and her husband, who underwent major surgery in November, have settled on a new, high deductible Affordable Care Act health insurance plan that costs nearly $2,000 a month. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
More than 24 million people have ACA health insurance, a group including farmers, ranchers, small business owners and other self-employed people who don’t have other health insurance options through their work.
The enhanced premium tax credits have made costs far more manageable for many of them, allowing some lower-income enrollees to get health care with no premiums and higher earners to pay no more than 8.5% of their income.
When the tax credits expire, annual out-of-pocket premiums are estimated to increase by 114% — an average of $1,016 — next year, according to the KFF analysis.
While some premium tax credits will remain, the level of support will decrease for most enrollees. Anyone earning more than 400% of the poverty level — or around $63,000 per year for a single person — won’t be eligible for the remaining tax credits.
Insurance companies announced in June an increase in premiums for the ACA marketplace plans in 2026, which added extra attention on the COVID-19 era subsidies ending, said Kosali Simon, a distinguished professor in the Paul O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington.
“Health care costs have just increased so much in the way that insurers are charging for the marketplace that’s kind of driven where the political discourse has really focused more recently,” Simon said. “That, combined with the expiration of the extra COVID emergency provision, is where we are at right now.”
What’s important to remember, Simon said, is that while it’s awful to lose the subsidies, the Affordable Care Act still covers a majority of healthcare costs. Under the Affordable Care Act, the government pays an average of 83% of medical expenses, she said.
Under the COVID-era subsidy, the government paid an extra 5%, or 87% total, of medical costs under the Affordable Care Act, Simon said.
“While that means a big change … we have to keep remembering that the amount that the government still is picking up of the insurers tab is huge,” Simon said. “We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that the Affordable Care Act still protects us a lot from what insurers are charging.”
The subsidy did benefit higher-income earners, like those making up to $120,000 like the Walsh family, and without the subsidy, those higher earners will lose a major benefit that isn’t granted under the original Affordable Care Act, Simon said.
The Affordable Care Act does a good job of protecting people at and near the poverty level, Simon said.
When comparing 2025 to 2026 insurance costs, Simon said the cost increase comes from the insurers raising premiums and the end of the subsidy.
“The government is saying, ‘Hey, remember, I’m going back to what the original ACA was, and I’m doing it at a time when insurers are charging base premiums,’” Simon said.
Walsh said the subsidy helped her and her husband stay afloat.
“It’s not like we’re milking the system for something so that we can spend money lavishly elsewhere. We needed that subsidy to help us get through our life on a very basic level,” Walsh said.
To help with the increase in insurance payments, Walsh said she’s considering pulling from her Social Security when she’s 64 years old. But, she said that’s a bittersweet decision because if she could wait until she’s 67, she’d receive a higher Social Security payment.
Walsh said pulling from Social Security, which she can do in June when she turns 64, won’t help with paying for the more than $10,000 medical debt.
“It would basically cover the increase in our insurance,” Walsh said. “I feel resentful that I have to even consider that because I’d rather wait 3 years and get more money than be forced into a situation where I have to take my Social Security early to pay for my health insurance.”
Her son is getting married in Colorado in 2026, Walsh said, and she’s anxious about the costs associated with the wedding.
“I try not to get emotional about it, but I am,” Walsh said. “You don’t want to be asking for help in this stage of your life, and you shouldn’t have to be because of health insurance.”
When the Affordable Care Act was first introduced, Walsh said it helped her family a lot. While she doesn’t have an answer for how to address health insurance and healthcare costs, Walsh said those costs have to come down somehow.
“I don’t believe people should be going bankrupt because of medical debt,” Walsh said.
The Associated Press contributed.
akukulka@post-trib.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/31/as-aca-subsidies-end-st-john-family-sees-costs-go-up/
Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s Odesa injures 6, including children
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian drones blasted apartment buildings and the power grid in the southern Ukraine city of Odesa in an overnight attack that injured six people, including a toddler and two other children, officials said Wednesday.
The attack came as Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence in his country’s eventual victory in the nearly four-year war against its neighbor.
