Trump Declares Venezuelan Airspace “Closed in Its Entirety,” Prepares for Land Strikes

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Donald Trump has escalated U.S. pressure on Venezuela, declaring Saturday that all airspace over and surrounding the country should be “considered closed in its entirety.” The announcement, made in a post on Truth Social, warned airlines, pilots, and criminal traffickers to avoid the region.

“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” Trump wrote.

U.S. carriers have not flown to or from Venezuela since 2019, when commercial flights were suspended amid safety and political concerns. However, some international and transit flights continued to cross high-altitude routes over Venezuelan airspace.

The new directive comes alongside recent guidance from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which on Nov. 21 issued a notice urging airlines to avoid flying over Venezuela because of increased military activity and security risks in the region.

Trump’s airspace closure is part of a broader escalation: in remarks just days earlier, he said that land strikes on Venezuela would begin “very soon.” The administration frames the move as an effort “to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers.”

Since early September, the U.S. has carried out a series of naval strikes on vessels alleged to be involved in narcotics smuggling in Caribbean waters; U.S. officials claim the strikes have killed dozens of suspected traffickers.

The government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro swiftly condemned Trump’s announcement, calling it “a colonialist threat” and a “hostile, unilateral, and arbitrary act” that violates international law and Venezuelan sovereignty.

Venezuela also cited the closure to suspend deportation and migrant-return flights previously coordinated with the U.S. government.

With U.S. military presence mounting in nearby Caribbean waters, and the administration signaling possible land operations, tensions between Washington and Caracas remain extremely high. Analysts warn that further steps — including possible air or ground strikes — may dramatically escalate the conflict.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Damning Report Labels FBI ‘Rudderless Ship’ Under Kash Patel — With He and Dan Bongino More Concerned With Building ‘Personal Résumés’

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FBI Director Kash Patel is facing withering criticism from an alliance of active-duty and retired agents and analysts, days after the White House denied media reports that the president is about to fire him.

A troubling new report card on the first six months of Patel’s leadership concludes he is “in over his head” and his deputy, Dan Bongino, is “something of a clown,” according to the alliance, which in two previous reports warned about crippling DEI and politicization of the FBI during the Biden administration.

The Patel-led FBI is described in the 115-page report as a “rudderless ship” and “all f–ked up.”

Patel is described by multiple internal sources as inexperienced, with one source saying he “has neither the breadth of experience nor the bearing an FBI director needs to be successful.”

Another source, a self-professed Trump supporter, said Patel is “not very good,” “may be insecure,” and “lacks the requisite experience” or the “measured self-confidence” to be FBI director. (Read more from “Damning Report Labels FBI ‘Rudderless Ship’ Under Kash Patel — With He and Dan Bongino More Concerned With Building ‘Personal Résumés’” HERE)

‘Get Off YOUR Ass’: MTG, Mike Cernovich Get Heated Over Her Resignation From Congress

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Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene got into a heated exchange with conservative commentator Mike Cernovich on X this past week following Greene’s resignation announcement.

The exchange began when Greene posted about the percentage of American-based accounts on X. “Many accounts are paid and many are foreign and they post and comment all day with targeted talking points in order to sway your opinion…Real life is tangible, involves relationships with people, productive work, and all the fun amazing adventures the beautiful world has to offer.” Cernovich responded to the post by saying “You need to serve out your full term.”

Greene responded the following morning, saying “[s]hit posting on the internet all day isn’t fighting. Get off YOUR ass and run for Congress.” Her response was viewed by over six million people. The heated exchange continued with Cernovich reiterating his opinion that Greene must serve her full term, and Greene pushing back.

(Read more from “‘Get Off YOUR Ass’: MTG, Mike Cernovich Get Heated Over Her Resignation From Congress” HERE)

Trump Stands by Calling Tim Walz ‘Retarded’: ‘There’s Something Wrong with Him’

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President Donald Trump on Sunday stood by his comments Thursday in which he called Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), the 2024 Democrat vice presidential nominee, “retarded.”

Aboard Air Force One, en route from Palm Beach to Washington, DC, a reporter asked Trump if he stood by slamming Walz as “retarded” in a Thanksgiving Truth Social post.

“Yeah, I think there’s something wrong with him,” Trump said. “Do you have a problem with it?”

