The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated the IRGC’s Cognitive Design Production Center (CDPC) and the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE), along with its director Valery Korovin, for election interference. These entities, acting as affiliates of the IRGC and GRU respectively, engaged in disinformation campaigns and influence operations aimed at disrupting the 2024 U.S. election. The sanctions build upon previous actions targeting Iranian and Russian interference and utilize Executive Order 13848, the U.S. election interference authority, among others. These designations freeze U.S. assets and prohibit transactions with the named entities and individuals.
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A Russian Il-96 aircraft, belonging to the Rossiya Special Flight Squadron responsible for transporting high-ranking officials, traveled from Moscow to Washington D.C. in late December. Russian officials described the flight as carrying a diplomatic rotation, downplaying its significance. This visit occurred amidst severely strained U.S.-Russia relations, heightened by the ongoing war in Ukraine and speculation surrounding President-elect Trump’s potential dealings with Vladimir Putin. The flight’s purpose remains unclear, though it adds to the ongoing tension between the two nations.
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Russia’s gas transit through Ukraine will cease on January 1st, 2024, marking the end of a long-standing energy relationship. This closure, coinciding with the expiration of a transit deal, has minimal expected market impact due to Europe’s diversification of gas sources following the Ukraine war. While the EU’s reduced reliance on Russian gas caused economic challenges, including inflation and a cost-of-living crisis, alternative suppliers have mitigated potential disruptions. The pipeline’s closure carries significant geopolitical weight, reflecting Russia’s diminished influence in the European energy market and Gazprom’s substantial financial losses.
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In a move finalized just weeks before the change in presidential administrations, the Department of the Interior proposed a two-year ban on oil and gas leasing across 264,000 acres of Nevada’s Ruby Mountains. This follows a prior rejection of a similar proposal under the Trump administration due to overwhelming public opposition and geological surveys indicating minimal oil potential. The Biden administration cites preservation of the area’s recreational value and wildlife habitat as justification. The proposal now enters a 90-day public comment period under the incoming Trump administration, which could potentially challenge the ban.
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Costco’s refusal to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, despite shareholder demands and pressure from pro-Trump groups, has sparked a threatened boycott. The company’s board defended its DEI program as aligning with its code of ethics, rejecting claims of “illegal discrimination.” This decision follows a broader conservative push, exemplified by Project 2025, to eliminate DEI programs across both the public and private sectors. Supporters of the incoming Trump administration are actively voicing their opposition and encouraging a consumer boycott of Costco.
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A Senate HELP Committee report reveals that Amazon warehouses have injury rates 30 percent higher than the industry average, a pattern consistent over seven years. This alarming statistic, coupled with evidence of Amazon manipulating injury data and prioritizing speed over worker safety, led Senator Sanders to accuse the company of accepting worker injuries as a cost of doing business. The report details how Amazon’s demanding quotas lead to musculoskeletal disorders and discourages injured workers from seeking medical care. Senator Sanders calls for Amazon to be held accountable for its practices, citing the company’s massive profits and the immense wealth of its executives as evidence of their ability to prioritize worker safety.
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A Virginia man, Brad Spafford, was granted bond on charges stemming from the discovery of over 150 homemade explosives—the largest such cache ever found by the FBI—on his property. The discovery followed a neighbor’s report and an initial arrest on an unrelated firearms charge. Prosecutors appealed the bond decision, citing Spafford’s possession of highly volatile compounds, explosive manufacturing components, and extremist materials. The investigation revealed a notebook containing recipes for military-grade explosives and online connections to far-right extremist groups. Additional charges are pending.
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Seventy-four-year-old State Court Judge Stephen Yekel was found dead in his Georgia courtroom Tuesday morning, the apparent victim of a suicide. Appointed two years prior, Judge Yekel had recently lost his reelection bid and submitted a resignation request to Governor Kemp, which was denied. His body was discovered by deputies responding to a possible suicide report; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation will conduct an autopsy. The judge’s death occurred just days before the scheduled end of his term.
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John Q. Hosedrinker