US Seizes Another Venezuelan Oil Tanker

The second oil tanker seized from the Maduro: The United States has intercepted an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela in international waters, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Saturday, a move that comes just days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela….  Noem confirmed the Coast Guard intercepted a tanker that was last docked in Venezuela. “The United States will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” she said in a statement posted to social media. “We will find you, and we will stop you” (Salem News Channel). Schreiner Parker, head of emerging markets at Rystad Energy, an energy consultancy: “In practical terms, a serious Trump blockade could amount to a near-total shutdown of Venezuela’s crude exports, aside from the 150,000 barrels per day produced by Chevron under an Ofac-specific licence,” said Parker. About 80 per cent of exports go to China via intermediaries (Financial Times). CBS on a potential third seizure: The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday was pursuing another sanctioned oil tanker in international waters, a U.S. official told CBS News, as the Trump administration appeared to be intensifying its targets of such vessels connected to the Venezuelan government. The pursuit of the tanker, off the coast of Venezuela, is the second such operation this weekend and the third in less than a week (CBS).

Blockade of Venezuela Pushing Cuba Towards Collapse

The US may get two for one: Two collapsed communist regimes as a result of targeting just one. Wall Street Journal: Cubans are going hungry, suffering from spreading disease and sleeping outdoors with no electricity to power fans through the sweltering nights. A quarter of the population has fled during the island’s most prolonged economic crisis. And it’s about to get worse. The U.S. is ratcheting up pressure on Havana’s key benefactor, Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which has kept the Communist-ruled nation afloat with cheap oil…. One tanker that the U.S. has already seized was en route with almost two million barrels of Venezuelan oil…. “This is existential,” said Manuel Cuesta Morua, a 62-year-old activist, speaking from Havana. “We’re just surviving day to day.” In Cuba’s National Assembly this month, some legislators spoke candidly about the gravity of the situation, though there is opposition toward greatly expanding the small private-business sector. “There is a huge material shortage in Cuba,” Diaz-Canel, the president, said in his speech. “We must assume the urgent need to advance toward macroeconomic stability…. Without economic efficiency, sovereignty is not possible.” Cuba’s economy has contracted 15% since 2018, according to Ricardo Torres Pérez, a Cuban economist at the American University in Washington. Cumulative inflation from 2018 to November is nearly 450%, he said. The Cuban peso has collapsed, trading at about 450 per dollar on the black market, compared with about 30 in 2020 (Wall Street Journal).

JD Vance at TPUSA’s America Fest Event: America ‘a Christian nation’

The Vice President closed out the America Fest event—striking a bridge-builder tone in a speech that was also remarkably bold about Christianity and its role in our nation’s history: The only thing that is truly served as an anchor of the United States of America is that we have been. And by the grace of God, we always will be a Christian nation. Now, I want to be explicit because of course the fake news media will twist everything that I say. I’m not saying do you feel about them the same way I do? I’m not saying you have to be a Christian to be an American. I’m saying something simpler and truer. Christianity is America’s creed. The shared moral language from the revolution to the Civil War and beyond. Across that history, our country’s major debates have always centered on how we could best as a people please God. That creed. Think about it. That creed motivated our understanding of natural law and rights, our sense of duty to one’s neighbor, the conviction that the strong must protect the weak and the belief in individual conscience. Even our famously American idea of religious liberty is a Christian concept. Because we’re all creatures of God, we must respect each individual’s pathway to that God. But over the last 50 years, there has been a singular focus, a war that has been waged on Christians and Christianity in the United States of America. And let me say, of all the wars that Donald Trump has ended, that is the one we’re proudest of (X; full speech: Rumble).

