U.S. Gulf Coast heavy grades continued to surge on Friday as the Iran conflict spurred several Middle Eastern producers of heavy crude to curtail production and drove buyers to scoop up U.S. barrels.
Prices of Mars sour crude, the flagship crude produced in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and favored by refiners globally, traded at a $11 premium to U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude on Friday, brokers said. That was the highest since April 2020, and up $4 from Thursday.
Just a week ago it traded at a premium of $1.50.
Other heavy grades such as the Heavy Louisiana Sweet and the West Texas Sour also rose.
Benchmark crude oil prices have surged since the initial attacks last week, with Brent crude settling at $92.69 a barrel, its highest level since October 2023 on Friday.
The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has forced several countries, including Iraq, to curb output. The strait is a key route for medium and heavy sour crude from the Persian Gulf, and those flows are now largely cut off. Additional production cuts announced in Kuwait on Friday also helped lift Mars prices, a trader said.
“Refiners that rely on these grades will need to find similar, or roughly similar, alternatives to replace the lost barrels, so Mars and other U.S. Gulf sour heavies and mediums are natural substitutes and are getting bid up aggressively,” Kpler lead Americas oil analyst Matt Smith said, adding that buyers, especially in Asia, are scrambling for more of these medium and heavy crude barrels.
&#8220;This time of year also marks the shift from winter into driving season, when demand typically rises across all crude grades,&#8221; said Tim Snyder, chief economist at Matador Economics, adding that ultimately the supply disruption caused by war was driving prices.
&#8220;In the short term we will continue to see these grades rise until we see the Strait of Hormuz open up,&#8221; Snyder said.
(Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in New York and Georgina McCartney in Houston; Editing by David Gregorio)

Oil Rig

Iran Conflict Boosts U.S. Gulf Oil Prices To Highest Since 2020

Crude Oil

Global Politics

Gulf of America

Iran

Oil and Gas

U.S.

The United States has seized a very large <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/venezuela-cries-international-piracy-after-u-s-seizes-oil-tanker?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=9&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Venezuela+Cries+%E2%80%98International+Piracy%E2%80%99+After+U.S.+Seizes+Oil+Tanker">oil tanker</a> off the Venezuelan coast.
President Trump confirmed that the United States had pursued the seizure. According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, it was headed to Cuba.
There’s been talk about establishing a no-fly zone around Venezuela. All of this is external pressure, presumably designed to force the possibility of a regime change in Venezuela without any serious threat to American troops going in on the ground.
In <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1998909254854746523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1998909254854746523%7Ctwgr%5E8f093637fc0050e48ee90200825bb3534d8c39c8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fvenezuela-cries-international-piracy-after-u-s-seizes-oil-tanker">a video</a>, you can see an American helicopter hovering over a gigantic oil tanker as soldiers begin rappelling down onto the deck. The soldiers, with guns drawn, move toward the control booth, presumably to stop the tanker from moving toward its target.
The United States military is unparalleled at what it does and does not play around.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
KNOCKOUT.
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 the brave service members from <a href="https://twitter.com/USCG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USCG</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ICEgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ICEGOV</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBI</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofWar</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a>. <a href="https://t.co/KUCRjES267">pic.twitter.com/KUCRjES267</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1998909254854746523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
President Trump has always been clear in his belief that if the United States is engaged in armed conflict somewhere, we should keep the spoils that we reap. He said that about the Iraq War, suggesting that if you&#8217;re going to go to war, then you may as well take the oil as some form of compensation.
When it comes to the Venezuelan government shipping oil over to Iran in violation of sanctions or allowing the Iranians to combine their oil with Venezuelan oil and ship that elsewhere and ship the money back to Iran, keeping the spoils would be worthwhile.
If it turns out that the United States is now prepared to interdict all oil that may or may not be headed for Iran or from Iran, then this could absolutely cripple the Venezuelan economy even more than it has suffered before.
Venezuela’s economy is highly dependent on oil, mainly through its impact on exports and government revenue. Oil accounts for over 80 to 90% of all total export earnings in recent years. So if that were to shut down, whatever is left of the Venezuelan economy would basically collapse. That seems to be something that the United States is pursuing at this point.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2332-us-seizes-venezuelan-tanker?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=The+Ben+Shapiro+Show&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
Trump has also made clear he is going to put pressure on Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, which has historically been a relatively conservative state. But Petro, a far-left socialist, is more oriented toward China and Iran.
President Trump was asked about Petro describing the seizure as “barbarian.”
“He&#8217;s been fairly hostile to the United States. I haven&#8217;t given him a lot of thought,” Trump replied. “And he’s going to have himself some big problems if he doesn&#8217;t wise up. Colombia is producing a lot of drugs. &#8230; He better wise up or he&#8217;ll be next.”
The United States could put pressure on the Petro regime in Colombia. The next scheduled election for president in Colombia happens in May of 2026. So there&#8217;s every possibility that Petro could be in trouble as well.
All of this seems to be part of a broader national security strategy pursued by the White House. According to the new national security document, the foreign influence of China, Iran, or Russia in the Western hemisphere has to stop.
The national security strategy of the United States is very much a muscular Monroe Doctrine, suggesting that the Western hemisphere be cleared of outside influence.
It’s about time.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

