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Today’s Rundown:
- TRUMP SAYS U.S. SEIZED LARGE OIL TANKER OFF VENEZUELA: President Donald Trump says U.S. forces have seized a large, sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. He called it “the largest one ever seized” and said the move is part of his effort to tighten pressure on President Nicolás Maduro’s government. U.S. officials say the ship was moving Venezuelan crude in violation of American sanctions and may also be linked to earlier Iranian oil trades. Venezuela has condemned the seizure as “piracy” and accused Washington of trying to strangle its economy. The action raises tensions in the region and could affect oil markets if more seizures follow.
- FED CUTS RATES AGAIN AS INTERNAL SPLIT OVER NEXT STEPS GROWS: The Federal Reserve has cut its key interest rate by 0.25 percentage points, to a range of 3.5%–3.75%, marking its third straight cut this year. Fed leaders say the move is meant to support a slowing job market while inflation is still above the 2% target. The decision exposed deep divisions: three members dissented, with one wanting a bigger cut and two wanting no cut at all. Officials also signaled they may pause rate cuts for a while and see only one more cut likely in 2026. Markets rose on the news, but the unusual level of disagreement shows how uncertain the economic outlook remains.
- PROGRESSIVE REPORT FAULTS HARRIS FOR FOCUSING ON “WRONG VOTERS” IN 2024: A new post-election report by the progressive group RootsAction argues that Kamala Harris lost the 2024 race because Democrats targeted the “wrong voters” with the “wrong message.” The study says her campaign spent too much time courting moderate Republicans and affluent suburbanites instead of working-class Democrats and young voters. It also criticizes her strong support for Israel’s war in Gaza, saying that position hurt enthusiasm among key parts of the Democratic base. The report pushes back against the idea that the loss was mainly about sexism, racism, or media bias. Instead, it urges Democrats to adopt more populist economic policies and clearer anti-war positions if they want to win back the White House.
- MACHADO’S DAUGHTER ACCEPTS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE IN OSLO CEREMONY: Ana Corina Sosa, the daughter of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, accepted the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize on her mother’s behalf in Oslo. Machado was honored for her long campaign for democratic rights and a peaceful transition away from Nicolás Maduro’s rule. In the speech she wrote, which her daughter delivered, Machado condemned repression, political prisoners, and alleged election fraud in Venezuela. She also urged the world to support Venezuelans’ fight for free elections and the rule of law. Machado traveled to Norway later under tight security, amid fears she could be targeted by her government.
- JUDGE CLEARS RELEASE OF MORE EPSTEIN GRAND JURY RECORDS TO PUBLIC: A federal judge in Manhattan has approved the release of additional grand jury materials tied to investigations of Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The ruling follows the new Epstein Files Transparency Act, which requires the Justice Department to unseal all unclassified Epstein-related records by December 19. The records include dozens of pages of grand jury testimony, call logs, and other documents, though victims’ names will be redacted. Similar rulings in Florida and another New York case mean several sets of files will come out at once. Victims’ lawyers say the releases are an important step toward accountability, while Maxwell’s team argued they could cause unfair harm to people named in the files.
- WNBA TO EXPAND TO 18 TEAMS WITH NEW CLUBS IN CLEVELAND, DETROIT, PHILLY: The WNBA has announced it will grow from 15 to 18 teams by adding expansion franchises in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. Cleveland is set to begin play in 2028, Detroit in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030, pending final approval from the WNBA and NBA boards of governors. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the move reflects booming interest in women’s basketball and a deeper pool of talent. The league has already approved earlier expansion to Toronto and Portland, which will join before these three teams. Fans in all three new markets have strong basketball traditions, and local ownership groups say they plan to invest heavily in facilities and community outreach.
- NIGERIAN CHILDREN JOYFULLY REUNITE WITH PARENTS AFTER SCHOOL ABDUCTION: Dozens of Nigerian schoolchildren kidnapped last month from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri have been reunited with their parents. The students were among more than 300 pupils and staff taken by armed men in one of the country’s worst mass school kidnappings in years. About 50 children escaped soon after the attack, and around 100 more were released and brought to a government center for medical checks before meeting their families. Parents described a mix of relief and pain, as some still have children being held by the kidnappers. The case highlights Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with armed groups who abduct students for ransom, often in rural areas with limited security.
- RUBIO SCRAPS CALIBRI AT STATE DEPARTMENT IN ANTI-DEI FONT FIGHT: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered all diplomats to stop using the Calibri font in official memos and return to Times New Roman. The earlier switch to Calibri under Antony Blinken was meant to help people with vision issues read documents more easily. Rubio now calls that change a “wasteful” product of Biden-era diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and says Times New Roman looks more formal and professional. His directive is part of a wider rollback of DEI programs at the State Department since he took office under President Trump. Disability and accessibility advocates warn the move could make some documents harder to read for people with low vision.
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