Four apartment buildings were damaged in the Odesa bombardment, according to regional military administration head Oleh Kiper. The DTEK power provider said two of its energy facilities suffered significant damage. The company said 10 substations that distribute electricity in the Odesa region have been damaged in December alone.
Russia has this year escalated its long-range attacks on urban areas of Ukraine. In recent months, as Russia’s invasion of its neighbor approaches its four-year milestone in February, it has also intensified its targeting of energy infrastructure, seeking to deny Ukrainians heat and running water in the bitter winter months.
Between January and November, more than 2,300 Ukrainian civilians were killed and more than 11,000 were injured, the United Nations said earlier this month. That was 26% higher than in the same period in 2024 and 70% higher than in 2023, it said.
Russia’s sustained drone and missile attacks have taken place against backdrop of renewed diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting.
U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort on Sunday and announced that a settlement is “closer than ever before.” The Ukrainian leader is due to hold talks next week with the heads of European governments supporting his efforts to secure acceptable terms.
Putin is convinced of victory in Ukraine
Despite the progress in peace negotiations, which he didn’t mention, Putin reaffirmed his belief in Russia’s eventual success in its invasion of Ukraine as he gave his traditional New Year’s address to the nation Wednesday.
He gave special praise to Russian troops deployed in Ukraine, describing them as heroes “fighting for your native land, truth and justice.”
“We believe in you and our victory,” Putin said, as cited by Russian state news agency Tass.
Putin delivered his recorded 3-1/2 minute speech against the backdrop of a snowy Kremlin, a tradition broken only in 2022 — the year the invasion began — when the Russian leader gave his address flanked by men and women in military fatigues.
Russia claim Putin’s residence was attacked
The ongoing long-range attacks, meantime, are inflaming tensions.
The overnight Odesa strikes “are further evidence of the enemy’s terror tactics, which deliberately target civilian infrastructure,” Kiper, the regional head, said.
Moscow has alleged that Ukraine attempted to attack Putin’s residence in northwestern Russia with 91 long-range drones late Sunday and early Monday. Ukrainian officials deny the claim and say it’s a ruse to derail progress in the peace negotiations.
Maj. Gen. Alexander Romanenkov of the Russian air force claimed Wednesday that the drones took off from Ukraine’s Sumy and Chernihiv regions.
At a briefing where no questions were allowed, he presented a map showing the drone flight routes before they were downed by Russian air defenses over the Bryansk, Tver, Smolensk and Novgorod regions.
It was not possible to independently verify the reports.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, on Wednesday called the Russian allegations “a deliberate distraction” from the peace talks.
“No one should accept unfounded claims from the aggressor who has indiscriminately targeted Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilians since the start of the war,” Kallas posted on X.
Ukraine weapons fund receives billions of dollars
Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Romania and Croatia are the latest countries to join a fund that buys weapons for Ukraine from the United States. The financial arrangement, known as the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, pools contributions from NATO members, except the United States, to purchase American weapons, munitions and equipment.
Since it was established in August, 24 countries are now contributing to the fund, according to Zelenskyy. The fund has so far received $4.3 billion, with almost $1.5 billion coming in December alone, he said on social media.
Ukraine’s air force said Wednesday that Russia fired 127 drones at the country during the night, with 101 of them intercepted by air defenses.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry said that 86 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight over Russian regions, the Black Sea and the illegally annexed Crimea peninsula.
The Ukrainian attack started a fire at an oil refinery in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, but it was quickly put out, local authorities said.
Katie Marie Davies in Leicester, England, contributed to this story.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/31/russian-drone-attack-ukraines-odesa/
Waukegan class donates ‘little libraries’ to elementary schools: ‘We want to promote reading’
Enhancing literacy for kindergarteners through fifth graders turned into a community project, as leadership of the Waukegan High School Class of 2025 worked toward the delivery of “little free libraries” to each of Community Unit School District 60’s 15 elementary schools.
Class President Lamero Ceaser and Vice President Yamileth Montejano decided well before they graduated with their class in May what the class gift should be. They said they knew reading is vitally important, and free access to a variety of books is a way to help.
“Readers are leaders, and we want to promote reading,” Montejano, now a freshman at National Louis University, said.
