May 2, 2026

x02a1 Global Outlook

The Taliban government of Afghanistan is accusing Pakistan of striking a drug rehab facility in Kabul that killed 400 plus people. Pakistan has been engaging in air strikes just inside the border of Afghanistan, allegedly targeting terror camp it says have been used to attack Pakistanis.

Blurb:

Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of killing 400 in hospital strike (VIDEO) — RT World News

Afghanistan has accused Pakistan of conducting an airstrike on a drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul, which Taliban officials said killed at least 400 people.

Pakistan has been striking alleged terrorist camps in Afghanistan since February, accusing the Taliban government of supporting attacks on Pakistani soil. The Taliban has denied any involvement in the string of terrorist attacks in Pakistan.

Taliban government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said the strike on Monday evening destroyed large sections of the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital.

“Unfortunately, the death toll has so far reached 400, while around 250 others have been reported injured,” Fitrat wrote on X.

Afghan media published a video showing a building engulfed in flames.

Pakistan’s Information Ministry rejected the allegations as “false and misleading.”


 

The ministry said Pakistan targeted military sites and “terrorist support infrastructure,” including ammunition depots in Kabul and Afghanistan’s northeastern Nangarhar region.

“This misreporting of facts as a drug rehabilitation facility seeks to stir public sentiment while covering illegitimate support for cross-border terrorism,” the ministry wrote on X.

Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of sheltering armed groups that carry out cross-border raids and terrorist attacks, including a bombing of a mosque in Islamabad in February that killed more than 30 people. The Taliban has denied providing aid to militants who attack its neighbor.

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from www.rt.com

On Thursday, March 12, 2026, two separate Islamists attempted to murder Americans, with one succeeding and the other being stopped before he could do further harm. Islamist Lebanese “immigrant” Ayman Mohammad Ghazali attempted to murder Jews at a Michigan synagogue. He was killed by security after driving his car into the synagogue.

Islamist Mohamed Jalloh was successful in his attack on Old Dominion University. He killed one and injured another before ROTC members stopped him and stabbed him to death. He killed one man, Lt. Colonel Brandon Shah. Had the ROTC members not stopped him, the death toll would have been much higher. The same goes for the synagogue attack; had security not stopped the Islamist, there would be many dead, including children who were present at the time of the attack.

Blurb:

Michigan Synagogue Attacker a Lebanese National – breitbart.com

The West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, Temple Israel attacker is identified as a Lebanese national, according to reporting by FOX News’s Bill Melugin.

Breitbart News reported that the attacker drove into the Temple Israel building Thursday and was engaged by security and killed. The attacker’s vehicle was registered to a Dearborn, Michigan, resident from Lebanon.

Melugin is now reporting that “DHS confirms to FOX News that the Michigan synagogue attacker has been ID’d as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a Lebanese national who first entered the U.S. in 2011 on an IR1 immigrant visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen.”

He noted that Ghazali “was naturalized into a U.S. citizen in 2016 during the Obama administration.”

There is a school at Temple Israel and no children or staff were harmed in the attack.

Blurb

ROTC students subdued and killed Old Dominion University gunman, officials say – ABC News

When a gunman opened fire at Virginia’s Old Dominion University, on Thursday, killing an instructor and injuring two other people, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) students stepped in to subdue and kill the suspect, officials said.

The suspect, identified as Mohamed Jalloh, a former Army National Guardsman who was convicted of giving material support to ISIS, allegedly was trying to commit a terrorist attack, FBI Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans told reporters.

The gunman opened fire in Constant Hall, an academic building, around 10:43 a.m. and was found dead minutes after officers arrived, Old Dominion University Police Chief Garrett Shelton said during a press briefing.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger identified the person who was killed as Lt. Col. Brandon Shah.

President Trump is about to be tested after the U.S. Senate just passed a bill, a fair housing bill favored by the Democrats (but with bipartisan support). Before the passage, President Trump declared “I won’t sign any new legislation until SAVE Act is Passed.” The SAVE Act would make citizen-based photo ID required and would also end mass mailer elections (which are no elections at all).

John Thune appears to be doing everything he can to protect his RINO colleagues from vote accountability by pushing for a straight floor vote requiring 60 votes to pass. He has chosen this route rather than force his RINO colleagues to vote down a procedural change that would force the Democrats to do a verbal filibuster. Due to a procedural rule change that started to be exploited in the 70s, the procedural filibuster replaced the verbal one. This has allowed the filibuster to become a de facto requirement for nearly every bill passed by the Senate (which has sometimes helped the republicans).

Blurb:

Trump: I Won’t Sign Any New Legislation Until SAVE Act Is Passed – gellerreport.com

Nothing illustrates how deeply corrupted and dangerously compromised the American voting system has become more than the extraordinary resistance Americans encounter when attempting to enact even the most basic voter safeguards and anti-fraud protections.

A healthy democracy welcomes safeguards. Only a corrupted system fights them. When a nation must wage a political battle simply to enact the most basic safeguards against voter fraud, it is no longer merely debating policy — it is confronting the corruption of its own electoral system.

The president knows how to force movement on the issues most important to him. He drew a line in the sand Friday, declaring he will veto every bill that reaches his desk until the SAVE America Act passes the Senate: “I will not sign any other legislation until the SAVE Act is passed,” Trump announced (Townhall).

Hours later, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) announced his support for ending the silent filibuster to pass the bill—a procedural breakthrough that likely clears the path to final passage. Notably, Cornyn is in a runoff with Texas AG Ken Paxton who announced: The Save America Act is the most important bill the U.S. Senate could ever pass, and I’m committed to helping President Trump get it done. I would consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act (Paxton).

