A Journalist’s Last Days in a Russian Prison, a North Dakotan in the News, and SCOTUS v Climate Reality
Monday, December 22 2025
Welcome to The Instrum-Intel Daily, where we break down what you need to know, and why, using What? So What? Now What?.
Jump to Section:
Politics • The Trump Administration • Climate • AI & Tech • Culture • What the Right is Reading • Etc.
Politics
Headline: ActBlue quietly sponsors progressive content creators | Semafor
What?
ActBlue is shifting its strategy to invest directly in the progressive media ecosystem by providing grant-like sponsorships to podcasters and digital media organizations.
So What?
This move signals a major shift toward sustainable, decentralized progressive infrastructure that progressive communicators can leverage.
Now What?
Watch for a wave of new progressive podcast launches in early 2026.
Headline: Vance Republicans Trump antisemitism | NYT
What?
JD Vance and other top Republicans are attempting to navigate the political fallout from Donald Trump's latest controversial remarks regarding antisemitism.
So What?
Highlights a growing fissure in the GOP coalition that progressive campaigners can use to frame the 'crisis and reputation' narrative.
Now What?
Watch for how the administration attempts to distract from internal divisions.
Headline: Algorithmic Optimism, Democratic Reality | Lawfare
What?
Lawfare reviews Bruce Schneier and Nathan E. Sanders' book arguing AI could enhance democracy but warns tech oligarchs are making unchecked decisions about deployment without meaningful regulation.
So What?
The concentration of AI power among unregulated tech elites threatens to amplify existing inequalities in political influence and erode democratic accountability before governments can respond.
Now What?
Watch for: State-level AI regulation attempts and tech industry responses; any movement on federal AI governance; reports on AI use in 2026 campaigns.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: 'They're attacking their own': DC Democrats irked by surge of left-wing challengers | CNN
What?
CNN reports over two dozen House Democrats face primary challenges from emboldened progressives demanding more aggressive opposition to Trump, with establishment figures warning this diverts resources from flipping GOP seats.
So What?
Intraparty battles over style versus substance threaten to fragment Democratic messaging and drain campaign funds ahead of 2026 midterms when the party needs unity to retake Congress.
Now What?
Watch for: Primary filing deadlines and candidate announcements; fundraising numbers showing resource allocation; polling in contested districts; statements from House leadership on primary spending.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: Viktoriia Roshchyna's last prison | Forbidden Stories
What?
Forbidden Stories reveals Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna spent her final days in Russia's Kizel prison before dying in September 2024, with new testimony showing systematic torture and her body returned with missing organs and a fractured hyoid bone.
So What?
Russia's documented pattern of abducting, torturing, and killing civilian journalists exposes the systematic erasure of press freedom and war crime evidence in occupied territories.
Now What?
Watch for: EU sanctions enforcement on named Russian prison officials; Ukrainian government pursuit of Hero of Ukraine medal for Roshchyna; international court proceedings on journalist killings; further investigations into missing organ cases.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: Investigating the Impact of US-Israeli Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Programme | Bellingcat
What?
Bellingcat investigation documents Israel's 12-day Operation Rising Lion targeting Iranian nuclear scientists and facilities, culminating in joint US-Israeli strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, with significant civilian casualties.
So What?
The escalation marks direct US military involvement in strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, reshaping Middle East security dynamics and raising questions about compliance with international law regarding civilian protection.
Now What?
Watch for: IAEA inspection reports on damage to Iranian nuclear facilities; Iranian retaliation patterns; congressional oversight hearings on US involvement; verification of claimed setbacks to Iran's nuclear program.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
The Trump Administration
Headline: Revealed: FBI opened domestic terrorism investigations into anti-ICE activity | The Guardian
What?
Leaked internal documents show the FBI has opened "domestic terrorism" cases in 23 regions targeting protests against ICE, classifying scrutiny of agents as a potential terror indicator.
So What?
This criminalizes standard advocacy tactics—like researching public officials or organizing rallies—and allows the state to deploy counter-terrorism tools against immigration activists.
Now What?
