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The White House revealed on Friday the team that will accompany US President Donald Trump to the Alaska summit on Friday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Luntick, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe are among the top US officials who will join Trump for his highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his delegation. Additionally, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, among others, are expected to travel with the US president...

250 years ago this month, the British chopped down an important symbol of American freedom—the Boston Liberty Tree. To add insult to injury, they ignominiously turned that once-stately elm into mere firewood. I knew virtually nothing about the Liberty Tree—until I was informed by Dr. Peter Lillback, the founding president of Providence Forum, for which I serve as executive director. Lillback has even begun a project to restore Liberty Trees, but that is the subject for a future column.

"Israel is likely to launch another war with Iran before December--perhaps even as early as late August" Trita Parsi-"Foreign Policy' Commentary 8/11/2025... "So here is the great news. The moment your country is free Israel's top water experts will flood into every Iranian city... We will help Iran recycle water...we'll help Iran desalinate water... I urge you to be bold and brave...take to the streets...protest tyranny" Portions Of Israeli Prime Minister's Video Message To The People Of Iran 8/12/2025... The next round of the Israel-Iran War is on the way with signs of US-Israeli activity to appease nations neighboring Iran...

United States President Donald Trump mentioned on Thursday that he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "will make peace." "We will see if they can get along. And if they can, it will be great ... I thought the easiest [war to solve] would be this one, [but] it's actually the most difficult," he commented during a press conference. He reiterated that the potential second meeting will outweigh the importance of the one taking place tomorrow in Alaska. Trump revealed that this meeting could potentially involve both Putin and Zelensky, himself, as well as potentially some...

United States President Donald Trump commented on Thursday that he is unsure whether he will hold a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Speaking on Fox News radio, Trump explained that everything depends on how their meeting goes. The US head of state detailed that if discussions go well, the two will appear together and address the press. On the other hand, should talks not go well, the joint press conference will not happen. Trump further added that if negotiations go badly, he would hold a solo press briefing and head right back to...

United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump's upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is a "precursor" for future meetings, as Trump is willing to continue the dialogue. He added that the European Union should "put up or shut up" on Russia, accusing it of buying Russian oil refined in India and stressing that the US and the EU must coordinate on secondary sanctions on Russia.

The summit between Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will begin at 11:30 local time (Alaska Daylight Time), and will kick off with a one-on-one conversation in which only interpreters will be present, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov announced on Thursday in a briefing. After the initial meeting, the parties will continue negotiations in the format of a working breakfast. "It is expected that everything will begin tomorrow, August 15, at approximately 11:30 local time (22:30 Moscow time/ 21:30 CET/ 15:30 ET) with a conversation between Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Donald Trump," the diplomat said. "This conversation...

United States President Donald Trump revealed on Wednesday that "there is a very good chance" that he'll have a second meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after their summit in Alaska this Friday, adding that it "would be more productive than the first." "If the first one goes okay, we'll have a quick second one. I would like to do it almost immediately, and we'll have a quick second meeting with President Putin and [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelensky and myself if they'd like to have me there," Trump said. Speaking about the upcoming encounter with the Russian leader, Trump...

United States President Donald Trump stressed on Wednesday that if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to stop the war in Ukraine during their meeting in Alaska, his country will face "severe consequences." Speaking to reporters, the US head of state did not specify what types of consequences Moscow would suffer. However, he insisted that he would be putting pressure on the country. The comments come after Trump's phone conversations with the European leaders. According to media reports, the US president told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that territorial swaps might be necessary.

United States President Donald Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during their call earlier today that territorial exchanges between Russia and Ukraine will be needed to achieve a peace deal, Axios reported on Wednesday. On the other hand, the US president stressed that he cannot make final decisions on territorial issues because he's "not from the region." The alleged remark echoes similar statements previously made by Trump, stressing the importance of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev to achieve a lasting solution to the long-standing conflict. "Trump said it's Vladimir and Volodymyr who have to discuss territories with each...