The president’s ultimatum puts every appropriations bill, every defense authorization, and every continuing resolution on hold until Senate Democrats and wavering Republicans decide whether election integrity is worth the standoff. Trump: It must be done immediately. It supersedes everything else. MUST GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE. I, as President, will not sign other Bills until this is passed (Truth).

Excellent. Without election integrity nothing else matters. The Save Act must pass.

Democrats are celebrating their continued shutdown of the DHS even AFTER the original reason for the shutdown, Kristi Noem’s continued leadership of the department, is already gone. President Trump has transferred Noem to South America to lead a new security project down there.

Yet, the Democrats continue to allow the funding to pass the Senate, keeping the shutdown going. Lines are beginning to get longer and longer at airports as the DHS runs out funding and can no longer provide the basic security it currently is.

ED. NOTE: The existence of the DHS is a constitutional question that should not be forgotten, but this shutdown is not about opposition to the DHS, it’s purely about opposition to the Trump program being executed. They mean to save Progmerica from the America Trump is, in part, allowing to reform itself in the ashes of this broken land.

Blurb:

Democrats’ Shutdown Stunt Throws Major Airports Around the Country Into Chaos – westernjournal.com

With spring break just around the corner for swathes of Americans, travel season will soon be upon us.

And if Democrats don’t get their act together, the travel season is going to be an absolute nightmare for people — which it already is.

For the unaware, the Department of Homeland Security is currently shut down, as there is an ongoing congressional budget dispute over the agency.

The inability to reconcile those differences has left various branches overseen by DHS to be shut down, including the Transportation Security Administration.

Democrats specifically have been utterly insistent that Immigration and Customs Enforcement must undergo massive reform before any such budget is approved.

The U.S. is hoping to restart ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine next week, but the appeal is set against aggressive moves by both Russia and Ukraine against one another. Ukraine, for instance, is now adding armed ground robots to its military operations, while Russia just dropped a 500-pound bomb on Ukraine. The front line has nominally moved, though both sides claim to have made recent advances.

Blurb:

Russia and Ukraine both claim front line progress with US-brokered peace talks on hold – euronews.com

Four people were killed and at least 16 others injured after a Russian aerial attack struck the centre of the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration Vadym Filashkin said on Tuesday.

Russia also launched drones at three other Ukrainian cities overnight, wounding at least 17 people, emergency services reported.

In Dnipro in central Ukraine, 10 people were injured as a result of a Russian attack, which damaged a residential block, a city administrative building and private homes.

A Progmerican judge has made another unhinged ruling intended to prevent ICE officers from effectively protecting their facilities from paid Progmerican street fighters, the so-called anti-ICE protestors. Michael Simon, traitor to the American republic, has ruled that officers cannot use non-lethal means of crowd dispersal or control unless the crowd poses an “imminent threat of physical harm”

Non-lethal crowd control is a means of preventing protests from becoming riots. This ruling effectively assures violence will happen at ICE facilities as ICE officers will only be respond once, effectively, lethal force is justified. This is exactly what they want, ICE officers killing their street soldiers, who will all be portrayed by the Democrat media as choir boys and girls that didn’t do no harm, mothers, sons, fathers, etc.

Judge Simon as married to a militant anti-ICE Progmerican, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. That fact was not enough to warrant his removal from this case, because the decision makers are all Progmericans themselves, so no action was taken against this clear violation of judicial standards.

Let us pray for a quick reversal. Let us pray more for the insurrectionist judges in this country to be removed, lawfully, by the DOJ. The evidence of their sedition is now overwhelming. Lest the civic rescue us, they continue to be a righteous judgment against an evil land, a land that continues to sacrifice children as a means of birth control.

Blurb:

BREAKING: Oregon federal judge blocks ICE from using crowd control munitions at Portland facility – The Post Millennial

Judge Simon, appointed by Barack Obama, is married to anti-ICE Oregon Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, which has sparked conflict-of-interest claims.

United States District Court Judge Michael Simon has issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting federal agents from using less-lethal crowd control munitions on agitators at the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland, Oregon. Judge Simon ruled on Monday in favor of a group of protesters and leftist self-declared journalists who filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on claims that their First Amendment rights have been violated by being subjected to crowd control measures during ongoing Antifa-affiliated direct actions, arguing improper force on “peaceful protesters” intended for “retaliatory animus.”

The order bars officers from using chemical or projectile munitions against protesters, unless they pose an “imminent threat of physical harm” to a law enforcement officer or someone else. This includes tear gas, pepper balls, flash-bang grenades, rubber bullets, pepper or oleoresin capsicum spray, and other less-lethal weapons. Judge Simon also decided that federal authorities cannot fire munitions at an individual’s head, neck, or body unless they are warranted in using lethal force.

Additionally, Judge Simon, who is married to anti-ICE Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, sparking conflict-of-interest claims, ruled that federal agents are forbidden from using chemical munitions or projectiles against individuals trespassing on ICE property, even if they refuse to comply with an officer’s order to disperse. This includes the driveway, which is the main entrance to the facility that controls ingress and egress. It is also the main area where demonstrators gather and have been documented attacking the building, assaulting federal agents, and impeding federal vehicles, including the transport of illegal immigrants, since June 2025, when the ongoing Antifa-affiliated anti-ICE occupation was first established.

17 Democrat-controlled states have joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its insistence that colleges and universities do not use racist policies to select their students for admission. This followed a SCOTUS ruling that made it clear these race-based policies are unconstitutional. The Democrat-held states, Progmerican states, want to preserve their “right” to exclude white people from higher education, SCOTUS be damned.

Blurb:

17 blue states sue Trump admin over policy requiring colleges to prove their admissions policies aren’t racist – The Post Millennial

Last August, President Donald Trump ordered the policy amid concerns that colleges were using personal statements and other parts of the application process to indirectly factor race into admissions decisions.

17 Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the Trump administration over its policy to require colleges to collect and report demographic data proving they are not considering race in their admissions decisions.

