What’s behind South America’s shift to the right? | Politics
Chileans have elected their most conservative leader in decades.
Chile has joined South America’s shift to the right, electing Jose Antonio Kast, a hardline conservative, as president.
He tapped into voters’ fears about a rise in crime and migration, and an economic crisis.
His victory marks a significant shift since the end of military rule more than 30 years ago.
It also comes as other populist conservatives have taken office in the region.
From Bolivia to Argentina to El Salvador, the move to the right is being watched closely, particularly by the United States.
But what does it all mean for the political dynamics in South America?
Presenter: Dareen Abughaida
Guests:
Claudio Barrientos – Professor at the School of History at Diego Portales University
Jose Ragas – Historian and assistant professor at the Catholic University of Chile
Christopher Sabatini – Senior fellow for Latin America at Chatham House
Published On 16 Dec 2025
Erasmus scheme to return for UK students, BBC understands
The UK is set to rejoin the Erasmus scheme, the BBC understands, five years after announcing that it would end its participation as part of the Brexit deal with the European Union.
The EU provides funding through the scheme for people to study, train or volunteer in other European countries for up to a year.
The UK replaced it with its own Turing scheme in 2021, which funds similar placements worldwide.
The government said it would not comment on ongoing talks.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer had suggested in May that a youth mobility scheme could be part of a new deal with the EU.
The BBC understands that UK students will be able to participate in the Erasmus scheme from 2027.
Alex Stanley, from the National Union of Students (NUS), said it was “fantastic that another generation of students will be able to be part of the Erasmus programme”, adding that it would represent “a huge win for the student movement”.
“Students have been campaigning to rejoin Erasmus from the day we left,” he said.
The Erasmus scheme was scrapped in the UK in December 2020, when the government announced its post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.
Boris Johnson, prime minister at the time, said it was a “tough decision”, but the scheme had become “extremely expensive”.
He said it would be replaced by the Turing scheme, which has operated since then.
Both schemes are open not just to university students, but also to people doing vocational courses, as well as apprentices and people training at college or school.
In 2020, the last year in which the UK participated in Erasmus, the scheme received 144m euros (£126m) of EU funding for 55,700 people to take part in Erasmus projects overall.
The UK sent out 9,900 students and trainees to other countries as part of the scheme that year, while 16,100 came the other way.
Glasgow, Bristol and Edinburgh were the three universities to send the most students, and Spain, France and Germany were the most popular countries which UK students went to.
In the 2024/25 academic year, the Turing scheme had £105m of funding, which paid for 43,200 placements, with 24,000 of those being in higher education, 12,100 in further education and 7,000 in schools.
The majority (38,000) were from England, with 2,900 from Scotland, 1,000 from Wales and 1,200 from Northern Ireland.
Ministers who introduced the Turing scheme in 2021 said it was designed to benefit more people from disadvantaged backgrounds and provide greater support for travel costs than the Erasmus scheme did.
It is not yet clear what will happen to the Turing scheme once Erasmus is reintroduced for UK students.
Woke BBC bosses could thwart fresh bid to finally get Fairytale of New York to Christmas No1
WOKE BBC bosses could thwart a fresh bid to finally get Fairytale of New York to the Christmas number one spot – 38 years after it was released.
The corporation’s radio stations refusing to play a newly released ‘live’ version of The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York because it contains the “cheap, lousy f****t” lyric.
The track by the Irish rockers, originally released in 1987, is one of several vintage festive tracks that only reached number two in the charts, despite becoming classic anthems
Another example is White Christmas by Wham! which was kept off the number one spot by Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas in 1984.
But fans finally got that to the top spot in 2023.
Fairytale has long been surrounded by controversy because it contains a perceived homophobic slur which has either been removed in some versions or not played at all.
A music industry insider said: “It feels unfair that this live version which shouldn’t be edited has now been barred from the Beeb’s playlist.
“It’s an authentic performance of a much loved track by a much loved band and this move might be the measure that prevents it from getting to number one at Christmas, which is where it has always deserved to be.”
The original single was only kept from the top spot by Pet shop Boys classic Always On My Mind, which was a high-energy cover version of the Elvis Presley ballad.
Despite always making it into the top ten every Christmas, and featuring in the 2019 festive special of Gavin & Stacey, it’s never made it to number one.
The BBC were approached for comment.
Obama’s former staffers hope to build upon his legacy as they run for office
When bidding farewell to the nation in January, President Obama urged perseverance in the face of political change.
“If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures and run for office yourself,” he said.
Dozens of people who worked in his administration or on his presidential bids have taken that call to action to heart, with several top political aides, policy staff and ambitious millennials from the Obama era mounting campaigns of their own right here in California. All are Democrats, and some of their races could be tipping points in the 2018 midterms as the party attempts to win back control in Washington.
Among the former government officials is Ammar Campa-Najjar, who is seeking to oust Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter in San Diego County.
Born in the U.S. to a Mexican mother and a Palestinian father, Campa-Najjar recalls questioning if his fellow Americans would ever truly accept him in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
He brooded and struggled, but his faith was renewed when another biracial man with a unique name and an absent father, Barack Obama, won the presidency of the United States.
“In 2008, the country said, ‘Yes, we can,’ and elected this skinny brown kid with a funny name. It really kind of inspired me,” said Campa-Najjar, 28.
In the short term, that resulted in Campa-Najjar interning at the White House, where he was assigned the task of reading the letters Americans sent the president about their heartbreak and their victories, and helping select the 10 that were sent to Obama for him to read himself daily. He later worked in the Department of Labor and on Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.
Today, he is among the youngest congressional candidates in the nation. And he is one of several former Obama campaign and administration officials who are running for office across the nation at all levels of government.
It’s not unusual for political staffers to seek elected office, but the number of Obama alumni who have entered the field for the 2018 election is notable. In California alone, there are at least four congressional candidates who worked for Obama, as well as several others seeking legislative and statewide posts.
President Obama in his farewell address urged listeners unhappy with their representatives to “run for office yourself.” (Zbigniew Bzdak / TNS)
(Zbigniew Bzdak / TNS)
Ammar Campa-Najjar is trying to oust Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter in San Diego County. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune)
(Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune file)
Their campaigns are driven by the election of President Trump, fewer opportunities in Washington, D.C., with Republicans in control of the White House and Congress, and the desire to protect and build upon the former president’s legacy.