“We want to promote literacy,” added Ceaser, now an Augustana College freshman. “Literacy is a little down in Waukegan. Getting books to the kids will help with literacy.”
Before Ceaser and Montejano were able to deliver the little free libraries, they needed to raise money, order them, and with the help of senior class advisor Robert French, a business teacher at the high school, they also needed to acquire the books, and someone had to assemble the structures.
Help came from the Waukegan Public Library for many of the books at no cost, and the wood shop class at the high school put them together.
Montejano and Ceaser delivered 15 little free libraries to each of District 60’s 15 elementary schools on Dec. 15, completing their senior class gift project and the goal of enhancing literacy for young students.
As senior class leadership worked on the project through the 2024-2025 school year, French said they began fundraising early before they determined the gift itself. Several years before, he started a snack shop where students could buy snacks between classes for $1 each.
“Seniors ran the shop,” French said. “I staffed it during passing periods. When you have five minutes to make your decision and get out your money, that’s being pretty efficient.”
With different ideas under discussion, French said there was approximately $3,000 available for the gift. Different ideas were discussed among the leadership team. Ceaser said they wanted the gift to have an impact on the community.
“It was important that it benefit people,” Ceaser said. “We wanted it to help people. Community is important. We wanted to give back to the community. Then we got the idea of the little free library.”
Hyde Park Elementary School Principal Brian Carr said in an email that he is happy with the little free library at the school he oversees. Like Ceaser, he sees it as a way to promote literacy among the children in the school.
The gift is a great example of kindness and will contribute to our goal of promoting literacy.” Carr said. “Anytime we can get more books in the hands of our kids and promote reading in the home, the more we can grow our students’ love of literature.”
As French looked at the variety of little free libraries available, he found one made of wood that fit the budget. Though some books were donated by teachers and others, Ceaser and Montejano knew they needed a major source. They went to the Waukegan Public Library.
“They took us into a room and gave us free rein to take what we needed,” Montejano said. “The books were more educational than anything else. We found some from National Geographic. We found one on women’s (professional) wrestling. We found some on finding yourself and emotional literacy.”
Some of the books were less serious. Montejano said they included “Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles.” In all, there were more than 400 books from the library for the 15 little free libraries. Library Executive Director Tiffany Verzani said in a text that she was glad to help.
“The library is proud to be a part of this exciting initiative,” Verzani said. “It’s great to see the gift of reading, creativity, and the sharing of stories being uplifted by our students and shared with the community.”
When the 15 libraries arrived, French said he realized it was a challenge to assemble them quickly. He reached out to Tad Grabnik, who teaches wood shop at the high school. Grabnik told him it would be a good class project.
Montejano said the books are there to supplement other reading the students do. It is not meant to be an adjunct library, but to stir additional interest. They can take the book read it and return it.
“Some of them are outside,” Montejano said. “A student may want to read a book at recess.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/31/waukegan-district-60-little-libraries/
30 Numbers From 2025 That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe
30 Numbers From 2025 That Are Almost Too Crazy To Believe
Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,
2025 has truly been a historic year. No matter which side of the fence that you are on, nobody can deny that we have witnessed seismic political changes over the last 12 months. Meanwhile, the AI revolution is transforming our lives in ways that we don’t even understand. But despite all of our advanced technology, we can’t stop the endless barrage of natural disasters that has been pummeling us in 2025, and hunger continues to spread all over the globe. Of course war has been a major theme from the very beginning of the year to the very end of the year. Humanity has been facing one major crisis after another, and people are steadily getting angrier and more frustrated.
Our world is changing at a pace that is absolutely breathtaking.
If you always wanted to live in “interesting” times, you have certainly gotten your wish.
The following are 30 numbers from 2025 that are almost too crazy to believe…
#1 As 1999 began, a Gallup survey found that 70 percent of Americans were satisfied with how things were going in the United States. As 2025 ends, only 24 percent of Americans are satisfied with how things are going in the United States.
#2 In 1980, the fact that the U.S. national debt had reached a trillion dollars was a really big deal. But now our national debt has surpassed the 38 trillion dollar mark and there is seemingly no end in sight.
#3 Globally, the total amount of debt in the world has reached an almost unbelievable total of 337 trillion dollars.
