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Some fire alarms failed in deadly Hong Kong high-rise fire Hong Kong firefighters found dozens more bodies Friday during an intensive search of a high-rise tower complex, after a massive fire engulfed seven of its eight buildings. The death toll in one of the city’s deadliest blazes is now at least 128. Read more. What to know: Andy Yeung, the director of Hong Kong Fire Services, said that first responders found that some fire alarms in the complex were not functioning and that there could be legal consequences. The fire started midafternoon Wednesday in one of the complex’s eight towers, jumping rapidly from one to the next as bamboo scaffolding covered in netting in place for renovations caught fire. It took firefighters some 24 hours to bring the blaze under control. Three men — the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company — have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, and police said company leaders were suspected of gross negligence. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: Residents take shelter in Hong Kong community centre after deadly high-rise fire

Trump vows to ‘permanently pause’ migration from poor nations in anti-immigrant social media screed President Donald Trump vowed on Thanksgiving to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations in a blistering late-night, anti-immigrant screed posted to social media. It came in the wake of the Wednesday shooting of two National Guard members. The suspect entered the U.S. in 2021 through a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, officials said. Read more. What to know: The president said on Truth Social that “most” foreign-born U.S. residents “are on welfare, from failed nations, or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels” as he blamed them for crime across the country that is predominantly committed by U.S. citizens. A study by economists initially released in 2023 found immigrants are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than people born in the U.S. Immigrants have been imprisoned at lower rates for 150 years, the study found, adding to past research undermining Trump’s claims. Trump pledged to “terminate” millions of admissions to the country made during the term of his predecessor, Joe Biden. He also wants to end federal benefits and subsidies for noncitizens, denaturalize people “who undermine domestic tranquility” and deport foreign nationals deemed “non-compatible with Western Civilization.” RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump criticizes the program that brought Afghan refugees to the US who fought the Taliban Refugee groups worry about backlash after shooting of National Guard soldiers in DC A look at the National Guard presence since Trump sent troops to Washington in August 2 Virginia brothers allegedly plotted to kill ICE agents, Homeland Security says Court transcripts show Border Patrol official Greg Bovino dodging questions about use of force Federal judge expands access to bond hearings for detained immigrants nationwide Sons of Virginia Giuffre, who accused Andrew and Epstein of abuse, seek control of her estate Judges allow North Carolina to use a map drawn in bid to give Republicans another US House seat West Virginia parents can cite religious beliefs to opt out of school vaccines, judge says Trump administration says lower prices for 15 Medicare drugs will save taxpayers billions ‘Rush Hour 4' will be distributed by Paramount after Trump’s reported request America will celebrate its 250th birthday next year. There’s a commemorative ornament for it Gary Walters worked in the White House for 37 years. Here’s what the chief usher saw

Trump Gives Jaw-Dropping Answer on Attending Slain National Guard Member’s Funeral Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom was shot and killed in the attack in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump responded to a question about whether he will attend the funeral of a National Guard member killed in Washington, D.C., by bragging about his electoral success in her home state. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was fatally shot just blocks from the White House. Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, was also shot and is in critical condition. Asked Thursday if he plans to attend Beckstrom’s funeral, Trump said he “hadn’t given it any thought, but it sounds like something I could do.” “I love West Virginia,” he said from his Mar-a-Lago resort of Beckstrom’s home state. “You know, I won West Virginia by one of the biggest margins of any president anywhere. These are great people. I love the people of West Virginia.” Beckstrom and Wolfe were ambushed near Farragut Square, just blocks from the White House, while on deployment with the West Virginia National Guard as part of Trump’s move to take over law enforcement in the capital. After she was hospitalized in critical condition, Beckstrom’s father Gary Beckstrom told a New York Times reporter, “I’m holding her hand right now. She has a mortal wound. It’s not going to be a recovery.” Trump said Thursday he had learned Beckstrom had succumbed to her injuries. He called her a “highly respected, young, magnificent person” who was “outstanding in every way” before launching into an attack on his predecessor Joe Biden. Officials arrested a suspect at the scene who has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national who served in an anti-Taliban paramilitary force supported by the CIA. Lakanwal was granted entry into the U.S. in 2021 during a Biden-era program for Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover and granted asylum by the Trump administration in April. Officials allege that he drove across the country from Washington State to carry out the attack, The New York Times reported, though a suspected motive has not been released. https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-gives-jaw-dropping-answer-on-attending-slain-national-guard-member-sarah-beckstroms-funeral/?

