Suffer high gas prices a bit longer. It's a small price to pay, says Trump.

RT:  Oil for over $100 a barrel ‘very small price to pay’ for Iran war – Trump. 

The US president has attempted to quell fears that the military operation he launched will exacerbate the global energy crisis.

Talking points out and spread by every Western MSM Jew-controlled media. 

But - but...The Orange Shitgibbon says U.S. oil companies are falling over each other vying for Venezuelan oil. 

RT: US oil companies going to Venezuela – Trump. 

US President Donald Trump has said that American oil companies are going to Venezuela in light of the South American country’s latest push to incentivize foreign investment in its energy sector.

[.]

[No, U.S. oil co's aren't clamoring to obtain Venezeulan oil. - DD]   Exxon CEO Darren Woods has poured cold water on the idea, saying that the South American country is “uninvestable,” given the “commercial constructs and frameworks in place” there at present. He added that “durable investment protections” are the prerequisite to any long-term involvement.

RT: Why American Big Oil isn’t buying the Venezuela ‘victory’. 

Exxon boss Darren Woods described Venezuela as “uninvestable.” Woods said: “We have a very long history in Venezuela… We’ve had our assets seized there twice. You can imagine to re‑enter a third time would require some pretty significant changes from what we’ve historically seen here and what is currently the state.” He added: “If we look at the legal and commercial constructs and frameworks in place today in Venezuela, today it’s uninvestable. And so significant changes have to be made to those commercial frameworks, the legal system, there has to be durable investment protections, and there has to be a change to the hydrocarbon laws in the country.”

The Exxon CEO’s comments were echoed by Conoco’s boss, Ryan Lance, who said: “We need to be also thinking about even restructuring the entire Venezuelan energy system, including PDVSA.”

What that means is that Venezuela is far from under US control.

[.]

From the viewpoint of Big Oil, it’s not mission accomplished. Venezuela is ‘uninvestable’, which is the capitalist way of saying, there was no regime change to give the oil companies what they want – total control over Venezuela’s hydrocarbon wealth.

Bu-bu-but oil prices fell to the $89-$90/barrel today. 

Reuters: US considering selling oil from strategic reserve, US energy chief says.

Yeah, well, oil is one of the volatile commodities one can speculate/trade. One imagined blip or market skepticism can send prices up by $50, $100 or more in a split second. 

TURST THE PLAN! 🤣

Trump Commutes Sentence of Meth Dealer.

People (via Yahoo News): Donald Trump Orders Prison Release of GOP Congressman's Son, Who Got 8 Years for Distributing Meth. 

Donald Trump granted clemency to Rep. Steve Womack's son on Thursday, Jan. 15.

The president commuted James Phillip Womack's eight-year federal prison sentence for distributing methamphetamine.

President Donald Trump has granted clemency to a Republican congressman's son, who was behind bars for distributing methamphetamine.

Trump, 79, officially commuted the federal sentence of James Phillip Womack, the son of Rep. Steve Womack, on Thursday, Jan. 15, according to the Office of the Pardon Attorney. An official Executive Grant of Clemency issued by the U.S. Department of Justice formally announced the commutation of the Arkansas congressman’s son.

[.]

The congressman’s son was sentenced in federal court in May 2024 to a $1,900 fine and eight years in prison for distributing more than five grams of methamphetamine, according to Office of the Pardon Attorney records.

[.]

Federal prosecutors indicted James in April 2023, according to court documents viewed by PEOPLE. Outside of distributing more than five grams of methamphetamine, the indictment also charged him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. [ ANOTHER FELON WITH A GUN? How did he obtain it? We "need more common sense gun lasw!"  🤣 - DD ]

James has a history of arrests dating back to 2007, KTHV reported, citing court documents.

[.]

He was arrested in 2018 on more than 10 charges, including multiple related to drugs and firearms, and later entered a plea agreement in the case, according to KTHV and KNWA. He was sentenced in state court to nine years behind bars for multiple felony charges and released early in 2020, but was later arrested again, according to KNWA.

KNEWZ: Trump pardons congressman's meth-dealing son.