#4 In 2025, more than half of all of the nations on the entire planet were either directly involved in military conflict or were funding it.
#5 At the start of 2025, you could purchase an ounce of silver for about 30 dollars. As 2025 ends, an ounce of silver will cost you more than 70 dollars.
#6 Crypto investors lost about $800,000,000,000 during the month of November alone.
#7 After all this time, the Department of Justice is claiming that they have just “discovered” a million more Epstein documents.
#8 In 2025, researchers in the United States and South Korea developed a version of the bird flu that has a 100 percent death rate in mammals.
#9 According to the latest National Customer Rage Survey, 77 percent of U.S. consumers say that they have had a product or service problem within the last 12 months. That is a brand new all-time record high.
#10 Earlier this year, we witnessed 494 earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or greater within a 30 day period. That was about 4 times as many earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or greater than we normally experience in a typical month.
#11 Globally, natural disasters caused a total of $120,000,000,000 in economic damage in 2025.
#12 The number of Americans that are dealing with food insecurity has almost doubled since 2021.
#13 The United Nations is warning that nearly 10 percent of the entire population of the globe is now going to bed hungry each night.
#14 Approximately 1.2 million foreign students are currently attending colleges and universities in the United States. How many U.S. students have been denied admission in order to make room for those students at our best schools?
#15 In 2019, you could get a cheeseburger at McDonald’s for a dollar. Today, the average price of a cheeseburger at McDonald’s is $3.15.
#16 Since 2019, the annual income needed to afford a median-priced home in rural U.S. counties has more than doubled.
#17 According to a survey that was conducted by PNC Bank, 67 percent of U.S. workers are now living paycheck to paycheck.
#18 Investopedia has determined that it now takes approximately 5 million dollars to live the American Dream over the course of a lifetime.
#19 One study discovered that approximately 42 percent of Americans that belong to Generation Z have been diagnosed with “anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD” or some other mental health condition.
#20 One recent survey found that 70 percent of U.S. adults are currently taking at least one pharmaceutical drug, and nearly a quarter of U.S. adults are currently taking at least four pharmaceutical drugs.
#21 According to the CDC, an American now dies by suicide every 11 minutes.
#22 Approximately 20 percent of high school students in the United States have had a relationship with an AI chatbot.
#23 One recent survey found that almost two-thirds of all church leaders that prepare sermons “use AI tools in their sermon writing process”.
#24 Well over 50 percent of the global population lives in a nation where Christians are being violently persecuted.
#25 U.S. farmers are facing the worst economic downturn that they have experienced in at least 50 years.
#26 The size of the U.S. cattle herd has dropped to the lowest level in about 75 years.
#27 According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, U.S. employers have announced a grand total of almost 1.2 million job cuts in 2025.
#28 The McKinsey Global Institute is warning that approximately 40 percent of all U.S. workers could potentially be replaced by AI.
#29 In more than 50 percent of the nations on the entire planet, the total fertility rate is now below replacement level.
#30 A recent YouGov survey discovered that nearly half of the U.S. population believes that a nuclear war is likely within the next 10 years.
The pace of global events has accelerated significantly over the past year.
It really does feel like we are building up to some sort of a crescendo.
We are living at a time of a “perfect storm”, and we just keep getting hammered by one crisis after another.
As a result, much of the population has become numb to it all.
Never before in human history have we been subjected to such an emotional overload.
When you are being pulled in so many directions emotionally, it can be really easy to give in to the temptation to go numb.
But I would encourage my readers not to do that.
It is when times are the darkest that light is needed the most.
As things get even darker in 2026, choose to be a light to those around you.
All of human history has been building up to this time, and we get to be here for it.
There is nowhere else that I would rather be than right here, and there is no other time that I would have rather lived than right now.
Don’t let all of the chaos that is going on all around us get you down.
You were born for such a time as this, and now is the time to become everything that you were created to be.
Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/31/2025 – 09:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/30-numbers-2025-are-almost-too-crazy-believe
“Not White Supremacy To Investigate Fraud”: Citizen Journalists Flood Democratic Cities
“Not White Supremacy To Investigate Fraud”: Citizen Journalists Flood Democratic Cities
Citizen journalists are descending on corrupt, Democratic-run cities this week to investigate taxpayer-subsidized daycare centers, signaling a new form of crowd-driven oversight. Think of it as a localized DOGE-style effort aimed at investigating alleged welfare fraud linked to Somali communities and others who steal from taxpayers.
