National Abortion Ban Bill


Meta agrees to pay Trump $25m for suspending accounts over Capitol riots


New DOT Sec/reality TV contestant signs memo to increase US fuel costs by $23B


Are there any Protest Rallies planned at the Capitol in Austin?


'Legally dubious': Fmr. Biden policy advisor skeptical of Trump's plan to buy out federal workers


America, We Are At War


'It's a small victory': Democrats find their voice fighting Trump's federal funding freeze


Hakeem called the banners


Google searches for “concentration camp” spike


Trump officially signs executive order to send ‘worst criminal aliens’ to Guantanamo Bay


Republicans will tell you that government does not work.  Elect them and they will prove it.


California denies Trump's claim that the US military "turned on water" in the state


META pays Trump


Desantis: "But they're calling it the TRUMP Act, and they think [] if they just call it that, that voters will think it's something great," he continued. "We got to get beyond these games that politicians play." From recorded call Press was excluded from.


No, the Obamas Are Not Divorcing. But MAGA World Infected the Culture With an Absurd Rumor.


Jim Acosta is a hero.  America loses when the media refuses to stand up to tyrants.


Nazi Fr. Calvin Robinson Gives A Nazi Salute

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Content warning: The following scene may include dehumanizing rhetoric, calls for discrimination or violence, misinformation, or other harmful language. Right Wing Watch condemns bigotry and other threats to democratic values. We expose this content to help Americans understand and respond to antidemocratic forces.

Fr. Calvin Robinson Gives An Elon Musk Salute


I could only find one single news article on this story from a well established journalist organization (TheDailyBeast). Wonder why? 🤔


Before and after. Who else is cutting Facebook from their life?


Why aren’t the democrats stopping him!


RFK Jr. Completely Fumbles Basic Medicaid Facts at Hearing


Trump’s first major “detention camp” announced


Europe’s leaders plot to stop Trump from taking Greenland


H.R.722 - To implement equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person. (Federal abortion ban bill)


"Trump threatened Greenland to force Europe to increase its defense spending for NATO" is officially the most disconnected take I've seen yet.


Trump folds on incompetent, illegal funding shutdown after rollout fiasco, Dem AG lawsuits


How to Save the Democrats


Commentary: Democrats must take a new media approach


White House budget office rescinds memo ordering funding freeze after chaos


Dems Need New Media to warn Americans what’s coming. Where are they now?


Propaganda Barbie lol


this is a lie.  i'm a veteran that just got off the phone with the VA for vocational rehab and was told they don't even know what's going on.


Trump's funding freeze awakens the "Resistance"


Iowa Democrats flip Senate seat that went for Trump by 22 Points in special election to cut into Republican majority


Whistleblower says Trump’s FBI pick has history of putting sensitive operations at risk


Watchdog group to lend Hill Dems a hand on oversight


Democrats flip Iowa state Senate seat


Murphy accuses Trump of ‘blitzkrieg’ to ‘collapse our democracy’


85% of Greenlanders reject Trump


National Abortion Ban introduced in the House of Representatives


Truth


They and 360 more were sacrificed so gun enthusiasts could keep guns, "to fight fascist governments".  Time to pony up cowards.


Trump's Funding Freeze Is Jolting Some Democrats Into Fight Mode


Opinion | If All This Sounds Delusional, That’s Because It Is


Remember last week when the ADL said that Elons nazi salute wasn't a nazi salute? Let me leave this right here...


They told us but no one cared.


Stop wasting our tax money on your culture war issues and make groceries cheaper!!! - Montana Senate Judicial committee takes up bill that criminalizes care for transgender youth • Daily Montanan


The public deserves to see them!


Republican congressman suggests some children receiving free school lunches should work at McDonald’s instead


Call your Senators!  Kash Patel is unqualified, has an enemies list, and wants to shut down FBI headquarters.  HE SHOULD NOT BE CONFIRMED AS HEAD OF THE FBI!


Tim Walz Criticizes Trump for Cutting Government Spending


Democrats flip a Trump+21 district in Iowa and regain the Minnesota State Senate


Democrats bite back against Trump's purges and freezes


"If your activism is listening to the news, you're a political hobbyist" | On the Media | WNYC Studios


Pritzker tells the truth on what really happened during the funding freeze


Trump offers to buyout Federal Employees


Leopards once again eating faces…


Josh Weil wins Democratic nomination for U.S. House in Florida's 6th Congressional District special primary election


CT Comptroller Sean Scanlon vows to fight wage theft with proposed bill


Well well well, considering he "doesn't know anything about Project 2025" he does have a few things checked off already


Some of them are beginning to realize they screwed up.


Trump's 'stop-work' order for PEPFAR cuts off anti-HIV drugs for patients (NPR)


THIS is what we need.


Judge temporarily blocks Trumps plan to block federal aid spending


Not mine, a repost


Too wordy?


Donald Trump Meme From Democratic Rapid Response Page


Take wins as we can get them. AP: Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans


Federal Abortion Ban Legislation Introduced: 67 Co-Signers


Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor and the U.S. Department of Education Stop work on thousands of outstanding cases to waste your tax money on… one bathroom.


Donald Trump's approval rating has declined


Pete Buttigieg is taking a "serious look" at running in Michigan's now open Senate race in 2026


Medicaid freeze locks 72 million Americans out of their health insurance. Immediately wondering how many of those affected voted Trump.


Caroline Kennedy warns senators of ‘predator’ RFK Jr. in searing letter


Rich McCormick suggests solving child hunger by advocating illegal child labor. What's next? Summer jobs working in coal mines?


I am offended by Lake Titicaca


Trump Medicaid freeze seems to lock 72 million Americans out of their health insurance


Congressman suggests that children who receive free lunch should work at McDonald’s instead


Democratic state AGs to sue over Trump's freeze on grants, loans


22 Democrats flip to no on Trump Transportation pick after OMB pauses funding


Trump jokes about running for a third term in speech to House Republicans


Open Senate seat puts Democrats on defense in Michigan


Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Mental Health, Marriage, and Tying the Knot in Something Pink (by a Houston Designer, of Course)


For everyone trying to say Biden and president business took the same amount of time off. While they did there was a difference.


Project 2025 was the plan all along. Trump is proving it now.


What British really think of Elon (credit PoliticsJoe, Joe.co.uk)


TRILLION-DOLLAR FREEZE: TRUMP HITS PAUSE ON ALL FEDERAL FUNDING. In a sweeping move, the White House ordered every federal agency to stop all grants and loans - effective at 5pm.


Democrats question legality of Trump freeze on federal grants


Contrasting this sub with others in this moment and it doesn’t look good. Too much preaching to the choir and not enough discussion of action. I agree Trump is a fascist. The rules and culture of this sub seem to strangle discussion of how the Democratic Party needs to change and fight back harder.


none whatsoever


Democrats' playbook for Trump 2.0: Tune out the noise and focus on economic issues


No One Should Still Be Supporting Trump


Former National Intelligence Chairman: Tulsi Gabbard Is Unfit and Dangerous


As a pediatrician, I know what family separations do. Trump’s plan is horrific.


Trump pauses funding for anti-HIV program that prevented 26 million AIDS deaths


Trump: “I've Raised a Lot of Money for the Next Race […] Am I Allowed to Run Again?”


Sen. Lisa Murkowski disses Trump on Greenland: It’s an ally, not an asset


2 down,1,498 and change to go


Trump firing everyone who investigated him


Trump fires all three Democrats on privacy oversight board


Trump’s Extreme ICE Plan Hit With Lawsuit—From the Quakers


Trump administration fires DOJ officials who worked on criminal investigations of the president


This didn't have to happen


This did not take long


"Could be disastrous": Democrats sound alarm over Trump's NIH suspending scientific research grants


First the Came For


Thank You President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris! I can't believe it has already been a week since you both left the White House.


Democrats move to condemn Trump pardons of violent Jan. 6 defendants. John Fetterman was the only Democratic senator not to sign on.


James Carville Predicts If Dems Hold Back Trump Will ‘Punch Himself Out’


Me whenever Trump uses taxpayer money to help red states.....


Democrats flip the script, eyeing debt limit to block Trump’s agenda


It's Colombia


Why Trump won't be deporting "millions" of "criminal aliens"


America Has Fallen - Will there be a resistance?


Confirmation Tracker


He’s the new Henry Ford


But republicans want argue for merit


Call your Senators!  An Anti-Vaxxer should not be put in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services.


AOC gives an amazing speech on the Laken Riley Act

<iframe width="356" height="200" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UGbQN9DZDf0?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="WATCH: AOC Just Gave One Of The BEST Speeches Of Her Career"></iframe>


Social Media Users Mock White House for Misspelling “Colombia”


Usha Vance not featured on WH Page


Trump Struggles to Lower Egg Prices Despite Previous Promises


Eggs are pricey again. What’s the government doing about it?


Delusion at it’s finest. - North Carolinian here, it’s not happening.


