Headlines for July 20, 2022: Trump-backed governor candidate wins MD primary – Maryland State legislator Dan Cox won the Republican primary for governor Tuesday night. Cox, who received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, defeated Kelly Schulz, a former cabinet member for outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD). Cox has been heavily against Hogan, suing…

President Joe Biden signed a new executive order Tuesday. The order aims to punish people who wrongfully detain Americans abroad and provide more information to the families of detainees. The plight of detained American citizens abroad is gaining attention largely because of the ongoing detention of WNBA star Brittney Griner. Griner’s story of getting arrested…

The mega-yachts and luxury real estate seized from Russian oligarchs is worth billions of dollars, yet the Justice Department is limited in what it can do with those assets. Now, the Senate is working on a bipartisan bill to allow proceeds from sanctioned assets to fund Ukraine’s reconstruction. “This illegal amount of money is marked…

A day after Reuters reported Russian state gas monopoly Gazprom had warned customers in Europe of a potential halt in its oil supply, the company penned a $40 billion memorandum of understanding with an oil company in Iran. The deal with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) was reported on by Iran’s oil ministry’s news…

On July 11, the Russians shut off Nord Stream 1, the primary flow of natural gas from Russia into Germany, for annual maintenance. The pipeline, operated by Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom, is scheduled to be back online later this week, but some fear Russia will keep the spout off as punishment for Europe’s interference…

Putin visits Iran – Russian President Vladimir Putin began just his second trip abroad since the Ukraine invasion began on Tuesday. The trip is to Iran, where Putin is scheduled to meet with Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The three leaders are expected to deepen ties and shore up support…

Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey have come to a preliminary agreement described as a ray of hope to ease human suffering and hunger around the world. The countries’ deal would allow for the export of grain through the Black Sea. That important food source for the world, totaling millions of tons, has been stuck in limbo since…

Ten months ago–and one week before Russia’s Ukraine invasion–WNBA star Brittney Griner was detained at a Moscow airport and arrested for drug possession. The charges–stemming from the discovery of vape canisters in her luggage by Russian authorities–could result in a 10-year prison sentence. There is pressure on the U.S. to secure her release and Griner…

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi survived a confidence vote in the Italy Senate, but Thursday’s vote raised concerns over a potential government collapse after the populist 5-Star Movement boycotted the vote. The confidence vote, which included measures to offset an ongoing cost of living crisis, was 172-39 for Draghi. Within minutes of the vote, Draghi met…

Headlines for July 14, 2022 include: Russia’s latest deadly attack on Ukraine: At least 20 people died and 90 others we wounded after a Russian missile strike on a town southwest of Kyiv. Three missiles hit an office building, damaging nearby places and setting dozens of cars on fire. The country’s president called the attack “an…