Vance says 'America First' movement rejects 'purity tests,' welcomes critical thinkers





Official indicates vessel is subject to sanctions after Trump’s ‘blockade’ on sanctioned tankers in and out of Venezuela
US Coast Guard officials said on Sunday that they are tracking an oil tanker in international waters close to Venezuela, according to Reuters, marking the second such action over the weekend – and the third within the past week.
One official indicated that the tanker is subject to sanctions. The officials, who requested anonymity, did not disclose the precise location of the pursuit.
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© Photograph: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Reuters

© Photograph: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Reuters

© Photograph: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Reuters

© Illustration: Nicola Jennings/The Guardian

© Illustration: Nicola Jennings/The Guardian

© Illustration: Nicola Jennings/The Guardian

© Gaye Gerard/Getty Images

© Scott McIntyre for The New York Times
Since just 3% of Americans use platform Trump owns, public may be unaware of his mental state and performance
When Donald Trump has something to say, he takes to Truth Social.
Trump has used the platform to announce policies on everything from the economy to travel bans, making declarations that are key for Americans seeking information about his government.
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© Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
Why would the Trump administration choose to set aside consequences from criminals whose actions threaten the stability of the broader American economy?
When Islamic State needed to move and disguise its money, it turned, US prosecutors said in 2023, to the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange: Binance. So too did al-Qaida, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, which used the platform to help bankroll its operations in the years leading up to the 7 October attack in Israel. Binance was not accused of directly financing these groups, but prosecutors found that it knowingly allowed its exchange to function as a conduit – enabling extremist organisations to shift funds, evade scrutiny and frustrate investigations.
At the centre of it all was Binance’s founder and chief executive, Changpeng Zhao. By 2024, the self-styled “king” of crypto had fallen from grace, pleading guilty to money laundering charges and entering prison, while Binance agreed to pay a record $4.3bn penalty for its role in facilitating terrorist financing. The case was hailed as a rare victory for regulators willing to take on the industry’s biggest players – and for victims of the violence linked to those financial flows. Among them were the families of US citizens killed on 7 October, who are now suing Binance in a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of “pitching itself to terrorist organisations”.
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© Illustration: Igor Bastidas/The Guardian

© Illustration: Igor Bastidas/The Guardian

© Illustration: Igor Bastidas/The Guardian

© Philip Cheung for The New York Times





© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times






Vessel does not appear to be on list of US-sanctioned vessels, which would represent escalation in blockade
US forces on Saturday apprehended a second merchant vessel carrying oil off the coast of Venezuela in international waters in the midst of an American blockade against the country’s oil, according to the US homeland security department.
The stoppage follows the seizure by US forces of another oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast on 10 December. Both vessels were headed to Asia.
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© Photograph: Jesús Vargas/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jesús Vargas/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jesús Vargas/Getty Images