Category: News
Which US Foods Are Banned In Europe?
Which US Foods Are Banned In Europe?
From growth hormones in meat to controversial chemicals and artificial dyes, Europe’s precautionary approach to food safety stands in strong contrast to America’s more permissive stance.
This divide isn’t just about science and risk management; it’s become a flashpoint in the broader trade tensions between the U.S. and EU, where food standards often clash with economic interests.
As Statista’s Tristan Gaudiat details below, for years, Europe has blocked imports of American foods containing substances like artificial growth hormones, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), titanium dioxide and potassium bromate, citing potential human health risks and animal welfare concerns.
The EU’s stricter regulations on food safety, rooted in the “precautionary principle”, prioritize consumer safety over industrial convenience – a philosophy that has repeatedly put Brussels at odds with Washington.
Yet, the tide may be (slowly) turning.
You will find more infographics at Statista
In 2024, the U.S. finally banned BVO, a synthetic emulsifier linked to neurological issues, after decades of use in soda and sports drinks.
And by 2027, Red Dye No. 3, a colorant long suspected of causing cancer, will also be phased out.
These moves mark rare moments of alignment with EU standards, even if several decades behind European legislators.
Critics argue that America’s regulatory system, often influenced by powerful food and chemical lobbies, lags behind Europe’s proactive bans.
Meanwhile, others point out that the EU’s strict rules have become a trade barrier, with U.S. farmers and food producers pushing back against what they see as protectionism disguised as public health.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/05/2026 – 02:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/which-us-foods-are-banned-europe
‘Demographic Time-Bomb’ – 7 Million Syrians Could Arrive In Germany Within 50 Years Due To Family Reunification
‘Demographic Time-Bomb’ – 7 Million Syrians Could Arrive In Germany Within 50 Years Due To Family Reunification
Dutch migration researcher and social scientist Ruud Koopmans has described the current rapid naturalizations as a “demographic time bomb” that could lead to 7 million Syrians in Germany within 50 years. Koopmans says that family reunification is the main factor, and with many relatives of these newly naturalized migrants having the right to reunification, it could transform Germany.
Koopmans criticizes Germany’s rapid naturalization of migrants, which was initiated under the last far-left German government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“One must consider whether refugees should be given access to German citizenship so quickly. If they are German nationals, there is no limit on family migration. Then any possibility of managing these migration flows is gone,“ he said in an interview with Cicero.
“This rapid naturalization can be considered a demographic time bomb in the long run,” he added.
He stated that the so-called “turbo naturalization“ after three years was removed by the current ruling government. The reality is that this option for receiving German citizenship after three years applied to very few people, sometimes numbering less than 10 people in certain German states.
However, standard naturalization is still possible after five years.
“I see a problem with naturalization. This limitation on family reunification only applies to those granted subsidiary protection as long as they don’t yet have German citizenship. While the federal government’s reform abolished accelerated naturalization after three years, standard naturalization after five years—even for people who came as refugees—remains,” he said.
Foreigners in Germany can receive citizenship after five years if they prove legal residence and an independent economic livelihood, have no criminal record, and have sufficient knowledge of German. However, there have also been widespread reports of cheating on the German-language tests.
Many of these new citizens are men, and they will want to bring their families to Germany.
“It is essential to consider the consequences this will have for the future. These (approx.) one million people are heavily overrepresented by men. They will largely seek their marriage partners in their country of origin. This is highly likely because marriage in these countries is typically within extended families. Marriage in these societies is also an economic transaction between families, and the ticket to Europe is an important means of exchange,” said Koopmans.
He then cited the rapid growth of previous immigrant populations, who used family reunification to grow their numbers by millions. Turks are a good case study, who are now over 6 million in number in Germany. They also remain extremely poorly integrated, and in fact, the recent gang war in Berlin, which has helped fuel a record number of shootings in the capital city this year, is due in large part to a feud between Turkish Mafia gangs.
“We only need to look at the past: How much has the population of guest workers from Turkey or Morocco grown over time through family reunification and reproduction? From 1973, the year recruitment was halted, to the present day, this group has increased sixfold or sevenfold. If we assume the same for the Syrians—and there is no reason not to—then in 50 years we will have seven million Syrians or citizens of Syrian origin in Germany. And I’m only talking about Syrians, but the same applies to people from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and so on,” the researcher added.
🇩🇪🔴German police say members of an extended Syrian clan family are said to have committed at least 160 crimes in Stuttgart.
They have cost Germany nearly €500,000 in prison detention fees alone, and that is just for 5 of the highly criminal family.
Now, Germany was so… pic.twitter.com/At9ZKozb5U
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) December 23, 2025
Koopmans then claims that after 10 years, people should be allowed to stay in Germany, but five years is too soon.
“If that’s still the case after 10 years, at some point you have to say: Okay, people have been here so long now that we have to offer them a lasting perspective,” says Koopmans. “But I think it’s wrong to do this after just five years.”
Koopmans makes a distinction between immigrants, however.
