Marjorie Taylor Greene Announces Resignation from Congress
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene on Friday announced her resignation from Congress, effective Jan. 5, 2026, following a public dispute with President Donald Trump over policy issues.
Greene cited her unwillingness to endure what she described would be a hurtful primary challenge supported by Trump, stating she refused to be "a battered wife," hoping the situation "goes away and gets better."
This comes days after Trump withdrew his endorsement of Greene after she advocated for releasing government documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump later said he would support the release of the files.
Republican narrative
Trump's decision to withdraw support from Greene shows strong presidential leadership in holding even allies accountable. Greene's resignation benefits America by removing a disruptive force who broke ranks on key policy issues. Her departure demonstrates that principled governance matters more than personal loyalty.
Democratic narrative
Greene's resignation exposes the dangerous reality of MAGA's intimidation tactics against anyone who dares to dissent. Trump's rhetoric has created a political movement that enforces loyalty through threats rather than democratic debate. This represents an authoritarian faction that threatens the foundation of American democracy.
Brazil: Bolsonaro Arrested Over Flight Risk Concern
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was arrested by federal police on Saturday morning in Brasilia after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized a preventive detention warrant requested by police.
The arrest occurred after authorities detected a violation of Bolsonaro's electronic ankle monitor at 12:08 a.m. on Saturday, which officials interpreted as indicating potential intent to escape custody.
Justice de Moraes cited concerns about a vigil organized by Senator Flavio Bolsonaro that could create confusion and facilitate an escape attempt, ordering the arrest be conducted without handcuffs or media exposure.
Government-critical narrative
Bolsonaro's ankle monitor was functioning normally hours after the alleged violation, and the former president was simply having dinner at home when authorities claimed he was planning an escape. His arrest is a dangerous abuse of judicial power, and appears to support a long-held narrative of judicial overreach and political persecution.
Pro-government narrative
Bolsonaro's detention followed proper legal procedures after clear violations of house arrest conditions. The Supreme Court acted appropriately to prevent escape attempts, especially given that other coup defendants have already fled the country. Ultimately, this marks the long-delayed enforcement of boundaries designed to prevent any future leader from acting as if the Constitution were optional.
Cynical narrative
The preventive detention of Jair Bolsonaro has become a pivotal test for Brazil's democratic institutions. It has exposed deep fractures between supporters who frame the moment in spiritual or moral terms and critics who view it as a legal necessity, underscoring the nation's polarization across faith, political power and constitutional authority.
Nerd narrative
There's a 0.1% chance that Alexandre de Moraes will cease to be a minister of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil before 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
UK: Puberty Blocker Trial to Begin
Researchers from King's College London have launched a clinical trial examining puberty blockers' impact on children with gender dysphoria. It is projected they will recruit 226 young people over three years, with trial results expected in four years.
The trial follows the 2024 Cass Review, which concluded that treatment delivered based on the benefits of puberty blockers for youngsters with gender dysphoria rested on poor research, leading to a permanent NHS ban on prescribing the drugs to under-18s.
Participants will be divided into two groups — one receiving puberty blockers immediately for two years, another starting treatment after a one-year delay — with the youngest typically being 10-11 for girls and 11-12 for boys.
Left narrative
The puberty blocker ban is discriminatory and medically unsound, targeting transgender youth while allowing the same medication for intersex patients. Clinical experts who have actually worked in NHS gender services know these treatments help carefully selected patients, and the ban will only harm distressed young people.
Right narrative
This coercive trial violates medical ethics by selling desperate young people flawed research as their only path to treatment. Vulnerable children suffering gender dysphoria need mental health intervention and support, not extreme hormonal intervention.
Nigeria: Fifty Children Escape After Mass School Abduction in Nigeria
50 students escaped and returned to their families between Friday and Saturday, after gunmen kidnapped 303 students and 12 teachers from St. Mary's Catholic School in Niger State, Nigeria, on Friday morning, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria.
The Niger State school attack occurred four days after 25 schoolchildren were kidnapped from a boarding school in Kebbi State, prompting authorities to order the closure of schools in multiple northern states including Niger, Kebbi, Katsina, Yobe and Kwara.
Amid the ongoing security crisis, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu cancelled his trip to the G20 summit in South Africa and ordered the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers, directing the redeployment of all police from VIP protection services to focus on core duties in remote areas.
Government-critical narrative
The kidnappings are yet another expression of the war against Nigerian Christians, disguised as chaos. This disgraceful reality urgently requires a comprehensive, U.S.-led intervention strategy. Abuja's failure to protect the most vulnerable citizens — its children — has led to a humanitarian disaster in which students cannot safely attend school and religious persecution is rampant. The armed forces repeatedly abandon their posts at critical moments, leaving defenseless communities vulnerable to heavily armed terrorists who face no accountability for their crimes.