Trump, 79, Derails Troop Call With Bonkers Rant About His Golf Record The president spent Thanksgiving bragging about being better at golf than Joe Biden. President Donald Trump veered off the fairway into the rough after being asked during a Thanksgiving call with troops just how good he is at golf. In a livestreamed call Thursday with troops from bases around the world, Trump was asked his true golf handicap and if he and former President Joe Biden are ever going to play a round. Trump claimed he had invited Biden, but he never showed up, but dodged the question about his own golf handicap except to suggest it was far better than his predecessor’s. In an extended brag, he also insisted that his dozens of tournament wins were all “legitimate.” Trump has gone golfing on nearly 25 percent of the days he’s been back in office, according to a website that tracks his time on the green. He golfed through it over the summer while his administration was taking heat from his own supporters for failing to release the Jeffrey Epstein files and again this fall during the record-long government shutdown. Asked about his handicap during the Thanksgiving call—after bluntly breaking the news that a National Guard member shot near the White House had died—Trump rambled off into a defense of his golfing record. “I know a lot about golf. I’ve won 38 club championships, and I don’t get to practice much. I won one last year,” he said. “I won a club championship at a big club, beating a 27-year-old kid. I said, ‘You know, I’m decades older than you.’ But I said, ‘The fairway doesn’t know how old you are as you walk up the middle and he’s in the rough.’ And, uh, I’ve been a good golfer over the years.” He didn’t say what his handicap is, describing it only as “very low.” The president has been dogged for years by accusations that he cheats at his favorite pastime by kicking balls from the rough into the fairway, instructing his caddies to throw opponents’ balls into bunkers, and awarding himself numerous “gimme putts,” according to The Times of London. He also regularly claims to “win” tournaments at his own clubs, including competitions where he has skipped rounds or where nobody has seen him play, The Palm Beach Post reported. During his Thanksgiving call, Trump insisted that all of his tournament wins had been “legitimate” and then launched into a rant about Biden. “A lot of people talk, but they can’t play, like Biden. Biden can’t hit a ball 30 yards. I’m telling you, I looked at his swing. He cannot hit a ball 30 yards. He said he was a 6-handicapped. He said—that was the only thing that made me angry during the debate with him—he said he was a 6. I said, ‘You’re not a 6.’ And he said, ‘Well, I’m an 8.’ I said, ‘That was quick. I picked up 2.’ But he’s not 100.” During the 2024 debate, Trump and Biden sparred over the former president’s golf handicap, which Biden said was previously an 8 but that he’d gotten down to a 6 while he was serving as vice president under Barack Obama. Golf pros who analyzed footage of Trump’s swing told the Daily Beast in August that Trump’s game was above average and impressive for a man in his late seventies, but that it wasn’t champion-level play. https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-79-derails-troop-call-with-bonkers-rant-about-his-golf-record/?