“These problems, both regarding integration into the labor market and high crime rates, affect very specific immigrant groups. They are a consequence of the fact that we don’t have truly controlled migration. It’s not the case that all immigrants are significantly overrepresented in crime statistics. Many migrants in Germany come from other EU member states. These are not significantly overrepresented in crime statistics. In terms of labor market participation, migrants from other member states are even better off,” he said.
However, given demographic trends, any number of naturalizations may present a serious demographic crisis for the German population moving forward due to the sheer number of people who arrived over the last few decades.
Notably, a majority of Germans now support an immigration moratorium, according to a new YouGov poll. The poll shows just how deeply Germans have turned against mass immigration in the past 10 years.
In addition, Syrians have an extremely high crime rate in relation to Germans, committing 135,000 crimes against Germans in the last nine years.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/05/2026 – 02:00
Asking Eric: I’m not having him over again unless he apologizes
Dear Eric: My boyfriend of almost two years seems unable to break away from his former spouse’s family. The marriage lasted 15 years. There were no children, so he has virtually no contact with the wife.
However, he seems unwilling to refuse any invitation from the family to have dinner, lunch and go on weekend trips to their bay house. Initially, I went along with him as I was invited but I got tired of hearing about the ex-wife from her family so I started saying no. I have expressed my displeasure on numerous occasions so my boyfriend will just join them for meals and family events without me.
When I was out of town visiting family for two weeks, my boyfriend revealed to me that he had been with the family four times in less than one week. When he mentioned joining them for the Thanksgiving meal, he knew from my reaction that I was not happy about it.
Any advice for me going forward? If he knows I don’t like his doing that, it seems like he would stop.
– Confused
Dear Confused: I wouldn’t go so far as to say your boyfriend should stop doing something like this just because you don’t like it. But the questions you’re raising should prompt him to give you a little more insight into what he’s thinking.
Even though many people, if not most, don’t maintain the same level of closeness to their in-laws after a divorce, obviously the people in this situation feel differently. They were in each other’s lives for 15 years, so one can see the logic, I suppose.
I can’t help but wonder where the ex-wife is in all this, though. Is she hanging out with the family, or is your boyfriend chilling with her folks while she’s off somewhere else?
Ultimately, though, this is about you and your boyfriend. When you share your displeasure about him going over to his ex-in-law’s house, he should be sharing with you what this relationship means to him and why it’s important that he keep it up.
You certainly don’t have to accept his reasoning. These hangouts can be non-negotiables for you that put an end to the relationship. But it is noteworthy that, from your letter, there’s nothing inappropriate going on here. The biggest issue listed was that a woman’s family was talking about her, which isn’t all that outrageous. Maybe it’s best to accept that these people are a part of your boyfriend’s life.
Dear Eric: My brother-in-law (never known for his tact or diplomacy) came to our house for Thanksgiving dinner where we had 15 people in attendance. Getting everything on the table in time is always a challenge but each year, people show up, eat, drink and are merry.
This year, my brother-in-law announced twice, in a loud and carrying voice, “This turkey is ice cold!” It was not piping hot because it got pulled out of the oven to get carved, and to make way for everything else that had to go in, and because of all the items that other guests showed up with that needed to be heated. But it was not cold. He then left early, telling me dinner was too crowded.
I was angry, my husband was angry. He sent my brother-in-law a text the next day about it. My brother-in-law responded that I was “taking on too much for dinner’ (which is actually kind of rich coming from him because he hasn’t hosted anything in years).
I saw him that same weekend for another family function (a catered function held elsewhere) and he came right over to tell me all that had gone wrong with the dinner. I said, “NOPE” andvrefused to engage with him.
I’ve told my husband I’m not having him over again unless he apologizes. My husband thinks I’m being unrealistic. Thoughts?
– Quitting Him Cold Turkey
Dear Quitting: Kudos to you for not dumping the not-ice-cold turkey right into his lap. He absolutely owes you an apology. It sounds like he’s dealing with mental or emotional issues that are impacting his ability to respond appropriately. You suggest that he’s always been like this. So, when your husband says you’re being unrealistic, maybe he’s saying “Well, you know how he is. What can be done?”
But there’s a big difference between knowing that a relative is a pill and loving them through it and being rudely insulted by a relative and just sucking it up. You don’t have to accept it. There are consequences for our actions. And it is realistic to hold other adults accountable when they act out.
Related Articles
Asking Eric: Why should I go to my 50th high school reunion?
Asking Eric: Can I take their leftovers?
Asking Eric: Should I send gift cards instead of gifts?
Asking Eric: People think I am incapable of taking care of my home
Asking Eric: I stopped inviting her
Your brother-in-law is not behaving like someone who wants to continue being invited over. Until he apologizes, he can eat his own turkey at whatever temperature he desires.
(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.)
Asking Eric: I’m not having him over again unless he apologizes
Dear Eric: My boyfriend of almost two years seems unable to break away from his former spouse’s family. The marriage lasted 15 years. There were no children, so he has virtually no contact with the wife.
