In the first three weeks after Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, page views from Russia to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty sites skyrocketed to 26 million, more than 50 percent more than an earlier corresponding period. Video views from Russia to their YouTube channels more than tripled to 237 million....
Cannabis Stocks Rally on Flurry of Federal Moves Toward Legalization
Lawmakers taking fresh steps toward federal legalization of cannabis are sparking a rally in cannabis stocks. The House is soon expected to vote for the second time on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act that would legalize cannabis. Separately, the Senate last week passed legislation to expand...
America Produces Enough Oil to Meet Its Needs, so Why Do We Import Crude?
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), in 2020 America produced 18.4 million barrels of oil per day and consumed 18.12 million. And yet that same report reveals that the U.S. imported 7.86 million barrels of oil per day last year. That happens because of a combination of economics and...
A Middle East Geopolitical Realignment Accelerates to Confront and Contain Iran
New diplomatic and security ties are reshaping the Middle East as former enemies seek unity in containing Iran, the U.S. rethinks its security role in the region, and Russia and China seek to exploit openings left by Washington. A historic summit illustrates the changing alignments, bringing Arab, Israeli and...
Chance of a Recession Is Going up ‘by the Day’ and a Soft Landing Unlikely, Says Wells Fargo Analyst
The US economy is likely to fall into a slump in 2023, according to Wells Fargo head of macro strategy, Michael Schumacher. Schumacher points to a range of factors including historic inflation, spiking mortgage rates, commodity prices, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine that all make the country's...
Why Democrats Should Impeach Justice Clarence Thomas
Today, we agree that a judge cannot, and should not, be removed simply because we disagree with their rulings, says MSNBC opinion columnist Mehdi Hasan. But, he says, we should then also agree that if judges are violating ethics or subject to conflicts of interest, they should in theory...
Taliban Cancels Girls’ Higher Education Despite Pledges
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers decided against opening schools to girls above the sixth grade, reneging on a previous promise and opting to appease their hardline base at the expense of further alienating the international community. The unexpected decision came at the start of the new school year in Afghanistan. It is bound...
Chris Wallace Says He Left Fox News After People Started to ‘Question the Truth’
Chris Wallace says he left Fox News after people at the news organization began to question matters of truth, like the Jan. 6 riot and whether the 2020 election was stolen. Wallace said he spent a lot of time looking for a new place to do his job after...
Kamala Harris Felt ‘Belittled’ by Photo Vogue Chose for Her February 2021 Cover, Book Says
Vice President Kamala Harris felt "belittled" and "wounded" by the cover photo of her that Vogue selected for its February 2021 issue and dispatched a top aide to complain to the publication, a forthcoming book reportedly says. The image featured Harris casually dressed in a pantsuit and sneakers. Some...
Supreme Court Justice Thomas’ Wife Ginni Has a Long History of Conservative Activism
The wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has a long track record in conservative activism. Over the years, that activism has veered more into the controversial. It took an especially dramatic turn in the weeks following former President Trump's re-election loss when Thomas was in touch with Trump's...