Watch for a wave of subpoenas targeting protest organizers in sanctuary cities; legal defense funds should prepare for "terrorism enhancement" charges.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: Phantom Threat | Hannah Gais | Thebaffler
What?
The article examines the Trump administration's framing of antifascist activists as a domestic terror threat through policies like NSPM-7 and explores the role of ressentiment in fueling right-wing authoritarianism and political violence in the U.S. as of mid-2025.
So What?
This analysis highlights how vague government rhetoric and policies targeting broad ideological categories threaten civil liberties and free dissent, while exposing the strategic use of grievance and revenge narratives by authoritarian movements that progressive campaigners must challenge.
Now What?
Observers should monitor legal, political, and social responses to NSPM-7 and similar policies, including advocacy from civil liberties groups and legislative critiques such as the October 2025 letter from Democratic lawmakers, with further context available from cultural and political theory on ressentiment and authoritarianism.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: Dismantling Defenses: Trump 2.0 Cyber Year in Review | KrebsOnSecurity
What?
Brian Krebs reports that the administration’s 2025 policy pivots, specifically National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 (NSPM-7), have directed intelligence agencies to target "anti-American" activity, effectively weaponizing cybersecurity apparatus against domestic dissent.
So What?
This confirms the administration is viewing digital privacy not as a right but as an obstacle to rooting out political opposition, complicating the operational security landscape for progressive NGOs.
Now What?
Expect the IRS and FBI to use "tax crime" justifications to demand encrypted data from nonprofits; review your organization's digital hygiene protocols immediately.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: NSPM-7: New federal strategy for countering domestic terrorism adds enforcement risks | DLA Piper
What?
Legal analysts at DLA Piper warn that Trump's September directive (NSPM-7) explicitly tasks the Treasury to "disrupt financial networks" of groups labeled as supporting political violence.
So What?
This provides the legal framework for the administration to freeze the assets of progressive nonprofits and fiscal sponsors without a trial, purely via administrative designation.
Now What?
Nonprofits must audit their grantmaking and donor data to preempt "material support" accusations; expect banks to de-risk by dropping advocacy accounts.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: 16 Epstein files, including Trump photo, disappear from DOJ website | Cenlanow
What?
Less than 24 hours after being posted, sixteen documents—including a photograph of President Trump with Jeffrey Epstein—were scrubbed from the Justice Department’s public reading room.
So What?
This overt revisionism of public records demonstrates the administration’s willingness to use the DOJ to erase inconvenient history and insulate the President from scrutiny.
Now What?
Monitor other federal archives (EPA, DOI) for similar data purges; data archivists should mirror public datasets immediately upon release.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: Trump officials restrict top ratings for staff across federal agencies | The Washington Post
What?
The administration has imposed a cap on positive performance reviews for federal employees, a move whistleblowers say is designed to justify mass firings of career civil servants.
So What?
This is the bureaucratic mechanism for the "purge": by artificially lowering ratings, the White House creates "cause" to fire non-loyalists and replace them with Schedule F appointees.
Now What?
Expect a wave of terminations in Q1 2026; federal unions will likely sue, but agency capacity will crumble in the interim.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: Pentagon taps more than 1,000 companies for $151 billion "Golden Dome" competition | Defense One
What?
The DoD has selected a massive tranche of contractors to compete for the President's signature missile defense project, flooding the defense sector with new funding.
So What?
This massive injection of cash cements the military-industrial complex's loyalty to the second term agenda and likely serves as a patronage system for loyalist-owned tech firms.
Now What?
Monitor lobbying disclosures from these 1,000 firms to see if they begin pushing for the administration's unrelated domestic policies.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: "They Sponsor Terrorism": Trump Moves to Target Muslim Group | CBN
What?
President Trump is reportedly preparing an executive order to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), citing a new conservative think-tank report.
So What?
While ostensibly about a foreign entity, this designation is often used to target US-based Muslim civil rights groups by alleging "material support" ties, freezing their ability to operate.
Now What?
Prepare for banking freezes against major Muslim-American charities; expect a chilling effect on pro-Palestinian advocacy.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: Trump confirms interest in marijuana rescheduling | CNBC
What?
