GOP unveils ‘Commitment to America’ platform, passing off stock footage of Russia and Ukraine as the US and a Lehman Brothers ad as a quote by Lincoln

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) talks to reporters after attending the swearing-in of Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN) at the U.S. Capitol on August 12, 2022 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images House GOP leaders on Thursday released a video promoting their "Commitment to America" agenda. Footage from the video passes off stock images of […]

Russia partners like China and India expressing concerns over Ukraine may have forced Putin’s hand and driven him to try and end the war quickly, according to Russian politics experts

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose for a photo shaking hands prior to their talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. Alexandr Demyanchuk, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo/Associated Press Some of Putin's global partners expressed concerns about his war […]

Putin has been called a ‘master procrastinator’ but experts say he wanted to avoid mobilizing troops ‘at all costs’ due to how unpopular it would be in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Novgorod Region Governor Andrei Nikitin during his visit to celebrate the 1160th anniversary of Russian statehood in Veliky Novgorod, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo/Associated Press Putin announced Wednesday he was calling in reserves, prompting protests in Russia. Experts said Putin wanted to avoid […]

Putin’s nuclear threats indicate the president is increasingly aware of how limited his military options are in Ukraine, Russia expert speculates

Russian President Vladimir Putin. GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images Vladimir Putin on Wednesday escalated his war in Ukraine with a direct threat of nuclear warfare. But experts say the threat indicates that Putin is running out of military options. Putin is increasingly "aware of how limited his actual military options are," one expert said. Vladimir […]

Legendary Russian pop star condemns the invasion of Ukraine, saying it is making Russia a ‘pariah’

Alla Pugacheva receiving an award from President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Dec. 22, 2014. AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, Presidential Press Service Iconic Russian singer Alla Pugacheva has condemned the war in Ukraine. The recipient of countless state awards, Pugacheva said the war's goals were "illusory." She asked to be designated a "foreign agent," […]

People in a retaken Ukrainian town had their phones checked to see if they had collaborated with Russia, report says

A Ukrainian soldier helps another adjust a blue identification ribbon on his sleeve in the recently retaken Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine on Sept. 14, 2022. AP Photo/Kostiantyn Liberov Locals of a retaken Ukrainian town reportedly had their phones checked for any signs of collaboration with Russian occupiers. Residents of Shevchenkove lined up outside of […]

Trump’s own former intel chief worried that Russia had compromising material on him, book says

President Donald Trump (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive to waiting media during a joint press conference after their summit on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, Finland. Chris McGrath/Getty Images Dan Coats, former director of national intelligence, worried about Trump's relations with Putin.  According to a new book, Trump's behavior at a summit with […]

Apple pulled out of Russia in March, but Russians can still buy the new iPhone 14 — here’s how

An Apple reseller in Russia in 2021. Dimitar Dilkoff/AF/Getty Images Russian mobile network MTS has started taking preorders for the new iPhone 14. This is even though Apple exited Russia and halted product sales following the invasion of Ukraine. Russia's trade minister said consumers would still be able to buy iPhone 14 via parallel imports. […]

Russia may face a domestic energy crunch as production slows following EU’s oil embargo, natural-gas cuts to Europe

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images A halt in gas supplies to Europe could cost Russia as much as $ 6.6 billion a year, per Bloomberg. The export slump could lead to deep cuts in Russian gas output, hitting domestic energy goals. The EU's oil embargo could also cause production of the fuel to […]