December 31, 2025 – Short News

We wish all of you a truly better 2026 than this year was!

We wish all of you a truly better 2026 than this year was! For me, I have to make a small exception. Many of you know that my wife was very ill and is still not completely out of danger. What only a few knew is that in October 2025 she nearly died. It was a hard, often brutally hard fight. But together we managed to turn things around. Today she is noticeably better — so much so that, after months, we were able to take our first short walk together in the park. In moments like that, everything else becomes relative. But even during the darkest times, I had to honor her greatest wish: to keep fighting this injustice every single day — and that is something we have all done.

2026 will be a key year. All the more reason to pause briefly and say thank you. Thank you for your support, your messages, your patience. And a very special thank you to all those who have supported our work. You are incredible – without you, much of this would not be possible. Take good care of yourselves. Never lose courage. The world is better than it feels right now, even if that is sometimes hard to believe. Together, more is achievable than one might think. Stay healthy. And in 2026, we keep going – with clarity, calm, and clear heads.

Wave of cancellations continues at the Kennedy Center after renaming

At the end of the year, the Kennedy Center is experiencing a new wave of cancellations. Several artists are withdrawing after Donald Trump’s name was officially added to the institution’s name. The jazz group The Cookers canceled their New Year’s Eve concert at short notice, citing a swift decision. Doug Varone and Dancers also publicly stated that they could no longer ask their audience to come to this venue. Earlier, musician Chuck Redd had already canceled a Christmas Eve performance. The Kennedy Center’s management accuses the artists of political motives. At the same time, ticket sales are collapsing. The television broadcast of the Kennedy Center Honors lost more than a third of its audience compared to the previous year. Trump had previously promised the opposite. The name addition is not unifying, but off-putting. What was intended as a show of power is turning into a risk for the cultural sector.

Trump administration freezes child care funds in Minnesota

The Trump administration is halting all child care payments in Minnesota with immediate effect. Affected are programs that relieve parents, secure care facilities, and make employment possible in the first place. For many families, this is not about comfort, but about daily life and survival. Without these funds, child care centers face closure, and parents face the question of how work and care can still be reconciled. The move comes without warning and without any apparent transitional arrangement. Officially, administrative reviews are cited, but in practice it primarily affects households with low and middle incomes. Minnesota had recently expanded the programs to close care gaps and retain staff. Exactly this stability is now being withdrawn. The intervention appears targeted and political, not driven by administrative necessity. It fits into a broader pattern of putting social infrastructure under pressure and shifting responsibility downward. For affected families, this means insecurity. For facilities, acute financial distress. The decision shows how quickly social security becomes leverage when it does not fit politically.

The Green Pearl of Arsanjan – A Natural Wonder in the Heart of the Desert

In the vast expanses of Iran's Fars Province, where the landscape is shaped by rocks, dry earth, and sparse vegetation, there exists a natural wonder that inspires awe – the Green Pearl of Arsanjan in the Fars Province of Iran. A solitary wild pistachio tree that grows directly out of solid rock, it stands as a symbol of life, resilience, and the relentless power of nature, which always finds a way.

A tree that defies the laws of nature

Die „Grüne Perle von Arsanjan“ wirkt wie ein Sinnbild der Unbeugsamkeit. Sie steht auf einem einsamen Felsen, umgeben von Kilometern karger Wüstenlandschaft, ohne eine offensichtliche Wasserquelle oder fruchtbaren Boden in der Nähe. Und doch wächst dieser Baum, treibt seine Wurzeln tief in den Stein, als hätte er es sich in den Kopf gesetzt, der Unmöglichkeit zu trotzen. Wie genau er sich mit Nährstoffen versorgt, bleibt ein Rätsel – und gerade das macht ihn zu einem faszinierenden Phänomen der Natur.

A place of astonishing beauty

Jahr für Jahr zieht die Grüne Perle Besucher und Naturliebhaber an, die sich selbst davon überzeugen wollen, wie ein Baum es schafft, in solch widriger Umgebung zu überleben. Die Szene ist fast surreal: Ein grünes Blätterdach, das aus hartem Gestein sprießt, ein Kontrast zwischen Leben und scheinbarer Unfruchtbarkeit, der fast schon poetisch wirkt. Ein Reisender beschrieb seinen Eindruck so: „Dieser Baum ist wie eine Schulter zum Anlehnen – ein stiller Zeuge der Zeit, der inmitten der rauen Landschaft seine Existenz behauptet.“

Other visitors speak of a near-meditative calm that surrounds the site. It is as if nature were offering a quiet lesson here – there is always a way, no matter how impossible the circumstances may seem.

Nature always finds its path

The Green Pearl is not only a visual wonder but also a living example of nature's incredible adaptability. While humans often believe they can dominate nature, a single tree in the Iranian desert demonstrates the opposite – nature cannot be stopped. It fights, adapts, grows, and endures even the harshest conditions.

Especially in times when environmental destruction, climate change, and human interference threaten ecosystems across the globe, this tree reminds us of a deep truth – life always finds a way. Perhaps this is what fascinates visitors most about the tree – not just its beauty or remoteness, but the message it carries within: the impossible becomes possible when one is deeply rooted.