However, he seems unwilling to refuse any invitation from the family to have dinner, lunch and go on weekend trips to their bay house. Initially, I went along with him as I was invited but I got tired of hearing about the ex-wife from her family so I started saying no. I have expressed my displeasure on numerous occasions so my boyfriend will just join them for meals and family events without me.
When I was out of town visiting family for two weeks, my boyfriend revealed to me that he had been with the family four times in less than one week. When he mentioned joining them for the Thanksgiving meal, he knew from my reaction that I was not happy about it.
Any advice for me going forward? If he knows I don’t like his doing that, it seems like he would stop.
– Confused
Dear Confused: I wouldn’t go so far as to say your boyfriend should stop doing something like this just because you don’t like it. But the questions you’re raising should prompt him to give you a little more insight into what he’s thinking.
Even though many people, if not most, don’t maintain the same level of closeness to their in-laws after a divorce, obviously the people in this situation feel differently. They were in each other’s lives for 15 years, so one can see the logic, I suppose.
I can’t help but wonder where the ex-wife is in all this, though. Is she hanging out with the family, or is your boyfriend chilling with her folks while she’s off somewhere else?
Ultimately, though, this is about you and your boyfriend. When you share your displeasure about him going over to his ex-in-law’s house, he should be sharing with you what this relationship means to him and why it’s important that he keep it up.
You certainly don’t have to accept his reasoning. These hangouts can be non-negotiables for you that put an end to the relationship. But it is noteworthy that, from your letter, there’s nothing inappropriate going on here. The biggest issue listed was that a woman’s family was talking about her, which isn’t all that outrageous. Maybe it’s best to accept that these people are a part of your boyfriend’s life.
Dear Eric: My brother-in-law (never known for his tact or diplomacy) came to our house for Thanksgiving dinner where we had 15 people in attendance. Getting everything on the table in time is always a challenge but each year, people show up, eat, drink and are merry.
This year, my brother-in-law announced twice, in a loud and carrying voice, “This turkey is ice cold!” It was not piping hot because it got pulled out of the oven to get carved, and to make way for everything else that had to go in, and because of all the items that other guests showed up with that needed to be heated. But it was not cold. He then left early, telling me dinner was too crowded.
I was angry, my husband was angry. He sent my brother-in-law a text the next day about it. My brother-in-law responded that I was “taking on too much for dinner’ (which is actually kind of rich coming from him because he hasn’t hosted anything in years).
I saw him that same weekend for another family function (a catered function held elsewhere) and he came right over to tell me all that had gone wrong with the dinner. I said, “NOPE” andvrefused to engage with him.
I’ve told my husband I’m not having him over again unless he apologizes. My husband thinks I’m being unrealistic. Thoughts?
– Quitting Him Cold Turkey
Dear Quitting: Kudos to you for not dumping the not-ice-cold turkey right into his lap. He absolutely owes you an apology. It sounds like he’s dealing with mental or emotional issues that are impacting his ability to respond appropriately. You suggest that he’s always been like this. So, when your husband says you’re being unrealistic, maybe he’s saying “Well, you know how he is. What can be done?”
But there’s a big difference between knowing that a relative is a pill and loving them through it and being rudely insulted by a relative and just sucking it up. You don’t have to accept it. There are consequences for our actions. And it is realistic to hold other adults accountable when they act out.
Related Articles
Asking Eric: Why should I go to my 50th high school reunion?
Asking Eric: Can I take their leftovers?
Asking Eric: Should I send gift cards instead of gifts?
Asking Eric: People think I am incapable of taking care of my home
Asking Eric: I stopped inviting her
Your brother-in-law is not behaving like someone who wants to continue being invited over. Until he apologizes, he can eat his own turkey at whatever temperature he desires.
(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.)
Tyler Bertuzzi’s 5th career hat trick lifts Chicago Blackhawks over the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime
The Chicago Blackhawks had to face a demon again on Sunday night — the second half of a back-to-back. The matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights had a different feel because they had a chance to do something 56 days in the making.
With wins over the Dallas Stars (New Year’s Day) and the Washington Capitals (Saturday), the Hawks were shooting for their first three-game win streak since Nov. 5-9. Hawks coach Jeff Blashill brushed aside the idea of playing harder for that streak, but the team came out better than in previous second games.
Golden Knights left winger Brandon Saad (10:40) opened the scoring in the first period, but Tyler Bertuzzi answered about two minutes later with a goal, his then-20th of the season. The Hawks weren’t being run off the ice this time.
Right-winger Mark Stone gave Vegas a 2-1 lead to put the road team in a winning position. Bertuzzi refused to let the Hawks fall again.
The Hawks (17-18-7) were lifted by Bertuzzi’s fifth career hat trick in a 3-2 overtime win over the Golden Knights (17-11-12). Each win in the three-game streak has been in extra periods.
“I thought as the game went along, our legs, we got better and better and better (and) our third was our best,” Blashill said. “We pushed hard and I thought we deserved two points.”
