American Journalist and commentator Tucker Carlson delivered a sharply critical monologue in a recent episode of his podcast, titled "Why Are We Defending Mass Murder in Gaza? Because Our Greatest Ally Demands It," in which he questioned the U.S. policy of unconditional support for Israel, accusing it of committing mass murder in Gaza and calling for a fundamental reevaluation of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

In the episode, which featured a visit to Palestinian refugees in Qatar and included a monologue on the moral and strategic failures of American foreign policy, Carlson argued that the U.S. has become overly aligned with Israel, to the point where no scenario exists where Washington would side with another nation over Israel, a relationship he described as a "moral and strategic catastrophe."

Carlson visited a Qatari facility housing approximately 2,000 Palestinian refugees from Gaza, including children with severe injuries and orphans, and said that he and his team had to "hold back tears" during the visit, describing the suffering as evidence of "the cruelty of the evil Israeli regime."

In the episode, Carlson proposed that countries like Russia, Venezuela, and Qatar—despite their differing political systems—could be more strategically beneficial allies for the U.S. based on resources, geography, and global influence, challenging the notion that Israel is the only viable ally.

Carlson specifically criticized the U.S. for its complicity, citing American-supplied weapons used in Gaza and questioning why the U.S. continues to fund a war that results in tens of thousands of civilian deaths, including children.

"Look at the bombing attack during the twelve day war on Tehran" Carlson said. "It was precise. They didn’t take out downtown Tehran. They took out IRGC leaders. They took out specific people. They knew exactly where they were. So the idea that they’ve killed tens of thousands of women and children non combatants accidentally is a lie. No, murdered them. They murdered them. It’s just a fact. You can call it whatever you want. Genocide. Everyone’s going, Why? It’s genocide. Okay. It doesn’t matter what you call it. That’s murder. You’re killing people on purpose."

The popular commenmtator also questioned the Israeli bombing of Qatar in September 2025, highlighting the contradiction of bombing a nation that serves as a key mediator in the conflict.

Carlson’s remarks were met with strong pushback, including from Senator Ted Cruz, who accused him of being influenced by Qatar and promoting a pro-Hamas narrative, though Carlson maintained his critique was based on factual evidence and moral responsibility.

During the show, Carlson also interviewed human rights expert Francesca Albanese, whgo was sanctioned by the United States after her report that Israel’s actions in Gaza may constitute genocide.

The viral Carlson's podcast episode has become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate within the U.S. political right, particularly within the MAGA movement, over whether the U.S. should prioritize "America First" over "Israel First" foreign policy.

The United States has seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking a significant escalation in its pressure campaign against President Nicolás Maduro's government. President Donald Trump confirmed the seizure on Wednesday, saying it was the largest such seizure ever conducted by the U.S. and that the vessel was taken for a "very good reason."

The operation, carried out by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Defense, involved armed personnel rappelling from helicopters onto the ship, as shown in a video posted by Attorney General Pam Bondi on X.

"Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Coast Guard, with support from the Department of War, executed a seizure warrant for a crude oil tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran," Bondi wrote. "For multiple years, the oil tanker has been sanctioned by the United States due to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations. This seizure, completed off the coast of Venezuela, was conducted safely and securely—and our investigation alongside the Department of Homeland Security to prevent the transport of sanctioned oil continues."

On her part, Homeland Security Secretary NKristi Noem wrote: "America rules the waves. Today @USCG in collaboration with @ICEgov, @FBI, @DeptofWar and @TheJusticeDept led a targeted operation to seize a crude oil tanker sanctioned by the U.S. government for transporting oil from Venezuela and Iran in support of foreign terrorist organizations. If you threaten our nation, or break the law, there is no place on land or sea where we won’t find you. Thank you to our brave service members. America FIRST"

The tanker, believed to be the Skipper, was carrying Venezuelan crude and had been previously sanctioned due to its links to an illicit oil network supporting foreign terrorist organizations, including connections to Cuba. The seizure occurred in international waters and proceeded without incident or casualties.

The vessel was en route to Cuba, where it was to be sold to Asian energy brokers through the state firm Cubametales. The U.S. government intends to keep the seized oil, with Trump saying, "We keep it, I guess." The vessel registered to Triton Navigation in the Marshall Islands, was previously known as the Adisa.

The move has been condemned by Venezuela as "an act of international piracy" and a violation of its sovereignty, with the government vowing to appeal to international bodies.

The operation is part of a broader U.S. strategy that includes a military buildup in the Caribbean, strikes on suspected drug vessels, and efforts to force Maduro from power.

The seizure has raised concerns about potential disruptions to global oil supplies, though analysts note the impact may be limited since the tanker was already on the U.S. sanctions list.

Despite the seizure, Chevron continues its operations in Venezuela under a renewed license, with no disruption reported.

SpaceX Falcon 9 launched the National Reconnaissance Office Launch 77 (NROL-77) mission on Tuesday(Dec. 9), at 1916 UTC from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying a classified national security payload designed, built, and operated by the NRO, which is responsible for the United States’ reconnaissance satellite fleet.

About eight and a half minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9 first stage booster, B1096 executed a successful landing at LZ-2, marking the 16th touchdown at that site and the 547th booster landing in SpaceX’s history. B1096, which completed its fourth flight, have previously supported NASA’s IMAP mission, Amazon’s Kuiper Falcon 01, and a Starlink 6-87 mission.

The Falcon 9's upper stage deploy the NROL-77 payload less than an hour after launch, confirmed by the NRO. National security missions tend to be classified, and NROL-77 is no exception. The NRO's press release, says the mission "carries a national security payload designed, built and operated by NRO."

The NRO and U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC) emphasized that this partnership strengthens national space superiority through innovative launch solutions and shared expertise, especially in an increasingly contested space environment.

The mission patch for NROL-77 features a flying squirrel symbolizing endurance and the gathering of foundational knowledge from space, with the motto “Another One Gone — Today, Tomorrow and Beyond.”

"The flying squirrel is a symbol of hard work and endurance — always active gathering foundational knowledge from the space domain for the nation and its allies," NRO officials wrote in the press release. "Every mission counts, every decision matters, and every advancement propels us further. 'Another One Gone — Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond' embodies the relentless pursuit of excellence."

NROL-77 was the third mission that SpaceX has launched this year for the NRO and U.S. Space Systems Command, according to the company; and it's the second NRO mission launched by SpaceX under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 2 contract awarded in August 2020, which allocates missions between SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) over five order years.

This particular flight was part of Order Year 5, announced on October 31, 2023, and one of ten missions assigned to SpaceX that year with a combined value of $1.236 billion.

This launch was also the seventh Falcon 9 mission of 2025 carrying the “NROL-” designation, following previous flights such as NROL-153, NROL-57, NROL-69, NROL-192, NROL-145, and NROL-48. The NRO has also procured some missions outside the NSSL program, such as the NROL-174 mission launched on a Northrop Grumman Minotaur 4 rocket in April 2025, due to the need for a bridge between NSSL Phase 2 and Phase 3.

Tuesday's mission marked the final national security payload launch for the NRO in 2025 and the last Falcon 9 booster recovery at Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral, as SpaceX prepares to shift its recovery infrastructure to new landing sites due to the expiration of its lease at LZ-1 and LZ-2 by December 31, 2025.