Author: Rachel Maddow

Extending a Safety Net Before the New Carbon Market Begins European Union governments have agreed to strengthen and extend a key financial safeguard aimed at preventing sharp spikes in carbon prices, as the bloc prepares to roll out a new carbon market covering road transport and buildings. The updated system, known as ETS2, will put a carbon price on fuels used for heating homes and powering cars and vans. Once it comes fully into force in 2028, households and businesses that rely on fossil fuels are expected to feel the impact through higher energy and transport costs. To avoid sudden…

Brussels Ready to Act Without Full G7 Backing The European Union has made clear it is prepared to press ahead with tougher sanctions on Russia, even if it cannot secure unanimous backing from its G7 partners. Valdis Dombrovskis said a coordinated agreement would be preferable, but stressed that it is not an “absolute precondition” for action. Brussels wants its 20th sanctions package adopted by 24 February, marking four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. If approved, the measures would include a full ban on maritime services for Russian oil tankers — a move that would effectively end the G7…

A Public Show of Support in Budapest U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio brought a clear political message to Budapest: the Trump administration stands firmly behind Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Speaking after the Munich Security Conference, Rubio praised Orbán’s close personal relationship with Donald Trump, calling it central to the strength of U.S.-Hungarian ties. Rubio said Trump is “deeply committed” to Orbán’s success, framing Hungary’s prosperity as aligned with American interests. He also pointed to Hungary’s recent one-year exemption from U.S. sanctions on importers of Russian oil, suggesting it was made possible by the leaders’ personal connection. During the…

Competing Visions of the West This year’s Munich Security Conference put transatlantic tensions on full display, as American and European leaders outlined sharply different views about the future of the West. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Europeans to join Washington in what he framed as a mission to rescue a declining civilisation. He warned against simply maintaining what he described as a failing status quo, saying the United States had no interest in overseeing a “managed decline.” While his tone was less confrontational than last year’s remarks by Vice President JD Vance, Rubio’s message was similar: the West,…

Europe’s Voice Missing in Negotiations Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that sidelining Europe in efforts to end the war with Russia would be a serious misstep. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he said it was a “big mistake” that European leaders are “practically not present at the table” during US-brokered negotiations. Zelenskyy stressed that any lasting peace must reflect the security interests of the entire continent, not just Kyiv and Washington. His remarks echoed concerns raised by Emmanuel Macron, who recently suggested Europe may need to rethink its own security framework in the face of what he described…

The United Nations has approved the creation of a 40-member international panel to examine the risks and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence, moving forward despite firm opposition from the United States. The decision comes at a time when concerns about AI are growing louder, including from insiders within the tech industry itself. The UN General Assembly voted 117–2 in favour of establishing the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, with the United States and Paraguay voting against. Tunisia and Ukraine abstained, while Russia, China and several European nations supported the measure. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the panel as…

Senior US and European defence officials signalled this week that the transatlantic alliance is entering a new phase — one where Europe takes on far greater responsibility for its own security. While both sides agree change is needed, their motivations for reshaping NATO may not be entirely the same. Speaking at a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels, US Under Secretary of War Eldridge Colby called for what he described as “NATO 3.0.” His message was clear: Europe must assume primary responsibility for conventional defence on the continent. According to Colby, European allies should provide the bulk of the…

A quiet community in northern British Columbia was shaken Tuesday after a deadly shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School left at least nine people dead. Authorities confirmed that the suspected gunman was also found deceased, and several others were injured in what is being described as one of the deadliest school shootings in Canada in decades. Police said six victims were discovered inside the school. Another person died while being transported to hospital. Two additional bodies were later found at a residence in Tumbler Ridge believed to be connected to the incident. Victims Found Inside School and Nearby Home According…

Pleading the Fifth Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, declined to answer questions from the US House Oversight Committee during a deposition on Monday. Maxwell, serving a 20-year sentence in a Texas federal prison for sex trafficking, invoked her Fifth Amendment rights while being questioned over video. Lawmakers are investigating individuals connected to Epstein who may have facilitated his abuse, which targeted girls as young as 11. Clemency as a Condition for Testimony Maxwell’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, told the committee she would testify if granted a pardon by former President Donald Trump. Markus stated that Maxwell…

Rising Traffic, Rising Temperatures As the Arctic warms faster than anywhere else on Earth, melting sea ice is opening shipping routes that were once frozen solid. Cargo ships, fishing vessels, and even cruise liners are now navigating these northern waters, but the increase in traffic comes with a hidden cost: black carbon, or soot, emitted from ship engines. When this soot settles on ice and snow, it darkens the surface, absorbs heat from the sun, and accelerates melting—a feedback loop that scientists warn could worsen global warming. “It ends up in a never-ending cycle of increased warming,” says Sian Prior,…