The recent U.S.-led ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January 2026 has sent shockwaves through global energy markets and international trade dynamics. Captured during a dramatic operation, Maduro's removal marks a pivotal shift in the Western Hemisphere, redirecting Venezuela's vast oil reserves and other resources toward U.S. interests. Economist E. J. Antoni identifies the winners and losers.

In the midst of a rapidly escalating crisis in Iran, unverified social media posts and leaked videos—primarily disseminated via Starlink satellite internet and some satellite phones—are fueling speculation that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has fled Tehran. These claims suggest that Khamenei, along with key regime figures, may have evacuated the capital as protests intensify, with some accounts pointing to a potential relocation to Moscow or other safe havens (bunkers

Efforts to impose a wealth tax in California have repeatedly faltered in the state Legislature, where progressive proposals aimed at tapping the fortunes of the ultra-rich have died without reaching a full vote amid opposition from business groups, moderate Democrats, and even Gov. Gavin Newsom. Now unions will begin to collect ballot signatures to bypass the legislature and take it to the voters.