Top US Democrat injured on Europe trip

Nancy Pelosi has been hospitalized in Luxembourg

Pelosi, 84, was in Luxembourg with a bipartisan delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of the WWII Battle of the Bulge.

The California Democrat “sustained an injury during an official engagement and was admitted to the hospital for evaluation,” her office said in a statement, adding that she was “receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals.”

There have been unconfirmed reports that Pelosi may have fallen and broken her hip, which would require surgery.

https://www.rt.com/news/609327-pelosi-injured-trip-europe/

Russia Launches Massive Attack On Ukrainian "Critical Fuel & Energy Infrastructure"

Russia launched a massive drone and missile strike against Ukraine on Friday in retaliation for Kyiv's recent use of the US-supplied Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) against a Russian military base.

ABC News quoted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said Russia launched 93 missiles and nearly 200 drones targeting the country's energy infrastructure. This was one of the largest bombardments against Ukraine's energy sector since the invasion began almost three years ago.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian defense forces intercepted 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles shot down by Western-supplied General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets.

He accused Russia of continuing to "terrorize millions of people" with these reckless assaults, renewing his request to the international community for intervention and more support for Ukraine.

"A strong reaction from the world is needed: a massive strike – a massive reaction. This is the only way to stop terror," Zelenskyy said.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry published a statement on its official Telegram channel, claiming that the retaliatory strike hit all intended targets:

"In response to the use of American long-range weapons, Russia's Armed Forces launched a massive strike with high-precision long-range air- and sea-based weapons and UAVs on critical fuel and energy infrastructure facilities in Ukraine that support the operation of the military-industrial complex."

On Wednesday, Ukraine fired six ATACMS at a Russian airfield inside the country's sovereign territory. Russia claimed after the attack that all missiles were intercepted.

Reports on X indicate that Ukraine's state-run energy company, Ukrenergo, warned that up to 50% of residential customers could be without power after today's attack.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-launches-massive-attack-critical-fuel-energy-infrastructure-ukraine

Musk’s charity sent most cash to his own entities – Bloomberg

The entrepreneur’s net worth has passed $400 billion, making him by far the richest person on the planet

Elon Musk’s charitable foundation has reportedly failed to give away the amount of money required by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to comply with its tax status, while also sending millions of dollars to other entities controlled by the billionaire, Bloomberg reported on Friday.

According to the outlet, which has obtained the Musk Foundation’s latest tax filing, the organization grew to $9.5 billion in assets last year while handing out $237 million in gifts, most of which went to Musk’s other nonprofits, such as The Foundation, X Prize Foundation, and Fidelity Charitable.

The New York Times has reported that the tax filings suggest that the Musk Foundation fell $421 million short of the amount it was required to give away in 2023, meaning that the billionaire now has until the end of the year to distribute that money or be required to pay a sizable penalty to the IRS.

As noted by Bloomberg, the IRS mandates that all charitable foundations deploy, on average, at least 5% of their assets a year. Musk, however, has apparently missed that bar on numerous occasions.

The entrepreneur, who is estimated to be the world's richest person, saw his net worth surpass a record $440 billion this week after an insider share sale of his privately held business, SpaceX, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Musk’s new fortune puts him nearly $200 billion ahead of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg. He is also now worth more on paper than most US public companies, including Costco, Home Depot, and Netflix, as per Business Insider.

Meanwhile, the entrepreneur has emerged as one of the top Republican donors this year and has become one of the most prominent members of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inner circle.

Following the Republican’s election victory last month, Musk also pledged to audit the entire US government and cut government spending by up to $2 trillion as the head of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

https://www.rt.com/news/609308-musk-charity-foundation-money/

This statement from White House National Security Spokesman Adm Kirby is in direct contradiction to a statement issued by the NJ Picatinny Arsenal base commander. Adm. Kirby says there's been NO reported or confirmed 'drone' incursions in restricted airspace. Yet, the base says there's been 11 confirmed. Why would a White House spokesman recklessly issue such a misleading and false claim? https://dailyrecord.com/story/news/2024/12/10/picatinny-arsenal-nj-mystery-drones-not-theirs-sightings/76890630007/

https://x.com/rosscoulthart/status/1867424390117569033

Oh Gary, how could you do this to me? 🥹

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1867357433493872874/photo/1