May 13, 2026 – Short News

Cuba Pushes Back Against Hegseth - Havana Calls the United States the Real Threat!

Cuba has sharply rejected Pete Hegseth’s statement that the country poses a threat to the national security of the United States. Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Cuba’s ambassador to the United Nations, said Tuesday that it is not the small island of Cuba that represents an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the world and international law, but the United States itself. Guzmán pointed to American policy toward Venezuela, Iran, Greenland, Canada, the Pope, Palestine, Mexico, Cuba, and many other countries. Washington’s actions, threats, and attacks demonstrate exactly that, he said.

The trigger was a congressional hearing. During the session, Republican Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart of Florida asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth whether he viewed the Cuban government as a threat to American national security. Hegseth answered briefly: “Yes.” Havana is now turning America’s own security rhetoric directly back against Washington. While the Trump administration describes Cuba as a threat, the Cuban diplomat points to a long history of American threats and interventions. That, Havana argues, is the real danger - not to the United States, but to international law.

Russia’s Quiet Collapse - Why More and More Small Businesses Are Simply Disappearing

Russia’s economy now effectively lives in two different worlds. While defense industries continue operating and major state corporations move billions, small and medium-sized businesses are increasingly struggling simply to survive the next month. For many, it is no longer about growth, new customers, or investment. It is about somehow staying open, paying bills, and avoiding complete collapse. Business owners describe a country where nearly everything becomes more expensive, payments fail to arrive, loans have become unaffordable, and fewer workers remain available at the same time. The mood is bleak. Many openly say that each year is worse than the one before.

One of the most dangerous problems for many companies is the growing crisis of unpaid invoices. Outstanding bills worth trillions of rubles now run throughout the economy. Businesses wait for money from contractors, suppliers, or government entities while continuing to pay wages, materials, and taxes themselves. The situation appears especially severe in regions near the Ukrainian border. Even companies repairing damaged homes or replacing windows now report that many projects technically exist, but the money often never arrives. Business owners describe government compensation payments being delayed for months while small companies collapse under the pressure.

Added to that is the massive labor shortage. Hundreds of thousands of people have left Russia, others were drafted, or now work directly for the war effort. At the same time, migrant workers are missing because immigration laws have been tightened. The construction industry has been hit especially hard. Many companies continue losing employees despite raising wages. Some business owners are operating at a loss simply to keep their teams together. Even so, more and more companies are shutting down or drastically reducing operations. In some regions, business leaders openly speak of the economic collapse of entire industries. Construction projects have stalled, transportation activity is declining, and even the real estate market is visibly slowing down.

Credit costs are also crushing many businesses. Anyone financing machinery or vehicles today often faces interest rates between 25 and 30 percent. For small agricultural operations, that has become almost impossible to sustain. Many farmers are now giving up and leasing their land to major agricultural corporations. At the same time, prices for spare parts, fertilizer, fuel, and equipment continue rising. Business owners say they now compare prices even inside grocery stores because costs have changed dramatically within only a few months. Some rental contracts are no longer linked to the official inflation rate, but directly to prices at “Pyaterochka,” a well-known Russian supermarket chain. Eggs, milk, and bread are now considered by many people to be more trustworthy indicators than the government’s official statistics.

At the same time, pressure from new tax rules continues growing. Many small businesses are now deliberately trying to remain below certain revenue thresholds in order to avoid additional taxes. Entrepreneurs register companies under relatives’ names, artificially divide businesses into smaller entities, or partially return to operating outside official structures. Many openly say that the government’s policies are achieving the exact opposite of what officials claim to want. Instead of generating higher tax revenue, more and more economic activity is disappearing into the shadow economy.

One of the few sectors currently experiencing growth is information technology. Companies there are increasingly making money by solving problems created by government restrictions themselves. New censorship measures, internet blocks, and digital restrictions constantly generate fresh contracts. Businesses develop replacement software for Western systems, build new platforms for Russian companies, or help clients bypass restrictions. Demand for virtual private networks has risen sharply. Many entrepreneurs in the sector openly say that almost every new government restriction has now become a business opportunity for someone.

At the same time, risks remain very real and highly visible in many places. In regions like Belgorod, even ordinary work has become dangerous. Business owners report rejecting government contracts because construction sites could become targets at any moment. Some openly say they do not want to be responsible if “all that remains of their workers are burning sneakers.” Others fear investigations, corruption, or problems with security agencies whenever government money becomes involved.

Who profits from the war is something many business owners discuss only quietly. Large state corporations, banks, and companies with direct ties to the Defense Ministry are most frequently mentioned. Small businesses, meanwhile, increasingly feel abandoned. Many entrepreneurs no longer describe their work as business at all, but as a daily survival struggle inside an economy increasingly organized around war, control, and a handful of major power centers.