U.S. Seizes Venezuelan Tanker. The Trump Doctrine Is Working.

Ben Shapiro

Colombia

Opinion

President Trump

U.S. Military

Venezuela

On Thursday, the GOP-led House moved to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, a move that helps to solidify the change favored by President Donald Trump.
The House <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025122" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> 211-206 to pass the &#8220;Gulf of America Act&#8221; from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), with most Republicans backing the measure. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/scoop-trump-allys-gulf-america-bill-sparks-frustration-house-gop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News the bill &#8220;seems sophomoric,&#8221; joined with all voting Democrats in opposing the legislation.
&#8220;This is the first step to codify into law one of President Trump’s favorite executive orders,&#8221; Greene <a href="https://x.com/RepMTG/status/1920449766460113055" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X, adding it &#8220;recognizes the entrepreneurs supporting the Gulf’s economy and the service men and women who protect its waters.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/276/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a>, which now heads to the Senate, mandates that all references to the Gulf of Mexico in U.S. laws, maps, regulations, and other federal documents be updated to reflect the new name.
In its implementation section, the legislation requires the Secretary of the Interior to oversee the renaming process through the Chairman of the Board on Geographic Names.
The bill also says federal agencies must update their documents and maps within 180 days of its enactment, however, the process has already begun thanks to the efforts of the Trump administration.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) had <a href="https://x.com/RepJeffries/status/1920495184585879989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged</a> his colleagues to vote against what he called &#8220;this small-minded, silly, and sycophantic bill.&#8221; He also said, &#8220;America is not down with MTG.&#8221;
On X, Greene <a href="https://x.com/RepMTG/status/1920479919991071105" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;Democrats are throwing a fit over renaming the Gulf of America, but why? Because they’d rather honor a foreign country run by drug cartels than stand up for the American people.&#8221;
Before starting his second term in January, Trump announced he would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. He took aim at Mexico, raising issues with trade deficits and cartels.
And, on the day of his inauguration, Trump signed an order directing the Interior Secretary to “take all appropriate actions” to rename the U.S. Continental Shelf area as the Gulf of America.
Trump then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/were-flying-over-it-right-now-trump-creates-new-holiday-en-route-to-super-bowl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a proclamation on February 9, as he flew on Air Force One to attend the Super Bowl in New Orleans, making it &#8220;Gulf of America Day.&#8221;
“We’re flying right over it right now, so we thought this would be appropriate,” Trump said in a video posted to X, marking the new day of recognition. “Even bigger than the Super Bowl, this is a big thing.”
On that flight, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said his department had implemented the president’s instructions from the executive order.
“Another big win for President Trump’s agenda to Make America Great Again,” Burgum <a href="https://x.com/secretaryburgum/status/1888701693707035001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X, which also featured a U.S. Geological Survey map showing the Gulf of America.
Back in January, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum shrugged off Trump&#8217;s push to rename the body of water, which is between their two countries.
&#8220;He says that he will call it the &#8216;Gulf of America&#8217; on its continental shelf. For us it is still the Gulf of Mexico and for the entire world it is still the Gulf of Mexico,&#8221; Sheinbaum said, <a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-presidency-day-2-updates#00000194-89a6-dc8c-a1fe-fba6ca870000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Associated Press.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene

House Votes To Cement Trump’s ‘Gulf Of America’ Name Change

Congress

Gulf of Mexico

Marjorie Taylor Greene

Politics

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden ruled on Tuesday afternoon that President Donald Trump and his administration had to allow The Associated Press access to White House spaces following a weeks-long ban over the outlet&#8217;s refusal to refer to the Gulf of America by its new name in print.
McFadden, who was appointed by President Trump, argued that the First Amendment applied and that if other credentialed outlets were given access to space in the White House or aboard Air Force One, then the administration could not selectively bar The Associated Press over a difference of opinion.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Associated Press wins preliminary injunction against White House in &quot;Gulf of America&quot; case: <a href="https://t.co/Hjw3t5AMXk">pic.twitter.com/Hjw3t5AMXk</a>
&mdash; Adam Steinbaugh (@adamsteinbaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/adamsteinbaugh/status/1909711155666522366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Acknowledging the fact that limited space would not always allow for every outlet to have a physical presence at every event, McFadden stated in his ruling that this judgment was not a free pass for The Associated Press to have access to every possible event.
&#8220;This injunction does not limit the various permissible reasons the Government may have for excluding journalists from limited-access events. It does not mandate that all eligible journalists, or indeed any journalists at all, be given access to the President or nonpublic government spaces. It does not prohibit government officials from freely choosing which journalists to sit down with for interviews or which ones’ questions they answer. And it certainly does not prevent senior officials from publicly expressing their own views,&#8221; McFadden wrote.
&#8220;No, the Court simply holds that under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists—be it to the Oval Office, the East Room, or elsewhere—it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints. The Constitution requires no less,&#8221; he added.
The ruling is set to go into effect on April 13, giving the Trump administration time to appeal.

President Donald Trump

Judge Orders White House To Reinstate AP To Press Pool

Judge Sides With AP Against White House

Associated Press

Donald Trump

Karoline Leavitt

Media

White House

The United States Navy is reportedly planning to send a second destroyer to patrol the waters around the southern border as part of President Donald Trump&#8217;s historic crackdown on illegal immigration and drugs.
U.S. Northern Command deployed the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely to the Gulf of America on March 15, 2025, to work with the U.S. Coast Guard in drug interdiction missions.
A <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/03/19/navy-plans-deploy-second-destroyer-patrol-waters-off-us-and-mexico-week.html">report</a> from Military.com on Wednesday said that the Navy was deploying a second destroyer to the region to further bolster efforts to secure the border.
The U.S. Coast Guard seemingly confirmed the news this week when it issued a statement that said U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) has &#8220;deployed two U.S. Navy warships to the southern border to support Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Coast Guard operations.&#8221;
&#8220;These U.S. Navy warships will operate in direct support of the Coast Guard and carry Coast Guard law enforcement teams that will enable them to shift to Coast Guard control during interdiction operations,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4124185/coast-guard-achieves-major-milestone-in-drug-interdiction-border-control-operat/">statement</a> read. &#8220;As the Coast Guard hardens and sustains its operational posture, including the arrival of these U.S. Navy warships, it is fully integrated with DHS and the Department of Defense (DoD) through NORTHCOM and U.S. Southern Command.&#8221;
The arrival of destroyers to the region is a significant development in America&#8217;s fight against Mexican drug cartels as destroyers have significantly greater capabilities, are larger, and carry a more extensive and far more lethal array of weapons than cutter ships that the Coast Guard uses.
The news comes as the administration has already deployed more than 10,000 active-duty soldiers to help secure the southern border, which led to the U.S. experiencing the lowest number of border apprehensions of illegal border crossers in recorded history during Trump&#8217;s first full month in office.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pentagon-considers-buffer-zone-on-border-to-boost-illegal-immigration-crack-down">Pentagon Considers Buffer Zone On Border To Boost Illegal Immigration Crack Down</a>