As we correctly noted on Monday, the so-called “Nick Shirley Effect” appears to be taking hold nationwide, with citizen journalists investigating taxpayer-subsidized daycare operations in Minneapolis, Washington, Ohio, Philadelphia, and other Democratic-run cities.
Citizen journalists like Nick will eventually put mainstream media out of business.
All you need is a camera and the guts to go to the source.
Protect this man. 👇🏽 https://t.co/tqwDS82IRt
— Patrick Bet-David (@patrickbetdavid) December 27, 2025
Initial Democratic Party counter-messaging to combat Shirley’s bombshell report has defaulted to labeling citizen journalists as “white nationalists” or “racists,” but this familiar response from an increasingly unhinged party is losing effectiveness, as on-the-ground reporting reveals countless examples of daycare centers that are either empty or not functioning at expected capacity during peak hours, raising mounting questions over whether some may simply be front companies to extract taxpayer funds.
It’s not “white supremacy” to investigate fraud. This attack no longer works. pic.twitter.com/5JUKtkFfqB
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) December 30, 2025
Pretty much.
By Tuesday, Muckraker founder Anthony Rubin’s investigation into suspicious daycare centers in Columbus, Ohio, went viral.
FIRST SIGNS OF MASSIVE POTENTIAL SOMALI FRAUD IN COLUMBUS, OHIO
The first Somali-affiliated daycare facility that we knocked after landing in Columbus, Ohio today did not answer.
A neighbor across the street told us, “I’ve never seen nobody come out the building or go in the… pic.twitter.com/zywy9lPDMw
— Muckraker.com (@realmuckraker) December 30, 2025
Later in the day, citizen journalists from across the country posted their findings on X:
I went to 4 more Somali childcare locations today.
Two told me they weren’t childcares despite receiving hundreds of thousands of tax payer dollars.
One which claimed they weren’t a childcare received over $800,000 since 2023.
It’s all on camera. It will be uncovered. pic.twitter.com/D7aTuaatxK
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) December 31, 2025
Seattle Washington – Investigating Somalian Daycares
Somalians Call Police & LIE Saying: “He Has A Gun”💥@iamfreeauditing finds 20 Somalian daycares in a 3 block area of subsidized housing(same style as Lewiston Maine). He goes to 12 and has doors slammed in his face & no… pic.twitter.com/szkfgYU4QM
— TheUnquirer (@unquirer) December 31, 2025
EXPOSED: Alpha News reporters visit autism, adult day care centers as Medicaid fraud concerns mount
Prompted by a flood of tips from readers about facilities that tipsters say do not appear to be providing services, Alpha News reporters Liz Collin and Jenna Gloeb visited more… pic.twitter.com/jdDikiXblX
— Alpha News (@AlphaNews) December 30, 2025
We all need to become citizen journalists. I bet this is going on in almost every state! pic.twitter.com/H3E5C24dvT
— Michelle Maxwell ™ (@MichelleMaxwell) December 31, 2025
🚨SOMALI FRAUD IN WASHINGTON: @choeshow and I spent yesterday investigating Somali daycares in WA.
“Dhagash Childcare” has received over $210,000 just this year. People living at the address claim there has never been a daycare there.
We lay out the facts in this teaser ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/KNkmJfV2Ss
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) December 30, 2025
Citizen journalists are now exposing fraud in Democratic run cities across America.
Here’s another phony daycare center in Philadelphia that received $23 million in taxpayer funds. pic.twitter.com/l0XnnImUgx
— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) December 31, 2025
Meanwhile…
Politicians are literally attempting to use legislation to cover up the fraud, rather than fix it. https://t.co/VXvzhSWffK
— Cam Higby 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) December 31, 2025
What’s clear is that citizen journalists like those mentioned above will put corporate media out of business. Most mainstream media outlets remained silent for days after Shirley’s bombshell investigation into empty Minneapolis daycare centers receiving millions of dollars in taxpayer funds.