Donald Trump Uses Shocking Slur in Late-Night Thanksgiving Message The president dropped the offensive word in a rant against being “politically correct.” Donald Trump used a late-night Thanksgiving message to deploy an offensive slur against a political rival before announcing he wants to pause migration from all “Third World Countries.” Trump began his rambling post with a happy Thanksgiving greeting, but it quickly devolved into an anti-immigration ragepost, blaming “American Citizens and Patriots who have been so nice in allowing our Country to be divided, disrupted, carved up.” Trump said he would “permanently pause migration” from “all Third World Countries” in the wake of the fatal shooting in Washington, D.C., in which the suspected gunman is an Afghan national. The 79-year-old was also fuming about a familiar talking point—Somalia—when he used the slur against Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Complaining on Truth Social about America being “Politically Correct” over immigration policies, the president then circled back on his plans to terminate the temporary protected status for Somalis in Minnesota. The president had earlier in the evening told reporters that “Somalians have caused a lot of trouble,” and ”We’re not taking their people anymore. We’re getting a lot of their people out because they’re nothing but trouble.” Last week, Trump claimed Minnesota is a “hub of fraudulent money laundering activity” and said he wanted the Somalis living there sent “back to where they came from.” Trump wrote on Thursday that there were “hundreds of thousands” of refugees from Somalia, “completely taking over” Minnesota. “Somalian gangs are roving the streets looking for ‘prey’ as our wonderful people stay locked in their apartments and houses hoping against hope that they will be left alone,” Trump claimed. “The seriously ret---ed Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both,” Trump wrote. Walz reposted Trump’s offensive post on his X account, adding the caption “Release the MRI results.” Since Trump admitted he had an MRI scan at his medical check-up last month, but did not say what the scan was for, debate has raged about the president’s cognitive decline. Not content with insulting Walz, Trump then unleashed on Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar, who was born in Somalia but has lived in the U.S. for 30 years. The president labeled her “the worst ‘Congressman/woman’ in our Country” and said she was “always wrapped in her swaddling hijab.” He claimed Omar “does nothing but hatefully complain about our Country... and how ‘badly’ she is treated,” calling her “place of origin” a “decadent, backward, and crime ridden nation.” The Daily Beast has contacted Walz’s and Omar’s offices for comment. Trump has blamed former President Joe Biden’s immigration policy for the arrival of the Afghan national who is the suspect in Wednesday’s fatal shooting in Washington, D.C. The suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is an Afghan man who has lived in Washington since 2021 after fleeing the Taliban takeover of the country. CNN reported that he had “applied for asylum in 2024, and it was granted by the Trump administration in April 2025.” During a press conference on Thursday, Trump called a female reporter “stupid” when she said his Department of Justice this year reported there had been “thorough vetting” by the DHS and FBI of Afghans who had entered the U.S. When directly asked if the suspect was granted asylum under his watch, Trump dodged the question, saying, “When it comes to asylum, when they’re flown in, it’s very hard to get them out, no matter how you want to do it’s very hard to get them out, but we’re going to be getting them all out.” Trump’s Thursday night Truth Social screed followed suit, adding that America and “certain other foolish countries” were being “just plain STUPID” when it comes to immigration. Claiming that most immigrants in the U.S. are on “welfare, from failed nations or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels,” Trump said they were being supported through “massive” welfare payments from “patriotic” Americans, “who, because of their beautiful hearts, do not want to openly complain or cause trouble in any way, shape, or form.” Trump then made his threat to “permanently pause migration” from all Third World countries, claiming it would “allow the U.S. system to fully recover.” Trump also said his administration planned to “deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.” He noted that “only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation.” Earlier on Thursday, Trump ordered a review of all green card holders who came from “countries of concern.” “I have directed a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern,” Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Joseph Edlow said Thursday afternoon in a statement on X. The Trump appointee stated, “The protection of this country and of the American people remains paramount, and the American people will not bear the cost of the prior administration’s reckless resettlement policies. American safety is non-negotiable.” Trump’s Thursday post ended with the line, “Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won’t be here for long!” https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-uses-shocking-slur-in-late-night-thanksgiving-message/?