U.S. Navy Sets Destroyers On Standby For Possible Strike On Syria

U.S. Navy Deploys Multiple Warships To Waters Around Southern Border

Drug Cartels

Military

U.S. Navy

US Navy

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt torched an Associated Press reporter during Tuesday’s briefing, telling him it was “insulting” that he’d attempted to test her understanding of economics.
The reporter posed a question about the tariffs President Donald Trump has threatened to levy against multiple nations around the globe — tariffs that his administration says are designed to bring about trade deals that are ultimately more balanced and fair — and claimed that they would just be another “tax” that hurt American consumers.
Leavitt pushed back immediately, explaining that the goal was to reach a balance where other nations were not placing massive tariffs on American goods without consequence.
“I think it&#8217;s insulting that you are trying to test my knowledge of economics &#8230; I now regret giving a question to the Associated Press,” Leavitt added.
Adding insult to injury, the photographer who took the iconic photo of President Donald Trump just after his attempted assassination at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally has won a prestigious award for that image, but is no longer allowed to cover the president.
The photo that captured the moment when Trump stood up — face bloodied and fist raised — as Secret Service agents attempted to rush him off the stage, <a href="https://x.com/whca/status/1899222143746924984" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was awarded</a> Political Photo of the Year by the White House News Photographers Association. But because photographer Evan Vucci is employed by The Associated Press — and his outlet has been banned from the White House — he can no longer cover President Trump.
Vucci complained about the scenario in a <a href="https://x.com/evanvucci/status/1899458557277249877" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on X, arguing that his photo was proof that he and his outlet — which he claimed was “nonpartisan” — were needed in that space.
&#8220;This photo underscores the importance of eyewitness journalism and AP’s legacy of documenting the presidency,&#8221; Vucci posted, adding, &#8220;I look forward to the day I can once again cover President Trump alongside my colleagues. Now more than ever, independent, nonpartisan photojournalism is essential.&#8221;
The AP was banned from the White House over a refusal to update its style guide to include the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ap-indefinitely-barred-from-white-house-over-use-of-gulf-of-mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gulf of America</a>, as it was recently renamed by President Donald Trump via executive order.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich explained, &#8220;While their right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting is protected by the First Amendment, it does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces, like the Oval Office and Air Force One.&#8221;
&#8220;Going forward, that space will now be opened up to the many thousands of reporters who have been barred from covering these intimate areas of the administration,&#8221; Budowich continued, also arguing that the AP&#8217;s refusal to make the change was &#8220;not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press’ commitment to misinformation.&#8221;

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Holds Daily Briefing

Press Sec Torches AP Reporter For Trying To ‘Test’ Her On Economics

assassination attempt

President Donald Trump took a victory lap on Tuesday after a federal judge in Washington, D.C., rejected the Associated Press&#8217; request to temporarily restore its White House access after Trump banned the outlet for continuing to use the incorrect term “Gulf of Mexico” in its reports.
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to be now calling those shots,&#8221; Trump said, sitting behind the Resolute Desk. &#8220;As you know, we won that lawsuit right there — see the Gulf of America, which is a beautiful name, most people agree.&#8221;
&#8220;AP has been terrible,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I think they&#8217;re radical Left. I think they&#8217;re third rate reporters. I know the specific young lady that works on the account is terrible. She&#8217;s a radical Left lunatic as far as I&#8217;m concerned. They don&#8217;t treat us fairly.&#8221;
Aside for the Associated Press&#8217; left-wing bias, Trump said that the publication had &#8220;no right&#8221; to continue using the term &#8220;Gulf of Mexico&#8221; after his administration named it the &#8220;Gulf of America.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump roasts Fake News <a href="https://twitter.com/AP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AP</a>: &#8220;I think they&#8217;re Radical Left. I think they&#8217;re third-rate reporters &#8230; They don&#8217;t treat us fairly.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/9fZsAhDHLb">pic.twitter.com/9fZsAhDHLb</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1894515662342496369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, turned down the Associated Press’ request for a temporary restraining order, writing that the AP “can get access to the same information” from pool coverage rather than attending each White House event directly.
Judge McFadden explained that he was not convinced the AP faced “irreparable harm” from the current restrictions, per CNN.
He noted that the AP was only being barred from “more private areas” of the administration, such as Air Force One and the Oval Office.
The White House celebrated the decision in a press release, “As we have said from the beginning, asking the President of the United States questions in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One is a privilege granted to journalists, not a legal right.”
“We stand by our decision to hold the Fake News accountable for their lies, and President Trump will continue to grant an unprecedented level of access to the press. This is the most transparent Administration in history.”