“Coming out of the Obama administration, people are particularly motivated by what Donald Trump has been trying to do to this country,” said Bill Burton, who served as a spokesman for Obama during the 2008 campaign and his first term in office and is now a Democratic operative in Southern California.
He added that early Obama supporters who signed on at a time when Hillary Clinton was perceived as the unstoppable nominee have already shown a natural willingness to take on long odds, a quality that can help them achieve their own political goals.
“When I started working for [Obama], the only person in America who thought he was going to win the Iowa caucuses was him,” Burton said.
The congressional candidates in California are all running in districts historically dominated by the GOP.
Sam Jammal is trying to defeat Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton), who has represented Orange County in Congress for nearly 25 years. Jammal said his experience growing up in the district as the child of immigrants, attending law school and then working on Obama’s 2008 campaign and in the Department of Commerce proved to him that anything is possible.
Sam Jammal, a former staffer in President Obama’s Commerce Department, is now a congressional candidate in Orange County.
(Sam Jammal)
“Our story is the embodiment of that,” said Jammal, whose parents are from Jordan and Colombia. “The same day my dad landed here, he was working at a gas station …. For me, his youngest son, I was able to work for the president of the United States. My proudest moment in the administration was taking my parents to a White House naturalization ceremony where they were able to meet President Obama. It’s full circle.”
Others, including Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, said they expected Clinton to win the November 2016 election, giving them the opportunity to work for the first woman president. The experiences the Sacramento-area native had as Obama’s ambassador to Hungary cemented her desire to continue working in public life once he left office.
“It took me a few months after the election to recalculate how I could best serve,” said Kounalakis, who is one of two Obama alumni running for lieutenant governor. “It [became] clear: It was more important than ever that California lead the way on our values, whether it’s fighting for the climate or supporting and celebrating our immigrant community and our LGBT community.”
Trump’s actions since taking office, including trying to institute a travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority nations and withdrawing from the Paris climate accord, quickened the Obama alums’ resolve. But nearly all said Trump’s recent statements placing neo-Nazis and white supremacists who violently protested in Charlottesville on the same moral plane as those who protested against them exemplified why they decided to run.
“What has happened … with this presidency and what Donald Trump stands for and believes in is in such stark contrast to everything we worked on for eight years,” said Buffy Wicks, a grass-roots organizer who worked on Obama’s campaigns and as the White House deputy director of public engagement. She is now running for the California Assembly.
But an impressive political résumé is no guarantee of success.
Ultimately, the races will come down to how voters connect with the politicians and their policies, said Massachusetts state Sen. Eric Lesser, who went from shepherding luggage during the 2008 campaign to working steps from the Oval Office as the top aide to one of Obama’s must trusted advisors, David Axelrod.
“Show, don’t tell. You have to be elected on your own merits and your own vision, and ideas for your community,” he said.
While Lesser speaks reverently about his time working for Obama and Axelrod and the counsel he received from them during his 2014 campaign, he noted that voters want to hear how a candidate is going to address their needs, not about his time in Washington.
“Expecting people to suddenly be impressed or suddenly open doors because of a previous fancy job is not going to happen,” he said.
Expecting people to suddenly be impressed or suddenly open doors because of a previous fancy job is not going to happen.
— Eric Lesser, former Obama White House aide elected to the Massachusetts state Senate in 2014
Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, then the U.S. ambassador to Hungary, waves rainbow flags at a gay pride march in Budapest in 2012. She’s now running for lieutenant governor in California.
(Peter Kollanyi / Associated Press)
Lesser recalled that when he mounted his 2014 run, the best advice he received was from Obama, who told him to outhustle his rivals and connect with the people who would become his constituents.
“He asked, ‘How many people are in the district? How many households? How many doors?” Lesser said. “When I ran the numbers, he goes, ‘You can meet all those people.’ I haven’t quite met everyone, but I took his advice to heart.”
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Reed Galen, who worked for President George W. Bush, said that while some administration posts could be particularly relevant to a race — one Obama administration official who worked on the auto industry bailout is now running for Congress in Michigan, for example — most candidates with such experience probably worked in a vast bureaucracy that few voters know or care about.
“My guess is most of these folks, the best thing they have going for them is a picture of them and the president [that shows] Barack Obama reasonably knows who I am,” said Galen, a former California GOP operative who worked on both of Bush’s campaigns and in his administration.
The greater advantages, he said, are the relationships forged with donors, leaders, strategists and the alumni network that remains tightly knit after their tenure ends.
Wicks’ fundraisingreport illustrates the political value of the connections that come from working for Obama. Axelrod, elected officials including former Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona, and scores of people from Washington, D.C., have donated to her campaign, names unlikely to appear on the donor list for most other California legislative candidates.
Buffy Wicks, center, who worked in the Obama White House and for the Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns, is running for the state Assembly.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Wicks’ campaign also follows a grass-roots blueprint she helped craft for Obama when he was unknown, introducing himself to voters in diners and coffee shops and talking about their concerns.
“I’m doing house parties all over the district, really spending a lot of time in living rooms, 20 to 30 people at a time and having a really thoughtful conversation about what kind of community do we want to live in,” she said. “It’s a way to build relationships with voters, investing on the front end of that relationship and not just plying you with direct mail pieces and television ads.”
And for those who lack Wicks’ campaign experience, the connections to some of the top Democrats in the nation is invaluable.
“When you haven’t been an elected official before, you have a lot of questions .… You understand the policies, you know what your positions are, but the actual architecture of running a campaign is something that’s inherently new,” said Brian Forde, who worked on technology in the Obama administration and is now trying to topple Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange County.
“What’s most helpful is being able to pick up the phone or send a text message to a friend who was a speechwriter for the president or the first lady, or someone who did work on communications who does understand all of these things because they worked on the campaign,” Forde said.
For the latest on national and California politics, follow @LATSeema on Twitter.
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Charlie Smyth: Contract situation ‘looking pretty good’ for New Orleans Saints kicker
Kicker Charlie Smyth says “we’re looking pretty good” as he looks to secure a place on the New Orleans Saints’ permanent 53-man roster.
Former gaelic footballer Smyth kicked a winning 46-yard field goal with six seconds left in his home debut against the Carolina Panthers, which was his third NFL appearance.