Pro-government narrative
Enough is enough. President Tinubu is taking decisive action by withdrawing 100,000 police officers from VIP protection to frontline security duties and recruiting 30,000 additional personnel to combat terrorism and protect Nigeria's children. Military operations are intensifying with coordinated rescue efforts already freeing hostages, while security forces maintain relentless pressure on criminal networks. The government's comprehensive approach addresses root causes through enhanced community protection and strategic redeployment of resources where they're needed most.
Anti-Trump narrative
Trump turns the suffering of Nigerian Christians into stagecraft rather than responsibility. He casts himself as their guardian in the U.S., yet the violence they face stems from tangled realities of armed groups, poverty and weak governance that require steady diplomacy and real support. Instead of engaging with these complexities, he reduces Nigeria to a backdrop for cultural-war messaging, leaving the very people he claims to defend with nothing but his theatrics.
Nerd narrative
There is a 12% chance that the United States will conduct a military attack within Nigeria before 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Pakistan: 3 Killed in Suicide Attack on Paramilitary Headquarters
Three Federal Constabulary (FC) personnel were killed and multiple others were injured in Pakistan when suicide bombers attacked the FC headquarters in Peshawar on Monday morning, with one attacker detonating at the gate.
The attack occurred as approximately 150 security personnel were gathered for morning parade drills at the main compound, located on one of Peshawar's busiest roads near a military cantonment in a densely populated area.
Security forces successfully prevented the attackers from reaching the parade area and killed two additional militants who attempted to enter the premises after the initial suicide bombing at the entrance gate.
Establishment-critical narrative
Pakistan stands as the epicenter of global terrorism, harboring U.N.-listed terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed while supporting these organizations. The country's military establishment uses these terror networks to wage proxy wars against India, with recent attacks targeting civilians, including the Sikh community.
Pro-establishment narrative
Pakistan has become America's most valuable counter-terrorism partner, earning praise from U.S. Central Command for phenomenal cooperation against ISIS-K and other international threats. Pakistan itself suffers as a victim of terrorism, with over 1,000 killed in 2024 alone, demonstrating shared interests in combating extremist violence.
Nerd narrative
There is an 80% chance that Pakistan will recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
US and Ukraine Signal Progress on Peace Talks
The U.S. and Ukraine released a joint statement stating they had "highly productive" talks in Switzerland on Sunday, adding they made "meaningful progress toward aligning positions and identifying clear next steps."
The talks, held by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump accused Ukraine's leadership of "ZERO GRATITUDE" for his peacemaking efforts with Russia in a Truth Social post.
It came after U.S. military leaders traveled to Ukraine in a re-energized push for peace last week and presented a 28-point framework that was later publicly leaked. While Zelenskyy originally reacted by stating he was ready for "honest and swift work" on the agreement, he later gave an address in which he said the country had a choice between losing its dignity or its greatest partner in the U.S.
Pro-Trump narrative
The U.S. and Ukraine held constructive, focused and respectful talks in Geneva where they both underscored the shared commitment to achieving a just and lasting peace. While keeping European leaders informed, they will continue to work extensively to secure a peace that ensures Ukraine's security, reconstruction and stability.
Pro-establishment narrative
Having blindsided Ukraine with a largely pro-Kremlin agreement, at least the U.S. appears to be open to feedback after stating it will remain in dialogue with Ukraine and that it is taking the points raised by European countries into consideration. It's clear that the agreement was never going to work in its original iteration.
Pro-Russia narrative
Russia has already stated that it does not wish to debate every step of the peace process in the media. There are some reports about the U.S.-Ukraine talks in Geneva but it would be inappropriate to comment on an incomplete picture. Russia would rather wait for official communication from the U.S. before commenting any further.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance there will be a bilateral ceasefire or peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine by March 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Candace Owens Claims France Hired Team to Assassinate Her
U.S. right-wing commentator Candace Owens claimed Saturday that, allegedly according to a French government insider, the Macrons hired the elite National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN) and an Israeli to assassinate her, adding that French journalist Xavier Poussard was also threatened.
Owens argued that the "L'Elysees palace," referring to President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, won't deny her allegations because they're "TRUE." She added she has evidence and even names, framing the alleged plot as an attack on citizens "for speech."
Owens claimed the payments for the operation, allegedly totalling $1.5 million, flowed through the Club des Cent, an exclusive gastronomic society whose members meet weekly at top Paris restaurants. She claimed both a French female assassin and a male Israeli assassin were selected for the mission.
Establishment-critical narrative
Candace Owens, who has been verifiably threatened by governments before, including the U.S. government, should be taken seriously. Not only does Macron have a motive to kill her, but the way he allegedly plotted to do so, through the Club des Cent, is plausible, as it's long been a secret meeting place for the country's most powerful elites to decide government policies.
