The federal government’s accumulated debt reached $40 trillion, marking a new record according to Treasury Department figures. Washington is on track to add more than $2 trillion to the deficit during the current year, with government spending expected to significantly outpace tax revenues.
President Trump promoted a Census Bureau analysis claiming that over 24,000 noncitizens voted illegally in the 2020 presidential election, citing an examination of more than 128 million voter records. The seven-page report, which lacks a listed author, draws on a 2020 commercial voter file and various federal administrative records. However, data specialists and election experts have expressed skepticism about the report’s methodology and conclusions.
According to a Census Bureau employee who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect against potential workplace retaliation, the team responsible for the report included individuals affiliated with the America First Policy Institute, an organization founded by officials from Trump’s first administration. This connection has raised questions about the report’s independence and reliability among observers who scrutinize the intersection of political actors and government agencies.
Separately, U.S. oil companies have commenced commercial operations in Venezuela this week, representing the first such agreements between the countries in nearly two decades. Hunt Oil Company expanded oil and gas production activities, while SLB entered an agreement focused on oil exploration. The deals follow developments approximately eight months prior when Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was apprehended by U.S. forces.
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