Trump Declassifies JFK, RFK, MLK Assassination Files
US Pres. Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order mandating the declassification of remaining government documents related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
The order requires the director of National Intelligence and attorney general to present a plan within 15 days for JFK files and 45 days for RFK and MLK files. However, the actual release timeline remains uncertain.
Of the approximately 5M pages of JFK assassination records, roughly 3K documents remain partially or fully classified, with many originating from the Central Intelligence Agency — despite previous releases under both Trump and Biden administrations.
Narrative A
The release of these documents is long overdue and crucial for government transparency and public trust. It will finally allow Americans to access the whole truth about these pivotal historical events, which have been shrouded in secrecy for decades.
Narrative B
The declassification could compromise national security by revealing sensitive intelligence sources, methods, and identities that remain operationally relevant today, outweighing any public interest in full disclosure.
Nerd narrative
There's a 10% chance that it will be confirmed that Lee Harvey Oswald acted with co-conspirators in the assassination of Pres. Kennedy before Nov. 23, 2063, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
UK Teen Who Murdered 3 Girls Jailed for 52 Years
Axel Rudakubana — the 18-year-old who fatally stabbed three girls and wounded eight other children, as well as two adults, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, UK last year — was jailed for a minimum of 52 years on Thursday.
In sentencing Rudakubana, Justice Julian Goose said he couldn't legally impose a "whole-life order" — meaning imprisonment without the prospect of release — as he was nine days shy of his 18th birthday when he carried out the attack.
Nonetheless, Goose said he would only be released if a parole board believed he is no longer a threat to the public, adding: "It is likely he will never be released and he will be in custody for all of his life."
Left narrative
This was a savage and sadistic attack that shattered families and will mar the lives of those who survived with unspeakable horror. While a whole-life sentence would have been preferred, that's not possible because of the law. Nonetheless, Rudakubana will still likely spend the rest of his living years in prison.
Right narrative
An attack with this level of sickness and depravity demands the strongest possible sentence — not delivered here — and the law needs to be immediately changed to reflect that. Not only that, but there needs to be discussions about bringing back the death penalty in such extreme instances.
Nerd narrative
There is a 25.1% that the UK will have a Conservative PM at the beginning of 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Sacklers, Purdue Pharma Agree to $7.4B Opioid Crisis Settlement
Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family have reached a new $7.4B settlement to resolve thousands of lawsuits over their role in the opioid crisis, with the Sacklers contributing $6.5B and Purdue paying $900M over 15 years.
The settlement represents a $1.4B increase from the previous $6B deal that was rejected by the US Supreme Court in 2024, which had attempted to shield the Sacklers from civil lawsuits without declaring bankruptcy themselves.
Under the new agreement, the Sacklers will relinquish control of Purdue Pharma, which will become a new entity with its board appointed by states and other plaintiffs, and the family will no longer be allowed to sell opioids in the United States.
Narrative A
The settlement represents a significant victory for accountability in the opioid crisis, forcing the Sacklers to pay their highest amount yet and relinquish control of their company. The deal ensures billions will go directly to communities devastated by the crisis while maintaining victims' rights to pursue additional legal action if they choose not to participate in the settlement.
Narrative B
The Sackler family has consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintains that the legal theory of "public nuisance" underlying the lawsuits is devoid of merit. Much of the family's wealth remains in offshore accounts beyond the reach of lawsuits, and they have pledged to vigorously defend themselves against any future litigation.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance there will be at least 110K drug overdose deaths in the United States in the following years, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Injured Djokovic Booed After Australian Open Withdrawal
Novak Djokovic was forced to put ambitions of winning his 25th Grand Slam title on hold — a feat that would make him the winningest tennis player of all time — after withdrawing from his semi-final matchup against Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open on Friday.
Although the 37-year-old Serbian has won the tournament a record 10 times, he was met with a chorus of boos when the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena learned that an injury forced him to retire after losing the first set of action.