"I thought Trump was against drug use, you know, since that was his excuse for Venezuela," someone else wrote on the newspaper's post.

Another commenter noted that the senior Womack may no longer be a free man himself, saying, "Well, Womack's an owned man now." 

Womack has been a staunch ally of Trump, actively advancing the "America First" legislative agenda through his leadership on the House Appropriations Committee.

Trump pardons former Honduran President Juan Hernandez, convicted of drug trafficking. 

Trump arrests Maduro for drug trafficking. 

Trump bombs alleged Venezuelan "drug boats."  

Trump says ICE arresting known drug dealers. 

Trump pardons Meth-dealing, repeat-offender, felon gun-possessing son of RINO Congressman. 

Ooooooh...Womack...AIPAC beneficiary.   

All hail 'Da Orange Kang! 

Maduro! Venezuela! Oil! Deportations! Banks!

^Click on image to embiggen. 

I can't believe I agree with liberal NYT columnist Thomas Friedman. NYT: To Trump, on Venezuela: You Break It, You Own It.  

^ Source DHS

Pam Bondi about a year ago: "Epstein Files on my desk, ready to release. "

Also Pam Bondi (December 2025): "We have to redact the names of the victims ped0-Saturians before releasing the Epstein files." 

Maduro and the ICE shooting sure knocked the focus off Australia's Bondi Beach shooting. 

Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Central Banks and CBDC.

Hmmmmm...Central Banks you say?  Teh Iorny.

IMF: Agustín Carstens: The Innovative Central Banker.

Financial Times: Agustin Carsten; "Crypto, but only government crypto." (CBDC).

[...]"the problem with stablecoins is that to assure [their] stability in an ironclad fashion is extremely difficult."

Same as the stock market, then, Slim? Hands off Crypto Control. Hit the treadmill  'Gus. 

Coinrank: What is CBDC? A Beginner’s Guide.

Rob Reiner and wife stabbed to death.

NBC News: Rob Reiner's son Nick arrested and booked on suspicion of murder in parents' deaths.

I never cared for Reiner's self-righteous, loud, obnoxious, divisive, one-sided political raging at all. Not. One. Bit. And I've posted on it, belittled him and mocked him.

But for Fat Orange to say, "Rob Reiner died from severe TDS," is beneath the underbelly of contempt.

Mister "NO NEW WARS" has us poised for battle against Iran, Venezuela; add now Syria AND potentially Columbia, all on the behalf of his Puppet Master Netanyahu and Israel.

In addition to this behavior, I ask you, WHEN has a U.S. President attacked members of their OWN PARTY the way Fat Orange went after MTG and Thomas Massie? NEVER! When has a president campaigned against their own party with such venom and animosity as Trump's treatment AGAINST MTG and Massie? Again, NEVER.

No diss to my Blogroll and Links, (and those who link here), I know some remain MAGA-loyalists. I get it, I do. 

All I ask is this: That you remember that I would apply the SAME STANDARD to Biden, Obama, W Bush, Clinton, etc and anyone else in politics or the public eye. I shouldn't have to say it as often as it seems I do: I equally apply everyone to the same standard. 

I've already decided I'm not voting next year, but I wouldn't at all mind seeing Dems overwhelmingly win back both House and Senate and ride Fat Orange like the 2 shekel whore that he is. 

I'm not the only one disappointed by Fat Orange and his RINO cucks.

* The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research is considered a reliable and credible polling organization. It is rated as "Least Biased" with "High Factual" reporting based on its polling accuracy and minimal bias, according to Media Bias/Fact Check

Overall, AP-NORC demonstrates high credibility through transparent methodology, academic affiliation, and consistent use in reputable media reporting.

German cruise ship sinks Venezuelan warship.

It's always helpful to the strong image any country wants to project when one of its warships is sunk by a German passenger cruise ship.

The Jerusalem Post: Venezuelan warship shoots, rams into German cruise vessel before sinking.

BERLIN – A Venezuelan navy ship fired shots at a German-owned cruise ship on March 30 and rammed into the passenger vessel, leading to the sinking of the warship in the Caribbean.