Smyth landed a 56-yard field goal and made an onside kick on his NFL debut against the Miami Dolphins, and also featured against the Tampa Bay Bucaneers.
After three practice squad elevations already this season, NFL rules state the 24-year-old would need to be signed to the 53-man roster in order to feature against the New York Jets on Sunday.
“I think we’re looking pretty good on that right now,” Smyth told BBC Sport NI’s Thomas Niblock on his contract situation.
“I’m delighted to have had those moments over the past few weeks, and hopefully I can help the team going forward.”
Smyth said he is letting “everyone else deal with that in the background” as his focus shifts towards Sunday’s game with the Jets at the Superdome.
“The hope is that I’ll get into the 53 next week, that’s the plan,” Smyth said.
“I would like to think I’m playing this week, so we’ll just let that take care of itself and I’ll stay focused on what I do, which is kicking a ball.”
Minnesota AG leads 35-state settlement with Hyundai, Kia
Dec. 16 (UPI) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Tuesday a bipartisan settlement between 35 states and automakers Hyundai and Kia over selling millions of vehicles without standard anti-theft technology.
Hyundai and Kia’s alleged omission of standard security technology fueled a surge of car thefts, enabled further crime and caused deaths nationwide, including in Minnesota, Ellison’s office announced.
“Maintaining public safety means holding people who commit crimes accountable, but it also means holding corporations accountable when their greed helps criminals harm the people of Minnesota,” Ellison said in a statement.
A 2015 report found that just 26% of Kia and Hyundai cars sold in the U.S. had engine immobilizers, while other makers averaged 96%.
Under the settlement, Hyundai and Kia will give eligible owners free ignition cylinder protectors, add engine immobilizers to all future U.S. vehicles and provide up to $4.5 million in restitution for theft damages.
In addition, they will pay another $4.5 million to cover state investigation costs.
The settlement concludes Minnesota’s March 2023 investigation into Kia and Hyundai for knowingly omitting standard anti-theft tech from their manufactured cars.
Minnesota’s chief law enforcement official stated that Hyundai and Kia “unleashed a wave of auto thefts that cost Minnesotans their cars, their hard-earned money, and sometimes even their lives.”
“In short, they put their profits ahead of people’s safety,” he added.
The multi-state legal effort included Arizona, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said in a statement that Tuesday’s settlement revelation “should prevent these thefts from continuing and provides additional relief” to victimized consumers.
In 2022, Minneapolis saw Kia and Hyundai thefts linked to a slew of violent crimes and hundreds of crashes, in addition to New York and multiple states.
On Tuesday, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the manufacturer’s “lack of urgency and their desire to save money inexcusably prolonged this crisis.”
“Now, the companies must take measures to protect their vehicles from theft,” New York Attorney General Letitia James posted on X.
Meanwhile, consumers who had or were scheduled for software updates but still experienced theft or attempted theft on or after April may file a claim for related expenses.
Humanitarian Crisis Looms As M23 Rebels Seize Uvira Town of DR Congo
Human Rights Watch, an international non-governmental organisation, has raised concerns over the dire humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following the capture of Uvira town by M23/AFC rebels.
In a statement released on Monday, Dec. 15, Human Rights Watch reported that the offensive launched by M23/AFC, with support from Rwanda in Uvira and the surrounding areas, has resulted in a significant displacement of populations. It stated that access to humanitarian assistance has been severely diminished.
According to figures from the United Nations, approximately 200,000 people have fled the fighting, including over 30,000 who have crossed the border into Burundi. Congolese refugees arriving in Burundi have informed UN officials that they are receiving little to no humanitarian assistance. Human Rights Watch reports that local hospitals and health centres are overwhelmed amid a decline in humanitarian aid due to limited access and financial resources.
The organisation emphasises the suspension of food assistance in the province, stating that the UN World Food Programme has halted its support throughout South Kivu, worsening the living conditions of displaced populations still in areas affected by conflict. They are urging all forces present on the ground to ensure humanitarian access and the protection of civilians. In particular, they demand that the Rwandan authorities and the M23 guarantee access to essential items for the population’s survival, including water, food, and medicine.
Human Rights Watch states that the lack of progress in humanitarian aid, despite recent diplomatic efforts, is concerning.
“The Washington Accords dealing with the situation in the Eastern DR Congo have not permitted improved security nor better access to aid for the civilians near Uvira in South Kivu,” said Clementine de Montjoye, Human Rights Watch’s principal researcher for the Great Lakes region.
While humanitarian needs are rapidly increasing, Human Rights Watch exhorts its international partners to act quickly.
“The situation faced by civilians in South Kivu is more and more perilous, and the humanitarian needs are considerable,” the non-governmental organisation said, calling for an urgent reinforcement of assistance and the adequate protection of civilian populations.
Human Rights Watch has expressed alarm over the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly after the M23/AFC rebels, with Rwandan support, seized Uvira town. The conflict has displaced around 200,000 people, with over 30,000 fleeing to Burundi, where they receive minimal humanitarian support. The organisation highlights the overwhelming pressure on local health facilities and the suspension of the UN World Food Programme’s aid in South Kivu, exacerbating the plight of those in conflict-ridden areas.
Human Rights Watch urges all involved forces to ensure the protection of civilians and access to essential services like food, water, and medicine. Despite diplomatic efforts, progress in humanitarian aid remains limited, with recent agreements showing little effect on improving security or aid distribution in South Kivu. The NGO calls for urgent international action to bolster aid efforts and provide adequate protection for civilians amidst increasing peril and significant humanitarian needs.
Joe Ely, Texas country-rock legend and collaborator with the Clash and Bruce Springsteen, dead at 78
Joe Ely, a singer-songwriter and foundational figure in Texas’ progressive country-rock scene, has died. He was 78.
According to a statement from his representatives, Ely died Dec. 15 at home in New Mexico, from complications of Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease and pneumonia.
Ely had an expansive vision for country and rock, heard on singles like “All My Love,” “Honky Tonk Masquerade,” “Hard Livin’,” “Dallas” and “Fingernails.” Born in 1947 in Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised in Lubbock before moving to Austin and kicking off a new era of country music in the region, one that reflected both punk and the heartland rock of the era back into the roughhousing country scenes they came from.
