Author: Press Room

Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) has died at the age of 80, according to Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), who disclosed his death at a committee hearing on Wednesday, and a number of other lawmakers. First elected to the state Assembly in Georgia in 1974, Scott’s career in politics spanned decades. The 12-term lawmaker became the first Black chair of the House’s powerful Agriculture Committee when he was tapped to lead the panel in 2020. Scott’s death leaves Congress at 218 Republicans and 212 Democrats, with five vacancies. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, will have 10 days to call a special…

Daily fossil fuel import costs have exceeded $587 million since the Middle East escalation, the bloc’s energy chief Dan Jorgensen has said The EU is facing months of uncertainty as its energy crisis deepens following the escalation of the Middle East conflict, with the bloc now paying far more for fossil fuel imports, Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen has said. The US-Israeli war on Iran has added pressure to global energy markets, driving oil prices higher and increasing fuel costs for consumers worldwide. The conflict has choked flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route that handles around 20% of global…

Italian Deputy PM Salvini has called the European Commission’s plan to withdraw €2 million in funding “ignorant pettiness” The EU wants to cut funding for the Venice Biennale after the exhibition decided to readmit Russian artists to its 2026 edition, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has said.Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Russian artists have faced event cancellations across EU member states. Performers from other nations who are believed to have sympathy for Russia have likewise been discriminated against.Kallas, known for her hardline anti-Russian stance, claimed the country “should not be allowed to exhibit” its…

Twenty-three state Republican attorneys general sent a letter to Fitch, S&P, and Moody’s for downgrading fossil fuel companies over what they believe are flawed environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics. The Republican attorneys general sent their letter as the three ratings agencies downgraded fossil fuel companies based on what they believe are “highly speculative ESG predictions and goals.” They wrote: The Downgrades materially contravened the Ratings Agencies’ stated methodologies and are consistent with undisclosed material conflicts of interest, including the fact that (1) all three agencies have pledged to a United Nations-backed group that they will “incorporat[e] ESG into credit…

A Royal Air Force cadet was reportedly suspended from his training programme after proclaiming that Islam represented the greatest security threat to the United Kingdom. During a question-and-answer session in which around 50 cadets were quizzed by superiors on the dangers facing British society, an RAF trainee responded that he believed Islam was the chief concern. For this, the Air Force cadet was suspended from the officer training course amid an investigation, the Daily Mail reported. This comes despite MI5, Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, openly stating that “Islamist terrorism is the most significant terrorist threat to the UK by volume.”…

Failed Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is launching a political committee aimed at rural communities despite massive fraud scandals in his home state and his recent pledge to stand with Minnesota’s Somali community. Walz announced on Monday: Today, we’re launching Small Town PAC. We’re going to show up in small towns, organize in places too many people have given up on, and build power with the folks who call these places home. If Democrats want to win in more places, we’ve got to start showing up in more places. Walz told Politico Playbook, “Republicans like JD…

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi wants answers from the Justice Department about internal communications regarding a possible pardon for Jeffrey Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. In a letter sent Wednesday to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Illinois Democrat pointed to a recent POLITICO story where Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, said there was “a good chance and for good reason that [Maxwell] would get a pardon” from President Donald Trump. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in the sex trafficking scheme. The Supreme Court recently denied a bid to review her case, leaving presidential clemency the only obvious…

ChatGPT advised a Florida man on how to perpetrate an attack at a university which left two dead Florida has launched a criminal probe into OpenAI and ChatGPT over a shooting spree at Florida State University, which the perpetrator planned with the help of the AI chatbot.The incident occurred in April 2025, when the suspect allegedly killed two and injured six people. He was subsequently injured in a shootout with the police and taken into custody. The gunman, who turned out to be the son of a deputy sheriff, was charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.The US…

The IRS budget looks to be slashed again. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThe IRS saw a 27% reduction in total staffing between January and December 2025, falling from about 102,000 to 74,000 employees. The latest IRS budget proposal would eliminate another 4,000 positions, bringing IRS staffing to its lowest level in the modern era.A Smaller Budget Under the Trump Administration, the IRS has requested just $9.8 billion in discretionary funding for FY 2027, down from the $11.2 billion Congress enacted in FY 2026—a $1.4 billion reduction. Taxpayer services would see a small budget bump (3%), while spending on enforcement…

Nobody was ready for a scenario in which the Strait of Hormuz is blocked for an indefinite period of time. The Iranians think that they will eventually get what they want by holding commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz hostage and causing as much pain for the global economy as possible. The Trump administration believes that if Iran’s oil revenue is cut off the regime in Tehran will eventually be forced to give in to their demands. Both sides are engaged in an extremely high stakes game of chicken, and both sides are making tragic miscalculations. There is no…