Hundreds of demonstrators line West 7th to protest deportations, family separations


President Biden admitted his biggest disappointment — and Democrats should pay attention


New bid for TikTok from Perplexity AI could give US government 50% stake


Posted here, for no particular reason, on the day Colombian tariffs were announced.


The origins of Trump’s war on diversity


Trump administration launches immigration enforcement blitz in Chicago | CNN Politics


Trump Zeroes in on Country to Dump Migrants From All Over


Trump announces Tariffs on Colombia


Sen. Adam Schiff says Trump 'broke the law' by firing 18 inspectors general


Trump Orders Tariffs, Travel Bans On Colombia Over Rejected Deportation Flights


Trump issuing ‘emergency 25% tariffs’ against Colombia after country turned back deportation flights


Funny


Vance  defends Jan 6th pardons


This seems so true


In policy reversal, Trump eliminates help for Black and Latino communities hit harder by pollution


Trump swiftly enacts retribution to enemies


Denmark’s politician has a message for Trump: “Fu*k off!” 🔥 “Greenland has been part of the Danish kingdom for 800 years, and it is not for sale.”


How Redistricting Helped Republicans Win the House — New Maps Stifled Partisan Competition for Seats in the House of Representatives and State Legislatures


Number of things Trump did his first week to make people's lives better:  Zero


‘It’s a death sentence’: US health insurance system is failing, say doctors | US healthcare


A Russia without Russians? Putin’s disastrous demographics


According to the RW


To those people who were protesting at her rallies, this is on you.


You absolute legends


Trump putting in 'entirely incompetent toadies': Senate confirms Hegseth to lead Pentagon


Trump already has something he didn't in his first term


Donald Trump in California speaking about the fires, "It's called Management of the Floor"


Donald Trump impeachment efforts ramp up


As prices continue to rise, don't call it "cutting back," call it "Trumpsizing." Don't call it "shrinkflation," call it "Trumpsizing." Over the next 21 months, make him own his economy. Grant him the nuance he grants us.


Trump vows to overhaul Delta water deliveries to farms, cities. But his plan actually sent them less water than Biden plan


Anyone know who did this?


MAGA Extremist Andy Biggs announces run for Arizona Governor


Exclusive: White House in talks to have Oracle and U.S. investors take over TikTok


Trump Said WHAT?


A Towamencin, PA Nazi has resigned as board member of the library, but not as Supervisor for the town after making a Tik Tok video doing the Nazi Salute


Democrats in my beloved Texas now banned from serving in government committees


A satirical metaphor for the America that the ultra wealthy 0.1%ers are seeking to create - to the extreme detriment of nearly everyone.


Department of Education dismisses book ban investigations, ends guidance


Trump administration takes first anti-abortion move on world stage


Attempts to overturn marriage equality beginning


More lashing out over the Bishops plea for compassion


It's a fallacy that immigrants “steal” jobs from American workers — In reality, immigrants fill jobs Americans don’t want


Trump ousts at least 12 independent inspectors general in late-night purge


Even dogs hate tyrants


Funny how CNN, Fox, and so much of the media isn’t reporting on this


Trump’s neofascism is here now. Here are 10 things you can do to resist


No Buy 2025 at these businesses 🫡


How each senator voted on the Hegseth nomination


Senate confirms Pete Hegseth as Trump's defense secretary in 51-50 vote


CONCERNING: Nearly 50% of Americans Answered Basic Political Question Incorrectly in Recent Poll


Any websites tracking tRump lies in his second term?


Four days in, and they're sooooo close to figuring it all out


How long will it be until far right Trump supporters organize another unite the right rally? And how do we stop them?


Algorythm Avoidance


Another day, and more empathetic trumpies..


Donald Trump in fiery call with Denmark’s prime minister over Greenland; US president insisted he wants to take over Arctic island


This was not an election, but a regime change


Trump Floats ‘Getting Rid Of’ FEMA


Trump has pulled Dr. Fauci's security detail after President Biden pardoned him


Indiana Jones didn't like N&zis. How did we get here?


Why internet Republicans are the worst


Opinion | I Prosecuted the Capitol Rioters. I Know Why Trump Pardoned Them. (Gift Article)


Fox News is having a meltdown because Doug Emhoff went grocery shopping with Kamala Harris. Jesse Watters: “What kind of husband goes grocery shopping with his wife?” The answer: A supportive and normal one.


Proud of you Reddit: Me Too


Found today while looking for something else


New GOP bill would let Trump (but not Obama) run for a third term


Since 1945 the Eagles head has always faced the olive branch as a symbol of peace over war. I think this symbol from the video is likely pre 1945 but how ironic that Trump would film in front of it..


"Excluding Indians": Trump admin questions Native Americans' birthright citizenship in court


Bishop Mariann Budde is blowing up on Threads. Many letters being sent her way


What exactly does “protecting women from radical gender ideology,” even look like?


HORRIFYING: Foolhardy Doug Emhoff Shamefully Accompanies Kamala Harris to Grocery Store


I don’t know if therapy can even help them..


Rep. Ogles Proposes Amending the 22nd Amendment to Allow Trump to Serve a Third Term


Relevant then, Relevant today, Relevant always

<iframe width="356" height="200" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J7GY1Xg6X20?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen title="Charlie Chaplin - Final Speech from The Great Dictator"></iframe>


Autism is not an excuse for Elon Musk's "Nazi Salute"


They turned to harassing this sweet woman


Democratic Rapid Response Page Shares Graphic Comparing Trump and Project 2025


The fight over birthright citizenship is a 'personal' one for Connecticut's attorney general


Tennessee congressman proposes resolution creating path for a third Trump term


1930s Germany has Come To The US


Canceled prime and took the survey


'I Am Not Going to Apologize': Bishop Who Confronted Trump Speaks Out


Look at you, all progressive, Oklahoma!


There’s a simple reason Trump cannot simply erase birthright citizenship


Connecticut Democrats Introduce ‘Don’t Ban Library Books Act’


Police Unions that endorsed Trump blasts Jan. 6 Pardons


I live in a red county in a blue state so this is the bumper sticker I picked to protest the current  f***kery


Summery of 2024 Election


Google restores President Joe Biden to ‘U.S. presidents’ search results, blames ‘data error’ for omission


Betting odds for Democrats to retake the House in 2026 rise to over 70%


Trump made a “vote counting computer” remark. Democrat calling for an investigation


US judge blocks Trump's order curtailing birthright citizenship


Trump's Birthright Citizenship Order Blocked by Federal Judge


DNC: Please track the J6 crew who were pardoned


Right-to-Work Would Harm the State’s Moral Fabric, Committee Told


Conservatives want a Reddit safe space


Mortgage interest deduction on the chopping block as republicans figure out how to pay for their plans


Never good enough


Reddit Utilizes Amazon Web Servers to Host this Platform


C.I.A. Expands Secret Drone Flights Over Mexico


India-Israel free trade deal are on the cards:


Why Europe may pursue tighter integration in a fragmenting world


Memecoin scandal rocks Argentina's Javier Milei


By 2003 at the latest, there is no action that Ukraine could have taken which possibly would have prevented Russia from trying to annex it -only speed up the process if too hostile or friendly. ***The act of forcibly annexing territory through military means, with the intent to engage in*** [what russia itself anticipated would possibly amount among largest ethnic cleansings](https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/special-resources/preliminary-lessons-ukraines-offensive-operations-2022-23) ***in history rivaling the holocaust is a ghastly breach of international law***. We must all remember that when looking at this situation objectively, these are the conditions which we start from. Putin indisputably, at the very minimum, at least intend to absorb and ethnically cleanse Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova, judging by what he has explicitly written.\*note: source is the Kremlin, because its literally what Putin wrote). **The US** [**has** ](https://www.cfr.org/article/how-much-us-aid-going-ukraine)**given,**[ **$279**](https://www.gao.gov/blog/ukraine-aid-important-so-oversight-funding-and-assistance) **billion**[ in aid](https://www.state.gov/bureau-of-political-military-affairs/releases/2025/01/u-s-security-cooperation-with-ukraine#:~:text=To%20date%2C%20we%20have%20provided,invasion%20of%20Ukraine%20in%202014)[ since ](https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45008/7)the start of the war -2014- **to**[ **fix damages**](https://www.gao.gov/blog/ukraine-aid-important-so-oversight-funding-and-assistance) **caused by russia in Ukraine,** according from the numbers provided by the US\*. **Russia has caused**, by some lenient estimates (as little as) **over** [**$500 billion (feb 2024)**](https://emerging-europe.com/analysis/the-cost-of-ukraines-reconstruction-is-approaching-500-billion-us-dollars/)**in damage to Ukraineas of this time last year.** Admittedly, in addition to that, **Ukraine has done** some **damage in Kursk,** but unfortunately i could not find a reliable source quantifying that - same with the total cost caused as a direct result of things russia has done since 2024. So while I don't have a number, it is very **unlikely to exceed $1 billion**, and in reality is probably closer to half a trillion .

