Domestic Politics Archives

Progressives Take Economic Agenda Global as Spain Tests the Model

6Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Capitalism, Democracy, Europe, EU, Eurozone, and United Kingdom, Types of News: Brief

Progressives Take Economic Agenda Global as Spain Tests the Model

Spanish PM Calls for Snap Elections in November Amid Housing Crisis October 6, 2026—On the sidelines of the United Nations general debate in September, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was the featured guest at a breakfast hosted by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The two politicians, along with other progressives, put forward an economic agenda focused on larbor rights, a higher minimum wage, housing regulations and rent control, and social protections across borders. https://youtu.be/JWbihVjDirM While he is celebrated among progressive circles overseas, back home Sánchez faces a crucial test. On Monday, he called for snap elections on November 29. It comes at a time of political crisis in Spain and neighboring France over affordability. The impact of the November 29 el...

Crypto, AI, and Israel All Spending Big to Influence U.S. Elections

6Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Big Tech, Digital Economy, Democracy, Domestic Politics, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Crypto, AI, and Israel All Spending Big to Influence U.S. Elections

Spending by political action committees far outpaces what candidates running for office can and do spend. Follow the Money: PACs Lead Spending in the 2026 Midterms October 5, 2026—Campaign finance is where powerful interests intersect with government. The money spent does not just influence elections, it can also shape policies affecting society as a whole. In terms of money flowing through the campaign-finance system, political action committees (PACs) direct nearly three times as much money as candidates running for reelection or office. That concentration of money gives PACs considerable potential influence over which candidates reach—and remain in—office. The Power of the PAC Purse In terms of spending, candidates for office paid out$2 billion, while PACs reported $6.5 b...

Senator Seeks Accountability for Nine Americans Killed by Israeli Settlers and Military

1Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Foreign Aid, International Development, Human rights, Types of News: Brief, United States

Senator Seeks Accountability for Nine Americans Killed by Israeli Settlers and Military

Senate Rejects West Bank Human Rights Report in 51–47 Vote UNITED STATES October 1, 2026—Since 2022, nine Americans have been killed in the occupied West Bank by Israeli settlers and Israeli security forces. The fallen include three teenagers, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmad al-Khdour, Amer Rabee, and six adults, Omar Assad, journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, Sayfollah Kamel Musallet, Khamis Ayyad, and Nasrallah Abu Siyam. To date, none of the deaths has resulted in a publicly documented criminal conviction. While Israeli authorities have examined some of the cases and the FBI reportedly started an investigation into the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, the families have received no criminal accountability, according to the senators sponsoring the resolution. Senate...

Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Flout Democracy

30Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Communism, Dictatorship, authoritarian, Democracy, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Flout Democracy

The Strange Irony of Using Government Funds for Self-Promotion Ads Against ‘Communism’ and ‘War’ President Trump is using $20 million from the Homeland Security Department to finance political ads promoting himself ahead of the midterm elections. September 30, 2026—Democracy is built on the notion that the government represents the will of the people in a system of checks-and-balances and adheres to a rule-of-law. It is not a given that democracies survive. In fact, modern-day dilemmas such as corruption, the increasing power of technologies and the firms that run them, and consolidation of power in the executive branch of government test the foundation. In the lead up to the nationwide November elections for Congress, President Donald Trump is also pushing the limits of what is a...

10Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief, United States

Ahead of U.S. Midterm Elections, Trump Floats $5,000 Giveaway to Voters

President Donald Trump is testing the limits of U.S. election law and his popularity while promising cash to voters for wins. An Update on the U.S. Midterm Elections Outlook September 10, 2026—In what appears to be a desperate attempt to win political support ahead of the November midterm elections, President Donald Trump vowed to give every U.S. adult citizen $5,000 from the U.S. Treasury’s general fund if his Republican party maintains control of Congress. “Only I can make this promise to you, and here is my promise: If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them, because of our economic, tremendous economic success, like in history we’ve never had anything like what’s happening. But because of our tremendous strength and success,...

