Author: Rachel Maddow

Refusing to Testify Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, declined to answer questions from the US House Oversight Committee on Monday. Speaking via video call from her federal prison in Texas, where she is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment rights. Lawmakers are investigating individuals connected to Epstein who may have helped facilitate his abuse, which targeted girls as young as 11. Clemency Conditional on Testimony Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, told lawmakers that she would be willing to testify if granted a pardon by former President Donald Trump. Markus claimed…

Ships Exploit Melting Ice, Leaving a Trail of Soot As global temperatures rise, Arctic sea ice is retreating faster than ever, opening shipping routes that were once impassable. Cargo vessels, fishing boats, and cruise liners are now navigating waters north of the 60th parallel, but this increase in traffic comes with a steep environmental cost. Black carbon, or soot, emitted from ship exhaust settles on ice and snow, darkening the surface and accelerating melting by absorbing more sunlight. “It ends up in a never-ending cycle of increased warming,” says Sian Prior, lead adviser for the Clean Arctic Alliance. Melting Arctic…

Voters Hand Ruling Party a Commanding Majority Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is heading for a decisive victory in Sunday’s snap election, with early estimates showing her ruling coalition securing a two-thirds majority in the lower house. Media projections suggest the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) could win around 300 of the chamber’s 465 seats, a dramatic jump from its previous total and its strongest performance since 2017 under former prime minister Shinzo Abe. If confirmed, the result would allow the LDP to govern comfortably, potentially even without its junior partner. LDP Secretary General Shunichi Suzuki said voters had endorsed Takaichi’s…

Gigafactory Projects Put to Bed Automotive Cells Company (ACC), a key player in Europe’s electric vehicle battery push, has abandoned plans to build large-scale battery factories in Italy and Germany. The decision was confirmed by Italy’s metalworkers’ union UILM, which said ACC management had formally dropped the proposed gigafactory in Termoli as well as a similar project in Germany. Both sites had been frozen since 2024, but the latest confirmation makes clear they will not be revived. Slower EV Demand Changes the Picture ACC, which is backed by carmaking heavyweight Stellantis, pointed to weaker-than-expected growth in electric vehicle sales as…

Lawmakers warn against carve-outs for American energy firms From January 2027, companies bringing oil and gas into the European Union will be required to meet strict monitoring, reporting and verification standards tied to methane emissions from their suppliers. A group of US lawmakers is now urging the EU not to dilute those rules or exempt American energy companies if US regulations fail to meet the same level of accuracy or enforcement. In a letter obtained by Euronews, 24 members of Congress describe the EU’s methane regulation as a vital tool to curb gas flaring and venting. Methane, a powerful but…

Tech Giants Drag Wall Street Lower US stocks fell sharply on Thursday after a steep drop in Alphabet shares set a negative tone across financial markets. Google’s parent company slid more than 4%, pulling major indexes down despite reporting quarterly profits that beat expectations. The S&P 500 dropped 1.2%, marking its sixth decline in seven sessions since reaching a record high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 606 points, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 1.5%. Investors were rattled by Alphabet’s warning that spending on equipment and long-term investments could jump to around $180 billion this year—far above forecasts. The scale…

Space and AI Close the Gap With Tesla Elon Musk’s SpaceX has surged to a valuation of $1.25 trillion (€1.06tn) after merging with artificial intelligence venture xAI, bringing it strikingly close to Tesla’s market capitalisation and reshaping the hierarchy of Musk’s business empire. Tesla is currently valued at around $1.58 trillion (€1.34tn), just 26% higher than the newly combined SpaceX-xAI entity. On paper, this means the bulk of Musk’s personal wealth now comes from space and AI rather than electric vehicles. Tesla Struggles as Focus Shifts Tesla’s momentum has slowed heading into 2026. Shares are down roughly 6% this year…

Conflicting Details Surround Fatal Attack Libyan media outlets have reported that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was killed near the city of Zintan in western Libya. According to initial accounts, he was attacked and killed by four individuals, though no further details about the incident or the motive have been released so far. Adviser and Lawyer Confirm Death Abdullah Othman, a political adviser to Saif al-Islam, confirmed the death in a short Facebook post, offering no information on how the killing occurred or who was responsible. His French lawyer, Marcel Ceccaldi, also confirmed the reports, telling AFP that the identities of the…

Deal Tied to Russian Oil and Trade Promises President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States plans to reduce tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, down from 25%, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil. Trump also claimed India would eliminate import taxes on U.S. goods and commit to purchasing $500 billion worth of American products. The move follows months of pressure from Washington over India’s continued reliance on discounted Russian crude, which surged after much of the world cut energy ties with Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Trump framed…

President Donald Trump says the United States has begun opening lines of communication with Cuba, even as his administration ramps up economic pressure on the communist-run island by cutting off critical oil supplies. Speaking to reporters Saturday night aboard Air Force One while traveling to Florida, Trump offered few specifics but suggested a new phase in US-Cuba relations. “We’re starting to talk to Cuba,” he said, without detailing when the outreach began or how advanced it is. Oil Cuts Used as Leverage The renewed engagement comes after a series of aggressive moves aimed at tightening the screws on Havana. In…