Last August, President Donald Trump ordered the policy amid concerns that colleges were using personal statements and other parts of the application process to indirectly factor race into admissions decisions. The move follows the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that struck down affirmative action in college admissions, though the court said schools may still consider how race has affected an applicant’s life if the student chooses to share it in an admissions essay.

Trump’s order directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to require colleges to report the data “to provide adequate transparency into admissions.” Schools must submit that data by March 18. Failure to comply could result in facing enforcement actions under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which governs federal financial aid.

The lawsuit is made up of a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general and was filed in federal court in Boston.

Abortion clinics are shutting down across the U.S., but it’s not because Americans have repented of their child-sacrificing ways, it’s because they’ve gotten more efficient at it. Now, mothers can order death pills online that will murder their unborn baby, leaving them with having to flush the corpse out of their system a little each time they go to the bathroom. Those death pills are now the number one cause of preborn infant death in America today, and the number one choice for women of choice when they choose to murder their own child.

Blurb:

Abortion Pill Now Accounts for Most U.S. Abortions. Hawley Wants It Off the Market. – RedState

For many pro-life advocates, the question since the fall of Roe v. Wade has been simple. If abortion pills now drive the majority of abortions in America, when would Washington finally confront the drug itself.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) says that moment has arrived.

Hawley introduced legislation this week to revoke Food and Drug Administration approval for mifepristone, the abortion drug that has rapidly become the center of the post-Roe abortion debate. The bill would force a direct confrontation between Congress and the federal agency that approved the drug more than two decades ago.

Medication abortion now accounts for roughly 63 percent of abortions nationwide, according to data cited in reporting on the legislation.

What once represented a smaller share of procedures has quietly become the dominant method, reshaping the abortion debate and fueling growing frustration among pro-life advocates who argue Washington has been slow to respond to the shift.

Kier Starmer’s Sharia UK is now preparing students to submit to Sharia standards by assuring they know how to obey Islamic law. Students will be instructed in limiting what they draw, what they express, what they do to assure they do not offend the new owners of the nation, the Islamists. Labour councils are now warning schools and students about what they are doing that might trigger the UK’s blasphemy laws. They are being instructed to conform to Sharia under threat of criminal prosecution.

Blurb:

UK Schools Warned Students’ Drawings Could Be ‘Blasphemous.’ Take a Guess Why – townhall.com

The Islamic creep in the U.K. is no secret. When you can get arrested for saying you like bacon, but not for systematically grooming and assaulting British girls, there’s a problem. And the Left is more than happy to facilitate that creep because it serves their anti-Western Civilization agenda and undermines Western culture

Now Labour, who needs to be voted out of office, is warning schools that student drawings could be considered “blasphemous” under Islamic law, and that music and dance classes may need to go by the wayside to appease the Islamists.

Here’s more:

Children’s drawings could be considered blasphemous, while music and dance lessons could contravene the teachings of Islam, local councils have warned schools.

The guidance has been issued to teachers across northern England as part of a publication intended to highlight ‘sensitivity and awareness around faiths and beliefs’.

Sharing The Journey has been designed to help schools ‘demonstrate a sensitive and positive approach to religious and cultural diversity to pupils, parents and carers’.

It adds: ‘Schools will want to be flexible in catering for religious differences.’

This includes being aware of the ‘sensitivities’ that some Muslim parents may have around the ‘teaching of aspects of art, dance, drama, music, physical education, religious education and RSHE’.

The publication cites art as an example, stating that Islamic culture and civilisation has ‘a rich artistic tradition’ – but schools may find there are religious exceptions.

‘A three-dimensional imagery of humans is considered idolatrous by some Muslims,’ the guidance warns.

‘It is very important that the school understands this and is also careful not to ask its students to reproduce images of Jesus, Prophet Mohammed or other figures considered to be prophets in Islam.

Blurb:

Trump said Anthropic was trying to “strong-arm” the War Department.

Anthropic, an artificial intelligence (AI) company, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration after being designated a “supply chain risk” by the Pentagon. The complaint, filed on Monday in the US District Court for Central California, argues that President Donald Trump’s order directing all federal agencies to “immediately cease” using the company’s technology was an “unlawful campaign of retaliation.”

Blurb:

About 500 hospices are operating within a three-mile radius, with 137 of them located on Van Nuys Boulevard alone.

A CBS News investigation has revealed indicators of widespread fraud occurring in California’s hospice care industry, particularly in Los Angeles County. The report analyzed the current licenses and business records of roughly 1,800 hospice care centers in the county and found that over 700 of them, or 42 percent, triggered red flags for fraud.

This comes after the state of California issued a crackdown on the hospice care industry after a 2023 state audit showed that LA County hospices overbilled Medicare by $105 million in one year, resulting in the revocation of 280 hospice licenses. Auditors were triggered to investigate the matter after seeing a 1,500% increase in hospice companies since 2010.

Blurb:

Not too long ago, the First Partner of California, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, scolded reporters because they questioned Gov. Gavin Newsom on things unrelated to funding Planned Parenthood. They likely did this because there are far more important things going on in the State than giving more funds to “choices.” It turns out, however, the reason she felt so passionate about this was not about genuine “values” regarding women’s “rights” and their “choices,” but may have something to do with ranking “in up to $300,000 annually through her nonprofit, The Representation Project, and for-profit outfit Girls Club Entertainment.”

According to the organization’s website, “No matter who you are or where you live, intersectional gender stereotypes are hurting you and those you love. Through film, education, and activism, The Representation Project awakens consciousness, spotlights the cost of these stereotypes, and invites everyone to build a more equitable future.”

I hardly doubt this organization has awoken “consciousness,” but that is neither here nor there. Nonetheless, bashing masculinity, spreading lies about a gender pay gap that does not exist, and promoting abortion do not boost academic excellence.

