Bryan Steil

The U.S. Controls $13 Billion in Venezuelan Oil Money. Where Did It Go?

The Financial Times estimates that Venezuelan oil sales have generated more than $13 billion in revenue this year. The Energy Department has separately said that proceeds from those sales first settle in accounts controlled by the United States. But the White House and Energy Department records reviewed for this article, together with a State Department response reported by the Financial Times, do not provide a transaction-level reconciliation of transfers to Venezuela, authorized disbursements, expenses or remaining account balances.

Trump's final act begins

President Trump doesn't much care if Republicans lose the House and/or the Senate in the midterms this fall. Yes, he'd prefer a big win, but he seems indifferent to the election and the possibility of endless Democratic investigations of his family, wealth and policies, his closest advisers tell us. A big reason: Trump knows he'll emerge just as strong, or even stronger, heading into his final two years, at least among Republicans. Why it matters: Trump will enjoy a more pro-Trump Republican Congress, win or lose; gleefully play '28 kingmaker and further test the boundaries of presidential power beyond legislating, his preferred method anyway. He'll use pardons to protect his people, the advisers say. The big picture: Trump is not a share-the-stage, pass-the-torch, groom-your-successor kind of guy. Instead, he'll exploit his leverage: A more MAGA Senate. Almost all of his critics will be gone through defeat or retirement. The incoming class is very Trumpy. If they keep the Senate, Trump loyalists like Mike Lee (Utah), Ron Johnson (Wis.) and Rick Scott (Fla.) will chair committees. A more MAGA House. Trump already serves as de facto speaker, but his few outspoken GOP critics — Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene

Russia Has The Bomb, The Army, And An Empire In Its Head. Ukraine Is Fighting To Survive. And Half Of America Still Can't Do The Math.

Let’s compare the actual numbers. No hyped social media sentiments. Just the cold arithmetic that professional outrage merchants don’t want you doing. Ukraine has somewhere between 28 and 40 million people, depending on whether you count refugees abroad and occupied territory, the war has made an exact number impossible to pin down. Russia has about 143 million. Even using the higher Ukrainian estimate, that’s a population edge of close to four to one before a single shot is fired, a bottomless well of conscripts, mechanics, drivers, factory hands, and mothers who will bury their sons and keep sending more, because the Putin’s state machine keeps running regardless.

Are Foreign Intelligence Agencies and Criminals Killing Donald Trump’s Enemies to Earn His Favor.

Note from the author: Last year I invited my mother to begin writing on Substack, because I think she is brilliant, tough, and incredibly thoughtful. So, if you aren’t following , consider checking her work out. I think it makes a fantastic companion to The Existentialist Republic as she explores psychology, history, and how that understanding can help us more effectively navigate this moment in history.

Fraternal twins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, disappeared in 2006: Somebody or a system failed them

Inisha Fowler and Ivon Fowler have been missing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Allegheny County), since September 11, 2006, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The date they went missing is being used because it's the last time they were seen together and reported to be alive.

Senate GOP Headed for Recess Facing Deep Divisions

Dr. Anthony Fauci’s explosive appearance on Capitol Hill is still reverberating in Washington after he repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right during questioning about COVID-19. Now, some Senate Republicans are considering holding Fauci in contempt of Congress as Democrats push back. Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall, also a physician, joins the Rundown to weigh in on the fallout and the lingering questions surrounding the pandemic. Plus, with the August recess approaching, Senator Marshall discusses what Congress still needs to accomplish and the issues he’s hearing about from voters back home. As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes industries, medicine is emerging as one of its fastest-growing frontiers. Dr. Peter Najjar of Johns Hopkins Health System joins the Rundown to explain how AI is already helping doctors reduce administrative burdens, improve patient care, and could one day transform the way diseases like cancer are diagnosed and treated. PLUS, commentary by Ronna McDaniel, CEO of the Michigan Forward Networkand the former chair of the Republican National Committee. PHOTO CREDIT: AP IMAGES Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PODCAST: This Is What The World Looks Like With A Sociopath In The White House

Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple | Listen on iHeartMedia | Listen on Amazon. He cares more about his Weaponization fund, being protected from any federal government investigation, winning his club championship, and personally making as much money as he possibly can than he cares about anything or anyone else. He is humanly incapable of caring about anything but himself. Having a sociopath like this in the White House is a dangerous thing for us and the world.