\*note: source is the cannot be linked as *Reddit wont allow links to it, but this is directly from "Article by Vladimir Putin 'On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians'" - as posted on the Kremlin's website*

I think it is worth talking about concessions in the context of the negotiation. A concession is when you give up something you had. If I get taken to court for committing tax fraud, owing $700,000 in upaid taxes, I dont get to go in and demand a house. That is ridiculous - I broke the law.

**This is the** ***only*** **starting point that reflects the fact that Russia, and Russia alone broke the law, but also, does not punish russia or hold them accountable,** *and goes as close as possible to the pre-war state.*

\>Ukraine: Leave kursk, constitutionally commit to neutrality (as it was prior to the invasion)

\>Russia: Leave the entire territory of Ukraine, Crimea included. Pay Ukraine $700 billion, and pay $179 billion to the US, for damage which was caused by Russia in Ukraine, sanction North Korea and stop trading with them.

\>The US: Lifts most sanctions on Russia (not all), forgives ukraine $10 billion in loans.

Every other possible alternative requires one side to give something up. ***The above deal is literally the only outcome where nobody concedes anything -*** *without any punishment levied on Russia.* **Any other deal can be seen as a measurement of how much a country assesses its comparative ability to project power, by the measure of how much has conceded v won.** And this means that, under the best possible view of Trump's plan, the US would get russia to agree to the following concessions: ***none.*** The US would indicate to the world, and show China and NATO that it assesses that compared to Russia, The US has no leverage whatsoever, and must adhere to russian demands especially in areas that are rightfully russia's, because the US does not believe it is capable of asking russia to pay for anything, admit responsibility for anything, and also offers to give russia things, and concede on direct threats to the US's own national security in addition to almost $200 billion.

Any outcome in which Russia does not make a single concession is a victory for Russia. Any outcome where Ukraine is not given substaintial concessions from Russia is a reflection on the ability of the US to influence, through primarily hard power, the rules and norms of international law. **Should the US get Russia to commit withdrawing from Kharkiv, and Kherson, and pay the US $50 billion for damages it caused in Ukraine that the US paid to fix, and recommit to sactioning North Korea, and in exchange, Ukraine concede all of the occupied territories, the US would be conceding responsibility for at least $129 billion in damages caused by russia, and conceding what Trump has identified as a core strategic interest in allowing North Korea to gain access to markets through Russia, and Ukraine would be conceding their territorial integrity, part of it's sovereignty, and financially take responsiblity for $700 billion in damages caused by russia.** This should be, obviously, categorically unacceptable for Ukraine, and ridiculous for the US.

**The fact that the starting point the US is approaching what, frighteningly, could become bilateral negotiations are those in which Ukraine gives up everything it gained, a portion of it's soveriegnty and forced to pay $700 billion or more in combined damages is a proof of the ability of active measures to control narratives.** Ukraine would make those concessions at the minimum, as they may make even more, including in financial costs. Meanwhile the US is, for some bizarre reason, offering to make $179 billion in concessions to russia in money it paid to fix damages russia caused, and even enriching a self-identified strategic interest and enemy. Russia meanwhile literally not making a single concession, and is getting more than it is demanding.

How powerful does the US and the world honestly assess Russia is? Has russia really warranted this, **does russia truly project hard power sufficient enough to the point where it can invade it's neighbor, and, use conventional military force in Europe,** [**with the intention of creating a genocide, that to their own estimates,** ](https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/special-resources/preliminary-lessons-ukraines-offensive-operations-2022-23)\- and under the false assumption most Ukrainians would support russia - **would** ***logically make it larger in scope than the holocaust***, ***only to turn around and force the US to make concessions on it's behalf when imposing it's security interests onto both the US and Ukraine?*** Is this how weak the US is now? When the US "decides to"force" russiato the table, the US demand russia do nothing while America agrees to pay $179 billion for the damages russia caused, and Ukraine agrees to effectively give up its own sovereignty , 20% of it's territory, and $700 billion in financial expense which only happened due to russia's illegal actions? **International law is not fair, but this** **nihilistic retreat from everything the United States sought to project itself as over the last 100 years is a shameful, embarrasing strategic self-own.** Russia has done nothing to warrant being allowed to force the U.S. or Ukraine to take this deal.

**In any negotiation, Ukraine, and only Ukraine, can make decisions for Ukraine. The degree to which JD Vance believes the US has the right to control the cultural values of its' allies is directly a function of how critical the US is to the allies it supports - therefore,** ***the US must use it's hard power to force Russia to start from the basis I laid out a the beginning as being the starting point, and Ukraine can decide from that what is acceptable, and the US can decide for itself what is the minimum it can demand from Russia.***

That is what a negotiated settlement actually would look like like.

Negotiating peace in Ukraine cannot be approached like a business negotiation or a settlement, it is a criminal trial in the court of global hegemony

By 2003 at the latest, there is no action that Ukraine could have taken which possibly would have prevented Russia from trying to annex it -only speed up the process if too hostile or friendly. The act of forcibly annexing territory through military means, with the intent to engage in what russia itself anticipated would possibly amount among largest ethnic cleansings in history rivaling the holocaust is a ghastly breach of international law. We must all remember that when looking at this situation objectively, these are the conditions which we start from. Putin indisputably, at the very minimum, at least intend to absorb and ethnically cleanse Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova, judging by what he has explicitly written.*note: source is the Kremlin, because its literally what Putin wrote). The US has given, $279 billion in aid since the start of the war -2014- to fix damages caused by russia in Ukraine, according from the numbers provided by the US*. Russia has caused, by some lenient estimates (as little as) over $500 billion (feb 2024)in damage to Ukraineas of this time last year. Admittedly, in addition to that, Ukraine has done some damage in Kursk, but unfortunately i could not find a reliable source quantifying that - same with the total cost caused as a direct result of things russia has done since 2024. So while I don&#39;t have a number, it is very unlikely to exceed $1 billion, and in reality is probably closer to half a trillion .

*note: source is the cannot be linked as Reddit wont allow links to it, but this is directly from &quot;Article by Vladimir Putin &#39;On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians&#39;&quot; - as posted on the Kremlin&#39;s website

I think it is worth talking about concessions in the context of the negotiation. A concession is when you give up something you had. If I get taken to court for committing tax fraud, owing $700,000 in upaid taxes, I dont get to go in and demand a house. That is ridiculous - I broke the law.

This is the only starting point that reflects the fact that Russia, and Russia alone broke the law, but also, does not punish russia or hold them accountable, and goes as close as possible to the pre-war state.

&gt;Ukraine: Leave kursk, constitutionally commit to neutrality (as it was prior to the invasion)

&gt;Russia: Leave the entire territory of Ukraine, Crimea included. Pay Ukraine $700 billion, and pay $179 billion to the US, for damage which was caused by Russia in Ukraine, sanction North Korea and stop trading with them.

&gt;The US: Lifts most sanctions on Russia (not all), forgives ukraine $10 billion in loans.

Every other possible alternative requires one side to give something up. The above deal is literally the only outcome where nobody concedes anything - without any punishment levied on Russia. Any other deal can be seen as a measurement of how much a country assesses its comparative ability to project power, by the measure of how much has conceded v won. And this means that, under the best possible view of Trump&#39;s plan, the US would get russia to agree to the following concessions: none. The US would indicate to the world, and show China and NATO that it assesses that compared to Russia, The US has no leverage whatsoever, and must adhere to russian demands especially in areas that are rightfully russia&#39;s, because the US does not believe it is capable of asking russia to pay for anything, admit responsibility for anything, and also offers to give russia things, and concede on direct threats to the US&#39;s own national security in addition to almost $200 billion.

Any outcome in which Russia does not make a single concession is a victory for Russia. Any outcome where Ukraine is not given substaintial concessions from Russia is a reflection on the ability of the US to influence, through primarily hard power, the rules and norms of international law. Should the US get Russia to commit withdrawing from Kharkiv, and Kherson, and pay the US $50 billion for damages it caused in Ukraine that the US paid to fix, and recommit to sactioning North Korea, and in exchange, Ukraine concede all of the occupied territories, the US would be conceding responsibility for at least $129 billion in damages caused by russia, and conceding what Trump has identified as a core strategic interest in allowing North Korea to gain access to markets through Russia, and Ukraine would be conceding their territorial integrity, part of it&#39;s sovereignty, and financially take responsiblity for $700 billion in damages caused by russia. This should be, obviously, categorically unacceptable for Ukraine, and ridiculous for the US.

The fact that the starting point the US is approaching what, frighteningly, could become bilateral negotiations are those in which Ukraine gives up everything it gained, a portion of it&#39;s soveriegnty and forced to pay $700 billion or more in combined damages is a proof of the ability of active measures to control narratives. Ukraine would make those concessions at the minimum, as they may make even more, including in financial costs. Meanwhile the US is, for some bizarre reason, offering to make $179 billion in concessions to russia in money it paid to fix damages russia caused, and even enriching a self-identified strategic interest and enemy. Russia meanwhile literally not making a single concession, and is getting more than it is demanding.