Maricopa County, AZ is seen as the epicenter of 2020 election fraud suspicion, surpassing its closest rival, Fulton County, GA, in evidence that is difficult for skeptics to simply dismiss. Now that county is under an FBI microscope, with the announcement of election records being seized from Maricopa County from the bureau.

Republican State Senate President Warren Petersen confirmed the action by the FBI, posting on X, “Late last week I received and complied with a federal grand jury subpoena for records relating to the Arizona State Senate’s 2020 audit of Maricopa County. The FBI has the records. Any other report is fake news.”

Blurb:

Trump Celebrates Report FBI Seized Arizona Election Records – dailysignal.com

President Donald Trump celebrated a report that the FBI obtained election records from Arizona’s largest county, a move that follows a federal raid last month on a Georgia county’s elections department.

Maricopa County, the site of the reported FBI raid, has been a contentious jurisdiction for elections, particularly after Joe Biden beat Donald Trump narrowly in the state in 2020.

Trump wrote “Great!!!” in a Truth Social post about the report of the FBI demanding election records.

The state Senate conducted a forensic audit of the 2020 election returns in Maricopa County.

American intelligence agencies have intercepted encrypted messages from Iran that appear to be “operational trigger(s)” for “sleeper assets.” In the wake of the massive illegal alien invasion under the Biden administration, there is reason to believe this message could be reaching hundreds of teams. DHS Security advisor and Secret Service supervisor Charles Marino suggested the size of those teams could be as much as 20 people.

Blurb:

US Intercepts Iranian Intel Carrying Ominous Warning About Sleeper Cells –  trendingpoliticsnews.com

Iran may be preparing to activate sleeper cells abroad after U.S. intelligence intercepted an encrypted message believed to have originated inside the Islamic Republic, according to an alert reported by ABC News.

The communication was described as an “operational trigger” directed at “sleeper assets” — covert operatives embedded in foreign countries who live quietly among civilians until they are ordered to strike.

U.S. analysts say the coded signal surfaced shortly after Iran’s longtime supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike in Tehran on Feb. 28. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has since been elevated to the role of supreme leader.

According to the alert, the encrypted message was transmitted across several countries and flagged by American intelligence agencies, which believe it was “likely of Iranian origin” and intended for “clandestine recipients” using passcodes.

Officials said the signal carried “international rebroadcast characteristics,” suggesting it may have been designed to reach operatives already positioned outside Iran’s borders. No specific attack location or operational target has been identified.

The alert noted that the transmissions resemble methods historically used to deliver instructions to “covert operatives or sleeper assets” without relying on internet communications.

IRAN CRIPPLED: New Satellite Images Reveal Devastating Damage Inside Tehran

The signals could “be intended to activate or provide instructions to prepositioned sleeper assets operating outside the originating country,” the alert said, according to ABC News.

The possibility that Iranian sleeper cells may already be inside the United States has heightened concern among security officials as the war enters its second week.

The Daily Mail reported last year on what it described as a passport pipeline involving Iranian-linked operatives traveling through Venezuela before entering Western countries — a potential pathway that could allow networks to establish a foothold near the United States.

Tensions have escalated as fighting between Iran, the United States and Israel intensifies.

The situation reportedly strained relations between Washington and Jerusalem after Israeli forces bombed Iranian oil depots — a move that alarmed White House officials concerned the strike could drive up gasoline prices for Americans.

Security experts warn the threat could come from both lone actors sympathetic to Tehran and organized sleeper networks awaiting orders.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, former Department of Homeland Security adviser and Secret Service supervisor Charles Marino said the United States could be facing a “convergence” of threats.

“Is it possible you have 10, 15, 20 people in the country that are part of a cell that then go out and carry out simultaneous or near-simultaneous attacks? Yes,” Marino said.

IRAN CRIPPLED: New Satellite Images Reveal Devastating Damage Inside Tehran

He warned that terrorists seeking maximum casualties would likely focus on “soft” targets such as concerts, sporting events, public venues and other crowded gatherings.

One looming concern is the upcoming World Cup, which has been designated a National Special Security Event and is expected to draw massive international crowds.

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from trendingpoliticsnews.com

The media coverage of the IED attack by two Islamists on a Christian anti-Muslim rally not only accused the Christians of being white supremacists, they also accused the Christians of throwing the IEDs themselves. Mayor Mamdani of New York focused his ire for the “white supremacists,” but only condemned the IEDs being tossed. He failed to mention the Islamists behind the attack.

The attack was caught on video, so the internet already knew the Islamists were behind the attack, The two suspects are Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, both of whom come from wealthy immigrant parents. They screamed “Allahu Akbar” when they threw the IEDs, which were all verified to be real. Had any one of them gone off (there were three total, two near the Mayor’s mansion), it is highly likely there would have been multiple casualties.

Blurb:

The Liberal Media Reaction to the NYC IED Attack Was Laughably Predictable – townhall.com

It’s on video. It’s astounding they even tried to pitch this as what actually happened outside of Gracie Mansion in New York City, because it was a pure media hoax. Some Muslim extremists hurled an IED at counter protesters over the weekend, even shouting “Allahu Akbar” before getting arrested by police. The media left out details to make it seem like this wasn’t what could arguably be an act of radical Islamic terrorism:

When two suspected terrorists threw a homemade bomb at a protest of Christians, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani first condemned the apparent victims instead of the attackers.

Mamdani posted on social media:

“Yesterday, white supremacist Jake Lang organized a protest outside Gracie Mansion rooted in bigotry and racism. Such hate has no place in New York City. It is an affront to our city’s values and the unity that defines who we are.

“What followed was even more disturbing. Violence at a protest is never acceptable. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.”