President Trump Signs Executive Orders At The White House

Trump Slams The AP After Victory Over ‘Gulf Of America’

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., declined the Associated Press’ request to temporarily restore its White House access after President Donald Trump banned the outlet for continuing to use “Gulf of Mexico” in its reports.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, turned down the Associated Press’ request for a temporary restraining order, writing that the AP “can get access to the same information” from pool coverage rather than attending each White House event directly.
Judge McFadden explained that he was not <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/24/politics/ap-white-house-access-ruling/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convinced</a> the AP faced “irreparable harm” from the current restrictions, per CNN.
He noted that the AP was only being barred from “more private areas” of the administration, such as Air Force One and the Oval Office.
The White House celebrated the decision in a press release, “As we have said from the beginning, asking the President of the United States questions in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One is a privilege granted to journalists, not a legal right.”
“We stand by our decision to hold the Fake News accountable for their lies, and President Trump will continue to grant an unprecedented level of access to the press. This is the most transparent Administration in history.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/6GGzAGz6NE">https://t.co/6GGzAGz6NE</a> <a href="https://t.co/qKbMZmWL4S">pic.twitter.com/qKbMZmWL4S</a>
&mdash; Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1894147560844951862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A more extensive legal debate over the ban will unfold in the coming weeks, with McFadden scheduling a hearing for March 20th, with the court expected to decide whether the restriction should remain in place longer term.

US-JUSTICE-POLITICS-MEDIA-AP

Judge Sides With White House Over AP, Won’t Overturn Briefing Room Ban

Legacy Media

Trump Administration

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is threatening to sue Google for displaying “Gulf of America” on its maps, claiming that Trump only renamed the United States portion of the gulf.
Sheinbaum contends that President Donald Trump&#8217;s executive order covers only the U.S. continental shelf, leaving the rest of the body of water under Mexican and Cuban jurisdiction, per The Washington Post.
&#8220;What Google is doing here is changing the name of the continental shelf of Mexico and Cuba, which has nothing to do with Trump&#8217;s decree,&#8221; Sheinbaum said in a press briefing on Monday. “We do not agree with this.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Mexico&#39;s President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday the country is awaiting a new response from Google to its request that the tech company fully restore the name Gulf of Mexico to its Google Maps service before filing a lawsuit. <a href="https://t.co/u5MkAC40vp">pic.twitter.com/u5MkAC40vp</a>
&mdash; CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/1891912491979919566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Mexican Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente has sent Google a letter formally requesting the company change its policy and is awaiting a response, and “under no circumstance will Mexico accept the renaming of a geographic zone within its own territory and under its jurisdiction.”
“We will wait for Google’s response and if not, we will proceed to court,” Sheinbaum warned.
Currently, Google Maps only names the body of water “Gulf of America” for users in the United States, with international users still seeing “Gulf of Mexico.”
Cris Turner, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, defended the naming move as “consistent with our normal operating procedure to reflect on our platforms geographic names prescribed by different authoritative government sources, including where authoritative sources may differ.”
The United States controls around 46% of the gulf, Mexico holds about 49%, and Cuba oversees the remainder.
The Trump administration nonetheless appears committed to renaming the Gulf. The White House refuses to allow reporters from the Associated Press to attend events in the Oval Office or accompany President Donald Trump on Air Force One, citing the outlet’s decision to keep referencing the body of water by its traditional name.

