Category: US

briefing, intel, UK, USLeave a comment

Top US Lobby Firm Had Hidden Ties to Iran, Russia Oil Tycoons

Colin Henderson

 Summarize ​ Qorvis worked for companies that authorities say are overseen by sanctioned kingpins. The firm says it doesn’t take sanctioned money. Ben BartensteinSeptember 10, 2026 at 5:00 AM EDT In early March, as the war in Iran sent oil prices soaring above $100 per barrel, executives at a Washington-based lobbying firm called Qorvis made an unusual suggestion to senior US officials, according to people familiar with the matter: The Trump administration should relax some sanctions on Iran and Russia to help stabilize the market. Within days, the Treasury Department issued short-term waivers allowing the sale and offloading of Iranian … Continue reading Top US Lobby Firm Had Hidden Ties to Iran, Russia Oil Tycoons

Economics, USLeave a comment

MacroPolicy Perspectives,

Colin Henderson

Some highlights from what we have been writing, reading, and talking about in August. Sep 9th 2026 Chair Warsh’s inaugural Jackson Hole speech was viewed as an important step toward rebuilding Fed credibility and setting the stage for a September rate hike, without explicitly committing to one. Warsh emphasized that inflation has remained above the Fed’s 2% target for five years, unemployment remains low and stable, and financial conditions are difficult to characterize as restrictive, suggesting the economy can withstand—and may require—tighter monetary policy. He firmly reaffirmed the 2% PCE inflation target, described the labor market as “quite stable,” and acknowledged … Continue reading MacroPolicy Perspectives,

US

Republicans seize on Michigan progressives’ wins, but party is split on socialism message

Colin Henderson

 Summarize ​ Nathan LayneAugust 5, 20265:09 PM EDTUpdated 15 hours ago Aug 5 (Reuters) – Republicans seized on victories by two progressive candidates in Michigan primaries to portray Democrats as increasingly far left, with President Donald Trump labeling Michigan’s U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed a “Communist loser.” The swift attacks by Trump and national party officials underscored a broader effort by Republicans to shift the focus of November’s midterm elections from the economic concerns of voters that have weighed on Trump’s approval ratings. Jumpstart your morning with the latest legal news delivered straight to your inbox from The Daily Docket newsletter. Sign up here. Advertisement · … Continue reading Republicans seize on Michigan progressives’ wins, but party is split on socialism message

US

How the new generation of left-wing US media is powering progressive candidates

Colin Henderson

 Summarize ​ Helen CosterAugust 6, 20266:08 AM EDTUpdated August 6, 2026 NEW YORK, Aug 6 (Reuters) – Progressive candidates continue to rack up wins in primary elections across the United States, propelled by a new left-wing media ecosystem allowing them to build a national profile on their own terms — and sidestep the traditional gatekeepers of the Democratic establishment. For Pennsylvania state Representative Chris Rabb, a Democratic socialist who recently prevailed in a congressional primary against a more moderate rival, appearances on programs like “The Majority Report with Sam Seder” and “Breaking Points” played a key role in his political … Continue reading How the new generation of left-wing US media is powering progressive candidates

intel, Military, US

US officials push back on reports of dangerously low munitions supplies

Colin Henderson

 Summarize ​ Experts warn that low stockpiles of air defence interceptors as a result of the war on Iran leave the US vulnerable. Joseph Stepansky The White House and Pentagon have pushed back on a slate of recent reports indicating that supplies of both offensive and defensive weapons have dropped dangerously low after five months of war on Iran. Experts have said that low supplies of air defence interceptors, particularly those used in Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) air defence systems, may pose a particular threat to US forces, with knock-on effects for allies in the region and beyond. … Continue reading US officials push back on reports of dangerously low munitions supplies

AI_regulation, US

White House’s AI framework close-hold fuels industry concerns

Colin Henderson

Aug 5, 2026, 4:43am EDTSHARE Dado Ruvic/Illustration via Reuters  The Trump administration told a handful of tech firms Tuesday that it will not publicly release its new framework for voluntary government reviews of advanced AI models, people familiar with the meeting told Semafor.  The decision, reported first by Axios, is fueling industry concerns that firms not briefed on the framework may not opt in to government review because they don’t know enough about it.  Ironically, administration officials also told AI firms they would host a public event touting the framework later this month, the people said.  “The Trump team appears destined to give … Continue reading White House’s AI framework close-hold fuels industry concerns

US

America Is Exporting Bewilderment to the Rest of the World

Colin Henderson

 Summarize ​ Max HastingsAugust 2, 2026 at 2:45 AM EDT A more serviceable global partner?Photographer: China Pool/Getty Images AsiaPac A week or two back I shared a plane ride down from Scotland with a group of Americans who had obviously been golfing. Since one was sporting a MAGA baseball cap, it seemed a fair guess that they had been playing on Donald Trump’s course up there. They were a cheerful, ebulliently vocal party, and I am glad they had a nice time. But their body language gave no hint of sensitivity to the fact that we are living in a … Continue reading America Is Exporting Bewilderment to the Rest of the World

EU, Europe, Geopolitics, US

Pentagon transfers leadership of Ukraine assistance mission in Germany to another NATO member – Politico

Colin Henderson

Khrystyna Bondarieva ,  Roman Petrenko  — 1 August, 12:08 The Pentagon is stepping down from leading the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U), based in Germany, and will hand it over to another NATO member state. Source: Politico; European Pravda Details: According to a US official and three people familiar with the plan, command of SAG-U – which has played a central role in equipping and training Ukrainian troops since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion – will ultimately be taken over by another NATO member. This move means the US will no longer help shape what Ukraine’s future armed forces will look like. Advertisement: … Continue reading Pentagon transfers leadership of Ukraine assistance mission in Germany to another NATO member – Politico

AI_factories, AI_regulation, Chips, Europe, iran, Russia, US

Globalization Ends Not With a Bang, But Tariffs 2.0

Colin Henderson

​ Summarize Source: Bloomberg This time, the silence from markets and the media has been deafening. John AuthersJuly 28, 2026 at 8:54 PM EDT Trump touts tariffs to GM workers.Photographer: Sarah Rice/Bloomberg To get John Authers’ newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, sign up here. Today’s Points: Protectionism Fatigue This is the way globalization ends, not with a bang but a whimper. The current US administration has declared war on the global free trade system. Last year’s “Liberation Day” imposition of the highest tariffs in a century drove a dramatic selloff in both stock and bond markets that within a week forced a presidential … Continue reading Globalization Ends Not With a Bang, But Tariffs 2.0

Diplomacy, Geopolitics, Russia, US

The Self-Destruction of American Power

Colin Henderson

  Fareed Zakaria July/August 2019 Published on June 11, 2019 ​ Washington Squandered the Unipolar Moment Sometime in the last two years, American hegemony died. The age of U.S. dominance was a brief, heady era, about three decades marked by two moments, each a breakdown of sorts. It was born amid the collapse of the Berlin Wall, in 1989. The end, or really the beginning of the end, was another collapse, that of Iraq in 2003, and the slow unraveling since. But was the death of the United States’ extraordinary status a result of external causes, or did Washington accelerate its own demise through … Continue reading The Self-Destruction of American Power