After founding the influential band the Flatlanders with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock (which dissolved soon after recording its 1972 debut), he began a solo career in 1977. He released several acclaimed albums, including 1978’s ambitiously rambling “Honky Tonk Masquerade,” before finding his popular peak on 1980’s harder-rocking “Live Shots” and 1981’s “Musta Notta Gotta Lotta.”
Ely, beloved for barroom poetry that punctured country music’s mythmaking, was a ready collaborator across genres. He befriended the Clash on a tour of London and sat in on the band’s sessions recording their epochal “London Calling” LP. He later toured extensively with the group, singing backup on “Should I Stay or Should I Go,” and earning a lyrical tribute on “If Music Could Talk” — ”Well there ain’t no better blend than Joe Ely and his Texas men.”
Ely was a favorite opener for veteran rock acts looking to imbue sets with Texas country swagger. He performed with the Rolling Stones, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and Bruce Springsteen, who later sang with him on “Odds of the Blues” in 2024. Springsteen once said of Ely: “Thank God he wasn’t born in New Jersey. I would have had a lot more of my work cut out for me.”
In the ‘90, Ely joined a supergroup, the Buzzin Cousins, with John Mellencamp, Dwight Yoakam, John Prine and James McMurtry, to record for Mellencamp’s film “Falling From Grace.” Robert Redford later asked Ely to compose material for his film “The Horse Whisperer,” which led to collaborations with his old Flatlanders bandmates and a reunion in the 2000s. He also acted in in the musical “Chippy: Diaries of a West Texas Hooker” at Lincoln Center in New York City and joined the Tex-Mex collective Los Super Seven — he shared in the band’s Grammy for Mexican-American/Tejano Music Performance in 1999, his only such award.
Ely was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022 and released his last album, “Love and Freedom,” in February.
Newsletter: Essential Politics: Serious questions for Brett Kavanaugh; a bold promise by Jerry Brown
Get ready for what could be a consequential week in the effort by President Trump to get Judge Brett Kavanaugh confirmed to the United States Supreme Court.
Simply put: Does an allegation from the jurist’s high school days carry enough weight to sully — or perhaps derail — his nomination? Will the woman who has made the accusation bring her story to Washington?
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FROM CALIFORNIA, AN ACCUSER STEPS FORWARD
On Sunday, a Palo Alto psychologist said she was the one who wrote the letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein alleging sexual assault by Kavanaugh when they were both teenagers.
Christine Blasey Ford came forward in a Washington Post interview published on Sunday, accusing Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party when they were in high school.
Kavanaugh has denied the accusation. But within hours, the story seemed to sharply change the dynamics of the nomination. A handful of Republicans said they wanted to hear more before the Senate Judiciary Committee voted on Kavanaugh, and the topic could spark a major battle less than two months before the midterm elections.
‘OUR OWN DAMN SATELLITE’
Climate change and a devastating storm both made political news over the past few days.
On climate, few dominated last week’s Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco like Gov. Jerry Brown, the event’s co-host.
Brown spent most of the three-day event behind the scenes, and a private meeting with the veteran Democrat was one of the hottest tickets in town.
“He’s very good at drawing people together,” said Nicholas Stern, a climate change professor at the London School of Economics. “People want to talk to him because he’s so interesting to talk to.”
When Brown did emerge on stage on Friday, he made a bold promise about what California would do next in the face of climate inaction by the Trump administration.
“We’re going to launch our own satellite, our own damn satellite, to figure out where the pollution is and how are we going to end it,” Brown roared from the main stage to applause.
(For keen political observers yes, this seems to bring Brown full circle. In the 1970s, he famously pledged to launch a satellite and earned the nickname “Governor Moonbeam” from a Chicago columnist as a result.)
FLORENCE HITS, TRUMP TALKS ABOUT MARIA
As the Carolinas braced for yet more rain from the massive but slow-moving Florence — downgraded from hurricane to tropical depression — the president seemed to rattle many by insisting the death count in Puerto Rico resulting from last year’s Hurricane Maria had been inflated.
The barrage of angry tweets guarantees that his handling of the current storm, which is still battering North and South Carolina, will be under the microscope.
On Sunday, his top emergency management official seemed to fall in line with that assertion — one that stands in sharp contrast to academic reports and those of Puerto Rico’s own officials.
“You might see more deaths indirectly as time goes on,” FEMA Director Brock Long said on “Meet the Press.”
NATIONAL LIGHTNING ROUND
— A landmark law enacted 24 years ago to govern investigations and prosecutions of violent crimes against women is set to expire this month, and Congress has little time to rush to its rescue.
— Immigration. Technology. Trump. A lot has changed in small-town America. One Iowa town drew the line at its movie theater.
DECISION CALIFORNIA
With election day now only about seven weeks away, we’re going to routinely highlight the important role California is playing in this midterm election. In particular, the state is home to a handful of battleground races for the House of Representatives that could affect the outcome of which party is in power come January.
Look for updates in our newsletters and on our Decision California page online.
— Congressional Republicans are launching another tax-cut push this week. And in California, it could further inflame debate about the controversial new $10,000 limit on deductions for state and local tax payments that hits many residents hard.
— If a blue wave of Democrats sweeps across California congressional races this fall, it could be strengthened by what voters did in 2010 — taking the process of drawing districts away from politicians and giving it to an independent commission.
— Columnist Robin Abcarian hits the campaign trail with the Latino Arab American candidate trying to oust Rep. Duncan Hunter.
POLITICAL ROAD MAP: HOW WE GOT PROPOSITION 11
When voters open their ballot pamphlet this fall and see that they’re being asked to decide whether ambulance company workers should get mandatory rest breaks, they may wonder how such a seemingly narrow topic ended up on the statewide ballot.
But the path for Proposition 11 was a familiar one: an industry that fails to get satisfaction from the Legislature decides to take its case to the voters.
TODAY’S ESSENTIALS
— For nearly a year, investigators have been trying to determine what caused the deadly Tubbs fire in Northern California in 2017. The answer will have huge implications for residents, insurers and, perhaps most importantly, Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
— California’s pot czar is being squeezed between lobbyists for the cannabis industry on one side, and cities and law enforcement on the other, who are battling over a proposal to allow marijuana deliveries in municipalities that have banned pot sales.