Funny enough, Mamdani didn’t name or describe the people who tried to detonate the bomb. He didn’t mention that they allegedly screamed “Allahu Akbar” before throwing the improvised explosive device.

The United States and Venezuela have officially restored diplomatic and consular relations that President Trump claims will lead to favorable oil and rare earth mineral deals for the U.S., deals that freeze Russia and China out of the equation. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said of the agreement, “When we are working together it can only mean two things, which is prosperity for the people of Venezuela and for the citizens of the United States, and it also brings peace and stability for the world.”

Blurb:

U.S. Restores Diplomatic Ties With Venezuela In Historic Agreement – Trending Politics

The United States and Venezuela have formally agreed to restore diplomatic and consular relations, marking a significant shift in their bilateral ties after years of tension.

The announcement was formally made on Thursday after several weeks of improving relations, which started after the capture of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro in a daring raid last month.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were last in place until January 2019, when the U.S. recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president amid disputes over the legitimacy of Nicolás Maduro’s re-election. In response, Maduro’s government severed ties, leading to the closure of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas and Venezuela’s embassy in Washington, D.C.

Consular services were suspended, and diplomatic personnel were withdrawn as a result of the move. This limited interactions between the two countries to indirect channels, while the U.S. placed extensive economic sanctions on Maduro’s regime.

Formal rapprochement began in the days following Maduro’s capture, when Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president, was sworn in as acting president and quickly signaled openness to dialogue. On January 9, the Venezuelan government issued a statement indicating the start of an “exploratory diplomatic process” with the U.S., aimed at re-establishing diplomatic missions in both countries.

Then-Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez meets with the Russian government in September 2024

By late January, the U.S. notified Congress of plans to implement a phased approach to resuming embassy functions, including sending temporary staff for select diplomatic activities. Discussions expanded to include economic cooperation, particularly in energy and mining sectors, as the Trump administration sought to reduce reliance on foreign sources for critical minerals and oil.

In February, the U.S. Embassy in Caracas reopened for limited operations, and Venezuela released several political prisoners as part of reconciliation efforts.

These moves paid the way for the most high-profile milestone to date, when U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited Caracas for two days. The secretary met with President Rodriguez and representatives from U.S. mining and energy firms, with talks centered on investment opportunities and security assurances for foreign companies operating in Venezuela’s mineral-rich regions.

“When we are working together it can only mean two things, which is prosperity for the people of Venezuela and for the citizens of the United States, and it also brings peace and stability for the world,” Burgum said following the meeting.

The restoration of relations is expected to facilitate phased improvements in areas such as visa services, trade, and security cooperation. The agreement aligns with U.S. goals of fostering a democratic transition, which could soon lead to easing of sanctions and more detailed framework on economic agreements.

RELATED: Iran Fires Ballistic Missile At NATO Country In Major Escalation

from trendingpoliticsnews.com

Kristi Noem received a summary demotion from President Donald Trump a day after a Senate hearing exposed a massive $220 million DHS ad campaign that seemed more about promoting Kristi Noem than DHS. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) all but accused Noem of lying when she claimed President Trump approved the campaign in advance. Action by President Trump would indicate she did not, indeed, seek prior approval before she ran a pro-Noem campaign using American tax dollars to do it.

Noem will be reassigned as “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” which President Trump called “our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere.” Trump has chosen Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to replace him. The Senator is popular with the MAGA base. He is known for his firebrand confrontations with Progmericans during Senate hearings.

Blurb:

Here’s the Moment That Appears to Have Cost Kristi Noem Her Job as DHS Secretary – westernjournal.com

Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy is much better known for demolishing Democrats than ridiculing Republicans, but Kristi Noem might be the exception.

The South Dakota Republican and the now-soon-to-be-former Cabinet official made headlines Wednesday as Kennedy used a Senate hearing to probe insistently about a taxpayer-funded advertising campaign that made Noem out to be some kind of heroine for Homeland Security.

And only a day later, Noem’s ouster was making headlines of its own.

Kennedy’s questioning was polite — almost excruciatingly so — but his skepticism was on full display over Noem’s answers when it came to whether President Donald Trump was fully behind the $220 million ad campaign.

Check it out here:

 

“Sorry to interrupt,” he said at one point. “But the president approved, ahead of time, your spending $220 million running TV ads across the country in which you are featured prominently?”

After another round of much sound and fury signaling nothing, the GOP’s Department of justice has allegedly quietly shut down its Biden autopen investigation in much the same way it has tried to bury the Epstein Files investigation.  The claim comes from the Washington Examiner, which cites an anonymous source. The Department of Justice has refused to comment when asked by the press about the claim.

Blurb:

CASE CLOSED: DOJ Makes Final Decision On Joe Biden’s Auto-Pen Investigation – wltreport.com

This is highly disappointing.

The Department of Justice has quietly wrapped up its investigation into Joe Biden’s use of an autopen.

And the result?

Nothing!

No, I’m not being facetious.

The Department of Justice, after conducting an investigation into Biden staffers using an autopen for Executive Orders, pardons, and other presidential activities, failed to garner enough evidence that the aides broke any laws.

The Washington Examiner had more on the DOJ’s decision:

The Department of Justice has quietly closed an investigation into former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen to sign official documents, according to a source familiar with the matter.

DOJ pardon attorney Ed Martin, the former “weaponization” czar, opened the investigation while he was serving as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. The inquiry examined whether aides may have used the signature device without Biden’s full knowledge or authorization as his cognitive abilities declined late in his presidency.

The war plan by the U.S. and Israel to annihilate Iran’s effective military power seems to be ahead of schedule, with the navy already largely destroyed and its missile capacity reduced by more than 80%. The plan is going so well, talk of the regime’s replacements have already gotten serious.

President Donald Trump has signaled that any peace with Iran will have to include the President being able to approve of the leader the next regime selects to lead it. President Trump told the press, “They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight. I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela. Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me. We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to IranMost of the people we had in mind are dead.”