President Trump confirmed he is "strongly considering" rescheduling marijuana, a move supported by heavy lobbying from cannabis CEOs and Medicare negotiation interests.
So What?
This is a classic populist play to court younger voters and libertarians while creating new revenue streams for corporate donors, potentially undercutting the Democrats' ownership of the issue.
Now What?
Watch if this is paired with regulatory capture that benefits multi-state operators while shutting out equity-focused growers.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: Court Blocks Trump-Vance Power Grab at USADF | The Washington Post
What?
A federal court has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the administration's attempt to unlawfully install Pete Marocco to dismantle the U.S. African Development Foundation.
So What?
This is a rare but critical judicial win, proving that "Schedule F" style hostile takeovers of independent agencies can be halted with swift, targeted litigation.
Now What?
Use this case (Rural Development Innovations Ltd. v. Marocco) as a precedent for challenging other agency leadership purges.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: Dark-Money Climate Litigation Network Faces IRS Scrutiny | National Review
What?
Conservative media is amplifying an IRS complaint against the New Venture Fund, accusing it of improperly channeling funds to law firms suing energy companies.
So What?
This is the "lawfare" counter-attack; with the IRS now weaponized under NSPM-7, we should expect the administration to move to revoke the tax-exempt status of major progressive fiscal sponsors.
Now What?
Donors may retreat to anonymity; expect similar hit pieces on other fiscal sponsors like the Tides Foundation.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: New York State puts itself on collision course with Trump's AI policy | Gizmodo
What?
New York has passed stringent AI safety regulations that directly contradict the Trump administration's federal policy of total deregulation and promotion of "patriotic AI."
So What?
This sets up a major federalism showdown where blue states attempt to regulate the technology that the White House is unleashing to flood the zone with propaganda.
Now What?
Expect the DOJ to sue New York for "impeding interstate commerce" or preempting federal authority.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
AI & Tech
Headline: Waymo suspends robotaxi service in San Francisco amid power outage | Businessinsider
What?
Waymo suspended its driverless taxi service in San Francisco on Saturday due to a citywide power outage affecting traffic signals and caused disruptions, resuming service the following day.
So What?
This incident highlights the vulnerabilities of autonomous vehicle technologies to infrastructure failures, raising crucial questions about public safety, regulatory oversight, and the equitable deployment of emerging mobility services in urban environments.
Now What?
Watch for further reports on how autonomous ride-hailing services address infrastructure resilience and regulatory scrutiny amid competition with companies like Tesla, with contextual insights available at transportation and urban policy analysis sources like Wired and The Verge.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: In defense of slop | Newsletter
What?
The article discusses the rise of AI-generated low-quality digital content, termed "slop," in 2025 and frames it as a byproduct of lowered production costs enabled by technology across various media and creative fields, primarily in digital spaces.
So What?
This trend illustrates shifting power dynamics in content creation by reducing gatekeeping and lowering barriers to entry, which can diversify voices and formats but also risks spreading misinformation and cluttering public discourse, posing challenges for progressive communicators aiming to promote well-informed and equitable media ecosystems.
Now What?
Progressive observers should watch for innovations in content discovery and filtering tools designed to manage the volume and quality of AI-generated media, alongside ongoing debates about digital literacy and information overload; further context can be explored through media literacy initiatives and AI ethics discussions.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: We’re running out of good ideas. AI might be how we find new ones. | Vox
What?
The article, published in 2024, explores how AI technologies developed by companies like DeepMind are being used in the United States to accelerate scientific research amid declining rates of new idea generation and demographic challenges.
So What?
This matters to progressive communicators because leveraging AI as a tool to boost scientific innovation can address systemic barriers to equitable economic growth, improve public health and climate resilience, and reshape power dynamics in research by augmenting, rather than replacing, human labor.
Now What?
Watch for developments in AI-driven scientific projects including automated labs and AI-assisted research platforms, alongside policy debates on regulating AI to ensure ethical use and equitable access; further context can be found in studies on AI in science and economic productivity linked through Vox and academic publications.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: Texas lawmakers from both parties oppose Trump’s order targeting state AI laws | Texastribune
What?
