A reasonable person would expect FBI Director Kash Patel to Avoid Questions About His Reported Alcohol Problems during a Senate hearing, but Patel is fighting to keep his job, so he made the big mistake of engaging with Senator Chris Van Hollen on the subject. drink theme, and it didn’t go very well for Patel.Van Hollen said Patel made false statements during the hearing:Let me just say this, Mr. Director. In your response earlier, where you had a little outburst, you made some blatantly false statements… Mr. Director, I was reading some information and asking you to respond to the…
Author: Frank M. Everett
Today on The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast, hosts Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) and Katie Putz (@LadyPutz) are joined by editor-in-chief Shannon Tiezzi to provide insight into US President Donald Trump’s visit to China, where he is meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. There are a multitude of possible agenda items, but Taiwan, trade and Iran are the most likely – and most important – topics to follow. You can subscribe to The Diplomat’s Asia Geopolitics podcast on Apple Podcasts And Spotify; and watch the episode on YouTube.
Forget for a moment the talk of gerrymandering, the war in Iran and Trump’s trip to China. Nothing matters more to voters than the economy. The economy affects everyone, and for anyone who isn’t rich, times are tough.PoliticusUSA brings 100% independent news and opinions directly to you. Support us by becoming a subscriber.CNN reported on his own new poll that showed how important the economy is to the American people, “A New CNN Poll survey by SSRS found that 77% of respondents – including a majority of Republicans – say Trump’s policies have increased the cost of living in their…
In this episode of Beyond the Indus, Dr. Anil Kakodkar, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India and one of the principal architects of India’s civilian nuclear program, joins us to discuss the history and future of India’s three-stage nuclear program, following this year’s historic breakthrough at Kalpakkam. We discuss the strategic logic behind Homi Bhabha’s 1950s vision for a path to thorium-based energy independence, the scientific and technical challenges of fast breeder reactor technology, India’s decades of nuclear isolation, the safety record of nuclear power and how public perceptions were shaped by Chernobyl and Fukushima, and the…
At a public event in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad on May 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Indians to reduce their consumption of gasoline and diesel, avoid non-essential gold purchases and postpone foreign trips. “Use subways wherever there are them. Use carpooling to get there and use the railways if you need to transport goods. All this will reduce dependence on gasoline and diesel,” he said. Modi urged people to work from home and switch to electric vehicles to save gasoline, and reduce the use of edible oil for cooking and chemical fertilizers for crops. Modi’s call…
The president and his administration are openly counting down the days until CNN is in the hands of their ally, David Ellison. Trump spent a decade obsessing over CNN and trying to sell the channel to one of his friends. During his first administration, Trump attempted to put CNN in the hands of Rupert Murdoch. The president is finally on the verge of achieving his goal with the acquisition of CNN as part of the Warner Bros. buyout. Discovery by David Ellison.PoliticusUSA will never bend the knee to anyone. We are 100% independent. Support us by becoming a subscriber.While the…
On May 10, 2026, Chinese artist Gao Zhen turned 70. He spent his birthday in a Chinese prison. Nearly two years ago, on August 26, 2024, Gao was arrested by Chinese authorities and then charged with “slandering heroes and martyrs.” His alleged crime was not espionage, violence or corruption. It was art. In March 2026, Gao was tried for a single day. He remains detained today, awaiting a verdict. But this is not just the story of an imprisoned artist. It is also the story of a 7-year-old American boy stuck in Chinaseparated from his home in New York because…
During US President Donald Trump’s visit to China, pay close attention to China’s history of information manipulation. The Chinese government distorted the statements of foreign visitors and used them to further its own power over the population under its control.For example, during UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet’s visit to China in 2022, her statement “I admire China’s economic development” was expanded and promoted as “I admire China’s economic and human rights development”. China ignored the corrections issued by the UN office and the misleading report remained on the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s website for more than two years.xi-bachelet UN human rights…
Four regions of Kazakhstan could face water shortages in 2026 as a result of the lingering effects of the 2025 regional drought, according to Kazakh Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov. As reported Vlast.kzAt a government meeting this week, Nurzhigitov warned that low water levels are expected in the Syr-Daria, Shu and Talas river basins, affecting three Kazakh regions – Kyzylorda, Turkestan and Jambyl. The Almaty region, home to Kazakhstan’s largest city and also home to Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant, may also face the risk of water shortages this year. This is not Nurjigitov’s first warning. In…
At their summit in Beijing this week, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will discuss trade, the war in Iran and other pressing issues, but one vital issue will undoubtedly be off the agenda: human rights. This summit should be an opportunity for two of the world’s two most influential leaders to hold each other accountable and challenge each other to uphold international human rights standards. Indeed, the United States and China are key members of the United Nations rules-based system designed to ensure respect for the human rights of all. But Trump and Xi are ignoring…