Greetings! Happy National Puzzle Day to those celebrating.

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🇻🇪 Venezuela opens oil to privatization, betting on fresh capital. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez signed the law Thursday in Caracas. The National Assembly approved it less than two hours earlier. The overhaul reverses a core promise of the ruling socialist movement. It invites private and foreign money into oil operations long run by the state. The law caps combined taxes and royalties at 30%. It also allows disputes to be settled outside Venezuelan courts. Rodríguez said she spoke with President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The Department of the Treasury began easing oil sanctions and widened operating latitude for American energy companies. Rubio told lawmakers the administration will oversee sales of tens of millions of barrels from a country with the world’s largest proven crude reserves.

🇵🇦 Panama court voids canal-port concession, raising the stakes. The Supreme Court ruled late Thursday that the deal was unconstitutional. Panama Ports Company has run the ports since 1997. The operator is tied to CK Hutchison Holdings, based in Hong Kong. The concession covers Balboa and Cristóbal at both canal entrances. Comptroller Anel Flores said an audit found missing payments and accounting errors. Flores also alleged a “ghost” concessionaire operating inside the ports since 2015. His office estimated about $300M lost since the 2021 extension and $1.2B over the original 25-year term. Analyst Edwin Cabrera said the Panama Maritime Authority now has to decide next steps. A stalled sale to a consortium including BlackRock ($BLK), the world’s largest asset manager, hangs over the waterfront.

🧾 Shutdown cliff retreats as leaders buy time on border policy. President Trump endorsed a deal with Senate Democrats. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called it a bipartisan breakthrough. Speaker Mike Johnson said it funds most agencies through September. The agreement keeps Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at current funding for 2 weeks. Democrats want that pause to lock in limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Senator Tina Smith pushed for stronger due-process protections on arrests. Senator Richard Blumenthal argued the issue is civil liberties, not calendar games. Senator Thom Tillis said he doubts Congress can fix it inside a short window. Everyone avoided the shutdown, and nobody avoided the fight.

🚨 Vinegar attack on Ilhan Omar draws federal intimidation charge. Federal prosecutors charged Anthony Kazmierczak in Minneapolis. The target was Representative Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat. Police say he squirted apple cider vinegar at her during a town hall. Witnesses tackled him, and officers arrested him on the spot. The Department of Justice (DOJ) says he acted because of her identity and views. Hennepin County also charged him with terroristic threats and fifth-degree assault. Court papers cite online posts urging Omar’s removal from office. Magistrate Judge Dulce Foster ordered him held pending a detention hearing. Civic debate is loud, but this case is about conduct, not slogans.

⚖️ Massey killing draws 20 years, and the ripples widen. Judge Ryan Cadagin sentenced former deputy Sean Grayson in Illinois. Sonya Massey called police to report a possible prowler at her home. Grayson shot her after ordering her to move a pot of hot water. A jury convicted him of second-degree murder in October. Prosecutors sought the maximum sentence, and the court agreed. Defense lawyers asked for 6 years, citing Grayson’s advanced colon cancer. Grayson, 31, told the court he froze and apologized. Massey’s parents and two teenage children described fear of calling police. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it is also reviewing the case.

📱 Apple rides iPhone 17 boom while artificial intelligence (AI) lags. Apple ($AAPL) said iPhone sales hit $85.3B, up 23% year over year. Apple posted $42.1B profit on $143.8B revenue for the quarter. Chief executive Tim Cook said demand was “staggering” on the call. Apple still has not delivered its promised 2024 Siri upgrade powered by AI. To catch up, Apple is tapping Alphabet ($GOOGL) and its Gemini 3 model. Apple says more than 2.5B active devices now run its operating systems worldwide. International Data Corporation (IDC) puts iPhone near 20% global share, just ahead of Samsung. Apple forecast at least 13% revenue growth for the March quarter. A memory-chip crunch could pressure margins, and prices could be next.

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