I’m not sure the viral critique of Minnesota day cares is totally accurate.
I am certain that *according to the government, there’s no fraud in this government-funded program* is the farthest thing from journalism. https://t.co/cZHGXerblJ
— Tim Carney (@TPCarney) December 31, 2025
A war is coming: it’s mainstream media outlets against citizen journalists…
A decade ago corporate journalists were knocking on the doors of old ladies’ houses and calling them Russian agents for posting memes, but knocking on the door of a business that is ostensibly open to the public is beyond the pale and means you should get killed https://t.co/cY4iAQVE2r
— Confirmed Miscer ⚔️🍁🔫 (@ManDaveJobGood) December 30, 2025
It’s worth noting that the average episode of CBS 60 Minutes draws around 8 to 8.5 million viewers per broadcast in its current season, based on recent Nielsen data. Meanwhile, Shirley’s video has received 131 million views in just a few days.
Breaking the Democratic Party’s propaganda matrix machine, which involves mainstream media outlets and dark-money NGOs, requires a flood of citizen journalists into corrupt Democratic-run cities.
A note from Bill Ackman:
Even assuming there was no fraud, none of this makes sense. How is it that we have been funding billions of dollars of daycare for Somali immigrants in Minnesota 81% of which (according to Gemini) are on welfare? In other words, if mom and dad don’t work, why the need for child care? Perhaps you could say the welfare statistics include some subsidies for working parents, but still in this case, the child care does not appear to be needed as the daycare centers are empty. Furthermore, why is Federal funded childcare provided to recent immigrants on welfare versus long-standing American working families who are not on welfare? How does this make sense?
Even assuming there was no fraud, none of this makes sense.
How is it that we have been funding billions of dollars of daycare for Somali immigrants in Minnesota 81% of which (according to Gemini) are on welfare?
In other words, if mom and dad don’t work, why the need for…
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) December 31, 2025
Is California next? Chicago? Baltimore? Will tech bros fund a grant program to support these citizen journalists? SPAC King Chamath Palihapitiya has pitched the idea.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/31/2025 – 09:25
Bondi Vows To Hold Former Officials Accountable For ‘Government Weaponization’
Bondi Vows To Hold Former Officials Accountable For ‘Government Weaponization’
Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a recent interview that she will continue to investigate officials in the Obama and Biden administrations over “government weaponization” after courts tossed federal charges against two high-profile figures.
“At my direction, our U.S. Attorneys and federal agents are actively investigating instances of government weaponization nationwide,” Bondi told Just the News in writing in an interview released on Sunday. “This is a ten-year stain on the country committed by high-ranking officials against the American people.”
Bondi then credited President Donald Trump for allowing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to fix what she described as “damage” done to the agency as well as the FBI under previous administrations, saying they used “legal process and operations that were excessive.”
“They went so far as to serve search warrants that their own Department and law enforcement officials believed were excessive,” she said.
Her comments appeared to be in reference to evidence showing that some FBI agents did not believe the DOJ had enough evidence to establish probable cause in their search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida in 2022. Trump was later charged with illegally retaining classified materials before the case was dropped.
Evidence from the DOJ “illustrates that the FBI shielded political figures” under the Biden and Obama administrations “while pursuing conservatives for their beliefs” instead of “protecting Americans from public safety threats,” she told the outlet.
Under Bondi, federal prosecutors have brought cases against former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and former White House adviser John Bolton. The cases against Comey and James have since been thrown out in court, although the DOJ has sought to revive them.
Democratic critics of the administration have said that the Trump administration is using arguments about the weaponization of the federal government as a means to target Trump’s political enemies.
As an example, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in September that the indictment against Comey, which was on charges of making a false statement related to testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020, amounted to “malicious prosecution” that has no “basis in law or fact.”
Trump and conservatives have said the DOJ should be more aggressive in prosecuting former officials for various alleged crimes.
Bondi said her “Department of Justice takes government weaponization seriously.”
“That means protecting civil liberties, preventing election interference, and holding bad actors accountable. No one is above the law, even if they think they are,” she said.