— With less than two months until election day, California’s two gubernatorial contenders remained locked in a standoff over whether they’ll meet in a formal debate to discuss the issues facing the state.
— Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice endorsed Republican John Cox for California governor on Thursday, saying he has the vision to address the state’s most vexing problems.
— Having fallen short in his recent campaign for governor, conservative state Assemblyman Travis Allen is weighing a run for chairman of the state GOP with the goal of “leading California Republicans back to statewide relevance.”
— A Compton water district that has delivered brown water and therefore could be abolished under legislation on the governor’s desk is waging an eleventh-hour campaign for its survival.
— Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell skipped a reelection debate on Saturday, another awkward episode in a high-powered election that’s left many scratching their heads.
— California housing crisis podcast: What the Legislature did in 2018 and what’s coming next.
LOGISTICS
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USC cancels basketball game against Brown in aftermath of shooting
USC and Brown have mutually agreed to cancel their upcoming men’s basketball game at Galen Center on Sunday, in light of the recent mass shooting on Brown’s campus.
USC announced the cancellation on Tuesday morning while sending its support to Brown and those affected. The school said in a statement that it plans to announce a new nonconference opponent to fill the same slot on Sunday.
The matchup with Brown was slated to be USC’s nonconference finale. The Trojans have yet to lose outside of Big Ten play this season, currently standing at 9-0.
USC was set to be Brown’s first opponent since this past Sunday, when two people were killed and nine were wounded in a deadly shooting on campus.
On Sunday night, USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who is a Brown alumnus, got emotional addressing the shooting after her team’s loss to No. 1 Connecticut.
Gottlieb said that a former teammate of hers had a daughter still hiding from the gunman in the basement of a library at the time of Sunday afternoon’s game.
“It doesn’t need to be this way,” she said. “Sending thoughts and prayers to my teammates who have kids there. To the parents that have to worry about their children, I’m just going to end it with that, but just to say we’re the only country that lives this way.”
Hegseth ‘proud’ of Caribbean boat strikes, won’t release full video | Military
Saying the unedited video of a September 2 strike on a boat in the Caribbean is “top secret,” US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that its viewing will be restricted to select lawmakers, not the general public.
Published On 16 Dec 2025
China’s ‘Y-30’ Turboprop Airlifter Spotted For The First Time
The latest Chinese military aircraft to appear in flight test is a tactical transport aircraft, known, unofficially for now, as the Y-30. Not perhaps as headline-grabbing as China’s string of new crewed and uncrewed combat aircraft designs, the transport is nonetheless highly significant, reflecting the People’s Liberation Army’s growing ambitions to be able to conduct out-of-area operations, including from unprepared airfields.
A product of the Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation, the Y-30 (the alternative Y-15 designation has also been proposed) is expected to be a partial replacement for the same company’s Y-9 four-turboprop transport. Video and photos of the new aircraft began to circulate on social media for the first time today. The aircraft is reportedly flying from the Xi’an Aircraft Corporation (XAC) airfield in the city of Xi’an in central China, with XAC having been absorbed by Shaanxi.
While a new Chinese medium/heavy airlifter had been anticipated for some time, there was speculation that it would be powered by a pair of turbofan engines: The result would have been something like a scaled-down Y-20, with a shorter fuselage and a new wing, somewhat similar in concept to the Kawasaki C-2. In the event, the so-called Y-30 is powered by four turboprops, meaning it looks much more like the Airbus A400M, although it would appear to be in a different class to the European transport.
Other features in common with the A400M include the wide fuselage, offering useful internal volume, especially compared to the Y-9, a rear loading ramp, and heavy-duty landing gear, which should make it suitable for operating out of short, poorly prepared landing strips. Like the Airbus transport, the Y-30 has a T-tail empennage, but its high-lift wing is not swept. The wingtips of the Chinese design additionally feature winglets, which improve fuel efficiency by reducing drag and increasing lift. There is a suggestion that the aircraft might also have asymmetric fuselage-side sponsons, a feature of the C-17 that you can read about here; on the other hand, this may just be a feature of the AI-enhanced version of one of the images.
The Y-30 is reportedly powered by either WJ-10 or WJ-16 turboprops, which are said to develop 6,800 horsepower or 5,140 horsepower each, respectively. While the A400M’s engines drive distinctive eight-bladed ‘scimitar’ propellers, the Y-30, at least at this stage, has more conventional six-bladed props.
Both the WJ-10 and WJ-16 are notably less powerful than the 11,000-horsepower Europrop TP400-D6 engines used in the A400M, suggesting an aircraft that is smaller overall and with a more limited load capacity, closer to the C-130J Hercules. This would make sense, since the A400M, as you can read about here, was designed as a gap-filler between the C-130 at the smaller end of the transport segment, and the larger C-17 Globemaster III at the other end.
With China already building the Y-20 as a broad equivalent to the C-17, the Y-30 is likely intended to be more of an equivalent to the C-130/Y-9, probably slightly larger than the Hercules, rather than being a ‘mid-market’ transport like the A400M.
Unconfirmed accounts suggest the Y-30 will have a payload capacity of around 30 metric tonnes (around 66,000 pounds), which compares with around 145,000 pounds for the Y-20, 82,000 pounds for the A400M, 55,000 pounds for the Y-9, and 47,000 pounds for the C-130J-30.
In keeping with its test status, the Y-30 seen in the imagery available so far features a long air-data boom on the nose. This boom is used to obtain data on air pressure, temperature, and airflow direction, etc., vital for flight-testing. There is no sign of an aerial refueling probe, although this may well be added in the future, as was the case with certain variants of the Y-9.
In fact, the Y-30 first appeared in model form at the Zhuhai Airshow, back in 2014, after which the project went quiet.
Currently, according to Western estimates, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) operates around 24 Y-9s in a transport role, together with 80 of the older Y-8 four-turboprop transports.
The PLAAF is rapidly introducing the Y-20, which is expected to eventually replace the roughly 26 Soviet-designed Il-76 Candid transports that remain in use. Indeed, by now, Y-20 numbers already eclipse those of the hard-worked Il-76.
Meanwhile, should the Y-30 prove successful, it will presumably supplant the Y-9 and allow the retirement of the aging Y-8 fleet.
