Source: Reason
by Joe Lancaster

“Over the weekend, American military forces arrested Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife during an operation in the capital city of Caracas. While the action was nominally undertaken to prosecute Maduro and his wife for ‘narcoterrorism,’ President Donald Trump soon added another potential justification: accessing the country’s generous oil reserves. If this is Trump’s plan, it will be easier said than done. … ‘American oil executives are unlikely to dive headfirst into Venezuela for multiple reasons: The situation on the ground remains very uncertain, Venezuela’s oil industry is in shambles and Caracas has a history of seizing US oil assets,’ reported CNN’s Matt Egan.” (01/06/26)

https://reason.com/2026/01/06/trump-wants-oil-companies-to-fix-venezuelas-infrastructure/

Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone

“If you were wondering why the US establishment was so much more chill about Trump becoming president this term than they were the first time around, you’re watching the reason now. The powers that be were assured that he’d carry out longstanding imperial agendas like kidnapping Maduro, bombing Iran and overseeing a final solution to the Palestinian problem, and they trusted him to carry out those plans. The MAGA narrative that the establishment hates Trump because he’s fighting the Deep State has never been true; there were certain factions within the US imperial power structure which disliked Trump, but that was only because he was not a proven commodity like Hillary Clinton and they didn’t trust him to be a reliable steward of the empire.” (01/06/25)

https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/01/06/the-us-empire-needs-men-like-trump/

Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Rachel Chiu

“Chief Justice John Roberts is right: The Declaration of Independence, while not law itself, must be the benchmark that guides all three branches of government. On New Year’s Eve, the Chief Justice released his annual year-end report on the state of the judiciary. Of particular note is the brief prefatory letter that Roberts has often used to opine on controversial issues such as judicial independence, artificial intelligence in the legal profession, and security threats against judges. This year’s letter focuses on the Declaration of Independence, which celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2026. While many commentators have criticized Roberts for ‘dodging’ the biggest questions of the day — especially perceived favoritism for the Trump administration — his words are apt for the times, focusing on the foundational ideals that define the American experiment.” (01/06/25)

https://fee.org/articles/the-declaration-of-independence-is-still-our-guidepost/

Source: Washington Monthly
by Alex Bronzini-Vender

“In the December 29 New York Post, Daniel McCarthy, the conservative columnist, declared that ‘at Harvard University today, professors who teach Western history are history.’ David Wolpe, a former visiting scholar at Harvard Divinity School, posted that ‘Harvard has no one left who teaches Western Civilization.’ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, for his part, posted that ‘the study of western civilization’ has ‘completely cratered’ at institutions like Harvard. That’s news to me. Just last month, I was torn between enrolling in What is Global European History? or Political Debates in the Empire of New Rome. And this past fall, the department’s offerings included The Fall of the Roman Empire, Germany, 1848–1949, Early Modern Europe, Travelers in the Byzantine World, and Amsterdam: Portrait of an Early Modern Metropolis.” (01/06/26)

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/01/06/harvard-western-civilization-humanities-decline/

Source: Fox News
by Enes Kanter Freedom

“At a time when principles are tested and passions run high, we have to return to the heart of what America stands for. It’s not just about who raises a flag, but who upholds the values of generosity, unity and a shared future. In the end, the question is about the soul of our nation. Who stands with America’s deepest ideals, and who does not? I came to America chasing a basketball dream, but I stayed because I found something far greater: freedom. As a Muslim and a legal immigrant, I came to the United States because freedom here is not just an idea. It is a way of life. I did not come to impose my beliefs on anyone. I did not come to burn flags or hate this nation. I did not come to conquer America.” (01/06/25)

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/enes-kanter-freedom-i-came-here-my-basketball-dream-stay-freedom-american-dream

Source: The Daily Economy
by Thomas L Hogan

“Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are widely – but wrongly – panned as unregulated casinos or Ponzi schemes that create no real value. For example, US Senator Elizabeth Warren called crypto a ‘threat to financial stability,’ while the UK’s Treasury Select Committee said that cryptocurrency ownership ‘more closely resembles gambling than a financial service.’ While some cryptocurrencies are mainly speculative, many serve specific business or functional purposes. We can identify some of the value created by cryptocurrencies by breaking them into four general categories: Bitcoin, stablecoins, meme coins, and utility tokens.” (01/06/26)

https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/is-crypto-just-a-meme-coin-casino/