How powerful does the US and the world honestly assess Russia is? Has russia really warranted this, does russia truly project hard power sufficient enough to the point where it can invade it&#39;s neighbor, and, use conventional military force in Europe, with the intention of creating a genocide, that to their own estimates, - and under the false assumption most Ukrainians would support russia - would logically make it larger in scope than the holocaust, only to turn around and force the US to make concessions on it&#39;s behalf when imposing it&#39;s security interests onto both the US and Ukraine? Is this how weak the US is now? When the US &quot;decides to&quot;force&quot; russiato the table, the US demand russia do nothing while America agrees to pay $179 billion for the damages russia caused, and Ukraine agrees to effectively give up its own sovereignty , 20% of it&#39;s territory, and $700 billion in financial expense which only happened due to russia&#39;s illegal actions? International law is not fair, but this nihilistic retreat from everything the United States sought to project itself as over the last 100 years is a shameful, embarrasing strategic self-own. Russia has done nothing to warrant being allowed to force the U.S. or Ukraine to take this deal.

In any negotiation, Ukraine, and only Ukraine, can make decisions for Ukraine. The degree to which JD Vance believes the US has the right to control the cultural values of its&#39; allies is directly a function of how critical the US is to the allies it supports - therefore, the US must use it&#39;s hard power to force Russia to start from the basis I laid out a the beginning as being the starting point, and Ukraine can decide from that what is acceptable, and the US can decide for itself what is the minimum it can demand from Russia.

That is what a negotiated settlement actually would look like like.


Your Book Review: Public Citizens


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US, Russian officials to discuss Ukraine war in Saudi Arabia


1 in 3 S Korean exporters expect worsening business conditions in 2025: survey


Singh, Leader of the Oppostion and the Worker's Party of Singapore, has been found guilty of allegedly lying to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges with regards to his alleged mishandling of the Raeesah Khan controversy (where an Oppostion WP MP, Raeesah Khan, allegedly lied to Parliament about an interaction between the Police, and a SA victim, which she later recanted).

He has been hit with the maximum fines on both his charges yet has evaded jail time, and his fines fall just short of kicking him out of Parliament or preventing him from running in the upcoming 2025 General Elections.

Most analysts doubt this will have any significant impact on the election itself in dramatically swaying voters, but it could have reputational impacts.

Singh seeks to move appeals to the judgement.

Singapore's Opposition Leader Pritam Singh found guilty of lying to Parliament

Singh, Leader of the Oppostion and the Worker&#39;s Party of Singapore, has been found guilty of allegedly lying to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges with regards to his alleged mishandling of the Raeesah Khan controversy (where an Oppostion WP MP, Raeesah Khan, allegedly lied to Parliament about an interaction between the Police, and a SA victim, which she later recanted).

He has been hit with the maximum fines on both his charges yet has evaded jail time, and his fines fall just short of kicking him out of Parliament or preventing him from running in the upcoming 2025 General Elections.

Most analysts doubt this will have any significant impact on the election itself in dramatically swaying voters, but it could have reputational impacts.

Singh seeks to move appeals to the judgement.


How Progressives Broke the Government


Social Security head steps down over DOGE access of recipient information, sources say


Oh boy, what a novel idea.


The Department of Homeland Security launched a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign on Tuesday directed at those who try and come to the United States illegally, saying: Don’t try it.

There are two versions of the ad, according to the DHS. One is set to run domestically, and the other is set to run internationally.

The domestic version of the ad has DHS Secretary Kristi Noem praising President Donald Trump for “securing the border.”

The ads will run on radio, broadcast and digital, in multiple countries and regions, and in various dialects, according to DHS.

Ads will be hyper-targeted, including through social media, text message and digital to reach illegal migrants in the interior of the United States and abroad, according to DHS.

The international version of the ad warns those who try and enter illegally will be “caught and removed.”

'Criminal' migrants are 'not welcome,' according to new multimillion-dollar ad from DHS


Southwest Airlines to slash 15% of corporate jobs in ‘unprecedented’ move to cut costs


European countries clash over sending troops to Ukraine


I’m hearing that NEPA regulations are about about to be overturned by executive order and that many progressives who are YIMBY are happy to see these changes as well. Is this good for infrastructure and development or do more problems remain. Can anyone explain what this means?

ELI5 “NEPA” regulations changes from Trump Executive Orders?


In a dusty desert in north-west Patagonia, a hulking rig is busy drilling. After plunging 3km underground, its drill turns and chomps horizontally for the same distance again. In Neuquén, the nearest city, boffins crunch data from the rig and keep its drill trained on an oil-rich sliver of shale, just five metres thick. Nearly 40 of these machines dot Vaca Muerta (“Dead Cow”), a vast shale patch in Argentina. The formation stretches from the Andes to the outskirts of Neuquén, where its dark layers peek through the sand.

Argentina holds the world’s fourth-largest reserves of shale oil and more shale gas than anywhere except China. Argentines started tapping Vaca Muerta around a decade ago. Production grew steadily. Then, a few years ago, it exploded. In 2024 Argentina exported more energy than it imported for the first time in 14 years.

This year Argentina is set to overtake Colombia, which produced nearly 800,000 barrels per day (b/d) last autumn, as South America’s third-biggest crude-oil producer. Only Venezuela, which produces nearly 1m b/d, and Brazil, which produces more than 3m b/d, will pump more. Javier Milei, Argentina’s libertarian president, calls Vaca Muerta a “panacea” and wants the country’s energy exporters to thrive. If they do, they could fuel his efforts to turn around decades of economic decline.

Argentina’s shale business faced steep odds. Drillers swoon over Vaca Muerta’s geology, likening it to the United States’ richest formations. But as Vinicius Moraes of Wood Mackenzie, an energy-advisory firm, explains, “Argentina is a different beast.” Oil-price controls, export taxes and capital restrictions long made it hard to do business. Those policies, along with ageing conventional wells, caused oil production to wane during the 2000s. Then, in 2012, the decision of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, then Argentina’s president, to nationalise YPF—an energy company owned by Repsol, a Spanish firm—spooked investors.

Still, enough money made its way into Argentina to foster a burgeoning shale business. Miguel Galuccio, who ran YPF from 2012 to 2016, persuaded foreign firms—including Chevron, an oil major—to invest in joint ventures. That may partly be down to the specific characteristics of shale drilling. As Francisco Monaldi of Rice University points out, shale production has low initial costs—compared, say, with setting up a big offshore operation—but requires sustained investment to drill new wells and keep production growing. Nationalising a shale project makes little sense for a cash-strapped government. “It’s like expropriating a carmaking company,” says Mr Monaldi. “It’s great at first, but the next day you have to work out how to keep making cars.”

For that reason, risk-conscious investors were willing to invest gradually. Over the past decade, shale-oil production has risen from around 20,000 b/d to nearly 450,000 b/d. Gas production has soared, too (see chart). YPF, alongside local drillers like Vista Energy (which Mr Galuccio now runs) have driven more recent growth. “When we said Vaca Muerta could double production in five years, people thought we were crazy,” says Daniel Dreizzen, a former secretary for energy planning. Most analysts now reckon Vaca Muerta can produce more than 1m b/d by 2030.

The boom has transformed Neuquén. Vaca Muerta had been home to some conventional drilling since 1918. But by the mid-2000s output was falling. Shale gave Neuquén’s older oilmen a second shot and still draws new workers to the city each week. Gustavo Medele, the energy minister for Neuquén province, says that a truck driver can earn the equivalent of $3,000 a month (roughly double the average national monthly salary). Not everyone is happy. Some locals worry about the water used to break up compact shale formations. A mural near the city centre, showing a fire-spitting rig next to a river, declares: “Water is worth more than oil.”

Such criticism understates shale’s rewards. The boom could transform Argentina’s economy. Estimates suggest that the shale business could help create between a quarter and half a million jobs by the early 2030s. Widening the country’s trade surplus would replenish its meagre foreign-currency reserves, helping it pay its debts. Aleph Energy, a consultancy that Mr Dreizzen now runs, reckons that hydrocarbon exports could bring more than $30bn into Argentina every year from 2030. That would go a long way towards widening Argentina’s total trade surplus. Energy exports helped push it to $19bn in 2024, the highest figure in years.

Mr Milei’s reforms have already made business easier. Since last year, companies are no longer obliged to reserve a certain level of supply for local refiners before they can export. The government has also stopped intervening in the oil market, allowing the price of oil sold locally to rise closer to that of Brent crude, the global benchmark. Shalemen long for the end of Argentina’s capital controls, which would make it easier to import kit and attract more foreign investment. But removing those is slower work.

Foreign cash will help with Argentine exporters’ most pressing problem: infrastructure. Last year’s energy surplus was achieved by delivering gas to Chile, running oil pipelines at full tilt and sending the remaining barrels out of Vaca Muerta by truck. An extra oil pipeline, due to open early this year, will offer some more capacity to send exports to Puerto Rosales, a city on the coast. Exporters are also ramping up gas supplies to Brazil, using old pipelines via Bolivia. But markets in neighbouring countries remain small compared with those in Asia and Europe.

