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The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has ordered a halt to virtually all US foreign aid, but made an exception for funding to Israel and Egypt, according to an internal memo to staff at the US state department. “No new funds shall be obligated for new awards or extensions of existing awards until each proposed new award or extension has been reviewed and approved … as consistent with President Trump’s agenda,” said the memo. The sweeping order appears to affect everything from development assistance to military aid – including potentially to Ukraine, which received billions of dollars in weapons under...

We must tell the full truth about Francis: here’s whySome have stated that debating whether Francis is pope is a misguided endeavor. In this article I will argue that the most important task before us is to discover the truth, and that it is always better to know the truth so we can make it the foundation of our actions.But, when necessity compels, not those only who are invested with power of rule are bound to safeguard the integrity of faith, but, as St. Thomas maintains: “Each one is under obligation to show forth his faith, either to instruct and...

Donald Trump's return to the White House saw Sir Keir Starmer claim the 'special relationship' will 'continue to flourish'. But can US-UK relations really remain serene until 2029? The US President, a real estate mogul with a fondness for fast food, and the Prime Minister, a pescatarian former human rights barrister, are not natural bedfellows. One has seized control of the Republican Party with his 'MAGA' agenda, while the other is a self-described 'socialist' and has often been dubbed 'boring'. There are also, naturally, huge ideological differences between Mr Trump and the Labour PM on a range of issues. But...

During his 2024 presidential campaign Donald Trump repeatedly and in grave terms highlighted the possibility of the US dollar losing its world reserve currency status. This occurred at summits with business leaders at the New York and Chicago Economic Clubs.Trump occupies a rather unique position in this debate since he recognizes the real possibility of the dollar losing its world currency status, he opposes this change and wishes to prevent it, and yet he is not a paradigmatic member of the ruling class. However mainstream he is—today or in the past—he doesn’t possess the establishment credentials of a Ben Bernanke,...

No U.S. Funding for Abortion Supoirting Programs Abroad

Organized crime groups have surged in recent decades, aided by the rise of synthetic drugs, encrypted technologies, and multinational operations.For instance, a leading Brazilian mob has 60,000 affiliates spread across 26 countries in addition to its 40,000 members. Moreover, criminal actors are increasingly diversifying their operations, engaging in activities such as human smuggling, drug trafficking, and the exploitation of food supply chains.This graphic, via Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld, shows organized crime hot spots around the world, based on data from the Global Organized Crime Index.MethodologyThe Global Organized Crime Index analyzes 193 countries based on their scale of criminal activity. It...

This post has been updated.Sen. Tillis and Hegseth spoke for two hours today. Tillis said he'd support this nomination, barring any bombshell corroborating evidence. The NBC News hit piece did rankle the squishes, but luckily, Hegseth could calm the North Carolina Republican down.From the beginning, I have been clear about my position: if President Trump’s nominees were reported favorably out of the relevant committees, I would support their confirmation on the Senate floor absent new material information about their qualifications. Once Pete Hegseth’s…— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) January 25, 2025From the beginning, I have been clear about my position: if...

If you were wondering how long it would take for Democrats to sue the Trump administration, we have an answer. With the ink barely dry, eighteen Democrat state attorneys general, four additional Democrat state AGs, and a collection of outside groups led by the American Civil Liberties Union all filed federal lawsuits over President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants. Their argument, that the U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that the 14th Amendment guarantees birthright citizenship for practically anyone born here, is flatly wrong as a matter of law. The courts should...

The White House has released its official list of movies that Joe Biden screened in the White House Family Theater during his term, and it’s weird, to say the least.Seriously, why in the living world would anyone in the WH want to watch “The Real Cancun”?!?!?!?! pic.twitter.com/zpsE01Fq8P— Lie-Able Sources (@LieAbleSources) January 24, 2025One flick that stands out is Adam Sandler’s “Little Nicky.” Really? I like a few Sandler movies, but there are plenty I’ve never bothered to waste my time watching, and this is one of them.There are admittedly, plenty of films here that I’ve never seen or even heard...

CNN's resident data guru could not help but praise Donald Trump after observing a rise in his approval rating Friday - four days into his presidency. Senior Political Data Reporter Harry Enten called the occurrence proof Americans were already 'lik[ing] what they're seeing', even after the president's plentiful pardons. The polling from Reuters/Ipsos showed Trump ending the week with what's undoubtedly his highest rating ever - a net favorability of six points. Eight years ago, the conservative had a rating of negative three points, leading Enten to marvel at the shift. 'That's up nine points,' he said - before noting...