Djokovic picked up the leg injury during his quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday night — an encounter that lasted over three-and-a-half hours.
Narrative A
Djokovic needs no reminding that he's closer to the end of his career than the start and that injury is the biggest enemy facing any professional athlete. However, the competitor has bounced back from a number of previous knocks, and if anyone can secure that feat of 25 Grand Slams, no one is better qualified.
Narrative B
The oldest player to win a Grand Slam title was Ken Rosewall, who won the 1972 Australian Open at the age of 37 years, one month, and 24 days. Djokovic is already beyond that mark, and the chances of him adding one more slam to his belt at this stage look rather uncertain.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the all-time tennis slam singles record for men will be at least 26 in 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Trump Signs Executive Order to Ban Government Digital Dollar
US Pres. Donald Trump signed an executive order (EO) on Thursday prohibiting the establishment of a central bank digital currency, while simultaneously creating a cryptocurrency working group to develop new digital asset regulations.
The EO established a President's Working Group on Digital Asset Markets to create a regulatory framework. It will be chaired by crypto czar David Sacks and include leaders from the Treasury, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
The order directs the working group to evaluate the potential creation of a national digital asset stockpile, potentially derived from cryptocurrencies seized through federal law enforcement efforts, marking a significant shift in government cryptocurrency policy.
Narrative A
Trump's EO banning central bank digital currencies is a game-changer for the crypto industry, fostering a more clear regulatory environment to attract big investors. By prohibiting central bank digital currencies, it protects privacy and sovereignty, boosting crypto legitimacy and the market value of existing cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. This move could also spur institutional adoption of blockchain for payments, enhancing economic growth through crypto.
Narrative B
Trump's crypto policies, such as his crypto task forces, are more for the benefit of crypto industry executives who backed him than for the average American. Trump and his wife's meme coins are a clear hint as to where the president's true goals lie on this issue. Unlike the previous government's skepticism of private sector free-for-alls, Trump has chosen to let rich and powerful industry insiders make choices that will impact an entire country. This is a literal and metaphoric rug pull on the American people.
Cynical narrative
Both pro- and anti-central bank digital currency politicians are pushing for cryptocurrency surveillance, differing only in whether it's managed solely by the government or involves private sector collaboration. Pro-central bank digital currency advocates see government control as the key to financial stability, while anti-central bank digital currency supporters prefer a public-private partnership for market-driven solutions. However, both approaches will inevitably give big banks and regulators the power to spy on and control people's finances.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies will exceed that of all mined gold before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
China: Man Sentenced to Death for Murder of Japanese Boy
A Chinese court on Friday sentenced Zhong Changchun, 45, to death for fatally stabbing a 10-year-old Japanese boy in Shenzhen last September.
The boy was stabbed on his way to school and died the following day. Chinese authorities formally arrested Changchun on Nov. 30 on suspicion of murder.
The knife-wielding Changchun allegedly attacked the boy to "draw online attention" through the assault, which occurred on the anniversary of a Japanese bombing of a railroad track that began the 1931 "Manchurian Incident" and the start of Japan's invasion of northeast China.
Anti-China narrative
The attacks signify serious security concerns for Japanese citizens in China, requiring immediate action to protect expatriate communities. The timing of the Shenzhen attack on a historically sensitive date raises questions about potential simmering anti-Japanese sentiment, while the lack of clear motives from Chinese authorities adds to these concerns.
Pro-China narrative
These incidents are accidental and isolated criminal cases without political motivation, and China remains one of the safest countries in the world. Swift judicial action and death sentences demonstrate China's commitment to protecting all residents, including foreign nationals while upstanding Chinese citizens who intervene to try to stop these horrific crimes show the strong bonds between Chinese and Japanese culture.
Nerd narrative
There's a 53% chance that Japan will respond with military forces if China invades Taiwan before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Canada's Supreme Court to Hear Quebec Religious Symbol Ban Case
Canada's Supreme Court announced on Thursday it will hear a challenge to Quebec's Bill 21, a 2019 law that prohibits public sector workers in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols while performing their duties.