Pro-establishment narrative
Candace Owens, who was sued by the Macrons for falsely claiming Brigitte is a man, is an unreliable source whose popularity comes from years of pushing outrageous conspiracy theories about France, Israel and countless other topics. Through her bad-faith rhetoric, she now wants people to believe that a food-tasting club is working with the government to kill her.
Novo Nordisk Shares Plunge as Alzheimer's Drug Trials Fail
Novo Nordisk announced on Monday that its semaglutide drug failed to slow Alzheimer's disease progression in two Phase 3 trials called EVOKE and EVOKE+, which enrolled 3,808 patients aged 55 to 85 with early-stage symptomatic Alzheimer's disease.
The trials tested Rybelsus, an oral formulation of semaglutide approved for Type 2 diabetes, using the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale to assess changes in memory and daily functioning over a 2-year period, aiming to reduce cognitive decline by 20%.
While semaglutide treatment showed improvements in Alzheimer's disease-related biomarkers in both trials, these improvements did not translate into delayed disease progression, leading Novo to discontinue the planned one-year extension study.
Narrative A
Novo Nordisk's Alzheimer's drug failure is a devastating blow that wiped $20 billion from the company's market value in a single day. The Danish drugmaker desperately needed this win after a year of sliding shares and slowing sales, but its own executives called it a "lottery ticket" that turned out to be worthless. This massive 10% stock plunge shows investors have lost confidence in Novo's ability to escape the quicksand it's stuck in.
Narrative B
The semaglutide trial failure actually reinforces the drug's potential for preventing Alzheimer's before symptoms appear. Real-world data consistently show people on GLP-1 drugs have lower dementia risk over many years, while these trials only lasted two years on patients with established disease. The biomarker improvements suggest that this class of drugs could reshape the course of neurodegeneration when used earlier.
Narrative C
It's a very bad day for Alzheimer's treatment research. Hopes had been high for J&J's tau-targeting antibody, seen by many as a potential breakthrough after years of setbacks in the field. Its disappointing outcome underscores how difficult it remains to slow or halt this complex disease. For patients, families and clinicians, the news is another painful reminder of the urgent need for drugs that truly change the course of Alzheimer's.
Nerd narrative
There's a 48% chance that a partial reprogramming-based therapy will receive regulatory approval for treating Alzheimer's disease before Jan. 1, 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Reports: DOGE Was Disbanded Early
Reuters reported over the weekend that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) disbanded with eight months remaining on its mandate, according to Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor, who stated the entity no longer exists as a centralized organization.
But in a social media post, Amy Gleason, DOGE's acting administrator, reposted an item saying that "the executive order establishing" DOGE "is still in effect" and that Reuters' report is "media misinformation."
DOGE was established in January through an executive order that was scheduled to last until July 2026. Billionaire Elon Musk initially led the initiative to reduce government spending and eliminate federal positions. He left the administration in May.
Republican narrative
DOGE's early disbandment proves the mission was accomplished faster than expected. The principles of deregulation, eliminating waste and making efficiency a priority have been successfully catalyzed and will now be institutionalized across agencies forever. The work continues through established government offices and should remain as aggressive as it was under Elon Musk.
Democratic narrative
As opposed to what it claimed it would accomplish and then actually got done, all DOGE did was ruin faith in cost-efficient government, civil servants' reputations, breakthrough scientific research and the lives of millions of the world's poor. It also protected Musk from having his companies regulated while costing U.S. taxpayers dearly.
Judge Dismisses Comey, James Indictments
U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie dismissed criminal indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday, ruling that interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan was unlawfully appointed.
Halligan, a former insurance lawyer with no prosecutorial experience, was appointed by President Donald Trump after Erik Siebert was forced out allegedly for resisting pressure to prosecute Comey and James, with Halligan acting alone to present cases to grand juries.
Currie ruled that federal law limits interim U.S. attorneys to 120-day appointments, and since Siebert's term had already expired, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi lacked authority to install successive interim prosecutors without Senate confirmation.
Anti-Trump narrative
Trump's revenge prosecutions against his political enemies have finally been exposed as lawless power grabs. By rushing to bring the case against Comey, which itself showed the political nature of the case, the president installed a completely unqualified loyalist to prosecute critics after career prosecutors refused. Trump circumvented constitutional requirements and weaponized the justice system.
Pro-Trump narrative
These prosecutions were absolutely legitimate cases derailed by legal technicalities. A Clinton-appointed judge dismissed valid indictments against two vocal Trump critics on procedural grounds, allowing them to escape accountability for serious charges, ironically including fraud, which James falsely accused Trump of doing. Once appealed, these criminals will be indicted again.
Nerd narrative
There's a 10% chance that the Department of Justice will announce an investigation or prosecution of a Democrat who served as president, vice president, congressional leader, whip or impeachment manager before Jan. 1, 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
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