And so to really increase exports, Argentina is looking farther afield. Several projects are under way, supported by tax breaks and other incentives that Mr Milei has carved out for big infrastructure investments. YPF, alongside other companies, is building an oil pipeline to carry 550,000 b/d to Punta Colorada, where a deep-water port will receive bigger tankers. The firm also wants to ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Asia, where demand for the fuel is expected to keep growing until at least the 2040s. The cost of the necessary export facilities is immense, at some $50bn. But YPF, which has signed a deal to develop them with Shell, a British major, is determined. Horacio Marín, its boss, has been touring Asia in search of orders; on January 21st three Indian companies said they were interested in taking shipments.

Two things could derail Argentina’s progress, warns Mr Dreizzen. First, the coming wave of oil and gas production in the United States may push prices down, making LNG projects in particular less profitable and leaving Argentine producers with little room to compete. Second, if the country ended up in another economic crisis, foreign investors would panic. That would make expanding the country’s export infrastructure an even harder task. Milking Vaca Muerta for all it’s worth will not be easy. But it is already transforming the country.

Javier Milei is betting big on an Argentine oil gusher


Opinion: Mark Carney has a different idea of budget discipline

:asean: Association of Southeast Asian Nations


Observations on the U.S. Constitutional Crisis


What's next? Breakthroughs and roadblocks in electric transmission regulation.


Obama era Budget Plan that would have fixed the Deficient


The End Child Poverty Act Would Dramatically Reduce Poverty


As Wall Street Chases Profits, Fire Departments Have Paid the Price


Naval Academy faculty to stop teaching on racism, sexism.


Delta Regional Jet Crashes at Toronto Airport


We Live Like Royalty and Don’t Know It


The Last Liberal Republican President, with John R. Price - Niskanen Center


The Central Intelligence Agency is poised to take a larger, more aggressive role under President Donald Trump in the battle against Mexican-based drug cartels, devising and evaluating plans to share more intelligence with regional governments, train local counternarcotics units and possibly conduct other covert actions, according to people familiar with the matter.

The expanded focus on cartels, which smuggle fentanyl and other narcotics into the United States, represents a new and potentially risky priority for the spy agency, which in recent years has made espionage against China, counterterrorism operations in the Middle East and Africa, and support for Ukraine after Russia’s 2022 invasion its main concerns.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe intends to shift agency resources to its counternarcotics mission and apply insights from its two decades of tracking, infiltrating and disrupting terrorist networks to fighting the cartels, said a person familiar with his plans who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the subject’s sensitivity and because the approach isn’t finalized yet.

A CIA spokesperson said in a statement that “countering drug cartels in Mexico and regionally is a priority for CIA as a part of the Trump Administration’s broader efforts to end the grave threat from narco-trafficking. Director Ratcliffe is determined to put CIA’s unique expertise to work against this multifaceted challenge.”

The emphasis will be on increased U.S. support to antidrug forces within Mexico and elsewhere in the hemisphere, people familiar with the emerging plan said. Less clear is whether armed U.S. personnel, either from the military’s Special Operations forces or the CIA, could be tasked with taking direct action against cartel leaders on Mexican soil, which former intelligence and military officials warn would spark a ferocious backlash and harm U.S.-Mexican relations, including counternarcotics cooperation.

It remains unclear what other programs in the CIA’s classified budget may be cut to fund more work on narcotics, and two former U.S. officials said the trade-off could mean pulling back on other priorities, such as China. Ratcliffe, though, has said repeatedly that gathering intelligence on China is his No. 1 priority. And amid Trump’s wide-ranging reshaping of the federal government, the CIA chief has signaled he plans to trim the agency’s workforce, offering employees there a “deferred resignation” package. It is unclear how many CIA personnel will take the buyout.

Under Trump, CIA plots bigger role in drug cartel fight


Revealed: Trump’s confidential plan to put Ukraine in a stranglehold - The Telegraph


China’s unspoken question: who will succeed Xi Jinping?


Trump Trade Uncertainty Is Hitting EU Economy, Dombrovskis Says


Ukraine war latest: Starmer says ‘there must be a US backstop’ for any Ukraine peace deal


South Korea’s likely next leader wants warmer ties with China, North Korea


Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is falling apart, as four deputy mayors have signaled their intent to resign Monday over concerns about the Democratic mayor’s handling of immigration matters.

First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, who effectively runs the government, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom, Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker all plan to step down, four people with direct knowledge of the matter told POLITICO. They were granted anonymity to describe internal dynamics.

The pending resignations follow a tense meeting between the deputy mayors and Adams at the official mayoral residence of Gracie Mansion Friday night, POLITICO first reported. WNBC then reported resignations were pending, and the Daily News and New York Times further reported their likelihood.

The deputy mayors voiced worry that Adams is essentially doing the bidding of President Donald Trump, a Republican who remains deeply unpopular in New York City. Trump’s Department of Justice last week ordered federal corruption charges against Adams dropped, in a case that appeared to be tied to the mayor’s cooperation on deporting migrants from New York City.

Danielle Sassoon, a federal prosecutor in Manhattan, resigned over the matter, saying it amounted to a quid pro quo — an allegation Adams’ attorney, Alex Spiro, adamantly denied.

Adams is set to run for reelection June 24 and held a campaign-style event with supporters in Brooklyn on Monday afternoon. Some protestors showed up with signs saying “Eric Adams is a Republican.”

Mass resignations from Eric Adams’ administration spark chaos in NYC government


Sending Belgian soldiers to Ukraine is 'only logical', says Defence Minister


Germany’s Merz again rules out coalition with far right, but opens door to center-left parties


Taiwan considering multi-billion dollar arms purchase from US, sources say


Germany’s far-left party sees membership surge before election


The Trump executive orders as “radical constitutionalism” | "Vought strongly implied that an element of radical constitutionalism is to instill fear in the Supreme Court that the presidency is prepared to resort to outright defiance of its decisions."


Trump begins firings of FAA air traffic control staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash

:saarc: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation


While top U.S. officials and European leaders clashed over issues such as values, democracy and Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi held bilateral meetings with several top European officials, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

“There is no fundamental conflict of interest or geopolitical conflicts between China and the EU,” Wang said during his meeting with Kallas on Saturday, adding that Beijing “supports all endeavors conducive to peace and backs Europe in playing a significant role” in the peace negotiation process regarding the war in Ukraine.

The EU response was somewhat more reserved, with Kallas saying the EU was ready to “continue with dialogue and cooperate in selected areas, such as trade, economic affairs, and climate change.” He urged Beijing to halt exports of dual-use goods to Russia, which she said fuels Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

Wang’s remarks were in stark contrast to U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s criticism of European countries. Instead of highlighting the threats posed by Russia and China, Vance accused European government of censoring right-wing parties and failing to control migration.

Analysts say China’s effort to strengthen engagement with Europe is part of Beijing’s plan to take advantage of divisions between Washington and its European allies. In recent weeks, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has pushed the EU to adopt more assertive policies against China, has repeatedly said the bloc is open to improving relations with China.

While European countries may consider adjusting their China policies, some European analysts say it’s unlikely for these attempts to turn into a fundamental shift of European policies towards China and the U.S.

China aims to improve ties with EU amid transatlantic tension


Germany and Norway offer Canada early access to new submarines in pitch to join project


Ukraine will not take part in talks between Russia and the United States in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday, speaking via video link from the United Arab Emirates.

Zelenskyy’s arrival in the region at the same time as the U.S. and Russia are poised to meet for peace talks in Saudi Arabia has generated wide speculation about whether Ukraine would participate. U.S. officials told POLITICO at the Munich Security Conference this weekend that Washington had invited Ukraine to take part, a statement that was news to Kyiv.

“Ukraine will not take part in the negotiations. Ukraine did not know they were planned. And the visit to the region was planned long before the U.S. decided to meet Russia there,” Zelenskyy said, adding that any peace talks held without Kyiv at the negotiating table “will bring no result.”

On Monday, Ukraine and the UAE signed an economic cooperation partnership, opening free trade, Zelenskyy said. He added that he will be traveling to Turkey on Tuesday, when Russia and the U.S. are expected to meet in Riyadh, and only arrive in Saudi Arabia the following day.

“So, once again, my visits have nothing in common with those talks. Although when I arrive in Saudi Arabia I will ask his majesty what he knows about the topics of the talks,” Zelenskyy added.

Moscow and Washington have, however, dismissed the idea of European participation.

Ukraine will not participate in Russia-US talks, Zelenskyy says from UAE

Ukraine will not take part in talks between Russia and the United States in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Ukraine&#39;s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday, speaking via video link from the United Arab Emirates.