Now the FBI Is Interrogating America’s Own Intelligence Agencies

The FBI has begun questioning current and former CIA employees. The background is a new investigation surrounding the 2017 intelligence assessment that concluded Russia interfered in the 2016 American presidential election. At the center of the investigation is former CIA Director John Brennan. Investigators are now examining whether Brennan may have lied to Congress during testimony in 2023. According to information from American security circles, interviews have already taken place directly inside CIA headquarters in McLean, Virginia. Additional interrogations are expected in the coming weeks. Investigators are particularly interested in how the original report was assembled and what role the so-called Steele dossier played. The dossier was the controversial collection of allegations about supposed ties between Donald Trump and Russia compiled in 2016 by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.

The political background makes the situation especially sensitive. Donald Trump has described the Russia investigations as a “hoax” for years and is now openly attempting to pressure those who participated in the investigations at the time. Although multiple later reviews - including investigations by the U.S. Justice Department, the Senate, and internal CIA oversight - confirmed the central findings of the Russia report, a new investigation is now targeting officials from America’s own security agencies once again. In April, the Justice Department also replaced the lead prosecutor handling the case. Joe DiGenova was appointed instead, a former federal prosecutor and conservative commentator who has publicly attacked Brennan and the Russia investigations for years. That move is now causing growing concern even within American intelligence circles. Many former intelligence officials increasingly view it as an attempt to reopen old political battles through the use of state investigations.

A conflict that has followed the United States for nearly a decade is now entering a new phase. What once began as an investigation into Russian election interference is increasingly evolving into a power struggle inside the American state apparatus itself.

Washington Declared Iran Defeated - Intelligence Agencies See Something Very Different

For months, the Trump administration portrayed the war against Iran as a massive military success. Donald Trump claimed Tehran had “nothing left.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly stated that Iran’s armed forces had effectively been crippled for years. Behind closed doors, however, American intelligence agencies are now painting a very different picture - and that picture is reportedly causing serious concern inside Washington. According to multiple individuals familiar with classified assessments, new intelligence evaluations conclude that Iran still retains a large portion of its missile capabilities. The situation around the Strait of Hormuz is considered especially alarming. Thirty of Iran’s 33 missile sites in the region are reportedly operational again or at least partially functional. The area remains one of the most sensitive trade routes in the world. A significant share of global oil shipments passes through the strait every single day.

American intelligence assessments also reportedly conclude that Iran still possesses roughly 70 percent of its mobile missile launchers. Around 70 percent of missile stockpiles themselves are also believed to have survived. That includes both ballistic missiles and cruise missiles capable of targeting ships or regional facilities. In addition, roughly 90 percent of underground storage and launch facilities are reportedly partially or fully usable again. Those findings increasingly undermine the public statements coming from the White House. As recently as March, Trump claimed Iran’s missile systems had essentially been “scattered” and that little military capability remained. Yet the new intelligence assessments come from only weeks after those statements. The evaluations are reportedly based on satellite imagery, electronic surveillance, and additional intelligence methods.

The situation is especially uncomfortable for Washington because the war apparently consumed enormous amounts of American weapons stockpiles. According to internal figures, more than one thousand cruise missiles, over one thousand Patriot interceptors, and large quantities of other precision munitions were used. Many of these systems are produced in significantly smaller numbers than were consumed during the conflict. Rebuilding those stockpiles could take years. European allies increasingly see that as a growing risk as well. Several countries have ordered large quantities of American ammunition for Ukraine and now fear deliveries could be delayed if Washington prioritizes replenishing its own reserves first. If the fragile ceasefire with Iran collapses, pressure on American stockpiles would intensify even further.

Added to that is a military problem that was apparently already known during the war itself. American planners reportedly possessed only limited quantities of so-called bunker-busting weapons. As a result, many Iranian facilities were not completely destroyed, but merely blocked off or damaged. That may now have allowed Iran to regain access to large portions of its infrastructure far more quickly than expected. While the White House continues insisting Iran has been “crushed,” concerns are apparently growing behind the scenes that the war achieved far less than publicly claimed. Because one central question remains unresolved: What happens if the fighting escalates again - and Iran turns out to be militarily far stronger than Washington claimed for months?

Europe Wants Stronger Protection for Children on Social Media

The European Union is apparently preparing significantly tougher restrictions for children and teenagers on social media platforms. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen openly suggested in Copenhagen for the first time that new rules could already be proposed this summer. At the center of the debate is an idea that would have seemed politically unthinkable only a few years ago: teenagers may only be allowed to use social media platforms above a certain age threshold. Political pressure has been building for months. Australia already passed a ban on social media for children under 16 at the end of 2025. Greece is planning similar rules for teenagers under 15. France is also working on comparable legislation. Now, increasing signs suggest Brussels could be preparing a common European framework.

