pgnewser

Blurb:

After President Donald Trump ordered the capture and arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro for charges of narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, and other crimes, Democratic lawmakers want to impeach the president and remove him from office. All the while, Venezuelans around the world have been seen celebrating the fall of Maduro.

Early on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social, “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Blurb:

Until the past 24 hours, Nicolás Maduro Moros and other Venezuelan high-ranking individuals in the Maduro regime ran the Cartel of the Suns (Cartel de los Soles). Now that the U.S. has penetrated Venezuela’s defenses to capture and arrest Maduro, things have changed.

Maduro and his regime had corrupted the institutions of that country, including its military, its intelligence apparatus, its legislature, and its judiciary, all to aid his cartel’s massive criminal operations.

The Cartel de los Soles originated in Venezuela, and has been involved in the illicit drug trade, human smuggling and trafficking, extortion, sexual exploitation of women and children, and money laundering, along with other criminal activities. Reports are that the cartel’s name is derived from the sun insignias often portrayed on the uniforms of Venezuelan military officials; the relationship is that symbiotic.

Blurb:

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s (R) office downplayed the significance of alleged Somali fraud occurring in the state, equating massive amounts of fraud to stores dealing with shoplifting.

While DeWine has indicated that the state “has strong safeguards in place to prevent fraud in the state’s publicly funded childcare system,” Dan Tierney, a spokesman for DeWine, used grocery stores as an example to point out that getting fraud as “close to zero as possible” would likely never happen, according to Cleveland.com.

Blurb:

Department of Justice attorney Harmeet Dhillon on Friday fired off a letter to Minnesota’s secretary of State  demanding records pertaining to the state’s controversial same day  voter “vouching” registrations.

Minnesota allows same-day voter registration, even for individuals who do not have identification if a registered voter from the same precinct vouches for their residency. A registered voter can vouch for up to eight people, but cannot vouch for others if someone vouched for them.

Employees of residential facilities such as nursing homes or homeless shelters are allowed to vouch for an unlimited number of residents at their facility, provided they can verify their employment.

Blurb:

Democrats and the corporate media rushed to defend Somalis throughout the end of 2025 as reports emerged that they committed widespread fraud in Minnesota.

Federal prosecutors charged dozens of Somalis with stealing over $9 billion of taxpayer money intended for social services, including the nonprofit Feeding Our Future.

As more details have emerged about their fraudulent actions, Democrats accused President Donald Trump and conservatives of using Somalis as scapegoats and expressed their support for the population.

Blurb:

President Donald Trump warned Friday that the United States would step in if Iran’s regime turns its guns on peaceful protesters, as economic demonstrations across the Islamic Republic spiral into deadly unrest.

If Iran “kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” Trump wrote in an overnight post on Truth Social.

Iranian leaders quickly fired back, threatening retaliation and warning that any U.S. involvement would put American forces in the Middle East in the crosshairs.

Blurb:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested Sunday that the United States would not take a day-to-day role in governing Venezuela other than enforcing an existing “oil quarantine” on the country, a turnaround after President Donald Trump announced a day earlier that the U.S. would be running Venezuela following its ouster of leader Nicolás Maduro.

Rubio’s statements on TV talk shows seemed designed to temper concerns about whether the assertive American action to achieve regime change might again produce a prolonged foreign intervention or failed attempt at nation-building. They stood in contrast to Trump’s broad but vague claims that the U.S. would at least temporarily “run” the oil-rich nation, comments that suggested some sort of governing structure under which Caracas would be controlled by Washington.

Blurb:

Sweeping tariff increases on imports from China and other countries without free trade agreements (FTAs) with Mexico officially took effect Jan. 1, marking a significant shift in the country’s trade policy aimed at protecting domestic industries and jobs.

The tariff modifications, published in Mexico’s Official Gazette on Dec. 30, affect 1,463 product categories across more than a dozen sectors including automotive, textiles, clothing, steel, plastics, footwear, furniture, toys, aluminum and glass. The new duties range from 5% to 50%, with the highest rates applied to vehicles from China and certain other Asian nations.