Blurb:

BREAKING: Trump says he has ‘to be involved in the appointment’ of Iran’s next leader – The Post Millennial

“I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy [Rodriguez] in Venezuela.”

President Donald Trump has said that he must be involved in the selection of the next leader in Iran after the US and Israel launched an Operation Epic Fury. That conflict has gone on since Saturday and has already wiped out much of Iran’s leadership.

Should the Trump administration lose in the courts and be forced to refund “American” businesses, they are committed to pay interest on the refunds, they informed the courts. Judges have already signaled a willingness to fast-track the process, as we predicted would happen in our report on the Tariff ruling on page 2. In addition to the refunds for U.S. companies, foreign companies are also lining up for their cut of the SCOTUS plunder. Estimates top out at $170 as far as revenues collected through the tariffs so far.

Blurb:

Trump Administration Says It Will Pay Interest on Tariff Refunds – dailysignal.com

The Trump administration will pay interest on refunds for global tariffs if ordered to do so, according to a court filing on Wednesday.

U.S. officials have not committed to full refunds on the money collected from tariffs, as President Donald Trump has said he would find other laws to continue his tariffs. However, litigation and negotiations are continuing on multiple fronts.

This comes less than two weeks after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Trump could not use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a national emergency law, to impose tariffs.

Brandon Lord, executive director of the trade programs at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, wrote in the filing with the U.S. Court of International Trade, “In accordance with applicable law, any validated refund of IEEPA duties would include interest.”

Since Trump imposed the tariffs in a “liberation day” announcement, the U.S. government has collected about $170 billion in tariffs, according to Bloomberg News.

The Texas Senate Primary races were the main feature of Tuesday’s midterm primaries, which were also held in Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi. In Texas, DNC race hustler Jasmine Crocket lost to James Talarico, a far-left “Christian” who claims God is non-binary and ok with abortions.

In the GOP race, Senator John Cornyn failed to get a majority vote, so a run-off race between himself and his closest challenger, Attorney General Ken Paxton, will happen in May. Paxton has offered to drop out of the race if Cornyn commits to passing the SAVE Act, even if it means voting to change the filibuster rule to require it to be verbal, not merely procedural.

Blurb:

Cornyn, Paxton Advance to Runoff in Texas Republican Primary – breitbart.com

Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn overperformed most expectations Tuesday in his fight for a fifth term, advancing to a runoff in the Texas Senate Republican primary against Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The race was called by the Associated Press (AP) at 10:50 am ET. With an estimated 65.8 percent of the vote in, Cornyn led with 658,274 votes, 42.5 percent, to Paxton’s 632,472 votes, 40.8 percent.

Rep. Wesley Hunt finished a distant third with around 13 percent of the projected vote and will be out of office upon the completion of his current House term.

The Washington Republican establishment, led by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of Senate Republicans, pulled out all the stops to support Cornyn, making the race the most expensive Senate primary in history. Cornyn and his allies spent tens of millions to boost Cornyn and attack Paxton and Hunt.

In an exchange with U.S. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH), Governor Tim Walz (D-MIN) was caught lying about a claim he restarted the fraudulent “Feeding our Future” charity because a judge ordered him to. When confronted with the Judge’s statement refuting the claim, Walz changed his testimony, claiming he merely took the advice of his counsel, who told him the Judge ordered the funding to restart.

The key exchange came when Jordan asked if the Judge was lying, or his counsel was lying. To that question, he responded, “I can’t tell you!” Pressed further, he claimed, “I just know what the attorneys said.”

Blurb:

Tim Walz Caught in Major Lie During House Grilling on Minnesota Fraud Scandal –  slaynews.com

Democrat Gov. Tim Walz faced an intense grilling on Capitol Hill as House Republicans pressed him over Minnesota’s massive fraud scandal, focusing on a key controversy involving the state’s handling of payments to Feeding Our Future.

The confrontation unfolded during a House Oversight Committee hearing examining alleged fraud and misuse of federal funds tied to pandemic-era relief programs.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) opened the hearing by accusing Minnesota officials of overseeing a sweeping collapse in oversight.

He said whistleblowers raised concerns for years while taxpayer funds continued flowing out the door and into the pockets of Somali fraudsters.

Comer also cited estimates from federal prosecutors that up to $9 billion may have been stolen from 14 Medicaid programs in Minnesota, according to the committee’s interim findings.

He argued the situation represented “one of the most extensive breakdowns of oversight this Committee has ever examined.”

Jordan Presses Walz Over Feeding Our Future Payments

The hearing’s most intense exchange came when House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) questioned Walz about the state’s decision to restart payments to Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit at the center of what federal prosecutors say became a roughly $250 million pandemic fraud scheme.

Jordan pressed Walz over why the payments resumed after concerns about fraud had already been raised, and why the governor publicly suggested the state was compelled to restart payments because of a court ruling.

That claim has previously been confirmed to be false by the judge involved in the case.

According to a public statement from Minnesota Judge John Guthmann, the court never ordered the state to restart the payments.

“Judge John Guthmann never ordered the Department of Education to resume payments to FOF in April 2021, or at any other time,” the court said.

The statement added that the state agency “voluntarily resumed making payments” and that reimbursements were issued “without any court order.”

The court further explained that the clarification was released because of what it described as “inaccurate statements by the Governor” and others regarding the situation.

Walz Points to Legal Advice

During the hearing, Walz maintained that state officials believed their actions were required based on legal advice provided by agency lawyers.

However, Republicans argued that the explanation does not address why the public was told a judge forced the payments to resume.

They said the court’s statement contradicts the governor’s earlier explanation.

The dispute has become a central political vulnerability for Walz as the Feeding Our Future investigation continues to expand.

