EU Illegal Online Gambling Market Hits €91.6 Billion

• NATO has announced arms deals worth billions of dollars to demonstrate its military capabilities amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. • In France, far-right leader Marine Le Pen declared her intention to run for the presidency next year, despite being sentenced Tuesday to wear a court-ordered electronic monitor for embezzlement.

• A political figure in Illinois has received recognition for efforts to modernize government purchasing systems and improve the oversight of taxpayer funds. • The award emphasizes the implementation of more efficient procurement processes to ensure better management of public money.

• An Ohio court case has eliminated previous limits on coordinated spending between political parties and candidates. • The ruling follows a decision by the Trump administration to stop defending these coordination limits in court.

• On November 25, 2025, gambling regulators from Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Portugal, and Spain signed a formal agreement to combat unlicensed online gambling. • The pact establishes a framework for these seven nations to share intelligence and coordinate enforcement measures against illegal operators.

• The European Parliament has initiated a formal procedure to ban the "Europe of Sovereign Nations," the EU-level party associated with Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). • If the process is successful, the group will be stripped of its official status as a European political party, resulting in the immediate loss of EU funding.

• A German Member of the European Parliament (MEP) warned that banning the European Sovereignty and Nationalism (ESN) party alliance is a "realistic scenario" for EU authorities. • The MEP suggested that banning the alliance at the European level would be an easier route for officials than attempting to ban the Alternative for Germany (AfD) at the national level.

• The Center for American Progress argues that the Supreme Court's 2025–2026 term advanced a far-right agenda that undermines the U.S. Constitution and democratic interests. • The analysis claims the Court has prioritized powerful special interests over the American people and has become unbound by ethical standards.

• Members of Congress have adjourned for a weeklong July 4 recess while Senate appropriations negotiations remain stalled. • Lawmakers are currently deadlocked over key issues, specifically the topline spending figures for defense and non-defense programs.

• Chief Justice John Roberts diverged from President Trump's agenda by upholding conservative legal principles over the administration's specific goals in two major Supreme Court cases. • The rulings focused on critical issues regarding tariffs and birthright citizenship, signaling a judicial boundary between the "Roberts Court" and the "Trump Court."

• The Biden administration has focused on adapting U.S. power to navigate a dangerous global landscape, though this strategy is facing internal criticism. • Progressives, as noted by Duss in a conversation with Ezra Klein, support the shift away from neoliberal economics but oppose the administration's heavy emphasis on competing with China.

• Former President Donald Trump considered reducing U.S. troop levels in Europe by one-third to pressure NATO allies. • The idea emerged during a White House meeting this spring after Trump expressed frustration that alliance members refused to join a military operation in Iran.