Bertuzzi sits in the team lead for goals this season (22).
“I’ve been feeling good,” Bertuzzi said. “I’ve been sticking with the program, staying even-keel, going out and working hard every day.”
Added Blashill: “He’s always been a guy who draws you into the fight because of the passion with which he plays, you can see that passion. There’s not a fake bone in Tyler’s body, so you see that passion on display (and) our guys feed off that.”
The left winger found himself in front of the net when Ilya Mikheyev passed him the puck at 1:18 in the overtime period. He tapped the puck into the left side past Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid for the victory.
“I’ve got to go watch it, I blacked out,” Bertuzzi said. “On the two-on-one, (Mikheyev) looked for me at the post and I knew he was going to look for me.”
The United Center cheers were nearly spoiled when Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy challenged the game-winner for offside. The review deemed the challenge unsuccessful, but Bertuzzi felt himself anxiously waiting for the call.
“(I was) a little worried, the percentage is pretty good that it’s usually offside,” Bertuzzi said. “I’m guessing they did it just because that was the last hope.”
Chicago Blackhawks goalie Arvid Söderblom makes a save during the first period against the Vegas Golden Knights, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, at the United Center. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Netminder Arvid Söderblom (13 saves) has had a chip on his shoulder after a few rough outings. He’s won two of his past three games (he replaced Spencer Knight against the Pittsburgh Penguins), totaling 53 saves.
He’s been exceptional as of late with solo breakaway saves, denying the likes of Sidney Crosby, Mikko Rantanen and Stone. His hard work focusing on this area is paying off.
“Those saves can be the deciding factor in the game,” Söderblom said. “To be able to come up in that situation, it felt really good and it’s something I want to continue doing.”
The Hawks began the season as one of the more penalized teams in the NHL. They’re still in the top five in average penalty minutes per game (10.3), but they’ve kept it clean in their past three games.
From Dec. 27-30 — at the Dallas Stars and hosting the Penguins and the New York Islanders — they had 11 penalties and a minus-5 goal differential. In the past three games, the Hawks only had three total penalties, a plus-3 goal differential and three wins.
It’s disciplined hockey, which helps as Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar trend toward their return from injuries. Blashill says that it’s been a focus to decrease the need to be on the penalty kill.
“We have talked about that for a long time and haven’t always done a good job of it, so I can’t take credit for the fact that we’ve done that,” Blashill said. “I think sometimes games take a life of their own.
“It’s something we’ve talked about from day one, the early part of the year we took too many penalties and we want to stay away from those penalties that are avoidable. We’re confident in our penalty kill but you don’t want to put yourself on the penalty kill a bunch.”
The Hawks are now 3-0 in 2026, with a jam-packed January ahead before the NHL’s break for the Winter Olympics in February.
“It’s always tough coming off a back-to-back like that and we haven’t been great at it this year,” Söderblom said. “We’ve talked before that we were going to compete and give all we had (and) I think we did.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/04/chicago-blackhawks-tyler-bertuzzi-hat-trick/
Tyler Bertuzzi’s 5th career hat trick lifts Chicago Blackhawks over the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime
The Chicago Blackhawks had to face a demon again on Sunday night — the second half of a back-to-back. The matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights had a different feel because they had a chance to do something 56 days in the making.
With wins over the Dallas Stars (New Year’s Day) and the Washington Capitals (Saturday), the Hawks were shooting for their first three-game win streak since Nov. 5-9. Hawks coach Jeff Blashill brushed aside the idea of playing harder for that streak, but the team came out better than in previous second games.
Golden Knights left winger Brandon Saad (10:40) opened the scoring in the first period, but Tyler Bertuzzi answered about two minutes later with a goal, his then-20th of the season. The Hawks weren’t being run off the ice this time.
Right-winger Mark Stone gave Vegas a 2-1 lead to put the road team in a winning position. Bertuzzi refused to let the Hawks fall again.
The Hawks (17-18-7) were lifted by Bertuzzi’s fifth career hat trick in a 3-2 overtime win over the Golden Knights (17-11-12). Each win in the three-game streak has been in extra periods.
“I thought as the game went along, our legs, we got better and better and better (and) our third was our best,” Blashill said. “We pushed hard and I thought we deserved two points.”
Bertuzzi sits in the team lead for goals this season (22).
“I’ve been feeling good,” Bertuzzi said. “I’ve been sticking with the program, staying even-keel, going out and working hard every day.”
Added Blashill: “He’s always been a guy who draws you into the fight because of the passion with which he plays, you can see that passion. There’s not a fake bone in Tyler’s body, so you see that passion on display (and) our guys feed off that.”
The left winger found himself in front of the net when Ilya Mikheyev passed him the puck at 1:18 in the overtime period. He tapped the puck into the left side past Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid for the victory.
“I’ve got to go watch it, I blacked out,” Bertuzzi said. “On the two-on-one, (Mikheyev) looked for me at the post and I knew he was going to look for me.”