While the Y-20 offers truly strategic range to support PLA operations (and humanitarian missions) around the globe, a modern turboprop-powered transport like the Y-30 would be especially well-suited to operations from more dispersed and even austere bases. For example, the new airlifter could fly troops and equipment in and out of China’s island outposts, as well as conduct airdropping as part of any future effort to retake Taiwan; it would also be of notable value during a conflict involving India.
As well as its core transport role, it might be expected that the Y-30 could eventually be adapted for special missions, as has been the case with the Y-8 and Y-9. Between them, dozens of electronic warfare, maritime patrol, and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft have been produced for the PLA on these airframes, in numerous different sub-variants. On the other hand, with the Y-9 now well-proven as a special missions platform, it could be the case that continued production of this type will fulfill these niche roles, while the Y-30 production run is dedicated to transports.
It is worth noting that the PLAAF’s ability to conduct airborne assault operations is a relatively recent addition to its core missions. It was only in the 1990s that the Airborne Corps was transformed into a division, and its overall strength was boosted. At the same time, the first Il-76 transports were delivered, but for a long time these remained the extent of the PLAAF’s rapid-reaction transport force. Paratroopers operating as part of a combined-arms force are also a relatively new addition and part of the PLA’s wider modernization.
In terms of airlift capacity, the Y-20 has more recently spearheaded this continued transformation, and the Y-30 looks set to continue the process.
Like other Chinese designs, the Y-30 also has the major advantage of being immune to the tight export restrictions that typically apply to Western designs in the same class. Beijing would be likely to grant export licenses for the transport to countries that might be prohibited from buying a Western design, something that was the case with the Y-9, exported to Myanmar and Namibia, for example. Meanwhile, other markets could also provide an opportunity for the Y-30, as China becomes a more relevant competitor to the West across the military aviation segment.
Overall, the appearance of the Y-30 tops off a remarkable year for China’s military aircraft industries. The last 12 months have also seen the flying debuts, at least in the public realm, of two new combat jets, various collaborative combat aircraft (CCA)-type drones, at least three flying-wing type drones, a ‘drone mothership,’ an advanced jet trainer, a new AEW&C platform, as well as crewed and uncrewed tiltrotors, and coaxial helicopter concepts.
Given the rate at which new Chinese aircraft designs are appearing, it would be wise not to bet against further revelations before this year is out.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
Death in Paradise star says ‘great to come back’ as they return for festive special
Death in Paradise star Don Gilet has opened up on returning to the BBC drama for the Christmas special
Death in Paradise star Don Gilet has expressed his delight at reprising his role, admitting “It was great to come back”.
The actor, 58, joined the BBC drama as DI Mervin Wilson last year, following in the footsteps of previous stars such as Ben Miller and Ralf Little.
Now, he’s eagerly awaiting the 2025 Christmas special and shared his feelings about returning to the role, confessing it was “slightly daunting”.
“It felt good. Slightly daunting, but in a positive sense because you want to do the same again, if not better,” he revealed in a BBC interview ahead of his return. “I jokingly describe it as the second album, the first album went really well, but you can’t rest on your laurels and be complacent, there’s still more audience out there to win over.”
He continued: “So, I went out to Guadeloupe with a renewed appetite. It was great to come back and reconnect with the characters and the actors,” reports the Express.
Discussing what fans can expect from the festive special, Don promised “plenty of humour, but even more heart”.
He elaborated: “It pushes and pulls emotionally and comedically in equal measure. Mervin faces far more antagonism, and things are a lot more challenging for him, especially now he knows there’s a half-brother out there to find.
“But you can still get cosy, sip your Baileys and enjoy another great Death in Paradise Christmas special,” he added.
The forthcoming special presents one of the team’s most perplexing cases yet, as a victim is found dead in a swimming pool on Saint Marie, whilst the murder weapon was locked away in a drawer back in England at the time of the killing, leaving detectives completely stumped.
This comes as Don recently spoke candidly about the “pressure” of filling the boots of previous stars as the latest detective on the show.
During his stint on BBC The One Show on Monday (December 16) evening, he confessed to Alex and co-host Roman Kemp: “I feel the pressure doing this. I’ve said this before, it feels like the second album, you know the first one went well, I was the replacement like a replacement Doctor Who and people have their favourites prior to that.
“So there’s always this sense of ‘well is he going to be as good as…’ are people going to switch off, but luckily no one has switched off yet but you’ve got to come back and do it again and better so I’m not resting on my laurels.
“I do feel a bit pressure but it’s an enjoyable pressure. I love coming back and doing more of the same but with something a bit extra.”
Death In Paradise Christmas special airs on BBC One on Sunday, December 28 at 8.30pm.
Newsom trolls Trump with website of president’s ‘criminal cronies’
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a new state-run website Tuesday that tracks what his office calls the “criminal cronies” around President Trump — just the latest trolling tactic by the California governor that directly mirrors Trump’s own use of public resources for political score settling.
Newsom pegged the website’s rollout to recent crime statistics, which were released in early November showing falling rates of homicide and assault in California. The governor’s website catalogs what it calls the top 10 criminal convictions that were followed by pardons offered thus far by Trump — from Jan. 6 rioters to former politicians and business figures convicted of fraud, drug trafficking and financial crimes. The website calls Trump the “criminal in chief.”
The website features AI-generated portraits of such figues as Rod Blagojevich, the only Illinois governor to be impeached and removed from office; former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted of drug trafficking; and Ross Ulbricht, the founder of a dark-web drug marketplace who had been serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. The images show the men standing in a lineup with the word “felon” stamped in red ink.
“With crime dropping — again — California is proving what real public safety leadership looks like,” read a statement from Newsom. “Meanwhile in D.C., Trump is a felon who surrounds himself with scammers and drug traffickers. We’re providing the public with a resource putting the facts in one place so Californians, and all Americans, can see who he elevates and who he protects.”
The launch is the latest escalation in Newsom’s increasingly aggressive digital campaign against Trump.
In recent months, the governor and his press office have turned social media into a near-daily forum for mocking and trolling the president by firing off all-caps posts, meme-style graphics and sharply worded rebukes aimed at Trump’s brash rhetoric, criminal record, policy proposals and political allies.
