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What We’re Watching: “Big Beautiful” bill heads for the Senate, UK gives up Chagos Islands, Taiwan pivots to drones
Leading Republican senators during their weekly briefing in the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., USA, on May 20, 2025.
House passes Trump’s tax agenda, but senators will now have their say
By a margin of just one vote, the US House early on Thursday passed a budget bill containing President Donald Trump’s tax agenda, which centers on making his 2017 tax cuts permanent. Some last-minute changes to the bill helped to get it over the line: House Republicans increased the SALT-cap to $40,000 and accelerated the introduction of work requirements for Medicaid. But can the GOP get the bill through the US Senate? Lawmakers in the upper chamber are already plotting changes to the legislation...
You can Chagos your own way: UK hands islands back to Mauritius, leases back base
More than two centuries after taking the Chagos Islands from France, the United Kingdom relinquished the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius, but will continue to lease a US-UK military base there, on the island of Diego Garcia, for another 99 years. The UK says the deal, which creates a 24-mile buffer zone around the base, is meant to ensure its long-term security amid growing Chinese aggression in the area. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the deal.
Taiwan adds new drone units as part of shifting military strategy
Ever wary of a potential Chinese invasion, Taiwan announced that it will introduce its first-ever drone units this year. The move is part of Taipei’s evolving strategy of effectively deterring Beijing rather than preparing for a direct fight. “Overall, the cross-strait military balance still tilts toward China’s favor, since China spends a lot more on defense,” says Eurasia Group regional expert Ava Shen. “So it’s more pragmatic for Taiwan to be a ‘porcupine,’ so to speak.”Q&A: Venezuela’s opposition leader on Trump, Maduro, and why the ballot box isn’t the answer this time
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado attends a press conference, in Caracas, Venezuela, March 20, 2024.
This Sunday, Venezuelans will go to the polls in the first nationwide elections since the contested presidential election last July.
But unlike that election, which by all independent accounts President Nicolás Maduro stole, the country’s embattled opposition has decided this time not to participate at all.
Ahead of the vote – which is for local, regional, and legislative positions – I sat down with opposition leader María Corina Machado, who has been in hiding amid a fierce government crackdown since the election last year.
I asked her why she has gambled on boycotting the vote rather than participating, what she thinks of the Trump Administration’s Venezuela policy, and millions of Venezuelans who have fled the country…
Here's the full interview.
Riley Callanan: Hello, Maria. Thank you for speaking with GZERO today ahead of Venezuela's elections this Sunday. I understand that you're in hiding right now, but could you tell me a little bit about what your life has been like since the election last summer? How have you processed both the massive victory of being able to prove that Maduro didn't win, but also the disappointment of him not stepping down?
Maria Corina Machado: Well, Riley, I first of all have to say that I feel so proud of what the Venezuelan people were able to do. It was a huge victory and most people thought it was impossible. We were able to build a movement of over 1 million volunteers that were able to secure the tall sheets in less than 24 hours under fierce persecution to prove that we won by a landslide.
After Maduro was defeated, he accused me of terrorism. He said that I would have to spend the rest of my life in prison. Every single coordinator involved in directing these huge processes are either in exile, jail, or in hiding. And that's what I decided to do. It was almost 10 months ago. And to be honest, it hasn't been easy. You're never prepared to be in absolute isolation.
But fortunately, I've had the possibility to work without stopping in order to maintain the strength, the pressure, and even scale up [our effort] so that we will finally, as I have no doubt, make the popular sovereignty of the Venezuelan people be respected.
Callanan: Do you think that Maduro's regime is at risk of losing power on Sunday?
Machado: Well, look, Sunday is not an election and it has nothing to do with Maduro getting more power in the country. It's going to be a huge defeat because people will not participate, and will not go. And I want to make this very clear. We are under not a conventional dictatorship, but a criminal structure that uses these kinds of processes to try to whitewash their faces. In this process, only those individuals that the regime allows are able to participate as candidates. They have completely changed the rules and violated the laws regarding who votes and where they vote. So in this case, a massive boycott will leave the regime alone and even further weaken what they have left of support. That I insist is only a few top brass individuals and financial enablers.
Callanan: Tell me a little bit more about that. After pulling off such a massive organizational feat in the presidential election, how did you decide to use your power as the opposition leader to call for a boycott? How'd you decide that abstention was the best route forward for the opposition at this point?
Machado: Because we've already proven where the power is, we've already shown where the people are. That happened on July 28th, and everybody knows it. They never expected that we had such a strong organization or that we could prove the results.
So once that happened, they decided to cut short any possibility of a genuine electoral process—it was over. Our concern, our mandate, our duty right now is to ensure that result is respected.