A bipartisan group of Texas state senators is opposing President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that threatens to cut federal broadband funding to states like Texas, which passed a comprehensive AI regulation law set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
So What?
This conflict highlights the tension between federal power and state innovation on regulating AI, presenting both a challenge and an organizing opportunity for progressives to defend civil liberties, protect vulnerable communities, and push for accountable technology governance at the state level.
Now What?
Watch for developments in federal-state conflicts over AI regulation enforcement, possible Congressional action on national AI frameworks, and advocacy efforts by lawmakers and civil society groups defending state-level protections, as detailed in coverage by Texas Tribune and AI policy analysis forums.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: What the deal between TikTok and US investors means for users | Abcnews
What?
TikTok announced a deal in late 2025 to transfer majority control of its U.S. operations to American investors, including Oracle and Silver Lake, in compliance with a Trump-era executive order aimed at addressing national security concerns.
So What?
This shift in ownership raises critical civil liberties questions about user data security, algorithmic control, and U.S.-China power struggles, offering campaigners a potential foothold to demand transparency and protections for digital rights.
Now What?
Observers should watch for final regulatory approval, Chinese government response, and details on data and content governance, while exploring continued analysis of "Project Texas" and U.S. digital sovereignty debates for context.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Climate
What?
Energy In Depth reports 26 Republican state attorneys general asked DOJ to investigate whether climate litigation groups Center for Climate Integrity and Energy Foundation China violated foreign agent registration laws.
So What?
Republican officials are weaponizing national security concerns to delegitimize climate accountability litigation, attempting to reframe corporate accountability as foreign influence rather than addressing fossil fuel industry responsibility for climate damages.
Now What?
Watch for: DOJ response to investigation requests; legal analysis of FARA applicability to advocacy groups; climate litigation groups' responses and funding transparency disclosures. Further reading: The Free Press original report on the allegations.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: Oregon environmental group leads lawsuit to reverse IRS wind, solar rules | Jefferson Public Radio
What?
Oregon Environmental Council leads coalition lawsuit against IRS over restrictive rules for wind and solar tax credits that impose stricter construction start standards than other energy sectors receive.
So What?
Trump administration is using regulatory discretion to undermine renewable energy even before congressional credit phaseouts take effect, creating discriminatory barriers that could stall Oregon's clean energy transition and climate goals.
Now What?
Watch for: Federal court rulings on IRS authority and equal treatment arguments; impact on Oregon's July 2026 construction deadline rush; potential congressional intervention on tax credit regulations. Further reading: Gov. Kotek's executive order accelerating state permitting for renewable projects.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
What?
Emergency managers and meteorologists warn Trump administration's plan to dismantle National Center for Atmospheric Research would cripple weather forecasting research that saves lives and protects infrastructure.
So What?
Attacking climate science institutions as "climate alarmism" threatens public safety infrastructure that transcends partisan politics, jeopardizing severe weather warnings, disaster preparedness, and the research pipeline that improves forecast accuracy over time.
Now What?
Watch for: NSF's "rescoping" decisions after public comment period; Colorado congressional delegation's funding leverage efforts; potential legal challenges from UCAR; emergency management associations' advocacy campaigns. Further reading: Previous Trump attacks on NOAA climate data and National Climate Assessment staffing cuts.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Culture
Headline: BREAKING: 60 Minutes Correspondent Says Trump Story Was Spiked For Political Reasons | Thereset
What?
Sharyn Alfonsi, a 60 Minutes correspondent, accused CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss of spiking a fact-checked story critical of the Trump administration on deportations to El Salvador, which was scheduled to air and promoted earlier this week.
So What?
This incident highlights corporate media’s potential role in political censorship, raising concerns about editorial independence and the power dynamics that can silence investigative journalism exposing government actions.
Now What?
Watch for internal responses at CBS, possible staff resignations, and further developments on editorial control in journalism, with related context on media censorship and investigative reporting available through outlets like The Wall Street Journal and CNN.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: Backing up Spotify | Annas-archive
What?