November 28, 2025 Good morning. We hope you’re all recovering from Thanksgiving. For Black Friday, I’m handing off today’s newsletter to Kailyn Rhone, a business reporter tracking a surprising trend among Gen Z shoppers. — Sam But first, here’s what’s going on today: One of the National Guard members shot in Washington has died. Our reporters are digging into the suspect’s life. And the death toll from a fire in Hong Kong has risen to at least 128 people. Plus, the pope is in Turkey on his first international trip. We’ll get to all of that, and more, below. Ella Henry inspired her family to thrift. Brett Carlsen for The New York Times What Gen Z buys By Kailyn Rhone I cover retail and personal finance. Last year, Ella Henry bought all her holiday gifts secondhand. Henry, a 21-year-old student at Western Kentucky University, wanted to save money. But she ended up loving the hunt and the surprise of finding things she’d never see in a regular store. This year, her family took inspiration from her: All their Secret Santa gifts must be purchased secondhand. Today, on Black Friday, many Gen Z shoppers won’t be scouring luxury stores or big-box aisles for their gifts. Instead, they are turning to thrift stores, consignment shops and resale apps. About 86 percent of Gen Z-ers say they’re more likely to purchase a secondhand holiday gift this year than they would have been, according to a report from eBay. One reason is money. Gen Z-ers’ holiday spending this year is expected to fall 23 percent, according to recent research, so a used sweater from a big brand that costs less and lasts longer feels like a win. But it’s not just about saving cash. The shoppers in this cohort — age 13 to 28 — are after pieces with character. They grew up on social media, where influencers made thrifting look fun, stylish and deeply personal. Now they want something unique. Something with a story. Something you can’t find in a mall window. Tracking a trend Ike Abakah for The New York Times This didn’t happen overnight. Pandemic lockdowns “absolutely accelerated” the trend, said Danielle Vermeer, the head of product at ThredUp, an online secondhand marketplace. Young people scrolled TikTok and saw environmental and labor critiques of fast fashion. They missed going places, doing something tactile and finding joy offline. When infections slowed, thrifting delivered all of that: sustainability, nostalgia, community and a reason to leave the house again. Social media helped. Thrift hauls, closet clean-outs and $20 thrift store challenges rack up millions of views. The chief executives of BaseCamp Franchising, the parent company of resale firms, said teens show up in stores and film the entire outing. There’s a flood of posts tagged #Thriftmas and #ThriftHaul. No wonder Gen Z buyers have increased in the last year at Goodwill and the RealReal (a luxury resale marketplace). Sellers are there, too, offering up their own clothes for extra spending money. “I’ve been thrifting for over 20 years, and it was definitely not cool when I was a teenager,” Vermeer said. “That’s the energy Gen Z brings to secondhand.” Throwback fashion Hannah Moffitt, 25, is a content creator. Ike Abakah for The New York Times Another impetus is the return of older styles. Jasmine Simpson, a 25-year-old social media specialist, loves discovering clothes and jewelry in Brooklyn that channel the early 2000s — think TLC, Destiny’s Child, old-school denim or anything that looks as if it could’ve been in a music video. Her favorite score? A fur coat for $40. Last Christmas, her sister gave her secondhand Chanel shoes for around $325, and this year she wants to return the favor. She’ll start her hunt online this weekend and then, if nothing turns up, shift to brick-and-mortar thrift stores. For years, Hannah Moffitt, a 25-year-old content creator in Hartford, Conn., took a dim view of thrifting. Her local Goodwill never had clothes in her size, and the store felt messy, she said. But a spontaneous trip to Savers with her fiancé, who grew up loving secondhand stores, changed her view. Now she shops mostly secondhand or from small businesses, and her gift list has shifted, too. Last year, she split her holiday shopping between thrift stores and big-box stores. This year, she wants to go fully secondhand — right down to the wrapping paper and the boxes. She and her fiancé even plan to thrift their wedding décor. “One man’s trash is another’s treasure,” she said. For more How well do you know Black Friday? Take our quiz. Prices are higher and the job market is weakening, but holiday spending could keep the economy humming. BLACK FRIDAY DEALS You’re going to be bombarded with sales today. Many of them are balderdash. According to Wirecutter, most Black Friday deals are overhyped discounts on mediocre products. What gives? Well, retailers often manipulate the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, or M.S.R.P., to exaggerate discounts, especially during Black Friday. Wirecutter journalists track prices all year so they can compare today’s “deal” prices against what you would pay normally, without price manipulation. They have already scrutinized nearly 185,000 supposed Black Friday discounts, and only about 1,700 — that’s less than 1 percent — have gotten the seal of approval. You can find the deals that meet this high bar here. And no product is even considered unless it has been tested and approved by Wirecutter’s experts. They’re working today to find the best deals in their areas of expertise. Read about: The best deals on makeup and skin care. The best deals Apple products (which rarely go on sale). Deals on Wirecutter’s favorite luggage and travel gear. And everything Wirecutter journalists are thinking of buying for themselves. Let us help you: For an upcoming edition of The Morning, Wirecutter’s gifting editor will help readers find presents for people who are impossible to shop for. Send us your gifting conundrums here. THE LATEST NEWS National Guard Shooting Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director. Eric Lee for The New York Times Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was the National Guard member who died yesterday after being shot in Washington. President Trump called her family. The other service member is in critical condition. The suspect in the shooting was raised in a village in Afghanistan. He later served the U.S. military in a unit that worked with the C.I.A. and was focused on clandestine missions. Human rights groups described such units as “death squads.” A childhood friend of the suspect said that he had suffered from mental health issues and was disturbed by the casualties his unit had caused. Trump is using the shooting to spread suspicion of refugees. Hong Kong Fire Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong. Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times The death toll in the fire at the Wang Fuk Court apartment towers is at least 128, and hope of finding survivors has dwindled. Many residents of the densely packed high-rises are still unaccounted for. They are believed to have been trapped on the upper floors of the buildings. Survivors said they had no warnings, and some barely escaped in time. War in Ukraine European leaders were blindsided by Trump’s proposal to end the war in Ukraine. They scrambled to have a say in it. A property tied to Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff and Ukraine’s lead negotiator on the peace plan was searched as part of a sweeping corruption investigation. More International News Pope Leo in Ankara, Turkey. Diego Ibarra Sanchez for The New York Times Pope Leo will meet with the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Turkey, an attempt to bridge ancient divides. See images from his first international trip. Canada eased environmental laws to allow a new oil pipeline in Alberta. The Louvre will raise ticket prices by 45 percent for tourists from outside the European Economic Area, including Americans, to help fund an overhaul of the museum. People in Britain think immigration is up, but it’s actually way down. OPINIONS The shooting of two National Guard members in Washington is a uniquely American tragedy. Political violence has become alarmingly regular in the U.S., the editorial board writes. Fifty years after the death of Gen. Francisco Franco, the far-right Spanish dictator, he has become punk — a sign of rebellion. Schools should do better to show who he really was, Paco Cerdà writes. Morning readers: Save on the complete Times experience. Experience all of The Times, all in one subscription — all with this introductory offer. You’ll gain unlimited access to news and analysis, plus games, recipes, product reviews and more. MORNING READS In 1958. Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos, via Getty Images Throwback: The transportation secretary is longing for the “golden age” of air travel — fewer sweats, more decorum. What did that look like? Talk it out: Six women in their 70s have been friends for decades. Read how they’ve stayed close. Still in N.Y.C.? People are gone, so it’s easier to get a restaurant booking. A debate: The Michelin Guides honored the Philly cheesesteak. But not all Philadelphians cheered. Love, again: At 90 and 83, they got married after a whirlwind romance. “Slow food”: Skye Gyngell was a London-based chef who pioneered a sustainable cooking movement and was the first Australian woman to be awarded a Michelin star. She died at 62. TODAY’S NUMBER $275 — That’s about how much a 30-day supply of Ozempic will cost under the Trump administration’s new, lower Medicare drug prices. The current list price is about $1,000. SPORTS N.F.L.: Joe Burrow returned after an injury and led the Cincinnati Bengals to a win over the Baltimore Ravens in his first start since Week 2. In other Thanksgiving Day action, the Dallas Cowboys rallied past the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Green Bay Packers earned a huge road win in Detroit. N.F.L.: Post Malone paid tribute to the late Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland during his halftime performance at the Cowboys-Chiefs game. JANE AUSTEN FANDOM Caroline Gutman for The New York Times Jane Austen is about to turn 250 years old. And her most ardent fans (known as “Janeites,” a term itself coined some 130 years ago) are going bananas for her upcoming birthday party. There are Austen-themed parades, jamborees and exhibits galore. In her native England, the festivities will culminate in the Yuletide Jane Austen Birthday Ball on Dec. 13. (Tickets are already sold out.) But the vastness of the Austen-industrial complex means that if you want to show your love for her, you can, Sarah Lyall writes. Sarah’s reporting took her to Bath, England, and Baltimore. She also saw two exhibits and two plays; re-read six novels; purchased a handbag made to look like a copy of “Pride and Prejudice”; and tried on a Regency bonnet. More on culture Charli XCX Amir Hamja for The New York Times Charli XCX released a new song recently to accompany the movie “Wuthering Heights.” Our music critic Lindsay Zoladz thinks you should listen to it, like, right now. Apple TV pulled its series “The Hunt” days before it was scheduled to debut, after its director was accused of plagiarizing key elements of the show from a little-known 1973 novel. The authorities in Vienna have ordered the seizure of a rediscovered painting of an African prince by Gustav Klimt because Hungary said it had been improperly exported. John Tesh, the composer of the N.B.A. theme song “Roundball Rock,” has also been a musician, host, sports commentator and author. He also sells prayer courses on his website. Read how he keeps bouncing back into American culture. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Kia Damon’s turkey fried rice. Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Kaitlin Wayne. Make turkey fried rice with your leftovers. Watch the documentary “Teenage Wasteland.” It has it all — high school journos who outdo the pros; environmental advocates who press polluters; an oddball teacher who leaves a mark on his pupils, according to our critic Ben Kenigsberg. Take our news quiz — this week, it’s a special edition on the year in food news. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was centipede. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Correction: Yesterday’s newsletter incorrectly stated that the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys always play each other on Thanksgiving. Both teams always play on Thanksgiving; they just don’t play each other. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Host: Sam Sifton Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Brent Lewis, Lara McCoy, Karl Russell News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Editorial Director, Newsletters: Jodi Rudoren