TOPSHOT-MEXICO-US-SHEINBAUM

Mexico Threatens To Sue Google Over ‘Gulf Of America’ Label On Maps

Google

Mexico

World

Former CNN host Jim Acosta drafted a carefully thought out plan to stop President Donald Trump from shutting out legacy media outlets like The Associated Press when it did not abide by rules set by the White House — but a closer look shows an obvious comparison in the Disney musical &#8220;Newsies.&#8221;
Acosta, who made a name for himself during Trump&#8217;s first term as a foil for then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, left CNN when the network made it clear he was being banished to the graveyard shift. He&#8217;s since launched an independent show.
His current beef with the new Trump administration is actually a proxy war on behalf of The Associated Press, barred from access to Air Force One and the Oval Office over a refusal to update its style guide to reflect the newly-renamed Gulf of America. Acosta can relate on a personal level, having once had his own press credentials revoked after he attempted to wrest a microphone from the hands of a White House intern.
<a href="https://jimacosta.substack.com/p/trump-white-house-harassment-of-the" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The plan</a>, he says, is simple: the press should boycott the White House altogether, denying President Trump the mass media coverage he currently enjoys:
<blockquote>Reporters and their bosses, however, need to do more. For starters, the AP should consider challenging the White House harassment of its reporters in court. News outlets then must rally to the cause, by offering supportive statements to the court hearing the case, writing op-Ed’s backing the AP, and, if necessary, refusing to cover presidential movements in solidarity, until Trump backs down.
&#8230;
News organizations in Washington should be banding together to send the message that members of the press will determine how they cover the news. Not the White House. Not the man behind the Resolute Desk, no matter how he redraws the world’s maps. The presidential Sharpie is not mightier than the pen.</blockquote>
So Acosta&#8217;s idea is to have legacy media rally around The AP, &#8220;refusing to cover&#8221; Trump&#8217;s movements until he capitulates.
If that sounds familiar, it&#8217;s because it could have been ripped straight from the Disney musical &#8220;<a href="https://www.valdosta.edu/colleges/arts/communication-arts/psst/documents/newsies-scene-e.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsies</a>.&#8221;
The &#8220;newsies,&#8221; who hawked newspapers on the streets of turn-of-the-century New York City, were attempting to unionize — a move opposed by newspaper giants Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst.
The newsies planned a rally, and Pulitzer issued a simple warning: &#8220;Rally till the cows come home. Not a paper in town will publish a word. And if it’s not in the papers, it never happened.&#8221;
And while Pulitzer made good on his threat and the major papers did not cover the rally, the newsies eventually published their own paper — and ultimately beat him at his own game.
With the Trump administration already moving to allow space in the White House briefing room to more conservative outlets and unconventional media, the framework is already laid for legacy media to boycott briefings as Acosta suggested — and it&#8217;s possible that coverage could still carry on without a hiccup.

US-POLITICS-MEDIA-COURT

Jim Acosta’s Totally Foolproof Plan To Stop Trump…Ripped From A Disney Musical?

Jim Acosta's Totally Foolproof Plan To Stop Trump ... Ripped From A Disney Musical?