Jordan grilled Walz over the claims and accused the Democrat governor of “lying.”

“Why didn’t you tell the truth about why you restarted the payments?” Jordan asked Walz.

Walz responded: “The agency believed the court required them to make those payments.”

Jordan fired back: “But that was false..

“The court says the judge never ordered you to resume Feeding Our Future payments…

“So the court’s lying?!”

“I can’t tell you!” Walz insisted.

“Somebody’s lying!” Jordan raged.

“Either you’re lying, or the court’s lying. Which one?!”

“I just know what the attorneys said,” Walz claimed.

Jordan replied: “Could it be you’re trying to hide behind the court?

“Is it all about politics?!”

WATCH:

Growing Scrutiny Over Minnesota Fraud

The scandal has drawn national attention after federal prosecutors alleged that pandemic food aid programs were exploited on a massive scale.

In earlier hearings, witnesses testified that warnings about potential fraud were documented and raised repeatedly before the scheme was uncovered.

This week’s hearing escalated scrutiny by putting Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison under oath as Republicans attempted to link the fraud directly to failures within state leadership.

For Walz, the controversy is not only about the fraud itself but also about how his administration explained its decisions once the scandal became public.

Republicans say the court’s statement rejecting the governor’s earlier claim that payments were ordered by a judge has become one of the most politically damaging elements of the entire episode.

READ MORE – Tim Walz Triggers Backlash by Complaining as Missiles Flatten Iranian Regime

from slaynews.com

Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano chose to release an illegal immigrant, Abdul Jalloh, despite being warned directly that if he did so, someone WOULD be killed. Jalloh then allegedly murdered Stephanie Minter at a bus stop, stabbing her to death, a murder the police directly warned Descano would happen if he let him go. Independent Virginia reporter Nick Monock obtained an email copy of the letter the police sent to Descano.

Monock offered this commentary in response to the email, “… the police were warning the prosecutor’s office that if this guy was released back into the community again something like this could happen. The murder of Stephanie Minter. And it did. Mr. Jalloh has more than 40 past charges, and almost every case, Descano’s office dropped those charges and released this illegal immigrant, violent offender, back into the community. And they had a warning from the police department.

Blurb:

Dem attorney was warned illegal who murdered a Virginia woman would do so if he were released, they released him anyway – louderwithcrowder.com

Earlier this week, we told you about Abdul Jalloh, the illegal immigrant with over 40 violent priors who (allegedly) murdered Stephanie Minter at a bus stop. And about the “moderate” Democrat governor whose first order of business this year was to run Virginia into a Sanctuary STATE. And about how they wouldn’t give ICE a heads up before releasing this guy without a judicial warrant, which ICE can’t get because it’s not a federal crime. Today, we’re here to tell you that the story has managed to get worse.

Police warned Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano’s office last November that if they released Abdul Jalloh AGAIN, something like him murdering Stephanie Minter…

…could very well happen. They released Abdul anyway. And what the police warned would happen if you released someone with over 40 violent priors back into the public tragically happened.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that higher courts must stop ruling on immigration cases that have been adjudicated by Immigration Judges in asylum cases. Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote the ruling, stating, “the agency’s determination whether a given set of undisputed facts rises to the level of persecution under §1101(a)(42)(A) is generally ‘conclusive unless any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary.’”

The ruling puts a significant limit on district courts, especially, which have been interfering with an inordinate number of asylum cases. Many of these judges are from the batch of judges the GOP lazily allowed to be approved during the last weeks of the Biden administration.

Blurb:

SCOTUS unanimously rules courts MUST defer to immigration judges in asylum cases – The Post Millennial

The court was unanimous in its ruling.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Wednesday that federal appeals courts must defer to immigration judges when reviewing asylum decisions. The case centered around asylum claims made by Salvadoran national Douglas Humberto Urias-Orellana and his family, with Urias-Orellana arguing that a hitman had been targeting him in his home country.

The court’s ruling, written by Biden-appointed Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, stated that immigration laws require federal courts to use a “substantial-evidence standard” when reviewing immigration judges’ decisions regarding whether an asylum seeker would face “persecution” if deported from the country.

Jackson noted that courts must meet a high bar before overturning an immigration judge’s findings. “the agency’s determination whether a given set of undisputed facts rises to the level of persecution under §1101(a)(42)(A) is generally ‘conclusive unless any reasonable adjudicator would be compelled to conclude to the contrary.’”

Paramount has been announced as the new future owner of Warner Brothers Discovery. The company’s CEO is a Trump supporter, which makes the staff of CNN very nervous since Warner Brothers Discovery also owns CNN. Netflix was positioned to purchase the property, but public statements by one of their board of directors may have blown the deal for them.

Susan Rice, a long-time Obama-Biden cabinet member, warned corporations that are willing to take a knee to Trump can expect criminal prosecutions when her party returns to power. Calls for Netflix to nix the political terrorist have fallen on deaf ears, leading to a growing movement to boycott Netflix. President Trump amplified the message, posting “Netflix should fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences.”

Blurb:

Susan Rice’s Anti-Trump Rant Blew Netflix’s Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery – slaynews.com

Former Obama-Biden official Susan Rice’s recent comments targeting companies working with President Donald Trump are being blamed for the failure of Netflix’s attempt to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.

Rice, who now serves on Netflix’s board of directors, drew scrutiny after issuing a warning to corporations she accused of “taking a knee” to Trump.

Speaking on the Stay Tuned with Preet Bharara podcast last week, Rice said media companies, Big Tech firms, universities, and other institutions that align with Trump would face consequences if Democrats regain power.

“I think they’ve got another thing coming,” Rice said.

President Trump responded directly, posting:

“Netflix should fire racist, Trump Deranged Susan Rice, IMMEDIATELY, or pay the consequences.”

