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SLOP, PARASOCIAL and rage bait were contenders for word of the year in 2025. In 2026 an early favourite for that title, at least among pollsters and election strategists, is “affordability”, often paired with the word “crisis”. Having at last found a slogan that seems to work against the spell of Trumpism, Democrats will talk of little else between now and the midterms in November. In Europe, which is better at reposting American memes than coming up with fresh ones, there is talk of a cost-of-living crisis. A transatlantic consensus is forming that prices are out of whack. But are...

Stay up to date with live coverage of the Trump administration and national politics Wednesday as President Trump wishes Americans a Merry Christmas on Christmas Eve just days after declaring the day a national holiday. Meanwhile, The US military has moved a large number of special-operations aircraft, troops and equipment into the Caribbean as Trump openly considers military action to oust Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, according to a new report. President Trump took to Truth Social Wednesday to wish Americans a "MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!" Trump will be spending the holiday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Last week, Trump took executive...

Donald Trump just sent Nicolas Maduro a Christmas message, of a sort. And that message is not many happy returns of the day. Earlier today, the US Navy boarded a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil in international waters. Unlike the first seizure, Marc Caputo reports for Axios, this ship had no specific sanctions applied to it [see update below]. This escalates the standoff over Maduro's illegal regime and the oil revenue he desperately needs to cling to power:The U.S. military early Saturday boarded a tanker that is not under U.S. sanctions as it shipped Venezuelan oil in hopes of escaping a...

President Donald Trump signs an executive order to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug SummaryPresident Trump signed an executive order on December 18, 2025, directing agencies to expedite the rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, facilitating expanded medical research while not legalizing it nationwide. CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz announced that the CMS Innovation Center is launching models allowing millions of Medicare beneficiaries to access doctor-recommended hemp-derived CBD products at no cost starting as early as April 2026, provided products meet state and local quality/safety standards and come from legitimate sources. Patients...

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro in a move that seemed designed to put a tighter chokehold on the South American country’s economy. Trump’s escalation comes after U.S. forces last week seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region. In a post on social media Tuesday night announcing the blockade, Trump alleged Venezuela was using oil to fund drug trafficking and other crimes and...

Cannabis stocks jumped on Friday as the White House prepared to significantly ease federal restrictions on marijuana. President Donald Trump is expected to issue an executive order as soon as Monday that would allow for reclassification of weed, a source familiar with the matter told CNBC. Such a move would allow cannabis companies to fall under different tax regulations and encourage investment.Cannabis stocks took a leg up in Friday’s midday trading following CNBC’s report. The Washington Post first reported on Thursday that Trump was expected to use an executive order to instruct federal agencies to reclassify marijuana as a less...

Amid the growing tension between our nation and theirs, Venezuela just released a video showing an unmistakable display of military force targeted at the U.S. Thousands of soldiers stood in formation as commanders gave a direct message to America. Basically, they confirmed that Venezuela is ready to put up a fight. Watch the roughly 3-minute clip here for yourself: VIDEO AT LINK.............. Backup here, if needed: 🇻🇪🇺🇸 VENEZUELA MILITARY TO U.S.: “WE ARE READY FOR A PROLONGED WAR”Venezuela just staged one of its most aggressive military displays in years, and the message wasn’t subtle. More than 5,600 fighters stood in...