Greetings! Happy Human Rights Day to those celebrating.

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🇻🇪 Trump touts seizure of sanctioned tanker near Venezuela. President Donald Trump said American forces seized an oil tanker off Venezuela that officials accuse of skirting sanctions by hauling crude tied to President Nicolás Maduro’s government. The ship was intercepted in international waters after leaving a Venezuelan port and was escorted by American vessels to an undisclosed location. American officials say the cargo was partly destined for Cuba, which also faces energy sanctions. They argue the operation shows a tougher line on enforcement after years of “ghost fleet” shipments. Caracas condemned the move as piracy and a violation of its sovereignty. Cuba’s government called it collective punishment of its population. Energy analysts warn the step could further strain already volatile Caribbean shipping routes.

🇳🇴 Machado reappears in Oslo to receive Nobel peace honor. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado made her first public appearance in 11 months as she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. She addressed supporters from a hotel balcony after months spent in hiding following a government crackdown. Machado dedicated the award to political prisoners, exiles and families of protesters killed in Venezuela’s long crisis. She remains barred from holding office by a ruling from Venezuela’s highest court. Authorities in Caracas have denounced her international recognition as foreign meddling. Rights groups counter that her case shows how dissent is criminalized under President Nicolás Maduro. For many Venezuelans abroad, her reemergence briefly turned a Norwegian ceremony into a long distance rally.

🏦 Fed trims rates again and predicts gentler landing in 2026. The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate for the third straight meeting and signaled more confidence that inflation is cooling without a deep downturn. Policymakers lowered the key rate by a quarter point and projected slightly stronger growth next year. New forecasts show most officials expect only a small number of additional cuts in 2026. They also see inflation edging closer to the 2% target over the next two years. Unemployment is still expected to stay under 4.5%, a historically low level. Three officials dissented, arguing that an easier policy risks reigniting price pressures. Traders recalibrated bets for rapid cuts, but stocks largely held on to recent gains.

💳 Trump’s ‘gold card’ visas put a price tag on residency. A new American “gold card” program backed by President Donald Trump officially launched its website, offering long-term visas for people willing to invest at least $1M. The initiative promises a path to permanent residency and eventual citizenship for qualifying families. Separate rules allow companies to sponsor foreign workers by putting $2M into American projects for each employee. Officials describe the program as a job creator that will lure entrepreneurs and high earners. Critics say it deepens a two-tier system in which the wealthy buy access while other migrants face crackdowns. Unlike older investor visas, this one has no formal annual cap. Lawyers are already fielding calls from clients looking to pair political uncertainty abroad with a financial foothold in America.

🤖 Musk calls his DOGE government revamp only "somewhat successful". Tesla ($TSLA) CEO Elon Musk said his stint running the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was only “somewhat successful” and not something he would repeat. In a friendly interview with adviser Katie Miller, he claimed the effort still saved taxpayers tens of billions of dollars. The department was created under President Donald Trump to consolidate data systems and slash overlapping offices. Musk acknowledged underestimating how hard it would be to unwind entrenched bureaucracies. He also argued that some agencies quietly resisted changes once the headlines faded. Supporters say DOGE streamlined procurement and cut delays for certain permits. Critics counter that cuts fell heavily on environmental and workplace enforcement, which is harder for voters to track.

🏛️ Inflation speech swerves into attacks on “filthy” countries. At a rally in Pennsylvania billed as a plan to tackle inflation, President Donald Trump again blamed migrants for rising costs and crime. He described immigrants from what he called “filthy” countries and “places nobody has ever heard of” as a threat to neighborhoods and hospitals. The crowd at Mount Airy Casino Resort heard relatively few specifics about lowering grocery or rent bills. Trump instead returned to familiar themes of tariffs, border walls, and mass deportations. Economists note that his broad import taxes have already lifted prices on many goods. Advocates for immigrant communities say such language fuels harassment and violence. Voters listening from a region squeezed by higher food and fuel costs are left to weigh rhetoric against receipts.

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