In December 2025, Anna’s Archive announced it had created and begun distributing a comprehensive preservation archive of Spotify’s music metadata and files via torrents, encompassing roughly 300TB and nearly all tracks on the platform.
So What?
This archive presents a major challenge to corporate control of cultural data by providing open, decentralized access to a vast music collection, reinforcing digital commons and cultural preservation critical to progressive advocates of public access and equity.
Now What?
Future attention should focus on how this archive evolves with staged releases, potential legal or corporate responses, and broader implications for digital preservation and copyright debates, with further details available on Anna’s Archive Torrents page.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
What?
The article reports on the rise of unlicensed radical birthkeepers in Canada linked to the Free Birth Society between 2023 and 2025, highlighting cases of birth-related harm including stillbirths and neonatal injuries in British Columbia and other parts of Canada.
So What?
This matters to progressive communicators as it exposes how misinformation and lack of regulated medical oversight in childbirth can exacerbate health inequities and risks for marginalized women, while highlighting gaps in healthcare access and the need for accountable reproductive care policies.
Now What?
Watch for legal developments in cases involving unlicensed birth attendants and evolving public health responses to radical birth movements in Canada, while exploring further context on midwifery regulation and maternal health disparities such as in this Guardian series The Birth Keepers.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
What the Right is Reading
Headline: Supreme Court Should Not Let Climate Lawfare Set Energy Policy | Heartland Institute
What?
Heartland Institute opinion argues Supreme Court should move Boulder County's climate damages lawsuit against ExxonMobil and Suncor from state to federal court, claiming local jurisdictions lack authority to regulate fossil fuel production through litigation.
So What?
Conservative groups are pushing legal strategy to strip state and local governments of common law remedies for climate damages, centralizing power in federal venues they view as more favorable to fossil fuel interests and less responsive to community harm.
Now What?
Watch for: Supreme Court decision on whether to hear the case; similar climate lawsuits in other jurisdictions; state attorneys general responses defending state court jurisdiction. Further reading: Colorado Supreme Court May 2025 ruling allowing state court proceedings.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: Proposed law would ban paper straws statewide | Cltampa
What?
Sen. Jennifer Bradley filed legislation on Dec. 18, 2025, proposing a statewide ban on paper straws and setting uniform compostability and biodegradability standards in Florida to replace single-use plastic straws, amid concerns about harmful PFAS chemicals.
So What?
This bill centralizes regulatory power at the state level, potentially overriding local environmental initiatives and raising concerns about health, environmental justice, and corporate influence over sustainable alternatives.
Now What?
Observers should watch for local government responses and advocacy group reactions as the 2026 legislative session unfolds, alongside further research on PFAS in alternatives, such as reported in the University of Antwerp 2023 study cited in the bill.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Headline: MSU Denver rejects Standard American English as ‘white supremacy’ | Completecolorado
What?
The article discusses Tuesday’s election results in Denver, focusing on voter support for a ban on flavored cigars and tax measures for free school lunches in Colorado, reflecting concerns about government control and social policy shifts.
So What?
This matters to progressive communicators as it highlights tensions between public health measures, government intervention, and debates over social welfare policies, presenting opportunities to address power dynamics and craft narratives on equity and public good.
Now What?
Watch for responses to these election outcomes in Colorado’s policymaking and public discourse, with further context available from analyses of state ballot initiatives and public health campaigns, such as coverage on Proposition MM and flavored tobacco regulations.
Headline Haiku
Alternative Headline
Etc.
Headline: North Dakotan in the News
What?
American rapper Wiz Khalifa, formerly of Minot, was sentenced on December 19, 2025, to nine months in a Romanian prison for smoking marijuana during a July 2024 music festival in Costinesti, Romania.
So What?
This case highlights harsh drug laws in Romania that criminalize personal cannabis use, underlining ongoing global tensions around drug policy, civil liberties, and the risks faced by international performers that progressive advocates can mobilize around for reform efforts.
Now What?
Watch for any developments regarding potential extradition efforts or appeals and observe broader discussions on drug policy reform in European contexts, with background available from sources like the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction for further reading.