The United Center cheers were nearly spoiled when Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy challenged the game-winner for offside. The review deemed the challenge unsuccessful, but Bertuzzi felt himself anxiously waiting for the call.
“(I was) a little worried, the percentage is pretty good that it’s usually offside,” Bertuzzi said. “I’m guessing they did it just because that was the last hope.”
Chicago Blackhawks goalie Arvid Söderblom makes a save during the first period against the Vegas Golden Knights, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, at the United Center. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Netminder Arvid Söderblom (13 saves) has had a chip on his shoulder after a few rough outings. He’s won two of his past three games (he replaced Spencer Knight against the Pittsburgh Penguins), totaling 53 saves.
He’s been exceptional as of late with solo breakaway saves, denying the likes of Sidney Crosby, Mikko Rantanen and Stone. His hard work focusing on this area is paying off.
“Those saves can be the deciding factor in the game,” Söderblom said. “To be able to come up in that situation, it felt really good and it’s something I want to continue doing.”
The Hawks began the season as one of the more penalized teams in the NHL. They’re still in the top five in average penalty minutes per game (10.3), but they’ve kept it clean in their past three games.
From Dec. 27-30 — at the Dallas Stars and hosting the Penguins and the New York Islanders — they had 11 penalties and a minus-5 goal differential. In the past three games, the Hawks only had three total penalties, a plus-3 goal differential and three wins.
It’s disciplined hockey, which helps as Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar trend toward their return from injuries. Blashill says that it’s been a focus to decrease the need to be on the penalty kill.
“We have talked about that for a long time and haven’t always done a good job of it, so I can’t take credit for the fact that we’ve done that,” Blashill said. “I think sometimes games take a life of their own.
“It’s something we’ve talked about from day one, the early part of the year we took too many penalties and we want to stay away from those penalties that are avoidable. We’re confident in our penalty kill but you don’t want to put yourself on the penalty kill a bunch.”
The Hawks are now 3-0 in 2026, with a jam-packed January ahead before the NHL’s break for the Winter Olympics in February.
“It’s always tough coming off a back-to-back like that and we haven’t been great at it this year,” Söderblom said. “We’ve talked before that we were going to compete and give all we had (and) I think we did.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/04/chicago-blackhawks-tyler-bertuzzi-hat-trick/
Steve Millar’s high school boys basketball rankings and player of the week for the Daily Southtown
Marist takes over the top spot again, while Mount Carmel and Bloom join the rankings.
Top 10
With records through Sunday and previous rankings in parentheses.
1. Marist 14-1 (2)
TJ Tate steps up as RedHawks win Centralia Holiday Tournament for first time since 2016.
2. Homewood-Flossmoor 13-1 (1)
Darrius Hawkins Jr. shines as top scorer at Pontiac Holiday Tournament as Vikings place fifth.
3. St. Laurence 14-2 (3)
Jeremiah Toney provides consistent toughness as Vikings win Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic.
4. Lincoln-Way Central 11-3 (6)
Nolan Morrill is a defensive stopper for Knights, who open eyes with narrow loss to Kankakee.
5. Lockport 11-4 (7)
Nathan Munson dishes out 21 assists over four games at Pontiac, where Porters go 2-2.
6. Thornwood 12-4 (8)
Mekhi Young hits clutch jumper as Thunderbirds edge Rich Township 48-46 at the Big Dipper.
7. Mount Carmel 11-5 (NR)
Junior guard Logan Wessel earns all-tournament honors as Caravan take second at Pekin.
8. Rich Township 8-6 (4)
Coach Lou Adams searches for consistency and hopes tough schedule pays off for Raptors.
9. Brother Rice 11-4 (9)
Adam McBrearty stars off the bench and gets named all-tournament at Hinsdale Central.
10. Bloom 8-6 (NR)
Senior forward Troy Garner sparks Blazing Trojans to consolation championship at Pontiac.
Player of the Week
Senior forward Charles Barnes earns MVP honors at the Centralia Holiday Tournament, averaging 17.5 points and leading Marist to the championship. He adds 17 points each in wins over St. Rita and Crete-Monee.
Trump’s New Energy Doctrine: Regime Change, Then Drill
Trump’s New Energy Doctrine: Regime Change, Then Drill
Authored by Philip Wegmann via RealClearPolitics,
President Donald Trump has embarked on his own regime-change mission. And this time the United States intends to keep the oil.
American Special Operations Forces captured Nicolás Maduro in a daring raid, nabbing the Venezuelan leader from his bed early Saturday morning before sending him north aboard the USS Iwo Jima to New York, where he will face criminal charges related to an alleged narco-terrorism conspiracy.
The leftist strongman had ruled the South American state for more than a decade.
Now Trump will take over. “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he told reporters during a Mar-a-Lago press conference, deputizing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to manage in the interim as “a team.”
