Odds and Ends — 7 December 2025

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, AI, and Debt:

South Korea to impose bank-level liability on crypto exchanges after Upbit hack

New 'Postal' Game Canceled One Day After Reveal, Following Generative AI Allegations

Coronavirus and Public Health:

COVID infection during pregnancy linked to neurodevelopmental issues in study

Politics:

Trump on Cuellar running as Democrat after pardon: ‘Such a lack of loyalty’

Justices Could Topple Another Campaign Finance Limit

The Supreme Court could eliminate one of the remaining checks on money in politics in a case that worries advocates fighting the influence of deep-pocketed donors.
In a challenge involving Vice President JD Vance, the court will consider on Dec. 9 the Republican Party’s argument for overturning a 2001 decision that upheld a rule aimed at preventing wealthy donors from bypassing limits on what they can give candidates by funneling money through political parties.

———— Autocracy R Us ————

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FBI Making List of American “Extremists,” Leaked Memo Reveals

Are you on Trump's naughty list?

Mom of Karoline Leavitt’s nephew rejects White House narrative of her ICE arrest

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———— The Continuing Crisis ————

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———— Putin&Krasnov vs. Ukraine ————

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~~~ embed:1997126717035425989 twitter metadata:YW5kZXJzX2FzbHVuZHx8aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9hbmRlcnNfYXNsdW5kL3N0YXR1cy8xOTk3MTI2NzE3MDM1NDI1OTg5fA== ~~~

~~~ embed:1996239150270369879 twitter metadata:RG91Z0tsYWlufHxodHRwczovL3R3aXR0ZXIuY29tL0RvdWdLbGFpbi9zdGF0dXMvMTk5NjIzOTE1MDI3MDM2OTg3OXw= ~~~

———— Smoot-Hawley 2.0 ————

Have Trump’s Tariffs Hit the ‘High-Water Mark’?

Since Mr. Trump’s exemptions, a wave of companies have begun petitioning officials in Washington for similar relief. Businesses that depend on foreign materials — from factories that import machinery to retailers selling artificial Christmas trees — argue that tariffs on their products are simply raising consumer prices and adding to Americans’ dissatisfaction with the economy, rather than encouraging more manufacturing in the United States.
The petitions have raised questions about the strategic direction the president’s trade policy will take in the months to come. Mr. Trump has spent the past year introducing, pausing and then reinstating more tariffs than the United States had seen in nearly a century.

———— Melon Husk ————

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———— Hegseth on the Rocks ————

Hegseth declares end of US 'utopian idealism' with new military strategy

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday launched a full-throated attack on post-Cold War U.S. foreign policy, castigating former presidents and generals by name while declaring the age of American “utopian idealism” over.
Hegseth, speaking at the annual Reagan Defense Forum, outlined a new military focus on the Western Hemisphere, demanded allies fend for themselves and took a more conciliatory approach to China’s armed forces.

———— Mors Imperii ————

Abortion a Major Obstacle in the GOP Healthcare Fight

As congressional Republicans weighed how to approach the fight over extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, powerful antiabortion groups saw an opportunity.
Led by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, antiabortion activists began to pressure Republicans during the fall government shutdown to further restrict abortion coverage from insurance plans made cheaper by ACA subsidies at the heart of the dispute.
The activists’ warning was simple: Extending subsidies without such limits was a line Republicans must not cross to keep social conservative support in next year’s midterm elections.

Serendipity:

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~~~ embed:1997389291064832061 twitter metadata:U2tldGNoZXNieUJvemV8fGh0dHBzOi8vdHdpdHRlci5jb20vU2tldGNoZXNieUJvemUvc3RhdHVzLzE5OTczODkyOTEwNjQ4MzIwNjF8 ~~~

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