Disney

Jim Acosta

Vice President JD Vance let former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan have it in a brief spat on X over The Associated Press being barred from the White House after refusing to update the style guide to reflect the newly renamed Gulf of America.
The conversation began with a piece from Axios White House reporter Marc Caputo, who argued, &#8220;President Trump’s decision to limit AP reporters&#8217; access is as much fight over the Gulf of America as it is a protest of what White House advisers say is years of liberal word choices that AP’s influential stylebook has spread across mainstream media.&#8221;
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President Trump’s decision to limit AP reporters&#39; access is as much fight over the Gulf of America as it is a protest of what White House advisers say is years of liberal word choices that AP’s influential stylebook has spread across mainstream media<a href="https://t.co/H7hJrsY44r">https://t.co/H7hJrsY44r</a>
&mdash; Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcACaputo/status/1891464554120454264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Hasan quickly hopped on the legacy media bandwagon, asserting that the Trump administration&#8217;s decision to bar The AP from the White House was a violation of the outlet&#8217;s right to free speech.
The ousted MSNBC host also attempted to tie in current events and take a swing at the vice president in the process.
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&#8220;Hey, @JDVance, I know you’re busy lecturing the Europeans on free speech, but have you seen this?&#8221; Hasan asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Yes dummy. I think there’s a difference between not giving a reporter a seat in the WH press briefing room and jailing people for dissenting views. The latter is a threat to free speech, the former is not. Hope that helps!
&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1891553587970380152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Yes dummy. I think there’s a difference between not giving a reporter a seat in the WH press briefing room and jailing people for dissenting views,&#8221; Vance replied. &#8220;The latter is a threat to free speech, the former is not. Hope that helps!&#8221;
During his recent speech in Munich, Vance warned European leaders about the dangers of suppressing free speech and censoring their own citizens — a move that prompted backlash from American media.
CBS News host Margaret Brennan responded to Vance&#8217;s remarks by claiming on Sunday&#8217;s &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; broadcast that &#8220;free speech was weaponized&#8221; to cause the Holocaust. Just hours later, the network aired an episode of &#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; that cast a positive light on German authorities&#8217; efforts to crack down on free speech, particularly online.
Vance responded to Brennan&#8217;s comments with <a href="https://x.com/JDVance/status/1891219511942029677" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disbelief</a>, and pushed back on the claims made during the &#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; broadcast — namely that in Germany, it is now illegal to post insults or to repost lies.
&#8220;Insulting someone is not a crime, and criminalizing speech is going to put real strain on European-US relationships. This is Orwellian, and everyone in Europe and the US must reject this lunacy,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Insulting someone is not a crime, and criminalizing speech is going to put real strain on European-US relationships. 
This is Orwellian, and everyone in Europe and the US must reject this lunacy. <a href="https://t.co/WZSifyDWMr">https://t.co/WZSifyDWMr</a>
&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1891467842106630244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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JD Vance

Vance Torches ‘Dummy’ Mehdi Hasan In Spat Over Free Speech And The Associated Press

Free Speech

Germany

The Trump White House has barred the Associated Press from entering the Oval Office and boarding Air Force One, pointing to the outlet’s continued use of “Gulf of Mexico” instead of the administration’s newly proclaimed “Gulf of America.”
President Trump issued an executive order last month to institute the name change in government agencies and among federal contractors, but the AP and other non-government institutions have resisted the change.
The AP claims that since the order has not been recognized internationally, it would continue calling the body of water the Gulf of Mexico, and is <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/14/media/white-house-ap-ban-air-force-one-oval-office-gulf-of-mexico/index.html">preparing</a> a lawsuit challenging the White House’s decision, according to CNN.
The White House has only barred AP reporters from “pooled” events at both the Oval Office and Air Force One, with the outlet’s photographers still permitted along with retaining their white house credentials, according to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich.
“While their right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting is protected by the First Amendment, it does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces, like the Oval Office and Air Force One,” Budowich said in a statement on X.
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“Going forward, that space will now be opened up to the many thousands of reporters who have been barred from covering these intimate areas of the administration,” Budowich said.
Budowich reiterated the administration’s disapproval of the AP’s editorial stance, characterizing the outlet’s refusal to adopt the new name for the gulf as “not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press’ commitment to misinformation.” Another official indicated that the spaces previously occupied by AP correspondents would now be made available to a rotation of other outlets.
The White House Correspondents Association called the move “a textbook violation of not only the First Amendment, but the president’s own executive order on freedom of speech and ending federal censorship.”

US-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-MEXICO-OCEANS-TRUMP

AP Indefinitely Barred From White House Over Use Of ‘Gulf Of Mexico’

White House Correspondents Association

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