Bondi also referred to a letter sent by attorneys of former CIA Director John Brennan, who currently works as an analyst for MSNBC, regarding subpoenas in a grand jury investigation.
“Public reports of a recent letter sent to Cecilia M. Altonaga, the chief judge of the Federal District of Florida, by John Brennan’s defense attorneys, seeking judicial intervention in any legitimate grand jury investigation by the executive branch, shows these bad actors are clearly concerned about their liability and want to preserve a two-tiered justice system: one for them and one for everyone else.
“No more,” she said.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/31/2025 – 09:10
Futures Flat On Last Trading Day Of 2025, Silver Slides
Futures Flat On Last Trading Day Of 2025, Silver Slides
Stocks are ending a third straight year of double-digit gains in subdued fashion as an expected seasonal rally fails to gain traction. Silver’s volatile ride extended to another session, with the metal tumbling after the CME hiked margins for the second time in three days. As of 8:15am ET, S&P 500 futures fell 0.1% and well off session lows, after a stretch of post-Christmas losses pared the benchmark’s advance for 2025 to 17%, just shy of the 20%+ gains 2021, 2023 and 2024. Nasdaq 100 contracts were down 0.3%.Both indexes have drifted lower for the past three days amid a rotation out of growth and momentum stocks and into value and quality names in seasonally. Silver plunged as a run of price moves of 5% or more entered a fourth day. The dollar is steady as it heads for an annual decline of about 8%, the steepest since 2017. Treasury yields are ticking lower after Tuesday’s FOMC minutes offered nothing to shake expectations rates will be left unchanged when policymakers meet again in January, with further cuts likely later in the year. The only economic data on today’s calendar is the weekly initial claims which printed far below expectations at 199K (est.218K).
In premarket trading, Mag 7 stocks were mostly lower (Nvidia +0.4%, Tesla +0.3%, Microsoft -0.1%, Apple -0.2%, Amazon -0.1%, Meta -0.1%, Alphabet -0.3%). With a 66% year-to-date rally, Alphabet leads the group in 2025.
Nike (NKE) is up 2.6% after CEO Elliott Hill reported the purchase of about $1 million in shares.
Vanda Pharmaceuticals (VNDA) jumps 21% after the biopharmaceutical company said the US FDA has approved Nereus (tradipitant) for the prevention of vomiting induced by motion.
In corporate news, Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. plans to once again reject a takeover bid from Paramount Skydance Corp., according to people familiar with the company’s thinking. Among the board’s concerns, Paramount has yet to increase its offer, which Warner Bros. earlier rejected as inferior to Netflix’s offer. Michael Burry, the money manager made famous in The Big Short, denied betting against Tesla shares, despite calling the company “ridiculously overvalued” earlier this month.
Investors have reaped strong returns this year in a market that has been powered by optimism about the vast economic potential of artificial intelligence. Of course, as Bloomberg notes, it hasn’t been a smooth ride, though, with traders weathering swings triggered by US trade policies, geopolitical tension and concern over lofty valuations. And while many expected a Santa rally, the year’s momentum faded in the final days of December, as traders delay big decisions until after the holiday period, having already banked strong returns. The post-Christmas losses pared the S&P’s 2025 advance to 17%, just shy of the 20%+ gains 2021, 2023 and 2024.
“After an excellent year in equity markets, and with positioning close to highs in late November, portfolio and fund managers may have been closing their bets and realigning them to benchmark,” said Roberto Scholtes, head of strategy at Singular Bank. “Our base case is for the bull run to continue, albeit with more volatility and resulting in mid-single digit returns.”
While things remain subdued in equities, silver’s gyrations continue. Wild price swings are prompting CME Group to raise margins on precious-metal futures for the second time in a week. After an almost unstoppable rise, the two metals have recorded a series of swings in December and erased some gains as investors booked profits. Both commodities remain on track for their best year since 1979.
Elsewhere, Xi Jinping said China is set to meet its economic targets for 2025, with growth expected to reach “about 5%” even though in reality it is a fraction of that. China also blasted Western criticism of its most intrusive military drills ever around Taiwan as its armed forces appeared to wrap up the maneuvers.
The end of 2025 also means that Warren Buffett’s famed tenure as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway is officially coming to a close, as the 95-year-old hands over the reins to successor Greg Abel into the new year.