THIS DAY IN HISTORY November 28 1520 Ferdinand Magellan reaches the Pacific After sailing through the dangerous straits below South America that now bear his name, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan enters the Pacific Ocean with three ships, becoming the first European explorer to reach the Pacific from the Atlantic. On September 20, 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain... read more Sponsored Content by REVCONTENT 1970s 1973 Arab American autoworkers lead walkout at Chrysler’s Dodge Main plant 1979 Plane crashes over Antarctica Arts & Entertainment 1582 William Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway 1925 The Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting Crime 1987 Tawana Brawley found with slurs scrawled on her body 1994 Jeffrey Dahmer murdered in prison European History 1919 Lady Astor becomes MP Inventions & Science 1895 Duryea Motor Wagon wins first car race in U.S. U.S. Presidents 1943 FDR attends Tehran Conference World War I 1914 New York Stock Exchange resumes bond trading

World Leader Absolutely Rips Trump’s Social Media ‘Insults’ The U.S. president has continued to make wild claims about the country. President Donald Trump warned South Africa that it will not be invited to next year’s G20 summit in Miami after what he perceived to be a snub against the United States. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa quickly clapped back, calling Trump’s salty social media post “regrettable.” On Wednesday, Trump, 79, repeated his claim that a white “genocide” was taking place in South Africa, promoting a debunked right-wing conspiracy theory. He also said he was offended by a protocol dispute at the G20 summit held in Johannesburg last week. The meeting was attended by leaders from Japan, China, Australia, France, South Korea, Canada, Brazil, Turkey, and other countries. But while the U.S. is usually present, Trump refused to attend or to send any White House officials to the event. “It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa,” he wrote in a post on Nov. 7. “No U.S. Government Official will attend as long as these Human Rights abuses continue.” In a G20 tradition, President Ramaphosa declared the event closed by banging a gavel on a block. The gavel is then traditionally handed over to the leader of the next country to hold the rotating presidency. The White House instead attempted to send a staffer from its South African embassy to accept the gavel handover. However, South African officials felt handing the gavel to a junior diplomat was an insult and a breach of protocol. Trump posted, “At the conclusion of the G20, South Africa refused to hand off the G20 Presidency to a Senior Representative from our U.S. Embassy, who attended the Closing Ceremony.” He added, “Therefore, at my direction, South Africa will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20, which will be hosted in the Great City of Miami, Florida next year. South Africa has demonstrated to the World they are not a country worthy of Membership anywhere, and we are going to stop all payments and subsidies to them, effective immediately.” Ramaphosa posted a lengthy statement on X, saying, “As the United States was not present at the summit, instruments of the G20 Presidency were duly handed over to a US Embassy official at the Headquarters of South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation.” He said while the U.S. was expected to participate in all the G20 meetings, it elected not to attend the summit in Johannesburg of its “own volition.” The president added, “South Africa is a sovereign constitutional democratic country and does not appreciate insults from another country about its membership and worth in participating in global platforms.” Ramaphosa said that South Africa would “never insult or demean another country or its standing and worthiness in the community of nations.” His statement ended by noting it was “regrettable” that despite “numerous attempts” to reset South Africa’s diplomatic relationship with the U.S., “President Trump continues to apply punitive measures against South Africa based on misinformation and distortions about our country.” In his Truth Social post, Trump claimed America’s absence from the G20 was because the South African government “refuses to acknowledge or address” Human Rights abuses endured by Afrikaners, and other descendants of Dutch, French, and German colonists. “To put it more bluntly,” Trump said, “they are killing white people, and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them.” It is the latest move in the ongoing feud Trump has with South Africa over his claims they are discriminating against the white population of the country. When Ramaphosa met with Trump at the White House in May, he played the president a video of what he claimed were the burial grounds of white farmers allegedly killed by Black South Africans trying to take their land. Trump then confronted Ramaphosa with unsubstantiated claims that South Africa’s Black-led government is anti-white and perpetrating a “white genocide” against local farmers—while Elon Musk, the South African-born billionaire, stood on the sidelines of the Oval Office. “Have they told you where that is, Mr. President?” Ramaphosa said in response to the claims. “I’d like to know where that is, because this I’ve never seen.” Fact-checkers later established that the footage Trump played didn’t actually show the “burial sites” of “over a thousand” white farmers. The white crosses on display had been temporarily erected as a memorial to a white farming couple shot dead on their premises in 2020. Trump claimed the “Fake News Media” were not covering the “genocide.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/world-leader-lashes-regrettable-trump-post-after-g20-snub/?

That and the cellphones, the young people rarely pull their gaze away to even think on doing good for others, as they check to see what the 'latest' is in fashion, fads, or face creams to say the least, or ways to get more worldly possessions for themselves...

The dirt speaks, the rocks hum, and the gospel goes live from a pile of melted sand. The children were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” The priests hated it. That’s always the way with the truth. People in […] The post The Silicon Prophets: When the Children Go Silent and the Rocks Start Preaching appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Thanksgiving is a time when families come together. But for many immigrant families across the United States, a knock at the door could mean separation instead of reunion. It’s hard to give thanks when you’re afraid to answer the door. […] The post “Before the Knock” Video Offers Urgent Advice on Immigration Enforcement appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

By Michael Peabody Scandal Before It BeganShe was young. A girl, really. Barely old enough to carry a child, let alone carry the weight of scandal. Mary knew what had happened. She knew the angel’s words, the promise from heaven, […] The post Born Under Judgment: The Scandalous Birth and Triumph of Mercy appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Churches seeking exceptions should tread carefully. When everything becomes a right, the system stops working. There’s a quiet strategy playing out in the case of Dad’s Place in Bryan, Ohio — and in courtrooms across the country. When regulatory pressure […] The post Shortcuts and Shields: Why Legal Workarounds Threaten the Longevity of Religious Freedom appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Letter calling for withdrawal from UN consultative status raises important questions but needs fuller understanding of what that status actually involves On November 19, 2025, a group of Seventh-day Adventist members submitted a letter to leaders of the General Conference […] The post Church at the Crossroads: Why Adventist Engagement with the United Nations Deserves Careful Study, Not Sudden Exit appeared first on ReligiousLiberty.TV / Founders' First Freedom® - News and Updates on Religious Liberty and Freedom. View the full article

Interesting. Thank you for posting this. Yes, the free services are not free. Data brokers today are having a field day.