Von der Leyen justified the initiative by pointing to the severe psychological strain affecting many young users. Children are being exposed to social platforms at an age when their emotional stability is not yet fully developed, she argued. She spoke openly about sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety disorders, self-harm, online bullying, and suicides. At the same time, she warned that the rapid rise of artificial intelligence could intensify these risks even further. The European Commission president was especially direct regarding the responsibility of platform operators. The problems are not accidental, she said. They stem from business models specifically designed to monetize children’s attention. Major technology companies have faced precisely these accusations for years. Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are under growing pressure because their systems are designed to keep teenagers on screens for as long as possible.

At the same time, the European Union is already working on new age-verification systems. A digital system is being planned that would require users to prove they are old enough for certain content or platforms in the future. Critics are already warning about new concerns involving privacy, surveillance, and potential errors in automated verification systems. Companies are also reacting with visible nervousness. Meta recently announced additional safety measures for teenagers. Parents will now be notified when children repeatedly search for terms related to self-harm or suicide. Additional safety functions for teenage users in Europe have also been expanded.

But the debate now extends far beyond child protection alone. More and more governments are openly asking whether social media platforms for children are still controllable at all - or whether states are now merely trying to contain the consequences of a system that has already spun beyond control.

Trump Sues the IRS - and His Own Justice Department Is Apparently Considering a Deal

An extraordinary situation unfolding in Washington is now causing serious concern even by the already distorted standards of the Trump era. The U.S. Justice Department is reportedly seriously examining whether Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service should be settled outside of court. At stake is not only potential taxpayer money for the sitting president. According to multiple reports, discussions are also underway about whether ongoing or future tax investigations involving Trump, his family, and his businesses could be halted.

The origin of the case lies in the release of Trump’s tax records. For years, Trump tried to block the disclosure of his financial documents. Eventually the records became public anyway, triggering major debates over losses, tax payments, and the president’s business practices. Trump responded by filing a lawsuit against the IRS. What makes the current situation especially remarkable is that the Justice Department under Trump himself may now negotiate a settlement. Critics view this as a dangerous merging of state power with the president’s personal interests. If an agreement were to halt tax investigations or provide compensation-like payments, a federal agency would effectively be acting in favor of the nation’s own head of state.

Inside the United States, concerns are therefore growing that core oversight mechanisms are becoming increasingly politicized. For decades, the IRS was viewed as an agency expected to operate formally independent even when dealing with powerful politicians. That boundary now appears to be increasingly eroding. The situation also fits into a broader pattern. Since returning to the White House, Trump has escalated pressure on institutions that investigated him or publicly damaged him over the past several years. Investigators, prosecutors, intelligence agencies, and courts are increasingly under pressure. Now the American tax authority itself appears to be moving directly into the center of this power struggle.

No final decision has yet been made. But the mere fact that such a deal is reportedly being discussed inside the Justice Department already demonstrates how dramatically the political landscape in Washington has changed. Because one central question now openly hangs over the situation: Can a government still credibly fight abuses of power while simultaneously considering reining in its own agencies for the benefit of the president?

New York Opens a Reading Room for the Trump-Epstein Files

An unusual exhibition in New York is currently drawing major attention. Under the title “Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room,” a temporary reading room has opened where visitors can access millions of pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. The collection is based on files, photographs, court records, and additional materials released over recent years through American courts and government agencies. According to the organizers, the archive contains roughly 3.5 million pages. Visitors can spend hours searching through records, tracing names, and reconstructing old connections. One section of the exhibition specifically focuses on the long relationship between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. It includes shared photographs, public statements, and overlapping timelines from the 1990s and early 2000s.

The exhibition touches an extremely sensitive political nerve. Although Trump has repeatedly attempted to distance himself from Epstein, the two men have appeared together for years in old photographs, party reports, and elite social circles. At the same time, pressure continues growing within parts of the American public for the full release of additional records concerning Epstein, his contacts, and possible networks. Organizers describe the reading room as a public archive against forgetting. Visitors are not merely supposed to see headlines, but to personally read how deeply the Epstein case penetrated politics, business, society, and the justice system over many years. That is why original documents stand at the center of the exhibition rather than short summaries.

The exhibition is also opening at a moment when Trump once again stands at the political center of the United States. That timing creates additional tension. While Trump sits in the White House and his administration grows increasingly aggressive toward critics, a room in New York is reopening public attention on his past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. For many visitors, the reading room therefore feels less like a traditional exhibition and more like a quiet indictment of a system that for years looked away, suppressed questions, or deliberately refused to look more closely.