Trump says U.S. has entered deal with Venezuela to control 65 billion barrels of its oil reserves | PBS News

Trump has argued that Venezuela stole U.S. oil when former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's moved decades ago to nationalize hundreds of foreign-owned assets, including those owned by American oil companies…

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-says-u-s-has-entered-deal-with-venezuela-to-control-65-billion-barrels-of-its-oil-reserves

 

Trump gasses up US-Venezuela oil revenue, but ‘hundreds of billions’ is too high – PolitiFact

The highest credible figure for oil revenue since the U.S. took over Venezuela’s oil industry in January is $13 billion. 

That is roughly a tenth of the “hundreds of billions of dollars” in gains that President Donald Trump cited for each country. 

Trump’s estimate exceeds the entire gross domestic product of Venezuela several times over...

 https://politifact.com/factchecks/2026/aug/06/donald-trump/venezuela-oil-industry-us-gains/

 

Weekly Roundup: The Odyssey, Christian Nationalism, and the Invention of “Western Civilization” (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

Brad Onishi and Dan Miller explore the American right’s furious reaction to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and what the controversy reveals about race, representation, gender, sexuality, and the politics of “Western civilization.” From outrage over Black actors and queer representation in contemporary adaptations to the right’s insistence that certain stories, traditions, and cultural identities belong exclusively to white people, the conversation examines why the boundaries of “the West” are constantly being defended—and who gets pushed outside them.

The discussion then turns to the rise of civilizational populism and its growing influence on the American right. Brad and Dan unpack how appeals to “Western Christian civilization” are being used to unite Christian nationalists, technocrats, billionaires, and authoritarian political actors around a shared vision of cultural hierarchy and social order. They connect the backlash over The Odyssey to Marco Rubio’s foreign policy, the politics of Venezuela, the disputed results of a national civics competition, and the broader question of who gets to represent the future of America.
Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weekly-roundup-the-odyssey-christian-nationalism/id1441649707?i=1000778249717

Five claims the president made in primetime address not backed up by evidence

…The Department of Homeland Security did not reveal its methodology for identifying the noncitizens and how confident they were in their assessment. The tool the Department of Homeland Security uses to flag noncitizens on the voter rolls is known to be inaccurate. 

Letters from the Department of Homeland Security sent on Thursday to Nevada and Pennsylvania obtained by the Guardian also suggest that the government is much less certain that the people identified are actually noncitizens. The Nevada letter says the department identified as many as 15,903 noncitizens who were registered to vote, including 8,576 whose name, date of birth, address and social security number matched that of a noncitizen in its files. It did not say how it flagged the remaining potential noncitizens. .

“These numbers are wildly speculative at best and the Department of Homeland Security hasn’t shared anything that backs it up,” Cisco Aguilar, the Democratic Nevada secretary of state, said in a statement…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/17/trump-claims-primetime-address

 

Mystery of hit on Tren de Aragua leader: is US making Venezuela safe for mining?

Experts suspect the strike in Venezuela also had the parallel purpose of preparing the area for investment by mining companies. 

The Orinoco Mining Arc holds not just gold, but rare earths and critical minerals such as nickel, copper, bauxite and coltan that are vital for industrial and military production. 

Since January, the Venezuelan regime has passed a mining reform to open the sector to foreign private capital, while the US has issued licenses allowing US companies to carry out transactions involving Venezuelan-origin gold...

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/23/venezuela-tren-de-aragua-assassination-mining

Al and Franklin Foer on Iran, Ukraine, Soccer, and The World (Al Franken Podcast on YouTube)

We’re joined by our longtime friend, Franklin Foer of The Atlantic! We have a deal in Iran or at least an agreement to have an agreement. Even some Republicans are calling this an unconditional surrender. Al and Frank break down the massive concessions, which include a staggering $300 billion to reconstruct Iran, lifted blockades, and Iranian tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. And what does all of this mean for Trump and Netanyahu’s plummeting relationship ahead of the Israeli elections this fall?

Frank also breaks down the war in Ukraine, the situation in Venezuela, and ongoing tensions with Cuba.

Plus, we discuss Frank’s bestselling book, How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization. It was recently reissued to coincide with the U.S. hosting the World Cup. Frank explains how his views of world soccer have changed since the original publishing and why globalization never brought us the "kumbaya political liberalism" we were promised.
Interview: 

https://youtu.be/fKcUPjhHU0k?si=htStpIwaAAbDPJEw

Venezuela sought Iranian missile system in 2020, memo shows - POLITICO

The Venezuelan Defense Ministry under now-ousted leader Nicolás Maduro in 2020 allocated funds to purchase a ballistic missile system from Iran valued at more than $400 million, according to two people familiar with internal administrative documents authorizing the transaction...

