The Taliban's so-called commerce minister announced Thursday that the regime is nearing a trade deal with Russia to bypass U.S. dollar transactions, while also pursuing similar arrangements with China. The deal comes after Russia officially removed the Taliban’s terrorist designation in April, paving the way for formal economic engagement.
Venezuela’s socialist regime will move forward with a widely condemned “election” on Sunday to install a governor and local legislators in “Guayana Esequiba”—a fictional state carved from Guyana’s sovereign Essequibo region. The Maduro regime claims the 61,600-square-mile, resource-rich territory as Venezuelan land, despite international recognition of Guyana’s administrative control.
California Governor Gavin Newsom lashed out Thursday after Congress voted to repeal his state’s electric vehicle (EV) mandate, calling the move a step toward making “America Smoggy Again.” The bipartisan Senate vote of 51-44 followed a similar action by the House, effectively targeting the special Clean Air Act waiver granted to California by the Biden administration in December.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a Statement of Interest in a lawsuit accusing asset managers BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard of attempting to manipulate the energy market.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the Pentagon's recent prayer service to reporters, asserting that the DOD will continue to honor the tradition of "appealing to Heaven."