Nikki Minaj Lightens Mood at TPUSA Event

Nikki Minaj made a surprise appearance to express her support for President Trump and JD Vance. New York Post: … she took questions from Charlie Kirk’s window and urged young men to be like “handsome, dashing” President Trump — while ripping California Gov. Gavin “Newscum.” “He [Trump] has given so many people hope that there’s a chance to beat the bad guys and to win and to do it with your head held high,” Minaj told the widow Kirk about her thoughts on the president. Minaj vowed that she’s “not gonna back down anymore” and urged AmericaFest attendees to stand by their core beliefs regardless of what other people say. When asked about the backlash over her politics from her industry, Minaj simply replied, “I didn’t notice.” (New York Post). Sarah Anderson at PJ Media: I have to admit that I did not have rapper Nicki Minaj aligning herself with MAGA folks on my 2025 bingo card…. But it’s what she said about President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance that grabbed my attention. “I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president,” Minaj said, adding, “He has, I don’t know if he even knows this, but he’s given so many people hope that there’s a chance to beat the bad guys — and to win and to do it with your head held high and your integrity intact.” … Minaj said that there are so many people in this administration who have “heart and soul,” including Vance …. They’re both powerful men, smart, strong, all of that, but both of them have a very uncanny ability to be someone that you relate to,” she continued (PJ Media). 

Judge Dugan Convicted of Felony Obstruction

Judge Hannah Dugan knew what she was doing was illegal when she tried to smuggle an illegal alien out of her courtroom, so it was unsurprising that her defense seemed to be making a pitch for jury nullification. It didn’t work. Jonathan Turley: A jury in Milwaukee this week proved that it takes more than a robe to act like a judge. On Thursday, Judge Hannah Dugan was found guilty of the most serious count brought against her in a case that captivated many in the nation. Dugan famously told a fellow judge to wear her robe in the hallway to confront federal officers seeking to arrest a suspect. A jury found Dugan guilty of obstruction in helping an illegal migrant evade arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. She was acquitted of the misdemeanor charge of concealing Flores Ruiz. Judge Dugan was lionized by the left, including attorneys and politicians, for her effort to facilitate the escape of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz.  She had a prominent legal team, including former Solicitor General Paul Clement and former U.S. Attorney Steve Biskupic. Retired Supreme Court Justice Janine Geske agreed to be the trustee over a large defense fund. (Jonathan Turley) It is that last point that should shock you: the legal establishment, which knew she was guilty, rallied around the judge because … Trump.

Who Knew That the Leader of the Opposition to the EU Would Be Belgium’s PM?

When people think of Belgium, they think of it as the home of transnationalism, and of the European Union in particular. So, it’s a bit of a surprise to find out that the Prime Minister of Belgium is a Flemish nationalist, and has orchestrated a revolt against the European Union big boys in foreign policy. POLITICO.eu: For decades, Belgium has been Europe’s beating heart. That its current prime minister fought against the EU ― and won ― ushers in a dramatic new chapter for the bloc. Even though the EU agreed to send Ukraine €90 billion after 16 hours of marathon talks that ended Friday morning, this disguises yet more fracturing of European unity. Bart De Wever’s belligerence means it’s another victory for an anti-establishment leader. The plan to use frozen Russian assets to pay for the loan, for so long the only idea under consideration, is in tatters. De Wever, the Flemish nationalist whose career has been based on wanting to tear his country apart, held out for more than two months. Even as late as Thursday afternoon, many EU governments believed he’d back down.  He didn’t. “He basically got everything he wanted,” one EU diplomat said after the summit broke up in the early hours of Friday morning. “Is Belgium alone? Is Belgium isolated? I cannot predict what will happen,” De Wever told Belgian lawmakers before taking the shortest of trips to his capital’s EU quarter. He knew it wasn’t. The first camp of countries — by then led by Belgium with support from Italy, Bulgaria and Malta — opposed using Russia’s assets over fears of reprisals. Instead they wanted the EU to borrow money jointly. The fact that this idea was unpalatable to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Hungary’s Russia-friendly Orbán and yet turned out to be exactly what happened, shows the scale of De Wever’s victory. (POLITICO.eu) David Strom: Can it get more delicious than the man whose country hosts the European Union and has been a symbol of transnationalism becoming the leader of a breakaway faction in the Union? And little Belgium, which is practically an occupied country, wins the day (Hot Air).

