Some headlines, issues and news that caught our eye.

Economy Goes ‘Boom’? Sure Looks That Way

US economy unexpectedly surges 4.3% in third quarter — its strongest growth in two years — New York Post

U.S. economy grows 4.3% in third quarter, much more than expected — CNBC

US Economy Roars to 4.3% GDP in Q3, Two-Year High — Ed Morrissey, Hot Air

Trump Economic Adviser Hassett: ‘As good as GDP numbers get’ — Kevin Hassett, CNN Live, via X

New GDP Numbers Just Dropped, and Democrats Should Be Freaking Out — PJ Media

ICYMI: Yes, Democrats, Trump Does Own This Economy — Issues & Insights

Trump Raises The Pressure On Venezuela’s Maduro

Trump warns Maduro as U.S.–Venezuela tensions escalate in the Caribbean — CBS News

Venezuela seeks to criminalize oil tanker seizures as Trump puts pressure on Maduro — AP, via MSN

Trump Says It Would Be ‘Smart’ for Venezuela’s Maduro to Step Down — Newsmax

Avast, Me Hearties! Lawmakers Want Congress to Issue ‘Letters of Marque’ to Go After Cartel Drug Boats — PJ Media

As 2025 Closes, Gavin Newsom’s California Continues Its Slide

Parents Win, California Loses Over Secretive Transing of Kids: Court Ruling — PJ Media

Once-thriving shopping mall in ailing Democrat-run San Francisco is eerily empty on last Sunday before Christmas — Daily Mail

San Fran’s BART wants a bailout after a year of service meltdowns. Will voters give it to them? — The San Francisco Standard

California’s ‘War On Homelessness’ Revealed As Fraud — Ana Kasparian, X

California Spent $24 Billion on Homeless. The FBI Just Found Where It Went! — Ramin Real Talk, YouTube

New study says California must loosen stringent oil regulations to avoid skyrocketing fuel prices — Bakersfield

Never Too Early For Some End-Of-Year Stories

The Scrooges of 2025 — John Tierney, City Journal

We didn’t find answers in 2025, but UFO researchers say the search continues — Space.com

20 Trends That Will Define the Lives of American Men in 2026 — InsideHook, via Real Clear Politics

EU Shows Growing Hostility Toward Farmers, U.S. Companies

The EU Is Not a U.S. Regulator, and Must Be Restrained As Such — Real Clear Markets

Italy antitrust agency fines Apple $116 million over privacy feature; Apple announces appeal — AP

Farmers are rising up in Europe, fighting the EU Bureaucratic Tyranny — Calling-All-RushBabes

How Europe’s new carbon tax on imported goods will change global trade – and our shopping habits — The Conversation

The EU could be gone in four years: A revolutionary eruption is coming — Brussels Signal

Miscellaneous, But Interesting, Stuff . . .

Hunter Biden rips dad Joe’s presidency over immigration, Afghanistan in stunning interview: ‘Obvious f–ing failure’ — NY Post

Supreme Court rejects Trump’s bid to deploy National Guard in Illinois — NBC News

Department of Justice sues Illinois Gov. Pritzker over state law restricting immigration arrests — CBS News

How China built its ‘Manhattan Project’ to rival the West in AI chips — Reuters, via Yahoo

FCC bans foreign-made drones over national security, spying concerns — Politico

Extraordinary Progress Toward Ending the Border Disaster — Washington Examiner, via Real Clear Politics

America’s Energy Economy: Why Natural Gas and Nuclear Still Matter — Real Clear Energy