Links to two reports and to an article of commentary: from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, and the Floutist; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for VENEZUELA 1-13-26, and scroll up for IRAN and UKRAINE.) — MCM

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Documents show Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez has been on DEA’s radar for years, by Jim Mustian, Joshua Goodman and Eric Tucker | AP  WASHINGTON — When President Donald Trump announced the audacious capture of Nicolás Maduro to face drug trafficking charges in the U.S., he portrayed the strongman’s vice president and longtime aide as America’s preferred partner to stabilize Venezuela amid a scourge of drugs, corruption and economic mayhem. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.

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FROM JAN. 15  The USS Ford crew is struggling with sewage problems on board the Navy’s new carrier. Reported by Steve Walsh | NPR  Problems with the plumbing system on board America’s newest aircraft carrier are getting worse. Issues with the toilets on the USS Ford continue even as it continues its deployment to the Caribbean. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM DEC. 9, 2025  Oil & ideology, by Patrick Lawrence | The Floutist  Roughly a quarter of the U.S. Navy’s fleet now floats in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela — in America’s largest deployment in the Caribbean since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. What is the plan? READ MORE . . .

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