The Green Pearl of Arsanjan – A wonder of nature in the heart of the desert

A female driver is stopped, seconds later the situation escalates. She is pulled from the car, forced to the ground, restrained. Three male officers press her onto the asphalt. In the final fall, she hits her head. Later, a concussion is diagnosed. There are also bruises and abrasions. Nearby, another woman is filming. An officer reaches for his service weapon, but does not draw it. The gesture alone is threatening. The woman filming is unarmed and clearly identifiable as an observer. She is a U.S. citizen. We have often seen this handled very differently. After the operation, the officers claim the detained woman blocked the road with her car. Several witnesses contradict this. According to them, it was the ICE vehicles themselves that blocked the way. In the meantime, it was possible to secure the woman’s release. No charges were filed against her. At the same time, criminal complaints and a civil lawsuit have been initiated against the officers involved. What remains documented are violence, restraint on the ground, and the reach for a weapon. What remains unclear is why this escalation was supposedly necessary.

The conduct of uninvolved bystanders also deserves clarity and respect. Physical intervention would not have defused the situation, but would have immediately led to their own arrests. That is precisely how such operations are designed. Keeping distance, staying calm, filming – that was the right response. These recordings are evidence preservation. For courts, for lawyers, for the later reconstruction of what actually happened. Anyone filming today is not only protecting the person affected, but also themselves. And yes, that takes courage. Because cameras make things visible, and visibility is no longer a neutral act. People know they can be intimidated, threatened, or targeted for it. Still, they kept filming. Not out of provocation, but out of responsibility. That is exactly how oversight emerges where power would otherwise remain unobserved.

Megyn Kelly dismisses assaults as a side issue

Megyn Kelly, former Fox News host, now a right-wing conservative podcaster and long-standing figure in conservative media, openly says she does not care whether Donald Trump committed assaults twenty years ago. She states explicitly that it does not matter to her. What matters to her alone, she says, is that Trump “keeps boys out of my daughter’s sports.” The statement is not a slip, but a clear prioritization. Sexual assaults are downgraded as long as a political goal is served. Violence against women is declared a side issue if it does not fit one’s worldview. Kelly speaks not as a fringe figure, but as a prominent commentator with wide reach. Her statement shifts standards and shows what is considered negotiable. The protection of women is relativized as soon as it collides with culture war. The victim disappears from the debate, leaving behind a political utility argument. Anyone who speaks like this normalizes looking away and sells it as consistency. The moral compass of right-wing populists remains astonishing.

One day – A dog finds its home

By the roadside lies a dog, next to cardboard, surrounded by trash and wind. Its hind legs barely carry it, every attempt to stand takes effort. Passersby stop, not out of pity, but because looking away is not an option. The dog allows closeness, cautiously, without demands. Shortly thereafter, it is taken in. An examination follows, then rest. No miracle cure, but time and care. The dog learns that touch is not something bad. Walks are adjusted, it has its “car,” movements supported, daily life rethought. In its new home, what it cannot do does not matter. It belongs, lies on the sofa, enjoys brushing and affection, watches attentively, sleeps without fear. Love does not arrive with grand gestures, but with consistency. That is exactly what it has found.

Bovino constructs a dangerous narrative

Gregory Bovino, regional operations lead for Border Patrol / DHS, claims that the majority of detained U.S. citizens attacked federal agents, especially during operations by the U.S. border authority. The statement is simply false. No numbers, proceedings, or verdicts are cited, because none exist. Instead, a blanket image is created that shifts blame. Citizens appear as perpetrators, state action as mere reaction. Criticism and protest blur into violence. This wording lowers the threshold for harsher measures, built on the lies of the MAGA administration. It legitimizes actions that currently result in 75 percent innocent people being detained. The reference to a “majority” replaces evidence with falsehood. Language thus becomes an instrument of propaganda. Anyone bearing responsibility would have to dismiss officials like Bovino immediately. Under Trump, however, this is rewarded with praise and medals.

Climate targets move closer to reality

At first glance, 2025 looks like a year of regression in climate policy. The Trump administration cuts funding, blocks wind and solar projects, and attacks research institutions. Several U.S. states and Europe loosen their commitments. Banks and companies withdraw from major alliances. But in parallel, another trend is taking hold. Policymakers and investors are focusing more strongly on what is actually feasible. Many previous climate promises were politically or technically unrealistic. Saying this openly changes the debate. Instead of abstract targets, costs, security of supply, and acceptance move to the forefront. In Pennsylvania, for example, climate policy is being reorganized through competition and energy prices. Coal continues to lose importance, cleaner alternatives prevail, Trump is ignored. Major tech companies are also adjusting their strategies without abandoning climate protection. They invest in renewables, storage, and new nuclear projects. Others rely on gas with CO₂ capture. These approaches are not a retreat, but an attempt to reconcile electricity demand and climate goals. The direction remains controversial, but it is more resilient. More realistic targets could achieve more in the long term than grand promises with no prospect of implementation.

2026 will be a key year for democracy

The numbers are a warning signal, not a side issue. Several state elections in 2026 give the AfD real chances at power, no longer merely as a protest vote. Precisely for this reason, the responsibility of media and civil society is growing. Journalism does not exist to soothe, but to inform. When major outlets lose their stance, space opens for false propaganda and oversimplification. Fact-based analysis, documented and not just speculative, becomes a prerequisite for democratic stability. Fake news spreads faster than verified information because truth requires work. That work must be done, openly, transparently, and persistently. Social cohesion does not arise on its own. It needs care and contradiction. Investigative journalism must not be weakened, but strengthened. 2026 will not be a comfortable year. It will be one in which participation, contextualization, and support are decisive.