Group 1: U.S. Control Over Venezuelan Oil - The United States now controls every drop of oil coming out of Venezuela, with Russian tankers being intercepted off the Venezuelan coast [2] - Venezuela has initiated oil sales with a 30 million-barrel tranche, expected to increase to 50 million and then 100 million barrels, with proceeds managed by a White House-run fund [2] - The U.S. will dictate the terms of oil sales, with Venezuela required to purchase only American-made products, including agriculture and medical supplies [2] Group 2: Investment and Stability Concerns - Oil companies are concerned about the stability of the Venezuelan government as they consider new investments, with Chevron holding the largest stake and potentially increasing production from 50,000 to 200,000 barrels per day [3][4] - Overall production could rise to approximately 1 million barrels per day, up from around 800,000 barrels [4] - The transition to democracy in Venezuela must be "stable, proper and judicious," according to President Trump [3] Group 3: Broader Geopolitical Implications - The situation is viewed as a strategy to expel Russia and China from the Western Hemisphere and to undermine Cuba and Iran [5] - The focus on oil is seen as part of a larger narrative about promoting freedom and democracy in the region [5]

Jack Smith just finished nine hours of testimony before the House Judiciary Committee about his investigations into the president. Smith said in his opening statement obtained by MS Now that quote Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the 2020 election and that he had quote proof beyond a reasonable doubt. But we won't hear Smith in his own words because judiciary Republicans fought to hide his testimony behind closed doors.Here are judiciary Democrats earlier today. >> I just want to say that Chai ...

Joining me now, Adrienne Elrod. She is the former senior adviser and senior spokesperson for the Harris Walls campaign. She worked for presidential campaigns where Reiner was a steady presence. Uh, thank you for coming on, Adrien. And I just want you to talk about Rob Reiner's political activism, what it was like to work with him, his commitment. >> Yeah, Chris, thank you for having me. I mean, first of all, this is just feels very unfathomable that he would not be here with us. Um, especially in such a tra ...

Where previous presidents’ policies vowed to make the world safe for democracy, Donald Trump’s version seems more inclined to make it safe for illiberalism. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Europe https://t.co/W3J7VeMwq9 ...

Political Landscape - Venezuelan dissident María Corina Machado plans to return home and disappear from authorities [1] - Machado intends to continue fighting for democracy [1]

Good ideaEva Vlaardingerbroek (@EvaVlaar):If the EU actually cared about democracy they should establish a mechanism for a binding referendum on its future trajectory.Let The People decide whether they want to remain within the current framework, exit entirely, or at least reduce competences.Vox Populi, Vox Dei. ...

Elon Musk won’t be bought.He stands for democracy and free speech“Offer me money or power. I don’t care. I’ll say what I want, even if it costs me.” https://t.co/vGMIrQRwuG ...

Freedom of Speech & Democracy - The report highlights Elon Musk's statement on Joe Rogan, emphasizing that freedom of speech is crucial for informed voting and a genuine democracy, suggesting that without it, democracy becomes an illusion [1]

One of the unfortunate hallmarks of Donald Trump's second term in the White House has been a near constant disregard for the rule of law. The website Lawfair, which has a Trump administration litigation tracker, says there are 241 active cases challenging Trump administration actions. Excuse me. In the past, Americans could rely on an independent Department of Justice to keep a presidential administration in check. But things have gotten so bad that one former DOJ civil rights lawyer told the New York Times ...

Donald Trump is testing the guard rails of our constitutional democracy in ways we haven't seen since Nixon or McCarthyism. Americans are polarized, a political divide that seems to get deeper. Our founders were concerned about factions, which we now call parties.They gathered to sign the first founding document, the Declaration of Independence, and tried to create a baseline that we could all draw from over the years. It's an opening sentence that just about every American knows. It transcends any daily po ...