Macron’s ‘Palestine’ Ploy: Slapped at Home, Pandering Abroad in a Desperate Power Grab. Slapped in Paris, Scheming in Ramallah: Desperate Appeal to the Arab Street - at least.Macron’s Popularity Craters in 2025 Amid Personal and Political Turmoil Once hailed as a visionary centrist, French President Emmanuel Macron has become one of the most unpopular leaders on the global stage in 2025. According to 'Visual Capitalist', Macron now suffers from a disapproval rating exceeding 60%, placing him among the least liked leaders worldwide—alongside figures like Pedro Sánchez and Olaf Scholz. Macron’s domestic reputation has hit rock bottom. A damning 'Ifop' poll...

The upcoming one-on-one summit between Presidents Trump and Putin is unlikely to produce a lasting peace because Ukraine, the primary combatant, is not at the table. The bilateral format plays into Vladimir Putin’s imperial mindset, creating visuals of great-power parity and evoking historical comparisons to the disastrous Yalta and Munich conferences where smaller nations’ fates were decided for them.

While a new Pentagon policy makes it easier for Marines to acquire and experiment with small drones, the U.S. military faces a catastrophic drone gap with Russia and China. A recent exercise highlighted the poor performance of the few approved, American-made models. The root of the problem is a nearly extinct domestic manufacturing base, leaving the U.S. unable to produce drones at scale without relying on Chinese components.

The upcoming Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, aimed at securing a peace deal for Ukraine, is being framed as a dangerous strategic error. Legitimizing Russia’s territorial conquests would set a horrible precedent, repeating the mistakes of the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and potentially inspiring future Russian revanchist claims on Alaska itself. Any agreement is likely to be meaningless, as Putin has no genuine interest in a lasting peace.

The U.S. Air Force’s plan to procure “at least 100” B-21 Raider stealth bombers is dangerously insufficient for an era of simultaneous great-power competition with Russia and China. Credible deterrent and the ability to fight a protracted, two-theater war requires a much larger fleet, in the range of 200 to 400 aircraft.

Eighty years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, this analysis explores Operation Downfall, the massive Allied invasion of Japan that was averted by Tokyo’s surrender. The two-stage plan, Operations Olympic and Coronet, would have involved more than twice the forces of the Normandy landings and was expected to be unimaginably costly.

Air superiority is no longer just a matter of the capabilities of individual aircraft. It’s a question of posture, doctrine, and overall warfighting infrastructure. And in that domain, the contest is no longer so lopsided. The West can no longer take comfort in its F-35 fleet. The J-20 has evolved into its operational equal—if not its superior.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has allocated $30 million toward a jobs program designed to help work-eligible households transition into employment. Despite the funding, nearly 50 percent of HUD-assisted households that qualify for work have no employed members, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the initiative. Federal officials launched the program with the expectation that it would increase workforce participation among low-income families receiving housing assistance. The plan included job training, placement services, and financial incentives aimed at encouraging employment. However, participation rates have remained shockingly low, with many recipients choosing not to engage in the program.

Texas lawmakers are taking a stand against chemical-laden processed foods, pushing a bill that would require warning labels on snacks and soft drinks containing ingredients banned in other countries. Senate Bill 25, which passed unanimously in the state senate, is now awaiting Governor Greg Abbott’s signature. If signed into law, it would force food manufacturers to disclose whether their products contain substances deemed unsafe by regulators in Australia, Canada, the European Union, or the United Kingdom. The list of affected products is extensive. Skittles, M&M’s, Doritos, and Mountain Dew are among the brands that could soon carry labels warning consumers...

California’s high speed rail project is facing a financial reckoning after the Federal Railroad Administration declared it in default on $4 billion in federal grants. The latest report from the Department of Transportation exposes years of mismanagement, missed deadlines, and unrealistic ridership projections, raising serious doubts about whether the project will ever be completed. The numbers tell the story. The rail system was originally planned as an 800-mile network, connecting San Francisco to San Diego. Over time, the scope shrunk to 500 miles, then 171 miles, and now just 119 miles. The federal review describes the project as a Sisyphean...