As an old guy, I never remember seeing this behavior prior to 2000s. I wonder if the Internet has caused/contributed to this?

I want to read that. Thank you for posting this.

Trump says he wants to ‘permanently pause’ migration to the US from poorer countries WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump says he wants to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations and is promising to seek to expel millions of immigrants from the United States by revoking their legal status. He is blaming immigrants for problems from crime to housing shortages as part of “social dysfunction” in America and demanding “REVERSE MIGRATION.” https://apnews.com/article/trump-national-guard-shooting-migration-17bc0655f4544cc702623574ed08eb62? ps:This is exactly what he was hoping for and fortunately it was not anyone living in DC, but from out of town from what I can gather!!

🎗️ Charities brace for rough holiday Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios As rising prices and fallout from the government shutdown squeeze Americans' budgets, many are unable to give back this holiday season — and charities are feeling the strain, Axios' Julianna Bragg reports. 🪙 The Salvation Army will need to surpass last year's roughly $100 million total to help the 28 million Americans it serves, national community relations and development secretary Dale Bannon tells Axios. 🧥 One Warm Coat, which provides outerwear to people in need nationwide, saw a nearly 25% increase in nonprofits applying for coats through the program this year. In Feeding America's most recent survey of partner food banks, 95% reported equal or higher demand in October versus September. The data reveals "the shock that the shutdown caused for neighbors needing food assistance and the food banks and agencies working to provide support," says Monica Lopez Gonzalez, the group's chief marketing and communications officer. Go deeper.

From the article: AT: What is your hope for your ministry moving forward? SG: I hope that through me, people can get the chance to really get to know a queer person as a person first, and maybe open their minds and hearts to others in the process. When they already know you, it is harder to judge a book by its cover because they already know that the content of the pages are filled with actual humanity. I hope that our churches become places where queer, gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, and intersex people can feel at home, loved, and accepted. Where we can openly live our partnerships, and dress and present the way we want, just as our heterosexual siblings are able to.

I have a lot!!!! of nieces and nephews on Facebook and they all refer to me the same way. Recently I was hospitalized twice for several days at a time. Heard from the clan and this is how I was addressed. I now have numerous credit card offers addressed to Auntie Bonnie.. The mock up card they send as a sample carries the name Auntie Bonnie. American Express offers Auntie Bonnie a business card up to 20,000. Just for kick I am so tempted.auntiethumbnail.jfif thumbnailbbb.jfif

Inside the White House meeting that launched Ukraine peace talks Skyline of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday. Photo: Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images President Trump kickstarted the latest peace talks in Ukraine last week after Vice President Vance, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, made the case that a new 28-point plan could bring a breakthrough, administration officials tell Axios' Marc Caputo. Why it matters: Their White House meeting on Nov. 18 — unreported until now — laid the groundwork for the talks in Geneva last weekend that have given the administration more hope than ever of stopping the war. In the talks, U.S. and Ukrainian officials narrowed a list of 28 conditions in the proposed peace plan to 20 items, and reached substantive agreement on 18. A senior administration official said the other two points haven't been discussed publicly "because they're delicate issues." Those two issues are likely Ukrainian territorial concessions to the invading Russians and security guarantees for Ukraine to deter more Russian aggression. During the White House strategy meeting, Trump recommended that U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, a friend of Vance's, take the proposal to Ukraine because he already was planning to visit Kyiv to assess its fighting capabilities and spirit, another source said. "It was Dan Driscoll's role, basically, to take an honest assessment of where their military situation stood by interacting directly with their military," the official said. "One of the hardest things to judge is the will to fight." 🥊 Friction point: When Rubio flew to Geneva over the weekend to hammer out more details of the plan with Ukraine, it helped trigger an explosion of online chatter and news articles that claimed there was a divide between Vance and Rubio on Ukraine. Rubio took to X on Tuesday night to dispute a story about a "rift" with Vance, writing: "These people don't just get things wrong, they literally make things up." One of the officials said: "There's this false narrative that there are two competing teams — this Marco Rubio pro-Ukraine team, and then there's JD Vance anti-Ukraine team. It's just not true. ... You can't survive here in this administration if you take that approach. There's only one team here." 🔎 Between the lines: Administration officials and advisers close to Vance and Rubio say the two have worked as a tag team throughout the process, a vestige of their time as friends and allies when they served together in the Senate. Their top staffers are friends and the two share an adviser, Andrew Baker.