“I think there’s something wrong with him … Anybody that would allow those people into a state and pay billions of dollars out to Somalia. We gave billions of dollars to Somalia — it’s not even a country because it doesn’t function like a country. It’s got a name, but it doesn’t function like a country. Yeah, there’s something wrong with Walz,” he added.

Trump said in his post on Thanksgiving that the country’s “refugee burden is the leading cause of social dysfunction in America, something that did not exist after World War II,” before he bashed Walz.

(Read more from “Trump Stands by Calling Tim Walz ‘Retarded’: ‘There’s Something Wrong with Him’” HERE)

Trump Gives Maduro Ultimatum: Resign and Leave Venezuela or Face U.S. Action, Report Says

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President Donald Trump reportedly delivered a stark ultimatum to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro during a tense phone call, warning the longtime socialist ruler to resign and leave the country or face consequences, according to a report from the Miami Herald.

Sources cited in the reporting say Maduro demanded key conditions in exchange for stepping aside — including global amnesty for crimes he is accused of and the ability to retain control of Venezuela’s military while allowing free elections. The United States rejected both proposals immediately.

Instead, Trump is said to have offered a narrow path: Maduro, along with his wife and son, would be permitted safe passage out of Venezuela — but would need to depart immediately. Amnesty would also be extended to top Maduro allies, the report states.

The failed phone call reportedly took place late in the week of Nov. 16, just days after Trump publicly signaled he was open to speaking directly with Maduro. The discussion included what a formal surrender might look like, given that the U.S. State Department has a $50 million bounty on the Venezuelan leader.

After the call broke down, Trump intensified military and diplomatic pressure on Caracas. The president declared Venezuelan airspace “closed in its entirety” and warned that U.S. operations inside the country could begin “very soon.”

The directive came as the USS Gerald R. Ford — America’s largest aircraft carrier — and a Marine Expeditionary Unit remained positioned offshore, capable of amphibious deployment.

Trump later acknowledged the conversation to reporters, saying only: “I wouldn’t say it went well or badly.”

U.S. leaders have tied the escalation to Venezuelan drug-trafficking networks, which Trump has increasingly blamed on Maduro’s government.

As pressure mounts and diplomatic options narrow, concerns rise over a possible U.S. military intervention in the country of 28 million.

Trump has repeatedly hinted that additional action — including strikes “by land” — may be imminent.

Special Election May Reveal Early Warning Signs for the 2026 Midterms

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. . .Democrat Aftyn Behn is trying to tip the scales in favor of her party in a district which President Trump carried by about 20 points and former Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., won by a similar percentage last fall.

Behn faces GOPer Matt Van Epps. It’s a Republican district. But political observers are watching the race to gauge potential weakness by President Trump, a softness in the Trump coalition, issues with the Republican brand or early indications of a possible blue wave in the 2026 midterms.

Depending on who you ask, the race for Tennessee’s 7th congressional district – between Republican nominee Matt Van Epps, former state Department of General Services, and Aftyn Behn, a Democratic state representative – may be headed for a photo finish. . .

About all Behn left out in her animus toward Music City was dissing The Grand Ole Opry, hot chicken and Goo Goo Clusters. But if voters go goo goo over Behn Tuesday, Republicans face a cluster of another sort. A Behn victory may signal major problems for Republicans and President Trump heading into the midterms.

Behn is characterized as the “AOC of Tennessee,” a reference to progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Republicans have been sure to boomerang that against Behn, suggesting she’s not in tune with the district, leans too far to the left and is closer to the liberal values of New York or Los Angeles than Nashville. Republicans believe Behn is just a bad fit for Nashville. Kind of like having Bad Bunny perform at the Ryman Auditorium.

“It shouldn’t even be close. But it is,” mused Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., on Fox. (Read more from “Special Election May Reveal Early Warning Signs for the 2026 Midterms” HERE)

‘Scromiting’ Is the Brutal New Side Effect of Chronic Cannabis Use as ER Visits Surge

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. . .Over the past decade, ERs have seen a surge in regular tokers showing up with sudden, stomach-churning attacks that leave them doubled over in pain.

The worst part? Many sufferers experience these episodes three or four times a year, often leaving both patients and providers scratching their heads.

The culprit is cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a gut-wrenching disorder that triggers relentless nausea, abdominal pain and severe vomiting that can strike four or five times an hour, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Symptoms usually appear within 24 hours of cannabis use and can last for days. The episodes are so brutal that ER staff have coined a term for them: “scromiting” — a chilling mashup of screaming and vomiting.