In Europe, the CAC 40 is down 0.6% while the FTSE 100 drops 0.2%, with both indexes set to close early. Bourses in Germany and Italy are shut all day. Mining and technology stocks are leading declines on the Stoxx 600.
Asian equities wrapped up their best year since 2017 on a more hesitant note. Most regional indexes are under pressure, with Hang Seng Tech and ChiNext leading the retreat. Taiex is a bright spot following an almost 1% rally. Several markets are already shut for the year, including Japan and South Korea.
In FX, the dollar is steady as it heads for an annual decline of about 8%, the steepest since 2017, rattled first by Trump’s tariffs then by Fed rate cuts. The recent advance did little to prevent the greenback from heading toward its worst annual retreat in eight years, with investors saying more declines are coming if the next chief of the Federal Reserve opts for deeper interest-rate cuts than currently expected. The kiwi is the weakest of the G-10 currencies, falling 0.4% against the greenback
In rates, treasuries weakened after of the final economic data release of 2025, with the 10-year yield rising 3 basis point to 4.15% after earlier falling 2bps. Applications for US unemployment unexpectedly tumbled to just 199K in the week ended Dec. 27, far below estimates of 218K.
Meanwhile, Bitcoin traded near $88,800. The digital currency has settled into a range of roughly $85,000 to $95,000 following a crash in October that has put it on pace for a first annual loss in three years. After kicking off 2025 with a rally that was spurred by optimism about the crypto-friendly policies of the second Trump administration, Bitcoin was hit by the uncertainty surrounding US tariffs.
In commodities, silver drops 6% to around $72/oz after the CME Group said they will raise margins on precious-metal futures for the second time in the space of a week. Gold falls 0.7%. Oil headed for its steepest annual loss since the start of the pandemic in 2020, in a year that has been dominated by steadily rising supplies across the globe. Brent steadied close to $62 a barrel, with traders’ near-term focus on an OPEC+ meeting at the weekend, a bearish US industry report and American policies toward Russia, Iran and Venezuela.
Market Snapshot
S&P 500 mini -0.3%
Nasdaq 100 mini -0.4%
Russell 2000 mini -0.3%
Stoxx Europe 600 -0.2%
CAC 40 -0.6%
10-year Treasury yield -1 basis point at 4.11%
VIX +0.6 points at 14.88
Bloomberg Dollar Index little changed at 1204.03
euro -0.1% at $1.1733
WTI crude +0.3% at $58.14/barrel
Top Overnight News
OpenAI Is Paying Employees More Than Any Major Tech Startup in History: WSJ
Drugmakers raise US prices on 350 medicines despite pressure from Trump: RTRS
Xi Touts China’s AI, Chip Wins In Triumphant New Year’s Speech: BBG
Xi Declares China’s Economy Set to Hit 5% Growth Goal in 2025: BBG
From battleships to buildings: Trump’s name is everywhere: RTRS
Bankers Are Gearing Up for Another Onslaught of Monster Deals in 2026: WSJ
Meta created ‘playbook’ to fend off pressure to crack down on scammers, documents show: RTRS
US Virgin Islands sues Meta over ads for scams, dangers to children: RTRS
Meta tolerates rampant ad fraud from China to safeguard billions in revenue: RTRS
World’s Richest Added a Record $2.2 Trillion in Wealth This Year: BBG
Oil Tanker Pursued by U.S. Seems to Claim Russian Protection: WSJ
Boston Went Big on Luxury Condos. The Buyers Didn’t Show Up: WSJ
Finland Takes Control of Ship Suspected of Undersea Cable Damage: BBG
Trump’s Latest Venezuela Tactic: Revealing a Secret Strike to the World: WSJ
Palestinian Authority Sparks Fury by Cutting Prisoner Payments: BBG
US Event Calendar
8:30 am: Dec 27 Initial Jobless Claims 199k, est. 218k, prior 214k
8:30 am: Dec 20 Continuing Claims 1866k, est. 1901.74k, prior 1923k
Tyler Durden
Wed, 12/31/2025 – 08:58
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/futures-flat-last-tradinng-day-2025-silver-slides