53-year-old Islamist Ndiaga Diagne opened fire on an Austin, TX bar, killing 3 and injuring 17 others before being killed himself by the police. He was wearing a “Property of Allah” shirt and has connections to a local Islamist community with suspicious ties to Islamist terrorist organizations. The attack came just after the Ayatollah Khomeini was confirmed killed in aerial strikes, leading many to believe this was related to the war on Iran.

Blurb:

ALI REACTS: Austin Bar Shooting Leaves 3 Dead, 17 Wounded — Gunman Killed by Police – wltreport.com

The city of Austin, Texas, was on edge in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A gunman opened fire inside a bar in Austin, Texas, resulting in 3 people dead and leaving 17 others wounded.

The suspect in the shooting is still at large, and a motive for the shooting is still being investigated.

CBS reported more on the horrific, deadly shooting and provided a more in depth report:

Gunfire rang out at a bar in Austin, Texas early Sunday and at least three people were killed, the city’s police chief said. Lisa Davis told reporters the shooter was killed by officers at the scene.

Fourteen others were hospitalized and three were in critical condition, Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said.

He said paramedics got the call at 1:59 a.m. and first responders were on-scene in less than a minute.

There was no initial word on the shooter’s identity or motive.

Davis noted how fortunate it was that there was a heavy police presence in Austin’s entertainment district at the time, enabling officers to respond quickly as bars were closing.

“Officers immediately transitioned … and were faced with the individual with a gun,” Davis said. “Three of our officers returned fire, killing the suspect.”

She called the shooting a “tragic, tragic” incident.

Whatever the DOJ has on hand that it is calling the Epstein Files, it is hardly as much as what it could have been. According to a just-now exposed testimony by FBI Agent Aaron Spivack, a hack into their NY Field Office during the 2023 Superbowl led to the FBI losing access to more than 500 terabytes of data. 100 Terabytes would turn out to be lost for good.

Blurb:

FBI Computer System Hacked, Millions of Epstein Files Wiped – slaynews.com

A sworn declaration buried in the Trump administration’s recent release of millions of “Epstein Files” documents reveals that an FBI computer system hack resulted in the destruction of roughly 100 terabytes of Jeffrey Epstein-related data.

The September 2024 declaration from FBI agent Aaron Spivack states that a massive breach of the FBI’s New York Field Office (NYFO) systems on Super Bowl Sunday in 2023 led to the Bureau losing access to approximately 500 terabytes of data.

100 terabytes of this data could not be recovered and was permanently erased.

The document had reportedly received little public attention until it was highlighted by independent journalists.

“500 Terabytes of Data Was Gone”

Spivack worked for more than a decade in the FBI’s Domestic Terrorism and Child Exploitation squads, including the Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) unit.

He described discovering the intrusion the day after it occurred.

According to his sworn testimony, when he logged into his work computer, he “noticed it had been restarted” and saw a text file indicating part of his network had been compromised, along with an email address to contact.

After running antivirus software, Spivack learned it “identified one potential threat,” but his administrative privileges had already been removed.

He was later told the threat may have been a “booby-trap” left by a hacker.

President Trump’s second SOTU of his second presidency was filled with DNC theatrics and a lot of awkward sitting. The President outlined his list of accomplishments, which were heavy on economics, and warned U.S. companies and other countries about reneging on their tariff deals, saying they will keep those deals, “Knowing that the legal power that I as president have to make a new deal could be far worse for them.” He also made his case for potentially attacking Iran, but expressed a preference for “diplomacy.”

The key part of the President’s speech was the Democrats not standing up, repeatedly, for Americans. They sat for the men’s U.S. Olympic Gold Hockey team, they sat for more heroes, and they even sat for the mother of a woman slain by an illegal immigrant.  The culmination of them not standing came after Trump said this, “If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support: The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”

After the Democrats refused to stand, he stated, “You should be ashamed of yourselves for not standing up. You should be ashamed of yourselves.” At one point he called them “sick people.” It will remain to be seen if the moniker sticks.

Blurb:

Trump Lays Out Case for Possible Attack on Iran in SOTU – dailysignal.com

WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) — U.S. President Donald Trump briefly laid out his case for a possible attack on Iran in his State of the Union speech to Congress on Tuesday, saying he would not allow the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism to have a nuclear weapon.

In his speech, Trump pointed to Tehran’s support for militant groups, its killing of protesters and the country’s missile and nuclear programs as threats to the region and the United States.

“The (Iranian) regime and its murderous proxies have spread nothing but terrorism and death and hate,” the Republican president said about 90 minutes into his annual address to a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives.

He accused Iran of restarting its nuclear program, working to build missiles that “soon” would be capable of reaching the United States and of being responsible for roadside bombings that have killed U.S. service members and civilians.

On Sunday, February 22, 2026, a raid led by the Mexican army and supported by U.S. assets successfully eliminated the top cartel leader in the region, “El Mencho,” or Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes. He was the general of Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). He was killed in the town of Tapalpa, Jalisco.

Since his death, his well-armed and well-equipped militia has responded by launching terror attacks on multiple cities throughout Mexico, leaving foreigners, including Americans, stranded. Road blocks were set up by the cartels where they took cars. 25 Mexican National Guardsmen have been killed in coordinated attacks, with the total estimated deaths so far placed at 60. The Mexican President, Caludia Sheinbaum, claims they’ve stopped the road blocks, but video footage continues to come out suggesting otherwise. The situation is still fluid in Mexico.

Blurb:

Mexico Plunges Into Open Warfare After ‘El Mencho’ Takedown – gellerreport.com

The savages doing this are the same people ICE agents are trying to deport in the USA.

This is who the Democrats are fighting to keep in this country.

This is who Biden allowed to invade this country en masse.

This is who the left riots, burns, attacks ICE agents in defense of.

This is what the Democrats want  to bring to our beloved nation.