Despite being divided on most issues, an overwhelming majority of Americans agree that their democracy is in a state of crisis or facing serious challenges.

A few of the symptoms of the problem: Close allies see the U.S. as a threat to peace. Immigration raids by poorly trained federal agents have terrorized cities. President Donald Trump claims that only his own sense of morality limits his power. The Trump administration has politicized the Justice Department, and many of Trump’s political nominees refuse to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Nothing has shaped what it means to be Venezuelan today more than oil.

For more than 100 years, in good times and bad, Venezuelans’ identity has been built around the belief that their country’s bountiful oil resources belong to the people, not a government or a company.

This belief, and a troubled nation’s pride, took a bruising last week when acting President Delcy Rodríguez agreed to give the United States control of roughly one-fifth of Venezuela’s oil reserves – the largest in the world.

WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump launched the war with Iran in late February, he initially forecast it would last four weeks to five weeks. Six months later, there still is no off-ramp in sight despite Trump's repeated assertions that the war has been won or a deal to resolve it was nearly complete.

A June memorandum of understanding was designed to pave the way to end the war but has fallen by the wayside. U.S. stockpiles of key weapons have diminished and the Republican administration has pivoted to pressuring Iran economically rather than conducting more strikes.