In that context, we need to evaluate every action the regime takes in terms of whether it facilitates or accelerates the transition to democracy and Maduro’s exit from power, or whether it stabilizes the regime. And in this case, it is clear to the Venezuelan people that this maneuver by the regime is designed to help them stabilize.
So we’re going to do exactly what the country needs—and certainly, we want to vote in truly free and fair elections. That’s what we’re fighting for—not this operation designed by the regime.
Callanan: I know you've also called on the international community to pressure Venezuela to move toward democracy. Specifically regarding the US, have you been able to make any inroads with the Trump administration? I know you appeared on Donald Trump Jr.'s podcast a few months ago. What are your thoughts on Donald Trump's current policy toward Venezuela?
Machado: Well, I have to say that I’m very grateful to the administration and to President Trump for his position on Venezuela. It has been unwavering support, along with that of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Under Secretary of State Christopher Landau. They have been very clear in their stance. I also have to acknowledge members of Congress — senators, congressmen, and congresswomen — who understand that the regime in Venezuela represents an ongoing threat, one that is already destabilizing the region and endangering both hemispheric and US national security. We are very grateful to President Trump for the decisions he has made in this regard.
Callanan: On the other hand, hundreds of Venezuelans have been deported to El Salvador to some of the harshest prisons in the region. That number is likely to increase now that the Supreme Court, on Monday, lifted deportation protections for 350,000 Venezuelans. What are your thoughts on the Trump administration’s policy regarding deportations?
Machado: Look, I’ve been very clear—and members of the administration are well aware of my position. Venezuelans who have left our country have been forced to do so by the regime—not only because it has destroyed and impoverished our population, but because anyone who thinks differently is persecuted. Almost all of those who have fled are good, hardworking, honest, family-loving people. And you know what? They want to come back — but they want to return to freedom.
The best way to solve the migration crisis stemming from Venezuela involves a broad international effort — not just from the United States, but also from many countries in Latin America that are under similar pressure. We have a third of our population living abroad. Imagine if a third of Americans had to leave their country — what would that mean? It’s devastating. We want our families back, we want our children back. But to make that happen, we need a transition that offers opportunity and safety for them at home.
So I insist: the only way to solve this immigration problem is at the source — not at the border. That means a transition to democracy in Venezuela. And that’s why we are asking our allies to help us.
A view of the Business School campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on April 15, 2025.
7,000: The White House has scrapped Harvard University’s authorization to enroll foreign students, putting the school’s roughly 7,000 foreigners at risk of having to transfer elsewhere or go home. The Trump administration accuses Harvard of fostering antisemitism and violence, and of “coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.” Harvard plans to appeal the move, which could affect a major source of income, as foreigners typically pay full tuition.
331: Dozens of people were injured in a protest by pensioners and activists outside the Argentine Congress on Wednesday. At issue are demands to raise the current pension level of $331 per month. President Javier Milei has opposed pension hikes as part of his “chainsaw” austerity drive.
81: US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) says he has gathered 81 co-sponsors for a bill that would impose a draconian 500% tariff on any countries that buy Russian energy. The biggest of those buyers is, of course, China. Trump reportedly told European leaders on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin isn’t ready to end the war, although the White House has disputed that account.
344%: The murder of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., has shined another light on the burgeoning wave of antisemitism in the United States and beyond. Antisemitic incidents across the US have increased by 344% in the last five years. Australia, Belgium and France have experienced similar surges, too.
27: A top Maoist leader was among 27 rebels killed by security forces in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, part of a government crackdown against this far-left insurgency. Nambala Keshava Rao was the highest profile rebel killed in decades. New Delhi has said it wants to end the insurgency in Chhattisgarh entirely by March 2026.
9,000: The Great Escape, bird edition: A juvenile East African crowned crane, known for its distinctive crown of golden feathers, broke out of a zoo in Washington state. If the bird is planning to return to its eponymous home, it will have to travel nearly 9,000 miles.Then-Bank of England Governor Mark Carney shakes hands with then-Chinese Premier Li Keqiang before the 1+6 Round Table Dialogue meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, in Beijing, China, on September 12, 2017.
Amid a trade war and annexation threats, most eyes are on the US-Canada relationship right now. But the future of Canada’s relationship with China, the world’s second-largest economy, is also an open question, and observers wonder what rookie Prime Minister Mark Carney is going to make of it.
During Canada’s recent election, Carney said China was the country’s biggest security threat. On trade, the Liberal Party’s platform mentioned the Southeast Asian grouping ASEAN and the South American trade bloc MERCOSUR as potential partners for new trade deals, but not China. In fact, the party’s only mention of the superpower was in the context of security, and the necessity of being prepared to “face a hostile Russia or emboldened China.”
