JerryM

Short term? Even if international access were fully restored tomorrow, it could take years and incredible expense to bring Venezuelan oil production fully back online. Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural gas company PDVSA says its pipelines haven’t been updated in 50 years, and the cost to update the infrastructure to return to peak production levels would cost $58 billion. International sanctions on the Venezuelan government and a deep economic crisis contributed to the decline of the country’s oil industry — but so did a lack of investment and maintenance, according to the EIA. Venezuela’s energy infrastructure is deteriorating, and its capacity to produce oil has been greatly diminished over the years. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/03/business/oil-gas-venezuela-maduro

via AI Gemini: Other U.S. oil companies have been effectively forced to boycott Venezuela. Chevron is currently the only major U.S. oil company with a specific, restricted license from the U.S. Treasury Department to operate in the country.

-- in their spare time.

“We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said in a news conference from his Mar-a-Lago resort. “We can’t take a chance that somebody else takes over Venezuela that doesn’t have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind.” He added that the U.S. would run Venezuela “with a group” and would be “designating various people” in charge — pointing to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine behind him. The announcement is a massive escalation of U.S. intervention after questions have swirled for months about whether the U.S. would actually formally enter the country — and what the Trump administration’s plans would be for the transition. “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground,” Trump said today. Politico via https://archive.ph/cBAut#selection-1705.0-1730.0

Trump: We are going to run Venezuela until we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition Sat, Jan 3 202611:59 AM EST Updated 4 Hours Ago -- President Donald Trump said the U.S. is going to temporarily take over governing Venezuela after launching a large-scale surprise attack on the country overnight. “We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said in a press conference Saturday morning from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump said the U.S. would be in charge of Venezuela until there is a safe transition of leadership. He also said the U.S. would be running the country “with a group” and “designating various people,” without providing details. According to Trump, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as president and had been in contact with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/03/trump-venezuela.html

NYTimes headline this morning: Trump Says U.S. Will ‘Run the Country’ After Capture of Maduro U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell cited the rule in the summer of 2002 when warning President George W. Bush of the consequences of his planned military action in Iraq: "You are going to be the proud owner of 25 million people," he told the president. "You will own all their hopes, aspirations, and problems. You'll own it all." Privately, Powell and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage called this the Pottery Barn rule: You break it, you own it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_break_it,_you_buy_it _______________________________ From Sen. Mike Lee: Just got off the phone with @SecRubio He informed me that Nicolás Maduro has been arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States, and that the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant This action likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. personnel from an actual or imminent attack * https://kmyu.tv/newsletters/utah-senator-mike-lee-comments-on-criminal-arrest-capture-of-venezuelan-president NB * while serving the arrest warrant

GOP senator says Rubio told him "no further action in Venezuela" expected 50m ago Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah said early Saturday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told him he "anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody." In a post on X, Lee said he spoke with Rubio on the phone. He said he was told Maduro was arrested, "to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States," and "the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant." Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah also expressed skepticism, saying in a post on X: "I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/

1. "Keep your government hands off my Medicare." Speaker at health care reform town hall meeting in Simpsonville, S.C., commenting on the government-created Medicare program, quoted by The Washington Post on July 28. (2009) https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna34442711

Prediction: The Supreme Court will have to decide whether to support EVIL (THEM) or support great WISDOM (ME):

That's right. If the President says the intelligence was 'incredible', why should anyone ask for anything more? From 23OCT2025 Question: Mr. President, on the drug boats -- on the drug boats, sir, has there been any discussion about capturing one so that you can show the amount of narcotics? Trump: Well, we know everything about them. Yeah, yeah, Jennifer, we know everything about them. We know where they're coming from, who they're coming with, generally who's in the boat. I'll let Pete discuss it a little bit, but they have incredible intelligence. https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/trump-transcripts/transcript-president-trump-speaks-at-a-homeland-security-roundtable-102325 NB 13 'Incredibles' in that roundtable

It's about there being a state of war or some combatant designation or another solely because he says such declaration is at the President's discretion. And the latest Exec Order declares fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. 15DEC2025 Several such cases of a Presidential Executive order based upon an emergency or other discretion calls solely 'because he says so' are at Supreme Court level.

(website of Rep. Maggie Houlahan) Pentagon Claims It “Absolutely” Knows Who It Killed in Boat Strikes. Prove It, Lawmaker Says. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan said, “If there is intelligence to ‘absolutely confirm’ this, the Congress is ready to receive it.” Washington. D.C. , December 4, 2025 -- In past classified briefings to lawmakers and congressional staff, the military has admitted that it does not know exactly who it’s killing in the boat strikes, according to seven government officials who have spoken with The Intercept. Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., also a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said that Pentagon officials who briefed her admitted that the administration does not know the identities of all the individuals who were killed in the strikes. “They said that they do not need to positively identify individuals on the vessels to do the strikes,” Jacobs told The Intercept in October. “They just need to show a connection to a DTO or affiliate,” she added, using shorthand for “designated terrorist organizations,” the Trump administration’s term for the secret list of groups with whom it claims to be at war. https://houlahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4853

That was a direct quote: "Three narco-terrorists aboard the first vessel were killed in the first engagement. The remaining narco-terrorists abandoned the other two vessels, jumping overboard and distancing themselves before follow-on engagements sank their respective vessels," Southern Command wrote on X.