Though long a critic of the foreign entanglements that defined the presidencies of his Republican predecessors, Trump insisted he could do regime change right. “We’ll run it properly. We’ll run it professionally,” he said. “We’ll have the greatest oil companies in the world going in.” He will not, however, clean house.
Trump claimed Delcy Rodríguez, a Maduro loyalist and the current Venezuelan vice president, was already willing to work with the United States to remake the country. He said it would be “very tough” for opposition leader María Corina Machado to assume power. Just hours after perhaps the most consequential decision of his tenure, the once ostensibly isolationist president was suddenly and remarkably open-ended in his commitment to rebuild a nation thousands of miles away from his own. Of a potential American occupation force, Trump said, “We are not afraid of boots on the ground.”
Even if the newly announced nation-building mission may be something of a flashback to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, Trump did not echo the language of the War on Terror. He spoke for nearly an hour. Not once did the president, or his assembled people, say the word “democracy.”
He ordered the removal of the foreign head of state to instead preserve American hegemony in the Western Hemisphere. Venezuela under Maduro had opened its arms to China, Cuba, Iran, and Russia by way of both trade and military cooperation. The White House alleged that this amounted to a violation of the Monroe Doctrine, a 19th-century precedent named for then-President James Monroe’s opposition to colonial meddling in the Americas by the Europeans. “They are now calling it the ‘Donroe Doctrine,’” the current president quipped before the press.
The turn of phrase was new. The strategy is not. The White House has shifted its focus to North and South America to establish what the new National Security Strategy released late last year described as “the Trump corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine. The stated goal: U.S. dominance in the region. The specific application as described by the president last month: Any nation harboring drug cartels is “subject to attack.” Even as the administration designated drug cartels as terror organizations, sanctioned Maduro and members of his own family, and sent the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to blockade Caracas, the Venezuelan authoritarian doubted Trump.
The two leaders spoke as recently as last week in an attempt to avoid a conflict. The negotiations eventually broke down, according to Rubio, after Maduro failed to accept one of the “multiple opportunities to avoid” the kind of military intervention that led to his arrest. “We’ll talk and meet with anybody but don’t play games while this president is in office,” the diplomat warned, “because it’s not going to turn out well.”
Democrats feel they woke up hoodwinked. Trump had sidestepped calls last year to go to Congress for war authority even as momentum tipped toward conflict. The subsequent operation to capture Maduro caught lawmakers by surprise. Many learned of the strike like the rest of the country – through news reports. While Rubio spent the morning calling different members of Congress, he defended the decision to keep Capitol Hill in the dark.
“This is not the kind of mission that you can do congressional notifications on,” the diplomat said, insisting the decision to go was dependent on a number of factors. “It was a trigger-based mission.” The president offered another explanation. Congress, Trump said, “has a tendency to leak.”
Trump is not the first president to condemn Maduro as illegitimate. Former President Joe Biden briefly suspended oil sanctions on the now deposed leader in hopes that economic relief could entice him to hold free and fair elections. Those hopes were dashed when Maduro claimed victory, and a third consecutive six-year presidential term, in elections in 2024 that outside observers condemned as fraudulent.
But while there is broad agreement that Maduro is an authoritarian, there is no bipartisan support for overthrowing his government.
“Because the President and his Cabinet repeatedly denied any intention of conducting regime change in Venezuela when briefing Congress, we are left with no understanding of how the administration is preparing to mitigate risks to the U.S. and we have no information regarding a long-term strategy following today’s extraordinary escalation,” New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement on Saturday.
Trump justified the strike against Venezuela saying it was necessary to stop narcoterrorism and reclaim American oil assets seized by Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chavez. When pressed to explain how regime change fit with his America First mantra, the president replied, “We want to surround ourselves with good neighbors.”
Most Republicans have accepted that explanation – but not all of them.
Outgoing Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a staunch Trump ally, asked a series of uncomfortable questions for the administration, including why the White House hadn’t launched military operations against Mexican drug cartels and why Trump had pardoned a former Honduran president found guilty of trafficking cocaine. “Americans disgust with our own government’s never ending military aggression and support of foreign wars is justified because we are forced to pay for it and both parties, Republicans and Democrats, always keep the Washington military machine funded and going,” she wrote on social media. “This is what many in MAGA thought they voted to end. Boy, were we wrong.”
While Attorney General Pam Bondi characterized the operation as “an arrest with military support,” Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie wondered how that legal characterization applied to Trump’s promise to take over and run the country. That question will soon be litigated on Capitol Hill, though Democrats don’t have the numbers, nor Republicans the appetite, to check the White House.
Trump has offered different condemnations of Maduro at different times. He first condemned him as being complicit in the drug trade that brought “poison” to American shores, then reproached the authoritarian as a puppet of foreign adversaries, before finally flaying his regime for the nationalization of American oil producers in the region.
Perhaps a combination of those irritants has inspired Trump’s latest foreign policy evolution. Once averse to intervention, he now welcomes the opportunity to rebuild a regime immediately after he removed its leadership. He remains consistent on at least one count. After criticizing the Bush administration for not turning a profit in the War on Terror, Trump seems hell-bent on avoiding that same mistake.