Zelenskyy’s arrival in the region at the same time as the U.S. and Russia are poised to meet for peace talks in Saudi Arabia has generated wide speculation about whether Ukraine would participate. U.S. officials told POLITICO at the Munich Security Conference this weekend that Washington had invited Ukraine to take part, a statement that was news to Kyiv.

“Ukraine will not take part in the negotiations. Ukraine did not know they were planned. And the visit to the region was planned long before the U.S. decided to meet Russia there,” Zelenskyy said, adding that any peace talks held without Kyiv at the negotiating table “will bring no result.”

On Monday, Ukraine and the UAE signed an economic cooperation partnership, opening free trade, Zelenskyy said. He added that he will be traveling to Turkey on Tuesday, when Russia and the U.S. are expected to meet in Riyadh, and only arrive in Saudi Arabia the following day.

“So, once again, my visits have nothing in common with those talks. Although when I arrive in Saudi Arabia I will ask his majesty what he knows about the topics of the talks,” Zelenskyy added.

Moscow and Washington have, however, dismissed the idea of European participation.


What happens when everyone decides they need a gun?


Broadcom, TSMC eye possible Intel deals to split storied chipmaker, WSJ reports


How to stop Trump’s power grab


Donald Trump wants states and cities to do as they are told


America’s political system isn’t going to collapse. It’s going to muddle through.


It all started in Munich...


A Justification of Georgist Fiscal Policy – Part 2: Government Spending


Protests are set to take place on Presidents Day. Here's why


Trump administration pressures Romania to lift restrictions on Tate brothers


The Rise of the Woke Right


The Trump administration is rolling out a new strategy to combat avian flu, moving away from mass culling of infected flocks. Spearheaded by National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, the plan prioritizes enhanced biosecurity measures and medication to control the spread of the virus.

The plan’s success hinges on industry adoption and global trade acceptance. Balancing effective disease control with maintaining poultry exports remains a critical challenge for the administration.

A USDA bird flu response plan, updated in May 2017 during Trump’s first administration, incorporated policy guidance based on lessons from influenza outbreaks during the Obama and first Trump administrations. The plan stated that “rapid depopulation of infected poultry is critical to halt virus transmission and must be prioritized.”

While bird flu was present during Trump’s first term, the current widespread outbreak affecting cattle and causing human infections began in 2022, after Trump left office. The ongoing situation presents new challenges for the incoming Trump administration in 2025.

Trump Administration Shifts Strategy on Avian Flu


VC funding in European defence and security tech surges to record $5.2bn


Russia Set to Keep Reduced Military Presence in Post-Assad Syria


Senate Republicans have the ambitious goal of jamming through funding boosts for defense and border security — separately from the appropriations process — ahead of a mid-March deadline to prevent a government shutdown.

Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said this week that he told President Trump “it would be really helpful if we could give him the money for the border plan for four years before March 14.”

The strategy could help GOP lawmakers secure more leverage in funding talks, as Republicans have sought lower levels for nondefense programs, while Democrats have demanded parity in increases to both defense and nondefense spending. But Republicans face enormous hurdles in moving such a plan out of Congress, despite controlling both chambers, as GOP leaders clash over how to advance key parts of Trump’s tax, defense and border agenda.

Republicans would move the border and defense money through a process known as reconciliation, which would allow them to bypass the 60-vote threshold normally needed to move bills in the Senate. But reconciliation is a lengthy and complicated process, normally taking far longer than the month remaining until March 14, and the chambers are already at odds over the first step.

House and Senate Republicans last week advanced two separate budget resolutions, which unlock the reconciliation process and outline requirements for the final bill.

Adding to the pressure on Republicans, lawmakers are beginning to acknowledge a stopgap funding measure of some kind will likely be needed to prevent a shutdown next month, even as the Trump administration is clamoring for more money for border security.

Republicans hope to jam through defense, border funding boost ahead of shutdown fight


Guns and Growth: Increased defense spending could significantly boost Europe’s economic growth and industrial base if outlays are targeted at high-tech, regionally made armament


Rwanda-backed M23 rebels capture eastern DRC’s second-largest city


France says joint bonds on table to finance European defence


Jan. 6 Rioters Argue Pardons Apply to Charges Including Murder Plot, Child Porn


Hamas ready to hand Gaza to Palestinian Authority, Sky News sources say - report


US wildfire suppressants rife with toxic heavy metals, study finds | Suppressants a ‘major’ source of toxic pollution that causes heavy-metal levels to spike in the environment


Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data, raising alarm at IRS | The unusual request would put sensitive data about millions of American taxpayers in the hands of Trump political appointees


Indonesia’s shrinking middle class rattles businesses betting on a boom


Discussion Thread


Once again, the city of Fargo and members of the North Dakota Legislature find themselves deadlocked amid a push by state lawmakers to remove Fargo’s approval voting system.

House Bill 1297 seeks to ban approval voting throughout North Dakota. If passed, Fargo would no longer be allowed to use approval voting for local elections.

Fargo leaders defend citizen-initiated approval voting at state Capitol


First Test of Trump’s Power to Fire Officials Reaches Supreme Court (Gift Article)


Death of Stalin was a documentary


U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday shrugged off the European Union's reported push to block imports of U.S. soybeans and other foods made to different standards, warning such a move would only hurt Europe itself.

Trump, speaking to reporters after a quick trip to Daytona Beach for the Daytona 500 car race, said the U.S. was sticking to its plans to start implementing reciprocal tariffs. "That's alright. I don't mind. Let them do it. Let them do it. It's just hurting themselves if they do that," he said.

The Financial Times reported earlier on Sunday that the European Commission would agree next week to explore tough import limits on certain foods made to different standards in an effort to protect its farmers, echoing Trump's reciprocal trade policy.

Early targets could include U.S. crops such as soybeans grown using pesticides that EU farmers are not allowed to use, the report said, citing three officials it did not name.

Asked about the report earlier, a White House official earlier said Trump was fighting for fair and reciprocal trade and would stand up for American farmers.

European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic is expected to travel to Washington on Monday for meetings with U.S. officials on the new trade policy, the European Commission said.

Trump Shrugs off EU's Reported Plans for Trump-Style Import Curbs on Food

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday shrugged off the European Union&#39;s reported push to block imports of U.S. soybeans and other foods made to different standards, warning such a move would only hurt Europe itself.

Trump, speaking to reporters after a quick trip to Daytona Beach for the Daytona 500 car race, said the U.S. was sticking to its plans to start implementing reciprocal tariffs. &quot;That&#39;s alright. I don&#39;t mind. Let them do it. Let them do it. It&#39;s just hurting themselves if they do that,&quot; he said.

The Financial Times reported earlier on Sunday that the European Commission would agree next week to explore tough import limits on certain foods made to different standards in an effort to protect its farmers, echoing Trump&#39;s reciprocal trade policy.

Early targets could include U.S. crops such as soybeans grown using pesticides that EU farmers are not allowed to use, the report said, citing three officials it did not name.

Asked about the report earlier, a White House official earlier said Trump was fighting for fair and reciprocal trade and would stand up for American farmers.

European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic is expected to travel to Washington on Monday for meetings with U.S. officials on the new trade policy, the European Commission said.


A Proven Way to Ease L.A.’s Housing Crisis: States around the country are showing Southern California how to rebuild.


Opinion | The Republican Party’s NPC Problem — and Ours (Gift Article)


The TikTok Ban Withers Away


Finding a therapist who takes your insurance can be nearly impossible. Here's why


The state we are in – British Army decline


Venting at Democrats and Fearing Trump, Liberal Donors Pull Back Cash


The Relationship Between Chinese Debt and China’s Trade Surplus


Russian troops intensify attacks on Ukrainian forces in east, military says


Ukraine, Europe will be part of 'real' peace talks, says Rubio, as US weighs Putin's motives


If a Democrat wins the 2028 presidential election, what should their policy priorities be?

Let’s discuss what a Democratic president’s agenda should look like in 2029 under three different political landscapes:

Scenario 1: Democrats have a strong midterm showing, expand their House majority, and win the presidency by a decisive 4-6% margin. The Senate is narrowly in their control (51-52 seats).

Scenario 2: Democrats perform well in the midterms but lose some ground in 2028. They retain a slim House majority and hold the Senate in a 50/50 split. The presidential race is closer, with a 1-3% margin of victory.

Scenario 3: Democrats struggle in the 2028 election, holding onto the House by just a handful of seats while failing to reclaim the Senate (49 seats). The presidential victory is razor-thin, under 2%.

Given these scenarios, what should be the policy focus for a Democratic administration? Let’s assume any major electoral challenges from JD Vance and others have been thwarted.

No meme replies or quick two-sentence takes—let’s have a substantive discussion. If you can't do that, please just keep your reply in your pocket and move along or lurk.

If a Democrat wins the presidency in 2028, what do you think their policy priorities should be? (serious responses only, more in comments)

If a Democrat wins the 2028 presidential election, what should their policy priorities be?