Australia’s Response to Islamic Terror: Tighten Hate Speech and Gun Laws

“Diversity is our strength,” we keep being told as radical Islamists mow people down and commit heinous crimes in Western societies. Diversity makes the West so strong, in fact, that law-abiding citizens need to give up their rights of self-defense and speech. Fox News: In the wake of the mass shooting attack at Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a national gun buyback program and proposed new hate speech laws. While the legislation has not yet been drafted, it is already causing controversy as fears that the laws could be wielded as political weapons emerge. Critics have also said that neither the gun buyback nor the hate speech laws are addressing the root of what led to the terror attack. “Well, it’s a bit hard for them to actually strengthen the laws. It’s not clear what they’re proposing to do,” Dr. Reuben Kirkham, one of the directors of the Free Speech Union of Australia, told Fox News Digital. “What they’re probably going to try and do is widen it to include a bunch of things that are not to do with hate speech, necessarily.” Albanese told reporters on Friday that the government was working to “get the laws right” and acknowledged the complexities surrounding the issue. He said, “There are issues of free speech involved in this as well — we want to make sure that these laws don’t get passed and then get knocked over.” (Fox News) If things keep going as they have been, soon enough, they may well be announcing an Islamic State of Australia, the UK and New Zealand.

Israel Prepares Dossier on Iran as Netanyahu Meets Trump This Week

Iran has clearly been rebuilding its ballistic missile capacity and is looking to revive their nuclear program. Israel Hayom: The looming Iranian threat is set to take center stage in the expected meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump next week in Florida. Israeli officials are preparing a comprehensive intelligence dossier on Iran, detailing its efforts to revive its nuclear program, rebuild its ballistic missile arsenal, expand the global terrorist activity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and increase funding for Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and other terrorist organizations. The dossier to be presented to Trump and his team is aimed at forging close Israeli-US coordination to address what Jerusalem views as the root of the Iranian problem. Israeli officials believe the US president recognizes Iran as the head of the terrorism octopus in the Middle East, the aggressive force driving regional instability and the main obstacle to advancing a comprehensive regional agreement, Trump’s envisioned mega-deal. Even so, Trump has so far refrained from decisive action against the regime, and the meeting with Netanyahu is intended to establish clear milestones for handling Iran (Israel Hayom).

Latest ‘Star’ in Release of Epstein Files: Bill Clinton

This ought to be no surprise. New York Sun: President Clinton is featured in numerous never-before-seen images hanging out with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, including photos in which the former president is seen in a hot tub with an unidentified female. The massive collection of documents and photographs was made available on a public website Friday evening by the Department of Justice. The release was mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which set December 19 as the deadline for release. Among the most striking images is a photo of a shirtless Mr. Clinton in a dimly lit hot tub, his arms folded behind his head. “Here is Bill Clinton in a hot tub next to someone whose identity has been redacted. Per the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the DOJ was specifically instructed only to redact the faces of victims and/or minors,” [White House deputy press secretary, Abigail Jackson] wrote on X. “Time for the media to start asking real questions” (New York Sun). Washington Times: The former president, who admitted to palling around with Epstein but said he was not engaged in wrongdoing, is also pictured cozying up to a young woman on what is likely Epstein’s private jet. The young woman’s face is blocked out to protect her identity (Washington Times).

Yale Reaches Political Nirvana: Not a Single Republican Across 27 Departments

Continued movement in a direction antagonistic to viewpoint diversity. Jonathan Turley: Yale has finally achieved liberal nirvana. According to a recent report from the Buckley Institute, there is now not a single Republican found across 27 of 43 departments at Yale University. In a nation roughly evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats (with a slight advantage to the GOP), only 3 percent are Republicans across all Yale departments. In comparison, roughly 83% of faculty are registered Democrats or primarily support Democratic candidates. The Buckley Institute’s report looked at Yale’s undergraduate departments, as well as its School of Management and Law School…. Nothing is likely to change so long as donors continue to blindly fund these programs and ignore the obvious intolerance for opposing views. For now, most Yale departments have succeeded in creating a safe space for the ideologically intolerant (Jonathon Turley). The report Turley is interacting with: (Buckley).