“For four years, India, one of the world’s biggest oil importers, has turned Russia’s war-driven disruption of global oil markets to its advantage. Russian crude, displaced from western markets after the invasion of Ukraine, has flowed instead to Indian refineries, often at attractive discounts. The arrangement has lowered the cost of one of India’s biggest imports and given its refiners an abundant source of crude. Now that bargain is becoming a source of geopolitical risk. The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed legislation giving President Donald Trump broad powers to impose sanctions on Russia and tariffs of up to 100% on [Americans who buy goods from] countries that buy Russian oil and gas. It will now go to Trump to be signed into law. [Americans who buy goods from] India and China are among those most exposed because both are major buyers of Russian oil.” (09/17/26)
“An Argentinian judge has ordered the suspension of a British-Israeli oil project near the Falkland Islands in a purely symbolic move as Argentina escalates its claim over the British-administered territory. Wednesday’s interim ruling issued by a court in Argentina’s southernmost province, Tierra del Fuego, follows a lawsuit filed by 1982 war veterans and environmental lawyers earlier this month. The plaintiffs sought to block Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum from the Sea Lion oilfield, located about 220km (137 miles) from the islands. … London maintains the islands are British and rejects the jurisdiction of Argentinian courts in the Falklands. The islanders themselves voted overwhelmingly in 2013 to remain British.” (09/17/26)
“A California billionaire tax proposal is skating toward a narrow win in November according to a poll released Tuesday, although the measure is exposing deep generational divides in the state. A slim 52% of voters support Proposition 40, which would levy a one-time tax on billionaires, according to a Public Policy Institute of California poll. The poll found opposition was close behind, with 46% of voters not supporting it. Surveys have found voters consistently support the measure, although the latest PPIC poll shows a slight decrease in support from when the same group asked voters about the measure in the spring. … The measure would levy a one-time 5% tax on the approximately 250 billionaires who lived in the state on Jan. 1, 2026, and it would be owed with their 2026 tax returns, although the billionaires could pay in installments.” [editor’s note: In addition to it being an evil and idiotic idea, the back-dating violates the US Constitution’s prohibition on ex post facto laws – TLK] (09/16/26)
“Two women filed a federal lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, claiming their photographs were found in his vast collection of child pornography. Identified in court papers only as Jane Doe and Amy, the women allege that ‘few if any’ of those whose photos were in Epstein’s collection were informed that these photographs are in the hands of federal investigators. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Southern District of New York, seeks class-action status and is asking for unspecified damages and requesting the court to ‘design and supervise a single, coordinated program for identifying and notifying’ the other women whose ‘unlawful sexualized images’ were part of Epstein’s collection.” (09/16/26)
“House GOP leaders have cut short the final legislative week before the midterm elections, announcing that lawmakers will leave Washington after Wednesday’s votes. … The move not only allows lawmakers to head home early for the campaign trail, it also means that lawmakers will not be forced to take a vote on impeaching Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth before the elections. Sponsored by Rep. Tom Massie (R-Ky.), the impeachment resolution was introduced on Tuesday as a privileged motion, setting a 48-hour clock for it to hit the floor. … The next time the House will be back in session after Wednesday will be Nov. 9, following the midterm elections.” (09/16/26)
“Russian air strikes injured 18 people across Ukraine while a Ukrainian drone attack damaged an oil refinery deep inside Russia early on Thursday, as both sides continued strikes despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of an energy truce. Twelve people, including two children, were wounded in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv …. In the Black Sea port city of Odesa, a child was among three people injured …. Three others were wounded in Zaporizhzhia in southeastern Ukraine, where a missile strike also caused a fire at an industrial facility. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone attack damaged an oil refinery in the Russian city of Yaroslavl, causing a fire that was later extinguished, regional Governor Mikhail Yevrayev said.” (09/17/26)
“The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time in over three years amid concerns over stubborn inflation that has been driven recently by higher energy prices. Fed policymakers voted 12-0 to raise the federal funds rate from a range of 3.5% to 3.75% to a new target rate of 3.75% to 4%. The 25-basis-point increase marks the first interest rate hike since July 2023 and comes after the Fed left rates unchanged at its first five meetings this year.” (09/16/26)
“The U.S. special envoy for Belarus said Wednesday that the country’s authorities have agreed to release 25 prisoners as part of a deal that includes the lifting of U.S. sanctions against some Belarusian companies. John Coale, President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, made the statement a day after meeting Belarus'[s] authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who pushed for the remaining U.S. sanctions against his country to be lifted. … Since Trump returned to the White House for his second term, Lukashenko has released hundreds of political prisoners in a series of U.S.-mediated deals that also lifted some U.S. sanctions.” (09/16/26)
“Officials from the US met Houthi leaders over the weekend at the country’s embassy in Muscat, Oman, it has been confirmed, leading to the US decision not to intervene to help Saudi Arabia drive back a Houthi advance inside Yemen. The Iran-backed militant group reassured the US that the ceasefire agreement between the two sides struck in 2025 still held and the movement had no intention of attacking US shipping in the Red Sea. Only Saudi-linked shipping was regarded as a target owing to its blockade of Yemen, the Houthis confirmed. … In a lightning offensive last week, the Houthis seized control of large swathes of western Yemen along the Red Sea coast.” (09/16/26)
“The Libertarian National Committee has voted to recognize the Granite State Libertarian Party as its new affiliate in New Hampshire, selecting the organization over a competing group also seeking recognition under the name of the previous state affiliate. … the LNC voted in May to disaffiliate the previous Libertarian Party of New Hampshire over its support of Republican Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election and claims that it promoted ‘anti-libertarian positions.’ The national party’s Judicial Committee later upheld that decision in a unanimous vote.” (09/16/26)