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/09/venezuela-iran-missile-system-2020-memo-00863522

US traveller recounts brutal detention in Venezuela’s feared prisons: ‘They beat me, chained me up’

James Luckey's ordeal sheds light on the mistreatment political prisoners faced under Nicolás Maduro…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/25/venezuela-detention-james-luckey

 

BOMBSHELL Report BLOWS THE ROOF OFF Venezuela Scheme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLbzyQymbTc

 

Iran is not Venezuela, despite Trump’s hopes of repeating ‘regime capture’ strategy

Experts say US influence over South American neighbour will be hard to replicate in country with deep and long-standing antipathy to the west…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/06/iran-venezuela-trump-regime-capture

 

Judge orders Trump administration to help dozens of deportees return to the US - POLITICO

 Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ordered the administration to pay for airfare and provide documents to facilitate travel for any of 137 deported men who are currently outside Venezuela...

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/12/trump-boasberg-venezuela-deportations-00778458 

 

Sen. Paul (R-KY) Asks, If Reversed, Would Removing a President Be Act of War

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYeJoFM5oH4

 

The U.S. couldn’t track billions in Iraq. Now, it’s controlling Venezuela’s oil cash. - POLITICO

Unanswered questions and a lack of oversight hang over the U.S.'s use of Venezuela's oil funds, according to former U.S. officials…

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/22/the-u-s-couldnt-track-billions-in-iraq-now-its-controlling-venezuelas-oil-cash-00739251 

 

Weekly Roundup: Wine Moms, ICE, and American Fascism (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

Brad and Dan examine the escalating ICE presence in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Renee Good, situating the operation within a broader pattern of authoritarian governance under the Trump administration. They unpack how federal immigration enforcement has begun to resemble occupation style tactics, including minimal vetting of ICE agents, sweeping immunity claims for officers, and the use of overwhelming force in civilian spaces. Drawing on historical parallels to fascist regimes and social psychology experiments like the Stanford Prison Experiment, the conversation explores how power, dehumanization, and impunity reinforce one another when federal agencies are weaponized against dissent.

The episode also interrogates the gendered and racial dynamics at play, particularly the demonization of white women protesters framed by right wing media as dangerous or hysterical. Brad and Dan discuss how white femininity functions within white Christian supremacy, why Renee Good's identity as a queer woman posed a threat to patriarchal power, and how Fox News and Christian nationalist figures have celebrated or justified state violence. The conversation widens to include federal overreach beyond immigration, including pressure on the Department of Justice to investigate Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, threats to institutional independence, and the administration's seizure of Venezuelan oil revenue. Throughout, the hosts connect these developments to a coherent ideological project rooted in Christian nationalism, racial hierarchy, and authoritarian control, warning that the expansion of state power rarely stops with its initial targets.
Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/weekly-roundup-wine-moms-ice-and-american-fascism?hsLang=en

Confronted with thorny problems, Trump turns to the military - POLITICO

His warning to send federal troops into the state came as administration officials debated whether to order Pentagon strikes against Iran and use troops to seize Greenland from Denmark. Faced with a domestic or international problem this term that he can't resolve with traditional diplomacy or politicking, Trump has increasingly turned to the armed forces as an initial option rather than a last resort...

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/16/trump-military-first-option-00733431 

 

US Senate kills resolution that would have limited Trump action in Venezuela

In a statement, Young said he "has received assurances that there are no American troops in Venezuela" and that if Trump were to pursue "major military operations" he would ask Congress "in advance for an authorization of force"...

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/14/us-senate-trump-military-action-venezuela

#Trum Wants #Venezuela’s Oil Money #PaulaPoundstone #PoliticalComedy #Ve...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JtTSon_sY-Q

Fox News has TABLES TURNED as Dems HIJACK NETWORK…ON AIR!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhWwmtPl3Xc

 

Donald, the History Buff | Paula Poundstone

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/H2gd8YO5c9o

 

Weekly Roundup: American Authoritarian Empire: From Minneapolis to Venezuela to Greenland (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

Brad returns from a two week break to examine three disturbing stories that reveal how authoritarian power is expanding in the United States and how empathy is being systematically stripped from public life. He begins with the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, a white American poet and mother shot by an ICE officer during an operation. The administration's response was marked by complete indifference, with officials offering no compassion for Good or her family and JD Vance asserting that the officer should have absolute immunity. Brad argues this case represents a dangerous shift. The logic of impunity long applied to marginalized communities is now being extended outward, signaling that anyone can become a target once state violence is normalized.

The episode then turns to the U.S. operation in Venezuela and Trump's escalating threats toward Greenland. In Venezuela, Trump openly framed the military action around oil interests rather than democracy, reviving a Monroe Doctrine style vision of hemispheric control rooted in Christian and Western supremacist ideology. Threats toward Greenland further signal an imperial mindset that would shatter NATO alliances and dismantle the post World War II international order. Across all three stories, Brad traces a consistent theme. Empathy is treated as an obstacle to power, impunity is expanding, and figures like JD Vance are refining a more polished authoritarian message for the future. The result is a political project that no longer seeks separation or retreat, but expansion, domination, and the erosion of democratic restraint.
Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/weekly-roundup-american-authoritarian-empire-from-minneapolis-to-venezuela-to-greenland?hsLang=en