Despite its growing prevalence, many doctors are still unfamiliar with the syndrome, which was only recently defined, making it hard to distinguish from medical issues like food poisoning or the stomach flu. (Read more from “‘Scromiting’ Is the Brutal New Side Effect of Chronic Cannabis Use as ER Visits Surge” HERE)

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100,000 Pages, 300 GB of Dirt, Zero Transparency: FBI’s Million-Dollar Cover-Up of Epstein’s Black Book in Overdrive

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The bill requiring the Department of Justice to release the long-awaited Jeffrey Epstein files has officially been signed into law — but that doesn’t mean the public will see everything. Behind the scenes, the FBI has poured enormous time and money into redacting material from Epstein-related evidence before any documents become public.

According to a Bloomberg report, the bureau has spent nearly $1 million in overtime pay as part of what officials internally call the “Epstein Transparency Project,” also referred to as the “Special Redaction Project.” At a secure FBI facility in Winchester, Virginia, nearly 1,000 agents have been assigned to the monumental task of combing through evidence tied to Epstein’s criminal network, his death in 2019, and his vast trove of digital files.

Records show that between March 17 and March 22 alone, the FBI racked up $851,344 in costs, and between January and July, agents logged a staggering 4,737 overtime hours on the “transparency” project. And their work is far from over.

A Massive Trove of Evidence

The DOJ still holds:

• Nearly 100,000 pages of unreleased documents
• 40 computers and electronic devices
• 26 storage drives
• 70+ CDs
• 6 recording devices
• Over 300 GB of digital data

Investigators are also reviewing a wide range of physical evidence, including:

• Travel logs and visitor lists to Epstein’s private island
• Blueprints of Epstein’s New York and Caribbean properties
• Thousands of dollars in cash
• Four busts of female body parts
• Five massage tables
• A list labeled simply as a “document with names,” believed by many to be the elusive client list

Internal reports indicate that FBI Director Kash Patel — along with Attorney General Pam Bondi — has directed agents to flag every reference to Donald Trump in the evidence. The President’s ties to Epstein have long been a subject of scrutiny, and those directives are fueling suspicion about the true motives behind the slow, heavily redacted release process.

Trump and his allies in Congress fought aggressively to delay the release of the files, insisting that redactions are necessary to protect victims and uninvolved parties. But critics say the prolonged secrecy instead serves to protect powerful individuals who may appear in the evidence.

The stalemate broke only after Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) was sworn into Congress last month — providing the final vote needed to force the files’ release.

Despite the law’s mandate, large portions of the Epstein archive may still remain hidden permanently. For now, the public waits — while federal agents work overtime to decide which truths remain concealed.

Black Friday Terror at Mall Sends Shoppers Hiding as Two Victims Hospitalized

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Police reported that at least two victims with gunshot wounds have been transported to a local hospital after a shooting at Westfield Valley Fair Mall in San Jose, California appeared to take advantage of the Black Friday crowds.

“Units are currently investigating a shooting at Valley Fair Mall in West San Jose,” the San Jose Police Department wrote on X. “Two victims were located and have been transported to a local hospital with gunshot wounds.”

According to police, the “shooting appears to be an isolated incident and NOT an active shooter.”

Officials added that officers are evacuating and clearing the area to ensure there is no ongoing threat to public safety. “Please continue to avoid the area,” San Jose Police added.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan posted on X that “there is no ongoing threat to the community.” (Read more from “Black Friday Terror at Mall Sends Shoppers Hiding as Two Victims Hospitalized” HERE)

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Country’s President Declares Security Emergency Amid Slaughter Of Christians

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Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency Wednesday after President Donald Trump put pressure on Tinubu due to the mass kidnappings and murders of Christians in the region.

The declaration also included an order for the country’s armed forces to increase recruitment numbers, and it called on police to recruit 20,000 more officers, making the total 50,000.

“My fellow Nigerians, this is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas,” the order said. “The times require all hands on deck. As Nigerians, we should all get involved in securing our nation.”

This will be accomplished by utilizing the National Youth Service Corps as training depots, and the order directs officers away from VIP guard duties so they can focus on “security-challenged areas.” Nigeria’s government is also deploying trained forest guard members to “flush out the terrorists and bandits lurking in our forests.”

“There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil,” the declaration continued. (Read more from “Country’s President Declares Security Emergency Amid Slaughter Of Christians” HERE)