For today, a link to a report from the Associated Press; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (Scroll down for IRAN 12-29-25 and up or down for today’s GAZA, YEMEN, VENEZUELA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 3  Iran’s leader says rioters ‘must be put in their place’ as protest death toll reaches 15, by Jon Gambrell | AP   DUBAI —The first comments by 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came Saturday after a week of protests that have shaken the Islamic Republic, likely giving security forces a green light to aggressively put down the demonstrations. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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For today, links to commentary from nader.org and to a report from the Center for Study of Responsive Law; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 1-3-26. Scroll up for today’s GAZA, IRAN, YEMEN and VENEZUELA.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 2  Eight new year’s resolutions for NPR and CEO Katherine Maher to consider, by Ralph Nader | nader.org  Congress created National Public Radio under the Nixon Administration to fill the yawning gaps of commercial radio in local, national, and international news coverage and to give voice to the people without the censorship that comes from advertisers. READ MORE . . .

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FROM SEPT. 19, 2024  The case for a democratically funded and locally rooted news media in an era of newsroom closures, by Michael Swerdlow | Center for Study of Responsive Law  Democracy in the United States requires an informed citizenry. Factual, verified infor- mation and news analysis are its lifeblood. Yet today . . . Click HERE for all 84 pages.

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First, links to a dozen or more reports and updates from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Agence France-Presse, Le Figaro, and Reuters, and to articles of commentary from ScheerPost and Venezuelanalysis; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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NEWER  Venezuela will be ‘run’ by U.S. after capture of Maduro, Trump says, edited by Curtis Yee, Hrvoje Hranjski and Bridget Brown | AP  U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. planned to run Venezuela until a transition of power can take place. He claimed the American presence was already in place. There were no immediate signs the U.S. was running the country. READ MORE in English. Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others. Click HERE and HERE for updates from AP in English and Spanish.

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Trump says U.S. oil companies to head into Venezuela. From AFP. President Donald Trump said Saturday he would allow American oil companies to head into Venezuela to tap its massive crude reserves after a US military operation that seized the country’s leader Nicolas Maduro. READ MORE in English. Click HERE for report in French from AFP with Le Figaro. Click HERE and HERE for headlines of other AFP / AFP reports.

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U.S captures Venezuelan leader and his wife in a stunning operation and plans to prosecute them, by Regina Garcia Cano, Konstantin Toropin and Eric Tucker | AP  CARACAS — The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country in a stunning military operation early today that plucked a sitting leader from office — the culmination of months of escalating Trump administration pressure on the oil-rich South American nation. READ MORE in English . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others. Click HERE for links to five reports from NPR, and HERE for a report from Reuters including video of early morning news conference of President Trump.

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EARlIER  World reacts to U.S. strikes on Venezuela. From Reuters.  Following are reactions to Saturday’s U.S. strikes on Venezuela. READ MORE . . .

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New imperial war: The U.S. assault on Venezuela exposes a desperate empire, by Joshua Scheer | ScheerPost  The United States carried out a series of military strikes on Venezuela early today, targeting key military installations in and around Caracas, as President Donald Trump claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country. Click HERE to read and for brief video of attacks.

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FROM JAN. 2  Reimposing ‘democracy’ in Venezuela: Decoding western propaganda, by Andi Olluri | Venezuelanalysis  Washington’s unprovoked aggression against Venezuela, and the likely coming ground attack, are an attempt at reimposing “proud, stable democracy” in the country, in the words of the U.S. front surrogate, Maria Corina Machado. READ MORE . . .

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, a link to a wish via the Floutist; other published material is accessible by clicking on its name below. (Scroll down for WEST BANK 12-29-25 and UKRAINE, GAZA, MEDIA and POEM.) — MCM

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FROM DEC. 31  For 2026 from the West Bank, by Cara MariAnna | The Floutist  A New Year’s greeting arrived this morning from a friend in New Askar refugee camp, in the West Bank governorate of Nablus. It’s a powerful message of hope. I publish it below with permission and of necessity anonymously. Click HERE for brief message including photos.

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First, a link to commentary from Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (Scroll down for GAZA 12-31-25, and up or down for WEST BANK, GAZA, MEDIA and POEM.) — MCM

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FROM DEC. 28 ‘Free speech and its enemies,’ by Patrick Lawrence | Special to Consortium News  Europe is convulsing as the “centrist” authoritarians who purport to lead it impose what looks to me like an historically unprecedented regime of censorship and the suppression of speech, but none of the mainstream dailies or broadcasters in America have had a word to say about it. Click HERE to read, and HERE for a 1957 painting by Cy Twombly.

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For today, a link to commentary from Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (Scroll down for GAZA 1-1-26, and up or down for WEST BANK, UKRAINE, MEDIA and POEM.) — MCM

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FROM DEC. 28 ‘Free speech and its enemies,’ by Patrick Lawrence | Special to Consortium News  Europe is convulsing as the “centrist” authoritarians who purport to lead it impose what looks to me like an historically unprecedented regime of censorship and the suppression of speech, but none of the mainstream dailies or broadcasters in America have had a word to say about it. Click HERE to read, and HERE for a 1957 painting by Cy Twombly

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For today, a link to commentary from the Floutist; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 1-1-26, and up or down for today’s UKRAINE, GAZA, WEST BANK and POEM.) — MCM

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FROM DEC. 28  ‘Free speech and its enemies,’ by Patrick Lawrence | The Floutist  Europe is convulsing as the “centrist” authoritarians who purport to lead it impose what looks to me like an historically unprecedented regime of censorship and the suppression of speech, but none of the mainstream dailies or broadcasters in America have had a word to say about it. Click HERE to read and for a 1957 painting by Cy Twombly.

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A link to a poem from Ireland via Canada. (Scroll up for today’s UKRAINE, GAZA, MEDIA and WEST BANK.) — MCM

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May you always, by author unknown.

May your joys be as bright as the morning,
And your sorrows merely be shadows
That fade in the sunlight of love.

May you have…
Enough happiness to keep you sweet,
Enough trials to keep you strong,
Enough sorrow to keep you human,
Enough hope to keep you happy,
Enough failure to keep you humble,
Enough success to keep you eager,
Enough friends to give you comfort,
Enough faith and courage in yourself to banish sadness,
Enough wealth to meet your needs,

And one thing more…
Enough determination to make each day
A more wonderful day than the one before.

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Links to two appreciations: from National Public Radio and the Colin McEnroe Show via Connecticut Public; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for MEDIA 12-31-25.) — MCM

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FROM DEC. 31  Remembering 25 of the musicians we lost in 2025. Reported by A Martínez and Michel Martin | NPR  Sam Moore, Steve Cropper, Sly Stone, Angie Stone, D’Angelo, Garth Hudson, Marianne Faithful, Peter Yarrow, Tom Lehrer, Alf Clauson, Lalo Schifrin, Charles Strause, Connie Francis, Jimmie Cliff, Clem Burke, David Johansen, Ace Frehley, Ozzy Osbourne, Roy Thomas Baker, Al Foster, Jack DeJohnette, Chuck Mangione, Roberta Flack, Richard Smallwood, Brian Wilson. Click HERE for some of their music and talk about them.

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FROM DEC. 12  A wood thrush, Paul Winter, J.S. Bach. Reported by Lily Tyson, Jonathan McNicol and Colin McEnroe | The Colin McEnroe Show / Connecticut Public.  Winter’s “earth music” features music from around the world as well as the sounds of animals like wolves, whales and wood thrushes. He talks with McEnroe about his creative approach. Click HERE for five minutes of them talking and listening, and HERE for 50 minutes of it.