President Donald Trump has decided to permit Chevron to resume oil pumping operations in Venezuela, reversing a previous decision by his administration that revoked the company's license earlier this year. The move, confirmed today, is expected to allow oil extraction to continue without direct tax or fee payments flowing to the Venezuelan regime. This decision follows opposition from hardliners, including Senator Marco Rubio and other Florida Republicans, who had previously celebrated the revocation of Chevron's license, viewing it as a concession to the Maduro regime. However, the primary objection from these critics was reportedly not to the oil being pumped, but to the revenue generated from it going to the Venezuelan government. In other developments, the Pentagon announced today that it is suspending participation in think tank events until further notice. This decision comes a week after the Department of Defense withdrew from the Aspen Security Forum, citing "the evil of globalism." The Pentagon's Office of Public Affairs will conduct a thorough vetting of all events where Defense officials are invited. Meanwhile, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced yesterday that he will not seek reelection in 2026. Separately, Senator Angus King admitted to making "a mistake" in his vote to confirm Josh Divine, an archconservative judge with a record of attacking abortion rights, stating, "I took Josh Hawley’s advice." President Trump's job approval rating has dipped to 37%, according to a Gallup poll conducted between July 7th and July 21st. This represents a 3-point decrease from the previous poll (June 2nd-19th) and marks the lowest approval rating of his second term. In congressional news, Senator Jeanne Shaheen confirmed she will vote to advance Mike Waltz's nomination as U.S. ambassador to the U.N., a decision that followed a deal to save him in committee. The deal reportedly includes the release of $75 million in lifesaving assistance. Elsewhere, House Republicans left for their August recess a day early without taking a substantive vote on releasing Epstein files, a move criticized by some lawmakers. In a separate announcement, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to reorganize, closing several major D.C. buildings and relocating staff to five locations across the country, including Salt Lake City, Kansas City, Fort Collins, Indianapolis, and Raleigh. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is under scrutiny for allegedly claiming three homes as primary residences, which could violate state and federal laws, according to an AP report. In an interview with Steve Bannon, Jeffrey Epstein reportedly stated that he ended his association with Donald Trump after realizing Trump was "a crook," a claim that contradicts Trump's own statements. The U.S. Appeals Court has ruled that California cannot require background checks for ammunition purchases. Regarding the economy, over $1 billion in Nvidia chips have been sold on Chinese black markets in the three months since the U.S. tightened export controls. The U.S. House Speaker stated that the Epstein case "is not a hoax."