Let’s discuss what a Democratic president’s agenda should look like in 2029 under three different political landscapes:

Scenario 1: Democrats have a strong midterm showing, expand their House majority, and win the presidency by a decisive 4-6% margin. The Senate is narrowly in their control (51-52 seats).

Scenario 2: Democrats perform well in the midterms but lose some ground in 2028. They retain a slim House majority and hold the Senate in a 50/50 split. The presidential race is closer, with a 1-3% margin of victory.

Scenario 3: Democrats struggle in the 2028 election, holding onto the House by just a handful of seats while failing to reclaim the Senate (49 seats). The presidential victory is razor-thin, under 2%.

Given these scenarios, what should be the policy focus for a Democratic administration? Let’s assume any major electoral challenges from JD Vance and others have been thwarted.

No meme replies or quick two-sentence takes—let’s have a substantive discussion. If you can&#39;t do that, please just keep your reply in your pocket and move along or lurk.


Starmer prepared to put troops into Ukraine to safeguard peace


Two prominent originalist law professors published a NY Times op-ed arguing there is no right to birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants under the 14th Amendment – The op-ed cites no evidence from the ratification debate. The evidence offered misrepresents the source materials


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday signaled that he was moving ahead with U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to transfer the Palestinian population out of Gaza, calling it “the only viable plan to enable a different future” for the region.

Netanyahu discussed the plan with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who kicked off a Middle East visit by endorsing Israel’s war aims in Gaza, saying Hamas “must be eradicated.” That created further doubt around the shaky ceasefire as talks on its second phase are yet to begin.

Rubio, in his upcoming stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, is likely to face more pushback from Arab leaders over Trump’s proposal, which includes redeveloping Gaza under U.S. ownership. Netanyahu has said all emigration from Gaza should be “voluntary,” but rights groups and other critics say that the plan amounts to coercion given the territory’s vast destruction.

Netanyahu said he and Trump have a “common strategy” for Gaza. Echoing Trump, he said “the gates of hell would be open” if Hamas doesn’t release dozens of remaining hostages abducted in the militant group’s attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that triggered the 16-month war.

In an interview last week, Rubio indicated that Trump’s Gaza proposal was in part aimed at pressuring Arab states to make their own postwar plan that would be acceptable to Israel. Rubio also appeared to suggest that Arab countries send troops to combat Hamas.

Israel's Netanyahu signals he's moving ahead with Trump's plan to move Palestinians from Gaza


Thanks Drumpf


Marriages in China plunge 20% to a record low in 2024


Colombia's fertility rate is estimated to have fallen to 1.06 children per woman( red value right on the last row), lower than the low case UN forecast for 2100


Laid off by the Trump administration, a former FAA employee says he's concerned: A disabled veteran ... telling WUSA9 on Saturday that he is concerned about public safety in U.S. airspace.


Donald Trump ‘definitely’ looking to make Canada a state: premier


Liberal leadership hopeful Mark Carney says he'd run a deficit to 'invest and grow' Canada's economy


MAGA YIMBY son or Leftist NIMBY daughter?


US Health Department Layoffs Expand to Medicare, FDA


If imposed, Trump's tariff on chips from Taiwan could isolate U.S. economy, benefit China


‘All hell broke loose’: Colombia rethinks ‘total peace’ plan as violence grips north | Global development


I've lost track of how often i've used the " Do nothing, win " meme with Xi Jinping in the past weeks


Trump will damage significantly the Canadian economy

ANALYSIS | Tariff threat has Canadian businesses rethinking investment plans | CBC News


It's time for Europe to stand up


Dems are losing the online information battle to Trump and Musk


Ukrainian officials reacted with a mixture of shock and confusion to the news that top Trump administration officials are traveling to Saudi Arabia to kickstart peace talks with Russia in the coming days — and that Ukrainians were also apparently coming.

“I saw that someone said that there would be a meeting in Saudi Arabia. I do not know what it is,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. On the prospect of talks without Ukraine at the table, he said: “Well, this is not a serious conversation, it seems to me."

One Ukrainian official at the conference expressed exasperation at the news, saying: “I don’t know where this came from, or what they expect to be the outcome of these talks where we are not invited.” And back in Kyiv, Mykhailo Podolyak, a top Zelenskyy adviser, was even more blunt. "There is nothing on the negotiating table that would be worth discussing,” he said. “Russia is not ready for negotiations.”

The Ukrainians interviewed by POLITICO were left confused not only about what was happening, but who was in charge.

Vice President JD Vance made no mention of the peace talks in his Munich speech, Rubio made no public remarks at the conference, and Trump’s special envoy for peace talks, Keith Kellogg, provided few answers about where the administration was headed in a closed-door lunch session. Kellogg is not scheduled to attend the talks.

But others cautioned against alarmism before the meetings happened and said the result — not the process — mattered most. Some European leaders pushed back against the alarmism, too.

The US said Ukraine would meet with Russia to discuss peace. That was news to Kyiv.

Ukrainian officials reacted with a mixture of shock and confusion to the news that top Trump administration officials are traveling to Saudi Arabia to kickstart peace talks with Russia in the coming days — and that Ukrainians were also apparently coming.

“I saw that someone said that there would be a meeting in Saudi Arabia. I do not know what it is,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. On the prospect of talks without Ukraine at the table, he said: “Well, this is not a serious conversation, it seems to me.&quot;

One Ukrainian official at the conference expressed exasperation at the news, saying: “I don’t know where this came from, or what they expect to be the outcome of these talks where we are not invited.” And back in Kyiv, Mykhailo Podolyak, a top Zelenskyy adviser, was even more blunt. &quot;There is nothing on the negotiating table that would be worth discussing,” he said. “Russia is not ready for negotiations.”

The Ukrainians interviewed by POLITICO were left confused not only about what was happening, but who was in charge.

Vice President JD Vance made no mention of the peace talks in his Munich speech, Rubio made no public remarks at the conference, and Trump’s special envoy for peace talks, Keith Kellogg, provided few answers about where the administration was headed in a closed-door lunch session. Kellogg is not scheduled to attend the talks.

But others cautioned against alarmism before the meetings happened and said the result — not the process — mattered most. Some European leaders pushed back against the alarmism, too.


End of an era? Germany in disarray as US scolds staunchest European ally


US drops website wording on not supporting Taiwan independence


Saudi Arabia is open to mediating between the Trump administration and Iran in pursuit of a new deal to limit Tehran’s nuclear program, CNN has learned.

The kingdom is concerned that Iran may be more inclined to pursue a nuclear weapon now that its regional proxies – long viewed as a deterrent against Israeli attacks – have been significantly weakened. Saudi Arabia hopes to leverage its close ties with President Donald Trump to provide Iran with a diplomatic bridge to the White House.

While Trump has said he wants to enter talks for a new deal, the message from Iran has been mixed, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying last week that talks with the United States were “not smart.”

Saudi Arabia publicly welcomed the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers but privately seethed over the Obama administration’s failure to address its concerns about Tehran’s regional activities – particularly its missile program and proxy groups from Yemen to Iraq and Lebanon, which Riyadh viewed as a threat to regional stability. It later welcomed Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the deal.

But tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have eased significantly since then. In March 2023, the two countries made a surprise announcement to normalize relations in a China-brokered agreement. Saudi officials view the deal as a major success, believing Riyadh has reaped its benefits – Houthi attacks on Saudi territory have ceased, and the kingdom was spared in last year’s tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and Iran, despite fears that Tehran might hit Gulf Arab oil installations if its own facilities were hit by Israel.

Over the past 15 months, Israel has significantly weakened Iran-allied groups in Lebanon and Gaza and has struck targets in Syria, Iraq and as far as Yemen. Combined with the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, these developments have dealt a serious blow to Iran’s ability to project power beyond its borders.

Saudi Arabia seeks to mediate between Trump and Iran on new nuclear deal | CNN


Laboratories in a national network of 58 facilities responding to the spread of bird flu were notified Friday that 25 percent of the staff in a central program office coordinating their work were fired in the Trump administration’s mass layoffs of federal employees.

USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network program office has a staff of only 14 people, but it plays a major role in responding to animal disease outbreaks. It’s responsible for data management, ensuring that labs across the country are conducting the same tests and following similar protocols to accurately and effectively track animal diseases.

The labs that make up the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians were informed that testing and other responses to the H5N1 outbreak would be slower after the layoff, said Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

USDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The department’s work responding to diseases like African swine fever and foot and mouth disease could also be affected.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced a third spillover event — the term for when a new strain of the virus infects another species — in dairy cattle in Arizona, another indicator that the nation has not yet contained the H5N1 virus.

Brooke Rollins, who was confirmed and sworn in as secretary of Agriculture this week, said that she convened a meeting about bird flu on her first day on the job. It’s unclear whether the layoffs were discussed.

Trump administration firings hit key office handling bird flu response


UK’s much-feared wave of job cuts is failing to materialise


Democrats confront their powerlessness as Trump flexes authority


Forget the US — Europe has successfully put tariffs on itself - by Mario Draghi on the FT


Why Ghana faces a growing jihadi threat


The House GOP’s budget resolution could be in jeopardy of not clearing the full chamber amid concerns from moderates over likely cuts to social safety net programs — particularly Medicaid — with a handful undecided on whether they will support the key measure.