He said that U.S. energy companies would rebuild the nation as they return to Venezuela and seeknew revenue streams. Any costs incurred would quickly be deferred by the new oil revenue, or what the president described as “the money coming out of the ground.”
Philip Wegmann is White House correspondent for RealClearPolitics.
Tyler Durden
Sun, 01/04/2026 – 23:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/trumps-new-energy-doctrine-regime-change-then-drill
‘We came off flat’: Chicago Bears defense shares blame in Sunday’s 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions
The Chicago Bears defense continued a worrying trend heading into the playoffs, allowing an opponent more than 400 yards of offense for a second straight week during Sunday’s 19-16 loss to the Detroit Lions.
The Lions put up 433 yards of offense a week after the Bears defense allowed 496 yards to the San Francisco 49ers in a 42-38 loss in Week 17.
Unlike their game against the 49ers, the Bears defense held the Lions to mostly field goals (four of them), though it allowed Jahmyr Gibbs’ 15-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.
The Lions punted twice, Jake Bates missed a 53-yard field goal attempt and Bears safety Kevin Byard III halted one drive with his seventh interception of the season
“Any loss is tough, especially losing at home against the division opponent,” Byard said. “We just didn’t play well enough early in the game. Too many long drives, wasn’t able to get off the field on third downs. I think in the second half, we started to play a little bit better.”
“Definitely frustrated,” linebacker D’Marco Jackson said. “Obviously, we (were) on the wrong end of the scoreboard, like with points. So obviously ain’t too happy about that.”
Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright (26) is unable to prevent Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) from catching a pass in the first quarter of a game at Soldier Field in Chicago on Jan. 4, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
The Bears defense has until Saturday to search for solutions, when they’ll host the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round for their third meeting this season.
And thanks to the Washington Commanders’ 24-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bears hung onto the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
“New season. A new season was reset,” Bears defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said of the pending playoffs. “When we prepare throughout the week, the way we eat, the way we think, where we talk, the best is required, and it’s time to go to work.”
“It’s playoff time,” Brisker added. “It’s win or go home. We’ve got to all look at ourselves in the mirror and just play how we’ve been playing all year. We’re one of the top defenses in the league, we take the ball away and things like that. So that’s what we’ve got to do.”
Several of the Bears’ defenders said they’ll have to refer to film for answers, but one area of concern would be the explosive plays they coughed up.
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught nine passes for 110 yards in the first half and finished with 139 yards on 11 catches. Jameson Williams had six catches for 74 yards in the game.
“We knew what they were going to do, but I just don’t think we did a good enough job executing what we needed to do to be able to get those stops, and those explosive plays just kind of kept those drives going,” Byard said. “We (were) able to force field goals in the red zone, but we’re just being on the field way too long.”
Week 18 photos: Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions
It was a tough day for the Bears’ defensive backs overall, with C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Nahshon Wright and Jaylon Johnson giving up chunk plays in critical situations.
Lions coach Dan Campbell credited “our playmakers making plays. That includes (Kalif Raymond). He had some big plays for us and (Jameson Williams) was huge once again. When is he not huge?”
While it didn’t stand out as an eyesore as much as the pass defense, the run defense didn’t fare all that well either.
Gibbs ran for 80 yards and former Bear David Montgomery added 42. They averaged 4.2 and 5.3 yards per carry, respectively.
On Thursday, Lions offensive coordinator John Morton had sounded confident about the matchup.
“With Chicago, I think we can get after these guys a little bit, I really do,” he said. “They’re giving up almost five yards a carry, so I like our chances there with this defense. So, I like the matchup here and I liked it the first game.”
The Bears defense also couldn’t get off the field on third down, with Detroit going 6-for-13 (46%).
“Third down was really good for us. Really good,” Campbell said.
Brisker said the Bears’ coverage scheme played a role in the Lions’ explosive plays.
“We were playing a whole bunch of man today, no help in the middle,” he said. “Lot of picks, rubs — really, they schemed us up and we just had to do a better job covering. So, yeah, they just got us in the right call, they just out-schemed us, really, just to be honest.”
Perhaps a bigger factor in the performance was how lifeless the Bears looked on defense, at least in the first half.
“Yeah, it was 13-nothing. It was flat,” Brisker said. “I think about it, it was flat.
“We (were) at home, playing against Detroit. I would’ve thought, you know, they beat us 52-21 last time, obviously Ben (Johnson) just came from there, I would think we would be a lot more motivated. But we came off flat.”
When asked about the defense’s urgency heading into the playoffs, particularly given poor showings against the Lions and the 49ers in the last two weeks, Jarrett balked at the question.
“I don’t think we have a lack of urgency,” he said. “I think we’ve got guys who (are) hungry, want to work their tail off every day and expect greatness.
“Obviously, (it) wasn’t in the plan to lose the last two. We came up short. But, like we always have, I believe we’re going to respond.”
