First, a link to an interview from glenndiesen.substack.com; other published material is accessible by clicking on the name Glenn Diesen below. (Scroll down for VENEZUELA 1-4-26 and for today’s WEST BANK and GAZA so far.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 3  U.S. war on Venezuela has global ramifications. Glenn Diesen of the University of South-Eastern Norway talks with Larry C. Johnson, a former CIA intelligence analyst, on the new U.S. intervention in Venezuela and its part in the mosaic of U.S. interventions in Europe and the Middle East. Click HERE for the subtitled interview.

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, a link to a report from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking its initials below. (Scroll down for WEST BANK 1-2-26 and for today’s GAZA so far.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 4  Even in prison, Marwan Barghouthi looms large in Palestinian politics. Reported by Lauren Frayer, Ahmad Damen, Avery Keatley and Daniel Ofman | NPR  Arab Barghouthi, the son of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouthi, on his father’s life in Israeli prison and the stalemate after nearly two decades without elections. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

First, a link to a report from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking its initials below. (Scroll down for GAZA 1-4-26.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 4  Even in prison, Marwan Barghouthi looms large in Palestinian politics. Reported by Lauren Frayer, Ahmad Damen, Avery Keatley and Daniel Ofman | NPR  Arab Barghouthi, the son of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouthi, on his father’s life in Israeli prison and the stalemate after nearly two decades without elections. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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TO BE CONTINUED

For today, links to an article of commentary from Common Dreams via Consortium News, which contains another link: to video of an interview with the director of the Center for Sustainble Development at Columbia University . . .

. . . and to a dozen or more reports: from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, and Common Dreams; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (Scroll down for VENEZUELA 1-3-26 and today’s GAZA, IRAN, YEMEN and MEDIA.) — MCM

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FROM JAN. 3  Trump’s act of war, by Medea Benjamin and Michelle Ellner | Common Dreams / Consortium News  The United States government’s bombing across Venezuela and kidnapping of its president are blatant and illegal acts of war by the Trump administration — a continuation of U.S. attempts to seize and plunder Venezuela’s natural resources and undermine its sovereignty and the sovereignty of other countries in Latin America. Click HERE for article and for video of related interview.

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FROM JAN. 3  Venezuelans wonder who’s in charge as Trump claims contact with Maduro’s deputy, by Isabel Debre and Joshua Goodman | AP  BUENOS AIRES — Uncertainty gripped Venezuela on Saturday as people scrambled to understand who was in charge of the South American country after a U.S. military operation captured President Nicolás Maduro. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 3  Trump bets on regime change in Venezuela, by Gram Slattery and Simon Lewis | Reuters  PALM BEACH, Florida / WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s decision to attack Venezuela, arrest its president and temporarily run the country marks a striking departure for a politician who long criticized others for overreaching on foreign affairs and vowed to avoid foreign entanglements. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 3  All Things Considered newscast on U.S. action in Venezuela. From NPR. Eight reports include statements by President Trump, the Venezuelan government, and the leading Democrat on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, details of the U.S. mission, and reactions from governments in the region and from Venezuelans in a Miami suburb. Click HERE for links to the reports.

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FROM JAN. 3  After Venezuela assault, Trump and Rubio warn Cuba, Mexico, and Colombia could be next, by Jake Johnson | Common Dreams  U.S. President Donald Trump and top administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, characterized Saturday’s assault on Venezuela and abduction of the country’s president as a warning shot in the direction of Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, and other Latin American nations. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 3  U.S. lawmakers seek vote on Trump war on Venezuela, by Jake Johnson | Common Dreams / Consortium News  Members of the U.S. Congress on Saturday demanded emergency legislative action to prevent the Trump administration from taking further military action in Venezuela after the president threatened a “second wave” of attacks and said the U.S. will control the South American country’s government indefinitely. READ MORE . . .

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First, a link to a report from the Cradle; others are accessible by clicking its name below. (Scroll down for GAZA 1-2-26 and up or down for today’s IRAN, YEMEN, VENEZUELA and MEDIA.) — MCM

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Israel gives war profiteers sole control of life-saving Gaza aid: report. From the Cradle. Israel is allowing commercial traders to bring goods into Gaza that are barred for humanitarian organizations, allowing Israeli firms and others to profit from the suffering of Palestinians in the devastated enclave, the Guardian reported on Friday. READ MORE . . .

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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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