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This week the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) ordered a hold on final decisions and naturalisation ceremonies for applicants connected to the 19 countries named in the White House travel restrictions announced on 4 June. The internal memo, seen by partner outlets, instructs immigration officers to suspend approvals, denials and oath events while related … Read more

Lead Private survey data released on Wednesday, 3 December 2025, showed China’s services sector expanded at its slowest pace in five months. The RatingDog China services purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 52.1 in November, marking a third consecutive monthly slowdown. The print matched the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg and underscores softer … Read more

Lead On Dec. 2, 2025, Michael and Susan Dell announced a $6.25 billion gift intended to benefit roughly 25 million children by placing funds into the new “Trump accounts” created in this year’s tax legislation. The couple said they plan to move an initial $250 next year into the accounts of millions of children under … Read more

Lead: The use of two familiar cultural properties by U.S. government social media has sparked public outcry and a publisher protest. On 1 December the White House posted a clip using Sabrina Carpenter’s song in an immigration-enforcement montage, and the U.S. Defence Department’s social media account shared a mock book cover showing Franklin the Turtle … Read more

Less than a day after the four‑part series Sean Combs: The Reckoning premiered on Netflix, the streamer pushed back on legal threats from Sean Combs’ team, calling allegations of corporate retaliation and improperly obtained footage false. Combs’ lawyers sent a cease‑and‑desist letter on December 1 alleging Netflix and its leadership sought revenge by entrusting Curtis … Read more

Lead POLITICO has reported that former White House adviser Jared Kushner and real estate investor Steve Witkoff have moved into the orbit of discussions tied to Russia and the war in Ukraine. The reporting frames their involvement as private, high-profile interventions that intersect with Kremlin interests and Western diplomatic priorities. Those steps have prompted questions … Read more

Lead On Monday Night Football in East Rutherford, the New England Patriots defeated the New York Giants 33-15, extending their winning streak to 10 games as they enter the bye week. Quarterback Drake Maye played efficiently, protection held up with two backups starting on the left side, and the Patriots outplayed the Giants in all … Read more

On Dec. 2, 2025, Republican Matt Van Epps won a special election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, narrowly defeating Democratic state representative Aftyn Behn in a race called by The Associated Press. With roughly 95 percent of ballots reported on election night, Van Epps led by nearly nine percentage points, a much tighter margin than … Read more

On Dec. 2, 2025, internal U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) guidance instructed staff to pause final decisions on all immigration filings for nationals of 19 countries, including the completion of naturalization oath ceremonies. The action, tied by officials to security reviews after last week’s shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. (one … Read more

Lead On Dec. 2, 2025, the New York Mets signed reliever Devin Williams to a three‑year, $51 million contract, a commitment that has focused attention on one central query: is the deal buying a bounce‑back or doubling down on volatility? Williams arrives after a difficult season with the Yankees and in a baseball landscape where … Read more

Lead: A tech billionaire and his wife announced a multibillion-dollar gift tied to the new “Trump accounts,” part of legislation signed in July that promises a $1,000 seed for children born between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2028. The White House said the accounts will hold funds invested in low-cost index funds and will … Read more

Lead On December 2, 2025, elected officials and community leaders across Minneapolis and St. Paul publicly pushed back after media reports suggested federal immigration authorities might be planning enforcement operations focused on Somali residents. Local governments and advocacy groups called for transparency and legal protections while community gatherings and statements signaled widespread concern. Federal agencies … Read more

Lead: On Dec. 2, 2025, Venezuela’s government said it would allow twice-weekly U.S.-operated flights to continue returning deported Venezuelans after Washington requested a resumption, reversing a prior Caracas announcement that flights had been suspended. The application by U.S.-based Eastern Airlines for a Boeing 777-200 to land at Maiquetía International Airport was made public by Venezuela’s … Read more

Lead Devin Williams agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal with the New York Mets on Monday night after a season that mixed early struggles with a late surge. The left-handed reliever arrived in New York this spring amid unusual attention over a beard and the Yankees’ facial-hair policy, then endured a rough start that … Read more

Lead Veteran commentator Pete Hegseth invoked the phrase “fog of war” to contextualize recent strikes on boats, a defense that has drawn growing public and political criticism, according to Financial Times reporting. The remarks came amid intensified scrutiny of the operations that led to the attacks and questions about rules of engagement. Critics say the … Read more