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The U.S. State Department and Department of the Treasury reimposed what they describe as ‘maximum pressure’ sanctions on Iran’s ‘shadowy’ oil trade on Monday as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high after President Donald Trump took office last month. The State Department designated 16 entities and vessels part of a ‘network of illicit shipping facilitators’ that ‘obfuscates and deceives its role in loading and transporting Iranian oil for sale to buyers in Asia,’ spokesperson...

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is teaming up with Elon Musk’s cost-cutting department to draw back environmental grants issued by the former Democratic administration.  The EPA and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President Donald Trump’s newly formed department aimed at cutting federal spending, recently revealed that the Biden administration earmarked $77.1 million in ‘environmental justice’ grants to 20 recipients. DOGE, as part of its sweep of government ‘waste,’ revealed that they are canceling $67.4...

Some House Republicans have felt heat back home this past week after progressive groups urged Americans to protest the GOP’s handling of government spending. At least six lawmakers saw protests at their district offices as they spent time with constituents during last week’s recess to mark President’s Day. Several others were confronted during town hall events held during the same period. The demonstrations largely centered on Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),...

The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear a pro-life challenge against protest restrictions around abortion clinics in Illinois, as activists argued the laws infringe on their First Amendment rights, a decision met with a fiery dissent by Justice Clarence Thomas. The court rejected appeals from Coalition Life, which describes itself as ‘America’s Largest Professional Sidewalk Counseling Organization’ in New Jersey and Illinois, which had challenged previous lower court rulings that dismissed their lawsuits.  Pro-life...

The U.S. is pushing United Nations (U.N.) member states to back its resolution marking the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war that does not underscore Kyiv’s territorial integrity.  The U.S. draft resolution, put forward on Friday, pits the U.S. against Ukraine and its European allies, who pitched a lengthier resolution that lays blame on Russia for the invasion and demands Moscow remove its troops from Ukrainian territory.  While the U.S. resolution mourns ‘the tragic loss...

Germany’s chancellor-elect, Friedrich Merz, leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union party, said his ‘absolute priority’ upon taking up the top job will be to secure Europe so that it can ‘achieve independence’ from Washington. ‘I would never have thought that I would have to say something like this in a TV show but, after Donald Trump’s remarks last week… it is clear that this government does not care much about the fate of Europe,’...

French President Emmanuel Macron is meeting with President Donald Trump Monday morning at the White House. The meeting comes after Macron called for an emergency gathering of world leaders after the Trump administration excluded Europe from sitting at the negotiating table to settle the war between Ukraine and Russia. Macron arrived at the White House around 8 a.m. local time Monday and has been inside now for several hours. The two were expected to participate...

A massive piece of legislation that House Republicans hope will advance a broad swath of President Donald Trump’s agenda is facing its final hurdle on Monday before a chamber-wide vote. The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeepers for most bills before a House floor vote, is meeting to debate a measure that GOP leaders want to have on Trump’s desk by sometime in May. The bill aims to increase spending on border security, the judiciary...

The policy agenda of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans is keeping Democrats up at night. Literally. If you snooze, you lose. Or at least you might have missed the recent nocturnal front mounted by Democrats to oppose the GOP’s budget package. It was the second overnight session in three weeks for the Senate.  While you were sleeping last Thursday night – drifting into Friday – Democrats hoped their resistance to the president wasn’t a legislative lullaby....