Reps. David Valadao (R-Calif.) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) — both of whom represent districts with a significant percentage of Medicaid recipients — told The Hill that they are withholding support from the budget resolution as they seek more information on the severity of the cuts and how they could impact their constituents. And they are not alone.

Those worries are sure to raise alarm bells for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and his leadership team — including Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) — who are looking to push the resolution through the chamber and kick-start the process to pass President Trump’s domestic policy agenda as early as the week of Feb. 24, when the House returns.

Republicans can only afford to lose one vote if all members are present and the entire Democratic caucus opposes the measure, which is expected. At the current moment, key lawmakers say the resolution could be doomed to fail.

While the worries appear to be more pronounced among moderates, some conservatives have also raised concerns about the trajectory of the reconciliation process. One House Republican who is on the whip team told The Hill that two conservatives reported Friday that they were undecided on the measure.

It is not, however, all bad news for Johnson and GOP leadership. Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), who represents a purple district on Long Island, told The Hill on Friday that he will support the budget resolution, calling it an “easy vote” while signaling that the hard part will come when lawmakers have to craft the measure.

House GOP budget resolution in jeopardy amid concerns from moderates


Former Mauritius Prime Minister arrested, says Financial Crimes Commission


Cuts to U.S.-Backed Rights Groups Seen as a Win for China


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he directed his ministers not to sign off on a proposed agreement to give the United States access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals because the document was too focused on U.S. interests.

The proposal, which was a key part of Zelenskyy’s talks with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, did not offer any specific security guarantees in return, according to one current and one former senior Ukrainian official familiar with the talks. Zelenskyy’s decision not to sign a deal, at least for now, was described as “short-sighted” by a senior White House official.

Ukraine has vast reserves of critical minerals that are used in the aerospace, defense and nuclear industries. The Trump administration has indicated it is interested in accessing them to reduce dependence on China but Zelenskyy said any exploitation would need to be tied to security guarantees for Ukraine that would deter future Russian aggression. “It’s a colonial agreement and Zelenskyy cannot sign it,” the former senior official said.

White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes did not explicitly confirm the offer, but said in a statement that “President Zelenskyy is being short-sighted about the excellent opportunity the Trump administration has presented to Ukraine.”

The U.S. proposal apparently did not take into account how the deposits would be secured in the event of continuing Russian aggression. The official suggested the U.S. did not have “ready answers,” to that question and that one of their takeaways from discussions in Munich will be how to secure any mineral extraction operation in Ukraine involving people and infrastructure.

Any deal must be in accordance with Ukrainian law and acceptable to the Ukrainian people, the senior Ukrainian official said. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, all but cut Europeans out of any Ukraine-Russia talks, despite Zelenskyy’s request. Ukraine is now preparing a “counter proposal” which will be delivered to the U.S. in “the near future,” the official said.

US presented Ukraine with a document to access its minerals but offered almost nothing in return


U.S. Border Patrol agents will stop using body cameras immediately in all field operations following social media posts that revealed how to identify Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, NewsNation reported on Saturday.

“All U.S. Border Patrol Agents will cease the use of body-worn cameras (BWC) in all operational environments,” reads a statement to Border Patrol received by NewsNation.

The directive follows notification “regarding a potential security risk,” the statement said. “Pending completion of investigation and risk mitigation, all Agents will stand down the use of their BWCs [body worn cameras] until further notice. Additional guidance and information will be disseminated as it is received,” the statement added.

On the social media platform Reddit, a user claimed that agents could be identified by using BLE Radar by F-Droid. BLE Radar, a mobile application, functions by scanning for Bluetooth low-energy devices like phones, smartwatches and speakers.

Social media posts say they can be tracked from a distance of 100 yards or more and can trigger improvised explosive device attacks.

Border patrol to stop usage of body cameras in the field: Report


This is my first post. As someone who watches the US from the outside, I must admit I know very little about how the states and federal systems work in the US. So please forgive me if this is a naive question.

Given that the Trump federal government has no interest in providing federal support for education, healthcare and other welfare, and its insistence on lowering tax, is it theoretically possible to have very low federal income tax, and leave the individual states to decide on how much tax they want to raise, and what they want to spend on?

This allows richer blue states to spend more money on themselves on issues that liberals love without increasing tax burden of their residents, and poorer red states enjoy their low tax libertarian freedom? And if the residents are unhappy, they can surely move according to their appetite for tax vs. welfare.

Can the states fulfill the roles of the federal government?


"Eliminationist Rhetoric" and the fight for Ukraine


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A year after Navalny’s death, the Russian opposition struggles without its charismatic leader


WWF helping facilitate trade in polar bear fur, investigation reveals


Trump Official Destroying USAID Secretly Met With Christian Nationalists Abroad in Defiance of U.S. Policy


European leaders set to hold emergency summit on Ukraine


Hi, I’m looking for some good reading (books or articles) and podcast recommendations. I’ve either worked in politics or education since graduating college 12 years ago yet even I struggle to find reliable, unbiased, non-sensationalist journalism these days. I like the Rest is Politics (the U.S. version mainly, but both are good) and prefer the BBC and NPR sort of outlets but also like reading long form articles on the New Yorker and Atlantic. I’m just struggling to find a writer or podcaster who can put all this insanity into perspective without using name-calling or hyperbole or annoying words like “slammed” that also isn’t paywalled or stuck in an echo chamber.

I think there are probably a lot of others like me out there who are struggling to find good journalism on what’s going down in America these days, but I know there are good journalists out there who deserve some recognition for the work they’re doing.

Thanks in advance

Good neoliberal reading/podcasts?


The US welcomed them. Now they’re living in fear as Trump changes the rules


Poilievre repudiates Trump's 51st state threats, pitches new policies at 'Canada First' rally


Teen dead and five injured in Austria knife attack


China seeks stronger cooperation with Germany and EU


This meme is getting more valid every day


DOGE Exposes Once-Secret Government Networks, Making Cyber-Espionage Easier than Ever


Washington Should Tax Capital Inflows


Argentina records lowest monthly inflation in 4.5 years (December 2.2% MoM)


Keir Starmer writes for Metro: I’m ready to take on the Nimbys


Indonesia’s Plan to Stop Rice Import Won’t Last Long, Vietnam Says


Good article cowritten by a former provost and business school dean at Purdue

Indirect Cost Cuts Could Gut University Research


On Friday, 13 judges who had yet to be sworn in and five assistant chief immigration judges were dismissed without notice, said Matthew Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents federal workers. Two other judges were fired under similar circumstances in the last week.

It was unclear if they would be replaced. The U.S. Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, which runs the courts and oversees its roughly 700 judges, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.

Immigration courts are backlogged with more than 3.7 million cases, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, and it takes years to decide asylum cases. There is support across the political spectrum for more judges and support staff, though the first Trump administration also pressured some judges to decide cases more quickly.

The Trump administration earlier replaced five top court officials, including Mary Cheng, the agency’s acting director. Sirce Owen, the current leader and previously an appellate immigration judge, has issued a slew of new instructions, many reversing policies of the Biden administration.

Last month, the Justice Department halted financial support for nongovernmental organizations to provide information and guidance to people facing deportation but restored funding after a coalition of nonprofit groups filed a federal lawsuit.

The firings touch on two top Trump priorities: mass deportations and shrinking the size of the federal government. On Thursday, it ordered agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers. Probationary workers generally have less than a year on the job.

Justice Department fires 20 immigration judges from backlogged courts amid major government cuts

On Friday, 13 judges who had yet to be sworn in and five assistant chief immigration judges were dismissed without notice, said Matthew Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional &amp; Technical Engineers, which represents federal workers. Two other judges were fired under similar circumstances in the last week.

It was unclear if they would be replaced. The U.S. Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, which runs the courts and oversees its roughly 700 judges, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.

Immigration courts are backlogged with more than 3.7 million cases, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, and it takes years to decide asylum cases. There is support across the political spectrum for more judges and support staff, though the first Trump administration also pressured some judges to decide cases more quickly.

The Trump administration earlier replaced five top court officials, including Mary Cheng, the agency’s acting director. Sirce Owen, the current leader and previously an appellate immigration judge, has issued a slew of new instructions, many reversing policies of the Biden administration.

Last month, the Justice Department halted financial support for nongovernmental organizations to provide information and guidance to people facing deportation but restored funding after a coalition of nonprofit groups filed a federal lawsuit.

The firings touch on two top Trump priorities: mass deportations and shrinking the size of the federal government. On Thursday, it ordered agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers. Probationary workers generally have less than a year on the job.


Comfort in History | Trump isn’t the first president to sneer at the Constitution


Mike Waltz will join Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, in the coming days to start talks on ending Ukraine War


Chagos Islands deal: US to have seat at talks on islands' future, says Mauritian PM