The Iranian regime-allied Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused the captain of the RCGS RESOLUTE cruise ship of “terrorism and piracy" and sought to force the ship into a new direction on the high seas. The cruise ship, which had no passengers on board and was flying under a Portuguese flag, has a reinforced hull that enables it to sail through ice water.

“Shortly after mid-night, the cruise vessel was approached by an armed Venezuelan navy vessel, which via radio questioning the intentions of the RCGS RESOLUTE’s presence and gave the order to follow to Puerto Moreno on Isla De Margarita. As the RCGS RESOLUTE was sailing in international waters at that time, the Master wanted to reconfirm this particular request resulting into a serious deviation from the scheduled vessel’s route with the company DPA.”

According to the statement, “While the Master was in contact with the head office, gun shots were fired and, shortly thereafter, the navy vessel approached the starboard side at speed with an angle of 135° and purposely collided with the RCGS RESOLUTE. The navy vessel continued to ram the starboard bow in an apparent attempt to turn the ship’s head towards Venezuelan territorial waters.”

The cruise company said the RCGS RESOLUTE sustained minor damages, not affecting vessel’s seaworthiness, it occurs that the navy vessel suffered severe damages while making contact with the ice-strengthened bulbous bow of the ice-class expedition cruise vessel RCGS RESOLUTE and started to take water.”

-
Jerusalem Post Archived

U.S. State Department offering a reward of up to $15 million for information related to Nicolas Maduro.

U.S. News and World Report: U.S. Announces Reward up to $15 Million for Venezuela's Maduro.

The move came as the U.S. Justice Department announced charges against Maduro and others on narco-terrorism.

CBS News: U.S. charges Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and top officials for drug trafficking scheme.

Attorney General William Barr announced the unsealing of superseding indictments in federal court in New York and South Florida against Maduro and other Venezuelan officials, alleging they orchestrated a "narco-terrorism conspiracy" spanning more than two decades.

"As alleged, the Maduro regime is awash in corruption and criminality. Maduro and his defendants have betrayed the Venezuelan people and corrupted Venezuela's institutions," Barr said during a "virtual" news conference in Washington, D.C.[.]

USA MacPaper: Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro charged in U.S. drug trafficking inquiry.

"The Maduro regime was propped up by a sham judiciary and a corrupt military," Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski said, adding that the defense minister authorized regular and enormous shipments of cocaine destined for the U.S.

Venezuela Overthrow News Round Up

AFP via Yahoo: Attempted Coup under way.

Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido said on Tuesday that troops had joined his campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro as the government vowed to put down what it called an attempted coup.

CNN: Gallery of images.

BBC: Continuous coverage.

Seattle PI: Guaido takes to streets in military uprising.

National Review via Yahoo: The Economics of Tyranny in Venezuela.

RT: Video - tear gas fired.

Newsweek: Marco Rubio tweets support.

“This is the moment for those military officers in Venezuela to fulfill their constitutional oath & defend the legitimate interim President [Guaidó] in this effort to restore democracy,” Rubio wrote.

Yahoo News: Live, real-time video stream.

You Tube: EN DIRECTO live stream. (Feed occasionally interrupted).

Sputnik News: Continuing live updates.

Venezuela seizes large American weapons cache shipped from Florida

PressTV: Venezuela seizes large shipment of American weapons coming from Florida.

Representatives from the Venezuelan National Guard and the National Integrated Service of Customs and Tax Administration (SENIAT) found the weapons aboard a plane that had landed at the Arturo Michelena International Airport in the city of Valencia on February 3.

The official Twitter account of the Venezuela Public Safety Bureau posted pictures of the weapons bust on Wednesday, which included 19 rifles, 118 ammunition clips, high-caliber ammo and 90 communication devices.
[.]
Washington has been leading an international campaign of economic and diplomatic pressure against Maduro, including imposing sanctions on Venezuela's state-owned oil company.

Trump reiterated his support for [Juan] Guaido during his State of the Union (SOTU) on Tuesday, calling him the " legitimate" leader of Venezuela.

I'm guessing Step Two is verifying if this story is accurate. It could be fake news, on the part of the Nicolas Maduro administration.