The law affects various public workers, including teachers, judges, police officers, and prison guards, requiring them to remove religious symbols such as hijabs, turbans, kippahs, and crosses while at work. Quebec has used the Constitution's notwithstanding clause to shield the legislation from legal challenges.
Quebec's government successfully defended the law against two previous court challenges, including a February 2024 Quebec Court of Appeal decision that upheld the legislation and overturned an exemption for English-language schools.
Narrative A
It doesn't matter how many plaintiffs challenge this law or what the courts rule, Quebec has the right to make its own decisions and will defend this law for perpetuity. The law is moderate and popular among the people of Quebec. There's no reason why it shouldn't stand.
Narrative B
It's important that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear this case because it gives hope that this law — which violates Canadians' civil rights and freedoms and disproportionately affects religious minorities — will be overridden. This unconstitutional law shouldn't withstand a challenge to the notwithstanding clause.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that a referendum on Quebec independence will take place by November 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Hamas Publishes List of Female Hostages to Be Released Saturday
Hamas on Friday released a list of female hostages who are expected to be freed on Saturday. Those set for release are reportedly four female soldiers who were captured from the Nahal Oz military base during the group's Oct. 7 attack.
Israel claimed that the list is a violation of the cease-fire agreement, saying the deal stipulates that female civilian hostages must be released before female soldiers. Israel reportedly told Hamas on Wednesday that it expects the group to release Arbel Yehud, a civilian hostage, on Saturday.
Officials have indicated that for every female soldier freed, Israel will release 50 Palestinian prisoners. For the deal's first phase, Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages, with negotiations for the exchange of the remaining captives and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza expected in the second phase.
Pro-establishment narrative
It is paramount that the cease-fire in Gaza holds and the release of Israeli hostages continues. This terrible war must end, and the cease-fire deal should not be undermined by insignificant discrepancies.
Pro-Israel narrative
Though Hamas is in violation of the cease-fire agreement, Israel will go ahead with the hostage release because freeing the hostages has been the primary goal of this war. This clearly violates the agreement, but Israel will move ahead, as collapsing the deal at this point benefits no one.
Pro-Palestine narrative
It is important to recognize the context behind this exchange Hamas is releasing soldiers captured in a war largely in exchange for Palestinian civilians kidnapped by Israeli forces without charge. These individuals were detained illegally so that they could be used as bargaining chips in negotiations.
DRC: M23 Rebels Encircle Goma as Military Governor Dies in Combat
The M23 rebel group has made significant territorial advances in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), capturing strategic towns including Sake and Minova while surrounding Goma, a provincial capital of 2M people.
Major General Peter Cirimwami, the military governor of North Kivu province, died from injuries sustained during fighting on the front line near Kasengezi, approximately 13 km (eight miles) from Goma, as confirmed by domestic and international government and sources.
The United Nations reports that more than 400K people have been displaced in 2025 alone, with thousands fleeing to Goma's outskirts as M23 rebels advance, creating a severe humanitarian crisis.
Pro-establishment narrative
The M23 rebels should immediately halt their offensive and respect the DRC's sovereignty, as their recent actions have heightened the risk of regional war. With significant loss of life already reported and over 250K people displaced, ceasefire agreements must be honored to prevent further humanitarian crises and to support peace processes like the Luanda talks.
Establishment-critical narrative
Peace will never be achieved if the West is allowed to decide who the good actors and bad actors are. M23 is a freedom-fighting group that used to be called the AFDL in 1996, during which time they were fighting a Western-backed invasion from Uganda and Rwanda. Today's tragedies are the direct result of a decades-long war instigated by Western powers to steal resources. To this day, the US plays a far more influential role in the region than is widely known.
Nerd narrative
There's a 61% chance that the Democratic Republic of Congo will experience a civil war before 2036, according to the Metaculus prediction community.