A pass intended for Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) is tipped before it is intercepted during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
The defense did respond in the second half.
The Lions were limited to 196 yards and Byard intercepted quarterback Jared Goff on third-and-20.
Byard, who was selected to his third Pro Bowl, finished the regular season as the league’s interceptions leader with his seventh pick.
“Just a tipped pass,” Byard said. “I think (Jaquan) Brisker got his hand on it. Just made a play on the ball.
“Obviously, (I) was hoping that that was going to be the one. The offense is going to drive down, we (were) going to score. Definitely had confidence in that.”
However, on the ensuing offensive drive, the Bears were undermined by Caleb Williams’ intentional grounding penalty and went three-and-out.
The Lions drove 39 yards on six plays for Bates’ game-winning field goal from 42 yards out.
The Lions went 1-for-4 in the red zone, with Gibbs’ 15-yard touchdown catch accounting for the Lions’ only touchdown.
“I felt like the red-zone defense was pretty good today,” Brisker said. “Almost had a couple of turnovers in the red. That’s a good offense, stopping them down there in the red.
“Obviously kept us in the game to the end and we just didn’t get it done.”
Jarrett said the team will spend the week evaluating the film, “and be real. Rip the Band-Aid off and get better. The only way you can move forward is to face the truth and do what we need to do so we don’t make the same mistakes.”
Byard said the intensity has to be better for the wild-card game against the Packers.
“We know it’s a competitive game, two teams that know each other very well. Two really good play callers in the game with Ben and Matt LaFleur. It’s going to be a tough game.
“We’ve got to play better football, and that’s really the bottom line.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/04/chicago-bears-detroit-lions-defense/
Footage Suggests ‘Black Program’ Stealth Drone May Have Supported Delta Force In Maduro Capture Operation
Footage Suggests ‘Black Program’ Stealth Drone May Have Supported Delta Force In Maduro Capture Operation
Our reporting on Saturday, spanning from early morning through late night, covered the incremental developments as U.S. Delta Force operators successfully executed Operation Absolute Resolve. This operation led to the capture of Venezuelan socialist leader Nicolás Maduro, his immediate transport to the U.S., and the filing of federal charges in New York, including a highly visible “perp walk” designed to send a clear message to other left-wing-controlled countries in the Western Hemisphere that America is back.
In a late-night press briefing, Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine disclosed that the operation involved the deployment of more than 150 air assets, underscoring the air-dominant posture of the Delta Force-led mission.
“Last night, on the order of the President of the United States and in support of a request from the Department of Justice, as the President said, the United States military conducted an apprehension mission in Caracas, Venezuela, to bring to justice two indicted persons, Nicolás and Cecilia Maduro,” Caine told reporters.
He continued:
“This operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, was discreet and precise, conducted during the darkest hours of January 2nd, and was the culmination of months of planning and rehearsal, an operation that, frankly, only the United States military could undertake.
In an unprecedented operation, we leveraged our unmatched intelligence capabilities and years of experience hunting terrorists. We could not have accomplished this mission without the extraordinary work of multiple intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA, and NGA.
We watched, we waited, we prepared, and remained patient and professional. This mission was meticulously planned, drawing lessons from decades of operations. It was an audacious effort that only the United States could execute. It required the highest level of precision and integration within our joint force.
Even the word ‘integration’ fails to capture the sheer complexity of this mission.”
Caine then revealed a key operational detail:
Such a precise extraction involved more than 150 aircraft launching across the Western Hemisphere in close coordination, all converging at the right time and place to layer effects for a single purpose: inserting an interdiction force into downtown Caracas while maintaining tactical surprise.
Failure of any single component would have endangered the entire mission, and failure is never an option for America’s joint force. Those in the air over Caracas last night were prepared to give their lives for those on the ground and aboard the helicopters.”
Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: “This operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, was discreet, precise, and… the culmination of months of planning and rehearsal — an operation that, frankly, only the United States military could undertake.” pic.twitter.com/VdcL5kbu7j
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 3, 2026
Caine did not specify what the “150 aircraft” consisted of, but some open-source intelligence accounts on X shared footage that appears to show a stealth unmanned aerial vehicle used during the operation.
Clash Report posted footage that appears to show an RQ-170 Sentinel drone returning to a U.S. military base in Puerto Rico following the operation.
The stealth drone, a flying-wing platform with radar-absorbing skin designed to minimize detection, was likely tasked with covert surveillance to support the raid, the capture of Maduro, and any related kinetic operations.
VERY RARE: Footage shows a U.S. RQ-170 stealth drone returning to Puerto Rico after reportedly supporting last night’s U.S. strikes on Venezuela.
The RQ-170 Sentinel is a stealthy, high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works. pic.twitter.com/R2qQI3TyvK
— Clash Report (@clashreport) January 3, 2026
There has been no confirmation from the Department of War that the RQ-170 was involved in yesterday’s operations in Venezuela.
Tyler Durden
Sun, 01/04/2026 – 22:45