Blurb:

Widening demonstrations sparked by Iran’s ailing economy spread Thursday into the Islamic Republic’s rural provinces, with at least six people being killed in the first fatalities reported among security forces and protesters, authorities said.

The deaths may mark the start of a heavier-handed response by Iran’s theocracy over the demonstrations, which have slowed in the capital, Tehran, but expanded elsewhere. The fatalities, one on Wednesday and five on Thursday, occurred in three cities predominantly home to Iran’s Lur ethnic group.

Blurb:

Two people are reported to have been killed during growing unrest in Iran on the fifth day of protests over the soaring cost of living.

Both the semi-official Fars news agency and human rights group, Hengaw, said people had died during clashes between protesters and security forces in the city of Lordegan, in south-western Iran.

On Thursday videos posted on social media showed cars set on fire during running battles between protesters and security forces.

Many protesters have called for ending the rule of the country’s supreme leader. Some have also called for a return to the monarchy.

Blurb:

 

Dubai:

Widening demonstrations sparked by Iran’s ailing economy spread Thursday into the Islamic Republic’s rural provinces, with at least six people being killed in the first fatalities reported among security forces and protesters, authorities said.

The deaths may mark the start of a heavier-handed response by Iran’s theocracy over the demonstrations, which have slowed in the capital, Tehran, but expanded elsewhere. The fatalities, one on Wednesday and five on Thursday, occurred in three cities predominantly home to Iran’s Lur ethnic group.

Blurb:

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) has warned that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz must appear before Congress to answer questions about alleged large-scale fraud involving state-funded daycare and social programs, noting that failure to show up would effectively serve as an “admission to guilt.”

“I think it’s very likely [Walz will appear],” Comer told Fox News’s “The Sunday Briefing.”

“We’ve asked not only Gov. Walz, but also Attorney General Ellison, both of whom were in Congress, who I served with in Congress, so they know the rules of Congress.

Blurb:

Good thing Vice President JD Vance and his family were not home during this incident.

A man in Ohio was arrested after allegedly breaking the windows at Vice President JD Vance’s residence.

A Secret Service spokesperson shared that the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday.

WLWT reported more on the crime:

A man has been taken into custody by Cincinnati police after officers and Secret Service agents responded to the Cincinnati home of Vice President JD Vance overnight.

The Secret Service confirmed to WLWT that a man has been taken into custody by Cincinnati police after he was detained by Secret Service personnel. Officials say the man has been arrested for “causing property damage, including breaking windows on the exterior of a personal residence associated with the Vice President.”

The agency says it happened shortly after midnight early Monday morning. Secret Service is coordinating with CPD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to an arrest report obtained by WLWT, William DeFoor, 26, has been arrested in connection to the damage done at the home.

Blurb:

Jimmy Kimmel’s awards acceptance speech Jan. 4 at the Critics Choice Awards included a nod to President Donald Trump.

Kimmel took the stage in a hangar in Santa Monica, California, and sarcastically thanked the president.

“Thanks to all the writers and actors and producers and union members, many of you who are in this room, who supported us, who really stepped forward us and reminded us that we do not take free speech for granted in this city or in this country. Your actions were important, and we appreciate them,” the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host said.

Blurb:

 

Defense stocks in Europe and Asia surged on Monday as investors assessed how the dramatic overthrow of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro could herald a significant geopolitical shift that will boost the rearmament trade in the long run.

Rheinmetall, Germany’s largest arms manufacturer, gained over 8%, while military technology and surveillance specialist Hensoldt rose more than 7%. Italy’s Leonardo added more than 5%, while German counterpart Renk added around 8%.

Swedish fighter jet maker Saab added more than 6%.

Blurb:

U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein has been assigned to preside over the federal criminal case against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in the Southern District of New York.

The toppled socialist dictator faces sweeping narco-terrorism and weapons charges in the U.S. after being captured by American forces in Venezuela on Saturday.

Hellerstein, 92, was nominated to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton in 1998 and confirmed by the Senate that same year.