How could anyone object to Trump’s declassification of the files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy? Americans deserved to know the whole truth, whatever it was, at the time, and the fact that it has been hidden for over sixty years now has only led to a proliferation of conspiracy theories and ever-increasing suspicion of government narratives on any and every subject. Now, suspicion of the government is entirely warranted, as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison would be the first to tell you, and Trump’s decision to release the files is a long-delayed act of transparency. But...

Please, Don, may I have some more? President Trump was greeted warmly by Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom as the commander in chief exited Air Force One upon arrival in Los Angeles Friday — making nice after Trump blasted his management of the crisis. Trump, 78, and Newsom, 57, talked briefly and animatedly after the president descended the steps of his jet — with the governor alternately pointing, making a fist and giving a thumbs up. The awkward greeting, in which both men patted each other on the shoulder, ended with Newsom, who had not been officially invited, giving first...

Update 9:50 p.m.: JD Vance broke the tie with his yes vote moments ago, making Hegseth's confirmation official.Original story: Pete Hegseth will have enough votes to become Secretary of Defense, which is a tremendous victory for Donald Trump. The vote was 50-50, and Vice President JD Vance is expected to break the tie. I thought I was done voting in the senate 😂— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 25, 2025All eyes were on the votes by Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), as Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) had previously indicated they were going to vote...

[Catholic Caucus] Papal Hate Speech and the Pact of the Catacombs: What’s the Connection?This is all part of the foundational event on which Francis patterns his entire pontificate – the 1965 Pact of the Catacombs, which took place in the Domitilla Catacomb on the eve of the close of Vatican II and was a de facto declaration of war on the traditional Catholic liturgy, practice, and theology.In his new autobiography, “Hope,” Francis accuses traditional Catholics of “rigorism” and a culture of “backwardism” wherein young traditional priests “dress up” in “elegant and costly tailoring, lace, fancy trimmings, rochets” to “conceal a...

Former Vice President Kamala Harris’ future remains unclear months after her election loss to now-President Donald Trump. As she grapples with navigating next steps, Harris has spoken with family and close friends, including the one other person who has been in her exact position: Hillary Clinton, New York Magazine reported. The two have reportedly spoken several times since Harris’ defeat. (snip) Harris and Clinton have more than election losses in common. Both were backed by a long list of Hollywood A-listers, whose endorsements ultimately did not help. Not even Taylor Swift could make the "Harris Era" happen.

Inflation isn't nearly the problem it was a year or two ago, but consumers will still have to brace for some ballooning bills this year.The overall annual inflation rate sits at 2.7% as of the most recent consumer price index (CPI) report. That's only slightly higher than the long-term target of 2%. However, if you're buying plane tickets, home insurance or certain grocery items, you could be facing much steeper price increases.Prices on those goods and services are likely to climb regardless of what the incoming Trump administration does with regards to tariffs, which forecasts predict could separately cause price...

Nothing is certain but death and taxes, as the saying goes, but some Americans will be paying less taxes in 2025. Residents of nine states will see their state income taxes go down in this year, according to a roundup from the Tax Foundation, a tax policy research and analysis nonprofit.The organization notes that two of those states — Iowa and Louisiana — not only lowered the top marginal tax rate, but shifted from a bracket to a flat-tax system. In addition, South Carolina — although not one of the nine states with a new tax cut — made a...

Manifest Destiny met luxury cosmetics when makeup billionaire and Republican donor Ronald Lauder mentioned buying Greenland to the president. President Donald Trump was reportedly convinced to try annexing Greenland by cosmetics billionaire and college friend Ronald Lauder. Greenlanders, meanwhile, are not sold on the idea.Mother Jones illustration; Evan Vucci/AP; Michael Kappeler/Picture Alliance/Getty The United States has been trying to annex Greenland for centuries. The massive island in the Arctic—which is home to 56,000 people and holds vast oil and mineral reserves—is currently an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1867, Secretary of State William H. Seward planned to...

President Donald Trump fired Coast Guard commandant, Admiral Linda L. Fagan, almost immediately after taking office, but she did not hear about it until she was at the Commander in Chief Ball that evening. Fagan found out she was fired as she was waiting to have a photo taken with Trump at the ball, according to a military official speaking to the New York Times. Fagan did not respond to a request for comment. The Department of Homeland Security sent the bulletin featuring news of her job termination to the Coast Guard leadership the morning after Inauguration Day 'She served...

Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski voted no. All Dems voted no.