Prolonging the Conflict View in browser Pay attention to the dates, because the timing matters. Steve Witkoff spoke with Yuri Ushakov, a Russian official, on October 14. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on October 17. Trump had been hinting that he would offer to sell Tomahawks, long-range cruise missiles, to the Ukrainian army. But he did not. Why not? Perhaps because Ushakov listened to Witkoff’s advice and persuaded Russian President Vladimir Putin to call Trump on October 16. Witkoff, in other words, may have helped block that sale. And that would make Witkoff responsible for prolonging the war. Let me back up and explain. Witkoff, a former real-estate developer, is supposed to be negotiating a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine. He is in theory acting on behalf of the United States but also on behalf of millions of people who want peace in Ukraine and security in Europe. Ushakov, a former Russian ambassador to the United States, has different interests: Like his boss, he wants Russia to win the war. A tape of the October 14 conversation has been leaked to Bloomberg. That’s how we know Witkoff suggested to Ushakov that Putin call Trump. He also offered advice about what Putin should say. The Russian leader should flatter Trump, of course, which is standard advice for speaking to the American president: “Compliment him on his great success in Gaza, congratulate the president on this achievement.” After that, Witkoff said, “It’s going to be a really good call.” Then, Witkoff advised, Putin should impress upon Trump this idea: “The Russian Federation has always wanted a peace deal. That’s my belief. I told the president I believe that.” Together, the two of them would cook up a peace plan, just like Trump’s recent Gaza peace plan. Ushakov gave Putin this advice. Putin followed it. How do we know? Because Putin did, in fact, call Trump, on October 16. The call lasted for more than two hours. Trump said the call was productive, and that the two leaders would soon meet, potentially in Budapest (which never happened). During his meeting with Zelensky on the following day, he did not offer Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. Instead, he became emotional and angry. In keeping with a long-standing Russian demand, Trump tried to persuade the Ukrainians to give up Ukrainian land in Donetsk province that they currently control—land that the Russians have not been able to conquer after more than a decade of fighting. This is what Putin wants: to obtain Ukrainian territory without fighting for it, to weaken Ukraine, and to use any temporary cease-fire as an opportunity to plan the next invasion. “With a single phone call,” one insider told Politico last month, “Putin appears to have changed President Trump’s mind on Ukraine once again.” This was Witkoff’s achievement. Working with another Kremlin insider, Kirill Dmitriev, he went on last week to propose the 28-point peace plan that could, if carried out, temporarily stop the fighting but position Russia to invade a weakened Ukraine at a later date. I’ve written this before, but it cannot be repeated often enough: This war will end only when Russia stops fighting. The Russians need to halt the invasion, recognize the sovereignty of Ukraine, and drop their imperial ambitions. Then Ukraine can discuss borders, prisoners, and the fate of thousands of kidnapped Ukrainian children. But the only way to persuade Russia to stop fighting is to put pressure on Russia. Not Ukraine, Russia. The Ukrainians have already said they will stop fighting and agree to a cease-fire right now, on the current lines of conflict. Yet Witkoff is seeking to persuade Trump not to put pressure on Russia, and we don’t really know why. Witkoff has no previous diplomatic experience, so perhaps he is naive. He spent many years in New York real estate, at a time when Russians were spending fortunes on property, so perhaps he feels gratitude. Maybe he’s helping Russia win because he has “the deepest respect for President Putin,” as he told Ushakov, and admires his brutality. Maybe he, or others in the White House entourage, have business interests tied to Russia—or hope to. In addition to discussing “peace,” Witkoff has also been, according to the document made public last week, talking with the Russians about American investments “in the areas of energy, natural resources, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, data centers, rare earth metal extraction projects in the Arctic.” Whatever the reason, Witkoff is prolonging the conflict. He is not promoting peace. His call to Ushakov was not, as Trump said last night, a normal negotiating tactic. Every time he intervenes, advocating for Putin’s positions, he encourages the Russians to think they can get Trump on their side, pull America away from Europe, break up NATO, and win the war. In other words, every time he intervenes on behalf of the Russians, he contributes to the deaths of Ukrainians, the attacks on infrastructure, the ongoing tragedy that affects millions of people. If this were a normal American administration, he would be fired immediately. But nothing about this negotiation, or this administration, is normal at all. Related: Trump’s real secretary of state The murky plan that ensures a future war