Is Trump Preparing To "Escalate To De-Escalate" With Russia?

AI Surveillance Should Scare Both Democrats And Republicans Authored by Brendan Steinhauser via RealClearPolitics, In a country desperate for unifying issues, there is growing consensus on one: surveillance of American citizens. From progressives who want to hold ICE accountable to conservatives who fear Big Government, an ever-expanding federal government has put many Americans on high alert, and artificial intelligence is only making matters worse. To quote New York Times columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom, “ICE is watching you.” It is true: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement saw its 2025 budget triple to nearly $30...

The Market Is Starting To Price In Something Most People Still Don't See Authored by Milan Adams, There is a strange disconnect developing between financial markets and the average person. Most people still see the situation with Iran as another distant geopolitical story. It appears on television for a few minutes, disappears behind domestic political news, and then returns a few days later when another headline emerges. Investors, however, are beginning to treat it very differently. They are not watching the negotiations because they care about diplomatic symbolism. They are watching because a...

Where Does Eastern Europe Begin And End? Key Takeaways There is no single definition of Eastern Europe. Its borders vary depending on historical, political, and cultural context. Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus are almost always included, forming the region’s “core.” The eastern boundary is widely agreed upon, but the western edge shifts significantly across definitions. The maps below use data from various organizations to highlight interpretations of Eastern Europe’s geographical extent. At a glance, the visualizations - via Visual Capitalist - show a tight core centered on Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, with boundaries stretching eastward into...