U.S. Government Makes Claim for Venezuelan Oil And Sovereignty

8Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics, Energy Policy, Oil & Gas, Geopolitics, Types of News: Analysis

U.S. Government Makes Claim for Venezuelan Oil And Sovereignty

Trump announces historic deal and claims Venezuelan oil. September 8, 2026—When the U.S. government announced an historic deal for tapping Venezuelan oil in August, the White House cheered it as a means to expand U.S. oil reserves while critics complained the deal smacked of 19th Century imperialism. The United States has long engaged with Venezuelan politics, aiming to push the country away from a communist economy towards an open, democratic society. What is clear today is that U.S. policy has shifted away from influencing Venezuelan politics toward a model of ownership, not only of the country’s natural resources but also its diplomatic standing with the rest of the world. The circumstances of the invasion and capture of natural resources leave observers questioning the legalit...

Five Years After the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops, Taliban Maintain Brutal Control of Afghanistan

6Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Critical Minerals, Domestic Politics, Geopolitics, Human rights, Types of News: Brief

Five Years After the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops, Taliban Maintain Brutal Control of Afghanistan

Five Years After the Withdrawal of U.S. Troops, Taliban Maintain Brutal Control of Afghanistan. Have any lessons for U.S. leaders been learned? September 6, 2026—Five years after the dramatic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the repressive Taliban regime remains in control, even as it is still unrecognized by a majority of countries. Nearly half the population is dependent on humanitarian aid. Humanitarian Action calculates that is 21.9 million. Also, more than 5 million Afghans who lived in neighboring countries have been forced to return. What's more, Afghanistan and Pakistan are at war. The Aftermath of the U.S. Withdrawal The United States spent 20 years fighting in Afghanistan, often asserting a strategy of nation-building while the underlying strategic goals went ...

ICE Detentions Hit Record Levels as Deaths and Medical Failures Mount

2Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Human rights, Immigration, Migration, Types of News: Analysis, United States

ICE Detentions Hit Record Levels as Deaths and Medical Failures Mount

Private Firms Profit, Prisoners Beg for Medical Help, and DHS Investigates Deaths Aug. 26, 2026 ICE announced its agents detained 1,328 people in Virginia and Maryland over a two-week period. September 2, 2026—As the number of people taken and held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement soared this Summer amid reports of “abysmal” conditions at the detention centers. Since President Donald Trump started his second term in office in January 2025, 57 people have died in ICE custody. Last week, a Chinese national by the name of Lianyong Wei died hours after ICE arrested him in Saipan, a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific. Meanwhile, thousands of others have suffered medical emergencies, such as head injuries, dehydration, strokes, and malnutrition, while in ICE custody, ac...

U.S. Economy: Bessent May Tap U.S. Treasury’s General Account to Buy Bonds

24Aug

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Global Economics, Types of News: Brief, United States

U.S. Economy: Bessent May Tap U.S. Treasury’s General Account to Buy Bonds

As U.S. Debt Tops $40 Trillion, Debt-Holders Demand Higher Yields August 24, 2026—One of the most notable effects of soaring U.S. national debt are the rising yields on Treasury’s long-term bond market. Bond investors are simply no longer willing to invest in U.S. long-term debt unless the risk premium on those bonds pay higher yields. Since July, yields on Treasury’s long-term bonds have steadily risen. The 10-year and 20-year bonds rose climbed above 5.2 and 5.25, up from 4.7 and 4.74 earlier this year. Meanwhile, the 30-year bond rose by 11.49 percent in the past six months, up to 5.23 percent today. When it peaked at 5.30 percent earlier in the month, it was a two-decade high. That might not seem significant to everyone, but interest rates on long-term debt impact everything f...

The Human Rights Case Against Nicolás Maduro

2Jun

By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments

Domestic Politics, Human rights, Immigration, Migration, Types of News: Analysis

The Human Rights Case Against Nicolás Maduro

A Venezuelan Expat Makes A Case for Justice That Can Bring About Real Democratic Change Editor’s Note: Venezuelan expat Ernesto Rodriguez reflects on the U.S. military’s Jan. 3, 2026 capture of Nicolás Maduro, recounts the authoritarian leader’s grip on power from 2013-2026, makes a case against the years of torture and political corruption, and calls for justice. Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are facing U.S. federal charges in New York for narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons offenses. Let's picture the scene. I'm sleeping back home in Madrid, and I get woken up by a call from Caracas, where the time is around 3 o'clock in the morning. As anyone knows, calls at those hours are usually some form of bad—or at the very least urgent—news. This wasn't an except...