Russia

Authored by Glenn Greenwald, originally posted at The Intercept,

After Julian Assange has repeatedly confirmed that Russia was not the source of his DNC or John Podesta leaks, including again last night in an interview with Sean Hannity, Paul Ryan would like for you to know that he's not buying it.  Sounding a bit like a disaffected Hillary snowflake, Ryan told radio host Hugh Hewitt that he really has no opinion on Assange other than that he's a “sycophant for Russia."  Per the Washington Times:

Submitted by Dave Forest via OilPrice.com,

With 2016 now closed out, we’re getting the first looks at year-end data. And numbers from one nation in the energy space have been particularly eye-catching this week.

Russia.

Over the last 15 years, Russia vaulted upwards in oil and gas production — challenging for the world’s top producer of crude. A fact that’s especially critical given this big producer is a “rogue” nation that lies outside the purview of OPEC.

Donald Trump has ripped the CIA a new one over faulty claims that Russia influenced the US election and helped him win.  Trump blasted the agency on Twitter late on Tuesday, criticising their decision to postpone a scheduled briefing with him to present their case for the claim that “Russian hackers” infiltrated Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Russia-insider.com reports: The tweet is a devastating and unparalleled public display of lack of confidence in the US government’s official position by a US president-elect. He is throwing down the gauntlet to the US intelligence establishment.

Russia has accused the US government of allowing ISIS militants to steal oil in Syria in order to earn hundreds of millions of dollars.  Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov warned that the US-led international coalition deliberately avoided bombing oil production facilities run by ISIS due to the fact that the US had a vested interest in the illegal oil sales.