Some have called on Carney to build a stronger relationship with China — Canada’s second largest trade partner — particularly in the face of economic threats from Donald Trump, but his government seems wary of deepening ties with Beijing while Trump is trying to decouple the US from China.
The US and Canada have a trade relationship worth roughly $1 trillion a year, and they share a border, deep cultural ties, and a longstanding security relationship. The Trump administration, which is waging its own trade war with China, has made it clear that other countries must choose between Washington and Beijing. For now, it looks like Canada is siding with its neighbor.
US President Donald Trump announces he has selected the path forward for his ambitious Golden Dome missile defense shield, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
Donald Trump wants to protect the United States from ballistic and hypersonic missiles with a “Golden Dome,” and Canada, officially, wants in. The details of the program and Canada’s role are still to be determined, but Trump says the total cost will be $175 billion (the Congressional Budget Office says more) and the project will be completed by the end of his term. Experts wonder whether such a defense system is even possible, given the technological difficulty of intercepting ICBMs and space-based launches. But the US president says Canada will pay its “fair share.”
Canada is reportedly integrating the dome talks into broader negotiations about trade and security. And it has some leverage — money, for starters, but also land on which to base missile detection equipment and over which to shoot down projectiles.
Trump has long maligned Canada for being a laggard on defense spending. Participating in the Golden Dome could serve to rehabilitate that image a bit, and nudge trade negotiations in the right direction. But joining the program could face opposition in Canada, especially after the Liberals have spent months bashing the Trump administration as unreliable partners and threats to Canadian sovereignty.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney gives a thumbs up as he departs after meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, on May 6, 2025.
Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, won the election largely by adopting a pugnacious “elbows up” posture against the Trump administration. But now that he’s in office, he’s adopted a more diplomatic posture. His meeting at the Oval Office two weeks ago was remarkably civilized. He even called Donald Trump a “transformative president,” though a careful observer will note the ambiguity attached to the characterization. The meeting was a prelude to future talks on trade and a renegotiation of the USMCA.
But Carney’s apparent change of heart caused problems for him last week, when Canada had reportedly dropped its retaliatory tariffs against the US. Some hawkish Canadians, including opposition Conservatives, cried foul, suggesting Carney had campaigned on being tough with Trump only to back down after winning. Whether or not the claim is accurate, it won’t stop government opponents from running with the narrative.
What’s really happened: Canada’s retaliatory tariffs are still largely in place, and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne says that 70% of tariffs for “end use” goods remain. The government has, however, temporarily paused some tariffs on food and beverage processing items, medical supplies and equipment, and vehicles.
The moves suggest the government is out to walk a fine line: standing up to Trump while also not provoking him and — critically — listening to domestic industries and consumers who aren’t eager to pay higher prices for essential American-made inputs simply to retaliate against the US.
The upshot: Carney isn’t in election-mode anymore. He’s governing, and watching his elbows. The strategy is to avoid antagonizing Trump, trying to bargain with him, while making it clear that Canada is not for sale and will never become the 51st state. It’s not quite what Carney ran on, but he seems to be betting that it has a better shot at working than waving a red cape in front of a bull.
56 million: The US Treasury has issued its final order for pennies, and expects to stop putting the smallest denomination of US currency into circulation entirely by early next year. The move to end the penny -- driven by President Trump and now backed by legislation from both parties -- will save the US government $56 million annually.
47: Well, this is awkward. Canada’s largest pension plan, CPPIB, recently increased the share of its investments in the US to 47%, despite pressure from Ottawa to invest more at home amid growing tensions with the Trump administration. Last year, CPPIB parked just 42% of its money south of the border.
4: Canada’s foreign minister has summoned Israel’s ambassador to Ottawa for an explanation after an incident in the West Bank this week, in which the IDF fired shots near a delegation that included four visiting Canadian officials. Israel said its troops had fired “warning shots” after a group of diplomats “deviated from the approved route.”
400 million: It’s official: the Pentagon has approved receipt of a $400 million luxury Boeing jet that Qatar gifted to President Trump for use as an Air Force One jet. The White House said the gift was well-timed, given delays in Boeing’s own delivery of Air Force One jets. But critics say the gift raises ethical and national security concerns.
57.5: Think you have a long workday? Perhaps you do. But a California lawyer has defied the laws of time by allegedly billing Ford Motor Company for 57.5 hoursin a single day. The carmaker is suing a number of Golden State law firms for what it says was a “magical mystery tour” of overcharging scams that cost Ford at least $100 million.