"An Astonishing Sign Of Cultural Decay..."

Once upon a time there was a magical little country named Lebanon. It was created by French imperialists out of the post-World War 1 wreckage of the Ottoman Empire as a mountainous stronghold for Levantine Maronite and Orthodox Christians. Imperial Russia sought to assert its influence as defender of Lebanon’s Christians. The British and French […]

Energy Department Issues Emergency Order As Hot Weather Conditions Threaten Blackouts The Department of Energy (DOE) issued an emergency order authorizing Southwest Power Pool Inc. to use certain energy resources to reduce the risk of potential blackouts, according to a July 21 statement from the department. Electrical transmission poles and lines in Commerce, Calif., on Aug. 7, 2025. Mike Blake/Reuters The order, issued on July 20 and signed by Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, stated that Southwest Power Pool (SPP) had asked the DOE to temporarily permit certain resources to operate beyond...

Rare Earth Stocks Pop After G7 Unveils Plan To Reduce Dependence On China For Critical Minerals Rare earth stocks spiked on Wednesday after G7 leaders agreed to strengthen coordination on critical minerals as they seek to reduce dependence on China-dominated supply chains, according to a new report from Reuters. Without naming China directly, the group set a goal of limiting reliance on any single external supplier of rare earths and permanent magnets to less than 60% by 2030, with a longer-term target of 50%. Reuters reports that to support that effort, the...