AI via Gemini: The Shift in Strategy Traditionally, the U.S. Coast Guard leads interdiction efforts by boarding vessels, which involves high physical risk to boarding teams. However, starting in September 2025, the Trump administration began using "kinetic strikes" (bombings) against boats designated as "narco-terrorist" vessels. Military Logic: The administration argues that striking these vessels from a distance reduces the risk of U.S. soldiers or Coast Guard members being harmed during dangerous boarding operations, where smugglers may be armed or scuttle their own ships.

My omnibus post to any topic started by and/or further replied to ad infinitum by this topic author courtesy of the Atlanta Rhythm Section (ARS - 1972) I picked up the paper this morning And read all the daily blues The world is one big tragedy I wonder what I can do About all the pain and injustice About all of the sorrow We're living in a danger zone The world could end tomorrow But I'm not gonna let it bother me tonight I'm not gonna let it bother me tonight Tomorrow I might go as far as suicide But I won't let it bother me tonight

US Coast Guard searches for survivors after strike on suspected drug vessels WASHINGTON, Dec 31 (Reuters) -- "Three narco-terrorists aboard the first vessel were killed in the first engagement. The remaining narco-terrorists abandoned the other two vessels, jumping overboard and distancing themselves before follow-on engagements sank their respective vessels," Southern Command wrote on X. Southern Command said later on Wednesday that it had carried out a strike on two vessels. It did not indicate where the strikes were carried out but said five people were killed as result. U.S. SEARCHING FOR 8 SURVIVORS: OFFICIAL A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said eight people had abandoned their vessels and were being searched for. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-military-says-three-people-killed-strikes-suspected-drug-convoy-2025-12-31/

Designating Cartels And Other Organizations As Foreign Terrorist Organizations And Specially Designated Global Terrorists The White House January 20, 2025 Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to ensure the total elimination of these organizations’ presence in the United States and their ability to threaten the territory, safety, and security of the United States through their extraterritorial command-and-control structures, thereby protecting the American people and the territorial integrity of the United States. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/designating-cartels-and-other-organizations-as-foreign-terrorist-organizations-and-specially-designated-global-terrorists/

Trump says he’s withdrawing National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland Updated Dec 31, 2025, 5:46 PM ET -- President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he’s withdrawing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland but left the door open to sending federal forces “in a much different and stronger form.” His announcement comes after the US Supreme Court last week rejected his request to allow him to deploy the guard to Chicago to protect ICE agents as part of the administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown. While the ruling was a blow to his administration’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, it appeared likely Trump could still invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy regular forces to Chicago and other cities. Invoking the 19th century law — a controversial move that Trump and his aides repeatedly teased during the 2024 campaign and early in the second term — would give him broad authority to evade restrictions on using the military domestically. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/31/politics/trump-national-gaurd-withdrawl-chicago-los-angeles-portland

This topic title concerns MSM -- That article was posted by MN TV station January 29, 2025

Bombshell! Scandal! Desperation! Sawadee peer mai!

Because it's federal money. Via Gemini: In Minnesota, the surge in federal prosecutions—most notably the Feeding Our Future case—stems from the fact that while these programs are administered by the state, the actual money originates from the U.S. federal government. When federal funds are involved, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute through the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Under federal law (specifically 18 U.S.C. § 666), it is a federal crime to steal from or defraud any organization or government agency that receives more than $10,000 in federal funding per year.

62 investigations underway involving federally-funded Minnesota child care centers KSTP Updated: January 29, 2025 62 investigations underway involving federally-funded Minnesota child care centers The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) confirmed to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS its Office of Inspector General has 62 active investigations into family child care and child care centers in the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) across the state. One day care center in Minneapolis, Quality Learning Center Daycare, had 95 violations between 2019 and 2023, according to DHS records. Those violations range from “failure to keep hazardous items away from children” to “no records for 16 children.” In 2022, DHS placed the facility on a conditional license. But, state records showed Quality Learning Center Daycare still received $7.8 million in federal tax money since 2019 despite its regulatory issues. Its conditional license was removed in 2024. https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/62-investigations-underway-involving-federally-funded-minnesota-child-care-centers/

So maybe the MSM is treading wearily as they see a possible James O'Keefe situation: 'David' says he is the main source but the MN Republican Caucus says that they are the main source but Nick Shirley says *I* investigated MN $billion fraud scandal