Key Events
Peter Stone
The U.S. Department of Justice’s radical revision has seen the main driving force against corruption in ways that can benefit U.S. businesses we operate abroad and foreign kleptocrats (including some Russian oligarchs).
The moves sparked sharp criticism from former U.S. prosecutors, transparency experts and top Democrats, who warned that the move to reduce anti-corruption efforts was a huge setback in the U.S. efforts to clean up global business practices and address the power of oligarchs and authoritative rulers.
Donald Trump’s U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is a long-time ally of the president – a quick and rapid cessation of law enforcement actions for six months under the Foreign Corrupt Conduct Act of 1977, which prohibits U.S. businesses from bribing overseas transactions, while some U.S. companies have long been accusing of the competitive advantage of certain foreign companies.
Trump sounded bullish when he signed an executive order in February to stop the department’s FCPA investigation for six months to review policy guidelines. “This means more business for the United States,” Trump said to critics’ frustration.
In another rapid foreign transition from the Justice Department, a memorandum from Bondy last month showed that two units aimed at fighting the Kriput regime, including some major Russian oligarchs, were dissolved, and some lawyers have redeployed new priorities focused on drug cartels and transnational crime.
The United States adds international surveillance list of rapidly declining civil liberties
Anna Betts
The United States has been added to the Civicus Monitor surveillance list, which identifies countries that global civil rights watchdogs believe are currently declining in civil liberties.
Civicus, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to “strengthening citizen action and civil society around the world”, announced that it will include the United States in the nonprofit first 2025 first watch list along with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Italy, Pakistan and Serbia.
The monitoring list is part of the Civicus Monitor, which tracks the development of civil liberties in 198 countries. Other countries that have appeared on the surveillance list in recent years include Zimbabwe, Argentina, El Salvador and the United Arab Emirates.
Civicus Co-Secretary General Mandeep Tiwana said the surveillance list “concerns that we remain concerned about the freedom of peaceful assembly, connection and expression, and that we remain concerned about deteriorating conditions in citizens’ space”.
The website notes that the selection process combines insights and data from Civicus’ global research partners and data networks.
The decision to add the United States to its first surveillance list in 2025 is to respond to what the organization calls “the Trump administration’s attack on democratic norms and global cooperation.”
Donald Trump was cited on Monday since he was cited Donald Trump on Monday, since he expressed his renewed interest in obtaining a vast and affluent Arctic island.
Trump reiterated his interest in acquiring the island during his speech to Congress last Tuesday, drawing a picture of prosperity and security for Greenland’s “incredible people” which is the autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, according to Reuters.
Trump reiterated the message earlier Monday in a Truth Society post: “We will continue to keep you safe since World War II. We are ready to invest billions to create new jobs and make you rich.”
“We deserve respect and I think the president of the United States hasn’t done so recently since he took office,” Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egende told the Danish Public Broadcasting Corporation in an interview aired on Monday.
He added: “I think what the president of the United States has done recently means that people don’t want to be as close as they used to[the United States].”
“We need to draw a line in the sand and put in more effort to the country we want to build respect for the future (to cultivate a relationship with him).”
Egede has repeatedly said that Greenland has a population of only 57,000, it belongs to its people and should decide its own future. He supports Greenland’s complete independence.
Republican lawmakers warn Trump tariffs hurt U.S. business
Hello, welcome to the American Political Scene Blog. I’m Tom Ambrose and will bring you the latest news in the next few hours.
Let’s start with the news Republicans are increasingly worried Donald Trump’s tariffs are hurting the U.S. economy, voters tell them they are struggling economically.
Business owners, exporters and farmers have told lawmakers that Trump’s growing trade war and high tariff threats to Canada, Mexico and Europe have had direct impact on U.S. businesses, Hill reported.
“Canadian tariffs will certainly have a harmful impact on Maine, especially on the economy of border communities,” said Senator Susan Collins. “For example, we have a large paper mill in northern Maine that gets pulp from Canada.”
“The factory alone is by far the largest employer in the region, hiring 510 employees directly. I have spoken with the owner of the factory and the imposition of the 25% tariff could be devastating,” she added.
“I have every major industry in Kentucky lobbying me against them; Senator Rand Paul told Mountain, cargo shippers, farmers, bourbon makers, home builders, home sellers – fence makers.”
“The bourbon industry said they were still hurt by retaliatory tariffs during Trump’s first semester,” he said. “So too.”