The crime data , which was released Nov. 3 by the Major Cities Chiefs Assn., found homicides across California’s major cities fell 18% year over year, robberies dropped 18% and aggravated assaults declined 9%. The association also found that violent crime decreased in every California city reporting data, with the steepest declines in Oakland, where violent crime fell 25%, and San Francisco, where it fell 21%.
Newsom’s new website highlights Trump’s sweeping use of presidential pardons to grant clemency to roughly 1,500 people charged or convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The governor’s office said some of those individuals had prior criminal records and that others went on to be convicted of new crimes after receiving pardons.
The move mirrors tactics Trump and his administration have embraced. Most recently, Trump unveiled a website of “media offenders,” naming journalists and outlets he accuses of bias. Separately, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Secretary Kristi Noem has maintained a website highlighting what it calls the “worst of the worst” criminal immigrants arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, framing the page as evidence that the administration is carrying out Trump’s promise of mass deportations.
The state’s website launch comes as Newsom seeks to cast California as a national leader in responsible governance of artificial intelligence.
Earlier Tuesday, the governor announced a slate of initiatives aimed at promoting ethical AI use in state government, including a new advisory council, partnerships with academic and nonprofit groups, and a generative AI assistant for state employees. Among the priorities outlined are strengthening safeguards for children online, countering image-based abuse and improving government operations.
“California is at the forefront of AI technology — and is home to some of the most successful and innovative companies and academic leaders in the world,” Newsom said in a statement. “We’re not going to sit on the sidelines and let others define the future for us. But we’re going to do it responsibly — making sure we capture the benefits, mitigate the harms, and continue to lead with the values that define this state.”
2026 World Cup tickets: Fifa brings in £45 ticket
Fifa has introduced a small number of “more affordable” $60 (£45) tickets for all 104 matches at the 2026 World Cup following criticism of its pricing structure for the tournament.
World football’s governing body says the new ticket price will be available to a certain number of “loyal fans” of the countries that have qualified for the World Cup.
The £45 ticket falls in the supporter entry tier and will make up 10% of the allocation for each Football Association whose team is taking part.
“The entry tier tickets will be allocated specifically to supporters of qualified teams, with the selection and distribution process managed individually by the participating member associations (PMAs),” said a Fifa statement.
“Each PMA will define its own eligibility criteria and application process. They are requested to ensure that these tickets are specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams.
“In total, 50% of each PMA allocation will fall within the most affordable range, namely supporter value tier (40%) and the supporter entry tier (10%). The remaining allocation is split evenly between the supporter standard tier and the supporter premier tier.”
U.S. oil prices under $55 a barrel lowest since 2021
Motor oil on display and ready to be sold in Nov. 2021 at a gas station in New York City, N.Y. U.S. crude was down about 23% this year at its steepest annual drop since 2018. Meanwhile, AAA reported that U.S. gasoline fell below $3 a gallon to its lowest in four years. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Dec. 16 (UPI) — U.S. crude fell below $55 a barrel Tuesday to its lowest since early 2021 as markets reacted to surplus concerns and potential peace deal in Ukraine.
West Texas Intermediate fell to a low of $54.98 a barrel to its weakest level since early February 2021, and recently traded near 55.16, down about 2.9%.
Brent crude, meanwhile, slipped to $58.88 a barrel in a nearly 3% drop. It slid roughly 21%, marking its weakest year since 2020.
U.S. crude was down about 23% this year at its steepest annual drop since 2018.
The AAA reported that U.S. gasoline had fallen below $3 a gallon, the lowest in four years.
Oil prices were sliding as OPEC boosted output after years of restraint, while investors bet on easing geopolitical tensions as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for some kind of Russia-Ukraine peace deal.
It also arrived as the Trump administration advances drilling licenses on public lands in opposition to environmental groups.
“Oil markets will be watching developments closely, given the significant supply risk from sanctions on Russia. While Russian seaborne oil exports have held up well since the imposition of sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, this oil is still struggling to find buyers,” two ING commodity strategists wrote Tuesday in a note.
The president has stated a deal supposedly could be “closer now than we have been ever.”
“The result is a growing volume of Russian oil at sea. India, a key buyer of Russian oil since the Russia/Ukraine war began, will reportedly see imports of Russian crude fall to around 800k b/d this month, down from around 1.9m b/d in November,” they added.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the Congressional Ball in the Grand Foyer of the White House on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI | License Photo
Trump files $10 billion defamation suit against BBC over edited speech
President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the BBC for up to $10 billion, claiming that edited clips of his January 6, 2021, speech defamed him. The edited footage made it seem like he told supporters to storm the U. S. Capitol, without showing his call for peaceful protest. Trump argues the BBC’s edits harmed his reputation and violated Florida law against deceptive practices, seeking $5 billion for each of the two counts in his suit.
The BBC acknowledged it made an error in judgment when airing the edited footage, which created a misleading impression of Trump’s words, and it previously apologized to him. However, the BBC plans to defend itself legally, stating there is no valid reason for the lawsuit. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the legal matter is specifically between Trump and the BBC, emphasizing the importance of a strong and independent broadcaster.
Despite the BBC’s apology, Trump criticized the corporation for lacking actual remorse and failing to implement changes to prevent future mistakes. The BBC operates on funds from a compulsory license fee paid by UK viewers, raising concerns about the political implications of any potential payout to Trump. With total revenue of about 5.9 billion pounds in the last financial year, a payment could be controversial.
The lawsuit has posed significant risks for the BBC and already triggered the resignations of its top executives due to the resulting public relations crisis. Trump’s legal representatives argue that the BBC’s actions caused him considerable reputational and financial damage. Though the BBC asserts that the documentary was not broadcast in the U. S., it is available on the BritBox streaming platform in the U. S., and Canadian company Blue Ant Media has rights to distribute it in North America.
The BBC denies the defamation claims, arguing it could prove the documentary was ultimately true and assert that the editing did not create a false impression. Trump has previously sued other media organizations, such as CBS and ABC, successfully reaching settlements. The attack on the U. S. Capitol aimed to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
With information from Reuters
Katherine Ryan reveals she’s had ‘serious cosmetic surgery’ just eight weeks after giving birth
KATHERINE Ryan has revealed that she has had “serious cosmetic surgery” just eight weeks after giving birth to her fourth child.
