Congress is using the annual defense bill to pressure the Pentagon into releasing unedited videos of strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats off Latin America. Lawmakers plan to withhold a quarter of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until the footage is provided to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. The videos focus on a controversial follow-up strike on Sept. 2 that killed two survivors … Continue reading Congress to withhold Pentagon travel funds until it sees boat strike videos

President Donald Trump warned that Mexico’s failure to deliver water under the 1944 Water Treaty is harming Texas farmers and could trigger a 5% tariff if 200,000 acre-feet aren’t released by Dec. 31. Trump said Mexico still owes over 800,000 acre-feet from past years and accused the country of unfairly harming U.S. agriculture. Texas farm groups have faced severe drought-driven shortages, threatening crops, jobs, and … Continue reading Trump threatens 5% tariff on Mexico over water treaty violations affecting Texas farmers

Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas launched a campaign for U.S. Senate, shaking up the Democratic primary just before the filing deadline. She argues she is the strongest Democrat to challenge Republican Sen. John Cornyn, saying she can mobilize a diverse coalition and address rising costs while holding Donald Trump accountable. Her entrance pushed former Rep. Colin Allred to exit the race, leaving Crockett to face … Continue reading Rep. Jasmine Crockett launches Senate run in Texas, shaking up Democratic primary

The U.S. is pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept major territorial concessions, particularly giving up all of the Donbas region, as part of President Trump’s peace proposal, according to Ukrainian officials. Kyiv believes the plan currently favors Moscow, especially after Trump advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Vladimir Putin and then urged Zelensky to agree quickly. While the U.S. insists it has … Continue reading U.S. pushes Zelensky for swift yes on peace plan: Ukrainian officials

The Trump administration announced a $12 billion aid package to support farmers affected by tariffs and rising economic pressures. Funds will begin reaching farmers by Feb. 28, with applications opening soon. Most of the money will go to producers of major crops, while a smaller portion is reserved for specialty crop growers. Although Trump claimed the bailout was funded by tariffs, the money comes from … Continue reading White House announces $12 billion farmer bailout package

Tensions have risen between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Trump criticized the Ukrainian president for not yet reading U.S. peace proposals. Trump claimed Ukrainian officials support the plan, while suggesting Russia might also accept it. His comments followed Miami talks between U.S. and Ukrainian teams that ended without agreement on a draft peace deal. Outstanding issues include the status of Russian-occupied Donbas and control … Continue reading Trump says Zelenskyy ‘hasn’t read U.S. peace proposal’ as tensions mount

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the first phase of the UN-backed Gaza ceasefire is nearly complete, emphasizing that the next phase must include Hamas disarmament. He plans to discuss the second phase later this month with former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose proposals form the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 2803. During the first phase, Hamas released the last Israeli hostages in exchange … Continue reading First phase of Gaza ceasefire plan nearly complete, says Netanyahu