*US hits Russian officials with fresh sanctions over Navalny poisoning.*

The federal government transfers funds from more urban, Democratic states to rural Republican states. Perhaps that offers a lever to influence the Republican voters.

To punish them would be pretty easy, but would not help enact progressive policies. How to use these programs to win over some Republicans is harder — and how to do it with changes Democrats can enact is even more challenging.

(satire) *U.S. Allocates $500 Million For Mohammed Bin Salman To Use On Anger Management Counseling.* https://www.theonion.com/u-s-allocates-500-million-for-mohammed-bin-salman-to-1846389601

(satire) *World Leaders Pledge To Cut Emissions By As Much As They Can Realistically Back Out Of.*

Planet roasters try to distract Americans with concerns about side issues such as "energy independence" so that they can keep pumping oil to export.

They have obtained plenty of oil leases that they are not using yet, so Biden's moratorium on approving additional leases won't affect them for a long time.

I do not wish to take a nationalistic viewpoint towards the global problem of planetary heating. If country C is going to buy oil and burn it, it is not worse if that oil comes from the US. And refusing to export it will mean some other country exports that oil, perhaps Salafi Arabia. That is not a step forward.

On the other hand, if several countries compete to export oil, they will export more oil, which is the opposite of what we need. We need a treaty to limit and reduce oil exports.

But it may be possible for one oil-exporting country to exert influence on its own.

Here's an idea: the US should agree to continue exporting oil to China for the next 10 years, provided China agrees to build no new coal power plants and shut down all its existing coal-fired plants on a pre-agreed schedule during that time. And replace them with renewable electric generation. And not to export any coal.

The energy independence that Earth needs is independence from nonrenewable or unsustainable energy.