The comedian and her husband Bobby Kootstra welcomed daughter Holland in October.
And Katherine, 42, says that the little one came along to the surgery, which took place in York – hours away from their London home.
Talking on her podcast, Telling Everybody Everything, Katherine said she is in “no pain” following the procedure.
Katherine explained: “I went to York, it was three and a half hours, I elected to take the baby with me because she just turned eight weeks that day and I’m still breastfeeding her, obviously, I will be for a long time.
“You can’t breastfeed immediately after surgery but I could obviously spend the night with her before and breastfeed her then.
“I was thinking to myself, after I got this surgery – which, wait until you see it, is pretty serious surgery – I was like, ‘Katherine Ryan what is your damage? What the f*** are you doing? Why have you brought a baby to surgery.’
“But then i thought, up and down this country, worldwide, everyday, we are giving women C-sections and then saying, ‘Sweet, go keep these twins alive’.”
Katherine clarified that a C section is “much more serious” than the procedure she had.
She joked: “So, what’s an elective cosmetic procedure with a newborn?”
Continuing that she is in “no pain”, Katherine said that while she’d like to share what procedure she has had done, it’s under wraps.
The comedian was joined by a filming crew who captured the whole thing for an upcoming docuseries.
She says there is more information coming soon on the show.
Katherine’s husband, Bobby, revealed in October that the comedian welcomed their newborn in just 45 minutes.
She appeared to have a speedy bounce back, as Bobby even shared a snap of the star enjoying a flute of prosecco in hospital following he birth,
Alongside baby Holland, Katherine and bobby share children Fenna, two, and three-year-old Fred.
The comedian is also a mum to 15-year-old Violet, who she has from a previous relationship.
Gov. Reagan's Workfare: No 'Gang Busters' in a Short Life
As governor of California, Ronald Reagan presided over a workfare program that was never fully implemented and was abandoned by the state soon after he left office.
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USC quarterback Jayden Maiava is returning for the 2026 season
USC’s starting quarterback is returning for another season in 2026.
Jayden Maiava made it official Tuesday as the school announced that he had re-signed with the program for the upcoming season, his third with the Trojans.
Maiava led USC to a 9-3 record in his first full season as starter after taking over the job during the final month of the 2023 season. He threw for 3,431 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also added six scores on the ground.
That strong performance led to questions of whether Maiava might declare for the NFL draft. Some prognosticators viewed Maiava as one of the better potential quarterback prospects in a draft especially thin on passers.
Instead, Maiava will run it back at USC, where the Trojans are set to return most of their dynamic 2025 offense in 2026 — the exception being their top two wideouts Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane, who both declared for the draft. USC announced earlier this week that it had re-signed No. 1 running back Waymond Jordan and receivers Tanook Hines and Zacharyus Williams for the 2026 season.
Maiava’s return now turns the attention to five-star backup Husan Longstreet, who will have a decision to make about his future at USC. It’s unclear if Longstreet would be willing to wait another season behind Maiava.
US unemployment hits highest level since 2021 as labour market cools | Business and Economy News
The US economy gains jobs in healthcare and construction as other sectors stagnate, shrink.
The United States economy lost 41,000 jobs in October and November, and the unemployment rate has ticked up to its highest level since 2021 as the labour market cools amid ongoing economic uncertainty driven by tariffs and immigration policies.
In November, the US economy added 64,000 jobs after shedding 105,000 in October, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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The unemployment rate rose to 4.6 percent, up from 4.4 percent in September. Because of the government shutdown in October and November, the US government was unable to gather key data used to gauge the state of the economy, including the unemployment rate for October.
October’s job losses reflected the 162,000 federal workers who lost their posts, a result of deferred buyouts of their contracts, which expired at the end of September.
In November, there was a loss of another 6,000 government jobs. Gains were seen in the healthcare, social assistance and construction sectors. Healthcare added 46,000 jobs – higher than the 39,000 jobs gained in the sector on average each month over the past 12 months.
Construction added 28,000, consistent with average gains over the past year. The social assistance sector added 18,000 jobs.
Transportation and warehousing lost 18,000. Manufacturing jobs are also on the decline. The sector shed 5,000 jobs in November after cutting 9,000 jobs in October following a 5,000-job loss in September.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told reporters on Tuesday to expect to see more manufacturing jobs in the next six months.
His assessment was driven by growth in construction jobs and manufacturing investments, which signal job growth is on the way.
People working part time for economic reasons also rose to 5.5 million, which is up 909,000 from September.
“Today’s long-awaited jobs report confirms what we already suspected: [President Donald] Trump’s economy is stalling out and American workers are paying the price,” Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at the economic think tank Groundwork Collaborative, said in a statement.
“Far from sparking a manufacturing renaissance, Trump’s reckless trade agenda is bleeding working-class jobs, forcing layoffs, and raising prices for businesses and consumers alike.”
The data was released after the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 3.5-3.75 percent as labour conditions cool.
“The labour market has continued to cool gradually, … a touch more gradually than we thought,” Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said after the rate cut decision last week.
On Wall Street, markets fell slightly after the jobs report. In midday trading, the Nasdaq was down 0.4 percent, the S&P 500 was down 0.5 percent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.4 percent below its market open.
Iran’s foreign minister says strikes won’t stop nuclear programme | Israel-Iran conflict
Exclusive: Iran’s foreign minister sits down with Fault Lines to discuss the nuclear standoff and diplomatic deadlock.
In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview recorded in October with Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines documentary programme, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tells correspondent Hind Hassan that strikes by Israel and the United States in June caused “serious damage” to Iran’s nuclear facilities but insists its nuclear programme will continue.
“Technology cannot be eliminated by bombing,” he says, arguing that Iran’s scientific knowledge remains intact.
As Iran remains locked in a standoff with the US and refuses to renew negotiations while zero uranium enrichment demands remain in place, Araghchi says European snapback sanctions have undermined future cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Iran would reconsider how it cooperates in the future.
Despite emphasising that “diplomacy is our priority,” the foreign minister insists that Iran is prepared to fight back if it is attacked again. Araghchi maintains that while Tehran has “never trusted the United States as an honest negotiating partner”, Iran remains prepared to engage diplomatically if both sides respect each other’s rights and pursue mutual interests based on equality.
Published On 16 Dec 2025